January 9, 2025 • 50 mins
What if your daily cup of coffee from the drive-thru or even your organic grass-fed steak is quietly sabotaging your health? Plastics and their toxic counterparts have invaded everything from our food to our homes, but the good news is, you’re not powerless to fight back. In this hard-hitting episode of Blasphemous Nutrition, Aimee takes on the pervasive problem of plastic contamination in our food and environment, breaking down the shocking ways BPA, BPS, phthalates, and other toxins wreak havoc on your health. From hormone disruption and infertility to insulin resistance and increased disease risk, the stakes are high—but so are the opportunities to take control.
You’ll learn:
- Why “BPA-free” isn’t the hero you think it is—and how alternatives like BPS and BPF might be even worse.
- The real health risks of phthalates hiding in everything from makeup to fast food.
- How chronic plastic exposure impacts fertility, metabolic health, and even your kids’ cognitive development.
- Why popular detox diets fall short and how to support your body’s natural detox pathways the right way, including the top detox-supporting foods.
- Why sweating, pooping, and hydrating are the detox heroes you never knew you needed.
Resources:
Find Research Citations and Transcript at Blasphemous Nutrition on Substack
Work with Aimee
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Get access to the Greens Challenge now for a DIY experience (and bonus cookbook) Click here.
Episode 33: How Dehydration Hacks Your Health
Photography by: Dai Ross Photography
Podcast Cover Art: Lilly Kate Creative
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Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
(00:00):
Hey Rebels, welcome toBlasphemous Nutrition.
Consider this podcast yourpantry full of clarity,
perspective, and the nuanceneeded to counter the
superficial health advice sofreely given on the internet.
I'm Aimee, the unapologeticallycandid host of Blasphemous
Nutrition and a double degreednutritionist with 20 years
experience.
(00:22):
I'm here to share a more nuancedtake.
On living and eating well tosustain and recover your health.
If you've found most healthadvice to be so generic as to be
meaningless, We're so extremethat it's unrealistic, and you
don't mind the occasional Fbomb.
You've come to the right place.
From dissecting the latestnutrition trends to breaking
(00:43):
down published research andsharing my own clinical
experiences, I'm on a mission tofoster clarity amidst all the
confusion and empower you tohave the help you need to live a
life you love.
Now let's get started.
MacBook Air Microphone- (01:04):
Welcome back to blossom as nutrition.
I'm your host, Aimee here tospill the green tea on toxicants
because your liver deservesbetter than the daily dose of
plastic.
It is getting.
2024 ended with a Newsweekarticle, highlighting the
prevalence of plastic in all ofour foods.
(01:27):
While, the most contaminatedwere to be expected.
The fast food items fromwell-known chains as well as
prepared meals like macaroni,and cheese.
What we consider to be some ofthe healthiest choices,
including organic and grass fedmeat from whole foods in the bay
area.
(01:47):
Or even a bay area, localbutcher.
We're not free fromcontamination.
Now the source data.
That was used to write.
This article does raise a lot ofquestions and it should not be
taken as guidance on anyspecific company to avoid or to
(02:08):
trust when it comes tocontamination.
But I think overall this studyincreases our awareness.
And highlights the exposure,making it a valuable
contribution to the conversationabout the prevalence of plastic
exposure in our day-to-day livesand the danger that some of
(02:28):
these chemicals are known tohave when mammals such as
ourselves are exposed to them.
Today, I'm going to highlighttwo main toxicants that come
from plastic exposure.
Bisphenols and fallates now.
Most of us know about BPA.
(02:49):
That is the most notorious ofthe bisphenol family.
BPA was created in 1891.
I had no idea it had been aroundthat long until I started doing
research for this episode.
And ever since then, it has beenused in an ever increasing
amount of products from flameretardants to plastic, food, and
(03:11):
drink packaging, kitchen, wherethe inner coatings of cans and
jar lids, water bottles,electrical goods, electronics,
as well as Marine and carcoatings.
Now safety issues and sideeffects of BPA didn't really
become known to us until thelate 1990s when it was found to
(03:34):
leech out of plastics and intoexperimental animals, resulting
in notable chromosomal changesin their offspring.
BPA is shown to bind, toestrogen receptors, producing a
response by the cell that mimicssteroid hormones at levels that
(03:55):
are much lower than to beexpected.
BPA is also associated withprogesterone deficiency.
It binds to the thyroid hormonereceptor and inhibits activation
of the thyroid hormone, as wellas altering the expression of
genes involved in making thyroidhormone.
(04:17):
I mean, this leads me to wonderif all of the exposure that we
have to plastics in ourenvironment is part of the
reason why so many people havehypothyroidism.
I don't know to what degreeanybody is even looking at that
as a possible source.
And in some ways it would beextremely difficult if not
(04:40):
impossible to do human studiessimply because plastic is so
prevalent in the environment andhaving a plastic free control
group.
It's like impossible.
Right?
Animal studies also show thatBPA causes oxidative stress.
And generates really reactive,toxic compounds in the liver,
(05:03):
kidney testes, and brain.
Now BPA gets into our body viamouth, via air and through
absorption and our skin, ourmain sources of BPA exposure,
our food packaging, dust, dentalmaterials, healthcare equipment.
And the thermal paper fromgrocery receipts, as well as
(05:26):
toys and other products for kidsand infants.
I mean that said much of ourexposure comes from the foods
that we eat and how these foodsare processed, packaged, and
stored by industry.
Canned foods and heating foodsin plastic containers does
increase our exposure to BPA.
(05:47):
Way back in 2004, the CDC statedthat 93%.
Of Americans age six and up havedetectable amounts of BPA in
their urine.
So this is a prevalent problemthat has been ongoing for
(06:07):
multiple decades.
Now, the studies that we have onhumans are observational and
therefore associative, right?
We cannot say clearly thatexposure to plastics in humans
causes this or causes that.
But what we see from theseobservational studies is that
(06:27):
individuals who have higherlevels of BPA in their urine,
Also have greater likelihood.
C O P D, which is chronicobstructive pulmonary disease.
Cardiovascular disease,diabetes.
And elevated blood levels ofliver enzymes that are
associated with fatty liverdisease.
(06:51):
Hi, urine concentrations of BPAare also associated with
increased pre-diabetes.
Even when other confoundingfactors such as one's BMI or
alcohol intake are taken intoconsideration.
BPA directly blocks our insulinreceptor sites and it
(07:12):
distributes to fatty tissuewhere it is slowly released into
the bloodstream leading toinsulin resistance.
Now this not only increases thelikelihood of diabetes, but it
also increases obesity risk aswell as the accumulation of
visceral fat.
That is the more dangerous fatthat crowds around our organ
(07:35):
systems.
Men who have higherconcentrations of BPA in their
semen are also documented totend towards lower sperm
concentration, decreased sperm,motility, and decreased total
sperm count.
For women elevated BPA levelsare associated with recurrent
(07:58):
miscarriages, chromosomalabnormalities in the fetus.
And decreased number of eggsretrieved when undergoing IVF
treatment.
This is, um, terrifying.
And again, even though we can'tsay that.
(08:19):
BPA is a direct cause ofdeclining fertility that we've
been seeing over the last 20 to30 years.
It is a signal that.
Is concerning and worth taking acloser look at.
Now some studies show that acorrelation between BPA exposure
in children leads to ADHDbehavior, and it may also be a
(08:43):
contributing factor in increasedchildhood obesity.
But this would be a little bithard to tease out, right?
Because BPA exposure is highestin hyper processed foods and
hyper processed foods are morestrongly correlated with an
increased risk of obesity.
So is it the BPA?
(09:05):
Is it the very nature of highpro hyper processed foods and
how they impact our biology?
Is it both does one compound.
The other, those would bereally, really interesting
pieces of research for ourresearchers to take a look at.
On a completely other system ofthe body.
(09:26):
There was an interesting studythat came out of Taiwan that
noticed that children withhigher BPA levels in their urine
I also had greater likelihood ofasthma between the ages of three
and six years of age.
So understandably when thisinformation first started coming
out in the late 1990s,especially the potential harms
(09:48):
to our kids.
There was strong backlash and anindustry response to the
pressure that we put on them toeliminate BPA.
And so now you see all sorts ofplastics labeled BPA free and
canned foods that are labeledBPA free.
Are these better?
(10:09):
Unfortunately, no.
In the place of BPA companieshave started using other BIS
phenal analogs, like BPS andBPF.
These are the two most commonsubstitutions that are used in
BPA free products.
(10:29):
Now BPS and BPF are found inbody lotions, face creams,
liquid foundation, paperproducts, like those grocery
store receipts.
I mentioned as well asmagazines, newspapers.
And of course our food supply.
Several animals studies haveshown that endocrine disrupting
(10:49):
effects of BPS and BPF aresimilar or sometimes even worse
than those associated with BPAexposure.
And this includes alterations ofsex organs, changes in estrogen
and testosterone levels,decreased egg production, and
decreased sperm count in studiedanimals.
(11:11):
BPF has been shown to alter theuterus testes and thyroids of
animals.
And animal studies show that.
Those who are exposed to BP S inutero have an increased risk of
obesity via negative alterationsin their lipid and glucose
metabolism.
