Ways to Optimize, Nutrition for the Optimal You!
  • Ways to Optimize
    • Nutritionist
    • Nutritional Approach
    • Referral Benefits
    • Forms >
      • Intake Form
      • Client Agreement and Release
    • Contact
    • Privacy Policy
  • Services
    • Nutrition Services Pricing
    • Blood Test for Nutrient Status
    • Food Relationship Reset
    • Detox Programs
    • Speaking
    • Other Services >
      • Fitness
  • Resources
    • Nutrition eBooks
    • Supplements
    • Essential Oils
    • Self-Care Tools
    • Food >
      • Meat
  • Blog
  • Successes

Amanda's Musings

Things we want you to know and other cool stuff!

Get Clean to Enhance Hormonal Harmony

7/5/2018

0 Comments

 
I’ve been spending a lot of time lately working with hormonal balance and it has reminded me, yet again, of how much hard work it is to be healthy in a world full of toxins. There is so much to know and it seems, however hard we try, we can never avoid chemicals completely. Chemicals and toxins are so pervasive and the food supply is so contaminated that I think many people start to glaze over, and sometimes give up totally, on trying to live and eat in a “clean” way. The good news is that reducing your exposure to toxins isn’t an all-or-nothing pursuit! For example, a recent study showed that eating organic for just one week reduced pesticide in urine by 90%. So my approach is always to keep improving things where I can and not to stress about being perfect.
 
Below are some suggestions around the food you buy to encourage you to eat as clean as you can, as well as some other tips that you might consider implementing in your life. Take it a step at a time and don’t freak out!
 
If you’d like to learn more about your hormones and how to get them into balance then take a look at our 2 hour workshop on Nourishment for Hormonal Harmony – Feel Sexy and Vibrant Again! We’d love to have you join us!
 
 
1. Avoid food from cans lined with Bisphenol-A

  • What are you avoiding?
 
Bisphenol-A acts as a synthetic hormone or xenoestrogen and confuses the body into thinking it’s a real hormone. BPA has been linked to everything from breast and other cancers to reproductive problems, obesity, early puberty and heart disease. It’s tough to avoid! Government tests show that 93 percent of Americans have BPA in their bodies!
Check the labels on canned foods. Non-BPA lined cans will be labeled as such.
 
What else can you do? 
  • Opt for non-paper receipts and wash your hands if you have to handle them.
  • Avoid plastics marked with PC (polycarbonate) or recycling labels #3 or #7, which may contain BPA.
  • Use glass, stainless steel or ceramic containers instead of plastics where you can. Even if plastics are marked free of BPA, other plastics are proving to be just as damaging.
 
2. Buy organic, grass-fed or pastured animal products (meat, eggs, dairy) and wild caught and smaller varieties of fish.

  • What are you avoiding?
 
Dioxins are a family of toxic chemicals formed as a by-product of many industrial processes that do not break down easily. As a result they accumulate in the food chain and, in particular, in the fatty tissue of animals. They are highly toxic and can cause reproductive and developmental problems, damage the immune system, interfere with hormones and cause cancer.
 
Mercury is a naturally occurring but toxic metal that gets into the air and the oceans primarily though burning coal. It is found in larger varieties of seafood. Pregnant women are the most at risk from the toxic effects of mercury, since it can interfere with brain development. Mercury can bind to hormones and damage cells. Exposure is linked with neurotoxicity, autoimmune disorders, weakened immune system and altered hormone signaling.
 
What else can you do? 
  • Take a chlorella or spirulina supplement when you eat seafood to help you detoxify mercury and any other heavy metals. We carry some different options if you’d like a suggestion.
  • Having a strong basis of minerals like selenium and zinc can also be helpful. (Let us know if you’d like to hear more about our micronutrient blood testing.)
 
3. Buy organic produce

  • What are you avoiding?
 
Neurotoxic organophosphate pesticides are among the more common pesticides in use today. They work by targeting the nervous systems of insects. Many studies link organophosphate exposure to effects on brain development, behavior and hormones.
Another chemical found in herbicides is atrazine. It has been linked to breast tumors, delayed puberty and prostate inflammation in animals. Some research has linked it to prostate cancer in people.

What else can you do? ​
  • If you can’t afford to eat completely organic then focus your organic spending on the most pesticide ridden produce. Take a look at the EWG’s Dirty Dozen list to find out which are the worst offenders.
  • Use a water filter that is certified to remove atrazine.
 
4. Include seaweed and seafood in your diet

  • What are you avoiding?
 
Perchlorate, a component in rocket fuel, contaminates much of our vegetables, fruits and milk. When perchlorate gets into your body it competes with the nutrient iodine, which the thyroid gland needs to make thyroid hormones, which regulate metabolism in adults and are critical for proper brain and organ development in infants and young children. Seaweed and seafood are good sources of iodine, which can help keep your iodine status strong.
 
What else can you do? 
  • Drink and cook with water filtered by a reverse osmosis filter.
  • Use iodized sea salt.
 
5. Avoid microwave popcorn and fast food with paper food containers

  • What are you avoiding?
 
These containers use Perfluorochemicals (PFCs), which are so widespread and tough to detoxify that 99% of Americans have them in their bodies and some don’t ever break down. Exposure has been linked
 to decreased sperm quality, low birth weight, kidney disease, thyroid disease and high cholesterol.
 
What else can you do? 
  • Avoid non-stick pans.
  • Avoid stain and water resistant coatings.
 
6. Eat a nutrient dense diet

  • What are you avoiding?
 
Ditch the junk food, and eat a diet rich in micronutrients – vitamins, minerals and phytochemicals (plant compounds). These help protect your body from heavy metals like mercury, lead and arsenic and detoxify unwanted toxins like atrazine that can be wreaking havoc with your body chemistry.
Lead for example is linked with permanent brain damage, lowered IQ, hearing loss, miscarriage, premature birth, increased blood pressure, kidney damage and nervous system problems. Research has also shown that lead can disrupt the hormone signaling that regulates the body’s stress response system and may lower sex hormone levels. To assist with removal of lead it is helpful to have a good status for calcium, iron and vitamin C levels.

  • What else can you do?
 
Make sure you do not have any peeling lead paint in your home.
  • Check for lead in lipsticks.
  • Use a good water filter.
 
Other ways to reduce toxic load
  • Use personal care items that are paraben and phthalate free.
  • Use glass, stainless steel or ceramic containers instead of plastics where you can.
  • Avoid plastic wrap made from PVC.
  • Avoid products that use the catch all word “fragrance” on labels.
 
Phthalates are xenoestrogens that are found in #3 plastics and fragrances. Studies have linked phthalates to hormone changes, lower sperm count, less mobile sperm, birth defects in the male reproductive system, impaired neurodevelopment in girls, obesity, diabetes and thyroid irregularities. Parabens are chemicals used as preservatives in personal care products. They act as weak estrogens once absorbed in the body and interfere with hormone levels and balance.

  • Remove your shoes inside the house to avoid spreading pesticides from lawns and gardens into your home.
  • Use a HEPA filter vacuum cleaner to cut down on house dust laden with toxic polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PDBEs) used as fire retardants. These chemicals can imitate thyroid hormones and disrupt their activity. That can lead to lower IQ, among other significant health effects.
  • Cleaning supplies and paints can be a source of glycol ethers, which are linked with infertility and allergies in children. Avoid products with ingredients like 2-butoxyethanol (EGBE) and methoxydiglycol (DEGME).
 
0 Comments

EWG's 2018 Shopper's Guide to Pesticides in Produce

4/21/2018

0 Comments

 
​Did you know that pesticide residues are common in conventionally grown produce even after it is washed or peeled? Each year the Environmental Working Group (EWG) produces a list of the top Dirty Dozen offenders and the Clean Fifteen produce items that had the fewest residues based on an analysis of USDA tests.
 
