What Are You Willing to Do (Give Up) to Be Healthy?
What are you willing to do to be Healthy?
This is a question a friend and I had sat and pondered with last week. We both have been in the wellness industry for many years. She is fitness, nutrition, healthy living and of course you all know my gig; gut health, skin health and supporting body systems with modalities I am trained in so they can do what they are designed to do.
We both have been having some lab work and testing done through the Certified Functional Health/ND that works out of Aqua Serene Wellness. Rather convenient for me after all, she is right down the hall!
Lab results can be a real eye opener! I won’t go into personal detail about the specifics of myself or my friend of course, let’s just say it is full on serious mode over here to deal with it once and for all!
Finding out “you” may have some things out of whack i.e.: overgrowth of a bacteria, chemical exposure, gut lining issues, “friends” that have been stow-aways and not only don’t pay the rent, but steal nutrients from you, food sensitivities, and so on and on can really throw you for a loop. These are just some examples of what lab testing can uncover.
You have to “walk your talk” so to speak and for the most part I do, however having specific information really helps.
It can be overwhelming at first, I mean you have already given up processed foods, conventional produce, inks, dyes and perfumes. Your grocery bill certainly reflects that, and going out to dinner can be such a PITA that by the time you have eliminated 90% of the menu, an over priced salad and H20 are all that is left…Hell with that! I will make a better one at home for half the cost, plus it will be organic!
Organic Salad From Home
The actual joy of going out is replaced by dread and despair. You look around the restaurant and see people eating fried baskets of onion rings, an IPA the size of your kids goldfish bowl, cocktails, wings, pasta, pizza, the house burger topped with gourmet mustard, a side of parmesan encrusted french fries, the food coma memories rush in like an old friend.
I sit there thinking don’t they know that all that grease, processed food and gluten is like a time bomb in their bodies? It is all about knowledge and choice right? Life is short and all those phrases, eat the cake, drink the wine…sure on occasion but not all the time.
So what are you willing to do to be healthy is the million dollar (that I feel like I spent on organic food, skin care and supplements) question?
Supplements
Sit back a second, take a breath, it is all going to be ok. There are people and places and an internet full of ways to help you escape the room you unintentionally locked yourself in!
Let me interject some history here. I was a crunchy mom way before that term ever was invented. I had to order “green” diapers and safe chemical free baby clothes from a catalogue. There was no internet when I was pregnant and a new mom. I went to the only health food store in Indy at the time on the West side of town to buy food, sprouted spelt flour, baby wash and lotion. If they didn’t have it, I had my mom go to the Kent Co-Op in my home town and mail me stuff I couldn’t buy here. I ground up baby food, opted my kids out of most of their vaccines and had about the coolest pediatrician around. I actually threw that whole commentary in my youngest son’s face recently when I saw him light a cigarette! He is 27 now and you can only control what you can control…sigh.
Start with what you can replace given your budget. I don’t mean food, that is a must do and a no brainer. There are the dirty dozen and clean 15 foods list to help. GET EWG FREE GUIDE HERELook at your body wash, perfumes, deodorant, make-up, SPF, haircare, etc. Most of what is on the shelf is filled with petroleum chemicals, preservatives, sudsing agents, and more. Switch to safer organic products. You can check your products out HERE.
- What are you cleaning your house with, Chemicals? You can replace almost everything with natural agents like white vinegar, organic cleaners (I use Thieves™ Cleaner) baking soda, etc. This will give you more money in your pocket for Organic food and skin care!
- Laundry? Step away from the fabric softener, it is full of all kinds of nasty stuff for you and the groundwater! Use wool balls for the dryer. (Keep them out of reach of your dog though, Nina our Rescue Dane LOVES these)
- Look out for synthetic dye filled vitamins, gummy chew probiotics, and sugar filled supplements. READ LABELS
- Do you spray tan, use chemically laden nail polish, dye your hair? There are organic options.
- The next time you remodel your house look for clay based low VOC paint, it is $$ but doesn’t emit dangerous chemicals long after it is dry either. Carpet and flooring can also be filled with chemicals.
Periodic Table
Do you remember the Periodic Table from chemistry class in high school or college? Relax there isn’t going to be a quiz, I am just mentioning it to jog your memory. It is quiet a useful tool even in novice hands. It tells you a lot about the elements. One of the cool things you can find on it is the Mean Atomic Weight (A.W.) in amu’s (atomic mass units) A.W. =# of Protons + # of Neutrons in Nucleus of an Atom.
Example: Hydrogen has 1 Proton, H is chemical symbol, 1.008 is A.W. this happens to be the lightest element on the Periodic Table.
Oxygen has A.W. of 16, so H2O (water) is 2 Hydrogen atoms attached to an Oxygen atom~ H (2×1)+ (1×16)=18 amu. So the molecular weight of water is 18 amu easy peasy right?
Why on Earth am I telling you all this? Well, anything with an amu of less than 500 can pass through the skin and the blood brain barrier! What is the Blood Brain Barrier? The BBB (abv.) is a wall of capillaries and membranes that separate the passage of blood from nerve tissues of the brain. It prevents or slows the passage of certain substances. The BBB protects the brain from viruses, bacteria, and other disease causing organisms, some drugs and toxins.
So for example lets take Octane (C8H18) which is anywhere from 87% to 93% of your gasoline depending on what your car requires. Octane weighs in at 114, so how often do you get gas on your hands at the pump, let alone breathe in the vapor? How long until it has went from touching your hand to your brain? About 20 to 40 minutes.
Gas
So for fun check out the amu of some of the chemicals you are exposed to. You can google it, no need for a chemistry book now days.
Now that I have done the Nerd thing and explained some basic chemistry stuff it was not meant to startle you. It was to make you aware of the choices you make for you and your family. For example learning about molecular weight can help you better understand why essential oils work so well, they are small amu and make it to your cells quick and can do their thing.
So back to my list of what I am giving up at the moment:
- Dairy, but not eggs. Dairy is probably the hardest for me because I love cheese. I don’t drink milk but do like some cream in my coffee. We use coconut creamer now.
- Gluten, I also love bread and pasta but there are some good gluten free ones out there.
- My favorite mascara, I switched a while back to organic but on occasion I still throw on the one that doesn’t smear all over the place.
I had already switched cleaners, skin care, laundry soaps, refined sugars, deodorants, perfumes a long time ago. We sell Ambre Blends and I use their deodorants and essences every day. We carry a wonderful organic line of skin care here at Aqua Serene Wellness; Dr Hauschka and offer the facial treatments with them as well. Check it out Here
We cannot live in a bubble….but we can be more mindful of what we expose our bodies too. We also have two Health and Wellness Coaches here to help you. Michelle can help you with goals and the overwhelming chore of changing your routines, and food choices to go along with your special concerns. Rita will even come into you home and Meal Prep for you!
Meal Prep Program by Rita Avellar
We are located in Carmel Indiana, home of the Round-A-Bout
We offer Colon Hydrotherapy, Digestive Support, Holistic Facial Services, Organic Skin Care by Dr. Hauschka, Energy Therapies, Massage, Acupuncture, Functional Medicine, Health and Wellness Coaching, Ionic Foot Detox and Coolsculpting® Services.
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Disclaimer: As always my blog is for educational purposes only. We do not offer medical advice, treat or diagnose. Check with your medical professional before taking any supplements or undergoing any treatments.
