Making Your Home a Little Healthier: Simple Steps to Reduce Environmental Exposures for Your Child

About this episode

In this episode, I'm tackling the question that causes so much confusion and anxiety: What about toxins and chemicals in my child's environment? If you're raising a child with autism, this topic can feel overwhelming. You've heard everything is dangerous, but also that you're being paranoid. So what's actually real? And what can you realistically do about it?

I'm joined by Meaghan O'Dea Johnson, director of advanced medical practice at Cortica, to give you clear, science-backed answers without the fear-mongering or impossible expectations. We'll cover why words like "toxins" and "detoxification" have gotten a bad reputation but are actually rooted in real biology, why children's developing brains are more vulnerable to certain exposures, which environmental factors actually matter (air quality, water, food, and household products), and practical, manageable strategies you can implement one small step at a time. I'll also explain why the early years matter so much, when your child's brain is forming connections at an incredible pace, and why certain chemicals can interfere with that development.

The bottom line: you don't need perfection, you need information. Small, gradual changes in air quality, water filtration, food choices, and household products can make a real difference. The research from experts like Dr. Philip Landrigan and Project TENDR shows that reducing certain exposures supports healthy brain development, but this isn't about blame, guilt, or doing everything at once.

Your child's most powerful protective force isn't a perfect environment. It's you: your love, your connection, and your presence every single day. Nothing comes close to that.

This episode is for you if you're wondering what environmental factors actually matter, feeling overwhelmed by conflicting information, looking for evidence-based guidance without the fear, or simply ready to make gradual changes that support your family's wellbeing.

Transcript

Click a time to play the video from that point. This transcript comes from the episode’s captions and may contain small errors.

Welcome to Magnificent Minds, where we explore the science of child development with both heart and reason, bringing clarity, compassion and scientific evidence to questions that matter deeply to families. If you're a parent, especially if your child has autism, you've probably heard bits and pieces about toxins or environmental exposures. And maybe you thought to yourself, okay, what's actually real here? What really matters? And honestly, what can I even do about it without completely losing my mind? Well, before we dive in, I want to address something right up front.

When you hear the word toxins, you might roll your eyes a little. I get it. That word has been thrown around so much, often by people selling cleanses or making wild claims that it can sound like pseudoscience. Same thing with detoxification. The minute someone starts talking about detox, you might think, oh no, here we go with the juice cleanses and the fear mongering. And you know what? Some people have taken it too far. They've created this whole industry around fear, making parents feel like everything is dangerous.

Like you need to buy all these special products. Like, if you don't do everything perfectly, you're failing your child. And that is not what this is about at all. Here's the thing. Detoxification pathways in your body are real. They're fundamental biology. Some of the most important processes your body does every single day your liver, your kidneys, your gut. They are constantly working to process and clear out substances your body doesn't need. That's not pseudoscience. That's just how we're built. And toxins. Well, they have existed for as long as humans have been around.

So natural toxins from plants, from the environment, our ancestors dealt with them too. So this isn't some new terrifying modern phenomenon. But what is different now is that we've added a lot of manmade chemicals to the mix, and they're everywhere in ways they weren't before. So when I use these words today, toxins, detoxification, I'm talking about real science, real biological processes and real substances in our environment. Not fear. Also not perfection. Just understanding.

Because when you understand something, you can make informed choices without feeling overwhelmed. That's what we're going to do today. We're going to talk about this in a calm, grounded way. No panic, no guilt, no impossible to do list. Just information you can actually use. And by the end of our time together, I hope you'll feel informed, empowered, and honestly, a little relieved because small, steady steps really do make a difference. Okay, so let's start with the why. Why are we even talking about this?

Why all the attention on chemicals and pollutants and the developing brain? Well, here's what we know. And this part is really important to understand during pregnancy and those early years of childhood. Your child's brain is developing faster than it ever will again. I mean, it's just going at this incredible pace. Building connections, pruning away what it doesn't need. Laying down pathways that are going to last their entire life. And because all that growth is happening so fast, the brain is also more open, more sensitive to what's around it.

Think about it this way. Children breathe more air per pound of body weight than we do. They eat more food relative to their size. They drink more water. They're these little explorers, right? Crawling around, touching everything. Putting things in their mouths. Their bodies are these amazing learning machines. But the systems that break down and clear away chemicals, those aren't fully mature yet. So when things are in the air or the water or even like dust in the environment, that can affect the nervous system. A child's exposure can be greater and the impact can be stronger.

