For sure, when Taylor Dukes was identified with a mind tumor it modified her whole life. The expertise triggered her to audit each single factor in her life, specifically her residence. After doing her personal analysis, Taylor has constructed a whole model primarily based on more healthy decisions for all areas of your life.
Taylor is a board-certified household nurse practitioner and the founding father of Taylor Dukes Wellness, a purposeful drugs observe and academic platform. Taylor focuses on serving to people overcome persistent well being points by addressing intestine well being, hormonal imbalances, cleansing, and total life-style. Via her observe, complement line, she empowers shoppers with customized protocols and evidence-based methods to assist long-term wellness.
Forward of shifting into a brand new residence and renovating, Taylor is sharing with us the highest issues she’s preserving in thoughts for a non-toxic residence.
From cookwear to pantry staples, to bedding and completely free tricks to make your private home a cleaner, more healthy place, Taylor’s suggestions are accessible to anybody. With that, let’s welcome Taylor to the weblog.
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Hey y’all! I’m Taylor Dukes, a purposeful drugs supplier, board-certified household nurse practitioner, spouse, and mama with a loopy well being historical past.
In my 20s, I used to be coping with all the thriller signs – weight acquire, bloating, fatigue, zits, mind fog, hormonal imbalances, joint ache, and extra. I used to be an ICU nurse, but I couldn’t determine the best way to heal myself. Each typical specialist I noticed needed to slap a Band-Assist on my difficulty with prescribed drugs, weight-reduction plan, or invasive remedies.
Nothing labored till I gave purposeful drugs a shot as a last-ditch effort. It modified my life by serving to me get to the basis reason for my points, which pushed me to pivot my profession path.
I skilled below high purposeful drugs docs, opened my very own non-public observe, constructed a wellness product line filled with more healthy pantry staples, nutritional vitamins, dietary supplements, and extra (shoutout to the TDW Store), and created an on-line VIP neighborhood that has taken the confusion and stress out of navigating wholesome residing and purposeful drugs for hundreds of individuals.
In 2022, I used to be delivered the shocker of a lifetime and identified with a mind tumor – by the way in which, I had zero signs. I used to be gifted a full physique preventative scan that exposed a mind tumor. I used an integrative strategy – I mixed the most effective of purposeful oncology and western drugs to beat it! I did have mind surgical procedure, however opted out of chemo and radiation. By the grace of God, I’m now cancer-free. We have been capable of decide that the tumor had been rising probably 8-10 years and began after I was sick years in the past. Despite the fact that I used to be feeling properly and had no signs, that have made me double down on clear residing – particularly within the residence the place we spend 90% of our time.
I’m on the point of transfer, so it’s the proper time for me to share the easy residence swaps and suggestions I’m utilizing to create my household’s more healthy residence surroundings. Whether or not you’re model new to this or have been making non-toxic modifications for some time now, these are real-deal suggestions that can truly make a distinction.
Taylor Dukes’ Ideas & Swaps for a Non-toxic House
Bed room
Do you know your physique enters its strongest state of detox and restore when you sleep? Your liver, mind, hormones, lymphatic system, and digestive organs all work to flush out toxins and reset.
I can’t stress sufficient the significance of creating positive your bed room is a chemical-free protected haven to assist your physique in detoxifying and resetting.
Mattresses & Pillows:
You’re both touching or respiratory into these surfaces all night time, so it’s important they’re constructed from supplies which are clear and protected and won’t offgas chemical substances equivalent to VOCs. VOCs are sadly present in every thing from rugs, paints, furnishings, and hearth retardants to hairsprays, air fresheners, and cosmetics. I really like Savvy Relaxation (use code TAYLORDUKES) and Avocado for all my household’s mattress and pillow wants.
Sheets & Bedding:
Go for 100% natural cotton or pure linen. Fortunately, these are broadly out there at a wide range of value factors – Goal, Pact, West Elm, Coyuchi, and Parachute all have good choices.
Space Rugs:
Attempt to keep on with pure fibers like cotton, jute, or wool to keep away from chemical substances.
Rest room & Private Care
Bathroom Paper:
Most are filled with dyes, chlorine, perfume and different chemical substances. Not the type of stuff you need to be wiping on such delicate and absorbent areas of the physique! I really like TSC bamboo rest room paper.
