This year I turned 50! I know….too crazy. I SO do not feel 50 and it’s safe to say I certainly don’t act it! This year, in prep for turning the big Five Oh, I made some changes to my beauty regimen and lifestyle. And after several months, I can honestly say that I feel like I am aging backwards! I look at myself every day in the mirror and say the words out loud, “I am aging backwards!” I discovered some solutions for healthy living in 2020 and beyond!
I am sure you would like to know my secret. I’m not a good secret keeper anyway and I prefer that as many people as possible can benefit from someone else’s great experiences. So, here we go…
Step 1: Remove the Toxins
One of the best ways to find solutions for healthy living is removing all of the harsh chemicals from your home. That means cleaners, soaps, toothpaste with fluoride (which is a known neurotoxin), mouthwash, scented candles, air fresheners, laundry detergent, dryer sheets, bleach, shampoos with chemicals, face creams and washes with chemicals, make up products with chemicals, aluminum based antiperspirant, perfumes, sunscreens with oxybenzone. I stopped taking over the counter medications such as acetaminophen, ibuprofen and cold medicines. I was avoiding using any sprays, such as air fresheners, spray sunscreens, perfumes – anything that can be inhaled.
If you are wondering which products you use are most toxic, there is a great app called Think Dirty (ThinkDirtyApp.com) that will give you ratings on which products are most toxic. Read more about removing toxins here.
Step 2: Find Product Replacements – Solutions for Healthy Living
Next I found replacements for each one of those things that I use regularly. I found the most replacements from an essential oils company called doTERRA (my.doTERRA.com/suebonzell). They are the purest essential oils on the market and have remarkable products in addition to straight up oils. Here are the replacements that I started using:
Cleaners: doTERRA On Guard Cleaner, baking soda with peroxide, vinegar and lemon. Seventh Generation makes some outstanding products that are less harsh than most cleaners.
Seventh Generation Cleaner is a 0 on the toxicity scale on the Talk Dirty app.
Soaps: doTERRA bar soaps, doTERRA On Guard Foaming Handwash, all natural bar soaps found at Oliver’s, Whole Foods, or local purveyors at farmers’ markets.
Toothpaste: doTERRA On Guard Toothpaste
Mouthwash: doTERRA On Guard Mouthwash
Scented Candles: Local, all natural candles such as bees wax candles
Laundry detergent: doTERRA On Guard Laundry Detergent
Dryer Sheets: Wool dryer balls with essential oils
Bleach: Hydrogen Peroxide
Shampoo & Conditioner: doTERRA Salon Essentials Protecting Shampoo and doTERRA Salon Essentials Smoothing Conditioner.
Face Wash: doTERRA Facial Cleanser
Face Creams/Aging Product: doTERRA Yarrow Pom Body Renewal Serum, doTERRA Anti Aging Eye Cream, doTERRA Anti Aging Moisturizer, doTERRA Tightening Serum
Make Up Products: 100% Pure Make Up Products
100% Pure Foundation is a 0 on the toxicity scale on the Talk Dirty app.
100% Pure Mascara is a 0 on the toxicity scale on the Talk Dirty app.
Deoderant: doTERRA Balance Deoderant
Perfumes or Colognes: doTERRA Essential Oils such as the Whisper Blend for Women. Whisper creates a uniquely personal fragrance by combining each individual’s chemistry with a diverse blend of essential oils.
Sunscreen: Badger Sport Unscented Sunscreen Cream SPF 35 (In the Think Dirty app, this Badger product ranks a 0 for toxicity. In comparison, Coppertone, Hawaiian Tropic and Banana Boat products range between 8 and 10 on the toxicity scale – 10 being the highest in toxicity)
Badger Sport Sunscreen is a 0 on the toxicity scale on the Talk Dirty app.
Over the Counter Meds & Supplements: doTERRA On Guard Protective Blend Softgels (to prevent getting sick and while sick), doTERRA Breathe products, doTERRA Past Tense Blend for headaches, doTERRA Copaiba Softgels for inflammation, doTERRA TriEase Softgels for allergies, doTERRA DigestZen products for tummy trouble, doTERRA Yarrow Pom Capsules Cellular Beauty Complex, and a variety of other essential oils depending upon what is ailing me. There is an oil for everything!
doTERRA Immune Support Products
The bottom line is that these products work really well and are so much more healthy for every day living! Don’t get me wrong, there is a time and a place for over the counter and prescription medications. I just chose to use them in much more moderation than in the past.
Step 3: Additional Solutions for Healthy Living – Other Alternative Health Products
Next I explored some other alternative health products. I discovered LifeWave X39 patches (Lifewave.com/suebonzell), which are said to activate your stem cells. As we age, our stem cells decline in their ability to heal our bodies. Imagine if we could activate our stem cells and reset them to a younger, healthier state. That’s what the LifeWave patches can provide. I started to take some of the doTERRA Daily Supplements and was trying Prime My Body hemp oil (PrimeMyBody.com).
Step 4: Diet and Exercise
Yes, we still have to make some modifications with regard to this. But diet and exercise are the best and easiest solutions for healthy living. I don’t care who you talk to, everyone will say it’s about diet and exercise. I am all about things in moderation (except sometimes my wine), so it doesn’t have to be drastic. I am lucky that I have a fast metabolism, but I too notice a little extra around the middle when I am not paying attention to my diet and exercise.
I wanted to be super clear on what my body actually needed, so I had my Body Blueprint (LindaLiving.com) done. This takes into account your blood type and Dosha (The three doshas are biological energies found throughout the human body and mind. They govern all physical and mental processes and provide every living being with an individual blueprint for health and fulfillment), then provides a list of foods that your body will thrive with and those foods that your body doesn’t jive with.
It was really very simple to make easy modifications and I started to feel much better from a gut health standpoint. Poor gut health has been linked to numerous health conditions such as skin problems, higher cholesterol, kidney disease, heart disease, anxiety, depression, chronic pain, pituitary and hormone imbalances.
Good gut health can be achieved with a comprehensive cleanse. doTERRA has an entire system for doing a gut cleanse. It is a 30 day program that includes using a number of supplements and a modification to your diet. These products are excellent solutions for healthy living if you commit to the program.
Of course most dieticians will suggest adding in more fruits and veggies whenever possible. Another technique for a healthier body, gut and skin…..drink more water!! Since our bodies are made up of mostly water, you can expect some of the following benefits: it delivers more oxygen throughout the body, boosts skin health, cushions the brain and spinal cord, regulates body temperature, flushes body waste, helps maintain blood pressure, prevents kidney damage and promotes weight loss. Be sure to use a filtered water rather than tap water than can have toxins and bacteria.
When it comes to exercise, I personally don’t want to spend hours in the gym every week and I’d like to have fun. I joined OrangeTheory Fitness and love the heart-rate based group fitness programs that they have. It’s fun, with great music, a supportive staff and encouraging workout buddies. I go just two times per week and each workout is only 1 hour.
While I am at home and just hanging out or watching television, I jump on my mini trampoline to keep my heart rate up and flush out my lymph system. According the Cellercise.com, “Any form of exercise is beneficial, but one of the most effective involves rebounding. Rebounding on a trampoline is an exercise almost anyone can perform, and it kicks the lymphatic system into high gear. The force of gravity on the body fluctuates, going from a heavy load at the bottom of your bounce to almost zero at the top. Stimulate the one-way valves in your lymphatic system to remove toxins without stressing your joints. Have fun on a trampoline while you improve your overall health.”
Step 5: Your Image
I used to wear a lot of black, only because it was “slimming.” I hired my friend Patsy Sanders (EmbracingYourEssence.com) to get my colors done. These days they classify them as the elements: fire, water, air, earth rather than seasons. It takes into account which colors look best on you along with your personality profile. The result is finding a color palette to work from when shopping for clothing. I took out most of my black and added in those colors that looked best on me. I felt so much more confident, and every time I wore one of those signature colors, people would always make comments about how good I looked.
Step 6: Alternative Healing Modalities
Some of the best solutions for healthy living include some techniques that may not be seen as mainstream. I found some people who did some different healings like Jin Sin Jitsu (DeborahMyersWellness.com), Reiki (SantaRosaReiki.com), energy healing (CherriPedrioli.com), acupuncture (Thrive-Acupuncture.com), cupping (East-westNaturalMedicine.com), balneotherapy (water therapy), chiropractic (MDMchiro.com), massage and reflexology (JessieJingMassage.com), yoga (BikramYogaofSantaRosa.com) and meditation.
It can get expensive to be doing these practices on a regular basis, so I focus most on meditation (free at home!), soaking in the hot tub (free at home!), massage at Jessie Jing’s in Santa Rosa ($29 for 30 minute massage & reflexology), the occasional chiropractic adjustment and energy healing.
Basically, do whatever works best for your body and of course consult with your doctor or practitioner. Sometimes a combination of Western medicine and other modalities can be just what you need to improve your health. Just listen to your body and respond accordingly.
Step 7: Change your Attitude / Add Respect / Laugh / Self Care
I recently wrote a book about respect, called the Respect Experiment. The largest chapter in the book is on self-respect. The tips and tricks in the book will help change your attitude, help you to embrace self-care more often and to be gentle with yourself. I stopped complaining as much and I just felt happier when I was employing the techniques. The book will be available on Amazon in January 2020. You can learn more at TheRespectExperiment.com
If you truly want to make a transformation in 2020, this is a great start! If you would like a consultation to create a plan for becoming the best you and doing some backward aging yourself, contact me!