A Guide to Avoiding Environmental Hormones & Supporting Hormonal Balance

From the hormones used in conventional farming practices to the use of prescription hormones, to industrial hormone-like toxins, it is safe to say our environment is overflowing with hormones. In general, our bodies are quite effective at producing hormones & we don’t need extra from our environment. In fact, exposure to exogenous hormone disrupting chemicals (substances that act like hormones that come from our external environment) can disrupt our health which is why they have been linked to numerous adverse human health outcomes including alterations in sperm quality and fertility, endometriosis, early puberty, altered nervous system function, immune function, certain cancers, respiratory problems, metabolic issues, diabetes, obesity, cardiovascular problems, growth, neurological and learning disabilities, and more. Below are some ways you can reduce your exposure to these endocrine disrupting chemicals. 


1. Avoid conventional dairy products.

2. Eat hormone-free meat & eggs & wild-caught fish.

• Best practice (BP): Choose pasture raised/grass-fed & finished meat & eggs.
  
  
• BP: Choose small, wild, cold water fish. Examples: salmon, sardines, anchovies, herring,  atlantic mackerel, trout, cod, croaker, hake, whiting.
  
  

3. Drink filtered water & avoid single serving plastic water bottles.

• BP: Buy a carbon-block or reverse osmosis filter for your home. Multipure (http://www.multipure.com/) and Berkey are reputable companies that make  good quality, affordable water filters.
  
  

4. Purchase a stainless steel or glass water bottle to use throughout the day.

5. Buy organic produce when possible.

• BP:  It is most important to buy the following produce organic: apples, strawberries, grapes, celery, peaches, spinach, sweet bell peppers, nectarines, cucumbers, cherry tomatoes, snap peas, white potatoes, hot peppers, kale & collard greens.
  
  
• BP: Go to: http://www.ewg.org/foodnews/  to get a pesticide produce guide for your wallet so you have it while shopping. The list is updated yearly.
  
  

6. Use non-toxic body products.

• BP: Read the labels of what you put on your body. Avoid parabens, phthalates, “fragrance”, & glycol esters.
  
  

7. Use homemade or non-toxic cleaning products.

• BP: Visit this site http://www.ewg.org/guides/cleaners to find non-toxic products & recipes for homemade cleaning products.
  
  

8. Avoid canned food when possible.

• BP: Opt for food stored in glass or purchase BPA-free canned food if you do buy canned goods.
  
  

9. Avoid plastic containers, plastic bottles & plastic wrap.

• BP: Store & reheat food in glass containers, not plastic.
  
  

10. Avoid non-stick pans.

• BP: Use well-seasoned cast iron, stainless steel or enamel coated pans instead.
  
  

11. Avoid water resistant clothing & coatings.

12. Consider alternatives to hormonal birth control.

13. Use a vacuum that has a HEPA filter.

14. Avoid reupholstering foam furniture.

15. Take care when replacing old carpets. Make sure this is done in a well ventilated space.

16. Avoid the use of synthetic air fresheners & candles in your home & car. Instead diffuse therapeutic grade essential oils.

Often my patients, friends & family ask me, "How do you eat healthy on a budget?" or they plainly state "I can't afford to eat healthy, it's just too expensive!" Do you hold this belief? Let's take a moment to examine it- it might just change your life!

Our lifestyle (the way that we live, our daily habits & beliefs) have a deep impact on our health. One out of every two adults in the US have a chronic disease, 70% of deaths among Americans each year are from chronic diseases, and much of the illness, suffering & early death related to chronic disease are due to four "modifiable health risk behaviors": lack of physical activity, poor nutrition, tobacco use & excessive alcohol consumption. (1)  In other words, changing the beliefs we hold, the way that we live & the habitual choices we make can improve the length & quality of our lives. 

This is why it is so important to evaluate, examine & change beliefs & habits that we hold, that hold us back. Healthy eating=expensive is one of these beliefs. Healthy eating does not have to break the bank.  In fact, it can save you & your family money, both up front & in the long run. Healthy eating can be practical, affordable, & delicious for an individual or family on a low budget, it just takes some education, strategy, planning & practice. So let's bust the myth!

TIPS FOR HEALTHY SHOPPING & EATING ON A BUDGET

1. Can the false belief.
2. Budget for health.
3. Prepare food at home.
4. Plan ahead.
5. Don't shop hungry.
6. Drink water.
7. Buy whole foods.
8. Buy local.
9. Buy in bulk.
10. Eat less meat.  

