Hormone Trouble? Here's What To Look Out For

Sleep. Appetite. Fertility. Development. Mood. Weight. Cell integrity. 

You name it, hormones run the show. These capricious chemicals depend on a delicate system of checks and balances to stay regulated. Unfortunately, our modern lives are full of stressors and environmental toxins that disrupt the balance of our natural hormones, often with significant consequences. 

Here are the main offenders to cultivate an awareness of: 

• Parabens - This endocrine disrupting chemical is abundant in personal care products such as shampoos, body wash, lotions and hand soaps. Parabens mimic the chemical makeup of estrogen in the body and disrupt healthy hormone function, like the production of real hormones. 

• Phthalates & Plastics - Found in everything from synthetically made clothing to water bottles and food storage containers, repeat exposure to these plastics can damage the kidneys, liver and reproductive system.

• Pesticides - We’re fighting a long battle against pesticides and herbicides like glyphosate, which is sprayed liberally and ubiquitously on our crops. These toxins can disrupt menstrual cycles in women and result in natal complications, stillbirths and birth defects. 

• PCB’s & Dioxins - These toxic chemicals - found in everything from industrial air pollution to the feed given to farmed salmon - can change the structure of sex hormones in the body, dislodging estrogen and testosterone, and even inhibiting normal growth in children. 

Ladies listen up! Endocrine disrupting chemicals (or EDCs) pose a particularly serious threat to women. 

According to the Hormone Health Network, “exposure to estrogen or androgen mimicking EDCs can promote breast cancer growth and/or interfere with hormonal cancer therapy. Prenatal exposure to some EDCs may affect mammary gland development and increase breast cancer risk later-in-life.”

Some rules of thumb:

To promote optimal health, always avoid plastics when cooking or transporting foods (especially hot foods), buy organic and wash your produce thoroughly. Eat wild and choose protein sources low in fat (toxins build up in the fat deposits of animals). 

Use non-toxic body care and house cleaning products and wear natural, sustainable fabrics like organic cotton or hemp. Avoid any product with synthetic fragrance, including perfumes and candles!

Support your body’s detoxification system by drinking juices that match your genetic blueprint, Wild-Lytes!, lots of minerals, and eating foods rich in zinc and Vitamin C. 

To The Tru Of You,
Teri Cochrane