How to avoid microplastics
The other day I saw an astonishing fact in a book I was reading- the average human is ingesting enough microplastics throughout the week to be the equivalent of eating a credit card! And that got me thinking… oh heck no. It takes a lot to shock me about anything health and wellness related so I figured most people wouldn’t know this fact. And if someone doesn’t know this fact, they might not know where we are exposed to them the most. So, here you’ll find 5 places you could make a simple switch to reduce your microplastic exposure. I’ll conclude it with the reasons we should avoid microplastics, too. They have a lot of effect on our overall health.
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5 Switches to Reduce Microplastics
Reusable Water Bottle
One of the most common places you’re going to find microplastics is in anything coming from a plastic bottle. Come on, you had to see that one coming. Shockingly enough, did you know that aluminum cans are also coated on the inside with plastic lining, too? In transport, these bottled things- whether that be water, soda, Gatorade or whatever you’re drinking- get heated up and the plastic will leach into the liquid. Then, ya drink it.
Easy Water Bottle Switch Recommendations
Water Filter
Our unfortunate reality is that we have plastics in our water sources- it’s even been found in the fish we eat (yes, even wild caught). Not only that, it is also pumping through our PVC pipes which is, you guessed it, PLASTIC! Your best bet is going to be to get a water filter to filter it out of your drinking water. And please, for the love of everything, don’t use tap water- even if you’re going to boil the water for cooking. It doesn’t get rid of the microplastics. One of the BEST investments I have ever made for our health has been getting a Kangen water machine. Not only is it great for quality drinking water, it also has a TON of other uses. Check out this list of uses here! You can read more about Kangen water by clicking the button below.
Easy Water Filter Switch Recommendations
Stainless Steel Pans
Any pot, pan or cooking utensil that is “nonstick” is covered in PFAS. These are manmade chemicals that can build up in our organs and tissues over time. When we heat up these cooking items, they leach the PFAS into our food and then we ingest them.
Better options would be stainless steel pots/pans or bamboo utensils.
Easy Pan Switch Recommendations
Clothing
It probably surprises you that I am bringing up clothing, but it has microplastics in it too. Namely the fabrics that are polyester, nylon, acrylic, spandex and even fleece. This is especially true for the clothing women are getting for pennies on the dollar from sites like Shein. There’s been recent studies that uncovered that many of their products were found to have over 200x the allowable limit of phthalates (yuck).
Better options would be fabric that’s made with cotton, hemp, linen, jute or bamboo. Bonus points if it’s organic!
Easy Clothing Switch Recommendations
Personal Care
Do you remember scrubbing your face raw with those tiny microbeads that was in face wash when we were growing up, or was that just me? If you think about it, those beads are still in a lot of personal care items: facewash, body wash, and even toothpaste. But hell, microplastics are found in the traditional makeup products like lipstick, eyeliner, foundations and more.
Better options would be products that are EWG verified, in my opinion.
Easy Personal Care Switch Recommendations
Why You Should Care about Microplastics
Before you skidaddle, I figure you may be asking “who the heck cares about ingesting plastics?” Well, you should. Everyone should. It’s become quite a problem especially when it comes to our health. Here’s the health impacts: hormone disruption (think infertility), nervous system damage, can induce nausea or fatigue, impairs our immune system, causes birth defects, and can cause cancer. So, there’s your motivation!
Interested in improving your overall health? Check out my blog posts about improving your health naturally!
