How Toxins Make Us Fat

Hello my friends! Heidi here. How are you?  I’m a little sad this week because I’m not fitting into my jeans. Sadly, I’ve gained more weight this year than the last three years combined.

Oh, I know stress is a culprit and so are my changing hormones but Stephanie’s post last week got me thinking about another culprit that I hadn’t thought much about–how toxins are connected to weight gain, thyroid problems, and decreased muscle mass.

In plain simple words–some toxins can make us FAT!

Most of the time I never give much thought to “toxins” because I can’t see smell or taste most of them. But the toxins that affect our weight, mood, energy level and health are all around us, some more than others. Don’t worry, I’m not “that” neurotic but after Steph wrote about the 500 toxins found in our cosmetics and lotions, I downloaded this app called Skin Deep.  Now I can scan the UPC’s of my lotions and potions to identify what toxins I am absorbing into my body from my skin.  Um, can I say, I was more than shocked.  

I guess I just assumed that products are tested for health standards before they are sold. NOPE.  I also assumed that my skin care products, plastic cups I drink from and my hairspray were insignificant players in my well-being. NOPE again.

The real kicker is that cosmetics and skin care products are under-regulated and commonly use chemicals that haven’t been thoroughly tested and to top it off, the FDA doesn’t require safety tests either.

So here’s the big question—WHY SHOULD YOU BE CONCERNED?

Because many of these common chemicals found in skin care products function as hormone disruptors. According to Wikipedia…

Endocrine (hormone) disruptors are chemicals that, at certain doses, can interfere with the endocrine (or hormone system) in mammals. These disruptions can cause cancerous tumors, birth defects, and other developmental disorders. Any system in the body controlled by hormones can be derailed by hormone disruptors. 

There’s that word again—hormones.

By now you should know that hormone balance is the key to all weight issues. So I am on a mission to balance those babies.

You’ve probably heard about the endocrine disruptor called BPA. That’s a chemical found in plastics like water bottles and Teflon pans. But a different toxin has hit my radar recently called PHTHALATES. Phthalates are used in plastics and are found in personal care items such as makeup, shampoo, lotion, hairspray and perfume. When you smell a vinyl shower curtain or new car scent that’s the phthalates leaching from the plastic into the air.

Phthalates are currently being studied as an anti-androgen, which means they work against testosterone. Low testosterone is connected to weight gain, thyroid problems, decreased muscle mass in men and women, and if that isn’t enough, lower libido. And our immune system is affected by phthalates too, which increase inflammation or cortisol demand. Like I posted a few weeks ago, anytime there is a cortisol demand, there is a increased risk of belly fat, weight gain and hormone imbalance. (For more on that click here).  Yep, we need to be aware of  potential toxins in our skin care prodcuts and reduce them where we can.

To Our Health,

Heidi