Food.
What is food? According to Miriam Webster;
Definition of food 1a: material consisting essentially of protein, carbohydrate, and fat used in the body of an organism to sustain growth, repair, and vital processes and to furnish energy
also : such food together with supplementary substances (such as minerals, vitamins, and condiments)drought victims who don't have enough food to eat
1b: inorganic substances absorbed by plants in gaseous form or in water solution 2: nutriment in solid form
She gave food and drink to the hungry travelers. 3: something that nourishes, sustains, or supplies
food for thought, Books were his mental food.
Take a look at your cabinets and your refrigerator. How many products can you find that actually help sustain growth {the good kind}, repair, and vital processes, AND furnish energy? How many nourish or sustain you? Truly? If it comes in a bag or a box, baby, it ain't it. Ima be real blunt here. The reason you feel like shit all the time? The reason you have to go screaming to the doctor every other week with a new fucking ailment? The reason your inflammation, anxiety and mood swings are taking over your life? It's because of the ingredients found in that bag or box. There's so much shit in there that should NEVER be considered food. Our food system is fucking broken guys. A box of Cheerios has Round-Up in it.
And we just keep shoveling them in.
"Oh, but Jenna, glyphosate is safe in small amounts!"
Really? Is it safe in small amounts several times a day over the course of 30 years? Or does it do what it's formulated to do, and fucking kill me? Sorry friend, I'm not taking that chance if I can help it. Ya'll have seen the law office of whoever and whatever advertising for Round Up compensation, that is NOT for no reason. And it's NOT just Cheerios. And it's not just glyphosate.
Anything that's bagged or boxed has a shelf life. That life is much longer than anything fresh, because inside that bag is a chemical shitstorm. And you're about to eat it. Perhaps your body will respond by getting the shits. For 10 years. Maybe sweat all night and not sleep at all. For 20 years. Maybe over time, your body will develop inflammation and a sense of doom. For real, this is the type of shit that happens when you consume toxic shit. And whatever is in that bag or box, I'm telling you, is probably toxic.
Your body was designed in perfect harmony with the earth. Meaning, everything you need to sustain, nourish, and energize your life can be found on this beautiful planet. Your body was made to eat a rainbow of produce and a plethora of beautiful, scrumptious animals. That's it. But even that system is tainted. We buy fruits and vegetables hosed down with pesticide & herbicide and animals that eat things that are hosed down with pesticide & herbicide. We grow animals in factories, pump them with hormones and antibiotics and two days later, they're face-down, ass-up on your dinner table. De-licious. Even the deer you harvest, have likely been living on corn and soybeans treated with poison. This is why, all we can do is the best we can do.
The closer your food comes from nature, the better. I realize that not everyone has access to all organic produce all the time, or free-range, grass-fed organic beef, but if you just start implementing a few better choices at a time, you'll be healthier in no time. Just being aware of what the fuck you're putting in your mouth is helpful. Because now, you'll never not think about it. You're welcome. But also, wash the ever-loving hell out of your produce, whether it's organic or not. Make a bath for it with seasalt or vinegar, and let it soak for a while before you rinse it and consume it. Here's a recipe.
Bath & Body Jerks.
