Some health journeys start with a diagnosis, while others start with a deep knowing that something is absolutely wrong, yet no professional has an answer, a health plateau if you will. This is where Alexandra's story starts. From multiple diagnoses to functional medicine, and finally to a discovery that cracked open a much bigger question: what else in our everyday environment is quietly working against our health?
Today Alexandra Brook-Clark is the founder of ARMUR Health, where she and her team help individuals and families track down the root causes behind fatigue, hormone imbalances, brain fog, and more symptoms we will get into. She then builds a sustainable, guilt-free plan to address them. Here she gives us the lowdown on environmental health, hormone disruptors, and why perfection is never the goal.
How a Health Crisis Became a Root Cause Awakening
Your health crisis in 2021 changed how you think about environment and illness. What was the first "aha" moment that made you connect your home environment to your symptoms?
“Oh, so much happened from 2020 to 2021, but the aha moment really came after I was diagnosed with Lyme disease and six co-infections. Once I found functional medicine, I started my healing journey. I would feel better and then plateau. This happened for many months, and it's then that I really started to realize that what I thought was healthy and non-toxic really was not.”
That plateau led her to test her own home, where she found mold. “It led me down a huge environmental journey, as well as revamping all of my products, food, air, EMF, anything you could think of.”
What “Root Cause” Actually Means
What does “root cause” mean in your work, and how is it different from how most of us are taught to think about health?
“At ARMUR, root cause means looking beyond symptoms to understand why they're happening in the first place. Instead of asking, how do we get rid of this symptom, we ask, what's causing the body to produce it?”
Most of us are taught to treat symptoms or manage a diagnosis. Alexandra and her team take a wider view. Fatigue, brain fog, digestive issues, hormone imbalances, and chronic pain are often signals, not the whole story. “We recognize that health is complex, and that multiple factors, including nutrition, sleep, stress, recovery, movement, metabolic health, and environmental exposures in the home, such as indoor air quality, mold, water quality, and other toxins, can all play a role,” she says. “Our goal is to identify those underlying patterns and create a personalized plan that supports long-term health, resilience, and performance, not just temporary symptom relief.”
The Everyday Exposures Showing Up for Women's Hormone Health
What are the everyday household exposures, products, air, water, that you see most consistently showing up for women dealing with hormone related symptoms?
“Oh, I love this question, at ARMUR, we often find that everyday environmental exposures are an overlooked piece of the health puzzle, especially for women experiencing hormone related symptoms.” She is careful to note these exposures aren't the sole cause of hormonal imbalances, but they can add to the body's overall toxic burden and affect how hormones are produced, metabolized, and eliminated.
Her team's most common areas to evaluate include indoor air quality, mold and moisture issues, drinking water quality, plastics used for food storage, personal care and beauty products, cleaning supplies, fragrances, and pesticides.
“Every person's exposure profile is different, which is why we take an individualized approach to identify potential contributors and focus on practical changes that can help reduce unnecessary exposures while supporting the body's natural detoxification and hormone balance.”
Endocrine disruptors get thrown around a lot online. In practical terms, what does that actually mean for someone standing in their bathroom or kitchen?
“The term endocrine disruptors gets used a lot, but it simply refers to certain chemicals that may interfere with the body's natural hormone signaling, we don't believe in creating fear around every product in your home. We believe in helping people make informed, practical choices.”
Her team usually starts in the bathroom, with shampoo, lotion, makeup, perfume, and skincare products that may contain synthetic fragrances, parabens, or phthalates. Around the rest of the house, cleaning products, laundry detergents, air fresheners, and scented candles add to overall chemical exposure. “The goal isn't perfection. It's reducing unnecessary exposures where you can. Making a few thoughtful swaps to cleaner products is often a simple, sustainable way to support your hormone health over the long term.”
Alexandra's Top Swaps
Is there a “top three” swap you'd tell every woman to make first if she could only do three?
This is so hard for me :) 1. beauty products, including hair dye and nail polish 2. cleaning products 3. microplastics ... 4. I had to add in water!
If someone reading this can only do one thing this week, what should it be?
Drink clean water out of glass or stainless steel. Water is life source. Buy a wonderful in home filtration system, there are many options, and bring your own water bottle outside with you. Ordering it is the hardest part. Once you have it in hand, it becomes second nature.
What's a swap that made a bigger difference than you expected, something small that surprised you?
One swap that often surprises people is replacing heavily fragranced products with cleaner, simpler alternatives. Something as small as changing out laundry detergent, fabric softeners, candles, or air fresheners can make a noticeable difference, because these are products we're exposed to consistently, especially things like bedding and clothing that stay in close contact with our skin for hours at a time. We often think of these products as harmless because they're part of our everyday routine, but reducing unnecessary fragrances and chemicals throughout the home is one of the easiest ways to lower overall exposure.
Detoxing a Home When There Are Kids
You work with families, not just individuals. What's different about detoxing a home when there are kids in it?
“When there are kids in the home, we take an even more proactive approach, because children are still growing and developing, and they tend to have higher exposure to their environment. They crawl on floors, put their hands and toys in their mouths, breathe more air relative to their body size, and spend a lot of time indoors.”
Her team focuses on simple, high impact changes for the whole family: “We pay particular attention to laundry products because children spend so much time sleeping on their sheets, blankets, and pajamas, where residues from heavily fragranced detergents and fabric softeners can remain in close contact with their skin. It's not about creating a perfectly toxin free home, that isn't realistic. It's about making practical, sustainable changes that reduce everyday exposures and create a healthier environment for the whole family.”
What are the sneakiest sources of chemical exposure for kids specifically that parents don't think to look at?
Alexandra doesn't hesitate: “Plastic, plastic, plastic! Water bottles, straws, zip lock bags, plates, forks, cups. It is everywhere.”
Progress Over Perfection: The 90/10 Way of Life
Your “90/10 way of life” sounds a lot more livable than “all or nothing” detox culture. How do you help clients let go of perfectionism without losing progress?
“Our belief is that consistency matters far more than perfection, that's the idea behind our 90/10 approach: making healthier choices most of the time while leaving room to enjoy life without guilt or stress.” Clients are never asked to throw away every product or eliminate every exposure overnight. Instead, her team helps them focus on the changes with the biggest impact and build sustainable habits they can actually maintain.
“The reality is that we can't control every exposure, and that's okay,” she says. “I am still a student every single day. I never want anyone to feel like there is any judgement. This all comes from a place of love and support. Everyone can make one change that goes a long way.”
What's a common mistake you see people make when they get overwhelmed and try to overhaul everything at once?
“One of the biggest mistakes we see is people trying to change everything overnight. They replace every product in their home, start multiple supplements, overhaul their diet, and completely change their routines all at once. Not only is that overwhelming, it can also make it difficult to know what changes are actually making a difference.”
Her advice: take it step by step. “We prioritize the changes that will have the greatest impact first and build from there. When healthy habits fit into your lifestyle, they're much more likely to stick. Sustainable progress always beats short term perfection, and small, consistent changes over time lead to the biggest improvements in long term health."
Alexandra's approach to non-toxic living resonates with us at Mamala, where increasing access to health and wellness is our primary goal. Taking the first step to nourish yourself begets the next good choice, whether that's a healthy meal or swapping out the fragrant cleaning spray for some good old fashioned vinegar, distilled water and essential oils.
Mamala customers and Mamaland readers get 10% ARMUR's incredible offering of services with code "MAMALA"