Now, that doesn't mean every single chemical or every tiny exposure causes harm. It absolutely doesn't. But it does mean children are more vulnerable to the ones that do matter. This is something researchers like Dr. Philip Landrigan have been studying for decades, and he's one of the researchers that helps us understand what lead does to children's brains. Years ago and now his work along with groups like Project Tender, continues to show that certain common chemicals things like air pollutants, some pesticides, heavy metals that these can affect how the brain develops.

But here's what I really want you to hear me say. This is not about blame. You did not cause it, you didn't do anything wrong. We all live in a world where chemicals are just everywhere. They are in the air we breathe the water that comes out of our taps, the packaging, our food comes in. The furniture, in our homes. You can't avoid them all. You just can't. And I would never want you to try to. Because that's a recipe for constant stress and fear and guilt. And that doesn't help anyone, especially not your child. The goal here is not perfection.

It's not even close to perfection. The goal is simply to make small, realistic changes in the places where we actually can make them. And knowing that each small step adds up. Really it does. And each one helps create a cleaner, calmer, more supportive environment for your child's brain to do what it does best grow and learn and connect. Now, let me talk for a minute about what the research really shows. And I'm going to keep this simple, I promise. Scientists have been asking for years whether things in our environment, like air pollution or certain chemicals can influence how a baby's brain develops.

And honestly, the answer isn't black and white. It never is in science, right? But the pattern is becoming clearer. Some exposures do seem to matter, especially during pregnancy and those early years of life. So there was one study from Sweden that looked at more than 100,000 families. The researchers tracked where mothers lived during their pregnancy and how much traffic related air pollution was in those neighborhoods. What they found was that the moms who lived really close to busy roads, like within about 300 to 500 yards. So like just a few city blocks, they had a slightly higher chance of having a child.

Later diagnosed with autism. It wasn't this huge dramatic difference, but it was consistent enough that it wasn't just random. And then there was another study from California that looked at families living in farming regions where pesticides were being used on nearby fields. They found that when mothers lived within about a mile of areas where certain pesticides were sprayed during pregnancy, their children were somewhat more likely to be diagnosed with autism. Again, that doesn't prove that pesticides caused autism. That's not how these studies work.

But it does suggest that living very close to heavy agricultural spraying might add to the risk. And when researchers take data from lots of studies from the US, from Europe, from Asia, and look at it all together, the same theme keeps showing up. Children who grow up with cleaner air, cleaner water, fewer chemical exposures. They tend to have slightly better developmental outcomes overall. Now all of these studies are what we call observational. That means scientists are watching what happens naturally in real families.

They're not doing experiments where they expose some kids and not others. Obviously that would be unethical. So there are always other possible explanations for what they're seeing. But when the same pattern appears in so many different places with so many different researchers, it gives us confidence that this isn't just coincidence. So here's my takeaway, and here's what I want you to take away, too. These studies tell us it's worth thinking about the environments our children are growing up in, what goes into their bodies, the air they breathe, the food they eat, the water they drink, even what touches their skin.

It's not about panic, and it's not about perfection, but it's about giving your child's developing brain a little less to fight against a cleaner, calmer environment where it can do what it's meant to do to grow, connect, and thrive. All right. So now let's talk about how this actually translates into everyday life. Right. Because we don't want to just think about the research. We want to talk about what you can actually do. There are four main areas that tend to make the biggest difference. Air, water, food, and household dust and surfaces.

So let's go through them one by one. And I'll share some easy, realistic steps for each. Okay. First air. Thinking about both indoor and outdoor air. This one surprises people sometimes when we think about air pollution, we usually think about outdoor air like traffic factories, smog. And yes, that is part of it. But indoor air quality matters just as much, if not more, because that's where children spend most of their time. Things like gas stoves, scented candles, cleaning sprays, poor ventilation.

All of these can contribute to what we're breathing inside of our homes. The good news? This is honestly one of the easiest areas to improve. And here are a few ideas. One. Use your kitchen fan every time you cook. I know it's noisy, but it really does help clear out those combustion particles from your stove. And if the weather allows, even consider opening a window while you're cooking. And for a bit after too. Fresh air is one of the simplest, most effective things that you can do. If your home has a gas stove and you're ever in a position to replace it someday.

Like if it breaks or you're renovating, choosing induction or electric is a great long term goal. But there's no rush, no need to go out and buy a new stove tomorrow. And another idea is to get a HEPA, H-E-P-A, HEPA air purifier for your child's bedroom or their main play area. You don't need the fancy, expensive kind. Even a small one can make a measurable difference in air quality. If you live near a busy road or in an area with frequent smoke or smog, running that purifier during sleep and during play hours can honestly, be one of the most effective steps that you can take.

