What We Mean When We Say “It’s Environmental”

For many people navigating a diagnosis, there comes a moment when a provider says the word environmental and then moves on.

No details. No context. No explanation of what that actually means for your life.

I know, because I was told the same thing.

After being diagnosed with breast cancer, I was asked if there was a family history. There wasn’t. The response was simple and familiar to many: It’s likely environmental.

That word stayed with me.

Environmental sounds informed, but it’s often vague. It places the cause somewhere outside the body without offering language, tools, or guidance to understand what that exposure might look like or how it shows up in daily life. And for many people, that is where the conversation ends.

What I’ve learned since is that our environments are not neutral. They are active participants in our health.

We are surrounded by plastics, chemicals, and synthetic materials from the moment we wake up. In our kitchens. In our clothing. In our beauty products. In our homes. In the air we breathe. These exposures are normalized, rarely questioned, and deeply embedded in modern life.

For years, I focused on the things we’re taught to focus on. Diet. Movement. Routine care. I believed I was doing everything “right.” And in many ways, I was. But I wasn’t taught to think about the products touching my skin, the materials surrounding my food, or the cumulative exposure that builds quietly over time.

That realization became the foundation for Wrapped in Plastic: What They Don’t Tell You About Your Home, Your Health, and Your Environment.

This book was not written to assign blame or create fear. It was written to offer language. To connect dots. To provide a starting point for people and institutions that already sense something is off, but haven’t had a clear way to talk about it.

Wrapped in Plastic explores how plastics, chemicals, microfibers, and everyday environmental exposures interact with our bodies and our health. It translates complex concepts into plain language and invites readers to move at their own pace. Awareness first. Then intention. Then action.

The outcome I care most about is clarity.

Clarity for individuals who are tired of being told “it’s environmental” without explanation. Clarity for organizations that want to address environmental health but lack accessible tools. Clarity that allows people to make informed decisions without overwhelm.

This work belongs in healthcare spaces, schools, nonprofits, community programs, and wellness initiatives because these conversations are already happening. They just need structure.

Wrapped in Plastic has become a tool for starting conversations institutions are already struggling to have. It supports discussion, reflection, education, and accountability in a way that is human and grounded.

If your work touches public health, women’s health, environmental justice, education, or community wellness, this is an invitation to engage. Not with all the answers, but with better questions and shared language. I welcome opportunities to bring this conversation into organizations, classrooms, clinics, and communities through speaking, facilitated discussions, or bulk book partnerships.

Feel free to reach out or start the conversation here.

Because once awareness shifts, everything else follows.