Today I am still reflecting on all I read yesterday in the chapter “Environmental Toxins = Hormone Havoc” in the book Hypothyroidism Type 2. Dr. Starr devoted 39 pages to the topic of environmental toxins. He states, “About 70,000 new synthetic chemicals were introduced into our environment during the twentieth century. Three-quarters of the 20 most toxic chemical pollutants are known to be poisonous to our nervous systems.”
We breathe in toxins through a variety of sources, many of which we might not think about. We commonly think about industrial and auto pollution. However, some pollutants are closer to home.
As I am working on editing my own manuscript this morning, I am reflecting on an incident that occurred a few weeks ago in my Yoga class. The room was filled with women…and also filled with the heavy scent of perfume. I moved my matt way to the corner of the room, but the strong scent of the perfume could not be squelched.
Since oxygen is carried in the blood, the more we exercised, the faster we inhaled the toxic fumes. I could literally see the “VOCs” (volatile organic compounds) being carried to the far reaches of our trillions of body cells as the instructor encouraged us repeatedly to “breathe deeply.” No wonder that within a few minutes I experienced a headache. Wonder what else was going on at trillions of body cell receptor sites that I could not see?
Instead of focusing on my Yoga, my mind took me to the seminar I had attended a couple years ago. The speaker, a chemist, taught us about VOCs. In fact, she donned her suit and mask that she was required to wear at her company, which looked like an astronaut suit to me. I’ll never forget her comment, “We are heavily monitored at our company. If VOCs are found in our environment, our company is writing checks,” (i.e., paying fines). She then went on to teach us about the unregulated perfume industry and the amount of VOCs polluting the environment from the perfume that we breathe in on a daily basis – our own and that of everyone else around us.
A few years ago when I first learned about how the skin, our largest body organ, absorbs everything applied to it, traveling to our body organs within seconds, I stopped the practice of spraying perfume directly on my neck. I thought I would really be smart – I started spraying it on my clothes. It never occurred to me that I was applying a toxin with continuous delivery to my lungs-and everyone else around me- throughout the entire day.
My mind then took me to a nurse I used to work with. She threw a complete fit and was quite obnoxious if she smelled any perfume on anyone within her immediate vicinity. Everyone made fun of her behind her back. Wow, now I wince when I realize that she was spot on.
At the end of the Yoga class, I asked the instructor if I could take a couple of minutes to do a little impromptu seminar for anyone who wanted to stay. I was grateful that everyone stayed. I discussed all the things I mentioned in this article. I was grateful when a respiratory therapist spoke up, heartily agreeing with “every word you said.”
I encourage you to pay close attention to what you are inhaling in your environment. Air fresheners do not “freshen” the air. Note the smells at the nail salon, or the smells coming from under the plastic when you pick your clothes up at the dry cleaners. On a side note, though they seem hard, nails are porous and able to absorb whatever is applied to them.
Look for healthy alternatives. For example, a better choice than perfume is pure essential oils or aromatherapy containing pure essential oils, such as can be obtained from the company Young Living. A better choice is to remove the plastic and air out the clothes in the garage. When given a choice, opt out for the clean air and materials provided by Mother Nature.
