Greetings and Buenos Dias
Body Shop Fam,
As discussed in today’s podcast, I’m going straight to the message and objective. In a world full of environmental toxins, it’s important for our health, hormones, and maintaining homeostasis the best we can in 2026 to take as much precaution as we can to detoxify the food and spaces around us.
Here are a few things to get you started this week.
🥬 Produce Washing Checklist
• Wash hands first: Use warm water and soap for 20 seconds before handling any food.
• Trim first: Cut away bruised areas and remove the outer leaves of lettuce or cabbage where dirt and chemicals collect.
• Firm produce (apples, cucumbers, root vegetables): Scrub with a clean, stiff-bristled produce brush under cold running water.
• Leafy greens and berries: Submerge in a bowl of cold water, gently swirl to let grit sink, lift out, and rinse again.
• Baking soda soak (pesticide reduction): Mix 1 teaspoon of baking soda per 2 cups of cold water, soak produce for 12 to 15 minutes, and rinse thoroughly with plain water.
• Vinegar soak (bacteria reduction): Mix 1 part white vinegar with 3 parts water, soak for 5 to 10 minutes, and rinse well.
• Dry completely: Dry with a clean cloth towel or salad spinner to remove remaining surface bacteria and residue.
• Avoid soap: Never use dish soap, bleach, or commercial detergents, as porous produce can absorb these chemicals.
🛒 Grocery Shopping & Packaging Checklist
• Prioritize the “Dirty Dozen”: Buy organic for produce known to have the highest pesticide loads (like strawberries, spinach, kale, and grapes).
• Utilize the “Clean Fifteen”: Save money by buying conventional versions of thick-skinned produce lower in pesticides (like avocados, sweet corn, pineapples, and onions).
• Ditch single-use plastic bags: Switch to reusable organic cotton or mesh bags for loose produce.
• Choose glass over cans: Buy tomato sauces, oils, and soups in glass jars to avoid BPA and alternative plastic linings found inside metal cans.
• Buy whole foods: Minimize ultra-processed foods, which pick up chemical plasticizers during factory processing and packaging.
🍳 Kitchen Prep & Storage Checklist
• Filter your water: Use a multi-stage water filter certified to remove heavy metals (lead, arsenic), PFAS (”forever chemicals”), and microplastics.
• Upgrade cooking surfaces: Swap scratched non-stick Teflon pans for cast iron, stainless steel, or 100% ceramic cookware.
• Ban plastic heating: Never microwave food inside plastic containers or covered in plastic wrap, which leaches chemicals into food.
• Transition to glass storage: Store leftovers in glass, stainless steel, or ceramic containers instead of plastic Tupperware.
• Filter your air: Run a HEPA air filter in or near the kitchen to capture airborne particles from gas stoves and cooking.
This comes to you from a place of love and doing what I can to help myself and share the knowledge for a more optimally functioning system inside and out.
Besos & Biceps,
Julia Fernandez De Maez
This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit juliabodyshop.substack.com
