It’s time to clean house…

It wasn’t until I became a parent that I started to look closer at the items in my shopping cart. There is just something about being a Mum that has you questioning everything, second guessing yourself, and hoping that you have done the best you can.

At the age of four, Matthew my middle child was always having meltdowns and super sensitive to absolutely everything. He would cry if there was a loud noise, if someone brushed past him, if I said no and often after a long day at school. He had no resilience to speak of, and there was no way to reason with him.

I just couldn’t understand it, he was loving, kind and such a Mr sweet face, that when these melt downs occurred they seemed out of the blue, out of character and with out an identifiable trigger.

This behaviour often resulted in melt downs of my own, especially when we were out in public places and judgements were made around my parenting.

As a parent you just know when things aren’t right with your kids, and I set out on a mission to understand more.

The symptom diary

I found an old exercise book and began documenting everything we did as a family.  Keeping a food, drink, environmental, household cleaning and personal care product diary, I monitored daily over a month all activity; when the behaviour deteriorated, and when things were going well.

What I found was astounding, my son was reacting to processed foods, our cleaning products, our personal care products and SUGAR!!!

It became apparent to me that he was struggling to process these toxins in his little body. This propelled me on a journey to change everything and transform our health as a family. Fast forward 25 years and I am now a Naturopath and avid Health Advocate eager to spread this message to families every where. Health is every family’s birth right and we all can choose better health by having a healthy home and  to build resilience in our kids.

Having a clean home is high on our priorities; in spite of the busy lives we live, we are eager to keep a tidy home and germs at bay.

But here’s a fun fact, too much cleaning can contribute to our children’s allergies and disturb their gut health, interacting with their microbiome, our first line of defence.

Keep Calm and Maintain the Cleanliness!!!

On the upside, it’s a great excuse to stop stressing about your house cleaning and spend more time considering the facts.

When it comes down to it, the young in our homes are the most vulnerable to toxins as their organs are still developing. It is also interesting to note that no one is keeping track of how all these chemical ingredients are interacting in our homes or how they infiltrate and affect our bodies.

What a lot of us are unaware of, is that most of the house hold products we use to do the cleaning, contain many toxic ingredients, which even at small dosages have a huge impact on our health, and cause bigger problems than the dirt and microbes we are trying to eradicate.

Cleaning products are one of the most hazardous yet widely used commodities in our homes, and cleaning with them have the potential to cause a variety of health concerns including but not limited to; allergic dermatitis, eye irritation and nervous system suppression. Air fresheners are perhaps the most insidious of the indoor air pollutants as their microscopic particles are absorbed into your blood stream and lungs within seconds.

There are so many healthier options out there for you to consider as replacements, essential oils, bicarb soda and vinegar are a few that come to mind immediately, but if you prefer to use cleaning products, go for safer ones.

My hope is not to freak you out, it’s just to raise your awareness to these hidden irritants, because lets face it, the manufacturers aren’t going to draw your attention to them…

If you would like to know more, why not visit our website and check out the blogs and books on our website  www.drdingle.com

Looking for safer products- consider Modere

FULL DISCLOSURE; I earn a small income from the links below

I am choosing to share these products with you because they work fabulously, are promptly delivered to your door, scientifically formulated, are environmentally friendly and most importantly are low toxicity.

We have been using these cleaning and personal care products for years and love them.

Transform the health of your family, and make the change today.

Martine Dingle Naturopath, Author, and Health Advocate