Our delicate hormones and the environment around us

Female hormone issues are rising rapidly, hormones are chemical messengers that send signals from cell to cell. Many man-made chemicals in our environment are disrupting our normal hormonal rhythm leaving us with an increase in symptoms such as -

 

PMT

Fibroids

Heavy/painful periods

Fertility Issues (in males also)

Menopausal challenges 

 

Hormonal imbalances caused by Oestrogen dominance (too much oestrogen) which can can lead to irregular cycles, low moods,pmt, fibroids and much more.

 

Of course we cannot ignore the rise in feminine cancers .

 

Men are not immune to this rise in oestrogen as we see the increase in fertility issues , prostate problems, and the growth of breast tissue

 

So how can these environmental chemicals be affecting us?

 

Many of these chemicals are known to be xeno oestrogens, this mean that they are foreign oestrogens that are introduced into our bodies which mimic our own. They are able to attach onto our own cell receptors.  Hormones play a role in our physical, mental and emotional wellbeing so when out of balance any one of our systems can also be imbalanced.

 

Some of the most researched chemicals (from the environmental working group) and the effects on health are -

  

Phthalates –  these are used to soften plastics and make it more flexible , found in many toys and food packages, known to be endocrine disruptors (hormones)

 

DDT – although banned in USA and here in the UK  it is still used in 3rd world countries, which means it is still in the environment and of course,  some of the foods which have been sprayed with this chemical maybe exported back to us

 

BPA - bisphenol A, which is a synthetic oestrogen used in the industry to make plastic hard. The environmental working group advise  that 6 billion pounds of this stuff is produced globally each year, some is also found in canned foods  

 

Then we have herbicides, fungicides and many a cocktail of pesticides put on our crops

 

Most of these chemicals are known to affect human health at extremely low doses. Some are stored in the fat cells as our body cannot metabolise it. That is why sudden, rapid weight loss without good nutrients and detoxification can be dangerous for anyone

 

In 1962 Rachel Carson wrote the book ‘silent spring’ (now out of print) which highlighted the impacts of putting these large amount of chemicals in the environment without understanding the long-term effects on health.  She suggested way back then that DDT  and other pesticides may cause cancers and really upset the delicate hormonal systems.

 

Other concerns are the amount of oestrogen in our system from the contraceptive pill and HRT. Any woman on the pill should really support the metabolism of oestrogen via the liver and encourage these old oestrogens out of the system. A diet high in nutrients, enzymes and possible supplementation may help to support her in this.

This is why I believe periodic cleansing and detoxing is a must for the 21st century.  Not only that, being more aware of the chemicals around which can help us find a way in which to reduce exposure to them as best we can.

  

 

We can all cut down on chemicals in our food, homes and what we put on our skin. Women in particular absorb numerous chemicals from skin care and make up. Nail varnish for instance contains many toxic chemicals which are known to upset hormonal balance. We can look for chemical free make up and find skin care that uses less chemicals.

Reducing chemicals in the home includes finding natural old-fashioned cleaners such as lemon and bicarb,  or plant extract sprays etc. We don’t need to plug things in or use toxic sprays to make a home smell nice, we can open windows or use natural essences. 

 

We can stop using so much plastic bottles for drinking and look for sold sports type drinking bottles that are free of these chemicals, have its own built-in filters so you can go to any tap and refill your water and know that you are helping to reduce your chemical load.

 

When it comes to food, buying good organic food is a good idea but cost does come into it. Ideally you should buy the most vulnerable foods such as berries, lettuce etc (strawberries are highly sprayed with pesticides) as organic and then use non organic foods which are not so high in pesticides (as they cannot penetrate the skin) such as avocado, onions, melon, pineapple to name a few.

 

You can reduce the amount of chemicals you are exposed to by making more informed choices, chemicals are tested generally on a  high toxic dose level to determine how it will affect humans but the low dose chemical cocktail effects are showing to be the most worrying of all, which is what we are finding in the environment.  Scientists refer to this as the ‘body burden’.

 

   

In my clinic I have seen a huge increase in  women looking for a more natural approach to balancing hormones. This trend has gone up over the years and it seems that so to has the chemicals that we are being exposed too.

 

For more information contact me on the email below or via my websites. There will be links soon for good drinking bottles and toxic free cosmetics.

 

For more information detox retreats and my Devine daytox’ programmes contact me on kdvn9@aol.com or go to www.karendevine.co.uk or www.devinedetox.co.uk 

  

Karen

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