womens-health – SUNBEAM ACRES

Hormone Disruptors: Hidden Toxins That May Be Affecting Your Health

June 23, 2026 pammunkholm

Adopt the pace of nature: her secret is patience.

-Ralph Waldo Emerson

When you’re living with chronic pain, migraines, fatigue, hormonal changes, or an autoimmune condition, every ounce of energy matters.

So it can be frustrating to discover that many of the products we use every day may be working against us.

The reality is that we live in a world filled with chemicals, pollutants, and environmental stressors. While our bodies are remarkably resilient, they weren’t exactly designed for a daily cocktail of synthetic fragrances, plastics, pesticides, and mystery ingredients with names that sound like they belong in a chemistry textbook.

I recognize that in speaking on this topic, I now resemble a kooky, woo woo spokeswoman for all things unconventional. But stick with me.

If you’ve ever looked at an ingredient label and thought, “I have no idea what any of these words mean, but I’m about to put them directly on my skin,” you’re not alone.

I’ve reached the age where reading labels is apparently one of my hobbies.

Welcome to the wacky world of hormone disruptors.

What Are Hormone Disruptors?

Hormone disruptors, also called endocrine disruptors, are chemicals that interfere with your body’s endocrine system, the network responsible for producing, transporting, and regulating hormones.

Think of hormones as your body’s communication system. They send messages that help regulate everything from sleep and metabolism to mood, reproduction, energy, and immune function.

Hormone disruptors can interfere with those messages by:

Mimicking natural hormones
Blocking hormone receptors
Altering hormone production
Affecting how hormones are transported or eliminated

In other words, they’re the equivalent of someone repeatedly hitting “reply all” on emails that were never meant for them.

My hormones wake up everyday and choose unpredictability. They have the organizational structure of a flock of startled geese.

Why Does This Matter?

For years, many people with chronic conditions have been told that their bloodwork is normal, their tests look fine, and everything appears to be functioning as expected.

Meanwhile, they’re exhausted.

They’re in pain.

They’re dealing with migraines, inflammation, brain fog, sleep disturbances, mood changes, or symptoms that don’t fit neatly into a box.

Hormone disruptors aren’t necessarily the cause of these conditions.

But if your body is already managing chronic inflammation, pain, migraines, fatigue, hormonal changes, or autoimmune symptoms, reducing unnecessary stressors may give your system one less thing to deal with.

It’s not a cure.

But every little bit of support matters.

Symptoms That May Be Linked to Hormone Disruption

Hormone disruption can show up in many different ways
Some common symptoms include:

Fatigue
Brain fog
Sleep disturbances
Mood changes
Anxiety
Weight gain or difficulty losing weight
Headaches and migraines
Skin issues
Fertility challenges
Irregular menstrual cycles
Low libido
Increased inflammation

The challenge is that many of these symptoms overlap with chronic illnesses, making hormone disruption difficult to identify.

Which is somewhat rude, if you ask me.

My Experience

When I first started learning about hormone disruptors, I had two reactions.

First:

“Well, that’s concerning.”

Second:

“There is absolutely no way I can afford to replace everything I own, let alone find the time and energy to make everything!” (mentally checks out of this topic)

Thankfully, I’ve since learned that reducing exposure isn’t about perfection.

It’s about making practical choices that support a body that’s already working hard.

Because if the wellness industry had its way, I’d be replacing every item I own by Tuesday. And while I appreciate the enthusiasm, my budget and my sanity have other things to do.

Where Are Hormone Disruptors Hiding?

Unfortunately, they’re not hiding very hard.

Personal Care Products

Shampoo
Conditioner
Hair products
Lotions
Makeup
Perfumes
Deodorants
Nail polish

Household Products

Air fresheners
Scented candles
Dryer sheets
Fabric softeners
Cleaning products

Food Storage and Packaging

Plastic food containers
Plastic water bottles
Plastic wrap
Certain canned food linings
Some non-stick cookware

Environmental Sources

Pesticides
Herbicides
Some furniture treatments
Certain stain-resistant coatings

One of the most common concerns is simply the ingredient listed as:

Fragrance

That single word can represent dozens. Or sometimes hundreds of undisclosed ingredients.

The goal is reducing your overall toxic burden where you reasonably can.

Some labels contain enough syllables to qualify as a spelling bee challenge. At what point does an ingredient list stop feeling informative and start feeling mildly threatening?

A Gentle Approach to Reducing Exposure

Put your garbage bags down.

You don’t need to throw everything away and start making your own soap from dandelions and determination.

You cannot eliminate every toxin.

You cannot control every environmental exposure.

And honestly, trying to do so would probably create more stress than benefit.

The goal isn’t perfection.

Small, sustainable changes tend to be far more effective than dramatic overhauls.

Start with one product.

Then another.

And keep going at a pace that feels manageable.

Homemade Alternatives

One reason many people choose homemade products is because the ingredients are simple, familiar, and transparent.

When you know exactly what’s in something, there’s less mystery.

You may also reduce your exposure to fragrances, preservatives, and other unnecessary additives.

Here are a few of my favourite homemade recipes:

Homemade Deodorant

Recipe @ healthylifetrainer Note: Unlike antiperspirants, which block sweat glands, this recipe functions as a deodorant. It helps control odour while allowing your body to sweat naturally. The other thing to be aware of is its ability to turn into deodorant soup when stored above room temperature. Store it in the cooler if you go camping!⛺️

Homemade All-Purpose Cleaner

Recipe @ lifelovelarson

Homemade Eye Makeup Cleaner

Recipe @ wholenewmom

Homemade Face Wash

Recipe @ Pinterest

A Forest Therapy Practice for Simplifying Your Routine

One of the biggest challenges with reducing hormone disruptors is deciding where to start.

Forest therapy offers a different approach.

Rather than creating a long list of things you have to change immediately, begin with awareness.

Take a slow walk in nature.

Leave your phone in your pocket.

Notice what catches your attention.

Listen to the sounds around you.

Feel the ground beneath your feet.

Allow your nervous system to settle.

When you find a place that feels inviting, sit quietly for a few minutes.

Ask yourself:

What products do I use every day?
Which products spend the most time on my skin?
Which products do I inhale regularly?
Which product would be easiest to replace?
Which change feels supportive rather than stressful?

Then ask:

“If I could change one thing this month, what would make the biggest difference?”

Forest therapy reminds us that healing doesn’t always happen through doing more.

Sometimes it begins by slowing down enough to notice what our bodies have been trying to tell us.

When I started forest therapy the trees and I got along immediately. Unlike my hormones 😖 😡.

Perimenopause
Slowly losing every chemical that was helping me tolerate people.

Health Is More Than Avoiding Toxins

Removing unnecessary exposures can be helpful.

But building health is equally important.

Sometimes we become so focused on what we should eliminate that we forget what we need to add.

The foundations matter.

Prioritize Sleep

Sleep is when your body repairs, regulates hormones, supports immunity, and recovers from daily stress. Clean up your sleep routine.

Eat Nourishing Foods

Focus on foods that support your body rather than aiming for perfection. Slowly move towards the diet your body needs.

Move in Ways That Work for You

The best exercise is the one your body can recover from. That answer looks different for everyone.

Get Outside

Sunlight helps regulate circadian rhythms, mood, and overall wellbeing. Get out in the first minutes of your day.

Nelipot
English; a rare and poetic word that refers to someone who walks barefoot, one who feels than earth beneath their feet, often implying a connection with nature or a simple, grounded lifestyle.

Put Your Feet on the Ground

Whether you call it grounding, earthing, or simply standing barefoot in the grass, many people report feeling calmer and more connected afterward. I concur.

Spend Time in Nature

Nature lowers stress, restores attention, and creates opportunities for rest and reflection. More than getting outside it is connecting with the natural world.

The forest continues to offer something many modern products can’t: simplicity. The more time I spend in nature, the more I understand why my body keeps asking me to return. The message is clear.

Less fragrance. More forests.

My nervous system is a strong advocate for sunshine, birdsong, and not reading every ingredient.

Why Forest Therapy Matters

Forest therapy isn’t about replacing medicine, specialists, or common sense.

It’s about creating conditions that support healing.

I’ve seen it support people who were struggling.

I’ve also seen it elevate people who were already doing well.

Nature doesn’t ask us to be healthy before we show up.

It simply offers an environment that encourages restoration, resilience, and connection.

Whether you’re managing chronic illness or simply trying to feel your best, time in nature can be one of the simplest and most accessible forms of self-care available.

Turns out one of the healthiest things I can do is wander through the forest looking slightly lost.

Final Thoughts

Nature has never pulled me aside to discuss my skincare routine. I don’t have to be a perfect version of myself before I can join.

It simply reminds me to take the next step.

Sometimes that’s all healing requires.

