Detox Your Hormones

WHAT ARE XENOESTROGENS?

In 1991, the field of xenoestrogens was first introduced to the world. Xenoestrogens are foreign estrogens as “xeno” literally means foreign. Not found in nature, man-made toxins are estrogen imposters that make their way into the body, pretending to be our own estrogen. They mimic the effects of the real hormone but over-stimulate cellular activity to an uncontrollable extent. Xenoestrogens are present in our soil, water, air and food supply as well as in personal care and household products. Xenoestrogens accumulate in the fat tissues of our bodies and have the capability of locking into our own estrogen’s receptor sites. Xenoestrogens are highly toxic and harmful to our body and are one of the top causes of hormone imbalances!

 

HERE ARE SOME INTERESTING FACTS TO CONSIDER:

  • By the time the average North American woman has completed her morning routine, she has exposed her face, body and hair to over 126 chemicals from 12 different products.
  • According to the Environmental Protection Agency, 60% of what you put on your skin enters your blood stream and every organ in your body within 26 seconds!
  • The average North American contains 148 synthetic/toxic chemicals stored in the body.
  • Only 11% of the 10,500 chemicals in cosmetics have been tested for safety!
  • Xenoestrogens are not found in nature as they are man-made toxins that are estrogen imposters. 
  • Xenoestrogens mimic the effects of the real hormone but overstimulate cellular activity to an uncontrollable extent.
  • There are 70,000 registered chemicals known as estrogen disruptors (xenoestrogens)!

 

HOW TO REDUCE YOUR EXPOSURE TO XENOESTROGENS IN YOUR HOME

According to Environmental Defence, you should avoid the following eleven toxic ingredients:

 

  1. 1,4-Dioxane
  2. Artificial Musks
  3. Coal Tar Derived Colours
  4. BHA & BHT
  5. 2 Formaldehyde Releasing Agents
  6. Petroleum
  7. Parabens
  8. Phthalates
  9. Silicone Chemicals
  10. Triclosan
  11. Bisphenol-A (BPA)

THE KITCHEN

THE PANTRY

  • Avoid canned foods that are lined with plastic coating that contains Bisphenol-A (BPA)
  • Avoid processed and packaged foods and choose packaged goods in glass or paper containers
  • Purchase grains, nuts, dried fruits and beans in bulk and store in glass or stainless-steel containers

Try these brands: San Remo Organics, Eat Wholesome Food Co., Amy’s Organics, Pacific, Trader Joe’s and Imagine

SIDE NOTE- BPA- WHY YOU NEED TO AVOID IT!

The Environment Defense recently set out to test 192 food cans that were collected from major retailers in North America and this is what they found:

  • 17 of the 21 cans we tested contained BPA in the inner lining
  • All three Canadian retailers included in this study sold food cans with BPA, including BPA in their private labels (President’s Choice, No Name, Great Value, Compliments and Signal)
  • All of Campbell’s food cans tested contained BPA
  • Broth and gravy cans were the most likely (100 per cent of tested cans overall) to contain BPA
  • Corn and peas cans were the least likely (41 per cent of tested cans overall) to contain BPA
  • Many companies are replacing BPA-based resin with problematic types including polyvinyl chloride (or PVC which is a known carcinogen), polystyrene (a possible human carcinogen) and polyesters resins – all related to plastics

 

BPA was officially declared toxic in Canada in 2010 but it clearly still lurks in most of our canned food sources. BPA has been shown in repeated scientific studies to greatly increase the risk of breast and prostate cancers, infertility, early puberty in females, type-2 diabetes, obesity, asthma and impaired neurological development in children. Purchase BPA free canned goods only!

THE FRIDGE

  • Avoid all pesticides, herbicides and fungicides
  • Choose organic, locally-grown and in-season foods
  • Peel and thoroughly wash non-organic fruits and vegetables
  • Buy hormone-free meats and dairy products to avoid hormones and pesticides

Try these brands: Organic food delivered right to your door- www.spud.ca;  www.bluemoonorganics.com; www.chefsplate.com

COOKING AND PLASTICS

  • Do not heat food in plastic containers
  • Only use glass containers when heating foods
  • Avoid Styrofoam containers as they contain BPA (drinking coffee out of a Styrofoam cup causes the BPA to leach out into the coffee)
  • Avoid Teflon-coated nonstick pans which, if overheated, can release endocrine-disrupting compounds

Try these brands: Click here for the top 10 nonstick pans http://www.allcookwarefind.com/Non-Stick/

FOOD-STORAGE CONTAINERS

  • Store your food in glass, ceramic or stainless-steel food storage containers
  • Some plastic cling wrap is made from PVC (polyvinyl chloride) which contains several types of xenoestrogens and other endocrine disruptors and should never touch food
  • Do not microwave food in plastic containers
  • Do not leave plastic containers, especially your drinking water, in the sun
  • If a plastic water container has heated up significantly, throw it away
  • Do not refill plastic water bottles
  • Avoid freezing water in plastic bottles to drink later

 

Try these brands: Click here for a variety of safer food and beverage storage options https://well.ca/categories/natural-food-drink-storage_2902.html http://www.naturalathome.com/product-category/food-storage-containers

Click here for more information on water filtration systems https://wellnessmama.com/8079/water-filter-options/

HOUSEHOLD PRODUCTS

  • Use chemical free, biodegradable laundry soap and avoid dryer sheets- try adding ½ cup of baking soda to the rinse cycle for softer laundry
  • Use chemical free household cleaning products
  • Choose chlorine-free products and unbleached paper products- toilet paper, paper towel and coffee filters
  • Use a chlorine filter on shower heads and filter drinking water

Try these brands: Use this link to order Norwex cleaning products and partial proceeds go towards the Dr Cobi Scholarship fund to help those in need with health issues-http://sandraoben.norwex.biz/en_CA/customer/party/2009734   

www.honest.com; www.seventhgeneration.com

Click here for Do It Yourself Recipes http://greatist.com/health/27-chemical-free-products-diy-spring-cleaning

HEALTH AND BEAUTY PRODUCTS

Most people do not have the resources to replace all their products at once. Start with the products that you use the most often. Examples include: moisturizer, sunscreen, mascara, soap, face wash, deodorant, makeup, lip products, shampoo, conditioner and toothpaste.

The following 3 tools will help you to determine if what you are using is toxic to your body:

  1. Download and print the Environmental Defence’ s wallet-size green beauty guide. Check out the ingredients of your products to determine if they contain any of the top 10 body care toxins!

http://environmentaldefence.ca/report/the-toxic-ten-pocket-guide/

  1. Get the Environmental Working Group’s (EWG) Skin Deep database app. This will help you to scan and search products for their toxicity ratings and find better alternatives.

http://www.ewg.org/skindeep/

  1. Download the Canadian app called Think Dirty Shop Clean. This app scans products and ranks them according to their toxic ingredients corresponding to their “dirty meter”. It often provides a cleaner alternative as well. The products are ranked in the following scale:

 

  • 3 or below is safe to use
  • 4-6 need replacing with a better product once it runs out
  • 7-10 needs immediate replacement (especially if pregnant)

https://www.thinkdirtyapp.com/

HERE ARE TIPS TO GET YOU STARTED:

  • Avoid creams and cosmetics that have toxic chemicals and estrogenic ingredients such as parabens and stearalkonium chloride
  • Minimize your exposure to nail polish and nail polish removers
  • Use naturally based fragrances such as essential oils
  • Use chemical free soaps and toothpastes
  • Choose organic and natural feminine hygiene products
  • Choose natural tooth paste
  • Use chemical free Hair care products

 

TRY THESE GREEN BEAUTY BRANDS: