If you saw my recent instagram post from this week, you’d know it wasn’t the easiest thing to share with people. Because honestly, you can’t always see transformation with the eye. Living a truly healthy life can mean so much.
About a year ago, I was feeling anything but myself. I had tons of gut health imbalances, hormonal imbalances, I was lacking passion and overall I was just an emotional wreck.
THANKFULLY now, a couple months post wedding I’m feeling much better. I feel much more balanced, more at peace, and overall just alive again and living a healthy life.
Today we’re really getting into what an overall healthy and toxic free life really looks like. I really want to share with you the 7 absolute musts when it comes to carrying out a life that is full of vibrance and good health.
Because our health is so much more than just the foods we eat and workouts we do.
A healthy life should help you feel alive, not deprived. It should enable and empower you, not chain you down or take over your life. Even if you’re always busy, a go-getter, a mom, it IS possible to live out a healthy lifestyle. We want that healthy lifestyle to empower us and enable us to live out the best version of our lives and allow us to reach our fullest potential in life.
So when you think of a healthy life and a toxic free life now, there are definitely a few things that come to mind right away. Right?
The physical, the mental/emotional, and spiritual are definitely some big ones that come up.
Nutrition, movement, and sleep are so incredibly important to our physical health and bodies, and it’s so so important to take the best care of our physical selves, because they ARE our temples. Our bodies house us and do so much for us, and it’s so important we treat them with love and care.
When it comes to mental and emotional health, the amount of stress in our lives and how we handle that stress can often play a big role. Being grateful for the beautiful and great things we do have already is so key for reminding ourselves of what we do have. Natural remedies help so much in balancing the physical and even the mental and emotional parts of ourselves.
When it comes to spiritual health, having good personal growth, and purpose knowing that you are serving something bigger than yourself is so huge when it comes to feeling like you’re alive in life.
One thing we don’t always consider is our environment. The relationships we hold at home have such a huge influence in the rest of our health. The people at home are your core group, their your family, your people! It’s so important to keep a healthy home and environment for our families, so that we can all thrive in a good environment together and live out a healthy life.
This means the relationships at home, the conversations, the products, the habits, and so much more. One thing we always worry about in our homes and our environment are toxins. Environmental toxins are definitely harmful for us, and though some of those things are out of our control, what is in our direct control is the products and chemicals we’re inviting into our homes and environment. The home products we use daily around the house or on ourselves can be filled with so many toxins we don’t even know about.
So, think about it for a second.
What on that list do you feel you’re good at?
What kind of things do you feel you’ve got down and are constantly nailing? As well as what are some areas in that list you feel you could work on? Is it your physical or spiritual? Or maybe there are things in your home and environment that you can really start changing and replacing with healthier choices for a healthy life and a toxic free life. All the products I’ll be talking about throughout this post can be found where to buy right here.
Remember…. our healthy life and habits we create start with US!
We have the privilege of starting each day fresh and new. Each moment and each day is the change to start again. Your healthy lifestyle isn’t a pass or fail exam. It’s about progress, not perfection. It should help you feel alive, not deprived. You can be doing all the workouts and drinking all the green juices, and still not be thriving in life or living out an overall healthy lifestyle.
So with that in mind, let’s dive in!
7 Steps to a Healthy and Toxic-Free Life
1. Gentle Nutrition
If you’ve been following my journey for a while now you know I’m no quick-fix diet plan type of gal. I’m all about gentle nutrition, intuitive eating, and listening to your body when it comes to food. This doesn’t mean you can’t get in to the nitty gritty of nutrition later, but most people aren’t even doing the basics.
Above all, awareness and moderation when it comes to nutrition. It goes a lot farther than you may think.
Just being aware and mindful when we are eating is so so important. We don’t even ask ourselves, am I still hungry? As we’re eating it. We often just stuff mouths with food until we’re stuffed ourselves, and we don’t even enjoy the flavor or experience of eating because we were lacking so much mindfulness and not even paying attention to what we were doing. This really helps us to moderate foods.
Of course, it’s worth mentioning the 5 components to a Balanced Smoothie and Meal.
Why is this so important? Because it is truly the biggest thing that will help us have a quick look at a plate and know whether or not it’s healthy and a meal worth eating without obsessing over it.
Ask yourself:
Does this meal have a good protein?
Do I have a healthy fat?
Is there a smart carb?
Do I have some fiber in there?
And do I have some boost in there?
If you want to go into the specifics along with so many examples of what I’m really talking about here, click here for the blog post on freshfitnfive.
Reign in your nutrition: Let’s break it into 5 pieces.
- Become AWARE of your current eating. What small changes could you make? Tracking could be useful to start out, just to get an idea for how much you’re really eating. You know yourself better than anyone else, so keep that in mind when it comes to your nutrition.
- Hydrate! Definitely try to hit at least 8 cups of water a day. Bonus: add in citrus vitality oils for extra benefits!
- Balance your eating times with the #freshfitnFIVE: Proteins, healthy fats, smart carbs, fiber, boosts. Make sure to always pair that protein with anything you’re eating for maximum satiety and pairing your meals wisely!
- Use the hunger. Everything you’re hungry or getting full, as yourself, on a scale of 1 to 10, how hungry am I? We usually want to stay between a 3 and 8. This is intuitive eating 101, and really helps us in avoiding under and over eating. Portion control is so important when it comes to the foods we’re eating. And remember to always use food for fuel and not for other reasons, such as emotional support or comfort.
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Supplement as needed!
Some supplements I definitely recommend and use (all found here):
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Life9 Probiotic
- Whether it’s life 9 or another probiotic, it is so essential that we create a healthy gut microflora in our stomach and intestines for ourselves. Gut health is directly linked to our health and even happiness. To learn way more about the best gut health, click here.
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Super B
- I recommend a B complex to anyone. There are a ton of B vitamins, and it’s so important we have adequate levels in our bodies.
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Super C
- Vitamin C is so great to take everyday if you’re not getting enough Vitamin C already from fresh fruits. It helps build our immune system and keeps us healthy. And if I ever feel a cold coming on, you better believe I’m double dosing.
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Cortistop
- If you have a lot of stress going on right now, cortisol is so great for balancing those cortisol levels.
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Digestive Enzymes
- If you have any gut issues going on, taking proper digestive enzymes is so important for creating that really good gut health we were talking about. I take digestive enzymes daily, and chewable form mightzynes is my fave!
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Omegagize
- Getting in proper omega 3’s and fish oil really helps support healthy fats and proper function in our body.
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Mineralessence
- Sometimes we can be deficient in key minerals. This supplement provides us with the important minerals our bodies need to work their best. This one is especially huge if you are on or just got off birth control and will be definitely deficient in a lot of the minerals our bodies need.
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SuperCal
- Calcium supplements can be super helpful, especially for aging adults.
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Ningxia Juice
- This is something I take everyday. It’s a little 2 ounce shot of wolfberry juice, and it’s packed with antioxidants. I love taking it first thing in the morning just to start my day off right.
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ImmuPro
- So good for immunity support along with the B vitamins.
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Protein powder
- A great, healthy supplement for some extra protein, especially for that morning routine.
Hormonal imbalances and poor gut health is the most common complaint I get from my clients. This is why having a proper probiotic and possibly some oils to help digestion is SO essential for our healthy gut microflora. To check out the whole blog post and class I did on hormone imbalances and poor gut health, click here.
2. Movement
Workouts are great, but within-day movement also matters!
Take time each Sunday to plan in what structured workouts you’ll do and WHEN you’ll actually do them. Schedule it into your calendar, so that it is your appointment to YOU.
Try and hit 5-10k/day. It’s okay if you start at the low end, but trying to work yourself up to more daily movement.
Start your morning off with movement to get that blood flowing. Be creative, do some body weight squats as you brush your teeth, or some burpees in your living room or wall sits.
