PODCAST: Sustainable Smiles and a Greener Holiday Season

On this week’s episode of the Enlightened Omnivore Podcast, I sit down with my friend Belinda Lau, founder of Elims, a woman-owned sustainable oral care company that’s rethinking both what we put in our mouths and what we toss into our landfills.When I think about sustainability, I tend to think big: system-wide changes, massive infrastructure shifts, moonshot technologies. The kind of megawatt solutions that might actually move the needle on our climate crisis.Belinda, however, started somewhere much smaller and far more personal.Enlightened Omnivore is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.Oral care is one of the most repetitive rituals in our lives. The average American changes their toothbrush every quarter. The result is more than a billion plastic toothbrushes thrown away globally each year. Belinda’s research found that if she wanted to make a sustainable impact on entrepreneurship, the bathroom—yes, the bathroom—was a surprisingly powerful place to begin.In addition to the wonders of “green” dental care, we also got to talk about the holidays. I feel like I have even less time to find presents for my family this year, and I’m really trying to make my gift-giving reflect my values. I tend to buy experiences over things for my loved ones, however, everyone still needs a great stocking stuffer. If you’re starting to think about holiday gifts—and especially those little meaningful extras—you’re going to want to listen to this week’s episode. Belinda offers smart, sustainable gift ideas that people will actually use.One of the most unexpected, and beautiful, parts of our conversation had nothing to do with toothbrushes or gift lists.Belinda opened up about burnout culture, especially in entrepreneurship, and how easy it is to treat exhaustion like a badge of honor. She shared one of her favorite Buddhist teachings that looks to our animal friends for insights on how to heal, and the wisdom we can borrow from their ability to rest. She also revealed her simple creativity practice—one that anyone can do, especially if you live in Southern California.As someone who instinctively fills every quiet moment with noise, news, or motion, I found this part of our conversation deeply grounding, and a nice reminder of the power of silence.And because this is Enlightened Omnivore, we couldn’t end without talking about food. Belinda described her family’s Burmese cuisine as a beautiful collision of Thai, Indian, and Chinese influences. She shared her favorite dishes and where to find them, and I found myself wanting to go straight from the recording to a noodle soup counter.I loved this conversation because it had everything I value most: good friendship, honest answers, food wisdom, creative insights, generosity—and a bit of laughter woven throughout.I hope you enjoy the listen.Let’s Stay Connected* Follow along on YouTube, Instagram and TikTok for video content, reels, and behind-the-scenes thoughts. I’m also on Facebook and LinkedIn.* Like the podcast? Please consider leaving a review wherever you listen. It helps so much.* Say hi on Substack Notes—I’m posting almost every day about my random reflections on life.* Join me in Chat. It’s a space just for subscribers, kind of like a group text but less embarrassing. Download the app, tap the Chat icon (it looks like two speech bubbles at the bottom), and find the latest “Enlightened Omnivore” thread.Enlightened Omnivore is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit enlightenedomnivore.substack.com/subscribe