14 Endocrine Disruptors to Eliminate From Your Life Now

I recently discussed xenoestrogens and their effects on our lives. With their great impact on our overall health, one of the biggest reasons my clients want more information is because of their impact on our waistlines. It’s true, xenoestrogens play a large role in the numbers on the scale. Yes, our standard American diet is mostly to blame; however, if you have up’d your exercise and changed your diet, and still feel bloated, with scale numbers plateauing, your quality of foods can be to blame. Processed foods, meats and dairy fed with estrogen-filled grains, pesticide sprayed vegetables, and toxin-filled by-products are all hormone-disrupting. These not only cause long-term problems to you, but they can make you fat.Even if you are not over-weight, eliminating endocrine disruptors should rank high on your priority list. Lowering your cancer risk, balancing your hormones, increasing your fertility, and balancing your thyroid all include taking a look at how your body is consuming and absorbing xenoestrogens. While there are unavoidable environmental xenoestrogens that we breathe in daily, there are also so many ways we can avoid and protect ourselves from consuming them. Educate yourself and invest in yourself; by spending a little more time on reading labels, menu planning, and choosing products, you will lead a healthier life. (You can also help prevent early puberty for your children by eliminating as many of these endocrine disruptors as possible.)

What To Eliminate From Your Life

Birth Control

There are natural, effective birth control alternatives without the side effects of the pills. While preventing pregnancy may be your top concern, these chemically toxic, hormone disruptors can slowly pass poisons into your body, causing the potential risk of cancers and chronic health problems.

Menstrual Pads and Tampons 

Avoid tampons and sanitary napkins that contain chlorine, fragrances, wax, surfactants, rayon, etc.

Coffee Maker

Your average coffee maker leeches xenoestrogens into your morning Joe through the plastic that makes up its beautiful design. Switching to a stainless steel or glass French Press will eliminate this risk; however, make sure you are not pouring your coffee into a plastic or Styrofoam cup, as the hot coffee will then absorb the xenoestrogens from these cups and allow you to ingest them. 

Non-Organic Produce

Synthetic pesticides and insecticides also contain xenoestrogens, so eating organic really is the best way to avoid endocrine-disrupting chemicals in your food.

Non-Organic Meat and dairy 

Industrially raised dairy and meat tend to have a lot of xenoestrogens, as they are often given exogenous hormones. You may also limit naturally estrogenic foods, particularly soy, as it can increase the total estrogen levels in the body (and cause an imbalance in your thyroid).

Plastic Food Containers

Replace your plastic containers with glass, stainless steel, and ceramic ones. Unfortunately, BPA-free plastic is not safe in most cases, as BPA is only one of the chemicals in plastic known as a xenoestrogen.

Water Bottles

Skip the plastic and invest in a canteen or a thermos made out of 100% stainless steel.

Fabric Softener and Dryer Sheets

There is not one fabric softener on the market that does not contain endocrine disruptors. While those soft sweaters and even softer sheets feel good, that softer feeling is killing you. 

Standard Cosmetics, Toothpastes, and Deodorants

You want to look for products free of aluminum, parabens, and phthalates. Many brands of toothpaste have parabens and fluoride in them, so look for items that avoid these chemicals.

Soap

Most hair, body, and hand soaps all have endocrine disruptors within them. Read labels carefully to avoid these toxins. You want to find something natural and organic.

Perfume

The chemicals used to create perfume also act as chemical estrogens. They are absorbed into the skin as well as through the nose. 

Scented Home Products

Fragrance-filled candles, air fresheners, potpourri are all majority man-made with toxic hormone disruptors. These products are not naturally derived and contain the same chemicals as perfumes, which you will absorb throughout your day - every day after they are used inside your home.

Cleaning Supplies

Does a clean house smell really mean clean? The short answer is no. There is a much longer answer here, of course, but those smells are chemically derived and harmful to you and your family. Eliminate the harsh chemicals and use natural alternatives instead.