Category: Chemical-free

Categories
Chemical-free Health and Wellness Self-care

My Top 5

It’s been awhile since I’ve posted my favorite things, so here is a list of some things that I am loving right now:

  1. Vuori: I recently heard about this clothing company from an ad on the Smartless Podcast. I’ve always been loyal to Athleta, but Vuori’s prices were comparable and I thought I would try them out. I got a pair of their joggers and they are both incredibly flattering and SO comfortable. I literally rub my hands on them whenever I’m in my closet because they are that soft and amazing. 😂 Looking forward to the weather cooling off (just a little bit — I don’t like the cold) so I can wear them. 😊

2. Smartless: If you are looking for podcast that has great celeb interviews with a lot of laughs, then look no further. Smartless is hosted by Will Arnet, Jason Bateman, and Sean Hayes – three of the funnier comedians. They interview different celebs each week and it is AWESOME. If you love podcasts, give this one a try (*there is some language, so don’t listen with young children in the car).

3. Withco: I recently learned about Withco Cocktails when I visited a boutique that my friend works at (if you live in the Chicago area, check out Wykewood House in downtown Aurora or Wheaton). It is a mixer made with simple ingredients. You simply add the alcohol (or club soda for a mocktail), shake or stir, and enjoy. Each bottle is $20 gives you around 10 servings. So, you can have a easy quality cocktail at home for way less than a restaurant.

4. Advanced Collagen: USANA just released their Advanced Collagen drink a couple of weeks ago and it is SO delicious! It has collagen, biotin, hyaluronic acid, and vitamin C to promote healthy skin aging and strengthen you hair and nails. Contains antioxidants to help you look and feel your best…at any age!

5. Beautycounter Deodorant: I have been using natural deodorants for years. The one I was previously using was good, but I had to apply it more than once per day. I love Beautycounter for their great chemical-free makeup, so when they released their deodorant (the Clean Deo), I knew that I needed to give it a try. I’m so glad that I did! It smells great, goes on easy, and – best of all — it keeps me smelling great ALL day…even through my sweatiest workouts.

Give these products a try and let me know what you think!

Categories
Chemical-free Health and Wellness Self-care Stress Relief

Aging Gracefully

I remember other women talking about how things change once you turn 40 years old. As someone passionate about health and fitness, I falsely assumed that nothing would change when I turned 40. I mean, for women, our metabolism starts to decrease around age 25 (for men, it’s age 30), but you can push that back with diet and exercise…which I successfully have. So, I assumed it would be the same with my hormones.

I was in for a rude awakening. When I turned 40, it was like a timer went off in my body that told it to go crazy. My mood swings took a dark turn, my headaches increased, and the bloating was insane. I knew that I needed to find a natural solution to managing my hormones. Here are some different options where I have found success:

Add magnesium to your diet. When I first mentioned the crazy hormones to my OB-GYN, she knew that I prefer the natural route, so recommended that I increase my magnesium. I started eating more foods with magnesium (raw cacao, almonds, etc.) and taking this supplement.

Try seed cycling. After I turned 40, I realized that I should probably get a physical (it had been 10+ years since my last one). I wanted a more holistic doctor…so I saw the nurse practitioner at my children’s doctor’s office (the practice is a more holistic/homeopathic). I explained my hormone woes and she mentioned seed cycling. So, what is seed-cycling?

Seed cycling has you eating 1-2 tablespoons of Pumpkin seeds and Flax seeds daily for the first 14 days of your cycle (day 1 = first day of period) and then switching to Sunflower seeds and Sesame seeds for the last 14 days.

Pumpkin seeds and Flax seeds help balance estrogen during the follicular phase when estrogen levels are high. They are a good source of fiber, zinc, and healthy omega-3 fatty acids (reduces inflammation). The fiber aids in digestion and helps to remove excess estrogen from the body.

Sunflower seeds and Sesame seed are taken during the luteal phase as progesterone levels start to rise. Sesame seeds help avoid PMS symptoms by binding excess estrogen and sunflower seeds have selenium that supports liver and hormone function.

You can add the seeds to smoothies, put in oatmeal, layer on avocado toast, or create these energy balls.

Add ashwagandha to help with stress relief. In the fall of 2020, USANA introduced their mood and relaxation line which included Stress Relief. It’s made with ashwagandha – known to help ease anxiety and support a healthy mood.

Try Moon Balance by Your Super. I loved doing seed-cycling and saw amazing results, however, I was getting tired of creating the energy balls and remembering to take them all with me when I traveled. In October 2020, I came across an add for Moon Balance by Your Super to balance my hormones naturally and decided to give it a try…wow! It works great! It comes in powdered form and is a blend of baobab, maca, hibiscus, amla, beetroot, and shatavari. You can mix it with water (warning: it tastes disgusting) or blend it in a smoothie. I put it in my smoothie every day and never miss taking it!

If you are nearing 40 (or past it) try incorporating one or more of these products into your life…and give it about 3 months to see the effects. It’s easy, it’s natural, and it’ll be sure to help you age gracefully.

Categories
Chemical-free Health and Wellness

Starting Your Chemical-Free Journey

About seven years ago, I began my journey to remove harmful chemicals from my life and home. Our health is affected by what we put in our body and on our body. A lot of products we used are filled with harmful chemicals that can mess with how our body functions and grows. This is a short list of some of my favorite chemical-free products. Try them out for yourself and start feeling better!

1. Skincare

Did you know that it only takes a few seconds for what you put on your skin to be absorbed into your blood stream? Typical skincare products have tons of harmful ingredients added to them (to preserve it, etc.). My favorite skin care is USANA’s Celavive line. USANA is known for have it’s purity and potency guarantee in all of their products, including the Celavive line. Using patented Incelligence technology, the products help your body regenerate healthy cells and reduce the signs of aging and oxidation. You can check out the whole line here.

2. Make-up

Just like skincare, our make-up has tons are harmful ingredients. I have switched all my make-up over to Beautycounter. Not only do they work great, but they are safe as well. Another great thing about Beautycounter is that their founder is an advocate for cleaner beauty and constantly meets with Congress about putting in stronger restrictions with personal care products, so that less harmful chemicals are being used. You can check out their products here.

3. Deodorant

We all want to smell great and look great, but did you know that most deodorants contain aluminum and adversely affect your lymph nodes (which are located by your armpits)? Switching to natural deodorant can feel daunting at first, because most people are worried about wet spots or smelling. There is a detoxification period, but I find that I’m less wet under my armpits that I was prior to switching to safe deodorant. There are a variety of good ones out there (and I’ve even made my own in the past), but the one I love the best is the Aromaco bar from Lush Cosmetics — it works great, has a neutral smell, lasts for about six months and is affordable. You can find it here or any local Lush store.

4. House Cleaning 

I don’t need to tell you about all the chemicals in your cleaning products — you can smell them all around you! And if the product is telling you to have good ventilation when using…pretty much means there are some nasty chemicals. Did you know that you can actually clean your house and remove germs without bleach and chemicals? I’m a big fan of Norwex products. Their cleaning cloths and mops are amazing and you just your WATER to clean! What?! I know crazy. You can learn more about their products here. 

5. Laundry 

Do you use dryer sheets (Bounce) to reduce static cling? Those sheets are filled with harmful chemicals! My favorite alternative are wool dryer balls from Norwex. They reduce static cling and fluff your items without the harmful chemicals. You can check them out here.

6. Supplements 

We’ve talked a lot about what you put ON your body, but it’s incredibly important what you put IN your body. From eating healthy and organic vegetable and fruits to consuming grassfed beef, the quality is so important. Same goes for supplements. Yes, you need to take supplements to THRIVE (a discussion for another time) and the quality is SO important. USANA has both a purity and potency guarantee and my family and I have been trusting them for the past six year. Check out here why they are are gold standard for supplements. 

“The Healthy Home” by Dr. Myron Wentz 

Finally, if you are looking for a great book about transforming your house into a chemical-free space, you need to read “The Healthy Home”. Dr. Myron Wentz is the founder of USANA and winner of numerous awards, including the Albert Einstein award. In the book he walks room by room through a house and give example of way to reduce the harmful chemicals around you and create a healthy home. You can find it here.

I hope that this gives you some ways to create a healthy and chemical-free life. Start small with just one area and them slowly make changes. Reach out to me if you need to more ideas or help. 🙂