Three Practical Nontoxic Lifestyle Tips

Samantha Radford of Evidence Based Mommy (@evidence_basedmommy) and Sophia Ruan Gushée discuss their perspectives on nontoxic living, healthy living, and motherhood.

Listen to these mindful moms share how their children inspired them to dig deeper into how to protect kids and families from environmental exposures surrounding us in our consumer products. You'll also learn Sophia and Samantha's top 3 tips to simplify nontoxic living.

Click on the play button below to listen. Please also subscribe to the Practical Nontoxic Living podcast on your favorite podcast platforms. We'd appreciate a rating and review too!

Below are podcast show notes.

[00:00] Non-toxic living and motherhood with a PhD chemist and public health expert.

• Samantha Radford, PhD chemist and public health expert, shares her journey to non-toxic living and resources for moms and young kids.

[02:03] Non-toxic living and simplifying practical tips for parents.

• Sophia shares her passion for simplifying non-toxic living, inspired by her daughter and career in distressed investing.
• Sophia discovers toxic chemicals, heavy metals, and radiation in her daughter's products and environment, leading to a shift in her career and personal priorities.

[06:48] Non-toxic living and detoxification strategies for families.

• Sophia's daughter led her to realize the pervasive exposure to toxic chemicals and their impact on child development.
• Samantha shares personal experience with pesticides in food and now advocates for safer options for families.
• Samantha emphasizes the importance of non-toxic living and shares the top three suggestions for beginners.

[13:09] Indoor air quality and its impact on health.

• Sophia highlights the importance of indoor air quality, citing EPA findings that indoor air can be 2-5 times more polluted than outdoor air, and shares simple steps to improve it, such as ventilating during cooking and opening windows when air quality is better outside.
• Sophia highlights the importance of reducing exposure to toxic chemicals in the home, including lead, PAH, and wireless radiation.
• Sophia suggests taking steps to minimize exposure in the sleeping area, such as disabling wireless emissions from devices in the bedroom.

[18:36] Reducing toxic exposure in daily life.

• Sophia advises keeping phones and other devices away from bedrooms to reduce radiation exposure.
• Samantha recommends buying organic produce from the "Dirty Dozen" and "Clean 15" lists from EWG (Environmental Working Group) to minimize pesticide exposure.
• Samantha advises being aware of lead and asbestos in older homes built before 1978 and taking steps to remediate them.
• Encapsulation or fresh paint can help cover up lead in walls, windowsills, and door frames.
• Samantha warns of potential health risks associated with pre-2013 glass baby bottles.

[28:04] Toxic chemicals in products and their health impacts. 

• Sophia and Samantha discuss the pros and cons of different paint brands, with a focus on low VOC (volatile organic compound) options.
• Sophia raises concerns about the safety of lead in products like lipstick and backpacks and suggests visiting the Environmental Working Group for more information.
• Sophia mentions that lipstick can contain harmful chemicals like lead, which can enter the body through skin absorption or ingestion.
• Samantha discusses the challenges of measuring chemical concentrations in products, including the limitations of using parts per million or billion as a measure of safety.

[33:19] Non-toxic living and parenting. 

• Lead and other toxic metals are found in children's products and household items, including backpacks, shoes, and toys.
• Sophia prioritizes her mental health and sets up her home to minimize exposure to toxic chemicals, wanting her children to be carefree and enjoy celebrations without anxiety.
• Sophia shares her perspective with a chemist on the importance of mindfulness and informed choices about toxic substances, and they both appreciate the conversation.

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