The Hidden Pesticides All Around You in Houston

By Tracy Southwick 

Owner & Founder of Heights of Health

Master MBSR-P, ND, HHP, CNHP, CNA, AMP

When I was a kid, I used to ride my bicycle behind the mosquito-spraying trucks, pedaling right through the fog like it was part of the fun. It has taken me years to detoxify all the pesticides I soaked up back then. I think about that every summer here, especially because of the hidden toxins of summer, and because Houston is one of the most pesticide-heavy places to live, and most of the exposure is completely invisible. 

Start with the home. So many families spray the inside of the house for roaches, then live and sleep in those rooms for weeks. We treat our pets for fleas and ticks with chemicals that sit right on their fur, the same fur our kids bury their hands in (not to mention what it is doing to the pets themselves). We spray the lawn to keep it green, then we walk across it barefoot, and our dogs pad across it too, carrying it back inside on their paws.

Then there's the air. Neighborhood mosquito spraying is routine around here, and some seasons they spray from airplanes over whole communities. You breathe it in without ever deciding to. You can be exposed to toxins daily without even realizing it. And the repellent we put on our own skin to keep mosquitoes off is its own problem. Most conventional repellents are built on harsh chemicals that absorb straight through the skin and put a load on your nervous system. You are essentially wearing a pesticide. 

The good news is that greener options work and often work well.

For mosquitoes, skip the chemical spray and reach for essential oils. Blends with citronella, lemon eucalyptus, geranium, and lavender keep bugs away without soaking your skin in something toxic. Around the house, plain borax or boric acid is one of the oldest and most effective treatments for roaches and ants, and it is far gentler on your family than what an exterminator sprays. And if you want a professional to handle it, look for one of the green, non-toxic pest control companies. More are available every year, and they deliver real results.

For the exposure you have already collected (and all of us in Houston have collected some), a good binder can help. Something like an HM-ET Binder or a ViRadChem Binder gently latches onto pesticides and other toxins in the body and helps carry them out, rather than letting them keep circulating. Learning more about your body's detoxification process may also help you better understand the bigger picture. 

You cannot control every truck that rolls down your street or every lawn your neighbor sprays. But you can change what happens inside your own home and on your own skin, and you can support your body in clearing what it has already taken on. If you want help building a plan to lower your exposure and detox safely, that is exactly the kind of work we love to do with you here at Heights of Health.  Call us for an appointment at 713-861-6777.