(11:32):
So if this was not enough alsopose a serious problem from
plastic and personal careproducts.
Phthalates make plastics moreflexible and resilient.
And they're often used infragrances as well as health and
beauty products.
So here you want to think aboutshower, curtains, raincoats
(11:55):
toys, polyvinyl chlorideflooring furniture, Polish
plastic food wrap.
Any perfumes or fragrances thatyou use to make your home smell
nice or make your body smellnice.
Shower, gels, lotions, shampoos,nail Polish, and so on.
Phthalates are released fromthese products into the
(12:18):
environment where theycontaminate the dust in our home
or office and are inhaleddirectly through the sprays,
which contain them or throughskin, via lotions and perfumes
that we apply.
Phthalates have been found insignificantly higher levels in
men who are in fertile and theyact directly on the
(12:38):
mitochondria, which is theenergy organelle of the cell,
reducing energy production by upto 20%.
Now that study that showedreduced energy production was
done on cells and not humancells, rat cells.
So I have no expectations thatthat's going to directly
translate to humans at all.
(13:00):
That said in clinical practice,I have seen individuals who have
chemical sensitivities thatexperience severe fatigue as one
of their side effects toexposure.
So, what we may be observinghere is a possible means by
which their energy levels areinhibited, but it's certainly
not definitive as such at thispoint in time.
(13:23):
And I don't want you tonecessarily take that as an
absolute.
Cause or effect.
Phthalates are also shown toblock insulin receptor sites.
They impair glucosetransporters.
And induce these epigeneticchanges in ourselves that
disrupt blood sugar regulation.
(13:45):
And the utilization of glucosefor energy.
So maybe that's another way theyimpact energy levels.
These effects begin in utero.
And so.
When a mother is exposed toplastic or consumes a lot of
plastic through the diet.
The changes begin as the fetusis developing.
(14:10):
The effects are then compoundedwhile nursing from mothers who
are exposed to Phthalates.
And they tend to accumulate inanimals with lifelong exposure.
So basically BPA B P S P P F.
And other plastic derivedchemicals are known endocrine
(14:34):
disruptors.
They interfere with our hormoneproduction as well as hormone
signaling the healthconsequences of chronic exposure
are pretty far reaching.
We've got hormone balancethrough the blocking of estrogen
and testosterone.
And in some cases, the mimickingof the steroid hormones, leading
(14:55):
to reproductive issues andpossible developmental
disorders.
Again, we see this mostly inanimals, right?
And we observe a correlation inhumans.
There's the increased risk ofchronic disease from long-term
exposure, such as obesity,diabetes, and cardiovascular
conditions.
And there are definitely somedevelopmental concerns with the
(15:18):
association with cognitive andbehavioral issues in children as
well as a potential increase inasthma.
So emerging research has foundthat we have microplastics in
our blood.
In our Oregon's.
In sweat and feces, whichhighlights the multitudes of
(15:39):
ways that these compounds getinto our system.
And the cumulative effect ofsuch immersive exposure,
definitely demand.
Attention and action.
But I also want to highlightthat the fact that we find these
in our sweat and our feces.
(16:01):
And our urine means that we caneliminate them.
Now the first step to reducingexposure is focusing on what you
can control and what is theeasiest way possible for you to
reduce your contact withplastic?
And what I'm going to share hereis by no means an exhaustive
(16:24):
list.
Nor will it totally eliminateyour exposure to endocrine
disrupting chemicals.
But less routes of exposure willreduce your total body burden on
your system.
And I'm also going to talk abouthow you can increase and boost
your body's ability to detoxifythese compounds so that you're
(16:47):
really attacking.
The plastics burden on your bodyfrom both ends by reducing
exposure, as well as increasingyour body's ability to detoxify
and eliminate that, which youcannot help, but be exposed to.
Now, when it comes to reducingexposure.
Obviously the first thing thatyou want to do is reduce the
(17:10):
amount of plastic that you comein contact with.
Bring your own coffee cup to thecoffee shop.
Or a drive-through becauseplastic is in the lining of
those takeout coffee cups, aswell as the lids.
And we know that he and acidincrease the amount of plastic
available to be consumed byglassware to store food in or
(17:32):
reuse glass jars for leftovers.
If you don't want to spend themoney buying a set of fancy
glassware.
Find reusable alternatives toplastic wraps such as cloth,
silicone sandwich bags, or clothsandwich bags.
You want to look for plasticfree alternatives, not just BPA
(17:54):
free ones.
And I will know when looking forthese, it can be really
difficult to ascertain whetheror not something is free of
plastic.
Companies will proudly advertisethat they are.
BPA free, but that does not meanthat they are plastic free.
So you want to look forsomething that has absolutely no
plastic in it.
(18:14):
If at all possible.
Next choose whole foods, whichare not stored in plastic bags,
wherever you can.
Bring your own bags to thegrocery store or don't use any,
if you don't need to.
Not all of our produce has to beput in those plastic bags to get
to the checkout counter.
We're going to be washing themanyway.
(18:35):
So.
If it's something like three orfour apples, don't bother
putting it in a plastic bag.
Just put it in the shopping cartand put it on the conveyor belt
without any plastic wrappedaround it.
You also will want to reduceyour reliance on hyper processed
foods as best you can limitingconsumption from restaurants,
(18:56):
which rely on these products aswell.
Fast food consumption is alsopositively associated with
increased levels of urinarythalates.
And those who consume the mostprocessed diets tend to have the
highest amounts of thesechemicals in their urine.
So that is one way where you candefinitely reduce your exposure.
(19:18):
Next avoid microwaving, anythingthat is stored in plastic.
Heat.
The fat content of that food andthe acid content of that food
can increase the amount of thesecompounds that make it into the
food that you eat.
Finally, take a look at yourbody care products, your
(19:39):
household products, your makeup,synthetic fragrances, cleaning
products, and any othernon-edible routes of exposure to
endocrine disrupting chemicalslike BPA and thalates and seek
alternatives whenever possible.
So next we want to support ourbody's ability to detoxify these
(20:01):
compounds as well as so manyother compounds that we are
exposed to.
Now, when we think ofdetoxification, we usually think
of the liver, right?
And the liver gets all of theglory.
It does this amazing.
Transformation.
The liver is like a magician insome ways, in that it takes
(20:23):
these toxic compounds andtransforms them into something
that is less damaging to thebody so that it can be
eliminated without wreakinghavoc on the way out.
I know the liver is oftenreferred to as a filter for the
body.
And that really is not anaccurate analogy.
(20:43):
Because when we think offilters, we think of like our
air filters in our car, right.
And that accumulates a bunch ofgunk and needs to be replaced
every so often.
Our liver is not like that.
The liver doesn't become astorage site for toxins or
accumulate toxic residue as it'sdetoxifying from the body.
(21:06):
It is a transformational,Oregon.
.It alters the structure oftoxicants and toxins that it
comes into contact with toprepare them to be eliminated
from the body without causingadditional damage on the way
out.
And so you don't really need toworry about your liver being
(21:27):
burdened with toxins.
When the liver is burdened, it'sreally more that it's just kind
of struggling to keep up withthe amount that it has to deal
with, or it doesn't have thenutrients.
And enzyme availability that itneeds to performance job.
Well, but it's not accumulatinga bunch of gunk.
Like the air filter in your carwould.
(21:50):
So while the liver gets all thatglory.
Through its transformation ofharmful chemicals into less
harmful ones.
The role of our eliminationsystem via kidneys, the skin,
and the intestines is equallyimportant.
So first I want to talk aboutthe way that we eliminate toxins
that we're exposed to and how tosupport these processes.
(22:13):
And then I'll dive into how youcan support your liver into
having what it needs to besttackle the chemicals, that it is
exposed to.
Our pollutants are eliminatedprimarily by sweat.
Urine and feces.
Now, most of these compounds dohave to go through the liver
first to be altered beforeelimination.
(22:33):
And this is why the liver is thefocus of detoxification, but
without the ability toeliminate, the liver has to deal
with those same compounds overand over again, with additional
ones coming in, because we'renever really free from toxin or
toxicant exposure eitherexternally from our environment
(22:54):
or just from some of thebiological processes that are
normal and natural and the humanbody.
Over time and with impropernutrition and fiber things can
become less efficient andeffective and problems can
arise, which.
Is what we would typically callthe burden of the liver or
(23:15):
perhaps a stagnant liver whichis a term that is often used in,
um, traditional Chinese orEastern medicine practices.
So to support elimination.
We want to focus on hydration,sweat, and getting regular
quality poops.
(23:36):
Staying hydrated is crucial tosupporting elimination of water
soluble, endocrine disruptors.
Through our urine and our sweat.
So consume enough water thatyour urine is pale yellow.
Using electrolytes if needed.
You can refer to my episode onhydration to learn more about
electrolytes and decide if it'ssomething that you want to
(23:56):
include in your hydration habit.
And I have the link to that inthe show notes.
Additionally, sweat via saunasand good old fashioned exercise
is a great way to help your bodydetoxify.
And it's been shown to be aneffective means of elimination.
BPA and Can be eliminated insweat and multiple studies show
(24:21):
that individuals and populationsthat habitually engage in saunas
regularly do have reducedcardiovascular disease and
greater longevity.
So saunas in general are a greatway to support.
A longer and higher quality oflife as you age.
That said heat exposure can be atricky thing.
(24:42):
So you'll definitely want tocheck with your healthcare
provider before beginning, anysauna therapies to see if
there's any contra-indicationsfor you based upon your own
personal health history.
Or any medication that you maybe taking?
And I cannot emphasize howimportant good quality regular
(25:03):
poops are for our eliminationand detoxification strategy.
Taking care of your gut has ahuge benefit in reducing the
burden that the liver has tocarry as constipation and
incomplete elimination doesincrease the chance that those
unwanted chemicals, hormones,and other compounds become
(25:23):
reabsorbed into the bloodstream.
And have to go through theliver.
Uh, second time or third time ora fourth time or ongoing.
A diet high in fiber from lotsof vegetables and to focus on
starchy vegetables and wholegrains over refined grains is
the best way to do this.
And it also has the additionalbenefit of supplying your body
(25:46):
with the nutrients that it needsto keep all processes, not just
detoxification and elimination.
In good working order.
Additionally consuming a highfiber diet supports a very
diverse and robust microbiome.
And this also directly supportsour detoxification through some
of these microbes, mainly thebacillus species, as well as
(26:09):
lactobacillus plantarum.
As these strains and specieshave been shown to break down
BPA in the gut, all on theirown.
Now, this is super fantasticnews.
And it highlights again, thevalue of gut health in our
overall health.
As well as reducing the impactof environmental contaminants
(26:30):
that we come into contact with.
Daily.
Now, when it comes to the liver,there are two phases that the
liver goes through.
As it transforms these harmfulsubstances into something that
can be eliminated by the body.
The first phase is calledbioactivation and in this phase
pollutants and toxicants aremetabolized by the liver
(26:53):
enzymes, primarily thecytochrome P four 50 family into
what is called an intermediatecompound.
So if environmental pollutantsare considered to be villains or
criminals, this would be akin tolike the cornering of these
nefarious compounds.
While it is a necessary step.
The intermediates that arecreated in the bioactivation
(27:17):
phase are often more reactiveand more harmful than the
original toxin that entered theliver.
It's like when the bad guy getscaught and he starts screaming
and raging and thrashing about,or turns against law enforcement
and starts attacking them now,this is an intermediate phase,
right?
And so we want to make sure thatour phase two system is in good
(27:41):
place, but without phase one,phase two, isn't going to
happen.
So the foods that support theapprehension of our
environmental criminals, if youwill, are leafy greens, whole
grains, eggs, and believe it ornot, liver as these contain a
lot of B vitamins, which areessential cofactors for enzyme
(28:04):
activity that is needed fordetoxification.
Additionally antioxidants likevitamin C and vitamin E from
citrus fruits, Kiwis, bellpeppers, nuts and seeds.
Neutralize.
The oxidative stress that can becreated in this phase when that
compound is more reactive.
(28:26):
So it's important to notethough, that grapefruit, which
is a citrus fruit can inhibitsome of those cytochrome p four
50 enzymes that I mentioned.
So you want to choose othercitrus fruit over grapefruit for
your vitamin C.
Additionally flavonoids.
From berries, green tea, as wellas citrus fruits, support enzyme
(28:49):
function and protect our bodyagainst damage from those highly
reactive chemicals.
Next we have phase two, which iscalled conjugation.
And in phase two, those highlyreactive intermediates that were
created in phase one are alteredagain, through a process that's
(29:09):
called conjugation and thatutilizes molecules like
gludethyon sulfate and aminoacids, making these compounds,
water, soluble, and easier toeliminate from the system.
In phase two in our conjugationphase of liver detoxification,
this is where we're able toapprehend and detain that
(29:33):
environmental pollutant so thatit ceases to harm the
surrounding environment.
Now the supporting nutrients andfoods that you want for this
phase are Glutathione precursorsbecause gludethyon is one of the
primary components for theconjugation phase.
(29:56):
N-Acetyl cystine is a supplementthat you can purchase that would
support the conjugation phase ofliver detoxification.
And you can also get gludethyonthrough really common, easily
accessible and affordable foodsthat are rich in sulfur
compounds, like garlic, onions,and cruciferous veggies.
(30:18):
These glutathione precursors inthese foods attached to those
harmful compounds that are madein phase one.
Again, making them easier toeliminate and water-soluble so
that they can be excretedthrough sweat and urine.
Or bile, and this process iscalled sulfation.
(30:39):
Additionally phase twodetoxification needs amino
acids.
So consuming protein, rich foodslike meat, fish, and beans are
critical for conjugationpathways.
And this is where I have a lotof beef with most detox diets,
because they tend to avoidprotein foods and this can lead
(31:02):
to significant problems and anincrease in side effects and
negative symptoms for someindividuals doing detox, diets
and juice cleanses.
And this is actually the primaryreason why I advise against most
detox diets and juice cleansesthat are available on the market
is because they are protein.
(31:22):
Avoid.
Avoidant, and this is deeply,deeply problematic when it comes
to liver detoxificationcapabilities.
Additionally magnesium is superimportant because it activates
the enzymes that are needed.
And that sulfation pathway thatI talked about.
And you can find a magnesium indark leafy greens as well as
(31:44):
nuts and seeds.
So once the liver does all ofthis magnificent transformation.
We then need to get those toxinsout of the liver.
Once they're water soluble,they're transported out of the
liver and then are able to beexcreted through bile, urine,
(32:05):
and feces.
And this is the phase ofdetoxification where we remove
our criminal pollutants frompolite society.
So again, in order to supportproper excretion, we want to
have a high fiber diet becausethat fiber not only supports gut
(32:26):
health, but fibers also bind tothese toxicants in the gut
preparing them for elimination.
We want to stay hydrated tosupport urinary excretion that
is frequent and robust as wellas supporting our kidney
function and then includingprobiotic, rich foods is also a
(32:47):
way that we can enhance our guthealth and help break down.
Some of those compounds that aretaken in via mouth before they
reach the liver, thereforereducing the potential of
reabsorbing, those toxins in thefirst place.
I do want to make a side note onthe importance of sleep when it
comes to detoxification.
(33:08):
Sleep is where repair andregeneration happens.
And if you're struggling withquality sleep, I really want to
encourage you this year to seeksupport from sleep specialists
or consider some hormonesupport.
If you're a female above the ageof 35, and you're starting to
show signs of peri-menopause.
(33:29):
Because all those fluctuatinghormones during that time of
life can really have a negativeimpact on sleep.
I know I don't need to tell youladies that cause you're living
it.
But it's worth emphasizing.
Reducing your stress levels alsogoes a very long way to
improving your sleep quality andsupporting a healthy body all
around.
(33:50):
I know that's easier said thandone, but again, I feel like we
really can't emphasize thisenough.
So stay attuned to thesituations that lead to the
greatest stress in yourday-to-day life.
And look for strategies tomitigate that stress.
Even if you cannot eliminate itentirely.
(34:10):
There are some situations thatwe just have no control over.
Right.
But what we do have control overis how we respond to those
situations and how we canprotect ourselves from some of
the impact of those situations.
So do what you can there andseek support.
However you can, while activelyletting go of the things that
(34:32):
you do have control over.
Now, finally, we want to look atconsuming.
The kind of diet every day ofthe year that supports our
healthy detox pathways.
Not just do a detox or a resetplan one to three times a year
to feel better.
And then slowly return to ourlong-held habits that bring us
(34:56):
to that place of feeling crummyin the first place.
Think of it this way.
If you're exposed to thesechemicals daily, then you want
to have daily mitigationstrategies in place to reduce
the impact of exposure.
Can you imagine if trashcollectors only came once a
month or once a quarter to takeout the trash?
(35:19):
That would lead to a lot ofproblems.
So you don't want to.
Resort to these extremequarterly or bi-annually or once
a year detox, cleanses andresets.
When you're exposed to chemicalson a daily basis.
(35:41):
And that said.
Many of the popular plans thatare out there neglect very
important factors needed forproper detoxification, such as
protein intake, and they are inand of themselves extreme enough
that they're not sustainable forthe long-term.
So it effectively reduces theprobability that you're actually
(36:01):
going to have what you need.
For your detoxification pathwaysfor the ongoing future.
So let's talk food.
We eat multiple times a day.
And what we put on our plate canbe a massive contributor to how
well or not our body is able toeliminate BPA Falaise and other
(36:25):
environmental pollutants.
So here are my top foods toinclude in your diet in order to
enhance detoxification pathwayson a daily basis.
Number one.
Cruciferous veggies.
Oh, my gosh.
I cannot tell you.
How amazing cruciferous veggiesare and how much I love them.
(36:49):
Especially when it comes toliver health.
And the ability to balance ourhormones through supporting the
liver.
So examples of cruciferousveggies are broccoli, kale,
brussel sprouts, cauliflower,cabbage.
Cruciferous veggies are very,very rich and glucose
(37:09):
scintillates which support thatphase two detoxification of
making.
The highly reactive compoundsinto something more water
soluble so that it can beexcreted.
You want to consume these dailyaiming for one to two cups,
either raw or cooked.
I'm not picky, but just aim forone to two fistfuls of
(37:32):
cruciferous veggies daily.
Next, the allium vegetables.
This is garlic onions, leeksscallions, and these contain
sulfur compounds that boost ourproduction of glutathione.
Glutathione is a key antioxidantthat is necessary to detoxify
(37:53):
BPA as well as valets.
So consume these foods regularlyevery day, get a little garlic,
get some onions in there and getsome leaks and aim for kind of a
combined total of one to twocups each day.
Next is leafy greens.
If there is anything that rivalscruciferous vegetables for my
(38:15):
heart.
It is leafy greens and.
I do actually think that, youknow, I know, I can't say that I
was going to say leafy greens.
I think Trump, the cruciferousveggies, but the reality is so
many of our cruciferous veggies.
Are also leafy greens that it'sall just kind of mixed up in my
mind and I love them all.
(38:36):
But leafy greens hold a veryspecial place in my heart
because they have such aprofound impact on the entire
body.
When it comes to liverdetoxification, our leafy
greens, like spinach, a rugalacollards, kale, chard and
watercress are high inchlorophyll and chlorophyll
(38:59):
helps bind to toxicants in thegut for elimination and also
supports our liverdetoxification pathways.
So you want to consume leafygreens daily?
I can't emphasize this enough,probably because leafy greens
are like the lowest on the totempole when it comes to what.
(39:20):
Americans and British andCanadian and Australian.,
Population consumes on aday-to-day basis.
So really focus on the leafygreens, get two to four cups
raw, or one to three cups cookedevery day, if at all possible
and work up to getting them inevery day.
(39:42):
If you're not already.
And if you're like 98% of thepopulation.
You're not getting them daily.
No harm, no foul.
I get it.
I live in the real world too.
Now, if you really struggle withleafy greens, I strongly
encourage you to get on the waitlist to join my free glorious
greens challenge that I'll belaunching March 1st.
(40:04):
I'm going to include the link tothat in the show notes.
If you are impatient and youwant all the goods now I will
also include the link to getimmediate access to that
challenge for a small fee andthat includes a cookbook.
In the show notes below.
No, our crucifers and ourAllianz and our leafy greens
(40:24):
also contain a lot of fiber.
And as I've mentioned, severaltimes, fiber is super, super
important, but you don't need tolimit your fiber content from
those foods alone.
Other high fiber foods, such assweet potatoes, beans, chia
seeds, flax seeds, andraspberries.
Believe it or not are, areoutrageously high in fiber.
(40:47):
We'll also help to bind thesetoxicants in the digestive
track, promoting excretion andreducing the likelihood that
they will be reabsorbed intocirculation and have to go
through the liver again.
So make sure to focus on highfiber foods, whether they're
coming from your veggies orthey're coming from beans or
(41:07):
sweet potatoes or seeds.
And consume one to threeservings of high fiber foods
each day.
Some other really special foodsthat you'll want to include to
support detoxification arecitrus fruits.
Berries and probiotic, richfoods.
Because of the unique roles thatthey have in protecting our
(41:30):
body, citrus fruits contain acompound called D Limona.
Oh, gosh.
Called D.
Limiting.
I think that's how it'spronounced and that supports
phase one and phase twodetoxification enzymes.
So the enzymes are responsiblefor the biotransformation phase
(41:51):
that happens in the liver and wewant those enzymes to be doing
their job.
And so this is where our citrusfruits come in.
Again, kind of shying away fromgrapefruits because of their
impact on those.
Cytochrome P four 50 enzymes.
But having one citrus fruit aday is a great habit.
(42:13):
You can also use citrus zest insalad, dressings in roasted
vegetables, yogurt, smoothies,as well as sprinkled on a fruit
plate as well.
Our antioxidant, rich berriesprovide polyphenols and other
antioxidants protectingourselves from oxidative damage
(42:34):
that is caused by thosecompounds in the original form,
as well as what happens in thatfirst phase of
biotransformation, where theybecome more reactive.
So consuming a serving ofblueberries, strawberries, or
raspberries most days of theweek will really help in
reducing some of that oxidativestress and damage that comes
(42:57):
from just being alive in ourworld today with all of the
things that we're exposed tothat increase oxidative stress.
Additionally, our probiotic,rich foods are of great support
in creating a robust and diversegut microbiota, which can help
enhance BPA and valet breakdownin the digestive system.
(43:19):
So sauerkraut, kimchi, kefir,yogurt, any of those raw.
Fermented foods are really,really important.
When you are purchasingprobiotic, rich foods, you want
to make sure that they are inthe refrigerator, that they are
not on the shelf.
If they are shelf stable, thoseprobiotics are dead.
(43:42):
So you want what you arepurchasing to contain a live
probiotics.
It'll need to state that it is araw food such as, you know,
sauerkraut or kimchi.
You can also make your own.
It's actually easier than youwould expect.
and there are lots of recipesavailable on the internet to
make your own sauerkraut orkimchi.
(44:03):
If you're interested, you'llwant to consume probiotic, rich
foods and the dose of half a cupto a cup most days of the week.
And if you find that yourdigestive system actually
responds negatively to thesefoods, try working up very, very
slowly.
Uh, beginning with as little asa tablespoon of Keefer or
(44:24):
kimchi.
You may also find that someferments like sauerkraut don't
work for you at all while otherslike Kiefer are okay.
So keep experimenting, but if itcontinues to be a struggle for
you, reach out to a qualifiednutritionist for support.
A couple of other things alsodeserve, mention namely green
(44:46):
tea and turmeric.
Green tea contains catechins andpolyphenols that support our
detoxification enzymes and isreally rich in antioxidants.
So consuming green tea often,whenever you get the chance, you
know, one to four cups daily, ifyou already like and enjoy green
tea is a wonderful habit.
(45:06):
To begin and maintain,especially through the winter
months when it's kind of coldoutside in the summer.
I really love iced green teawith a little bit of citrus.
And maybe some raspberries inthere.
If you put like frozenraspberries in cold green tea,
you can do that instead of ice.
And it adds more flavor ratherthan diluting the green tea
(45:30):
flavor.
As those berries thought out.
And turmeric contains curcumin.
Curcumin is an amazing compound.
It does a lot of things.
It's super duperanti-inflammatory, but it also
enhances phase twodetoxification.
So you want to use turmeric insmoothies or stir fries or soups
(45:50):
two to three times a week, butbecause it is so great at
reducing inflammation, if youtend to be highly inflamed, go
ahead and use turmeric.
daily, there is no harm in thatyou can use up to a tablespoon
of turmeric per dose of smoothieor whatever it is that you're
consuming.
And that can go a long way insupporting your gut health and
(46:13):
reducing inflammation and inenhancing.
Phase two detoxification.
So even though plasticcontamination in our food is an
extremely pervasive andcomplicated issue.
We're not powerless to stop itor the impact it has on our
bodies.
By making informed choices,advocating for.
(46:36):
Less toxic food systems andsupporting our body's natural
detoxification mechanisms.
We can mitigate the risk of ourchronic exposure.
You know, on that note, Thailandjust announced this week that
they are banning foreign importsof plastic waste due to concerns
about toxic pollution.
(46:56):
China banned plastic wasteimports, from other countries
back in, I think it was 2018.
And Thailand picked up theslack, but now they are turning
their back on trying to managethe rest of the world's waste
through recycling.
The guardian reported thatplastic waste imports are often
burned by factories instead ofbeing recycled because they're
(47:19):
so inundated and the qualitycontrol of what gets shipped
over is so low that they justburn a great deal of it.
And that is going to have veryobvious negative impacts for the
environment as well as foreverybody who lives in Thailand.
Now as more nations, refuse todeal with other people's trash,
(47:43):
we're going to see increasingpressure to reduce our overall
creation and use of plasticworldwide.
I for one feel it cannot comesoon enough.
But we can begin today byreducing our personal use of
plastic in our homes andchoosing plastic free options
whenever possible.
While applying pressure toindustries to change its ways.
(48:08):
One of the ways that I've seenthat work within the last 10
years is trader Joe's in theUnited States.
Reducing the amount of plastic.
That they use in their stores inresponse to consumer demand.
So we have a lot of power asconsumers, and most of the time,
the way this works is it startsat the grassroots level
(48:31):
pressuring companies and thenthe companies will change their
ways.
Very very rarely.
Does it happen from thegovernment level down.
And even when it does happenfrom a federal level, it takes a
lot more time for change tohappen at the federal level than
(48:51):
can happen when consumers getreally pissed off and push back
against what companies are doingas status quo policy.
So I hope today's episode hasnot just scared the crap out of
you, but.
Has instead highlighted how youcan take meaningful action to
support your body in detoxifyingknown environmental pollutants
(49:16):
in a sustainable and meaningfulway.
Without resorting to those quickfix detox, diets or juice
cleanses.
As always, if you found thisepisode useful rate and review
blast, miss nutrition in yourpodcast app and share this
episode with a friend who tendsto go after those glamorous, but
(49:36):
relatively extreme resets everyJanuary.
Until next week, my blessed missbuddies.
This is Aimee heading out for alunch of green leafy crucifers
vege and some cold water fish,all tossed up in a turmeric
citrus vinegarette.
