Happy September everyone. Here’s our focus for the month. I included a yummy recipe as well if you care to play in your kitchen and get into some magic.
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It’s just a little bit of chlorine in your water.
It’s just a little bit of heavy metals in your food.
It’s just a little bit of fragrance in your perfume.
It’s just a little bit of benzene in your sunscreen.
It’s just a little bit of aluminum in your deodorant.
It’s just a little bit of PFOA’s in your nonstick pans.
It’s just a little bit of phthalates in your plastic toys.
It’s just a little bit of methanol in your surface cleaner.
It’s just a little bit of fluoride in your toothpaste.
It’s just a little bit of ammonia in your sugar-free sweetener.
It’s just just a little bit of propylene glycol in your skincare products.
It’s just a little bit of sodium lauryl sulfate in your laundry detergent.

When does just a little bit become too much for the body to handle?

‘It’s just a little’ no longer serves as an excuse. We are too smart, too mature, and too blessed to pretend we don’t know, and use this as justification for our poor, self-harming choices. We have so many wonderful options to all of the above. Let’s dive in together.

Each of the above is worth one point. How many points are you exposing your Self to on a daily basis? Just a little bit here and there really adds up. Something to think about.

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A little personal share from me regarding the list above~

-I don’t swim in chlorine pools, online salt water pools. I only drink Mountain Valley Water. And when I say only, I mean only. I never drink anything else and I would never drink tap water, not even filtered. That’s just me. And only in glass, never plastic and never canned; ever. Here’s the link if you want to get Mountain Valley in glass bottles delivered to your home. If you do so, don’t use a plastic dispenser—totally defeats the purpose. Below is also the link to the glass dispenser we use.

Water~
https://www.water.com/referfriend?referralcode=20945791&utm_source=cxselfserve&utm_medium=WEB&utm_campaign=customer_referafriend

Dispenser~
2.5 Gallon Dispenser

-I don’t eat shellfish. I rarely eat fish and when I do I only eat a fish that I can research where it was sourced, how it was sourced, and what the heavy metal count is. I only eat one chocolate that I know the testing done on it; direct from the company. And I am aware that some metals naturally occur in our soil so I breathe through the rest. :)

-I don’t use perfume. I don’t have anything in our home that is scented. I do not burn scented candles, only 100% pure beeswax. I do not use room sprays. I do not use plug in anythings. I only use 100% pure food grade Young Living essential oils in a glass diffuse, not plastic, if I feel the desire to. I only use wool dryer balls with essential oils, and I only use 100% clean ingredient products, or make them myself with 100% clean ingredients like YL essential oils, lemon, baking soda, and vinegar.

-I don’t use anything with benzene in it. It is super simple to make your own clean ingredient sunscreen.

-I don’t use deodorant. And I’ve never used anti-persperant in my life. When I did use deodorant I sell, and use, No Tox Life.

-I don’t use non-stick pans. I use olive oil, avocado oil, coconut oil/butter, ghee and grass finished butter. Simple.

-I don’ have any plastic toys. :) And I never did as a child. My mother knew then what we are all trying to live by now. She only had me play with wood toys or handmade toys I made in school made out of felt, wool, beeswax. Yup, hippie all the way baby. Thanks to Highland Hall, Montessori, and so many other wonderful tribes of humans we had surrounding us back in the 70s.

-I make my own household cleaners and often use a base of Thieves essential oil, which is anti-fungal, anti-bacterial, anti-viral, by Young Living, which I can order for you if you wish. Get used to making things with baking soda, vinegar, essential oils, lemon, so many safe options and they all work; and smell delish!

-I either make my own toothpaste or use a clean brand like Uncle Harrys in glass jars.

-I have never used a sugar-free product/ingredient in my life. If I don’t want sugar in my food I simply omit sugar. If I want to sweeten something I use nature; honey, maple syrup, date sugar, coconut sugar, etc. No agave though. If sugar is a concern for you due to a health issue than don’t consume it. Get used to adjusting your palate to not need an alternative to it, simply enjoy an apple instead.

-I’m a skincare geek so this one is a deep passion for me. I don’t ever use a product with PG in it. Done.