Female Merchandise:
Search for 100% licensed natural cotton that doesn’t embody perfumes, dyes, colours, or added chemical substances you possibly can’t pronounce. Simply plain cotton! Alternatively, you possibly can go together with a medical grade silicone cup. Some favourite manufacturers for each natural cotton female merchandise in addition to cups embody: Rael, Viv, Natracare, Cora, Organyc, Saalt, and Flex.
Razors:
Give it some thought – most typical razors have security strips that include all types of chemical substances. And also you’re swiping these chemical substances (even nicking your self!) throughout areas which are loaded with lymph nodes (underarms, groin, and so forth.). For the physique, I really like one thing tremendous easy like Leaf or Zomchi.
Towels and Washcloths:
Wrap your physique in 100% pure natural cotton washcloths and towels. Goal, West Elm, Coyuchi, and Pact have strong choices.
Instruments: Physique brushing, pure sculpting, and non-toxic anti getting older instruments are the place it’s at. No judgement ever, however I’ll all the time select a pure methodology equivalent to these talked about above over invasive remedies or chemical-laden Botox and fillers. A few of my favorites embody TSC’s Ice Curler (after I’m not at residence, the Mint Curler travels with me in all places) and the Butter Brush.
Cleansing & Laundering
Indoor air could be 2-5x extra polluted than outside air – in some circumstances as much as 100x increased (supply)! Indoor environments are crammed with all types of artificial chemical substances and different indoor air contaminants from typical cleansing or laundering merchandise.
Candles:
Swap out typical candles with endocrine-disrupting chemical substances and artificial fragrances, for cleaner choices like The Skinny Confidential one. I really like that Lauryn formulated the TSC candle with pure soy wax and pure important oils.
Air Freshening:
Toss the plug-ins and air fresheners which are laden with endocrine-disrupting chemical substances for a diffuser and pure important oils equivalent to Pranarom important oils.
Cleansing Options & Sprays:
DIY with vinegar, baking soda, and water for practically any cleansing want. Or use Department Fundamentals like me for actually all points of home cleansing, from bathrooms to tubs to kitchens to flooring.
Laundry Detergent:
Go for non-toxic options – Molly’s Suds detergent or Department Fundamentals powdered laundry detergent are nice choices.
Cloth Softener:
Do you know you should use distilled vinegar as non-toxic cloth softener?
Dryer Sheets:
Wool dryer balls are the proper dryer sheet various. Add a pair drops of important oils to every laundry ball for those who’re searching for that “clear scent” impact.
Kitchen
As a big-time label reader and mother, I used to be so disenchanted with the shortage of unpolluted meals and beverage choices on the market, which led me to create my very own wholesome variations of on a regular basis dietary merchandise. I can’t inform you what a reduction it’s to not have to fret about discovering a clear possibility for protein powder, sports activities drinks/electrolytes, espresso, and extra. All of our merchandise are made with natural and/or actual meals elements. You’ll be able to use code SKINNY for a ten% low cost on any TDW Store order (excluding subscriptions).
Not solely is your meals essential, however so is your cookware, your storage — all of it provides up. Right here’s what I hold in my low-tox kitchen.
Pantry/Fridge:
Inventory your private home with natural, complete meals. This implies avoiding extremely processed meals, refined sugars, and unhealthy fat. At all times learn labels! If the ingredient checklist is a mile lengthy – or for those who can’t pronounce/don’t know among the elements – toss it!
Lauryn and I are one in the identical in our perception that we should always all eat high-quality protein at each meal for lean muscle mass, balanced hormones, glowing pores and skin, and fewer cravings. Whether or not it’s grass-fed beef, pastured hen, wild-caught seafood, or a clear protein powder like Taylor Dukes Wellness Bone Broth Protein.
Another staples along with the clear proteins talked about above embody:
Wholesome fat: ghee, grass-fed butter, additional virgin olive oil, tallow, avocados, macadamia nuts.
Natural produce: A range! I’m going for antioxidant-rich berries, all of the leafy greens, and cruciferous veggies like broccoli, cauliflower, cabbage, and brussels sprouts.
Cleaner swaps for typical merchandise: That is the place I’m going for issues like my clear and handy mixes for Protein Pancakes, Electrolytes, Sizzling Chocolate, and Lemonade. I additionally love Siete tortillas, Masa chips, Chomps or Paleovalley jerky, and Solely fruit to call just a few.
Meals Storage/Water Bottles:
Trash your plastic, particularly these with “eternally chemical substances” like PFAS that may leach into your meals. Go for glass or stainless-steel as an alternative. Silicone luggage equivalent to Stasher are good for snacking and storing meals, simply as long as it’s not sizzling!
