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People often wonder what holistic living is. Let’s be real. It can be daunting, and it can seem complicated. It seems discouraging when looking at how no matter the amount of organic veggies that we eat, we cannot escape the fact that toxins are present.
They are in our air, in our homes, and even inside of our bodies.
You should not despair though! There is hope, and there are a plethora of ways to practice holistic living despite living in a chemical-ridden world.
What is Holistic Living?
Holistic living is a healthy and sustainable, yes, SUSTAINABLE way to approach life in a balanced way. It focuses on all areas of health instead of just nutrition or exercise.
Why do I emphasize the word sustainable, you may ask?
We try so hard to put healthy habits into practice, but by doing so, we put our bodies under even more stress.
There are so many lifestyle choices made that are difficult to keep up with. It seems like in today’s world, elimination is key to a healthy life. But is this truly a holistic lifestyle?
A holistic lifestyle is all encompassing.
It is about nourishing the mind, body, and soul. By approaching health in this way, a person looks at the bigger picture of their overall health.
Holistic living essentially treats a human being as an entire entity, where each intricate bodily design works with everything else. If one part of the body is down, everything else will be thrown out of balance.
What Holistic Living is Not?
Holistic living is NOT a diet or social movement, it is a LIFESTYLE that someone makes the conscious decision to live in.
Since living holistically means looking at the body as a whole, this means that it is not a one-size-fits-all weight loss program.
In fact, when you begin eating to support your metabolic function you might discover how undernourished you actually are.
It is not a simple detox of physical things, because there are many mental things we must detoxify our minds of as well.
It is not a supplement you can take to feel better- in fact you will find whole foods are the best vitamins you can find.
It is not a quick fix- as most things in western societies are. There will not be instant gratification because in order to live holistically you must do your research and work hard for it.
Ways to Begin Living Holistically
-Switch to non-toxic cleaners, or make your own. Don’t throw away all of the toxins in your home and buy everything new at once. Simply replace things, like cleaners, slowly as you run out of them. The stress it will cause you both emotionally and financially to replace everything at once outweighs the initial stress your physical body may face.
-Get your minerals tested. I like going through the Master your Minerals course for this. You will learn everything you need to know about how minerals work in your body. It is a great place to start and will change your life.
-Make food from scratch. This way you control all of your ingredients
-Switch to non-toxic cosmetics. Again, you can do this slowly as your products run out, but it will be so exciting every time you get a new non-toxic product to add to your collection!
-Diligently do your research. This is the best way to get started when you do not know where to begin. This is how I began my journey of healing. I discovered the Freely Rooted Podcast, and from there found hundreds of like-minded nutritionists, trainers, medical professionals, and every day people. All bring their unique perspectives but can unite in the fact that the body is a connected entity which depends on all of its different functions.
Summary
In sum, a holistic lifestyle can allow you to begin living freely in a healthy way that works for you. You do not have to immediately change everything about the way you live, but instead can take small baby steps.
Going all in at once can be good for some people, but for the majority of the population doing this will be overwhelming physically, mentally, and financially. Find one thing to change each month, or simply replace items with higher quality ones as they get worn out or run out.
My biggest takeaway would be that you learn the role with vitamins and minerals play in you body, and how it manages stress/boosts metabolism. Check out the Master your Minerals course or listen to Episode 2 of the Are You Menstrual Podcast to learn more about the role minerals play in living a holistic lifestyle.
