Silent Disruptors of Health and Metabolism

You’ve heard it a million times: Just exercise and eat less.

If it were really that simple, maintaining a healthy weight and staying healthy would be easy.

Recently, I listened to an excellent talk, “Health and the Environment,” by Dr. Tieraona Low Dog, Director of Fellowship for the Arizona Center for Integrative Medicine and Clinical Associate Professor of Medicine at the University of Arizona. One of the biggest take-home messages was that small changes in our environment can add up to significant health benefits.

Why Does the Environment Matter?

Dr. Low Dog discussed BPA and Phthalates, chemicals commonly found in plastics that are classified as endocrine disruptors.

So, what exactly are endocrine disruptors?

These chemicals can interfere with the body’s natural hormones, including estrogen and testosterone. They may also affect neurotransmitters such as serotonin, dopamine, and norepinephrine, which play important roles in mood, metabolism, and brain function.

As a result, these compounds may contribute to health issues such as insulin resistance, difficulty losing weight, early puberty, infertility, and possibly attention and behavioral disorders.

While it’s impossible to eliminate all environmental exposures, reducing the ones we can control may make a meaningful difference over time.

Two Simple Changes to Help Yourself and Your Family

1. Reduce Your Use of Plastics

Avoid plastic containers whenever possible, especially those labeled with the recycling number 7 or marked “PC” for polycarbonate. Make a conscious effort not to drink out of plastic water bottles. Not only are you exposing yourself to plastic but the water inside the bottle is not optimally filtered and is normally no better than tap water.

Most people know that microwaving food in plastic isn’t a good idea, but old or scratched containers should also be discarded because they may release more BPA and Phthalates over time.

Progress, not perfection, is the goal.

2. Switch to Glass Whenever Possible

Store food in glass containers and choose glass bottles or drinking glasses instead of plastic whenever you can.

I’ve been making this change for several years and noticed a difference in how I felt and my overall health. It takes time to transition, but the benefits extend beyond your own health. Using less plastic is also better for the environment.

Sometimes the Old Ways Were Better

I still remember the milkman delivering milk to our house on Saturday mornings and the excitement of opening the front door to find glass bottles waiting on the doorstep.

Sometimes what we think of as “old school” turns out to be healthier than modern conveniences.

Our hormones and neurotransmitters haven’t necessarily adapted to all the changes that have come with modern life. While we may no longer have the milkman, buying milk in glass bottles is fortunately still an option.

The Bottom Line

Good health isn’t always about eating less and exercising more. Sometimes it’s about paying attention to the environment we live in and making small, sustainable changes.

You don’t have to change everything overnight. Replace plastic with glass when possible. Throw away old, scratched containers. Avoid heating food in plastic.

These simple choices may seem small, but over time they can add up to meaningful benefits for both your health and your family’s health.