Hormonal imbalance is at the root of so many modern health issues. And hormonal health isn’t an easy thing to decode; nor is knowing when and where you’re getting thrown off balance. Endocrine disruptors are present in everything from beauty products to packaging — but prying them out of your life is simpler than it seems.
We recently met the amazing Jasmine Scalesciani-Hawken, the super-holistic founder of Olio Maestro and Hairprint. The Italian-born founder has always been a fan of botanicals as a way to heal, and her line of deeply detoxifying teas and oils — and restorative non-toxic hair treatments — had us thoroughly impressed. Her deep knowledge of healthy detoxification is the real deal. Below, she’s sharing all about endocrine disruptors: what they are, where they hide, and why it’s crucial to avoid exposure…
Endocrine disruptors are chemicals that can interfere with endocrine (or hormone) systems at certain doses. These disruptions can cause cancerous tumors, birth defects, and other developmental disorders. Any system in the body controlled by hormones can be derailed by hormone disruptors.
Endocrine disruptors are literally everywhere; ubiquitous to modern living. That receipt you touched as you thanked the cashier at the grocery store? That probably contains an endocrine disruptor. The pretty body wash you love lathering with? Endocrine disruptor. The new car seat? That probably contains an endocrine disruptor too. And the water bottle you just drank from? Yup. Endocrine disruptor.
What’s a girl to do? Let’s look at what these buggers are, where they are found and what we can do about them Endocrine System 101
The endocrine system is the collection of glands that release hormones that regulate metabolism, regulate our growth and development, tissue functions, sexual function, our reproductive system, and also our sleep, mood, among many other things. Once released, the hormones act like mini-chemical messengers. They travel around the body, hook-up to target receptors of specific cells, and just like that, produce cellular changes we can often feel.
The glands that make up the endocrine system are:the pituitary gland, the thyroid gland, parathyroid glands, adrenal glands, pancreas, ovaries and testicles.
The endocrine system is powerful in that it affects almost every organ and cell in the body. Every gland in the system secretes distinctive hormones for singular purposes. The thyroid hormone for example impacts a host of vital body functions such as skin and lymph detoxification, metabolism and weight, temperature regulation, fertility and digestion.
Where Endocrine Disruptors Are Found + Why Avoid Them:
ED’s in our environment are harmful because they can mimic hormones, our own hormones, and sneakily bind to our own receptor sites and elicit blown up responses. Stronger responses to those we would naturally have.
Some of these over-blown responses might look like:Triggers in inflammation, altering metabolism, stimulating obesity and stubborn fat storage, signaling glucose uptake, increasing or decreasing appetite, oxidative stress i.e. faster aging
As I used to tell my clients in my nutrition practice, it’s not so much that any one dose of ED exposure will negative affect you (the body is resilient after all), it’s more likely that the potential “cocktail effect” of dozens of compounds that the body is subjected to day in and day out, is what disrupts your body’s proper function over time.
12 Most Common Endocrine Disruptors
With industrialization, more chemicals are produced. These chemicals make their way into the environment. As a result EDs are:
PCBs – Found in pesticides.
Dioxins – Found in meat and tampons. Learn More
UV Filters – Found in sunscreens and cosmetics.
Triclosan – Found in personal care products and anti-microbial products. Learn More
Perchlorate – Found in by-product of aerospace, weapon, and pharmaceutical industries. Also found in drinking water and fireworks.
Parabens – Found in a very wide range of products. Often in deodorants. In clothes in polyester fabrics. Learn More
BHA and BHT – Found in foods and gum as preservative. Learn More
Pesticides – Found in food, water, soil and air.
BPA (bisphenol A) – Found in plastics, food packaging, the lining of many food/beverage containers.
Flame retardants – Found in plastics, paint, furniture, electronics, and food.
Perfluorinated chemicals – Found in some food packaging, in non-stick coating of cookware. Learn More
Phthalates – Found in plastics, food packaging, cosmetics, cleaning agents. If a product has the word “fragrance” or “parfum” it probably has phthalates. Learn More
With the wide variety of EDs coming into our lungs, skin, and organs, effects might be cumulative and hard to isolate.
So What Can We Do?
Detox Your Lymphs. Keep your lymph moving and detoxifying well.
Reduce Exposure. Think about the ways you can reduce your exposure and substitute materials and usage where you can.
Decline receipts. Or have them emailed instead.
Green Beauty Is Better. Substitute all hair and body care products containing dubious ingredients for cleaner safer eco-versions.
Clean Cleaners. Substitute cleaning supplies with clean versions or make your own DIY detergents.
Hit The Sauna. Use infrared saunas frequently.
Drink Tea. Detox and purify the body with the OM INFUSION tea.
Intermittent Fast. Support your body in ridding itself of toxins with intermitted fasting and longer fasts 2-4 times per year.
Contain, Naturally. Use containers like glass, steel, ceramic, and aluminum when possible.
Stay Hydrated. Drink plenty of pure water.
Eat Your Plants. Eat plenty of fibrous vegetables.
Make It Move. Move the lymph with pranayama breathing, laughter, rebounding.
Sweat Often. Stay active and get your sweat on each and every day with whatever form of movement you enjoy.
Ethics Matter. 100% of the time: avoid animal products that have not been raised ethically
The Chalkboard Mag and its materials are not intended to treat, diagnose, cure or prevent any disease. All material on The Chalkboard Mag is provided for educational purposes only. Always seek the advice of your physician or another qualified healthcare provider for any questions you have regarding a medical condition, and before undertaking any diet, exercise or other health-related programs.
