Did you know that if a child with autism walks into a grocery store where you can smell the cleaning products like bleach, household cleaners, etc. that he can REGRESS right in front of your eyes? To onlookers it may look like bad behavior. But to the child, it feels like their head is about to explode!
The environment we are in is so important and can be a huge detriment to healing. Doris Rapp, MD presented 27 tips at our 2007 Lyme-Autism Conference which you must consider implementing in your home. To read more on Doris Rapp please go to: www.drrapp.com
1.Water use a water purifier reverse osmosis with charcoal under the sink for kitchen use and get a shower head to remove chemicals from showers and baths. Use only glass for storage.
2.House Air Use air purifier, quality vacuum cleaner, clean furnace filters often, fix gas leaks, use electric/solar heat if possible .
3.Food No pesticided or genetically engineered food. Buy organic foods, free range, hormone/pesticide free meat.
4.Oven NO microwave ovens use electric toaster oven, ceramic or glass pots for cooking. No plastic wrap for use in the microwave.
5.Sweeteners NO aspartame , saccharine or splenda. Try Stevia or Xylitol.
6.Cookware no aluminum or thin stainless steel. Preferred is glass, ceramic coated or heavy stainless steel. Dont drink from Styrofoam, soft plastic or aluminum.
7.Beverages Use glass as much as possible. Avoid benzoates with citric acid in pop.
8.Household Cleaning NO ammonia, ordinary dishwasher detergents, drain cleaners, toilet cleaners, car wash, tar/grease removers. NO pine or phenol products or air fresheners. Buy safer cleaning agents like 7th Generation, or use baking soda and white vinegar.
9.Furniture No plywood or synthetic filled. Use all natural wood, metal, glass and try to find natural stuffing and covers if possible.
10.Mattress/Bedding NO urethane, polyester, form-fitting, synthetic or smelling pesticided mattresses or pillows. No feather pillows or down comforters. NO flame retardant or boric acid. Try getting an organic cotton mattress and or/pillows if possible.
11.Flooring No linoleum, soft vinyl or synthetic carpets. Use hard tile, wood or cotton/wool carpets.
12.Home Heating watch for gas leaks, avoid all fumes
13.Clothing no polyester, wear all natural clothing and avoid all treated, wrinkle-free, stain resistant or pesticided cotton.
14.Dry Cleaning Air out fresh dry cleaning outside for several hours then store in spare bedroom. Find green non-toxic cleaners.
15.Moths Use NO mothballs or naphthalene, try essential oils such as cedar, clove, mind or orange.
16.Personal Body Products Beware of ingredients such as: lauryl sulfate, DEA cocamide, Quaternium 15, PG40, Propylene glycol, glycerine and talc. Buy products at health food stores and use organic coconut or jojoba oil. NO nail polish or remover. (I found water based nail polish and organic skin care products online at: www.bytheplanet.com
17. Sanitary Products use natural products because some products are bleached white with dioxin (agent orange)
18.Hair coloring Use no regular hair dyes. Use natural hair dyes (Henna)
19.Toothpaste NO FLOURIDE. Use only organic toothpaste
20.Diapers Natural cotton diapers instead of disposable due to plastic exposure.
21.Pest and Weed Control Use only organic pest and lawn control. It is possible to get ill from very minute amounts of chemicals. Do NOT use personal skin repellents with DEET. Use Bite Blocker or All Terrain Herbal Armor.
22.Art supplies Use only non-toxic marking pens and crayons.
23.Reading Materials Avoid smelly shiny white paper in books or newspapers. Avoid paper that has an odor.
24.Dental Care NO mercury or metal fillings, no root canals. Only allow ceramic fillings. Use a holistic dentist
25.Check for Toxic dump sites in your town. Dont live or work by high power electric wires, TV and cell phone towers. (Radiation)
26. Vaccinations allow no vaccines until you have read the pros and cons of each vaccine.
27. Organize to protect ourselves and our children. An excellent resource for determining what different chemicals are, what they do to the body, and what products they are in, is the
Environmental Working Group. There is also an excellent site where you can look up the ingredients and potential harmful ingredients that are lurking in our everyday beauty products such as skin care, make-up, sunscreens and body care. Go to:
www.skindeep.com for this valuable information.