We had an amazing guest speaker on our Be Organic Podcast recently. Lisa Fennessy AKA “The Organic Girl”, who’s all about clean beauty and living an organic lifestyle, talked with us about the importance of clean beauty and how different brands are certified “clean.” Here at Clean Juice, we pride ourselves with everything being USDA Certified Organic, but did you know that skincare can also be labeled as USDA Certified Organic.
As the clean beauty market continues to grow and becomes a little overcrowded and quite frankly, overwhelming, we wanted to give you a little help when it comes to choosing which brands to trust, why you should trust them, and which brands you don’t really want to buy.
A few clean beauty brands don’t have a certificate or verification (because it’s not the cheapest thing to acquire), but that doesn’t make them a bad brand.
On her podcast episode, Lisa mentioned innovative leaders in the industry like Laurel Skin, Maya Chia, Live Botanical, Josh Roseboork and Leahlani who have chosen not to get certified, but are the epitome of integrity. It just goes to show that slapping the word “clean” on a product doesn’t necessarily mean anything, but you can see for yourself after you’ve read this blog.
WHAT ARE THE STANDARDS TO LOOK FOR?
Have you ever heard of the word “greenwashing”? It’s when brands promise to be cleaner than they really are, which doesn’t leave us shocked when our smoothie competitors call their products healthy, when in reality, they’re loaded with artificial sweeteners and “natural flavors.” It doesn’t matter where you turn, everything is overloaded with fragrances, harsh chemicals, toxic ingredients, and brands that aren’t focused on long-term effects. If you look hard enough, you’ll find the good brands who are fighting against the current. We love anything USDA-certified organic, because we know how strict the process is and how they hold each brand accountable yearly, but that doesn’t mean you have to choose USDA Organic when it comes to skincare. Let’s figure out which brand fits your standards so you can make the best choice for you.
Let’s break down some of these certificates and figure out which brand fits us best, but first, let’s understand the difference between accreditation, certifications, and verifications:
Accreditation: Accreditations are recognitions from non-governmental third-party agencies that a certification body has met predetermined certification standards. Accreditation pertains to the certification body only and not brands or products.
Certification standard: Certifications are credentials that brands seek to prove and attest the quality of their product (like USDA, NOP, COSMOS). These are provided by a third-party certification body.
Third-party certification body (like Ecocert, QAI, Oregon Tilth, etc.): Provides a certification, which involves a manufacturing and overall brand audit on an annual basis, to ensure the brand’s adherence to the pertaining certification.
Verification: Verifications are credentials that brands seek to verify the quality of their product. The process generally involves a third-party reviewing all claims, paperwork and formulas to ensure they meet certain standards. In lieu of an annual audit, verification generally involves the brand signing an affidavit to confirm the brand’s commitment to the standard. And then there are retailer standards like Credo, Clean at Sephora™ and Whole Foods Premium Body Care, which can also technically be classified as a verification as well.
WHAT ARE SOME EXAMPLES?
USDA Organic: Primarily an agricultural standard that also allows for limited personal care products. Personal care products can be USDA Certified Organic if they are formulated with USDA Organic agricultural ingredients and “allowed non-agricultural ingredients.” Obviously this one is our favorite, but we might be a little biased. ?
Things to note:
- Instead of a “banned list” like the rest of the certifications and accreditations, USDA Organic has an “allowed list.” This allowed list is super short and is a list of non-certified organic ingredients that can be used in USDA Certified Organic formulas.
- Prohibits several processes like bleaching.
Cosmos Organic and Cosmos Natural Certification: Recognized worldwide via 22,000 products and 1800 companies, and in over 70 countries. What we love about this certification is that it requires an environmental management plan and they’re strict about what cleaning materials can be used around products, which is similar to USDA Certified.
Things to note:
- Complies with European Union regulations, which is a list of 1644 ingredients that are prohibited via the EU’s Reach Program restricted list.
- Reviews and restricts cleaning materials in production facilities.
- Requires an environmental management plan.
- Reviews the formula as a whole and not just individual ingredients.
EWG Verified™: The Environmental Working Group (EWG) is a nonprofit, non-partisan, activist organization founded in 1993 that specializes in research and advocacy for agricultural subsidies, toxic chemicals and water pollutants.
Things to note:
- Avoid EWG’s ingredients of concern, meaning ingredients with health, ecotoxicity and/or contamination concerns.
- Provides full transparency by meeting the EWG’s standards for ingredient disclosure on the label and disclosing fragrance ingredients to the EWG.
- Uses good manufacturing practices to further ensure the safety of their products.
Made Safe®: is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit that’s promoted as America’s first nontoxic seal for everyday products like apparel, baby items, cosmetics, household, intimate care, bedding and more.
Things to note:
- Restricts the use of 6500 ingredients.
- It’s a verification process only. Which means it doesn’t involve a manufacturing and overall brand audit on an annual basis from products it has already approved to ensure the brand’s adherence to MADE SAFE® standards.
100+ ingredients and counting
What we love about this is that if a brand markets themselves as organic on the front of their packaging, but isn’t USDA Organic Certified or NSF/ANSI 305, they won’t allow it on their shelves. Talk about power! ?
Things to note:
- There is no third-party oversight on their regulations or ingredients chosen based on their regulation.
- It’s a verification process only & doesn’t require an annual audit.
Clean + Planet Positive/Clean At Sephora: This is one that is super helpful for those that are lovers of Sephora because now it might become kind of a turn off. If you’ve shopped at Sephora, you’ve seen their Clean Beauty mark that has now progressed into two better beauty programs. Their Clean at Sephora™ program features “brands formulated without phthalates, formaldehyde, formaldehyde releasers, oxybenzone, octinoxate and more.” And their newly released Clean + Planet Positive program, which Sephora is calling “beyond clean.” This program takes into consideration not only ingredients but also the environmental impact of products through the lens of climate commitment, sustainable sourcing, responsible packaging and environmental giving.
VEGAN PRODUCTS
Leaping Bunny vs. Certified Vegan: These are two of the certifications you might see on a beauty product. For most brands that claim to be vegan, it doesn’t necessarily make them “clean,” it just might mean that they didn’t do any animal testing. What about what’s in the product?
Certified Vegan by Vegan Action certifies products (not brands) and mostly focuses on food.
Leaping Bunny certifies that no animal testing was used in any stage of product development. It does not evaluate ingredient components. This is not a tool to help you shop for vegan products.
Tara Pelletier, founder of Meow Meow Tweet says “Leaping Bunny is the best standard for certifying cruelty-free. They’re the only certification body that requires you to follow your supply chain and submit proof. For PETA, you can just sign an affidavit.”
So what do you look for when it comes to beauty and skincare products? Petit Vour is dedicated to carrying cruelty-free and vegan beauty which makes it easy to shop for vegan products.
Petit Vour says,
“For many beauty products, omitting animal ingredients and swapping for plants makes no difference whatsoever in the quality. If we can choose healthier and safer ingredients, while also causing less harm to animals, why not? At Petit Vour, we take the guesswork out of finding those products. We’ve poured over countless brands to showcase vegan products that truly surpass expectations.”
We’re sure you’ve also seen the saying, “vegan-friendly.” It can be used to mean a product IS vegan but not certified vegan. And it has also been used for brands who sell both vegan and non-vegan formulas. Or a brand who is cruelty-free but not vegan. Some clean beauty products aren’t labeled as vegan because they use honey, which means it’s important to see if they’re sourcing their ingredients ethically, and RMS beauty seems to do an amazing job at that.
Want to know even more about vegan beauty? Head over to The Organic Girls blog and find her Master List.
A BRAND TO LOVE ON & A BEAUTY STANDARD TO LIVE BY
There you have it! Thanks to The Organic Girl and the power of the internet, we’ve been able to break down accreditation, certifications, and verifications with the hope of helping you create a beauty standard to live by.
The Organic Girl also shared deats about Think Dirty App that has specific studies, journals and data to back up their ratings, EWG Skin Deep Database to look up ingredient intel as a touchpoint, and MADE SAFE® Banned List and Hazard List to find more information on ingredients, with links to studies, journals and data.
Looking for an even more in depth reading on what everything means? Head over to The Organic Girl’s blog for even more info.
Let’s Talk About Holiday Food
Who loves the holidays? It’s a time for food, family, rest, and giving and receiving. One of the biggest topics around the holidays always seems to be food and what you’re going to make or bring. For most of us, it’s a season that can either be a YOLO (you only live once) type of mentality or you’re trying to stick to a strict diet. Whatever your mentality is, we’re all about balance, which means we’re here to help all throughout the holiday season. Let’s talk about how to do it and about some things we should ditch, shall we?
YOLO
We all know that it’s the season of pies, cookies, ice cream, eggnog, alcohol, fried food, oils, and fan-favorite, carbs. It’s a season to indulge in the things most of us have said no to all year long, and there’s nothing wrong with that, right? Yes, for the most part, except your body has no idea what’s happening to it once you re-introduce certain processed foods.
Let’s break it down
Alcohol is also a huge proponent when it comes to the holiday season. We are sure everyone has heard that red wine is good for you, and studies continue to prove that in moderation, red wine is filled with rich benefits. Studies have shown that “Red wine gets its health benefits from its antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and lipid-regulating effects. Red wine, made from crushed dark grapes, is a relatively rich source of resveratrol, a natural antioxidant in the skin of grapes. Antioxidants reduce oxidative stress in the body. Oxidative stress has clear links with many diseases, including cancers and heart disease” (Medical News Today). While wine is an anti-inflammatory, beer is a totally different story and can cause inflammation in your stomach, so we suggest going with red wine this holiday season.
Anyone like fried turkey? Oh, it’s so yummy, but think about what you’re deep frying your turkey in this season. Seed oils are proven to be some of the leading causes of heart disease, cancer, and other life-degrading conditions, and they’re going to be found in your food, especially canola oil. Canola oil is mostly GMO and high in Omega-6 Fats, which wouldn’t be bad if balanced correctly, but modern diets tend to be extremely high in omega-6s, found in many refined foods, and low in omega-3s from whole foods, causing an imbalance that leads to increased inflammation. Like omega-3 fats, omega-6 fats are essential to health and perform important functions in your body. However, while the most healthy ratio of omega-6 to omega-3 fat intake is 1:1, the typical Western diet is estimated to be around 15:1 and this imbalance is linked to a number of chronic conditions, such as Alzheimer’s disease, obesity, and heart disease (Healthline).
Here’s a list of other oils you should stay away from this holiday season: Soybean, corn, canola, cottonseed, rapeseed, grapeseed, sunflower, safflower, and rice bran. It’s time to pay attention to the ingredients on packages friends!
Turkey and ham are always a part of a traditional holiday season, but unfortunately, if they aren’t organic and naturally raised, they’re going to be pumped with GMO’s and raised on fields covered in pesticides and other harmful products. When eating turkey, the dark meat of a turkey tends to contain more vitamins and minerals, but also has more fat and calories, so enjoy it in moderation. And we know you know about the “turkey nap” that happens once you’ve eaten Turkey. Why does this happen? It’s because turkey contains the amino acid tryptophan. “Tryptophan is an essential amino acid that serves several important purposes, like nitrogen balance in adults and growth in infants. It’s also used to produce niacin, which is essential in creating the neurotransmitter serotonin” (Healthline). It can also be found in chicken, eggs, cheese, fish, peanuts, pumpkin and sesame seeds, milk, tofu and soy. While tryptophan is essential, like anything, it should be consumed in moderation.
Sugar can be found in almost all the food during Thanksgiving and Christmas, and while natural sugars are good for you in moderation, you won’t be finding a lot of natural sugars unless you’ve made things from scratch. We’re all about food embracing their real flavors, no added sugars, and sticking to tradition with organic clean food. When we eat artificial sweeteners and processed sugar, it makes our brain think we’ve eaten sugar so our body gets ready to use it, but instead, it turns into fat and is stored. Let’s yolo by adding some alternatives so you can have your pie and eat it too.
START SMALL
We’re sure you know all about artificial flavoring and sweeteners, food dye, oils, processed foods, GMO’s, “natural flavors,” and all the keywords that brands have spent thousands of dollars on for “healthy” branding. You probably avoid all of these things like the plague, but the holiday season is here, so now what? Do you cook everything yourself to ensure quality for your friends and family or do you splurge for these two big meals? Do you avoid sweets? Or do you avoid it all together? We think it’s smart to cook things for quality control, but we also think it’s smart to enjoy simple pleasures in life like sweets and not allow food to make you feel guilty or shameful, especially during a time that’s meant to bring us all together.
How to not stress about food
If you don’t typically eat sweets, carbs, or heavy oils, it’s smart to slowly introduce these things to your system, giving your body time to break it all down. What a lot of people do is they skip a meal or a snack before the big holiday meal so they “save room,” but in reality, you’re only hurting yourself and your metabolism. Eating small meals and snacks throughout the day is the best way to really indulge and take care of your body at the same time.
We’re obviously all about movement, but what we don’t really love is thinking that you have to move your body in order to “earn” your holiday meal or dessert. Exercise shouldn’t be a punishment for what you’ve eaten or want to eat. If your mentality is focused on burning off enough calories so you’re “allowed” to eat what you want, that isn’t healthy. If you want to get your body moving because it’s a part of your lifestyle, great, but if it isn’t, we encourage you to find a healthier way to enjoy the foods you like this Holiday season. It starts with seeing food as nutrients and fuel, and knowing our body needs food in order to function properly. When we deprive ourselves of eating or develop an unhealthy relationship with food and exercise, it can cause you to become obsessive over everything. Shame takes over if you eat something you think you shouldn’t or you don’t work out when you thought you should, and we don’t want you to have to deal with that, so change your mind about food and its purpose, and think about finding a therapist who specializes in that area.
Speaking of healthy relationships with food, who likes doing a New Year’s diet? Did you know that diets have a 95% failure rate because our bodies aren’t meant to do them? What we encourage instead of a fad diet or burning yourself out in the gym, is learning how to provide your body with proper nutrients and staying away from foods that aren’t doused in artificial flavors and sweeteners. Shopping organic, visiting one of our locations regularly, and doing a juice cleanse at least once a month to refresh your system is always the best way to provide your body with clean food that still hold their nutrients.
Let’s compromise with some alternatives
We’re all about living a little bit longer, but we also know how to cut loose a little bit. Food should never be a source of stress for you, but an outlet to experience different flavors, provide your body with fuel, and a time to enjoy the company of others.
Enjoy the holiday season by substituting certain things, but don’t freak out if you can’t. Our bodies are powerful and we have amazing organs that fight against and detox toxins, natural digestive enzymes to help breakdown and digest hard to process foods, and turn fat, carbs, and sugar into energy. And remember, in order to create a more balanced ratio this holiday season, you should replace processed foods rich in canola and other oils with natural, whole-food sources of omega-3, such as fatty fish and organic meat.
Every system in your body is uniquely connected, but did you ever think that your teeth could be connected to your heart health, joint pain, or gut health? Not only can your teeth and gums tell you a lot about what is going on in your body, but they can also be causing some of those problems. Let’s dive into some common topics about oral health & how it relates to overall wellness!
The Gut/Oral Health Link
According to Dr. Blodgett, a recent guest on the Be Organic podcast, gut health begins in the mouth. Oral bacteria spreading throughout the body is a common occurrence, and the gut is no exception. A lot of things go down the GI tract from our mouths are unhealthy, and the oral microbiome fights hard to shield us from harmful bacteria.
Some signs from your mouth that your gut health might be off:
- Acid reflux takes a toll on your teeth (the acid can melt teeth, especially the back molars)
- Sleep apnea or sleep disturbances can lead to mouth breathing and the saliva dries up, no longer protecting gums and teeth (flattened, red gums)
Wisdom Teeth
We’ve probably all had our wisdom teeth removed at this point, but did you know that 50-70% of removal sites become infected, sometimes without people even knowing? This infection and inflammation of the removal site can lead to problems elsewhere in your body. In holistic medicine and holistic dentistry, practitioners are studying the Meridian Tooth Chart and seeing that each tooth has a unique connection to other organs and tissues of the body. For example, Dr. Blodgett discussed with us the connection wisdom teeth have to heart health! He said that plaque build-up within the arterial walls parallels with plaque build-up on the teeth. There is a similar bacterial exposure in both situations. Want to read more about the heart-tooth connection? Check out the book Beat the Heart Attack Gene by Bradley Bale and Amy Doneen.
Respiratory Diseases
Your oral care and the state of your mouth and gums have a correlation between fighting off respiratory diseases. We are meant to breathe primarily through our nose, using the nasal passages to regulate air, heat air, humidify or de-humidify air, and much more before it ever reaches your lungs. If breathing through your mouth, your nasal passaged can’t do their jobs and you are more susceptible to respiratory problems!
Mercery vapor could also be coming off of your old fillings and when you breathe at night you are breathing in mercery vapor and could create a chronic state of inflammation. If you’re inflamed you’re more prone to other diseases from the lungs!
Not only is the state of your oral health reflective of the state of your systematic health but it influences it directly. The quality of your food matters, your chewing matters, and your breathing matters.
“If we want people to have great oral health we have to have great nutritional health, great breathing work.”
– Dr. Blodgett
Listen and learn more about these topics on Episode 34 of the Be Organic Podcast!
Ready to get your oral health on? Check out some of these cool products we love:Dr. Bronner’s organic peppermint toothpasteConventional toothpaste is often packed with chemicals, preservatives, artificial colors and flavors. If you’re going to eat and drink clean, make sure you brush clean too! Organic toothpaste with no synthetic foaming agents & only simple clean ingredients is the way to go.Tongue scraperIf you don’t use a tongue scraper, it’s time to start! Clean the surface level or particles that contain bad bacteria. Less bad bacteria can help freshen breath, lessen the likelihood of tooth decay, and the bad bacteria is less likely to travel to your gut and throw off your gut health!Charcoal bamboo toothbrushBrush your teeth and make an impact at the same time! Using an organic bamboo toothbrush means that you can scrub away (with soft bristles that protect your teeth) and rest assured that your toothbrush is eco-friendly and biodegradable.Organic coconut pulling oilBye-bye traditional mouthwash! Say hello to this non-GMO, alcohol-free, fluoride-free, preservative-free, & artificial flavor-free pulling oil. This process helps swish away bad bacteria from your mouth without the harsh chemicals and artificial colors and dyes that traditional mouthwash has!
We all grew up with our parents, grandparents and teachers preaching the “be nice to others” card -no hitting, give back, share, say please and thank you -but who taught us how to be nice to our bodies? Did our elders intentionally neglect to teach us the importance of health and wellness? Likely no, they were never taught themselves because they lived in a generation where food was natural and remedies were made at home – not by a manufacturer adding a bunch of chemicals into products.
So yes, we need to start being kind to our bodies. Longevity starts with a healthy body and a healthy mind.
Detoxify Your Brain
Let’s take it from the top. Be kind to your brain. Try not to let the small things overwhelm you so easily and try not to let stress become chronic. Remove toxic people and relationships in your life and focus on self-care and controlling your stressors.
Did you know that chronic stress increases the amount of cortisol in our adrenal glands, which can lead to hormonal imbalances; low energy and thyroids; decreased immunity; increased blood pressure, inflammation and depression; and weight gain? Terrifying right?
Chris Johnson, author of On Target Living, wrote: “All too often people lose their health to make money, and then lose their money to try and get back their health.” What a sobering reality.
Self-care is the most powerful tool you can use towards taking care of your mind and decreasing your stress. Ask yourself these questions: Do I take time for myself on a regular basis? What do I enjoy doing? What did I used to enjoy that I am not doing currently? Why did I stop doing that? What can I do to make time for myself?
Jump start your own self-care with these ideas.
- Write in a journal -write your disappointments and frustrations and, more importantly, your goals towards becoming a happier and healthier person, mentally and/or physically.
- Organize your days (planners/agendas are fun) to make time for you and your goals. Organization makes me excited for the day…I feel useful and accomplished. If you ever feel you look at your to-do list and have too much to do, become overwhelmed and frustrated, make sure to delegate and/or scale back. Don’t be afraid to say no…you can’t do it all!
- Relaxation: yoga and stretching; music; warm baths; reading with a cup of tea; spa (facial, massage, manicure/pedicure).
- Re-live your old hobbies (crafting, painting, scrapbooking, sewing, running).
- Plan: meal plan; meal prep
- Exercise and listen to music (while walking/exercising).
- And don’t exercise! Take a day off and let your body rest and restore itself.
Detoxify Your Body
Remove as many toxins going into and onto your body as quickly as possible
Did you know plastic can cause direct toxicity? Let’s begin with removing the plastic in your life not only for you but for the environment: plastic zip locks, bags, water bottles, wrap, straws, Tupperware, wrappers/store bought food items, baby toys. Instead, purchase stainless steel straws, silicone zip lock baggies, beeswax wrap, a re-usable water bottle, bring your own cloth bags to the grocery store, wood/silicone toys, glass/silicone Tupperware containers as well as purchasing food in glass or metal jars.
Next, let’s look at what you’re eating. Remove products with ingredients on the label you can’t pronounce. Food labels should have short ingredient lists and be full of real, whole food items. Make it easier on yourself by enjoying more home cooked meals and eating more foods in your diet without food labels (produce/whole foods).
Just like food, make sure you are buying skin care products with the least amount of ingredients that include the most natural products. Have you ever looked at the ingredients of dry shampoo or face wash? Heavy metals (mercury, lead, arsenic, cardimum) can make their way into cosmetics through clays, minerals and colorants; be careful as these are toxins that can increase risk of cancer and/or organ damage.
Now, don’t forget to sleep! Sleep enhances your performance mentally and physically; rejuvenates and restores our cells, muscles and hormones; increases your energy; and encourages weight stabilization/loss. Did you know melatonin is inhibited when we are in the sun or in front of a blue screen and it tricks our brain into thinking it’s still day time? Time to drop that phone before bed especially if you are having trouble falling asleep at night. If you feel you experience plenty of screen time each day (job, TV, social media), I would highly recommend purchasing blue light blue screen glasses. I use Pixel glasses.
Finally, your legs, butt and feet…”get up off of that thang and let me see you move it”. The importance of exercise cannot be overstated. Our bodies were not made to live a sedentary lifestyle; however, most of us do. Don’t be afraid to ask your employer for a standing desk (if possible) or bring in a large medicine ball to sit on at work instead of a chair.
Detoxify Your Home
Remove the in-house toxins (candles, plug ins, air fresheners, etc.). These smell good items are filled with artificial fragrances that release volatile organic compounds (VOCs) and can not only ruin our air quality, but can damage our organs by entering through our cardiovascular (heart) system, endocrine (hormone) system and respiratory (lung) system. The chemicals from our cozy scents are overwhelming the air in our homes, which then interact with ozone compounds and make secondary pollutants. Essentially you are destroying not only your health but your children’s, animal’s, spouse’s, and friend’s and family’s health as well.
I truly believe this is the start of a new era of wellness and we should all be instilling this concept in our brains. This is a big, healthy step away from the conventional mode of health: fix me (typically with pharmaceuticals). If any of you are in need of a chiropractor, acupuncturist, nutritionist or massage therapist please, don’t hesitate to reach out to me as I will be able to help you start/follow through with your functional medicine journey!
Jordan Hostetler
Registered Dietitian and Licensed Dietitian Nutritionist who owns a blog where she encourages others to live their happiest and healthiest life through nutrition tips, recipes, and education.
Beautifull Profit Blog
Beautifull Profit Instagram
I recently purchased a coffee table from Charlotte-based artisan Janine Bithell of Rosewood Co and two original paintings by Leslie Poteet Busker, a Charlotte-based artist.
I initiated both of these transactions on Instagram separately, but I wound up picking up the two purchases on the same rainy Thursday morning.
There was something so refreshing about seeing these ladies in their workspaces. Leslie’s studio is a room in her home with beautiful light. When I arrived, I was greeted by Leslie in her signature poppy-colored lipstick. She had a fire lit and offered me coffee. While I wasn’t able to sit and visit (and boy did I want to), the experience warmed my heart.
To purchase artwork for my interior design projects, I’m usually running in and out of stores and boutiques in a way that is so much less personable. This ability to interact with the artist directly and support someone in my community, felt just like that – a warm cup of coffee on a cold rainy day.
Meeting Janine was equally as sweet. She told me her studio was her parents’ garage and welcomed me with a sincere smile and a warm hug. We chatted for a moment and she helped me load my beautiful new herringbone table into the back of my LandRover. Our interaction was brief, but I love the story that now goes along with my table. Meeting the woman behind the beautiful Instagram photos was an unexpected gift. Also, I learned, with every purchase made, the first 11 percent goes straight to a local charity to help those in need – another unexpected gift.
Meeting both of these sweet ladies affirmed my commitment to supporting local small business whenever I can. And so I encourage you to consider: “Who are the local artisans in my neighborhood?” Perhaps a warm cup of coffee and an unexpected gift lie in wait just around the corner.
——
Deena Knight is an Interior Designer based in Charlotte, NC who loves sharing design, style, and life on her Instagram. To view her portfolio, you can visit her website here.
How we handle stress is often a reflection of our character. Stress is toxic for our mind, our life balance and our health. There is no doubt that there are stress factors every day and every space of our life: work, relationships, health, training … the list goes on and on.
When you really sit back and think about it, there aren’t many things in life that we have full control over. However, there is one thing we can control that influences all of our actions – our thoughts.
Our brain processes about 50,000 thoughts per day, 40,000 of them are negative thoughts. Many of us have been taught “the power of positive thinking.” My wife and I both grew up in households where our parents preached positivity. So great. But not always the most realistic.
