The other day, I read a quote about “romanticizing your life” and I completely fell in love with this concept. It encouraged us to find excitement, fun and all-around joy in the simple, mundane aspects of our life.

I fell in love with the concept because it’s what I preach and teach about the non-toxic lifestyle. I just never had such a beautiful label for it. Your success in transitioning to a healthier way of living will be influenced by your ability to find joy in using cleaner + greener products for your body and home.

Every time you exfoliate with your coconut salt scrub, take a moment to recognize the nourishment you are providing to your body – free from any synthetic chemical that could disrupt the functioning of your cells and endocrine system. Every time you spray that essential oil + vinegar mixture onto your counters, feel the satisfaction of knowing there’s no harm being done to yourself or the earth – in fact, you are getting side health benefits!

I recently shared in my social media stories how I like to turn making the bed into a more enjoyable chore by spraying my linens with a non-toxic DIY linen spray. This is just one of the super simple ways you can romanticize your non-toxic lifestyle. This is how I do it.

This idea is so much easier to implement in your life once you master your health, mindset and habits. I support you through this with Lead Your Health and Mastering Emotional Intelligence for Health.

Non-toxic DIY linen spray recipe

• Take a 4 oz stainless steel spray bottle
• Add 15 drops of high-quality essential oils
• Fill with water

I go crazy spraying the pillows, sheets and comforter with this non-toxic DIY linen spray. I even open the closet and spray our clothes. And I feel gosh, darn amazing and powerful doing it. I actually look forward to making the bed in the morning!

My favourite essential oil mixture is 5 drops of a citrus oil, 5 drops of a flower oil and 5 drops of a mint oil. The citrus provides a fresh scent, the flower smell is romantic and the mint is energizing.

This non-toxic DIY linen spray lasts me a couple of weeks and I have just as much fun coming up with a new scent combination.

How do you romanticize your non-toxic lifestyle?

M.

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This might seem incongruent but, IMO, it goes hand in hand. You see, a good portion of our toxic exposure comes from the foods we eat. That could be from conventionally grown produce that is covered in pesticide-residue or packaged foods filled with additives.

You might think:

• The pesticide amounts are so minute
• Our bodies are designed to detoxify/eliminate bad stuff
• It’s safe; otherwise, why would they sell it?

But really, who knows for sure?!

The lawsuits against a very large offender continue to this day…

The problem I see is that most of us have NO IDEA how well our bodies are metabolizing these toxins. Are you 100% confident your kidneys, liver, GI tract and skin are running optimally? I sure ain’t.

The more I research this area, the more I see our body leaves clues and we need to pay better attention to them. And the more I believe our detoxification + eliminative pathways are in need of more support.

Here are three ways to love on your detox organs:

• Eat organic: one of the best things you can do is avoid conventionally grown food in the first place. I realize this is not realistic for all of us… it’s not always available and can be cost-prohibitive. Just do your best. If it has a thick peel, like melons or avocados, it’s usually not worth spending the extra buck.
• Up your fruit intake: fruits are some of the most astringent and hydrating foods on the planet. They will help cleanse out your lymphatic system, which is basically your body’s sewage system. You want to make sure it’s not clogged up. Here are some of my favourites.
• Use essential oils: essential oils are a simple and effective way to help move toxins out of the body and support your cleansing organs. My whole passion for oils and the reason I became an advocate + educator stems from a detoxification blend called Zendocrine I purchased for my son. I am currently obsessed with Juniper Berry to support my kidneys. I shop my oils here.
• Rebuild with herbs: you can be rebounding to move your lymph or exercising to sweat out the toxins but if your eliminative pathways are blocked, you won’t get far. Herbs are a great way to support kidneys, liver, GI tract and any system in your body. Be sure to always check with your health practitioner before you begin using herbs if you have a medical condition, are on medications or have any concerns.

So now you better understand the two sides of non-toxic living: reducing your toxic exposure AND supporting your body’s natural elimination processes.

Got questions? Comment below.

M.

PS – do you want to learn more about non-toxic living and the different ways you can support your health naturally? Make sure to join my email list to receive valuable information every two months.

The post Nutrition and non-toxic living appeared first on Rustik Health.

The easiest way for me to define it is by explaining what it is and what it is not in my view.

What it is

Non-toxic living is about avoiding any man-made chemical in the products we consume internally, put on our bodies and use in our homes. It is also about ensuring our bodies are functioning optimally to metabolize any existing toxins we have stored over the years and the toxins we can’t avoid exposure to in our daily lives.

Non-toxic living is a continuum. You can take it as far as you want to go… and you can make it a quick journey or a slower, ongoing journey. Personally, I hopped on the bandwagon about a decade ago and made some drastic changes initially but have kept a more moderate pace ever since.

Non-toxic living is a LIFESTYLE. It is a practice that weaves seamlessly into your everyday living. And while it may seem daunting at first, you will soon realize that it is WAY:

• SIMPLER – no more driving across town to various natural health stores to get all the products you need. When you do run out, you can usually quickly whip up a new batch.
• CHEAPER – many of the ingredients can be found at discount stores and they often serve multiple purposes.
• GREENER – again, one product can serve multiple purposes so less plastic bottles make their way into our homes (and, ultimately, landfills).

What it is NOT

Non-toxic living is not about perfection. Nope… I don’t own an organic mattress (yet!) and I haven’t replaced my stash of nail polish (I just avoid wearing any as much as possible) and I’m still searching for an effective DIY dishwasher machine soap (working on it!). It’s about focusing on the positive changes you are making and not on the places you fall short.

Non-toxic living is about accepting certain social constraints and, especially, not judging others. Yes, I will use that toxic-ingredient-filled hand soap at the restaurant and won’t dart out of a room sprayed with synthetic fragrance (although I may hold my breath for a while… lol!). We’re not all of the same mind or beliefs and that is TOTALLY OKAY.

Non-toxic living is not about knowing and understanding all of the questionable toxic chemicals out there. Honestly, I used to try to remember them all… then I figured why on earth would I bog down my brain with that useless information?! At the end of the day, all you need to know is they are either: neurotoxic (super bad for your brain), endocrine-disruptive (they mess with your hormones) and/or carcinogenic (screw up your DNA).

When you live a non-toxic lifestyle, you frankly couldn’t care less about the names of all those toxic ingredients in our foods and products because they are no longer part of your world… they become completely IRRELEVANT.

Innocent until proven guilty

People will argue that in many cases there’s no proof these man-made chemicals carry negative effects. I say that’s exactly why I avoid them as much as possible. I’m not going to be a guinea pig (and neither is my family), plus there’s no good reason to use most of them. Nature has provided us with the powerful and safe tools we need.

While I see value in the notion of “innocent until proven guilty” in the context of criminal justice, I see ZERO value in it in the context of the safety of man-made chemicals.

What steps have you taken lately towards a non-toxic lifestyle?

M.

PS – I’ll soon be offering group challenges to help you either get started on your non-toxic lifestyle or push your existing journey one step further. Sign up below to BE THE FIRST to know more!

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