Are you poisoning yourself with plastics?

Dramatic title, I know, but it’s definitely worth taking some time every now and again to check in with how we’re treating out body and whether we’re doing the best we possibly can.

Luckily for myself this often happens when I discuss health topics with my patients, and I get a sharp reminder that I could actually do better myself in certain areas.

One of those areas is my use of plastics. Have a think about your kitchen and how many items you use on a regular basis that are plastic. Things like your water jug/water bottle, cups for your kids, take away food containers that you put leftovers in etc. When you add them up, you can see that plastic is very common in the average household kitchen.

Before you jump up and say “But I only use BPA free plastics!” I should let you know that some BPA-free plastics still leach chemicals that have an oestrogenic effect on the body. This means that they act like oestrogen (a hormone) within our bodies. (Read the study here)

We don’t need any extra oestrogen or factors causing oestrogenic activity, as this can lead to significant health problems, including breast cancer that is oestrogen driven.

Since we usually can’t be sure if our BPA-free plastics are the types that don’t leach other chemicals, the safest option at the moment is to use glass.

When it comes to food containers, I take my lunch to work in a Pyrex glass container so that I can heat it up safely and not have to worry about chemicals pouring into my beautiful organic food during the heating process. Pyrex is the kitchen version of glass that can be heated to higher temperatures without cracking.

With kids cups it can be a bit trickier because you want to make sure they don’t drop the glass and cut themselves. You can buy sippy cups that are glass with silicone around them for safety.  There are also great water bottles with this feature as well. I’ve added some links to these products below.

Now that you’re at the end of this article, I’d encourage you to grab some paper and a pen and go to your kitchen and write down a list of everything plastic that you use, so you will know what you can start replacing with safer products. If your budget is tight, make a conscious effort to slowly but surely replace each item. Keep the replacement list on your fridge until you’re done.

Links:

Pyrex

Glass Baby Bottles 4 Pack Starter Kit

Takeya Modern Flip Cap, 16-Ounce, Ice Blue (this bottle is so cute that I bought one for myself and my Mum)

Photo credit: Claudia Viloria

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