Remember, you don't need to overhaul your entire home, you just need to take the small steps that fit your life right now. All right, let's turn next to water. What comes out of the tap water is a big one for a lot of families. Tap water is completely safe, but in some communities, older pipes still contain lead. Or the water supply might have what are called forever chemicals, P-F-A-S or PFAS. You might have heard of them. These chemicals don't break down easily, and they can build up over time. We're still learning more about how they might affect hormones and metabolism and children's developing brains.

We don't have all the answers yet, but reducing exposure when you can is smart. Here's what you can do. Check your city's annual water quality report. You can usually find it online with a quick search. It'll tell you what's in your water and at what levels. If you live in an older home, or if you just want that extra layer of protection, get a filter and get one that's certified for lead and for PFAS. Look for one with NSF or ANSI certification on the box. It'll tell you exactly what it removes over time. Removing these from the water can lower your family's exposure in a really meaningful way.

Okay, now let's move on to talk about food and packaging. This one can be tricky. I know because we all have different budgets, different access to stores, different routines, and the last thing I want to do is create any stress around food. The goal here is to make maybe 1 or 2 swaps that you can actually sustain. So pesticides on produce, plasticizers in packaging chemicals that leach out when we heat food in plastic. These are small but cumulative sources of exposure. Here are a few practical ideas.

When you can buy organic versions of the foods your child eats most often, especially fruits and vegetables with thin skins like strawberries, apples, or spinach. Those tend to absorb more pesticides. Wash all produce well under running water, even if it's organic produce. Just a good rinse makes a difference. Avoid microwaving food in plastic containers. Instead, use glass or ceramic. I know plastic is convenient. Believe me, I get it. But this is one of those swaps that's really worth it. If possible, store leftovers in glass jars or stainless steel containers rather than plastic.

And when you're choosing snacks, try to replace one packaged item with something fresh or homemade. Maybe instead of the prepackaged crackers, you do apple slices and peanut butter. Little things. You don't have to do this all at once. Maybe you just pick one change each month and that's enough. All right. Now let's talk about dust surfaces and everyday items. So this last one is an area that often really surprises people because we aren't often thinking about household dust. But dust is actually one of the main ways that young children come into contact with chemicals like flame retardants.

Lead from old paint and phthalates from plastics. And kids spend so much time on the floor crawling, playing, sitting and then putting their fingers in their mouths. That's just what they do. So here are some easy ways to help. One. Vacuum with a HEPA filter if you can. It traps those tiny particles instead of just blowing them back into the air. Damp dust instead of dry dusting. This means using a slightly damp cloth so you're actually actually capturing the dust, not just moving it around.

Wipe down surfaces once a week with a simple, fragrance free cleaner. You don't need anything fancy or harsh. And wash your children's hands before meals and snacks, especially after playtime. This is probably something you're already doing, but it's worth being consistent about if you're ever replacing furniture or buying new rugs. You can look for items labeled flame retardant free or low. VOC. VOC stands for Volatile Organic Compounds. But just remember, there's no need to throw out what you already have.

Just keep dust under control. Wash hands regularly. That's really the heart of it. And finally, a word about personal care products like lotions, sunscreen, shampoo. Try to avoid products with fragrances. Fragrances, I know seem harmless, but for many children, they can actually be irritating to their bodies and brains. A single fragrance often contains many chemicals that can bother a child's breathing their skin, their brain, their sensory system. Kids, especially those with allergies, asthma, autism, or sensory sensitivities, may react with headaches, irritability, trouble focusing, or feeling overwhelmed without anyone realizing the scent is the trigger.

At Cortica’s clinics, we are a fragrance free environment for that reason. Fragrances, we know, can linger on clothes, bedding and in the air, and children can end up exposed to them all day long. So choosing fragrance free products and opting for essential oils rather than fragrances is a simple way to help your child feel more comfortable, more regulated, and able to learn and play. So if you're looking for safer personal care and household products, the Environmental Working Group or EWG is a great place to start.

Their website and their EWG verified label help you quickly find products like soaps, detergents, sunscreens, and cleaners that avoid the chemicals most likely to irritate children. It's an easy, trusted resource for parents who want to make healthier choices without doing hours of research. I use it all the time. All right, now I've got a question for you. How will you go about doing this without feeling overwhelmed? So if you're listening to this and you're thinking, oh my gosh, I have to change everything.

