Wellness for a lot of us is viewed as the ultimate goal. We all want to live authentic, happy, healthy lives, but at times it is seen as unattainable for a multitude of reasons. One of the main reasons is being time poor or an over commitment to certain things in our lives. Unfortunately our health is looked at, as something that will we start next week or Monday (because Mondays are always great for starting ‘new’ things). However, this is something that we really need to look at, as your health should be viewed as the number one priority in your life. If you don’t have your health, it’s hard to give everything else the attention it needs and live your best life. This may seem challenging, overwhelming or you might even be saying “but where do I start?” The best place to start is with a detoxification. Just like you ‘spring clean’ your home, you are going to spring clean your cupboard, fridge and maybe even have a look at what’s in your bathroom cupboard.
The reality is that your body is a temple and ultimately reflects the way you treat it. So my first tip would be, to be conscious of what you put inside it. The first thing you need to ditch is processed food. All that packaged food is full of preservatives, hidden chemicals, sugar, bad fats and salt. It’s toxic. This is just weighing your body down. Once you have got rid of all those nasties, then you can start to nourish your body with wholesome foods, fresh and organic (if you can). I buy all my organic fruit and veg from Woolworths (make sure you look for the certified organic symbol). I also buy a majority of my organic cupboard and pantry essentials from Woolworths too. This isn’t to say that everything I buy is organic. If it isn’t, I make sure I read the labels and the first thing I look at is, can I pronounce that word? Would my nana know what that is? If the answer is no, I generally pop it back on the shelf or go to good old google to check exactly what it is. This doesn’t mean that every item you buy something , I want you to stop and read all the labels at once. Just start small. Look at three items you currently buy and check out what is in them and if they are full of nasties, look for a healthier alternative. In saying this, I don’t tend to buy a lot of pantry items. Another rule I have is to stick to the outskirts of the grocery store. Most of the wholesome foods are found on the outskirts like fruit/veg, fish, meat etc. I also make a lot of things myself, like sauces for pasta, pesto, stock, cookies, muffins, taco seasoning etc. If you think this is hard or takes too much time, it really doesn’t. Most of the sauces only require a few ingredients and a food processor/blender and then you don’t have all the nasty preservatives, chemicals and sugar that are in a majority of the sauces you buy on the shelf. If you’re after easy recipes or lunchbox ideas, I generally pop a few on my stories or just ask.
A big one for me is mindfulness. When was the last time you just sat with your thoughts or actually tuned in to your body? You might be thinking, I am a mum, I can’t even pee in peace, how can I sit with my thoughts? True. But you can make time. I try and get up 30 mins to an hour before the kids and sit with my hot cup of tea in the sun and just enjoy the silence and listen as thoughts go in and out of my mind. Or maybe you could do it before going to bed or once the kids are asleep. It only takes 20 mins and it does wonders, such as reduces stress and improves mental clarity (let’s face it, I need all the mental clarity I can get). If just sitting silently isn’t for you, try listen to relaxing music or a meditation track (I sometimes use the app Headspace, it’s free). It can be daunting and you can feel as though you are wasting time just sitting there, but believe me, you are not.
Last but not least skin care. This was one of the things I implemented first, but gradually. I trialed new products over months, to see what would work for me and my family. I was absolutely alarmed at the amount of chemicals found in everyday products we place on our skin and our children’s and the amount that our skin actually absorbs (64% of what we put on it). I also realised that I didn’t need numerous products. So I went back to basics. For the kids I use three products. Organic coconut oil (from Woolworths), Little Bairn Organic Massage Oil and Chamonix Rain Organics body wash and shampoo. (I pop the coconut oil in the bath water, so they don’t get dry skin and also use it on cradle cap or the first sign of nappy rash).
For me I use a charcoal sponge to clean my face morning and night, dry body brush before having a shower, Kora Organics face exfoliate (twice a week) and moisturizer morning and night and Edible Beauty oil every night. For make-up, I use Inka mascara and I am yet to find a foundation that I feel works the best for my skin. I use Mukti shampoo and conditioner for my hair and coconut oil as a treatment once a week. (Since I’ve started dying my hair again, I also use salon products on my hair once a month). The first change I made was a natural deodorant that didn’t contain aluminum. I use Black Chicken deodorant paste and I haven’t looked back. For a skin moisturizer I use coconut oil, Eco Tan gradual tan or Welda skin food. I have quite sensitive skin and all of these products have been amazing. Last but not least I use WOT NOT sunscreen. It’s quite thick but I have found that it works the best and doesn’t have a funny smell. I purchase all my skin care products from Nourished Life, as its one place that stocks a majority of the products I use and they have free shipping, winning!
My biggest piece of advice would be small steps. I’m still learning and implementing new things every week. For me, I couldn’t afford to throw away all my beauty products straight away and buy all new and the thought of reading every label and finding new products that were natural, seemed rather daunting and time consuming. It was also a bit of trial and error. Some things that were recommended by so many, didn’t work for me or fit our lifestyle. Take it easy and implement small steps or if you feel comfortable, take a big leap. Remember living organic is not just an ‘all’ or ‘nothing’ approach. Even the slightest changes can make a big difference!
New habits take time. Be kind to yourself xx
