Chemicals Turning Men into Women

There's a disturbing trend in the field of health:  men are getting breast reduction surgery like never before.  No, I'm not joking - or making light of the problem.  In fact, male breast reduction has grown more than 2000% in the past five years.  What's behind this growing need?  It's hormones.  When we eat too much sugar or flour, we over-produce insulin, a hormone that in excess will block our production of sex hormones like testosterone, making a man look more like a woman.  But there's a bigger hormonal driver that's even more disturbing to me:  it's estrogen.

When healthy, our bodies make just the right amount of sex hormones.  In women, estrogen is primary.  Men produce a little estrogen too but make predominantly testosterone.  The problem is that the female hormone estrogen is increasingly prevalent in our food and in our environments.  And it's changing the balance of hormones in men, giving them larger breasts, smaller muscles, larger bellies, and less sex drive.  In women, higher estrogen makes for more troublesome PMS, worse menopause symptoms, increased depression, and a higher risk of breast cancer.  In children, excessive hormones encourage premature sexual development.  In everyone, excessive estrogen increases risk of cancer, heart attack, and stroke. 

An external flood of estrogen also makes your body reduce or stop production of hormones internally.  In women, this is problematic because the body will not only stop making estrogen but will also stop making progesterone.  I see many clients who are low in progesterone, what I call the Calm-and-Relaxed hormone, and these women typically struggle with depression, anxiety, low energy, and fatigue. 

So where are we getting all this estrogen?  First of all, from our food.  Today's modern "factory farmers" use hormones to accelerate weight gain in animals and increase profitability.  This practice includes chickens, cows, pigs, and even fish farmers.  Hormones also keep dairy cows lactating on a constant basis, including while they are pregnant.  When we consume foods from these animals, we absorb the hormones.   You can avoid this source by always choosing "hormone-free" animal products, ideally also organic and free-range to avoid exposure to other chemicals in animal feed and drugs. 

We are also absorbing large amounts of "estrogen mimickers" from our environment.  These are chemicals that look enough like real estrogen to fool our bodies into making hormonal changes.  In my December 2009 issue, I warned you about the dangers of bisphenol-A (BPA), a potent estrogen mimicker found in most food can linings, some plastic wraps, and plastic cups and containers labeled #7 in the little recycling triangle.  Instead of plastic water bottles, choose stainless steel or glass-lined models.  If you use canned foods, make sure you rinse the contents thoroughly before using; otherwise, choose whole, fresh foods or those in paper cartons. 

Another common culprit of hormone disruption is a chemical called triclosan.  It's found in antibacterial soaps, tooth­paste, mouthwash, deodorants, and first-aid creams.  Make sure you read labels to find out what you're putting on your body.  I believe soap and water remain our best weapons against the spread of infection.  Skin is our largest organ and a powerful absorption site that sends ingredients straight to our blood stream.  In general, don't put anything on your skin that you wouldn't eat. 

Another major estrogenic chemical category includes pesticides and gardening chemicals.  Practice natural, organic gardening.  Don't subscribe to putting a regular flood of chemicals on your lawn or flowers.  Even if you don't sit on the grass, the chemicals are carried indoors on pets, shoe soles, and even the wind.  Wherever possible, choose organic foods or those certified as pesticide-free.  Some produce retains more chemicals than others, so use research data to help you spend your organic food dollars wisely.   

The threats can appear overwhelming, but don't let that keep you from doing anything.   With some simple choices, you can begin to protect your body from the chemical threats common in our modern lifestyle.

Healthy - and Delicious - Vegetarian Eating

Do you think every meal needs a piece of meat to be satisfying?  This event is perfect for vegetarians, for meat-lovers, or for those who simply want more alternatives and variety in their diet beyond typical American fare.  Vegetarian dishes really can be hearty, delicious, and satisfying.  Don't believe me?  Come and see for yourself!  Learn to build a balanced single meal - or a lifestyle - using food from the earth. Many people who avoid eating meat or other animal products end up being "junkfood-atarians".  To be a healthy vegetarian or vegan, you need to make smart choices to ensure you get all the nutrition your body needs.  Let me show you how to do this with easy and delicious dishes. 

Spring Cleaning for Your Body

tracy@eatonpurpose.com  

The facts about Diabetes are alarming:   

• It's a growing epidemic!  23.6 million children and adults in the U.S. - 7.8% of the population - have diabetes and another 57 million people are pre-diabetic. This means over 80 million Americans have, or will some day have, diabetes.
• It's a precursor to many leading causes of death! While heart disease is a leading cause of death, 75% of heart attack patients had diabetes first.
• It's costing all of us a lot of money and projected to cost us more in the future!  1 of every 5 healthcare dollars is spent on someone who has diabetes. Diabetes is 1 of 4 major drivers increasing healthcare costs today.

If current trends continue, the number of Americans with this life-threatening disease will nearly double in the next 25 years and spending on the disease will nearly triple.  Research shows that an aging population combined with a dramatic rise in obesity has created a perfect storm for diabetes in the U.S..  Costs of caring for diabetes patients will outpace the increase in cases because more diabetes patients will be older and sicker and will require more expensive medical care. 

This is a sobering forecast, but the projected future does not have to become reality.  American Diabetes Association (ADA) chief scientific and medical officer David M. Kendall, MD says it is now clear that even modest lifestyle changes, such as losing a few pounds or taking a walk most days a week, can drastically reduce a person's risk of developing diabetes.

And for those who already have diabetes, it is nowhere near too late. The Diabetes Prevention Program was one of the largest studies ever to examine the impact of good nutrition, exercise, and other treatments on diabetes rates in patients at high risk of developing the disease. The study found that diabetes risk can be cut dramatically by losing just 7% of body weight and engaging in moderate exercise for at least 30 minutes, a minimum of five times a week.

The message is simple: We can do more to fight diabetes by simply taking better care of ourselves!   Tracy helps you to make the right food choices, but what are you doing for yourself for exercise?  Do you dread going to the gym?  Bored by the treadmill?  Have a hard time keeping a commitment to yourself?  Fitness Together-Westborough is a unique alternative to fitness.  We help all of our clients lose weight, lower their blood pressure, and for those with diabetes, lower blood glucose with the ultimate goal of stopping any medications.  We don't just have these as goals; we actually get results!  We do this through a holistic program that combines customized strength training programs and cardio programming.  No intimidation.  Fully-customized programs that accommodate your current level of fitness.  We even coordinate with Tracy to provide supportive nutrition coaching.

Fitness Together is currently working to strengthen our connection with the fight against diabetes by becoming the official Health and Fitness Sponsor of the ADA's Step Out - The Walk to Fight Diabetes. Working together with the ADA, we can help more people live healthier, productive lives and do our part to help lower healthcare costs.

To learn more about Fitness Together, contact Karen Isgur at 508-366-0099 or westborough@fitnesstogether.com.  You may also read what clients have to say about FT at www.ftwestborough.com .