About this show:
What would your dream grocery store look like?
Chances are, like many, you see a lot of injustice in the land of ‘food giants’ with corporate CEOs paid millions and large percentages of families skipping meals due to food insecurity:
Is it hopeless? Will it all just get worse?
It doesn’t have to. That’s why this podcast is here with you today.
My guest, Jon Steinman, author of “A Grocery Story: The Promise of Food Co-ops in the Age of Grocery Giants,” and I discuss the history and evolution of the food system, with a particular focus on the rise of low-priced food culture and its societal implications (Did you know we used to spend 30% of our wages on food?).
Steinman advocates for food co-ops of all shapes and sizes as a more equitable and resilient alternative to corporate-owned grocery giants, highlighting their community ownership, fair practices with suppliers, and positive contributions to local economies and well-being. The food prosperity economy.
We explore the realities of the Grocery Giant downsides while painting a picture of all that can be – and in some cases IS and how you can have this in your community, too.
I hope you love this conversation as much as I did
Alexx Stuart, your host.
Alexx Stuart
Founder of Low Tox Life and the Low Tox movement
Join me on Insta @lowtoxlife
Want to learn more about Jon’s work?
Website: https://grocerystory.coop/
Book: https://bit.ly/3Y2SB70
Want to support the show?
Free option: Leave a 5 star review wherever you listen to Low Tox Life – thanks SO much!
Paid + Member PERKS: Join the Low Tox Club – monthly practitioner live masterclasses, a suite of low tox store discounts from around the world and the most supportive and lovely chat group on all low tox topics on the internet: Check it out and join here for just the price of a coffee per month! https://www.lowtoxlifecourses.com/offers/YzLXThRQ/checkout
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Thank you to this month’s show sponsors for helping you make your low tox swaps easier:
@ausclimate gives you 10% off their range for the whole of 2024, with brilliant Winix Air Purifiers, the best Dehumidifiers I’ve ever used and their new energy-efficient heating range. code LOWTOXLIFE https://bit.ly/ShopAusclimate
INTERNATIONAL: 15% off site-wide @blockbluelight_official with code LOWTOXLIFE to help you with your lighting, health and skin goals enhanced by light – or lack thereof! When Daniel the founder, felt awful at work, he eventually realised it was the fluorescent lighting and started to block it out – he was shocked at the results, and you will be too! Enjoy!
@Pureearthaustralia – a wonderful Aussie low tox brand to put on your radar with a commitment to local, closed-loop production, the purest, simplest of effective formulations and an accessible price point. Did I mention their incredibly well-considered packaging? This is for the ‘all of it matters to me’ low toxer. 20% off until July 15 with code LOWTOXLIFE
Be sure to join me on Instagram @lowtoxlife and tag me with your shares and AHAs of this week’s episode.
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About Jon Steinman
Jon Steinman is the author of Grocery Story: The Promise of Food Co-ops in the Age of Grocery Giants (New Society Publishers) and the writer and host of the television and web series Deconstructing Dinner: Reconstructing Our Food System. Jon was board director and president of the Kootenay Co-op — Canada’s largest community-owned grocery store specializing in natural foods. He lives in Nelson, British Columbia, Canada.
Thank you to this month’s sponsors for partnering with our show and helping you make your swaps with their special offer:
Ausclimate’s highly recommended range of WINIX Air Purifiers is the ideal solution for cleaner, healthier indoor air. Easy to use, reactive features and settings with a truly comprehensive 4-5 stages of purification, including Hospital Grade True HEPA Filtration and Winix’s unique PlasmaWave® technology. Perfect for smoke, dust, pets, viruses, bacteria, household odours, and allergies (covering a variety of allergens). Breathe easier, sleep better, and feel better. Winix; is the most complete air purifier on the market!
Offer: Ausclimate is now giving all Low Tox Life followers an EXTRA 10% OFF their already discounted prices. Simply enter the discount code of LOWTOXLIFE on check out via: https://www.ausclimate.com.au/
This discount can also be redeemed for over-the-phone orders verbally.
