10 Ways to be Healthy and Fit on the Inside

Being "fit" means we need to focus just as much on what's happening on the inside as the outside of our bodies.

We are exposed to THOUSANDS of toxic chemicals daily from the time we wake up in our flame retardant bed, shower in our chlorinated water, cook in our non-stick pans, wash our face, our clothes, our dishes in chemicals, eat fruits and veggies with pesticides...the list goes on and on and we are slowing killing ourselves with chronic diseases.

Though we can't completely get rid of all the toxins, we CAN make a difference for ourselves and our children by doing these things:

1. Eat organic: Eat food that hasn't been sprayed with pesticides and herbicides. If you can't get an organic option, make sure to thoroughly wash your conventional produce.

2. Clean green: Conventional dish soaps, laundry detergents, fabric softeners and household cleaners contain harmful chemicals for your health. Look for products labeled nontoxic, and ones that have plant-based ingredients.

3. Get fresh air: Instead of using toxic air fresheners, candles, perfumes and cologne, essential oils are a great alternative, and have healing benefits as well!

4. Clean indoor air: One way to clean the air you breathe is by having fresh household plants inside your house and work space. Certain plants actually remove toxins in the air helping decrease your risk of cancers, asthma, allergies, auto-immune disorders and other diseases. Aloe Vera, Areca Palm and Baby Rubber Plant are some examples.

5. Be naturally beautiful: Your skin is your biggest organ. If you can't eat what's on your skin, don't use it. Your skin absorbs all the toxins that are in conventional soaps, shampoos and makeup products. Instead of conventional store-bought lotions, try using almond, jojoba or coconut oils! Also wear natural sunscreens. Knowing that your skin is highly absorptive, can you imagine the absorption rate when you're sweating in the sun and reapplying often? More than four out of five sunscreen products actually harm the people who use them. The Environmental Working Group (EWG) has a great list of safe, nontoxic sunscreens.

6. Drink and shower in clean water: One study found more than 300 pollutants in U.S. tap water. Add a quality water filter in your house to remove at least the majority of common toxins that are found in the water supply.

7. Fire your microwave: Microwaves can significantly reduce nutritional content of food. One study found that broccoli cooked in the microwave lost up to 97% of its beneficial antioxidants. By comparison, steamed broccoli lost only 11% or fewer of its antioxidants.

8. Put your Teflon cookware in the trash: The chemical compound used to make Teflon can be very difficult for the body to eliminate. Instead of using Teflon cookware, try cast iron or nontoxic ceramic.

9. Sweat more: Sweating it a great way to start cleaning toxins out of your body. Using an infrared sauna or doing hot yoga are great ways to get your sweat on.

10. Eat Antioxidant Rich Alkalizing Foods: Make sure you're getting plenty of superfoods and dark green leafy vegetables in you DAILY! One of the best ways to do this is by juicing or drinking green smoothies.

Here's to a healthier fitter YOU!