Off the Beaten Path

If you’ve followed me on YouTube, you would know I’ve been dropping hints about wanting to be pregnant for awhile. So when I say I am so thankful to God for blessing my womb I mean it! In this post I wanted to share some things that I did along the way that I believe may have helped. Specifically information about endocrine disruptors.

However, let me be clear, I give God alone the glory. At the end of the day it doesn’t matter how healthy or unhealthy you are. If it”s in his will for you, then it will happen and if it’s not then it won’t and if the latter is the case I believe he gives grace to such people! In the same breath I believe faith without works is dead and so I’m grateful to the Lord for the videos I came across that informed me about endocrine disrupters and how it is linked to infertility in women and men’s sperm counts!

Endocrine Disruptors are the Enemy

If you are new to endocrine disruptors, here is a run down. The endocrine system is made up of glands that make hormones & hormones are the body’s chemical messengers. The system includes the adrenal glands, thyroid, pituitary, pancreas, ovaries (in females), and testes (in males). Endocrine disruptors are chemicals and/or substances that messes up the normal function of our bodies endocrine system. This is bad news because those chemicals cause negative effects on our reproductive, neurological, immune, and developmental system aka making it harder for women to get pregnant!

They are handmade chemicals and if you are in the US, they are in EVERYTHING!

Literally when I realized that endocrine disruptors was in so many products I used on a daily like my makeup, my laundry detergent, plastic water bottles, it depressed me. I realize that I can’t get away from them 100% but I have tried to reduce them tremendously! Some of the most common to watch out for:

Phthalates– in majority of personal care and feminine products including makeup! As a result, I’ve switched to clean beauty!

BPA – Several endocrine disruptors are found in the the plastic water bottles, plastic containers, non stick cook wear and really, all things plastic! As a result I purchased a water filter and I use glass containers now. I also almost never reheat food in the microwave.

Produce – Disruptors are found in conventionally grown produce that containes pesticides and herbicides.

Nonylphenol Ethoxylates – in laundry detergents and all-purpose cleaners has been banned in Europe and is known to be an endocrine disruptor. As a result, I have switched out my laundry detergent.

This is only to name a few. If you are on your TTC (trying-to-conceive) journey or trying to lead a cleaner lifestyle, I encourage you to look more into it and once you start to go down the rabbit hole, you’ll see how it affects not just women’s infertility but many other things! It affects your sleep, your mood, our skin, of course fertility, & weight gain.

I’ve linked below a few articles that I hope can help you on your way:)

Endocrine Disruptors in Household Products https://www.endocrineweb.com/lifestyle-diet/hidden-endocrine-disruptors-beauty-products

Reproductive Toxicology https://rep.bioscientifica.com/view/journals/rep/162/5/REP-21-0051.xml

Why Cleaner Cosmetics Matter https://realeverything.com/why-cleaner-cosmetics-matter/

Harmful Ingredients to Avoid in Beauty Products https://www.simplyorganicbeauty.com/avoid-endocrine-disruptors-cosmetics/