Can Toxins Make You Fat?
Have you tried every diet under the sun with no success? Calorie counting? Macro counting? Intermittent fasting? If the scale doesn’t move no matter how hard you try, it is very likely that your toxin bucket is overloaded.
Unfortunately, the modern-day environment is full of toxins: in the air we breathe, in the water we drink, in the clothes we wear, etc. – we are constantly exposed to toxins. According to EPA Inventory Update Reporting Program, 27 trillion pounds of chemicals are produced or imported each year into the United States. Am I the only person that gets anxious about this?
The average American is exposed to 200.000 toxins daily. A major contributor to our declining health and weight gain is toxicity. Toxins get stored in fat cells, plus they lower our immunity. This in turn allows pathogens and other toxins to manifest much more easily in our bodies. Research shows that exposure to these environmental chemicals can negatively impact our gene expression (epigenetics) and be a major contributor to whether or not our body is going to burn fat or not.
Environmental toxins can induce weight gain independent of calorie intake.
When we are exposed to more toxins that we can safely eliminate, a state of toxicity occurs in our bodies. The body’s detoxification systems get overburdened and cannot keep up with the constant daily barrage of chemicals. Therefore, these nasty chemicals are getting stored in fatty tissue in order to protect our organs from damage. The downside is, that these bound-up toxins can cause inflammation, health issues in the body/brain, and damage our mitochondria. Our mitochondria are responsible for the oxidation of body fat, aka getting rid of body fat. (Read more about how to boost your mitochondria and get lean here)The combination of mitochondria dysfunction and a high-toxin body is a sure recipe for weight gain and weight loss resistance.
Toxic fat is resistant to diet and exercise approaches. The body will not let go of stubborn fat unless we reduce the incoming toxic load, support the body’s natural elimination pathways and detoxify the body properly.
So, what are these problematic toxins that sneak into our bodies and cause weight gain?
Herbicides and pesticides in our food. If possible, buy always organic and check out this year’s Dirty Dozen And Clean Fifteen List (https://www.ewg.org/foodnews/) to help decide whether it’s okay to buy non-organic
Conventional animal products are full of antibiotics and hormones. Support your body and animal welfare by choosing organic, pasture-raised and/or grass-fed animal products
Avoid eating fish that are high in mercury. The Natural Resource Defense Council’s guide (https://www.nrdc.org/stories/smart-seafood-buying-guide) gives a good overview, of which types of fish are safe to consume
Choose clean skincare and household products. Be aware of greenwashing companies and check use EWG to determine if your personal care products are free of toxic ingredients. Keep it easy and switch one product at a time
Avoid plastics whenever possible. Buy a refillable stainless-steel bottle and fill it with your own filtered water. To promote extra healing energy, choose a bottle with a crystal
Show your body some TLC and support its detox systems:
Hydrate properly! Drink a minimum of eight 8-ounce glasses of filtered water per day to support flushing out toxins
Sweat regularly, ideally 3-5 times per week. It doesn’t matter if through a sauna, a hot bath or exercise. The skin is your largest detox organ. Sweating is an easy way to support the body’s natural ability to detoxify itself
Deep breathing is another simple yet powerful way to detox. Conscious breathing massages the lymphatic system, which helps to eliminate toxins. On the other hand, shallow breathing results in low oxygenation and stagnant lymph fluids, which prevents the elimination of toxins
90% of the risk of developing obesity is caused by lifestyle choices, not by our genes. Only 10% of our risk is genetic. Let that sink in. This means that your everyday choices greatly matter! At the end of the day, YOU get to choose what you put at the end of your fork, on your body, and even which kind of thoughts you’re having. Choose wisely!
If you’re ready to swap out toxins that impair your health and your weight, you don’t want to miss out to check out my shop with my favorite non-toxic, healthy alternatives.