I’ve been practicing something I call “low-toxic living” since January of 2024.
It has to do with minimizing the toxins that get inside my body. It also includes various ways to detoxify, and eliminate, toxins that have been in my body for many years.
As office workers, the cards are stacked against us. We work high-stress jobs, while being trapped indoors.
We rarely see the sun, or touch the soil of the Earth. Instead, we touch cars, concrete, and the soles of our shoes.
We work under fake lights, staring into a neon monitor screen, breathing in dust that falls from ceiling tiles, all day long. Standard office culture is a toxic lifestyle.
Low-Toxic Living for Better Computer Posture
“Non-toxic” living isn’t an option. There’s no way to avoid them all.
There are toxins in our water, processed foods, even the air we breathe.
My goal is to eliminate as many of those endocrine disrupting toxins out of my life as possible.
That’s why I call it “low-toxic living.” But I’m not an expert on it. I’m just a student. I took a class that’s taught by a doctor.
Quick disclaimer: This article is not professional medical advice. It’s based off my personal experience and opinions. For years, my poor computer posture caused muscle tension, inflammation, and chronic pain. Bad posture also decreased my mental clarity, energy level, and work productivity.
All the desk worker health tips I write about are directly related to improve posture at computer. We are our own primary caretakers. Do your research. Make good decisions. And be the best advocate possible for your own healthcare.
Full disclosure: I receive a small commission when purchases are made from links in this article. These links promote a program I paid my own money for. I only promote products that have improved my quality of life, as well as my computer posture. Thank you very much for supporting my work. -Todd
First, let’s backtrack so I can provide some background.
Before I found this program, I was desperate. I had recently tested positive for Lyme disease. I was in a deep hole, both physically and mentally. Definitely in the worst shape I’d ever been in. This was late 2023. For context, I had just turned 47 years old.
I was suffering from excessive muscle tension, unexplained chronic pain, low energy, major depression, the list health issues I had goes on…
None of my joints were working like they used to. And despite how focused my workouts were, I couldn’t get my muscles to grow. They just got tighter and tighter. It got more painful each day. No matter what I did, I just felt worse. Nothing was working.
What is Low-Toxic Living
One day in late 2023, I came across an Instagram ad. The woman in the ad was talking about her Lyme disease symptoms, and the program she used to treat them. Her ad led me to this free online training.
But the training isn’t just about Lyme disease. It’s about a wide variety of toxins we face today. And it’s about 30 minutes long. It’s taught by Dr. Daniel Pompa (the same doctor of the program I mentioned earlier).
The training really resonated with me. Because he mentioned a lot of the symptoms I had at the time. These included my low energy, gut issues, low testosterone, hormonal disruptions, and skin issues (coal tar didn’t help).
He also talks about how today’s world is full of toxins more than ever. And how they cause things like:
- cellular inflammation
- heavy metal poisoning (even in the brain)
- microplastics (in the blood stream and tissues)
- how many conventional products (we think are safe) are not toxin free
- what harmful chemicals come in everyday toxic products (like air fresheners, toxic deodorants, and personal care products)
- autoimmune disorders*
*Regardless of whether or not these toxins cause autoimmune disorders, that didn’t matter to me. Because I knew these toxins definitely made my conditions worse.
After watching the ad, I was very interested to take the free online training.
After the 30 minute training, I immediately made plans to purchase the full program.
Tips for Low Toxic Living
Low-toxic living has become an important ergonomic variable for how to improve posture while sitting at a computer. Here are some of the new habits I’ve picked up since I started living a cleaner lifestyle.
- I don’t drink tap water.
- I rarely drink from plastic water bottles.
- I’ve completely changed my approach to food, following the 80/20 rule (80% of the time I eat clean, 20% of the time I reward myself).
- I don’t eat fast food anymore.
- I keep processed foods to a minimum.
- I eat pasture-raised, grass-fed animal products (red meat, eggs), organic fruits and vegetables.
- I cook most of my food with healthy animal fats (duck fat, beef tallow, grass-fed butter) or extra virgin olive oil.
- I buy 100% organic cotton clothing whenever possible (especially when that item is a t-shirt or underwear, which both touch a lot of skin and absorb a lot of sweat).
- I use air purifiers in my house to improve my breathing quality.
The Pompa Program
The full program was pretty intense. It lasted about 6 months. It was a lot of information to take in. But it has easily stuck with me to this day. Low-toxic living is the new normal for me. And I enjoy continuing to learn about it.
It’s an online class, taken at my own pace. There aren’t any tests. It’s not that kind of class. It’s all personal development. And I got out of it what I put into it. Which is a lot. And I don’t regret making the investment at all.
The class included 5 months of multiple supplements. It was an intense detox protocol.
The cost to take this full class was not cheap. But now that I’ve finished it, I can say it was definitely worth it. It was a valuable investment I made in my health. And I’m very happy with the results.
I enjoy reading labels, then choosing products that take a clean living approach.
A powerful healing practice is switching to non toxic cleaning products, clean makeup (for the ladies), and investing in a reverse osmosis water filter.
This is the kind of class that only the top 1% of action takers will sign up for.
The people who work to get results by any means necessary. Regardless of how long it takes, how much it costs, or how much work it involves.
But I don’t want to intimidate you. One step at a time…
Check out this free online training from Dr. Pompa. If you sit at a computer for a living like me, it should be very helpful.
There’s absolutely nothing to lose. And the worst case is, you’ll get a much better understanding of the toxins we’re up against today.
Non Toxic Must Haves
Here’s a list of my favorite products that are non toxic must haves. None of these are paid promotion.
Clothing Made of Natural Materials
When I sweat, my pores open up. I don’t want (microplastics and other harmful materials) leaking out of my clothing and into my skin. This is especially important for me when it comes to areas that sweat the most, like underwear and socks. I make sure to get certified organic and dye-free when it comes to those.
White, Cotton Bed Sheets
I don’t want to sleep on sheets made of synthetic materials. I also don’t want to be breathing in the chemicals from these materials (7 to 8 hours a night).
Cotton Towels
I don’t want to be rubbing polyester towels on my skin right after I get out of the shower.
Dye-Free Dish Sponge
After all the scraping dishes a kitchen sponge does, the toxic dyes inside a colored sponge have to go somewhere. I don’t want them going onto my plates, bowls, glasses, and silverware.
Air Purifiers
I didn’t want to believe air purifiers worked, until I got sick 3 times in a 2 month period. The lack of air quality in my apartment didn’t necessarily get me sick, but the indoor air pollution wasn’t helping me get healthy either.
Reverse Osmosis Water Filter
The chemicals found in my local tap water may be “safe,” but they aren’t the best option. The first thing I would recommend to someone taking accountability for their health, would be to stop drinking tap water, and start drinking reverse osmosis water (that has been remineralized).
Household Items That Are Toxic
Dyes that go in clothing, bedding, towels
When I was very young, a classmate had a pen in his mouth. My teacher told him to take it out because, “the dyes from that pen can leak into your mouth.” That was over 40 years ago, and that message still sticks with me today.
Is it true? I don’t know. But I’m not going to find out. Not when it comes to a pen in my mouth especially. Or when it comes to choosing organic clothing, bedding, and towels.
Dyes From Toothbrush Bristles
I never understood why a company would make a toothbrush with colorful bristles. Then tell us (on their product labels) that when the bristles don’t have color anymore, it’s time to change your toothbrush. This is a wild concept to me. Where is that dye going? Into our mouth, our bodies, our blood stream? Who knows.
Tap Water
The tap water in my local area has so much chlorine in it, it smells like pool water. That doesn’t even include other environmental toxins that are in there. The locality may safe it’s “safe,” but that just means it won’t make us sick immediately. But what’s it doing to us over the long term? Again, I don’t know, and I’m not trying to find out.
Conventional Dish Soap
The dyes alone in a bright, colorful dish soap are not good (not to mention other harmful ingredients). Why do dish soaps have to be colorful? So people will pick that one off the shelf?
And the chemicals never get off the dishes unless you rinse them excessively. So when we use a “clean” dish, my food is getting mixed in with chemicals. When a company puts dyes in the dish soap to increase sales, why do I have to ingest them with my foods?
That’s why I avoid using dish soap altogether. I just soak the dishes in hot water with baking soda for 5 to 10 minutes. This has surprisingly pulled a lot of grease off my dishes.
I avoid buying dyed options in other household products as well.
How To Tell If Your House Is Toxic
Check for Mold
I always look for black or green spots in my kitchen and bathroom. I also look for water stains and peeling/cracking paint on the wall, floor, or ceiling. Last but not least, I check for a musty odor. Basically, I check for these anywhere in my apartment where there is a lot of water.
Carbon Monoxide Detector
Back in the late 90’s, I gave a speech in my Public Speaking class at university. Carbon monoxide is still a threat today. Too high levels can possibly be fatal while someone is sleeping.
Dust
Dust has been my nose’s nemesis since I was a child. Who knows what’s in that dust? Building materials, dust, dirt from outside, etc. I try to keep my apartment as dust free as possible. My air purifiers help some. But the most important thing to do is get it vacuumed up so it can hang around.
I take seriously my health and the environment I live in, sleep in, wear to exercise, and ingest into my body.
Thanks for your interest in computer posture.
Todd Bowen
P.S. If you’ve read this far down the email, you’re someone who takes their personal development very seriously. You’ll definitely find this free online training helpful.