Could Toxins Be Disrupting your Hormones and Causing Weight Gain

What are Toxins

Research shows that today, we are exposed to more environmental toxins in one day than our grandparents were in an entire lifetime.

Toxins are harmful substances found in the environment, food, cosmetics, household cleaning products etc. When toxins get into our bodies, they can disrupt our endocrine system, hormones and wreak havoc on our health and can also contribute to various diseases later in life (e.g. cancer, auto-immune, etc.).

When toxins enter your body, their impact is often not immediate, it takes decades to build up before they start impacting your health, they grow steadily under the body’s surface and creates a tremendous amount of stress your system and organs. When you take in more toxins than you can eliminate either with food or lifestyle, they create waste that our bodies cannot use and are therefore stored.

Toxins are stored in your cells and tissues. Cells are vital to all life and the quality of your life comes down to the quality of your cells. I often hear people say, “I have been using these products or I have been living this way for many years and nothing is wrong with me”. And while this may be true for some people depending on their immunity and genetic make up, others may not have the same experience. I always advise people to err on the side of caution.

Research shows that there are many people who have been exposed to very harsh toxic chemicals, which has resulted in serious health conditions. Let’s take for example, the 911 rescue workers, a countless number of them have suffered from life threatening conditions related to the toxic chemicals that they were exposed to during the clean up effort. And I get it, these may be extreme situations, but persistent exposure to everyday toxins build up and does cause damage.

Toxins are all around us in our daily life and while some are difficult to avoid, there are some that are within our control and we can take action to reduce or eliminate them.

In this Toxins and Hormonal Imbalance series, I am going to explore the different sources of toxins and what you can do to reduce or eliminate them from your life so they do not wreak havoc on your hormonal health and your overall health.

Where are Toxins Lurking

Environmental toxins include:

Chemicals in solvents, plastics and adhesives
Toxins in cookware, non-stick very dangerous to your health
Cell phones
Cars, factory emissions,
Smoke
Dirty filters in air conditioners
Paints
Carpets
Furniture
Dry cleaners

Toxins in pesticides, herbicides, parasites in soil, food, and water include:

Pesticides used in production and growing our food
Ingestible chemicals in junk and processed foods
Non-organic foods

Toxins in conventional health and beauty products include:

Make-up
Toothpaste
Shampoo & conditioners
Moisturizers & lotions
Nail polish
Soaps/body washes

Toxins in conventional household cleaning products include

Detergents
Fabric softeners
Bleach
Ammonia
Bathroom, kitchen, floor cleaners

Heavy metals such as mercury, aluminum, lead, arsenic

Stress toxins released by our bodies when under constant stress

Toxic thoughts and words we may subject ourselves to on a daily basis all contribute to an ever-increasing lack of radiance and energy.

What can you do?

The Environmental Working Group (EWG) is a not for profit organization that research different products and assign a rating based on the chemicals that are used in the products, which can help you make product decisions
Try buying mostly certified organic foods or shop at your farmers markets
Use natural cosmetics, lotions, etc. several on the market (physicians formula)
Reference the Dirty Dozen (strawberries, spinach, nectarines, apples, peaches, celery, grapes, etc. and the (sweet Clean 15 corn, avocados, pineapples, cabbage, onions, frozen sweet peas, papayas, etc.) when buying produce.
Open your windows when possible for fresh air
Diffuse essential oils to purify the air