Nourish Your Body
With Fabulous Homemade Food
What You Need to Know About Your HVAC and Indoor Air Quality Copy
Today my guest is Judy Rachel, a Home Performance Professional specializing in third party, independent home energy audits, best green building practices specifications and HVAC system design. We’ll be talking about the basics of how your HVAC works, choosing correct filters, why we have indoor air quality problems and how to solve them, and how to get to know your HVAC system so you can use it properly. Judy writes and teaches building science / energy efficiency curricula for various community and city colleges, as well as for workforce training programs. She provides both classroom and hands-on trainings. She is a senior lead trainer for Efficiency First California, training contractors in the Home Performance with Energy Star curriculum. She is a lead trainer for Energy Conservation Institute’s Building Performance Institute (BPI) Certification trainings. Judy is President of the Eco-Home Network, a non-profit devoted to greening as many homes as possible. She is the field mentor for contractors participating in the Southern California Home Upgrade program. Along with being certified as a Building Analyst, Envelope Specialist, Heating Specialist and A/C and Heat Pump Professional through BPI, she is a field proctor for these certifications. As a HERS rater (Home Energy Rater) she does diagnostic testing, verifications and inspections for residential and small commercial buildings to ensure compliance with California’s Energy Code. Certified by Build It Green, she is a GreenPoint rater for new construction and a Certified Green Building Professional. Through National Comfort Institute she holds their Air Balancing and Carbon Monoxide & Combustion Certifications. Judy thinks the most amazing part of what she does is that by creating energy efficient homes she is actually able to improve the comfort, durability, indoor air quality, as well as, occupant safety within homes. www.greenachers.com
Way to neutralize chlorine in wash water? Copy
Question from Marie I think we just figured out that my teenager with MCS is very sensitive to the chlorine in our municipal water (used for washing clothes, of course). We are at a temporary location. When we find a place to move to, I planned on getting a whole...
Tips for Non-Toxic Holiday Gatherings Copy
One of the best things about the holidays is gathering together with family and friends for special meals and gift-giving. Unfortunately, all of that cooking and decorating can add to indoor air pollution and toxic exposures. Here are some easy tips to keep your...
Where to get custom non-toxic foam or stuffing
Question from Mimi I was gifted the Poang Ikea Chair for nursing. It is very comfortable, but there is a distinct chemical smell. A quick google search has sent me down the rabbit hole of polyurethane foam and its potentially toxic qualities. I found your...
Computer, Hemp, and Shoes
Question from Petra I have MCS and I am looking for a new computer / laptop, which is working for people with MCS. Do you know something? Do you know hemp fleece for making filling for a futon by my self? Which are the best shoes and sandals for MCS? ...
Indoor Door Mat
Question from Judy I've been looking for a nice looking indoor mat to place inside the apartment front door now that the weather is getting sloppy. I'm not finding anything I like. Either the bottom is smelly rubber or there is Microban. Do you have any...
Bakeware
Question from Beth Can you tell me what you suggest and where to purchase cookie sheets that are not aluminum or coated? The best, safest one out there? Thank you! Lisa’s Answer I use one by All Clad. It is uncoated stainless steel. It is...
New Carpet
Question from Jane We just had regular new carpet installed in our Master bedroom 2 weeks ago and the Smell is terrible!!! It’s still giving us headaches and congestion even with running our air purifier And whole house fans! Is there anything else we can do...
Moisture-Wicking Technology
Question from Mir I was looking at a simple sweatshirt that says it has 'Moisture-wicking technology'. Does this always refer to a chemical treatment of some kind? Lisa’s Answer There is no specific standard for the term "moisture wicking" so it could...
Melaleuca
Question from Alex I was wondering if you could go through the melaleuca ingredient glossary and let us know what you think of this list? It still bugs me that the individual product labels don't clearly list the names of each ingredient instead saying...
