“One cannot think well, love well, sleep well, if one has not dined well.” – Virginia Woolf

A 2018 study of 10,000+ Americans (2005-2014 ) who ate out vs. eating at home is shocking: those who mostly dined out (2/3 surveyed) had phthalates levels 35% higher than people who mainly cooked their own meals. Alarmingly, for teenagers it was 55%. Phthalates are a group of chemicals used to make plastics more flexible and harder to break.  Per the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), people are exposed to phthalates by consuming foods and drinks that have been in contact with containers and products containing phthalates. Phthalates are positively linked to thyroid, endocrine, reproductive and cancer diagnoses.  After getting angry thinking about the possible affects on our health and the health of our kids, what can you do?

For some simple and impactful changes to reduce phthalate exposure, here is what my family is doing (including my teens):

• Buy local fruit & veggies – summer farmer’s markets are teeming with choices.
• Eat more home-cooked meals.  You’ll avoid harmful chemicals, and eat more nutritous food.
• Throw (hide, if need be) greens into fruit smoothies.  Try micro-greens – they pack up to 40% more nutrients than full grown greens.
• Supplement every day, including probiotics! Food grown in USA contains less nutrient content than ever. It’s nearly impossible to get the vitamins and minerals we need each day for good health from our meals.
• Add liver-detoxing herbs to flush toxins out where they accumulate in our bodies.
• Be sure you choose organic food and high quality, safe, & effective supplements.

AND…let your elected officials know you want phthalates, and other unregulated man-made chemicals, out of consumer & food products!  Our lives are all at stake.