We can’t control every toxin, every chemical exposure, or every challenge life throws our way. But we can support our bodies through simple, consistent practices.

Sleep. Movement. Nutritious food. Sunshine. Fresh air. Time in nature. Small choices made repeatedly over time often have the greatest impact

Not because they’re dramatic. But because they’re sustainable.

And unlike the mystery bottle hiding under your bathroom sink since 2014, those habits never expire.

Maybe living your best life just means slowing down enough to see how good it already is.

You Are a Success Story

May 26, 2026May 26, 2026 pammunkholm

My physiotherapist, “J,” has been with me through it all.

She has seen me on some of my best days over the past 15 years of working with her.

The day I told her I was finally pregnant with the baby I had tried nearly a decade to conceive.
The day I said, “I’m running again.” After years of pain making even the thought of it feel impossible. My body has approached physical activity like a suspicious cat approaches a cucumber in the past.
She heard me process the long, exhausting teenage years of push and pull with my oldest child. And then my second. Followed by my third. The painful years that felt like emotional whiplash and then she celebrated with me when they all graduated. She understood firmly the mentality of, We did it! On each occasion.
She walked alongside me through buying and selling homes.
When Kenzie got engaged. Jamie transitioned. Riley moved in with his girlfriend.
When all three times I found out I was going to be a grandma, she was one of the first people to know.
When I started a forest therapy business and dared to believe healing could become something I offered others.

She has witnessed joy. Growth. Milestones.

We have laughed together as I walked around in a body that behaved like it’s been assembled from spare parts with vague instructions and one missing screw.

Proof that life can still bloom in hard soil.

And she has also sat with me on some of my worst days.

The day I fell off a boat and we both knew recovery would not be quick.
The years I fought to be taken seriously by medical professionals before finally getting the MRI that revealed my bone spur. Disappointing specialist appointments. Medical gaslighting.
Family job losses.
Kids in car crashes.
The miscarriage of the baby I had fought so hard to conceive. She cried with me that day. And the day I told her I was going ahead with the hysterectomy that closed that door entirely. We were so hopeful that would help my overall health.
Surgeries that did not go well.
The passing of dear friends.
The painful decision to close my business and then Brent’s and eventually to stop working.
Leaving the farm and grieving all that move represented. She understood, she’s a farm girl.
And the appointment Christmas Eve where she examined me and realized something was deeply wrong. I had almost no muscle mass. I was so weak and felt so broken, useless, a waste of skin.

I could write pages about what J and I have discussed over the years. At some point, she became more than someone treating my body. She became someone quietly witnessing my life story unfold.

The size of my kids when I started seeing J

And then one ordinary appointment changed how I saw myself.

It started like any other. I explained where the pain was. What had shifted in my workouts. What stress was doing to my body. What daily life had looked like since we last met.

She examined me, worked through familiar areas of tension, and after a moment of silence she said something I think applies to all my chronic comrades:

“You’re a success story. Do you know that?”

My first instinct is always to deflect a compliment.

I think you have me confused with someone whose joints aren’t held together by determination and prayer alone.

But it felt true. It felt like the most true diagnosis I’d ever been given.

She continued, (and I want you to see yourself in this,)

When you look at where you’ve been on your lowest days and where you are now. This is a success story.

You could have closed the doors on life. Stayed in bed. Turned inward. Leaned into fear of the future. You could choose to live frustrated and depressed. White-knuckling your way through existence.

But instead, you keep rebuilding. You keep getting stronger. No matter what knocks you down, you come back.

Like one of those punching balloons from childhood. The ones you smack into the floor and somehow they pop right back up, mildly annoying and aggressively optimistic.

I have a core memory of my cousin’s party. They had one of those balloons in the backyard. As I played with it I wondered what was inside that made it keep popping up.

If resilience had a mascot, I might nominate a half-inflated punching balloon and a woman with heating pads.

J was right though. That’s me. That’s you.

What is it that’s inside us that keeps us popping up, time after time?

Not graceful. Not elegant. Occasionally leaking air. But still coming back up.

Again. And again. And again.

J encouraged me to start writing it down. My story. To let others read it. And that is where this blog began.

A success story, heavily disguised as a challenging life story.

Chronic Pain Does Not Stay in One Box

If you live with chronic pain, you understand this. Pain does not politely stay in your shoulder. Or your spine. Or your hips. Or your joints.

It leaks. It spreads.

It enters your sleep, your patience, your relationships, your finances, your confidence, your work, your parenting, and your identity.

