About Me

Hi, and Welcome to my little nook on the internet where I share about all things “Wellness” (Spiritual, Physical, Environmental). I’m so glad you popped in to visit. My hope is that you will feel blessed, encouraged, and empowered in this space. Before we move on, here’s a quick reminder to stay connected. You can do so by signing up for updates towards the bottom of this page and by following me on Instagram.

Now onto the meat of the matter. Chemicalfreegal.com defines “Wellness” as a holistic combination of spiritual, physical, and environmental well-being. Of these three, our spiritual wellness, that is “Wellness in Christ Jesus” is the most important; for it is the lungs to everything we do in life. Apart from Him we can accomplish nothing of lasting value. “For what does it profit a man to gain the whole world and to lose his soul?” Mark 8:36

Lastly, our physical and environmental wellness encompasses everything we place in or on our bodies and what we expose ourselves to. There is so much that we can do to support both of these areas and help our bodies function better.

My hope and prayer is that through the posts, wellness tips and resources shared on this site and on my Instagram account; you would be inspired, equipped, empowered and encouraged, so that you can live well and love the Lord well.

Beloved, I pray that all may go well with you and that you may be in good health, as it goes well with your soul.
3 John 1:2

A Little Rambling About Me

First and foremost, I’m a mom and wife who is in Christ Jesus. Secondary to that, I’m an Environmental Toxins Educator, Holistic Wellness Mentor, Herbalist, Inspirational Writer, Homeschooler, Self-Taught Chef, and Recipe Developer. I’m also an Advocate for children with Autoimmune Encephalitis (PANS PANDAS BGE) and for families who have been injured by chemicals and toxic mold. I’ve been educating, empowering and assisting women on their journey to wellness for over 15 years.

The use of the words “chemical free” in my blog name refers to toxic substances, be they man-made or naturally occurring. The picture I use below is in solidarity with all the women and families affected by environmental toxins and fragrances around the world. When I was extremely chemically sensitive, I had to use a mask like this and other carbon and P100 masks to filter out fragrances, car pollution, smoke, and other chemicals when I had to leave home. 

This site and everything I share are a result of my love for family and health and my desire to help others find answers. Prior to starting this site, I ran several international blogs on health and wellness with subscribers in over 300 countries. I also formulated herbal and nontoxic fragrance-free beauty products, created recipes for those with dietary restrictions, and taught classes in my local community. This all stopped as my health spiraled downwards.

So What Happened?

A few minor symptoms started after I began working in an old building. During that time, there were remodeling projects while leaks caused wet carpets to smell. I began to feel lightheaded and have nosebleeds. Fast forward some time, and I started to feel really dizzy almost on a daily basis.  I also had daily bouts of extreme fatigue, dizziness, heart palpitations, swelling, and inflammation. My memory started slipping so much so that I could not remember something that someone had told me minutes before. I noticed that my symptoms became far worse when I was in my office.

For the first few years, I pushed myself to work and left home from my office each day, barely able to drive and deal with my responsibilities at home. I’d arrive home and crash in bed for several hours.

At work, I actually fainted a few times and dealt with a few bouts of subconjunctival hemorrhages. When this occurred, I would rush to my doctor or to the ER. I also began to run fevers (FUO – Fevers of unknown origin) each day after being at work for a few hours and had a very hard time breathing while in the office. I coughed constantly and wheezed almost daily (I do not have asthma and never have). I also was treated for walking Pneumonia several times during the first few years I worked in my office. Around this time, my doctor diagnosed me with Mitral Valve Prolapse, PVCs, CFS (Myalgic Encephalomyelitis), Fibromyalgia, POTS, Aspergillosis, and Hypersensitivity Pneumonitis. He said that my heart, nervous system and lungs were acting abnormally. He sent me to see a cardiologist and a few other specialists for testing and monitoring.

Being sick and having life turned upside down has been hard, but it has taught me so much more that I can now share with my loved ones and those around me.

What are you passionate about? Tell us a bit more about yourself.

My number one passion in life is sharing God’s love and hope through his word with people. I am also wildly passionate about helping others find answers to their health woes and using all that God created to help our bodies heal. My passion for health and helping people started when I was a little girl.  I always enjoyed making herbal infusions, working with plants, cooking, planting, harvesting, and being covered in dirt, lol.

I’m passionate about healthy food, herbal medicine, eradicating chemicals in our homes and environments, air quality, autism, Autoimmune Encephalitis, sustainable living, organic and nontoxic agriculture, and holistic medicine. I’m also extremely passionate about educating families concerning the dangers of fragrances and the effects that toxic mold, chemicals, and other toxicants have on human health.

