Environmental toxins in our food and everyday household and beauty products not only impact our health and hormones, but they can also impact our ability to lose weight. We’ve already discussed how some toxins can mimic our hormones, which prevents our bodies from using our hormones as well as make hormones, but what you might not know is that all this exposure to toxins confuses our metabolisms.
Additives and processed foods with refined sugars and high fructose corn syrup strain our livers and interrupt our detoxifying systems. These additives as well as hydrogenated fats, preservatives and artificial sweeteners do not contain any nutrients; therefore they add empty calories and create a hormone imbalance. Pesticides in our food are stored in our fat tissue, which poisons our metabolism and prevents weight loss. On top of it all, processed foods increase inflammation in our bodies, which increases demand for cortisol and creates a hormone imbalance with progesterone, estrogen, testosterone, DHEA, insulin and thyroid.
Toxins found in products we use everyday like Bisphenal A, parabens, phthalates are endocrine disruptors and can impact weight loss in a number of different ways. BPA acts like estrogen and contributes to weight loss. Phthalates work against testosterone and are connected to obesity and insulin resistance. If you’re insulin resistant your body stops using sugar as energy and stores it as fat.
By switching to a whole food diet, filtering water, avoiding processed foods and using products that are organic and/or fragrance free, you can reverse the effects these toxins cause. Your liver and thyroid will function normally, which will restore hormone balance, increase your metabolism, burn more fat and your liver will be clear to release toxins from fat cells so further weight loss is possible.
Tags: Environmental Toxins, health tips, weight loss
