...And God said, “Let the earth sprout vegetation, plants yielding seed, and fruit trees bearing fruit in which is their seed, each according to its kind, on the earth.” And it was so. The earth brought forth vegetation, plants yielding seed according to their own kinds, and trees bearing fruit in which is their seed, each according to its kind. And God saw that it was good...
-Genesis 1:11-12

Tuesday, February 25, 2014

Five Ways I reduce toxins in my everday life

Hey Everyone! Sorry there haven't been any posts this month. We all came down with a horrible cold/virus over the past couple weeks, and I literally didn't get out of bed for three days, so needless to say, things got a little behind, and I'm still catching up on things, and just haven't been able to squeeze a blog post in.

I have a quick little post for your today though. Nothing revolutionary, just a few quick tips. Enjoy!

I want to talk just a bit about a healthier more natural lifestyle, and five ways I personally try to reduce toxins in my own life.

Every day we come into contact with toxins. It's simply an inescapable fact of our world today, but, with a little effort, there are ways we can strive to limit our interaction with these toxins, at least in our own homes and daily routines. Here are 5 ways to reduce toxins.

1. Eat Organic when possible. Now I fully realize, that it isn't possible all the time, and that organic is quite costly. But if you can replace up to 50% of conventional food products and produce with organic in your daily diet, think of all the toxins you are reducing in your life!

2. Eat Clean/ Eat Minimally processed and packaged food. Processed and packaged food is, for the most part, going to be more toxin riddled than any other. If you really like certain processed foods as a treat (dry cereal, candy, etc) there are really great alternatives that are all natural/organic.  If you would like a post in the future on some of the all natural/organic alternatives to packaged/processed food that I personally enjoy, please let me know! :) I know making a switch from a conventional american diet to a clean, healthy diet is a long process, and can be difficult, but I think it is absolutely worth it. I have talked about this subject a tiny bit more in depth here.

3. Eliminate Conventional Body Care/skincare products. Conventional Body and Skin care products (lotions, soap, shampoo, conditioner, makeup remover, shaving cream, perfumes, deodorant etc. ect.) are SO toxic. If you do one thing on this list, this is the one I would most reccomend. After all - our skin is our bodies largest organ. Everything you put on it is absorbed into your blood stream  within minutes. The easiest way to start making the switch to all natural products is to first, go completely DIY (pinterest will be your best friend for diy) and then start making the search for natural products. And remember to read labels!!
http://crunchyconcosmetics.blogspot.com/2013/09/one-simple-tip-to-living-naturally.html

4. Eliminate Conventional Makeup this goes right along with number 3, but may present more of a challenge if you are a makeup junkie ;) again, just read labels and educate yourself on what ingredients to look out for! More on this subject here. http://crunchyconcosmetics.blogspot.com/2014/01/lets-talk-makeup.html

Any gentleman readers will want to avert your eyes for this last one. Just trust me. 










5. Eliminate Conventional Feminine Hygiene Products. I hope this isn't To Much Info, but really, it is SUCH an important subject, and one I've wanted to broach here for a long time. Tampons and Pads are so so full of chemicals and toxins and the companies aren't required to list ingredients, so there is literally no knowing just how awful these really are. But research has shown so pretty bad stuff  is in them. I personally use washable fabric pads, and I have been very very happy with them. There are, however more natural disposable alternatives. I'm going to leave this subject there for now, but if you have any questions on this subject  (or the "monthly" subject in general), I would love to answer them by email. And I will also link a video from holistichabits on this subject that is really informative. http://youtu.be/OUQvsaX10Oc



I really hope you all enjoy this, and I hope to have some more stuff coming soon to make up for lost time. Keep an eye out here and on my youtube channel!


~Elissa



4 comments:

Livia Rachelle said...

I would love to hear more about food/snack alternatives.
I really need to pay better attention to labels . . . before I buy the stuff. I looked at my conditioner and cringed at all the names I couldn't recognize . . . and it doesn't smell very natural either.

SisterlyLove said...

Great post! Hey, did you make your own pads or do you buy them? Where...how? :) I've been wanting to try fabric pads for awhile. We use seventh generation but they are super expensive!

Thanks!
Genevieve

Elissa Pickle said...

Genevieve - I purchased mine on etsy. I have also downloaded a pattern for making my own, but never have gotten around to it. The shop I purchased them from has switched to a new shop, which I haven't ordered from, but I'm assuming they're just as good. https://www.etsy.com/shop/ecoalternatives
I have purchased three sets of the 8 regular pads, and they've lasted me for about 3 years so far (and definitely are still in great condition), so the investment was totally worth it. But I would definitely search through etsy, read online reviews and find what works best for you!

Elissa Pickle said...

Livia Rachelle - Thanks for letting me know, I will try to get a post on that together within the next few weeks.