We all want to be healthy in ourselves. But I know that if I'm thriving, glowing and feeling amazing but my family is struggling, I don't feel as great as I could. So as a mother there are things I do that help protect my family in the little ways that I can. There are PLENTY more ways than what I've listed below to keep your partner and kids strong, healthy and happy, but here are my top 4 to get you started on your journey.
CLEAN WITH NATURAL PRODUCTS
There are some amazing natural cleaning product out and available right now, we’re so lucky to be living in a time when we can actually make our own that work out of things that live in our kitchen pantry! If you’re not into a DIY surface spray, most local grocery chains are now providing us with the option to get a natural alternative to our usual chemical laden cleaning products, start there and watch the skin irritations, allergies and itchy eyes potentially disappear in your family! I used to suffer with awful dermatitis on my hands and once I switched to natural products, it disappeared and has NEVER come back again!
THROW OUT THE PLASTIC CONTAINERS
This doesn’t need to be an expensive or hard task. When we were reducing the toxic load in our home, we did it slowly. At the time we were young and couldn’t afford to go out and buy all new storage for our food, so I started by collecting jars when I used them and once a month I would invest in a Pyrex glass container for storing food. We still use big glass Organic Apple Juice bottles to store filtered water in the fridge and I make sure I don’t buy Bo plastic water bottles (even though they can be so cute!) because even when one is labelled BPA-free, it can still hold chemicals which have been linked to childhood obesity and reproductive disorders. You can read more about this here.
WE GET DIRTY
In a world full of wipes, hand sanitiser, products that kill bacteria and hospital grade floor cleaners, we’re not likely to pick up anything that can harm us. BUT, we’re also missing out on some of the benefits of eating a little bit of dirt and sand when we’ve dropped food on the ground. Some bacteria can actually build a healthy immune system and assist with growth and development. So if you’re kid eats a little dirt or sand, remember that our parents probably saw us eat something even worse at times and turned a blind eye. Whenever Bo drops food on the ground my Nan says “Let her eat it, builds up the immunity” and I believe that Nan always knows best!
BUT EAT CLEAN
I know that eating 100% organic can be a little more pricey these days (although good health costs much less in trips to the doctor!). We follow the EWG’s Dirty Dozen list and make sure that at the very least, these foods are being eaten organic in our home. The toxins that can accumulate in our bodies from eating foreign pesticides is terrifying when you really look into it! The good news? Avocados are the cleanest fruit to buy conventionally, because I know an organic avocado a day would mean I might have to move to a smaller home or give up my car.
There are so many home hacks you can use to achieve optimum health and energy in your family home, but start small. If you're the type to be able to go into full overhaul mode, go you! But if you're like me and prefer things to fit seamlessly into the life you're already living, this is the ideal way to start!
