Tuesday, January 24, 2012

Making The Switch

I've recently decided to make the switch.
THE switch.
I'm going organic.

It's not that big of a deal, 
but it is to me I guess. 


Just doing my normal thing on the internet,
(you know hitting the stumble button almost mindlessly)
when I seemed to get article after article about going organic,
switching make up, and tooth paste and shampoo,
switching to organic and natural food. 

I did my own bit of research for quite some time. 
Gathering facts, numbers and statistics. 
It didn't take long before I made my decision. 
I wrote to Brad, who was at work and said.
"I'm going organic with food, and getting more natural makeup products.

It's something I've always wanted to do.
But certain things wouldn't allow me.. like money, and relationships.

But I feel good about my decision. 


I got home and literally threw my deodorant and makeup away.
Anything that contained parabens

Parabens are a chemical compound found in everyday toiletry products including moisturizers, make-up, shaving foam, tanning lotions and toothpaste.
They are present in processed meats, and medicine.
They have found that parabens have been present in nearly all cases of breast cancer. 
That was enough to scare me, even if the link hasn't been confirmed. 
Parabens aren't the only thing that scared me..
Even looking into toothpaste scared me a bit.


"Ingredients that are used in the creation of engine degreasers 
and floor cleaners should not be going in to your mouth."

I went out and bought new makeup and toiletries
that don't contain harsh chemicals, parabens or sulphates. 
I went grocery shopping, and bought new organic food.
This switch won't be hard at all.
I shop at natural food stores for Gluten Free foods,
and I'm used to reading the ingredients of just about everything I put in or on my body.

Organic food is a bit more expensive.
Natural shampoos and conditioners are pricey.
But until I learn to make my own, 
and until I have a big enough space for a garden..


I'm sticking to it.
The first bite of that salad was enough to confirm it.
I've never tasted a tomato that was as tomatoey- and it's not even tomato season. 


Please don't think I'm paranoid,
I'm really not. 
(Though I am a bit of a conspiracy theorist.)


I didn't make any rash decisions, 
and it felt pretty good to throw out the cheap makeup.
It feels pretty good to go home and eat healthy.


"Although organic food is more expensive, you can’t put a price tag on good health. Besides, by buying less junk food, you will have plenty of extra money left over to put towards high quality organic food. Although occasional consumption of conventionally farmed food is not likely to do much harm, eating it at every meal amounts to an enormous amount of contaminated food that you put through your body.
Over the course of weeks, months, years, and decades, the toxins accumulate and the consequences can be drastic. If and when you reach the point of disease, you may wonder why you’re suddenly sick. However, it wasn’t sudden at all and maybe that’s something you should consider next time you’re buying food."
This except can be found here.


And the day I decided to switch, my friend Erica posted this. 




And of course I can't forget to post this..


"We will create medicine that will make them sicker and cause other diseases for which we will create yet more medicine. When their teeth decay we will fill them with metals that will kill their mind and steal their future. We will start early on, when their minds are young, we will target their children with what children love most, sweet things. When they give birth we will inject poisons into the blood of their children and convince them it is for their help. their true effect. Those they look up to will help. We will enlist them to push our poisons. We will teach them that the poisons are good, with fun images and musical tones. We must be ingenious in dispensing the poisons for they can see far. The poisons will be hidden in everything that surrounds them, in what they drink, eat, breathe and wear. From all this, their children will be born dead, and we will conceal this information. The poisons will be absorbed through their skin and mouths, they will destroy their minds and reproductive systems. The soft metals will cause them to lose their minds. We will promise to find a cure from our many fronts, yet we will feed them more poison. They will be blanketed by poisons everywhere they turn. We will use soft metals, ageing accelerators and sedatives in food and water, also in the air. We will use our knowledge of science and technology in subtle ways so they will never see what is happening. We will keep their lifespan short and their minds weak while pretending to do the opposite."


And if you are interested in even more stuff like that.. 
Check out this place.

I know that sort of thing is a bit controversial.. 
but thank goodness for freedom of speech.

48 comments:

  1. wow, good for you!!! :) thats awesome!

