Today we will talk about that dreaded word: weight. During special holidays such as Thanksgiving and Christmas we tend to overeat. Then there are the sweet baked goods. We can do ourselves a favor by deciding in advance to modify portion sizes to our actual appetite. Also, drinking a 16 ounce glass of water 30 minutes before sitting down to a meal is believed to help with appetite control as well as encourage healthy digestion.
We know that eating the wrong foods can cause the scales to tip but how many of us know chemicals can make us fat? These are the Endocrine Disrupting Chemicals. Scientists have named them Obesogens, and these artificial chemicals believed to contribute to obesity.
You’re thinking, “What in the world? Is nothing safe anymore?” Well, yes and no. First let’s have a mini lesson on hormones and the endocrine system. Then we’ll talk about safe options.
Our bodies need just the right amount of each hormone to be healthy but some hormones, like estrogen, can get really out of whack. Both men and women produce estrogen – men to a lesser degree – and both sexes have estrogen receptors. Funny thing about those estrogen receptors, they are promiscuous. Yep, they will bind to anything that looks even remotely like an estrogen so what happens when our bodies are bombarded with chemicals that mimic estrogen? Lots of things including weight gain, the topic of our segment today, but also birth defects, premature puberty in girls, demasculinization in men, breast cancer and other disorders.
Yes, premature puberty in girls. We’re seeing younger girls developing breasts and beginning menses (you know, starting their period) and little boys developing breasts too. Some little boys whose testicles don’t descend normally. An important issue here is that many of these effects happen in the womb. For example, when pregnant women are exposed to these chemicals, their child’s risk of becoming obese later in life may increase.
The big five chemicals here are:
1. BPA is a synthetic compound found in many types of products, including baby bottles, plastic food and beverage containers, as well as metal food cans. It appears that the time of greatest sensitivity to BPA is in the womb. 96% of pregnant women in the US test positive for BPA in their urine.
2. Phthalates are chemicals used to make things soft and flexible. They can be found in various products, including food containers, toys, beauty products, pharmaceuticals, shower curtains and paint. In addition to impacting our weight they have been linked to Type 2 Diabetes and studies show that phthalate exposure in the womb leads to genital malformations, undescended testicles and low testosterone levels
3. Atrazine is used for broadleaf weeds in crops such as corn and sugarcane and on turf, such as golf courses and residential lawns. It is one of the most widely used herbicides in US and Australian agriculture.
It has been banned in Europe for over a decade because of groundwater contamination. Atrazine is an endocrine disruptor and several studies show that exposure correlates with birth defects in humans. In the US, there is an overlap between the areas that use the most atrazine and the prevalence of obesity.
4. Organotins are a class of artificial chemicals used for various industrial purposes.
One of them is called tributyltin (TBT). It is used as a fungicide and applied to boats and ships to prevent the growth of marine organisms on the hull. It is also used in wood preservatives and some industrial water systems.
Many lakes and coastal waters are contaminated with tributyltin. It has been shown in studies to cause rapid weight gain and fatty liver disease in mice.
5. Perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) is a synthetic compound used for various purposes. It is a constituent of non-stick cookware made with Teflon and also found in microwave popcorn. PFOA has been found in the blood of more than 98% of Americans. In addition to weight gain, it has been associated with various diseases in humans, including thyroid disorders, low birth weight and chronic kidney disease. PFOA has been found in the blood of more than 98% of Americans.
Personally, my policy is simple. If I can’t pronounce it, I try to avoid it. I don’t eat it or use it. You may be looking for more concrete suggestions, though, so here you are:
Avoid foods and beverages that have been stored in plastic containers.
1. Use stainless steel or quality aluminum water bottles instead of plastic.
2. If you do not breastfeed, please do not feed your babies from plastic bottles. Use glass bottles instead.
3. Instead of non-stick cookware, use cast iron or stainless steel.
4. Use organic, natural cosmetics, personal care products and cleaning solutions. Do your homework on these at the Environmental Working Group’s website,
www.ewg.org. There is a smart phone app available, too.
Removing chemicals such as endocrine disruptors is at the core of my personal weight loss story. At one time I was a fairly typical American with all the plug ins, fragranced cleaning products, and more than one bottle of a smell good shampoo, moisturizer and perfume in my home. I began learning about toxic chemicals. Air fresheners and popular cleaning products were the first to go but when I finally kicked the last of the store-bought laundry and personal care products to the curb in 2016, without dieting, I dropped 30 pounds. True story.
To contact Chris for more suggestions on detoxing your family, email her at ccawthon@dropsofcabinlife.com.
Source:
https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/5-chemicals-that-are-making-you-fat#section3https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5359373/
