We all have plastic in our lives, it’s everywhere. In the air we breathe, food we eat, ocean we swim in, soil under our feet, water we drink, toys our children play with, and even the mattresses we sleep on.

We have all heard that plastic is toxic. It has been proven to cause cancer. Plastic is an endocrine disruptor that negatively affects our hormonal system. These chemicals mimic our own delicate hormones, throwing them into disarray, which can result in such things as unhealthy estrogen dominance, unexplained fatigue, acne, insomnia, allergies, memory issues, mood swings, accelerated aging, and hair loss. Plastic does not break down quickly in our body therefore easily stored in our fat cells. With more toxins in our cells, the greater the chance of illness and disease.

Do you know it can take up to a thousand years for a single plastic bag to deteriorate, which then remains toxic even after it breaks down? We might want to rethink our little one’s school lunch sandwich in that zippered plastic bag.Plastic particles will leach into food and drink and are also absorbed through skin and lungs. We can’t see or feel the plastic particles in our drinking water or in our food, but they’re quietly wreaking havoc.

Over the past years, scientists have struggled to find answers to mysteries such as early puberty, ADD & ADHD in so many children, obesity, and the increased rates of cancer. Although multiple factors play a role in all of these, one recurrent theme is the constant dose of endocrine disruptors in our lives. Sadly, plastic is routinely found in newborn baby’s blood and mother’s breast milk, making this an epidemic that we must remedy.

What Can You Do to Guard Against These Toxic Endocrine Disruptors?

• I recommend adding adaptogenic herbs such as ashwagandha and rhodiola to the diet, with liver-helping herbs, milk thistle and dandelion root. Try ashwagandha powder in your morning smoothie, milk thistle herbal tea at night, or dandelion greens in your summer salad.

• Eat an abundance of organic cruciferous vegetables. Broccoli and cauliflower are miracle workers to help guard and detoxify from those dangerous chemicals.

• Colon hydrotherapy, infrared saunas when used correctly, juice cleanses, and castor oil packs applied to the liver can also be useful.

• Bring your own glass or metal bottle from home for your daily water. Try for at least two liters a day. Ditch the plastic bottles for your heath and our environment. Get rid ASAP the #7 polycarbonate Nalgene water bottles!

• Don’t get takeout food in Styrofoam containers which are a major source of plastic chemicals.

• Use glass and metal dishes, silverware and bakeware in place of plastic. Never heat plastic in the microwave or put any hot food inside plastic containers.

• Switch to reusable grocery bags instead of plastic or paper bags.

• Can the cans. Canned foods are one of the highest contributor to plastic (BPA) in our diets.

• Recycle whatever you can! Try composting. And, be proactive in helping our planet stay beautiful.

“Supposedly 95% of canned foods are BPA free, but “linings are now typically made from non-BPA acrylic or polyester epoxies, or olefin polymers(link is external). It’s unclear whether this vague list includes all alternatives in use – and more importantly, whether they’re safer than BPA.” - From source: ewg.org

Try reading more researched information at the website, www.ewg.org for Environmental Working Group on new findings on the dangers of plastic.

Little steps add up!

xo,

Jennifer Van Horn DT, MS HS