Purity

There is something to be said about quality in this day and age.  Our society is all about the quickest, most cost effective alternative to anything and everything.  We don't eat real food, we eat processed junk disguised at food.  We wear synthetic materials instead of cotton and wool.  We put lotions and soaps on our bodies that are chock full of chemicals that are like poison to our bodies.  People fill their bodies with manufactured drugs and booze.  God has given us all of the answers.  He created the world to support and sustain us. So why, then, do we have the need to fill ourselves with all of the ickiness that is offered to us?

Our bodies are designed to be temples.  We house the Holy Spirit of God within us.  I don't know about you, but I want to give God my best, because He gave us His best, when He gave the world the sacrifice of His one and only Son.  I want to give God a dwelling place in my body that is clean and pure, not just in spirit, but in physicality.  I can't imagine wrapping God up in chemical gunk when everything He created is natural and pure in every form.

Perhaps, part of the problem is our greedy economy.  A salad at any given fast food establishment is close to $7, while a greasy hamburger or pack of nuggets, filled with who knows what kind of mystery meat costs only $.99.  A bottle of pure water can cost $2-3 but a soda is only $1.  Pure essential oils are pricey, some, like Rose for instance, can cost well over $100 per 5 ml bottle, while you can buy diluted, synthetic oils at the local grocery store for no more than $5.  We can buy a new pair of ripped jeans, dyed with chemicals with $20 while organic cotton or wool clothing, even for infants, can cost $40-50 per item.

Take a moment and take a mental inventory of all of the products you use in your home.

*cleaners
*soaps and shampoos
*laundry detergent
*packaged food
*plastic cups
*creams and lotions
*toys
*clothing
*soda and juice
*gum
*essential oils
*medication
*air fresheners
*flea collars
*candles
*hand sanitizer
*deodorant

Do you know what these products all contain?  Do you know what you are putting into your body?  Your kids' bodies?  Do you know what you are exposed to or breathing in?

Did you know, many of the brands of apple juice on the market today contain formaldehyde?

Did you know, even when their bottles are closed, chemical cleaners put off toxic fumes into the air?

Did you know, every product that you apply to your skin is absorbed into your blood stream?

Did you know, plastic is a known carcinogen, a cancer causing material?

Did you know, gum is made with a form of plastic?

Did you know, chemicals in laundry detergent linger on your clothes and can absorb into your skin?

These are just a few examples of how these toxins work their way into your body, usually without you even knowing or thinking about it.

There are so many alternatives to these cheap and unhealthy toxins that we have in our lives.  Getting them out of our lives can be a simple process.  While it may seem overwhelming when you start thinking about life style changes, it really doesn't have to be.  It does not have to be a daunting task, and it can be cost-effective, as well.

So how is it possible?  Here are some tips and tricks.

*Shop local.  Buying organic food does not have to push you over your grocery budget.  Buying fruits and veggies from your local farmer or farmers market, not only helps support and grow local small businesses, but it also helps keep your costs low.  You can buy local in peek season and even can or freeze that fresh produce for the winter months.  Organic produce is the purist form of food that we can nourish our bodies with.

*Gardening.  This is an amazing learning experience for children and adults, alike.  Learning where and how your food comes from, the process beginning to end, seed to table, is valuable.  You can even harvest seeds from your own grown produce to keep for starters the following year.  Purity and sustainability.  Here is a link for "Green" gardening tips.  http://www.treehugger.com/htgg/how-to-go-green-gardening.html

*Check local discount stores.  We have several little discount places local to our house.  Aldi Market, D&K, Big Lots, Ollies... all of these stores usually have organic products at way below retail value from other stores.  Make sure you just check expiration dates at places like these.

*Make your own!  This is an option for SO many of the products that you use in your home.  You can make laundry detergent for pennies on the dollar per load.  You can make your own foaming hand soaps from castile soap.  Counter cleaner can be made with water and essential oils.  Vinegar and baking soda are common household staples that can be utilized in many ways for natural home cleaner recipes.  You can make your own candles from local beeswax.  You can whip up homemade butter in about 6 minutes with a food processor.  For recipes, here is a link to my favorite of all of my Pintrest boards.  https://www.pinterest.com/britshepperd/homemade/

*Consider essential oils.  There is hardly anything that I can think of in our home that we have not replaced for essential oils.  But again, quality is key.  Pure, therapeutic-grade essential oils are key.  We only use Young Living essential oils.  Their "Seed to Seal" guarantee was the "selling point" for me.  Here is a link for more on that.  http://seedtoseal.com/en

*Replace your oils, butter, toothpaste and face cream with coconut oil.  Coconut oil has so many benefits and is a much healthier alternative to so many things.  It has a relatively low cost.  You want to look for Virgin, Cold/Expeller Pressed, Unrefined Coconut oil.  This means that is oil is the purest form, with no dies added.  Coconut oil can replace all of your standard cooking oils, your butter (scrumptious on toast!), it can be used as a base for many DIY lotions and creams/salves, it will give you energy and glowing skin, it can be used for "oil pulling" for whiter teeth and oral care, it is the only thing that has healed Piper's eczema, the list could go on and on.  Here is a link for MANY coconut oil uses.  http://wellnessmama.com/5734/101-uses-for-coconut-oil/

The options and opportunities are endless!  You need only take the time to do so.  Yes, it may be easier to run to the store to grab whatever it is that you need, but is the cost worth it?

Start thinking about the long term impact all of these chemicals on your family.

I am not willing to chance or sacrifice the health of my family to save a few dollars.  My family is worth more to me than my bank account.  I would rather spend an afternoon developing my own natural alternatives than taking a quick trip to the store to pick up things that are harmful to my family.

Start considering quality.  Think about this.  You would not want to put the cheapest form of oil into your brand new Mercedes.  So why would you want to do that to your body?  We only get one body in a lifetime.  If we are lucky, these bodies we are given will transport us well into our golden years.  If we take care of the body we are given, if we put premium gas into our tanks, these vehicles will be well maintained and with upkeep, will run for a long lifetime.  After all, isn't your body worth more than any Mercedes in town?

Well, there you have it.  Now run and start ridding your home of toxic things!