This post discusses safe plastics for life and camping when you have a chronic illness like MCAS.

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Who is Betsy Leighton?

I’m a writer, blogger, and healer dedicated to helping individuals reconnect with their innate peace and wholeness by healing nervous system dysregulation. My personal experience with chronic illness called Mast Cell Activation Syndrome (MCAS) shapes my work, and my content offers tools to empower those with chronic illness to improve their well-being and take charge of their health.

I created the Sacred Self-Healing Method and am a trained and certified Safe and Sound Protocol provider, an author, blogger, and A Course in Miracles Teacher. I hold a Master of Divinity in Spiritual Counseling and am a trained spiritual mentor, with certificates in sound healing, aromatherapy, nutrition, and Sacred Deathcare. I offer a self-study certificate program in the Sacred Self-Healing Method, provide spiritual counseling and coaching, courses, and supported subscriptions for the Safe and Sound Protocol.

What is MCAS?

Mast Cell Activation Syndrome (MCAS) is a chronic condition that affects all organ systems. It can cause severe, disabling symptoms every day, including potentially fatal anaphylaxis.

The common triggers for MCAS are infections, toxic exposures including mold exposure and EMFs, trauma, concussions, and stress.

MCAS often occurs with other chronic conditions like Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome (EDS) and Postural Orthostatic Tachycardia Syndrome (POTS). Managing MCAS is challenging because many healthcare providers are unaware of it, and diagnostic tests can be unreliable. Treatments include antihistamines and mast cell stabilizers in the form of medications and supplements, along with avoiding triggers. Check out this post on managing MCAS.

Identifying safe plastics

I was diagnosed with thyroid nodules a year ago and made numerous dietary and lifestyle changes to reduce the chance of developing more of them. I adopted a low-oxalate diet to reduce my body’s tendency to create calcification. Then I started taking a supplement for thyroid nodule support. One of my health practitioners recommended I take just one drop of Lugol’s Iodine daily, while another one pointed out the controversy of using iodine.

Unfortunately, after a year, I was completely bummed out to find that my thyroid antibodies were even higher, and an ultrasound revealed a third thyroid nodule had developed. So I dug further into the causes of developing thyroid issues, and a major one is plastics. I always knew it wasn’t safe to microwave food in plastic containers, and I tried to make sure I used “BPA-free” plastics. What I didn’t realize was that, by not using BPA in their plastics, manufacturers were using BPS and/or BPF instead. So what are these letters, what does it all mean, and what are we to do?

What is BPA?

BPA is bisphenol A, a common chemical used in making plastic that doesn’t bind to the polymer during plastic manufacturing, so it’s free to migrate into whatever it comes into contact with, whether our skin or our food. Mayo Clinic says, “Exposure to BPA is a concern because of the possible health effects on the brain and prostate gland of fetuses, infants, and children. It can also affect children’s behavior. Additional research suggests a possible link between BPA and increased blood pressure, type 2 diabetes, and cardiovascular disease.”

What is BPS?

In plastics, BPS most commonly refers to Bisphenol S.

BPS = Bisphenol S

Bisphenol S is a chemical compound used as a replacement for Bisphenol A (BPA) in certain plastics and epoxy resins. You’ll find it in products labeled “BPA-free,” though that doesn’t mean they are free of bisphenols altogether.

Where BPS is used

• Polycarbonate-like plastics
• Food and beverage containers
• Thermal paper (receipts)
• Can linings
• Medical plastics
• Some household goods and kids’ products that are marketed as “BPA-free.”

Health notes on BPS

Research suggests BPS may have similar endocrine-disrupting effects as BPA.

So “BPA-free” products that contain BPS aren’t necessarily safer.

Common concerns:

Environmental persistence

Hormone disruption

Effects on thyroid signaling

Possible reproductive effects

What is BPF?

In plastics, BPF stands for Bisphenol F.

It’s one of the chemical cousins of BPA and BPS, often used as a substitute when manufacturers want to label products “BPA-free.”

What BPF (Bisphenol F) is

BPF is a bisphenol compound used to make certain plastics and epoxy resins. Its molecular structure is very similar to BPA, just with a slightly different bridging group between the phenol rings.

Because of that similarity, it behaves a lot like BPA in many applications—and unfortunately, in many biological systems.

Where BPF is found

• Food and drink containers marketed as “BPA-free.”

• Epoxy resins and coatings

• Can linings

• Industrial plastics

• Some dental composite materials

• Thermal receipt paper (in some cases)

Health considerations of BPF

Emerging research shows that BPF may have endocrine-disrupting effects similar to BPA and BPS, including:

• Estrogenic and anti-androgenic activity

• Potential effects on thyroid hormone signaling

• Possible reproductive impacts

• Persistence in the environment and in human tissue

Because of this, many experts view BPF, BPS, and BPA as a trio of “regrettable substitutions”—similar risks, just different letters.

The bucket theory

The bucket theory simplifies understanding symptom reactions with MCAS. Imagine your body as an empty bucket you don’t want to overflow. Reactions to various stimuli fill the histamine bucket at different rates, forming the total histamine level (how full your bucket is). More histamine means more symptoms. By managing triggers, reducing exposures, and taking medications and supplements, you can control your bucket’s level.