(1) CAN THE FALSE BELIEF

The belief that healthy eating=expensive could negatively impact your life. We may be using the belief as an excuse to avoid a change that seems hard, impossible, or overwhelming.  Take a moment to entertain & expect that healthy eating can be affordable.  

Now, sit back, relax & let's address the "HOW?!?"


(2) BUDGET FOR HEALTH

According to Bloomberg Businessweek, in 2011, Americans spent 11.2% of their annual post-tax income on food, and devoted less of their income to food than any other country-half as much as households in France and one-fourth of those in India. Interestingly, of the 11.2% spent on food,  about 5% is spent on restaurant meals & 2% on "miscellaneous food & non-alcoholic beverages".(2) 

Find out how much you/your family is currently spending on food in and away from your home. Now, assess "money leak areas" where your earnings are being spent unnecessarily. This money could be filtered into your food budget if needed. Most people will be able to implement the following tips, & keep their family satisfied & well fed while staying on their current food budget. 


(3) PREPARE FOOD AT HOME

If half of the money most families in the US spend on food is spent in a restaurant, you & your family can save A LOT by simply eating in more & eating out less. Eating at home is almost always healthier than eating out.  In order to make this happen it's important to...


(4) PLAN AHEAD 

Often we eat out because we don't have the desire or the time to cook. Dedicating one day per week to prepare meals is a great strategy to cope with this. You can stock the fridge with dishes you love that take a few minutes to reheat.  Try turning your fridge into a health food bar, where you can mix & match veggie, protein and complex carbohydrate dishes you've prepared ahead of time and create a meal out of whatever you are in the mood for! Or, pick out a few recipes that emphasize vegetables & whole foods, make them on your cook day so they simply need to be reheated.  Make your grocery list ahead of time & do your best to stick with it.  This will help when those cakes, chips & cookies plead you to take them home with you. Which brings me to...


(5) DON'T SHOP HUNGRY

We've all been there. Our bodies & wallets may have suffered for it. Eat something before you go shopping. That is all.


(6) DRINK WATER

We waste a whole lot of money on non-water beverages.  Water is essential to our health & the function of every cell in our body. Most of us don't drink enough, and instead drink sugary sodas, juices, milk, & excessive amounts of coffee & alcohol that leave us dehydrated. As noted above, we spend a good percentage of our food budget on non-alcoholic beverages & about 1% on alcohol.(2) I understand, I love me a cocktail from time to time! Remember- it's all about DAILY habits. When we shift what we do on a daily basis, our life changes. Drink more water, and if you can, get a water filter for your home instead of cases of bottled water to save more money in the long run. 


(7) BUY WHOLE FOODS

Whole foods are foods that you can look at (& our great grandparents could look at) and name exactly what's in the food. Whole foods often have one ingredient, & are what they are; an apple, lettuce, beans, a whole chicken or fish. Whole foods are foods that have not been processed or refined from their natural state, & are free of additives, artificial substances, & ingredients that you can't pronounce or identify. You will not find them in a box, bag, can or jar. Whole foods hang out on the perimeter of the grocery store. Processed foods hang out in the center. Stick to the perimeter. Processed & prepared meals & food run up the grocery bill while providing little nutritional return on that investment. 


(8) BUY LOCAL

Buying locally grown food (food grown close to your home) supports not only the health of you & your family, but the health of the local economy & our beloved planet. It does all this while cutting down on your grocery bill.  Make trips to the farmer's market, team up with a CSA, a local farm or shop at grocery stores that stock plenty of local groceries when in season. Make this a part of your regular grocery gathering routine.  

Here in Charlotte one of my favorite local grocery crews is Go Local NC Farms, an online grocery store/farm collective where you place a weekly order depending on their availability & your needs. For you readers outside of Charlotte, check out Local Harvest to find local-buyer resources near you. 


(9) BUY IN BULK

If you are lucky enough to live near a store or market that has bulk bins with dry & wet goods priced by the pound then take advantage of this! In addition to being whole foods, these bulk foods are often cheaper than their packaged counterparts.  


(10) EAT LESS MEAT

In 2000 in the US, total meat consumption (red meat, poultry & fish) reached 195 pounds per person, 57 pounds above the average annual consumption in the 1950's, with current diets containing a third fewer eggs.(3) 

Meat & animal products are more expensive then produce & we eat way more of them than we need too. I believe that animal products raised in an ecologically & biologically conscious & sustainable way, consumed in reasonable amounts can be a part of a healthy diet. For you meat-lovers out there (I am one of you!) a palm-sized or 4-6 ounce portion of meat/day is plenty. Eat less meat & your grocery bill will surely decrease. 

