The Year Of Awareness
My lifestyle has changed dramatically since the little one came onto the scene.
Up until now, I’d been ignoring the toxins that I am constantly exposed to daily. (The only consistently healthy thing I have done for my body is use sulphate-free shampoo and conditioner for the past 2 years.)
However, enter my son. No excuses from the start. I had the opposite attitude with him and have been trying my best to cut out the toxins when it comes to baby care: no vaccinations, cloth nappies, cloth wipes, cutting out dairy, phosphate-free washing detergent, no foam mattress, natural skincare products etc. And I know I could do a lot more.
It’s always been and probably always will be (well, until he tells me to back off anyway, hehe) him first, me second.
But things have progressed in a way that I did not expect; all my research for baby – coupled with the awful realisation that my bad diet is affecting my son through my breastmilk – has made me more curious and more willing to live healthier. Yes, for me. It was a natural progression, really, I’d have to be quite ignorant otherwise…
So, this new awareness is powering right through my lifestyle now and is about to be on display through a new business venture of mine. (But that’s another blog entry altogether.)
Today I bought a great book called “Low To No Additives” and another book on healing foods. Grocery shopping will never be the same again. I’m going to have a real party with those numbers on food labels from now on.
The one thing I really want to do is buy organic fruit and vegetables. It’s just ridiculous for me to be so health-conscious, yet continue to eat the tasteless, chemically poisoned fruit and vegetables from the supermarket. The best place to get fresh produce in Adelaide is Central Markets. We live about a half hour out of the city and I use the distance as an excuse. I am going to look into getting organic fruit and vegetables delivered even though it will be very costly for us.
So, that’s my son and I.
I’m still working on my husband!
September 8th, 2008 at 4:50 pm
Jen,
I think you have a house with a yard. You don’t need to get organic food delivered, it probably came from the other side of the country or the world anyway.
You just need to make a garden, the little man can help you, it is very good balance for all your computer / brain work. It seems like a lot of work but there are methods you can use so it starts off big and gets less and less.
Imagine your own supply of fresh Local and Organic food in your back yard.
The food at the markets is covered in diesel fumes. Your own garden. Heaps better. Cheaper. Fresher, In season. It’s like your Grandma used to, imagine the family tears of joy. -smile-
BTW I stopped using any form of deodorant 18 years ago (no i don’t stink). I haven’t used shampoo or conditioner now in over 4 years (took 2 years to get my hair used to it slowly so I didn’t turn into a grease ball), I don’t use detergent on the dishes anymore (Hot water, cloth and do it straight away, comes right off, or if burnt let it soak), I stopped using soap (hot water and face washer) and I don’t buy toothpaste any more (use bi carb), I am researching these wash balls so I can stop buying washing liquid for clothes and as a general cleaner I know how to make it out of citrus skins on the stove, but haven’t done it yet (now am in house with citrus trees, so maybe next season).
I am still puzzling over shaving (not keen on beard look as solution)
I believe you can use Olive Oil as your skin product, but I don’t know much about that, since I am a guy and therefore don’t get into skin products.
Beside health, low impact, enviro, safety and all that. It’s cash. I go shopping and well, imagine what I am not spending on and most of it I haven’t switched to spending it on the replacement “good product”
If you have a grandparent alive, go talk to them, they will tell you the old ways, before the marketing and consumer machine cranked up to tell you stink, look bad and need product just to be a human being.
Cy
September 14th, 2008 at 4:04 pm
Heya. Yes, it is garden space we have, but it is time that I do not. Hehe. Matter of priorities, maybe? I’ve always wanted to grow vegetables myself — always been part of the picture. And you remember my green thumb days, I’m sure. Now it seems all of that is reserved for my retirement days! Yikes. However, since posting this entry, I realised that I could very well get some organic gear from my Uncle/s (one of them is a market gardener) and I can make a habit of nicking spinach from my parents’ patch (hi Mum! hi Dad!) (and they have been bringing some when they come to visit us anyway)… But only this morning I pitched the idea to hubby of us heading up to Central Markets every Saturday morning, or at least every second Saturday morning, and making a family trip out of it. I threw his laptop into the picture as well as fresh coffee beans and he seemed keen. So, let’s see if that happens!