Healthy Home Hacks Podcast

Where there’s smoke, there’s fire. And, guess what friends? It’s wildfire season. Think you don’t live in an area that’s affected? Think again. Smoke can travel for miles beyond its source. In 2020, smoke from wildfires in the Western United States drifted for almost 5,000 miles, eventually being detected as far away as Europe. That’s important when considering that the primary cause of death from wildfires is smoke inhalation; according to the National Fire Protection Association, 50 to 80 percent of fire deaths are from smoke inhalation. Our guest and CEO of IQAir North America, Glory Dolphin Hammes, is an expert in environmental control, a Certified Indoor Environmentalist, and a licensed HVAC contractor. KEY TAKEAWAYS How wildfires impact people The percentage of wildfires that humans cause The amount of damage wildfires do, how fast they move, and how much space they burn annually How wildfires impact our health The type of VOCs and other dangerous contaminants present in smoke The individuals most at risk for severe health consequences from smoke The factors and conditions that could drive wildfire risk in the months ahead Tips to protect yourself both indoors and outdoors from poor air quality? To learn more about IQAir, please visit www.IQAir.com. To get your free Wildfire Checklist and all of the links & show notes, head to www.HealthyHomeHacks.com. Be sure to rate, review, and subscribe to this show so you don’t miss another episode and get ready to up-level your health.

Do you or have you suffered from allergies, chronic sinus issues, dry nose with chronic crusting (yup, we’re going there), or use a CPAP machine? If so, you are in the right place. Today, we’re taking a deep dive into your nose, no really!  The health of our nose is often overlooked as an important aspect of our overall health.  When we breathe through the nose, germs, allergens, toxins, smoke, dust, and particles can get trapped in the skin and hair inside our nostrils. Think about it, the nose is a direct link between the outside air and our respiratory system. Contaminants in the air can cause inflammation and lead to an allergic response, sinus issues, and other upper respiratory problems. Our nose functions like an air filter for the body and it's important to keep air filters clean. Someone who is here to shed light is our guest, Dr. Lebovic. Dr. Gail Lebovic is an internationally recognized oncoplastic surgeon, a patient advocate, an inventor, and a serial entrepreneur. Currently, Dr. Lebovic serves as the Founder and CEO of Silicon Valley Innovations, Inc. The company is focused on bringing novel drug delivery platforms to the multi-billion-dollar nasal healthcare and feminine healthcare markets. She is also the Founder of the Society of Oncoplastic Surgery. KEY TAKEAWAYS What inspired Dr. Lebovic to create a product designed for cleaning the nose Why we are seeing nasal and sinus issues and the contributing factors that people face every day that result in these health issues Ways we can help our noses be healthier and how it will help people maintain better health Why nasal hygiene is not part of our regular hygiene routine How NasoClenz can help CPAP users The role the nose play in allergies, and if the nose has a way of cleaning itself How NasoClenz specifically is helpful for someone who might have allergies Key tips to maintain wellness during cold/flu and allergy seasons To learn more about Nasoclenz, visit them at https://nasoclenz.com/. They’ve got so many convenient options including home and travel kits. Also, you can find their store locator tab to find Nasoclenz near you. Visit www.HealthyHomeHacks.com for all of the show notes and links.

