The Third Cornerstone of Epigenetics – Environmental Exposures

Of the four cornerstones, this one may be the hardest to really pin down — partly because these exposures are woven into everyday life in ways we rarely see. But just like the other three, this is where we can make a significant impact on our health – for today and the future.

When we’re talking environmental exposures, we’re really talking about the chemicals that are in the foods we eat, the cleaning and body care products we use at home and industrial exposures when we are outside our homes. This one gets really big, really quickly. And it can be a bit overwhelming.

How Environmental Exposures Fit Into the Bigger Picture

Environmental exposures are just one piece of a much larger story. In epigenetics, we often talk about four key cornerstones that work together — not in isolation — to influence how your genes are expressed day to day.

The good news is we don’t need to understand all of the details to make meaningful change. Let’s focus on just two of the most common chemicals – phthalates and parabens.

Phthalates are a family of chemicals used to make plastic products more flexible and durable, or as solvents. Let’s get practical – phthalates are commonly found in body care products like soaps and shampoos, as well as vinyl products. When you see “fragrances” in the list of ingredients, phthalates are likely to be included there. Phthalates are also commonly found in food packaging, so much of our exposure is in the food we eat.

Parabens are another family of chemicals commonly used as artificial preservatives in the body care products we use, especially cosmetics. The big thing about parabens is that they are so very common! Stop in the drug store aisle and start reading the ingredients of your favorite toothpaste, lotion or moisturizer, or even nail polish and you are likely to see “paraben” at the end of a name.

Why do we care about these chemicals? They are both xenoestrogens, or a chemical compound that mimics estrogen. The effect can be significant enough that it is like we’re taking an estrogen pill. The impact on hormones, including thyroid, are very real. Hormones act like messengers, so when those signals are disrupted, many systems can feel “off” at once — energy, mood, sleep (a cornerstone all its own), cycles, and weight included.

This Is About Reducing the Load — Not Doing Everything

Now it’s all about minimizing our exposure, right? To make that a little easier — especially when stress is already high — I strongly recommend that we both (because I need to work on this, too!) focus on decreasing our “dose” of these chemicals, not eliminating them. Why? Because by even decreasing our exposures by 50% is significant and will make true changes in our health. I’m all about trying to make the biggest change possible in our four cornerstones of epigenetics, but working to completely eliminate these chemicals is a bigger challenge than I can take on…and I’m assuming you are in a boat similar to mine!

Here are a few ways to meaningfully lower your exposure without overhauling your life:

• Eat fresh and organic as much as you can. So many reasons to embrace this as much as is reasonable for your routine, not the least of which is minimizing food sources of these chemicals.

• Trade canned foods for frozen. Frozen foods have a lot of benefits, including typically being harvested when they’re ripe and then minimally processed.

• Trade body care and cosmetic products with phthalates and parabens for those with less of a health impact. How do you do that?? Take a look down at today’s 60-Second Self-Care. (You know I’d never leave you hanging!)

Much more to come about these and other environmental chemicals and toxins. We’ve barely scratched the surface.

Sixty-Second Self-Care Tip

There are so many apps out there to help (or overwhelm) our daily choices. Specifically for reducing chemicals like the ones mentioned above, consider downloading the Environmental Working Group (EWG) app, Healthy Living. It can help determine which of your favorite body and cosmetic products are higher risk for phthalates and parabens…and many others. Be sure to look at your toothpaste, body washes, soaps…even laundry detergents. And, Ladies, we love our cosmetics. Don’t forget about the lipstick or lip balm in your pocketbook!

Just remember – the goal is to decrease exposure, not totally eliminate it. These small choices aren’t about control — they’re about giving your body fewer obstacles as it does what it already knows how to do.

Practice, Not Perfection

One more week of walking through the Four Cornerstones of Epigenetics to build a self-care foundation that’s practical, compassionate, and personal — not rigid or overwhelming.

Each cornerstone builds on the next — from how safe your body feels, to how it’s fueled, to what it’s exposed to — creating more resilience over time.