Autism Parenting Secrets – Demand TOXIN Transparency
Podcast: Autism Parenting Secrets
Hosts: Len Arcuri, Cass Arcuri
Guest: Zen Honeycutt (Founder, Moms Across America)
Date: February 26, 2026
Episode Theme: Empowering parents of children with autism to demand transparency about toxins, make informed decisions for their families, and advocate for both food safety and legislative change.
Episode Overview
This episode features a deeply personal and actionable conversation with Zen Honeycutt, founder of Moms Across America, focusing on understanding, detecting, and reducing toxic exposures (pesticides, heavy metals, nutrient deficiencies) that can impact children, especially those on the autism spectrum. Zen shares her family's experience and urges parents to seek greater transparency about toxins in food, consider testing for individual sensitivities, and to advocate for policy changes. The episode combines science, personal story, and empowerment for parents.
Key Discussion Points & Insights
1. Understanding the Real Impact of Toxins
- Chronic vs. Acute Toxicity: Zen highlights the difference between acute toxicity (chemicals that kill within 96 hours in animal studies) and the more insidious, chronic exposure to low-level toxins that accumulate over years, potentially causing lasting damage, including neurological and behavioral issues.
"Toxic chemicals kill things. And they can also cause lifelong permanent damage. They can cause mental illness, endocrine disruption, liver and kidney disease..." – Zen Honeycutt [00:00]
2. Personal Story: Zen’s Family & The Limits of Diet
- Case Study: Ben’s Journey: Zen recounts in detail her son Ben’s health struggles—including allergies, autism symptoms, severe depression, and eventual suicide—despite a decade on an impeccably clean, organic, plant-based diet.
- Multiple food allergies, rashes, behavioral issues improved with organic diet.
- Ben later developed depression, likely fueled by gene-nutrient mismatches, heavy metal (thallium) toxicity (from kale), mycotoxins, candida, very low cholesterol, and genetic challenges (MTHFR variants).
"We got some testing along the way and we noticed things like they had over 20 different food allergies. They had some industrial chemicals in their bodies..." – Zen Honeycutt [04:30]
"He ate vegan, organic, whole food, plant based diet for seven years... And yet, unfortunately... six months ago, he succumbed to depression and committed suicide. And it's been horrible." – Zen Honeycutt [05:47]
3. The Importance of Comprehensive Testing
-
Genetic, Heavy Metal, Mycotoxin & Nutrient Testing: Zen emphasizes the power of functional genomic testing (e.g. analyzing raw data from ancestry kits) and regular heavy metal, pesticide, and nutrient deficiency tests.
- Genetic quirks can make seemingly healthy diets harmful (e.g., Ben couldn't absorb choline from plants).
- Testing reveals hidden dangers, guides better dietary and supplemental choices.
"I'm also a massive advocate now for genetic testing to find out... if your body can handle not only the toxins, but being a vegan..." – Zen Honeycutt [11:28]
-
The Gaps in Standard Testing and Guidelines: Host Len points out lab ranges may be misleading; labs like Quest/LabCorp often use broad "normal" ranges not tailored to individual needs.
"The ranges that are used as to what's acceptable, what's not, can be ridiculous and not meaningful." – Len Arcuri [28:44]
4. Nutrient Deficiency in Modern Food & Its Real Effects
- Soil Depletion and Industrial Farming:
- Food today contains far fewer nutrients than in past generations; serving size recommendations are often outdated fictions.
"Those guidelines are based on fantasy figures... if you actually test and look for how much iron... is in the food, it is so deficient that a person would have to eat hundreds of servings..." – Zen Honeycutt [15:45]
- Memorable Fact: You’d have to eat "70 servings of spinach to get the same amount of iron today that you would have in the 1930s." [17:39]
- This leads to real hunger and cravings, which are often signals for specific nutrient needs, not just calories.
"If we crave sweet things, there's other vitamins and nutrients that, that's what we really want..." – Zen Honeycutt [19:39]
5. Not All Organics Are Safe—Heavy Metals & Imports
-
Heavy Metals in Food (including Organic):
- FDA only regulates heavy metals in a few foods like applesauce and candy (mainly for children).
- Organic foods can sometimes have higher heavy metals due to manure-based fertilizers.
- Many imported foods (e.g., beans from China) aren't regulated for chemicals.
