Anyone here have success with chemical-free living?

[BelleMere]

I have to say I think part of PCOS may be having an extra-sensitive physical system. So I started wondering - would giving up things that I know have toxics chemicals in them (nailpolish, harsh cleaners, hair dyes, pesticides) make any difference in the way PCOS manifests itself? I am going to be trying to do this but I thought I'd ask here - has anyone done this and what has happened when you did?

[Bekah1999]

I stopped using nail polish and hair dye a long time ago. I am VERY selective in what I buy and use. My dh and I also eat organic as much as we can and have tried to cut way back on products that contain partially hydrogenated oils, etc. So far, I can't say that it has overly helped us. I just read in the newspaper that they ran tests on a large number of people, even people that were vegans, ate only organic, etc. and they had about as much toxins in their systems as the people who ate junk. It was amazing the toxins that they had in them. They are everywhere (toxins), even in the air. We are killing ourselves off, along with every other living thing on this planet. Well, except maybe cockroaches...lol.

[Eponine]

A resounding YES!!! from me. I really think that eliminating chemicals from our diet and environment would help A LOT in curbing PCOS symptoms. I'm working my way there right now, slowly but surely. I'm trying to eat more organic foods, and I make many of my own health and beauty products, so I know what's in them. I also use homemade cleaning products. I agree that it's an uphill struggle. I've seen people who eat really healthliy though, and they have clear smooth skin, shiny hair, and they're generally at a healthy weight. So, I feel that this does make a difference, though it's a huge struggle.

[Mathisk]

I would have to agree that PCOS bodies are highly sensitive to what we may be putting into our bodies. I am also selective to the point that it even drives me nuts sometimes. I have to filter my drinking water, there are so many processed foods that upset my system its often hard to find foods that dont. I also go thru about 50 bottles of shampoos and conditioners before I can find ones that I don't react to. My closet is full of stuff I won't use. I usually give it to my sister or someone at work. I am also starting to beleive that every time I have a moody day its related to something I ate that does not agree with me.

[Joanne cira 1973]

Its not quite on the same issue but there is a website for parents of asthmatic kids, where they can find out about food additives that may cause reactions. I have listed it below, incase any of you are interested.

www.fedupwithfoodadditives.info/

[Eponine]

Wow, I ca'nt wait to check out that site! I noticed that every time I ate a Boboli crust, I would get a terrible headache... I'm sure it's from an additive commonly put in bread products, cause sometimes the same thing happens with tortillas and pita bread. But always with a Boboli crust.

[Joanne cira 1973]

I have only started reading the "fed up with asthma" book.

It claims that a preservative that is VERY common in our food (ie. bread, meusli bars, etc) is one of the leading allergy triggers for all sorts of problems, not just asthma.

Makes you wonder, if we are killing ourselves with our processed food & lifestyles, etc.

I also read recently about how the average man has less sperm today it partially mentions our modern enviroment. The article is below. I got it from the "Herald Sun" Victoria, Australia.
== * == * == * ==

Sperm count decline 'alarming'
From correspondents in London
05jan04

SPERM counts have fallen by almost a third since 1989, with factors such as drinking and obesity possibly to blame, according to a British study.

A survey of 7500 men who attended the Aberdeen Fertility Centre in northern Scotland between 1989 and 2002 brought alarming findings, researchers said.
Analysis of sperm samples showed that in men with what is considered a "normal" concentration of sperm – defined as over 20 million sperm per millilitre of semen – the average sperm count had fallen by 29 per cent.

"(This) must cause some concern and needs to be explained", said Dr Siladitya Bhattacharya, who led the research project.

"There could be a number of lifestyle factors which could play a role in this. It just highlights the need for research to discover what these reasons might be, as well as the need for further studies elsewhere in the country to see if they support our results."

Drug use, alcohol, smoking and obesity have all been linked to a decline in sperm counts, as well as pesticides and other chemicals in the environment.

In 1986, Scotland was affected by the fallout from the Chernobyl nuclear disaster, but Bhattacharya said it was "almost impossible" to say for certain whether that or any other individual factor was to blame.

It could also not be concluded that there had been a fall in male fertility, as factors other than just sperm count played a part, he added.

"There has been an increase in men seeking treatment for male infertility, but whether this is due to a significant increase in this condition or because men are more aware of new techniques which have been developed to help them, we cannot say."