Plastic is toxic.
It causes cancer, is an endocrine disruptor (it messes up your hormones), affects the immune system, metabolism, skin, weight, mood etc.. It leaches into food and drink, off-gasses into the air and is absorbed through your skin and lungs into the bloodstream.
I am not a doctor or health professional of any kind. My only credentials are that when I was very ill with Multiple Chemical Sensitivity (MCS), I spent hours a day reading and googling on detoxing, and then doing every detox method I saw fit. I managed to get get 90% well after a year or so.
I read a lot about plastics. Phthalates and BPA are substances everyone wants to avoid, I avoid all plastics when I can. I attribute getting as much plastic as possible out of my blood as one of the main reasons that I got well.
The dangers of plastics have not been widely studied. The only reason it was discovered that BPA was carcinogenic was by accident when medical researchers found many rats getting cancer while doing a study for something else. It turned out to be the BPA in the rats’ water bottle. For me personally, I want to avoid plastic whenever possible. This is difficult because it is in sales receipts, cans, food cartons, car interiors, packaging, books, magazines, gym weights, electric wires, tech devices, cash, clothing, accessories, appliances, etc.. Now that I feel better I am not so fanatical, but I still won’t usually eat or drink from plastic or with plastic utensils and am still ridding my home of plastics.
Especially avoid anything heated in plastic. Putting Styrofoam in the microwave is a killer! While in the sauna don’t wear your flip flops or bring any plastic in with you. I have tried to gently and kindly educate people in the gym sauna and finally found a way to communicate it in a way that didn’t make them defensive.
Some ways to avoid plastics is to use glass or ceramic jars to hold wet and dry foods, left-overs and even supplements. I rarely buy food wrapped in plastic. I spend the extra money for the jarred food. Plastic residue contaminates the food that isn’t even touching the plastic. Sometimes, if I do buy food in plastic I bring it home, liberate it, let it air out and then put it in a glass container.
I freeze in glass or ceramic containers (peanut butter jars, etc.). Make sure not to overfill them or they will break. Sometimes I freeze with the lid slightly ajar and close it later. My coffee maker has no plastic parts and I use a glass jar blender.
I rarely drink from plastic containers. Sometimes when I go to art openings I bring my own glass and my own organic wine. When I go to parties at my friend’s homes, I ask for a glass. It’s a little strange, but I really wanted to get well. I am looking for an antique (all ready off-gassed the toxins) wooden bread box and want to start making my own bread one day. Soft plastic often has BPA.
I have paper sandwich and lunch bags. I keep meaning to bring them to the Bulk Section when I go shopping, instead of using the plastic provided. I use paper for snacks etc. People went for thousands of years without using plastic and it is possible!
I don’t own any plastic food storage containers. I got rid of plastics all around my home. (they are actually off-gassing and adding toxins to the air). Shower curtains are particularly toxic. I bought an “ECO” green shower curtain liner from Giaim, but it was made from petroleum so I sent it back and just have a cloth curtain liner. I am really wary and sensitive to petroleum products, from car fumes to candles!
I want to buy a bamboo or wood keyboard and mouse, but so far have only found ones that come “with a coating”. Skin absorbs what it touches and it goes into the bloodstream (note all of the patches used for medicines). I bought a rubber yoga mat, the others are polyvinyl. Many people with MCS let books, magazines etc air out in the yard before bringing it into the home.
Your vinyl floor tiles are toxic. Your “wood look” floors are vinyl, too. I still haven’t changed mine in the kitchen, but usually walk around at home in organic socks. Your window screens are now plastic. I still have mine, but am happy they are pretty old. At the gym, I use a towel or enough clothing not to have my skin in contact with the vinyl. One day I will find some organic gym gloves! I am not saying I am afraid to touch things, I do all the time; I just try to minimize touching things that may be toxic where I can.
I have reverse osmosis water and carry my water around in glass containers. I put some oil of oregano in it so that it kills any germs. I am wary of “stainless steel”, metals are known to be bad for your health and you know everything is from China and of dubious quality these days. I am pretty sure my reverse osmosis tank is lined with plastic (and of course the tubes are plastic) and trying to find a plastic free water purification source.
People with MCS are very handy to have around. We have some kind of physical reaction or sensory perception when something is toxic. We don’t need to wait for a study to come out to tell you if something is toxic! We get a headache or worse when exposed to lots of fresh plastic!
Many people are bothered by the plastic in their eye glasses! Apparently, they have BPA as do toothbrushes! I could go on all day.
Plastic is everywhere, you can’t avoid it, but with a little work a 70% reduction isn’t difficult.
Even if it wasn’t so bad for you health, you may have heard about the plastic pile in the Pacific Ocean the size of the US, or how the sea animals, even plankton, contain plastics now. The sea animals are eating and getting caught in the plastic. Plastic has surpassed its usefulness and should be reserved for a few things it can do really well.
When I was sick and reading up on this it was very overwhelming and frightening. My actions may seem extreme, but I was so chemically sensitive that I could not go anywhere without feeling ill from chemicals. I thought I may have just been neurotic, but now I know it was me taking care of myself. It worked, I am almost well and am planning on 100% recovery! Emotional stress may be as physically toxic as BPA, so we don’t need to sweat it! After a while you calm down and realize that you can detox a great deal of these poisons out of your body. The body is an amazing machine of healing and renewal, just help it along as much as you can.
Be well!
Eve
Here is my video on the subject! Its full of details and tips!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O_7Bc-POQH0&context=C35083d6ADOEgsToPDskJ8NtTThVQlbT9XEq3FxrdT
Here are great articles for consideration:
Parabens (which are in plastic)
Breast Cancer Link
[easy_sign_up title=”Newsletter sign up”]