Please stop right there and take a breath with me. You don't have to do everything. You really don't. And the truth is, when it comes to reducing exposure, you get the biggest benefit from just a few key action. And the rest is about peace of mind and steady progress over time. Here is a simple way to pace yourself. I call it the one step a week plan. So what could it look like? Well, maybe week one. Focus on air. Turn on the vent every time you cook or open a window. Week two.

Choose one. Food or packaging change. Maybe you buy organic strawberries this week, or you start reheating leftovers in glass containers instead of plastic. Week three pick one room and do a damp dust and vacuum session. Week four check your water quality report or start flushing the tap in the morning, letting water rinse through it. That's it. So four small steps in a month and then you can repeat the cycle or add new habits as you go. There's no deadline. There's no test. The goal is not perfection.

It is consistency. It's building these little habits that become part of your life without feeling like a burden. I want to pause here and talk about something emotional that comes up a lot when we discuss this topic, and that's guilt. So many parents, especially moms, have said to me, I wish I had known this earlier. I feel like I've already lost so much opportunity and that I fail. And I always, always say, you're learning it now and that's enough. Our environment is complicated, it's messy, and it's not your fault that you can't control everything in it.

None of us can. But what you can control is your attention and your effort. The choices you make moving forward, and every small change you make helps create a little bit more ease for your child's brain. You should feel good about that. The truth is, these changes help your brain too, and will help your entire family. So please remember this your child does not need a perfect home. They need a loving one. A connected, warm, responsive environment does far more for their development than any single exposure could ever undo.

So take care of yourself. And if all you do this week is listen to this episode and maybe open a window when you cook. That's a win. Truly that counts. Let me share a quick story with you about a mother that I worked with. We'll call her Sarah and she once told me she felt so anxious after reading about environmental toxins that she wanted to throw everything in her house away. She said, I felt like everything was dangerous and I didn't know where to start. So I just froze. Well, together we slowed it down. I said, okay, what's one thing you can do this week that feels doable?

Just what she thought about it and said, well, I guess I could start using the kitchen fan when I cook dinner. And that was it. That's all she committed to. And you know what? After a few weeks, that habit stuck. It became automatic. Then she swapped out her old plastic storage containers for glass, just a few at a time, as she could afford it. And then she found a small air purifier on sale and put it in her child's bedroom. A few months later, she said to me, you know what? I feel calmer now. I feel like I'm actually doing something that helps and I don't feel buried under guilt anymore.

I feel like I'm being a good mom. And I told her, you have always been a good mom. Now you just have a few new tools. And that's exactly how I want you to feel. Empowered, not anxious. Capable. Not overwhelmed. If your child has already been diagnosed with autism, you might wonder, is it somehow too late to make a difference? And the answer is absolutely not. It is never too late. These steps aren't about some type of prevention of autism. They're not about trying to change who your child is, or make them be someone different than who they are.

These changes are about creating the healthiest environment for their unique brain to thrive in. Cleaner air, safer water, fewer chemical exposures. These help every child, whether they have a diagnosis or not. You're not trying to erase anything. You're supporting your child's nervous system so it can function at its best. Think about it like this. If you knew your child had a sensitive stomach, you'd adjust their diet, right? You wouldn't feel guilty about it. You just do what you know will help them feel better. And this is the same kind of care.

You're adjusting the environment so their brain can be at ease so their body can do it. It needs to do without fighting against a bunch of extra stuff. I'm so excited to welcome Meaghan O'Dea Johnson, who is caucus director of advanced Practice. She's a nurse practitioner and a registered dietitian and leads our wonderful group of nurse practitioners at portico. So welcome, Meaghan, and thank you for joining. Thanks for having me. The topic today is environmental exposures. And I know the word toxins can be a little bit scary for parents.

So I wonder if we could just start off by hearing a little bit about how you think about this idea of environmental toxins and what sort of, questions parents have brought to you. Definitely. When I think about toxins and how I would approach it with a family, I definitely like to keep it, manageable and actionable. I think that stress and anxiety, in parents can really trickle down into kids, and I think that can be just as toxic, as some of these environmental toxins.

So keeping my approach really, manageable for parents and taking almost a stepwise approach to it. A lot of parents ask for actionable items, things that they can change that they feel, can take just a little bit of stress off knowing that they're they're at least making a first attempt. The dietitian in me always likes to think about food. And starting with food. One of the things that I found really helpful to recommend is having, like a microwave dish. So a glass container that you use primarily to reheat food when you are reheating it.

