A very real problem of our day is the overwhelming amount of toxins -- everywhere. Not only are they seen in air pollution, they're in food, cleaning products, beauty regimen, and even in your thoughts. Indeed, detoxing your life of stress is just as important as cleaning harmful chemicals, and should be addressed in a whole-body approach.

Chemicals not only exacerbate endo, there's a compelling case they may help instigate it. As explained in books including Our Stolen Future, Dying from Dioxin, and The Endometriosis Sourcebook, scientists have come to the realization that certain chemical compounds, such as dioxin, have profound immunological and reproductive impacts at exposures far below the level known to cause cancer. These chemicals are known as endocrine disruptors and can mimic hormones and interfere with many physiological processes .

Scientists are still researching the mechanisms that are used, but they already know that these man-made chemicals persist in the body for years. PCBs (polychlorinated biphenyls) are a group of dioxin-like chemicals that were used in industry until they were banned in the 1970s. Some PCBs persist in the environment for more than one hundred years. According to Endometriosis Association research, certain PCBs appear to be linked with TCDD in endometriosis in the monkeys. The severity of endometriosis correlated with the blood levels of a particular PCB." (Endometriosis Association)

And if environmental toxins weren't enough, stress can make matters much worse. Not only is it linked to increased gut permeability, depression, anxiety, and disease prevalence, it's also now known to increase the amount and severity of endometriosis. In a recent study, scientists made rats with endometriosis perform a stressful swim test 10 days in a row (omg, poor rats) to measure the bodily effects. The stress not only increased the amount of inflammation involved with the endo and surrounding tissues, it also increased the amount of endometriosis lesions!

So in order to combat the toxins that can cause, continue, and aggravate our condition, it's time to detox your head (perhaps most important), beauty routine, and your home environment. Insert a deep, calming breath here :)

Detox Your Body

Your skin is the largest organ of your body, treat it with care. Learn what products are good for you and which ones to toss, how the skin micro biome is awesome, and how to make your home environment an oasis

Detox your mind

Why is stress included in the detox section? Because it's as potent as toxin as anything you eat, breathe, or apply. Perhaps even the worst toxin of all. Life is stressful enough without a chronic disease. Learn how to shed excess stressors, better cope with the ones you must, and feel dramatically better.