Spring has officially sprung and for most of us, that means (you guessed it!) spring cleaning! If you have a pile of laundry waiting for you to scrub, suds, fluff, and fold, you’re not alone. In the U.S., 660 million laundry loads are washed every week, totaling a whopping 35 billion loads each year. But, have you ever considered what’s lurking in your laundry detergent? Could your laundry detergent be toxic to your health and the environment (hint: yes). From phosphates and dyes to synthetic surfactants, optical brighteners, parabens, synthetic fragrances, and chlorine, your conventional laundry detergent brand is likely exposing you and your family to a host of toxic chemicals, allergens, respiratory irritants, hormone disruptors, and maybe even a cancer-causing chemical. Not to mention the plastic waste that your laundry jug is adding to landfills. To add fuel to the laundry jug fire, this plastic can take more than 100 years to break down. But the environmental buck doesn’t stop there. Laundry detergent is a major source of microplastic pollution, with a single load releasing up to 700,000 microplastic fibers into the water. Yikes! Our guest, Anita Spiller, leads ESG for Tru Earth, a Certified B Corp global household cleaning product company, Anita focuses on eliminating household single-use plastics, battling microplastics, and donating earth-friendly products to organizations in need. KEY TAKEAWAYS   The key issues Tru Earth’s cleaning solutions aim to solve How Tru Earth’s eco-strip compares to traditional liquid laundry detergent Common misconceptions related to earth-friendly cleaning products Advice for someone just learning about healthy and sustainable cleaning solutions Advice to listeners who are looking to make their first eco-swap The products Tru Earth offers in its full lineup Where to purchase Tru Earth products  You can learn more about Tru Earth’s products and mission at: www.tru.earth/Store. We’ll have all of the links in the show notes at https://ronandlisa.com/podcasts/100-green-your-laundry-routine/.  

Unless you’ve been living under a Genetically modified rock laden with pesticides, you’ve likely heard of the Environmental Working Group’s (EWG’s) Shopper’s Guide to Pesticides in Produce which is updated every year. This guide is comprised of The Dirty Dozen; the 12 fruits and vegetables are the most contaminated with pesticides. And, the Clean Fifteen™; the product with the lowest amounts of pesticide residues, according to EWG’s analysis of the most recent USDA data. We’re digging up all of the DIRT (and pesticide residues) on your favorite fruits and veggies as we dissect the 2024 guide which includes data from 47,510 samples of 46 fruits and vegetables with our special guest, Senior Toxicologist, Alexis Temkin from EWG. KEY TAKEAWAYS   Is the government protecting me from pesticides used on produce and does legal mean safe? What the term ‘organic’ means The 12 fruits and vegetables that were found to be most contaminated with pesticides, otherwise known as the Dirty Dozen Why 100 percent of Americans tested ages 6 and older were found to have detectable levels of certain pesticides How four of the five most frequently detected fungicides in the Dirty Dozen affect our health The two fungicides found in the highest concentrations of any Dirty Dozen pesticides A potential hormone-disrupting fungicide that may harm the male reproductive system found in 90% of peaches tested The best way to wash pesticides off produce How children are being affected by produce coated with pesticides The Clean Fifteen, the produce found lowest in pesticides   You can learn more about the 2024 Shopper’s Guide to Pesticides in Produce at: https://www.ewg.org/foodnews/ Be sure to rate, review & subscribe to this podcast. We’ll have all of the links in the https://ronandlisa.com/podcasts/99-2024-pesticides-in-produce-decoded/.  

Who wants to lose weight? What if you could quickly and easily with just a weekly injection? You’ve likely seen the ‘incredibly shrinking celebs’ donning the cover of your favorite magazine or splattered across social media. What’s their BIG secret? Injections such as Ozempic, Wegovy, or Mounjaro? These peptides are boasted as ‘skinny shots,’ and are showing everywhere these days.   But are there any downsides to these skinny shots? Or, are there health benefits when it comes to peptides? Our guest today, Double Board Certified, Dr. Suzanne Ferree sheds light on how peptides can improve life in ways we don’t realize – and explains the difference between peptides and pharmaceuticals, their safety, and more. She is the founder of Vine Medical Associates and the Cellular Medicine Institute.   KEY TAKEAWAYS   The safety of Ozempic and other peptides for weight loss Are peptides linked to an increased risk for thyroid tumors and do some have a black box warning indicating so? Can peptides help combat fatigue? Peptides role in tanning, hangovers, and libido boosters How peptide therapy can help with a healthy anti-aging regimen The difference between peptides and pharmaceuticals Two easy ways to slow aging and the diseases of aging Targeting the root of anxiety and depression with peptides How peptides play a role in autoimmune conditions like MS, rheumatoid arthritis, Hashimoto thyroiditis, and more Ways peptide therapy treatment options can be effective for health issues brought on by aging like joint pain, weight gain, and sleep issues   You can learn more about Dr. Ferree’s incredible services at: https://vinemedical.com/. Be sure to check out her new book, Counterclockwise: Using Peptides to Renew, Rejuvenate, and Rediscover (As an Amazon Associate we earn from qualifying purchases). We’ll have all of the links in the show notes at https://ronandlisa.com/podcasts/98-ozempic-the-skinny-truth-about-peptides/. 

