In this edition we discuss:
Its NOT Just About Where your Food Comes From
France bans (most) Forever Chemicals
Rising Toxicity and the Threat to Capitalism
The Healthy Home Show Podcast
Upcoming Events
Discount Codes
It’s been such a crazy last few months, that I totally missed getting the March Newsletter out so I am making up for that with a bit of an extended newsletter for this April edition.
It was such fun speaking at the Ideal Home Show that I got distracted lol! It was fantastic meeting lots of other wonderful designers and presenters. Thanks to all those who turned up and who chatted with me after my talks: it’s always great to meet other Healthy Home enthusiasts!
It’s Not Just About Where Your Food come from — It’s How It’s Packaged Too
So, let’s get stuck into what’s been dominating my thoughts this month!
As much as I try and promote a predominantly plant-based diet. I recognise that there are some of us for whom a vegan diet doesn’t work well for, myself included.
But, if you’re a meat eater, it’s no longer enough to simply think about where your meat is sourced from. We also have to consider how it’s transported and packaged. In the past few weeks, a concerning report came out about Whole Foods, revealing that a large number of microplastics had been found in their steak. It transpired that the contamination hadn’t come from the cow’s environment, but rather from the plastic used during the transportation and packaging process.
This is something we often overlook — assuming that if the animal was raised responsibly, that’s the end of the story. But the journey from abattoir to shelf matters just as much. It’s why I love supporting my local butcher on Northdown Road in Margate. They use only unbleached paper to wrap their meat. The animal doesn’t come into contact with plastic at any point. It’s a small change that makes a huge difference.
France bans (most) forever chemicals
On a more hopeful note, France just introduced a ban on a group of endocrine-disrupting chemicals, which is a fantastic and much-needed step forward. The regulation comes into effect in 2026, and while it’s not perfect (they missed an opportunity to ban certain types of cookware after lobbying pressure), it’s a real sign of progress and a reminder of what’s possible when public health is put first.
In contrast, I also came across disturbing images recently of cows labelled as “grass-fed” being force-fed grass in confined, unnatural environments. This is a far cry from the image most of us have in mind of cows freely roaming in open green pastures. Labelling is one thing, but real transparency is something else entirely.
And let’s not forget – plastic packaging isn’t just a meat issue. It’s everywhere. I saw bananas individually wrapped in plastic the other day. Bananas! Already wrapped by nature in a perfectly good peel. It’s just one example of the needless plastic waste we encounter daily. It’s why I always encourage people to buy their fruit and vegetables loose whenever possible. It’s also why I support organic veg box schemes like Riverford Organics, which do a brilliant job of delivering high-quality produce with minimal plastic.
When it comes to storing food at home, the same rules apply — choose glass over plastic wherever you can. There’s growing concern over how much plastic we’re unknowingly consuming. Some studies suggest we’re ingesting the equivalent of a credit card’s worth of plastic every week, and that number is only rising.
And it’s not just in our food. A study from as long ago as 2008 highlighted the impact of plastic in clothing on fertility. Researchers found that when they put polyester synthetic pants on dogs, their fertility rates dropped dramatically. There seems to be a worrying link between the huge drops in fertility we have seen over the last decade and when women started to live in yoga pants all day.
Rising Toxicity and the threat to Capitalism
In fact, I watched a video recently featuring an investor named Jeremy Grantham who shared a startling projection with the interviewer Nate Hagens : If we continue on our current toxic path, we may lose the ability to conceive naturally at all by 2050, due to a combination of falling testosterone levels and increasing exposure to harmful environmental chemicals.
He was drawing a distinct link between toxins and the fall of capitalism which was a bit of an eye-opener and the first time I have ever heard someone extend our toxicity crisis to our financial system….’The Toxicity crisis could cause the next economic crash’ .. he concludes.
All of this is a powerful reminder that our choices matter — from the food we buy and how it’s packaged, to the materials we wear and use in our homes. We are surrounded by synthetic materials and chemical exposure on a daily basis, often without realising it. But there are steps we can take, and awareness is the first one.
If you’re looking for some guidance on the changes you can make to minimise your exposure to these toxins on your home and lifestyle, Get in Touch!
Send me a message here Charlie Lemmer – WELL AP Faculty BA (Hons) or email me at hello@charlielemmer.com
Or
The Healthy Home Show Podcast
Season 2 of The Healthy Home Podcast is almost drawing to a close but you can still get access to all the episodes we recorded with leading experts in Wellness Design, Healthy Homes and Sustainability last year.
Here are a selection of the Key Takeaways from a few of the Season 1 episodes but please go to the Apple or Spotify links of the show and you’ll find the entire catalogue.
Previously on The Healthy Home Show ….
Katie Brumley , Organise to Thrive, Decluttering for a Healthier Home & Mind – Read the Key Takeaways
Lars Tewes , Clean Living, Creating a Healthy Home Microbiome – Read the Key Takeaways
Katherine Russell , Director of John Lewis BTR, Building Wellness into Rental Living –Read the Key Takeaways
Jemima Hartshorn , Founder – Mums For Lungs Campaign, The Fight For Cleaner Air – Read the Key Takeaways
Claire Davis and James Davis of The Midlife Mentors , Strategies for Midlife Mastery – Read the Key Takeaways
Emma Hames, Director & Producer of the Documentary – Toxsick
Frven LIM, Author of ‘Happier Architects’
My upcoming guests include:
Marci Kenon, Toxins Educator Extraordinaire
Joost Vogelaar , Aquatru Water Filters
Events
It’s not just the weather that is hotting but the events calendar too! Here is a quick rundown of the main events coming up over the next few months if you’re into Health, Interior Design and Non-Toxic Living!
Watercooler
This event focuses on Wellbeing and Health within the Workplace and runs on 7-8 May. I won’t be speaking at the event so I will be available for plenty of coffees! Let me know if you’re thinking of attending and lets connect!
Clerkenwell Design Week
One of my favourite events of the year! It has such a fun line-up of free talks and workshops to attend and is a great opportunity to rub shoulders with other designers. The dates are 20th, 21st and 22nd May.… hope to see you there!
UKREiiF
It’s a bit of a calendar clash for me as this event runs at the same time as Clerkenwell Design Week BUT if you’re more interested in the future of our housing and hearing from the developers and architects rather than designers, this is the event for you.
The Journal of Biophilic Design
I had the honour of contributing to the 13th edition of the wonderful publication The Journal of Biophilic Design the other month. I am hoping the discount code still works for this month but its such a beautiful magazine, it’s really worth checking out!
For the CHILDHOOD issue I wrote a section entitled “Ensuring a Healthy Home Environment for Children to Thrive”
10% discount code for 2025: 10SUBS
The Journal of Biophilic Design
I had the honour of contributing to the 13th edition of the wonderful publication The Journal of Biophilic Design this month.
For the CHILDHOOD issue I wrote a section entitled “Ensuring a Healthy Home Environment for Children to Thrive”
10% discount code for 2025: 10SUBS
U.S. Toxins Summit
The date for the Toxins Summit has now been pushed back to September. I’m super excited to be taking part in this summit alongside toxin experts and legends such as Darin Olien and Robert Lustig . Learn how to Optimise your Health and Minimise your Exposure to Toxins that are everywhere in our Homes and Environment in this upcoming Summit with Marci Kenon . Stay Tuned for the event details which I we will be released shortly and tune in to my podcast episode with Marci NEXT WEEK that will be discussing the highlights of the summit , amongst other toxic topics!
Discount Codes
Everybody loves a bargain! here are some current discount codes for some of my favourite products that I use everyday to optimise my home and health..
Evolve Beauty– Beauty gifts are probably THE most popular gift at any time of year. I have mentioned how much I love EVOLVE, so many times, not just for the quality for their products but also for the thought that goes into their packaging and minimising waste as much as possible.
At the checkout use the code – THEHEALTHYHOMETEAM
Clean Living – if you listened to my recent podcast interview with Lars Tewes from Clean Living, you would no doubt be convinced by the wonders of Probiotic Cleaners and how they need only clean better but are so much better for our health and the environment. Its the future of cleaning so get your discount by booking through this link …
Go to their website – Clean Living
or by using the following code at Checkout
CHARLIELEMMERNEW5
EMF Protection UK – If you have followed my podcast or newsletter for a while, you will know I talk a lot about the concern that I feel we should all have around the increasing levels of technology in our day to day lives. BUT, its unlikely that anyone is dumping their mobile phone or laptop anytime soon. Therefore, its super important that we protect ourselves from the excessive radiation from wifi and other technology as much as possible.
You can get a 10% DISCOUNT with the code – CHARLIE10
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As we embark on this journey together, let’s embrace 2025 as the year we reclaim our health, reconnect with nature, and redesign our spaces to truly support the lives we want to live.
Here’s to a year filled with vibrant health, inspired living, and gorgeous, green spaces!
Thanks so much for your support in subscribing to this Newsletter. I wanted to celebrate reaching 500 subscribers in some social media posts last month but as we sailed passed that landmark already, I’ll celebrate it here! Thank you for subscribing!
I want to make sure that I am covering topics that are of interest to you. So, if there is anything particular you would like to get more information on or any specific guest you would like to learn from on The Healthy Home Show, let me know via email at hello@charlielemmer.com.
Be WELL
Charlie x
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