the toxic shit storm of endocrine disruptors

Since enrolling in beauty school over 20 years ago one of my greatest blessings on my path to health was my teacher Miss Vicki. She was wise beyond her years when it came to reading labels, omitting toxic chemicals and guiding us away from fragrances, dyes, parabens, lanolin and all the terrible shit these companies are poisoning us and our children with. Because of her my need to search for the truth in what I was putting on and in my body I am forever grateful for. 

We are exposed to chemicals daily that can change how our bodies function.

These detrimental chemicals, called endocrine disruptors, disrupt our hormone system, which guides some of the body's crucial functions. They can damage the nervous system, trigger cancer, and bring disease to our bodies. I truly believe (again my opinion) these chemicals play a huge role in Alzheimer's disease (I will write more about this in a later blog. I watched my Yia Yia suffer from this disease so I am very passionate about it. But until then, you can easily do your own digging to find evidence of this).

When it comes to endocrine disrupting chemicals I could go off on this topic non stop. Those of you reading this who know me know how passionate I am about this. To the point some think I am crazy but I truly don’t care, when I learn that something is harmful then I have to share. I cannot unlearn and pretend like I don’t know and when I share my opinion on someone’s clothes smelling like dryer sheets, or bitch about walking into a home full of artificial fragrant toxic candles, glade plug-ins in every electrical outlet and ask to open a window, please  know it comes from love. Your body will tell you when something is not right if you learn to listen to it so when something speaks to me, I blurt it out. Sometimes to a fault but I am doing it purely from my heart to support others to live their healthiest and best. Living this way for decades now I sometimes forget that people are still drinking unfiltered water from their faucet, burning candles not made from safe wax, or consuming linoleic acid (Dr.Mercola has an incredible ebook on this. God bless him). But I too have my faults and did these things myself.  Every day I just try to get better and share my journey. And off the path here but if you dig on who actually owns these toxic brands/companies,  you will find it is the same big companies who are supplying you with the drugs that are supposed to heal you once you become sick from them. 

Some tips on how to avoid them and just ‘a few’ (seriously just a few) of my favorite hacks! These all deserve a dedicated page for me to cover on their own. I will get there, but for now…

• Choose Organic/Grass Fed/Pasture Raised: As best you can, whenever possible, as they often have lower levels of pesticides and other chemicals.

• Filter Your Water: Use a high-quality water filter to reduce exposure to contaminants in drinking water. We distill ours (this is a team effort to keep it going in the house so make sure if you choose distillation, everyone is on board and you must add your minerals/electrolytes to it. We have used trace for years and love them. This is the machine we use. Additionally, our shower head has a filter by Pure Effect Filters and this company has plenty of options for home filtration. A USA family business, excellent customer service and amazing products. Here are some trusted pitcher options...ClearlyFiltered Epic and ZeroWater (best bang for your buck!)

• Read Labels: Check product labels for ingredients and avoid those containing known endocrine disruptors such as phthalates, parabens, and bisphenol-A (BPA). I know a lot of you like using those apps to scan to have someone else tell you if a product is good or not.  From my perspective, I've come to realize that no app can be considered flawless. At least thus far I have not found one. Personally, I wouldn't recommend solely depending on them. They often give ratings that aren't entirely accurate (I see this with some items I know are clean but because of FDA regulations the product has to be listed as something else. It is silly) or may miss out on important details. And such a joke there is one popular app I discovered they rate Coca Cola higher than a grass-fed beef stick. Give me a break! I've found that it's much more effective to take the time to learn about each ingredient and become comfortable with reading labels on your own. With practice, you'll find that you don't really need to rely on apps anymore. It becomes almost second nature to quickly determine if a product is clean or not just by skimming through the label.

• Use Safe Cleaning Products: Select cleaning and personal care products labeled as "phthalate-free," "paraben-free," and "BPA-free." Grateful for all of the new companies in this field but don’t let the fancy marketing fool you. Read labels big time here and again if you must lean on a technology, make sure it is a trusted app that will easily give you a yes or a no. 

• Reduce Plastic Use: Minimize the use of plastic containers, bottles, and food wraps, as they can leach endocrine-disrupting chemicals into food and beverages, especially when heated. We store our food in glass containers, drink out of stainless steel water bottles. 

• STOP using NONSTICK cookware: Glass, stainless steel and cast iron (unless you have too much iron in you) are my picks. 

• Avoid Canned Foods: Limit consumption of canned foods, as the lining of cans often contains BPA, which can leach into the food. This includes those canned soda waters we all suck down. Try a glass bottle mineral water instead and you can add your lemon or lime for a kick. My favorite is  GEROLSTEINER

• Choose Natural Beauty Products: This get’s tricky and requires a separate blog on its own. Our country's laws on what is considered ‘natural, healthy and organic’’ is a slippery slope. Many of our products, although FDA approved, are terrible to put on our skin. For instance, the skincare products I use in my studio are made in England, then shipped to Canada before they make it onto my shelf. Why do I buy outside our own country for good skin care? Sadly our own Government wants more chemicals added in our products. Yes I want to support our Country but I have yet to find a ‘professional’ (again another story) line that delivers real results to my clients. For two decades I have been with Dermalogica which I loved, until Unilever (a massive consumer goods company) purchased them and the quality of products started to go down hill. They lowered the quality of essential oils, and added more ingredients while raising prices.  So do your best when reading labels for natural and organic beauty and skincare products. And remember the words 'healthy' (blows my mind that cereals with added sugars can claim to be healthy) and 'natural' here in America can be misleading so ultimately it is up to you to do your research. You can have a field day digging into the FDA website on what they allow in our foods and cosmetics.  

• Ventilate Indoors: Ensure proper ventilation indoors to reduce exposure to indoor air pollutants, including those containing endocrine disruptors. We use air purifiers, change our home filters often, open doors and windows to circulate the home air often and anytime I am cooking(oven or stovetop) I will turn my oven vent on to lessen exposure to the production of fine particles and various organic chemicals, including acrolein and polynuclear aromatic hydrocarbons, which are known to be hazardous. Cooking methods such as frying and broiling at high temperatures generally yield higher levels of pollutants. And because I have a gas stove, they typically emit considerable amounts of nitrogen dioxide, which can irritate the respiratory system. It also produces carbon monoxide. So be mindful when you are standing over your oven breathing and just turn on the vent and maybe open a window. Small little changes lead to long term benefits. 

• Support Regulations: Advocate for stricter regulations on chemicals in consumer products and food to reduce overall exposure to endocrine disruptors. Like anything, change does not happen without making an effort so put in the work here. It is as simple as signing a petition through the EWG or doing your own research on how to make change. Don’t be complacent. Save the children! And my plug for KENNEDY 2024! He and Shanahan bring great hope for our beautiful country and that it can and will be a place where our children can be safe from toxins and free from dis-ease. 
  

The bottom line is be consumer conscious, don’t drive yourself crazy spending hundreds, thousands of dollars right out of the gate (unless you can) replacing the toxic shit storm from your environment. One thing at a time and I promise your brain will thank you for it. Don’t let these marketing magicians work their magic on you and disrupt your body from achieving balance and optimal wellness. You got this! And I am always here to support you. I LOVE THIS STUFF!