What does it actually mean to design a healthier home?

In this episode of Practical Nontoxic Living™, I speak with interior designer Alison Davin, founder of Jute Interior Design, about how her experience with multiple chemical sensitivities changed the way she thinks about the materials, finishes, furnishings, and products we bring into our homes.

Alison's work explores the intersection of beauty, function, sustainability, and environmental health—and what it takes to make thoughtful choices when there is rarely a perfectly "clean" material.

In this episode:

• How Alison's experience with chemical sensitivities influenced her approach to interior design

• What she considers when evaluating paints, flooring, furniture, fabrics, and building materials

• Why words like "natural," "green," and "clean" don't always tell you enough

• How to ask better questions about materials when building or renovating

• Alison's personal strategies for navigating travel and environments that can be difficult for her

• How she balances lower-exposure choices with comfort, beauty, function, and real-life constraints

One of the things I appreciate about Alison's approach is that she doesn't treat environmental health and beautiful design as competing goals.

A healthier home doesn't have to be austere—or perfectly "nontoxic." The more useful question is: Which materials and design choices matter most here, and how can we create a space we genuinely love living in?

Go deeper:

• Read Alison Davin's Live Natural: A Relaxed Approach to Creating Healthy Homes

• Learn more about Jute Interior Design

• Explore the Practical Nontoxic Living™ framework

• Learn the foundations of Practical Nontoxic Living™ with the free Ultimate Home Detox Kickstart email series.

Microplastics and nanoplastics are now part of our everyday environment—but some sources are easier to reduce than others.

In this episode of Practical Nontoxic Living™, I focus on three common household products that can contribute to plastic exposure and the simple alternatives I prefer when they're practical.

In this episode:

• Three everyday products I reconsidered because of plastic contact or shedding

• Why repeated exposure can matter more than obsessing over every individual source

• Practical alternatives that can reduce plastic use without making daily life harder

• Why stainless steel, glass, and other materials can make sense in certain applications

• How to think about microplastic reduction without trying to eliminate plastic from your life

The science on the health effects of microplastics is evolving quickly. We know exposure is widespread; we're still learning what different particles, doses, and routes of exposure mean for human health.

For me, that uncertainty doesn't mean panicking—or doing nothing. It means looking for the easy wins: when a lower-plastic option works just as well, costs about the same, and is easy to live with, why not choose it?

Go deeper:

• See the stainless steel water bottle options I considered

• Explore the Practical Nontoxic Living™ framework

• Learn the foundations of Practical Nontoxic Living™ with the free Ultimate Home Detox Kickstart email series.

Why have obesity and metabolic disorders increased so dramatically—and could environmental chemicals be one piece of the puzzle?

In this short excerpt from a Ruan Living Detox Workshop, I introduce the obesogen hypothesis: the idea that certain environmental chemicals may interfere with biological processes involved in metabolism, fat storage, appetite, and energy regulation.

Obesity is complex. Diet, physical activity, genetics, sleep, stress, medications, socioeconomic conditions, and many other factors matter. But researchers are also studying whether exposure to certain endocrine-disrupting chemicals may influence metabolic health in ways that traditional "calories in, calories out" explanations don't fully capture.

In this episode:

• What scientists mean by an obesogen

• Why some endocrine-disrupting chemicals are being studied in relation to weight and metabolic health

• How researchers think certain exposures might influence fat-cell development, hormones, insulin signaling, or energy balance

• Why sensitive periods such as pregnancy and early development receive particular attention

• What the evidence can—and cannot yet—tell us about obesogens in humans

• Why environmental exposures are worth considering as one part of a much larger metabolic-health picture

The point isn't that chemicals explain obesity—or that diet and exercise suddenly don't matter.

It's that human biology is shaped by more than willpower and calories alone. Understanding the other influences researchers are investigating can give us a more complete—and more compassionate—way to think about metabolic health.

Go deeper:

• Access the full Obesogens workshop replay inside the D-Tox Academy, Phase two of the Ultimate Home Detox™

• Explore the Practical Nontoxic Living™ framework

• Learn the foundations of Practical Nontoxic Living™ with the free Ultimate Home Detox Kickstart email series.

What does "holistic health" look like when you're trying to make everyday choices that are actually sustainable?

In this episode of Practical Nontoxic Living™, Elizabeth McCormick speaks with Heidi Kuimjian of Holistic with Heidi and the Lifelong podcast about their paths into holistic health, nontoxic living, and the habits they've found most useful along the way.

Rather than chasing perfection, their conversation focuses on the small decisions that can make healthier living feel more realistic.

In this episode:

• Heidi's journey into holistic nutrition and wellness

• How Elizabeth and Heidi each began thinking differently about everyday exposures

• The relationship between food, lifestyle, environment, and well-being

• Practical nontoxic-living habits they've incorporated into their own lives

• How to make changes gradually rather than trying to overhaul everything at once

• Heidi's approach to clothing and other everyday product choices

This conversation is a reminder that holistic health doesn't have to mean doing everything "right."

It can simply mean becoming more aware of the different influences shaping us—and choosing where we want to be a little more intentional.

Go deeper:

• Learn more from Heidi Kuimjian and Holistic with Heidi

• Explore the Practical Nontoxic Living™ framework

• Learn the foundations of Practical Nontoxic Living™ with the free Ultimate Home Detox Kickstart email series.

If you want to reduce everyday exposures but don't know where to start, which changes are actually worth prioritizing?

In this conversation, I speak with Samantha Radford, PhD chemist, public health expert, mother of four, and founder of Evidence-Based Mommy.

Samantha and I came to nontoxic living through different paths, but we share an interest in making environmental-health information practical rather than overwhelming. We each share three of the choices we prioritize most—especially when budget, convenience, and family life matter.

In this episode:

• How Samantha's background in chemistry and public health shapes the way she evaluates environmental-health claims

• How each of us found our way into nontoxic living

• The three practical changes Samantha prioritizes most

• The three changes I most often recommend

• Which lower-exposure choices don't require spending more money

• How to decide what deserves your attention when you can't—and don't need to—change everything

• Where evidence, precaution, convenience, and cost enter our decision-making

One of the most useful things about comparing our lists is that there isn't one universally perfect way to practice nontoxic living.

The goal is to understand which recurring exposures may be worth reducing, identify the changes that make sense in your particular life, and start there.

This conversation was originally published on the Evidence-Based Mommy podcast.

Go deeper:

• Learn more from Samantha Radford at Evidence-Based Mommy

• Explore the Practical Nontoxic Living™ framework

• Read A to Z of D-Toxing: The Ultimate Guide to Reducing Our Toxic Exposures

• Learn the foundations of Practical Nontoxic Living™ with the free Ultimate Home Detox Kickstart email series.

How should we think about wireless radiation when the technology evolves faster than many of the standards used to regulate it?

In this episode of Practical Nontoxic Living™, I speak with Daniel DeBaun, a former telecommunications engineer and founder of DefenderShield, about radiofrequency exposure from cell phones and other wireless devices, how safety limits are established, and why some scientists and advocates believe current regulations deserve closer scrutiny.

We also discuss the controversy surrounding France's testing of the iPhone 12 and what that episode revealed about the difference between regulatory compliance, real-world exposure, and changing wireless technologies.

In this episode:

• How radiofrequency exposure from cell phones and other wireless devices is measured

• How regulatory limits are set—and why those standards remain debated

• Daniel's perspective as a former telecommunications engineer

• What happened with the iPhone 12 testing controversy in France

• Why compliance with a regulatory limit doesn't necessarily answer every long-term health question

• Practical ways to reduce unnecessary exposure through distance, duration, and device habits

• How to evaluate EMF-protection products without assuming that every marketed solution has equally strong evidence

The science around everyday wireless exposure remains contested, and experts do not always interpret the same evidence the same way.

For me, the useful question isn't whether wireless technology is simply "safe" or "dangerous." It's: What do we know, where are the uncertainties, and which low-cost precautions make sense without making modern life unnecessarily difficult?

Go deeper:

• Read the full episode show notes

• Explore Ruan Living's EMF Detox resources

• Explore the Practical Nontoxic Living™ framework

• Learn the foundations of Practical Nontoxic Living™ with the free Ultimate Home Detox Kickstart email series.

What do we know about PFAS, other environmental chemicals, and breast cancer risk—and how does that science translate into public policy?

In this episode of Practical Nontoxic Living™, I speak with Nancy Buermeyer of Breast Cancer Prevention Partners, an organization focused on reducing environmental exposures that may contribute to breast cancer.

Nancy brings a policy perspective to a complicated scientific question: when evidence suggests concern but doesn't always provide a simple answer, what should regulators, manufacturers, and consumers do?

In this episode:

• What researchers are studying about PFAS and breast cancer

• Why endocrine-disrupting chemicals are part of the breast cancer prevention conversation

• How Breast Cancer Prevention Partners approaches environmental health policy

• What California legislation has done to restrict certain chemicals in consumer products

• What Proposition 65 warnings do—and don't—tell you about risk

• How to think about products sold across state lines when regulations differ

• Why reducing avoidable exposures can make sense without assuming that any single chemical causes breast cancer

Breast cancer is influenced by many factors, and environmental exposures are only one part of a much larger picture.

What I find useful about Nancy's work is the focus on prevention at the population level: when an exposure is widespread, potentially harmful, and avoidable, how much evidence should we require before reducing it?

Go deeper:

• Learn more from Breast Cancer Prevention Partners

• Read the full episode show notes

• Explore the Practical Nontoxic Living™ framework

• Learn the foundations of Practical Nontoxic Living™ with the free Ultimate Home Detox Kickstart email series.

Is cellphone radiation harmful—and how should we think about the evidence when experts disagree?

In this episode of Practical Nontoxic Living™, I speak with Dr. David O. Carpenter, a public health physician and environmental-health researcher whose work has examined electromagnetic fields, PCBs, and other environmental exposures.