To take the temptation out of let me just heat it really quickly on this plate or in this container that's made of plastic or something that's maybe not quite as safe. To microwave. Personally, I've found that food reheats, more evenly this way too. So even if you're having to transfer from dish to dish, you're still ending up saving a lot of time with food heating kind of evenly, and ready to be distributed. Yeah. So even things like that that are just that simple can be time saving, but effective ways to to make small change. I love that because I do think the parents in general are trying to juggle so many things at once.

Yeah. And when autism is part of it, then there can almost seem like there's there's, you know, there's multiplied by tenfold or more. And so thinking about trying to make changes like this can feel overwhelming. But that seems like an incredibly clear and straightforward actionable step. And so do you find that when you. Well, I want to get to more of them because I think these are really pearls, right? These are golden pieces of information for any parent to know. When you find you give these suggestions. How is it for parents? You find they follow through and what's their experience like?

Yeah, I think a lot of them, when this is a major, like source of stress for them, do follow through. It might not be right away. It may be after we've met 2 or 3 different times and talked about things that, oh, yeah, I want to get to that, or I bought it and I just haven't cleaned it and implemented it yet. But I think that's where kind of holding joint accountability can be really helpful, towards those kind of small, measurable, steps. And I think those who have done it recognize it's easy, and then they're excited and ready to kind of take the next step. And so it, it's progress that kind of keeps you progressing.

Awesome. Well let's stick with food. Since we're on the topic of food. So wonderful suggestion finding like a microwavable reheat glass container. Avoiding reheating food in plastic. And, what other tips related to food do you find are easy but important for parents to implement? Yeah, I think, keeping up to date every year they update the dirty dozen list. So the foods that are most likely to be exposed to pesticides and chemicals that we want to try to limit. So knowing what that list is from year to year, I know this year potatoes were added for the first time in quite some time.

So kind of being aware of that. And then for those foods, either choosing organic, or making sure that you're really thoughtful in how you clean it. So rinsing for 30 seconds in a liter of cold water with two teaspoons. Teaspoons, excuse me, of baking soda, can really reduce the toxin exposure if you're not able to go organic. And then thinking about the autism population and the, predictability and sensory properties of food that kids go for, buying frozen organic can be a really great way to kind of save money.

Frozen fruits also tend to be a lot more predictable in their texture and flavor profile because they're, picked, harvested, cleaned, and frozen at the peak of freshness. So you're going to get more predictable blueberries and strawberries and blackberries, straight through the year. So making those changes to make this a little bit more affordable, and a little bit more manageable to reduce that additional wash time. Yeah. That's fantastic. Do you do you think that's because I've also seen sprays? There are some sprays that are sort of marketed as cleaning food.

Do you have a like produce in particular. Do you have an opinion about that or. I think it's just as easy, to kind of make your own solution with the baking powder. And then what I like about that is, you know, or baking soda. Excuse me. You know, exactly what's in it. You have a little bit more control. And so if you're mixing that with, kind of cold tap water and making it as you go, you know, that a, you're less likely to change kind of the mouthfeel or the flavor of that food in a way that might impact, your child's ability to accept it. But you're also, again, just much cheaper, much easier in a store because you don't need to store it other than the little box.

Awesome. So great. Those are all great tips. And I know the topic of eating organic food is one that can be tricky because of the expense. Yeah, and the planning around it. So I love the, the, that frozen organic foods are an option and the ability to even take something that's not organic, but cleaning it well and, and getting some benefit that way. Yeah. And I think, again, going back to that dirty dozen list, knowing which foods you want to buy and organic which ones to prioritize if you are, kind of splitting that grocery list up, because there are some fruits and vegetables that are really easy to clean, non-organic, and maintain their freshness and maintain their quality because their skins are less permeable.

Yeah. Yeah. Wonderful. What else related to food? Do you find something that you'll you'll recommend to parents? Just how you're storing the food. Glass, like I said, is probably my preferred. So saving pickle jars. Saving source jars, and holding leftovers in that can be a really easy switch and a cheap one. And you can do it one at a time and see what the practicality looks like for your family. Eating off of glass, drinking from glass straws or glass bottles isn't necessarily the safest or most practical option for most kids.

So storing in that glass and then using, like food grade silicone reusable straws, and metal water bottles and containers are really easy switches that you can make, and get your kids excited about. So the silicone straws come in really fun colors. There's a lot of obviously really great metal water bottles. So just kind of making that gradual shift. But using the things that your foods are already coming in, to make some of the, like, behind the scenes swaps a little bit cheaper and easier for sure. Yeah. Glass. Stainless steel. Silicone.