Picture

​Some of the facts:
  • Concerns were raised by the National Academy of Science around 25 years ago about the impact of pesticides on children’s brains and nervous systems.
  • Studies reveal correlations between high pesticide consumption and fertility issues.
  • Nearly 70% of samples were contaminated with pesticide residues.
  • A total of 230 pesticides and pesticide breakdown products were found on the samples.
  • More than 98 percent of samples of strawberries, spinach, peaches, nectarines, cherries and apples tested positive for residue of at least one pesticide.
  • A single sample of strawberries showed 20 different pesticides.
  • Spinach samples had, on average, 1.8 times as much pesticide residue by weight than any other crop.
  • Hot peppers are not on the Dirty Dozen list but were found to be contaminated with insecticides toxic to the human nervous system. These insecticides are banned on some crops but still allowed on hot peppers.
 
I always tell my clients to buy the best food they can afford. When you can’t afford all organic produce prioritize the Dirty Dozen for your organic dollars.
 
0 Comments

Summertime Strawberries?

6/27/2017

0 Comments

 
Americans eat nearly 8lbs of fresh strawberries a year. That sounds really healthy doesn’t it?  But, did you know that conventionally grown strawberries tested as the number one offender for high levels of pesticides? This was the case even after the strawberries were picked, rinsed in the field and then washed prior to testing. The pesticides include chemicals that have been linked to cancer and reproductive damage, or that are banned in Europe.

What’s more, strawberry growers use huge volumes of poisonous gases – some developed for chemical warfare but now banned by the Geneva Conventions – to sterilize their fields before planting, in order to kill every pest, weed and other living thing in the soil. Pretty alarming isn’t it?!

If you want to enjoy delicious strawberries this summer but also want to avoid pesticides and don't want strawberries grown in soil injected with nerve gases, always buy organically grown strawberries!

0 Comments

    Enter your email address to receive blog posts directly to your email:

    Categories

    All
    Abuse
    Acupuncture
    Adaptogens
    Adiponectin
    Adrenal
    Alcohol
    Algae
    Allergies
    Alpha Lipoic Acid
    Anxiety
    Apple Cider Vinegar
    Armoring
    Astaxanthin
    Autoimmune
    Bacon
    Balance
    Beauty
    Behavior Modification
    Blood Sugar
    Blood Sugar Control
    Blood Testing
    Body
    Body Image
    Brain Chemistry
    Brain Health
    Brain Injury
    Breast Tenderness
    Bromelain
    Burnout
    Butter
    B Vitamins
    Calcium D Glucarate
    Calorie Restriction
    Cancer
    Candida
    Carnitine
    Chemicals
    Cholesterol
    Chromium
    Cleanse
    Coconut Oil
    Cognitive Ability
    Cognitive Decline
    Cooking
    Cortisol
    Cross Reactivity
    Cruciferous Vegetables
    Deficiency Symptoms
    Dementia
    Depression
    Detox
    Diabetes
    Diet Analysis
    Dieting
    DIM
    Eczema
    Endocrine
    Epigenetics
    Essential Amino Acids
    Essential Oils
    Estrogen
    Estrogen Dominance
    Exercise
    Farmed Fish
    Fat
    Feng Shui
    Fermented
    Fertility
    Fiber
    Fish
    Fish Oil
    Flavor
    Flaxseed
    Food Intolerances
    Food Sensitivities
    Functional Nutrition
    GABA
    Genes
    Gene SNP
    Ghrelin
    Glucagon
    Glutamine
    Gluten
    Gluten-free
    Glycation
    Goals
    Grass Fed
    Grass Finished
    Growth Hormone
    Gut Flora
    Gut Health
    Gut Microbiome
    Habit Change
    HDL
    Heart Disease
    Heart Health
    Heavy Periods
    Holistic Nutrition
    Honey
    Hormones
    H Pylori
    Immune
    Inflammation
    Insecticides
    Insulin
    Insulin Resistance
    Kefir
    Keto
    Ketogenic Diet
    Ketones
    Ketosis
    Kombucha
    LDL
    Leaky Gut
    Leptin
    Life Purpose
    Lifestyle
    Lipoprotein Blood Testing
    Liver
    Local
    Low Cortisol
    Lycopene
    Lymphatic Drainage
    Macronutrients
    Magnesium
    Magnesium L-threonate
    Magtein
    Mal Absorption
    Mal-absorption
    Meat
    Melatonin
    Memory
    Mercury
    Metabolic Syndrome
    Micronutrient Blood Testing
    Micronutrient Deficiency
    Micronutrients
    Mind
    Minerals
    Mono-unsaturated Fat
    Mood
    Nettle Leaf
    Neurotransmitters
    Nutrition
    Nutrition Education
    Obesity
    Olive Oil
    Omega 3 Fatty Acids
    Omega 6 Fatty Acids
    Oral Health
    Organic
    Overwhelm
    Personal Growth
    Personalized Nutrition
    Pesticides
    Pharmaceuticals
    Phytoestrogens
    Phytonutrients
    PMS
    Poisonous
    Probiotics
    Protein
    Psoriasis
    Quercetin
    Raw
    Real World Solutions
    Recipe
    REM Sleep
    Reproductive Damage
    Resolutions
    Salt
    Saturated Fat
    Scientific Hand Analysis
    Seafood
    Seasonal Allergies
    Self-care
    Self-improvement
    Serotonin
    Sex Hormones
    Sleep
    Soluble Fiber
    Spice
    Spirit
    Stevia
    Stomach Acid
    Stress
    Sugar
    Sugar Cravings
    Summer
    Sun Damage
    Sun Exposure
    Supplementation
    Supplements
    Support
    Symptoms
    The Liver
    Thyroid
    Toxicity
    Toxins
    Trans Fats
    Transformation
    UV Radiation
    UV Rays
    Vitamin A
    Vitamin D
    Vitamins
    Weight Loss
    Xenoestrogens
    Yogurt
    Yoyo Dieting
    Zinc

    Archives

    October 2019
    September 2019
    May 2019
    March 2019
    February 2019
    January 2019
    December 2018
    November 2018
    October 2018
    September 2018
    August 2018
    July 2018
    June 2018
    May 2018
    April 2018
    March 2018
    February 2018
    January 2018
    December 2017
    November 2017
    October 2017
    September 2017
    August 2017
    July 2017
    June 2017
    May 2017
    April 2017
    March 2017
    February 2017
    November 2016
    September 2016
    April 2016
    February 2016
    December 2015
    October 2015
    September 2015
    August 2015
    July 2015
    June 2015
    May 2015
    April 2015
    March 2015
    February 2015
    January 2015
    December 2014
    October 2014
    September 2014
    August 2014

    RSS Feed

New from Amanda's Musings Blog

How do I know if I have poor blood sugar control?
Is sugar running the show in your food relationship?
when intermittent fasting is not for you

Connect with us:

720 296 9185
WaysToOptimize@gmail.com
Send us a FaceBook Message


Nutrition Services
Ways To Optimize  •  Copyright 2013-2020  •  All Rights Reserved
  • Ways to Optimize
    • Nutritionist
    • Nutritional Approach
    • Referral Benefits
    • Forms >
      • Intake Form
      • Client Agreement and Release
    • Contact
    • Privacy Policy
  • Services
    • Nutrition Services Pricing
    • Blood Test for Nutrient Status
    • Food Relationship Reset
    • Detox Programs
    • Speaking
    • Other Services >
      • Fitness
  • Resources
    • Nutrition eBooks
    • Supplements
    • Essential Oils
    • Self-Care Tools
    • Food >
      • Meat
  • Blog
  • Successes