A CLEAN START TO A NEW YEAR
With the advent of a new year, many of us take to making goals or resolutions. Whether they are health related, time related or employment, some find it beneficial to have something specific to work toward. They maybe easy or a challenge, or a combination of both and are meant to stretch us, hold us accountable, or even break us free from something that has become a habit that we need to change – phone time anyone??
But have we thought about doing something beyond the usual diet and exercise? These are fairly common goals that receive their share of jokes, puns and memes. Besides, who hasn’t wanted to get serious (again!!) about getting and staying in shape? However, have you considered going beyond the norm and looking into a clean diet, using clean products and shaping up our cupboards not just ourselves?
One, at times, may not know where to start. I know that was my situation three years ago. We had been doing clean for quite a lot longer, but 3 years ago we kicked it up a notch – personal care products, household cleaning products, paper products and the like. It was time. It was past time. 2018 was when I made the plunge to take a deeper look. I am glad I did.
What started out as a routine facial turned into an ah-ha moment. While having my first-ever spa experience, I realized that we while we ate organic, gluten free, dairy free, and have a plethora of other allergens to navigate around – we did not even glance at personal care products, or common every-day household products. As I lay there, my face was getting a very lovely massage, but my mind was whirling on where to start. I was at a top-notch spa, so why not start with the products they sell? The price tags gave me pause, which also gave me time to ask the question – “What ingredients are considered harmful to our health?”
I found out there are many, so I began with just a few – PEGs, parabens and phthalates. I looked at the big names in cosmetics, what I was currently using, and what I could easily afford and find. Did you know a personal care jungle exists? One with many labels, claims, greenwashing (I found out this term much later into my search)? Expensive products that we began experimenting with would literally melt off our faces – my daughters had joined me in the search and were willing testers for products I would bring home. There had to be products that worked, but where to look and purchase was key.
What started with personal care products: skincare, makeup, soaps, lotions, mouthcare, feminine pads; led to looking into all our cupboards. Dish soap, laundry, candles, food, food storage containers, hair care, the gamut. Label reading has become second nature, researching companies and using third party groups that rate products have helped in cleaning up our home.
It has been a process which is still ongoing – vetting new companies, diving into ingredients, having conversations with others about clean living, trying new products and finding ones that meet our criteria for our overall good health. It is possible and it does not consume much time in daily living, however, I will admit that when we took the plunge it was a daily dinner conversation for a while.
Now that the dust has settled, we are confident in the process. Reading labels, checking ingredients against a master list, researching new companies, using Environmental Working Group’s website, then testing the products. Some do not do as claimed. Others, are nice but expensive. Still others work quite nicely and fit into our lifestyle.
We are usually on the look out for recommendations from well-trusted friends who also have a ‘clean living’ lifestyle. I will often reach out to a friend and ask about a company or a product , then look and try for myself. Many times these conversations come up naturally without my asking anything. Recently I was with a neighbor and she was commenting on her husband’s neuropathy. We live in farm country in Northern California and my neighbor used chemicals in his younger farming years. His doctor recently told him that the neuropathy in his feet and his hands is from all the chemicals he used while farming. I did not solicit this comment, but I found it quite interesting.
That is why I begged my husband to stop using certain types of weed killers, or chemicals in our garden and orchard. It is why we limit plastic use (or don’t use it at all). It is why we have changed so much in our home – to minimize our toxic overload and exposure. We can change certain things, and others – such as the farming practices that surround us – we cannot. By minimizing what we use and eat that could be potentially harmful to our bodies, we can reduce the risk of poor health, huge doctor bills or ongoing medical issues.
As I ponder 2022, I remember that God says that I can ask Him for wisdom and He will give generously to all without finding fault (James 1:5). It can be daunting with so many choices, so many products to navigate around. Since we do try to live ‘cleanly’, is there an area we have overlooked? This is what I will be asking wisdom from God about. Do we still use products out of convenience that could be harmful to our health? What one thing can I change? Just like you, I have to start somewhere and doing one thing at a time is a good place to start. Care to join me?
