Right now!! And every day!! And why is this the case? There are reports that we are ingesting a credit card worth of microplastics every week. According to my calculation that equates to almost 6 pounds of plastic in 10 years. Our bodies were not designed to eliminate or hold plastic. Plastic is a toxin when it lives in our body. It disrupts our hormones, both sex and thyroid. It affects our fertility. It is being held responsible for some little girls developing pubic hair at the tender ages of 4 and 5. It helps to make and keep us fat. It impacts how we experience perimenopause and menopause. It has been implicated in causing cancer, the spread of cancer and our immune systems.
We need to be aware of potential exposure and how to limit it. Right now, most people’s biggest exposure is in drinking water. But microplastics are also present in our food, air and soil, personal care products and cleaning products. So what should we do?
- Clean up your pantry keeping whole foods that do not require plastic
- Drink water from a quality filter
- Use a glass or stainless steel water bottle or cup
- Avoid storing food in plastic containers or plastic wrap
- Choose clean make-up and skin care products where you can identify a shorter list of ingredients as natural; things that are stored in glass when you can
AND choose to do a cleanse or a detox using herbs or supplements that assist the body in elimination at least once a year. Things I like to do with my patients:
- 5 and 12 week cleanses that include concentrated periods of caloric restriction
- Weight loss through the natural process of getting healthier allows for elimination of microplastics as they are mostly stored in our fatty tissues
- Assist their bodies using technologies that support detoxification pathways
If you consider all the problems plastics can cause, and the fact that we see rather quick resolution of many of the issues listed above we know that we are affecting the levels of plastic and other toxins in our bodies. Creating a daily awareness with some focus on food/water bottle and other choices will go a long way in preventing disease and eliminating health frustration that often comes from not knowing why a certain health condition is happening. You have the power to be healthy. It comes from the daily choices you make. And you have the power to do that starting today!