“Green Enough”: A User’s Guide to Navigating 21st Century Parenting
Over the last few decades, there have been a lot of books written on our food supply. Michael Pollan’s Omnivore’s Dilemma and Dr Kenneth Bock’s Healing the New Childhood Epidemics are the two that greatly influenced my work.
We all have that ‘a-ha’ moment. And for many, it will come when they read, Green Enough, by my dear friend Leah Segedie. When she first approached me on the book, I asked her about the scientific scrutiny of it. She quickly shared that our friend, Pete Myers, was her leading scientific advisor. He reviewed it in its entirety.
As a thank you to Leah, we are excited to be giving away a copy here. Leave a comment below. And take a look at what she has to say:
Q: There are a lot of books out there on going green, how is yours different?
Green Enough is unique because of the tone. All the information on how to detox your home from hormone disrupting chemicals is already out there from reputable sources. I serve the purpose of making it palatable, digestible and entertaining. You know you’ll like the book if you’d rather spend time with a sassy yet knowledgeable girlfriend than take an online class. I understand that people are busy and already creating awesomeness in their lives. They don’t really NEED the book. But if they want things simplified for them and delivered in an eccentric way, I’m their girl.
This book is also incredibly valuable. I help the reader detox their entire home from hormone disrupting chemicals. Everything from the food in their panty to bakeware & kitchen appliances, to personal care products & air quality. I’ve also evaluated thousands of food and consumer products people purchase every day on a scale from bad, better, to best. So the reader is then armed with information on exactly what to do when shopping. They can turn their purchases into votes for a better world. They can join the movement.
The book is also vetted by reputable professionals. I brought in two scientific advisors when I wrote the book to ensure accuracy and scientific integrity. Pete Myers & Dr. Tanya Altmann chime in continuously in the margins to give more context to the story. Pete Myers is the biologist that coined the phrase “endocrine disrupting chemicals” and today speaks all over the world about this evolving science. And then Dr. Tanya Altmann who is a pediatrician, four-time author and spokesperson for the American Academy of Pediatrics is the resource for all things about the children.
But the book is also VERY sassy. You’ll have to be comfortable with me using choice word to describe things. I’m also likely to give complex terms a more relatable explanation for you. For instance, like when I tell you that the GRAS (Generally Regarded as Safe) program at the FDA which determines which chemicals are safe should really be known as the “Generally Regarded As Safe bullShit” program instead. Or like when I refer to bisphenols “BPA and her bitchy sisters, the Bisphenols” so that you can remember and relate it to your life.
I’m taking the rules of how you communicate green and I’m throwing it away.
Q: As a mom, I totally share your concern for kids’ health, especially as it relates to their ability to have their own kids. What one thing do you wish parents knew about fertility?
I have three adorable young boys at home, so I’m constantly thinking about the future. So when I discovered that sperm quality has degraded over 50% since the 1970s, that got my attention. Some of the motivation behind writing the book was to protect the future fertility of my sons. Not only do I want to protect them inside my home from chemicals that are linked to reproduction issues, but it’s also about sharing the information and creating a sea change so when we leave the house, the options become safer cause we are collectively opting for better.
If you have any interest in protecting the future fertility of young boys, I’d like to introduce you to my “Save the Swimmers” campaign. #savetheswimmers is about avoiding chemicals inside the home that are linked to degraded sperm in men and then supporting the companies that are producing safer products and helping them grow. One class of chemicals that is linked to degraded sperm is called phthalates said “Thal-8s” and scientists like our own Pete Myers is very concerned with how much is found inside the modern home. This chemical is also linked to things like obesity & birth defects, so eliminating most of them from your home would be beneficial to anyone.
One thing I hammer home about hormone disrupting chemical and their effects are that it’s more than just food we are looking to. You really need to consider how your food is handled, prepared, and packaged. Phthalates find themselves in food when plastic gets into the mix, so avoiding plastic when you store & cook is paramount. Why bother buying organic when you put the nasties back in there?
Q: Where did you start? In the kitchen, cleaning products? Plastic wrap?
The process I took when detoxing my own home from hormone disrupting chemicals is similar to the process I’m taking the reader through in Green Enough. I started in the kitchen first with cleaning up the food we were eating. Then I moved on to food packaging & all the “indirect additives” getting into our food that were not disclosed. Then on to air quality and room to room then finally personal care products. The book mirrors that.
Q: If you could do one thing over, given all that you know now, what would it be?
I actually don’t have any regrets about anything. All my challenges, including the ones I didn’t slay as well are useful as something to help me grow and learn. I’m all good with how I’ve done things, even all the unhealthy food I’ve eaten when I was younger. And I don’t think the women who read my book should feel like they have done anything wrong either. You are who you are when you are that person…and then you change things. It’s as simple as that.
