I used to cook using teflon coated skillets, microwave leftovers in plastic containers, drink water out of plastic water bottles, store food in plastic and bake on aluminum foil. Why? Because that’s how I was raised.
The problem with all of these is that they increase your body’s toxic load with carcinogens, endocrine disrupting chemicals and neurotoxins. Over time, these result in weird symptoms like rashes, hormone imbalances, fatigue, brain fog, mood disorders, irritable bowel syndrome and autoimmune diseases to name a few.
But now I know better. But knowledge is half the battle, the other half is doing something about it.
So today I wanted to give you some super easy swaps you can make this week to reduce toxin exposure for you and your family.
Non-Toxic Sheet Pans
Most sheet pans are aluminum. The problem with aluminum is that it’s a neurotoxin and has been linked to the development of alzheimers.
Happily there is a super cute alternative – Enamelware by Crow Canyon Home. This is non-stick, dishwasher safe and safe to use on the grill as well as in the oven.
Non-Toxic Skillet
Nothing is worse than having a skillet that sticks right? That’s why teflon coated products exploded so quickly. However it was never really tested for safety. Teflon has been largely replaced by other PFAS that are just as toxic! I wrote a bit about how to reduce your exposure to PFAS in this blog post.
What do I use? I use a cast iron skillet like this one which is made in the USA and lasts for generations. In fact mine is a hand me down from my in-laws. The trick to keep it non-stick is to keep it seasoned which is simple. Check out Lodge Cast Iron’s guide here.
Non-Toxic Water Bottles
Sadly plastic single use water bottles have a very high concentration of micro plastics in them, much higher than your tap water. The problem with these is that they are endocrine disruptors meaning they can mess with your hormones, increase infertility, contribute to metabolic disorders and ADD to name a few.
The best replacements for plastic water bottles are to use a stainless steel bottle with a stainless steel cap or glass bottle with a non-plastic lid. Both options are durable and dishwasher safe.
Non-Toxic Food Storage
Single use plastics are far more toxic than durable plastic goods like your blender’s plastic pitcher. When you store foods in plastic ziploc baggies for instance you get similar endocrine disrupting chemicals leaching into your food as using a plastic bottle.
Happily there are a couple great options for you. One is the silicone reusable pouches. I have many of these pouches by Stasher in various sizes that I use for freezing berries, storing smaller leftovers and for my daughters snacks. They are dishwasher safe as well as microwave safe. That said I ditched my microwave years ago because I wanted to reduce radiation in my home.
For other food storage I use flip top glass jars and mason jars. For the flip top glass jars, I love the brand Le Parfait with the rubber gasket. These are easy to find and made in France. They seem to break less easily than ones made in China. I use mason jars for smaller quantities of leftovers. Ball Mason Jars are my favorite. These are made in the USA by a company that’s been in business since the 1800’s. Plus you can use them for canning or making sauerkraut!
The thing I like most about these switches is that they aren’t only non-toxic alternatives, they’re also beautiful AND you get to use them nearly every day.
To learn more about ways you can balance your body, join my 5 Day Summer Detox for Beginners. This program starts on August 17th but registration closes on the 15th. Hope to see you there!
PS: This post contains affiliate links which helps me provide you with helpful tools and resources that can improve your wellbeing.