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  3. You are definitely not a conspiracy theorist! And good for you for doing research and making decisions based on your conclusions. I agree that what we eat and put on our bodies is important. That excerpt you put doesn't seem so off the mark from what we're experiencing. I just came home from the grocery store, spending more than I care to, but knowing it's important. Good for you for making the switch!
    Betsy

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    1. Hehe yes, choosing organic and natural isn't exactly the conspiracy theorist definition.. but I can be at time!
      I can't wait to go grocery shopping again this Thursday. The food tastes and feels so much better!

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  4. organic really is better. i switched to organic skincare product a few years ago and i really noticed a change. then that prompted a change to organic eating and WOW--i mean, as you've found out, the taste is totally different and amazing.

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    1. Yeah! I'm excited to see what happens to my hair and skin with the new stuff!

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  5. The poisons statement is quite interesting, and frightening. My boyfriend was just talking about that Illuminati conspiracy thing. I've definitely wanted to make a switch like that as well, however the same obstacles confront me. To start out, I've tried to commit myself to making more things from scratch and using fresh ingredients, rather than typical frozen or boxed foods.

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    1. Yes! It's crazy how much better tasting made from scratch foods are. And they are normally a lot cheaper!

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  6. Awesome! I've been trying to do as much organic as possible, but since quitting my day job I've found it much harder and tend to go for cheap options more than I used to. I'm hoping that since my business is picking up, I'll be able to afford more organic again!

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    1. Yeah, i'm a little concerned about the expenses. Luckily my new makeup should last a whole year. So I'm mostly just concerned about the food costs, but I also believe that things work out when you follow your heart. :)

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  7. Parabens were thought to be linked to breast cancer in 2004 but after much research, in 2008 it was deemed that there was no scientific evidence that there was a link between parabens and cancer. I say this because I think it is great that you are going organic! I have a lot of respect for that as I've been making a lot of health changes in my life over the last year, but articles like the one you link are not scientifically based and only cause confusion and paranoia in any population. I have no doubt that organic deodorants will be better for your body all-around, and kudos for making the change.

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    1. I totally agree! I know there is no scientific and hard evidence.. if there were.. you'd think someone would have dome SOMETHING. But, it still is enough for me to choose something different. :)

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    2. Regardless, it's always good to go organic and I think it's awesome that you are! I've been making a lot of changes, eating healthier, (although not organic), no drinking soda (I actually replaced it with tea about 6 months ago and never looked back) and exercising, (Biking and yoga). I think all of those changes are great, and moving towards an organic way of life I think is very beneficial. There is a salad dressing called "Sun Drenchers" that is made by a family friend. They're totally organic and raw. You should look into that. (http://www.sundrenchers.com/)

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    3. Oh that sounds good! I love salad! I'll look into that right away. I need to cut out soda and start exercising more!

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    4. Yeah, you can gain 10 lbs a year from soda. What happens is your body doesn't know how to handle the sugar because of the carbonation and so sends it to the liver and the sugar is then turned into fat. That got me off of soda that day. Haha. I saw that you drink tea, so you could try and do what I did and drink it anytime you feel like you need soda. Even those Peace Tea drinks, or Arizona Tea are pretty good and as easy to get as soda. Also, try to get into Yoga classes. I am amazed at how much of a workout it is.

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    5. Yikes! I don't drink too much soda, it takes me a long long time to get through a 12 pack, and I end up not drinking an entire can. It won't be hard at all to get off.. especially with the little tidbit you just gave me!

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    6. Haha. I work in tech support and I'd drink at least a 20 oz. bottle a day. It was rough getting off, but I stuck with it and feel much better. And now I have an obsession with rooibus teas.

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  8. PS. I like this lady for makeup: http://www.belindasnaturals.com/
    She also has an Etsy: http://www.etsy.com/shop/theallnaturalface

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  9. What you are doing is something I wish everyone would do! It's so important! Recently I started switching to more organic/fresh food and boy have I been feeling great. Now I'm slowly going the natural route with cleaning products & toiletries. It'd be nice to hear more of your story sometime!