Some workout tips:
- Mix strength and cardio
- Work every body part twice/week minimum
- Bodyweight vs. Dumbells vs. Lifting, and finding a place for all of it depending on what you need.
- Stretching
- Recovery
The last 2 are often ones people forget. But stretching is so huge and so needed for your body to feel good, and recovery with good nutrition is truly what’s going to work us towards those goals. Maybe it’s a good recovery freshfitnfive smoothie!
Two ways I support my active lifestyle in a toxic free way:
- Raven oil
- Awesome for pre-workout. Great for lung support and helps give that invigorating feeling. So I put on a little bit right before I go workout.
- Panaway is awesome for post workout, because it really helps with any muscle aches or soreness.
3. Creating Routines for Success
Intentions are good, but action is so much better! The way we actually take action instead of keeping them just as intentions is creating healthy deadly, morning and nighttime and weekly routines that align with your goals.
What does this mean?
On Sunday use the 4 P’s: Plan, prep, prepare, and pray.
Plan for the upcoming week, plan your workouts in and anything you might have coming up.
Prep some good food to help get you through the week or prep by going to the store.
Prepare mentally preparing and physically preparing, and getting enough sleep.
Praying: I know it’s in the more spiritual realm, but I think it’s super important.
Morning routines:
How you start your day will dictate your mood and success the rest of the day.
Nighttime routines:
Shutting off and winding down is not only key for good sleep, but for setting yourself up for a successful AM routine and day.
What do my morning routines look like?
AM: I find stillness with the diffuser on, work on personal growth, get some movement in, drink my ningxia juice, and of course do my personal hygiene. I love our ART skincare line, and frankincense is something I wear every morning.
PM: I definitely try and have shut off hours as much as I cam, always try and have dinner with my husband, do some sort of relaxing activity, get ready for bed, and turn my diffuser on at bed time + roll thieves oil on my feet.
Morning and Nighttime Support in a Toxic Free Way using the Starter Kit Oils:
Morning:
Right when waking up, I take packet of Ningxia juice from my fridge, and drink it by itself or mixed in a glass of water to get tons of antioxidants in my body first thing.
After washing my face and brushing my teeth, I roll my clear face roller on my face. Made with frankincense, lemon, and lavender to help support my skin.
I then fill up the diffuser in my home or office with either of these blends (or a blend of one of my other oil members since it’s grown way past the starter kit oils now!)
- Clean & Fresh: 2 drops of both lemon and citrus fresh
- Happy: 2 drops of peppermint, 3 drops of frankincense
- Perk up: 3 drops of lemon, 2 drops of peppermint
- I make a cup of coffee and put a drop of Thieves in it for a holiday flavor but also to support my immunity. I will also add a drop my #freshfitnFIVE smoothie too most days.
Nightime:
Dinner! We make salads a ton to go alongside our main entree, and I love adding lemon oil in the dressings. I also add lemon or citrus fresh in my water throughout the day to hydrate more!
- Ready to unwind? My unwinding blend for my diffuser is stress away and peppermint! I also love just rolling stress away on my wrists anytime I feel the stress getting REAL.
- Roll that clear face DIY roller we talked about on after washing my face and brushing my teeth again
- Bed time calls for 2 necessities:
- Rolling valor on my hubby’s chest (it’s a hack for snoring) I honestly also roll this on me some days that I have a lot going on to promote courage!
- Diffusing peace and calming in the bedroom diffuser
So think about it, what can you change to better your morning and night times, to manage stress, limit toxins, and create that healthy life?
4. Stress and Sleep Management
Going off of routines… no chocolate cake can do as much harm as chronic stress and lack of sleep can.
Managing stress and sleep through natural means is so essential, and sticking to your routines for AM and PM will really help with that.
Support your emotions and mood through oils such as stress away, peace and calming, raven, valor, citrus fresh, and others.
Make a list of de-stress activities that get you excited and feeling at peace. Commit to doing 1 per day for yourself or taking at least 30 minutes of YOU time.