The Danger of Positive Thinking
What happens when we focus only on positivity? If you’re living in a giant bubble and never have to make contact with other humans, this is a perfectly viable strategy. However, when you have to make connections with the world, even if you strive to see the best in others, this isn’t going to allow you much flexibility.
The Danger of Negative Thinking
It has been said that once we voice a negative comment, it is now seven times more powerful. Have you ever said something like this to yourself? “So-and-so makes me so angry” or “I’m so tired, I have no idea how I’ll get through the day.” Wow! We are prisoners to our own thoughts. Our thoughts control our words and our actions, and we are the only ones who can take full accountability for ourselves.
The Power of Neutral Thinking
When we take a displeasing situation and are forced to insert positive thinking, or even worse, verbalize positive comments, this may seem forced or fake. What we are suggesting is that you take the same situation and look at it as cause and effect. Absolutely acknowledge what has happened, and then through neutral thinking, move past it.
Remember the quote: “For every action, there’s an equal and opposite reaction?” This is what we are talking about. Life is built of “actions” and “reactions,” and we are encouraging you consider the reaction. Instead of injecting purely positive or negative responses as reactions to events, try to find the variation in every situation.
Let’s take one of our earlier examples, “I’m so tired, I have no idea how I’ll get through the day.” Just to be clear, this is a negative statement. Now, how could we make this a neutral statement? First, think about cause and effect. You’re tired, no denying it, but how will you acknowledge it and then, step two – move past it. Maybe something along the lines of “I didn’t get enough sleep last night, therefore I am tired. Tonight, I will go to bed earlier so that I feel more rested tomorrow.” See there, that wasn’t so hard. This process of neutral thinking allows us to have conflict resolution in our own minds, and helps us move past situations without focusing on the negative.
This way of thinking creates an opportunity to filter your thoughts and consider the cause a bit more directly. Over time, you may find yourself less exhausted by the rollercoaster ride of positive and negative responses most of our days include.
Control What You Can Control
If you’ve ever heard the quote “control what you can control,” here is the ultimate opportunity. You can’t control how others react to you, how the traffic is flowing, what the weather is like, how the stock market closes… but you can control your thoughts about any and everything that comes your way. You’re in charge of how you think, and what you verbalize. Small steps create big changes over time. Start now and stay alert of how you’re thinking.
Jose Suarez
Jose is an ambassador for many brands including Lululemon, SweatNet, and our very own Clean Juice. Follow him on Instagram here: https://www.instagram.com/josesuarez84/
Most of us derive our identities from what we “do” or what we have accomplished. I am not going to lie to any of you as I am a guy who has been working in corporate America for the past 16 years – and to be completely transparent – I really enjoyed it. I recently made the decision to leave the comfort of a great position with the “Fortune #1″ company in order to pursue things that truly excite me, one of which is helping to focus more of my time and abilities on the growth of Humankind water.
I am not new to HKW, as I have been passionate about this ministry and calling from basically day 1. What I do think I have to offer now is a deeper knowledge and understanding of how to help build a brand and grow sales of this “product” that I’m so passionate about.
In the business world we throw around plenty of terms that the average adult doesn’t commonly come across such as: margin, acv, market share, trade spend, promotional funds, slotting fees, fsi’s, pos, pdq’s, etc etc.
There are two terms that I have become familiar with, but are taking on a new significance in my current state of life: Residual and ROI (Return On Investment).
- A few definitions of residual are: “things that remain or that are left over after the main part of something is gone” or “something left behind”.
- ROI can mean: “the most common profitability ratio” or ” the concept of an investment of some resource yielding a benefit to the investor”.
What has me constantly in a state of introspection are the questions:
What in my life currently will create “residual ROI”?
What can I focus my time, talents, and earthly treasures on, that will produce for me a return (profit) that will far outlast my life here on this earth?
I can’t get away from these thoughts/questions as I am realizing the brevity and the “finiteness” of the time promised me here on earth. I don’t know how many years I will be fortunate enough to live before I close my eyes for the last time, but I do know that I have already lived 39 years and by worldly standards – have done pretty well. But what am I leaving behind that will last beyond my life even to eternity? That is what is “plaguing”me in a very positive yet troubling way.
Some of the earthly things that many of us strive for are: cars, houses, investment properties, annuities, stocks and bonds, 401k’s, 529 accounts, royalties, buildings and scholarships in our name, etc. These are all great things and none of them are wrong if maintained in the right balance, but are they what our minds should be focused on for the future? An accumulation of stuff and personal accolades? Those things are exactly what society tells me to target, and in reality are where my mind and heart are commonly stuck.
Thus far, I have been privileged to play a small part in touching over 500,000 people with at least 1 year of clean drinking water. Watching a group of pastors and youth workers accomplish so much, with so little in regards to traditional business acumen, has been so inspiring to me. What if all the accomplishments of my past were all orchestrated purposefully so that I could spend the rest of my life skillfully attacking the greatest preventable physical problem our generation faces? What if with the remainder of my life I focus my attention on the quality of life we can provide for each of those precious people that we are able to facilitate sustainable clean water for? What if one of those lives that gets touched with clean water is a child who can make it to adulthood, and is the one who will find the cure for cancer and/or HIV? What if one of those lives that gets touched ends up reaching nation after unreached nation and proclaims the gospel to the places that I am too afraid to go?
