As a primary healthcare provider for 31 years, one of the most common complaints women seek my advice for is hormone problems. While there can be many reasons for hormone imbalance, menopause doesn’t have to be one of them.
Reproductive hormones slowly change over the pre-menopausal years; they don’t just “shut off” suddenly. There are also other supporting organ and gland systems that are important to keep healthy so that you can experience the smoothest transition possible. One of the main ones is your liver.
The liver is the organ most directly involved with filtering out any toxic chemicals you come in contact with; whether via eating, drinking, breathing, or through the skin. Chemicals accumulate in our tissues over the years. Fat cells can be stubborn to lose if the liver is sluggish at its job because fat is a “safe” place for your body to store chemicals due to the fact that they are not readily metabolized. Keeping the liver as clean and clear as possible is vital for healthy hormone function.
An easy place to start helping the liver work better is to decrease the amount of toxins you are exposed to and a quick way to do that is by learning the Clean 15 and Dirty Dozen lists!
These lists are found on the the Environmental Working Group website. This group is committed to providing consumers with information needed to make the cleanest, most chemical-free food and personal care choices possible. Each year, they publish a list of the commercially grown fruits and vegetables with the highest and lowest pesticide residue levels. Choosing and growing organic is a great way to decrease the toxic load on your body. Vote with your dollars!
I also found the list on the Save our Bones website and I liked that, with one click, Ms. Goldschmidt also included a brief explanation of nutrients and health benefits of the fruits and veggies listed as well as the names and descriptions of some of the toxins to avoid.
With all of the junk we are exposed to out there, it’s good to know there are several hard-working groups out there to help us navigate a cleaner path.
Here are the links: