Avoiding Plastic

One of my favorite PHD researchers is Dr. Rhonda Patrick. In a recent post she shared her concern over our intake of micro-plastics. The average person ingests 5 grams of plastic every week — that's the size of a credit card. Over a lifetime, that adds up to 44 pounds of plastic inside your body. These are linked to health risks like:

• Hormone disruption
• Inflammation
• Cellular damage

And while we can't eliminate plastic from our life we can take steps to lessen our exposure. Dr. Patrick advises 
Key Areas to Reduce Plastic Exposure:

    •    Food & Drink:

    ◦    Avoid heating food in plastic containers; use glass or ceramic instead.

    ◦    Ditch plastic water bottles; use stainless steel or glass, and avoid plastic lids.

    ◦    Reduce canned foods and drinks due to plastic linings (BPA/BPS).

    ◦    Where possible avoid takeout containers, especially black plastic ones. NEVER reheat food in plastic but especially not in a black plastic take out container. These are the worst for leaching plastic. 

    •    Kitchenware:

    ◦    Use wood, metal, or glass utensils instead of plastic. (I recently threw out my plastic cutting boards and switched to wood for fruits and vegetables and metal to cut meat) 

    ◦    Avoid non-stick pans due to "forever chemicals"

          • Ditch single-use plastics — opt for reusable bags, bottles, and containers (My daughter has switched ziplocks for reusable silicone bags available at Trader Joe's or on amazon)

    •    Clothing & Home:

    ◦    Choose natural fibers (cotton, wool) over synthetics (polyester, nylon) to reduce microfiber shedding. It's especially beneficial if your work out clothes are natural fibers 

    ◦    Use HEPA filters for air and washing machine filters for laundry.

    •    Detoxification Support:

    ◦    Eat cruciferous vegetables (like broccoli sprouts) for sulforaphane to help detoxify chemicals. 

Why It Matters:

    •    Health Risks: Microplastics accumulate in organs and are linked to inflammation, immune issues, and potential cancer risks (phthalates).

    •    Ubiquity: Plastics shed microparticles into food, water, and air, making complete avoidance difficult but reduction crucial. 

I don't expect you to take on monumental changes but for every day that you make some effort to avoid plastic you can claim our daily bonus points, It can be as simple as stirring supper with a wooden spoon instead of plastic or storing your leftovers in a mason jar instead of Tupperware or drinking from a metal bottle or glass instead of plastic.  Baby steps!