Now that you are ready to make the switch, here are three things I wish I had known when I first started the organic, natural lifestyle journey:
Be kind to yourself. It’s OK to make mistakes. I have spent hours making something new and super healthy, just to have it turn out to be a disaster. Once, I spent hours making my own double stuffed potatoes with broccoli and cheese. When I presented the masterpiece of a potato to my daughter who was a toddler at the time, she immediately moved it to another room, far away from her plate. She refused to take even one small bite. Rejected!
Another time, my younger daughter needed to bring baked goods to a class party. We spent hours baking organic, gluten-free blondie bars. Sounds delicious, right? They came out of the oven looking golden and beautiful and we couldn’t wait to try them. We each took a bar and as we lifted the squares to our mouths, we realized that the bars smelled like feet. Stinky feet. Not appetizing. Brave enough to taste them anyway, I am here to report that they tasted even worse than they smelled. Again, a miss. The bars are fondly remembered in my family as the Feet Bars, never to be repeated.
And I can’t even count the times I have discovered that a product I was regularly using in my home wasn’t good for me or my children. As the awareness hits me, there is always a twinge of shame. For with the learning comes an awareness of the past exposure to toxins. The only thing I could do in those situations was move forward and try to do better. Cause the thing is, you can only take one step at a time. Looking behind you will only slow your progress forward. And every step we take forward is an improvement on yesterday. So I hope that if you make something that is a total fail like my Feet Bars, or you learn something today that changes how you feel about a product you may have regularly used or eaten yesterday, you will let it go. Be kind to yourself. And just keep moving forward.
Be balanced. As much as I strive to feed the family organic and natural foods, sometimes we have to eat outside of our organic box
. A holiday event with extended family might make eating organic more challenging, especially if the extended family does not follow the same approach to natural living. Vacationing is another time flexibility is key. Remembering that this lifestyle is cumulative and that it is the big picture that matters most has helped me to find balance in those moments. Of course, when allergens are concerned, there is no flexibility.
For those of you who have a child with gluten intolerance or a food-based allergy, I recommend bringing your own food wherever you go. I have a cooler bag that holds enough for a whole day’s worth of meals. This has worked for me, on vacations and at family holiday parties. Bringing your own meal is a good way to participate in the fun events we all want to include in our lives while still putting your health and your children’s health first. Another part of being balanced is remembering that anxiety can put tremendous stress on your body—becoming anxious over the quality of every single bite you take can cause more harm than good. Take a walk and get outside. Fresh air and sunshine always help me put my priorities in order. Gratitude also helps me to keep things in perspective.
Stand strong. Sometimes the people around us don’t understand the organic lifestyle mindset. This can be challenging so don’t let it get to you. If this is something you have decided is best for your family, then move forward knowing you are not alone. I’ve been there and I am here for you. You might even be surprised when the same family member that questioned your choice calls to ask you for advice. It will happen, believe me! So stay strong.
Weekly Challenge
Write down one way you can be kind to yourself this week. It could be forgiving yourself for a mistake you made or it could be carving out fifteen minutes of free time for yourself. Step outside into the sunshine and let yourself breathe or sip a cup of rooibos tea. Let me know how you treat yourself!
xo
The Faithful Organic