As a naturopathic doctor with a passion for social justice & empowerment through affordable, accessible health care, health education & the promotion of healthy living, this topic is very dear to my heart. I am a firm believer that food is our medicine, & one of the foundational pillars to a long, vibrant, healthy life. Let's take our health into our own hands & do what we can to make informed decisions that taste delicious & do our body good!

                                           ❤ ❤ ❤ ❤



References
(1) "Chronic Diseases and Health Promotion." Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 13 Aug. 2012. Web. 08 Feb. 2014. http://www.cdc.gov/chronicdisease/overview/index.htm
(2) Thompson, Derek. "Cheap Eats: How America Spends Money on Food." Bloomberg Business Week. Bloomberg, 8 Mar. 2013. Web. 08 Feb. 2014. http://www.businessweek.com/articles/2013-02-28/americas-shrinking-grocery-bill
(3) "Profiling Food Consumption In America." US Department Of Agriculture. 08 Feb 2014. http://www.usda.gov/factbook/chapter2.pdf

pohMy intention with this post is to get back to the basics and reflect on a fundamental concept: Health. This 5-letter word gets tossed around as if it possesses an inherent meaning.  Maybe it does.  Let's talk about it.  Join me please!  

Health. The concept is everywhere. It is the focus of a slew of popular blogs, it infiltrates social media posts and tweets, its the subject of television talk shows, talk radio, podcasts, you name it.  Here at Wild River Wellness, we offer services that can bring greater, more vibrant health to you and your loved ones.  What are we all talking about? What are we offering?

The crew over at Merriam Webster agrees, "health is the condition of being sound in body, mind, or spirit; especially: freedom from physical disease or pain".  This leaves me with some questions. What exactly do they mean by sound? What lies beyond freedom from disease? How do we know we are free of disease? 

They retort, "sound means in good condition; free from injury, disease, flaw, defect or decay".  Ok, so health is being pain-free, being flawless, being without defects, immune to the process of decay.  Well in that case, achievement of health seems super human. Maybe health is generated from the part of us that is super human, that is divine, that precedes our form and function and yet is expressed by it? Maybe.  Let's consult another source.

The folks over at the World Health Organization (WHO) go a step further. They state "health is a state of complete physical, mental and social well-being, and not merely the absence of disease and infirmity".  In this excellent article, Machteld Huber, MD and colleagues say this isn't good enough. They propose changing the emphasis towards "the ability to adapt and self-manage in the face of social, physical, and emotional challenges".  I like how this definition speaks to the process of health in relation to environment. Here, health becomes a living concept, an organic, ever-changing reality, not some five-letter word, to be conquered or forgotten, always out of reach or destined to gather dust in the land of the unattainable. Also, the relational nature of this definition of health is not so isolated and lonely. 

What I would like to add to Huber & company's conceptual proposal above is the word unique. Health is "the ability to adapt and self-manage in the face of unique social, physical and emotional challenges". I am using unique in this context to refer to the opportunities, resources, and privileges, or lack there of, that go hand in hand with a person's in-born identity within their dominant culture. The markers of one's identity in this context may include class, race, ethnicity, sex, age, sexual-orientation, physical or cognitive ability to adapt to the demands of dominant culture, and surely some other realities I'm forgetting here. I think this is a very important contextual marker to include in the discussion of the concept of health.  These markers affect the social, physical and emotional challenges one may face as well as their ability to adapt and self-manage . 

To me, health is many things.  Health means something different for everyone at every moment. It changes with context. I see health as the freedom to do what we dream for ourselves so we can express who we know we are. I see it as our gifts and our fullest potential expressed despite setbacks, challenges, and unexpected changes in our surrounding environment. 

Honestly, what I am very much interested in is what health means to you.  I want to know what your concept of health is. When you seek healthcare services what are you hoping to find, what journey do you hope to embark upon?  My job as a doctor and healthcare advocate is to work with you to come up with a strategy and plan of action that helps you forever move towards the balance and beauty that is health in your fullest, unique expression of the concept.  I encourage you to consider your own needs and concepts of health when you seek healthcare in your community. I think it will better help you seek the services you need, along with better help your healthcare practitioners serve you.  Please join in this discussion so it can become a discussion! I'm hoping to learn from you, your thoughts, hopes, feelings and opinions on the concept of health.