Nuance - It’s Missing In Most Crunchy Conversations.

One thing that's missing from 95% of the conversation about low tox ("crunchy") living, toxic exposures, etc., is NUANCE.

Information about chemicals in our products, food, or water is rarely presented with nuance. Instead, it's often presented in a sensational manner that stokes anxiety and fear. The science is often overstated, with people making giant leaps from what the data show. It's also usually presented in a reductionist manner that leans heavily into the binary of "safe" vs. "unsafe," thus perpetuating this way of thinking.

This is a BIG problem within the crunchy/low tox living conversation. When discussing "toxin" exposures, it's far more appropriate to ask, "Does exposure to X pose any health risks under the given circumstances?"

Let me give you an example. I saw in my Facebook group someone asked whether it was safe to store Christmas decor in a plastic box.

Here is the thing: 1) she wasn't storing food in the box and 2) this box was handled only twice a year- when taking the ornaments out and when putting them away. In this context, the plastic box is a non-issue and not something to even think about, let alone worry about. There is nothing inherently unsafe about using plastic to store non-food items. There is however a degree of risk, over time, to using plastic in contact with food.

That degree of risk has dozens, if not hundreds, of variables, so it cannot easily be plonked into binary categories of "safe" or "unsafe."

We are so caught up in click-bait fear headlines that we are becoming so black in white in our thinking of this entire "low tox" movement... life. is. not. black. and. white.

The Takeaway.. As you share information about low tox living, avoid using binary language like safe/unsafe and instead focus on the nuance of the topic. This will make you a far better communicator about this topic and will go a long way with "educating" and not pushing someone away before they even start.