Any and all information sharedhere is for educational and
(49:56):
entertainment purposes only andis not to be misconstrued as
offering medical advice.
Listening to this podcast doesnot constitute a provider client
relationship.
Note, I'm not a doctor nor anurse, and it is imperative that
you utilize your brain and yourmedical team to make the best
decisions for your own health.
(50:16):
The use of information on thispodcast or materials linked to
this podcast are at the user'sown risk.
No information nor resourcesprovided are intended to be a
substitute for professionalmedical advice, diagnosis, or
treatment.
Be a smart human and do notdisregard or postpone obtaining
medical advice for any medicalcondition you may have.
(50:37):
Seek the assistance of yourhealthcare team for any such
conditions and always do sobefore making any changes to
your medical, nutrition, orhealth plan.
Hey Rebels, welcome toBlasphemous Nutrition.
Consider this podcast yourpantry full of clarity,
perspective, and the nuanceneeded to counter the
superficial health advice sofreely given on the internet.
I'm Aimee, the unapologeticallycandid host of Blasphemous
Nutrition and a double degreednutritionist with 20 years
experience.
(00:22):
I'm here to share a more nuancedtake.
On living and eating well tosustain and recover your health.
If you've found most healthadvice to be so generic as to be
meaningless, We're so extremethat it's unrealistic, and you
don't mind the occasional Fbomb.
You've come to the right place.
From dissecting the latestnutrition trends to breaking
(00:43):
down published research andsharing my own clinical
experiences, I'm on a mission tofoster clarity amidst all the
confusion and empower you tohave the help you need to live a
life you love.
Now let's get started.
MacBook Air Microphone- (01:04):
Welcome back to blossom as nutrition.
I'm your host, Aimee here tospill the green tea on toxicants
because your liver deservesbetter than the daily dose of
plastic.
It is getting.
2024 ended with a Newsweekarticle, highlighting the
prevalence of plastic in all ofour foods.
(01:27):
While, the most contaminatedwere to be expected.
The fast food items fromwell-known chains as well as
prepared meals like macaroni,and cheese.
What we consider to be some ofthe healthiest choices,
including organic and grass fedmeat from whole foods in the bay
area.
(01:47):
Or even a bay area, localbutcher.
We're not free fromcontamination.
Now the source data.
That was used to write.
This article does raise a lot ofquestions and it should not be
taken as guidance on anyspecific company to avoid or to
(02:08):
trust when it comes tocontamination.
But I think overall this studyincreases our awareness.
And highlights the exposure,making it a valuable
contribution to the conversationabout the prevalence of plastic
exposure in our day-to-day livesand the danger that some of
(02:28):
these chemicals are known tohave when mammals such as
ourselves are exposed to them.
Today, I'm going to highlighttwo main toxicants that come
from plastic exposure.
Bisphenols and fallates now.
Most of us know about BPA.
(02:49):
That is the most notorious ofthe bisphenol family.
BPA was created in 1891.
I had no idea it had been aroundthat long until I started doing
research for this episode.
And ever since then, it has beenused in an ever increasing
amount of products from flameretardants to plastic, food, and
(03:11):
drink packaging, kitchen, wherethe inner coatings of cans and
jar lids, water bottles,electrical goods, electronics,
as well as Marine and carcoatings.
Now safety issues and sideeffects of BPA didn't really
become known to us until thelate 1990s when it was found to
(03:34):
leech out of plastics and intoexperimental animals, resulting
in notable chromosomal changesin their offspring.
BPA is shown to bind, toestrogen receptors, producing a
response by the cell that mimicssteroid hormones at levels that
(03:55):
are much lower than to beexpected.
BPA is also associated withprogesterone deficiency.
It binds to the thyroid hormonereceptor and inhibits activation
of the thyroid hormone, as wellas altering the expression of
genes involved in making thyroidhormone.
(04:17):
I mean, this leads me to wonderif all of the exposure that we
have to plastics in ourenvironment is part of the
reason why so many people havehypothyroidism.
I don't know to what degreeanybody is even looking at that
as a possible source.
And in some ways it would beextremely difficult if not
(04:40):
impossible to do human studiessimply because plastic is so
prevalent in the environment andhaving a plastic free control
group.
It's like impossible.
Right?
Animal studies also show thatBPA causes oxidative stress.
And generates really reactive,toxic compounds in the liver,
(05:03):
kidney testes, and brain.
Now BPA gets into our body viamouth, via air and through
absorption and our skin, ourmain sources of BPA exposure,
our food packaging, dust, dentalmaterials, healthcare equipment.
And the thermal paper fromgrocery receipts, as well as
(05:26):
toys and other products for kidsand infants.
I mean that said much of ourexposure comes from the foods
that we eat and how these foodsare processed, packaged, and
stored by industry.
Canned foods and heating foodsin plastic containers does
increase our exposure to BPA.
(05:47):
Way back in 2004, the CDC statedthat 93%.
Of Americans age six and up havedetectable amounts of BPA in
their urine.
So this is a prevalent problemthat has been ongoing for
(06:07):
multiple decades.
Now, the studies that we have onhumans are observational and
therefore associative, right?
We cannot say clearly thatexposure to plastics in humans
causes this or causes that.
But what we see from theseobservational studies is that
(06:27):
individuals who have higherlevels of BPA in their urine,
Also have greater likelihood.
C O P D, which is chronicobstructive pulmonary disease.
Cardiovascular disease,diabetes.
And elevated blood levels ofliver enzymes that are
associated with fatty liverdisease.
(06:51):
Hi, urine concentrations of BPAare also associated with
increased pre-diabetes.
Even when other confoundingfactors such as one's BMI or
alcohol intake are taken intoconsideration.
BPA directly blocks our insulinreceptor sites and it
(07:12):
distributes to fatty tissuewhere it is slowly released into
the bloodstream leading toinsulin resistance.
Now this not only increases thelikelihood of diabetes, but it
also increases obesity risk aswell as the accumulation of
visceral fat.
That is the more dangerous fatthat crowds around our organ
(07:35):
systems.
Men who have higherconcentrations of BPA in their
semen are also documented totend towards lower sperm
concentration, decreased sperm,motility, and decreased total
sperm count.
For women elevated BPA levelsare associated with recurrent
(07:58):
miscarriages, chromosomalabnormalities in the fetus.
And decreased number of eggsretrieved when undergoing IVF
treatment.
This is, um, terrifying.
And again, even though we can'tsay that.
(08:19):
BPA is a direct cause ofdeclining fertility that we've
been seeing over the last 20 to30 years.
It is a signal that.
Is concerning and worth taking acloser look at.
Now some studies show that acorrelation between BPA exposure
in children leads to ADHDbehavior, and it may also be a
(08:43):
contributing factor in increasedchildhood obesity.
But this would be a little bithard to tease out, right?
Because BPA exposure is highestin hyper processed foods and
hyper processed foods are morestrongly correlated with an
increased risk of obesity.
So is it the BPA?
(09:05):
Is it the very nature of highpro hyper processed foods and
how they impact our biology?
Is it both does one compound.
The other, those would bereally, really interesting
pieces of research for ourresearchers to take a look at.
On a completely other system ofthe body.
(09:26):
There was an interesting studythat came out of Taiwan that
noticed that children withhigher BPA levels in their urine
I also had greater likelihood ofasthma between the ages of three
and six years of age.
So understandably when thisinformation first started coming
out in the late 1990s,especially the potential harms
(09:48):
to our kids.
There was strong backlash and anindustry response to the
pressure that we put on them toeliminate BPA.
And so now you see all sorts ofplastics labeled BPA free and
canned foods that are labeledBPA free.
Are these better?
(10:09):
Unfortunately, no.
In the place of BPA companieshave started using other BIS
phenal analogs, like BPS andBPF.
These are the two most commonsubstitutions that are used in
BPA free products.
(10:29):
Now BPS and BPF are found inbody lotions, face creams,
liquid foundation, paperproducts, like those grocery
store receipts.
I mentioned as well asmagazines, newspapers.
And of course our food supply.
Several animals studies haveshown that endocrine disrupting
(10:49):
effects of BPS and BPF aresimilar or sometimes even worse
than those associated with BPAexposure.
And this includes alterations ofsex organs, changes in estrogen
and testosterone levels,decreased egg production, and
decreased sperm count in studiedanimals.
(11:11):
BPF has been shown to alter theuterus testes and thyroids of
animals.
And animal studies show that.
Those who are exposed to BP S inutero have an increased risk of
obesity via negative alterationsin their lipid and glucose
metabolism.
(11:32):
So if this was not enough alsopose a serious problem from
plastic and personal careproducts.
Phthalates make plastics moreflexible and resilient.
And they're often used infragrances as well as health and
beauty products.
So here you want to think aboutshower, curtains, raincoats
(11:55):
toys, polyvinyl chlorideflooring furniture, Polish
plastic food wrap.
Any perfumes or fragrances thatyou use to make your home smell
nice or make your body smellnice.
Shower, gels, lotions, shampoos,nail Polish, and so on.
Phthalates are released fromthese products into the
(12:18):
environment where theycontaminate the dust in our home
or office and are inhaleddirectly through the sprays,
which contain them or throughskin, via lotions and perfumes
that we apply.
