If you are not familiar with the term body burden or the implications it may have on your physical well being, then you are in for a treat! Wellness Advocate Corrina Williams joined me to discuss this topic and give some great advice on how you can easily reduce body burden which will result in feeling healthier and more balanced. Corrina has an empowering and educational online community that makes transitioning away from body burden causing products easier. In her community you will find many resources for safe swaps product recommendations as well as research regarding body burden causing ingredients to avoid. Scroll down to the end of this blog to find where you can connect with Corrina!
Corrina and I had an awesome time making this video. Between our takes we could have an entire blooper real which would be far more entertaining than this video… but far less educational. Typically I would edit the video, but this time we chose to let our authentic experience shine. I hope you will enjoy our conversation in it’s unadulterated version!
One last thing: since many body burden causing ingredients are known to be endocrine disruptors, you can find a table below with info on the endocrine system and its functions. The endocrine system is far too vast to explain in detail in the video.
The textbook definition of the endocrine system is it is a chemical messenger system comprising feedback loops of hormones released by internal glands of an organism directly into the circulatory system, regulating other organs. The parts of the endocrine system are very interdependent upon each other, as many parts control, regulate, stimulate, or affect the function of other parts (i.e. the hypothalamus signals the pituitary gland to stimulate or inhibit hormone production; the pituitary gland’s hormones control the thyroid gland, adrenal glands, and reproductive glands). It’s easy to see how one factor can cause a large impact on the overall balance of the endocrine system.
| BODY PART | FUNCTION |
| Hypothalamus (small region located at the base of the brain) | Regulates satiety, metabolism, and body temperature. Secretes hormones which stimulate or repress the release of hormones in the pituitary gland. Plays a role in activating the sympathetic nervous system, which is a part of any emotional reaction. |
| Pituitary Gland (located in the brain between the hypothalamus and pineal gland) | Referred to as the body’s master gland as it controls the activity of most other hormone-secreting glands. Stimulates growth of bone and tissue. Stimulates thyroid and adrenal glands. |
| Thyroid Gland (below the Adam’s apple in the neck just beneath the skin) | Through hormone release it regulates metabolism, helps maintain normal blood pressure, heart rate, digestion, muscle tone, brain development, mood and bone maintenance, and reproductive function. |
| Parathyroid (behind the thyroid in the neck) | Regulates calcium levels |
| Adrenal Glands (on top of each kidney) | Produces sex hormones and cortisol. Regulates body’s metabolism, balances levels of salt and water in the body, immune system, sexual function, and helps body cope with physical and emotional stress by increasing heart rate and blood pressure. |
| Pineal Gland (located in the brain near the hypothalamus) | Secretes melatonin to regulate sleep/wake cycles |
| Reproductive Glands (differs by gender) | Main source of sex hormones: testosterone, estrogen, progesterone |
| Pancreas (sits across the back of the abdomen behind the stomach) | The endocrine function is to regulate blood sugar through the secretion of insulin. |
Keep in mind you don’t have to replace your entire stock of cleaning products, hygiene items, and skin/hair products all at once. The next time you run out of lotion or toothpaste, buy a healthier replacement. Before you know it, product by product, you will be lathering your body daily in safe wellness products!
Make sure to check out and join Corrina’s healthy living community on Facebook: Let Go. Live Clean. Love Life. Thanks for stopping by!
Peace & Love,
Janessa
It’s great that you are getting this message out there. I’ve been passionate about educating people on the harmful effects of the everyday cleaning products, beauty products and the so called wellness products they’re using everyday for 9 years now. Air inside our home is 3-5 times worse than outdoors just from the toxic cleaning products that we have in our home. There are green, environmentally friendly alternatives available to almost everything that is harmful to your health and often times for less money than grocery store brands.