Early Puberty Concerns Among Moms

We all face struggles that can feel overwhelming, but what if those challenges were the very thing that led you to your purpose? We often ask ourselves “Why did this happen to me?” Instead, we should be asking “What have I learned through this process?” That is exactly what happened to me. Looking back there were so many periods in life that felt like a complete mess to me. For years, I battled asthma and severe allergies, struggling to keep up with life, and later, as a wife and mother, to ensure my family lived healthy and happy lives. It was frustrating, exhausting, and often discouraging. I even watched my husband struggle through some of the same things especially when it came to his football career and his health. Little did we know that this mess would become our message—the foundation for a legacy we would start to build not only for my family but also for others seeking to transform their health and their lives.

When we think of laundry, we imagine fresh, clean clothes that help us look and feel our best. However, what if I told you that many laundry detergents, even the ones labeled "free and clear," are loaded with toxic chemicals that could be doing more harm than good? What’s worse is everything we wash and dry our clothes in gets absorbed into our skin when we wear it. Something I was completely oblivious to until I had a child that has incredibly sensitive skin. Twenty-six seconds is all it takes for some of those chemicals that touch your skin to get into your bloodstream. While we expect our detergents to remove dirt and stains, they often leave behind a residue of dangerous chemicals. These chemicals not only cling to your clothing but also wash down the drain, harming both your health and the environment. Let’s dive into some of the worst offenders. This is where I nerd out a little. Formaldehyde Yes, formaldehyde—a substance often used to preserve dead bodies—can be found in laundry products! It is used as a preservative to keep the formula stable, but this chemical can irritate your skin, trigger asthma, and is classified as a carcinogen. 1,4 Dioxane A byproduct of detergent manufacturing, 1,4 dioxane is known to cause cancer in animals and has been labeled a probable human carcinogen. Despite this, it is still allowed in many household cleaning products, particularly those labeled "free and clear" or "natural." Since it’s a byproduct, it doesn’t have to be listed on ingredient labels, making it a hidden hazard. Phosphates While effective at cleaning, phosphates are terrible for the environment. They flow down your drain, entering waterways and leading to the overgrowth of algae, which disrupts ecosystems and depletes oxygen levels in water, killing fish and aquatic life. PFAS Referred to as "forever chemicals," PFAS are widely used to make products water-resistant. They persist in the environment indefinitely and have been linked to severe health issues like cancer, liver damage, immune system suppression, and reproductive issues. These chemicals can also contribute to obesity and metabolic disorders, and yet they’re still found in products that we use every day, including laundry detergents. Phthalates Found in synthetic fragrances, phthalates have been linked to reproductive health issues and hormone disruption. They are also known to cause allergic reactions, making them particularly harmful to those with asthma or allergies. Health Risks Associated with Laundry Detergent Chemicals Many of the chemicals commonly found in laundry detergents can wreak havoc on your body. Here are just a few of the health risks associated with these hidden toxins: • Immune suppression : Toxic substances in detergents can weaken your immune system, leaving you more vulnerable to infections and diseases. • Reproductive issues: Phthalates and PFAS have been connected to reproductive health problems in both men and women, including reduced fertility and birth defects. • Cancer: Several chemicals found in laundry products, such as 1,4 dioxane and formaldehyde, are known or suspected carcinogens. • Hormonal imbalances: Exposure to these harmful chemicals can disrupt the endocrine system, leading to hormone-related conditions like thyroid problems and early puberty. • Asthma and allergies: Many of these toxins trigger or worsen respiratory issues such as asthma, eczema, and allergic reactions. • Obesity: Some chemicals, like PFAS, have been linked to weight gain and difficulty managing weight, as they interfere with how the body stores and processes fats. Environmental Damage The dangers aren’t limited to your health. The runoff from your laundry can wreak havoc on the environment as well. Phosphates and other harmful chemicals contribute to the contamination of our water sources. They promote the overgrowth of algae, which suffocates aquatic ecosystems and endangers marine life. Once in the environment, forever chemicals like PFAS don’t break down, meaning they accumulate in our water and soil, impacting wildlife and even returning to our homes through contaminated drinking water. How to Detox Your Laundry Routine The key to avoiding these harmful chemicals is to be an informed consumer. Here are some steps you can take to ensure your laundry routine is safe for your family and the planet: 1. Read labels carefully: Many harmful chemicals aren’t listed outright, so research the ingredients that are there. 2. Avoid synthetic fragrances: Look for fragrance-free products or those scented with natural essential oils. 3. Choose eco-friendly alternatives: Seek out detergents that are biodegradable, phosphate-free, and certified non-toxic. 4. Opt for concentrated formulas: These use less water and packaging, and often contain fewer harmful fillers. 5. Support sustainable brands: Find companies that are committed to transparency and environmental responsibility. There are so many products out there to choose from once you know what you are looking for. I will be the first to say I am not a master lable reader. I have learned a few things over the years but as a mom I like to make life less complicated so I can focus on more important things. We found one place to shop for the majority of our essentials. Finding a brand and company you know and trust is always important and there are a lot of great places to purchase what you need that is better than what you find on store shelves. If you want to know more about the laundry line that we found and have used for the past 5+ years just send me an email or text.

One of the most important basketball positions the "Triple Threat." This stance allowed me to protect the ball while keeping options open—whether passing, shooting, or driving forward. Similarly, my favorite drill in junior high, the 3-man-weave drill taught me the importance of teamwork as three players work together to move the ball up the court. These two approaches—protection and teamwork—apply directly to your health journey. By focusing on all three fronts of your wellness: nutrition, fitness, and reducing toxins, you can create a strong foundation for long-term health, much like these basketball strategies create winning plays. Only then can you set yourself and your family up for long-term success.

When it comes to improving our health, we often turn to doctors, trainers, and nutritionists for guidance. They each play a crucial role in helping us feel better, look better, and perform at our best. Doctors provide prescriptions, trainers guide us through workout plans, and nutritionists help us craft a diet to achieve our health goals. But there’s something they aren’t talking about—something that might be the missing piece in your wellness puzzle: toxic chemicals.

I once heard someone say, "It's all about the trend line. Are you getting better than you were yesterday? Have you hit a plateau, or are you trending in the wrong direction?" That simple question can be applied to our health, and it’s more relevant today than ever before. Whatever your main health concerns may be, how we approach our health each day determines the long-term outcome. In today’s world, health trends in the U.S. are becoming more alarming across all age groups. From asthma in children to obesity, heart disease, and cancers in adults, we’re facing a growing health crisis. Even athletes—who we’d expect to be at peak fitness—are not immune to issues like gut health problems and hormone imbalances.

Could w e really be poisoning our children? Sometimes it easy to think I buy the safe more expensive brands from the store, they can't really be that bad if they are on the market, or I am careful when I use cleaning products. That was exactly how I thought before a friend share this dose of reality with me a few yeas ago. As parents, aunts, uncles, grandparents we want nothing more than to do the very best that we can for the children in our lives. I will be the first to admit it is a hard job. I hardly ever know if I am doing any of it right. We stress over all kinds of things when it comes to kids, but what about the little things like what type of ingredients and chemicals are really in the products we use on and around our children? It is hard to even know what chemicals we may be using because companies aren’t required to list all the ingredients. Are they all safe? Do little doses really matter and affect our children? Would they really be allowed on store shelves if they weren’t safe? Unfortunately, a lot are not safe, even in small doses but they are allowed. When you really stop and think about it, it is cringe worthy. Making a profit is put above the health and safety of our children that are still growing and developing. That is the way of our world and until we demand change things will stay the same or get worse. These things all matter. Unsafe chemicals affect our children in so many ways. There are a lot of chemicals put into our everyday products that have serious health risks to them, even at the low doses that some companies claim are ok but if most of the products we pick up from the store have these toxic chemicals in them how low is it really? Products are allowed to be put on the market without being tested. Until there is a significant number of reported issues or complaints, they won’t test them. Dr. Bruce Lanphear, MD, MPH is a specialist in environmental neurotoxins and early childhood health and one of the creators of LittleThings Matter . He has been part of studying the effects of toxins on the developing brain for the past 30 years. These toxins can have lasting effects.Children's bodies are being inundated everyday with things that increase their body burden levels. Each child is different with how they respond to these toxins. Because these chemicals can affect the brain, they can drop a child’s IQ along with causing learning disabilities plus other health problems. With products being put on the market before being tested, we are using our children as part of an experiment. According to Larry Silver, MD in his article Are Everyday Toxins Causing ADHA? , the rise in ADHD, autism, and learning disabilities suggests that exposures to toxins in our environment and products are contributing factors. Reported cases of autism are up 119% since2000. These toxins can be found in things like soap, shampoo, toothpaste, deodorant, skin creams, lip sticks, wipes, baby products, air fresheners, laundry products and cleaners just to name a few. They can contain endocrine disruptors, coal tar, 1,4 dioxane, formaldehyde, triclosan, arsenic, mercury, lead and so much more. These ingredients can cause: Allergies Asthma ADHA Learning Disabilities Depression Cancers Tumors Tremors Insomnia Cognitive Dysfunction Neurological Damage Kidney Damage Abnormal Cell Growth Hormone Disruption Miscarriage Reproductive Toxicity Other Reproductive Problems Heart disease Infertility    Let's pick on one ingredient for a moment. According to Dr. Lanphear, childhood leukemia has risen35% but only 1% of research dollars for childhood cancers is allocated for prevention. Check out his short video Cause or cure? Is the relentless pursuit of a cure hazardous to our health? for more. This is one of the most common types of cancers in children according to the American Cancer Society and National Cancer Institute. One of the known causes of leukemia is formaldehyde along with the other cancers it has been linked to, according to the International Agency for Research on Cancer.This begs the question why is formaldehyde still so commonly used and why are there not more resources being used to educate families on what to avoid? Maybe one day I'll be bold enough to take on that topic. I worry about not just my own children but children in general being exposed to things that can cause so many health issues. Some issues could be so far down the road, we have no way of knowing what could be waiting for them when they reach adulthood. We can't keep waiting and hoping things will just get better or crossing our fingers that maybe our children won't be that affected by these things. There are better options out there. The biggest statement we can make is by doing the research on what products truly are non-toxic and making the switch. Take your money elsewhere. Here is my challenge to you: Look up your favorite safe, green, or clean brands you buy from the store. See who owns the company, for example Burt’s Bees was bought by Clorox. Check if they have had any lawsuits or gotten in trouble for improperly labeling, green washing, making false claims, or lying to consumers. Check for some of the ingredients listed above. When I did this, I couldn’t believe the things I found. In my opinion, when a big manufacturing company has been caught deceiving their customers it’s like catching a bad boyfriend breaking your trust by lying once again. Should we keep forgiving these companies and buying their products knowing they hide the truth repeatedly? Once a company breaks that trust they have no incentive to earn it back because consumers keep on going back time and time again. If you would like to read more on what Larry Silver, MD has to sayin ADDitude on ADHD, autism, and learning disabilities check out his article here . I am always happy to talk more if you have any questions, please feel free to email or message me on social media.

  Have you ever started something thinking it would go one way, but it ends up going a completely different direction? Well, that is about how this entry has gone. When I first started writing this, I wanted to share my three different pregnancy experiences along with what I learned with each one. It has now turned into an open letter to my readers about motherhood, grace, and a learning curve. This post is a two part entry because it is a little longer due to having such a long gap in posting. Life looks much different with three versus two. I had to learn to adjust my daily expectations for myself. I started writing this when I first found out I was pregnant with my third child in October 2020. If you check the date, it is far from then. It is not because I just had so many other great entries that I shared; I do have about ten different ideas started. It is not that I ran out of things to write about or that I was just being lazy. The simple answer, which I struggled for months with, was I needed to take time to care for myself, my unborn child, and my two very active toddlers. My family needed me and my body was demanding more from me. Keeping up with a one- and three-year-old is not easy while growing another human, let me just start there. I was about five months into my pregnancy before coming to terms with the fact that I cannot do it all every day. I had to learn to give myself grace. Grace, to navigate the fatigue and sickness that always come with my pregnancies all while caring for our other two children and working from home, when I was able to work. It was grace that helped me not feel like I was letting everyone down or failing at…well everything. I couldn’t help but still feel that way from time to time. I am so fortunate to be in a business that allows for life, working from home, and taking that time off without penalty or having to start over. Every stay-at-home-mom’s dream really. I am hoping you will also show me some grace as I get back into writing and posting regularly. So many new and transitioning things over the past two years but also so much growth with more to come. I hope you will join me in that journey.   We all need to be able to show ourselves and others a little more grace from time to time. I hope everyone can find something here to relate to or maybe just another point of view to think about. No pregnancy is exactly like another, but there are always things that can help even if its just something small. Sometimes though it is really hard to muster up the energy to even do the little things. There is a fun side story: I was getting my nails and brows done a few weeks ago with my then six-week-old in tow. I left my older two with my mom so I could try to relax but of course he had other plans. Needless to say, my appointment went a little long so the next client came in. Nice girl, super chatty so we got along great. Since we were both in this small room and my nail girl knowing both of our stories, the three of us started talking about kids and family, of course. She does not have kids, but her sister is pregnant yet again (fourth or fifth I believe) and struggling with the responsibility part from what I gathered. She very frankly said “I don’t want kids. I like my life the way it is and know I am too selfish to have them.” She went on to say she loves her nieces, of course. As someone with kids you could easily be offended by that statement, but you shouldn’t be. I commend her for knowing what she wants. I know how hard parenthood can be. You change your whole life to give your children the best one possible. It is when you are not willing to make those sacrifices that everyone suffers. Listen, if you relate to her but maybe you feel bad for not wanting kids or think that you should just because everyone is telling you that. I’m here to tell you that it is one-hundred percent ok to not want kids so don’t let anyone tell you otherwise; and if you ever change your mind, that’s ok too. My story will not be the one to persuade you to wanting children but maybe give you a glimpse into what some friends or family members with kids have experienced. When you have kids it can take up a lot of your conversations, even if you don’t want it to. Part 2: My Pregnancies When it comes to having kids, the whole thing is a little crazy and to be honest, hard for me to wrap my head around. I know, I’ve done it three times and it is still the weirdest thing I’ve ever put myself through. Weird is definitely the word to describe it. Of course, it’s also beautiful and the modern-day miracle blah, blah, blah. Don’t get me wrong, I believe those things as well, but it was just mostly weird. I absolutely love my children and despite the no drinking, always tired, changing body, forgetful pregnancy brain, and my sickness for about half of it I loved being pregnant. As a planner this was hard, you never really knew what was going to happen or when. Each one for me had similarities but all a little different. The first was a total trial and error, learn as you go, I’ll try anything once to see what works, I have no clue what’s going on, what’s normal, or what I’m doing kind of experience. With the next two I knew more going into it and learned even more by the end of it. I learned the most with my second. That third trimester changed everything for me. The third was taking all that I learned with the first two and seeing how much of a difference it would make. Everyone’s journey is a little different and even though I had some struggles during each pregnancy, we were and have been extremely blessed. So many have had much bigger struggles in their journey, which is not to be taken lightly and needs a whole other level of grace and sensitivity. That is so emotionally hard and draining. To be honest if you haven’t been there, it’s hard to understand. I will be focusing on the daily struggles and pregnancy symptoms with this entry. My body likes to kick off each pregnancy with a nice little sinus infection at about 6 weeks. Since my immune system overreacts to things that set off my asthma and allergies this shouldn’t have been a surprise, but I would never think about that until day 3 or 4 when I’d finally call the doctor. This last pregnancy was really fun because that came with a nice swab up my nose to test for COVID, even though I was ninety nine percent sure it was just a sinus infection. That’s also when the tiredness kicks in for me. That only gets worse after the first one because then you are keeping up with the other one(s). Tie that in with sickness and it’s a real treat. This for me was the worst and it lasted for more than half of the pregnancy with the first two. I was so sick; nauseous, lightheaded, dizzy, I couldn’t stand long without the room spinning and needed to sit or worse getting sick to my stomach and tossing whatever I attempted to eat that day. I had to take medical leave from work the first time around. I finally got some medication to help with some of the symptoms, but I ended up being off work almost 3 months, about 5 months along. It still blows my mind I felt that sick. With my second I started the meds sooner, so I was only off work a week or two, but the sickness still lasted until about week 17. Boy vs Girl so that might have made some kind of difference. After that it was just the tiredness, my allergies, asthma, oh and the occasional charley horse leg cramp that would wake me up screaming in the middle of the night I had to deal with. No biggie. That was all nothing compared to how I had felt the first half. As I mentioned previously, with my second I made some small but significant changes that made all the difference. Want to hear a secret? It was all in a good prenatal pack of vitamins for me. I never knew you could ever physically feel a difference when taking vitamins. I would always forget because it never seemed to affect me either way. I just hoped my body was getting something before I peed them out. When I made the switch for my prenatal vitamins, I also switched a lot of our daily household essentials like laundry and some cleaning products. Seems silly and small vitamins are vitamins, right? Before this I would have one hundred percent agreed. After taking them for two weeks in my third trimester, I could go all day without a nap, I wasn’t hitting snooze, no more leg cramps in the middle of the night, and I even had co-workers tell me how much better I was looking. I think the exact quote was “Don’t take this the wrong way but you looked dead. Now you have your color back and your eyes are bright.” After I was done laughing at the compliment I think she was trying to give me, I was in a little bit of shock. I knew I felt better but for someone I barely spend time with to notice such a difference. That said a lot to me. It wasn’t the placebo effect after all. I really just didn’t know any better when it came to taking any kind of supplement. The truth is most store brand vitamins have artificial fillers and binders that your body cannot absorb and shouldn’t. In the process of discarding those, most of the time your body will also destroy what little vitamins and minerals it may have contained. The other issue is these vitamins do not contain the amounts needed to make a difference and are not bioavailable to be absorbed. Usually, your body gets less than thirty percent if any at all from these store brands. The real test for me was my third pregnancy. No meds this time around and as long as I was able to eat regularly I was good. I still had the symptoms, but it was much more tolerable. I learned eating as soon as I got up and drinking plenty of electrolytes helped me start the day off right. Although it was a lot more juggling with two toddlers and more to keep up with, I’m not sure I would have been able to care for them if I got as sick as I did with the first two. Some days it can be hard to notice a difference when taking your vitamins, but I can always tell if I missed a day or two. Here is the key when looking for things that will improve your health pregnant or not, look at the research that backs whatever you are looking at taking. Do not just take the word of the advertisers. The only truth in advertising is there is none. Find published studies that back up what is being advertised because if a product actually does what they say it will, there will be published studies that prove it. Like real human studies that show findings off bloodwork. The brand I ended up sticking with has 4 human studies backing the eighty plus percent absorption rate and you can read all of them. So, there is my nugget of knowledge. With so much that goes into good supplements I am nowhere near an expert, but this was my personal experience. Health concerns are a hard thing to navigate and finding the right thing that will make a difference can be expensive and a lot of trial and error. Don’t give up. I tried so many different brands of vitamins and other miracle drinks, shakes, etc. Finally finding something you can feel a difference with is amazing. If you have any questions or want to talk further on anything you read in this entry or any other one please feel free to reach out to me. I would love to connect.

I am nowhere near an expert on this subject nor will I ever pretend to be that is for sure. What I do want to do is raise awareness on these issues. Not only have I personally been affected by some of these things, but I also have friends and family members that have suffered some of these very symptoms that can be caused by chemicals in our personal care products. If you read my story or my first blog entry then you know a little about my health issues like asthma and allergies, if you haven't taken some time to check it out. This post is a little different. How many people do you know that have struggled conceiving? How many babies are born prematurely? How many do you know that have had different forms of cancer? My grandmother is a breast cancer survivor and now I always worry if my mother, sister, or myself will have to fight the same battle she did. One in four women have had a miscarriage. It’s not something I ever talk about, but I am 1 in 4 and I have friends, that have felt that same pain. This isn’t an easy topic for me because it’s so personal, but this information needs to be shared. Maybe by sharing this I can reach that person that really needs to know this and it can help them improve a health issue they have or prevent one. This is also personal because I was using so many products off of the shelves daily that contain ingredients that are linked to a number of health issues with no idea of the risk that came with them. Something that touches our skin can be absorbed into our bloodstream as quickly as 26 seconds. Ok, but let’s back up for a second because products on the market have to be safe and they are all tested before hand, right? Here is another surprising fact that I didn’t know until I watched the documentary Toxic Beauty, The Cosmetic Industry isn’t regulated by the FDA, they have what is called a Post Market Regulatory System. Which basically means they aren’t tested unless there are a number of reported incidences with the product. In most cases, we don’t even know if those products really contain the ingredients it says it does, if the ingredients are even disclosed at all. Sadly, that isn’t a requirement here in the United States. The $84 billion-dollar industry is currently being regulated by about a page and a half of federal law. Oh, and they are self-regulated. How is this possible? The big corporations don’t allow regulations to happen because it would harm their bottom line. They have deep pockets and those that have the authority to make the changes don’t because they like those pockets. Regulations for the cosmetic industry haven't changed since the 1930s. When compared other standards around the world here is where the U.S. falls European Union Bans 1394 ingredients Canada bans 459 The United States bans 11 “The cosmetic industry issue is bigger than the tobacco issue because you’re talking about thousands of different chemicals” -This is a quote from Toxic Beauty. Why is this such a big issue? And why don't we hear more about this? Other than the big manufacturing companies that pay a lot of money so you don't, I can't tell you why we don't talk about this more. Johnson and Johnson knew in the 1960s that Talc, the main ingredient in baby powder, was linked to cancer but it wasn't until summer of 2020 that they discontinued making it. No, that's not a typo. This past summer they finally stopped production of it. They still haven't pulled it from store shelves. In fact, the last time I checked it was discounted. Now let that sink in just a little bit, it took them 60 years to stop making a product they knew caused cancer. So that leads us to the why it's such a big issue. Skincare, hair, feminine care products have been associated with Reproductive Issues, Ovarian Cancer, Breast Cancer, Preterm Birth, Mercury Poisoning, Endocrine Disruption The last one is a big one. What is an endocrine disrupter and what does it affect? Endocrine disruption can alter sperm quality and fertility, abnormalities in sex organs, endometriosis, early puberty, altered nervous system function, affects your immune function, linked to certain cancers, respiratory problems, metabolic issues, diabetes, obesity, cardiovascular issues, how we grow, neurological and learning disabilities, and more. One of the sites I found this information on was hormone .org I’m not sure about you, but I know a number of people that have health issues that fall under one of these categories. This is just one of the areas chemicals in our personal care products can affect. Another source I found was from Science Direct . Endocrine disruptors can have so many different effects even in small doses. In-utero and early childhood exposures most often linked to some of the most severe effects. According to Dr. Tamara James-Todd, PhD, these early exposers have many implications for a child’s health. A young girl starting her period sooner can lead to health problems such as obesity, cardiovascular disease, and diabetes. Other research has linked Parabens to Breast Cancer. According to a Science Daily Story, a study led by Dr. Phillippa Darbra collected over 160 breast tissue samples from 40 women and 99% of the samples contained at least one paraben and 60% of the samples contained five. Parabens from the products we use are making their way from the surface of our skin into other areas such as breast tissue, which can lead to things like cancer. It's also known as an endocrine disruptor linked to reproductive harm and developmental disorders. Parabens are found in products like deodorant, antiperspirants, soaps, hair, shaving, and fragranced products. Ingredients to look for that also include parabens are methylparaben, ethylparaben, propylparaben, butylparaben and isobutylparaben. Some of the chemicals that are being used or found in personal care products other than parabens are aluminum, asbestos, arsenic, pthalates, mercury, silica, triclosan, talc, lead, and carcinogens. Pthalates is another ingredient that is linked to asthma and breast cancer. Exposure to triclosan contributes to making bacteria resistant to antibiotics. After watching Toxic Beauty and doing some of my own research, which I encourage everyone to do as well, I threw out all of my Mac makeup and Dove soap along with the rest of my store bought brands I used to use. There are many different brands out there that are using better ingredients and will list them all. EU rated also known as European Union Rated is a great thing to look for in skin, hair, and cosmetic products. It doesn't always have to cost an arm and a leg either. I have been lucky enough to find what works for our family to replace those other brands. In upcoming entries I will break down some of the other things learned from this documentary that I didn't cover in this one. If you want to chat more about this subject or what I personally use now please feel free to reach out on social media or this site. I would love to have those one on one conversations.