Are you feeling sluggish when you wake up in the morning, like it takes you hours to wake up regardless of how much coffee you drink. Maybe you get an internal buzz from the coffee, but you still feel tired and your brain isn’t working the way you need. Your thoughts don’t stay focused, they dart around, unlike your eyes which feel dim and like they aren’t open all the way even though they are.
Yep, these can be perimenopause symptoms. Brain fog, lethargy, not really caring that much but wanting to.
There are a few different things that can cause these symptoms. Adrenal health, thyroid health and toxic load. But toxic load affects both of those other two and it’s tricky to heal adrenals and thyroid if your input of toxins is still flowing in strong.
In Perimenopause, keeping toxins out is more important than ever.
Want to learn more about how you can feel your best as you go through Perimenopause? Remember, perimenopause is 4-12 years before menopause, and when you feel good, it helps and elevates everyone around you, AND it is possible! Click here
The easy, no nonsense path to stop the inflow of toxins
Let’s Ditch and switch →
Things that don’t take a lot of effort, just more about awareness and making different choices.
This week is about home environment, stuff to move out and trade out as you can.
Ditch → plastic containers of most sorts.
Switch → Glass, steel, silicone
WHY? – Long story short. Plastic can leach estrogen like chemicals into whatever is in the container.
Plastic leaches multiple chemicals when it is heated, when you store something in it with acid (think tomato sauce) or oil, or when it is exposed to UV light.
Whenever you can, choose a glass storage container. I know they are not convenient to travel with, but the silicone storage bags are. Find them on Amazon or in your local tores
“Researchers worry about the health hazards of something that many of us do every day: using plastics to heat and store food. Studies show that a complex mixture of chemicals leach from plastic food containers when they’re heated or exposed to UV light. In laboratory studies these chemical mixtures mimic estrogen, with unknown consequences for human health.” https://www.ewg.org/news-insights/news/reduce-your-use-plastics — None of the links in this article are affiliate links, just stuff that’s good.
Estrogen mimickers can be 1000x stronger than our natural estrogens and really muck things up with our receptors. Hello estrogen dominance that can cause brain fog, flooding- heavy periods, bad sleep and PMS. No Please.
Ditch → tap water, one use plastic water bottles,
Switch to → Filtered tap water, spring water, glass bottles, or very hard reusable plastic
That one use water bottle you left in the car that got hot and then cooled? Toxic estrogen mimicker central. Don’t get me started on tap water. There are things in there they don’t even test for (certain hormones… and chemicals) so they don’t report them.
Best water filters right now? Berkey is a great one. https://www.aquatru.com/ Aquatrue as well. Reverse osmosis is good, just a bit on the wasteful side, but good. https://www.berkeyfilters.com/
Ditch → Air fresheners & perfumes
Switch → Essential oils
Do your nose or eyes get itchy, or do you sneeze when you put on perfume?
Many “fragrances” have endocrine disruptors (hormone crazy makers). Yes, here and there…okay. But something you are using regularly or even daily? Ditch and switch
Essential oils – , there are so many brands. Get something reputable but reasonable. Ask your friends who use them, they will tell you!
Essential oil perfumes (my favorite is “Sultry”!!) – https://www.inklingscents.com/
Ditch → Household chemical laden cleaning products
Switch → Non chemical cleaning products
There are many! Where to check to see if what products you have or are looking at are good? https://www.ewg.org/
Environmental Working Group – They have reviewed 1000’s of products to tell you where they fall on the scale. Look up what you are already using. 👍
Ditch → BPA lined cans
Switch → Non-BPA lined cans, frozen or fresh
“The synthetic estrogen BPA is still used in the linings of most metal food cans.” https://www.ewg.org/news-insights/news/reduce-your-use-plastics
Did you know BPA is a synthetic estrogen? ACK! 😮 Nuff said.
Ditch → Toxins in fabric softeners and dryer sheets
Switch → Use a quarter cup of baking soda or a quarter cup of white vinegar
added to the wash cycle. Both naturally soften clothes without the toxins! And it’s cheap! 🎉
Typical ingredients in fabric softeners can include benzyl acetate (linked to pancreatic cancer), ethanol (linked to central nervous system disorders), benzyl alcohol (an upper respiratory tract irritant), limonene (a known carcinogen), and chloroform (a neurotoxin and carcinogen). https://www.ewg.org/news-insights/news/dont-get-slimed-skip-fabric-softener
Ditch → Traditional Dry cleaning –
Switch → Use the most Hormone friendly options available. Wet Cleaning, Liquid Carbon Dioxide Cleaning, Silicon-Based Solvent.
Common Dry Cleaning use of PERC or PRC which is a highly toxic carcinogen and, because it is heavier than water and highly mobile, can contaminate drinking water supplies near the site and spread through nearby soil. Nope, don’t like it. Don’t wear it.
If you must use dry cleaners, I get it. My sister has all of her husband‘s dress shirts dry cleaned. That’s the way he likes them. Cool… just try these alternatives. 👇
Wet Cleaning, Liquid Carbon Dioxide Cleaning, Silicon-Based Solvent. https://www.thespruce.com/what-is-green-dry-cleaning-2145936
Ditch → Pesticides and bug spray
Switch → Essential oils, garlic juice, cinnamon
When it comes to a yard full of cockroaches? Ask if your pest control service has environmentally friendly options.
For bug spray, there are good Essential oil options. https://www.thespruce.com/what-is-green-dry-cleaning-2145936
Side-effects from DEET (common in commercial bug spray) include skin allergies, seizures and brain malfunction, fatigue, respiratory conditions, and possibly even cancer. Yikes.
Ants? – I’ve got you… https://www.ouroilyhouse.com/essential-oil-ant-repellent/
Ditch → Regular non-stick pans
Switch → Greenpan, cast iron or stainless steel
Regular non-stick pans are again full of endocrine disruptors (hormone crazy makers), so next time you need a new pan because your non-stick is sticking, choose a hormone helper.
There are more household items to be careful of, but start with one of these things.
Want to learn more about how you can feel your best as you go through Perimenopause? Remember, perimenopause is 4-12 years before menopause, so it’s worth you feeling awesome, AND it is possible! Click Here!