I figured the beginning would be a good place to start. I mean, I’m not going to take you all the way back to the day I was born, but let’s start things off with my childhood…
What My Diet Looked Like When I Was a Kid
I was raised in the deep south. Fried chicken, chicken & dumplings, and processed biscuits were staples in our household. Not to mention all of the canned goods. Oh, and my grandparents made their own jelly. It was delicious, and I ate it on the regular, but I don’t want to think about what all was in it!
And don’t get me started on all of the soda. I was actually born and raised in the town where the number one soft drink in the world was created (read: not Atlanta). You know the brand I’m talking about. So I didn’t drink much water… just lots and lots of sugary, bubbly, chemical-ly red-canned soda.
We also didn’t have a problem putting anything in the microwave. I think this was fairly normal in the 90s, but I’m pretty sure we put everything in the microwave except silverware. Glass, plastic, styrofoam, whatever. If it didn’t melt, it was ok, right?
Oh boy, have my eyes been opened.
Common Household Chemicals (that aren’t bleach)
Let’s get started with some of the most common household chemicals (and I’m not talking about window cleaners and bleach, but we’ll get to those eventually.)
Polytetrafluoroethylene
Try saying that three times fast. Or even once. So what is it? In short, we’re talking about non-stick cookware.
Formaldehyde
What?! I don’t have formaldehyde in my house! Well, it’s a main ingredient in most air fresheners, so you’re likely spraying it all over your home and breathing it in on the reg.
Triclosoan & Triclorcarbon
AKA antibacterial soap. Ok, ok, Chelsea. You’ve gone too far. Antibacterial soap is good for us, right? Well, not really… multiple studies have proven that antibacterial soap can actually create antibiotic-resistant bacteria, which will cause more illnesses over time. Oh, and it’s definitely not biodegradable.
BPA / BPB
Everybody’s favorite thing to pick on… plastic. (Read my full rundown on it here.)
Phthalates
This is the super scary one because it seems to be in everything from makeup to baby bottles to mattresses. (Read more about phthalates in your beauty routine here.)
Nitrates / Nitrites
These are found in processed meat like lunchmeat, hot dogs, and -oh yes- bacon.
In no way is this a comprehensive list, but I’d say these are things almost everyone can find in their homes.
What to Expect from this Blog
So what on earth are we supposed to do? How do we get rid of these chemicals? My next posts will be about each of the above areas where we can improve our lives a bit. I’ll give you some simple solutions and substitutions to get rid of some of the unnecessary poisons we use in our households. Join me on this journey, and please feel free to reach out to me if you have any questions or suggestions I haven’t thought of. I’m all ears!