"If you think the government is doing a good job in regulating heavy metals in the food supply, you are sorely mistaken." – Zen Honeycutt [21:17]
-
Actionable Detox Strategies:
- Daily detox: sauna (20 min = a month’s worth of supplements, per Dr. Edward Group), exercise/sweating, charcoal, bentonite clay, cilantro, and routine testing.
- Regularly test (1-2x/year if possible): heavy metals, mycotoxins, candida, parasites, and nutrient levels.
6. Dietary Diversity and Genetic Bioindividuality
- No One-Size-Fits-All Diet:
- Diversity is essential—eating the same "healthy" food (like kale or beans) daily led to toxin overload for Ben.
"It's just not how our ancestors were ate... they had a varied diet. And so that's what's... incredibly important to do." – Zen Honeycutt [30:29]
- Genetics Dictate Needs:
- MTHFR and other genetic variants mean some people can't detoxify efficiently, and "some people should not ever be a vegan."
- Parents should know genetic information at birth—currently, US hospitals screen for 200+ genetic markers but only disclose “pathogenic” results.
- Zen is advocating for the Newborn Genetic Disclosure Act, so parents get full access to genetic testing info, with an opt-out option.
7. Empowerment Through Advocacy
-
Parents’ Right and Obligation to Advocate:
- You don’t need to be trained to contact legislators or advocate for change; staffers are not intimidating, and elected officials ultimately work for you.
"What matters is what you're committed to. If you're committed to a future of health and freedom for your child, for your family... we will all transform the world." – Zen Honeycutt [37:08]
-
**Moms Across America is launching a legislative arm ("Yes Ma'am") to champion policy for children’s health and safety, and provides monthly events to support parent advocates.
Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments
-
On Chronic Toxicity:
"We're talking about chronic exposure over time of these toxins that add up... and can cause an impact, you know, many, many years down the road." – Zen Honeycutt [01:00]
-
On Information Overwhelm:
"We just need to take one step at a time, do one thing at a time, listen to one podcast at a time... and not get overwhelmed." – Zen Honeycutt [02:06]
-
On Ben’s Struggle and Lessons Learned:
"The last thing that we ever would have expected. But... we know basically why he passed." – Zen Honeycutt [10:56]
"There are just some people that should not ever be a vegan. And I don't think that's information that, you know, advocates of veganism are telling people often enough." [11:57] -
The Need for True Transparency:
"We need transparency. We need transparency with what is happening in our food supply today." – Zen Honeycutt [15:08]
-
On the Test/Detox Priority:
"I think now I would even say comes number one, even before eating organic, is find out the truth, what's going on with you." – Zen Honeycutt [27:59]
-
On Legislative Action:
"Their bosses work for us. You know, we're their bosses, really. So just take that on that, you know, the government works for us." – Zen Honeycutt [36:52]
Key Timestamps
- 00:00-01:00 – What toxins really mean and why focus on chronic exposure
- 03:59-11:57 – Zen's family story: food allergies, autism, the devastating impact of toxins despite healthy living
- 12:07-13:46 – The value of genetic and functional testing, and limitations of supplementation through food alone
- 15:08-19:02 – Depleted food supply: the mismatch between guidelines and actual nutrition; soil impacts
- 19:39-23:55 – Cravings as nutrient signals, limitations and risks of even organic food, actionable detox strategies
- 24:25-28:18 – Testing as the foundation; recognizing the link between heavy metals, parasites, candida
- 28:44-34:54 – The critical role of dietary diversity, gene/diet interplay, and the argument for full newborn genetic test disclosure
- 36:29-38:33 – Getting involved in advocacy; empowering message for all parents and listeners
Actionable Takeaways
- Get Informed: Consider comprehensive testing for your child (and yourself) to understand your unique toxic load, genetic variants, and nutrient status.
- Prioritize Diversity: Don't adhere rigidly to dietary dogma—honor genetic individuality and diversify food intake.
- Daily Detox Matters: Sweat, supplement with care, and use simple strategies like sauna or activated charcoal.
- Advocate for Transparency: Push for fully transparent labeling, testing, and disclosure of ingredients, toxins, and food origins.
- Join the Movement: Connect with advocacy organizations, contact your representatives, and support legislative change.
Closing Message
Zen’s powerful story is a call to action for parents to step into their role as advocates—armed with both compassion and data. As Zen says:
"If you're committed to a future of health and freedom for your child, for your family. And you take actions every day. You and I, we will all transform the world. And I fully believe that." [37:13]