It is never just physical.

The dis-ease spreads just like disease. Not because we are weak. But because pain is invasive.

Scars are not signs of weakness, they are signs of survival.

Yet many people living with chronic pain quietly continue. They raise children. Show up to work. Try to exercise. Cook supper. Pay bills. Care for aging parents. Smile through appointments (and cry after.) Fold laundry while wondering why their body feels like it was assembled by a distracted Ikea employee.

And still… they continue.

That is not failure. That is resilience. That is success.

Rock bottom became the solid foundation on which I rebuilt my life.

–JK Rowling

The Exhaustion of Not Being Believed

One of the hardest parts of chronic pain is not always the pain itself. Sometimes it is the disbelief. Unfortunately, this can include close family members. Friends. Employers.

And yes, medical professionals.

When symptoms are invisible, people often assume they are exaggerated. If scans are unclear, they question your tolerance. If you “look fine,” they assume you must be fine.

And so many of us become defenders. Explainers. Evidence gatherers.

Trying desperately to prove that our pain is real. Trying to earn validation. Trying to convince others that suffering exists even when they cannot see it.

But constant defense is exhausting.

As Dallin H. Oaks said:

When attacked by error, truth is better served by silence than by a bad argument.

That quote hit me.

We do not need to defend ourselves from every misunderstanding. Not every person deserves access to our explanations. Not every accusation needs a rebuttal. Not every skeptical glance deserves our emotional energy.

There is a time to inform. And there is a time to walk away.

Never wrestle with pigs. You both get dirty and the pig likes it.

–George Bernard Shaw

Silence is not surrender. Sometimes silence is strength. Sometimes it is peace. Sometimes it is refusing to spend precious energy proving your pain to people committed to misunderstanding it.

Do not explain. Your friends do not need it, and your enemies will not believe you.

–Elbert Hubbard

You Are a Success Story Too

If you live with chronic pain and still carry on…

You are a success story.

If you’ve had to explain your pain as a weird hip or angry neck. Here is your medal in interpretive medicine 🏅…

And you are a success story.

If, like my friend described it, you have been blindsided at a medical appointment and you keep seeking your answers…

You are a success story.

If you got out of bed today and every day, despite exhaustion…

You are a success story.

If you parent through pain…

You are a success story.

If you grieve what your body once was while still learning to care for the body you have now…

You are a success story.

If you feel misunderstood. Lesser. Frustrated. Invisible. You are still a success story.

Do not let anyone take that from you.

You never know how strong you are until being strong is your only choice.

–Bob Marley

A Forest Therapy Practice: Seeing Yourself in the Landscape

One of the most grounding practices I return to comes from forest therapy.

Take a small mirror with you into nature.

Stand among trees.

Or beneath open sky.

Hold the mirror so your reflection appears framed by branches, clouds, leaves, or light.

Look at yourself. Really look. See your face inside the larger landscape. Notice how you are not separate from nature. You belong here too.

Then ask yourself:

Where was I a year ago?

What have I survived?

How far have I come?

What strength still exists in me?

Appreciate where you are now. Not because healing is complete. But because progress deserves to be witnessed. And because you still have what it takes to continue.

Rivers don’t apologize for moving slowly at some points on their path.

Seasons do not shame themselves for resting.

Maybe we shouldn’t either.

My Success Story Is Still Being Written

I used to think success had to look polished. Strong. Linear. Easy to explain. Now I know better.

Sometimes success looks like rebuilding muscle. Sometimes it looks like surviving grief. Sometimes it looks like asking for help. Sometimes it looks like walking instead of running. Sometimes it looks like closing one chapter when life forces your hand. Sometimes it looks like bouncing back up like an emotionally exhausted inflatable clown with stubborn determination.

I have bounced back like a plastic bag caught in a prairie wind.

Messy. Crooked. Still rising. Still trying.

And maybe that is enough.

Actually

Maybe that is extraordinary.

You are a success story.

If pain has tried to rewrite your life and you still continue…

🫵 You are a success story.

And don’t you forget it. 😉

The Unhealthy State of Women’s Health

April 2, 2024May 31, 2024 pammunkholm

From where I stand, I see a lack of research, understanding and basic human compassion when it comes to women’s health issues in our current system.

