Toxin Free (ish)

If you've ever questioned the safety of fluoride in drinking water, this episode is for you. The recent court ruling against the EPA on fluoride regulation is a game-changer, and we're breaking it down in simple terms.

Today, I'm diving into the complicated issue of fluoride and making it accessible for everyone. From a brief history of fluoride use to the timeline of events leading to the EPA's court loss, we're covering it all. 

You'll learn why this chemical has been controversial for decades and how recent scientific evidence is changing the conversation.

And let me tell you, this court case is monumental. It not only challenges long-held beliefs about fluoride safety but also opens the door for regulating other toxins in the future. I'll explain why this legal precedent is so exciting for those of us fighting for cleaner, safer environments.

Check out my recommended fluoride-free toothpaste and water filtration systems on my Toxin Free Shopping Guide.

In this episode, we're chatting about:

• A quick history of fluoride and its known health impacts
• The myth of fluoride's effectiveness in preventing cavities when ingested
• The timeline of events leading to the EPA's court loss
• Why the 2016 amendment to the Toxic Substances Control Act was crucial
• The recent studies linking fluoride to neurodevelopmental effects and lower IQ in children
• How the National Toxicology Program's report became the nail in the coffin
• Why this court case is so significant for future toxin regulation
• Two simple ways you can protect your family from fluoride exposure right now

Whether you're a long-time fluoride skeptic or just starting to question its safety, this episode will give you the information you need to make informed decisions for your family's health.

Read the shownotes

If you enjoyed this week's episode, please:

• Leave a positive review or rating wherever you listen
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• Shop toxin free products on my Toxin Free Shopping Guide
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• Download your free 25 Toxins to Avoid
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• Post a screenshot, share what you loved, and tag me on Instagram @wendy_toxinfreeish
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• Want to ask me a question to get answered on the podcast? Leave me a voice message here.

Read The Shownotes Here

If you or someone you love is navigating chronic health issues, this episode is for you. Unfortunately, that probably means it's for all of you. Chronic health issues like autoimmune disorders, infertility, and more are normalized in this country. But that doesn't mean they're normal.

Today, I'm joined by Kelly Ryerson, the Glyphosate Girl, to learn all about Glyphosate. From simple questions like "what IS Glyphosate?" to more complicated ones like "what is the solution when big corporate companies are trying to shield themselves from being held liable for our health issues that connect to these toxins?" - we're covering it all.

And let me tell you, Kelly was the perfect person to have this conversation with. After experiencing health issues that Western doctors were chalking up to nothing, she cut out Gluten as a last ditch effort. And guess what? Things quickly shifted in her favor. She was feeling better but now, she was wondering why.

And the special thing about Kelly is that she made it her personal mission to find out what's really going on with Gluten. She attended conferences filled with doctors and bravely asked questions no one else was. And when an important figure in the history of Glyphosate's rise was brought to trial, she sat it on the whole thing and blogged her experience. 

If you head over to gyphosatefacts.com, you can see all of the facts that we discuss in this episode laid out for you.

In this episode, we're chatting about: 

• How Kelly came to be known as the Glyphosate Girl 
• What is Glyphosate anyway? 
• What are the negative health impacts of Glyphosate? 
• How Glyphosate is destroying the environment
• What can we actually do about this problem? (Hint, hint: it all comes back to regenerative agriculture) 
• Read the shownotes here

Connect with Kelly: 

• Instagram
• Website

Download the Top 25 Toxins to Avoid and become a label reading pro! 

Getting started with red light therapy with 40% off the LUMEBOX.

If you enjoyed this week's episode, please:

• Leave a positive review or rating wherever you listen
• 
  
• Shop toxin free products on my Toxin Free Shopping Guide
• 
  
• Download your free 25 Toxins to Avoid
• 
  
• Post a screenshot, share what you loved, and tag me on Instagram @wendy_toxinfreeish
• 
  
• Want to ask me a question to get answered on the podcast? Leave me a voice message here.

Read The Shownotes Here

The first thing I tell people to do when they embark of their holistic living journey is to ditch fragrances. It’s the first but also often the hardest step to embrace. Fragrances are deeply rooted in our memories of what grandma was cooking as a child and fresh sheets on a Sunday morning. 

That’s why going natural and fragrance-free can be such a difficult step to take. But today, i’m going to tell you WHY you should try to eliminate fragrances from your household. Companies have been manipulating what you buy to trigger these happy memories but they haven’t taken your health into account. 

We’'ll get into the specifics of what exactly is in these fragrances that makes them such a problem for your health and its direct relation to infertility, hormone disorders, miscarriage rates, and more. But I won’t just leave you anxious about the pervasive use of fragrances in our products. 

Luckily, we’ve got so many options to choose in order to avoid these toxins now and I’ll dive in to what you'll find in my home and where you can shop for them.

Check out my Blog and Read the Show Notes HERE

If you enjoyed this week's episode, please:

• Leave a positive review or rating wherever you listen
• Shop toxin free products on my Toxin Free Shopping Guide
• Download your free 25 Toxins to Avoid
• Post a screenshot, share what you loved, and tag me on Instagram @wendy_toxinfreeish
• Want to ask me a question to get answered on the podcast? Leave me a voice message here.

Register for Shelley's FREE Wellness Kitchen Masterclass: A step-by-step guide to create a healthy kitchen,  happening October 7-9.

What happens when a life-altering event forces you to re-evaluate everything you thought you knew about nutrition and cooking? Shelley Loving faced this exact challenge when her husband suffered a heart attack at just 41 years old.

Before this, Shelley's relationship with food mirrored that of your average American in many ways. They weren't just eating junk all the time, but they also weren't putting much thought into nutrition at all. But once it became clear that nutrition might actually be a matter of life and death for her family, she did a deep dive into all things nutrition.

What she found in her original search was a lot of conflicting, frustrating information. But she didn't give up! She actually took this so seriously and played such a pivotal role in her husband's recovery that his doctors were asking how he did it. Turns out, he had completely reversed the damage done from sleep apnea, stress, and poor diet.

Now, Shelley has made it her mission to simplify nutrition and make healthy cooking accessible and straightforward. We're talking everything from how to meal prep without causing a huge headache to what kind of oil you should be using from one dish to the next.

Join us as we uncover how Shelley transformed from a conventional home cook into a culinary nutrition expert, armed with the knowledge to fight chronic inflammation and advocate for healthier living.

In this episode, we're chatting about: 

• Do Americans actually have a Gluten problem? or a Glyphosate problem?
• How to address chronic inflammation through nutrition 
• Practical tips for busy moms looking to meal prep 
• A quick guide on how to read food labels without being swayed by false marketing

Connect with Shelley: 

• Website
• Instagram
• Youtube

Check out my Blog and Read the Show Notes HERE

Download the Top 25 Toxins to Avoid and become a label reading pro! 

Getting started with red light therapy with 40% off the LUMEBOX.

If you enjoyed this week's episode, please:

• Leave a positive review or rating wherever you listen
• 
  
• Shop toxin free products on my Toxin Free Shopping Guide
• 
  
• Download your free 25 Toxins to Avoid
• 
  
• Post a screenshot, share what you loved, and tag me on Instagram @wendy_toxinfreeish
• 
  
• Want to ask me a question to get answered on the podcast? Leave me a voice message here.

Read The Shownotes Here

Early puberty is not just a psychological bump in the road. Yes, it can be a really isolating event for a child, but it also poses real health risks. We're seeing an increased risk of cancer and cardiovascular issues amongst kids that go through puberty early.

So what's causing this in the first place and what can we do to protect our children? Well, scientists think they've found one chemical constituent that actually triggers a girl's body into going into early puberty. The ingredient in question? Musk Ambrette.

So today, we're going to talk all about Musk Ambrette - what it is, where it's found, and how you can spot this ingredient in your products. This episode highlights another reason why I'm so adamant about avoiding synthetic fragrance. If you haven't listened to episode 2 (how synthetic fragrances have hijacked our hormones) or episode 58 (on botanical alternatives to synthetic musk), those episodes are good additions to round out your understanding!

