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Welcome back to Crunchy Stewardship! We are about halfway through 2026, so we decided to hit pause on our regular deep-dives for a mid-year life update. We are pulling back the curtain to share what we are currently learning, researching, and challenging ourselves with right now. Spoiler alert: we do not have it all figured out, and the crunchy journey is always a work in progress!

In this episode, we are going down some wild rabbit holes. Katie shares her upcoming plans to time a parasite cleanse with the full moon (just as a major parasitic outbreak hits Michigan!), and how she is tackling the 1,000 Hours Outside challenge using a budget-friendly spreadsheet. Chrissy shares her intensive, neutral deep-dive into researching the childhood vaccine schedule, looking at package inserts, and asking the hard questions about chronic disease rates.

We also chat about the value of reading theology and cultural books that we completely disagree with, and how challenging our own perspectives ultimately builds a much firmer foundation for our faith!

In this episode, you'll learn:

• Random Revelation: The recent Cyclospora parasite outbreak hitting the Detroit area, and the best ways to protect your gut (hello, raw garlic and papaya seeds!).
• The 1,000 Hours Outside Challenge: How Katie is tracking her family's outdoor time and using summer camping trips to offset the freezing Michigan winters.
• Vaccine Deep-Dives: Chrissy’s approach to researching vaccines without the overwhelm, utilizing package inserts, and comparing global chronic disease rates.
• Stewarding Our Minds: Why we are intentionally reading books we disagree with, and how learning to form your own logical, biblical arguments strengthens your faith.
• Conspiracy Corner: We touch on the Federal Reserve, bioweapons, and why asking "why" is the most dangerous (and important!) question you can ask in the crunchy world.

Resources & Links Mentioned:

The Books We Are Reading (and Debating!):

• The Secrets of the Federal Reserve by Eustace Mullins: https://amzn.to/4fdIWDL
• Irresistible by Andy Stanley: https://amzn.to/44xkS8x
• Seven Days That Divide the World by John C. Lennox: https://amzn.to/4vBIoMx
• Getting Over Yourself: https://amzn.to/4wKTMaa
• How to Avoid a Climate Disaster by Bill Gates: https://amzn.to/4w5ALz4

Crunchy Resources:

• Earthley Wellness Parasite Cleanse: https://www.earthley.com/products/parasite-detox-bundle
• 1,000 Hours Outside Challenge: https://www.1000hoursoutside.com/
• Just the Inserts (Vaccine Label Resource): https://justtheinserts.com/
• Katie the PA (Vaccine Research on Instagram): https://www.instagram.com/katiec.pac/

Chapters:

00:00 Welcome & The Mid-Year Check-In
02:15 Random Revelation: The Michigan Parasite Outbreak
08:30 Conspiracy Corner: The Federal Reserve & The Power of "Why"
14:15 Theology Talk: Reading Books We Disagree With
27:30 Katie’s Goal: Tackling the 1,000 Hours Outside Challenge
33:10 Chrissy’s Deep-Dive: Navigating Vaccine Research & Inserts
45:00 Empowering Yourself Through Education & 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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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! Following up on last week's budgeting deep-dive, we are shifting our focus from saving money to freely giving it away. Generosity isn't just a biblical mandate; it actually comes with incredible physical, mental, and emotional health benefits!

Before we get into the budget, we are spilling our "Crunchy Confessions." We talk about the natural products we completely regret buying, the deodorants that ruined our shirts, and the sticker shock of 100% organic cotton underwear. Plus, Chrissy drops a massive Random Revelation about how the FDA allows companies to hide MSG in your favorite "healthy" foods using sneaky ingredients like citric acid and natural flavors.

When it comes to our finances, God cares far more about our heart posture than our accounting technicalities. We discuss the theology of a cheerful giver, how to build a "blessing fund" into your monthly budget, and why learning contentment is the absolute best financial strategy you can implement.

In this episode, you'll learn:

• Random Revelation: The FDA loopholes that allow companies to hide MSG in plain sight (watch out for carrageenan, maltodextrin, natural flavors, and citric acid derived from GMO corn!).
• Crunchy Confessions: Our honest reviews of natural products that didn't work out, including tongue scrapers, Avalon Organics conditioner, and Dr. Squatch deodorant.
• Clean Deodorant Swaps: Why we actually love Cleo & Coco and Little Seed Farms.
• The Cost of Organic Cotton: Navigating the sticker shock of Pact apparel versus the budget-friendly options at Quince and Sam's Club.
• The Theology of Giving: Looking at 1 Corinthians 9:7 and Acts 20 to understand why God loves a cheerful giver and how generosity impacts our physical health.
• The Blessing Fund: How tracking your expenses (like that $400/month coffee habit!) creates the necessary margin to bless others spontaneously.
• Contentment over Scarcity: Why praying for your "daily bread" is a prayer for contentment, and how faithful stewardship of a small budget prepares you for greater kingdom impact.

