Is plastic messing up with your hormones?

Plastic is EVERYWHERE. But plastic and your hormones are not friends. Find out why.

We are surrounded by plastic – it is a very convenient material but it is important to know that plastic is made with chemicals. When our body gets in contact with those chemicals, our health can suffer.

When it comes to balancing our hormones, anything toxic will have an impact. So plastic and your hormones are not a great combination.

Plastic is toxic for the planet and for our body. Time to break up with it.

Plastic and food – is it safe?

Let’s think about examples when our food is in contact with plastic.

• When you heat up a ready-meal in a plastic container or
• you drink water from a plastic bottle
• or you drink a cup of coffee from a plastic cup and lid

In all these examples, we are actually ingesting some of those chemicals found in plastic. They get transferred into our food. This is particularly the case when the plastic in contact with the food is heated.

The liver: a vital organ for hormonal health

Once the chemicals are in our body, it is actually the liver that needs to get to work. If your liver is healthy, the toxins will be expelled from the body.

However if your liver is congested, then it will struggle to metabolise those toxins and they can recirculate in the body creating havoc with your hormones.

What are the things that affect our liver:

• Alcohol consumption
• Medications
• Too much sugar
• Processed fat
• Chemicals
• Poor detoxification

The signs of liver congestion:

• Fatigue and tiredness
• Nausea (feeling sick)
• Period pains
• Hormonal imbalance
• Bloating and poor digestion
• White or yellow-coated tongue and/or bad breath.
• Weight gain – especially around the abdomen.
• Cravings and/or blood sugar issues.
• Headaches
• Skin problems (rashes, acne)
• Gallbladder problems
• Pain in the right upper portion of the abdomen
• Chemical and perfume sensitities
• Poor sleep

BPA: A hormone-disrupting chemical

Unfortunately all plastic contain chemicals. But you will probably have heard of BPA (a type of plastic). It is considered a hormone-disrupting chemical that may interfere with the body’s endocrine system (our network of hormones) and produce adverse effects on our health. Hormone-disruptors may:

BPA can mimic the hormone oestrogen, disrupting the natural balance in the body.

1. Mimic naturally occurring hormones in the body and can lead to excess hormones circulating around the body especially oestrogen.
2. Bind to a receptor, which prevents our natural hormones from doing their jobs.

Next steps to be kinder to your hormones

So plastic and your hormones are not made for each other. If you are serious about balancing your hormones naturally, and if you are looking at preventing hormonal issues with your children, I would strongly recommend that you start eliminating as much plastic from your life as possible.

Here are some examples to get you started:

1. Buy and carry with you a stain steel bottle
2. Heat food in a glass bowl or a ceramic plate – NEVER HEAT FOOD IN PLASTIC CONTAINERS
3. Bring your own cup and use it at your local coffee shop
4. Go for containers made with glass, stainsteel or porcelain
5. Avoid cling film by using containers or bee wax wraps

Must remember this: never heat food in plastic containers! Never ever!

Can I do more to keep my hormones happy?

If you are experiencing signs of liver congestion, Nutritional Therapy can help you feel better. Feel free to get in touch for a chat and we can discuss your options at s.olmi@savoirfayre.co.uk. You can also read about the Hormone Harmony programme should you need further support.

This Hormone Harmony Programme is designed to help you learn about your body and how to achieve optimum health for the long term.

Hormone balance (especially for period pains, fertility, and perimenopause) is greatly influenced by diet and lifestyle choices. So there is so much you can do to balance your hormone naturally. Let me help you get started.

For more information, feel free to get in touch for a chat. Alternatively, feel free to join my free Facebook community “Hormone Harmony” for regular tips, yummy recipes, and advice on how to balance hormones naturally.