Yeah. Gradually trying to replace plastics with those items is a great idea. Yeah. Bamboo can be great for kids plates, too, but that's not super durable for utensils. And straws. So I tend to go, like, the silicone or the metal there. And bamboo is really good for plates or dishes. Excellent. Any guidance on, cookware? Like the paint pots and pans? I really like stainless steel. It takes a little bit of time to get comfortable cooking in it and knowing how to kind of use your fats wisely, so that you're creating a nonstick.

But I think ultimately, once you kind of get that down, the stainless steel cookware is cheaper. It lasts forever. It's not going to leach any, like, Teflon or plastics. And it's going to give you a nice to even cook all around. And then what's really nice is most of them come with great lids, so you can actually just store right in them. As opposed to, again, having to, move from container to container. Yeah. Wonderful. Cast iron. Is there a role for cast iron do you think? I think so. I like cast iron in that. A lot of our kids need a little bit of extra iron.

So being able to cook an iron whenever we can is great. Similar to the stainless steel, though, it's kind of getting comfortable and familiar, with how to really season that pan to make sure you're not just losing half your food. Sticking it to the bottom. But there are so many YouTube videos now on how to do that and how to cook different things in different, types of pans. That's what I've personally used because I kept sticking, in cast iron. And so, it can be a really helpful tool again. And cast iron you can find at like garage sales, estate sales, things like that.

And you can get really, really high quality pans that you can then restore. And have as kind of like a focal piece. Mine sits on top of my stove. It's really cool. Yeah. That's great. I mean, they they're so durable. They last a really long time. And, yeah, I most of what I have in my kitchen is stainless steel or cast iron. Yeah. It's really served as well. Yeah. And what I found is the nonstick pans, they break down, they start sticking. So investing in those things that are going to last and you're not going to have to replace, is the way to go.

Yeah. Yeah. Maybe we can switch from food over to water. Okay. And how do you think about water quality and any guidance that you give to families about that? Yeah. I come from the East coast, where pipes were a little bit less predictable, than they are in California, where I am now. So definitely keeping up with the, water quality reports in your area and kind of understanding your home. And what maybe additional factors you want to consider. But I think whenever you're running tap water, whether it's to drink, or to cook with, or to ingest in any way, making sure you're doing it with cold water rather than running hot water, even if your plan is to heat it.

That's going to be just the best way to kind of bring it through your pipes with, out bringing in all of those toxins that we're looking to avoid. And then I really like just using a really basic filter. I think that tap water is the best water. But filtering that, not only can help reduce exposure, but it also can improve the taste. If you find your local water to be a little too mineral or minerally, or difficult. Yeah. Yeah. Great. Do you, there's a lot of, sort of back and forth controversy around fluoride in water.

Do you have an opinion about that? I think in terms of like, general teeth health, it's probably not a bad idea. To use just the water that you have, even if there's fluoride in it, it's going to help, prevent cavity and tooth breakdown. And you're not going to be ingesting enough of it, through that source that it's going to lead to any kind of downstream difficulties. Yeah. Yeah. I think that's the key, is that the, the people who are sensitive to even some elements, fluoride, have very unique medical conditions.

And so for the majority, the the trace amounts that are present in Tap water don't cause any sort of risk and may have benefit to teeth health. Yeah, exactly. Yeah. Okay, so we talked about food, water, such fundamental, essential things in our lives. Now let's think about air. You know, the air that we breathe. And there's a lot to know about that. But where do you start? That can also feel like a really big topic. And I think parents may not, may not have given it much thought. But sometimes becoming a parent makes you think about things and about, health in ways that you hadn't before.

So what do you think about air quality and what are some simple, manageable steps parents could take? Yeah. Even going back to food and cooking. Just running, the fan or cracking a window when you're cooking. Being mindful of what, like, scents you're putting into the air. So what are you using for cleaning products? What are you, burning for candles or other things to kind of make the environment smell a little bit better? And what are the implications of that? So not adding kind of, unnecessary toxin loads, throughout the household.

I personally didn't think about this, very much until we were impacted by the Eaton Canyon fires earlier this year. And purchased, air filter, for the bedrooms after that. And just the difference that it made in things that I thought were like just basic rebound congestion, throughout the day, just having that really small air filter, has made a huge difference. So, working towards buying one of those, they go on sale intermittently, like after the high allergy seasons, can be a huge benefit.

And for kids, putting them in environments where they are a lot, they're super mobile and easy to move. So running it in the playroom when they're in the playroom, running it in their bedroom at night, can have a big impact just on the quality within that room. There's some interesting research on things like, air pollutants from emissions from vehicles for, especially for people who are near or live near highways. Yeah. Also some interesting research on pesticide exposure. Some more recently. Looking at proximity of, living to a golf course.

And that one actually has to do with water, the runoff from golf courses. Now, in particular, I was really, interested in because my, there's been a link between proximity to golf courses and Parkinson's disease, so. And my, my father has Parkinson's disease, and we lived all through my childhood right next to a golf course. And I wonder, although, of course, that's, you know, just anecdotal when you see this kind of research emerging, you understand the effect that things like pesticides can have on mitochondrial function and different so different aspects of metabolism.

It does make you wonder what are the things that are almost invisible, you know, in our in our environments that might be affecting the health of adults and of children. And we all children tend to be more vulnerable. They're more susceptible because they're growing more quickly. And these things might have more of an effect on their development. So so I do think just kind of paying attention and growing one's awareness around these things, but not panicking, not being stressed by it because that we know has negative consequences itself. So being able to just take in and start to learn and, and begin to become more educated, notice what's in the environment, what might be around you seems like, a great first step.

And then taking some of these small, actionable steps that aren't overwhelming and doing it in kind of like a sequenced way is thoughtful way. Yeah. And I think that being aware of your surroundings and picking a starting point, because the the thing that I discuss most often with families is, again, children with autism are incredibly, incredibly perceptive. And so if you're making a lot of kind of sweeping changes, in the house, that's going to increase their stress, it's going to put them on alert. So making these changes kind of fit into your day to day life seamlessly.

I think as with any changes, the way to go, it helps to be sustainable and helps everyone feel good instead of stressed by it. Yeah. Are there any other kind of discrete tips that you've given to parents that you find they've been able to implement and has made a difference for them? I know it's tricky because sometimes you can't tell, whether one change has really led to something positive or not, but so much about how we approach children's health and autism in particular, is making a lot of small shifts and be cumulative. It can add up and lead to very significant improvements over time.

So anything else come to mind for you that that is advice that you'll guide parents in? Yeah. When again, when we're thinking about toys and just environmental contact and things that kids may put in their mouth, making sure you're cleaning toys, cleaning their hands, using soaps and, cleaners that are fragrance free, dye free. Is again, another really easy shift to make, where you're still accomplishing the same goals and getting things clean. But you're reducing kind of one more potential multiple times a day.

Exposure to things that we might rather have them avoid. Yeah. Wonderful. And wonder if you can think of I know you work with so many families and have for many, many years. Can you think of an example of, steps like this where you felt like in a young child it really made a difference that something that the parents felt like from these changes, something positive came about. And what changes did they make and what were some of the positive results that they saw? Primarily, I would say it's around food. I think I've had a lot of families be really successful.

With just switching over to organic foods. And some of those, again, dirty dozens. I have a lot of kids who are big fans of berries. So making those changes. And I think the biggest outcomes that we'll see again, if you feel confident and you feel positive in the foods that you're giving your child and you know you're making good decisions around it, your stress comes down. And I've seen kids just with a lot less like food hesitation. And, intermittent food, like rejection.

In these foods. And I don't know if that's the quality, if it's the way that parents are presenting it, or what it is. But I think over time when we've made some of these shifts and it could even just be they taste when things are heated in plastic and we've moved to heating and glass. But overall, like dietary variety and acceptance of the foods kind of presented to them in the moment has gone up. Which again, just eliminates stress in so many domains. Leads to less. I mean, when we think about food, we eat 2 to 4 to six times a day at home.

Depending on the age of the child. And so if we can reduce, stress around every single one of those touch points, and kind of feel more confident again in the quality of what we're giving our kiddos, that's going to lead to just a much more, like, fun and carefree dynamic, throughout your household. Yeah. Yeah. And we'll we'll talk again in the near future. All about food and whole foods versus processed foods and different macronutrients and micronutrients and all of those, fun and really important things. I can't wait for that conversation.

But for today, kind of given our focus around potential toxins. You want to talk for a moment about what toxins might be hidden in processed foods and why that makes the switch to more whole foods so important. I definitely think being able to control what is in your food, knowing what the ingredients are can be extremely, extremely helpful. So thinking about what's causing the color, to be color in your foods. And I know there is a lot of misinformation about food colorings and preservatives that are in food that I think lead to a lot of like, fear, in families.

