Toxin Hunter

Toxin Hunter

Have you ever seen that documentary about bedbugs? I remember the first time I saw it.  They zeroed in on a seemingly perfectly clean bed, with lovely bedding and fluffy pillows, only to reveal hundreds of creepy, crawling, monstrous bugs. I itched for weeks after watching that.

Well, it's the same thing for me with toxins. For years I've been oblivious to invisible toxins, following the five-second rule, allowing my children to keep their shoes on in the house, feeding them convenience foods, and cleaning with products that promise to KILL, KILL, KILL.

But then I started to hear whispers: Chemical toxins responsible for the global obesity epidemic. Astronomical increase in auto-immune diseases linked to toxins. Children reaching puberty earlier and earlier due to toxins. Multiple Chemical Sensitivity. Sleep disturbances, depression, sexual (*gulp*) problems linked to toxins. Suddenly, I'm seeing toxins all around me, and I fear that I am poisoning my family on a daily basis.

It's not easy to switch to a less-toxic lifestyle. So many of our conveniences are rife with toxicity. But I know that taking baby steps now will benefit me and my family for years to come.

Here is my action plan:

Buy foods only with ingredients that I recognize.

Use organic or natural products on my lawn and garden.

Use homemade household and beauty products.

Now, of course, you can't avoid all the toxins all the time. So, I'll continue to add a couple of drops of lemon, lime, or grapefruit essential oil to my drinking water. Citrus oils are wonderfully detoxifying and help support liver function.

I'll share some of the recipes I find for homemade household and beauty products.  In the meantime, here's a recipe for a moisturizing detoxifying salt scrub.

Detoxifying Salt Scrub

Detoxifying Salt Scrub

1/2 cup sea salt
2 Tbsp. fractionated coconut oil or almond oil
20 drops Slim and Sassy essential oil blend

Mix ingredients together.  Rub on in the shower and rinse off.

The Perfect Mother's Day

Mother's Day

I have a confession. You know what I want for Mother's Day? A break from being a mom. Not from the good stuff – I can never get enough of the hugs and kisses and “Mom, you're the best!” I'm talking about the cooking, the cleaning, the refereeing, the unrelenting expectation that whatever the problem, Mom can fix it. My idea of the perfect Mother's Day is instead of an endless chorus of “Mo-om,” I hear “Da-ad” instead.

I've been a parent for almost 21 years, and I have yet to experience even one such day. I suppose I'll have to wait until my youngest leaves the nest – but by then, I imagine my “perfect” Mother's Day won't seem so perfect then.

I guess it's up to me to make sure that my Mother's Day is the kind of day I want. So, I'll curl up in bed while my kids prepare my breakfast (and leave the mess for me to clean later), reading homemade cards and unwrapping gifts made at school. I will take a nap. I'll eat through half the box of chocolates from my husband, and at the end of the day, when the house is finally quiet, I'll slip into a warm bath and be thankful for this beautiful chaos that I'm sure I'll miss one day.

Relaxing Bath Salts

Relaxing Bath Salts

4 cups sea salt, kosher salt, or Epsom salts
5-10 drops essential oil (lavender, Serenity, Whisper, or Balance)
Dried fragrant plants such as lavender or eucalyptus (optional)

Mix ingredients together.  Pour into decorative container for yourself or as a gift for others.  Use a few spoonfuls of salts per bath.