How to make the switch to clean living

I wanted to share something today that is deeply important to me, and a passion that has only grown over the last 5 years.

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! 

Self Care

I want to talk for a little bit about the importance of self care. I hear so many moms (well, people in general, but especially moms) complain that they just don't have time to take care of themselves. I used to be this person. I took care of everyone else but myself and I eventually crashed. When I did, I crashed HARD. Boy did I learn my lesson!

The years of exposure to chronic stress, anxiety, and turmoil took it's toll on my mind, my body and my spirit. Throughout this blog, I have discussed the various forms  of self care I have used to recover the health of my body, mind and spirit. For me, that meant seeking the care of an experienced Naturopathic Physician,  various brain treatments to heal a brain injury (LENS Neurofeedback), homeopathic remedies, MAJOR change in diet, as well as counseling and inner healing. All of these have been ESSENTIALS for me to recover from the years of chronic stress.

I have had seasons of being on antidepressants, and they have worked well. They provided my brain with a buffer of sorts so I could tackle the deeper and harder issues without being constantly triggered or in a state of fight- or- flight. While I am tremendously grateful for conventional medicine and will continue to use that as needed, I  have always preferred the natural route to taking care of myself if at all possible.

Why is it important that we take care of ourselves? Well, for starters, we are loved. This is something that I think many of us (myself included) fail to recognize. Have you ever noticed how when a girl falls in love, she begins taking care of herself differently? It's because she knows she is loved. When we know we have great value, we begin to value ourselves. It is only from THAT place that we can begin to give to others. You know that verse "Love your neighbor as you have loved yourself?" Well, it's implied that you must take care of yourself. I am a MUCH healthier person when I place my needs in priority. Not necessarily above others, but on the same level of others. If I stop taking care of myself in whatever that looks like for that season, it begins to show up in my parenting, in how I think about myself and in all my other relationships.

As I mentioned briefly before, stress and anxiety have had their grips on me in different seasons. It's one of those things that pops up from time to time and I have learned to be diligent in taking care of it immediately so that it doesn't get out of hand. I had SEVERE post partum anxiety (that's a thing? Yes...it's a real thing) when my first daughter was born, and how I wish I had known then what I know now!

So, what does it look like for me personally to take care of this issue in my life?
    1. Sleep. This is so important and so many people including myself struggle from lack of sleep. Sleep is important in regulating hormones, including cortisol- the stress hormone. So...yeah...I am very protective of my sleep.
    2. Diet: I make sure in times of high stress or pressure that I'm eating well- that means minimizing, or eliminating altogether sugar and caffeine. I just do better without it.
   3. Support: For me, that means making sure I am spending time with people I love and feel loved by, also attending counseling as needed has proven to be very helpful to me.
   4. I take my supplements! I have an underlying issue with my blood that when I don't take my B vitamins, I get depleted within a few days of Vitamin B and zinc...building blocks of serotonin and other neurotransmitters....you cam imagine what one might look and feel like if they did not make serotonin...not awesome! So I take my supplements.
  5. Whenever I am pregnant, I get very cautious about what I put in my body- food, medicine or otherwise. I don't want anything to harm the unborn baby growing inside of me. That means that while my anxiety level might be a bit higher in pregnancy due to hormones, medication is not a first resort for me. I know many people who do take antidepressants/antianxiety meds during pregnancy and I am by no means judging that! Just saying for me- they haven't become necessary at this point. So, in addition to taking certain homeopathies, I have begun researching essential oils and their effect on the brain. I had no idea how much research has already been done to prove the effectiveness of certain oils to reduce stress, anxiety and other mood or nervous system issues. Of course, after reading that, I began doing research on various brands and found a company whose blends just looked so amazing and began trying some out as the need arose.

I am so impressed. I purchased my Premium Starter Kit through Young Living (http://www.youngliving.com/en_US/opportunity/products/starter-kits/premium-starter-kit and received 11 different essential oils, some samples and a diffuser for $160. This seemed a little pricey to me at the time (I am a very cheap person!) But I've only been using them for a week and I already feel like it has been completely worth it.

For example, their blend "Stress Away" is a delicious and happy scent. It's warm, refreshing and so so relaxing..I was feeling a bit of anxiety and stress over nothing the other day and placed a drop or two on my wrist, rubbed it together and inhaled the scent a few times. I'm not kidding...within 10 minutes, I felt like my calm normal self again. Some other oils you can use for stress and anxiety are Lavender, frankincense, and Peace and Calming. There are several others, but these are the ones that I have used so far and felt have really made a difference.

For gloomy and dark days, I put some "Joy" in the diffuser along with some "citrus fresh" and it immediately lifts my mood. Again, very impressed.

We have also been diffusing "Thieves" essential oil as well as applying it to our feet during the winter to kill off bugs and viruses. It seems like since putting out daughter in daycare/school, we have had colds circling around non stop!  Thieves is a blend specifically formulated to support the immune system, so when we are in need of some extra immune support, I rub some on my and my girls feet, diffuse, and apply to my lymph nodes. You can also take it internally which is awesome! And it smells like Christmas. So so yummy.

As I said, I am just getting started but I am in love with these oils.

If you are interested in purchasing these oils, the premium starter kit from Young Living is the way to go. You get 11 essential oils (Including their Everyday oils collection), a home diffuser (worth over $150), as well as some samples and a roller fit-bit for easy application. Worth well over $300.

You can purchase the premium starter kit OR individual oils and other kits via this website:
https://beta.youngliving.com/vo/#/signup/start?sponsorid=2609270&enrollerid=2609270&type=member&isocountrycode=US&isolanguagecode=EN

To get the best discount, you can enroll as a wholesale member. This saves you 24% on all of your orders and would allow you to sell should you choose to, but it is not a requirement. You also have the option of purchasing single oils, kits or any other products at the retail price without becoming a member- but you won't receive the 24% discount.

You can also find out more information about their seed-to-seal quality control process at www.yountliving.com

Enjoying the journey to better living!