212 - What’s in Your Food, and Who’s Fighting to Change It

In this episode I sit down with Emily Stembridge — a mom-turned-lobbyist who is making waves in public health and food safety. This conversation left me inspired, and I know it will do the same for you. Emily’s story is such a beautiful reminder that you don’t need a perfect background or a political title to make a difference. You just need a heart for change and the courage to speak up. Here are a few of the biggest takeaways from our conversation: Emily shares how she went from being a stay-at-home mom to advocating for real change on Capitol Hill. With a background in public health and guidance from her father-in-law, who has been a lobbyist for decades, she found herself stepping into a role she never imagined — and now she’s helping shape policies that protect families. One of my favorite parts of this conversation was hearing just how much everyday people can influence legislation. Emily explains how simple actions like sending a text, making a phone call, or leaving a public comment truly matter. She also shares how community voices helped pass the Utah food additives bill, which works to remove harmful chemicals from school lunches. Emily is currently working on several impactful bills, including one that would require labeling heavy metals in menstrual products and another that would create no-spray zones for pesticides around schools. This episode is such an encouragement that your voice matters more than you think. Emily’s passion for protecting families and children is contagious, and I can’t wait for you to hear her story. Bio: Emily Stembridge graduated with a degree in Public Health and is a policy advocate and lobbyist. She has tailored her work to focus on the food system, health, holding government agencies accountable, and social impact. Driven by a deep passion for root-cause health, Emily helped champion Utah’s food dye bill in 2025. Emily has expanded her efforts to the federal level and strives for policies that support long-term public health. She loves empowering everyday people to engage with policy to drive meaningful and lasting change. Emily was raised in a health-conscious family that questioned the status quo, did their own research, and felt inspired to use natural healing –especially through food- to heal her mother’s breast cancer. This has greatly influenced how Emily approaches health. After diving deep into the root cause of her perioral dermatitis over 5 years ago, Emily fell down the rabbit hole of true, holistic health. This turned into diligently swapping out many of the foods and products her family consumed, and the realization that she wanted to help reform the system that continues to allow so many toxic exposures in our everyday environment. Connect with Emily Stembridge: Instagram: emilystembridge Utah Legislature homepage: https://le.utah.gov/ Find your particular house representative and senator: https://le.utah.gov/GIS/findDistrict.jsp Bills due in the 2026 session: https://le.utah.gov/billlist.jsp?session=2026GS Homeopathy bill: https://homeopathychoice.org/legislative-update/ Federal senators: https://www.senate.gov/senators/senators-contact.htm Federal house representative: http://www.house.gov/representatives/find-your-representative Moms across America movement: https://www.momsacrossamericamovement.org/ Exciting news! Just Ingredients is now available nationwide at Target — making it easier than ever to find your favorite products, in-store and online. Looking for more Just Ingredients content? Instagram Stories: @just.ingredients Podcast Instagram: @just.ingredients.podcast Facebook Community: Join our groupDiscover our non-toxic product line: Shop Just Ingredients Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices