Detoxifying Life

Bamboo Toothbrushes, Plant-Based Floss

This one's about microplastic exposure. It makes intuitive sense: brushing and flossing daily with plastic bristles and strings likely introduces microplastics into your body. The friction, heat, water, and wear create the perfect combination to release microplastics directly into your mouth and into your blood system. I replaced my electric toothbrush with disposable bamboo ones bearing plant-based bristles, and swapped my Crest floss for floss made from plant fibers and peppermint oil.

Dr. Bronner and Native

Dr. Bronner's and Native are two brands that I've started purchasing more and more to replace my existing soap, dish soap, body wash, and shampoo. These two brands are incredibly transparent and health-conscious with the ingredients they choose for their products, and it gives me peace of mind knowing that I'm not quietly poisoning myself every day with chemicals whose effects on the complex human body aren't entirely understood, traceable, or documented.

High Quality Olive Oil, Ghee, Kerrygold Butter (Occasionally), or Nothing

I only use two types of oil when I cook nowadays: high quality extra virgin olive oil and ghee (clarified butter). Need to sear something or get the pan ripping hot? Clarified butter is the answer due to its high smoke point. Everything else? High quality extra virgin olive oil. I only occasionally use butter, and most of the time, it's to make reduced sauces slightly richer at the end or to baste steak. Margarine, seed oils, etc. all cause extra inflammation within the body and contribute to long-term health issues.

Replacing Kitchen Utensils and Avoiding Teflon Non-Stick Pans

Many kitchen utensils, such as steak prongs and spatulas, are made of silicone, plastic, or rubber. I've replaced all of my utensils with stainless steel, as I don't want to leach any chemicals into my food long-term. Teflon pans are avoided for the same reason — once punctured, a Teflon pan will continue to leach harmful chemicals into food. These punctures are often very tiny and hard to detect with the naked eye, which only makes them more dangerous.

Cotton Underwear and Breathable Clothing

A study that always sticks around in my mind is a 1993 study by Egyptian urologist Ahmed Shafik where rats were dressed in pants made of different materials to study their effect on sexual activity. The study found that rats wearing polyester or poly-cotton blend pants had significantly lower sexual activity compared to those wearing cotton or wool pants, likely due to static electricity generated by the polyester. Shafik hypothesized that these "electrostatic fields" could explain his findings and suggested the results might apply to humans.

Now, I'm not saying this study definitively proves anything about human health, but it made me think about what I'm putting on my body every single day. After reading this, I became super conscious about clothing materials. I've switched almost entirely to cotton underwear and breathable natural fabrics. The idea that synthetic materials could generate electrostatic fields that might interfere with your body's natural processes just doesn't sit right with me, especially when it comes to areas that are in constant contact with sensitive skin. Plus, natural fabrics like cotton and wool just feel better — they breathe better, they don't trap moisture, and they don't make you feel like you're wrapped in plastic.

On Red Meat

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Laptop Radiation Pad

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Processed Sugar and Dermatographia

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