Website: www.ausclimate.com.au
Facebook: www.facebook.com/Ausclimate
Instagram: www.instagram.com/ausclimate
If you’ve never tried consistently wearing blue light-blocking glasses or added a couple of blue-blocking lightbulbs to your home, you will not know the amazing feeling of making this change. With a vast range of options for respecting your circadian rhythm through light choice, as well as brilliant Red light panels for injury, pain, inflammation and skin support, your 15% off site-wide at Block Blue Light will go a good way to helping you put some things in place.
My picks?
- We absolutely LOVE the sweet dreams lightbulbs for our bedside tables and living room lamp shades.
I never leave home (and use at home too) without my blackout sleep mask and blue-blocking red glasses. I don’t care what anyone thinks I look like, I’m the smart one, is my view! 😉 - We also love the portable reading light which we travel with to avoid using hotel/friends’ bedside lights when away
- The nightlights you can use for hallways or a nursery room to avoid having to switch on lights – sensor-activated. Super clever and practical!
- The phone screen cover to avoid eye strain and excessive blue light because let’s face it: Phones!
- The red light panel. Daniel leant me one very gratefully when I broke my foot a couple of years ago and I used it religiously and was back to gentle walking and tennis within 4 weeks. Was it jsut the red light? No. Diet, rest, supplements all helped no doubt too, but the research is pretty amazing!
There are a few ideas to get you going if you need somewhere to start.
Alexx x
About Pure Earth:
One of our current podcast partners, Pure Earth, quite possibly ticks every low tox box for those who prioritise local made/owned. I only came across this range earlier this year and Gabriela, the founder, is such a good human!
Here’s what you get behind their luxurious, pure formulations that don’t cost the earth:
**Small batch, Australia-made in a 6 Star Eco-certified facility, embodying their deep commitment to local craftsmanship and environmental responsibility.
**Every Pure Earth formula harnesses powerful botanical extracts and pure essential oils. Free from harmful sulphates, parabens, silicones, and synthetic fragrances, the range naturally nourishes and rejuvenates your hair, body, and skin.
**Dedicated to waste minimisation: They consciously choose aluminium packaging, which is infinitely recyclable, and their shipping boxes and tape are fully compostable.
**Pure Earth isn’t just skincare—they’re a community united by a shared love for nature and dedication to sustainability. They truly believe that beauty and well-being should never come at the expense of our planet.
Their star product: A green-chemistry feat and powerhouse Vitamin C serum!
The Pure Kakadu Plum Vitamin C Serum contains no fillers, no added water, and no aloe vera — just the pure, potent extract of Kakadu Plum, the richest natural source of Vitamin C on Earth. This concentrated formula helps brighten skin, reduce hyperpigmentation, boost elasticity, and restore a radiant, even complexion — all without compromise. A tiny 1% of naturally derived preservative is all that is added.
I hope you love exploring the range – let me know how you go! 20% off site-wide (excluding special packs/bundles) goes a long way to making a few extra swaps or stock ups.
Alexx x
Website: https://bit.ly/shop_pureearth
Instagram Link: https://www.instagram.com/pureearthaustralia/
Facebook Link: https://www.facebook.com/PureEarth/
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Title show track, by LIOR.
Love the podcast music? You will hear excerpts from Lior’s track “Caught Up” – go check it out on iTunes or Spotify if you want to hear the whole song or album, Scattered Reflections. Co-written with Cameron Deyell, it’s a great song and I love the reflective energy of it – perfect for the show, right? Enjoy. Lior is always touring, so do check out his website. It is wonderful to hear him sing live, trust me.
Low Tox Club – The place to bring your low tox life to life.
Want to join a community of like minds and enjoy all the perks of being in the Low Tox Life inner circle such as an online membership platform, 50% off all our Low Tox courses, an awesome chat group, my monthly Q&A, and special guest star interviews for just $49AUD ($29USD/28EUR/23pounds) per YEAR? We have created a special place and set of resources to help you achieve your goals and it’s a wonderful place to be – MORE DETAILS AND REGISTRATION HERE.
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If you would love reading like me or you just simply want to go through the full transcript, you can check below.
