Low Tox Living and Learning in Lane Cove

One in five (18.9%) Australians experience chemical sensitivity, according to research conducted by Dr. Anne Steinemann, an internationally recognised expert on pollutant exposures and associated health effects with the University of Melbourne. Dr Steinemann found that more than one-third (6.5%) of Australians, medically diagnosed with multiple chemical sensitivities, suffered health problems due to exposure to common chemical products.  One Lane Cove Local Corrine Sultana has launched a Low Tox facebook group to help people.  We asked Corinne to tell us all about the group.

What is the Low Tox Facebook Group?

Low Tox Learning aims to offer a positive, friendly, community who love to share information about reducing toxins in our lives.  Whether it’s chemicals in our personal products or cleaning products, hazards in our home like mould or electromagnetic fields, additives in food or making better choices in the products we buy that impact our environment. We discuss all the courses, books, products, concepts. I provide snippets of info for people on different topics and there is lots of great discussion with people asking questions. We aim to have a supportive group that welcomes anyone no matter where they are on their low tox journey.

Why Did You Start Low Tox Learning?

Once you come to the realisation that you’d like to make some changes in your lifestyle it can be daunting – where to start, what things can I change, where can I get help. I started the group to help me with my own transition initially but my main aim is to offer a safe place for people to start and get the confidence to make positive changes.

How Has Adopting a Low Tox Life Helped You?

As a mum to a toddler protecting him from harmful chemicals is so important to me. It was the additives in baby products that first made me aware of the use of unnecessary and possible harmful additives in our day to day products. Since removing them from our home I have seen great improvements in all our lives – our skin tone is greatly improved,  we have less sickness, have improved the quality of the air in our home and overall feel that we are healthier for it.  Living a low tox life is a journey which we are on. Its challenging to remove toxins in products, food, home, lifestyle and environment so trying to make incremental changes is a healthy way to approach it.  We make changes daily in our home and we learn more all the time.

What are your Top 5 Tips for a Low Tox Life?

• As the skin is the largest organ in the body it most easily absorbs chemicals in products. Consider changing products that come into contact with your skin to ones with a lower chemical load to reduce ingredients that can be harmful to you;
• Don’t heat food or store hot food in plastics containers as the chemical in the plastic can leach into your food;
• If a product carries a “warning, danger, harmful or chemical” label do you really need it in your home – how might it be affecting you? There are lots of wonderful alternatives available;
• Ditch anything that has a “fake” fragrance (perfume, parfum or fragrance that is not from essential oils) as these chemicals can not only cause sensitivities and headaches, but have the ability to disrupt your hormones and cause other health impacts. They also decrease the quality of air in your home instead of improving it; and
• Your mobile phone and the WiFi in your home can impact your health – don’t sleep with the phone near your bed, turn the home WiFi off at night, use a LAN cable for your computer and a headset for your mobile.

Just head over to Low Tox Learning and ask to join the group. 

Do you know a interesting Lane Cove local we should interview?  Email us at [email protected]