When you start living the Paleo lifestyle, your green living will start to evolve naturally. Living a green, or non-toxic, lifestyle, much like cave men, doesn't require you to give up all the things you like but simply adjust your choices.
You have to change your paradigm to one that understands that in order to be as healthy as possible, you have to make reducing toxins an important part of your lifestyle.
Shift your chemical culture with a Paleo lifestyle
Many people are walking around sick and frustrated because they can't get answers to why they're chronically fatigued and unwell. With blood tests and exams revealing normal results, it can make someone feel lost. This unexplained fatigue may be the results of toxins in the system (toxic burden).
The marketplace is seeing more and more toxin-free foods and products every year. As awareness increases, so will the choices. It's a matter of educating yourself on where you can cut back on your daily surroundings of toxins and making different choices that fit your needs. When you shift your paradigm to wellness, you get better as you go along, and making better choices becomes fluid after you've done it for a while.
Eliminate toxins on your skin when living Paleo
Think about this: Your skin is your largest organ. Yes, your skin is actually an organ, and anything you put on the skin has a direct route into your bloodstream.
You can make toxin-free choices with these common products:
Makeup and moisturizers
Perfumes
Antiperspirants
Nail polish
Toothpastes
Shampoos
Dry cleaning
Another great resource for many of the products you put on your skin is Environmental Working Group (EWG). Its Skin Deep website is chock-full of good finds.
Remove toxins from your home when living Paleo
Toxins in your home include any pollutants that are in your daily surroundings. Here are some common toxins and what to do about them:
Cleaning solutions: The good news is that many non-toxic cleaners are widely available, so you don't need to use neurotoxic chemicals to clean your house. Try an all-natural cleaner or use some old-fashioned ingredients, like borax, baking soda, vinegar, soap, and water.
Indoor air: To reduce toxins from indoor air, you can get some good ol' fresh air and/or buy a good air purifier.
Carpets, rugs, and furniture: You can reduce toxins in carpet or rugs by airing it outside for a few days before you place it in your home. Also, instead of wall-to-wall carpets, opt for area rugs to reduce toxins. Always look for natural fibers, like wool-cotton blend, and make sure it doesn't have a latex backing.
Avoid EMFs, the invisible pollution, when living Paleo
Wherever there's electricity, there are EMFs (electromagnetic fields). When something is plugged in but not used, it generates electrical fields, or low frequency electromagnetic waves. The EMFs generated are coined as invisible pollution called electrosmog. By contrast, magnetic fields are when electricity actually passes through the wires.
The BioInitiative Working Group released an extensive report in 2007, citing more than 2,000 studies that detail the toxic effects of EMFs. This report shows that chronic exposure can lead to many life threatening diseases.
To reduce EMF exposure, try the following:
Remove yourself: The best way to reduce EMFs is to remove yourself as far as you can from the source. Be aware, and do the best you can to make adjustments. Try to make sure your bed is as far away from EMF sources as possible. It's best not to have a lot of wiring or electrical devices by your head for eight hours every night.
Eat the right food: You can make your diet a great EMF shield, too. When your body's internal environment is expressing healthy, it's a great fortress against the consequences against EMF exposure. Foods like grass-fed beef, blueberries, asparagus, cinnamon, artichokes, garlic, olive oil, wild salmon, and walnuts are all superfoods for your cells.
Use a gauss meter: If you want to test your house for EMF exposure, you can purchase a gauss meter for about $150 to $200. It's a small device that fits in a pocket that measures the strength of a magnetic field. You can take measurements at home or work and see whether some areas are more exposed than others. You can see how far you need to be away from the TV or other electrical devises.
Have an electronic-free day: Try to go electronic-free for a day once a week. On these day, let your family and friends know that you'll be shutting down. Close the computer, shut off the cellphone, and do whatever else you can to de-wire for the day.
No matter what your view is on EMFs, our ancestors weren't exposed to all the artificial lighting and gadgetry we have today. Use common sense and try to limit your use as best you can.