The start of a new year is a great time to make resolutions about living healthier and more natural. One way to do this is to limit your exposure to toxins and harsh chemicals by using essential oils and other natural products instead of chemical based cleaning agents, medicines, and skin care products.
There are many benefits to switching to natural products, but living a holistic lifestyle can seem overwhelming at first. With all of the preservatives present in foods, the pollution in our environment and the chemicals present in everything from laundry detergent to household items, it s hard to know where to start. Here are a few ways you can make simple changes to help you start on the path to living in a more natural way.
- Eat Natural Foods. As often as you can, shop at farmer s market or whole foods markets for your produce and meat. Prepare meals using fresh, organic ingredients to cut down on added preservatives and hormones. Use natural sweeteners like honey and fructose in place of artificial sweeteners and refined sugar. These few small changes will cut most of the chemicals out of your food.
- Breathe Clean Air. When you can, breathe fresh air rather than recirculated air. Turn off the air conditioner and open a window instead. Run an air purifier in your home or office if you live or work in an especially polluted area.
- Make Healthy Lighting Choices. Avoid fluorescent lighting and invite sunlight into your home instead. Sunlight provides your skin with vital nutrients that you can t get anywhere else. When you need to use artificial light, opt for a broad spectrum bulb in place of typical fluorescent bulbs. Your mood and energy level will improve as a result of these changes.
- Utilize Mother Nature. Make a conscious effort to use natural products in place of chemicals wherever you can. Essential oils use the natural healing ingredients of plants to serve many functions that can help you to avoid their artificial counterparts. You don t have to throw out everything in the house at once (unless you want to!) but you can focus on buying natural alternatives when you go to replace products that you ve used. You ll be shopping anyway so you might as well make the natural choice when you can. You can also choose to wear natural fibers like cotton instead of artificial ones.
Once you ve established some basic habits that weed toxins out of your life, you ll be more aware of other things you can change. Once your mindset is focused on cleaning out your life, it becomes easier to see areas where you can make improvements and less overwhelming to actually make them.