Low Tox Life

On this show with PJ Harlow, I’m bringing you one of the sessions from The Mould Festival I’ve been hosting the past fortnight. In the show, we explore what a healthy home is, from identifying and dealing with mold, to having healthy indoor air from your air heating/cooling solutions, to exchange, to cultivating a healthy home biome that mould will always be a part of - we just want to keep it low and in check as a part of a healthy environment. Every now and then I come across someone who moves the needle to where it feels 100% “right” to be headed. PJ is one of those people in the ‘mould space’. IICRC certified, she is a visionary pioneer in holistic mold consulting. She is known for her forthright work ethic, pragmatic approach to consulting, and deep knowledge of the mold industry's underbelly - a lot of cowboys leaving people in worse positions that when they started and she fiercely advocates for change. She has seen things few professionals have ever seen, and she has been privileged to receive invaluable feedback from her thousands of cases. She uses this knowledge to help her clients make informed decisions about their mold remediation & home's health. A staunch advocate for her clients, PJ will always fight for their best interests. Enjoy the show and head to the shownotes for more resources over at lowtoxlife.com/podcast as well as a handy index of our 350+ shows over the past 8 years. Follow PJ Harlow on InstagramShare the show and tag me @lowtoxlife so I can share your AHAsGrab The Mould Festival access - all 16 sessions + Transcripts + Further resources. And don’t forget our generous sponsors this month: Weleda Australia with 20% off the range with the code LOWTOXLIFE, helping you try their new facecare range perhaps, or stock up on favourites (those shower bars!! So creamy)Ausclimate with 10% off their air purifiers and dehumidifiers with the code LOWTOXLIFE - Helping Aussie homes avoid excess moisture by having a good dehumidification strategy, and clean healthy air with the WINIX air purifier range. Here’s to healthy people and buildings, Alexx x Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Alex Howard, psychologist, author of the new book “It’s Not Your Fault” (love a Good Will Hunting reference!) wants you to know it’s not your fault indeed. He also wants you to know there is a lot you can do to move through whatever trauma you’ve experienced in your life because it doesn’t have to own you forever. If we let it own us, it can significantly impact our quality of life, emotionally, physically and in our work and relationships, so this show is a vital one to compassionately unpacking trauma and beginning the work to move through it - whatever happened, given there’s an element of relativity there in terms of how negative experiences imprint on our mind and bodies. Alexx is the CEO of the Alex Howard Group, an international group of organisations which includes The Optimum Health Clinic, the online learning platform Conscious Life, the online coaching program the RESET Program, and professional training programs Therapeutic Coaching and Therapeutic Nutrition. He has a LOT going on, and his YouTube channel is so generous and helpful, also. I hope you love the show as I did. Connect with Alex here: https://www.youtube.com/c/AlexHowardtvhttps://www.instagram.com/alexhowardtherapy/And grab his book, It’s Not Your Fault here: Australia: https://bit.ly/3EXiiMe Worldwide: https://amzn.to/46p2LAMAnd of course connect with @lowtoxlife on Insta and share the show and tag me so I can see your ahas! Sponsor offers to help with your low tox swaps this October 2023: www.ausclimate.com.au - 10% off with the code LOWTOXLIFE for Winix Air Purifiers and dehumidifiers. www.weleda.com.au - 20% off with the code LOWTOXLIFE from their entire range (excluding gift packs)  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Not a huge fan of cleaning? Lisa Bronner is the granddaughter of Dr Bronner and guess what? Cleaning wasn’t always her thing - even being a part of the Dr Bronner’s soap family wasn’t her thing - that all came later and even now, it’s more a necessity and taking pleasure in a lovely environment than it is in loving cleaning. Lisa is joining me for the first time since the show began 8 years ago now, as we talk through a bit of super-interesting Dr Bronner history, Lisa’s childhood, becoming a parent and discovering low tox cleaning, and then taking the stage as the Green Cleaning guru that many people know her as (if you don’t follow her on Facebook you should - always sharing helpful tips and recipes!). She also has a wonderful book out now and for pre-order depending on where you are in the world, called “Soap & Soul”. To connect with Lisa head here: Instagram @drbronner Facebook @​​GreenWithLisaBronnerWebsite: https://www.lisabronner.com/Australian pre order book link for Soap & SoulAmerican Amazon link for Soap & SoulAnd tag @lowtoxlife on Instagram when you share the show so I can see what your ahas were! Enjoy, Alexx xCurrent podcast offers to help with your low tox swaps till the end of September:Air purifiers and dehumidifiers: Ausclimate is now giving all Low Tox Life followers an EXTRA 10% OFF their already discounted prices on Ausclimate.com.au – Simply enter the discount code of LOWTOXLIFE on check out. This discount can also be redeemed for over-the-phone orders verbally.Block Blue Light: Helping you with red light therapy, blocking blue light, sleep masks and my favourite blue-light-free globes “sweet dreams” your discount code is: LOWTOXLIFE15 and will be 15% off sitewideYep happy to go with the panel for the major giveaway, in situ shot sounds good!Cod Liver Oil Liquid: My fave is on sale with 15% off Arctic Cod Liver Oil on the www.therahealth.com.au website. Code: LOWTOXAnd Dr Bronner’s Australia is giving you 15% off with the code GOLOWTOX until October 25th (excluding 1.89L, 3.87L and gift packs) at https://www.drbronner.com.au Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Lara Briden, an expert in perimenopause and menopause, discusses the challenges and misconceptions surrounding perimenopause. She covers topics such as hormone replacement therapy, the rewiring of the brain during this stage of life, and the importance of self-care. They also touch on the benefits of omega-3s, air purifiers, and sleep-related products. The discussion includes the stages of perimenopause, the role of progesterone, and common symptoms experienced. The podcast also explores the confusion and fear surrounding hormone therapy for women, emphasizing the importance of asking for specific brand names. Lastly, they discuss changing socializing habits, the challenges of prioritizing self-care, and express gratitude for Lara's work on women's health.

I am back with another solo show this week, with a few home, mental and physical health low cost, low tox tips, following on from the show 3 weeks ago where I focused on food and personal care cost saving tips. I hope you enjoy it. I cover: Things you can do that might cost some money now but might save you a tonne in the long run by being proactive with prevention on mould growth. Ways you can assess if you really need something or if it’s a want. Ways you can fill your cup up that don’t involve buying anything - cause we sometimes forget! Ways we can work on our mental health and rest - prioritisation, bringing in structure if you need it, and tuning into what rest and joy look like for YOU - we are not all going to have the same version of what enjoying time away from it all looks like. Bringing back the villageDitching the excuses around a healthy lifestyle/exercise being ‘expensive’ when it comes to movement and the many free things you can do to feel great in and out doors. I hope you love the tips and feel free also to share some of your favourite tips, too. Alexx Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

What truly sustains us when it comes to food? Taking into account bioindividuality, health, age, sex, geographical location, climate, regeneration and taste preferences, it’s not a black-and-white conversation at all, much as many try to make it and in this conversation, we explore it. We talk: What drives an everyday desire to cook wellHow even the best chefs get frustrated with the constraints of sustainability/limited resources (phew!)How not to be overwhelmed by new skill building in the kitchenHow to find what inspires youHow to make peace with the “grey area” and not always being able to make the best choices for the planet/youOne of Australia’s most inventive chefs, Jo Barrett, joins me to unpack her journey as a person and chef into connecting on a deeper level with food and our food system, cooking from “place”, from emotions and connection, as well as working to pioneer what’s possible with curiosity and creativity. Jo made her name at the acclaimed Oakridge Winery in the Yarra Valley, before joining the groundbreaking eco-living experiment Future Food System in 2021, which involved a year of living and working with fellow chef Matt Stone, in a tiny urban, zero-waste farm situated on the banks of the Yarra River in Melbourne's Federation Square, a project that famed regenerative superhero, Joost Baker, spearheaded as the ultimate anti-dote example to the destructive modern food system. It was a no-waste house complete with aquaponics, solar power, micro-farms, a charcoal tank and a rooftop garden, home to Matt and Jo, who spent their days harvesting, cooking and eating the food this 100% sustainable modern urban farm produces – while all waste produced by the house was fed back into the house’s systems: a closed-loop.Jo recently opened the restaurant Little Picket in the seaside town of Lorne. Fearless and visionary, there is no one better placed to write the ultimate guide to cooking deliciously and consciously and her book Sustain, inspires and delights as it teaches us to get curious and learn new skills to sustain ourselves - and our planet - better each day in our daily lives at the kitchen table. Follow @jobarrett on Instagram and check out her new book Sustain, out now. Tag me and share any ahas on @lowtoxlife on Instagram with me or anyone in your life who needs this week’s show. .Our wonderful sponsors are helping you with your low tox swaps this September: International listeners can enjoy 15% off the full range of lights, lightbulbs, red light panels, eye masks and more at @blockbluelight_official with the code LOWTOXLIFE15@ausclimate continues to offer you 10% off their powerful dehumidifiers and Winix air purifiers, with the code LOWTOXLIFE on phone orders and online at ausclimate.com.auAnd if you’re after a high-quality liquid Omega 3 supplement, @therahealth and the same one we use at our house, you have 15% off Arctic Cod Liver Oil on the www.therahealth.com.au website with the code LOWTOXOmega-3 is important for our brain throughout life, from early cognitive development in foetuses to learning and memory in adults. Brain cells with high levels of omega-3 in their membranes are thought to be better at communicating with other cells, an important process for brain function. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

If you’ve ever been challenged by the tug of responsibilities, to do’s, to want to do’s and to be more, today’s conversation is a balm for all the things, helping you explore what it might take and mean, to bring more peace, joy and satisfaction that you’ve done enough, into your life.  In filling up your own cup - what gives you the biggest of joys? In doing ‘all the things’ for work, family, partner, community - what is ‘enough’? Where is the line? Today I invite fellow a human at that busy intersection of business owners, teen kids, pets, partners and parents, Robyn Rosenfeldt, to have a conversation about how we can prioritise ourselves, so that we feel we have enough to give, what giving enough in different ways looks like and how to make peace with our enough in a world constantly telling us that we aren’t, well, enough. Robyn is the founder and publisher of Pip magazine, a magazine that helps you nourish yourself and the planet. Articles are filled with ideas and inspiration about living a more earth-friendly life.Here’s to a new chapter with more joy and peace that we’ve done enough - and accepting this looks different from person to person and in the many different phases of life that we lead.Enjoy the conversation and I do hope it sparks conversations and journaling for you, Alexx x Check out the wonderful @pipmagazineau on InstagramAnd share any ahas on @lowtoxlife on Instagram with me.Our wonderful sponsors are helping you with your low tox swaps this September: International listeners can enjoy 15% off the full range of lights, lightbulbs, red light panels, eye masks and more at @blockbluelight_official with the code LOWTOXLIFE15@ausclimate continues to offer you 10% off their powerful dehumidifiers and Winix air purifiers, with the code LOWTOXLIFE on phone orders and online at ausclimate.com.auAnd if you’re after a high-quality liquid Omega 3 supplement, @therahealth and the same one we use at our house, you have 15% off Arctic Cod Liver Oil on the www.therahealth.com.au website with the code LOWTOX Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

On this week’s show, after hearing from lots of community members trying to save money right now in all sorts of ways, I’m sharing lots of different ways both conceptually and practically, that you can save money when it comes to the way you approach cooking, to the way you approach personal care. We unpack the pull of the cultural norm, and how asking yourself “what do I really need vs what do I feel I should do when it comes to XYZ…” I discussCooking - the use of the freezer and pantry as your ultimate discount storeBeing mindful of a culture that has us thinking cuisine-hopping every night of the week is ‘good’. Tips for localising your food sources to save and connectTips for making the most of your villageTheming your cooking for sanity and what that looks likeConsidering 50% when talking about the ‘non-essentials’Then with personal care we discussBeauty demands vs where we’re personally atConnecting with friends instead of expensive servicesConsidering what you can use less of The simplest of high performance DIYsAnd so much more…Enjoy the show and tag me @lowtoxlife in Instagram with your ideas and ahas from this week’s show! And of course, you can find all you need over at www.lowtoxlife.com Remember our wonderful show sponsors for August: Aus Climate (Australia only)10% off all of 2023 for their Winix Air Purifiers & Dehumidifier range, with the code LOWTOXLIFE on their website (Australia only)The Natural Bedding Company (Australia only)20% off their Natural Latex Mattress, Pillows + Cotton Products with the code LOWTOXAUG23 on their website or in their Sydney or Gold Coast Showrooms.  