We have talked briefly before and if you follow me on Instagram you have seen the posts from my Estrogen Mini Master Class. I’ve found that xenoestrogens contribute to so many chronic discomforts (some turn into full blown diagnosable disease), and I want to make sure you fully understand what you’re exposing yourself to daily.
Don’t learn the hard way like I did!
Xenoestrogens are chemicals that exist in foods, what’s sprayed on our food (pesticides), household cleaners, personal care products and other items you come into contact with daily, and because of the chemical make-up in these products your body reacts to them as if they are estrogens. This causes your body to produce more estrogen. Simply put, xenoestrogens are fake estrogen.
How do xenoestrogens impact us as women?
High levels of xenoestrogen exposure will lead to something called estrogen dominance. Estrogen dominance is simply when your body is producing an abundance of estrogen compared to progesterone. In my most recent blog, “Estrogen: Friend or Foe?”, I discussed the best ways to balance the relationship between these hormones for improved health.
Dr. Christiane Northrup, M.D. also discusses estrogen dominance in her blog. You can read more from this amazingly insightful doctor here.
It’s important that we are educating ourselves about xenoestrogens and the negative effects they can have on our health. Not only are we constantly stressed, not getting enough sleep, and not taking care of our own health the way we do for our families, but we are also fighting exposure to these chemicals multiple times a day.
Did you know that xenoestrogens have been indicated in many conditions like:
- Breast cancer
- Obesity
- Infertility
- Endometriosis
- Early onset puberty
- Miscarriages
- Diabetes
It’s scary and frustrating, right?
So, where are xenoestrogens found and how are you supposed to avoid them? It isn’t simple, but I am going to try to simplify it as much as possible for you. Here is a list of common products and places you will find xenoestrogens and a solution for you to start limiting exposure to them for you and your family.
- Make-up:
Most of your make-up has parabens, a common xenoestrogen found in personal care products. Try something like this to implement a healthier brand of make-up for your daily routine. It’s the brand I landed on after researching a ton and I’ve stayed impressed with the quality of the products and integrity of the company.
- Commercially - raised meat and dairy products:
You will hear me say it time and again. Shop organic for your meats. Make sure they are grass fed and finished for red meat, and pasture raised/free range for your poultry and eggs. This is a great option to have organic, quality meat shipped right to your door.
- Fruits/grains/veggies containing pesticides or insecticides: Most fruits and vegetables are exposed to pesticides or insecticides. Choosing organic options are best, but can you ever be sure you’re getting what you pay for and that there hasn’t been cross contamination with other produce? A great way to ensure you are getting rid of these harmful chemicals is by washing them with this simple vinegar spray when you get them home from the store. If you aren’t a DIYer, here is my go to solution. It is my absolute favorite, and is ready and simple to use!
- Receipts:
Store receipts have a high-level of BPA in them, which is a known xenoestrogen. Limit how often you handle your store receipts. If you still aren’t fully digital (I admit, I still ask for them), I suggest you put them straight into a plastic baggie. This way you limit your contact with them as much as possible. More touching = more absorption into your bloodstream.
- Tap water:
The tap water in your home is a direct line to so many toxins, we don’t have time to cover them all here. Heavy metals, prescription medications, antibiotics, and so much more is ingested that shouldn’t be. It’s an ongoing discussion with my patients and clients about how their tap water could be a direct cause of so many of their symptoms. I always recommend looking into the Dime Water and the filtration systems they offer.
- Shampoos/lotions/toothpastes containing parabens:
One of the most common xenoestrogens found in personal care products are parabens. Be sure, the next time you’re shopping for these items, that you check the labels for this very harmful ingredient. Also, here is a list of paraben-free shampoos.
- Food containing soy and soy protein:
Many who are on vegetarian diets lean on soy as their most common source of protein. This can become harmful, however, if you are fighting estrogen dominance. Here is a list of foods that contain soy or soy protein that you will want to avoid.
- Dryer sheets:
Dryer sheets are loaded with xenoestrogens to make your clothes soft, and that means that you are absorbing those chemicals in through your skin all day. Replace your dryer sheets with a natural fabric softener such as this one that I use for my family.
- Birth control:
As young women, we are told by practitioners, and others, that we need birth control for a number of reasons. Maybe it’s regulating symptoms of PMS, helping you not conceive, or assisting in the regulation of your cycle all together. What they don’t tell you are all the side-effects and ways that that one little pill can destroy your health. You can regulate your periods and PMS with a better diet, exercise, and many other natural remedies that won’t cause your body to fight against itself for years to come. If you’ve been on the pill and want to learn more about how to recover from its effects, take a look at Dr. Jolene Brighten’s book, “Beyond the Pill.”
- Disposable menstrual products:
Menstrual products are a necessity for us as women, but there are so many that are doing more harm than good, and it’s affecting your health in drastic ways. Have you thought of the impact that bleached cotton tampons are having on your health? I didn’t until a few years ago. Time to switch. I have found a number of natural options that I have listed on my website that are still convenient, but much safer and healthier for you and I.
I know. There is so much information out there and it can be overwhelming. I was extremely overwhelmed when I started researching and understanding the impact xenoestrogens were having on my health. It’s scary. Taking just one small step at a time will help and impact your health for years to come. You can’t expect yourself to make all these changes at once, but changing the simplest thing like the way we touch receipts (or not getting them at all), changing shampoos, or getting the right water filtration system can make a huge impact overtime.
Do you still have questions about how xenoestrogen may be affecting you and your health? Click below to book a free curiosity call with me and we can discuss this along with other ways we can start fighting the right fight to help you live your healthiest, best life!
