Choosing Healthy and Clean Products
As we know, many of the products we use in our daily lives have many additives, preservatives, and other chemicals that can cause endocrine disruption or alter hormones and have a negative impact on health.
My favorite way to determine if a product is clean is to check the environmental working group’s website to find items without these chemicals, or with lower levels of these chemicals. The website is www.EWG.org and has a lot of information on common household, cosmetic, and hygienic products. This website is also helpful because they include the “clean 15 and dirty dozen” list of food items which are more important to purchase organic each year. The items on this website have been verified to be “cleaner and greener” through specific approval.
Endocrine disrupting agents can act on hormone receptors and turn them off/on, interfering with health. Common endocrine disruptors include:
- Phalates
- BPA
- Parabens
- PCBs
- Industrial chemicals and pesticides such as DDT and glyphosphate
Some of the best ways to avoid these chemicals are to check labels on common household and cosmetic products, purchase organic and fresh produce, thoroughly wash fruits and vegetables before consumption, avoiding plastic food containers, and avoiding consumption of processed and canned foods.
Some of my favorite ways to incorporate this into my daily life is to drink my water from a reusable container made from glass or stainless steel and use Pyrex storage containers for food. You can also make your own at home cleaning spray with 2 cups water, ½ cup white distilled vinegar, ¼ cup 70% rubbing alcohol, and 1-2 drops of a nice smelling essential oil such as orange, lemon, or rosemary.
Some brands I often use are:
- Dr. Bronner’s, Dr. Meyers, Honest Brand, and Seventh Generation for household items
- Eminence organics and SanRe organics for skin care
- Alaffia, Alba Botanicals, and Desert Essence for shampoos, conditioners, and soaps
It can be difficult to get rid of some endocrine disrupting chemicals completely, but a small step can be a good start to start swapping out some of the items you use for other cleaner and greener products.
Dr. Shay Herndon
Physician
This blog was written by Dr. Shay Herndon. For more information on her, visit her page by clicking here. You can also schedule a free 15 minute consultation with her by scheduling online or calling our office!