RAW Lifestyle Changes - Beyond just the food.
by John Kohler (Earth Day 2001)
http://www.rawfoods.com/articles/beyondraw.html I have become aware of many things on my "Raw Path".. This article is
here to share with you some of the non-food related changes I have made
in my lifestyle that complement my diet related path to optimize my
health, energy and well-being.
When I first went raw, I used all the "standard" products- i.e.:
toiletries (aquafresh toothpaste, paul mitchell shampoo, ivory soap,
edge shaving gel, etc.). I had no idea how bad these products were for
my health!
When becoming raw, and started to detox my body, I found that many of
these products contain some "nasty" ingredients, that I believe were
not
good for my system.. After all I was suppose to be "de-toxifying".. and
without other
lifestyle changes, I would "re-toxify" myself....
So why would I want to put all these toxins back into my body? Some of
the primary ingredients that I am now weary of: anything with alcohol,
sodium laurel sulfate, or any other "big words" I can't pronounce or
don't know what they are... I mean-- what is raw foods about anyway?
Its
about getting back to nature, and eating simply- whole, uncooked and
minimally processed foods.
I believe that in life, we should reduce toxins in our environment such
as we do with our diet. (Minimally processed, and natural as possible
products.)
Skin is the largest organ of our body. Is it permeable? Many think,
no..
But think again. Yes, its very permeable, and things we put on our
skin,
get absorbed into our body. It also works the other way. The skin also
excretes toxins, if its not clogged up... To cleanse the skin, I
recommend dry skin brushing with a skin brush.
(Available in many
health
food stores)
Here are some of the areas that I have changed:
SHOWERING:
Chlorine found in many "city" water systems is REALLY TOXIC STUFF. Do
you drink purified water? I sure hope so.. Why put chorinated water on
your skin or breathe it? That's what you are doing every time you take
a
shower. Here is a quote:
"Not only is chlorine absorbed through the skin, but also vaporizes in
the shower, inhaled into the lungs and transferred directly into the
blood system. In fact, chlorine exposure form one shower is equal to an
entire day's amount of drinking the same water. Therefore, drinking
filtered or bottled water addresses only half the problem"
At my residence, I have installed a shower filter, and when I travel, I
take a shower filter with me to install at the hotel. I have noticed
softer skin and more vibrant hair after installing the filter. An
affordable shower filter
with replaceable element can be found here.
SOAP:
Now days, I use little natural soap (such as dr. bronners, or hand made
soap (with few ingredients) from a farmers market). I use no deodorant,
since its just not needed. Many days I take a shower with only water..
Do animals take showers or baths with soap? Do they use shampoo?
SHAVING:
I couldn't believe a good friend who has been raw for a number of years
still using a "natural" shaving cream.. I had him list the ingredients,
and one of them was the same ingredient that is in antifreeze for cars!
I said, what are you doing? Do you want to shave with antifreeze? Now
days I use a little soap with some jojoba oil ( a little goes a long
way). I get really close shaves with the oil and soap)
DRYING HAIR:
I never use a blow dryer. They are one of the highest sources of EMF
(Electromagnetic Fields).. I just towel dry and air dry my hair.
DEODORANT:
I
don't use any. Once your body gets "clean", you shouldn't need any.
If
you really must use some, I have seem some "crystal" products that may
be better that other products.
TOOTHPASTE:
I don't use anything with fluoride in it. I don't use anything with
Sodium Laurel Sulfate. I use natural toothpaste's or tooth powders with
all natural ingredients.
PERFUMES/COLOGNES:
Many just nauseate me.. I had a college instructor who was allergic to
all scents, she said that most are made with formaldehyde. Now days I
use only essential oils for perfume/cologne.
AIR FRESHENER:
I use essential oils (aromatherapy) for freshing the air, or if its
really bad, I get out the Air Wise - air purifier
WORKING ON MY CAR:
When working on my car (such as changing the oil, etc.), I ALWAYS wear
gloves to minimize contact with oil, grease, etc.
