It is hard to believe that Toxin-Free Talk has been going for two and a half years.

I don't know if you've been listening that long, or if you're new here. Welcome if you're new.

I started it in 2020 because I didn't know which end was up. I knew that I loved podcasts, and that I learned a lot from them. I thought, “Hey, if I create this educational platform, and I share what I know about toxin-free living, then more people will learn about how to go toxin-free and green and hopefully, I can make things easier for them. Because it wasn't so easy for me. I continue to learn and it isn't always easy. My paths and my history and my career in public health really taught me how to take super complicated health information, and really diluted it into educational and easy to implement ways. It's a gift. I mean, I don't want to brag or anything, but it is a gift to take super complicated information and share it in ways that makes it easy and digestible and actionable.

That's why I started Toxin-Free Talk, because I wanted to make it easier for you, so that as you will learn about what's in your home environment and you learn you absolutely have control. You can make your home healthier in very simple and affordable ways. I just wanted to share that with you and to make it really simple and easy for you to make change.

I decided to go through a relaunch this month because I really wanted to emphasize that focus and also add in something that I've been passionate about for a long time. Because I really believe that when our home looks good, and exudes our personality, it makes us feel good, too. So with this relaunch, I'm adding in a monthly episode all focused on interior design. If you keep listening to a couple episodes in, you're going to learn more about that. Last year I started working with my friend who's an interior designer. It's also a passion of mine that I've had for many, many years and I feel like this passion of interior design is finally culminating together with toxin-free living. I feel like I finally have my path figured out. For a long time I really debated how I could bring interior design into toxin-free living. I felt overwhelmed. I felt like I didn't have enough education about how to analyze products like flooring, draperies and furniture. I finally decided, “Megan, you're smart enough. You can figure this out. Back in the day, when you were first learning about how to detox your cleaning products in your laundry detergent and your everyday products. You figure that out, you can figure this out too.” So I've decided to embrace it, and I've decided to share it with you as I learn. Because that is the best way to grow. Share as you learn and you're not only learning yourself, you're helping others learn as well. So that is what's going what what the purpose of this relaunch is to add in this interior design focus. We’ll be talking about how we can improve the health and green and sustainability of the products we're bringing into our home, but also holistically how we can make our home feel good, be beautiful, show our personality and really just make our homes us because our homes are a reflection of who we are. And I'm going to help you with all of that all at the same time. So I'm super excited about this incorporation of this interior design focus once a month, and then also just keeping on with sustainability, toxin-free living and those simple tips for you.

Today's topic is the five basics of going toxin-free and what you really need to know to consciously improve your health and be more green. I thought it would be perfect with this relaunch to go back to the basics and talk about going toxin-free and how simple it can be.

The first thing that you need to know is that our regulations don't protect us. In many instances, the laws that we have in the United States were created many, many years ago, and unfortunately, they just haven't kept up with the times. Not only that, but at the same time, in my opinion, even though there are laws in place, we don't have the funding in our government to actually do the policing to make sure that corporations and companies are actually following these laws. Even if they are great laws and regulations, it doesn't necessarily mean that they are being followed. In some cases, it's because the company doesn't know or because they just aren't aware that what they're doing is against the law. In some cases, they do know that and they are figuring out ways to go around the laws. Just think about it. There are so many different products that are sold in so many different places on the internet, in stores, vendor events, there's no way that there are enough people or the budget to fund actually making sure that those products and the way they're created lives up to our laws.
Just because an item is sold in a store doesn't mean it is safe. I cannot stress this enough. You may go to Target or you may go to your local Kroger store or your Safeway or your department store, and you may assume that because it's sold in those stores that it is safe. It couldn’t be more opposite from the truth. Stores that buy product from corporations, companies, producers, they're not making sure that those products actually include the ingredients that are listed on the label. They don't make sure that no one has had a bad reaction from these products. It's just the way our society works. These products are made, there is no policing done about how they're created, where they're created, why they're created, or how they're marketed to us, and they're sold in stores. So we absolutely cannot trust that whatever we buy in a store is safe. It just is the truth of 2023. And honestly, for many, many decades this has been going on.
Marketing is there to convince us to buy something, period. I mean, basically that's the definition of marketing, right? You share information about something so you can try and convince someone to buy something. That's what marketing is all about. So if you're seeing new marketing, for example, I saw this ad for Dove, and it had a picture of a mom and a daughter and they were both dermatologists. Guess what that marketing was trying to get you to do? That marketing was trying to convince you that these are smart. doctors who use Dove and they have this wonderful mother daughter relationship and they both love Dove. That's what that marketing was placed there to do for you, to convince you that dove was the best brand out there, because dermatologists are convinced that it's good for you. So what I have to say about that is that you have to be aware of when you're being marketed to, and understand that you are smart, you have the ability to analyze that marketing and decide if that product is really something that you want and if it's something you actually want to bring into your home. If it fits your personal safety threshold and if you're willing to bring it into your home and use it with your family.
We are the best advocates for ourselves. If you're listening to the podcast, you're already a leg up, you already understand that there are plenty of toxins in our environment. And we have the opportunity to control our environment to decide what comes into our home. To say, “You know what, I don't really trust that brand. I'm not going to start or I'm going to stop using that brand.” You really are the best advocate for yourself and your family. And by taking the time by learning by reading ingredient labels, you're doing the best that you can. Sure you're gonna make mistakes. I make mistakes all the time, too. In fact, there are so many times when I'm in a hurry, and I go to the store and you know, toothpaste comes to mind where I'm like, “Oh my gosh, I read about this toothpaste, I think it's gonna be great.” I'm in a hurry, so I go and grab it at the store. Then I go home, and I read the ingredient label and I realize, “Oh my gosh, the writing was so small on this label, I did not see this ingredient that I know is not good for me or my family.” That's okay, it happens. We all make mistakes, it's not a big deal. Just do better next time, right?
We have the ability to create a healthy and happy home. You may feel influenced by your friends, by your family, how you grew up and what your neighbors do. But guess what? You are in charge and you get to decide. You get to educate yourself. You get to decide who you talk to about this stuff and who you don't. Nobody needs to know if you feel like you live in a community where you're the only person that is making these unique choices for your family. You don't have to tell anybody if you don't want to, I wish you would. If you've listened to past episodes, you can learn how I may have done it incorrectly. How I may have burned bridges and how I shared about going toxin-free. Learn from me, learn that, you know there are certain people you can talk to about this and some people you have to like tip toe, share a little bit here and there. At the same time, know that you don't need to judge anybody for their own decisions. Just because they have not embraced toxin-free living doesn't mean that they are against it. They may not know, they may be too overwhelmed with their everyday life. They may not have the time or energy and they just feel it's too overwhelming to go toxin-free. That's okay. If you share and give them little snippets here and there, you never know, they might change. That little snippet, that little piece of information is so helpful but do it without judgment and know that you are in charge. You get to decide what you bring into your home. You get to have good boundaries. You get to decide if you’re not going to do any artificially flavored products in your home or you’re not going to have any artificial fragrance in the products in your home. We don’t have to say yes to that Bath and Body Works gift that we got for Christmas. We're going to actually just put it in the garage and decide not to have that in our home. That is your decision.

So those are the five basics for going toxin-free. Really good reminders.

I'm so glad you're here. Keep listening. We have some really fun stuff coming up with this relaunch and I can't wait to hear what you think about adding in interior design and creating a happy, healthy and beautiful home for you and your family. It's all for this episode, and until next time, the light within me sees and honors the light within you. Namaste.