Are you experiencing a host of negative health symptoms, but have no idea what is causing them? Or have spent boatloads of money, but feel like you’re living in a never-ending loop of suffering? Rather than just suppressing symptoms, naturopathic doctors work to identify underlying causes of illness and develop personalized treatment plans to address them.  Our guest, Dr. Julia Greenspan, is a naturopathic doctor with over 17 years of experience treating over 10,000 patients.  She is the author of the holistic guide for long-haul infections called Rising Above Lyme Disease: A Revolutionary, Holistic Approach to Managing and Reversing the Symptoms of Lyme Disease and Reclaiming Your Life. Dr. Greenspan specializes in complex chronic (Long-haul) infections, Lyme disease/Co-infections, illnesses due to environmental toxicity (like heavy metals and mold), neuropsychiatric illnesses caused by infection (PANDAS/PANS), SIBO, mast cell activation (MCAS), chronic UTIs, repeated sinus infections, and bioidentical hormone therapy.   KEY TAKEAWAYS   1.    What defines long-haul infections beyond COVID-19   2.    What mast cell activation syndrome is and the symptoms   3.    How heavy metals and mold toxicity contribute to chronic infections   4.    How to assess the presence of toxins and the impact of infections in the body   5.    How to treat mold and heavy metal toxicity   You can learn more about Dr. Greenspan’s incredible services at: https://www.greenhousemedicine.com. She and her team of specially-trained naturopathic and functional medicine practitioners are dedicated to getting to the heart of the matter.  We’ll have all of the links in the show notes at https://ronandlisa.com/podcasts/97-lyme-mold-mcas-environmental-toxins/.

Who wants more money this year? Silly question, right? We could all do more with more money in 2024, yes? But for the money to start rolling in, consider that you first may have to change your mindset around money. Money can bring us absolute joy. But it can also bring unbelievable stress. And fear. And frustration. And unhappiness. Is it any wonder that we unconsciously push money away when it brings us negative feelings? But, the more we push money away, the more unhappy we become with our money and our lives. But we can change our relationship with money and open the channels to happiness. Our guest, Ken Honda is Japan’s #1 bestselling personal development guru and author of Happy Money: The Japanese Art of Making Peace with Your Money with book sales surpassing eight million copies.  Ken is here to help us break the unhealthy patterns that keep us trapped in a stressful and unhappy life and to discuss six money mindset resolutions for 2024. KEY TAKEAWAYS   1.    Why you should say these words when spending and receiving money 2.    Why you should appreciate what you currently have 3.    How to adopt an abundance mindset 4.    What trusting life has to do with abundance  5.    Steps to forgive and heal your money wounds  6.    How to discover, develop, and share your gifts  If you want to heal your relationship with money, you can learn more about Ken’s incredible work at https://kenhonda.com/.  Thanks for being with us today, friends. We’ll have all of the links in the show notes at https://ronandlisa.com/podcast/.

It's without question that environmental toxins are wreaking havoc on our health today. The prevalence of these toxins is posing a significant threat to public health, affecting everything from childhood development to adult chronic illnesses. A toxic environment and inflammation may even play a role in cancer. Fine-particulate air pollution present in the air we inhale daily can incite an inflammatory cascade and spur previously dormant mutant cells to form tumors. Our guest, Dr. Tom O'Bryan, a renowned functional medicine expert in environmental medicine and a leading voice in the field of holistic health and wellness and the author of You Can Fix Your Brain and The Autoimmune Fix, guides us through understanding the unseen threats in our everyday environment while offering practical solutions for safeguarding the health of our families – especially our children.   KEY TAKEAWAYS 1.    Some of the most common environmental toxins affecting family health today 2.    How toxins impact children's health and development 3.    The long-term health implications of early exposure to toxins 4.    Some common misconceptions about environmental toxins and health 5.    Why functional medicine is particularly well-suited to treating toxin exposure 6.    Strategies for reducing exposure to environmental toxins at home 7.    The role nutrition plays in combating the effects of environmental toxins   You can learn more about Dr. Tom at https://thedr.com/ (how simple is that?). His new docuseries THE INFLAMMATION EQUATION: Decoding the Steps for Optimal is available to stream and we’ll be sure to put the link to that in the show notes. As always, we’ll have all of the links in the show notes at https://ronandlisa.com/podcasts/95-navigating-the-toxins-hiding-in-plain-sight/.