    I became more adamant with eating organic earlier this month, it was almost like an epiphany. I had just come back to my house from winter break and had barely any money. I had very little food to prepare, so just for the day I thought I'd swing by McDonalds to get some food for the day. I spent $8 for 2 meals and thought that was a fair deal. Almost immediately after I ate the first meal I felt a little sick to my stomach, but I was hungry! After the second meal I was having problems. I won't give you the details but my tummy was very upset with me! I felt sluggish and irritated too! I swore from then on I'd never do that to my body again!!

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    1. That's how Brad is. He can't get through half a cheeseburger without getting an upset tummy. My plan is to get HIM to go organic with me.. but he is a totally addicted to coke and cheap food. I'll start cooking organic dinners made from scratch, and he will notice how GOOD he feels when he eats organically, and how gross he feels when he eats cheap stuff.. then he will BEG to switch. That's MY plan anyways...Brad, if you are reading this.. pretend you didn't. ;)

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    2. Good luck! I think it's great to tell your loved ones about this kind of stuff.

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  10. Cool decision! One big motivator for me is its not only better for me, its also better for beloved mother nature. Are you switching to organic craft supplies too? Ive had a lot of fun lately by researching organic and naturally died yarns on ravelry and etsy. Im struggling a bit with solutions for paints and canvases etc.atm... Maybe we should start a challenge for blogging artists to do the switch to raise awareness...

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    1. I LOVE this idea! When it comes to my hat shop, I'm only adding new designs with natural fiber and local hand dyed yarns. But, for the other stuff, I'm going to use what I already have in storage, like for the bear hats I'm keeping up with the same acrylic yarn since I have a lot of it already.
      I already use cruelty free feathers, or "found" feathers..
      but as for art supplies... I don't know! I will have to do research. Maybe message me and we can get a little blog challenge going for next month or something!

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  11. I wish my budget had space for more organic foods. I always think I should go completely organic because I always make sure that the food I give my daughter is healthy and I try to get her organic foods (she is a little obsessed with Earth's Best organic wheat biscuits...) And I always think, "If I'm not willing to give Savy unhealthy foods, then why am I ok giving it to myself?". I always like visiting my husbands home town because they basically only have organic grocery stores. I especially loved their organic soda! (Although, organic or not, I don't think soda is ever healthy for you...)

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    1. One thing I missed about living in California was all their organic grocery stores! Sunflower market in Orem isn't too bad, it's a bit cheaper then Good Earth, which has a pretty limited selection sometimes.
      I'm not sure how well my budget do.. but I look at it as an investment! I'm investing the money that could be used on future health problems.

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  12. I don't think I've ever commented on your blog before, but I have to say good for you! I too have made the switch and there's no going back. Oh and I also can't eat gluten, so I feel your pain there. I noticed you bought Bare Minerals makeup and I wondered if you've heard of Everyday Minerals. It's awesome (and natural and cruelty free) and soooo much cheaper (like $12 for a full size foundation). You can get 7 free samples shipped for around $2 too so you can find your colors. I'm not a rep. Or trying to sell anything, I just seriously love this makeup. Best of luck to you on your new organic journey!

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    1. Thanks Amber! I haven't heard of that.. but I'm going to look it up ASAP! I've still got some makeup to buy.. so this would be perfect!! Thanks again! I'm glad you commented so that I have now "Met you!"
      xoxo

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  13. I made the switch over when I found out I had to be gluten free. I can recommend tons of natural beauty products for you! (I did a post here http://birdgottafly.blogspot.com/2011/12/say-no-to-fume-products-i-adore.html on the products I use). Be careful with the Bareminerals- they can either be wonderful or horrible. They contain bismuth, so if you start getting bad acne or itching, blame it on the bismuth. If you ever have any questions about organic stuff, lemme know! I LOVE sharing what I've learned!

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    1. Allison!! Thank you so much! I'm very excited about going organic and natural, it's something I've always wanted to do, but it just took one more straw kind of thing.. I went to check out your post, but it is only open to invites... but I will still ask questions! What would you recommend for deodorant? Thanks again Allison!

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    2. Oop! Lemme open up that post. For deo, I first rub a little coconut oil under my arms, then I apply Kiss My Face Unscented Liquid Rock. I found that that works wonders! If you're finding you're a little sweaty, try patting a little bit of cornstarch under your arms. The recipes online say to use baking soda, but I've had some trouble burning my underarms from that. I've actually found the coconut oil + the liquid rock is better than the Dove I used to use! You can get the liquid rock at Publix, and they now sell organic raw coconut oil at Walmart!