My first experience where I can look back and see that lack in my life was when my oldest son was under a year old. It was the middle of the night and he and my husband were asleep. I was on the floor of the bathroom trying to figure out why I was in so much abdominal pain. Something felt seriously wrong. I had never had this type of pain, let alone something that would put me on the floor in the fetal position. I called my mom and she suggested going in to get checked. I woke up my husband and he grudgingly woke up our son and we all got in the car.

We sat in the ER for way too long and eventually I got into a bed. They did a quick history, took some blood, listened to my guts and declared:

I had gas.

Are you kidding me? Gas is what felt like it was killing me slowly? I felt so foolish for putting my husband and son through an overnight party that nobody wanted to attend. For gas. I didn’t go to the doctor much after that. Unless I knew what it was and how they would be able to treat it. I suffered through a lot due to the embarrassment of that experience.

But it wasn’t just gas. Now I know I was developing severe endometriosis and likely due to the hormone changes of pregnancy and nursing, my symptoms were exacerbated. But nobody can see or diagnose that. So they say it’s gas because then there is an answer. An easy answer that ends their responsibility to care for me. I probably did have gas. But around organs so inflamed I never wanted anything to touch my belly for years after. I thought that was normal. It’s just gas!

After years of working around the issue I finally made the call to have a hysterectomy to end the pain and other issues the endometriosis had caused by having so much scar tissue and thick linings after years of neglect.

Now I am the owner of a body that cannot regulate its temperature. So that’s fun. After my hysterectomy I knew I could not take hormone replacement therapy. When I used it in the past it loosened my muscles. This is a bit of an issue with my body since my ligaments don’t work unless they want to. Muscles are what hold me together. When I take HRT I become the bendiest of noodles.

When I told the doctors I couldn’t take the hormone replacement medication, they literally laughed at me and said, ‘yes I would’. They guaranteed I’d be back for it.

They knew what I was in for and I was clueless. But I did not sense compassion. There was no seeking out another way for me due to my circumstances. There was just a sense of, you have no idea what you are in for, haha. Menopause has always seemed something to keep under wraps but also to laugh at the ridiculous nature of those sufferings its effects. It would have been encouraging to see a doctor offer a direction, instead of only relying on their basic training and rolling their eyes at my arrogance at denying their prescription.

I was in for temperatures rising so much in the first days that I honestly thought my butt was on fire when I sat on our leather couch. For those blessed not to have experienced such things, a hot flash is not something to look forward to. I thought it might be seeing as I’d been cold since the age of 12. I was wrong. I’m still cold. And then I’m so hot I have to take off layers and sit down and I sweat. Then I cool off and I’m soaked. These days it’s not so bad but in the early days, I’d have to stop everything and lean on something and breathe through it like a contraction. But there’s no baby at the end so that’s always disappointing. I couldn’t sleep for more than a couple of hours at a time. Again like having a newborn but I did not smile down in love at my lack of uterus to counter the side effects as you would a baby. This went on following my recovery from surgery and for the entire next year. To say this had an affect on my health is an understatement. I still sweat like the guy in red on Star Trek. Thankfully, other symptoms are not as extreme.

I hope in years to come, more resources will go to women’s health issues since we are half of the population. An important half if I do say so myself. And as we knew all along, and as it has been recently confirmed, we are actually equal to our male counterparts. Make some space, Fellas!

Until such a time as all systems and doctrines catch up to that truth, my suggestion for this week is to build your team. I saw doctors for years before I’d get fed up with them and then take more years before I’d get the energy up to start finding a new one.

Now I make sure that I am getting my time’s worth out of a doctor. Some are worth my time and energy and some are not. But this is not the end of my team. I have a counsellor, a marriage counsellor, an energy massage therapist, a physiotherapist, a reiki therapist, a holistic health professional, a functional medicine doctor and an integrative medicine doctor. I am always keeping my eyes and soul open to other options. Although, I am finding the more I am in the forest, the less I need each of these professionals.

Whatever your pain. Whatever your limitations. You are worth someone taking the time to show compassion and slow down their day enough to think about you in your doctor office time. There are such doctors out there. I went to a walk- in clinic and while prescribing my routine medication I had inadvertently run out of over Christmas break, this extremely busy minor emerg doctor stopped what he was doing to ask if I had any joint pain and if that’s why I was taking this particular med. A conversation ensued which ended with him sincerely saying he wished me well and hoped I’d find some answers. He would be on my team if I needed a family doc.

Keep going. Keep sharing your story. Find peace in the forest and answers will emerge.

If you are interested in joining me for a forest therapy walk, head over to my contact page to book in.

Take care out there, my sweet friends!