PMS. Extreme mood swings.
I missed out on Blog Action Day for the Environment. If it weren't for the extreme mood swings I've been going through lately, I might have found out about it sooner. So, I think I'll take some time to complain about the pollutant of our environment that is irritating me the most right now. Hormones.
There have been studies for a few years now about how the hormones being used by the cattle industry are affecting us. Some scientists believe that they are responsible for the premature physical development of young girls. There are also studies on how "the pill" is having an impact on our environment. Apparently they are afraid that because water treatment plants don't filter out the hormones that women who are on the pill excrete, the population of male fish are declining. So, not only do we have an unnatural amount of hormones in the food we eat, but it may be the same for the water we drink. Since unusually high levels of estrogen are responsible ailments like PMS, endometriosis, fibroid tumors, and breast and cervical cancers, these scientist also believe there is a link between the increase in these diseases and the hormonal pollutants.
Most women are hormonally imbalanced and estrogen dominant by their thirties [pregnancy temporally relieves that by increasing progesterone levels]. It's now considered the norm for a girl of 12 years to start menses. It's supposed to be at age 16 or 17. I'm a victim of this kind of pollution. I was full grown at the age of 13. For thirty years now I have suffered for close to two weeks of every month. Every year gets worse. As the endometriosis and fibroid tumors get worse, my chances for ovarian cancer increase. What do the doctors want to do to help me? They want to put me on the pill! I want to slap the next doctor who suggests it. I hope I'm PMSing when I do.
How can people make a difference? Well I think most people already know... buy organic, like organic meat and dairy products.
YUP, I am with you there all the way. I started my period at age 12 and also had large breasts.
ReplyDeleteI try to eat organic as much as possible. Biker Buddy scoffs and it PISSES ME OFF!
I think I was 11. By the time I was 13, they were painful.
ReplyDeleteI actually don't buy organic meat or dairy products, because I don't eat them, but I do try to get my produce organic if I can.
As a card carrying male I can't join in too much BUT...a prof in college (he was 70 years old several years ago) had a father that was involved in his own 'genetic testing' on chickens the old fashioned way...he also had a mink farm...so he was a pretty smart farmer guy...anyway, he would get chicken necks from the local butcher for free...all of his minks went sterile and some government agency came out to investigate. He said they came out with a report they semi-buried (so as not to alarm the farmers and he told us where we could find it if we were so inclined) that concluded the chicken necks were from chickens that were getting the typical hormone treatments for the time and had caused the sterilization.
ReplyDeleteThat's really interesting! Thanks Brine.
ReplyDeleteThis is an excellent post. I think I had my period when I was 12. I agree that children are growing much too quickly these days. It's not a good thing. I'm vegan. I have a garden which supplies most of my produce. The rest of my purchases are organic. I use all natural products for my home and body. I make them myself. Their cheaper than the store bought variety and so much better for me and the environment.
ReplyDeleteThanks Opal! I'm actually a lactose intolerant vegetarian who eats cheese occasionaly when I go out, and I usually pay for it later. I'm into organic gardening, also, as well as xeriscaping. Unfortunately, I didn't have time for a vegatable garden this year.
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