Energy Levels

Unmasking the Toxins: How They Disrupt Your Hormones and Health

April 26, 2023

Hi, I’m Angela
I'm a functional medicine practitioner & hormone expert working primarily with women in their 40's and 50's to create lasting health.
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Are you in your 40s or older and feeling like something isn’t quite right with your body? Are you experiencing fatigue, mood swings, out-of-whack hormones, or unexpected weight gain? You are not alone; many women of all ages experience similar symptoms. It can be incredibly frustrating to go through this without knowing why it’s happening. Until recently, women have been unable to get to the root cause of their health issues. But that is changing because, finally, we’re uncovering the real culprit: toxins. Unmasking the poisons hiding in plain sight is going to revolutionize how we tackle our hormonal imbalances for good! In this blog post, I will explain how toxins disrupt hormones and threaten your overall well-being so that you can take control of your own health—you deserve it!

Toxins and Our Hormones 

I think it is very important to address the exposure of toxins in our environment to our bodies on a daily basis and how it can influence our hormone balance. This really is a topic not just for women in this age group (the mid-30s and beyond), but this is really a broad topic all the way from when we are born all the way up to our transition into our next life.

Let’s face it, our modern world is filled with toxins that we can’t always avoid. But for women between the ages of 35 and 55, there’s even more to consider. During this time, our bodies are going through some major changes, and our female hormones, like estrogen and progesterone, are declining rapidly. This can make us more susceptible to the harmful effects of toxins in our environment.

If you’re in this age group, it’s important to take notice and take action. The toxins in our daily lives can have a bigger impact on our hormonal health during this time. So, it’s essential to be mindful of the products we use, the food we eat, and the air we breathe.


The Dominance of Estrogen 

Our bodies go through many changes as we age, including a decline in female sex hormones. As we get older, our estrogen and progesterone levels both decrease, but progesterone tends to decrease faster than estrogen. This can lead to what’s called Hormone Imbalance, where we have more estrogen than progesterone, also known as Estrogen Dominance. Even though both hormones are declining, estrogen is declining at a slower rate than progesterone, leading to this monthly imbalance. These hormonal changes are a natural part of transitioning into menopause.

So why this matters so much in regards to toxin exposure?

When we are exposed to too many toxins every day, our body’s natural detoxification system may not work efficiently. This can cause these toxins to build up and recirculate within our body instead of being eliminated through our urine and bowels. This accumulation of toxins can have a harmful impact on our health.

In women, this can affect the liver’s ability to process and detoxify estrogen. If the liver is already overwhelmed with the task of filtering out toxins, it may not be able to properly regulate estrogen levels. 

As women age, our bodies naturally become more estrogen-dominant. But if we are also exposed to high levels of toxins, it can make this dominance even worse, leading to more hormonal imbalance. As mentioned, when our bodies are burdened with toxins, our ability to eliminate excess estrogen is compromised, causing estrogen levels to rise even higher. This bigger imbalance often comes with a range of unpleasant symptoms. 

Does this sound familiar to you? 

If you are a woman and you’re experiencing estrogen dominance, you probably may or may not know your estrogen dominance. I can imagine how you’re having some of these symptoms:

  • Brain fog
  • Extreme fatigue, particularly leading up to the period
  • Mood swings, which may feel very severe during the first half to the second half of the cycle
  • PMDD (Premenstrual Dysphoric Disorder), in extreme cases
  • PCOS (Polycystic Ovary Syndrome)

Most women think this is related more to the different male androgen hormones, but it can also be related to estrogen dominance. Many different conditions can develop from estrogen dominance, along with symptoms.

Women with high levels of estrogen often experience poor sleep, joint pain, inflammation, and swollen ankles (known as cankles) due to hormone imbalances in their bodies. This can be caused by a buildup of toxins in the body, which can have a significant impact on their health.

Mind your Environment

How do we understand what we can do to lower our toxic load in the environment? 

Toxins are all around us, even in our everyday household items like laundry soap, dish soap, and bathroom cleaners. We may also be unknowingly consuming toxins through processed foods and produce sprayed with chemicals. These toxins can build up in our bodies and negatively affect our health.

As women, we also apply products to our skin and hair every day, which can add to our toxic load. It’s important to be aware of the potential sources of toxins in our daily lives and make choices that reduce our exposure to them.