In summary, am a fun-loving wife and mom and a fighter against a few chronic and debilitating illnesses that walked into my life unexpectedly after my prolonged exposure to various environmental toxins, including toxic mold. Although our struggles have been difficult, and we’ve endured many twists and turns, it is a great pleasure for me to share what I know with others. I feel blessed when I can encourage and teach people about holistic living habits.

Both before and after becoming sick, and for over a decade, I have passionately taught many people about the benefits of eating organic and living foods. I have been a personal chef and healthy food advocate to people in my local and online community and have developed over 100 recipes for various dietary protocols, including Paleo, GAPS, AIP, Grain-Free, Gluten-Free, Doug Kaufman Antifungal Diet, and a few others.

I truly believe that a balanced diet can be designed to help heal the body from whatever ailments are present. Food can be a powerful medicine or an equally powerful poison.

Why do you care about environmental toxins and chemicals?

Because my health and, in recent years, my family’s health was so severely affected by toxic mold and other contaminants, I am passionate about sharing my story, research, and hope with others. As a result of my prolonged office exposure (8 years) to various indoor air contaminants and chemicals, I developed CFS. I was diagnosed with Autonomic neuropathy, Aspergillosis, Vasomotor Rhinitis, POTS, Hypersensitivity Pneumonitis, Fibromyalgia, and a few other health issues that affected multiple systems in my body, including my respiratory, endocrine, immune, and nervous systems. My symptoms were, on many occasions, completely disabling. Even now, as I type this, I have to say that after my prolonged exposure to toxic mold, and my family’s recent exposure, every single part of our life has been impacted.

This is one of the reasons I am actively involved in teaching others about toxic mold, chemicals, fragrances, and VOCs and how these toxins can affect our health. Sadly, not enough people truly understand the impacts of toxic mold exposure and are equipped to speak out about the effects on human health.

Why do you educate on the dangers of fragrances?

One of the reasons is that my life was personally impacted. My exposure to toxic mold in my office caused me to develop severe chemical intolerances and sensitivities. There was a time when exposure to perfume, fabric softener, and EOs would give me full-body anaphylactic reactions. Per doctor’s orders, I lived like a recluse for a long time because visiting places with fragrances or essential oils meant hours or days with disabling symptoms. Going through this pushed me to connect with other moms experiencing similar health issues, and before long, I was managing several groups with hundreds of moms severely affected by chemicals. It was during that time that I began advocating for mothers needing accommodations at home, work, school, doctor’s offices, hospitals, and stores. It’s been a decade and a half since I stopped using fragranced items and began helping women on their journey to wellness. Although the journey has been intense, I’m so thankful for the opportunity to help other moms who were suffering like I was. 

Do you offer any classes, and if so, what are they? Also, did your childhood influence what you are passionate about today?

Since the early 2000s, I’ve offered different classes and hosted talks on a yearly basis, but I had to stop in recent years due to health and family dynamics. I do, however, lead and offer support to various private groups. I also offer one on one consultations to families. My hope is that at some point, I will be able to resume all of the in-person (live) classes and hosting of events as I did for so many years.

My one-on-one classes can range from teaching people how to prepare healthy meals to baby and adult meal preparations to learning about eradicating toxins in their environment, discovering the art of herbal medicine making, and so much more.  I believe that once people are armed with the proper information, they can make wiser choices to improve their overall wellness.  My motto is that we should live our life every day as a gift and then give that gift away every day.
My passion for health is my gift to you via this blog.

My commitment to health is of utmost importance, so when teaching others to craft herbal recipes and cook healthy meals, or when I teach about following a chemical-free lifestyle, I do not use or recommend things containing:  petrochemicals, sodium lauryl sulfate, formaldehyde, mineral oils, parabens, PABA, pesticides, fungicides, herbicides, hormones, steroids, hydrogenated oils, processed ingredients, synthetic fillers, etc.

Creating nutritious meals in my kitchen and handcrafting quality nontoxic herbal creations using all that God blessed the earth with, and educating people is essential to me because I never forgot my days as a little girl cutting herbs and pulling up potatoes while walking barefoot in the garden.  That little girl became one of the most important aspects of my mission.  Why?  Well, because that little girl represents all of us in our quest for a healthier and safer life.  She is one of the reasons why I do what I do.

That little girl can also be seen in the faces of thousands of poverty-stricken children around the world who die each day because of a lack of proper nutrition and knowledge of chemical contaminants in their water, food, and environment.

What do you desire to accomplish through this blog?

My desire is to equip people with lifesaving knowledge so that they can go out into the world and lead healthier, happier lives and impact those who are suffering around them.  If I can’t use my life experiences to help others, then what is the point of going through hard times?