Cookware:
I encourage you to do an overhaul and eliminate something Teflon/nonstick. Listed below are the surfaces I like: forged iron, stainless-steel (like All Clad), enameled forged iron (like Le Creuset), and non-toxic ceramic. I really like my Caraway set.
Wrap/Baking Sheets:
As a substitute of aluminum foil or plastic wrap, which might contaminate your meals with heavy metals and/or PFAS, select non-toxic choices like Bee’s Wrap or unbleached parchment paper.
Dish Cleaning soap/Detergent:
The residue from no matter you employ will most actually stay in your dishware. I really like ATTITUDE unscented dish cleaning soap or utilizing my Department Fundamentals all function spray, plus I additionally love their dishwasher tablets.
One of many greatest objections I hear from others in opposition to transitioning to a more healthy life-style is the fee. However transitioning to a more healthy life-style is feasible, even on a finances. No change is simply too small that it doesn’t make an impression.
Beneath are inexpensive modifications you can also make and not using a whole residence renovation required:
Open home windows every day to enhance air flow and air high quality.
Moist mud and vacuum (with a HEPA filter vacuum) usually to rid your private home of VOCs, which journey on mud.
Put money into an air air purifier (first, for the bed room, and subsequent, for frequent residing areas). If a high-end air air purifier isn’t your finances, you possibly can DIY an air air purifier with a field fan and a filter for tremendous low cost. I define the method in this text.
Use the lavatory exhaust fan earlier than, throughout, after bathing and showering to scale back the chance of mildew.
Monitor humidity (optimum aim is below 45%) – you will discover humidity screens for below $10 on Amazon! If vital, buy a conveyable dehumidifier.
Take your footwear off indoors. Hold a shoe tray and/or shoe rack by the entrance door as a delicate reminder for all who go to.
Put money into a water filter to take away contaminants out of your ingesting water. This could vary from a comparatively cheap gravity filter to an under-sink RO system to a complete home system. We use Aquasana filters at my residence (use code AQTDW50).
At all times select strong wooden every time attainable over particle board, mdf, or artificial wooden supplies. This contains every thing from cupboards to flooring to furnishings.
Contemplate the supplies you’re utilizing in your house. Go along with pure fibers like cotton, jute, or wool every time attainable. Go along with actual hardwood. Select OEKO-tex, Made Secure, and GOTS licensed natural supplies every time attainable.
I’m nonetheless within the technique of packing and planning for my transfer, however I’m excited to include all of the aforementioned non-toxic issues into my new residence. Right here’s just a few different top-of-mind issues:
Flooring and paints are huge ones to me to not have offgassing of chemical substances. We’re sanding and re-finishing all of our new residence’s flooring and repainting. We’re doing all ECOS paint, which is water-based, non-toxic and has zero VOC.
We’re mitigating EMF publicity when attainable by hardwiring Web-installed ethernet cords. Whilst you won’t have the ability to hardwire your whole residence, turning your Wi-Fi off at night time is a good begin.
We’re on properly water, so a whole-house water filtration system is a non-negotiable for me. That is the model we’re utilizing. Additionally they have slightly below the sink filters with reverse osmosis and remineralization and bathe head filters.
Keep tuned for all of the wholesome residence transform content material coming to my IG quickly – I can be sharing unique content material with my insider checklist, too.
I hope the following pointers and product suggestions encourage you to create a house that promotes true restoration and well being for you and your loved ones. Bear in mind, small modifications make a giant distinction!
If you’d like extra customized steerage in your wellness journey, I’d love to ask you to affix my VIP on-line neighborhood for unique assist, assets, and common reside calls with me. It’s additionally so enjoyable to attach with like-minded folks.
You too can discover me on IG and my weblog for tons of free assets, recipes, and swap solutions. And don’t overlook you possibly can save 10% off my wholesome residing merchandise – collagen protein powder, electrolytes, detox baths, dietary supplements, and extra – with code SKINNY.
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There you go. Tons of tricks to regularly and slowly make your private home a more healthy one. It’s straightforward to get overwhelmed with all of the non-toxic swaps out there to you so begin small, and concentrate on the issues which are most relevant to you.
We hope you liked this publish, and keep tuned for extra coming quickly from Taylor.
x, The Skinny Confidential crew.
+ Lauryn’s non-toxic being pregnant necessities.
++ More healthy bodycare swaps with The Natural Bunny.