Awakenings

 

2012 was a pivotal year for me, I was pregnant with my first child when my mother was diagnosed with cancer. This news caused me to reevaluate everything we are exposed to—ranging from the food we eat, the products we use, the cleaning supplies in our home, and even the water we drink.

 

Having a professional background as a critical care nurse with a specialization in cardiology, I was already well-versed in how diet and lifestyle choices can significantly affect our health.

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A Journey of Transformation

 

But this situation brought a new, more personal dimension to my understanding of these issues, pushing me to more deeply research into how our environment and choices impact our well-being.

 

This period in my life was eye-opening; it felt as though I was seeing the world clearly for the first time. I started to understand the risks associated with highly processed foods and how toxic most of the products made for mass consumption were for our health.

 

It became my mission to investigate every part of our daily lives to uncover how these elements were negatively affecting us, potentially compromising our well-being and shortening our lifespans.

 

Over time my research confirmed that my instincts were correct. The convenience items and commercial products we'd come to rely on were, in fact, slowly poisoning us.

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Embracing Natural Living

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So I decided to make changes, little by little. I was careful to use what we already owned to minimize waste, but I immediately stopped buying many of these products. Instead, I began to introduce simpler, more natural habits into our family life, focusing on making big changes, a little bit at a time.

 

This journey involved getting rid of things that were, let’s be honest, “toxic” and embracing “old-school” skills such as cooking from scratch, growing our own food, raising animals, and utilizing herbs to heal the body naturally.

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Every new skill I acquired opened the door to another, turning the entire process into a continuous experiment that is still going on. Each step has taught me more about better living and also how these practices are interconnected; reinforcing the importance of self-sufficiency and leading a more natural lifestyle. 

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Knowledge, Experience & Sharing

 

I dedicated countless hours to research, seeking knowledge wherever I could find it—borrowing books at the library, watching other homesteaders on YouTube, and engaging in conversations with people who were further along in this journey.

 

It was important for me to grasp the scientific reasons behind these issues as well. The extent to which our food supply is laden with highly processed, inflammatory ingredients, toxic chemicals, and unnecessary, harmful additives is startling. This deep dive into the facts reinforced my commitment to making healthier choices for my family and myself.

 

One of these choices was cooking from scratch. Not only did this prove to be a healthier option, but it also became a source of joy, fulfillment, and meaning - and was actually more delicious.

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Inspiring Change

 

Taking things to the next level by incorporating ingredients from our own garden was even more rewarding. I witnessed firsthand the positive impact on my family's health: my children thrived, and were better equipped to fight and prevent illness, and my husband's health issues began to reverse themselves. Together, we experienced weight loss, enjoyed better sleep, and felt more energized. 

 

Naturally, embarking on something new comes with its own learning curve initially, but with time, these tasks evolve into simple, everyday routines.

 

Having navigated this path for years and gained a wealth of knowledge and experience, I've come to feel a deep sense of responsibility to share what I've learned with others.

 

My goal is to inspire those moments of realization, to hear people say, “Wow, I never thought of that” or “I never heard that before.”

 

I believe that deep down, we all aspire to live healthier, longer, and more fulfilling lives, but many of us are just unaware of how many harmful things we are being exposed to on a daily basis.

 

If only people understood that they don't have to upend their life overnight in order to make it better, they would find the motivation to change - rather than feeling so discouraged they don’t change anything.

 

The idea of change might feel overwhelming, but it doesn't have to. I invite you to join me on this path, to walk the road I've taken, one step at a time.

 

With just one new piece of knowledge and one small change, you can change everything :)