Firstly, what are they?
Xenoestrogens are ‘foreign oestrogens'. That is, they are chemicals that mimic the natural oestrogen in our bodies. They are found in pesticides, plastics, the pill and HRT. Often called endocrine (hormone) disrupting chemicals; the reason we should all take care to avoid these oestrogen mimics is because they wreak havoc on our hormones.

Xenoestrogens do not break down in our water supply. Though the government says they are safe but an increasing amount of studies have been proving otherwise.

The increase levels of foreign oestrogens have coincided with the earlier onset of puberty, a decrease in sperm counts, an increase in the amount of male reproductive problems, and for females an increase in the amount of oestrogen dependant health problems such as breast cancer.

The male fish in our rivers aren't faring too well either. DEFRA research found that a third of all male fish in the UK rivers have developed female sex organs and have produced eggs.

So what can you do about avoiding them?
Read your labels. Nonylphenols are the xenoestrogens often found in plastic, conventional skin creams, detergents, toiletries and lubricants. Bisphenols are xenoestrogens found in polcarbonate plastics that leach out when heated and phthalates are the xenoestrogens found in conventional make-up, nail polish, hair spray and carpets.

Eat organic. Nearly 4,000 fungicides, insecticides and herbicides are approved for us in the UK and many are used to grow the fruit, veg and other food found on the supermarket shelf.

Avoid plastic. Xenoestrogens love fat so don't store meat and dairy or other high fat foods in plastic wrap. Also avoid microwaving any food in plastic containers. You could also get yourself a good water filter for the home. The reverse osmosis filters are able to remove the oestrogen in water.

Go natural. Use truly natural cleaning products in the home and use natural toiletries and other body care products. It's estimated that a woman uses on average 12 different toiletry items a day. For someone using conventional products they may be exposing their skin to more than 170 chemical compounds every day.

The affect of the cocktail of these chemicals is virtually unmeasurable but as more research uncovers the influence foreign oestrogens are having on our bodies it's expected organic and natural products will be receiving an even bigger up.

We're told a lot of things from a lot of different sources (NHS, eat healthy school programmes, glossy magazines, news features, health food stores, supermarket meal recipe cards, product labels) about what a balanced, healthy diet is. Fish is pretty high up on the list of healthiest foods to eat. High in the omega oils, protein and low in saturated fat, fish is classed as a ‘super food' as far as the nutritional hierarchy of food goes.

But now we also need to consider the impact our food choices are having on the environment. Just as soya, cattle and palm oil (vegetable oil) are now seen by many ecologists as a poor choice when it comes to deciding how we use our land for food, fish may soon be in the same category. The new documentary End of the Line by investigative reporter Charles Clover and film director Rupert Murray brings to light the devastating effect of over fishing.

According to scientists in the film we could see the end of most seafood by 2048 if we continue fishing as we are now. End of the Line investigates fishing in all parts of the world. It looks at the decimation of cod in areas it was once abundant before demand sourced for the oily fish. It looks at the effect of hi-tech fishing boats on our ocean sea floors, fishermen who break quotas and fish illegally and consumers who, without realising, are buying endangered species of fish.

The film also looks at solutions. Farmed fishing is not one say the experts. Protecting our ocean with marine reserves that are off limits to fishing and educating consumers so they will choose fish caught in certified sustainable fisheries are a couple of things the film highlights.

‘We must stop thinking of our oceans as a food factory and realize that they thrive as a huge and complex marine environment,' says Clover.

The Economist called End of the Line the ‘Inconvenient Truth about the oceans'. The makers say it is a film that will change the way you think about seafood. We say imagine the world without fish. Watch this film, find out what's really happening in the deep blue and make good fish buying choices - for a healthy diet and a healthy planet.

The film's website can help with choosing the best ocean-friendly seafood to buy. You can also sign up to the End of the Line campaign to buy sustainably sourced fish and protect the oceans from the commercial fishing industry.

I've been doing a bit of research of late on how to protect my skin from mosquitos. One of the easiest and best ways to naturally deter insects is to create your own blend of base and essential oils.

One recipe that I've come across that doubles up as a moisturiser and sunburn soother is this one.

Ingredients:
• 100 ml Grape seed oil
• 30 drops Citronella essential oil
• 15 drops Cloves essential oil
• 5 drops Carnation oil

Blend these together in a glass bottle by shaking for long enough so that the oils do not separate. If you have especially oily skin swap the grape seed (which is great for dry skin) with jojoba oil. This measurement of oil (100ml base oil) is a good size for travel.

If mixing your own doesn't suit or is too finicky for last minute travel preparations Essential Care make a great natural insect repellent. Mosimix is a certified organic, vegan aromatherapy massage oil based on lemongrass, lavender and thyme which a great at warding of unkindly skin biting predators. It's great to use when gardening, walking or holidaying.

But be warned: these natural repellents don't include the malaria, yellow fever and dengue areas of the world. Unfortunately, for a short time at least, most believe you need something more toxic that contains DEET (N,N-Diethyl-meta-toluamide - a chemical originally tested as a pesticide on farms).

I'm going to go for the natural alternatives (at my own risk) simply because they're better for the environment (in particular local waterways) and my health. I'll let you know how I fair with our midgy friends come November when I enter the forests of Guatemala and Ecuador!

Double glazing your windows makes sense. It saves money and energy - two things we're all looking to save in this shaky eco and economic climate.

You can save up to 20% on fuel bills by installing double glazed windows with the highest energy saving rating. The less heat that is lost from your house through the walls, windows and doors the less time you'll need that central heating for those frosty cold winter days. But it's not just the chill they keep out; they're also excellent at deflecting heat from the sun in summer and noise from the outside world.

But when shopping for double glazed windows - how do you know which are the best at keeping in and out the heat? The British Fenestration Ratings Council (BFRC) is the UK's national system for rating Energy Efficient Windows. This is an easy to understand, traffic light style A-E ratings guide (similar to the one used for white goods) to help us home owners make the most eco friendly, cost effective choice when buying double glazed windows.

To save on your heating bills and reduce your carbon footprint look for double glazed windows that are long lasting (10 year minimum guarantee), are corrosion resistant and have good security features. Safestyle and Anglian Home are two companies that make quality double glazed windows and doors in the UK.

Plastic bags take 1,000 years to decompose - who's up for banning them? Not all of us just yet it seems. A target set by the seven of the biggest supermarkets (Tesco, Asda, Sainsbury's, Co-op, Marks & Spencer, Somerfield and Waitrose) to reduce plastic bag usage by 50% by May 2009 has not been met.

It was the independent waste watchdog Waste and Resources Action Programme (Wrap) that was given the task of reporting on whether the target had been achieved. They say the supermarkets collectively reduced plastic bag consumption by 48% from 870 million bags to 450 million bags in three years since May 2006.

At 2% shy of the target some would say this is a good try. What's not so good is that Tesco have released misleading figures about their usage saying "our customers are now using more than 50 per cent fewer carrier bags than they did before". In fact, Tesco had calculated its figures to account for increased sales and was worked out differently to WRAPs calculations. It's believed that Tesco's actual reduction was significantly less than 50%.

Those of us who opt for the reusable shopping bags would question why we are bickering over the figures - shouldn't we be focusing energies on banning the plastic bag altogether? Such a simple, cost effective solution that would certainly put a dent in the 4,700 tonnes/month of supermarket plastic bags sent to landfill.