The State of Healthy Homes in 2025 From a Building Industry Expert

I know I'm getting old when I start "looking back" at my career and remembering the old days.  That said, one of the most asked questions I get is "how did you ever get in this business" so I thought Id finally address that.   This episode is my story about starting Green Design Center and Non Toxic Environments.  Who were the pioneers in the healthy home space? Why are our homes getting so dangerous? Where do I go for real information and an real education?  I cover this all, straight from my heart.  Thank you for following my show!      

In keeping with the theme of this season of the show...talking about specific health issues related to our built environment, related to the foods we eat, the materials we cover ourselves with, we are going to talk about a topic that I have never really discussed before in the show      ADHD in children.  I'm really excited to share this episode with you because it's truly amazing to me how so many of the reasons why you can attribute ADHD in children and why they develop it. You could take away the term ADHD and throw in the term PANS/PANDAS or some other health issue related to mold exposure, chemical exposure, or EMF exposure.  It's all similar. It's all in the same platform.   And it's a fantastic discussion because I bring in Dana Kay with the ADHD Thrive Institute.  Dana authored the book, Thriving with ADHD, and she talks a lot about her own child going through it. She's a board certified nutritionist. She's a coach for those who have children with ADHD. And she works one-on-one. She does her own podcast, writes a blog...it's really a great discussion.  Talking with her before the show, we kind of joked like, is this a topic for a healthy home show? Is ADHD anywhere related to a healthy home? And undoubtedly 100% it is, and you'll find that out rather quickly. We spend a great deal of time discussing the pros and cons of the traditional medication route vs natural options and how the two can even work well together.   Please share with your family and friends, and especially if you yourself have a child with ADHD. If you have family members or friends that have children with ADHD, please share this episode. It was eye-opening and I'm really excited and honored to have her on the show and to talk about this with us.  https://adhdthriveinstitute.com      

Embarking on a new build is always exciting but will also bring its share of stressful situations.  For instance, you've got two young kids at home, your general contractor just backed out and you happen to be a touring musical artist, and things sure do get a bit complicated. Country music star John King joins us today to talk all about the grueling life on the road and why he and his wife decided to move forward on their new healthy home in the hills of Georgia.  I've been working with John for the last several months and its easy for me to see why he's such a popular artist and why he and I have fast become friends.  John shares a lot about the reasons why they truly need this home to be healthy and how its actually helping him as a writer and musician.  Oh yes, we'll also talk about some nuts and bolts issues of the home they are building and why he has now taken on the role as the general contractor.  This one is fun! https://www.johnkingcountry.com     

If you have listened to this show for a while, you know that I focus on the built environment from a materials and systems approach.  The nuts and bolts, the wood and glue that our homes are made of, thats my expertise.  But what happens after the home built?  How do we live a healthier life beyond the building process?  The clothing we wear, the food we eat, the pots and pans we cook with…these topics require a more expert approach.  So today I asked my friend Lara Adler to join us to talk about this and tell us where we need to concentrate our efforts and maybe when we need to step back a bit and reduce our anxiety.  Lara Adler is an environmental toxins expert who has become a trusted resource to thousands of health care practitioners all over the world, educating them about the links between the toxins in our everyday lives and the chronic health conditions their clients face.  She also is extremely active on social media where she shares her knowledge with anyone who is concerned about potential health hazards in the home.     https://www.laraadler.com/about/

There is a lot of technical information out there about the inspection and remediation of homes that have been damaged by water intrusion and mold.  Most of it, however, comes from a position of an already established high knowledge base.  Essentially, it’s a bunch of smart people trying to sound smarter than the others.  While it all sounds impressive, those who are just dipping in to these topics can become instantly overwhelmed. In this episode, I try to break down the acronyms and pull away the curtain a bit so that the newbies, the neophytes, will stick around to listen and get some real-life recommendations on where to start your journey.   Should you pay for the full ERMI panel or is the HERTSMI good enough?  How about air testing instead of dust testing?  My friend Bill Weber with AVELAR comes back on the show today to discuss these topics and many more.  If you are a seasoned veteran in this space, this will good refreshed.  But if you’re a newbie, this show is for YOU! https://avelar.net/articles_publications/team/bill-weber/  https://iseai.org   

I have several clients around the country that just cannot take the first step in building a new home. Sure, budget is always a big factor, and so is timing. But for many, the hesitation comes down to the fear of possibly making the wrong decision.  Its absolutely terrifying.  I get it, believe me. See, I'm one of the lucky ones that doesn't have many sensitivities to chemicals, mold, etc.  But my clients sure do. And since they have been living this nightmare for many years, they are expecting to react to new environments, new materials and other "unknown" aromas.  But as I've learned, in many situations, you dont need a change of venue to heal. There are other ways.  Several years ago, I did a podcast about chemical sensitivity being partially a psychosomatic issue.  And right on queue,  I started receiving nasty emails and threatening phone calls.  I struck a nerve, no pun intended.  But if you actually listened to the entire episode, you heard that I believed very strongly that these sensitivities were real and cause real reactions.  Our brains, however, are always trying to protect us, so if it senses a potential threat, it will put you into fight or flight, causing the exact same physical reactions as if it truly WAS a threat and not just an unknown smell or chemical release thats completely harmless. In hindsight, maybe it was a bit premature in my learning process to publish that episode. I mean, I was literally just blurting out stream of consciousness with only my own thoughts and my own experiences.  In this episode, I have some professional backup to my thoughts and ideas.   Dr Cathleen King started an online community called Primal Trust, specifically to help those with CIRS, MCAS, MCS and all other health issues.  Her community and courses consist of brain retraining, holistic nervous system regulation, somatic practices, vagus nerve healing, and true self-discovery.   I was blown away by this interview; it literally brought me to tears.  While we were talking, images of past and present clients of mine kept racing through my mind. It was overwhelming.  So many wonderful people Ive met over the last 30 years and so many who could have been helped by Cathleen's program.  Even while living in the space that has caused propblems.   Please listen, like and share this episode. Then, PLEASE follow this link to receive: >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>Your FREE online starter course >>>>>>>>>>> HOW HEALING HAPPENS Cathleen has been so generous to make this free to all of us through this link.  Please take advantage of this wonderful opportunity.       

Im sure for many of you, the following scenario isnt just made up...its reality.  You or someone in your family suffers from CIRS, MCAS, MCS.  Years of trauma from exposure to mold, bacteria and toxic chemicals is a weight on the body and the brain.  So much so, that it makes doing some of the simplest tasks virtually impossible.  Now imagine you're trying to find a home to move into. Something safe thats in your area and in your price range. This is the reality for many of my clients. Dr. Cowger is a board certified adult psychiatrist who works at the Amen Clinic near Seattle, Washington. She competed her undergraduate degree at Portland State University, then attended medical school at Western University of Health Sciences, College of Osteopathic Medicine of the Pacific-Northwest, and then completed her general Psychiatry residency through the University of Hawaii. She feels passionate about viewing mental wellness through a holistic lens and identifying organic factors that contribute to psychiatric symptoms, and is working on completing a fellowship in functional Psychiatry from Psychiatry Redefined. On the show today, Dr Cowger and I discuss the challenges we all face with our health struggles and how we get beck on the right path of healing.  This is a 'must listen' https://www.amenclinics.com   

To launch the new season of Non Toxic Environments, I inveted my good friend Eric Goranson to give us his expert opinions on how the home building industry is adopting healthy home options.  Eric is the Host of "Around the House with Eric” nationally syndicated Home Improvment, Construction, Design, and Heathy Home radio show and podcast. Eric also has over 30 years in the kitchen and bath industry, so we spend some time talking about cabinetry and how manufacturers have been trying to clean up their own industry.    https://www.aroundthehouseonline.com/      

I'll let the engineers and the environmentalists argue the fine points of how we are supposed to eliminate fossil fuels and go electric, yet not rely on those same fossil fuels to create that electricity.  Solar, wind and hydroelectric power have its place and is increasing in output, but it could be decades before we figure this all out.  In the meantime, the health issues related to the EMF fields caused by electricity will never go away, no matter the source of the power.  Couple that with the radiation from cell and wi-fi and its becoming increasingly clear that more research needs to be done quickly before its too late.   I know enough to be dangerous when it comes to these important issues.  I can help folks who are building from scratch to minimize exposure, but I am NOT who you bring in to hunt out the problems in your existing home. For that, I bring in my friend Mieke Jacobs.  Mieke is a building biologist in the Chicago area that has taken a keen interest in EMF mitigation and made it the focus of her career.  We had a great conversation about this and Im sure you will feel energized...in a good way...to make some changes in your home.    https://miekejacobs.com       

Its a common occurance througout the land.  Something has gone wrong in our homes and now we're dealing with the health effects.  Sure, everyone can see that water spot on the ceiling. But what about the entirety of the attic itself? Is the crawlspace damp? What about the inside of our ductwork?  We have to figure this out before things really get out of hand.   We need a detective.   We need.... Sherlock Homes.   Let me introduce you to Bill Weber, he's a Forensic Building Consultant based in Walnut Creek California.  I like to refer to Bill as Sherlock Homes, as he literally has the ability to sleuth out the problems in your home that are making you sick.  Bill is involved in all types and sizes of construction and building related environmental issues. As an expert in his field, he specializes and testifies in Trade Standard Deviation, Construction Defect, Mold, and Moisture related building failures. His daily tasks include site visits, consultation, conference video, phone calls and writing reports.  While he most commonly works in the areas around him, he certainly can assist remotely on your project wherever you are.    Contact: 510-557-5992 or [email protected] Website: www.RAvelar.com