Episode 136
Warren Phillips:Debunking Myths About Natural and Non-Toxic Labels
Warren Phillips:
Debunking Myths About Natural and Non-Toxic Labels
In this episode, we dive deep into the topics of environmental toxins, greenwashing, and the impact of chemical fragrances on health. Our special guest, Warren Phillips, also known as the Non-Toxic Dad, is a passionate advocate for living a toxin-free life and educating others on making healthier choices to avoid hidden dangers in everyday products.
First Aired on: Apr 22, 2024
Episode 136
Warren Phillips:Debunking Myths About Natural and Non-Toxic Labels
Warren Phillips:
Debunking Myths About Natural and Non-Toxic Labels
In this episode, we dive deep into the topics of environmental toxins, greenwashing, and the impact of chemical fragrances on health. Our special guest, Warren Phillips, also known as the Non-Toxic Dad, is a passionate advocate for living a toxin-free life and educating others on making healthier choices to avoid hidden dangers in everyday products.
First Aired on: Apr 22, 2024
Table of Contents:
Table of Contents:
In this episode:
In this episode:
Main Topics:
- The dangers of chemical fragrances and their presence in common household items
- Greenwashing in marketing and its impact on consumer choices
- Research related to toxins in marijuana and hemp products
- Tips for living a non-toxic lifestyle and making healthier choices
Key Takeaways and Insights
Chemical Fragrances:
The Hidden Dangers: Chemical fragrances can be highly carcinogenic and disrupt hormones, potentially leading to infertility and autoimmune conditions.Addictiveness: These scents are designed to be addictive, but the risks far outweigh the sensory pleasure.
Greenwashing in Marketing:
Misleading Tactics: Companies claim their products are environmentally friendly, but often, those products contain the same level of toxins as non-green products.Consumer Beware: It’s vital to read labels carefully and not fall for front-of-package marketing.
Marijuana & Hemp Products:
Heavy Metal Contamination: Recent studies reveal users of these products may have elevated levels of heavy metals in their blood.Plant Properties: Hemp and marijuana plants are bioaccumulators of heavy metals, making them excellent for environmental cleanup but risky for consumption.
Living a Non-Toxic Lifestyle:
Small Changes Matter: Start with one change at a time, like eliminating artificial fragrances from your home.Self Love and Honesty: Embrace changes with a positive outlook and love yourself enough to prioritize your health.
Resources and Tools Mentioned
- EWG (Environmental Working Group): EWG’s Guide to Healthy Cleaning
- YUKA App: YUKA - Scan & Discover Better Products
- Homesick Home Docu Series: Home Sick Home Viewing
Episode Breakdown
Introduction of Warren Phillips
- Warren’s personal journey from environmental scientist to non-toxic advocate and educator
The Perils of Fragrances in Common Products
- Dangers and consequences of chemical fragrances
- The addictive design of scents
- Alternatives like essential oils
Tackling Greenwashing in Marketing
- Definitions of greenwashing
- Common misleading tactics used by big brands
- Importance of being diligent and reading labels thoroughly
New Research on Toxins in Marijuana and Hemp
- Studies showing elevated blood levels of heavy metals in users
- The heavy metal sequestering properties of these plants
- Tips for finding clean and tested products
Steps to Embracing a Non-Toxic Lifestyle
- The psychological aspects of making healthy changes
- Importance of setting goals and starting small
- The positive feedback loop from making healthier choices
Other Resources:
Other Resources:
Connect with Warren Phillips
Connect with Warren Phillips
Episode Transcript
Warren Phillips:[00:00:00] get rid of all your candles, all your perfumes, all your Yankee candles, it's hard because they are addictive, they're designed to be
Warren Phillips: but the problem, the consequence of that, they carry phthalates with them, which are highly carcinogenic, hormone disrupting, testosterone disrupting, endocrine disrupting, lead to infertility,
Julie Michelson: Welcome back to the Inspired Living with Autoimmunity podcast. I'm your host, Julie Michelson. And today we're joined by Warren Phillips, the non toxic dad. Warren is a [00:01:00] passionate and energetic individual, and he lives by his words and works tirelessly to educate the world about avoiding and removing toxins.
Julie Michelson: In today's conversation, we're talking about greenwashing as a marketing tactic. the impact of chemical fragrance, and some of the latest research and studies on toxins that may surprise you. Warren also shares new research about a recent study on marijuana and hemp products and heavy metals.
Julie Michelson: warren, welcome to the podcast.
Warren Phillips: It's a pleasure to be here. This is going to be so fun. I had such an honor to meet you at. Um, at Health Experts Alliance, right? And you're a health expert and we hit it off. And now here we are,
Julie Michelson: we did indeed. And I I've been waiting for this interview.
Warren Phillips: my team told me this lady is so excited. You know, she's like, get me in. And I'm like, I, I, and I'm like, that's Julie. Like she's full of
Julie Michelson: me while you, you know, it's contagious. And so it's, I [00:02:00] said earlier today, you know, I'm interviewing Warren today. I need to bring it because his energy is amazing.
Warren Phillips: That was, so is yours. That's why we hit it off so well. So I, I give you that same compliment. So let's have some fun. This is going to be a powerful podcast. I'm
Julie Michelson: It's going to be great. And the reason I'm so excited is because I know what you share, although you always, you're always ahead of the curve. So you always have new information. I'm excited to learn from you along with listeners. But first I want to start for, you know, there might be two people out there that do not know non toxic dad.
Julie Michelson: So how did Warren Phillips become non toxic dad? Share your story with us.
Warren Phillips: you want the three minute, five minute or eight minute version?
Julie Michelson: Ooh, not eight. Let's go through your five.
Warren Phillips: Three, three to five minutes. So it'll make it fun, right? So, uh, always love the environment outdoors, big hearted young kids, sensitive, right? Went to graduate school, undergrad, pre med, [00:03:00] got into geology, environmental science, double major, chemistry, went on to graduate school, Still in that same mode, cleaning up the environment.
Warren Phillips: I did my master's works on a binding of heavy metals and soils and streams. Uh, all the contamination that's happening, which I still am super passionate about, right? If you kick Mother Nature's ass, she's gonna kick yours, right? If you kick your body ass with toxins, it's gonna and disease and dysfunction.
Warren Phillips: Yeah. So, um, it's a math problem. So I was cleaning that stuff up and then I got into environmental consulting in Missoula, Montana. A river runs through it. I was fly fishing, doing all the fun things that a young, single, energetic ex all American athlete would do. Right. Just living life to the fullest.
Warren Phillips: Very spiritual at the time as well. And, but over time, just like all of us, the toxins that build up every day that you're not getting rid of, start to fill up your buckets, causing retoxification, recirculation of [00:04:00] toxins in your body, causing more inflammation, more hormone disruption, triggering autoimmune conditions.
Warren Phillips: And to the point where I had a mercury, uh, exposure, um, on a mercuric oxide cleanup site. I also had a pretty nasty lead exposure because I didn't wear my PPE, my personal protective equipment, which we're now all familiar with because thanks to, thanks to the vid. So everybody knows what personal protective equipment is.
Warren Phillips: So in that process, I, I got sick to the point where I had to quit my job, sell my home and move back. to my parents basement. Some of the symptoms were a lot of the mercury symptoms like abnormal shyness, random muscle twitching, eyelid twitching, anxiety, uh, that, that I would just lock up and couldn't do anything.
Warren Phillips: Um, that when I moved home, I moved into a moldy basement. So now I had Heavy, a lot of heavy metal. And I think I'd had some mold looking back. I remember some black mold in my home, uh, in, um, that I sold in Missoula, Montana, but my parents live in Pennsylvania where it's [00:05:00] wet on a side of a hill, so that humidity was over 50 percent in that home, which is the trigger.
Warren Phillips: If you have a humidity of 50%, Free gift. Even if you don't see mold, you have mold, right? There's levels that might not have stachybacteria, but you're gonna have aspergillus or some mold growing in your home. All it needs is that there's plenty of food around and dust and drywall dust and dirt from construction growing.
Warren Phillips: So here I am, mold. It gets worse. Full blown chronic fatigue, fibromyalgia, weight gain into obesity, 210 pounds. Medical doctors, I've already seen a bunch of psych therapists and medical doctors and chiropractors in Missoula. I continue on that path. My parents think that I'm just, you know, off my rocker.
Warren Phillips: And this is 2005. None of this stuff existed. There wasn't no mold summit or Lyme summit. There. illness, like this stuff didn't exist, right? Mold illness wasn't even a thing until a little bit later, um, and Richie Shoemaker is the one that, um, kind of brought that to the [00:06:00] world from Pocomoke, Maryland. So I came home super sick, knowing that I, it could have been the toxins, like in the, you know, I have a gut feeling, right?
Julie Michelson: Right.
Warren Phillips: That's the true genius, even Einstein says that, um, women have it because I think they're more heart connected a lot of the time, no offense dudes, um,
Julie Michelson: But women kind of train themselves out of listening to it.
Warren Phillips: Yeah, we've talked about that,
Julie Michelson: yeah. Yeah.
Warren Phillips: And so, there's this gut feeling, and I'm like, oh, I'm toxic, right? I mean, it could have been, I thought it was arsenic, um, cause there was just no information, there was no internet. I mean, the best book you could find is that guy who went to jail, it was like the 50, 50, 50 things that are making you sick, or 50, the natural cures guy.
Warren Phillips: Um,
Julie Michelson: Oh, oh, yep.
Warren Phillips: I mean, I was reading his book, right? I, I, I didn't know, right? I'm like reading his book, like getting stuff. Cause I was 25 years old and sick. So keep fast forwarding. Um, I thought it was heavy metals, um, might've been lime cause lime in Pennsylvania was a [00:07:00] thing. And then. You know, met Dr. Dan, he's like, you're heavy metal poisoned, I'm like, oh my gosh, I think you're right, this is what I thought in my gut, had to get, pull some research, um, from universities, on microfiche, print it out, like, oh, this, this can be real, investigated Malcolm, Malcolm Fillings, and how much mercury is released.
Warren Phillips: Uh, call labs for my old job in Idaho confirming that the dental wastewater is loaded. So all that to say I got found out, finally found the cause, got really upset about that cause, and I'm still not non toxic dad yet. So I started my career, I moved from environmental consultant, turned jobs down in Pennsylvania to work in clinics, And help other doctors expand their impact because I believe toxins is the root cause of many of the health challenges and why I was sick and literally it took me five years.
Warren Phillips: It was a great place to work, right? Because I'm working with people that didn't think I was crazy. I was able to relate to clients and [00:08:00] patients and, you know, feel their pain and, you know, from autistic side of the world and just really understand and I had healing and helping and that's how I got into that.
Warren Phillips: And then As I transitioned out of that just last year, 18 years of, of practitioner coaching, um, and all that, I decided, you know what, um, maybe I should see, you know, how to test the waters. And I, and I trained up a lot of other doctors to go out there and become, you know, take your message. Like your, your heart is good.
Warren Phillips: You're going to do well. You're, you're authentic, like, you know, you shouldn't, you know, being small is not helping the world. Yeah, and so I had someone challenge me to do the same and they said, how would you ever know if you don't try right? So I did that about a year ago in March is when I officially started non toxic dad and
Julie Michelson: Happy almost anniversary tomorrow.
Warren Phillips: thank you And so this is that's that's the journey and ultimately it's I couldn't believe like you [00:09:00] heard me share from stage I believe I couldn't believe the impact that you can have through social media, which I boohooed And canceled, you know, over the, you know, and I still feel that social media is, is poisonous to our brains.
Warren Phillips: Um, if, if not managed, just like anything else, right. Or whatever else, but, um, it does have a big impact. It is, it is changing lives. So that definitely fuels me and my, you know, I'm almost 50, so we're, we're starting to grow up, right. You
Julie Michelson: Almost. I don't know. I've hung out with you. I don't know about starting to grow up, but, um, you know, as a practitioner from that side of it and having listened to you on stage and you do help those of us that have been hiders, you know, get out and share their message more because I don't love social media.
Julie Michelson: I don't even like it for personal use. Um, but it is, it is an important and impactful way to reach people [00:10:00] and, you know, if they're getting the crap, they might as well also get the good information. Um, and this is how we create change. This is why we're here today talking about it
Warren Phillips: You can't reach millions of people. Like I would have to own a TV channel to get this kind of, uh, opportunity.
Julie Michelson: and then I don't even, you know, watch TV.
Warren Phillips: I, we watch very little.
Julie Michelson: yeah, it's very, very selective. Selective, um, which is how we, as you said, can and should be with our social media as well. And what I do love is you bring your message in a way that is so fun. Um, I shared before we hit record, I was chatting with my 24 year old on, as I was coming home from the clinic today and told her we were going to be recording and she was talking about, you know, one of your reels.
Julie Michelson: So I love your, you just. To me, this is, you're preaching to the choir when we talk, [00:11:00] this is such an important topic. Literally every person I work with, whether they have autoimmunity or not, has a toxic burden issue. Definitely if they have autoimmunity, they do. Um, and so it is a component, even if it's not, you know, it's never the only thing.
Julie Michelson: Um, but if we're not managing our toxins and doing that by getting educated and making good choices, um, you know, we're not going to heal. And I love, I have such a hard time picturing you, you know, overweight and shy. Um, you
Warren Phillips: Abnormally shot.
Julie Michelson: I'm not right. You, you are literally the, the picture of a, of a healthy male.
Julie Michelson: So, um, all of us can heal. That's how the body is designed. We, but we need to be, we really need to be diligent. So, uh, I'm excited to dig in. Um, and I know I promised I wasn't going to keep you for three hours, so [00:12:00] I want to just start with. What is new? Because you are, you are a researcher at heart. You are very science based.
Julie Michelson: And then again, you bring the fun in. And I know you're always ahead of the curve and, and bringing us new information, hopefully in a way that isn't scary. Um, because I know
Warren Phillips: to, but like the diaper one, I came out pretty hardcore. Cause there was a new study done on diapers and I just watched the video. I'm like, I came off a little angry in that one, right? Because I don't, never want to come off angry because I don't think that's going to serve, it'll serve maybe my audience, but it's not going to serve those who, yeah, they're going to be like, hmm, that guy's angry.
Warren Phillips: I'm not going to listen to that, even if he was. So I watched it. I'm like, darn it. But it was about diapers, right? And there's new 2023 or even 2024. It might, I can't remember, but I printed out the study and actually have the study in my hand when I do the video. But there's so many VOCs in, [00:13:00] um, inside of, uh, diapers, right?
Warren Phillips: Um, and that can cause respiratory issues, lead into asthma. Obviously, VOCs are, are toxic. They contain carcinogens, known, um, carcinogens.
Julie Michelson: volatile is the first word of VOCs,
Warren Phillips: Well, yeah volatile, but you know essential oils are volatile organic compounds too, right? And they have healing properties, but too much too, you know, but these are volatile bad toxins We're talking petroleum based volatile organic compounds VOC's and So that's to your points. Like I always try to come from my heart, but sometimes And and funny and make light because none of this is is out to shame, right?
Warren Phillips: Because I, I just had to work through all that stuff. I was raised Catholic and nothing wrong with Catholicism. Actually, the older I get, the more beauty you can see in some of the rituals and the meditative state that it creates, gets you into your God brain, if you will. So there's lots of beautiful things as you, as you heal in your age, you look at things, uh, not to [00:14:00] blame, but to learn, right?
Warren Phillips: That's two different mindsets. But what really shocked me Uh, and it really upset me and I, and I can't believe they're getting away with this, but fragrances, right? And this is a, something that I think will be really helpful to the moms out there is that fragrances, according to, I found another study as I was digging through all that research.
Warren Phillips: Is that there's a study that says that it's the unconsolable crying of a child Can be triggered and caused and I think it was something crazy like a 50 increase in this study from chemical fragrances Right, and they put them even in diapers to cover the poo smell But they all these fun scents that we're doing with our babies could be causing our little loved ones to cry And so how can these companies get away seeing that research?
Warren Phillips: You Putting chemical fragrance into, uh, the, the wipes and the diapers and maybe even the
Julie Michelson: it's, I feel like
Warren Phillips: or you have [00:15:00] perfume on as a mom and your baby's smells like perfume cause you hold them and they're just so annoyed from this chemical. Cause it's a neurotoxin, a known neurotoxin, a known carcinogen, but anyway, that's a new one.
Julie Michelson: Well, and that, okay, so we're gonna, we're gonna visit that rabbit hole a little bit. Um, and, and this is a very personal opinion, it's not, you know, it would be a disservice not to get angry because the angry, you know, that, you don't want to stay angry. We got to move through that. Um, but I find, even with.
Julie Michelson: And this isn't new. The baby study I have never heard of. Um, and it doesn't surprise me
Warren Phillips: No, it's not
Julie Michelson: because, because babies aren't filtering the reaction, right? They're just reacting. Um, it's not new news. The, the chemical fragrance is, is toxic. And what I have seen [00:16:00] is more and like they're putting fragrance and things, why
Warren Phillips: In food boxes, like
Julie Michelson: food boxes, Amazon packages, um, even literally a grocery bag, a plastic grocery bag scented.
Julie Michelson: Um, I don't understand the garbage
Warren Phillips: Well,
Julie Michelson: and it just smells like garbage and scent fragrance.
Warren Phillips: it's like, yeah, shit and fragrance. So here's the, here's the reason I believe why, right? Um, scents just like perfumes, chemical fragrances, artificial flavors, all manufactured by large billion dollar companies like gibbon, um, and they, they create them to be addictive. The taste. Right to be addictive the smell to be addictive So why do you think w has the w scent?
Warren Phillips: is because when you come there you experience that you smell that scent and [00:17:00] they hired a Chemical fragrance manufacturer to create a signature scent that they're like, hey, we want people to be addicted We want them to go home and smell the w scent and you can't get rid of that stuff Like it's it's you come home your brain shuts off.
Warren Phillips: You know, it can handle so many bits of information So you don't smell it as much you smell it, but it's You come home to your house and you set your, you set your baggage down, your, your bags from travel, and they reek. And you have to wash your clothes twice just to get it out, right? And if you wash one shirt from, that was sitting in the room with the W scent, it ruins your washer
Julie Michelson: load. Oh my gosh. That just happened to me. It wasn't a, it wasn't a W experience. We were in the UK and my beautiful human of a partner threw some laundry in at the Airbnb, which was, I mean, we want to talk about what you could see them. My, it was. We were in the UK in the winter. It was moldy. Um, and he didn't, he, I brought detergent [00:18:00] with me, but there was so much fragrance.
Julie Michelson: I literally, I got rid of the clothes. I had a brand new shirt. I'd worn it once. He washed it there. Could not get the smell out. I got rid of it. I just couldn't
Warren Phillips: would, it's, you wouldn't be able to for like four or five washings, and it would have been,
Julie Michelson: No,
Warren Phillips: you're going to enjoy your trip.
Julie Michelson: I tried. Well, no way. I tied the, you know, anyway, so sometimes it's not even a nice fragrance, but our olfactory sense is taught is the strongest tie to our memory.
Julie Michelson: That's why they're doing it. Right. So you may not even be conscious or aware of it, but when you walk back in, like you said, it's going to trigger that memory. Um, really, really powerful stuff and see, now I'm getting fired. Because
Warren Phillips: No problem. Let's go.
Julie Michelson: and I'll, I'll say this for listeners, if you're like, Oh yeah, you know, I, I had somebody just say to me two days [00:19:00] ago, Oh yeah, I asked, is she, is she sensitive to fragrance and chemicals?
Julie Michelson: And she said, I am, I noticed the older I get and I'm like, well, it's not really age is that your toxic burden is higher. Um, and so if you're someone who's listening and you're like, yeah, I'm sensitive, it's, this is why it's because it's, it's a toxin issue. Um, and.
Warren Phillips: of the big ones.
Julie Michelson: It is. And I, I, about myself, I'm a collector as well.
Julie Michelson: I, this is why we get along. Lead, mercury, mycotoxins, um, is my history. And, and I do, I look back and I'm like, I was that person who, you know, I had Pier 1 candles all over my house, like my poor kids when they were growing up.
Warren Phillips: It's a big, big change. Like if we're talking about like, if you want like a big one, get rid of all your candles, all your perfumes, all your Yankee candles, it's hard because going back to what you said before, they are addictive, they're designed to be. You love them because they designed them in a chemical manufacturer.
Warren Phillips: They beta [00:20:00] tested, they spent millions of dollars to make sure that you get addicted. So. If you want to be manipulated that way, you are, and that's your choice, because you love it, um, you enjoy it, but it's, it's not natural, and they're, they create them for you to be addictive, but the problem, the consequence of that, they carry phthalates with them, which are highly carcinogenic, carcinogenic, hormone disrupting, testosterone disrupting, endocrine disrupting, lead to, you know, infertility, like, right?
Warren Phillips: Uh, autoimmunity, like, I
Warren Phillips: And autoimmunity. So, um, and then the carcinogenic nature of, uh, these chemicals. So there's just really no upside besides you like it, so
Julie Michelson: and, but there are alternatives.
Warren Phillips: tons.
Julie Michelson: I like things that smell nice, also. I just use really clean essential oils. And it, you know, it can still make me feel really happy.
Warren Phillips: I agree.
Julie Michelson: it's good stuff. While I'm still charged up. So that [00:21:00] then I can settle down after this next topic. Um, I want to talk about greenwashing.
Julie Michelson: It's something that I've touched on really briefly before and, and I think that I know that listeners will get a lot of value hearing what you have to say. First of all, even just starting with what is greenwashing and why should we care?
Warren Phillips: Yeah. Greenwashing, uh, in a lot of respects is marketing. So the green movement has. Some great sides to it, right? But the Green Movement, people look at it and be like, Oh, the environment. Oh. And so they use that to their advantage. Because we're, I love talking on this topic because I'm talking to the kind hearted humans right now that care about animals, that care about the environment, that love people, that are sensitive, right?
Warren Phillips: And so a lot of the times they're not even doing it for health reasons. Their first initial thing is, wow, this is a green, environmentally friendly product. Wow. This is wonderful. So they're using greenwashing is persuading you that it's [00:22:00] environmentally friendly and non toxic yet. It may not be non toxic or environmentally friendly.
Warren Phillips: So let's look at not all method products. are horrible, but some of them are. Like if you go to EWG, they're derated. And there's a couple chemicals in there that are not environmentally friendly, are not non toxic, yet they're a green label, right? And they have in some of their products chemical fragrance, which is not green by any stretch of the imagination.
Warren Phillips: You can't say environmentally friendly and chemical fragrance in the same sentence. And especially with animals, right? I've had Glade plug ins with people that have birds multiple times and their birds don't sing. My birds don't sing. Take the canary out in the coal mine. Take the, the Glade freshener out.
Warren Phillips: Now my bird's tweeting again. Because it's messing with that bird's neurology. It's toxic to the environment. Right? When you're blowing, [00:23:00] uh, fragrance from your dryer sheets, out into your environment, um, even if it's the eco friendly ones and it's fragrance because they have those, right? They're eco friendly and they're green, but they contain fragrance and other chemicals.
Warren Phillips: So that's greenwashing. So it's, it's manipulating you, persuading you to buy something that at giving it the green label, putting the green on there, environmentally friendly, but it's not non toxic and it's not necessarily environmentally friendly. They might have some more environmentally friendly ingredients.
Warren Phillips: Um, but not all of them are, right? So that's the greenwashing movement. And then to add to that, it all comes down to marketing. They're trying to grab market share from people who want to help the environment. Right? So most of your big box stores, there is some good brands that make it into, uh, bigger grocery stores.
Warren Phillips: They're typically going to be on the bottom shelf. Um, some of them make it up depending on the brand. But
Julie Michelson: Or they get, you know, a foot of shelf space,
Warren Phillips: yeah, there's only one of their products [00:24:00] in there, because, but the greenwashing ones kind of do pretty well, because they have the money, they have the backing, and they're owned, um, typically they've been bought out, they started off, a lot of these companies started off green, environmentally friendly, yeah, and no, no preservatives, but you're talking self life, you're talking worldwide distribution, so of course we gotta add, you know, preservatives and toxins to keep this stuff shelf life, it's just no brainer for them, right?
Warren Phillips: I mean, how can they have Global domination, right? The CEOs, we're going to take over the, the, the cleaning movement. And there was a study done, um, just recently. It's a, might even been a 20, yeah, it was a 2024 study, uh, that they compared the green label products to standard cleaning products. And the amount of toxins and volatile organic compounds, once again, were the same same.
Warren Phillips: So, they're no better, but they're just using the green, the green label, the greenwashing. The study concluded that essentially they
Warren Phillips: shouldn't be able to do this. Yeah, so, they're no better, so we need to have better [00:25:00] regulations on this marketing and the things that they're doing, and it's, and it's, Green labeling, but not non toxic and what, and it comes down to market share, right?
Warren Phillips: So they're, they're attaching green and environmental, and you think you're doing the right thing for yourself, for your family, for your kids. You hear about these toxins, but if you flip it over and you can't understand the ingredients.
Julie Michelson: Thank you.
Warren Phillips: then you know right away that this, I don't understand this, this isn't transparent, this is confusing, and I see fragrance perfume run away.
Warren Phillips: If it says fragrance 100 percent derived from, you know, essential, you know,
Julie Michelson: But then it wouldn't even say fragrant. Like, they know better than to even use the word. That is one of my other huge, and this is why, and then I'll simmer down. This is, what you said is why this makes me angry. Because also from personal experience, but and clients coming in thinking they're using non toxic products, they fell for the marketing.
Julie Michelson: And it's [00:26:00] one thing if you're, if you're not there yet, and you're not paying attention, different, you know, but to try to capture. This part of the consumers that that is trying to make a good choice for their family and they're getting duped and and I did it for years. I used a product that, you know, a line that I thought was clean for my family because I was learning.
Julie Michelson: And, um, so that's why I get really, really upset and and to take it a step further. This is how far some of the companies go. They'll say essential oils on the front. And so they may have some essential oils in it. Turn it around because they also often have chemical
Warren Phillips: Shampoos are horrible at that. Because they're looking for a non fragrance, because people know fragrance. They see it on the front. That stops them. That got the yes, because we're busy. We're busy moms. We're busy dads. Oh, look at that. Or they put unscented. And unscented isn't fragrance free. Unscented has another chemical that covers the [00:27:00] scent.
Julie Michelson: say that again because people look at me like I have three heads when I say this. Because it just doesn't even make sense, but it's true.
Warren Phillips: it's, it's, it's labeling, marketing, you know, it's not fragrance free because they can't say that legally, but they can legally say unscented because they put a chemical to make it unscented. So it doesn't have the soap smell or the, the chemical soap smell. So they put in another chemical to neutralize the smell and they call it unscented.
Warren Phillips: And we think it's fragrance free. Again, we think we're doing something that's good for our families. My kid is sensitive to fragrances. I notice that they get a skin irritation or whatever, and it could, because fragrances do cause skin irritation, right? It's one of the, one of the side effects. Um, probably the phthalates or who knows, it could be, it could be 150 different chemicals that go into one concoction of a fragrance, right?
Julie Michelson: Right.
Warren Phillips: And so, you know, that's what we get. Like natural flavors. It's the catch all. Just don't [00:28:00] do it. It could be anything in
Warren Phillips: Yeah, I've gotten rid of all natural flavors and there are some good natural flavor companies out there that people put natural flavors But if you're really digging into that level you would say what that natural flavor is it derived from organic whatever you can label transparently, right And they're not so you, someone who's into it, a small company and all these companies that are out there, you, they will, they know, like, they're like us.
Warren Phillips: So they're like, I created this company because my daughter was sick. I was sick of the greenwashing and they took that energy, that anger, if you will, filtered it and, and channeled it into and fueled into something great. And that's what energy is like something bad happens to you. You, you're negative at first, and then you relabel that neutral happening to something positive.
Warren Phillips: It. So that's what sickness can be too. It can be your fuel, um,
Julie Michelson: To make the changes.
Warren Phillips: yep. And that's what, if you remove some toxins, you can get some energy, um,
Julie Michelson: I love it.
Warren Phillips: the energy back. Their energy robbers, uh, fragrance is a big one.
Julie Michelson: I, I want to always [00:29:00] end, end this part of the conversation on a positive note because what we just said could be really overwhelming for people because we just basically said, you know, you have to dig in and don't trust, you know, the labeling. So how, do you have a resource you recommend to people when
Warren Phillips: I mean, I, I think
Warren Phillips: EWG um, updates their database pretty good. Um, there's some good, uh, apps out there as well. I can't remember some of them. There's a couple really good ones.
Julie Michelson: I like, um, Yeah, YUKA, Y U K A, Y U K A is, is one that's a good one, YUKA. What I like about them is they give you alternatives, you know, like, oh, here's
Warren Phillips: I've been, actually, someone shared that app with me and they actually reached out to me. But I, I haven't looked into it and, but I've heard it a lot now. There was a guy that I was. I was working on my truck and he knew I was crazy because I was like, I need a non toxic glue.
Julie Michelson: Uh huh,
Warren Phillips: you don't have one.
Warren Phillips: I'm like, here's one that's carb, this certified, no VOC, da, da, da, da use this [00:30:00] glue. And he's like, you're really into this stuff. I'm like, yes, I am. You know? And he's like, you would like the UK app. Um, I just
Julie Michelson: you go.
Warren Phillips: I just scanned, what was it? That the little, uh, launchables. Oh, all these toxins that they don't even tell you that are in the Lunchables, right?
Warren Phillips: And I want to do a video on that. So you just reminded me that was
Julie Michelson: there you go.
Warren Phillips: idea trigger. I want to, I want to dig deep dive in Lunchables because moms are giving Lunchables and thinking that it's healthy. And again, it's easy.
Julie Michelson: Right.
Warren Phillips: You Well, and speaking of easy, so I too, I love EWG, um, as a, as another reference point, and they have an app as well. Um, I like personally, because unlike you, this stuff lights a fire under me and I know this is top priority for wellness, but I don't want to spend all day researching every product all the time.
Julie Michelson: And so [00:31:00] that's where back to EWG. I like companies that are EWG certified because, you know, they're not making this thing that's dirty and this thing that's clean. And, and I feel like
Warren Phillips: And the owner of Made Safe, I know her, she, she had a daughter that got sick and she was sick as a child as well, and so she created, she invested a lot of money, like, this isn't, um, a money maker for her, right? This is a mission and a passion, it's a non profit. Um, the amount of work. I wanted to do something similar and I'm like, wow, like after talking to her and hearing her story, um, looking at the path that she took, I'm like, this is a tough path and it's hard to get, you know, and she's not non toxic dad, right?
Warren Phillips: She's not, she, you know, she's not, uh,
Julie Michelson: a mom.
Warren Phillips: there. She's putting all of our time into creating, uh, this certification. And she's not marketing it, right? Although there's a lot of companies that are now using her and Marie's skin cares when it comes to mine. You could eat their stuff before it was made safe.
Warren Phillips:[00:32:00] But, um, there's just a lot of And I just happen to know them. They're a friend. I'm not affiliated by any, any means with any of these companies, but I think she does a good job and EWG does a good job and you know, X, Y, Z. Maybe I'll be doing a good job someday when I,
Julie Michelson: Well, and that's the beautiful thing is there are more and more resources that those of us lay people can use to check our products and to make good choices, but even simpler than that may help you find the clean thing, which might not be at your grocery store, your local grocery store, depending on where you live, just take Warren's first sentence, which is, Turn, turn it around, turn the box around, turn the bottle around and read the back and just don't fall for the marketing.
Julie Michelson: It's like, even with food, if it says, you know, natural or healthy or like, uh, uh, don't, don't do it. I literally saw vegetables labeled as vegan. I'm not even kidding you. And like, okay.
Warren Phillips: they're [00:33:00] trying, cause it's a buzzword right now. Right. And that's why there's, there's big battles online and, you know, it's silly to me. It's a big waste of energy. And, you know, so the other thing, the other tip that I like to think about, if you couldn't drink that product. Um, and not make you sick then.
Warren Phillips: So think about that. That's the standard. If you can look at it and it says, uh, well, some of these like lip bombs have, you know, a poison warning on them, right? You couldn't eat it.
Julie Michelson: Well, or toothpaste. Talk about poison warnings. We put so if you can't eat it, there's better options out there for you, especially if it has a poison warning label, like, this stuff can kill you, um, and it can, just don't do it.
Warren Phillips: Why would you put it on your body? Like, it makes no sense. Why would you spray it on your, you know, uh, to clean, right? When you can use vinegar and baking soda for abrasive, you can just use your eggshells and grind them up in a blender, like, You can save yourself all this money and time and then you're [00:34:00] they're lying to you.
Warren Phillips: So just make your own stuff. D Y I for do it yourself. D I Y. Uh, I always mix that up. My Y and my
Julie Michelson: It sounded right to me. I'm glad you, well,
Warren Phillips: that's all we use, right? Is, is vinegar and vinegar and water and my house smells like vinegar. You can boil some lemon peels or in there and to get rid of that.
Warren Phillips: So it's, it's, It is the, it is the place to go. And I could drink that, right? It'd be a nice vinegar
Julie Michelson: Yeah. Well, and I have an aversion to the smell of vinegar. So that, so for those that are listening, that are like me, you're never going to be DIYing with vinegar. Can you do, have you tried like boiling lemon and
Julie Michelson: I just, um, I use a product called lavender hydrosol, and it's that I and you can use it from counter to floor everywhere. And I love it.
Julie Michelson: And so,
Warren Phillips: is it create an oxidative [00:35:00] reaction species? Cause you're saying hydrosol. I'm thinking that it has some sort of oxidizer in it
Julie Michelson: oh, I don't know, I might ask you to dig into that for me. I, you know, I sort I've been to the lavender farm that makes. this product. Um, and so see, and even that's the other thing. Sometimes it's a swing and a miss. So now I'm gonna, you know, find out more about that. You may get me to use vinegar yet. We'll see.
Julie Michelson: But there are companies out there. If you are not a DIY or I made my own detergent one time, it didn't work well. It was not good. This was also probably 15 years ago. Um, so I, I'm not great at the DIY. That's, that's not my,
Warren Phillips: Yeah, we, we, we do it just on the cleaning product for the
Julie Michelson: Well, and I think it, which is awesome. But the good news is for those of us that aren't, that aren't doing it.
Julie Michelson: Um, we, there are companies out there that, that have good products.
Warren Phillips: And vinegar smell is real. That's real. That's real for [00:36:00] people.
Julie Michelson: Well, and the funny thing is, I love, you know, balsamic, I cook with vinegar, apple cider vinegar. I'll use balsamic sometimes, but, um, I just, the white vinegar, I can't do it. Never clean, I couldn't clean my coffee pot with it back when I used to use a plastic coffee pot, those days. Um,
Warren Phillips: We all did. We all
Julie Michelson: right? So, uh, in light of we, we kind of dangled and you did share the, the diaper study with us.
Julie Michelson: Um, other new research. I live in Colorado. Um, so, you know, Colorado kind of led the whole legalization of marijuana, and I don't know about where you live, but it's very widely used here. Um, you have, you have some information for if anybody is using marijuana products that I think is really interesting and important.
Warren Phillips: Yeah, this, this goes back to my heavy metal remediation days and it, it really was great information because I really understood the [00:37:00] study and multiple studies that I read. Um, I spent several hours, um, deep diving in this, but a, a headline caught me, um, the other day and because I get fed, Google feeds me research because it hears my phone and, uh, because of social media, you know, I'm now getting fed stuff that, that actually helps.
Warren Phillips: Which is good. I don't get, I just get all science. It's so fun. And that heavy metals were showing up in the blood of people. I think if you smoked, uh, or just used marijuana twice a month, they were showing elevated levels of lead and some mercury and some other heavy metals in users versus non users.
Warren Phillips: Because most people, unless you're eating sushi or, you know, eating heavy metal, uh, contaminated products, you're not going to have heavy metal showing up in your blood because you'll go to your, I was at my, my functional medicine doctor said I was, I'm lead poisoned and they take a blood work and they say you have no lead.
Julie Michelson: Not in your blood.
Warren Phillips: It's not in your blood, it's in your cells, it's in your bones, right? So the wrong test. [00:38:00] So to see that like
Julie Michelson: So circulating. Wow.
Warren Phillips: finding these elevated levels in the blood of marijuana users. So this would go for hemp as well, right? If it's even, if this goes past. Uh, just marijuana, but it would go into hemp and oils and CBD and all that, right?
Warren Phillips: Um, the study wasn't didn't target that but what's
Julie Michelson: Coming from the same plants. So
Warren Phillips: yeah So marijuana is a heavy metal sequester or sequestering. They sequester heavy metals That's the scientific term It's sequesters heavy metals and there's plants that we used to use in environmental cleanup on a contaminated mine We'd grow certain plants That would suck up the heavy metals and sequester and soak them up.
Warren Phillips: And then you would take that and then you would move that to a class, uh, hazardous waste landfill where those heavy metals just get moved away from the soil and the environment and into a place where it's safe, where it's dry and water isn't seeping through it and [00:39:00] contaminating waterways like it would in, uh, abandoned mines are always around, uh, especially turn of the century, abandoned mines are always around streams.
Warren Phillips: So what they use marijuana for and hemp is to sequester and soak up heavy metals.
Warren Phillips: So, take Colorado for instance, if, and this is an agricultural issue, really it comes down to that.
Warren Phillips: There's elevated levels of toxic heavy metals in marijuana, and if they're not showing you the results, and if you're not asking for the COAs, Certificate of Analysis, COAs, um, that they're low heavy metals, they're loaded and you don't even know it. They could be even over Prop 65, I don't know. I mean, but heavy metals and marijuana go together, right?
Warren Phillips: And here's the other thing. I mean, They hybridized marijuana to be better at sucking up heavy metals in hemp, right? Because it's fast growing, it can grow on contaminated soils, it can grow, it'll still grow, and a lot of plants won't grow on toxic heavy metal contaminated soil, the plants can't handle it.
Warren Phillips: hemp can
Julie Michelson: Oh.[00:40:00]
Warren Phillips: so they bred them for that and then those strains that grow really well that you can grow anywhere of course growers are using these strains to make their products and now you have heavy metal heavy metal contamination in the supply chain and if you're in colorado a mining state that's growing a ton of this stuff it's soaking up heavy metals and they're not testing i mean maybe organic farms i don't know they get to do some testing but they're if you're not testing the soils and it has heavy metals in it That's getting into those plants.
Warren Phillips: That's getting into the supply chain. And unfortunately, in the presence of heavy metals, it's all going to collect in the stems, the leaves, the flower, all of it. So it's bad news.
Julie Michelson: It is bad news. And the, what do I do about it? If I use any kind of hemp or marijuana products, you answered that already. I just want to circle back for listeners using products that have a certificate of analysis that, that have third party tests, you know, you want to know.
Warren Phillips: And the, and the people that are, [00:41:00] um, dishonest, what they'll say is, um, I, sorry, I cannot share that information with you, but we hold to the highest standards, um, of analysis and safety for our clients. So they'll have this canned legal answer. But if they're doing it right and they understand hemp growers know this right true Hemp growers that are trying to help people with their products They have organic farms.
Warren Phillips: They're doing it right. They know that hemp does this. They probably chose a strain that doesn't suck. They all suck, not suck. They all sequester, uh, or soak up heavy metals,
Julie Michelson: That's going to be the name of the podcast episode. They all suck, but it's the nature of the plant
Warren Phillips: it is the
Warren Phillips: nature of you're saying. So the difference between somebody in it for the money, it's the back to the same, right. It is
Warren Phillips: I think in this particular case, they just don't know, right? Um, you know, I think a lot of it is they don't know unless you're really into this, right? Like a lot of people in the supplement [00:42:00] space, they have, they're trusting the manufacturer. They're not doing extra analysis like I do. I have non toxic, you know, project certified products that I would take that knows there's no heavy metals or whatever.
Warren Phillips: They're just, they're just getting a product and kind of doing commerce and they might. They love the green, right? They get benefits from it, you know, it's great. But it is sad for somebody who's, say, a cancer patient, is using it for management. Um, could be getting, uh, heavy metals that, um, not help them.
Warren Phillips: Because these things are carcinogenic, so it's, if you're into it, if you're doing it specially for health reasons, I would 100%, and you're eating it, you're not smoking it, it. Uh, you know, these companies that are good, they'll let you know. They'll like,
Warren Phillips: here's the certificate of analysis. Yes, we understand that most hemps are full of heavy metals.
Warren Phillips: Ours isn't. This is what we've done. Those are the people you want to purchase from.
Julie Michelson: Love it. Such amazing information. Um, because, and, and again, timely and for me, um, [00:43:00] and I,
Warren Phillips: about, you're just about to go fire up a bowl, I
Julie Michelson: No, God,
Warren Phillips: I'm teasing! You said timely that's awesome
Warren Phillips: softball.
Julie Michelson: because, because it is, you know, more people than ever are using, especially even like edibles and the, and again, it's fine, the clean ones. Um, and like you said, especially if you're using it for health, it's the same, same concept, you know, do your homework.
Julie Michelson: And like you said, if they can't share with you, then. Don't spend your dollars there.
Warren Phillips: Yeah, especially CBD companies. They, they're supplement companies. They have to follow CGMP. I don't know the marijuana industry. I don't know, you know, medical marijuana or distribution through, you know, uh, pharmacies or whatever, right? That's not my jam. I'm not a, I'm not a big user. Um, so I don't know any of that stuff, but I know in the supplement industry, they do have to follow CGMP.
Warren Phillips: So they're at least getting tests. So they're getting them done, right? Whether they're good or [00:44:00] bad, you know, cause it's, it's actually subjective. So the standards are pretty loose and it's a subjective. That's close enough like eight parts per million Um lead that's that's fine, but that's way too much in my opinion, right if it's if it's above This is where I love prop 65 because there's no safe levels levels of lead There's none
Julie Michelson: Well,
Julie Michelson: because all being exposed to it.
Warren Phillips: And so you you bioaccumulate this stuff So prop 65 is set up and we'll end with this Is that they're assuming that you're getting it from multiple sources So they make that number really small to keep you safe, right? Especially children So they did a really good job when they thought that one through it is it's tough For probably a hemp grower because hemp naturally has a lot of heavy metals So they're gonna they have to be super careful, right?
Warren Phillips: So you're not gonna get yeah, so you're not gonna get zero But there's people out there, and you're hearing this, you can find growers, um, and suppliers that really do a good job with this stuff. And, and some of the distilling process would take some of that out too, so I [00:45:00] think CBD is gonna be lower, um, because there is, is distilling that's happening, right?
Warren Phillips: So some of that's gonna, gonna get out.
Julie Michelson: And you want, again, companies that are going to share their testing and companies that are, that are continuously testing, um, and not, and again, third party, like I, Even people I love and trust, you know, don't, don't, I don't want to see a, a study published by a pharmaceutical company about their product.
Julie Michelson: You know, you really want objective data for sure.
Warren Phillips: Amen. I agree.
Julie Michelson: But good stuff. We could talk for another five hours, but I promised I wouldn't. I would love to have you said three. Now it's five. You're having a good time.
Julie Michelson: What exciting projects do you have coming up? What are you working on these days?
Warren Phillips: Well, the fun thing is, is, um, I'll be, I'm speaking at the Biohack Your Beauty event. That'll probably be, um, in LA. So that's fun getting on some big [00:46:00] podcasts, um, with, uh, like, uh, Brian Goldstein's podcast and Squints. Remember Squints? From, uh, Sandlot. Everyone loves Squints, he was so cute. Um, so, nostalgic for me.
Warren Phillips: He's, he's, I guess he's still pretty cute. Um, so getting on to bigger podcasts, so that's fun, getting the message out, like, uh, on not necessarily health podcasts. Being able to share this information has been an honor. Uh, Health Experts Alliance coming up, gonna do that. Dr. Pedram Shojai, yeah, Dr. Pedram Shojai and I, um, are releasing a docu series called Home Sick Home.
Warren Phillips: You can, by the time this airs, uh, get a free viewing of that for the, for the debut. Um, homesickhome. com, so that's gonna be fun, uh, really well done, uh, by an HBO guy that sits on the board of the writer bill that actually is the president, so it's really well scripted and impactful, um, when it comes to home toxins and mold and VOCs, I did a piece here in my home, so, uh, we're just getting the word out, [00:47:00] so that's why, you know, I love being on podcasts and going to events, I don't like traveling.
Warren Phillips: Um, but, uh, when I do it, I do it for impact. I'm actually doing a. Um, another, um, touring some homes from the Million, million Dollar listing, um,
Warren Phillips: with Bobby. Um, one of the guys on that. So we're gonna do a piece together. So we're doing a lot of things. I have a new book, um, that I'm writing that should be coming out in the next couple months, so we're full steam ahead and, and really trying to educate, you know, once I found.
Warren Phillips: That, uh, there was traction, um, through this educational process and people were getting their lives changed and thanking me. That, that fuels all of us, right? We get a positive feedback loop. Like, saying, you're a good mom, Julie, you know? Or, you know what I mean? It's like, it feels good. I am a good mom. I am doing a good job, right?
Warren Phillips: Because we, we need to encourage each other. And I, and I love the positive feedback. Got plenty of haters. Um, I you're doing something good,
Warren Phillips: And no, I just, I don't even call, I shouldn't call them havers. I have people who
Julie Michelson: non believers.[00:48:00]
Warren Phillips: And that's okay. That's part of the, that's part of the energy flow. And I appreciate them being honest and sharing, you know, their belief, you know, as I'm sharing mine, you know, cause I, they have that, right.
Warren Phillips: I love that. So lots of
Julie Michelson: but yours is science based,
Warren Phillips: Well, everyone can, everyone can twist the
Julie Michelson: you're good. You're like, yes, it's so true. So true.
Warren Phillips: and even health, even health guys like me, um, are capable of it, right? So we all are. So it's, we hold each other accountable.
Julie Michelson: So we get checks and balances. This is, this is why we build community. It's a good thing.
Warren Phillips: Amen.
Julie Michelson: Warren, in your vast array of knowledge, what is one step that listeners can take starting today to improve their health,
Warren Phillips: Um, you know, I, every time someone asks me this question, I try not to say this because it's, it's not even a toxin. It's, it's, it's you. It's, if you want to live a non toxic lifestyle, you really have to get honest with yourself. Um, and, [00:49:00] and love yourself too. Cause I think we have to find good reasons to make the changes.
Warren Phillips: So there's so many of us. It'll make a lot of excuses not to make these changes. It's overwhelming. It's, or they'll say it's fear mongering. It really doesn't matter. But in your heart of hearts, you know that these changes could help, right? And you're scared, right? And if you can get to a place. Um, and you're hearing this and it's like, and you can listen from an objective standpoint and bring this information in and not boo hoo it and not, uh, get angry about it, right?
Warren Phillips: And just be like, look, I'm going to listen to what this guy has to say and I'm going to implement one thing this week. Right? And I'm going to love myself and that's to help me and my family do better and find a good reason to do it. Um, don't find an excuse not to do it. Find a solution and how it's going to benefit your life and attach a positive outcome.
Warren Phillips: Like, I'm removing all my fragrances by the end of this date. And set a date, else you won't do it. Right, so if you get overwhelmed, um, I, there's a lot of [00:50:00] psychology when it comes into making change. And this is change. And it's hard change. And it's a never ending change and like, Oh my God, another thing. I saw another video, non toxic dad just canceled that.
Warren Phillips: And I don't mean it to be fearful. I meant it just to dial it in. It might be something you want to do. It might not be something. And if it's a big one, I'm going to tell you, I'm like, this is a big one. Like fragrances is a big one. It's a big needle mooter in your life. And don't get overwhelmed. If you can do one change a week, even one change a month, you're going to see improvement.
Warren Phillips: Energy is going to come back online, your mitochondria, hormones, testosterone, better decision making, all that. So don't get overwhelmed, make small changes, love yourself enough to make those changes and be open up, open minded enough to take those steps towards a non toxic lifestyle.
Julie Michelson: I love it. I knew your one thing was going to encompass a lot. Amazing. And in case people didn't catch on already, for those that are listening on the go, where's the best place to find you?
Warren Phillips: Non toxic [00:51:00] dad is everywhere, um, all over social. So just non toxic dad, all social platforms. Um, Instagram is, uh, probably the one that's the biggest for me, but also TikTok, YouTube on shorts and, um, Facebook is actually growing as well.
Julie Michelson: Amazing. Warren, thank you so much for sharing so much gold with us today.
Warren Phillips: The honor was mine. I can't wait to see you in a few weeks.
Julie Michelson: Well, it's coming up fast. Time is flying. For everyone listening. Remember you can get the transcripts and show notes by visiting inspired living dot show. I hope you had a great time and enjoyed this episode as much as I did and maybe listen to it again because there's a lot. [00:52:00]
Warren Phillips: but the problem, the consequence of that, they carry phthalates with them, which are highly carcinogenic, hormone disrupting, testosterone disrupting, endocrine disrupting, lead to infertility,
Julie Michelson: Welcome back to the Inspired Living with Autoimmunity podcast. I'm your host, Julie Michelson. And today we're joined by Warren Phillips, the non toxic dad. Warren is a [00:01:00] passionate and energetic individual, and he lives by his words and works tirelessly to educate the world about avoiding and removing toxins.
Julie Michelson: In today's conversation, we're talking about greenwashing as a marketing tactic. the impact of chemical fragrance, and some of the latest research and studies on toxins that may surprise you. Warren also shares new research about a recent study on marijuana and hemp products and heavy metals.
Julie Michelson: warren, welcome to the podcast.
Warren Phillips: It's a pleasure to be here. This is going to be so fun. I had such an honor to meet you at. Um, at Health Experts Alliance, right? And you're a health expert and we hit it off. And now here we are,
Julie Michelson: we did indeed. And I I've been waiting for this interview.
Warren Phillips: my team told me this lady is so excited. You know, she's like, get me in. And I'm like, I, I, and I'm like, that's Julie. Like she's full of
Julie Michelson: me while you, you know, it's contagious. And so it's, I [00:02:00] said earlier today, you know, I'm interviewing Warren today. I need to bring it because his energy is amazing.
Warren Phillips: That was, so is yours. That's why we hit it off so well. So I, I give you that same compliment. So let's have some fun. This is going to be a powerful podcast. I'm
Julie Michelson: It's going to be great. And the reason I'm so excited is because I know what you share, although you always, you're always ahead of the curve. So you always have new information. I'm excited to learn from you along with listeners. But first I want to start for, you know, there might be two people out there that do not know non toxic dad.
Julie Michelson: So how did Warren Phillips become non toxic dad? Share your story with us.
Warren Phillips: you want the three minute, five minute or eight minute version?
Julie Michelson: Ooh, not eight. Let's go through your five.
Warren Phillips: Three, three to five minutes. So it'll make it fun, right? So, uh, always love the environment outdoors, big hearted young kids, sensitive, right? Went to graduate school, undergrad, pre med, [00:03:00] got into geology, environmental science, double major, chemistry, went on to graduate school, Still in that same mode, cleaning up the environment.
Warren Phillips: I did my master's works on a binding of heavy metals and soils and streams. Uh, all the contamination that's happening, which I still am super passionate about, right? If you kick Mother Nature's ass, she's gonna kick yours, right? If you kick your body ass with toxins, it's gonna and disease and dysfunction.
Warren Phillips: Yeah. So, um, it's a math problem. So I was cleaning that stuff up and then I got into environmental consulting in Missoula, Montana. A river runs through it. I was fly fishing, doing all the fun things that a young, single, energetic ex all American athlete would do. Right. Just living life to the fullest.
Warren Phillips: Very spiritual at the time as well. And, but over time, just like all of us, the toxins that build up every day that you're not getting rid of, start to fill up your buckets, causing retoxification, recirculation of [00:04:00] toxins in your body, causing more inflammation, more hormone disruption, triggering autoimmune conditions.
Warren Phillips: And to the point where I had a mercury, uh, exposure, um, on a mercuric oxide cleanup site. I also had a pretty nasty lead exposure because I didn't wear my PPE, my personal protective equipment, which we're now all familiar with because thanks to, thanks to the vid. So everybody knows what personal protective equipment is.
Warren Phillips: So in that process, I, I got sick to the point where I had to quit my job, sell my home and move back. to my parents basement. Some of the symptoms were a lot of the mercury symptoms like abnormal shyness, random muscle twitching, eyelid twitching, anxiety, uh, that, that I would just lock up and couldn't do anything.
Warren Phillips: Um, that when I moved home, I moved into a moldy basement. So now I had Heavy, a lot of heavy metal. And I think I'd had some mold looking back. I remember some black mold in my home, uh, in, um, that I sold in Missoula, Montana, but my parents live in Pennsylvania where it's [00:05:00] wet on a side of a hill, so that humidity was over 50 percent in that home, which is the trigger.
Warren Phillips: If you have a humidity of 50%, Free gift. Even if you don't see mold, you have mold, right? There's levels that might not have stachybacteria, but you're gonna have aspergillus or some mold growing in your home. All it needs is that there's plenty of food around and dust and drywall dust and dirt from construction growing.
Warren Phillips: So here I am, mold. It gets worse. Full blown chronic fatigue, fibromyalgia, weight gain into obesity, 210 pounds. Medical doctors, I've already seen a bunch of psych therapists and medical doctors and chiropractors in Missoula. I continue on that path. My parents think that I'm just, you know, off my rocker.
Warren Phillips: And this is 2005. None of this stuff existed. There wasn't no mold summit or Lyme summit. There. illness, like this stuff didn't exist, right? Mold illness wasn't even a thing until a little bit later, um, and Richie Shoemaker is the one that, um, kind of brought that to the [00:06:00] world from Pocomoke, Maryland. So I came home super sick, knowing that I, it could have been the toxins, like in the, you know, I have a gut feeling, right?
Julie Michelson: Right.
Warren Phillips: That's the true genius, even Einstein says that, um, women have it because I think they're more heart connected a lot of the time, no offense dudes, um,
Julie Michelson: But women kind of train themselves out of listening to it.
Warren Phillips: Yeah, we've talked about that,
Julie Michelson: yeah. Yeah.
Warren Phillips: And so, there's this gut feeling, and I'm like, oh, I'm toxic, right? I mean, it could have been, I thought it was arsenic, um, cause there was just no information, there was no internet. I mean, the best book you could find is that guy who went to jail, it was like the 50, 50, 50 things that are making you sick, or 50, the natural cures guy.
Warren Phillips: Um,
Julie Michelson: Oh, oh, yep.
Warren Phillips: I mean, I was reading his book, right? I, I, I didn't know, right? I'm like reading his book, like getting stuff. Cause I was 25 years old and sick. So keep fast forwarding. Um, I thought it was heavy metals, um, might've been lime cause lime in Pennsylvania was a [00:07:00] thing. And then. You know, met Dr. Dan, he's like, you're heavy metal poisoned, I'm like, oh my gosh, I think you're right, this is what I thought in my gut, had to get, pull some research, um, from universities, on microfiche, print it out, like, oh, this, this can be real, investigated Malcolm, Malcolm Fillings, and how much mercury is released.
Warren Phillips: Uh, call labs for my old job in Idaho confirming that the dental wastewater is loaded. So all that to say I got found out, finally found the cause, got really upset about that cause, and I'm still not non toxic dad yet. So I started my career, I moved from environmental consultant, turned jobs down in Pennsylvania to work in clinics, And help other doctors expand their impact because I believe toxins is the root cause of many of the health challenges and why I was sick and literally it took me five years.
Warren Phillips: It was a great place to work, right? Because I'm working with people that didn't think I was crazy. I was able to relate to clients and [00:08:00] patients and, you know, feel their pain and, you know, from autistic side of the world and just really understand and I had healing and helping and that's how I got into that.
Warren Phillips: And then As I transitioned out of that just last year, 18 years of, of practitioner coaching, um, and all that, I decided, you know what, um, maybe I should see, you know, how to test the waters. And I, and I trained up a lot of other doctors to go out there and become, you know, take your message. Like your, your heart is good.
Warren Phillips: You're going to do well. You're, you're authentic, like, you know, you shouldn't, you know, being small is not helping the world. Yeah, and so I had someone challenge me to do the same and they said, how would you ever know if you don't try right? So I did that about a year ago in March is when I officially started non toxic dad and
Julie Michelson: Happy almost anniversary tomorrow.
Warren Phillips: thank you And so this is that's that's the journey and ultimately it's I couldn't believe like you [00:09:00] heard me share from stage I believe I couldn't believe the impact that you can have through social media, which I boohooed And canceled, you know, over the, you know, and I still feel that social media is, is poisonous to our brains.
Warren Phillips: Um, if, if not managed, just like anything else, right. Or whatever else, but, um, it does have a big impact. It is, it is changing lives. So that definitely fuels me and my, you know, I'm almost 50, so we're, we're starting to grow up, right. You
Julie Michelson: Almost. I don't know. I've hung out with you. I don't know about starting to grow up, but, um, you know, as a practitioner from that side of it and having listened to you on stage and you do help those of us that have been hiders, you know, get out and share their message more because I don't love social media.
Julie Michelson: I don't even like it for personal use. Um, but it is, it is an important and impactful way to reach people [00:10:00] and, you know, if they're getting the crap, they might as well also get the good information. Um, and this is how we create change. This is why we're here today talking about it
Warren Phillips: You can't reach millions of people. Like I would have to own a TV channel to get this kind of, uh, opportunity.
Julie Michelson: and then I don't even, you know, watch TV.
Warren Phillips: I, we watch very little.
Julie Michelson: yeah, it's very, very selective. Selective, um, which is how we, as you said, can and should be with our social media as well. And what I do love is you bring your message in a way that is so fun. Um, I shared before we hit record, I was chatting with my 24 year old on, as I was coming home from the clinic today and told her we were going to be recording and she was talking about, you know, one of your reels.
Julie Michelson: So I love your, you just. To me, this is, you're preaching to the choir when we talk, [00:11:00] this is such an important topic. Literally every person I work with, whether they have autoimmunity or not, has a toxic burden issue. Definitely if they have autoimmunity, they do. Um, and so it is a component, even if it's not, you know, it's never the only thing.
Julie Michelson: Um, but if we're not managing our toxins and doing that by getting educated and making good choices, um, you know, we're not going to heal. And I love, I have such a hard time picturing you, you know, overweight and shy. Um, you
Warren Phillips: Abnormally shot.
Julie Michelson: I'm not right. You, you are literally the, the picture of a, of a healthy male.
Julie Michelson: So, um, all of us can heal. That's how the body is designed. We, but we need to be, we really need to be diligent. So, uh, I'm excited to dig in. Um, and I know I promised I wasn't going to keep you for three hours, so [00:12:00] I want to just start with. What is new? Because you are, you are a researcher at heart. You are very science based.
Julie Michelson: And then again, you bring the fun in. And I know you're always ahead of the curve and, and bringing us new information, hopefully in a way that isn't scary. Um, because I know
Warren Phillips: to, but like the diaper one, I came out pretty hardcore. Cause there was a new study done on diapers and I just watched the video. I'm like, I came off a little angry in that one, right? Because I don't, never want to come off angry because I don't think that's going to serve, it'll serve maybe my audience, but it's not going to serve those who, yeah, they're going to be like, hmm, that guy's angry.
Warren Phillips: I'm not going to listen to that, even if he was. So I watched it. I'm like, darn it. But it was about diapers, right? And there's new 2023 or even 2024. It might, I can't remember, but I printed out the study and actually have the study in my hand when I do the video. But there's so many VOCs in, [00:13:00] um, inside of, uh, diapers, right?
Warren Phillips: Um, and that can cause respiratory issues, lead into asthma. Obviously, VOCs are, are toxic. They contain carcinogens, known, um, carcinogens.
Julie Michelson: volatile is the first word of VOCs,
Warren Phillips: Well, yeah volatile, but you know essential oils are volatile organic compounds too, right? And they have healing properties, but too much too, you know, but these are volatile bad toxins We're talking petroleum based volatile organic compounds VOC's and So that's to your points. Like I always try to come from my heart, but sometimes And and funny and make light because none of this is is out to shame, right?
Warren Phillips: Because I, I just had to work through all that stuff. I was raised Catholic and nothing wrong with Catholicism. Actually, the older I get, the more beauty you can see in some of the rituals and the meditative state that it creates, gets you into your God brain, if you will. So there's lots of beautiful things as you, as you heal in your age, you look at things, uh, not to [00:14:00] blame, but to learn, right?
Warren Phillips: That's two different mindsets. But what really shocked me Uh, and it really upset me and I, and I can't believe they're getting away with this, but fragrances, right? And this is a, something that I think will be really helpful to the moms out there is that fragrances, according to, I found another study as I was digging through all that research.
Warren Phillips: Is that there's a study that says that it's the unconsolable crying of a child Can be triggered and caused and I think it was something crazy like a 50 increase in this study from chemical fragrances Right, and they put them even in diapers to cover the poo smell But they all these fun scents that we're doing with our babies could be causing our little loved ones to cry And so how can these companies get away seeing that research?
Warren Phillips: You Putting chemical fragrance into, uh, the, the wipes and the diapers and maybe even the
Julie Michelson: it's, I feel like
Warren Phillips: or you have [00:15:00] perfume on as a mom and your baby's smells like perfume cause you hold them and they're just so annoyed from this chemical. Cause it's a neurotoxin, a known neurotoxin, a known carcinogen, but anyway, that's a new one.
Julie Michelson: Well, and that, okay, so we're gonna, we're gonna visit that rabbit hole a little bit. Um, and, and this is a very personal opinion, it's not, you know, it would be a disservice not to get angry because the angry, you know, that, you don't want to stay angry. We got to move through that. Um, but I find, even with.
Julie Michelson: And this isn't new. The baby study I have never heard of. Um, and it doesn't surprise me
Warren Phillips: No, it's not
Julie Michelson: because, because babies aren't filtering the reaction, right? They're just reacting. Um, it's not new news. The, the chemical fragrance is, is toxic. And what I have seen [00:16:00] is more and like they're putting fragrance and things, why
Warren Phillips: In food boxes, like
Julie Michelson: food boxes, Amazon packages, um, even literally a grocery bag, a plastic grocery bag scented.
Julie Michelson: Um, I don't understand the garbage
Warren Phillips: Well,
Julie Michelson: and it just smells like garbage and scent fragrance.
Warren Phillips: it's like, yeah, shit and fragrance. So here's the, here's the reason I believe why, right? Um, scents just like perfumes, chemical fragrances, artificial flavors, all manufactured by large billion dollar companies like gibbon, um, and they, they create them to be addictive. The taste. Right to be addictive the smell to be addictive So why do you think w has the w scent?
Warren Phillips: is because when you come there you experience that you smell that scent and [00:17:00] they hired a Chemical fragrance manufacturer to create a signature scent that they're like, hey, we want people to be addicted We want them to go home and smell the w scent and you can't get rid of that stuff Like it's it's you come home your brain shuts off.
Warren Phillips: You know, it can handle so many bits of information So you don't smell it as much you smell it, but it's You come home to your house and you set your, you set your baggage down, your, your bags from travel, and they reek. And you have to wash your clothes twice just to get it out, right? And if you wash one shirt from, that was sitting in the room with the W scent, it ruins your washer
Julie Michelson: load. Oh my gosh. That just happened to me. It wasn't a, it wasn't a W experience. We were in the UK and my beautiful human of a partner threw some laundry in at the Airbnb, which was, I mean, we want to talk about what you could see them. My, it was. We were in the UK in the winter. It was moldy. Um, and he didn't, he, I brought detergent [00:18:00] with me, but there was so much fragrance.
Julie Michelson: I literally, I got rid of the clothes. I had a brand new shirt. I'd worn it once. He washed it there. Could not get the smell out. I got rid of it. I just couldn't
Warren Phillips: would, it's, you wouldn't be able to for like four or five washings, and it would have been,
Julie Michelson: No,
Warren Phillips: you're going to enjoy your trip.
Julie Michelson: I tried. Well, no way. I tied the, you know, anyway, so sometimes it's not even a nice fragrance, but our olfactory sense is taught is the strongest tie to our memory.
Julie Michelson: That's why they're doing it. Right. So you may not even be conscious or aware of it, but when you walk back in, like you said, it's going to trigger that memory. Um, really, really powerful stuff and see, now I'm getting fired. Because
Warren Phillips: No problem. Let's go.
Julie Michelson: and I'll, I'll say this for listeners, if you're like, Oh yeah, you know, I, I had somebody just say to me two days [00:19:00] ago, Oh yeah, I asked, is she, is she sensitive to fragrance and chemicals?
Julie Michelson: And she said, I am, I noticed the older I get and I'm like, well, it's not really age is that your toxic burden is higher. Um, and so if you're someone who's listening and you're like, yeah, I'm sensitive, it's, this is why it's because it's, it's a toxin issue. Um, and.
Warren Phillips: of the big ones.
Julie Michelson: It is. And I, I, about myself, I'm a collector as well.
Julie Michelson: I, this is why we get along. Lead, mercury, mycotoxins, um, is my history. And, and I do, I look back and I'm like, I was that person who, you know, I had Pier 1 candles all over my house, like my poor kids when they were growing up.
Warren Phillips: It's a big, big change. Like if we're talking about like, if you want like a big one, get rid of all your candles, all your perfumes, all your Yankee candles, it's hard because going back to what you said before, they are addictive, they're designed to be. You love them because they designed them in a chemical manufacturer.
Warren Phillips: They beta [00:20:00] tested, they spent millions of dollars to make sure that you get addicted. So. If you want to be manipulated that way, you are, and that's your choice, because you love it, um, you enjoy it, but it's, it's not natural, and they're, they create them for you to be addictive, but the problem, the consequence of that, they carry phthalates with them, which are highly carcinogenic, carcinogenic, hormone disrupting, testosterone disrupting, endocrine disrupting, lead to, you know, infertility, like, right?
Warren Phillips: Uh, autoimmunity, like, I
Warren Phillips: And autoimmunity. So, um, and then the carcinogenic nature of, uh, these chemicals. So there's just really no upside besides you like it, so
Julie Michelson: and, but there are alternatives.
Warren Phillips: tons.
Julie Michelson: I like things that smell nice, also. I just use really clean essential oils. And it, you know, it can still make me feel really happy.
Warren Phillips: I agree.
Julie Michelson: it's good stuff. While I'm still charged up. So that [00:21:00] then I can settle down after this next topic. Um, I want to talk about greenwashing.
Julie Michelson: It's something that I've touched on really briefly before and, and I think that I know that listeners will get a lot of value hearing what you have to say. First of all, even just starting with what is greenwashing and why should we care?
Warren Phillips: Yeah. Greenwashing, uh, in a lot of respects is marketing. So the green movement has. Some great sides to it, right? But the Green Movement, people look at it and be like, Oh, the environment. Oh. And so they use that to their advantage. Because we're, I love talking on this topic because I'm talking to the kind hearted humans right now that care about animals, that care about the environment, that love people, that are sensitive, right?
Warren Phillips: And so a lot of the times they're not even doing it for health reasons. Their first initial thing is, wow, this is a green, environmentally friendly product. Wow. This is wonderful. So they're using greenwashing is persuading you that it's [00:22:00] environmentally friendly and non toxic yet. It may not be non toxic or environmentally friendly.
Warren Phillips: So let's look at not all method products. are horrible, but some of them are. Like if you go to EWG, they're derated. And there's a couple chemicals in there that are not environmentally friendly, are not non toxic, yet they're a green label, right? And they have in some of their products chemical fragrance, which is not green by any stretch of the imagination.
Warren Phillips: You can't say environmentally friendly and chemical fragrance in the same sentence. And especially with animals, right? I've had Glade plug ins with people that have birds multiple times and their birds don't sing. My birds don't sing. Take the canary out in the coal mine. Take the, the Glade freshener out.
Warren Phillips: Now my bird's tweeting again. Because it's messing with that bird's neurology. It's toxic to the environment. Right? When you're blowing, [00:23:00] uh, fragrance from your dryer sheets, out into your environment, um, even if it's the eco friendly ones and it's fragrance because they have those, right? They're eco friendly and they're green, but they contain fragrance and other chemicals.
Warren Phillips: So that's greenwashing. So it's, it's manipulating you, persuading you to buy something that at giving it the green label, putting the green on there, environmentally friendly, but it's not non toxic and it's not necessarily environmentally friendly. They might have some more environmentally friendly ingredients.
Warren Phillips: Um, but not all of them are, right? So that's the greenwashing movement. And then to add to that, it all comes down to marketing. They're trying to grab market share from people who want to help the environment. Right? So most of your big box stores, there is some good brands that make it into, uh, bigger grocery stores.
Warren Phillips: They're typically going to be on the bottom shelf. Um, some of them make it up depending on the brand. But
Julie Michelson: Or they get, you know, a foot of shelf space,
Warren Phillips: yeah, there's only one of their products [00:24:00] in there, because, but the greenwashing ones kind of do pretty well, because they have the money, they have the backing, and they're owned, um, typically they've been bought out, they started off, a lot of these companies started off green, environmentally friendly, yeah, and no, no preservatives, but you're talking self life, you're talking worldwide distribution, so of course we gotta add, you know, preservatives and toxins to keep this stuff shelf life, it's just no brainer for them, right?
Warren Phillips: I mean, how can they have Global domination, right? The CEOs, we're going to take over the, the, the cleaning movement. And there was a study done, um, just recently. It's a, might even been a 20, yeah, it was a 2024 study, uh, that they compared the green label products to standard cleaning products. And the amount of toxins and volatile organic compounds, once again, were the same same.
Warren Phillips: So, they're no better, but they're just using the green, the green label, the greenwashing. The study concluded that essentially they
Warren Phillips: shouldn't be able to do this. Yeah, so, they're no better, so we need to have better [00:25:00] regulations on this marketing and the things that they're doing, and it's, and it's, Green labeling, but not non toxic and what, and it comes down to market share, right?
Warren Phillips: So they're, they're attaching green and environmental, and you think you're doing the right thing for yourself, for your family, for your kids. You hear about these toxins, but if you flip it over and you can't understand the ingredients.
Julie Michelson: Thank you.
Warren Phillips: then you know right away that this, I don't understand this, this isn't transparent, this is confusing, and I see fragrance perfume run away.
Warren Phillips: If it says fragrance 100 percent derived from, you know, essential, you know,
Julie Michelson: But then it wouldn't even say fragrant. Like, they know better than to even use the word. That is one of my other huge, and this is why, and then I'll simmer down. This is, what you said is why this makes me angry. Because also from personal experience, but and clients coming in thinking they're using non toxic products, they fell for the marketing.
Julie Michelson: And it's [00:26:00] one thing if you're, if you're not there yet, and you're not paying attention, different, you know, but to try to capture. This part of the consumers that that is trying to make a good choice for their family and they're getting duped and and I did it for years. I used a product that, you know, a line that I thought was clean for my family because I was learning.
Julie Michelson: And, um, so that's why I get really, really upset and and to take it a step further. This is how far some of the companies go. They'll say essential oils on the front. And so they may have some essential oils in it. Turn it around because they also often have chemical
Warren Phillips: Shampoos are horrible at that. Because they're looking for a non fragrance, because people know fragrance. They see it on the front. That stops them. That got the yes, because we're busy. We're busy moms. We're busy dads. Oh, look at that. Or they put unscented. And unscented isn't fragrance free. Unscented has another chemical that covers the [00:27:00] scent.
Julie Michelson: say that again because people look at me like I have three heads when I say this. Because it just doesn't even make sense, but it's true.
Warren Phillips: it's, it's, it's labeling, marketing, you know, it's not fragrance free because they can't say that legally, but they can legally say unscented because they put a chemical to make it unscented. So it doesn't have the soap smell or the, the chemical soap smell. So they put in another chemical to neutralize the smell and they call it unscented.
Warren Phillips: And we think it's fragrance free. Again, we think we're doing something that's good for our families. My kid is sensitive to fragrances. I notice that they get a skin irritation or whatever, and it could, because fragrances do cause skin irritation, right? It's one of the, one of the side effects. Um, probably the phthalates or who knows, it could be, it could be 150 different chemicals that go into one concoction of a fragrance, right?
Julie Michelson: Right.
Warren Phillips: And so, you know, that's what we get. Like natural flavors. It's the catch all. Just don't [00:28:00] do it. It could be anything in
Warren Phillips: Yeah, I've gotten rid of all natural flavors and there are some good natural flavor companies out there that people put natural flavors But if you're really digging into that level you would say what that natural flavor is it derived from organic whatever you can label transparently, right And they're not so you, someone who's into it, a small company and all these companies that are out there, you, they will, they know, like, they're like us.
Warren Phillips: So they're like, I created this company because my daughter was sick. I was sick of the greenwashing and they took that energy, that anger, if you will, filtered it and, and channeled it into and fueled into something great. And that's what energy is like something bad happens to you. You, you're negative at first, and then you relabel that neutral happening to something positive.
Warren Phillips: It. So that's what sickness can be too. It can be your fuel, um,
Julie Michelson: To make the changes.
Warren Phillips: yep. And that's what, if you remove some toxins, you can get some energy, um,
Julie Michelson: I love it.
Warren Phillips: the energy back. Their energy robbers, uh, fragrance is a big one.
Julie Michelson: I, I want to always [00:29:00] end, end this part of the conversation on a positive note because what we just said could be really overwhelming for people because we just basically said, you know, you have to dig in and don't trust, you know, the labeling. So how, do you have a resource you recommend to people when
Warren Phillips: I mean, I, I think
Warren Phillips: EWG um, updates their database pretty good. Um, there's some good, uh, apps out there as well. I can't remember some of them. There's a couple really good ones.
Julie Michelson: I like, um, Yeah, YUKA, Y U K A, Y U K A is, is one that's a good one, YUKA. What I like about them is they give you alternatives, you know, like, oh, here's
Warren Phillips: I've been, actually, someone shared that app with me and they actually reached out to me. But I, I haven't looked into it and, but I've heard it a lot now. There was a guy that I was. I was working on my truck and he knew I was crazy because I was like, I need a non toxic glue.
Julie Michelson: Uh huh,
Warren Phillips: you don't have one.
Warren Phillips: I'm like, here's one that's carb, this certified, no VOC, da, da, da, da use this [00:30:00] glue. And he's like, you're really into this stuff. I'm like, yes, I am. You know? And he's like, you would like the UK app. Um, I just
Julie Michelson: you go.
Warren Phillips: I just scanned, what was it? That the little, uh, launchables. Oh, all these toxins that they don't even tell you that are in the Lunchables, right?
Warren Phillips: And I want to do a video on that. So you just reminded me that was
Julie Michelson: there you go.
Warren Phillips: idea trigger. I want to, I want to dig deep dive in Lunchables because moms are giving Lunchables and thinking that it's healthy. And again, it's easy.
Julie Michelson: Right.
Warren Phillips: You Well, and speaking of easy, so I too, I love EWG, um, as a, as another reference point, and they have an app as well. Um, I like personally, because unlike you, this stuff lights a fire under me and I know this is top priority for wellness, but I don't want to spend all day researching every product all the time.
Julie Michelson: And so [00:31:00] that's where back to EWG. I like companies that are EWG certified because, you know, they're not making this thing that's dirty and this thing that's clean. And, and I feel like
Warren Phillips: And the owner of Made Safe, I know her, she, she had a daughter that got sick and she was sick as a child as well, and so she created, she invested a lot of money, like, this isn't, um, a money maker for her, right? This is a mission and a passion, it's a non profit. Um, the amount of work. I wanted to do something similar and I'm like, wow, like after talking to her and hearing her story, um, looking at the path that she took, I'm like, this is a tough path and it's hard to get, you know, and she's not non toxic dad, right?
Warren Phillips: She's not, she, you know, she's not, uh,
Julie Michelson: a mom.
Warren Phillips: there. She's putting all of our time into creating, uh, this certification. And she's not marketing it, right? Although there's a lot of companies that are now using her and Marie's skin cares when it comes to mine. You could eat their stuff before it was made safe.
Warren Phillips:[00:32:00] But, um, there's just a lot of And I just happen to know them. They're a friend. I'm not affiliated by any, any means with any of these companies, but I think she does a good job and EWG does a good job and you know, X, Y, Z. Maybe I'll be doing a good job someday when I,
Julie Michelson: Well, and that's the beautiful thing is there are more and more resources that those of us lay people can use to check our products and to make good choices, but even simpler than that may help you find the clean thing, which might not be at your grocery store, your local grocery store, depending on where you live, just take Warren's first sentence, which is, Turn, turn it around, turn the box around, turn the bottle around and read the back and just don't fall for the marketing.
Julie Michelson: It's like, even with food, if it says, you know, natural or healthy or like, uh, uh, don't, don't do it. I literally saw vegetables labeled as vegan. I'm not even kidding you. And like, okay.
Warren Phillips: they're [00:33:00] trying, cause it's a buzzword right now. Right. And that's why there's, there's big battles online and, you know, it's silly to me. It's a big waste of energy. And, you know, so the other thing, the other tip that I like to think about, if you couldn't drink that product. Um, and not make you sick then.
Warren Phillips: So think about that. That's the standard. If you can look at it and it says, uh, well, some of these like lip bombs have, you know, a poison warning on them, right? You couldn't eat it.
Julie Michelson: Well, or toothpaste. Talk about poison warnings. We put so if you can't eat it, there's better options out there for you, especially if it has a poison warning label, like, this stuff can kill you, um, and it can, just don't do it.
Warren Phillips: Why would you put it on your body? Like, it makes no sense. Why would you spray it on your, you know, uh, to clean, right? When you can use vinegar and baking soda for abrasive, you can just use your eggshells and grind them up in a blender, like, You can save yourself all this money and time and then you're [00:34:00] they're lying to you.
Warren Phillips: So just make your own stuff. D Y I for do it yourself. D I Y. Uh, I always mix that up. My Y and my
Julie Michelson: It sounded right to me. I'm glad you, well,
Warren Phillips: that's all we use, right? Is, is vinegar and vinegar and water and my house smells like vinegar. You can boil some lemon peels or in there and to get rid of that.
Warren Phillips: So it's, it's, It is the, it is the place to go. And I could drink that, right? It'd be a nice vinegar
Julie Michelson: Yeah. Well, and I have an aversion to the smell of vinegar. So that, so for those that are listening, that are like me, you're never going to be DIYing with vinegar. Can you do, have you tried like boiling lemon and
Julie Michelson: I just, um, I use a product called lavender hydrosol, and it's that I and you can use it from counter to floor everywhere. And I love it.
Julie Michelson: And so,
Warren Phillips: is it create an oxidative [00:35:00] reaction species? Cause you're saying hydrosol. I'm thinking that it has some sort of oxidizer in it
Julie Michelson: oh, I don't know, I might ask you to dig into that for me. I, you know, I sort I've been to the lavender farm that makes. this product. Um, and so see, and even that's the other thing. Sometimes it's a swing and a miss. So now I'm gonna, you know, find out more about that. You may get me to use vinegar yet. We'll see.
Julie Michelson: But there are companies out there. If you are not a DIY or I made my own detergent one time, it didn't work well. It was not good. This was also probably 15 years ago. Um, so I, I'm not great at the DIY. That's, that's not my,
Warren Phillips: Yeah, we, we, we do it just on the cleaning product for the
Julie Michelson: Well, and I think it, which is awesome. But the good news is for those of us that aren't, that aren't doing it.
Julie Michelson: Um, we, there are companies out there that, that have good products.
Warren Phillips: And vinegar smell is real. That's real. That's real for [00:36:00] people.
Julie Michelson: Well, and the funny thing is, I love, you know, balsamic, I cook with vinegar, apple cider vinegar. I'll use balsamic sometimes, but, um, I just, the white vinegar, I can't do it. Never clean, I couldn't clean my coffee pot with it back when I used to use a plastic coffee pot, those days. Um,
Warren Phillips: We all did. We all
Julie Michelson: right? So, uh, in light of we, we kind of dangled and you did share the, the diaper study with us.
Julie Michelson: Um, other new research. I live in Colorado. Um, so, you know, Colorado kind of led the whole legalization of marijuana, and I don't know about where you live, but it's very widely used here. Um, you have, you have some information for if anybody is using marijuana products that I think is really interesting and important.
Warren Phillips: Yeah, this, this goes back to my heavy metal remediation days and it, it really was great information because I really understood the [00:37:00] study and multiple studies that I read. Um, I spent several hours, um, deep diving in this, but a, a headline caught me, um, the other day and because I get fed, Google feeds me research because it hears my phone and, uh, because of social media, you know, I'm now getting fed stuff that, that actually helps.
Warren Phillips: Which is good. I don't get, I just get all science. It's so fun. And that heavy metals were showing up in the blood of people. I think if you smoked, uh, or just used marijuana twice a month, they were showing elevated levels of lead and some mercury and some other heavy metals in users versus non users.
Warren Phillips: Because most people, unless you're eating sushi or, you know, eating heavy metal, uh, contaminated products, you're not going to have heavy metal showing up in your blood because you'll go to your, I was at my, my functional medicine doctor said I was, I'm lead poisoned and they take a blood work and they say you have no lead.
Julie Michelson: Not in your blood.
Warren Phillips: It's not in your blood, it's in your cells, it's in your bones, right? So the wrong test. [00:38:00] So to see that like
Julie Michelson: So circulating. Wow.
Warren Phillips: finding these elevated levels in the blood of marijuana users. So this would go for hemp as well, right? If it's even, if this goes past. Uh, just marijuana, but it would go into hemp and oils and CBD and all that, right?
Warren Phillips: Um, the study wasn't didn't target that but what's
Julie Michelson: Coming from the same plants. So
Warren Phillips: yeah So marijuana is a heavy metal sequester or sequestering. They sequester heavy metals That's the scientific term It's sequesters heavy metals and there's plants that we used to use in environmental cleanup on a contaminated mine We'd grow certain plants That would suck up the heavy metals and sequester and soak them up.
Warren Phillips: And then you would take that and then you would move that to a class, uh, hazardous waste landfill where those heavy metals just get moved away from the soil and the environment and into a place where it's safe, where it's dry and water isn't seeping through it and [00:39:00] contaminating waterways like it would in, uh, abandoned mines are always around, uh, especially turn of the century, abandoned mines are always around streams.
Warren Phillips: So what they use marijuana for and hemp is to sequester and soak up heavy metals.
Warren Phillips: So, take Colorado for instance, if, and this is an agricultural issue, really it comes down to that.
Warren Phillips: There's elevated levels of toxic heavy metals in marijuana, and if they're not showing you the results, and if you're not asking for the COAs, Certificate of Analysis, COAs, um, that they're low heavy metals, they're loaded and you don't even know it. They could be even over Prop 65, I don't know. I mean, but heavy metals and marijuana go together, right?
Warren Phillips: And here's the other thing. I mean, They hybridized marijuana to be better at sucking up heavy metals in hemp, right? Because it's fast growing, it can grow on contaminated soils, it can grow, it'll still grow, and a lot of plants won't grow on toxic heavy metal contaminated soil, the plants can't handle it.
Warren Phillips: hemp can
Julie Michelson: Oh.[00:40:00]
Warren Phillips: so they bred them for that and then those strains that grow really well that you can grow anywhere of course growers are using these strains to make their products and now you have heavy metal heavy metal contamination in the supply chain and if you're in colorado a mining state that's growing a ton of this stuff it's soaking up heavy metals and they're not testing i mean maybe organic farms i don't know they get to do some testing but they're if you're not testing the soils and it has heavy metals in it That's getting into those plants.
Warren Phillips: That's getting into the supply chain. And unfortunately, in the presence of heavy metals, it's all going to collect in the stems, the leaves, the flower, all of it. So it's bad news.
Julie Michelson: It is bad news. And the, what do I do about it? If I use any kind of hemp or marijuana products, you answered that already. I just want to circle back for listeners using products that have a certificate of analysis that, that have third party tests, you know, you want to know.
Warren Phillips: And the, and the people that are, [00:41:00] um, dishonest, what they'll say is, um, I, sorry, I cannot share that information with you, but we hold to the highest standards, um, of analysis and safety for our clients. So they'll have this canned legal answer. But if they're doing it right and they understand hemp growers know this right true Hemp growers that are trying to help people with their products They have organic farms.
Warren Phillips: They're doing it right. They know that hemp does this. They probably chose a strain that doesn't suck. They all suck, not suck. They all sequester, uh, or soak up heavy metals,
Julie Michelson: That's going to be the name of the podcast episode. They all suck, but it's the nature of the plant
Warren Phillips: it is the
Warren Phillips: nature of you're saying. So the difference between somebody in it for the money, it's the back to the same, right. It is
Warren Phillips: I think in this particular case, they just don't know, right? Um, you know, I think a lot of it is they don't know unless you're really into this, right? Like a lot of people in the supplement [00:42:00] space, they have, they're trusting the manufacturer. They're not doing extra analysis like I do. I have non toxic, you know, project certified products that I would take that knows there's no heavy metals or whatever.
Warren Phillips: They're just, they're just getting a product and kind of doing commerce and they might. They love the green, right? They get benefits from it, you know, it's great. But it is sad for somebody who's, say, a cancer patient, is using it for management. Um, could be getting, uh, heavy metals that, um, not help them.
Warren Phillips: Because these things are carcinogenic, so it's, if you're into it, if you're doing it specially for health reasons, I would 100%, and you're eating it, you're not smoking it, it. Uh, you know, these companies that are good, they'll let you know. They'll like,
Warren Phillips: here's the certificate of analysis. Yes, we understand that most hemps are full of heavy metals.
Warren Phillips: Ours isn't. This is what we've done. Those are the people you want to purchase from.
Julie Michelson: Love it. Such amazing information. Um, because, and, and again, timely and for me, um, [00:43:00] and I,
Warren Phillips: about, you're just about to go fire up a bowl, I
Julie Michelson: No, God,
Warren Phillips: I'm teasing! You said timely that's awesome
Warren Phillips: softball.
Julie Michelson: because, because it is, you know, more people than ever are using, especially even like edibles and the, and again, it's fine, the clean ones. Um, and like you said, especially if you're using it for health, it's the same, same concept, you know, do your homework.
Julie Michelson: And like you said, if they can't share with you, then. Don't spend your dollars there.
Warren Phillips: Yeah, especially CBD companies. They, they're supplement companies. They have to follow CGMP. I don't know the marijuana industry. I don't know, you know, medical marijuana or distribution through, you know, uh, pharmacies or whatever, right? That's not my jam. I'm not a, I'm not a big user. Um, so I don't know any of that stuff, but I know in the supplement industry, they do have to follow CGMP.
Warren Phillips: So they're at least getting tests. So they're getting them done, right? Whether they're good or [00:44:00] bad, you know, cause it's, it's actually subjective. So the standards are pretty loose and it's a subjective. That's close enough like eight parts per million Um lead that's that's fine, but that's way too much in my opinion, right if it's if it's above This is where I love prop 65 because there's no safe levels levels of lead There's none
Julie Michelson: Well,
Julie Michelson: because all being exposed to it.
Warren Phillips: And so you you bioaccumulate this stuff So prop 65 is set up and we'll end with this Is that they're assuming that you're getting it from multiple sources So they make that number really small to keep you safe, right? Especially children So they did a really good job when they thought that one through it is it's tough For probably a hemp grower because hemp naturally has a lot of heavy metals So they're gonna they have to be super careful, right?
Warren Phillips: So you're not gonna get yeah, so you're not gonna get zero But there's people out there, and you're hearing this, you can find growers, um, and suppliers that really do a good job with this stuff. And, and some of the distilling process would take some of that out too, so I [00:45:00] think CBD is gonna be lower, um, because there is, is distilling that's happening, right?
Warren Phillips: So some of that's gonna, gonna get out.
Julie Michelson: And you want, again, companies that are going to share their testing and companies that are, that are continuously testing, um, and not, and again, third party, like I, Even people I love and trust, you know, don't, don't, I don't want to see a, a study published by a pharmaceutical company about their product.
Julie Michelson: You know, you really want objective data for sure.
Warren Phillips: Amen. I agree.
Julie Michelson: But good stuff. We could talk for another five hours, but I promised I wouldn't. I would love to have you said three. Now it's five. You're having a good time.
Julie Michelson: What exciting projects do you have coming up? What are you working on these days?
Warren Phillips: Well, the fun thing is, is, um, I'll be, I'm speaking at the Biohack Your Beauty event. That'll probably be, um, in LA. So that's fun getting on some big [00:46:00] podcasts, um, with, uh, like, uh, Brian Goldstein's podcast and Squints. Remember Squints? From, uh, Sandlot. Everyone loves Squints, he was so cute. Um, so, nostalgic for me.
Warren Phillips: He's, he's, I guess he's still pretty cute. Um, so getting on to bigger podcasts, so that's fun, getting the message out, like, uh, on not necessarily health podcasts. Being able to share this information has been an honor. Uh, Health Experts Alliance coming up, gonna do that. Dr. Pedram Shojai, yeah, Dr. Pedram Shojai and I, um, are releasing a docu series called Home Sick Home.
Warren Phillips: You can, by the time this airs, uh, get a free viewing of that for the, for the debut. Um, homesickhome. com, so that's gonna be fun, uh, really well done, uh, by an HBO guy that sits on the board of the writer bill that actually is the president, so it's really well scripted and impactful, um, when it comes to home toxins and mold and VOCs, I did a piece here in my home, so, uh, we're just getting the word out, [00:47:00] so that's why, you know, I love being on podcasts and going to events, I don't like traveling.
Warren Phillips: Um, but, uh, when I do it, I do it for impact. I'm actually doing a. Um, another, um, touring some homes from the Million, million Dollar listing, um,
Warren Phillips: with Bobby. Um, one of the guys on that. So we're gonna do a piece together. So we're doing a lot of things. I have a new book, um, that I'm writing that should be coming out in the next couple months, so we're full steam ahead and, and really trying to educate, you know, once I found.
Warren Phillips: That, uh, there was traction, um, through this educational process and people were getting their lives changed and thanking me. That, that fuels all of us, right? We get a positive feedback loop. Like, saying, you're a good mom, Julie, you know? Or, you know what I mean? It's like, it feels good. I am a good mom. I am doing a good job, right?
Warren Phillips: Because we, we need to encourage each other. And I, and I love the positive feedback. Got plenty of haters. Um, I you're doing something good,
Warren Phillips: And no, I just, I don't even call, I shouldn't call them havers. I have people who
Julie Michelson: non believers.[00:48:00]
Warren Phillips: And that's okay. That's part of the, that's part of the energy flow. And I appreciate them being honest and sharing, you know, their belief, you know, as I'm sharing mine, you know, cause I, they have that, right.
Warren Phillips: I love that. So lots of
Julie Michelson: but yours is science based,
Warren Phillips: Well, everyone can, everyone can twist the
Julie Michelson: you're good. You're like, yes, it's so true. So true.
Warren Phillips: and even health, even health guys like me, um, are capable of it, right? So we all are. So it's, we hold each other accountable.
Julie Michelson: So we get checks and balances. This is, this is why we build community. It's a good thing.
Warren Phillips: Amen.
Julie Michelson: Warren, in your vast array of knowledge, what is one step that listeners can take starting today to improve their health,
Warren Phillips: Um, you know, I, every time someone asks me this question, I try not to say this because it's, it's not even a toxin. It's, it's, it's you. It's, if you want to live a non toxic lifestyle, you really have to get honest with yourself. Um, and, [00:49:00] and love yourself too. Cause I think we have to find good reasons to make the changes.
Warren Phillips: So there's so many of us. It'll make a lot of excuses not to make these changes. It's overwhelming. It's, or they'll say it's fear mongering. It really doesn't matter. But in your heart of hearts, you know that these changes could help, right? And you're scared, right? And if you can get to a place. Um, and you're hearing this and it's like, and you can listen from an objective standpoint and bring this information in and not boo hoo it and not, uh, get angry about it, right?
Warren Phillips: And just be like, look, I'm going to listen to what this guy has to say and I'm going to implement one thing this week. Right? And I'm going to love myself and that's to help me and my family do better and find a good reason to do it. Um, don't find an excuse not to do it. Find a solution and how it's going to benefit your life and attach a positive outcome.
Warren Phillips: Like, I'm removing all my fragrances by the end of this date. And set a date, else you won't do it. Right, so if you get overwhelmed, um, I, there's a lot of [00:50:00] psychology when it comes into making change. And this is change. And it's hard change. And it's a never ending change and like, Oh my God, another thing. I saw another video, non toxic dad just canceled that.
Warren Phillips: And I don't mean it to be fearful. I meant it just to dial it in. It might be something you want to do. It might not be something. And if it's a big one, I'm going to tell you, I'm like, this is a big one. Like fragrances is a big one. It's a big needle mooter in your life. And don't get overwhelmed. If you can do one change a week, even one change a month, you're going to see improvement.
Warren Phillips: Energy is going to come back online, your mitochondria, hormones, testosterone, better decision making, all that. So don't get overwhelmed, make small changes, love yourself enough to make those changes and be open up, open minded enough to take those steps towards a non toxic lifestyle.
Julie Michelson: I love it. I knew your one thing was going to encompass a lot. Amazing. And in case people didn't catch on already, for those that are listening on the go, where's the best place to find you?
Warren Phillips: Non toxic [00:51:00] dad is everywhere, um, all over social. So just non toxic dad, all social platforms. Um, Instagram is, uh, probably the one that's the biggest for me, but also TikTok, YouTube on shorts and, um, Facebook is actually growing as well.
Julie Michelson: Amazing. Warren, thank you so much for sharing so much gold with us today.
Warren Phillips: The honor was mine. I can't wait to see you in a few weeks.
Julie Michelson: Well, it's coming up fast. Time is flying. For everyone listening. Remember you can get the transcripts and show notes by visiting inspired living dot show. I hope you had a great time and enjoyed this episode as much as I did and maybe listen to it again because there's a lot. [00:52:00]
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Connect with Warren Phillips
Warren Phillips
Warren Phillips, M.S., the Non-Toxic Dad, is a social movement that educates individuals to choose a non-toxic lifestyle. A passionate and energetic individual, he lives by his words and works tirelessly to educate the world about avoiding and removing toxins. Non-Toxic Dad has reached and impacted over 100,000 million people in the last year.
During the first 9 + years of his career, Warren worked as a published scientist and Environmental Consultant, cleaning and evaluating chemical and heavy metal impacts on human health and the environment. This work exposed him to these toxins, and he eventually fell ill with an "unexplainable illness." The symptoms, including chronic pain, weight gain, and anxiety, were so severe that he struggled to find a reason to live. But he refused to give up on himself.
After exploring alternative and natural methods of heavy metal detoxification, dietary changes, cellular support, and restoring his health, Warren became ignited with a passion for helpi
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