Healthy at Home: 3 Helpful Apps

I had a lot to learn as I started this new process.  There was a whole new list of ingredients to learn...and lots of names that I couldn't even pronounce.  So if anything, I needed something to make this transition a little bit easier.

I found three different apps that helped me make some of the decisions on what should stay and what should go.  I downloaded these, so that I could scan the items in my house (and in the store) so that I could make an informed decision.

Here they are:

 

The Think Dirty app is one of my favorites when it comes to helping me decide on which products I should purchase or get rid of.  Think Dirty commits to helping consumers identify risks associated with personal care products they use on a daily basis.  Think Dirty has a blog and online shop, but in my own opinion, I feel that their app is easier to use.
  

 

The next app that I really like to use is EWG's Healthy Living app.  EWG stands for Environmental Working Group.  They exist to empower people to live healthier lives in a healthier environment. The EWG has a very nice, user-friendly website as well where you can find lots of helpful information regarding the products we use everyday.  They also have a database with products that are EWG approved and also give you a link to order them!

   

The third app that I like is called the Good Guide.  It's my least favorite of all of the apps listed, but it's very simple to use.  Their mission is to provide consumers with the information they need to make better shopping decisions.  As with each of the previous apps, there is a scan feature which makes it easy to scan UPC codes.  They also have a blog online, however, I have never used that feature.    

Each of these apps give a product rating and lists any reason why you should give concern to it.  In the event that the product gets a bad rating, they also give out cleaner options to replace the product with.  That is the feature that I love the most.  It basically decides for you whether you should get rid of it or not.

Download them today!  Then tell a friend about them! :)

Healthy at Home: Where Do I Start?

When starting down this new road of cleaner household products, I honestly had no clue where I needed to start.  It was all very overwhelming to me, and I kept putting it all off because I was questioning, "Where the heck do I start?"

 Last Spring, I attended an online seminar regarding PCOS.  One of the workshops was on the body products that we use, and I remembered hearing something about parabens being harmful to girls with PCOS.  So that's exactly where I started.  I started researching parabens.  I mean, what exactly are parabens?!  I had no idea.

Basically, they're preservatives that are used to prevent bacteria and mold growth.  That could be a good thing, but they are also endocrine disruptors.  They're most commonly found in shampoo, conditioner, face wash, body wash, body lotion, and foundation.

Um...endocrine disruptors?? I do NOT need anymore of those!  I have enough things disrupting my already-out-of-whack hormones.  I didn't need anymore help in this area.   So I immediately went to my bathroom and found everything that had parabens in the ingredients list and put it in a pile.  I knew that I had to get rid of those.

From there, I found the other ingredients that may be an endocrine disrupter:  BHA and BHT, Ethanolamines (MEA/DEA/TEA), Oxybenzone, Phthalates (DBP, DEHP, DEP and others), and Fragrance.

To be completely honest, the two groups that I found the most items in were parabens and fragrance.  There were a couple of items that did not list the ingredients on the bottles, and their website didn't list them either.  If I couldn't find that information easily accessible, then I threw it out.  I wasn't going to chance it.

 

I really couldn't believe how many products I was throwing out.  But when it came down to it, I couldn't believe how many products had toxins in them.  That's exactly what parabens are....toxins! I needed to get rid of them so that my endocrine system could get a break and {hopefully} function normally.

I'm sure you're wondering what I have replaced all these items with.  I am slowly replacing them, and I'll be sharing those items in a different post.

How many of these things do you have in your home?  Will you get rid of them and replace them with healthier options?

Healthy at Home

Health is a journey, not a destination.   Every day I have to choose healthier options over unhealthy ones.  Every day I have to choose to be better than I was yesterday.  So when I learn new information and knowledge, I have to either choose to act on it or not.

 At age 15, I was officially diagnosed with Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome, abbreviated PCOS.  I was given very little information about the diagnosis, but it gave me reason why I had very irregular periods and it was perhaps the reason why I got my first period at age 9. The doctor basically told me that I could go on birth control to regulate my cycle or do nothing at all.  We (my parents and I) chose to do nothing at that time.