Phthalates have been found insignificantly higher levels in
men who are in fertile and theyact directly on the
(12:38):
mitochondria, which is theenergy organelle of the cell,
reducing energy production by upto 20%.
Now that study that showedreduced energy production was
done on cells and not humancells, rat cells.
So I have no expectations thatthat's going to directly
translate to humans at all.
(13:00):
That said in clinical practice,I have seen individuals who have
chemical sensitivities thatexperience severe fatigue as one
of their side effects toexposure.
So, what we may be observinghere is a possible means by
which their energy levels areinhibited, but it's certainly
not definitive as such at thispoint in time.
(13:23):
And I don't want you tonecessarily take that as an
absolute.
Cause or effect.
Phthalates are also shown toblock insulin receptor sites.
They impair glucosetransporters.
And induce these epigeneticchanges in ourselves that
disrupt blood sugar regulation.
(13:45):
And the utilization of glucosefor energy.
So maybe that's another way theyimpact energy levels.
These effects begin in utero.
And so.
When a mother is exposed toplastic or consumes a lot of
plastic through the diet.
The changes begin as the fetusis developing.
(14:10):
The effects are then compoundedwhile nursing from mothers who
are exposed to Phthalates.
And they tend to accumulate inanimals with lifelong exposure.
So basically BPA B P S P P F.
And other plastic derivedchemicals are known endocrine
(14:34):
disruptors.
They interfere with our hormoneproduction as well as hormone
signaling the healthconsequences of chronic exposure
are pretty far reaching.
We've got hormone balancethrough the blocking of estrogen
and testosterone.
And in some cases, the mimickingof the steroid hormones, leading
(14:55):
to reproductive issues andpossible developmental
disorders.
Again, we see this mostly inanimals, right?
And we observe a correlation inhumans.
There's the increased risk ofchronic disease from long-term
exposure, such as obesity,diabetes, and cardiovascular
conditions.
And there are definitely somedevelopmental concerns with the
(15:18):
association with cognitive andbehavioral issues in children as
well as a potential increase inasthma.
So emerging research has foundthat we have microplastics in
our blood.
In our Oregon's.
In sweat and feces, whichhighlights the multitudes of
(15:39):
ways that these compounds getinto our system.
And the cumulative effect ofsuch immersive exposure,
definitely demand.
Attention and action.
But I also want to highlightthat the fact that we find these
in our sweat and our feces.
(16:01):
And our urine means that we caneliminate them.
Now the first step to reducingexposure is focusing on what you
can control and what is theeasiest way possible for you to
reduce your contact withplastic?
And what I'm going to share hereis by no means an exhaustive
(16:24):
list.
Nor will it totally eliminateyour exposure to endocrine
disrupting chemicals.
But less routes of exposure willreduce your total body burden on
your system.
And I'm also going to talk abouthow you can increase and boost
your body's ability to detoxifythese compounds so that you're
(16:47):
really attacking.
The plastics burden on your bodyfrom both ends by reducing
exposure, as well as increasingyour body's ability to detoxify
and eliminate that, which youcannot help, but be exposed to.
Now, when it comes to reducingexposure.
Obviously the first thing thatyou want to do is reduce the
(17:10):
amount of plastic that you comein contact with.
Bring your own coffee cup to thecoffee shop.
Or a drive-through becauseplastic is in the lining of
those takeout coffee cups, aswell as the lids.
And we know that he and acidincrease the amount of plastic
available to be consumed byglassware to store food in or
(17:32):
reuse glass jars for leftovers.
If you don't want to spend themoney buying a set of fancy
glassware.
Find reusable alternatives toplastic wraps such as cloth,
silicone sandwich bags, or clothsandwich bags.
You want to look for plasticfree alternatives, not just BPA
(17:54):
free ones.
And I will know when looking forthese, it can be really
difficult to ascertain whetheror not something is free of
plastic.
Companies will proudly advertisethat they are.
BPA free, but that does not meanthat they are plastic free.
So you want to look forsomething that has absolutely no
plastic in it.
(18:14):
If at all possible.
Next choose whole foods, whichare not stored in plastic bags,
wherever you can.
Bring your own bags to thegrocery store or don't use any,
if you don't need to.
Not all of our produce has to beput in those plastic bags to get
to the checkout counter.
We're going to be washing themanyway.
(18:35):
So.
If it's something like three orfour apples, don't bother
putting it in a plastic bag.
Just put it in the shopping cartand put it on the conveyor belt
without any plastic wrappedaround it.
You also will want to reduceyour reliance on hyper processed
foods as best you can limitingconsumption from restaurants,
(18:56):
which rely on these products aswell.
Fast food consumption is alsopositively associated with
increased levels of urinarythalates.
And those who consume the mostprocessed diets tend to have the
highest amounts of thesechemicals in their urine.
So that is one way where you candefinitely reduce your exposure.
(19:18):
Next avoid microwaving, anythingthat is stored in plastic.
Heat.
The fat content of that food andthe acid content of that food
can increase the amount of thesecompounds that make it into the
food that you eat.
Finally, take a look at yourbody care products, your
(19:39):
household products, your makeup,synthetic fragrances, cleaning
products, and any othernon-edible routes of exposure to
endocrine disrupting chemicalslike BPA and thalates and seek
alternatives whenever possible.
So next we want to support ourbody's ability to detoxify these
(20:01):
compounds as well as so manyother compounds that we are
exposed to.
Now, when we think ofdetoxification, we usually think
of the liver, right?
And the liver gets all of theglory.
It does this amazing.
Transformation.
The liver is like a magician insome ways, in that it takes
(20:23):
these toxic compounds andtransforms them into something
that is less damaging to thebody so that it can be
eliminated without wreakinghavoc on the way out.
I know the liver is oftenreferred to as a filter for the
body.
And that really is not anaccurate analogy.
(20:43):
Because when we think offilters, we think of like our
air filters in our car, right.
And that accumulates a bunch ofgunk and needs to be replaced
every so often.
Our liver is not like that.
The liver doesn't become astorage site for toxins or
accumulate toxic residue as it'sdetoxifying from the body.
(21:06):
It is a transformational,Oregon.
.It alters the structure oftoxicants and toxins that it
comes into contact with toprepare them to be eliminated
from the body without causingadditional damage on the way
out.
And so you don't really need toworry about your liver being
(21:27):
burdened with toxins.
When the liver is burdened, it'sreally more that it's just kind
of struggling to keep up withthe amount that it has to deal
with, or it doesn't have thenutrients.
And enzyme availability that itneeds to performance job.
Well, but it's not accumulatinga bunch of gunk.
Like the air filter in your carwould.
(21:50):
So while the liver gets all thatglory.
Through its transformation ofharmful chemicals into less
harmful ones.
The role of our eliminationsystem via kidneys, the skin,
and the intestines is equallyimportant.
So first I want to talk aboutthe way that we eliminate toxins
that we're exposed to and how tosupport these processes.
(22:13):
And then I'll dive into how youcan support your liver into
having what it needs to besttackle the chemicals, that it is
exposed to.
Our pollutants are eliminatedprimarily by sweat.
Urine and feces.
Now, most of these compounds dohave to go through the liver
first to be altered beforeelimination.
(22:33):
And this is why the liver is thefocus of detoxification, but
without the ability toeliminate, the liver has to deal
with those same compounds overand over again, with additional
ones coming in, because we'renever really free from toxin or
toxicant exposure eitherexternally from our environment
(22:54):
or just from some of thebiological processes that are
normal and natural and the humanbody.
Over time and with impropernutrition and fiber things can
become less efficient andeffective and problems can
arise, which.
Is what we would typically callthe burden of the liver or
(23:15):
perhaps a stagnant liver whichis a term that is often used in,
um, traditional Chinese orEastern medicine practices.
So to support elimination.
We want to focus on hydration,sweat, and getting regular
quality poops.
(23:36):
Staying hydrated is crucial tosupporting elimination of water
soluble, endocrine disruptors.
Through our urine and our sweat.
So consume enough water thatyour urine is pale yellow.
Using electrolytes if needed.
You can refer to my episode onhydration to learn more about
electrolytes and decide if it'ssomething that you want to
(23:56):
include in your hydration habit.
And I have the link to that inthe show notes.
Additionally, sweat via saunasand good old fashioned exercise
is a great way to help your bodydetoxify.
And it's been shown to be aneffective means of elimination.
BPA and Can be eliminated insweat and multiple studies show
(24:21):
that individuals and populationsthat habitually engage in saunas
regularly do have reducedcardiovascular disease and
greater longevity.
So saunas in general are a greatway to support.
A longer and higher quality oflife as you age.
That said heat exposure can be atricky thing.
(24:42):
So you'll definitely want tocheck with your healthcare
provider before beginning, anysauna therapies to see if
there's any contra-indicationsfor you based upon your own
personal health history.
Or any medication that you maybe taking?
And I cannot emphasize howimportant good quality regular
(25:03):
poops are for our eliminationand detoxification strategy.
Taking care of your gut has ahuge benefit in reducing the
burden that the liver has tocarry as constipation and
incomplete elimination doesincrease the chance that those
unwanted chemicals, hormones,and other compounds become
(25:23):
reabsorbed into the bloodstream.
And have to go through theliver.
Uh, second time or third time ora fourth time or ongoing.
A diet high in fiber from lotsof vegetables and to focus on
starchy vegetables and wholegrains over refined grains is
the best way to do this.
And it also has the additionalbenefit of supplying your body
(25:46):
with the nutrients that it needsto keep all processes, not just
detoxification and elimination.
In good working order.
Additionally consuming a highfiber diet supports a very
diverse and robust microbiome.
And this also directly supportsour detoxification through some
of these microbes, mainly thebacillus species, as well as
(26:09):
lactobacillus plantarum.
As these strains and specieshave been shown to break down
BPA in the gut, all on theirown.
Now, this is super fantasticnews.
And it highlights again, thevalue of gut health in our
overall health.
As well as reducing the impactof environmental contaminants
(26:30):
that we come into contact with.
Daily.
Now, when it comes to the liver,there are two phases that the
liver goes through.
As it transforms these harmfulsubstances into something that
can be eliminated by the body.
The first phase is calledbioactivation and in this phase
pollutants and toxicants aremetabolized by the liver
(26:53):
enzymes, primarily thecytochrome P four 50 family into
what is called an intermediatecompound.
So if environmental pollutantsare considered to be villains or
criminals, this would be akin tolike the cornering of these
nefarious compounds.
While it is a necessary step.
The intermediates that arecreated in the bioactivation
(27:17):
phase are often more reactiveand more harmful than the
original toxin that entered theliver.
It's like when the bad guy getscaught and he starts screaming
and raging and thrashing about,or turns against law enforcement
and starts attacking them now,this is an intermediate phase,
right?
And so we want to make sure thatour phase two system is in good
(27:41):
place, but without phase one,phase two, isn't going to
happen.
So the foods that support theapprehension of our
environmental criminals, if youwill, are leafy greens, whole
grains, eggs, and believe it ornot, liver as these contain a
lot of B vitamins, which areessential cofactors for enzyme
(28:04):
activity that is needed fordetoxification.
Additionally antioxidants likevitamin C and vitamin E from
citrus fruits, Kiwis, bellpeppers, nuts and seeds.
Neutralize.
The oxidative stress that can becreated in this phase when that
compound is more reactive.
(28:26):
So it's important to notethough, that grapefruit, which
is a citrus fruit can inhibitsome of those cytochrome p four
50 enzymes that I mentioned.
So you want to choose othercitrus fruit over grapefruit for
your vitamin C.
Additionally flavonoids.
From berries, green tea, as wellas citrus fruits, support enzyme
(28:49):
function and protect our bodyagainst damage from those highly
reactive chemicals.
Next we have phase two, which iscalled conjugation.
And in phase two, those highlyreactive intermediates that were
created in phase one are alteredagain, through a process that's
(29:09):
called conjugation and thatutilizes molecules like
gludethyon sulfate and aminoacids, making these compounds,
water, soluble, and easier toeliminate from the system.
In phase two in our conjugationphase of liver detoxification,
this is where we're able toapprehend and detain that
(29:33):
environmental pollutant so thatit ceases to harm the
surrounding environment.
Now the supporting nutrients andfoods that you want for this
phase are Glutathione precursorsbecause gludethyon is one of the
primary components for theconjugation phase.
(29:56):
N-Acetyl cystine is a supplementthat you can purchase that would
support the conjugation phase ofliver detoxification.
And you can also get gludethyonthrough really common, easily
accessible and affordable foodsthat are rich in sulfur
compounds, like garlic, onions,and cruciferous veggies.
(30:18):
These glutathione precursors inthese foods attached to those
harmful compounds that are madein phase one.
Again, making them easier toeliminate and water-soluble so
that they can be excretedthrough sweat and urine.
Or bile, and this process iscalled sulfation.
(30:39):
Additionally phase twodetoxification needs amino
acids.
So consuming protein, rich foodslike meat, fish, and beans are
critical for conjugationpathways.
And this is where I have a lotof beef with most detox diets,
because they tend to avoidprotein foods and this can lead
(31:02):
to significant problems and anincrease in side effects and
negative symptoms for someindividuals doing detox, diets
and juice cleanses.
And this is actually the primaryreason why I advise against most
detox diets and juice cleansesthat are available on the market
is because they are protein.
(31:22):
Avoid.
Avoidant, and this is deeply,deeply problematic when it comes
to liver detoxificationcapabilities.
Additionally magnesium is superimportant because it activates
the enzymes that are needed.
And that sulfation pathway thatI talked about.
And you can find a magnesium indark leafy greens as well as
(31:44):
nuts and seeds.
So once the liver does all ofthis magnificent transformation.
We then need to get those toxinsout of the liver.
Once they're water soluble,they're transported out of the
liver and then are able to beexcreted through bile, urine,
(32:05):
and feces.
And this is the phase ofdetoxification where we remove
our criminal pollutants frompolite society.
So again, in order to supportproper excretion, we want to
have a high fiber diet becausethat fiber not only supports gut
(32:26):
health, but fibers also bind tothese toxicants in the gut
preparing them for elimination.
We want to stay hydrated tosupport urinary excretion that
is frequent and robust as wellas supporting our kidney
function and then includingprobiotic, rich foods is also a
(32:47):
way that we can enhance our guthealth and help break down.
Some of those compounds that aretaken in via mouth before they
reach the liver, thereforereducing the potential of
reabsorbing, those toxins in thefirst place.
I do want to make a side note onthe importance of sleep when it
comes to detoxification.
(33:08):
Sleep is where repair andregeneration happens.
And if you're struggling withquality sleep, I really want to
encourage you this year to seeksupport from sleep specialists
or consider some hormonesupport.
If you're a female above the ageof 35, and you're starting to
show signs of peri-menopause.
(33:29):
Because all those fluctuatinghormones during that time of
life can really have a negativeimpact on sleep.
I know I don't need to tell youladies that cause you're living
it.
But it's worth emphasizing.
Reducing your stress levels alsogoes a very long way to
improving your sleep quality andsupporting a healthy body all
around.
(33:50):
I know that's easier said thandone, but again, I feel like we
really can't emphasize thisenough.
So stay attuned to thesituations that lead to the
greatest stress in yourday-to-day life.
And look for strategies tomitigate that stress.
Even if you cannot eliminate itentirely.
(34:10):
There are some situations thatwe just have no control over.
Right.
But what we do have control overis how we respond to those
situations and how we canprotect ourselves from some of
the impact of those situations.
So do what you can there andseek support.
However you can, while activelyletting go of the things that
(34:32):
you do have control over.
Now, finally, we want to look atconsuming.
The kind of diet every day ofthe year that supports our
healthy detox pathways.
Not just do a detox or a resetplan one to three times a year
to feel better.
And then slowly return to ourlong-held habits that bring us
(34:56):
to that place of feeling crummyin the first place.
Think of it this way.
If you're exposed to thesechemicals daily, then you want
to have daily mitigationstrategies in place to reduce
the impact of exposure.
Can you imagine if trashcollectors only came once a
month or once a quarter to takeout the trash?
(35:19):
That would lead to a lot ofproblems.
So you don't want to.
Resort to these extremequarterly or bi-annually or once
a year detox, cleanses andresets.
When you're exposed to chemicalson a daily basis.
(35:41):
And that said.
Many of the popular plans thatare out there neglect very
important factors needed forproper detoxification, such as
protein intake, and they are inand of themselves extreme enough
that they're not sustainable forthe long-term.
So it effectively reduces theprobability that you're actually
(36:01):
going to have what you need.
For your detoxification pathwaysfor the ongoing future.
So let's talk food.
We eat multiple times a day.
And what we put on our plate canbe a massive contributor to how
well or not our body is able toeliminate BPA Falaise and other
(36:25):
environmental pollutants.
So here are my top foods toinclude in your diet in order to
enhance detoxification pathwayson a daily basis.
Number one.
Cruciferous veggies.
Oh, my gosh.
I cannot tell you.
How amazing cruciferous veggiesare and how much I love them.
(36:49):
Especially when it comes toliver health.
And the ability to balance ourhormones through supporting the
liver.
So examples of cruciferousveggies are broccoli, kale,
brussel sprouts, cauliflower,cabbage.
Cruciferous veggies are very,very rich and glucose
(37:09):
scintillates which support thatphase two detoxification of
making.
The highly reactive compoundsinto something more water
soluble so that it can beexcreted.
You want to consume these dailyaiming for one to two cups,
either raw or cooked.
I'm not picky, but just aim forone to two fistfuls of
(37:32):
cruciferous veggies daily.
Next, the allium vegetables.
This is garlic onions, leeksscallions, and these contain
sulfur compounds that boost ourproduction of glutathione.
Glutathione is a key antioxidantthat is necessary to detoxify
(37:53):
BPA as well as valets.
So consume these foods regularlyevery day, get a little garlic,
get some onions in there and getsome leaks and aim for kind of a
combined total of one to twocups each day.
Next is leafy greens.
If there is anything that rivalscruciferous vegetables for my
(38:15):
heart.
It is leafy greens and.
I do actually think that, youknow, I know, I can't say that I
was going to say leafy greens.
I think Trump, the cruciferousveggies, but the reality is so
many of our cruciferous veggies.
Are also leafy greens that it'sall just kind of mixed up in my
mind and I love them all.
(38:36):
But leafy greens hold a veryspecial place in my heart
because they have such aprofound impact on the entire
body.
When it comes to liverdetoxification, our leafy
greens, like spinach, a rugalacollards, kale, chard and
watercress are high inchlorophyll and chlorophyll
(38:59):
helps bind to toxicants in thegut for elimination and also
supports our liverdetoxification pathways.
So you want to consume leafygreens daily?
I can't emphasize this enough,probably because leafy greens
are like the lowest on the totempole when it comes to what.
(39:20):
Americans and British andCanadian and Australian.,
Population consumes on aday-to-day basis.
So really focus on the leafygreens, get two to four cups
raw, or one to three cups cookedevery day, if at all possible
and work up to getting them inevery day.
(39:42):
If you're not already.
And if you're like 98% of thepopulation.
You're not getting them daily.
No harm, no foul.
I get it.
I live in the real world too.
Now, if you really struggle withleafy greens, I strongly
encourage you to get on the waitlist to join my free glorious
greens challenge that I'll belaunching March 1st.
(40:04):
I'm going to include the link tothat in the show notes.
If you are impatient and youwant all the goods now I will
also include the link to getimmediate access to that
challenge for a small fee andthat includes a cookbook.
In the show notes below.
No, our crucifers and ourAllianz and our leafy greens
(40:24):
also contain a lot of fiber.
And as I've mentioned, severaltimes, fiber is super, super
important, but you don't need tolimit your fiber content from
those foods alone.
Other high fiber foods, such assweet potatoes, beans, chia
seeds, flax seeds, andraspberries.
Believe it or not are, areoutrageously high in fiber.
(40:47):
We'll also help to bind thesetoxicants in the digestive
track, promoting excretion andreducing the likelihood that
they will be reabsorbed intocirculation and have to go
through the liver again.
So make sure to focus on highfiber foods, whether they're
coming from your veggies orthey're coming from beans or
(41:07):
sweet potatoes or seeds.
And consume one to threeservings of high fiber foods
each day.
Some other really special foodsthat you'll want to include to
support detoxification arecitrus fruits.
Berries and probiotic, richfoods.
Because of the unique roles thatthey have in protecting our
(41:30):
body, citrus fruits contain acompound called D Limona.
Oh, gosh.
Called D.
Limiting.
I think that's how it'spronounced and that supports
phase one and phase twodetoxification enzymes.
So the enzymes are responsiblefor the biotransformation phase
(41:51):
that happens in the liver and wewant those enzymes to be doing
their job.
And so this is where our citrusfruits come in.
Again, kind of shying away fromgrapefruits because of their
impact on those.
Cytochrome P four 50 enzymes.
But having one citrus fruit aday is a great habit.
(42:13):
You can also use citrus zest insalad, dressings in roasted
vegetables, yogurt, smoothies,as well as sprinkled on a fruit
plate as well.
Our antioxidant, rich berriesprovide polyphenols and other
antioxidants protectingourselves from oxidative damage
(42:34):
that is caused by thosecompounds in the original form,
as well as what happens in thatfirst phase of
biotransformation, where theybecome more reactive.
So consuming a serving ofblueberries, strawberries, or
raspberries most days of theweek will really help in
reducing some of that oxidativestress and damage that comes
(42:57):
from just being alive in ourworld today with all of the
things that we're exposed tothat increase oxidative stress.
Additionally, our probiotic,rich foods are of great support
in creating a robust and diversegut microbiota, which can help
enhance BPA and valet breakdownin the digestive system.
(43:19):
So sauerkraut, kimchi, kefir,yogurt, any of those raw.
Fermented foods are really,really important.
When you are purchasingprobiotic, rich foods, you want
to make sure that they are inthe refrigerator, that they are
not on the shelf.
If they are shelf stable, thoseprobiotics are dead.
(43:42):
So you want what you arepurchasing to contain a live
probiotics.
It'll need to state that it is araw food such as, you know,
sauerkraut or kimchi.
You can also make your own.
It's actually easier than youwould expect.
and there are lots of recipesavailable on the internet to
make your own sauerkraut orkimchi.
(44:03):
If you're interested, you'llwant to consume probiotic, rich
foods and the dose of half a cupto a cup most days of the week.
And if you find that yourdigestive system actually
responds negatively to thesefoods, try working up very, very
slowly.
Uh, beginning with as little asa tablespoon of Keefer or
(44:24):
kimchi.
You may also find that someferments like sauerkraut don't
work for you at all while otherslike Kiefer are okay.
So keep experimenting, but if itcontinues to be a struggle for
you, reach out to a qualifiednutritionist for support.
A couple of other things alsodeserve, mention namely green
(44:46):
tea and turmeric.
Green tea contains catechins andpolyphenols that support our
detoxification enzymes and isreally rich in antioxidants.
So consuming green tea often,whenever you get the chance, you
know, one to four cups daily, ifyou already like and enjoy green
tea is a wonderful habit.
(45:06):
To begin and maintain,especially through the winter
months when it's kind of coldoutside in the summer.
I really love iced green teawith a little bit of citrus.
And maybe some raspberries inthere.
If you put like frozenraspberries in cold green tea,
you can do that instead of ice.
And it adds more flavor ratherthan diluting the green tea
(45:30):
flavor.
As those berries thought out.
And turmeric contains curcumin.
Curcumin is an amazing compound.
It does a lot of things.
It's super duperanti-inflammatory, but it also
enhances phase twodetoxification.
So you want to use turmeric insmoothies or stir fries or soups
(45:50):
two to three times a week, butbecause it is so great at
reducing inflammation, if youtend to be highly inflamed, go
ahead and use turmeric.
daily, there is no harm in thatyou can use up to a tablespoon
of turmeric per dose of smoothieor whatever it is that you're
consuming.
And that can go a long way insupporting your gut health and
(46:13):
reducing inflammation and inenhancing.
Phase two detoxification.
So even though plasticcontamination in our food is an
extremely pervasive andcomplicated issue.
We're not powerless to stop itor the impact it has on our
bodies.
By making informed choices,advocating for.
(46:36):
Less toxic food systems andsupporting our body's natural
detoxification mechanisms.
We can mitigate the risk of ourchronic exposure.
You know, on that note, Thailandjust announced this week that
they are banning foreign importsof plastic waste due to concerns
about toxic pollution.
(46:56):
China banned plastic wasteimports, from other countries
back in, I think it was 2018.
And Thailand picked up theslack, but now they are turning
their back on trying to managethe rest of the world's waste
through recycling.
The guardian reported thatplastic waste imports are often
burned by factories instead ofbeing recycled because they're
(47:19):
so inundated and the qualitycontrol of what gets shipped
over is so low that they justburn a great deal of it.
And that is going to have veryobvious negative impacts for the
environment as well as foreverybody who lives in Thailand.
Now as more nations, refuse todeal with other people's trash,
(47:43):
we're going to see increasingpressure to reduce our overall
creation and use of plasticworldwide.
I for one feel it cannot comesoon enough.
But we can begin today byreducing our personal use of
plastic in our homes andchoosing plastic free options
whenever possible.
While applying pressure toindustries to change its ways.
(48:08):
One of the ways that I've seenthat work within the last 10
years is trader Joe's in theUnited States.
Reducing the amount of plastic.
That they use in their stores inresponse to consumer demand.
So we have a lot of power asconsumers, and most of the time,
the way this works is it startsat the grassroots level
(48:31):
pressuring companies and thenthe companies will change their
ways.
Very very rarely.
Does it happen from thegovernment level down.
And even when it does happenfrom a federal level, it takes a
lot more time for change tohappen at the federal level than
(48:51):
can happen when consumers getreally pissed off and push back
against what companies are doingas status quo policy.
So I hope today's episode hasnot just scared the crap out of
you, but.
Has instead highlighted how youcan take meaningful action to
support your body in detoxifyingknown environmental pollutants
(49:16):
in a sustainable and meaningfulway.
Without resorting to those quickfix detox, diets or juice
cleanses.
As always, if you found thisepisode useful rate and review
blast, miss nutrition in yourpodcast app and share this
episode with a friend who tendsto go after those glamorous, but
(49:36):
relatively extreme resets everyJanuary.
Until next week, my blessed missbuddies.
This is Aimee heading out for alunch of green leafy crucifers
vege and some cold water fish,all tossed up in a turmeric
citrus vinegarette.
Any and all information sharedhere is for educational and
(49:56):
entertainment purposes only andis not to be misconstrued as
offering medical advice.
Listening to this podcast doesnot constitute a provider client
relationship.
Note, I'm not a doctor nor anurse, and it is imperative that
you utilize your brain and yourmedical team to make the best
decisions for your own health.
(50:16):
The use of information on thispodcast or materials linked to
this podcast are at the user'sown risk.
No information nor resourcesprovided are intended to be a
substitute for professionalmedical advice, diagnosis, or
treatment.
Be a smart human and do notdisregard or postpone obtaining
medical advice for any medicalcondition you may have.
(50:37):
Seek the assistance of yourhealthcare team for any such
conditions and always do sobefore making any changes to
your medical, nutrition, orhealth plan.
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