Resources mentioned:

• Clean Deodorant: Cleo & Coco | Little Seed Farms
• Organic Cotton Apparel: Pact | Quince
• Book Recommendation: Redeeming Money by Paul David Tripp
• Financial Coaching: SeedTime (Mission Driven Millionaire) https://checkout.seedtime.com/referral/rNllzz8e/hFtmrylRRW7I0zu8

Chapters:

00:00 Welcome & The Health Benefits of Generosity
02:15 Random Revelation: Hidden MSG, Citric Acid, and Natural Flavors
09:30 Navigating Food Allergies & Post-Junk Food Detox Breakfasts
13:45 Crunchy Confessions: Tongue Scrapers & Pit Stains
17:20 Clean Deodorant Swaps & The Sticker Shock of Organic Cotton
23:50 The Theology of a Cheerful Giver (1 Corinthians 9)
27:10 Chrissy’s Testimony: Blessed to Be a Blessing
31:40 Creating a "Blessing Fund" & Finding Margin in Your Budget
36:15 Tithing: Before or After Taxes? (Heart Posture vs. Accounting)
41:20 Paul Tripp, Contentment, and Praying for Daily Bread
48:00 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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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! You’ve asked, and we are finally delivering! Today, we are taking a detour from our usual health topics to talk about a different kind of wellness: financial health. Since both of us are certified Christian money coaches, we decided to dedicate an entire episode to answering one of the most frequently asked questions in our Facebook group: How do you actually afford to live a crunchy lifestyle?

Let's be honest—buying organic food, sourcing fresh-milled flour, and swapping out conventional medicine for holistic remedies can feel completely out of reach when you are on a tight budget. We are sharing our personal financial journeys, from paying off debt by making homemade laundry detergent to viewing preventative health as the ultimate long-term financial strategy.

We break down how to track your spending, set up high-yield savings accounts, and create a "medical sinking fund" so you are fully prepared for those out-of-pocket holistic care expenses. Budgeting isn't about restriction; it is about faithfully stewarding the resources God has given you so you can live optimally for His kingdom!

In this episode, you'll learn:

• Random Revelation: Katie shares a tool to look up your county's exact agricultural glyphosate exposure (and the results for some areas are shocking!).
• Our Financial Journeys: How Chrissy used homemade bread and $5 DIY laundry detergent to help pay off debt, and how Katie’s background in real estate and budgeting led to a passion for medical cost-sharing.
• The Preventative Mindset: Why investing in organic foods and holistic health upfront actually saves you thousands in future medical bills and pharmaceutical costs.
• Free & Cheap Health Hacks: From grounding outside to mouth taping to prevent cavities (yes, it really works!), how to maximize your wellness without spending a dime.
• Medical Sinking Funds: What they are, why you need one, and how to use high-yield savings accounts (like Ally and Capital One) to let your money work for you.
• Budgeting Tools: Our favorite apps (like Monarch) to track your spending and how to give generously as a reflection of the Gospel.

Resources mentioned:

• Check your local pesticide exposure: Glyphosate LookUp
• Katie's Financial Coaching: SeedTime Money Coaching
• Our Favorite Budgeting App: Monarch Money
• High-Yield Savings Accounts (for your sinking funds!): Ally Bank

Chapters:

00:00 Welcome & Why We Are Talking About Money
02:15 Random Revelation: The Glyphosate Exposure Map
09:10 Our Personal Journeys: Paying Off Debt & Going Crunchy
14:30 The Preventative Mindset: Health as a Financial Investment
18:45 Upgrading the Medicine Cabinet & Ditching Pharmaceuticals
24:20 Free Health Hacks: Nose Breathing & Mouth Taping
28:30 Budgeting 101: Tracking Spending & Monarch Money
32:45 Creating a Medical Sinking Fund & Using High-Yield Savings Accounts
38:10 Biblical Stewardship: The Parable of the Talents & Generous Giving
44:00 Wrapping Up & How to Work With Us

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

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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).

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

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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).

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

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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!

Connect With Us:

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! 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).

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