My Home is Making Me Sick...But Why?

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

I’m well aware of my skepticism; it’s one of my many flaws.  One does not enter into their profession already skeptical. It’s something that builds over time as sort of a defense mechanism.  In my particular case, my immediate jump to calling out BS is due to years of protecting my clients from the sea of so-called green and eco friendly building materials that only caused them more personal harm.  So when I hear about a hospital-grade disinfectant made from the same herb I use in my kitchen, I was quick to state my belief. I was wrong.  On today’s show, I’ll talk with Kelly Macmillan, National Sales Director for Benefect and she really takes me to school about their amazing invention. Timing is perfect because right now, millions of folks living in South East US are dealing with their own nightmares because of the hurricanes.  Water damage cleanup and mold remediation are front and center here.  More about Benefect here

A few months ago, I started an ad hoc committee for the Change the Air Foundation, to put together the framework on how to design and build homes that are safe for those who suffer from mold and chemical sensitivities.  This committee is made up of myself, Brian Tinker from Tinker Homes and Amanda Klecker from Healthy House on the Block.  The three of us bring decades of experience, both personal and professional, in the world of building related health issues, and offer our unique perspectives.  Today, we peel back the curtain and invite you all to listen to one of our regular meetings so you can hear for yourself the discussions we have about doing our part to fix our broken building industry.      

Just imagine, you and your family are trying to buy or build a new home and someone in your family has CIRS or MCAS or something related.  The home building process is stressful enough for anyone, but the added worry about how the new materials may adversely affect your family is sometimes overwhelming.  Most of my client interactions deal with building materials and systems, but inevitably, the discussion takes off about how stressful the situation is.  To be clear, there is no such thing as the perfect healthy home.  We need to recognize this and to set proper expectations about what can be achieved within our budget and timeframe.  But while I almost feel like a therapist of sorts, I also know where my knowledge expertise is limited.  So, I decided to call in the experts.   Renee Belz & Lauren Sambataro are sisters that grew up in a family that really prioritized health and wellness.  Among their many achievements in life (you can read more about it here) Renee is a Certified Nutritional Consultant and Holistic Lifestyle Coach and Lauren is a Corrective Exercise specialist and Functional Health Coach.  Together, they are known as the Biohacker Babes and have a wonderful podcast and social following.  In this episode, Im going let them do most of the talking because they have so much important information to share about stress relief and sleep management that will ultimately improve how you and your family can power through your projects and live your healthiest life.  https://thebiohackerbabes.com 

Every single day, I get calls and emails asking if I have a recommendation for a home builder in their area that can build healthy.  Unfortunately, I dont have such a list to refer to.  I certainly have many builders around the country that Ive worked with and do trust, but the building industry as a whole is not keeping up with the demands consumers have.  So my typical recommendation is to identify a few high quality custom home builders in their area and start to interview them.  Any good builder can do a healthy home, if they take the time to find a good healthy home consultant, ask the right questions, and ALWAYS have the home owners best intentions in mind for every decision they make.  Its not rocket science...its common sense.   As one such healthy home consultant, I can tell you that consumer demand for healthy homes is exploding and finding another in my space that I feel 100% confident in refering folks to has been amazing.  Christine Cimabue is a licenced general contractor, holistic construction consultant and the creator of the massively popular Holistic Homes podcast and social accounts.   She was so kind to have me on an Instagram Live event a while back and I knew then she would be a hit with my listeners.  On today's show, Christine and I talk about the building process, how to enlist the right team and even spend some time discussing the legal ramifications of not embracing healthy building practices.      

Meet Andra McHugh, the matcha-sipping, veggie-loving mom who turned her family's eczema nightmare into a mission for healthier, happier childhoods. Host of a popular podcast and mom to four vibrant kids, Andra knows the agony of sleepless nights spent soothing itchy, bleeding skin. Frustrated by conventional medicine and overwhelmed by conflicting dietary advice, she took matters into her own hands. I was very fortunate to be on Andra's podcast a while back and it was a complete eye-opening experience for me.  Ive been helping folks with allergies, asthma, chemical and mold sensitivities for decades, but this was a topic Ive never really dug into.  Andra helped me see how our most vulnerable tiny humans are truly the canaries in the mineshaft, telling us all that our food, clothing and our living environments are a cause of deep concern for us all.   To learn more about eczema and how Andra can help, please visit https://eczemakids.com/

The first rule in real estate is that you should NEVER waive your right to an inspection before closing the deal. The second rule is, make sure your inspector understands building biology, as well as the typical home systems and materials.  Your inspector needs to understand moisture, mold, chemical emissions and electro magnetic fields, in addition to structural concerns, windows, HVAC, etc.  Amanda Klecker joins us today to discuss what's all entailed in doing a substantial and truly informative home inspection and how we can avoid costly and unhealthy mistakes. Amanda is a Certified Building Biology Practitioner through the International Institute for Building Biology where she has learned the holistic approach to keeping a home healthy, free of moisture intrusion and free of toxins. Amanda has trained with the International Association of Certified Home Inspectors and received their national certification.  Amanda is also trained with the Water Quality Standards Academy, learning the important components of healthy drinking water.     Amanda's website Healthy House on the Block

Starting on April 22, I will be speaking at a wonderful online summit called My Healthy Home.  Hosted by Caroline Blazovsky, there will be over 40 experts in the multi-faceted "healthy home" space, to discuss all aspects of this incredibly important topic.  Caroline is my guest on this episode of NTE live to tell us more about the summit and to discuss why this is so important to her and should be to all of us. Caroline Blazovsky has over 20 years experience with specialized training in residential homes. She has CMR certification (Certified Microbial Remediatior) and CIE (Certified Indoor Environmentalist) training through the American Council for Accredited Certification (ACAC). Ms. Blazovsky has completed a Sustainable Design education from Boston Architectural College. Ms. Blazovsky's work has been featured by Martha Stewart, Jenny McCarthy, Ronald Hoffman M.D., SiriusXM, Shape and Reader's Digest, as well as hundreds of podcasts, radio, and print interviews. She is also certified as a Healthy Home Specialist through the National Environmental Health Association. In her spare time, Caroline studies public health at the University of Southern California.   My Healthy Home Summit Sign up here for FREE

As the President and CEO of the International WELL Building Institute (IWBI), Rachel is leading a movement to advance human health through healthier buildings, more vibrant communities and stronger, more equitable organizations. Her motto is “Always be winning for good,” and she’s put that to work at IWBI, developing research-backed tools to help organizations create places where people can thrive. Today, these people-first places extend across 5 billion square feet of space in 130 countries and growing. Prior to joining IWBI, Rachel spent nearly a decade at the intersection of sustainability and human health, helping the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC) make LEED the world’s most widely used green building rating system. At USGBC, she founded the Center for Green Schools, which mobilized $275B+ investments in LEED-certified educational facilities and deployed over 750,000 volunteers to transform schools on every continent. Rachel serves on numerous boards and advisories for organizations including Second Nature and the Real Estate Pride Council. A graduate of Tufts University, she is a sought-after media voice, inspirational speaker and frequent guest lecturer and instructor at the Harvard School of Public Health’s Center for Health and the Global Environment, Harvard University Kennedy School of Government, the University of Connecticut School of Business and Tufts.    Works With WELL Standard   https://healthybuilding.net