In today's episode, we're chatting about: 

• The Study on Early Puberty and Musk Ambrette
• Understanding Synthetic Fragrance and Its Risks
• Regulatory Challenges in the US
• Practical Tips for Avoiding this Chemical

Check out my Blog and Read the Show Notes HERE

If you enjoyed this week's episode, please:

• Leave a positive review or rating wherever you listen
• 
  
• Shop toxin free products on my Toxin Free Shopping Guide
• 
  
• Download your free 25 Toxins to Avoid
• 
  
• Post a screenshot, share what you loved, and tag me on Instagram @wendy_toxinfreeish
• 
  
• Want to ask me a question to get answered on the podcast? Leave me a voice message here.

Read The Shownotes Here

Should you avoid titanium dioxide in your cosmetics? It's not a simple yes or no answer. I've actually been consulting directly with formulators of cosmetic brands lately and titanium dioxide is a hot topic.

Today, I'll be explaining the science behind the risks of titanium dioxide, differentiates between nano and non-nano forms, and outline when and where the ingredient may be safe or unsafe. With this ingredient, it really depends on the product you're using.

So don't jump to throw away your favorite products just because you see titanium dioxide on the ingredient list! After listening to this episode, you'll be empowered to make more informed decisions at the check out counter. One thing that's less nuanced than your cosmetics: always avoid titanium dioxide in food! You definitely don't want to be ingesting this stuff!

In this episode, we're chatting about: 

• Why I'm consulting with brands on product formulation
• Safety concerns and risks of Titanium Dioxide
• When is Titanium Dioxide safe? 
• Controversial uses of Titanium Dioxide

Check out my Blog and Read the Show Notes HERE

If you enjoyed this week's episode, please:

• Leave a positive review or rating wherever you listen
• 
  
• Shop toxin free products on my Toxin Free Shopping Guide
• 
  
• Download your free 25 Toxins to Avoid
• 
  
• Post a screenshot, share what you loved, and tag me on Instagram @wendy_toxinfreeish
• 
  
• Want to ask me a question to get answered on the podcast? Leave me a voice message here.

Read The Shownotes Here

I want to create a culture where it's cool to read labels. Imagine if everybody read labels and really cared about the ingredients that were in our products. Companies would have to start making cleaner products.

They would see people gravitating to and purchasing the cleaner products. And we all know our money is the ultimate needle mover. So I created this episode as a bit of an introduction to label reading. If you're new here, this is also a great episode to serve as a roadmap to the rest of the podcast.

I know reading labels can be overwhelming for people. When you're shopping, especially if you've got kids in tow, stopping to scan the label might be the last thing on your mind. But when you're armed with the basic knowledge needed to quickly and effectively spot harmful ingredients, it can feel really empowering.

Not only will I be going through the most pervasive and harmful ingredients to spot, but I'll also provide a quick list of safer alternatives. When you master this skill, you don't have to wait for me or anyone else to give the red or green light on a product.

In this episode, we're chatting about:

• Why I believe in the power of reading labels 
• The three main ingredients to avoid 
• Undisclosed Fragrance 
• Toxic Preservatives
• Ethoxylated Ingredients 
• How to actually spot these ingredients on a label 
• Toxin-free alternatives to look out for 

Check out my Blog and Read the Show Notes HERE

If you enjoyed this week's episode, please:

• Leave a positive review or rating wherever you listen
• 
  
• Shop toxin free products on my Toxin Free Shopping Guide
• 
  
• Download your free 25 Toxins to Avoid
• 
  
• Post a screenshot, share what you loved, and tag me on Instagram @wendy_toxinfreeish
• 
  
• Want to ask me a question to get answered on the podcast? Leave me a voice message here.

Read The Shownotes Here

Have you noticed that 12 step skincare routines are being marketed to younger and younger age groups? Nine year olds are flocking to Sephora to get their fix. How necessary/unnecessary is this? Is there some merit to adopting a skincare routine so young?

This is just one of the many questions we're answering today with holistic esthetician, Jamie Burkhalter. We're going beyond the consumerism of skincare and reframing it from a routine to a ritual. So whether you've got a teenager at home dealing with acne for the first time or you're wondering how to maintain elasticity as you age, this episode is for you.

We're also having an important conversation about the expectations that are put on us by social media. Personally, I've given up filters completely in hopes that I don't pass down insecurities to my children. The truth is, none of us are immune to aging and we should stop touting "anti-aging" products as the holy grail.