I didn't know a whole lot about PCOS, and neither did the doctor.  Unfortunately, doctors still don't know much.  A lot of times, I feel way more knowledgeable about my diagnosis than they do, because I've since chosen to educate myself as much as possible.

Here's what I do know:  PCOS is an endocrine disorder.  That basically means my hormones are all out of whack.  So that means I need to get my hormones in check for my body to be able to perform optimally.  My journey to healthier living started a little over four years ago.  I knew that in order for me to get my hormones in check, that required healthier eating and more physical activity.

I've learned what foods I can eat to feel my best.  I've learned to read labels on the foods that I choose to purchase.  I've learned what my body doesn't like.  When it comes to nutrition, I have the knowledge to make those every day decisions.  But things still haven't been completely in check for me.  So I started to question.  What if I could do more?

In my nutrition certification course, I have learned a lot about the human body.  One of the things I've learned is that our skin is the largest organ.  Have you ever thought about that?  Sure, our skin makes us look pretty...would you want to see humans without skin on?  Ick!  Not me.  So if our skin is the largest organ of the body, don't I want to treat it with kindness as well?

This is where my health journey has taken another step.  I have heard for many years that cleaning supplies, bath and body products, and everyday things we use in our homes can be toxic to our environment.  At the time that I had heard these things, I wasn't ready to do anything about it.

But now...after I've educated myself on my own diagnosis, learned about our organ system, and listened to experts talk about the things in our products and how they can interrupt our body systems...now I'm ready.

Over the next few days, I will be sharing with you what I have done in my own home to get rid of the toxins.  I'll be sharing exactly what I've been looking at and the processes I've taken to get my skin healthy, which in turn affects the rest of my body.

If you have questions along the way, please ask!  I may not have all the answers because I'm certainly in the thick of it and still learning, but I will absolutely try my best to help you!

When You're Empty

The last three weeks have taken a toll on me.  My husband has been sick with a mystery illness, which has led to a lot of appointments and tests.  He doesn't "do" doctors, so I have felt the need to be strong for him, to have all the questions ready, and to hold his hand while he's going through it all.  Not only that, I have a business to run, and I have to take care of myself as well. I have been giving it all that I have. It has made me tired--physically, mentally, and emotionally.  I go to bed each night, and as soon as my head hits the pillow, I'm out.  The next thing I know, the alarm goes off and the cycle starts over again.

This past week, I really thought that I had burnout from life, but today, I realized that it's not burnout at all. I still have passion within me. I still love what I do.  I still love to serve others.  It's just that my fire is dim.  I'm empty. I've given all I have, and I haven't taken time to be filled up. Sure, I sit and read my Bible daily--but have I been in His presence long enough to hear what He's saying to me? Unfortunately, no.

I picked up a new book to read this week. It was God using another person to speak into my life. He does that, you know. 😉  I sat down to read this morning, and everything that was written in that chapter was written especially for me.

"How dangerous it is when our souls are grasping for God but we're too distracted flirting with the world to notice."

Ugh. Yes...my souls longs for Him, but it hasn't been still long enough.

"Indeed, the world entices your flesh but never embraces your soul. All the while, the only love caring enough to embrace us and complete enough to fill us, waits. 

He waits every day with every answer we need, every comfort we crave, every affection we're desperate for, while we look everywhere else but Him."

I am a go-go-go type of person. I'm pretty sure I learned that from my parents. 😉 Growing up, we weren't allowed to have down time. If I were caught reading a book in the middle of the day, there was a 99% chance that I would be going with Dad to work on the farm. But because of that mentality, I learned work ethic.  I am a hard worker.  I don't just do things halfway.  I'm an all or nothing kind of girl.

So these last few weeks, I have literally given it my all.  I have given so much that I haven't taken the time to be filled.  Unfortunately, you cannot pour into others when your cup is empty.  In my "job," and I say that lightly because I don't think of it as a job, I have to constantly be encouraging and supporting others.  I have to pour into them...that's how you invest and build relationships.  But I haven't been able to do that well.  Because I am empty.

