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Welcome back to Crunchy Stewardship! After a long and wonderful series on fertility, pregnancy, and babies, we are officially transitioning back into the pantry! Today, we are taking a hard look at the American food system and discussing the shocking ingredients that are completely banned in countries across Europe and Asia, yet are still legally pumped into our daily snacks and staples here in the US.

But before we get into the heavy stuff, Katie shares a game-changing Random Revelation about the incredible, nutrient-dense power of milling your own wheat at home. Then, we break down the most common banned offenders you'll find on American grocery shelves—from the "yoga mat chemical" hiding in your hot dog buns to the whitening agents in your frosting.

Most importantly, we are here to remind you that perfection is not the goal. Striving for a perfectly clean pantry overnight will only spike your cortisol! We talk about how to make wise, gradual swaps, give yourself grace, and confidently navigate the grocery store without living in fear.

In this episode, you'll learn:

• Random Revelation: The staggering nutritional difference between home-milled hard red wheat flour and store-bought whole wheat (it has double the B-vitamins and three times the iron!).
• Titanium Dioxide: The banned whitening agent linked to genotoxicity that is hiding in white breads, frosting, and popular candies.
• Toxic Pesticides: Why chemicals like Paraquat and Diquat are banned overseas, and how natural pest predators and "polycropping" can save our soil.
• The "Yoga Mat" Chemical: What Azodicarbonamide (ADA) is, why it's banned in Australia and the EU, and how it gives processed breads and croutons their spongy texture.
• Chlorine-Washed Chicken: Why the UK refuses to import conventional American chicken.
• Hydrogenated Oils & Pesticides: The hidden dangers in conventional peanut butter, Ritz crackers, and popular oat cereals.
• Grace Over Guilt: Why stressing over every single ingredient is worse for your health than occasionally eating a processed hamburger bun! Plus, our favorite clean chocolate swaps to satisfy your sweet tooth.

Resources mentioned:

• Book Recommendation: The Essential Home-Ground Flour Book by Sue Becker https://amzn.to/4vMY9B0
• Clean Bread Swaps: Aldi Organic Sourdough, Dave's Killer Bread, Costco's Stone Mill Bread
• Clean Chocolate Swaps: Moser Roth Dark Chocolate Sea Salt (Aldi) & Hu Chocolate
• Clean Snack: Lesser Evil Popcorn (Himalayan Pink Salt)
• Organization: Moms Across America

Chapters:

00:00 Welcome Back to the Pantry! (Wrapping Up the Baby Series)
01:45 Random Revelation: The Superfood Power of Fresh-Milled Flour
06:30 Navigating Pregnancy Cravings & Clean Bread at Aldi
12:15 Titanium Dioxide: The Toxic Whitener in Candy and Frosting
16:10 Red Dyes and the Long Wait for the 2027 Phase-Out
18:30 Banned Pesticides: Paraquat, Diquat, and the Magic of Polycropping 2
4:10 Azodicarbonamide (ADA): The "Yoga Mat" Chemical in Spongy Breads
29:20 Grace Over Guilt: Why Perfection Spikes Your Cortisol
32:45 The Great Chocolate Swap (Aldi vs. Hu Chocolate)
35:10 Chlorine-Washed Chicken and the European Import Bans
40:30 Chlormequat in Oats and Hydrogenated Oils in Peanut Butter
43:15 A Hilarious Heaven Joke & Wrapping Up

Remember, whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God (1 Corinthians 10:31).

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Welcome back to Crunchy Stewardship! We are bringing you Part 2 of our Childhood Ailments series. If you missed last week's episode covering fevers, teething, and bug bites, definitely go back and check it out! Today, we are opening up the natural medicine cabinet to tackle the rest of those inevitable childhood sniffles, aches, and sleep regressions.

Before we dive into the remedies, Chrissy brings her nursing background to a fascinating Random Revelation about the origins of modern pharmaceuticals. Did you know that some of the most common conventional medications—like aspirin and even blood thinners—were originally derived from tree bark, roots, and plants? God truly gave us some incredibly powerful tools right in nature!

Because we love finding budget-friendly ways to step outside the conventional medical system, we also take a detour into the world of health share ministries. We compare Christian Healthcare Ministries (CHM) and CrowdHealth, discussing how ditching traditional insurance can actually motivate better holistic health and give you the freedom to choose your own providers.

