Exploring Natural Remedies: A Holistic Approach to Health
If you have access to social media, chances are you’ve heard of holistic health care. Whether you think it’s a total hoax or firmly believe that natural remedies work, exploring natural remedies in healthcare and having an arsenal of options when your family gets sick or struggles with allergies can’t hurt! Natural remedies date back to the beginning of time. Where do you think advancements in Western medicine came from? We had to start somewhere!
As a mom of a child who fought cancer, I’ve seen both sides of healthcare. I lean towards exploring natural remedies but have no problem using conventional options when necessary. Today, I’ll share some of holistic health’s benefits and principles. Please know this is not medical advice, and I am not trying to sway anyone’s opinion regarding healthcare. Whatever works for your family is excellent, and I only want to share what we find the most useful for those who may be curious about other options.
If you’re new to my blog, welcome! I am so glad you’re here! My name is Michaela. I’m a mom of six incredible kids, including a cancer fighter. I started this blog to share more about our lives, my son’s cancer journey, non-toxic living, and encouragement for other moms who, like me, love this life but sometimes need a little reminder that motherhood can be lonely and we all deserve to have someone encouraging us to keep pushing forward.
If you’re interested in reading more, here are some of my most recent posts:
The Ultimate Guide to Non-Toxic Makeup
Nutrition and Non-Toxic Living
Chemicals of Concern-Free Download Included!
Holistic alternatives are endless, and they can be a little overwhelming. Today’s post won’t go into great detail about all the possible alternatives available, but we will cover the following:
Understanding holistic health
Benefits of holistic alternatives
Exploring natural remedies for common issues
Nutrition
Stress management
Environmental considerations
Holistic health in daily life
Challenges and considerations
Understanding holistic health
Holistic health can be as simple as swapping out dye-filled pain reliever for a dye-free option and can escalate from there as much as you want. This is really up to you. Holistic health means finding safer alternatives that make you feel good about your decisions and the products you purchase. The possibilities are endless, but if you’re getting to the point where healthcare is stressing you out, there’s a good chance you’ve gone too far. The goal is not perfection; remember that!
Benefits of holistic health
Adopting a holistic approach to health has many advantages. From avoiding excess ingredients, synthetic chemicals, harsh fragrances, and more, researching alternatives can help you improve your well-being, avoid harsh ingredients linked to chronic conditions, and prevent side effects like dizziness, nausea, headaches, and allergic reactions.
Over the last few years, we have worked hard to research safer alternatives for everything from cleaning products, laundry care, and water and air filters to personal care products. The amount of harsh chemicals we were exposed to every day was nauseating. By swapping out everyday products for safer, more holistic options, we have helped eliminate headaches, allergies, and more. It has taken time to learn the best alternatives, but seeing such an incredible improvement in our health as a family has been worth it.
Exploring natural remedies for everyday products
As I mentioned previously, the possibilities here are endless. I want to share some of the swaps we’ve made over the years that we feel have made the biggest improvement to our health.
Air Freshener:
I love diffusing essential oils in our home when I want to freshen our home. They don’t cause headaches, and their ingredients are simple and clean. Young Living is my favorite brand, but quite a few offer an excellent selection. This starter kit provides 8 scents you can mix and match for different combinations!
Air Purifier:
The possibilities with air purifiers are endless, but what matters most is the rating and what it can pull from the air. Here are two excellent options available on Amazon. For up to 1,000 SF. For up to 1,900 SF.
Cleaning supplies:
I have been making my own cleaning supplies for a while now to help save money, but if this isn’t something you’re interested in doing, Young Living Thieves concentrate is fantastic and affordable at $1 per refill!
Water filter:
Another product that has endless possibilities! If you can afford it, you can’t go wrong with Berkey. What is most important, though, is making sure it can filter out heavy metals, chlorine, pharmaceuticals, etc.
Food storage:
Glass is the best option out there. It may not always be the most convenient option, but plastic leeches harsh chemicals into your food, contributing to potential health issues. This is great for leftovers or meal prep. This set is great for larger meals. These casserole dishes allow you to cook and store food in the same dish!
Pain reliever:
I have recently started using Earthley’s Pain Potion for all types of pain and love it! No ibuprofen, dyes, or artificial ingredients!
Cough syrup:
From Earthley, Cough Be Gone is a natural, dye-free alternative to conventional options!
If I listed every swap we’ve made, this post would be 3 days long, but if you’re interested in learning more, leave a comment below, and we can chat!
When my son received chemotherapy, I couldn’t use many holistic alternatives as they weren’t researched for interactions. As much as I wanted to control what he was exposed to, this was a situation where I had to let go of the need to control everything and trust that God was going to protect our son and get him through treatment. This is precisely what I mean when I say Western medicine has its place in our lives. He needed treatment, and we trusted that as the best option for our son.
Nutrition
Did you know 70% of your immune system is in your gut? When you eat a well-balanced diet that includes fruits, veggies, good sources of protein, and some of your favorite fun food sprinkled in, you’re supporting your immune system. Highly processed diets filled with pre-packaged foods, preservatives, and harsh ingredients don’t exactly encourage a healthy immune system. There’s no need for perfection here. Having a donut, enjoying a slice of cake at a party, or enjoying a delicious dinner with your spouse is perfectly acceptable. Just remember to keep things balanced.
Stress management
Chronic stress affects everything from mental health to digestion, weight issues, heart disease, and more. While easier said than done some days, stress management is a crucial part of living a holistic lifestyle. Activities like walking, yoga, prayer, and deep breathing are all excellent ways to control stress.
Because we can’t altogether avoid stress in our daily lives, our goal should be to focus on becoming resilient to stress and exploring natural remedies. By relaxing activities, watching out for mineral depletion, and encouraging rest and slower living, we can increase our resilience to stress, encouraging our bodies to handle times of high-stress levels better.
Environmental considerations
Toxins are all around us. Don’t let that scare you, though! Instead, start doing some research. What products could you replace with cleaner alternatives? Are there things you could start making from scratch? I share many swaps I’ve made in our home, but I go even further in my Reduce Your Risk Kit. This guide was created when I started exploring natural remedies after struggling to research safer brands and alternatives when my son was diagnosed. I wish something like this were available when I was getting started to help give me the confidence to start making changes in my home.
In the guide, I share budget-friendly brands for all your favorite cleaning, laundry, personal care, and beauty products, plus some of my favorite recipes for laundry detergent, all-purpose cleaner, dry shampoo, hand soap, body wash, and more! If this sounds like something that could help you, click here to purchase! Plus, when you purchase the kit, you’ll get my free Learn Your Labels checklist included!
Holistic health in daily life
Your daily routine probably consists of getting up, getting ready, maybe working out a few times a week, cooking, cleaning, working, caring for kids, etc. List things you could do to live more holistically as you work through these tasks. Could you start swapping out cleaning products? Could you research air filters for your home? Maybe you want to focus on swapping things in your kitchen for more holistic alternatives like glass instead of plastic or stainless steel instead of Teflon. Whatever feels the most achievable for the place you’re at in life, could you do it? This should be a gradual process, not an instant complete overhaul of your home.
Challenges and considerations
I completely understand that making changes can be difficult. Changing what you know and what you’re used to takes time, and I want to encourage you to make changes gradually. There is nothing wrong with taking your time exploring natural remedies and working within your budget to make changes that fit your lifestyle.
If finances are holding you back, making one small swap at a time is an excellent way to make changes without stressing over your budget. Maybe one month, you replace your pain reliever with a holistic option, and then the following month, you swap out cold and flu meds. It’s okay to go at whatever speed you’re most comfortable with and take your time researching. Many of these minor changes provide alternatives that are comparable in price to conventional options.
Conclusion
Embracing a holistic approach to health and exploring natural remedies can sometimes feel overwhelming. I hope this post has encouraged you to make changes at a comfortable pace. Remember to take your time looking into holistic alternatives, read reviews, and gradually change your lifestyle. Holistic living does not require an all-or-nothing mentality, so remember to do what you are most comfortable with!
Thank you so much for being here. If this post has been helpful to you, please let me know, and remember to pin it to your favorite Pinterest board!
Until next time,
-M
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