Over the next few days, I'm going to do as God commands:

"He says, 'Be still, and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth.'"  Psalm 46:10

I am going to be still in His presence because I know that it's difficult for me.  I'm going to be still because I know that He not only honors hard work, but He also honors that quiet time.  I am going to be still so that He can pour into me, so that I in turn can pour into others.



I think the biggest thing I took away from today's reading of Uninvited was this:

"Fullness comes to us when we remember to be with Him before going out to serve Him.  He wants our hearts to be in alignment with Him before our hands set about doing today's assignment for Him."

Yes, even when we're trying to share Jesus with others, we can be drained.  We have to have that fullness that only HE can give.  If you're feeling empty today, I pray that you will take some time to rest in Him.  Be still.  Listen to what He has to say to you.  Only then will you be filled and full.

Meal Planning for Beginners

One of the biggest lessons that I've learned in my adult life is that I have to know what and when I'll be eating.  If I don't have a plan, and I get hungry....well, you better watch out! I get hangry.  This is where my meal planning comes in.  I started meal planning when I moved into my very first apartment at age 20.  My aunt had told me about it, so I decided to try it out.

Growing up, my mom did not meal plan.  She rarely went to the store with a list even.  She would walk down the aisles of the grocery store, putting things in the cart that she knew we would eat.  She must be the smartest woman alive, because I can think of maybe one or two recipes that I know by heart.  These were the times of no cell phones.  She couldn't look up recipes on Pinterest.  She couldn't even call home to see if someone could tell her what she wrote on the whiteboard on the fridge.

That was totally normal for me, though.  I knew nothing different.  But I was a little overwhelmed with going to class and making my own food.  I had been accustomed to someone else making my food for the last two years.  So when my aunt told me that she wrote out all her meals each week ahead of time, I knew that I needed to try it.

I literally started from scratch. I had several cookbooks, but Pinterest still wasn't thought of yet.  I had many recipes that I had collected from being in 4-H, and my mom was a wonderful cook, so she gave me some, too.  When I started this process, each week, there was a ginormous mess on my kitchen table.  Now that recipes are "digital," it takes up a little less room. ;)

 

Here is my process for planning my meals:

1. I gather up my family calendar, cookbooks, a pen, and a pad of paper.
2. I look through my calendar, making note of when we will be away from the house at meal times.  I also look to see if we will need an early supper or if my day will be so packed that I need to utilize my crockpot.
3. I will then write out my days and all of the meal slots for those days.  For example, I'll write Monday and underneath it, I'll label: Breakfast, Lunch, Supper, Snacks.  If Thursday night is Date Night and I know that I won't be cooking, I'll mark through it.
4. Then I will plan my meals accordingly.  I always try to incorporate at least one or two new recipes a week.  This allows us to try new foods and experiment a little bit.
5. After my plan is constructed, I will then make a list of all the ingredients I will need to make these meals.  I then go through my pantry, refrigerator, and freezer to see if I have any of them first.  After I've taken inventory, I will make my "master list" that I organize by section of the store.  This allows for easy shopping.

There you have it!  There really isn't much to it.  It does take awhile for the first few times you plan.  However, the more you do it, the faster you get!

A couple other tips that I have are:

• Create a list of "go-to" meals that you know your family loves!  This will make it easy when you feel stumped or stuck.  A couple of those meals on my list are Taco Salad and Spaghetti Squash with Meat Sauce.
• Create a schedule of repetition.  I am a creature of habit, so most of the time, my breakfasts are the exact same thing all week long.  I'll change it up for the next week.
• Don't be afraid to use your crockpot in the summer.  I know that the most popular time to use it is in the fall and winter.  But I just hate my house being hot in the summer.  So pull it out and let it do the work for you!

