In my eyes, extra weight is not about the way you look, but rather about how healthy you are. However, I think you all know that the biggest threat to both your appearance and your health is an ill-eating and sedentary lifestyle.
But what if I told you that besides this, your health and shape could also be threatened by familiar items that you use every day?
For example, in some things that you certainly have in your home and that you all use regularly, recent studies have found substances that can disrupt your hormonal balance and metabolism.
Let's find out what these things are so you know how to avoid them:
1. Scented products
Not all, of course, but only those that contain phthalates, the chemicals "responsible" for flavoring. A recent study showed that phthalates can accumulate in the body and affect metabolism.
Carefully check the labels of cosmetics, shampoos, and household cleaners-and if you find phthalates there, don't use them under any circumstances!
2. Canned foods
Bisphenol A (BPA) is a chemical estrogen-like substance that is sometimes used in canning. In most cases it is safe, but in combination with highly acidic foods (such as canned tomatoes) it can penetrate directly into the food and then into the body. There are studies that confirm the link between exposure to bisphenol A and metabolic disorders and obesity.
Be sure to check the contents of canned food before you buy it!
3. Plastic containers
The same phthalates I mentioned above are found in plastic and easily penetrate into food when heated. Therefore, never use plastic containers for heating. Studies have shown that people who constantly interacted with heated plastic ended up being three times more likely to be overweight than those who avoided them.
- Non-stick cookware The chemicals used to make nonstick cookware, called perfluoroalkyl chemicals (PFAs), accumulate in the body and have a detrimental effect on metabolism, triggering diverse health problems, including obesity.
One precaution for the safe use of nonstick cookware is to cook on a low or medium heat. Even at low temperatures, the coating forms the desired crust, so there's no point in heating the pan any higher.
Also, choose heavier pots and pans. Such cookware heats up more slowly (which means there is no synthesis of harmful substances). At the same time, it retains heat better and allows you to cook even at low temperatures.
4. Leather items
A German study showed that leather samples also contain high levels of PFAs. In that sense, I recommend you to be very vigilant with furniture or other leather objects that you use frequently. You might want to consider replacing them with other, safer options.
5. Cash register receipts
Checks are printed using bisphenol A or bisphenol C to make the text show up when printed. These are toxic substances that can cause reproductive changes, endocrine damage, delayed brain development, diabetes, cancer, obesity and cardiovascular disease.
In small amounts, exposure to BPA is unnoticeable – one touch of the check will not create health problems. However, with frequent contact with checks, the risk increases. Toxins can accumulate in the body and, over time, lead to serious consequences.
Bisphenol enters the body through the skin. If your hands are wet or oily, such as in a cream or antiseptic, it happens many times faster. If you touch the receipt and then scratch your eye or nose, bisphenol will also end up in our bodies.
Do you still keep paper cashier's checks? If so, I think it's time to think about scanning them into a digital version.
I recommend that you give up using these products – it will definitely be better for your health and your body!