- Is it worth it for me to give up more of myself – in pursuit of ending a problem that our world has basically chalked up to being “impossible to solve”?
- Is it worth it for you to believe that your support of Humankind water may be accomplishing a greater good than you could ever imagine?
Bill Gates, who is regarded as one of the richest men this planet has ever known, seems to have caught wind of what it means to focus his energy on accomplishing things for the world that will far outlive he or his family. Other billionaires are following suit and pledging to take their remaining years and focusing on eradicating some of the greatest issues our generation deals with globally. None of you who are reading this blog are billionaires, but the challenge is to be faithful with the “little” we have in the same proportion that a billionaire should.
There was a man who once said something impactful about having faith the size of a mustard seed. Was that statement meant to challenge us to step out of our comfort zones and cause us to go after the “seemingly impossible”? I firmly believe it was. Who wants to join with us and pledge to make such a dent in the clean water crisis? A dent so impactful that it could not be properly conveyed on your tombstone one day. That, to me, is a personal accolade worth wholehearted pursuit of, and one I feel called to for the remainder of my life.
We are assembling quite a team; and the miracles are getting bigger and better (some we can’t even share as of yet). All that is missing is what YOU can bring to the Humankind table…
Ben is the COO (Chief Optimism Officer) of Humankind water and is a licensed pharmacist and serial entrepreneur.
His life was significantly affected by going on a mission trip to Zambia in 2007. It was there in Africa that he experienced first hand how life altering access to clean water can be.
Ben spent the first 17 years of his career working in various levels of management for Walmart Stores Inc, and recently “retired” as the Vice President for Health and Wellness at Sam’s Club.
Ben spends his free time cheering for the Philadelphia Iggles & Miami Hurricanes, and forcing his 2 beautiful children, Liliana and Beniah, to cheer for those same two perennial champions. He is married to the gorgeous love of his life, Liz, who has been blessed with an abundance of the many qualities he sorely lacks.
Ben, Liz, Lily and Niah live in a suburb of Charlotte, NC and are privileged to be able to partner with various ministries and organizations that help to empower the underservedacross the world.
I am the guy who is not like the others. I don’t have a fancy business title or job description. i must prove myself everyday by making something and hopefully creating an obsession you’re compelled to exchange money for. sometimes i feel like i can’t afford my own work. or that what i do or who i am does not matter. i feel like a 70’s shrinky dink experiment, wrapped up and packaged for show and a bit of entertainment, only to melt down when the temperature rises and the oven light goes on.
small talk is a big task. people persons are bacteria in my world. i am not one, and i tend to avoid them like the bird flu. i suppose we all have the same amount of words to use in a day – but i would gladly give you some of mine to use if you like.
i am awkward. but i have come to realize we all are in some way. that awkwardness has set me up for success to impact others in my own unique way. as i think upward while others may think down or go left when some go right i often create surprise and intrigue. my strong opinions have lead to precise and unusual ways of making something different than the next person. being the odd one out in a world of khaki’s and blue oxfords gives me enough attention to showcase my trade.
awkwardness in one season has set me up for success in another.
i am real. this is the most difficult thing for me to say. it’s difficult to type. it’s harder to say out loud. i want to say more and wow you with vernacular but i am at a loss.
but i am real, i can prove it.
i affect the mood of those who see my compositions of color every day. i know it because they tell me. i inspire. because is see others succeed after sending me a note of thanks.
i sweat. i bleed. my hands tear. my muscles ache. my heart beats and my breath is short. all things that tell me. . .
i am alive.
i am real. i am awkward.
i am real awkward.
be awkward with me.
i’m kent + i’m an artist, but not the tortured kind.
i live by one simple rule. every day.
WAKE UP.
GET OFF THE COUCH.
SHOW UP ON TIME.
WORK YOUR BACKSIDE OFF.
AND SURPRISE SOMEBODY.
EVEN IF IT’S YOURSELF.
i’m kenT and i’m an artist and, but not the tortured kind.
i make one of a kind paintings, no two are exactly the same. some are large, some are small. some have words, some have none.
i am on a mission to make the walls of your home, office or secret lair as colorfully composed as you are.
@KENTYOUNGSTROM
I used to LOVE burning candles. Fireside S’more? Yep! BeachSide Vacation? Had it! Warm Christmas Cookie? I’ll take 5! I was always hitting up store after store and picking up candles constantly, can you say candle hoarder? I was obsessed you guys! If you came in my house, chances are there was a candle burning, plug-ins located in every room, and I probably just spritzed some artificial fragrance filled room spray in the air. I was all about everything smelling good, my laundry, my home, I even doused myself in some high dollar fragrance filled perfume before going anywhere. I was a little out of control with my candle addiction and the need for everything to have a certain “smell.”