But if you're less able to kind of interpret what some of these things are, some of these additives that in some cases might sound really scary, but in reality are natural food coloring or things like that. The more control you have over the food, the, the kind of less stress there is to have around it. A lot of stabilizers that are added, to processed foods, whether they're like truly toxins or not, they're not necessary. If you're able to kind of make and eat through that same food throughout the week.

And then my biggest thing is it's oftentimes cheaper. The time can be a little bit of a barrier, but you can make better quality food that, again, you feel better serving to your child. For a fraction of the cost. And a lot of what I'll do is work with families on when and how, and how to include their kids in that. Because I think that food preparation and understanding what we're putting in our body is a huge, adaptive skill that's important for all kids to learn. So how we can make it, a family event. And really, just, again, have some control over what it is that we're, deciding to eat and feed our children.

There's a whole. I think it's a multi, multi year learning process. I know it has been for me. Yeah. You know, it's really decades. Learning about food. And it's not going to happen overnight because there is a lot to know. But each day or each week there's a little bit more information that you can get that will help kind of fill in and just make it more rich, like our understanding around food. Yeah. Yeah. And like choosing organic versus non organic foods. Kind of knowing where to put that effort in versus what some of those maybe semi processed or partially prepared foods.

Might be better choices than others. And I want to just touch on one more topic, which is an important one and that is personal products. Things like things that we use on our bodies like lotions, soaps, shampoos. You mentioned a little bit about fragrance and how it's important to avoid fragrance. And, a lot of that has to do with the endocrine disrupting influence of fragrance. So there's known physiologic harm that comes from fragrances. What would you like to tell parents about personal care products and how to make wise choices?

Yeah. I think the easiest way to start is just, going with the fragrance free. Kind of like the free and clear route. Making again, one change at a time as one product kind of finishes that you're using. Kind of make a shift, something that's a little bit cleaner, a little bit, again, closer to even if we're not quite at, the ideal. Laundry detergent is another really kind of easy change to make. Because that's going to be across the family, rather than maybe a product that one person versus another uses.

And then again, ultimately with one change at a time, it might take us six months or even a year to get there. But you'll get to a place where most of what you're using is kind of in line with what you're hoping to. There are a lot of really great companies out there now, that are selling, again, fragrance free hand soaps and dish soaps and laundry detergents and dishwasher. Oftentimes like little, almost like slips of paper rather than the plastic pouches. That end up being really economical over time.

A lot of them will also sell, your first products and like, glass, and then they'll send you refills and recyclable, options. And so what I have found as they look a lot nicer, and you're not going through as much kind of single use plastic. So not only from how you feel like you're impacting your household, but those changes, but the environment in general and just kind of reducing your overall carbon footprint. It kind of has an added, added benefit. Yeah. Yeah. I think about anything that comes in contact with skin or they're going to be breathing in. It could be something like, you know, sprays in the home or personal care products like hairspray or that suddenly as I learned more and more, I became aware of what I was putting on my skin, breathing in, spraying my hair, and began to make some of those changes.

And it just becomes if it can become part of your routine and just your lifestyle, rather than an immediate source of stress. I think that's really the best way to approach it. Yeah, definitely. Yeah, I think these are all, again, really good places to kind of start and think about. And again over time, like you said, even with food, like we learn more and more, the more we go. So staying on top of, what's coming up and revisiting topics like this in a podcast every year or two as research shifts, I think it's great. Let's bring this all together.

Here's what I hope you'll remember. Children's brains are growing incredibly fast, and because of that, they're more sensitive to environmental exposures. The research shows that air pollution and certain chemicals can influence development. But it's not about blame, and it's never too late to start making changes. The biggest areas where you can make a difference are air, water, food, and household dust and surfaces. You don't have to tackle them all at once. Focus on one small, manageable step at a time and celebrate progress, not perfection.

If you remember nothing else from this episode, remember this. You don't have to do it all. Start small. Stay kind to yourself and know that the love and connection you give your child every day that is the most powerful, protective force in their life. Nothing comes close to that. Thank you for joining me for this episode. My hope is that these conversations help you feel more informed, less overwhelmed, and more connected to the science, to your child, and to a community that's learning and growing together. If you found today's discussion helpful, please share it with another parent or professional who wants to do better.

And as always, I appreciate you being part of this journey toward understanding and supporting every child's unique path to thriving. Until next time, take good care of yourself and your family.