Dr. Jodi Kunkel

10/23/2025

In October, let's have lots of conversations about reducing exposures to endocrine-disrupting chemicals (EDC).

EDC Tip #23: Out with the plastic, in with the glass!

Let’s continue cleaning out the kitchen! We know plastics/microplastics/BPA are endocrine disruptors. It makes perfect sense that if your hot food comes in contact with plastic, it can slightly melt the plastic and enter the food you are planning to eat. Therefore, NEVER EVER store hot food in plastic. If your glass container has a plastic lid, place the lid on top only after the food as cooled.

We exclusively use glass in our house! We do send our son’s lunch in a stainless steel lunch box, which we love! We also send our regular silverware with him (in hopes that he will remember to bring it home), instead of plastic.

Also, with thanksgiving coming up - skip the plastic crockpot liners, suck it up and wash your crockpot after the meal!

In the comments, please share some clean products that you have used. Remember to do your own research to make sure you are using a safe product - ask the company questions (and pray they are honest with you)!

10/22/2025

In October, let's have lots of conversations about reducing exposures to endocrine-disrupting chemicals (EDC).

EDC Tip #22: Avoid arsenic exposure!

Arsenic exposure is associated with an increased risk of breast cancer.

Primary source of exposure is through your water! Other sources include rice, shellfish, chicken imported apple or grape juice, cigarette smoke, and some pesticides.

Three things you can do to reduce your arsenic exposure: filter your water, wash your rice and eat organic animal proteins (particularly chicken, meat, dairy).

How to help eliminate arsenic from your body? Sweat, and stay hydrated with clean water.

When choosing a water filter, be sure to choose one that specifically filters arsenic, if your water has high levels - many water filters do not remove arsenic. Just as most other things in life, with regards to water filters, “you get what you pay for”. Reverse osmosis can be great, but also takes out important minerals. Clearly Filtered and ZeroWater are good water filter options.

In the comments, please share some clean products that you have used. Remember to do your own research to make sure you are using a safe product - ask the company questions (and pray they are honest with you)!

10/22/2025

Vitamins are so dangerous - but this medication to shut off your stomach acid production? Its so safe that you can take it for decades! Is this insanity?

Now, instead of bowing down to the 3-letter medical organizations in this country, let's say a prayer for them. Pray for truth, pray for transparency, and pray for accountability.

10/22/2025

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10/21/2025

In October, let's have lots of conversations about reducing exposures to endocrine-disrupting chemicals (EDC).

EDC Tip #20: Say no to receipts!

BPA, a well-known endocrine disruptor, is found in most thermal receipts. How many receipts do you take home with you in one week? Gas station, restaurants, grocery store, shopping, etc - I'm sure its at least a few!

Some studies have shown that receipts can contain 250-1000x the amount of BPA, compared to canned food! When your fingers are wet/oily, you may absorb 10 times the amount of BPA!

When you can, skip the receipts or request an e-mailed receipt. If you work at a job where you handle receipts frequently, ask your employer to provide phenol-free receipt paper or wear gloves when handling receipts. If you were previously eating receipts, please stop, as BPA is also absorbed through your GI tract :-)

In the comments, please share some clean products that you have used. Remember to do your own research to make sure you are using a safe product - ask the company questions (and pray they are honest with you)!

10/20/2025

In October, let's have lots of conversations about reducing exposures to endocrine-disrupting chemicals (EDC).

EDC Tip #20: Sweat!

Multiple studies have shown that toxins are excreted through sweat. These toxins include nickel, lead, copper, arsenic, mercury, and organochlorine pesticides.

Which kind of sauna is best? The kind that makes you sweat!
What if I don’t sweat? You will! Keep working on increasing your temperature and time in the sauna.

Other important factors when initiating “sweat” therapy:
Make sure to have regular bowel movements.
Stay really well hydrated, especially with minerals/electrolytes.
Shower after your sauna.
Take binders (charcoal, zeolite, etc).
Sweating from exercise counts, too!

In the comments, please share some clean products that you have used. Remember to do your own research to make sure you are using a safe product - ask the company questions (and pray they are honest with you)!

10/19/2025

In October, let's have lots of conversations about reducing exposures to endocrine-disrupting chemicals (EDC).

EDC Tip #19: Don’t buy clothing that requires dry cleaning.

Dry cleaning is TOXIC! One chemical often involved is perchloroethylene (PCE). PCE is a carcinogen, which can increase risk of breast cancer, lymphoma, esophageal cancer, liver cancer, kidney cancer, and cervical cancer. It may also cause neurological effects, cleft palate and neural tube defects in babies, congenital heart defects, allergies, asthma autoimmune diseases, anemia more.

The easiest way to avoid PCE exposure is by not having clothes dry-cleaned. If you are exposed to PCEs, detox support is warranted! Yo can also consume a diet rich in brassica foods (cabbage, broccoli, Brussels sprouts, cauliflower, etc), turmeric and green tea.

If you must dry clean - let your garments air out outside, don’t keep them in your car! “Green” dry cleaning is a buzz word, and isn’t necessarily healthy.

Here are a few jobs/careers that are potentially very toxic, which you may not have even through twice about:
Dry cleaning
Cosmetology/hair care
Florists
Most jobs in the airline industry
Automotive mechanics
Firefighting
Cleaning services
Farming (particularly pesticide use)
Painters

The list could go on and on - these are only a few! If you work these jobs (or other jobs that come with toxin exposures), regularly detox your body and eat a clean diet.

In the comments, please share some clean products that you have used. Remember to do your own research to make sure you are using a safe product - ask the company questions (and pray they are honest with you)!

10/18/2025

In October, let's have lots of conversations about reducing exposures to endocrine-disrupting chemicals (EDC).

EDC Tip #18: Phase out children’s toys that contain environmental toxins.

Another prime example of “just because it’s available, doesn’t mean it’s safe”. If you don’t have your children’s future health in mind now, you should be considering it. Many children’s toys contain phthalates, PVC, BPA, fire retardants, cadmium, lead and more. Not only do environmental toxins affect reproductive/hormonal health, but they contribute to ADHD, autism, developmental delays, allergies, asthma, eczema, and much more!

Beware of buying secondhand toys, as some of the toxins used previously are being phased out - so older toys may actually contain more toxins then new toys. For example, certain phthalates were banned in toys starting in 2008. However, keep in mind that those toxins may have been replaced with other toxins.

Instead of buying more toys, here are some ideas to “entertain” your children:
1. Play outside! Stack rocks, play in the dirt, check out all of your local playgrounds, create scavenger hunts, go for hikes, collect and identify bugs before releasing them, teach your kids to garden and help out with basic yard work, go bike riding, go metal detecting, make a collage, play sports, make bird feeders, play in the sprinklers, fly kites, have a picnic, etc.
2. Free play inside - build forts, color, do puzzles, paint, read books, play dress-up, have a dance party, play instruments, make crafts, make an obstacle course, etc.
These activities can foster creativity, as well as many other cognitive/emotional/physical benefits!

I realize at this point, you are probably thinking “should we just live in a plastic bubble?” No, it should be glass because plastic is toxic - just kidding. Yes, toxins are everywhere. But if you commit to making meaningful changes through your daily decisions, it is much less cumbersome. Don’t decide you need to turn your entire house upside down in one day, to look for every toxin. Think of cleaning out your homes as a gradual process, always looking for ways to improve.

Each decision you make can have a positive or negative impact on you and your children’s health.
Each decision can lead to more worry or more confidence, regarding your health your and children’s health.

In the comments, please share some clean products that you have used. Remember to do your own research to make sure you are using a safe product - ask the company questions (and pray they are honest with you)!

10/17/2025

In October, let's have lots of conversations about reducing exposures to endocrine-disrupting chemicals (EDC).

EDC Tip #17: Throw out your PFAS-coated cookware - don’t donate them or give them to anyone else. Just get ride of them.

PFAS: A true canary in the coal mine story. Did you know that if you have pet birds, you cannot cook with Teflon-coated pans in your house? The fumes are released when cooking and they are extremely toxic to birds - death is common. Why would we ever think that it’s safe for humans to cook with these? We have a much greater body mass than a bird, which is why we likely don’t have immediate toxicity symptoms. Nevertheless, the fact that just the fumes can kill a bird is pretty significant. Not only do we inhale PFAS when cooking, but they are in the food we cook in the pans - a double whammy! These “forever chemicals” stick around in our body for…. ever (almost). A little bit of toxins here, and a little bit of toxins there - create a whole mess of toxins in our body. We have no idea how these even interact within our systems.

I get so angry about Teflon. The story is real. Dupont knew it was toxic. They knew it was released into the water supply. Eventually, they paid hundreds of millions to settle over 3,500 lawsuits. If you are interested in Erin Brockovich-type stories, check out the movie Dark Waters.

In the comments, please share some clean products that you have used. Remember to do your own research to make sure you are using a safe product - ask the company questions (and pray they are honest with you)!

10/16/2025

In October, let's have lots of conversations about reducing exposures to endocrine-disrupting chemicals (EDC).

EDC Tip #16: Get rid of the plastic baby bottles!

You all know that breastmilk is the most perfect food for a baby. I hear many women that “can’t” breastfeed. I try not to judge, but I do think that it is VERY, VERY rare for a woman to be unable to breastfeed her baby. If you know someone struggling, encourage them not to give up! There are many, many resources out there to help women in this area. Of course I would agree that a fed baby is most important, but I do think women turn to formula too quickly because it’s they aren’t given the resources they need to succeed with breastfeeding. If you didn’t breastfeed your children, I’m not shaming you! I’m just here to make a statement for the future moms who hope to breastfeed - it is a long, hard journey (physically and emotionally). However, it is incredibly rewarding, and a very important gift that you can give your child.

Whether you feed your baby breastmilk or formula, you likely use baby bottles for this. Almost all baby bottles available from mainstream stores are plastic! The companies know that BPA is a buzz word, so they have replaced their BPA and are sure to label their products as “BPA-free”. Don’t be fooled, they contain some other bisphenol that doesn’t have the same bad track record - yet.

Obviously, straight from the breast is going to be the least toxic, compared to any bottles. However, if you do bottle feed (we bottle fed all three of our kids when I went back to work - don’t feel bad about this!), consider other options. Glass would be preferred, but of course comes with risk of dropping and breaking. Silicone is another option, which is what we used for 2 of our 3 children. I even found breast pump parts that would allow me to pump directly into the silicone bottles, minimizing any contact with plastic.

In the comments, please share some clean products that you have used. Remember to do your own research to make sure you are using a safe product - ask the company questions (and pray they are honest with you)!

10/15/2025

In October, let's have lots of conversations about reducing exposures to endocrine-disrupting chemicals (EDC).

EDC Tip #15: Regularly detox your body.

Detoxing your body is a multi-step process. First, you need to limit the toxins coming in. Second, you need to give your liver the nutrients it needs for supporting detox. Third, you need to eliminate the toxins (through stool and urine).

This process requires lots of energy (ATP), B-vitamins, glutathione, bioflavonoids, amino acids, Vitamin C, minerals, and more.

Do you routinely have your car's oil changed? Much like you take care of your car, you also need to do regular maintenance on your body. Some signs that your body might need some regular maintenance include: fatigue, headaches, joint pain, skin rashes, weight gain, swelling, brain fog, allergies, chemical sensitivities, frequent illnesses, hormonal symptoms, high blood pressure, insomnia, acne, digestive symptoms, etc.

In addition to doing a "detox program" (which can mean many things), consider dry skin brushing, contrast hydrotherapy in the shower, saunas, nourishing foods/herbs for the liver, rebounding, and castor oil packs.

If you are ready to start a detox program, ask your provider what is recommended for you, based on your concerns and your health history!

In the comments, please share some clean products that you have used. Remember to do your own research to make sure you are using a safe product - ask the company questions (and pray they are honest with you)!

10/14/2025

In October, let's have lots of conversations about reducing exposures to endocrine-disrupting chemicals (EDC).

EDC Tip #14: Avoid exposures to heavy metals.

Let’s talk about cadmium. Cadmium has no place in the human body! It is known to cause heart disease, kidney disease, diabetes, lung dysfunction, osteoporosis, ADHD, prostate cancer, breast cancer, infertility (in men), and much more.

Cadmium circulates in the blood for months, but eventually gets deposited in the kidneys, liver and muscles - where it may sit for decades. If you are looking to get your cadmium level checked, don’t rely on a blood test - it may only be accurate if you have a current ore recent exposure.

How to avoid exposure to cadmium? Don’t smoke! Use personal protective equipment, if you have work exposures to cadmium. Don’t get tattoos. Cadmium is also found in some fertilizers, batteries, fish/shellfish and tofu products. Cadmium might also be in other foods, such as cereals, leafy greens, fruits, etc. However, by and large, the greatest exposure to cadmium is from smoking.

In the comments, please share some clean products that you have used. Remember to do your own research to make sure you are using a safe product - ask the company questions (and pray they are honest with you)!