In my lifetime and the life of my extended family and close friends, I have seen and or encountered cancer, arthritis, ADHD, asthma, allergies, M.E., PANS, Mold Illness, chronic infections, irritable bowel syndrome, GERD, TILT/MCS, diverticulitis, back injuries, disability, high blood pressure, constipation, burns, eczema, psoriasis, chronic diaper rashes, parasites, depression, nursing, child-birth, multiple childhood illnesses, high fevers, severe chemical sensitivities, MCAS, hormonal issues, bad breath, anemia, bone loss, periodontal disease, and many other health issues.

As I have gone through life and dealt with various health issues in my family and extended family, I have sought to learn as much as I can about them and use all that God created to aid us in recovery and prevention. I have spoken alongside pediatricians, holistic practitioners, and other health and wellness aficionados.
In our home, we follow a nutrient-dense, processed sugar-free, gluten, and sometimes grain-free diet.

Who inspired you to learn about natural health and chemical-free living?

Sharing all the above with you would not be complete if I did not mention who was responsible for awakening my curiosity for natural remedies, cooking, organic foods, herbs, and chemical-free living.
That would be my dear Papi, my dad, who is probably strolling in a heavenly vineyard or dancing with the angels.  My dad was promoted to glory due to medical malpractice, but his love, and teachings are alive and etched in my heart.  Dad, I know you would be proud!

It is definitely not easy going through life-altering events like losing a loved one or battling cancer.  My life has been full of hard times, good times, and suffering, but I have found that if we survive with grace and faith, we can share with others what we learned and make the world a better place.  That is what I strive to do with each class I teach, with each meal I cook, with each product I make, and with each article I write.

This journey has not yet ended, and each day we face new battles.  As I move forward on my journey, I hope to share with my audience glimpses into my world and all of the knowledge I have acquired on the topics of holistic herbal medicine, environmental toxins, TILT/MCS, illnesses caused by toxic mold exposure, PANS/PANDAS, and everything else I did before my health was affected by toxic mold.

Please be sure to check out our homepage for the latest posts and share them on your social media accounts. I can’t always write everything I would like to, so please bear with me as I try my best to provide helpful posts and information to you.

Knowledge is power, and the more people we share our story with, the more people will be helped!

Do You Offer Consultations?

Yes, I do. For over a decade and a half, I’ve offered hundreds of complementary consultations to families in need throughout my local and online community. My passion has always been to share what I’ve learned and share hope with families.

In 2024, I hope to offer several purchasable guides and resources for families and those dealing with toxic mold issues, so be sure to follow me on Instagram and subscribe below to receive updates.

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13 responses to “About Me”

  1. I’m looking for a hair protectant for blow drying and straightening without chemicals or fragrances. A DYI would work too. Please help!!!

    1. I make my own products for my hair. You can try pure aloe vera gel with any oil (argan, vitamin e, almond etc) your hair does well with. mix and apply as needed.
      Blessings,
      CFG

  2. Lifting you up! You are appreciated, cared for, prayed for & important! Fight on!

  3. fathima salahudeen Avatar
    fathima salahudeen

    Me myself have diagnosed with mitral valve prolapse after the long toxic mold exposure.i would be grateful to know if it has reversed for you or not?

    1. Hello Fathima. All of my symptoms of MVP and my other cardiovascular symptoms cleared up after I left the moldy building where I worked for years.

  4. I would love to contact you and need some assistance with what to ask the mold testers . Is there a way to contact you ? The link to consult you is bring a strange page

    1. Hi Iona. I’m sorry about the strange page. I recently tried updating my site’s plan, and doing so created a number of issues with posts and pages.
      At this time, I do not have any openings for consultations, but I do share helpful information under my Toxic Mold 1-4 highlights on Instagram.

      These links may also be helpful for you.
      https://www.themichaelrubino.com/a-good-mold-inspector-what-to-look-for/

      Tight Homes, Encapsulated Mold and Faulty Air Sampling

      Blessings
      CFG

      1. you are so kind that you take the time to do this, and i do appreciate it so very much. I had anohter important question which is somewhat time sensitive, where can i find information of a publication or sceince article or gov website that states that black mold does not show up on these test usually the stacybo one because the other spore or bacteria will show up and its usually behind it in wall or deeper, i just havent been able to find that but i have heard this from both you and this other man on youtube speaking from a remeidator prespective.

      2. Glad I could help. 🙂
        Regarding standard air testing, any inspector or practitioner who has studied mold and indoor air quality in detail should know that a heavier mold like Stachybotrys may not show up on air testing. This is a matter of common sense. I don’t know of any scientific publication that says this.

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