Many of us don’t realize how many man-made chemicals we are exposed to throughout the day. If when we get up in the morning we shower using conventional shampoo and conditioner, brush our teeth, style our hair, apply make-up, drink coffee made in a coffee pot containing plastic parts, cook our eggs in a non-stick pan, put away some of our children’s toys, and take a big whiff from our new Glade plug-in, we’ve already been exposed to so many chemicals that our livers will have their job cut out for them.
There have been over 80,000 chemicals invented since 1950, many of which have never gone through extensive testing for their long term affects on the environment or our health. We can not only ingest these chemicals through food and beverages, but we can breathe them in and absorb them through our skin. The biggest opportunity is to study how these chemical ingredients interact with eachother when we’re being exposed to multiple products and sources all at once!
“Body burden” refers to the amount of harmful chemicals present in our bodies and the physical stress that they can cause. Not only do our livers have to work overtime to try to detoxify from them, but many of them are fat soluble meaning that they are stored in our fat cells. These levels can build up over time to the point of causing symptoms.
The physical effects of chemicals are numerous. They can contribute towards allergies and chronic respiratory illness. They can effect our immune and nervous systems. Possibly the most disturbing category of environmental chemicals are “endocrine disruptors”. These chemicals can actually influence our hormonal balance contributing to things like the altered sexual development of fetuses, early menses in young girls, symptoms of hormonal imbalance in men and women, fertility challenges, and hormone related cancers like prostate, breast, uterine, and ovarian.
Unfortunately, unborn babies and young children are at the highest risk because their bodies are still developing. This makes it very important for couples thinking about starting a family, pregnant women, and young families to become aware of the sources and to switch to more natural options.
How are we exposed?
- Conventional body and skin care products
- Cosmetics
- Synthetic fragrances via perfume, candles, air fresheners
- Household cleaning products
- Pesticides and herbicides on our food
- Non-stick cookware
- Flame retardants on matresses and furnature
- Plastic water bottles, food storage containers, shower curtains, bags, toys, baby bottles, pacifiers, synthetic fiber clothing and bedding
- Educate ourselves and our loved ones.
- Avoid as many of these sources as you can by choosing products made from natural ingredients and products.
- Support your body’s pathways of elimination by drinking plenty of filtered water and eating mostly whole foods grown without pesticides & herbicides.
- Reach out to us to discuss customized detoxification options.
- Get involved by supporting legislation to not only demand full disclosure of ingredients on labels, but to ban the use of many of these chemicals.
- Environmental Working Group
- Skin Deep database
- A Consumer’s Dictionary of Cosmetic Ingredients by Ruth Winter M.S.
China Rose Zamora is a functional nutritional therapist, clinical herbalist, & yoga teacher who has worked in the holistic health field since 1998 and has proudly served her community as China Rose Wellness since 2009. When she’s not coaching women to rise to their health potential, practicing herbal alchemy, traveling the country via mobile tiny house teaching inspirational workshops to demystify wellness, or co-facilitating transformational retreats with AJ, her-eco warrior partner in adventure, you can find her meandering on the nearest hiking trail or jammin’ at a local, live music venue. China Rose is a firm believer that wellness encompasses everything that nourishes us, body & soul!