Fast forward to February 2014, when we found out we were expecting our first bundle of joy. We were so excited, this was such a precious and joyful time and we couldn’t wait for him to get here. But, that’s when we really started to open our eyes to what we were putting in and on our bodies, and allowing inside the walls of our home. Babies change everything, right? We began researching these daily “necessities” and found article after article, study after study, testimony after testimony about artificial fragrances causing so many health issues and even the startling fact that burning a candle (other than soy or beeswax) in your home for one hour is equivalent to smoking a cigarette. That little word…“fragrance,” is allowed to be slapped on basically every label and is a blanket term for nearly 300+ chemicals. Chemicals that are illegal and banned in other countries, but yet here they are in our candles, shampoo, lotion, and yes even baby wash. We are all just trying to live our best life every single day not even realizing that we are poisoning ourselves and our families. These toxin filled products are absorbed into our bodies and bloodstreams, and may come out in the form of a headache, fatigue, sleep issues, inability to focus and more. We finally stood our ground and said, “NO MORE!” We became so much more aware of what we allowed into our home and into this new, precious little life. We decided to change our lives for a more clean environment with the use of essential oils and haven’t looked back since. It was by far one of the best decisions we could have ever made.
Essential oils are made from pure plants. They are basically the immune system of the plant and act the same way in our bodies. When you diffuse pure, therapeutic grade essential oils, you aren’t filling the air in your home with artificial fragrance, you are filling it with 100% pure plant matter. But, let’s get one thing straight, not all oils are created equal. I chose Young Living essential oils for several different reasons. One of which is that they own their own farms all over the world. They have a very open door policy in the sense that they let you actually go and visit at anytime to see the whole process. I’ve actually been to the Lavender farm in Mona, Utah and got to see everything first hand, it was an incredible experience. They also have a very rigorous testing process and the only company to have the “Seed to Seal” standard, which is so important. Not only does Young Living have the best essential oils on the planet, they also have oil infused products like make up, baby wipes, laundry detergent, personal care products, supplements and so much more. Having all these plant based and natural products in one place makes my shopping experience so much more easy and convenient, which for all my other mama bears out there, convenience is key!
WE USE OUR OILS FOR SO MANY THINGS, BUT I WANTED TO GIVE YOU MY TOP 10 WAYS I USE ESSENTIAL OILS:
1. SCENTING OUR HOME. I love that I can diffuse Stress Away, and it instantly takes me to the beach! With hints of lime and vanilla, it helps everyone calm down.
2. CHEST RUB. I love using RC (respirtory comfort) as an all natural chest rub. I simply take a tablespoon of coconut oil with a couple drops of this oil and we are all breathing easy!
3. WATER ENHANCER. Young Living is the only company that has a whole line of essential oils specifically labeled for dietary usage. I love adding a drop of Lemon Vitality to my water or wellness tea. It gives it such a fresh taste and hello detox.
4. MUSCLE RUB. PanAway has hints of Wintergreen and Peppermint which makes it tingly and cooling at the same time. This is my go to for after work outs, carrying my toddler around all day, or if we’ve been out gardening. I love mixing it with coconut oil to make the best muscle rub ever.
5. SLEEP SUPPORT. Sometimes I find it a little hard to wind down in the evenings, but with Lavender by my side, all is right in the world. My room smells like a spa and I am sent off to “lavender land.”
6. TUMMY SUPPORT. You guys don’t get me wrong, I love a good Taco Tuesday, but queso, you do me wrong sometimes. Insert DiGize. This gem helps with all of the stomach things…I’ll just leave it at that.
7. IMMUNE BOOSTING. So thankful that I cleaned out my medicine cabinet and have a whole squad of wellness enhancers. From colloidal silver, to elderberry, to my Thieves essential oil, we are over here staying above the wellness line and staying healthy.
8. BREATH SPRAY. I use to be a major gum chewer until I discovered how to make my very own breath spray with oils. I use 8 drops of Peppermint Vitality mixed with some of the Thieves mouthwash in a spritz bottle and there you have it, no more coffee breath!
9. ODOR ELIMINATOR. One of the main reasons I had so many scented candles and plug-ins was to keep odors at bay. Certain foods we cooked seemed to linger, dirty diapers, stinky trash, no thanks! Enter Purification essential oil also known as odor be gone. A couple drops of this guy on cotton balls around the house and your home will be smelling so fresh and so clean.
10. PERFUME. I missed so badly not being able to smell like my favorite (at the time) fragrance. Now, I simply customize scents to create my very own scent. I love the earthy, grounding smell of Frankincense mixed with the fresh, floral scent of Lavender, add a splash of pure vanilla extract and mix with witch hazel, and there you have it, your very own safe, delicious smelling perfume.
Making the switch to essential oils and ditching toxin laden, hormone disrupting, chemicals doesn’t have to be complicated or confusing. You don’t have to start out with a huge collection and feel like you need to be a brilliant aromatherapist. Just get a couple of the “basic” oils, a diffuser, and you’re set. I am also here to help you along the way, teach you, share with you, and encourage you. If you’re ready to take the leap, just follow these steps:
- Go to bit.ly/rosegoldwellness
- Select MEMBER
- Pick your diffuser
- Add in anything extra you have your eye on
- Put in your info and check out!
If you are curious to learn more I am constantly educating others via live Facebook events or in person coffee meet ups. Shoot me a DM on my wellness IG account (@rosegoldwellness) or email me here and we can connect! Cheers to learning + living better!
Brittany Graham is a registered nurse turned stay at home mama and professional toddler wrangler. She loves health, wellness, and essential oils. Together she and her husband are building their oil empire — Rose Gold Wellness.
@BLONDEBRITTNEY
February 22, 2018