We really have to check what is in these products. Ask questions like: 

  • What do the labels say?
  • Can I recognize what these things are?
  • Do I know what they are? 
  • Are they toxic or not? 
  • How do I understand how high my toxic load and burden are daily? 
  • How do I know if my body is getting rid of these toxins efficiently or not? 

Try these tips

I’ll name a couple of products for you that I tend to use that are very helpful for lowering toxic burden and toxic buildup on a daily basis. 

I’ve been using a great brand that will change the way you clean. It’s called Branch Basics. This stuff is like the superhero of cleaning products: versatile, cost-effective, and toxin-free. You can use it for practically anything in your home, and it’ll go the distance without breaking the bank. Branch Basics is available online in both the US and Canada. It’s the ultimate all-in-one household product that can even tackle your laundry.

Another thing you can do is make sure you either have a really good cleaning process for your fruits and vegetables and/or are trying to buy organic as much as you can. This is because there is going to be a lower toxic load or burden on these products.

When you’re cleaning, skip the toxic stuff and go for natural options like baking soda, vinegar, or soap and water. Your body will thank you for it! Just make sure to rinse everything off well and dry it properly. It’s an easy way to reduce your exposure to harmful chemicals and keep your home clean at the same time. So next time you’re reaching for cleaning products, remember: natural is the way to go!

Try to eat the Clean 15 and stay away from the Dirty Dozen if you can. If you don’t know what that is, all you’ve got to do is Google it. 

For other products you put on your skin, nails, and hair every single day of your life, you can go to a website called ewg.org. It has great information on almost every product on the market now. You can type in the brand and you can look at the toxic rating score. It’ll tell you if it’s high, low, or moderate. It’ll also give you some alternatives. This is a great way for you to slowly build up over time.

It doesn’t have to happen overnight to start reducing some of the toxic products that you may have in your home that you may or may not have been aware of.

How the Functional Approach Can Help

It’s important to pay attention to how well our bodies filter toxins. If you’re experiencing unexplained weight gain despite living a healthy lifestyle, it could be a sign that your body is not detoxifying properly. Toxins can accumulate in fat cells and make them bigger, which could be causing your weight gain. To know for sure, you need to get the right lab tests.

As a functional medicine practitioner, I can offer lab testing for women across North America and beyond. Our urine test checks how effectively your body is filtering toxins and identifies which phases of detoxification are working or not. With this information, we can personalize a plan to help you filter toxins more efficiently. This can improve your hormone health and break the cycle of estrogen dominance, leading to significant benefits.

If you do feel like you’re struggling with big mood swings, fatigue leading up to your period, or just generally all around, you might be struggling with weight loss resistance. I want to tell you there is an answer out there. 

You don’t have to struggle with your health issues and try to manage them on your own. There’s a way for us to understand what’s happening in your body and help you make changes that will get you results. If you want to reduce your toxic load and get your hormones balanced, especially during this transitional time in your life, please reach out to me at my website. I offer free consultations where we can talk about working together to optimize not only your hormone health but your overall well-being for the long term. Let’s connect and get you on the path to feeling your best.


From hormone-disrupting plastics to polluted air, everyday toxins are unfortunately an unavoidable reality. To protect your hormones and health, it’s important to be mindful of the environment around you, including the chemicals and elements you introduce into your life. Thankfully, there are a few easy tips to reduce your exposure. While this may seem overwhelming at first, remember that little changes can produce big results. Even if you’re unsure where to begin, experts in functional medicine use holistic approaches driven by data and science to build plans based on individual needs. So here’s a challenge for you: Why not take back control of your hormones with a functional approach? If nothing else, schedule a discovery call and learn more about what steps you can take for yourself. I think it’s worth a shot! 

Looking to restore balance to your hormones and potentially alleviate the aggravating effects of toxicity in your body? Look no further. Our team is dedicated to helping you uncover the root cause of your hormonal imbalances and creating a personalized plan to address your unique symptoms. Schedule a free discovery call with us today to take the first step towards a healthier and happier you. 

And don’t forget to join our Private Facebook Group for even more support and resources along your journey. Follow the link now to join.

DISCLAIMER:  The information in this email is not intended nor implied to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. All content is for general informational purposes only and does not replace a consultation with your own doctor/health professional

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