In this episode, you'll learn:

• Plant-Based Pharma: The fascinating, plant-based history behind aspirin, warfarin, and antimalarials.
• Health Share Ministries: The pros and cons of using cost-sharing programs like CHM and CrowdHealth instead of traditional health insurance to save money and maximize provider freedom.
• Coughs & Colds: Why you should wait until age one for honey, the magic of shower steam with eucalyptus, crushable zinc, and how menthol crystals can clear a stuffy nose in seconds.
• Earaches: Why you must check the eardrum first (and how to do it on a child), plus the antimicrobial power of garlic mullein oil, oregano oil, and colloidal silver.
• Allergies: How incorporating local, unpasteurized honey can naturally combat seasonal pollen.
• Sleep Struggles: Navigating morning sunlight, magnesium glycinate versus malate, blue light reduction, and why the Babywise sleep training method was an absolute game-changer.
• Splinter Hacks: Ditch the tweezers and tears! How to use castor oil, baking soda paste, and Epsom salt to naturally draw stubborn splinters to the surface.

Resources mentioned:

• Health Shares:
  • Christian Healthcare Ministries (CHM): https://join.chministries.org/raf/8MVEBH?Jones=50off
  • CrowdHealth: https://www.joincrowdhealth.com/
• Book Recommendation: On Becoming Babywise: https://amzn.to/4eojs4V
• Remedies:
  • Menthol Crystals: https://amzn.to/4gfPZwk
  • Garlic Mullein Oil: https://amzn.to/4xnNwWJ
  • Kali Mur Cell Salts: https://amzn.to/4fGf1Vo
  • Colloidal Silver: https://amzn.to/4fAxQJs
  • Magnesium Cream: https://amzn.to/4w42u31

Chapters:

00:00 Welcome to Crunchy Stewardship

02:45 Random Revelation Plant Based Pharma

08:06 CrowdHealth vs Insurance Debate

21:52 Childhood Remedies

22:19 Coughs Colds Natural Support

32:53 Earaches Safety and Remedies

36:28 Onion Toxin Myth

38:16 Colloidal Silver Basics

42:56 Swimmer Ear Prevention

43:55 Cell Salts For Fluid

48:44 Honey For Allergies

52:23 Sleep Setup And Supplements

01:00:29 Splinters And Wrap Up

Remember, whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God (1 Corinthians 10:31).

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Episode Summary: Toddlerhood is a beautiful, wild ride—but it also comes with its fair share of bumps, bugs, and bruises! In this episode, Chrissy and Katie are officially transitioning out of baby chat and stepping into the world of toddlers. Katie shares what she’s learned firsthand with her two-year-old, Malachi, while Chrissy gathers all the notes she’ll need for her first little one arriving this November.

We kick things off with a pretty eye-opening Random Revelation about the hidden liver risks of common over-the-counter pain relievers (like acetaminophen) before diving into our holistic summer survival guide. From matching the right homeopathic remedy to a specific type of mosquito bite, to the incredible healing powers of a "raw honey Band-Aid," we’re breaking down how to support your child’s body naturally from the inside out. Plus, learn why "root cause" medicine beats a topical steroid cream every single time.

Pop in your headphones, grab your notebook, and let’s dive into how we can steward our kids' health with the tools God gave us!

In This Episode, We Cover:

• Random Revelation: The hidden dangers of conventional over-the-counter pain relievers and how aspirin vs. acetaminophen behave in the body.
• Emotional Homeopathy: How Katie helped support her mom through a season of deep grief using targeted homeopathic remedies.
• Mosquito Warfare: Why your child's specific bite reaction dictates whether they need Ledum or Pulsatilla, and Chrissy's favorite peppermint oil trick.
• Root Cause vs. Symptom Covering: Malachi’s story of healing a chronic facial rash through classical homeopathy by looking deeper than the skin surface.
• The Raw Honey Band-Aid: How to use raw honey to heal open, scratched-apart bug bites overnight.
• Bumps & Bruises: Our favorite non-stinging "boo-boo spray" (Active Skin Repair) and why Frankincense essential oil is a must-have for blunt toddler tumbles.