-Same for SLS. It’s a no-brainer for me.

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General Notes~

Yes, metals naturally do occur in our soil but there are some things we can do to be mindful of our daily consumption of high metal foods, like fish, rice, chocolate and vegetables. Do your research. Support companies that disclose the heavy metal content and fully disclose all of their ingredients and don’t hide behind ’natural flavors’. If a product has ‘natural flavors’ listed as an ingredient I go straight to the owner of the company and don’t stop until I get full transparency. If I don’t get that then I don’t use that product. It’s super simple.

Fragrance is an easy one. Don’t use any. Period. The end. No perfumes, no scented anything, no scented candles, no scented or unscented dryer sheets, no scented air sprays, no scented plug ins, no, no, no.

Sunscreen is a bigger topic and please do your own research as to why it is a concern on many levels, more so than just benzene. There are many safe options out there now. We are so lucky to have such wise business owners making safe options for us and you can easily make your own!

No non-stick anything, ever. Period. Now that that’s over with we can proceed. :)

No plastic toys; that will help. My mother raised me with all wood toys but that was the early 70s so I know we live in a different world now. But luckily there are SO many companies making safe options. No plastic! And even the wood ones you must do your own research. Where are they from? Imported? Domestic? What is the wood treated with? Do you want your child sucking on it? Do you want to be touching it?

I don’t think there are any safe cleaning products on the shelves of our stores, anywhere. Seriously. There is something to be watchful of with every ingredient I research. I make my own now. I only use glass jars too. Its simple, it’s inexpensive and you hold all the power. This is a big one for all of us, but especially if you have any respiratory concerns; asthma, etc. Also, never spray on to a surface. Always spray into a cotton rag so it isn’t airborne. And never use micro-plastic cloths, no microfiber cloths, no, no, no. Think about the name of it, Micro Plastic Cloth. Um???

I know many have a deep relationship with old-school fluoride belief systems so I will allow you to untangle that one in your own time but simply put, no. This is another super easy DIY product. I love a few products that are doing in right, in glass jars too! And super yummy taste.

Um, sugar-free sweeteners? No on every level but in case you needed more convincing…would you put these in your body? Here’s what the little pink packet has in it: saccharin, or benzoic sulfide, which is a synthesized compound of methyl anthranilate, sodium nitrite, hydrochloric acid, sulfur dioxide, chlorine, and ammonia. Uh, no thank you.

Now, propylene glycol can indeed be made from vegetable sources and some companies are doing their best to source ingredients from the safest places possible for our health. But, and this is a big but, most companies are not doing this and are also going for the highest profit margin and guess what that means, use the cheapest ingredients possible and let us deal with the fall out down the way with our deteriorating health. Propylene glycol (PG) is most often sourced from petroleum. SO many products are made with PG nowadays and sadly it wrecks havoc, not only on our healthy, but our planet. PG is a nonrenewable source that takes more than 1 million tons of petroleum each year to meet worldwide demand. That’s just for products! And I’m sure it is a growing number.

Sodium lauryl sulfate (SLS) is an ingredient that I have a deep relationship with because I personally coped with perioral dermatitis for years and did a deep dive into the world of SLS. It isn’t just the ingredients themselves, often times it is how they are processed, what is added to them and how they interact with other ingredients. This one in particular is often contaminated by 1, 4 dioxane, a known carcinogen that is common by-product of the manufacturing process. It is easily absorbed into the body and has the power to build up in our organs and have the potential for long-term health problems. It is a known pollutant and can cause skin, eye and lung irritations, as well as be harmful to aquatic life. It is in SO many products so you must read the ingredients of what you purchase. Be mindful of your personal care products such as soap products, bath bubbles, washes, facial cleansers, shampoos, hand soaps and toothpaste. Also in shaving foam, cleaning products like degreasers, floor cleaners, even medications. Watch for it in foods too; dried egg products, marshmallow, beverages, and medications.

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Reach out if you have questions regarding sourcing products, choosing better options for your personal needs or making products yourself. As you all know, this is a topic I care quite a lot about. Some say ‘OMG it’s too much to have to pay attention to.’ ‘I can’t handle it, there’s bad stuff in everything.’ ‘I can’t live like you do.’ ‘It’s just a little bit here and there. How bad can it be?’

