How to detox from air pollution
We’ve had quite the eventful month here in southern California. On December 4th, 2017, the Thomas fire, swept through our community burning more than 280,000 acres and over 1,000 structures to become the largest fire in California history.
During the fire, and in the days and weeks since then, we have experienced very poor air quality. When structures burn, the smoke can become toxic, containing heavy metals, pesticides, asbestos, fire retardants and more. This can trigger underlying health conditions and make existing health conditions worse. Because of the health implications, it’s important to detox from air pollution if you’ve been exposed.
If you (or someone you love) have been exposed to air pollution, please use these easy tips to support your home and body.
How to detox from air pollution
- Focus on DEEP hydration. Our bodies have natural, built-in, detoxification systems (love you, liver!), but they can’t work effectively if we aren’t hydrated and most of us walk around semi-dehydrated all the time. So to help the body detox from air pollution, add extra cleansing drinks to your daily routine. Cleansing drinks are more than just water, these drinks have added detoxification and hydration ingredients, too. Try sipping any of these drinks for added detox from air pollution:
Lemon water (squeeze fresh lemon into a glass of water)
Cucumber juice (juice fresh cucumbers, cucumbers are one of the most hydrating things on the planet)
Ginger water (add a few slices of fresh ginger to filtered water)
Coconut water
Fresh fruit smoothies
Fresh green juices
2. Filter your indoor air. We can’t control the air quality outside, but we can control the air quality inside. Filtering your inside air is one of the best things you can do for your health in general, so it’s even more important if you are facing air pollution from wildfire or other sources (like urban living, a new remodel, house with carpet, etc.). All air filters are not the same though and you get what you pay for. When doing your research, make sure your air filter does not produce ozone (usually this is produced from filters containing an ionizer). If you already have a purifier and it does produce ozone, just make sure you run it when you are out of the room and leave a few windows open. Turn it off when you enter the room and keep the windows cracked. Here are my favorites (I own each of these and can personally vouch for them).
IQ Air: IQ Air makes some of the best air filters on the market today. The model we have even traps viruses. I can’t recommend it highly enough. Here is the model we have: IQ Air, Health Pro Plus. The one drawback is the filter is loud when it is set to a high fan speed. I don’t mind if I need the air cleaned quickly, but it might bother some people if you plan to run it on high for long periods of time. I have my fan set to 3 when I run it throughout the day and it doesn’t bother me.
Medify Air: We have purchased several different brands of air filters over the years and I’ve found Medify Air filters to be affordable and effective. Air filters don’t need a lot of bells and whistles to clean the air. In fact, I avoid any filter with “new technology” or fancy filtration I can’t understand. I learned that lesson the hard way with Molekule air filters that turned out to be completely ineffective despite their convincing marketing material. What an air filter needs is a HEPA carbon filter and good air flow. Medify Air is a great filter with excellent customer service and it’s the brand we currently buy. I have several models in our home.
Blue Air: I like Blue Air filters and think they work great. However, I don’t like Blue Air customer service when something goes wrong. So I recommend them with that caveat in mind. If you need help, you’re on your own. That being said, the smoke block carbon filter has been very effective for us. If their customer service was better I would be a forever customer, but now I buy Medify Air because their customer service is fantastic and so are their filters.
3. Herbs for detox and lung support. There are so many herbs that are helpful for detoxification. Here are a few we are using to detox from air pollution.
Milk thistle: This is a great liver support and I feel comfortable with my kids taking it too. I take these capsules and my kids take this glycerine tincture. Make sure you buy tinctures that are made without alcohol.
Mullein leaf tea: We’ve been drinking lots of mullein leaf tea (steep 1 teaspoon of mullein leaf in 1 cup of hot water for 10 minutes and drink). I use this mullein leaf and add raw honey so the kids will drink it.
Thyme tea: Thyme tea is a great immune booster and according to Anthony William, thyme also increases blood flow to the lungs. We make thyme tea ourselves using the fresh herb. Here’s the recipe.
Peppermint tea: Peppermint tea is a tea my kids love and it also helps to support the lungs. I add raw honey for the kids, too.
5. Lifestyle detox practices. There are a few practices you can implement to help your body detox on a deeper level.
Infrared sauna: I like using my infrared sauna for 20 minutes to work up a deep sweat. Sweating is a major detox pathway for the body so using a sauna a great way to get to a deeper level of detoxification. Make sure you replenish your electrolytes after the sauna. I love drinking coconut water for this purpose.
Epsom salt bath: As long as your water is filtered, Epsom salt baths are a great way to detox and will also help you to relax during stressful times. A few years ago I wrote about how to give a detox bath to children. The protocol is the same for adults, just use more Epsom salts. I like using 2 cups of salt in my bath.
And there you have it! Even though air pollution is no good, there are ways we can thrive in a polluted environment. Try these easy ways to detox from air pollution and let me know what you think. I hope this post has empowered you to reclaim your vitality after exposure to air pollution.
