Survival in the modern world is becoming more and more difficult. Not only must we resists temptations of processed foods (particularly difficult for parents as advertising for the worst food items is aimed directly at children), but also contend with the growing presence of industrial and agricultural toxins.

How do we protect ourselves against this vicious attack? Obviously, the first line of defense is to avoid these toxins as much as possible. That means choosing whole, unprocessed, organic or pasture-fed food, drinking and cooking with filtered water and avoiding common everyday toxins in our very own homes. Believe it or not, your home is one of the most heavily polluted places you could be. Most of us have less choice when it comes to the location of where we live and work. Nevertheless, we should seek alternatives to jobs that expose us unnecessarily to pesticides and industrial toxins, as well as, limit the amount of pollutants inside our home as much as possible.

None of us can completely escape exposure to toxins--and neither could our ancestors. Smoke is filled with toxins and before electricity, smoke from lamps and fireplaces were a constant source of irritants and carcinogens. Fortunately, at that time many factors in traditional lifestyles helped the body deal with toxins. Though our ancestors were exposed to the toxins in this smoke, they were not exposed to the thousands of chemical irritants that are widely used in products of the modern day.

The fact is that ninety-two percent of all poison exposures occur in the home, involving everyday household items such as medicines, cleaning supplies, cosmetics, and personal care items. Every 13 seconds a family calls a poison control center regarding an exposure to poison at home. In 2002 over two million poison exposures were reported to local poison control centers.

So, what can you do? The first step is to educate yourself in the dangers of these environmental toxins. The next step is to begin to eliminate toxics from your everyday life. While cleaning and personal care items are not the only source of toxic chemicals in your home, they are among the most toxic and deadly. Fortunately, they are the easiest to replace. Go to www.livetotalwellness.com/tnwellnessmom for more information.