Escaping Artificial

It’s been a while since I shared our meals. This was the fortnight just gone.

Easing into school life and back to work so kept it basic.

Don’t forget I cook in big batches so I can use elements for the next meal. Example the slaw was used 3 nights and even stretched to the stuffed spuds. Any Thai beef went on pizzas, roast chicken was used with fried rice.

What meals do you have planned this week?

Parabens what are they? Why are they so bad???

There is so much talk about avoiding parabens. Products now advertise that they’re paraben free.

Parabens are a type of preservative used in a lot of cosmetic, pharmaceutical and even food products. They are made up of synthetic chemicals and can go by many names, which makes it confusing and hard to know what to avoid.

Here are some examples of parabens - methylparaben, ethylparaben, propylparaben, butylparaben, isopropylparaben and isobutylparaben there are many more.

The issue with parabens is they can accumulate in our body from daily continued consumption/use (applied/absorbed or ingested) of products which contain them.

Parabens are said to be endocrine-disrupting chemicals, also known as hormone mimicking chemicals and can mimic estrogen. Too much estrogen can trigger an increase in breast cell division and growth of tumours, which is why paraben use has been linked to breast cancer and reproductive issues.

These hormone mimicking chemicals can also throw off the balance of hormones in your body, no matter your s*x. The activity of parabens has been shown to interfere with the way that your body’s hormones regulate. This is a concern because it could mean parabens influence reproductive activities, like pregnancy and menstruation and even s***m production.

It’s something to be mindful of and to actively try to reduce the amount of products contain parabens you use.

There are so many natural options available now making the switch is easy. Also apps like “Think Dirty” or “Chemical Maze” or “EWG Healthy Living” to help navigate the ingredients list of your products.

What is one product you could ditch and switch today?