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MEET GUEST BLOGGER Jenna Catalona of First Descents …  First Descents (FD) is an amazing outdoor adventure therapy camp for young adult cancer survivors.  After graduating from Kent State University in 2011, Jenna wanted to find work with an organization that had a truly meaningful purpose, and when she discovered First Descents, she knew this was the place where she could work to make a difference!   

BPA, Phthalates, and Xenoestrogens are three common chemicals known to be hormone disruptors, estrogen mimickers, and endocrine disruptors which are wreaking havoc on human’s health today!

Recently, the U.S. FDA is expressing concerns about possible health risks from bisphenol A, or BPA, a widely used component of plastic bottles and food packaging. The agency declared BPA safe in 2008.

Even Low Levels of BPA have been linked to:

• Prostate cancer and breast cancer
• Diabetes and obesity
• Altered immune function
• Early sexual development in girls and disrupted reproductive function
• Learning and behavioral problems, including hyperactivity
• Decreased Sperm Count and other related fertility problems
• Abnormal heart rhythms and cardiac abnormalities

10 Tips to Help You Minimize Your BPA Exposure

Until there are regulations to protect you, here are a few things you can do to protect yourself and your family:

1.  Boycott plastic shopping bags!!!   Use reusable canvas or cloth varieties instead. (This also applies to the plastic produce bags in the grocery store.)
2.   Store your food and beverages in glass containers, not plastic.
3.   If you choose to use a microwave (which has it’s own health issues) don’t microwave food in plastic containers.
4.   Stop buying and consuming canned foods and drinks (the can linings contain plastic chemicals.)
5.   Avoid using plastic wrap altogether.
6.   Replace your plastic dishes and cups with glass varieties. And never drink a warm/hot drink from a plastic cup.
7.   Avoid using plastic cups, utensils, dishes, and food storage containers. There are some containers being labeled “BPA-free,” so keep an eye out for those if you choose to use plastic.
8.   Avoid drinking bottled water. Instead, filter your own water and put it in a glass bottle.
9.   Before allowing a dental sealant to be applied to you or your children, ask your dentist to verify that it does not contain BPA.
10.  Use only glass baby bottles and dishes. Use cloth diapers instead of plastic. And give your baby non-plastic toys, like varieties that are made of fabric.

**  Click HERE for a great article from Dr. Mercola regarding more on BPA.

Phthalates (plasticizers) are a group of industrial chemicals used to make plastics like polyvinyl chloride (PVC) more flexible and resilient. They’re one of the most pervasive of the endocrine disrupters.

Phthalates are found in, among other things:

• Processed food packaging
• Hoses
• Raincoats
• Shower curtains
• Vinyl flooring and wall coverings
• Lubricant and adhesives
• Detergents
• Beauty products like nail polish, hair spray, shampoo, deodorants, and fragrances (look for “parabens”)
• Toys

Here are a number of practical techniques you can use to limit your exposure to endocrine disruptors and other common toxins:

1.    As much as possible, buy and eat organic and free range foods, especially meats, dairy and produce,  to reduce your exposure to pesticides and fertilizers.
2.   Rather than eating conventional or farm-raised fish, which are often heavily contaminated with PCBs and mercury, supplement with a high-quality purified fish or krill oil, or eat fish that is wild-caught and lab tested for purity.
3.  Eat mostly raw, fresh foods, steering clear of processed, prepackaged foods of all kinds. This way you automatically avoid artificial food additives of all kinds, including dangerous artificial sweeteners, food coloring and MSG.
4.  Store your food and beverages in glass rather than plastic, and avoid using plastic wrap.
5.  Have your tap water tested and, if contaminants are found, install an appropriate water filter on all your faucets (even those in your shower or bath).
6.  Only use natural cleaning products in your home. (Check out Earth Friendly Products at http://www.ecos.com/)
7.  Switch over to natural brands of toiletries such as shampoo, toothpaste, deodorants and cosmetics. The Environmental Working Group has   a great safety guide to help you find personal care products that are free of phthalates and other potentially dangerous chemicals.
8. Avoid using artificial air fresheners, dryer sheets, fabric softeners or other synthetic fragrances.  This group is high in chemicals!!
9.  Replace your Teflon cookware with ceramic or glass cookware. Or use cast iron when appropriate.
10.  When re-doing your home, look for “green,” toxin-free alternatives in lieu of regular paint and vinyl floor coverings.
11.  Replace your vinyl shower curtain with one made of fabric.

** For more information on phthalates, click HERE.

Xenoestrogens are synthetic chemicals that mimic natural estrogens, and have been linked to a wide range of human health effects.

There are so many of them, and they’re used in so many common consumer products that trying to avoid them may seem like a fruitless struggle. For example, you come in contact with hormone disrupting chemicals through:

• Pasteurized dairy, which commonly contains bovine growth hormones
• Soy products, which are loaded with hormone like substances
• Plastics – many of which contain bispenol A
• Personal care products that contain phthalates
• Cooking with Teflon-coated pots and pans

And now you can add certain common food additives to the list, including one called propyl gallate, which has been used for decades as a preservative and now found to cause many problems in gene expression.

It is commonly found in: hair products, soaps, lotions, cosmetics, adhesives and lubricants, processed meats and meat products and potato products, chicken soup base, chewing gum and candy, dried milk, baked goods and more.

In addition to being an endocrine disrupter, based on this latest analysis, the results in a previous study by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services showed that propyl gallate caused various types of cancer and other health problems in rats, including:

• Thyroid tumors in male rats
• Rare brain tumors in low-dose females
• Prostate inflammation
• Mostly benign tumors of the preputial gland (glands that produce pheromones)
• Pancreatic tumors
• Adrenal gland tumors in low-dose males

If you have children, xenoestrogens are clearly something you will want to avoid. Here are some measures you can take to protect you and your children from common toxic substances that could cause them to go into puberty more than a decade before they were designed to:

1.)  Store your food in glass containers whenever possible, as it is the most inert container you can use.
2.) Only use natural cleaning products in your home. Most health food stores will have these available or you can search online for them.
3.) Buy and eat, as much as possible, organic foods, especially milk and other dairy products which are frequently contaminated with bovine growth hormone (bgh).
4.) Avoid processed foods.
5.) Avoid artificial food additives of all kind, including artificial sweeteners and MSG.
6.) Avoid all varieties of ‘unfermented” soy and processed soy products.
7.) Switch to natural brands of toiletries.  You can find these at either your local health food store or you can search online.

Review  Our Stolen Future, probably the best resource on this topic

** For more information on xenoestrogens, clicks HERE.