Know your typical symptom progression

Understanding your symptom progression during a flare is key to developing your rescue plan. This post discusses how to recognize symptom progression so you can be prepared to address them.

Get my free ebook, symptom log, and meal plan!

Want a tool to easily track your symptoms?

Stick with safe plastics

So, after I realized the connection between thyroid nodules and plastics, I took a close look at my exposures. I had been drinking sparkling mineral water daily to help with my stool health. But I was getting the cheap version at Costco in plastic bottles. So I switched to San Pellegrino sparkling mineral water in glass bottles, only to realize that it contains graphene. My healthcare provider recommended Gerolsteiner sparkling mineral water in glass bottles instead.

I also wasn’t aware that receipt paper is a significant source of BPA, BPS, and/or BPF, which readily migrate to the body through the skin. I’d been gradually switching to emailed receipts, but there are some situations where that isn’t possible, like at the gas station. So I got a little notebook to write down my expenditures, so I wouldn’t have to touch receipt paper.

Safe plastics for camping

But one of the hardest places for me to avoid plastics is camping because Nalgene water bottles contain BPS; so I ditched my Nalgenes in favor of glass water bottles, which are heavier, and a pain if they break. For camping water storage, many lighter containers contain BPS. I had gotten my water jug for camping years ago, and though it says “BPA free,” I had no idea if it had BPS or BPF. My research led me to conclude that GSI Outdoors collapsible plastic jugs are free of all three of the bisphenols. But collapsible jugs are really hard to pour from and frequently roll right off a picnic table, getting dirty and potentially spilling your water supply.

I liked the looks of the Dometic Go Hydration water jug, but though it says it’s BPA-free, I couldn’t find any sources confirming it’s free of BPS and BPF. I called Dometic and was told it doesn’t have BPS or BPF, but after talking with my daughter, a polymer chemist, I got the sense that there are really no safe plastics to eat or drink out of if you have chronic health issues.

So, yeah. Bummer.

Plastic alternatives

But there are ways to use glass containers successfully when camping. I myself have wrapped gallon mason jars in bubble wrap and traveled with them. Yes, they are heavier, but they could still break. But for now, that is what I’m going back to until science catches up and we have safer plastics.

Incidentally, MillionMarker has published its list of safe products here if you are looking for a nice list of products free of chemicals known to raise health concerns.

You can also check out my guide to safer plastics here.

Check out these circadian health tools!

I’m an affiliate with Bon Charge, a company that makes tools for circadian health, and you can receive 15% off your order with my coupon code BETSYL.

Bon Charge offers tools such as yellow– and red-tone blue-blocking glasses, red light therapy devices, PEMF mats, infrared saunas, and EMF-blocking products.

Sign up for the SSP!

I’ve found the Safe and Sound Protocol (SSP) to be the most helpful bottom-up healing strategy if your nervous system has been overloaded with toxic exposures, including mold or non-native EMFs, chronic infections, concussions, stress, or trauma. The SSP is a passive listening therapy that helps heal nervous system dysregulation. Many people with MCAS and other chronic conditions have nervous system dysregulation stemming from infections, toxic exposures, concussions, and trauma. The SSP is an easy-to-use app that lets you listen to specially filtered music for 30 minutes each day as part of a 5-hour cycle. Studies show the SSP has a profound effect on mental health and chronic conditions. Here’s a short podcast describing the Safe and Sound Protocol.

You can sign up for the SSP here!

Heal your mind!

While the SSP is a bottom-up, somatic therapy for healing the nervous system, the Sacred Self-Healing Method I offer is a top-down nervous system-healing modality that focuses on cognition, attention, perception, and emotion, using the mind’s higher functions. The SSP and the Sacred Self-Healing Method complement each other and together produce lasting results. Here’s a short podcast on my self-healing practice.

I provide one-on-one in-person and remote chronic illness and caregiver coaching, as well as Sacred Self-Healing Sessions based on the Sacred Self-Healing Method, a proven, novel co-creative healing modality detailed in my Books.

Order my books!

Here’s a short podcast highlighting my five books.

My latest book, Living In The Light: Healing with Forgiveness, Sound, and Light, is all about the tools that have been most helpful for me to heal: forgiveness, sound, through nervous system retraining using the Safe and Sound Protocol, and light, through entraining my circadian rhythm with the energy of the sun. Living In The Light is available here!

Rocks and Roots chronicles my solo backpacking journey on the Superior Hiking Trail and my efforts to overcome nervous system dysregulation, gut dysbiosis, and Mast Cell Activation Syndrome symptoms to complete the 328-mile hike successfully.

The Sacred Self-Healing Method ebook is available here and in most ebook retailers!

The Sacred Self-Healing Workbook is available for purchase here!

Betsy’s first book, Sacred Self-Healing: Finding Peace Through Forgiveness, is available here

Companion Recordings

The companion audio recordings of chants, guided meditations, and sound healing demonstrations that accompany the Sacred Self-Healing Method are available for free on my YouTube channel here

What do you think?

I’d love to have your reply below!

Disclaimer

The preceding material does not constitute medical advice. This information is for information purposes only and is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, cure, or treatment.