We can't shop our way to the toxin-free revolution. As Charlotte Brody and Julia Varshavsky note in this series, real change demands action and vigilance not only in our own kitchens and backyards, for our own families and friends, but also in Congress and court rooms, for people we know and people we've never met. However, there are a number of steps you as a savvy consumer can take towards lessening the toxin load in your and your family members' bodies — and weakening consumer demand for harmful products. Many safer and effective alternatives already exist. The following ten tips are adapted from Women's Health and the Environment website, an invaluable resource on environmental hazards.

1. Buying organic is pricey — but can be cheaper when you shop at a farmer's market or join a food co-operative or a community-supported agriculture (CSA). In a CSA, local farmers will deliver a set share of their harvest to your home or to a central pick-up location in your neighborhood. The New York Times's "Well" blog suggests that, by going organic on the foods you eat most often — like milk, potatoes, peanut butter, ketchup, and apples — you can dramatically increase the percentage of organic food in your diet without raising the total on your grocery receipts.

2. Although environmental contaminants have been found in breast milk, the overwhelming scientific consensus still stands behind breastfeeding as the best nutrition for newborns and infants. As the World Health Organization notes, "the accumulated data overwhelmingly support the positive health value of breastfeeding infants."

3. Plastic is everywhere in your life — and when you realize it can be unsafe, it can be hard to know where to start to minimize your risk. When recycling plastic bottles, you've probably taken note of the number imprinted on the bottom of plastic containers. According to the Green Guide, it is most important to avoid Plastics #3 (often found in plastic wraps and food containers), #6 (found in Styrofoam), and #7 (in sport water bottles and baby bottles, among other places). Yup, that's a number 7 you see at the bottom of your trusty Nalgene, the one you had with you when you summited Pike's Peak. It might be time for you to make the switch to one of Nalgene's other bottles, which are made in Plastics # 2 and 4, or to invest in a non-plastic water bottle, such as a stainless-steel model.

4. One more reason to enforce the chore chart – the dust in your house can harbor flame retardants and other contaminants. Grab a broom, put on some Barry White, and send those dust bunnies where they belong! And check out the Safer Products Project, which lists household products and furniture made without the harmful class of flame retardants called brominated flame retardants (BRAs).

5. Toss out those aerosol sprays and air freshners — let flowers scent your home. According to the New Scientist, in homes where air freshners were used regularly, "mothers experienced 25 percent more headaches and were 19 percent more likely to suffer from depression, and infants under six months of age had 30 percent more ear infections and 22 percent higher incidence of diarrhea."

6. Plain soap, water, vinegar, baking soda, lemon juice and borax work just as well as cleaners as their toxic counterparts, and allow you to save money to spend on organic foods.

7. Back to plastic – don't microwave your leftovers (or anything else) in a plastic container! Use glass or ceramic dinnerware.

8. If you work in an environment that exposes you to toxic chemicals in the course of your job — in a nail salon, dry cleaner's, or factory, for instance — wear recommended protective gear (mask, gloves, goggles, etc). Wash skin that was exposed to the chemicals before entering your home, and clean your work clothes separately from clothes you wear at home. Check out the Material Data Safety Sheets that your employer is required to provide on each chemical you may be exposed to.

9. As if you need one more person to tell you to quit smoking.

10. If you must have an x-ray or CAT scan, tell the medical technician to use the lowest dose of radiation possible, and keep a file of radiologic procedures to ensure that you do not have duplicate procedures done.

The Women's Health and Environment website offers a well-researched compendium of websites that can help you start to detoxify every aspect of your life. Check there for more tips!