As you may now by now, a lot changed in my life 5 years ago when I began to pull away from toxic relationships. I essentially had a nervous breakdown from carrying years and years of undealt with trauma and stress. I knew by that point that I had to make some big changes if I ever wanted to feel well again. A large part of that was getting out of toxic relationship. But another huge component was making some changes to toxic habits in the form of diet, lifestyle and even our everyday household items.
My WHY is big. I watched both of my parents suffer tremendously and ultimately die of cancer. They were both emotionally unhealthy, and lived what I would call a Standard American Lifestyle. When you watch someone you love waste away, it changes you. I used to not know the difference between conventional and organic food, and I didn't understand why I should pay more for food that didn't have chemicals and wasn't genetically modified. My priorities were in the wrong place but I didn't know it. Then, all of a sudden, cancer hit our family. And the cost of those treatments was ASTRONOMICAL. The average cost of an individual chemo infusion/treatment is thousands of dollars. And depending on what type of cancer you have, that's anywhere from 1-5 treatments per WEEK. This is not including radiation, or the medications that you will be prescribed to deal with the side effects of chemo. This also doesn't factor in the fact that you will likely be unable to work because the treatment is so severe. This experience completely changed how I view dollars. We can spend our money promoting an environment of wellness, or we can spend our money being sick. And the price you pay when you are in a disease state is going to be MUCH higher than the price you pay promoting health.
It changed me, in more ways than I can count. I went from drinking diet coke multiple times a day and low calorie, nutrient-empty foods, to researching what those ingredients were, how they were not helping my body in any way, getting rid of foods that were causing problems (namely gluten, dairy and sugar), and replacing them with healthful, nutritious, filling food. It was a journey. It didn't happen over night, and it definitely meant we had to make sacrifices elsewhere in order to make it financially feasible to choose different foods. Thankfully, my husband was on board and we were able to make those sacrifices together.
The change was slow at first. My acne went away. I slept better. I no longer had insomnia after eating pizza (apparently that was my recant to gluten- mostly neurological in nature). I had more energy! My overall function improved. And the more I researched, the more I began to cut out. I learned that the issues I was having with my hormones was impacted not only by my diet, but by the cleaners, soaps, shampoos, deodorants and toothpaste we had been using. Now...don't get overwhelmed! Let me break this down for you...
*You've got Aluminum in your deodorant or antiperspirant. Aluminum has been linked to breast cancer (because you are applying your deodorant right over a large patch of lymph nodes near the breast tissue), it has also been linked to neurological issues like alzheimers and dementia.
* Our household cleaning products are one of the top causes of endocrine dysruption. That means that the fragrances released in the air through candles, candle warmers, sprays, shampoos are actually making us sick. Fabric softener and laundry detergent are among the worse offenders!
I know some people will think I've taken it too far. But I'm not thinking of just myself. I'm thinking of the two little people that are following my example, and I'm thinking about their futures as well. I want them to be well. I want them functioning like well oiled machines. And, if the above evidence is what these products are doing to our bodies, then what about our environment? We don't get the privilege of being ignorant because someone else in the future will be paying the price for what we do if we decide to not make any changes.
I am SO grateful for the wealth of knowledge out there, so that we can make informed choices. You may not be able to buy ALL organic. Thats okay. Start where you are and pick one thing to switch every week, and gradually increase from there.
I am also grateful for wonderful products to switch TO that are non toxic, and actually WORK!
The one I'd like to highlight today is Thieves cleaner. It is a concentrate that is plant based, and infused with essential oils that are highly effective cleaning agents! I have replaced every cleaner in my home with this one little bottle. I pour one capful in 2-4 cups of water in a spray bottle, shake, and go on my merry way! You read that right...every cleaner in my home has been replaced with this. I clean windows, floors, countertops, toilets...its gentle but powerful! And the best thing is, no one has to hold their breath, or open a window when I'm cleaning. It's a win win!
If you'd like to order, simply go to: https://www.youngliving.com/vo/#/signup/new-start?sponsorid=2609270&enrollerid=2609270&isocountrycode=US&culture=en-US&type=member
If you want tips or ideas on how to begin switching out toxic products for natural, healthFULL products, comment! I'd love to tailor those posts for you!
