Dear Friends,
Xenoestrogens are estrogen-like chemicals that are leached from plastic, styrofoam and other chemicals. They disrupt and destroy natural hormone production in living beings. Xeno means foreign. Chemically they are very different from phytoestrogens (plant estrogen) and human estrogens which enter the blood stream and search out estrogen receptors. Xenoestrogens (zee- no-es-tro-gens) interfere with the process of hormone production.
This can cause a number of problems such as….in Women-PMS, Breast Cancer, Uterine Cancer, Ovarian Cancer, Fibroid Breast Disease, Fibroid Uterine Disease….. in Men-Low Sperm Count, Testicular Cancer, prostate cancer and Infertility. It can cause girls as young as 7 or 8 to go through puberty and young boys to develop breasts and/or smaller testes. As if that were not bad enough, unlike natural hormones which are released from your system after they are used; xenoestrogens (because they are petroleum based) remain in the fatty tissues of the body creating a toxic residue.
Now I could go on and on with the ill effects of xenoestrogens and their long term consequences but I’m not big on scare tactics. I would rather teach you how to avoid them.
So here are some guidelines to follow:
- Never use any plastic in a microwave to heat your food. Use glass or stainless steel whenever possible to store your food.
- Keep your bottled water out of the sun; heat leaches out xenoestrogens
- Avoid oral contraceptives. Find an OBGYN who still uses hormone free IUD contraceptives.
- Wash your produce well. Pesticides contain xenoestrogens.
- Avoid “health and beauty aids” that contain parabens.
- Use organic meats whenever possible but more important use organic dairy products.
- Don’t use weed killers-try salt instead. Dandelions are our friends. LOL
- If you handle pesticides, fungicides or herbicide, use protective gloves and wash well after.
- Try to avoid buying (food) cans with plastic linings.
- You know those frozen vegetables that come in a microwavable cook-in bag? Avoid them, or at least take them out of the bag and cook them in glass.
- Change to organic cage free eggs and organic milk.
- Avoid spermicides and condoms that contain spermicides.
- Don’t use Silverstone, Teflon or nonstick pans. They can cause migraines and have caused the death of many pet birds in homes. Teflon is toxic!
- If you buy coffee out often, bring your own stainless steel travel mug and have them fill it.
Even the cardboard cups are usually lined with plastic and anytime hot food comes in contact with plastic or styrofoam, toxic chemicals and xenoestrogens are leached out.
Now certainly it is hard to avoid all of these things, but knowledge is power. If you have any estrogen dominant diseases such as endometriosis, fibroids, breast cancer, prostate cancer, PMS etc., you definitely owe it to yourself to make radical changes. Learn everything you can about xenoestrogens, their sources and how to avoid them.
I know that it isn’t as easy as it used to be to live healthy. In the 70’s we cut out sugar and ate fresh vegetables and whole grain bread and pasta. But now the consumer needs to be so much more educated because our food and environment has become so adulterated. The bottom line is….You can’t expect to get a different result from doing the same old thing. Every positive change we make to protect our Mother Earth protects us as well. Tread lightly on the Earth and be well.
Love and Light, Lori