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Got iron issues? Tired all the time and think you might? Been told your iron’s ‘fine’ or ‘normal’ but you’re still wondering what’s up? Maybe you’re worried about familial hemochromatosis. Whatever it is as it relates to iron, that’s what we’re tackling on the show this week. Maybe it’s fatigue that tips you off initially, or just not feeling yourself, but iron is one of the most requested blood tests and one of the least complete ways to tackle iron issues, when looked at in isolation. In today’s show with nutritionist Steph Lowe, we look at what to test to get the full picture of what your iron status is along with the many other markers that might be playing into the results. Steph Lowe is a mother, Nutritionist, yogi and founder of The Natural Nutritionist, a hub for celebrating the importance of real food. She specialises in low iron, low thyroid, cycle health and perimenopause.We discuss on this show: True low iron vs hidden root causes affecting iron and its transportation in the bodySupplementation and infusions often recommended and why they might not ‘stick’ in their effects on iron levels if your blood tests came back with ‘low iron’. The timing of testing both in terms of the time of day and of the cycle, for the most accurate results. Nutrition and cofactor nutrients to support healthy iron levels. Different minerals and how they impact iron levels and transportation of iron in the body. Iron pre/post menopauseHemochromatosis and ways to not have this negatively impact youWhen iron really is ‘fine’ - best lifestyle factors that encourage healthy iron. My guest, Steph Lowe, can be found at  @thenaturalnutritionist on InstagramTag me @lowtoxlife and share your ahas when you share the show on Instastories with someone who might need it. ! Remember our wonderful show sponsors for August: Aus Climate (Australia only)10% off all of 2023 for their Winix Air Purifiers & Dehumidifier range, with the code LOWTOXLIFE on their website (Australia only)The Natural Bedding Company (Australia only)20% off their Natural Latex Mattress, Pillows + Cotton Products with the code LOWTOXAUG23 on their website or in their Sydney or Gold Coast Showrooms.  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Got thyroid issues or an autoimmune condition? Hashimoto’s - sadly, far too many people know this autoimmune thyroid condition, and Dr Anshul Gupta is on a global mission to help as many people know as possible, that it can be reversed and put into remission. Frustrated by conventional medicine training, a board-certified family physician, he sought to improve the lives of his patients by training further in Integrative and Functional medicine, working with Dr Mark Hyman at the Cleveland Clinic. He’s since helped thousands of patients reverse Hashimoto’s and with his new book “Reversing Hashimoto’s” he wants to extend that support beyond his clinic doors. We talk all things thyroid health, labs, contributing stressors or imbalances that set the stage for autoimmune conditions and he stuck around for an extra half hour, very generously, to answer your questions submitted on Instagram - if we’re not connected there come and join the chat @lowtoxlife. A reminder we have two wonderful show sponsor offers this August for Aussies: Thanks to the Natural Bedding Company: 20% off their beautiful Organic Latex mattresses, entire pillow range and Organic Cotton products. The company's passion for using the most environmentally and ethically sound materials available is what drives their constant evolution, and I love their commitment to onshore manufacturing for their sustainable furniture range, too. CODE: LOWTOXAUG23 and their website: https://www.thenaturalbeddingcompany.com.au/And 10% off with the code LOWTOXLIFE at ausclimate.com.au on their wonderful dehumidifier and air purifier ranges. I receive countless DMs about how getting a dehumidifier has changed someone’s life, whether it’s for after showers to dry the bathroom out and prevent mould, or to stop wardrobe humidity and ruining handbags with mould in the winter, or the shady bedroom in the house that has trouble staying dry when it’s raining, I advocate for bringing one into your home. Enjoy the difference!  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.