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Toxin Free Mom To Be Podcast

Karma Shleef

  • 36 minutes 56 seconds
    Ep. 23: The Rise of Chronic Illness in Our Children + the Search for Answers with Beth Lambert

    It's no secret that chronic illness is on the rise. 

    Robert Kennedy Jr. himself even stated

    "The greatest crisis that America faces today is the chronic disease epidemic in our children" - RFK Jr.

    If you search pubmed (or any other publicly available scientific databse), you'll find hundreds of research studies done and scholarly articles written about the dangers of exposure to certain chemicals, delayed risks associated with C-section, adverse effects after antibiotic use in early childhood, chronic exposure to EMFs, too little exercise, too much screen time, and the list goes on..

    Unfortunately, basically every study out there only looks at risks associated with a single variable (whether it be a single chemical or any other variable, such as the ones listed above).

    But in the real world, most of us are exposed to hundreds of these stressors before even leaving our house. And what does that synergistic effect lead too? *spolier alert* : no one knows. 

    Beth Lambert, the founder of Epidemic Answers, is spearheading a study that aims to answer this question.

    The hypothesis posed is such that: the amount of environmental exposures a child is exposed to and during key points in development affect their propensity toward chronic conditions. They also hypothesize that exposures during the 1st year of life, in-utero, and prenatally are more impactful than exposures later in childhood (~6-10 years old).

    The more people that participate in this landmark study, the more concrete and statistically significant answers we can get.

    If you feel called to participate, please head over to documentinghope.com/chirp-study/

    Topics discussed include:
    • What is a toxin load and how it might be affecting us and our loved ones
    • How some stressors are relatively unknown - such as health risks with CFL lightbulbs
    • What happens when an extremely toxic chemical comes into contact with many other toxic chemicals i.e. synergistic effect
    • How the health of the whole family seems to improve when reducing the toxin load within the home
    • Moving from stories to science. At what point do these anecdotal stories become data? The CHIRP study is aiming to do just that.
    • In the U.S. over 50% of children are diagnosed with a chronic condition. The CHIRP study can help give us tangible answers so we can combat these statistics. Head to documentinghope.com/chirp-study to participate. 
    Other Resources:

    14 August 2019, 6:29 pm
  • 41 minutes 7 seconds
    Conscious Parenting: Going From Stressed to Present

    This week I was joined by Selene to talk about conscious parenting - and boy did we have a powerful conversation!

    This topic is very near to her heart as she herself used the tools discussed in this episode to go from feeling that parenting has to be stressful and overwhelming to absolutely loving it.

    Selene currently leads an 8 week online course titled Conscious Motherhood, where she teaches the ins and outs of conscious parenting so other moms can have a similar transformation as hers.

    TOPICS DISCUSSED DURING THE EPISODE:

    • Common beliefs about parenting and where they stem from
    • How to break the cycle of repeating parenting patterns of how you were raised as a child
    • Why it's important to have a vision of what you want your parenting life to look like.
    • The power of perspective
    • How the home environment can be made more inclusive for toddlers/young children
    • The three things needed for a great parenting experience
    • Perks of non-tox living while raising a family
    • Tips for helping children move through emotions rather than encouraging them to suppress them

    Selene certainly opened my eyes to so much of the societal programming around parenting! If you'd like to learn more about her course or new membership site, head to awakening.family for more info.

    Additional Resources:

    29 May 2019, 8:29 pm
  • 1 hour 1 minute
    Nutrient Dense First Foods + How to Deal With Picky Eaters

    Ashley was such an awesome guest that she's the first to appear on the Toxin Free Mom To Be podcast for a second time!

    Last week, Ashley taught us all about how to introduce first foods. But, since she also has additional training in pediatric feeding and picky eating, she was also the perfect gal to tell us which foods are good to start feeding with.

    The Importance of Iron

    One fact brought up by Ashley that really stuck out to me, was the importance of iron - especially during pregnancy, breastfeeding, and childhood. In fact, iron is one of the top nutrient deficiencies in children (source).

    She also pointed out how one role of iron is to aid in absorbing nutrients. So you could theoretically be consuming enough nutrients  but not actually absorbing them if you don't have enough iron. And since children go through so much growth, they are especially vulnerable to negative effects of not having enough micronutrients.

    Interestingly, liver (yes, like the actual organ from a cow or chicken!) is not only a potent source of bio-available vitamin A, but also heme-iron. 

