Is Your House Hazardous to Your Health?

Chemicals are invisible—you can't see them on a piece of fruit or in carpet, nail polish, or soap. But they can wreak havoc on our immune systems.

Studies are coming out constantly about how chemicals from everyday products are resulting in health problems like learning disabilities, autism, infertility, and cancer.

In my case, it was a benign tumor in my chest the size of a tennis ball.

About seven years ago, just before my 50th birthday, I thought I was leading a healthy lifestyle. I ate fruits and vegetables, didn't smoke, and watched my weight.

The pain that began in my shoulder was so painful that I needed sleeping pills at night and pain killers during the day. The pain ran down my arm into my hand and my fingers were starting to get numb.

I saw three top surgeons who wanted to remove the tumor but couldn't agree how.

• One said he would make an incision under my collar bone

• The next wanted to go in from my arm pit

• And the third wanted to cut me on my back and remove one of my ribs.

"I will heal you," he said.

I decided to heal myself. I took an inventory. First, what went in my body? Let's see ... I ate food with additives, colorings, preservatives, and trans fats. Yes, on occasion I ate Krispy Kremes.

So I decided to eat only unprocessed food—actually, nothing with a label. I drank lots of filtered water and pure vegetable juices. In just a few days I noticed that the pain in my shoulder was lessening.

Next, what went on me? Our skin is a not a true barrier; it actually allows microscopic chemicals to pass through it.

I realized that my makeup, toothpaste, deodorant, and body lotion contained synthetic chemicals that caused cancer in laboratory animals. I switched to all natural products.

But I didn't stop there. I looked at what surrounded me. I replaced my mattress with a natural one because the one I slept on contained flame retardants called PBDEs and stain-resistant chemicals that are recognized carcinogens. I switched to nontoxic household cleaners and got rid of my non-stick pans.

Within a few months the pain was gone. A year later, a scan showed the tumor had completely disappeared!

Often, the impact chemicals have on our bodies doesn't show up for decades. Plus, no one has done research on the types of synergies than can occur when chemicals combine, or what happens when we come into contact with different chemicals from lots of different sources.

Don't wait until you get sick to make small changes in your life. The good news is there are easy things to do, and the first action is not even a physical one—it's becoming aware of what goes in you and on you and what surrounds you every day.

Get curious about what's in your food (even where it's grown). Read the labels on your makeup, deodorant, soap, and shampoo. Become aware of the fabrics you chose to wear and the furniture you have—these can also negatively impact your health.

Then begin the process of making new, safer choices. By easily upgrading and eliminating toxins in each room of your house, you can enhance your health and well-being and have greater vitality.

I'm happy to report that making small changes in my life was easy and very rewarding. My home is no longer hazardous to my health. Click here to find out five ways you can eliminate dangerous toxins in your home.