Wellness With @lowtoxliving.co Founder Steffi Kerpan

Steffi is a mom of two boys. One has Down syndrome and autism, and her youngest has ADHD. His diagnosis eventually led her to discover her own ADHD at 34, which opened the door to a deeper health journey for their family.

After working with a naturopath and running lab work and toxin load testing, they began making intentional swaps in their home to reduce their toxic load. Those small changes sparked a passion for low-tox living that continues to grow. What started as a personal journey to support her family quickly grew into a passion for helping others reduce their toxic load through simple, intentional lifestyle swaps. 

Q: “Low-tox” can feel overwhelming to many families. How do you define it in a way that feels practical and empowering rather than restrictive?

A: For me, low-tox living isn’t about perfection or fear. It’s about awareness and progress. We’re never going to eliminate every toxin in our environment, and trying to do that can quickly become overwhelming.

I encourage families to start small and focus on what feels manageable. One approach I share in my book is tackling one area at a time each month. Swapping Things like food, water, cleaning products, or personal care. Breaking it down that way helps make the process more practical and also helps families budget for the changes over time instead of feeling like they have to replace everything at once.

The most important thing is not letting the process become stressful. Chronic stress on the body can actually do more harm overall than many of the exposures we’re trying to avoid. Low-tox living should feel empowering, start somewhere, make progress where you can, and give yourself grace along the way.

Q: In your experience, have you noticed a connection between environmental inputs and neurodevelopment, focus, or behavior in children?

A: Absolutely — I can nerd out on this topic a little bit.

In my experience, there can be a connection between environmental inputs and things like focus, behavior, and overall neurodevelopment. Genes can absolutely play a role in many diagnoses, but we also know environmental exposures can be a major piece of the puzzle, especially in situations like PANS/PANDAS, mold exposure, heavy metals, and other inflammatory triggers. What makes it tricky is that a lot of these issues can mimic one another, which is why I encourage parents to pay attention to patterns, things like sudden regression, new behavioral flare-ups, sleep changes, anxiety, or sensory shifts, and consider what their child may be reacting to in their environment.

Often the biggest factor is the combination of genetics and environment. Many families, including mine, have done genetic testing and found mutations that impact detox pathways. That means when the body is exposed to environmental toxins, it may not eliminate them as efficiently, allowing them to build up over time and potentially intensify symptoms.

For our family, we’ve seen incredible progress over the last year with both of my boys through dietary changes, reducing certain environmental exposures, and gentle detox support under the guidance of our naturopath. It’s not a one-size-fits-all solution, but it can be an important piece of the puzzle.

And while I often talk about this in the context of neurodevelopment, environmental exposures don’t just affect behavior or focus, they’ve also been linked to broader health concerns like autoimmune conditions, hormone disruption, and even certain cancers. That’s why I believe awareness and small, intentional changes can have such a meaningful impact on long-term health.

Q: For busy mothers who want to start reducing toxic load but feel stretched thin, what is the first meaningful swap you recommend? 

A: Diet is usually the first place I recommend starting. It’s actually the first chapter in our book because we tried to prioritize what we felt was most impactful. What we eat goes into our bodies every single day and fuels every system, our energy, hormones, gut health, and even brain function.

The good news is you don’t have to overhaul everything overnight. Start with simple changes like choosing whole foods more often, washing produce well, or gradually swapping out highly processed foods when possible.

For busy moms especially, convenience matters. Finding services that make healthier choices easier can be really helpful. In our house, we love ordering from Thrive Market because it allows us to have better food options delivered right to our door, which saves time and makes it easier to stick with those intentional choices.

Q: How do you approach reducing toxins without creating fear or anxiety around modern life, especially for children?

A: Early on I had to shift my mindset and remind myself that I can’t control everything — and that stressing about toxins can sometimes be just as harmful to the body as the exposures themselves. For me, it’s about controlling what I can, where I can.

Our home is our safe space. We focus on having a clean pantry, filtered water, and making more intentional choices with the products we use daily. With my kids, I try to educate rather than restrict. I want them to understand what fuels their bodies so they can make informed choices as they grow, but I’m also careful not to create fear or an unhealthy relationship with food. They still enjoy treats in moderation, and sometimes I’ll bring cleaner alternatives for things like school parties.

At the end of the day, low-tox living isn’t one-size-fits-all. My goal is simply to create a healthier environment at home and do the best I can with what’s in my control.

Q: What are the most common misconceptions people have about “clean” products or labeling in the wellness space?

A: One of the biggest misconceptions in the wellness space is greenwashing. Terms like “clean,” “natural,” or “non-toxic” aren’t actually regulated, which means brands can put those words on their packaging even if the ingredients don’t necessarily reflect it.

It can be really misleading for consumers because those labels sound trustworthy, but often they’re just marketing terms. That’s why I always encourage people to flip the bottle over and actually read the ingredient list rather than relying on the front label.

Looking for legitimate third-party certifications can also help people make more informed decisions. Education is really key when it comes to navigating the wellness space and avoiding some of that misleading marketing.

 

Q: What's your favorite Juna product and how do you incorporate it into your everyday routine?

A: Right now I’m really loving the Juna Gut Therapy, Detox Drops and Juna Smart Burn. After having kids I definitely noticed my metabolism slow down, so Smart Burn has been a great way to give my body a little extra support in that area.

Gut Therapy is something I take with me everywhere. I’ll add it to my own drinks, and sometimes even blend a little into my kids’ smoothies for extra gut support.

Gut health is always one of my top priorities because we know the gut and brain are closely connected. Supporting the gut can have such a big impact on overall wellness, energy, and even focus. Of course I also love the detox drops, they are gentle, taste good, and so easy to add into my routine!

Q: Current Favorite Book/Podcast/Playlist/App?

A: Lately I’ve been loving The Telepathy Tapes. I’m also always drawn to podcasts that focus on entrepreneurship and building businesses.

As for music, my playlists are usually a mix of country and early 2000s rap.

Where can people find/follow you and your businesses?

@LOWTOXLIVING.CO , www.lowtoxlivingco.com We just launched our spring box and we are excited to be including the juna detox drops plus nightcap samples in every box!