And finally, we'll be talking about why I love evanhealy, the skincare brand committed to regenerative sourcing and environmental sustainability. Jamie provides a deep dive into the ethos behind their nutrient-rich, plant-based products and the philosophy that prioritizes personal health and the health of our planet.

In this episode, we're chatting about: 

• What does it mean to take a holistic approach to skincare? 
• Embracing Natural Beauty and Aging
• The Role of Regenerative Sourcing in Skincare
• Skincare best practices for every age group 

Shop the products mentioned in the episode and use code WENDY15 to save on all evanhealy products:

• Tea Tree Cleanser
• Hyrdosols (Lemon Thyme / Frankincense / Lavender are my faves)
• Frankincense Neroli Body Oil 
• Wild Carrot Eye Balm

Download the Top 25 Toxins to Avoid and become a label reading pro! 

Getting started with red light therapy with 40% off the LUMEBOX.

If you enjoyed this week's episode, please:

• Leave a positive review or rating wherever you listen
• 
  
• Shop toxin free products on my Toxin Free Shopping Guide
• 
  
• Download your free 25 Toxins to Avoid
• 
  
• Post a screenshot, share what you loved, and tag me on Instagram @wendy_toxinfreeish
• 
  
• Want to ask me a question to get answered on the podcast? Leave me a voice message here.

Read The Shownotes Here

When you hear the words "Grapefruit Seed Extract," what do you picture? For me, images of a nice, juicy grapefruit being hand picked comes to mind. And that's exactly what companies that are labeling their products as "all-natural" want you to see.

Unfortunately, grapefruit seed extract is not so innocent. Companies misleadingly market products as "all-natural" while sneaking in hormone-disrupting chemicals like benzalconium chloride, triclosan, and methylparabens. So today, we're digging into the startling findings from a recently published report that tested grapefruit seed extract products from six major companies—all but one contained synthetic preservatives.

What this means for your favorite products can be a bit complicated. So tune in to have it laid out super simply. Because here's the thing - your skincare shouldn't be messing with your hormones.

In this episode, we're chatting about: 

• The Reality Behind Grapefruit Seed Extract
• Why is Grapefruit Seed Extract even being used in these products? 
• How to spot skincare companies that are actually clean 

Check out my Blog and Read the Show Notes HERE

If you enjoyed this week's episode, please:

• Leave a positive review or rating wherever you listen
• 
  
• Shop toxin free products on my Toxin Free Shopping Guide
• 
  
• Download your free 25 Toxins to Avoid
• 
  
• Post a screenshot, share what you loved, and tag me on Instagram @wendy_toxinfreeish
• 
  
• Want to ask me a question to get answered on the podcast? Leave me a voice message here.

Read the Shownotes Here

Last week, the EPA made a surprising announcement, a first in forty years, in which they issued an immediate emergency ban on a pesticide called DCPA. Now, I know what you're thinking - wow, I'm glad they're actually pulling a harmful product off the market! It is cause to celebrate, but let's dig a little bit deeper.

The unfortunate truth is that this pesticide has been used in the US since the 1950s and we've known about it's harmful effects since the 90s. So why did it take so long to ban DCPA? What is DCPA used for? And who in our population is most directly negatively affected by this pesticide? We're going to dig into all of the details on today's episode.   

I also want to take you behind the scenes on how regulatory agencies, influenced by industry pressures, often prioritize manufacturers over public health. This is important information to have, even post-ban, because their are still tons of pesticides on the market that, frankly, should have been banned a long time ago.

In this episode, we're chatting about: 

•  Understanding DCPA as a chemical
• The EPA's delayed response and public pressure
• California's struggle with DCPA
• How to protect yourself from harmful pesticides

Check out my Blog and Read the Show Notes HERE

If you enjoyed this week's episode, please:

• Leave a positive review or rating wherever you listen
• 
  
• Shop toxin free products on my Toxin Free Shopping Guide
• 
  
• Download your free 25 Toxins to Avoid
• 
  
• Post a screenshot, share what you loved, and tag me on Instagram @wendy_toxinfreeish
• 
  
• Want to ask me a question to get answered on the podcast? Leave me a voice message here.

Read The Shownotes Here