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  14. Thats so awesome! I've been organic for a long time. I read this book "Not just a pretty face" and wrote this long paper on it in high school talking about all the parabens and things in make up. the EWG has a really great resource for checking your beauty products for all the carcinogens!!

    http://www.ewg.org/skindeep/

    good luck!!!

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    1. I'm looking that up right now!! Thanks so much!

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  15. I love it! When you buy non-organic foods you are barely receiving any nutrients (from produce that is) because the pesticides bind to the minerals and eliminate them along with the weeds. The pesticides themselves have three manufactured minerals only so all non-organic produce only contains those three minerals! Not healthy at all! (and people think that they are being healthy by eating veggies) Organic produce contains 20-30 minerals!

    Anyways, there is an interesting fun fact for you. I've been searching for natural health junkie bloggies and I'm glad you posted this!

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    1. That is sooo interesting! I like it! I can't wait to go grocery shopping again. :) I also can't wait for summer and the farmer's markets!

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  16. I agree with you about the tomatoes! Organic tomatoes or ones bought at a farmer's market taste much more "tomatoey" than ones from the grocery store. Good luck with your new lifestyle!

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    1. Thanks Arielle! I am so excited for Summer, I love farmers markets! AND tomato season.. My favorite!

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  17. I've been trying slowly to go organic for awhile... It's hard for me based on budget and zero support from my husband. But little by little, I've been switching over too. I hope it all goes well for you, and that you have an easier time of it than I have! <3

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    1. My ex husband was very against me eating organic. Mostly because it cost more money, and he was awfully controlling. So, I know how zero support is! Brad supports me, but won't do it himself.. But I have a plan! I will slowly introduce him to organic homemade food that he will be begging for more! muahaha!

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  18. It IS a big deal Rachael... personally I've been waiting for you to go organic... I am glad you did :) Eating organic is a start, and making sure even if it says organic, that it doesn't have lots of processed foods, or any preservatives! or artificial flavors and colors! When you eat healthier more nutritious whole grain food, you don't end up needing to buy as much, AND you won't get as sick, which means in the end your cost of living is not higher, it's probably less or about the same as eating the nasty conventional food. Bless your food either way- think positively. We are what we eat.

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    1. Yes! I've been wanting to for a while for these reasons. I already shop mainly at health food stores since I'm allergic to gluten, so I'm basically just stepping it up a notch.. or two. :)

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  19. And... it'll help with your little down times, when you get sort of depressed. Trust me, I have been depressed in my past when I ate regular food. I no longer get depressed! All the hormones they give cows and the ways they treat them, and chickens and pigs, is energy... it is in the being that so many consume... and they wonder why they have fear and worry and sadness... Look what they are eating. A poor animal that lived in a cage it's whole life, slept in it's own shit, and has never seen the light of day. Eat free range, organic, local pastured cows and poultry. It will make a huge difference. (I'm vergetarian, but I eat butter and cheese). Love, LL

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    1. Very interesting! I'm not a big fan of meat as it is, and when I DO buy chicken I try to get free range. I used to be vegetarian for 2 years, because I was soooo against how animals were treated. I didn't do it right, and lack of protein ended me up in the hospital. So, now I just get free range when I DO eat meat.

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  20. Hi Rach! Congratulations!! You're on your way to better health. My husband & I have also made the switch to organics. They taste so much better. Yummy!! And I am researching makeup as well. You can plant a small garden. It's really not that hard. But use only organic or heirloom seeds as they have not been altered. Can write you privately about all this if you would like. Hugs!!

    Debra@stylewisebydebra.blogspot.com

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  21. I posted on FB about this site after reading your post...holy moley, this scares the bejeezus out of me and makes my mind whir!

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  22. hey!

    i just moved my blog over to blogspot, but you should check it out, i think you'd like it. i post mostly recipes and crafty projects. one of my best friends is celiac so i do lots of gluten-free cooking, and i also make a lot of my own body care stuff. hopefully you can find something to inspire you!!

    http://harmonyhomeslice.blogspot.com/

    <3 harmony

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