This week in your Radical Health Newsletter…
We investigate the widespread chemical that could be damaging your health…
But first…
💪🏽 Ever heard of microworkouts?
They are short bursts of exercise sprinkled throughout your day, and we’re big fans!
They aren’t meant to replace your primary workouts, but instead, think of them as complementary movement “snacks”.
A microworkout can be cranked out anytime, anywhere. And while a couple of pushups here, and some squats there might not seem like much, over time, these brief but frequent efforts stack up. They are also a fantastic strategy to combat the consequences of sitting at a desk all day!
6 microworkouts to try today
#1: 20 pushups every time you get into or out of your car;
#2: 20 squats every time you use the bathroom;
#3: Hang a pullup bar in your office and do a set every time you walk through the door;
#4: While working, set a timer on 15-minute intervals and do 15 squats every 15 minutes. This can add up to >400 squats in a day!
#5: While working, set a timer to go off at 30-minute intervals. When it beeps, get up off your chair and blast out as many burpees as you can in 60 seconds;
#6: At dinner time, do a set of max effort pushups before you eat, and add in a 10-minute walk after you’ve eaten.
👀 The hidden threat to radical health
Okay, so you’ve decided to try this radical health thing. You’re eating steak. You’re getting sunlight. You’re moving every day. You’re even making time for a bit of fun after work 💃🏽…
But what if we told you there might be one big thing lurking in your blind spot…
Something that might be preventing you from reclaiming your birthright to radical health?
And possibly threatening your fertlility?
👹 Welcome to the scary world of phthalates…
Now when it comes to phthalates, we have bad news, very bad news, and good news.
Let’s start with the bad news.
😐 The bad news
Phthalates (pronounced THAL-ates) are a group of hormone-disrupting chemicals.
And they’re as common as the sunrise. You will find them in food packaging, cosmetics, soaps, lotions and nail polish. They’re also in most plastics (they make plastic flexible and durable).
And if it’s got a fragrance, it’s also got phthalates. That means your laundry detergent, car air freshener and deodorant have them too.
Even in a study last year, 81% of fast food was found to contain phthalates.
Bottom line is, phthalates are everywhere.
The main ways we are exposed to them are:
1) by ingesting them through food or drink (including food packaging)…
And
2) Absorbing them through our skin from personal care products (think creams, soaps and makeup).And women have higher phthalate levels than men, most likely because they use more personal care products.
😬 The very bad news
Phthalates are known hormone-disruptors, and are especially damaging to both men and women’s fertility.
They are implicated in the epidemic of declining sperm count & quality, and testosterone in men…
And they are also harmful to women’s fertility.
They may interfere with conception, and lead to early miscarriages. They are also linked with pregnancy and birth complications, including low birth weight, premature birth, and abnormal thyroid hormone levels during pregnancy.
But it gets even worse again because phthalates are also harmful to children.
They can pass from a pregnant mom to her unborn child in the womb. This can lead to “phthalate syndrome” in the child and a host of problems, including abnormal sexual development, possible behavioral disorders, and decreased IQs.
Phthalate exposure is also linked to childhood obesity, asthma and allergies, breast cancer, and diabetes.
And if you thought they were the only endocrine disrupting chemical to be concerned with, think again.
Your non-stick pan? It’s got perfluoroalkyl compounds which are as bad, if not worse than phthalates…
And your plastic water bottle contains bisphenols which are seriously concerning for women’s reproductive health too.
The main bisphenol is BPA, but BPA-free plastics are replaced with BPS or BPF, which are likely not any better.
👍 The good news
It might seem like avoiding these chemicals is about as easy as pissing up a rope… and yeah, that’s sort of the case.
Because even if you were marooned on a desert island, you would probably still be exposed to phthalates.
But it IS possible to minimize your exposure to phthalates with some simple animal-based lifestyle changes…
5 ways to reduce your exposure to phthalates
1. Ditch the processed and packaged foods
Whether in the food packaging, or the food itself, processed and packaged foods all come with a side of phthalates.
In contrast, animal foods have the nutrients your body needs to optimize your natural hormones, and minimize the consequences of phthalate exposure.
Also, an animal-based diet is fantastic for supporting fertility health – there are TONS of people who went on to have successful pregnancies after adopting this way of eating!
2. Audit your personal care products
Nows the time to ask if you really need all those personal care products?
Ditch what you don’t need and seek out natural alternatives to what you do need (e.g. handmade soaps).
Plus, when you fully embrace an animal-based lifestyle you won’t need these products anymore – your skin and hair will naturally glow 🤗
3. Swap the cleaning products
Febreze, Tide and Cloroxes? Swap them for safer and cheaper alternatives like vinegar and baking soda.
4. Throw the non-stick cookware in the trash
DOOO IT! And then pick up a stainless steel or cast iron pan instead.
5. Ditch the plastic water bottles and lunchboxes
Pick up glass or stainless steel alternatives instead – easy peasy but a big gamechanger!
Further Reading
We’ve provided a ton of studies in this newsletter.
But if you prefer a book that lays it all out, then get Countdown by Dr. Shanna Swan.
Alternatively, listen to her on Joe Rogan’s podcast.
Closing thoughts…
We live in a world where poor health is the default. The food is trash. Hormone disrupting chemicals like phthalates are everywhere. Even the rainwater is poisoned 🤯
And if you want optimal radical health you must fight for it. You must go beyond an animal-based diet, and embrace an animal-based lifestyle.
You must swim against the tide and be willing to be “a little weird”.
This may just be the greatest battle of our time.
– The Heart & Soil Crew.
Subscribe to future articles like this: