Detox Starts with Your Shoes

Thinking about detox….STEP one take your shoes off…keep reading to see why…

Detox has many meanings these days. While initially the thought may be weight loss, detox is not necessarily all about weight loss. Detox is more accurately defined as purifying the body from toxins. This can mean internally as well as externally.

So if you are thinking about your own house this is where your shoes come into play. When you keep your outside shoes on while you are home you are spreading additional dirt, pesticides and lead throughout your house. Just imagine being outside all day doing lawn work and then not removing your shoes!

So here’s the data behind it: A study in Environmental Science and Technology found that residue from your shoes can easily settle on your carpet. It can also leave residue  from an herbicide that may cause minor skin rashes and stomach upset. Another study from the University of Houston found that around 40% of shoes contain clostridium difficile and some may also contain E. coli. Both strands of bacteria can cause GI (stomach) upset. 

Another study done by the University of Arizona found E. coli as well as klebsiella pneumoniae to be left on your shoes.  Klebsiella pneumoniae is associated with pneumonia and lung conditions. 

So is it better to take off your shoes prior to entering your house? Based on these statistics it just may be a cleaner choice. You don’t have to go barefoot, you can keep your socks on or leave a pair of shoes just for indoors.