Safer Swaps For Healthier Hormones

At no other time in human history have we faced such a large collection of potential immune challenges.  We’re dealing with a toxic food chain, pollutions of all kinds, high levels of stress, and thousands and thousands of human-made chemicals that have never existed in nature before.  But before you drown in despair, remember all the good things we can do to protect ourselves like eating veggies, getting a good night’s sleep and, after you read this, choosing safer products.

When my daughter was 2 years old she tested at estrogen levels of a 15 year old girl. Our conventional doctors told us that it was due to the endocrine disrupting ingredients in her shampoos, lotions and soaps.  But we were crunchy, hippie parents and only used organic, plant-based products, so what gives?

We assume that our hair care, cleaning products, skincare, cosmetics, and detergents are safe.  We may not even think about how air fresheners, plastic storage containers, birth control pills, mini blinds, Teflon/nonstick pans, shower curtains and vinyl flooring affect our health.  But endocrine disruptors are all around us and are wreaking havoc on our health.

The saying goes, “The dose makes the poison”.  But when it comes to our hormone system, even the tiniest exposure to endocrine disrupting chemicals can cause huge health problems.  And when I say tiny, I mean parts per billion tiny. That’s like a single drop of water in 20 Olympic-sized swimming pools. The potential health consequences of endocrine disruptors aren’t limited to our reproductive system and breast development either. Our endocrine system regulates ALL biological processes in your body. Let me break that down for you...your endocrine system regulates your growth, mood, sleep, sexual function, digestion, insulin levels, stress levels and more.  Consequences of endocrine disrupting chemicals go far beyond early puberty and reproductive disorders. We’re talking about obesity, diabetes, neurological impacts, breast cancer, endometriosis, immune disorders, lower IQ levels, liver cancer, osteoporosis, Parkinson’s symptoms, thyroid disorders, prostate cancer and early death. Yikes.

I hate gloom and doom and I’m a fixer, so let’s focus on what you can do to be a ninja warrior against environmental toxins.

1. Go fragrance-free.  “Fragrance” is actually a blend of various chemical compounds that are associated with diabetes, obesity, autism, ADD/ADHD and hormone disruption. Fragrance has been labeled “the new second hand smoke” yet it’s found in nearly half of all personal care products.

2. Three letters...DIY.  Baking soda, vinegar, castile soap, olive oil, lemon juice and essential oils (if you want) are really all you need to clean your house top to bottom!  Need some recipes? Here you go! Know you’re never going to make your own, no matter how easy it is? (no judgement here, I fall into this category!)  My favorite safer commercial cleaners are Branch Basics, Seventh Generation and doTerra’s On Guard.

3. Ditch the plastic and go for glass storage containers and stainless steel or glass water bottles . Plastics can leach toxic chemicals like BPA and phthalates into your food and drink. Beware of BPA-free though.  BPA has simply been transitioned to BPS but BPS appears to be just as toxic and significantly less biodegradable. And don’t forget to ditch the plastic wrap too!  Bee’s Wrap reusable wraps are a more sustainable and natural alternative to plastic wrap and they work! (they actually stick).

4. Go old school with your pots and pans.  Non-stick/Teflon pots and pans contain toxic chemicals (Perfluorinated Chemicals - PFCs) linked to cancer, decreased sperm quality, low birth rate, kidney disease, thyroid disease, and high cholesterol.  There’s actually a movie about it!  Switch to cast iron, ceramic or stainless steel cookware and glass bakeware.

5. Be in the know.  The regulations regarding our personal care products are dismal.  But it would take a PhD to be able to decipher all the ingredients on the back of a single shampoo bottle.  And just because it’s labeled as organic, natural or hypo-allergenic, doesn’t mean it’s safe. Download The Environmental Working Group’s free app Skin Deep to scan your products, check their ratings and make safer choices if need be.  Do your research and shop from companies you trust. My favorite safer skincare and cosmetics company is Beautycounter. A Certified B-Corporation that does 3rd Party Testing and has a Never List made up of more than 1,500 questionable or harmful chemicals has made squinting at the tiny writing on the back of bottles a thing of the past!

6. You can avoid at least 4 of the 12 most damaging endocrine disruptors by focusing on one thing - the water you drink. Atrazine (a toxic weed killer that actually turns male frogs into female frogs), Percholorate (a byproduct contaminant of rocket fuel that can cause metabolism and thyroid dysfunction), Arsenic (a heavy metal that can cause skin, bladder and lung cancer and interferes with how our bodies process sugars and carbohydrates) and Lead (which harms nearly every organ system in the body) can be avoided with a good water filter.  Not sure which one to get? Check out this guide.