For some more tips regarding meal planning, check out this video:

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Finding Normal Amidst the Chaos

I know that I talk a lot about having a routine or some sort of schedule.  Yes, I am a fairly scheduled person, but believe it or not, I do like to be spontaneous.  However, I am not a fan of being spontaneous when life throws you curve balls.  That's why I have a need to find normal amidst the chaos.

The last two weeks, my husband has been pretty sick.  He took off an entire week (plus) of work and literally stayed in bed all day.  I had made him go to the convenient care clinic, and then that started a whole bunch of doctors appointments the next two weeks.  He hasn't been well, so I've been making him eat and getting things done for him.  It's thrown me off my schedule, and at one point, I was pretty stressed.

I was definitely grateful that I had the opportunity to work from home so that I could help him, but I am behind in my work (and housekeeping).  I have a schedule so that I can stay on top of those things because I'll just be honest...if I didn't, I'd be watching tv all day! ha!

With all of that said, my first priority is my husband.  Just like anything else thrown our way, I'm sure family is everyone's priority.  But what happens when those things do happen?  Do you send your health to the back burner?  Do you send the things that help center you to the bottom of your to do list?

It's important, that in the midst of chaos, we take care of ourselves because there are others relying on us.  If we don't care for ourselves, then we can't give our best to them.  When we're in the middle of chaos or a crisis, negative feelings can creep in.  So how can we stand firm when everything is conflicted.

I shared my morning routine earlier on my blog.  This is so incredibly important to me because this is what keeps me grounded.  It is also the only reason that I've remained sane the last couple of weeks.  I knew that I had to continue to show up and take care of myself.  I needed to continue to be the best that I could be, so that I could advocate for my husband.  I needed him to see me as strong so that I wasn't a worry in his mind.  I needed to have a grounded mind and heart even amidst the chaos.

Are you committed to yourself even when things are falling apart around you?  Will you show up for yourself when things aren't perfect?  Be your best self.  Take care of your temple.  Someone needs to stand strong even when things aren't perfect.

Why You Should Schedule Your Free Time

Summer is a very busy time.  The kids are home from school.  Friends are getting married.  Family vacations are being taken.  Get-togethers, church camp, sports camp, swimming lessons...you name it, and I'm sure it's on the list of things to be done.  Summer is a hectic time in my house, and I'm sure it is in yours as well.  So I'm sure you're wondering why you should schedule your free time.

In the winter months, I yearn for the days of more sun and being outside.  I like being able to explore and just feel the warmth of the sun on my face.  I hate being cooped up.  When the spring and summer months come, I'm ready to change up my schedule a bit.  I want to make sure I have plenty of time to spend with my husband and family.  I want to make sure we get those evening family walks in.  I want to be able to drop everything in the spur of the moment and go get ice cream.

Schedule Your Free Time

I definitely schedule everything about my day...including my shower (or else it won't get taken). HA!  I make sure that I have my Bible study, workout, work time, meals, and free time scheduled into my day.  I am a pen and paper kind of gal, so I have my planner.  But more than that, I schedule my day on an index card.  This makes it portable for me, and I can keep on track with my appointments and activities.  So why should you schedule your free time?

Because it allows you to actually be free.  By scheduling the rest of your day, that means you're also scheduling in your entire daily to do list.  When you get those things marked off your list, you can focus all your time and energy on your family.

 

Schedule Your Days

Since I work from home, it's important that I try to keep my "work life" away from my "home life."  Is that even possible? Not really, but I do try.  Maybe you don't work at home, but maybe you do stay at home with your kids.  Something that has really worked for me is scheduling the days when I have to leave the house and go do errands or go to appointments.

I have become a little bit of a homebody and I enjoy being home.  So I try to only schedule appointments and errands on Tuesdays and Fridays.  This allows me to be focused in my work at home, and get as much done as possible.  But I always make sure to schedule in free time with my husband each evening.

I love the freedom of scheduling that time.  I don't have to think about work.  I know that my duties for the day are done, and I can be fully present with my family.

