In our modern world, we are subject to a plethora of things, on a daily basis, that may be clogging up our endocrine engine/system. As a result, we may be left symptomatic and at high risk for the disease at worse, and feeling less than vital at best. The list of nasty vitality robbing substances is longer than I can mention in this article. I often refer to these as “hormone Imposters”.

Hormone Imposters come in various “flavors”, yet like ice cream, if you can understand the basics, you can then look to identify the flavors you encounter. Hormone Imposters are called “imposters” because they may be very similar – bio-chemically- to our hormones. They are similar enough to bind our receptor sites, yet different enough that they can block the normal function of our hormone-sensitive tissues.

Perhaps you’ve heard of

• “Environmental hormones” pesticides, herbicides, and petroleums fit into this category
• “Endocrine disrupters” – this is an overarching name that encompasses all. The name says it all -they disrupt your endocrine function.
• “Xeno-Estrogens” – Xeno means strange, foreign, or guest. (Personally, I don’t want these substances as a guest in my body!! )

As I said above, we are exposed to these imposters everywhere. We eat them, we drink them, breathe them, use them at work, at home. They are in the garden & soil in the form of pesticides and herbicides. Imposter hormones are in our dairy, poultry, beef, and many other food products. They are hidden in plastics and…in our personal care products. And…synthetic hormones also fit into this category. They are imposters compared to the natural hormones our body produces. Word of caution here – in the news, in medical literature, etc synthetic hormones are often referred to as if they are the real, natural, hormones that our body produces. For instance, they refer to Provera (Medroxy-Progesterone) as “progesterone”. They are SO not alike. The one is made by Mother Nature; the other is synthetic, made in a lab, and has been shown to cause significant risk for breast cancer and other health challenges.

Unclogging your Endocrine Engine

To limit your exposure to hormone impostors: First- be aware of what you are exposing
yourself to. You may be surprised how simple things like nail polish and remover impact your health. Clean out your cupboards – pantry and bathroom. Here’s a list of a few specific things that can limit your exposure to toxins / xeno-estrogens:

• Use natural toxic-free products if possible. We look good and smell good, yet according to experts, we are exposed to over 200 chemicals before we leave the bathroom in the morning. Check your products against this list of the “dirty dozen” For natural hair color, I recommend EcoColor’s natural hair color.
• Eat a high fiber diet – more than 25-35 grams of fiber a day has been shown to help rid the body of excess estrogens. The fiber helps your natural hormones bind to receptor sites, vs. the man-made look-a-likes.
• Avoid plastics – don’t drink bottled water if it’s been in your car, and don’t microwave with plastics. The Phthalates you’re exposed to are not worth it.
• Avoid DEET and other toxic yard care products

Here’s to Creating the Vitality You Crave!