After over a decade of working with clients and diving deep into root cause clues, I’ve completely transformed how I approach daily wellness choices.
These aren’t just trendy health hacks—they’re evidence-based shifts that have made a profound difference in my own health and the health of thousands of clients I’ve worked with.
Some of these might surprise you. A few might make you uncomfortable. But they all represent a fundamental shift in how I think about supporting my body’s natural processes instead of working against them.
Ready? Let’s dive in.
1. Wear Underwear to Bed
I know this might sound unconventional, but here’s what the research shows: wearing underwear to bed increases moisture and heat in the vaginal area, creating the perfect environment for harmful bacteria and yeast to thrive. This significantly increases your risk for yeast overgrowth, bacterial imbalances, and UTIs.
Your vaginal microbiome is incredibly intelligent and actually wants to reset during sleep, just like the rest of your body systems. The beneficial bacteria need proper airflow and pH balance to maintain optimal function. When you trap moisture and heat with tight-fitting underwear, you’re disrupting this natural process.
My approach: I let everything breathe at night. Your microbiome will thank you, and you’ll likely notice fewer issues and irritation over time.
2. Get Mammograms
This is a topic I’ve researched extensively, and the data is eye-opening. While conventional medicine promotes mammograms as the gold standard, there are significant concerns about radiation exposure, compression trauma, and false positive rates that aren’t discussed openly.
The cumulative radiation exposure from annual mammograms can potentially contribute to increased risk, particularly in women with dense breast tissue or certain genetic variations. Additionally, the compression required raises questions about potential effects on existing abnormal cells through lymphatic channels.
Better alternatives I explore with clients: Thermography offers a radiation-free option that detects metabolic changes. Ultrasound and MRI provide detailed imaging without radiation exposure. These approaches focus on different detection mechanisms while avoiding potential concerns associated with radiation.
Important note: This is educational information only. Always discuss screening options with your healthcare provider based on your individual risk factors and health history.
3. Brush Teeth After Meals
This goes against everything we were taught, but dental research has evolved significantly. When you eat, especially acidic or sugary foods, your tooth enamel temporarily softens as your mouth’s pH changes. Brushing immediately after eating can actually abrade this softened enamel, leading to increased sensitivity and enamel erosion over time.
Your saliva naturally neutralizes acids and begins remineralizing your teeth within 30-60 minutes after eating. This is your body’s brilliant natural protection system.
My new protocol: I brush before meals when possible, or wait at least 30 minutes afterward. This protects my enamel while still maintaining oral hygiene. If I need fresh breath immediately after eating, I rinse with water or use a natural mouthwash instead.
4. Sleep on Top Floors of Hotels
This is all about electromagnetic field (EMF) exposure. Most hotels install cell towers and transmission equipment on their roofs to provide better connectivity for guests. The closer your room is to this equipment, the higher your exposure to radiofrequency radiation.
While research on EMF health effects is still evolving, there’s growing evidence that chronic exposure may disrupt sleep quality, affect hormone production, and contribute to cellular stress. Since sleep is when our bodies repair and detoxify, I prioritize creating the cleanest sleep environment possible.
My travel strategy: I always request lower floors, ideally the second or third floor. I also travel with an EMF meter to check radiation levels in my room and use airplane mode on devices whenever possible.
5. Wash My Face With Traditional Cleansers
Conventional face washing strips away your skin’s natural protective barrier—the acid mantle—which is crucial for maintaining healthy pH balance and protecting against harmful bacteria. This often triggers your skin to overproduce oil, leading to more breakouts, enlarged pores, and accelerated aging.
Your skin has its own microbiome that needs to be supported, not destroyed. Harsh cleansers disrupt this delicate ecosystem, often making skin problems worse rather than better.
My gentler approach: I do an oil cleanse first to dissolve makeup and pollution, followed by a raw honey cleanse. Oil actually dissolves oil-based impurities without disrupting the skin barrier, while raw honey has antimicrobial properties and helps maintain proper pH balance.
6. Get Ice in Drinks
Two major concerns here: mold exposure and digestive impact. Ice machines in restaurants, bars, and hotels are notorious breeding grounds for mold and bacteria. These machines are rarely cleaned properly, and the dark, moist environment is perfect for microbial growth.
From a digestive perspective, ice-cold beverages require significant energy for your body to bring to body temperature before absorption. This can slow digestion and potentially interfere with enzyme function.
What I do instead: I request room temperature water or beverages whenever possible. At home, I keep filtered water at room temperature for optimal hydration and digestive support.
7. Buy Coffee or Tea at Coffee Shops
Unless I can verify that the coffee is certified organic and tested for mold, or that the tea is organic loose-leaf, I avoid coffee shop beverages. Conventional coffee is one of the most heavily pesticide-treated crops, and improper storage can lead to mycotoxin (mold toxin) contamination.
Many commercial teas contain pesticide residues, artificial flavors, and low-quality ingredients. Tea bags themselves can contain plastic particles that leach into hot water.
My solution: I invest in high-quality, organic, mold-tested coffee and organic loose-leaf teas for home. This gives me complete control over the quality and preparation methods while avoiding potential toxic exposures.
8. Drink Large Amounts of Liquids With Meals
Your digestive system produces specific enzymes and stomach acid concentrations to properly break down food. When you drink large amounts of liquid during meals, you dilute these essential digestive juices, potentially compromising nutrient absorption and digestion quality.
This can lead to bloating, gas, partially digested food particles, and decreased nutrient availability—even from healthy foods.
My digestive protocol: I limit liquids to about 6 ounces or less with meals. I hydrate well about 20 minutes before eating, then minimize liquid intake during meals and for about an hour afterward. This supports optimal digestion and nutrient absorption.
9. Put Citrus Wedges in Drinks When Dining Out
This is purely about contamination risk. Citrus garnishes are rarely washed properly and receive extensive handling during preparation and serving. Studies have shown that these garnishes often carry harmful bacteria, including E. coli and salmonella.
When you squeeze the wedge and leave it in your drink, you’re essentially creating a bacterial tea that you then consume throughout your meal.
My safer approach: I ask for the juice to be squeezed into my drink, then request that the fruit wedge be removed. I get the flavor benefit without the contamination risk.
10. Use Air Fryers
While air fryers seem like a healthier cooking option, most are coated with PFAS (per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances)—the same “forever chemicals” found in non-stick cookware. These chemicals can leach into food, especially at high temperatures.
PFAS persist in the body for 15+ years and have been linked to hormone disruption, immune system challenges, liver dysfunction, increased health risks, and neurological impacts. The convenience isn’t worth the long-term health consequences.
My cooking alternative: I use a countertop convection oven with stainless steel components. It provides similar results without the toxic chemical exposure, and stainless steel is one of the safest cooking surfaces available.
The Bigger Picture: It’s About Reducing Your Toxic Load
These might seem like small changes, but they represent a fundamental shift in how I think about daily wellness choices.
Instead of accepting conventional wisdom without question, I dig into the research and ask: “What does this choice mean for my long-term health? Is this supporting or burdening my body?”
Each of these adjustments:
- Supports your body’s natural detoxification pathways
- Reduces your overall toxic load
- Honors your body’s innate wisdom
- Addresses root cause clues rather than just managing symptoms
They’re part of a comprehensive approach to giving your body what it needs to function optimally—and removing what’s getting in the way.
You Don’t Have to Do Everything at Once
Remember: You don’t have to implement all of these changes tomorrow.
Choose one or two that resonate most with you and start there. Small, consistent changes create the most sustainable results.
Maybe you start by skipping the ice in your drinks. Or switching to room temperature water with meals. Or letting yourself sleep without underwear.
Progress over perfection, always.
Your body is incredibly intelligent and wants to heal. Sometimes we just need to get out of its way and stop adding to the burden.
Stay Curious, Question Everything
If any of these surprised you, you’re not alone. So much of what we’ve been taught about “healthy” habits is actually working against our body’s natural processes.
The key is staying curious and being willing to question everything—even the things that seem like they should be helping.
When we know different, we can do different.
Let’s link arms on this journey toward supporting your body’s innate healing capacity.
