He’s Offering the Antidote

Six years ago, David Steinman of Los Angeles wrote a book called “Diet for a Poison Planet” and got a lot of criticism from industry and the media for “scaring” consumers about their toxic environment.

The environment may still be toxic, he says, but people are willing to acknowledge it and take preventive measures. “We don’t have to convince people that toxic chemicals are destructive to our health,” he says. “Now we have to convince people there are solutions.”

Steinman, an investigative journalist turned consumer cop, lays out solutions in a new paperback, “Living Healthy in a Toxic World” (Perigee Books). Written with Michael Wisner, it offers a primer of 50 simple steps to take in your home, diet and shopping to protect yourself from chemicals, poisons and pollution.

While we can’t cut off our exposure to toxic chemicals, says Steinman, co-author of the 1995 bestseller “Safe Shopper’s Bible” (Macmillan), consumers can buy organic food, filtered water, buy healthy cosmetics and use nontoxic paints. “In the past few years industry has responded to consumer demands, and it has not been faddish. People really can take responsibility for their own health today.”