TOILET PAPER
Many toilet paper and paper towels are made from "virgin"
(non-recycled
paper). I have switched to using recycled toilet paper that is not
"bleached with chlorine" (which releases toxic dioxins into the
environment). Read more about it here.
PAPER TOWELS:
I'm working towards reducing all paper towel use. I strive to use
sponges and cloth towels whenever needed when cleaning.
TISSUE PAPER/NAPKINS:
Before I was raw, I can remember getting runny noses, blowing my nose,
etc., now days, this rarely ever occurs, so I no longer purchase tissue
paper. I do not purchase napkins either, and use cloth napkins or a
cloth towel when needed.
CLEANING PRODUCTS:
"Standard" cleaning products in "supermarkets" are toxic. I recommend
cleaning products that are from yesteryear, like grandma use to use-
i.e.: lemon juice, vinegar, etc.. Or try some less toxic cleaners
available in health food stores..
TECHNOLOGY
I have even gone so far to cut out some "technology" out of my
life,
which may pose health risks.
I believe one of the biggest health risks in todays world is CELL
PHONES. When I use a cell phone, or if one is in CLOSE PROXIMITY to me,
and being used, I will get a headache. I believe that I am really
sensitive to the energy fields that the cell phone produces.. Therefore
I believe they are not good to use... and toxic... It surprised me when
at a recent raw food dinner in Santa Monica, California how many people
had cell phones at the event! I do however have a pager in case there
is
some sort of emergency. Since pagers do not have to TRANSMIT, they do
not give me the same headache. Lately, I heard on the news that several
cell phone manufacturers were being sued by people "claiming" that they
cause cancer.. Hmmm. maybe my head is trying to tell me something??
Just
listen to your body, and all will be revealed.
While I believe the computer is a "great tool", I believe in
minimizing
any risk factors that may arise due to its use.
COMPUTER MONITORS (glass picture tubes) or CRT may be another health
hazard from research I have done. Since most of my day is spent behind
a
CRT, I decided to purchase a "FLAT SCREEN LCD" monitor, which doesn't
pose the same risk as a CRT screen. I have noticed I feel more "calm"
after switching to the LCD panel. While the text on the screen is
comparable, for fast action graphics (such as games or watching movies,
or even viewing pictures- the quality is just not the same). The prices
recently for the LCD screens have been coming down lately. A 15" can be
had for about $500, and a 18" for about $1000.
To check for EMF (Electro Magentic Field) Exposure, I purchased a "cell
sensor" which is a meter to measure EMF. Its amazing to walk around the
house and see how much EMF is around, and how much it dissipates with
distance.
In order to mitigate the
effects from EMF on my person, and increase my
personal energy or "chi", I purchased a Q-Link Pendant. Before and
after
purchasing the Qlink, I had kirilian photography done, which showed the
energy increase after using the qlink. Read more about the Q-Link here.
If your interested in purchasing a "Qlink Classic Pendant", email me. I
may have some still available at 20% off the retail price.
To mitigate the effects of EMF throughout my house, I purchased 3
tachyon discs. According to the Tachyon Web site: "Electromagnetic
fields lose their negative effects when they become coherent through
the
unified field of Tachyon.". I figured that the discs "couldn't hurt",
and after I received a recommendation from a friend, I went ahead and
purchased them.. Learn more about Tachyon here
RECYCLING:
I also strive to recycle more, and help save mother earth. You can help
by using a cloth bag, backpack or bring a cardboard
box when shopping,
Minimally reuse your paper bags to carry your food away from the
supermarket.. (many markets will even give you a "bag credit" for doing
this). Be sure to compost all your fruit and veggie items! (I purchased
a worm composting bin).
Hopefully you will (or already have) implemented some of the above less
toxic solutions to "optimize" your health as I have mine.
john@..., is the webmaster and creator of the Living and
Raw Foods Online community which currently recieves over 2,500 visitors
a day. He has led a "healthy' lifestyle since 1995 when he started on
the living and raw foods path by juicing. He started the web site in
1997 to educate the world about the living and raw food word.
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