Did you know that losing baby weight gained during pregnancy or that middle-aged spread could be as simple as ensuring you are not putting chemicals on your skin?

Research is now showing there are now over 140,000 chemicals used in our world and we do not know the impact of these chemicals as most (around 87%) have never been tested for their safety individually and even those that have are tested in isolation.

10,500 industrial chemicals are used as cosmetic ingredients.

Many of these industrial chemicals are carcinogens, pesticides, reproductive toxins, endocrine disruptors, plasticisers (chemicals that keep concrete soft, to extend the scent profile of perfumes, to make plastics stronger and more pliable), degreasers (used in the auto industry to remove grease) and surfactants (used reduce surface tension in water, like in paint and inks). And these go on our skin and into the environment.

A large number of these chemicals are what we call “Obesogens”.

Over the past decade, research has found that exposure to natural and synthetic endocrine-disrupting (our hormonal system) chemicals in our air, water, food and personal care products, may predispose us to become obese.

Obesogens interfere with our natural hormones—and consequently metabolism—they mimic their actions and/or block their normal actions.

UC Irvine biologist Bruce Blumberg identified how exposure to obesogens prenatally alters genes to turn more precursor cells into fat cells, predisposing us to a lifetime of struggling with weight. Obesogens affect metabolism and body fat by:

• increasing the number of fat cells in an animal or human
• increasing the amount of fat stored in fat cells
• reprogramming cells to become fat cells
• altering the metabolic rate so that the body stores calories rather than burning them
• affecting our signals for appetite and satiety, altering the way the body manages hunger stimulating the liver to become insulin resistant.

How chemicals cause cellulite

Women are, in my opinion, three times more toxic than men.

Although I don’t like to use the word toxic, as women, we tend to load ourselves up by applying toxic chemicals to our body.  These chemicals don’t remain on our skin, they are absorbed into our bloodstream and organs.

When our body cannot successfully remove these toxins due to toxic overload, to keep us safe, our body pushes the toxins as far away from our vital organs as possible and stores them in our fat. Therein is the reason I and so many researchers believe women are more prone to cellulite than men.

If you want to get rid of cellulite, detox and remove chemicals from your daily routine.

So what chemicals are known to be Obesogens?

Bisphenol-A (BPA) Bisphenol A is a synthetic estrogen used to harden plastics, BPA is found in plastic bottles and the lining of most canned foods. Laboratory research has found BPA accelerates fat-cell differentiation and causes insulin resistance.

Phthalates: Plasticising ingredients which mimic our hormones.

Vinyl: Products made from PVC plastics, which include shower curtains, clothing, air fresheners, pipes, and vinyl flooring not only mess with your metabolism, but they may lower testosterone levels as well.

Pesticides: Even minimal exposure to pesticides can mess with our hormones. A study conducted on mice found the fungicide triflumizole pushes genes and cells toward becoming fat cells.

There is now so much research about the damaging impact of organophosphates on our nervous system that it can no longer be ignored. In 2005, Spanish scientists reported that the more prenatal exposure to pesticides children had, the greater their risk of being overweight as toddlers.

Similarly, in Belgium, children with higher exposure to PCBs and DDE before birth became more overweight than children exposed to lower levels of the pesticides.

Pesticides that make their way into tap water can affect thyroid hormone metabolism and stimulate fat cell production.

The best thing you can do for your body and to ensure your household products and personal care products aren’t wreaking havoc on your weight loss efforts is to switch to safe and only use certified organic food and products.

Certified organic is the only guarantee that your products don’t contain harmful chemicals like obesogens.

For more information and education join the FREE Divine by Therese Kerr “Educated, Empowered & Chemical-free Program” and our VIP Program. To switch your personal care range to safe visit here.

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