We all feel stressed and anxious from time to time and, most of us enjoy a daily routine and order. But, how do you know when your anxiety has reached an unhealthy level? According to the CDC, 27.3% of Americans aged 18 and over have symptoms of an anxiety disorder; that’s over a quarter of the adult population in the United States. For some people, they feel anxious when something isn’t done or they find themselves fighting irrational or unwanted urges to repeat these tasks. These are symptoms of OCD, or Obsessive-compulsive disorder; a chronic anxiety disorder where a person experiences unreasonable, uncontrollable, or recurring thoughts followed by a behavioral response that causes anxiety. Today, OCD affects 1 in 40 adults and 1 in 100 children in the U.S. Our guest, Matt Codde, personally struggled with OCD and anxiety in his late teens and early 20s. Matt is a licensed clinical social worker. Through his journey to recovery, he developed a versatile and unique approach to OCD & anxiety recovery by combining personal experience with evidence-based practices. He is currently the host of the OCD & Anxiety podcast, the director of the online platform Restored Minds, and the Author of From Stuck to UnStuck. KEY TAKEAWAYS 1. Why Matt chose to work specifically with people who struggle with OCD and anxiety 2. Misconceptions people have about OCD & Anxiety 3. The trigger word that is the root of most stress 4. Can people recover from OCD/Anxiety?  5. What the Triple-A Response is 6. A good next step for anyone struggling who wants to learn more You can learn more about Matt’s incredible work line at https://www.restoredminds.com/ where you can join his program or work with Matt one-on-one. Also, check his new book, From Stuck to UnStuck, on Amazon https://amzn.to/3S7fEd6. As an Amazon Associate, we earn from qualifying purchases. We’ll have all of the links in the show notes at https://ronandlisa.com/podcasts/94-tips-to-reduce-stress-anxiety-and-ocd/. For the woman who has a story to tell. Join a 4-day Masterclass Series! Your voice is your channel and your power. Learn more at https://manifest.suzanneadamsinc.com/myv-lisa

Think you may live in an asthma capital? Hang tight because our guest today is going to tell you. If sniffling, sneezing, stuffy nose, and watery eyes have got you down, you’re not alone. More than 100 million Americans suffer from various types of allergies, including 81 million with seasonal allergic rhinitis, triggered by pollen and mold allergies. And, then there’s asthma; a complex chronic condition that that more than 27 million people in the U.S. suffer from, about 1 in 12 people. Our guest, Kenneth Mendez; President & CEO of the Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America (AAFA), is clearing the air on allergies and asthma. He’s revealing the AAFA’s2023 Asthma Capitals™ report that highlights the most challenging cities to live with asthma. KEY TAKEAWAYS   1.    The Top 10 Asthma Capitals in the US for 2023 2.    The symptoms of allergies 3.    The most common types of allergens 4.    Tips to avoid allergic exposures in and around our home 5.    Different fates of asthma between males and females 6.    The two types of asthma and their differences 7.    The symptoms of asthma and the best treatments available 8.    Reasons certain racial or ethnic groups have higher rates of asthma, asthma attacks, and/or asthma deaths.   You can learn more about the Allergy and Asthma Foundation of America at https://aafa.org/.  Head to RonandLisa.com/Podcast to get the show notes and Healthier Home Checklist and the Asthma-Friendly Home Checklist. These are free to download thanks to the AAFA.