Resources Mentioned in This Episode:

• Book: Homeopathic Medicine at Home, Ancient Nutrition by Josh Axe
• Homeopathy Directory: Homeopathy 247
• Trusted Brands: Boiron (for common remedies) & Hahnemann Labs (for specialized kits)
• First Aid Staples: Active Skin Repair & Vashe (Hypochlorous Acid)

Disclaimer: We are moms and stewards, not medical doctors! This podcast is for informational and educational purposes only. Please consult a holistic practitioner or head to urgent care/the ER for true medical emergencies, broken bones, or severe cuts.

Connect with Us:

• Follow us on Instagram: @CrunchyStewardship
• Subscribe to our YouTube Channel!
• Leave us a review on Apple Podcasts if this episode helped you feel more confident in your natural parenting journey!

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FREE How to Afford Non-Toxic Living Workbook: https://crunchystewardship.com/how-to-afford-non-toxic-living

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Welcome back to Crunchy Stewardship! In Part 2 of our (unintentional) Pregnancy, Labor & Delivery series, we are looking closely at the medical decisions and physiological miracles that happen during and immediately after delivery.

If you have ever wondered what the actual differences are between vaginal births and C-sections when it comes to your baby's long-term health, this episode breaks it all down. We discuss how the physical squeeze of the birth canal prepares a newborn's lungs, the incredible science of "vaginal seeding" for the gut microbiome, and how a baby's saliva literally communicates with the mother's body during breastfeeding to create custom immune-boosting milk.

We also tackle the hard conversations about delivery room interventions: the great debate between natural tearing versus episiotomies, how to prevent tearing in the first place, and why you have to choose between delayed cord clamping and expensive cord blood banking. Whether you are prepping for your first baby or your fifth, we want to equip you to make these choices with confidence and faith over fear!

In this episode, you'll learn:

• Random Revelation: Where does fat actually go when you burn it? Chrissy shares the mind-blowing science of exhaling your fat as CO2!
• Vaginal Birth Benefits: How the birth canal physically squeezes fluid from a baby's lungs and "seeds" their delicate gut microbiome.
• Breast Milk Magic: How a baby's saliva sends signals to the mother's body to create custom antibodies for whatever illness they are fighting.
• C-Section Realities: Navigating major abdominal surgery recovery, prophylactic antibiotic exposure, and the emerging practice of vaginal swabbing for C-section babies.
• Tearing vs. Episiotomies: The pros and cons of both, plus our best tear-prevention tips (including perineal massage, warm compresses, and the "Silly Putty" analogy for slow, controlled pushing).
• The Umbilical Cord Debate: Why you can't have both delayed cord clamping and stem cell banking, and how to navigate the "what ifs" of medical emergencies with a faith-over-fear mindset.

Chapters:

00:00 Early Morning Catch Up

01:25 Birth Topics Roadmap

03:29 Random Revelation: Fat Burning

08:06 Instagram Tangents Toddler Hacks

11:47 C Section Versus Vaginal Birth

17:44 Microbiome And Vaginal Seeding

23:54 Breast Milk Immune Training

27:42 C-Section Recovery Reality

29:41 Hospital Stay and Double Recovery

30:50 Antibiotics and Baby Microbiome

35:09 Pain Meds and Addiction Risk

38:45 Episiotomy Versus Tearing

43:52 Preventing Tears During Labor

49:39 Cord Clamping and Banking

Remember, whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God (1 Corinthians 10:31).

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Join Our Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/crunchychristianmama

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FREE How to Afford Non-Toxic Living Workbook: https://crunchystewardship.com/how-to-afford-non-toxic-living

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Welcome back to Crunchy Stewardship! As we transition from our fertility series into actual pregnancy and birth prep, we are tackling the big decisions you'll face before delivery day.

But first, Katie has a massive stewardship win to share: she officially launched an Azure Standard drop site right at her local church! When you live in a rural area and are tired of driving 40 minutes in the snow just to afford bulk organic groceries, organizing a local drop is an absolute game-changer for the grocery budget and for building a crunchy community.

When it comes to labor, our culture is incredibly quick to treat childbirth like a medical emergency—but God designed our bodies to do this! Today, we discuss the pros and cons of hospitals, birth centers, and home births, and why choosing the right environment is crucial for a peaceful delivery. We also weigh the realities of common medical interventions, from the Tylenol debate to epidurals and Pitocin, so you can make informed, prayerful decisions.