We discuss what is known about radiofrequency radiation from cell phones, why current exposure standards remain controversial, and why Dr. Carpenter believes precaution is warranted even as important scientific questions remain unsettled.

In this episode:

• How cellphone radiation differs from ionizing radiation such as X-rays

• What research has examined about radiofrequency exposure and human health

• Why some scientists question whether current exposure limits adequately reflect long-term, real-world use

• Where scientific interpretation and regulatory guidance diverge

• Why children and long-duration exposure receive particular attention in this debate

• Practical ways to reduce unnecessary cellphone exposure through distance, duration, and everyday habits

The evidence around wireless radiation is complex, and experts do not all reach the same conclusions.

For me, that makes this an especially useful Practical Nontoxic Living™ question: when certainty is unavailable, how do we distinguish what is known, what is plausible, and which precautions are easy enough to consider anyway?

Go deeper:

• Read the full episode show notes

• Read A to Z of D-Toxing: The Ultimate Guide to Reducing Our Toxic Exposures

• Explore the Practical Nontoxic Living™ framework

• Learn the foundations of Practical Nontoxic Living™ with the free Ultimate Home Detox Kickstart email series.

What would it look like to systematically reduce everyday exposures throughout your home—without trying to change everything at once?

In this episode of Practical Nontoxic Living™, I introduce the 40-Day Home Detox™, Phase One of the Ultimate Home Detox™: the structured process I created to help people identify recurring sources of chemical, heavy-metal, EMF, and other environmental exposures and make thoughtful changes over time.

The program grew out of nearly two decades of research—and one persistent problem I kept seeing: people would learn about one concerning product or chemical at a time, feel overwhelmed, and have no framework for deciding what mattered most.

The 40-Day Home Detox is designed to replace that whack-a-mole approach with patterns, priorities, and a repeatable decision-making process.

In this episode:

• Why I created the 40-Day Home Detox

• How the LOLA POP™ Detox Method turns an entire-home project into manageable steps

• The Household Repeat Offenders™ I prioritize rather than trying to research every chemical individually

• Why the process begins with noticing and reducing recurring exposures—not replacing everything at once

• How the program moves from detoxing what you already have to intentionally designing what comes next

• Why Practical Nontoxic Living™ is rooted in mindfulness and informed choices rather than perfection

The goal isn't to create a perfectly "nontoxic" home.

It's to understand what surrounds you, recognize which patterns may matter most, and build a decision-making framework that makes future choices easier.

The 40-Day Home Detox™ is Phase One of the Ultimate Home Detox™—the foundation for learning how to reduce recurring exposures and begin shaping your home more intentionally.

Go deeper:

• Learn more about the 40-Day Home Detox™, Phase One of the Ultimate Home Detox™

• Explore my Household Repeat Offenders™ framework

• Read A to Z of D-Toxing: The Ultimate Guide to Reducing Our Toxic Exposures

• Learn the foundations of Practical Nontoxic Living™ with the free Ultimate Home Detox Kickstart email series.

What can a urine test actually tell you about the chemicals you're exposed to every day?

In this episode of Practical Nontoxic Living™, I speak with Jenna Hua, PhD, MPH, founder of Million Marker, about biomonitoring, endocrine-disrupting chemicals, fertility, and the limits—and possibilities—of measuring environmental exposures in the body.

Jenna shares how her background in public health, her experience working within the healthcare system, and her own fertility journey led her to focus more closely on prevention and environmental health.

We also discuss why certain chemicals can show up in urine, what those measurements can tell us about recent exposures, and why they should not be interpreted as a complete measure of someone's health or "toxic burden."

In this episode:

• How Jenna's public-health and fertility experiences led her to create Million Marker

• What biomonitoring is—and what a urine test can and cannot tell you

• Which chemicals Million Marker tests for and why

• Why some exposure biomarkers can change relatively quickly when sources are reduced

• What endocrine-disrupting chemicals are and why reproductive-health researchers study them

• How environmental exposures are being investigated in relation to fertility, pregnancy, and child development

• Why mixtures of chemicals are difficult to study

• How food, personal care products, plastics, cleaning products, drinking water, and other everyday sources can contribute to exposure

• Why testing can be useful as feedback without becoming a diagnosis or prediction of disease

One of the most useful ideas in this conversation is that some exposure biomarkers are dynamic.

They can reflect what we've encountered recently, which means they may change when our habits and environments change. But a lower biomarker level does not automatically mean better fertility, lower disease risk, or better health.

For me, the value is in using information like this to ask better questions: What am I being exposed to, what can I reasonably change, and what does the data actually allow me to conclude?

Go deeper:

• Read Identifying Toxic Chemicals in Your Body: A Guide to Testing and Prevention

• Learn more about Million Marker

• Explore the Practical Nontoxic Living™ framework

• Learn the foundations of Practical Nontoxic Living™ with the free Ultimate Home Detox Kickstart email series.