Are you feeling stuck? We can feel stuck physically, mentally, emotionally, and spiritually. If you are feeling stuck, where is the best place to start? Everyone will have differing opinions on this topic. An easy place to start is your physical body. And of course, we know that the state of your physical body affects your thoughts and emotions.For example, if you have altered gut flora, this may affect the production of your serotonin, which happens to be produced mostly in the gut. Too many unfriendly gut bugs and not enough good ones can deplete serotonin levels, leading to depression, anxiety, and excessive worry.
In the last several years, the word “obesogen” has become quite popular in the health and environmental medicine field. What is an obesogen you might ask? It is simply a dietary, pharmaceutical, or industrial compound that alters metabolism and makes some people gain weight. Many chemicals are know obesogens. These chemicals can alter the number AND size of your fat cells and even affect your hormones that regulate appetite, feelings of fullness, and your food preferences!
If you are a poor detoxifier or are not getting adequate nutrients to support detoxification, these obesogens can get STUCK in your body, specifically in your fat cells! So on a physical level, you are stuck with toxins that are robbing you of your energy, mental clarity, and ideal body composition. What do you do first? Reduce exposure!
Here are three simple steps to reduce exposure to Bisphenol A (aka BPA), a common chemical that is a known obesogen and more recently thought to accumulate in fat tissue.
1. Drink water and other fluids from a stainless steel or glass container. Avoid plastic! This is so easy to do yet makes a BIG impact on your exposure.
2. Store your foods in glass or ceramic containers. Many foods come in glass containers…recycle these containers and use them instead of plastic!
3. Avoid using a hand sanitizer or hand lotion before touching a receipt! BPA is found in receipts. Using a hand sanitizer before you touch a receipt has shown to increase absorption of the BPA 100 fold! Do you go to the grocery store, use a hand sanitizer before touching the grocery cart, and then touch a receipt when you check out? Consider having receipts emailed or texted to you!