Are Phthalates Making You Fat, Foggy and Fatigued?
Ever drank out of a plastic water bottle?
Ever heated your food in a plastic container?
It is not breaking news that plastic has become an environmental hazard. Plastics are filling our oceans, rivers, backing up landfill areas and contaminating wildlife. It is no secret that plastics have become ever present in modern times. It is more than obvious that plastics pose a monumental threat to our environment from land, air to sea. Not to get even more depressing, but to be honest they are also impacting YOU!
However, this is not your fault. We were not warned when the plastic craze came about: First with storing our food, then body products, then with the plastic bottled water craze to avoid chemicals in our tap water. It is a sad affair how detrimental plastics have become to our environment and the continued excessive dependence on plastic. However, less obvious has been the impact of plastics on human health. In the last few years research has been emerging and is gaining momentum. It is undeniable that phthalates have a detrimental impact on human health.
What are phthalates
Phthalates are in plastic. Phthalates are a chemical that help to make plastic pliable, bendable. Ever squeezed in a water bottle and felt it give and take. Well, phthalates are making that possible.
Phthalates are also hidden in body products (makeup, moisturizers, hair products, etc.) and most things with a scent (perfumes, Glade Plug Ins). They are what the scent binds to for staying power.
Unfortanately, phthalates don’t just stay put. They seep into the water you are drinking from plastic bottles, leach into food when even slightly heated, get absorbed into your skin, and respiratory system. The result? They end up in you and stay in you!
Why the worry?
- Well, phthalates don’t just go into your body and then leave. They are “lipid soluble”. That means they love fat. So they hang around for waaay too long – in your fat. While they are hanging around for lord knows how many years they trigger your body to make more fat. They can degrade something called your insulin receptors, this can lead to insulin resistance. Insulin resistance is marked by abdominal weight and is a precursor to prediabetes, cardiovascular disease and various cancers.
- They create “oxidative stress” in your cell’s mitochondria. Oxidative stress is toxic so your body has to use it’s own antioxidants the fight the oxidative stress. The mitochondria is where we produce energy. The mitochondria is then unable to produce adequate energy. The result, your energy cycle is decreased.
- Our brain is one of the most mitochondria intense environments in our body. When our brain’s mitochondria are fighting oxidative stress, the mitchondria get very tired, lose their vitality and can die.
- They are xenoestrogens. This means that they replicate the action of estrogen and can trigger excess weight gain and estrogen sensitive breast cancers.
- Phthalates get passed on with reproduction. Babies are being born with high phthalates from their parents exposure preconception. This is setting their stage for endocrine and obesity issues. Scary. What a wake up call for preconception.
- Additionally, they decrease testosterone, steroids and impact the production of your happy hormone, serotonin.
So, that is just a snapshot of how phthalates could be making you feel fat, foggy and fatigued. Have no fear, there IS something you can do about it.
Tips for Phthalate Reduction in your life
- Don't let phthalates seep into what you eat! Store food in glass containers NOT plastic. Check out this site for durable glassware for storing food. http://www.anchorhocking.com
- Avoid plastic water bottles. Get a Klean Kantine or glass bottle to store your filtered water. http://www.kleankanteen.com
- Don't lather yourself in phthalates. Check your body products to make sure they don’t contain phthalates and other harmful chemicals. http://www.cosmeticsdatabase.com
Find out if you are Phthalate toxic
If you are concerned that phthalates could be making you feel fat, foggy and fatigued don’t be alarmed. You can do something about it. You can get tested. In my practice I run the gold standard test for assessing phthalates. It is a very simple urine test that you do at home. It will show you if you have high phthalates, and how you are detoxifying them and how those phthalates are impacting your ability to burn fat and create energy. In my practice I create a detoxification and nutrition program tailored to your unique test results and needs to help you get rid of the toxins and repair your metabolism. If you would like to learn more about this, please write me at www.getnourished.tv to set up a consult time.
May you be well and thrive!
Sarah