In this episode, you'll learn:

• Random Revelation: Katie’s new Azure Standard drop site and how buying healthy staples in bulk saves serious grocery money.
• The Pregnancy "Avoid" List: A nuanced look at the risks of cat litter, sushi, lunch meats (listeria), and the recent debates surrounding acetaminophen.
• Birth Settings: Why "birth is not an emergency" and how to evaluate if a hospital, birth center, or home birth is the right fit for your family.
• Intervention Realities: The truth about epidurals (including loss of pushing sensation and stalled labor) and medical inductions like Pitocin, membrane sweeps, and Foley balloons.
• Natural Inductions & Movement: How to physically prepare your pelvic floor with deep squats, the importance of "curb walking," and why laboring flat on your back works against gravity.
• Mental Prep & Hypnobirthing: Why you need to shut down the horror stories and surround yourself with positive, empowering birth testimonies.

Resources mentioned:

• Groceries: Azure Standard - https://www.azurestandard.com/?a_aid=50bb0fcd9b
• App: Expecting and Empowered - https://www.expectingandempowered.com/e-e-app
• App: Christian Hypnobirthing - https://www.christianhypnobirthing.com/
• Book: Ina May's Guide to Childbirth by Ina May Gaskin - https://amzn.to/3PXb9Vg
• Book: The Headspace Guide to a Mindful Pregnancy by Andy Puddicombe - https://amzn.to/43oLpEm
• Book: Hypnobirthing: The Mongan Method by Marie Mongan - https://amzn.to/42KFVUj

Chapters:

00:00 Welcome to Crunchy Stewardship
00:33 Labor Prep Episode Setup
02:10 Azure Standard Drop Site
08:52 Church Drop Program Details
11:08 Pregnancy Avoid List
18:08 Tylenol Debate and Tangent
24:29 Stretching and Birth Setting
33:59 Birth Choices Matter
34:42 Better Labor Positions
36:48 Midwives Doulas Explained
38:34 Epidurals Realities Risks
47:21 Induction Options Medical
52:13 Natural Induction Tips
57:48 Hypnobirthing Positive Stories

Remember, whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God (1 Corinthians 10:31).

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Join Our Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/crunchychristianmama

Follow us on Instagram @crunchystewardship

FREE How to Afford Non-Toxic Living Workbook: https://crunchystewardship.com/how-to-afford-non-toxic-living

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Welcome back to Crunchy Stewardship! We have officially reached the grand finale of our Fertility Series. After weeks of discussing how to heal your body, reduce your toxic load, and prepare for conception, we are finally asking the big question: You're pregnant... now what?

And we couldn't think of a better way to kick off this episode than with a massive Random Revelation: Chrissy is 12 weeks pregnant!

The first trimester is a beautiful but incredibly challenging season. Today, we are sharing real-time updates and practical, crunchy tips for surviving the early days of pregnancy. We talk about finding grace when the only thing that sounds good is organic mac and cheese, how to navigate severe nausea, and why the "elastin" hormone is the sneaky culprit behind your early heartburn. We also break down what to actually look for in a prenatal vitamin and our favorite clean oils to soothe your stretching skin!

In this episode, you'll learn:

• The Big Reveal: Chrissy shares her 12-week pregnancy update and how vestibular physical therapy cured her severe vertigo in just one session.
• First Trimester Nausea Hacks: Why you need well-rounded snacks (protein + fat + carbs) instead of just plain crackers, the difference between ginger and peppermint, and Katie’s Unisom & B6 trick.
• The "Elastin" Hormone: How this hormone loosens your joints to make room for baby, but also triggers early heartburn and round ligament pain.
• Pelvic Floor Myths: Why pregnancy incontinence is not an inevitable life sentence and how proactive movement can protect your core.
• Decoding Prenatals: Why you need to check your label for folate vs. folic acid, watch out for glucose syrups, and why it's crucial to start taking them before you see a positive test.
• Stretch Mark Prevention: Our favorite natural body oils (like grapeseed, almond, and Ancient Greek Remedy) to keep your skin nourished—plus a hilarious story about Chrissy using belly oil as aftershave!

