137. A Farm Wife's Guide to Healthy Swaps: Food, Cleaning & Where to Start
Welcome back to Beyond the Crops, where farm life meets real life! In this super-practical, listener-requested episode, Jena and Mary Pat are tackling a big question: "How do you transition to a healthier, non-toxic lifestyle without breaking the bank or losing your mind?" Drawing from their own years-long journeys, they offer a step-by-step guide to making cleaner swaps in your food, cleaning supplies, and personal care products. This is your ultimate primer on reading labels, finding better brands, and making sustainable changes one step at a time.
đ What We Cover in This Episode:
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The "Slow Swap" vs. "Unhinged" Method: Jena shares the story of why she went "unhinged" and threw out her entire pantry at once (due to her son's PANS diagnosis) but recommends a much more gradual, budget-friendly approach for everyone else.
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Lane 1: Starting with Food:
* The best place to start: Eliminating artificial food dyes from snacks, cereals, pickles, and even processed meats.
* A deep dive into folic acid vs. folate, the MTHFR gene mutation, and why it's a crucial ingredient to watch for.
* Brand shout-outs for cleaner kid-friendly snacks and treats (Simple Mills, Siete, Unreal, Love Bird, and more).
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Lane 2: Sourcing Clean Products: A detailed breakdown of where they shop for healthier alternatives.
* Thrive Market: Jena's go-to for condiments, pasta, and specific snack brands.
* Azure Standard: A bulk-buying deep dive! They cover the pros and cons of the co-op model and share their must-buy items, including flour, sugar, laundry detergent, frozen fruit, raw cheese, and the best clean chocolate chips.
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Lane 3: Cleaning & Personal Care:
* The biggest culprit to avoid: Artificial fragrance and its impact on hormones.
* Their favorite non-toxic household cleaners (Young Living Thieves) and dish detergents (Blueland vs. Dawn).
* The hardest swaps: Finding clean, effective dry shampoo, conditioner, and natural deodorant.
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Guilty Pleasures: A candid admission of the "not-so-crunchy" products they're not willing to give up (yet!).
đĄ Key Takeaways:
⨠Pick one lane and start small. Don't try to overhaul your entire house at once. Start with one category, like food, and swap out items as you run out to avoid overwhelm and wasted money.
⨠Food dyes are a great first target. They are neurotoxins hidden in many common foods, and eliminating them can have a noticeable impact, especially on children's behavior.
⨠Read every label. Harmful ingredients like dyes, folic acid, seed oils, and artificial fragrances are often hidden in products marketed as "healthy."
⨠Leverage online retailers for better options. Services like Thrive Market and Azure Standard can be game-changers for accessing cleaner products in bulk, especially in rural areas.
⨠It's a journey, not a destination. Give yourself grace. The goal is progress, not perfection. Making small, consistent changes over time is what leads to a lasting healthy lifestyle.
đ Join the Conversation!
Have you navigated tricky family business conversations? What's one piece of advice you'd give to another farm family in transition? Share your thoughts and tag us @beyondthecrops_. And don't forget to leave us a message on our new voicemail line! The link is in our show notes.
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