Body Detox: Air and Water

How do we make sure the air we breathe in and the water we drink are as pure as possible to support our body detox program.

Water

Making up at least 60% of our body weight, it is little wonder that water plays an essential role for all body functions. Be it circulation, absorption or even waste removal, water is considered very necessary for our survival. Yet, today’s water quality has deteriorated such that our supply of good drinking water is fast diminishing.

Advanced machine technology now produces large amounts of chemical effluents, most of which are extremely poisonous and can cause cancer. Combined with land run-off, this leads to an erosion of good-quality water supplies, especially those located underground. Even pesticide remains are found in drinking water! Over 100 worldwide

published reports reveal that even after treatment, tap water still contains pharmaceutical drugs. The number of regular pollutants in drinking tap or spring water is over 600 and still climbing. At least one in five Americans consumes tap water contaminated by toxic waste, faeces and lead.

Although 50% of exposure to water pollutants happens on our skin (water used in showering also can be contaminated), we can do these following to ensure we have healthier drinking water:

1. Send your drinking water for a pollutant analysis.
2. Purchase an excellent home water filtration system using a combination of charcoal or screen filters and reverse osmosis water.
3. If a whole water filtering home system is not possible, at least filter the shower water. You can be exposed to six times the chloroform via steam as you would absorb from drinking treated water.
4. Buy bottled water or purified water that can come in glass containers for drinking and cooking since plastic can leak chemicals into the water.

Air

Air pollution occurs in two forms: outdoor and indoor. While outdoor pollution is easily visible such as city smog, indoor pollution is the more harmful of the two as it happens in a smaller area where pollutants settle in. However, we are not readily aware of air pollution because our bodies are being constantly exposed to polluted environments.

Sources of outdoor air pollution include motor vehicles, dry cleaners, gas-based lawn cutters and even agricultural sites. Yet, the indoor pollution levels are many times worse than the outdoor levels! Common home air pollutants come from chemical aerosol sprays, dust, cigarette smoke, candles and dirty air passageways.

Nevertheless, we can still control our home air quality better than at our offices and outside places. A good air purifier is useful at home where it can run through the central heating and air-conditioning system. Open up windows to let fresh air in – the clean oxygen can help remove toxins from cleaning products. Use natural or nontoxic cleaning alternatives instead of chemical-based products. Buy natural beeswax or plant wax candles scented with 100% pure oils instead of fake fragrances.

As for the outdoors, we can opt for a bicycle ride or walk during non-peak hours. We can also plant trees in our backyards!