Well, I’m here to tell you the following:

~Yes, paying attention is our responsibility to be present in our life. It is SO easy to simply find what products are safe and only use those, or make your own. That’s it! Done.

~No, there isn’t bad stuff in everything. There is, however, a need to be conscious and be your own advocate. There is SO much good out there; just find that stuff and use that instead of the other. Done.

~You don’t have to live like me. Live like you! You do you! BUT, if you want to feel fantastic in your body every day and wake up refreshed not ever drinking coffee to get going in your day, sleep well, have clear skin, have a highly functioning brain without brain fog, effortless, brilliantly working digestive system, balanced hormones, level moods, joy in your heat and a skip in your step, then yes…do as I do! You can still do you but yes, allow me to rub off on you a little bit and pay attention; care a bit more and look inward to what your imbalances are and what your role is in that relationship.

~Just a little bit is not a valid excuse to remain unconscious. We have all the power. Use it.

I share all of this because I care deeply. I hear, on a daily basis from many clients I work with, what is ailing them. And sadly the list is long with many. I hear about general body discomfort/malaise, sleep concerns, hormone imbalance, skin challenges, digestive issues, weight concerns, stress, anxiety, dry skin, hair loss, brain fog, fatigue, medical diagnosis; cancer, asthma, diabetes, pre-diabetes, high cholesterol, side effects from medications, and so much more. We have power to look into our lives and make some edits to deepen our Self-care, Self-respect, and Self-Awareness.

The time has come to look at what we put in our body, on our body, around our body, in our home, on our clothing, our dishes, our bathtub, our floors, our pools, the air we breathe…not to mention our daily habits and inner Self-talk.

Reach out if you would like to scheduled a health coaching session. I can provide you clean recommendations for all your needs, or help you learn to make them yourself. I do encourage you to get your DIY energy going and start swapping some things for homemade, or perhaps simply remove from your world. I’m here to help. We can walk this path together. It’s always nice to have company along the way.

Be well.
Dove’s Summer Squash Quinoa Salad with Coconut Cilantro Dressing
Ingredient s
*Always organic ingr e d i e n t s
• 1 cup uncooked quinoa
• 1 packed cup cilantro and/or cilantro sprouts (or more if you like
cilantro)—reserve ¼ cup
• 1 large jalapeño (or more if you like heat)
• 1 13.5 ounce can of full-fat unsweetened coconut milk (no gums)
• 3 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice, about 1 lemon
• 1 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1 teaspoon Maldon salt
• 1 large summer squash 12 ounces
• 3 medium ears of corn yields 12 ounces
• 1 large sweet yellow bell pepper 8 ounces
• 1 pint yellow cherry tomatoes 8 ounces (other colors fine as well)
• Extra-virgin olive oil
Instru c t ions
1. Begin by cooking your quinoa according to package instructions.
When it’s finished, set it to the side to cool to room temperature.
2. While the quinoa is cooking, add 3/4 cup of cilantro to a blender,
reserving the rest. Add 1 jalapeño, one can of coconut milk, 3
tablespoons of lemon juice, one teaspoon of cumin, one teaspoon of
salt, and blend until it is a smooth, light green dressing. Taste and
season with salt as preferred. Set this aside.
3. Thinly slice the summer squash and add it to a large bowl. Cut the
corn kernels from the ears of corn and set them in the same bowl.
4. Thinly slice the sweet bell pepper and quarter the cherry tomatoes.
Set those aside.
5. Sauté the corn and squash. Season with a few large pinches of salt
and cook, stirring often until the squash has softened a bit and the
corn is taking on a bit of color. Do not cook too much, just a few
minutes.
6. Add the cooked vegetables to a large bowl with the quinoa. Let this
cool to room temperature for 10-15 minutes (or else the other
vegetables risk getting soggy).
7. When the quinoa salad has cooled, add the bell pepper and
tomatoes, plus the reserved cilantro. Mix everything together.
8. Top each serving with a healthy amount of the dressing
9. Serve and enjoy!