Ep 260: How Modern Building Materials Trigger Chronic Illnesses | Lauren Riddei

This podcast is made possible by our listeners and viewers. If this show has brought you value, you can support it by becoming a member of The Way Forward, our platform designed to help you find the health and freedom community (people, practitioners, schools, farms, and more) near you. Your membership directly supports the podcast and the work we do.If you knew how toxic our modern building materials are, mold wouldn’t be your biggest worry.Lauren Riddei got sick from her own job sites, and a naturopath's question helped point her toward why. She is a triple-certified building biologist and interior designer who rebuilt her practice around the idea that many modern building materials are contributing to poor health.The conversation gets specific. Acrylic paints she describes as smelling like acetone. Spray foam that can obscure water damage in a wall assembly. Fixed LED cans that are impossible to swap out. A smart meter her own utility company claimed it didn't know how to remove. Carpet that the EPA studied and removed from its own headquarters, before publicly denying it caused harm.A lot of what she recommends comes back to older craft. The five-weight pulley window built to be repaired. Linseed oil instead of a plastic coating. Mineral paint that binds to the wall rather than sitting on top of it. Kapok, cork, hemp, natural latex. Most of these predate the synthetic versions that replaced them.Lauren also explains why she thinks of mold as a way-shower rather than a villain, and why building smaller may matter more than building "green."You'll Learn:[0:00] Introduction[7:02] The rain barrel effect and reaching critical mass[12:11] Discovering building biology after a spiritual awakening[24:40] Why Europe builds with mass wall systems[34:35] Interrupting the general contractor's monocultured approach[43:09] Any redeeming qualities in modern homes[58:22] Healthy material swaps, from kapok fiber to cork flooring[1:16:02] Removing the smart meter and choosing circadian lighting[1:36:08] The German origins and 25 principles of building biology[1:57:07] We're building too big, and the greed and speed behind it[2:15:16] Moon wood and harvesting by the lunar cycle[2:31:06] A closing quote on biophilia and the built environmentRelated The Way Forward Episodes:Cancer, Forest Bathing, and Bio-hacking featuring Dean Hall | PodcastThe Science of Cannabis &amp; Its True Health Benefits with Dani Fontaine | PodcastThe Hidden Ways Your Home Affects Your Health (And Your Spirit) with Danijela Saponjic | PodcastResources Mentioned:Healthy Building Alliance | <a href="https://www.google.com/goto?url=CAESYAHrOzAV1EMSxzqqy3WOE2zdE_9engcaebknCU6_N5pQjXLK_qdYesOwgJzMRa1UccMzYWu7k8_BrxcOTlqxXYhd6oRZy9drg9Cj7Lw_QtiQ5HYHO6IOUygWbgCuX59YSQ" target="_blank" style="background-co