According to the American Cancer Society “Perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) and perfluorooctane sulfonate (PFOS) are part of a large group of lab-made chemicals known as perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS). Some of these chemicals have been in commercial use since the 1940s”. These lab-manufactured chemicals were widely produced in the United States with very little regulation for 50+ years. It was originally developed in the DuPont lab in 1946 to manufacture none other than teflon which is still used today as a non stick coating on cookware. According to the Environmental Working Group “Decades of heavy use have resulted in contamination of water, soil and the blood of people and animals. PFAS are incredibly persistent, never breaking down in the environment and remaining in our bodies for years”. This means that the only method of protection we have against these chemicals is to educate ourselves on the products that contain them and making informed consumer decisions to avoid them. Many would argue that these long chain chemicals have been phased out since they are only referring to structures that contain 8 long chain carbon atoms, but the EPA and FDA have so recklessly allowed for the usage of what they refer to as short chain chemicals that contain 6 carbon atoms. This is despite the studies that have come out that link these 6 chain chemicals to the same health concerns that are associated with exposure to 8 chain chemicals. All this to say, the lawsuit covered in the movie caused a lot of heat over the chemical and they were forced to make some changes , but the profit margin is too high on these products to stop production completely. Thus we are left with an allowable chemical replacement that is just as dangerous. Not to mention, that the long chain chemicals do not break down in our environment and we are still being exposed to the damaging impacts of the years of production in the country.

With warmer weather around the corner (hopefully) it is a great time to start thinking about sunscreen options for summer. I will say I am inherently not someone who believes that the sun is bad for you as the vitamin D and other benefits are extremely helpful! I think we should all aim to get outside daily and absorb sunlight to boost our mood, immune system, and vitamin levels. However, I do come from a long history of skin cancer and as such I try to be careful about protecting my skin from some of the harmful impacts of the sun. For years, I would coat myself in Coppertone or Banana Boat ( I can still smell these right now just by thinking about them) by the pool. It never occurred to me to look at the ingredients within sunscreen or that all sunscreen might not be created equally. The first time I remember questioning this was when Weston and I went to the Florida Keys and were researching whether we needed specific types of sunscreen while we were on vacation there. In February 2019, Key West, Florida banned the sale of sunscreens containing oxybenzone and octinoxate as it was killing and damaging coral reefs and they cited it as a public health concern. How could it be that something I routinely used to ‘protect myself’ could also be the culprit of killing or damaging an ecosystem? If it could do this to a coral reef what were these ingredients doing to my body and my health?

By far our most asked question that we receive is how do we plan our meals and what do we eat. I think there is a large misconception that to eat in alignment with gut, hormone, and metabolic health that you have to shop at a specialty health food store, spend a fortune, and have 2 hours every night to spend cooking dinner. This would never realistically fit into our lifestyle! I also see why this is such a hurdle for people because it just feels unrealistic and makes planning ingredients and meals seem unattainable for a busy family. In the midst of this year I am finishing my Ph.D. , we are opening the T.E. Market storefront, and having our first baby. That being said, dinners need to be nourishing and quick in our household. However, that does not mean I am willing to let our standard of health decline. The truth is that during busy and stressful seasons it is even more important to prioritize good nutrition to support your body and cortisol levels. All this to say, I thought it was time to share some of my staples that are almost always on hand in our house as well as some of my quick go- to meals as of lately.

I think we all agree we love the smell of a clean home. For many of us we grew up in houses that used the same cleaning products our entire lives and as such we actually associate those product scents with a home being clean. We all do it, if we know it or not! In addition, the desire for a clean home is NOT a bad thing inherently. To want to minimize the dangers of germs spreading during sick season or even just to keep clutter and dust down is a good thing. However, what we often don’t realize is that conventional home cleaning products can often contain more dangerous ingredients than any germs that could be lingering on everyday surfaces. These ingredients could be potentially impacting your health, gut, and hormone balance in a negative way and for those trying to improve overall health this toxin load can contribute to that journey. First, let me stop by saying businesses, schools, and other shared spaces have cleaning regulations and as public entities have a responsibility to abide by those. I am in no way saying your butcher stop should not use strong agents to clean with given the risk of bacterial transmission otherwise. However, I am talking about your continued daily exposure within your own home where most of the germs come from you and your family .

While supplements alone are not a fix all and there is no magic pill to correct a poor diet, but they can come alongside nutritional changes and help make gut health more effective. One of the most important things to understand about supplements is that QUALITY MATTERS! There is a gap in oversight and regulations for supplements that is only revealed by that of cosmetics and women’s products. According to the FDA, “Manufacturers and distributors of dietary supplements and dietary ingredients are prohibited from marketing products that are adulterated or misbranded.  That means that these firms are responsible for evaluating the safety and labeling of their products before marketing to ensure that they meet all the requirements of the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act as amended by DSHEA and FDA regulations”. This means that all the responsibility to produce safe products is placed into the hands of the company and there is no evaluation process before supplements are sold on shelves. Therefore, the brand you purchase from really matters in terms of safety and quality of the product.

Let’s talk nutrition! This section is going to combine personal experiences for what has worked for us over the years of trial and error as well as peer reviewed research on foods that impact your gut both positive and negatively. First, there is a large misconception within health spaces that bread wrecks the gut and I do not find that to be true. What is true is that most store bought bread based products are HEAVILY processed and contain a laundry list of preservatives that do wreck gut health. Going back to the basics, it isn’t the bread but instead all of the additives that mess with the gut. In contrast, sourdough is over 2000 years old and is a process of fermentation to bake bread and has been linked to positive gut benefits (sourdough is a great options for those who struggle to regulate blood sugar as well)!

Most of us have our health as a priority somewhere in our laundry list of 2025 New Year’s Resolutions. While the specific health goals may look different from person to person I rarely meet someone who has no interest in improving their health. Consequently, after the cascade of holiday events many of us feel puffy, lethargic, sluggish, and even just overall weighed down. Often this is a direct relation to our eating habits and how those have impacted our gut health over these past few months from excess sugar, processed foods, artificial dyes, and takeout (holidays were a busy season). This does not mean that you have to feel this way forever or that this cascade of gut health cannot heal under the right conditions.

Now that the holiday season is well underway this means that many of us find ourselves holiday shopping. This is also a time when many companies have sales that discount their best selling products. Personally, this is my favorite time to grab some non toxic swaps for myself at an affordable price point. In addition, these products make wonderful gifts for your loved ones. While all of the products we carry at T.E. Market are tried and true staples in our house there are still numerous other items that I purchase from other locations (until we can stock them in our storefront)! Now through December 10th we are offering 10% off of our goat milk bar soap that we carry as we know many of you have been wanting to try these. They make great stocking stuffers as well! Below is some of our most ordered and trusted items that we still order . If you try any of these let us know what you think!

Instead of our typical research we thought this week would be a great time to give everybody an update on our construction progress with the physical location and talk a little more about our holiday gift sets being released next week! We are so excited to add a few new products right in time for stocking stuffers and to be able to provide a wrapped gift set option to make things easier during busy holidays.

Now that it is officially holiday season it also marks the beginning of the start of what I refer to as sickness season. There have already been numerous cases of pneumonia, flu, RSV, and many others going around schools and places of work. At times it feels like it is impossible to avoid the inevitable sickness that looms during this time, especially if you have children. There are a variety of conventional options such as flu shots and different treatment medications. However, that is not what we are focusing on today as those are completely personal choices that come with risk and rewards that everybody should educate themselves on and make the best decision possible for their family. What we are going to focus on is small changes at home and in daily lives that can help to strengthen your body to boost your immune system to be able to combat sickness and shorten the length of time of sickness if it does occur.

For many, coffee can often be a decision driven by taste or price-point alone without much consideration about how it was cleaned, the method used to roast the beans , quality of the beans, and product freshness. One common concern hidden within coffee is the presence of mold and mycotoxins . A study done revealed that approximately 45% of commercially sold coffee contain Ochratoxin A which is a mycotoxin released by mold spores. Studied and known effects of exposure to Ochratoxin A include kidney damage, fetal development issues (very important for pregnant or breastfeeding moms), immune system effects, and has been listed as a possible human carcinogen. In addition, for those with compromised immune systems daily mold exposure through coffee can contribute to increased levels of sickness and an inability to fight infections. Therefore, it does not help that many of us drink more coffee daily through flu season when we need our immune systems functioning at maximum capacity.

The British Journal of Radiology explains that within tumors the aggressive growth of the cells lead to the development of disorganized blood vessel networks that are structurally and functionally different from normal vasculature. This creates a disorganized labyrinth to navigate within the body which requires more energy expenditure. Functionally, the ability of the tumor vasculature to deliver nutrients and remove waste products is severely diminished. Because of this, areas that are not well oxygenated are associated with increased treatment resistance and increased rate of growth of the tumor. So what does this mean? Highly oxygenated cells and body can deliver nutrients better to the body and come alongside treatments to help support the body in the healing process. One treatment that helps to accomplish this is hyperbaric oxygen therapy (HBO). This treatment actually helps to increase the oxygen in the blood’s plasma. HBO reduces swelling pain, pressure, and swelling (reduction of inflammation is essential) at the site of the cancer as well. These treatments are painless and to date have not documented negative effects on cancer patients. Once again, what can it hurt?

For example, in 2003, Revlon partnered with the National Breast Cancer Coalition (NBCC) on a campaign that included pink ribbons on cosmetics containing long-chain parabens and DMDM hydantoin (a chemical that releases formaldehyde). These chemicals are known to increase the risk of some cancers. The company has since removed them from their products. In 2008, Yoplait was the national sponsor of Susan G. Komen's annual walk, but the pink-lidded yogurt was made from dairy containing the hormone rBGH, which is linked to breast cancer. And sadly it doesn’t end there, numerous other companies have been publicly called out for their hypocrisy during a breast cancer awareness campaign. What all of these companies have in common is that they were forward facing on a deeply personal charitable cause to increase their sales while directly misleading good intentioned consumers into purchasing products that contain harmful ingredients.

While breast cancer does have a large genetic component it is important to understand only 5%-10% of breast cancer is the result of a genetic gene mutation. The two most common gene mutations for breast cancer are BRCA1 and BRCA2 genes. Many who have a long history of breast cancer in their family history opt for DNA testing to acquire this information prior to a cancer diagnosis. The good (and scary) news is that 90%-95% of breast cancer is due to environmental factors of which we do have some control of. In understanding these heavily researched environmental factors that have been linked to breast cancer it can give back the ability to make active choices daily toward protecting your breast health and reduce the risk of a breast cancer diagnosis

Simply put the largest population segment impacted by exposure to these artificial dyes is children. There are now significant studies that link the exposure of artificial dyes and neurological deficits as well as long term behavioral issues as early as prenatal exposure from the mother. It is important to realize that Kelloggs breakfast cereals are not the only risk of exposure, these dyes are everywhere and show a particularly strong presence in food marketed toward children. Sadly, we continue to see Attention Deficit Disorder and Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder levels rise in the U.S. at rates that correspond to artificial dye usage in children’s snacks. While correlation does not directly mean causation (there are a number of factors) it does significantly point to a contributing factor. There have also been longitudinal studies that have shown statistically significant links between lifelong consumption of artificial dyes and preservatives to increased risk of esophagus , stomach, and colon cancer.

Many household cleaning products such as Clorox contain phthalates, have unwanted harmful interactions with other cleaning products, and can be absorbed through the skin. Just think about how many times a surface that has been wiped down with a Clorox wipe is touched by a child and then their hands wander into their mouth. This can not only disrupt the intestinal tract but according to the Safety Data Sheet provided by the Clorox company ,0.08% of the mixture consists of ingredient(s) of unknown toxicity. This means there are certain ingredients that there is no knowledge as to what the dangers and long term impacts are and therefore they cannot be disclosed. This is not to mention that many cleaning products are filled with heavy fragrance which contains endocrine disrupting chemicals.

It is not surprising to realize that not all of these variables can be completely eliminated even by making swaps in daily lives. For example, you go to a dinner party that has normal candles lit or eat out for dinner for date night. These are party of balance in life and there should be room for these things in our lives without sacrificing hormone health. This is where detoxification becomes such an important step for many people. Detoxing is how your body naturally releases built up toxins. in the body including endocrine disruptors to help prevent long term hormone defict.

Everything is about balancing and limiting the daily harm that is happening to the body. One switch is instead of eating out daily try to limit it to once a week. In addition, instead of buying bread at the store that is filled with preservatives make it at home or buy it locally. Sourdough is usually my favorite option as it is easier to digest due to naturally fermented gluten. When you go to the grocery store, shop the perimeter as much as possible! While canned vegetables are great be aware that can linings can contain BPA yet another endocrine disruptor. The truth is we can’t 100% eliminate our exposure to these chemicals and there has to be room for life and a fun night out to eat with friends. However, we can take steps to limit our exposure and provide benefits to daily health and hormone balance.

Sadly, there is very little regulation on what is hidden under the term fragrance and usually this is where endocrine disruptors can slip into products without the consumer being aware. According to the FDA fragrance ingredients in cosmetics must meet the same requirement for safety as other cosmetic ingredients (remember from yesterday only 11 are banned). The law does not require FDA approval before they go on the market. In addition, according to the FDA any ingredient that contributes to the smell of the product does not have to be disclosed and can just be labeled as fragrance.

In 1938 the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act was signed which placed minimal restrictions on what could be put into cosmetics. From 1938- 2022 there was very little done to regulate what could be put into cosmetics in the United States . Meanwhile, the European Union has banned over 1300 ingredients and has set concentration limits on over 250 ingredients for their cosmetic regulations. Versus the United States that has just 11 banned ingredients. This means that there are currently 1,289 ingredients allowed to be placed into women’s cosmetics in the U.S. that are banned in Europe. This means that the safety of what you choose to put in your makeup bag and use daily ultimately falls on the consumer.