What role might everyday environmental exposures play in brain and mental health?

In this episode of Practical Nontoxic Living™, I share an excerpt from a live workshop I hosted for Mental Health Awareness Month on neurotoxicants—substances that can interfere with the structure or function of the nervous system.

Some neurotoxic exposures can come from sources we encounter in homes, schools, consumer products, air, water, and food. But mental health is shaped by many factors, including genetics, relationships, stress, sleep, socioeconomic conditions, trauma, physical health, and environment.

This episode explores where environmental exposures may fit into that larger picture.

In this episode:

• What scientists mean by a neurotoxicant

• Why the developing brain can be especially sensitive to certain exposures

• Examples of chemicals and heavy metals researchers study in relation to neurological and neurodevelopmental outcomes

• Where potential exposures can occur in homes, schools, and everyday products

• Why an association with brain or behavioral outcomes does not mean a single exposure explains a mental-health condition

• Practical ways to reduce some avoidable exposures without treating the home as the cause of every health problem

The goal isn't to suggest that environmental chemicals explain today's mental-health challenges.

It's to recognize that the brain develops and functions within an environment—and that environmental health may be one piece of a much more complex picture.

For me, the useful question is: Which exposures have enough evidence behind them to deserve our attention, and which reductions are practical enough to make sense?

Go deeper:

• Read the full article on household chemicals and brain health

• 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.

What if understanding yourself—and the people you love—began with becoming more curious about how differently each of us moves through the world?

In this episode of Practical Nontoxic Living™, I speak with Erin Claire Jones, a Human Design guide and educator, about the framework she uses to help people think about personality, energy, decision-making, parenting, and relationships.

Human Design combines elements drawn from astrology, the I Ching, the chakra system, and other traditions. It is not a scientifically validated psychological or medical framework, so I think of this conversation as an exploration of self-reflection rather than a diagnostic tool.

In this episode:

• The basic ideas behind Human Design

• What Erin means by different "energy types"

• How she uses Human Design to think about decision-making and relationships

• Why differences among family members can create friction—or greater understanding

• How she applies the framework to parenting

• What parts of a system like Human Design can still be useful even if you don't treat it as scientific fact

What interested me most wasn't whether a Human Design chart could define who someone is.

It was the larger invitation to notice: Where am I trying to force myself—or someone I love—to operate according to expectations that may not fit?

That question has stayed relevant to me far beyond Human Design. The frameworks we inherit about personality, parenting, success, and who we're "supposed" to be can shape us profoundly—sometimes without our realizing it.

Go deeper:

• Learn more about Erin Claire Jones

• Explore Erin's Human Design Blueprint

• Explore the Practical Nontoxic Living™ framework

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

How are our technology habits shaping the way we feel, connect, and move through everyday life?

In this episode of Practical Nontoxic Living™, I share an excerpt from a Use the News conversation about mental health, technology, social isolation, and EMF exposure.

The discussion moves between two different questions that are often collapsed together: what our devices may be doing to us behaviorally and socially, and what researchers are still trying to understand about the physical exposures that come with wireless technology.

In this episode:

• How constant device use can affect attention, connection, and daily routines

• Why loneliness and social isolation deserve attention as health influences in their own right

• How screen habits can shape sleep, stress, and the way we relate to other people

• What we know—and still don't know—about everyday EMF exposure

• Why reducing unnecessary wireless exposure can be a reasonable precaution without assuming that technology is inherently harmful

• Simple ways to use devices more intentionally rather than letting them set the rhythm of the day

For me, the most useful question isn't whether technology is "good" or "bad."

It's: How is the way I'm using it shaping me—and what would I like to change?

That question applies to more than EMFs. It applies to attention, relationships, sleep, stress, and the habits we repeat without thinking much about them.

Go deeper:

• Explore Ruan Living's EMF Detox resources

• 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.

What actually sets your body clock—and where does melatonin fit into the picture?

In this episode of Practical Nontoxic Living™, Elizabeth and I explore circadian rhythm, light exposure, melatonin, cortisol, and some of the everyday habits that can influence when we feel awake and when we feel ready to sleep.

We also look at the growing popularity of melatonin supplements and why "natural" doesn't automatically mean simple, standardized, or appropriate for everyone.

In this episode:

• What your circadian rhythm is and how it helps regulate sleep and wakefulness

• How light and darkness help signal time of day to the brain

• The relationship between melatonin, cortisol, and the sleep-wake cycle

• Why morning daylight and reducing bright light at night can help reinforce circadian cues

• Whether spending time outside around sunset may help support an evening transition

• What to know about melatonin supplements, including dosing and variability among products

• Why accidental melatonin ingestion—especially by children—has become a concern

• Simple ways to work with your body's natural rhythms before assuming you need a supplement

One thing I appreciate about circadian biology is that it reminds us how responsive our bodies are to the environments we create.

Light, darkness, timing, screens, routines, and sleep schedules can all become signals.

So rather than asking only, "What can I take to sleep better?", another useful question is: "What is my environment telling my body about what time it is?"

Go deeper:

• Explore the Practical Nontoxic Living™ framework

• Explore the D-Tox Academy, the ongoing learning phase of the Ultimate Home Detox™

• 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 actually makes a home healthier—and how do you begin without replacing everything you own?

In this episode of Practical Nontoxic Living™, I'm sharing a conversation with Andrew Pace, founder of Green Design Center, healthy-home consultant, and host of the Nontoxic Environments Podcast.

Andrew originally interviewed me for his podcast about the foundations of Practical Nontoxic Living™: how I came to this work, what nearly two decades of researching environmental exposures has taught me, and why I believe the most useful approach is rarely about pursuing a perfectly "nontoxic" home.

It's about learning how to make better decisions.

In this episode:

• How my career and life changed before I began researching environmental exposures

• What initially drew me into studying chemicals, materials, and other everyday exposures

• Why trying to eliminate every potentially concerning exposure is neither realistic nor necessary

• How to identify the changes that may matter most

• Free and low-cost ways to reduce exposures at home

• Why nontoxic living can sometimes simplify your life rather than complicate it

• How changing the way you shop can reduce unnecessary purchases over time

• Why mindset matters when you're trying to make healthier choices without becoming overwhelmed

One of the biggest shifts in my own thinking has been moving away from asking, "Is this product toxic?"

A more useful set of questions is: What am I being exposed to? How meaningful is that exposure? What are the alternatives? And given cost, convenience, evidence, and the life I'm actually living—what's the wisest choice?

That decision-making process is the foundation of Practical Nontoxic Living™.

This conversation was originally published on Andrew Pace's Nontoxic Environments Podcast.

Go deeper:

• Learn more from Andrew Pace and Green Design Center

• 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.

Can handling a paper receipt meaningfully add to your exposure to hormone-disrupting chemicals?

In this episode of Practical Nontoxic Living™, I look at thermal receipt paper, which has historically used chemicals such as BPA—and, in many cases, substitutes such as BPS—as color developers in the paper coating.

Because these chemicals can transfer from the paper to our skin, receipts offer a useful example of how an everyday exposure can be easy to overlook—and relatively easy to reduce.

In this episode:

• Why BPA has been used in thermal receipt paper

• Why replacing BPA with another bisphenol doesn't automatically eliminate concern

• How chemicals from thermal paper can transfer onto skin

• Why frequent receipt handling may matter more than occasional contact

• Why applying hand sanitizer or certain lotions before handling receipts may affect chemical transfer or absorption

• Simple ways to reduce unnecessary exposure, such as choosing digital receipts and minimizing handling

• Why this is a good example of focusing on recurring exposures rather than worrying about every isolated contact

The point isn't to fear touching a receipt.

It's to recognize an exposure pattern that is both common and often unnecessary—and make the easier choice when one is available.

That's a recurring Practical Nontoxic Living™ principle: notice the exposure, understand enough to put it in perspective, and reduce it when the tradeoff is small.

Go deeper:

• Explore the Practical Nontoxic Living™ framework

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

• Explore the D-Tox Academy

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

What makes a home vulnerable to mold—and when does mold become a health concern?

In this episode of Practical Nontoxic Living™, I speak with architect Cheryl Ciecko, founder of Avoiding Mold, about how building design, moisture, ventilation, dust, and maintenance can influence mold growth inside our homes.

Cheryl also shares the personal health experiences that led her to focus professionally on mold prevention and healthier building environments.

In this episode:

• How Cheryl's work as an architect led her to investigate indoor mold

• Why moisture control is central to preventing mold growth

• Common building and maintenance issues that can create conditions for mold

• Why dust and indoor humidity deserve attention

• Practical ways to reduce the likelihood of mold developing in the first place

• What Cheryl means by creating a "safer space" within a home

• Why mold exposure affects people differently

• How to think about prevention without assuming that every home—or every symptom—is a mold problem

Mold can contribute to respiratory and allergic symptoms, and certain people may be more susceptible than others. At the same time, symptoms attributed to "toxic mold" can be nonspecific, and determining whether mold is responsible for a particular health problem can be complicated.

One of the most useful lessons from Cheryl's architectural perspective is that mold prevention begins with the building itself.

Rather than waiting until visible mold appears, we can pay attention to the conditions that allow it to grow: water intrusion, persistent dampness, poor ventilation, condensation, and accumulated dust.

That makes mold another Practical Nontoxic Living™ question of noticing patterns early—and addressing the source rather than only the symptom.

Go deeper:

• Learn more from Cheryl Ciecko and Avoiding Mold

• 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.

Could endocrine-disrupting chemicals influence male reproductive development and fertility?

In this short episode of Practical Nontoxic Living™, Elizabeth and I look at research on endocrine-disrupting chemicals (EDCs) and male reproductive health—including sperm quality, reproductive development, and the hormonal signals that help shape these processes.

The topic can generate dramatic headlines, so we use it as an opportunity to look more carefully at what researchers are actually finding—and what those findings do and don't allow us to conclude.

In this episode:

• What endocrine-disrupting chemicals are and how they can interfere with hormone signaling

• Why researchers study certain environmental exposures in relation to sperm count, concentration, motility, and other measures of semen quality

• What anogenital distance is and why scientists sometimes use it as a research marker of prenatal androgen exposure

• Why pregnancy and early development may represent particularly sensitive windows of exposure

• What human studies can show about associations—and why association is not the same as proving that a particular chemical caused an outcome

• Why male reproductive health is influenced by many factors beyond environmental chemicals

• Practical ways to reduce some recurring exposures without trying to eliminate every endocrine disruptor from your life

Scientists have raised important questions about changes in male reproductive health and the potential contribution of environmental chemicals. But fertility and reproductive development are complex, shaped by genetics, age, health conditions, lifestyle, medications, heat, smoking, nutrition, environmental exposures, and other factors.

The useful takeaway isn't that chemicals are "changing masculinity."

It's that hormones help guide reproductive development, some environmental chemicals can interact with hormonal pathways, and reducing avoidable exposures may be one reasonable piece of a much larger reproductive-health picture.

This conversation was originally recorded as part of Use the News, a D-Tox Academy segment in which we discussed environmental-health research appearing in current headlines.

Go deeper:

• Explore the D-Tox Academy

• 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

Fish can be an excellent source of protein and important nutrients—but it can also be a source of environmental contaminants. So how do you decide which fish to eat?

In this short Practical Nontoxic Living™ episode, Elizabeth and I look at research that made headlines about PFAS, or "forever chemicals," in freshwater fish and what those findings might mean for the way we choose seafood.

Rather than labeling fish simply "clean" or "toxic," we talk about a more practical approach: understanding that contaminant levels can differ considerably depending on the species, where the fish came from, and how often you eat it.

In this episode:

• Why researchers are finding PFAS in some freshwater fish

• Why locally caught fish can present different questions than seafood purchased at a grocery store

• How contamination can vary by location and waterway

• Why fish-consumption advisories can be useful when eating locally caught fish

• How to think about environmental contaminants without losing sight of the nutritional benefits of seafood

• The seafood choices we tend to make in our own homes

• Simple ways to diversify your seafood choices rather than relying heavily on one species or source

This is another example of why Practical Nontoxic Living™ rarely produces a universal list of "good" and "bad" foods.

The better question is often: What am I eating, where did it come from, what contaminants are relevant, how often am I eating it—and what alternatives are available?

The goal isn't to stop eating fish. It's to have enough information to enjoy seafood while making more informed choices about source, species, and frequency.

Resources mentioned in this episode:

• Smithsonian: Freshwater Fish Contain Harmful Forever Chemicals

• EWG: Map of PFAS Contamination in U.S. Freshwater Fish

• CNN: Freshwater Fish and PFAS Contamination

Go deeper:

• Explore Ruan Living's PFAS & Forever Chemicals resources

• 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

Are today's wireless safety standards keeping pace with the way we actually use cell phones, Wi-Fi, and newer technologies such as 5G?

In this episode of Practical Nontoxic Living™, I speak with Theodora Scarato, Executive Director of the Environmental Health Trust (EHT), an advocacy organization that argues for stronger protections around radiofrequency electromagnetic fields.

We explore the science, regulation, and uncertainty surrounding everyday wireless exposure—and why different scientists, regulators, and countries don't always arrive at the same recommendations.

A major focus of our conversation is Environmental Health Trust v. FCC. The FCC's radiofrequency exposure limits were last updated in 1996. After the agency decided in 2019 to retain them, EHT and other petitioners challenged that decision. In 2021, the U.S. Court of Appeals granted the petitions in part and sent the matter back to the FCC, concluding that the agency had not adequately explained why its guidelines protected against potential effects unrelated to cancer. Importantly, the court was evaluating the adequacy of the FCC's reasoning—not deciding that wireless radiation had been proven harmful.

In this episode:

• How U.S. radiofrequency exposure limits are established

• Why the FCC's standards have generated debate

• What the 2021 Environmental Health Trust v. FCC decision actually found

• Theodora's argument for taking a more precautionary approach to wireless exposure

• How approaches to cell phones and radiofrequency exposure differ internationally

• Why children, pregnancy, cumulative exposure, and changing patterns of technology use enter the discussion

• What researchers know—and continue to debate—about possible effects of long-term, low-level RF exposure

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

Radiofrequency radiation from wireless devices is non-ionizing, which is fundamentally different from ionizing radiation such as X-rays. At sufficiently high levels, RF energy can heat tissue; whether lower-level exposures produce harmful nonthermal effects remains an area of scientific debate.

That uncertainty is part of what makes this conversation useful.

The question isn't simply, "Is wireless safe or dangerous?"

It's: What do current standards protect against? What questions remain unresolved? And when simple precautions cost us very little, which ones make sense while the science continues to evolve?

Go deeper:

• Learn more from the Environmental Health Trust

• Explore EHT's resources for reducing wireless exposure

• 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