Episode 19: Lara Adler on Environmental Toxins and Actions

What’s that smell?

If you use scented candles, fragranced household products, perfumed shampoos, or strongly scented laundry items and you care about protecting your children’s hormones, this is important.

When I asked environmental toxins expert Lara Adler what single, simple step parents should take to begin reducing toxins at home, she answered without hesitation: focus on fragrances. The term “fragrance” is poorly regulated and often hides phthalates and other endocrine-disrupting chemicals. Removing fragranced products is an easy, high-impact starting point.

Right after that interview, the artificial scent in my daughter’s classroom was so strong I felt physically ill. I recorded a short clip and shared it with the teacher—she immediately agreed to remove the fragrances from the room. I shared the same message with my son’s teachers, and the science teacher agreed to make changes too. Small, practical actions can really add up.

How to Reduce Toxins

In the interview with Lara, she outlines manageable steps you can take today. Highlights include:

• Why the phrase “everything in moderation” isn’t helpful when it comes to toxic exposures, even as baby steps matter.
• An image Lara uses: our body is like a rowboat with a leak—helpful for understanding total “body burden.”
• Concrete ways to reduce body burden and support the body’s detox systems.
• A dietary change that can reduce pesticide load by a large percentage in just a few days.
• How we can’t completely shield our kids from every exposure, but we can strengthen their resilience and detox capacity.
• The six key detox organs and how to optimize each one.
• A hopeful message: focus on controllable changes so you can worry less about what you can’t control.

Can’t see the video? Watch “Why We Should Worry About Toxins” on YouTube.

No time to watch the full interview? These notes summarize the key points and timestamps from the conversation.

Reducing Toxins in the Home — Video Highlights

• 0:29: Lara emphasizes practical, realistic steps—small changes can yield substantial results.
• 0:51: Lara Adler is a Certified Holistic Health Coach and environmental toxins expert who trains health practitioners on helping patients live lower-tox lifestyles.
• 1:58: The discussion is organized into three parts: why toxins matter, understanding toxic load and reduction strategies, and helping children detox and handle everyday exposures.

“It’s most meaningful for parents to make changes for their children.” — Lara Adler

• 3:14: Lara explains how she focused on environmental toxins and began sharing that knowledge with practitioners who needed accessible, evidence-based strategies.
• 5:18: Toxic exposure deserves the same attention as diet, sleep, and stress when improving health.

“People are doing all the right things and still not getting traction. Addressing toxins can be the missing piece.” — Lara Adler

Toxins in Our Environment

• 6:51: Environmental exposures contribute to many health issues seen in children—such as asthma, allergies, gut imbalances, hormone disruptions, early puberty, and developmental or behavioral challenges.
• 10:53: Our bodies can handle and heal from many exposures if we reduce ongoing exposure and support detox pathways.
• 12:36: There are tens of thousands of chemicals in use and only a small fraction have been fully tested. The CDC has detected hundreds of chemicals in people, some found in the vast majority of those tested.

“We need to take action to shift our exposures.” — Lara Adler

• 13:44: The problem can feel overwhelming, which leads to inaction. Lara recommends focusing on what you can control.
• 14:26: Epigenetics shows that our lifestyle choices influence gene expression. Positive changes can improve our health and that of future generations.

Toxins and Epigenetics

• 15:06: Lara compares genes to hardware and epigenetics to software—our behaviors and environment alter gene expression without changing the underlying DNA.
• 15:26: Lifestyle factors like diet, sleep, stress, smoking, and exercise can switch gene expression toward health or disease.
• 16:34: Positive epigenetic changes can be passed to children, so improving your environment benefits future generations.

“There’s no need to wallow—there are many effective interventions.” — Lara Adler

Practical Ways to Reduce Toxins

• 17:10: Lara recommends one immediate change: reduce dietary pesticide exposure. Food is a primary source of pesticide intake.
• 18:39: Studies show switching to mostly organic foods can lower circulating pesticide levels dramatically within 3–5 days.
• 19:45: Lara describes “body burden” as a bucket with a drain: if you add toxins faster than you can remove them, the bucket overflows and health problems can follow.
• 21:09: The strategy is twofold: slow the rate of new exposure and strengthen the body’s detox systems through nutrition, sleep, stress reduction, and targeted supports.
• 24:11: What you put on your skin matters. Many sunscreen ingredients, fragrances, and preservatives can be absorbed into the body.
• 26:29: Personal care products are poorly regulated. Read ingredient labels and avoid vague terms.
• 27:06: Avoid products that list “fragrance.” That label can hide thousands of potential ingredients and is often a source of phthalates and other disruptors.

• 28:13: Phthalates, commonly used in fragrances to make scents linger, are endocrine disruptors that absorb through skin and inhalation.
• 29:16: You don’t need to eliminate all scent—prefer products that list specific plant-based essential oils on the label rather than a vague “fragrance.”
• 30:47: Watch for preservatives like parabens (look for “paraben” or suffixes like “-paraben”) and choose products without them.
• 34:05: If fragrances make you dizzy or give you headaches, your body is signaling sensitivity. Consider switching products and removing air fresheners, plug-ins, and scented candles from your home.

“Children are not miniature adults—they are less capable of metabolizing and detoxifying chemicals.” — Lara Adler

• 35:27: Children breathe, eat, and drink more per pound than adults, so they face proportionally higher exposures and have reduced detox capacity.
• 36:04: Biomonitoring in families shows infants often have the highest levels of many chemicals, highlighting prenatal and early-life vulnerability.

Reducing Toxins in Our Bodies

• 37:04: Support your body’s detox by eating plenty of fruits and vegetables. Fiber helps escort toxins out of the body—regular bowel movements are a primary detox pathway.
• 38:22: The main detox organs are the liver, kidneys, colon, lungs, and skin—support them all through diet, hydration, movement, sleep, and occasional sweating (saunas or exercise).
• 38:43: Cruciferous vegetables (broccoli, kale), alliums (garlic, onions), antioxidant-rich foods, filtered water, and adequate sleep all support detox functions. Herbal supports like dandelion tea may help liver function.
• 42:04: If you’re not having at least one bowel movement a day, toxins can be reabsorbed—elimination matters for health.
• 42:38: Long-term chemical exposure often shows up as hormone imbalances or thyroid issues rather than immediate illness.

“You don’t have to make all these changes overnight. Progress can be gradual.” — Lara Adler

• 43:29: Set realistic goals—tackle one room or product category at a time: personal care, cleaning supplies, laundry detergent, plastics, bedding, etc.
• 45:44: Consumer choices drive market change. Women and caregivers have historically led shifts like the removal of BPA from baby bottles; similar pressure can improve product safety today.
• 47:16: Lara closes with practical, achievable steps you can start implementing now.

Resources Mentioned

• Guides and articles on maximizing detox and choosing safer personal care products.
• Interviews and courses by clinicians and experts discussing practical detox strategies and safer product choices.
• Follow experts like Lara Adler on social media for ongoing tips and resources.