If it's got "fragrance" listed on the label, do your body a favor and ditch it. Go get the 50 gallon drum, because you'll be throwing out the whole damn medicine cabinet. Soap, lotion, perfume, conditioner, body wax, deodorant, shaving cream, makeup, hand sanitizer, basically everything you put ON YOUR SKIN has the potential to murder you. And your skin is your largest, most absorbent organ. Not just because of fragrance, but because of a whole mess of chemicals designed to it make last longer and do what it claims. But the reason I'm pointing the finger at fragrance right now, is because we don't even KNOW what the fuck is in that. The FDA doesn't make companies list the ingredients of fragrance on their labels, so what are you actually misting all over yourself before your big date? Round-up? Battery acid? The secret Ooze?! You have no idea. And the FDA doesn't give a shit. Do yourself a favor and ditch the fragrance wherever you can. In personal care items as well as your goddamn scentsys & wallflowers. If you or your family are constantly battling ailments of all kinds that cannot be explained, I'd start there. Febreeze, glades, tides & downys, all that bullshit has got to go. Please. You're disrupting your kid's hormones. https://health.clevelandclinic.org/what-are-hormone-disrupting-chemicals/
Making the switch to safer products can seem daunting, but it doesn't have to be. Download this app, go shopping, and scan everything before you put it into your cart and it'll let you know how safe it is. Yes, it'll take research, but wouldn't you like to know that you're not letting yourself and your family die because of wtf you're eating and putting on or in your body?!? I would. But to start making changes immediately, here's what you can do:
Choose products labeled “phthalate-free,” “paraben-free” or “BPA-free.”
Don't microwave plastic or Styrofoam. Use glass.
Filter your water.
Use pure essential oils in place of "fragrance".
Use vinegar to clean EVERYTHING.
These changes didn't happen overnight for me, and there are still things within my household that are being phased out. But once I started paying attention to the ingredients in everything, everything started to slowly change. From what I hose myself down with to what I put in my mouth. I've been on this path for around 20 years, when I started actually listening to my mother. And in this 20ish years, I've never been to the doctor. Other than for stitches and a papsmear. When my body shows me something is out of balance, I consider my nutrition and can usually find the culprit pretty quickly. Then I make the change and boom, better. I'm not a doctor or a nutrition expert, but god bless it, we only get this one body! That's it! So I guess since I stopped feeding it poison, I feel pretty great all the damn time. I'm nowhere near perfect, and still a total foodie and love restaurants and foods of all kinds, but I'm fully aware when something makes me feel like shit. And then I know for next time.
Netflix & Ill.
Consuming copious amounts of television, news and celebrity gossip will make you sick. It's not therapy. It's not healthy. It's not what we were meant to do. Yes, entertainment is important, but if you consider the amount of time you spend each week in front of the big black box, you should also consider your purpose in life. Was it to sit for hours, spaced out, staring into the abyss? According to researchers in Australia, every hour you spend watching television takes 22 minutes off your life. That's like, 5 whole-ass years in one-ass year.
I get it. I've sacrificed almost 700 minutes to Yellowstone already, and I'm bout to make it an even grand. Because, well, Yellowstone. But say you watch an hour per day, every day of the week. In a years time, you've shaved roughly 5 years off the end of your stupid life. But who cares, right? It's the end, so those years are shitty anyway, right? I'd like to think they're only shitty if you spend your waking years consuming garbage, inhaling air freshener and sitting in front of the boob tube. And I can't help but ask, what could you be doing instead, for that one hour per day, that would help nourish your body or enhance your life in some way? Maybe you could spend that hour preparing a fresh meal for your family that doesn't come from a box. Or going through your bathroom and shit-canning everything that's toxic. Or creating something beautiful. Or going the hell outside. Or making your own laundry soap. Or connecting with your kids or partner. Or swapping that hour of watching with an hour of reading a personal growth book. I don't know about you, but all of that sounds way better and more loving than waiting on a 3 minute commercial break to see what a desperate housewife is gonna do. Bitch, you are that desperate housewife. Desperate for health, love, creativity and purpose. So back away from that television, and go do something meaningful. Your body, mind, spirit and your family will thank you.
Disconnect.
Put the phone down. That's all I'm gonna say. Because there's too much to say about our consumption. I'll save that shit for another day. Just do yourself a favor and put it down, even if for just an hour and be present, in whatever you're doing. And I don't mean the hour you're watching television.
Everything you put on or in your body makes up what you are. Science proves that every day. Food, products, media, it all makes you, you. Your consumption is either aiding your healing and personal growth, or it's not. Simple as that. Loving yourself is also considering what foods, products and daily activities are best for you and your family.