The Body Connection

I didn’t start off my life being a good steward towards the earth. My family did I suppose, the bare minimum, in part due to the education on recycling we received in elementary school. We had our own garden in the summer, more out of the traditional habits of the offspring of generational farmers, than out of a desire to deepen our connection to the earth and, not littering was just basic manners.

It was only when my health took a drastic turn sideways and I began exploring natural medical alternatives, that I began to draw connections between how we treat ourselves and how we treat our planet.

My understanding grew deeper as I began to understand the physical processes of the human body, specifically the liver. It is the proverbial canary in a coal mine that is greatly misunderstood and often overlooked. Many of it’s warning cries are mis-attributed to other causes, even other organs.

The liver maintains and controls many bodily functions, the most readily recognized being the filtration system of the blood. What I didn’t know at the time is that whatever I put on my skin will end up in my bloodstream and will have to be processed by my liver, exposing it to potential harm and damage. This damage can show up as rashes, itchy-ness, easy bruising and much more, including cancer.

Here is where the connection started clicking in. If I choose only natural cleaning products, cosmetics and skin care, not only am I easing the burden of my liver, I am reducing the burden put on the environment which also has to process these products and chemicals, especially the water systems.

The products we use are simply not isolated to us, or our homes or workplaces. They all end up going down the drain at one point or another, or through ground water and sewer systems. Water is the blood of the earth’s “body” and in a way the soil is the earth’s “liver”, where fungi, bacteria and other microorganisms exist to process whatever comes to them through the water. If the water is contaminated from chemicals or it’s PH balance is off, it affects everything around it from making plants more susceptible to disease to becoming unable to sustain life. The same is true for our bodies.

Using and finding natural products can be a challenge at first. It’s not a one size fits all and it may take a while to find a product or a company you fall in love with. Keep in mind that this is a process, a marathon not a sprint. It’s about getting everybody doing something, even imperfectly. We are all on the same team and we will win or lose together.

By taking small steps by replacing dish and laundry soap with natural alternatives, you can reduce allergies and skin irritations. If those chemicals bother us, imagine what they might do to aquatic life or even to our pets who also get exposed.

Imagine you are covered in a chemical soup from all your products, you may wash, but the residue is still there. Now you go and pet, kiss, or get licked by your beloved furry companion. Whatever cannot be processed by the liver gets stored there, until it can store no more and is transformed into an illness or disease.

Everybody wins when we begin to turn our attention to natural alternatives, and many of these companies are also extremely conscious when it comes to their packaging. Reducing waste is preferable to recyclable options, but both are preferable to reducing wildlife habitat to landfill sites.

When it comes to choosing replacements for products we use everyday, it can be a little daunting. There is comfort in the familiar, but if you can start by replacing even one product with a natural or sustainable option, everyone wins. Once you’ve got that one switch down, challenge yourself to try another. Change doesn’t have to occur all at once, it just needs to start somewhere.

If you are inspired to change some of your everyday products for some natural alternatives and are looking for a place to start, here are some of my favorites.

Laundry Soap: Tru Earth laundry strips (no plastic bottles, subscriptions available), The Unscented Company (refill options available)

Dish Soap: The Unscented Company, Green Cricket Dish Soap

Hand Soap: Green Cricket, EO Products (Everyone Soap)

Shampoo/Conditioner: Philip Adam, Sukin, Carina Organics

Dental Hygiene: KMH Touches (non plastic dental floss), Brush with Bamboo (bamboo toothbrushes), Nelson Naturals (natural toothpaste in glass jars)

Skin Care: Graydon Skincare, Om Organics

All your skin care and natural make up needs: Portia Ella (online store)

*special mention: Elate Cosmetics (sustainable packaging)

Thanks for taking a few minutes out of your day to read this and hopefully get inspired. If you like this, please like, share and even tip if you are able to help support more content like this.

*Causes I support: wildlifehaven.ca, and pacificwild.org as well as my local animal shelters.