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There is nothing like looking at all the lovely empty spaces on a brand new calendar to inspire me with the possibilities waiting in 2016. I celebrated three years of being symptom free from fibromyalia last month. I'm excited about how many people are recovering from fibro and other autoimmune diseases after making these same lifestyle changes.
I got as many chemicals as possible out of my home, stopped eating processed food, and started eating real food full of antioxidants and anti-inflammatory nutrients. Some people thrive on change. Others are overwhelmed by just the thought of changing daily living routines that have become second nature over decades. Many of you have asked me, "Where is the best place to start?"
A few observations. Don't try to change everything at once. It will drive you nuts and you'll end up not changing anything. It took me over a year to figure out what I needed to do and shift my lifestyle into a healthier mode. Make changes at your own pace. Pick the area that you think will be the easiest for you.
If you are ready to give it a go, here are three ideas for ways to jump start living a healthier chemical free life in the new year.
SODA
Depending on what part of the country you live in, you may call it soda, soft drinks, or pop. Here in the south we call every soft drink coke even if it's Dr. Pepper or Mt. Dew. Whatever you call it, here's the 411. Researchers have linked consuming soda to obesity, kidney disease, elevated blood pressure, heart attack, stroke, some types of cancer, asthma, reproductive issues, tooth decay, diabetes, bone weakness, suppressed immune system disorders, and tissue damage on a cellular level.Read the ingredients label. We are drinking chemicals in a can every time we consume it.
I quit drinking soda cold turkey. Some people have more success cutting back gradually. Tea, coffee, and water are great substitutes. I've always liked hot tea. I used to just plop a tea bag in a cup of hot water.Now I enjoy discovering new blends.I didn't know there were so many choices of teas. My current faves are Ceylon, Darjeeling, Irish Breakfast, Nilgiri, Oolong, and Russian Caravan.
I know several people who have experienced reduced pain and reduced inflammation just from cutting out soda and not doing a single other thing.
SCENTS
How can something that smells so good be so bad? The delightful smell is not the problem. It is the volatile organic compounds (VOCs) used to bind the scent to the product that is harmful. The VOCs release the scent into the air so that every time we breathe in the scent we are also breathing in the VOCs which wreak havoc on our bodies at a cellular level. VOCs have been linked to all kinds of disease processes.
I know people who have recovered from recurrent migraine headaches, constant sinus problems, joint pain, and a lot of other chronic conditions simply by eliminating scented products from their daily routines.
Scented products are an easy category of potentially harmful chemical substances to get out of our home environments. Some are obvious like perfume, scented candles, and air fresheners. Other not so obvious products that may contain scents with harmful VOCs are makeup, laundry detergent, cleaning products, soap, and hairspray.Fortunately there are unscented VOC free varieties of all of these products.
Try this. Ditch the obvious sources of VOCs like perfume and air fresheners right away while you are looking for substitutes for the not so obvious products. Replace those a little at a time. If your laundry detergent is scented, look for an unscented brand the next time you need detergent. Replace cleaning products and personal grooming products with a scent free version if needed as you run out of your current ones.
SMOKING
By now everyone who hasn't been living in cave for the past fifty years knows that smoking has been linked to all kinds of health problems including a wide variety of cancers. According to the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), "Cigarette smoking harms nearly every organ of the body, causes many diseases, and reduces the health of smokers in general. Quitting smoking lowers your risk for diseases and can add years to your life." Interested in more info? Check this out What Smoking Does to Your Body
If you don't smoke or used to smoke but have quit, then you have already taken a giant step toward living a chemical free life. Eating all of the organic healthy food in the world won't counteract the harmful effects of the hundreds of known toxins found in cigarette smoke. If you are a smoker, talk to your physician about options for smoking cessation programs. If you are not a smoker, protect yourself from second hand smoke by not allowing anyone to smoke inside your home.
Start by picking just one way you would like to improve your health this year. Set your own pace for making changes and go for it. Changing my lifestyle literally changed my life. Here's to a healthier you in 2016.
May the road rise up to meet you.
May the wind be always at your back.
May the sun shine warm upon your face,
And rains fall soft upon your fields.
And until we meet again,
May God hold you in the hollow of His hand.
- Irish Blessing
Want to stay connected?
Like my Facebook page: Practical Healing in a Toxic World to find lots of practical ways to move toward a healthy life.The page has recipes, tips on chemical free living, fibromyalgia facts, and spiritual encouragement.
Follow me on Twitter @KathyKNorman
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