    If you are pregnant or breastfeeding and the idea of eating organs isn't the most appealing (trust me, I get it!) I have linked my favorite freeze-dried and encapsulated liver supplement below in the 'Resource' section. 

    Other topics discussed during this episode:
    • Top nutrient dense first foods recommended by a pediatric feeding specialist
    • Why it is especially important for children of this age to eat calorically dense foods (especially ones high in fat).
    • Foods to stay away from as first foods or how to serve them so they do not pose a choking hazard
    • Why it may actually be better to serve first foods as stick shapes vs. cubes or purees
    • Reasons to ditch the rice cereal
    • How to approach picky eating and to realize it is a normal phase children go through
    • Top tips from a feeding specialist on how to create positive food experiences for little ones
    • What a "no thank bowl" is and why it can be so helpful
    Resources:
    • Ashley's website: helpinghandsOT.com
    • Book for extreme picky eaters: Just Take a Bite
    • Instagram: @helpinghandsOT ; @chemistkarma (host)
    • Ancestral Supplements - Also supported by the Weston A Price foundation, this is my favorite high quality beef liver. The product is freeze dried and encapsulated (so you get all the benefits, without having to actually eat it!) This company even gets 3rd party testing done to ensure it is pesticide free and they never add fillers of any sort.
    • Treat Yourself Inc. - My favorite non-toxic toothpaste and deodorant. Code TOXINFREE saves you 10% storewide!
    12 April 2019, 6:13 pm
  • 39 minutes 56 seconds
    How to Know When Your Baby Is Ready to Explore Some First Foods

    Ashley, a pediatric OT known as @helpinghandsOT on Instagram (*hint - you should totes follow her there) spoke with me this week about all things first foods related. 

    Ashley was the perfect person to educate us on this as not only has she been a practicing pediatric occupational therapist for over a decade, but she's holistically minded and also has additional specialities in pediatric feeding and picky eating. Needless to say, I learned a whole bunch during our convo!

    During the interview we discussed:

    • Signs + cues to look for that your baby is ready to try out some foods
    • The age range that typically happens at
    • Downsides to feeding too early
    • How the mouthing of items is an actual developmental stage for babies + parents should not be overly protective during this time (obviously not saying to be neglectful either!)
    • Tips for when first introducing the solids
    • Why it's important for the infant to join the family during meal time
    • Why purees may not actually be the best food for babies

    Resources:

    31 March 2019, 12:39 am
  • 1 hour 2 seconds
    How to Transition to a Healthier Lifestyle as a Family

    Transitioning to healthier lifestyle can be tough. And doing it as a family can add even more kinks in the road. Luckily, Janelle of Know Mommy broke everything down for us into bite-sized chunks of wisdom.

    During our conversation, Janelle shared her story of how she went from anxious and overwhelmed to healthy and thriving (and how YOU can do the same!)

    I love how this episode took a lot of info from my past ones and brought everything together into actionable steps.

    .

    "Healthy eating is a small piece of the puzzle to being a healthy person" - Janelle

    .

    During the episode we discussed:

    • What IS health, really?

    • The best place to start when first transitioning to a healthy lifestyle (Hint: ask yourself what is the end goal then ask what you are willing to do to get there)

    • Easy ways to reduce you and your families toxic load.
    • Benefits of eating seasonally
    • Tips on feeding balanced meals to your family
    • Different ways to approach meal planning so you can find a way that works best for your lifestyle (pro-tip: always shop your own kitchen first to see what needs to be used up and save $$$)
    • Ways that stress and lack of sleep can affect the body
    • The importance of a gratitude practice
    • Simple re-alignment techniques for times when you feel the inner fire brewing up

    Resources:

    20 March 2019, 4:44 pm
  • 41 minutes 38 seconds
    The Truth About Ultrasounds + How to Read a Study

    My goal with this episode was not only to highlight some dangers associated with ultrasounds, but I also aimed to teach how to read a study.

    Throughout this episode, I will be reading through a study titled: "Effect of transvaginal ultrasound on human chorionic villus cell apoptosis during pregnancy" . I highly recommend having it pulled up as I read along.

    About the Study

    One of the most telling parts of the study was that they found a programmed cell death rate of 76.89% in the placenta after being exposed to a 30 minute ultrasound. On the other hand, the control group (no ultrasound) had a placental cell death rate of 16.79%.

    This particular study only included 60 women, so it doesn't definitely prove anything. However, more and more science is starting to point toward the fact that these routine procedures may not be as safe as they are portrayed.

    While I'm not saying women should have zero ultrasounds during a pregnancy, after reading this study, I don't think they should be done willy nilly every month just to see a picture of the baby.

    In any case, this is a decision I believe every women is capable of making herself. This is why I also aimed to teach how to read scientific studies in general so each mother can come to her own informed decision.

    DURING THE EPISODE I DISCUSSED:

    • Dangers associated with ultrasounds

    • What is generally in each section of a scientific study
    • What a p value is
    • What to look for in a study to determine if it is valid
    • Safer alternatives to a transvaginal ultrasound

    RESOURCES:

    8 March 2019, 3:59 am
  • 1 hour 13 minutes
    EMF 101: What They Are & How to Avoid Them

    1 March 2019, 6:17 pm
  • 49 minutes 36 seconds
    Shopping Beneath the Label with Ritzfit

    This week I chatted with Mark Ritz about shopping beneath the label.

    Mark is the founder of Ritzfit, an online platform that aims to connect concerned consumers to brands sourcing and processing their products with integrity.

    Every brand that is Ritzfit approved, goes above and beyond on every detail of it's sourcing and processing.

    For example, a nut butter that is featured is made with wild, organic pecans that are sprouted to remove phytates and then stone ground for 48 hours to produce an end result customers refer to as "liquid gold".

    To top it off, every Ritzfit approved product is vetted by a team of sourcing and ingredient experts and the company must also show heavy metal reports with certificate of analysis.

    As you can see, each product they feature is top of the line in terms of purity and nutrient density.

    I am so grateful that Mark has created a platform like this since there are so many deceptive marketing practices out there making it tough for even the most discerning of consumers.

    TOPICS DISCUSSED DURING THE EPISODE:

    • Why and how to shop beneath the label
    • Problems with buyers completely letting their guards down in stores like Whole Foods, Trader Joes, Thrive Market, ect. and thinking EVERYTHING in there is inherently healthy
    • The rigorous process each product goes through to get Ritzfit approved
    • Why sourcing is so important
    • Dirty secrets the natural food industry doesn't want you to know
    • Could vegetable oils actually be the main driver of obesity and chronic illness?! (yes, more so than sugar!)

    I learned so much during the conversation! At one point, my jaw was basically on the floor and I was left speechless when Mark shared some of the practices that many brands participate in to keep costs low. This is definitely an episode you won't wanna miss!

    RESOURCES:

    21 February 2019, 7:51 pm
  • 52 minutes 4 seconds
    The Fourth Trimester:

    Post Partum and Why it Matters

    This week's conversation centered all around the postpartum phase and why it is so important.

    To learn all about this topic, we were lucky enough to be joined by Kayla Levine, a postpartum expert and doula.

    • Her offerings to the world include:
    • Postpartum Doula Care
    •  Placenta Medicine Making
    •  Vaginal Steaming for Womb Health
    •  Postpartum Education & Planning
    •  Birth Worker Support Groups

    All of her offerings are holistic in nature. She looks at the whole body, mind, and spirit in her approach to helping you remember your body’s innate healing abilities.

    Also be sure to head over to tucsonplacentaencapsulation.com to download a FREE 10 page ebook Kayla has created for us all about 4th trimester planning for the modern mama.

    OUR CONVERSATION

    To me, I was most surprised to learn that the postpartum phase could actually bring about radical healing if just a couple of important factors were focused on.

    Many women also experience the onset of autoimmune conditions and other chronic illness after birth - basically the opposite of radical healing. However, Kayla says two key factors contribute to which side of the story you are on: 1.) nutrition and 2.) community support

    She also said that she believes postpartum depression should really be called postpartum DEPLETION. As the root of what is wrong is micronutrient deficiencies and lack of support.

    Pregnancy can be quite taxing on the body and much higher quantities of nutrients are needed during that time. If those needs are not met, the body pulls from stores that it has saved up. This is why after pregnancy many women are extremely depleted of certain nutrients that are not common in a standard American diet.

    OTHER TOPICS WE DISCUSSED INCLUDE:

    • The difference between a midwife and doula
    • How the postpartum phase should really be seen as the fourth trimester and what is meant by that
    • Importance of mom and baby being together during the first three months
    • Specific things we can do to support other women who are in the postpartum phase
    • Why cold things must be avoided (both literally and energetically)
    • Post natal depletion: what it is and how to avoid it
    • Possible benefits of eating the placenta (don't worry - placenta encapsulation is a thing so you don't have to literally eat it with a fork and knife!)
    • Hormonal reasons for experiencing "baby blues"
    • Benefits of vaginal steaming postpartum

    RESOURCES:

    If you enjoyed this show, be sure to rate and review in the Apple podcast app so more women can find this vital information. See you next week!

    14 February 2019, 10:01 pm
  • 1 hour 27 minutes
    HOW HYPNOBIRTHING CAN HELP FACILITATE A GENTLE, CALM CHILDBIRTH

    WHAT IS HYPNOBIRTH?

    This week’s episode is all about HypnoBirthing and how gentle, calm, and natural childbirths are possible.

    HypnoBirthing was first created by Marie Mongan 30 years ago when she published her book “HypnoBirthing: A Celebration of Life” and started the HypnoBirthing Institute.

    The Hypnobirthing classes are 2.5 hours long and are generally taken once a week over a five week period. However, if your due date is in less than 5 weeks, usually special accommodations can be made with a practitioner for the classes to be completed before the due date.

    But to discuss Hypnobirthing even further, I chatted with Tara from organichypnobirthing.com. It was such an enlightening conversation to learn that labour didn’t have to be a painful, traumatic experience that is often portrayed in the movies.

    DURING THE EPISODE WE DISCUSS:

    • How HypnoBirthing is empowering for the mom, the partner, and the baby
    • What the fear-tension-pain cycle is and how to avoid it during labour
    • The importance of continuous breathing and therefore a continuous oxygen flow to both mom and baby during birth
    • Tara shares her own birth experiences of giving birth with Hypnobirthing vs. without
    • How we shift to the limbic part of the brain during labour – so logic thinking is gone
    • Why we need to raise the bar from just “healthy mom and healthy baby”. While it is something that is important, it’s not the only important thing.
    • How HypnoBirthing mothers have a rate of C-section at 13% versus the national average that is at 33%
    • Why pregnant women should fill their mind with positive birth experiences and videos
    • How the birthing experience sets the tone for the parenting relationship the parents have – team effort during birth goes a long way
    • How a positive, empowering birthing experience can really bring couples closer together and move them positively into their new roles as parents who work as a TEAM

    This was definitely an action packed episode full of tons of wisdom.

    RESOURCES

    1 February 2019, 5:06 pm
  • How HypnoBirthing Can Help Facilitate a Gentle, Calm Childbirth

    What is HypnoBirth?

    This week's episode is all about HypnoBirthing and how gentle, calm, and natural childbirths are possible.

    HypnoBirthing was first created by Marie Mongan 30 years ago when she published her book "HypnoBirthing: A Celebration of Life" and started the HypnoBirthing Institute.

    The Hypnobirthing classes are 2.5 hours long and are generally taken once a week over a five week period. However, if your due date is in less than 5 weeks, usually special accommodations can be made with a practitioner for the classes to be completed before the due date.

    But to discuss Hypnobirthing even further, I chatted with Tara from organichypnobirthing.com. It was such an enlightening conversation to learn that labour didn't have to be a painful, traumatic experience that is often portrayed in the movies.

    During the Episode We Discuss:

    • How HypnoBirthing is empowering for the mom, the partner, and the baby
    • What the fear-tension-pain cycle is and how to avoid it during labour
    • The importance of continuous breathing and therefore a continuous oxygen flow to both mom and baby during birth
    • Tara shares her own birth experiences of giving birth with Hypnobirthing vs. without
    • How we shift to the limbic part of the brain during labour - so logic thinking is gone
    • Why we need to raise the bar from just "healthy mom and healthy baby". While it is something that is important, it's not the only important thing.
    • How HypnoBirthing mothers have a rate of C-section at 13% versus the national average that is at 33%
    • Why pregnant women should fill their mind with positive birth experiences and videos
    • How the birthing experience sets the tone for the parenting relationship the parents have - team effort during birth goes a long way
    • How a positive, empowering birthing experience can really bring couples closer together and move them positively into their new roles as parents who work as a TEAM

    This was definitely an action packed episode full of tons of wisdom.

    Resources

    1 February 2019, 4:53 pm
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