Over time, hundreds of poisons accumulate in our tissues, causing numerous diseases, illnesses, and eventually, death. Hundreds of diseases can be linked to various environmental toxins, but most people are relatively unaware of the daily toxic load they are accumulating.

You may be shocked at how many chemicals you are truly exposed to on a daily basis. Here are some of the most common sources of chemicals contributing to your toxic load:

• Toxins ingested through the diet, including residues of pesticides, fungicides, herbicides, artificial fertilizers, antibiotics, and chemical additives such as artificial colors, flavors, and sweeteners.

• Toxins absorbed through the skin or mucous membranes from drinking water, showers, bathing, or swimming. Chemical additives such as chlorine or fluoride are poisons -- yes -- they are -- just ask any chemistry professor! Municipal water supplies also often contain residues of prescription drugs, and also pesticides, artificial fertilizers, and other residues from crop run-off.

• Air pollution, which can include ozone, poisonous gases from fuel fumes, and indoor pollution from paint fumes, varnish, carpeting, mattresses, electronics (see next category), and more.

• Electronics: Ever smelled your computer? Electronics such as computers, televisions, monitors, refrigerators, and others all release toxins from their internal components as they heat up.

• Clothing: The clothes you wear can contain a number of chemicals, including dyes, detergents, stain-resistant treatments, dry-cleaning residues, and more, all of which can be absorbed by the skin.

• Household cleaners: Everything from laundry detergent to toilet-bowl cleaner is typically loaded with man-made chemicals. Interesting tip: If it doesn't smell like something found in nature, it's probably toxic!

• Personal care products: Skin-care, makeup, lotions, shampoos, soap, sunscreen, and anything else you put on your body is absorbed through your skin in varying amounts.

• Last but not least, prescription drugs: This category is often forgotten when considering toxic load, but most prescription drugs are made almost entirely of man-made substances that our bodies were not designed to  handle. We don't even understand many of their long-term effects on our health, and may not fully learn the consequences of all these drugs for many years.

• This list is not exhaustive, as there are more sources of exposure than we have room for here! But these are the most common and pervasive contributors to toxic load for most Americans.

There are a number of ways to reduce your toxic load, and many will require little-to-no lifestyle change. Don't worry -- you don't have to move out to the Himalayas and live in a yurt! (Unless you want to!)

While there is really no way to completely eliminate toxins from our lives in today's modern society, there are ways to reduce your exposure, and also strengthen your immune system so that your body can more efficiently detoxify itself and minimize the effects of toxic load.

One of the best ways to reduce toxic load is to use organic products. Not only does this help avoid adding toxins to your body, but it also helps the environment, so it is truly a valuable component of holistic living! A great source of organic foods is community supported agriculture programs, or farmer's markets in your area. You can also practice sustainable gardening, and grow your own!

It used to be fairly difficult to obtain organic personal care or cleaning products, unless you had easy access to a great health-food store. Now you can easily find lots of different products online, however.

Our favorite source of natural, organic personal care, makeup, skin-care, and household cleaners is Aubrey Organics. Aubrey Organics is the oldest certified organic personal care products manufacturer online today, and has been family-owned and operated for more than 40 years. Their products are consistently pure, natural, and excellent quality, at prices comparable to department store brands (or sometimes even less). Feel free to visit their website to learn more, and read some of the long lists of glowing product reviews from their many satisfied customers. (We also love Miessence Organics for their superior quality and organic ingredients.

Aubrey Organics: Organic Makeup, Skincare, & Personal Products

Another good technique for reducing toxic load from household items such as furniture or electronics, is to implement the practice of "off-gassing," whenever you bring something new into your house. Off-gassing involves letting the item (whether it be a television, computer, mattress, or even carpet, if possible) air out in a detached area that is not inside your home. A garage is a good option, if you have one. If it is an electronic item, you should turn it on, and let it run until the "new" smell is greatly reduced (usually within a couple of days). If you do not have a garage, try to purchase these items at a time of year when it is possible to open the windows for a large part of the day, and circulate fresh air into the rooms where the items will be housed. Using fans for ventilation can also help.

Another simple idea to reduce toxins coming into your home is to just take off your shoes at the door when you come in. This will help keep chemicals like pesticides and fertilizers from being tracked into your home. (And as a side-benefit, your floors will stay cleaner!)

You may also want to visit an alternative health-care practitioner and ask about a good detoxification program. A good program should include a healthy-eating plan for the duration of the program, as well as a specified combination of detoxifying organic herbs and other supplements. We specifically recommend Garden of Life supplements (see below) for their purity, potency, quality, and many organic ingredients (many of their products are also vegan).

Toxic Load: The Poisonous Chemicals in Your Body

Here are some other resources we recommend to reduce your toxic load: