Episode Details

What happens when the attorney who spent years suing companies like DuPont for deceiving consumers about toxic products becomes the patient who gets taken down by mold, Lyme, and CIRS? In this episode, Ashley sits down with Karen Bloom, founder of Natural Haven, for one of the most layered and honest conversations this podcast has had on what it actually takes to detox your home, your body, and your life at the same time. Karen's path runs through a traumatic ankle break in Shenandoah that triggered a cascade of mysterious symptoms nobody could diagnose, years of pharmaceuticals that made things worse, a bullseye rash nobody connected to Lyme until it was too late, and mold hiding in her HVAC that took multiple rounds of air testing to finally catch.

Together Ashley and Karen dig into the difference between greenwashing and cleanwashing and why even well-intentioned consumers get tricked by both, what certifications actually mean and which ones are nearly meaningless for health purposes, the top offenders in nurseries and fertility-focused homes from EMF-emitting baby monitors to off-gassing furniture adhesives, and why the nervous system piece of healing is not optional and cannot be outsourced to supplements alone. Karen also brings her attorney's skepticism to every product claim she evaluates, and what she shares about how to actually read past the marketing is genuinely invaluable.

This episode is for anyone navigating chronic illness, trying to create a healthier home for a baby, or simply exhausted by the impossible task of figuring out what is actually clean versus what just says it is.

THINGS MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE:

• Karen's fertility and healthy home course: naturalhavensb.com
• Karen's free guides and home detox resources: naturalhavensb.com
• Tech Wellness hardwired baby monitor: techwellness.com
• Bebe Care audio baby monitor (referenced as lower EMF option)
• REACH database for EU chemical safety information
• Dr. Andrew Heyman, integrative medicine Virginia (referenced)
• Shoemaker Protocol for CIRS treatment (referenced)
• Brownell Landrum wishing episode of The Awakening Spaces Podcast
• Riun Ashlie EMF and nervous system episode of The Awakening Spaces Podcast
• Book referenced: Your Biography Becomes Your Biology
• Feldenkrais Method for nervous system and movement rehabilitation

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Ashley helps you renovate and build healthier homes to prevent future health issues from arising from your environment. Whether you’re searching for a new home, assessing concerns with your current one, or embarking on a renovation or new build, Awakening Spaces can guide you every step of the way.

Ashley brings her background in Building Biology and Building Science and years of hands-on experience helping families build and renovate homes to prevent mold, chemical exposure, and EMFs in their