Spring into Your New Life

As much as I would LOVE to shout out that spring has finally arrived, I'd be lying...we're buried in snow here, and they're actually calling for another snowstorm this weekend. BUT! That means we have more time to get our groove on and move into our new healthy lifestyle.
Now don't go running off on me just yet, hear me out. Allow me to be your guide on this journey, bringing simple, economical, and fabulous new habits, recipes and tips for a healthy home and lifestyle. This will not only be painless, but you'll feel absolutely Ahhh-mazing. Your family will thank you. Your friends will notice, co-workers will comment... OK, OK, in all seriousness, read on, give it a try, and let me know what you think.

What I am proposing is this. There's an expression, 'Once you learn something, you can't unlearn it.' Knowledge is power, (no it's not me throwing another quote at you), and in gaining knowledge, you gain power over your life!

Ready? Then let's do it.
We're going to start with your daily routine.
Think about it, starting from the moment you stretch and yawn. This first stage will most likely be an eye-opening experience.
I want you to  look for the toxins you come in contact with as you move through your day. Now the easiest way to do so is by reading ingredients on the products you plan on using, from soap and shampoo, to anything that goes in or on your body.

Don't go running to google all the ingredients just yet, because you'll find yourself spending hours, if not days doing research. Start simple, read your shampoo ingredients on the bottle, (and any other product you use). Anything that you don't recognize, any word you don't understand, or know for sure to be totally safe in-or-on your body, you might want to re-think using.

Before you say something like, "I don't drink my shampoo," I want to share this little fact. The skin is an amazing organ, and whatever you place on your skin is absorbed into the body...within 26 seconds. Yes, that's all it takes before traces of the product can be found in your blood. So if you don't recognize the ingredient, chances are, your body doesn't either.

Toxins are everywhere and in everything, so let's start with becoming aware of them, and reducing our exposure to them. The human body is an amazing thing...capable of regeneration and healing, provided we give it the right tools and environment. We want to avoid having our body spend all of its time and energy trying to rid the toxins from our system, and let it do what it was meant to do...repair, rebuild and regenerate.

Ingredients such as acetone, alcohol, alpha-hydroxy acids, benzophenones, BHA, BHT, collagen, coal tar dyes, DEA, dibenzoylmethanes ether, fluoride, formaldehyde, hydroxyanisole, isopropanol, lanolin, MEA, methylene chloride, mineral oil, paba, PEG, phenol, phenylenediamine, propolyne glycol, quaternium, saccarin, SLS, SLES, talc, toluene, triclosan, TEA...to name a few, are linked to health issues such as cancer, skin/eye irritations, allergic reactions, asthma, and have been known to accumulate in the organs. Oh, and let's not forget that some are considered neurotoxins, causing damage to the central nervous system or Teratogen, affecting the embryo.  How's that for an eye-opener? And all you wanted was to take a shower.

I haven't started in on makeup either, because they come with their own set of nasty. Perfume can easily have over 250 different chemicals, nail polish- 31, lipstick- 33, eye shadow- 26, blush- 16, foundation- 24, deodorant- 15, body lotion- 32, etc. But we were only going to start reading labels today, looking into what we've been putting on or in our bodies.

Are you ready to head down this path  with me? You might just find yourself feeling better, more vibrant, and alive! It doesn't take months to notice the difference either. Lowering our toxic load can make us feel great in a short amount of time. And I promise I will make this as painless as possible. Heck, it might even be fun.

I will gladly list alternatives, solutions and even some DIY projects for those of you who want to know exactly what they're putting on or in their body.

If you're feeling adventurous, go a little further than your bathroom. Have you ever taken into consideration things like your household cleaners, laundry products, dishwasher detergents, dish soap, disinfectants, etc?

Day 1

Read the ingredient list on the products you use.

What have you found on this little treasure hunt?  Can you think of any other places we might come in contact with toxins in the home? Share in the comments below. Let's rock this!