Set a bed time and STICK to it.
Use stress away and peace and calming topically when you feel the stress coming in HOT.
Supplement as needed with oils that promote sleep and stop stress, such as sleep essence, valerian oil, and cortistop.
Answers these questions:
- What will I do within the first 30 minutes of my day to set me on the right foot?
- Exactly what are my go-to’s when feeling the stress come on and my muscles tighten up?
- What will my non-negotiable “bed time” be?
5. Create an Environment for Success: Clearing the Toxins
Remember a successful environment includes the relationships you’re in and core group, home health, along with clearing toxic products from your home.
Create a health “core group.” Like I said, you are the average of the 5 people you spend the most time with.
Don’t put personal health and relationships on the back burner. Set YOU time. Make a weekly date night, take time to call friends and family, and make sure you feel loved and are loving others.
Download the ThinkDirty App. Really, right after this go download it and begin scanning the products you already use daily. You might be surprised that they’re packed with a lot more harmful chemicals than we originally knew. Also just assume all candles are toxic to your home health. There is so much research out now to show why candles are toxic, so be super careful when deciding to burn one.
Begin ditching them and switching to toxic-free alternatives.
Fun little challenge:
Download the ThinkDirty App, scan some stuff in your home, and then tag me on instagram @SarahGraceMeck and show me what you find! Show me what is dirty or clean, or show the big pile of candles you have in your trash can!
Trust me friends, I used to use candles and synthetic products all the time. And then when I was doing my own research, I realized our hormones are so severely affected many synthetic fragrances, candles included.
That’s when I decided to give this whole toxic-free and clean living.
We’re talking detergents, dish soap, hand soap, tooth paste, mouthwash, bath gel, baby wipes, make up, skin care, supplements, and more! I definitely switched out my candles for oils, swapped out my supplements for natural ones, cleaners I’d buy somewhere else, my make up, personal hygiene products as well as more natural hair and skin care.
Think about it….
Scan your home with the ThinkDirty App and then ask, what can I slowly begin ditching and switching to?
Remember, little steps over time, not overwhelming leaps.
6. Supplement your healthy life as needed
Your health is an investment, and not an expense. I’ve realized we are the guinea pig generation. We have NO clue what long term negative effects will come from all of these synthetics products, fragrances, medication, and “diet foods.”
Consider supplementing your healthy lifestyle with these as you feel it could benefit you:
- Probiotic
- Multivitamin
- Key minerals
- Clean protein supplements
- Essential oils for a variety of benefits and fragrances
- Ningxia for antioxidants
- A community to keep you accountable and inspired
- Courses for education and self improvement
- Podcasts and books for continual personal growth
These are our supplements, meaning they supplement and support our already healthy lifestyle.
This is a long term lifestyle, not a short term diet. The greatest factor for success in someone’s health journey is COMMUNITY and ACCOUNTABILITY. Removes those, and it is so hard to truly be successful.
7. Starting your Non-toxic journey today
It’s not just getting some incredible oils in your mail to your doorstep, but you’re actually joining a community of like-minded people who believe in the same things you do and want to create the most non-toxic environment and home they can.
Getting started with me to be your leader, your dietitian in your back pocket, and accountability that goes along with it will truly make the difference in your healthy life, gaining support and community in the process.
I mean if you really think about, why are you reading all of this today?
Is it to figure out how to live a healthy life without all the crazy rules and restrictions? Not feeling your best currently? Hearing all about this nontoxic lifestyle stuff and oils, and want to learn more? Or simply wanting to feel and be your best? Either way, you are making your way more and more towards A HEALTHY LIFE.
Like I said earlier, I was an emotional wreck, I was lacking passion, having hormone imbalances and gut health issues, and I WAS doing the first 3 things on that list.
But what brought me back to thriving life again?
Adding in the other 4 through starting my oily journey, clearing my life out of toxins, gaining a community, and supplementing my body and home with chemical free alternatives.
I trusted a friend and took the first step in this more natural lifestyle she said would help.
It was the best decision I’ve ever made, I gained community, a clearer mind, better mental and emotional health, and was able to clear my life of toxins.
What you’ll gain if you take the same step:
- Balance with your mood and emotions
- Support for all of your body and its functions in more natural ways (hormones, gut, thyroid, adrenals, mind, muscles, bones, immune system, etc.)
- New educational resources daily to support your journey
- A community to encourage you, inspire you, and help you on the journey
- Me as your leader- think of it it as a free dietitian in your back pocket 😉
- Finally feeling alive, energized, and balanced again
- An incredible community of like minded, family and faith loving, positive and optimistic women.
How to start?
Your premium starter kit is where you start right here. It comes with 12 oils and an awesome diffuser, nigxia sample, thieves hand purifier, thieves household cleaner, and a lifetime wholesale account.
The starter kit: the benefits of what it means to be “wholesale”!
- You get to join all the of the facebook groups plus access to all of our team resources
- You will have the 24% discount forever and JUST need to spend 50pv a year to remain active- no other commitments!
- And you never need to sell a thing! But still get those whole sale prices 🙂 you need those perks!
- The premium starter kit comes with 5mL bottles of:
- Thieves: immunity support, Christmas in a bottle
- Lavender- diffuse at night and skin support
- Valor- courage, also snoring
- Peace and calming- diffuse at night or in a roller
- Peppermint: vitality, head tension, tummy troubles, yummy mint flavor
- Lemon and citrus fresh- Invigorating, cleaning, sticky labels, in water for hydration
- Panway- post workout, achy muscles
- Raven- preworkout, lung support
- Digize- tummy support/digestion
- Stress away- roll on hourly
- Frankincense- grounding, roll on face nightly
- Along with the diffuser, 2 roller fitments, 2 Ningxia packets, a thieves cleaner sample and a thieves hand purifier!
So how to join?
CLICK HERE: www.freshfitnhealthy.com/buy-oils
Click ‘Become a member’!
Select your start kit
Next: To choose essential rewards or not essential rewards.
Essential rewards is a monthly, totally customizable box for you to choose.
Definitely I would say check that essential rewards box when you are buying, because you get a ton of freebies, points back, and even more discounts. There is no commitment, you don’t have to keep it, you can un-enroll at any time if you want, but it WILL give you points back on the starter kit you buy today.
Why you should do it:
Earn points back: 10% for the first 1-3 months, 20% for months 4-24, and 24% for months 25+
Free gifts at months 3, 6, and 9. PLUS a special gift at month 12.
Plus the perks of reduced shipping, free products with monthly promos, completely customizable orders monthly, and it’s free to start, stop, and maintain.
Hands down, the cheapest and easiest way to build your wellness cabinet and free your life of toxins!
If you follow my instagram, @naturallysarahgrace, you can see what my monthly orders look like each month!
Frequently Asked Questions:
Remember the ditch and switch. Ditching the harmful products you’re already using and switching to a much healthier, cleaner alternative.
I would love for you to join us and our team!
Like I said you are not just getting amazing oils, you are getting education, your are getting resources, me as your leader, you’re getting a community, support, encouragement, a team environment, and having peace of mind that you’re taking care of your health body, mind, and soul.
Our Team:
Supportive, encouraging, caring, go-getters, and the fastest growing young living team that gives you the resources you need to succeed! Plus, we even have a new mentorship program that only our team gets. It introduces the products to you and helps you reach all of your oily goals.
There are absolutely ways to get money back and a paycheck back from YL by simply sharing with others that healthy lifestyle that you’re living. When I first signed up, I wasn’t really on the business side of things, but then I realized this truly WAS my lifestyle and I loved it. So why not share it with others?
So the first step? Get your premium starter kit today!
If you have ANY questions whatsoever, please email me at Sarahgracespann at gmail [dot] com or hop over on instagram @sarahgracemeck and send me a message!