about
Hi, I’m Sara
And I started Lower Tox Living to help families navigate the process of reducing environmental toxins at home.
Why is lowering harmful chemical exposures important?
The most vulnerable time for adverse effects of environmental hazards is during pregnancy and early infant development. This is why reducing exposures to environmental toxins is especially important if you are trying to conceive, are pregnant, or already have young children at home. BUT it’s never too late to take steps towards a healthier home.
What brought me here?
For me personally, there were 3 pivotal things that I now know have ties to environmental exposures:
In my 20’s, my mom was diagnosed with ALS, a devastating and terminal disease. While I’ll never know the exact cause, I’ve learned that along with genetic pre-disposition, ALS and other neurodegenerative diseases have ties to environmental toxicant exposures.
In my 30s, when we were ready to have children, it took us 3+ years before we were finally able to welcome our first daughter. I had no clue that the foods we were eating and the products we were using were exposing us to Endocrine Disrupting Chemicals (EDCs), which contribute to infertility.
Now in my 40’s, I’ve had several friends diagnosed with breast cancer. This is not normal and we should not accept that this is our future! We can use our collective voices and purchasing power to send a strong message to companies that we demand safer products.
If you are just beginning your lower tox living journey, welcome! As with everything new we learn about health, it’s progress over perfection – starting small, and consistently making smart swaps over time!
So glad you’re here!
Why Lower Tox Living Matters
Even though we are living longer lives, it’s getting harder to conceive naturally. It’s estimated that most couples will need reproductive assistance by 2045. In addition, developmental disorders in children like autism and ADHD are on the rise and rates of chronic diseases like diabetes, obesity, heart disease, auto-immune disease, thyroid conditions, skin disorders, and certain cancers are skyrocketing.
These trends are not going in the right direction and it’s no longer possible to only focus on genetics or lifestyle choices. There’s something happening in our environment that is having major implications for our health.
The founding president of Bastyr University, the nation’s leading science-based natural medicine and research university has stated that “Toxicity is the primary driver of disease”.
Looking at these stats, it’s easy to see why:
# of chemicals automatically presumed safe and grandfathered in when the Toxic Substances Control Act was passed
# of chemicals used in personal care products - the majority of which have never been evaluated for safety
years since the Safe Drinking Water Act was updated, even though many new contaminants in drinking water have been identified
%
the amount that sperm counts in Europe, North America, Australia and New Zealand have declined since 1973
200+
# of man-made chemicals in our bodies, according to the CDC
2-5X
According to the EPA, indoor air can be 2-5 times and as much as 100 times worse than outdoor air, exposing us to chemicals in dust and air.