Hello UnCommon Woman~ Here’s your Weekly Wellness Guide!
I hope it is not news to anyone that bisphenol-A (BP-A) is a harmful chemical we are exposed to through packaged food and drink containers. Canned foods are a primary source of exposure, as are certain types of hard, clear water bottles, plastic food wrap and cash register receipts. BP-A is only the most well known of thousands of chemicals that act as “endocrine disruptors”. This means that trace amounts of these chemicals enter our body systems and imitate our hormones, especially estrogen, and cause a variety of problems. Some of the illnesses linked to BP-A toxicity include breast and prostate cancer, brain and nervous system disorders, behavioral disorders, metabolic dysfunction and diabetes, cardiovascular disease and reproductive disorders. I want women with PCOS to be vigilant about avoiding these hormonal bandits! Typically we are working very deliberately to have smooth running hormones; unknown amounts of chemicals with unknown effects can completely negate your efforts at hormonal balance.
Babies in utero are
most vulnerable to endocrine disruptors during the second trimester of pregnancy; children in general are particularly susceptible to the effects of toxic plastics. Although BP-A has been banned from baby bottle nipples and some companies now advertise “BPA-free” products, we are not yet safe from this chemistry. It is literally everywhere in our environment. And, “BP-A-free” likely only means that a close relative, BP-S, has been substituted. BP-S is no less toxic; using it a grotesque example of corporate crime, shifting laterally to a different toxin that allows a change in the label on the soup can without changing the related health threat. Avoid anything that says “Bisphenol-“ regardless of the letters after the dash. Bisphenol-S is appearing in the linings of canned food and it is no less harmful than BP-A.
Glass, stainless steel and wrought iron are the safest materials for the bottles, jars, bowls, pots, pans and utensils we use for cooking, eating and storing food. Use glass or paper, never plastic, to microwave. Safer, plastic-like alternatives are polyester-based packaging also known as PET or #1 plastic. Aseptic, shelf-stable pouches or Tetra Pak containers use PET. An invention called oleoresin, which is a plant-based product, also appears safe but further research is needed to be sure.
Avoiding packaged food can be very difficult with most people’s busy schedule. I know it is really hard to manage our personal self-care as well as meet our family’s needs. If you are a woman who works for income as well as for your family and home, I’m sure there are many days when it is in fact simply impossible to both meet the obligations of your job AND provide the very best for your own needs and those of your kids and spouse.
So, always, when reading these scary and maddening facts about how we are harmed and what we might do to increase safety and well being, take some comfort in the additional facts that you are not alone, that you do have choices and you can take everything one step at a time. My cupboards, frig and freezer are full of re-purposed mayo and salsa jars. We really like those half gallon glass containers previously filled with marinating artichoke hearts or 3-bean salad, for storing coffee beans or quinoa! I’ll leave you today with a photo of my very unglamourous but toxin-free kitchen cupboard! Watch the Weekly Wellness Guides for my next installment- I’ll post some really great recipes for home made nut and seed milks, easy to make, delicious, and truly BPA-free.
Resources:
1. Akin L, Kendrirci M, Narin F. Kurtoglu S, Saraymen R, Konodolot M, Elmali F. The endocrine disruptor bisphenol A may play a role in the aetiopathogenesis of polycystic ovary syndrome in adolescent girls. Acta Peaediatric 2014 Dec. 3 doi:10.1111/apa.12885
2. Kandaraki E, et al. Endocrine disruptors and Polycystic Ovary Syndrome (PCOS): Elevated serum levels of bisphenol A in Women with PCOS. J Clin Endocrinol Metab, March 2011, 96(3):E480 –E484
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