Are There Toxic Chemicals in Your Yoga Pants?
· Did you know that your favorite yoga pants (and other sportswear, men too) could be making you sick and harming the environment?
· Hazardous chemicals such as phthalates, perfluorinated chemicals (PFCs), dimethylformamide (DMF), nonylphenol ethoxylates (NPEs), and nonylphenols (NPs) are found in most sportswear to help them slide & not bind.
· These substances, which are known endocrine disruptors are especially problematic for people with hormone-driven cancers such as breast and prostate cancer.
· It is best to avoid polyester, acrylic, rayon, acetate, triacetate, nylon, and anything else that is stain resistant, permanent press, or wrinkle-free. The healthiest fabric choices are organic cotton, wool, silk, linen, hemp, bamboo, Cupro, Tencel, and cashmere – as long as you don’t dry clean these fabrics. Also, wear loose clothes.
· All the collective chemicals that we eat, use, or wear pollute the body and our environment. However, as we cannot avoid every toxin we come across, daily detoxification is essential.
· Foods such as cruciferous vegetables, consumed on a regular basis, can support the detoxification process. Certain supplements are also highly beneficial.
We strive to be healthy. We eat our vegetables; we drink our green juices and smoothies. Then we head to the gym. Uh-oh. While daily moderate exercise contributes to good health and has been found to lower the risk of cancer recurrence by up to 50 percent, did you know that your favorite yoga pants could be making you and everyone else sick?
Men Are at Risk From Synthetic Fabrics Too
PFCs have been linked to prostate cancer, and DMF has been linked to testicular and other cancers as well as to severe damage to the liver (a healthy liver is essential for efficient detoxification). What this means is that men should also not be wearing their synthetic pants any longer than necessary.
Sports Bras are of particular concern because toxins stagnate in the breast/lymph.
Suffice it to say that synthetic fabrics are too toxic to wear every day, all day long, and should be worn with caution.
Wash all new clothing in non-toxic detergent prior to use as even those made of organic fabrics may contain chemical processing detergents, bleaches, formaldehyde, chemical softeners, and more. Never use commercial fabric softeners or dryer sheets, which add a whole other layer of chemicals. Going forward, continue to use only non-toxic cleaning products.
In the perfect world, your body would expel toxins on a daily basis. But the world is not perfect, and over time toxins build up in the body, including within the lymphatic system. Too many toxins can overwhelm this system and lead to liver damage and various chronic diseases, including cancer. Foods such as cruciferous vegetables, consumed on a regular basis, can support the detoxification process.