Lauren is a friend and the health guru behind the incredible blog and business Lauren Living Healthy. I first met Lauren through a friend and I kid you not we spent no less than 4 hours chatting like high school girls about all things health at home. After following her for the last couple of years, and soaking up all her insightful knowledge bombs, I knew it was time again to let her inspire all of you.
I am personally awestruck by all the ways I am learning every day to eat cleaner and detox my life. The things I have learned from Lauren, you just can’t unlearn. As you know, my Year of Clear is gonna look a lot greener and cleaner. My house may be pretty organized, but it is totally clean? That remains to be seen.
Hopefully, Lauren and I will start that podcast we’ve been talking about or at least be guests on each others’, but for now, I wanted to pick her brain about clean kitchen hacks, and what we need to know now.
Without further ado, meet Lauren.
Okay, Lauren, what is your full name, title, and location?
Lauren Rashap, Certified Nutritionist and creator of the Eco Home Detox, LA
I talk a lot about healthy kitchens and I am not only referring to food. In your professional opinion, what are the most important components of a healthy kitchen?
A kitchen is only as healthy as its contents. Every kitchen makeover we do at Lauren Living Healthy is based on my “Clean Kitchen Pyramid,” which includes food, tools, cleaning supplies and storage.
Food
- Remove “Fake foods”: canned foods with BPA, sugar-laden cereals and snacks, inflammatory cooking oils, sauces and seasonings with MSG or HFCS, condiments with harmful preservatives, hidden sugars and soy, inflammatory vegetable oils and trans-fats, conventional produce on the dirty dozen list, processed foods and snacks.
- Replace with real, unadulterated and unprocessed, organic fruits and veggies, pastured eggs.
Tools
- Remove unsafe, leaching cookware and plastic cooking tools, Teflon or most non-stick pots and pans, single-use disposable silverware, plates, and napkins.
- Replace with water filtration system, cast-iron pans, efficient appliances.
Cleaning Supplies
- Remove hazardous cleaning supplies.
- Replace with safe, non-toxic soaps and sprays for dishwashers, countertops, and surfaces.
Storage
- Remove hormone-disrupting plastic-containers, baggies, BPA baby bottles, water bottles, drinking bottles.
- Replace with glass
What are the weirdest things you’ve found in a kitchen?
Spices in the pantry that were 10 years past their expiration date. Many people don’t realize that spices are medicine and just like any other med, they can go bad. Worse, when they do or when they are housed in plastic and exposed to heat, they can become toxic in the body.
Why do you think kitchen clutter accumulates?
Much of the commercial food, products, and appliances we buy are unnecessary, unconscious impulse buys and potentially harmful to our health over time. I think we all get caught up in collecting the latest time-saving gadgets and appliances, some we never use and some we really don’t need. Surprisingly, most kitchens we enter have major countertop clutter with an average of 4-6 appliances cluttering their counters, most of which are rarely used.
What are the weirdest things you’ve found in a kitchen?
Hair color in the pantry!
What healthy kitchen tips would you share with the world if you only had three to share?
- Vinegar cleans windows better than Windex.
- Ban plastic water bottles from your home.
- Store your produce in parchment bags.
What are your top two organizing tips?
- Unplug and store appliances not in use to reduce electromagnetic fields (EMF) activity in the kitchen while creating uncluttered countertops.
- Decant milk and juice into glass bottles, the old fashioned way.
Wow. These are such great tips to kick start our Year of Clear. I know I am amped to get back in my own kitchen and do an overhaul of potential toxins.
If you’ve got more questions for Lauren, leave them in the comments below. Be sure to follow her on socials @laurenrashap. We’re so excited to inspire you to get organized while becoming more conscious at home. Cheers to a healthy and happy 2020!
Guest Contributor: Lauren Rashap, C.N.
Certified Clinical Nutritionist
Certified Yoga/Meditation
Eco Detox Consultant
Private Chef Placement
Author/Speaker/Moderator
www.laurenlivinghealthy.com
Follow me on Instagram @laurenrashap and Facebook Lauren Rashap at Lauren Living Healthy