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Show Up...Even When You Don't Want To

Life is hard sometimes.  Things are thrown at us from every angle.  Life gets stressful.  And there are days that you just don't wanna...

Do it anyway.

No one else will show up for you.  You are in charge of you.  In the moment of not wanting to do it, you are building your character.

Is there a force within you that is strong enough to withstand the days that you don't want to?  Is your reason for being on a fitness journey stronger than the days that are hard?

Here are a few tips that I use for the days that I just don't feel like doing it:

1. Do it first thing.  Yes, there will be mornings you don't want to get out of bed.  But if you just get up and get your workout in, then you don't allow yourself to dwell on it all day.  You can't think about excusing yourself out of it.  You just get it over and done with and you can relax in the evening!
2. Do something you enjoy.  If you aren't feeling it, do a workout that you normally enjoy.  If you really like dance, do a dance workout.  If you like lifting weights, lift!  When you do something you really like doing, it takes the "have to" out of it.
3. Implement the 10 minute rule.  Set a timer on your phone for 10 minutes.  Push play on your workout, and when that timer goes off, re-evaluate.  If you still aren't into it, then turn it off and go back to bed.  But if you're already sweating and have pushed past the bad attitude, then keep going!  This does not give you permission to stop every day.  That is only cheating yourself.
4. Plan ahead.  Know exactly what you'll be doing, when you'll be doing it, and where you'll be doing it.  Set your clothes out the night before.  Follow your workout calendar.  When you know exactly what you'll be doing, then you have no time to fight that inner voice.  You can shut that voice up and get to work!

You are stronger than the excuses.  So show up, crush it, and be proud of yourself for doing it!

Do You Have the Right Kind of Accountability?

Who do you show up for?  On your health and fitness journey, who are you showing up for?  Is it your husband?  Is it your kids?  What about you?  Do you show up for you?

One of the "well known" ideas around the fitness industry is that in order to succeed, you must have an accountability partner.  I don't necessarily agree with that statement, as I have had no accountability partner on my own journey.  I don't think they're a bad thing, but I don't think they are completely necessary for several reasons.

I think that for you to be successful, you must have self-accountability.

"The only accountability that truly exists is self-accountability.  The only person who can hold you accountable for anything is you, and to be successful you must develop the mental honesty and courage to own your thinking, actions, and results." --Brian Moran

Ultimately, you have to hold yourself accountable.  You have to be completely honest and vulnerable with yourself.  If you're not, you're lying to yourself.  You have to be accountable to yourself before you can be accountable to anybody else.

Are you committed? Commitment isn't just a word...it's an action!  You have to take action and prove to yourself that you are committed.  Are you brave enough to be honest with yourself? You choose your actions.

You choose whether or not you get up 30 minutes earlier to get your workout in.  You choose whether you have those Cheetos or a salad.  You choose whether you want to make excuses for yourself or not.  Those actions will become your results and your consequences.

 

In May 2015, I lost my Granny.  I went into a depression and self-medicated with food.  I also went into denial because I had no intention of being accountable to myself for what I was eating.  I didn't care.  It honestly took me about a year and a half to fully grasp what I had done to myself and then get a game plan together to get myself out of it.  I had to take full responsibility of my actions. 

Show up for yourself.  When you don't show up to eat better or to workout, you're only disappointing yourself. 

Secondly, find someone who can help create a plan for you.  Find someone who will listen to your goals and dreams and will help you get there.  This may not be an "accountability partner," but maybe someone who was in your shoes once.  Find someone who cares enough about you to help guide you.  Find someone who is going to take into account what you can and can't do in this moment of time.  They will be one to push you and move you outside your comfort zone.  They will encourage you to be better. 

If you're looking for that person to push you and encourage you, I am here to help!  I have a VIP Focus Group open for enrollment right now!  We will start June 19th and will be focused for 30 days.  I will ask you what your goals are and help you make a step-by-step plan to reach them.  Ready to get started?  Simply click {HERE} and JOIN ME!  I will be in touch to give you all the details of the group.

EDIT:  Group is now closed.

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