Creating a Toxic-Free Future: Shifting the Conversation to Healthier Products & People

NOTE: This panel title has changed to “InsideOut: Safer Products, Healthier People”

How do the choices we make impact our long-term health? That’s the question these three inspiring figures set out to answer. Meet Dr. Ashley Mayer (“Dr. Green Mom”), Dr. Andrew Abraham (CEO of Orgain) and Jessica Iclisoy (CEO of California Baby), who are shifting the conversation to safer products that support healthier lives. They are coming together to talk about the thoughtful choices some brands and consumers are making when it comes to ingredients, and why now is the time to take a closer look at what goes into, and onto, our bodies. Hear from each about their own personal experience with toxins, and nutrition and illness, and see how focusing on positive long-term health informs their personal and business decisions and philosophies. Through the talk, we’ll uncover the challenges companies face in making safer products and explore the actions consumers can take to choose healthier, safer products. Janet Nudelman, from the Campaign for Safe Cosmetics and the Breast Cancer Fund, will moderate and discuss her own work to grow the market for personal care products free of toxic chemicals linked to breast cancer and other diseases.

The Panelists will discuss:

How the choices we make, as consumers, can impact our families’ health in positive and negative ways
How the choices they make, as brands, impact consumers’ health
Ingredients in everyday consumer products and their impact on human health
Correlation of diet and pro-inflammatory foods (added sugars, conventional red meat, fast food) and disease
Inspiring personal journeys of transformation and how they have informed business decisions and growth
Systemic problems that plague our health care systems, food systems and systems that regulate chemicals in consumer products
Actions consumers can take to “de-tox” their lives – and the economy — through advocacy, purchasing power and everyday actions

Panelists

Janet Nudelman–Janet Nudelman is the director of program and policy at the Breast Cancer Fund and co-founder and director of the Campaign for Safe Cosmetics. She oversees the Breast Cancer Fund’s cutting-edge program and policy work. She has led initiatives that promote breast cancer prevention in statehouses across the country and in the halls of Congress, and has helped secure passage of some of the nation’s most important environmental health legislation including a federal ban on phthalates in kids toys; the creation of first-ever statewide biomonitoring program and municipal precautionary principle ordinance; and passage of the California Safe Cosmetics Act. Janet is a co-founder of the highly successful Campaign for Safe Cosmetics, a project of the Breast Cancer Fund that works to eliminate dangerous chemicals from personal care products. Janet draws on nearly 30 years of experience in the social change and women’s health arenas as a political organizer and lobbyist, and she uses her astute political expertise to spearhead campaigns that result in significant policy and market-based change. Janet received a B.A. from Evergreen State College and a M.A. in public policy and women’s studies from George Washington University.

Dr. Andrew Abraham–When Dr. Andrew Abraham was diagnosed with cancer at the age of 17, one of the biggest challenges he encountered was nutrition. The aggressive treatment made Andrew nauseous and he dropped to an alarming 100 pounds. While his doctor recommended nutritional shakes to help him gain weight, Andrew quickly discovered that most “nutritional” shakes are anything but nutritious, filled with corn syrup, genetically modified soy, artificial flavors, hormones, antibiotics and low quality non-organic ingredients that keep costs low and profits high. At that time Andrew made it his mission to formulate a drink that would actually make a difference to his health. It had to be certified organic, lower in sugar, high in organic protein, and also be free of artificial sweeteners, preservatives and colorings. After exhaustive work and research, and a lot of time in his kitchen working with real organic ingredients, Andrew finally developed the perfect formulation that would later become Orgain®. Today, Andrew is proud that Orgain® nutritional shakes are supporting thousands in their own battles with illness, and delighted that so many folks around the country have discovered Orgain® shakes, protein powders and nutritional products as helpful tools to maintain and optimize their good health.

Jessica Iclisoy–Jessica Iclisoy is president & founder of California Baby®.Iclisoy embarked on her entrepreneurial journey after the birth of her first son. When she started looking up the ingredients of products she was using on him, she found that many, especially synthetic fragrances, were potential carcinogens. “As a new mom I was very alarmed that synthetic fragrance that can contain hundreds of chemicals was in a baby product”, she says. Her efforts to protect future generations extend beyond the Los Angeles facility. An active member of the Organic Trade Association, Jessica serves on a task force committee to recommend organic and safe cosmetics standards in the cosmetics industry. She also collaborates with leading groups and companies to initiate congressional action that will establish federal legislation demanding safe cosmetics and has participated in lobbying activities to help shape TSCA reform. California Baby is a certified Woman Owned Business. Jessica believes that her mission extends far beyond creating products that are safe for children and healthy for the environment. She strives to educate and enlighten parents to the simple principles of natural living, adhering always to her founding philosophy: what’s good for the environment is good for families. Today, California Baby offers over 80 unique products for hair, skin, bath and sun for babies, children, and sensitive adults.

Dr. Ashley Mayer–Dr. Ashley Mayer is a naturopathic medical doctor and an expert in nutrition and detoxification as it relates to pediatrics and families. Her passion for prevention of disease as the cure fueled her desire to immerse herself into the research of childhood chronic illness, most specifically autism and ADD/ADHD. The result of her extensive research led to the notion these are NOT merely psychiatric diagnoses, but blanket diagnoses of any one or more medical conditions brought on by epigenetics- environmental insults that change gene expression. This means the external environment we surround our children directly effects their predisposition for disease. With such powerful data to back her findings and with the birth of her daughter, Dr. Ashley founded DrGreenMom.com a science- based resource for parents to raise their children more in line with the way nature intended. Her vision is a future for children, free from chronic disease. Every child deserves a best shot at life, from the very beginning. Dr. Ashley has a private concierge family medical practice, residing in sunny AZ with her 3 year old daughter and 2 toy poodle sisters. In her free time, she’s a world class athlete; Masters World Champion, 3 time Masters National Champion, All American, self glorified Bikram yogi, lover of God, and lover of beer (Amstel Light- GMO free of course.