Coming into contact with chemicals is hard to avoid, and I bet you don't even realize just how many chemicals are lurking in your everyday items, products, and within your home. Chemicals are common, and although there are many things we can do to reduce chemical use in our lives, it's also essential to understand how these chemicals can disrupt our hormones.
Known as EDCs, endocrine disrupting chemicals can cause irreversible damage to our bodies. This can cause a disturbance in our immune system, reproductive system, and neurologically -- they can indeed create a mess. So let's chat about some ways to lessen the chemical load in our everyday life. Environmental Working Group is a great resource to evaluate your current personal and household care items to see how they rank on toxicity.
Natural soaps
With how often you wash your hands throughout the day, opt for a chemical- free soap, so you aren't inviting these EDC's into your body multiple times a day, every day.
Get cleaning sans chemicals
Do some research on green cleaners for your home, and you'll even find loads of DIY house cleaners you can make with items you likely already have in your kitchen. Keeping your house clean is necessary, and you don't have to use loads of hormone-disrupting chemicals to achieve that!
Don't use things with fragrances
Whenever you can, go fragrance-free. Most companies don't disclose the chemicals they use when they simply put 'fragrance' on the list of ingredients. You can use natural essential oils to make things smell good.
Cut down on plastics
Plastics with BPA and PVC are full of hormone-disrupting capabilities. Try reducing the number of plastic products you use in your life from plastic bags to plastic wrap and everything in between. Start replacing your plastic Tupperware with glass, choose reusable ziplock bags, and simply become more aware of these simple ways you can lessen the chemical load in your life.
Eat organically
Disrupted hormones is a huge reason to stay away from commercially grown produce. Those pesticides on non-organic foods can cause many health problems for you now and down the road, so choose to eat organic whenever you can. If you can't select all organic foods, opt for the organic version of the items on the Dirty Dozen list, at least.
It's scary to think about how many chemicals surround us every day. While we can't control everything that goes on around us, we can at least keep our home environment clean of these hormone disrupters and take steps to be as healthy as possible.
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