Resources mentioned:

• Exercise App: Expecting and Empowered
• Body Oil: Ancient Greek Remedy Body Oil - https://amzn.to/4nxsDE9
• Body Oil: Mother's Special Blend (Katie's older recommendation) - https://amzn.to/4wxGPRJ

Chapters:

00:00 Welcome to the Fertility Series Finale!
04:33 Random Revelation: The Big Reveal... Chrissy is Pregnant!
06:06 Surviving the First Trimester
10:07 Trimester Overview and Diastasis Tips
12:54 Nausea Survival Strategies
19:25 Heartburn Hacks
26:17 Exercise and Birth Prep Movement
32:19 Ligaments Hormones and Pelvic Floor
40:48 Eating Well When Nothing Sounds Good
46:15 Prenatals: What to Choose
54:23 Second Trimester Glow
58:19 Stretch Marks Oils
01:03:12 Join Us On Facebook

Remember, whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God (1 Corinthians 10:31).

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Join Our Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/crunchychristianmama

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Welcome back to Crunchy Stewardship! In Part 9 of our Fertility Series, we are shifting our focus to the conventional medical interventions we are so commonly prescribed.

From the "doc in a box" to our primary care visits, it is so easy to rely on a quick prescription to mask uncomfortable symptoms. But what are those "quick fixes" costing our long-term health? Today, we are digging deep into the systemic impacts of birth control, broad-spectrum antibiotics, and steroids. We explain how synthetic hormones act as endocrine disruptors, why your gut flora is the actual foundation of your fertility, and how certain prescriptions deplete the exact vitamins your body needs to sustain a healthy pregnancy.

Plus, Katie shares a fun homesteading update (baby chicks have arrived!) and talks about her real-time experience using homeopathy and natural remedies to navigate a stubborn spring cold.

In this episode, you'll learn:

• Homestead Updates & Natural Cold Care: Katie's journey using homeopathy for a sinus headache, building pallet compost bins, and the arrival of the baby chicks! Plus, Chrissy's recipe for thyme-infused honey.
• The "Quick Fix" Problem: Why suppressing symptoms (like fevers or coughs) can actually prevent your body from doing what it was perfectly designed to do.
• The Truth About Birth Control: How synthetic hormones act as "fake keys" in your endocrine system, mask underlying issues like endometriosis and PCOS, and severely deplete the body of B-vitamins, magnesium, and zinc.
• Antibiotic Stewardship: The microevolution of bacteria, the danger of wiping out your gut microbiome, and why fertility starts in the gut.
• Heavy Metals & Hormone Disruption: A brief look at the endocrine-disrupting heavy metals often found in vaccines and where to find the transparent data.
• Steroids & Blood Sugar: How long-term steroid use spikes blood sugar (leading to fat-stored estrogen), thins the skin, and triggers withdrawals.
• Natural Anti-Inflammatories: Simple, holistic ways to reduce inflammation using ginger, warm baths, and steam.

Resources mentioned:

• Book Recommendation: Turtles All the Way Down (Vaccine Science and Myth): https://amzn.to/4nkFGbZ
• Website: Just the Inserts - https://justtheinserts.com/
• Website: HealthLine Article on Birth Control: https://www.healthline.com/health/birth-control-effects-on-body#:~:text=Combined%20pills%2C%20which%20contain%20synthetic,while%20using%20the%20combined%20pill.

Chapters:

00:00 Welcome to Crunchy Stewardship
00:46 Fertility Series Setup
02:08 Random Revelation Homeopathy
10:01 Natural Cold Care Tips
12:31 Garden Beds and Baby Chicks
14:19 Medical Interventions Overview
15:36 Birth Control and Fertility
16:24 Birth Control Personal Experiences
18:02 Synthetic Hormones as "Toxins"
20:12 Phytoestrogens
20:37 Messing With Your Cycle
22:42 Masking Bigger Problems
30:03 Nutrient Depletion
32:14 Pregnancy Nausea
35:47 Antibiotics Gut and Resistance
37:44 Microevolution in Bacteria
49:25 Vaccines
55:02 Steroids

Remember, whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God (1 Corinthians 10:31).

Connect With Us:

Join Our Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/crunchychristianmama

Follow us on Instagram @crunchystewardship

FREE How to Afford Non-Toxic Living Workbook: https://crunchystewardship.com/how-to-afford-non-toxic-living