Endocrine Disruptors Part 4...What Can We Do To Protect Ourselves?

Well, first I must apologize for taking you down a rather dismal road and then leaving you hanging. Sometimes life just gets in the way, but I am back and ready to wind up this discussion on endocrine disruptors by sharing with you some of the ways we can avoid them.

1. Buy organic. Yes I know it is more expensive, but meat and dairy consistently have the highest levels of persistent hormone disruptors. If you can’t go totally organic, than at least limit the amount of dairy (especially cheese and butter) that you consume. And be sure to wash your fruits and vegetables to remove as much pesticide residue as possible. FYI—strawberries, apples, peaches and grapes are among the fruits with the highest level of residue of endocrine disruptors and reproductive toxins from pesticides.

2. Use filtered water for drinking and cooking. You can have your tap water tested, but it is likely that it will contain chlorine and/or trihalomethanes. Also, beware of bottled water—this industry is not well-regulated and so you could be paying for tap water. See NRDC for more information.

3. Consider purchasing an air purifier for your home. According to the EPA indoor air is 5 to 70 times more toxic than the air outdoors. See EPA for more information.

4. Replace your cleaners & laundry products with toxic-free products.

5. Do not microwave in plastic

6. Do not use pesticides

7. Remove the plastic from dry-cleaned clothes and air them out in the garage before bringing into the house.

8. Replace personal care products—lotions, soaps, shampoo, cosmetics, toothpaste, etc—with chemical-free brands that are free of parabens, phthalates, formaldehyde and other extremely harmful chemicals. These are in baby products too! (Keep in mind that it is the repeated use of these products, day in and day out, that causes the health risks.)

This list is far from exhaustive, so as always, I encourage you to do your own due diligence. And I don’t want to overwhelm you with this information. Even one positive change is better than doing nothing. So, start slowly, continue to educate yourself and tell others what you learn. Together we can truly make a difference for ourselves, our families and the planet.

If you have any questions concerning endocrine disruptors please contact me. It has been my pleasure to share this information with you.