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SHARAN/The connection between plastic and my health issues
The connection between plastic and my health issues
“My love affair with plastic began when I was living abroad, where I purchased so-called ‘best’ and ‘safe’ brands. All those boxes were so convenient! They were recyclable too, which gave me the illusion that I was being a responsible inhabitant of planet Earth!
Being a very busy mom, I often used to buy a few ready meals to supplement what I cooked for the family. They came in plastic microwaveable tubs, sealed with plastic film.
Slowly, health issues started developing. I continued to gain weight until I was moderately obese, was chronically sleepy and fatigued, had IBS and severe eczema. I consulted GPs because I felt that something was not quite right, and I was convinced that it was something physical. The GPs could find nothing wrong with me at all.
I moved back to India and started developing severe perimenopausal symptoms. It was then that I started googling and came across the role of plastic in hormone disruption. That was when I started consciously replacing and reducing plastic. I did see improvements in symptoms as I commenced my journey towards better health.
With the wholehearted adoption of the SHARAN diet and lifestyle in September 2018, my life has been transformed! I have shed kilos, IBS is a thing of the past, the eczema is gone, I am no longer chronically fatigued and the journey continues. My kids are now young adults – conscious and responsible. With them, I have adopted several measures. Some of them are:
- Reusable glass and stainless steel food containers and water bottles, for home and travel
- Parchment paper instead of cling wrap for wrapping food to go
- Bamboo toothbrushes
- Carrying own cutlery and toiletry items when travelling, to avoid using airlines and hotels ones
- Carrying cloth bags for shopping, including fabric net bags for veggies
- Shopping from farmers’ markets in pre-Covid days. Avoiding produce wrapped in plastic
- Cooking food at home and having fruits for snacks means less plastic packaging
- Using homemade soapnut liquid and coconut fibre for dishes
- Use of menstrual cups by my daughter
-Rosemary Parambi, Mumbai
