little changes....

As I have mentioned before I have been working really hard to improve my health and fitness in preparation for IVF. BUT that would be a total waste of time if I was trying to 'detox' myself and left my house full of toxins. Today I am going to share with you some of the fabulous products I have introduced into my household and I love them. Some might be a little wacky but HEY it works for us.

Lots of plants have been added to our household as these wonderful things help rid the home of pollutants and toxins. There is a really short and informative article that outlines the top 10 houseplants to help clean the air found here.

Our cleaning products have been totally revamped!  Our house still sparkles and shines but without the heavy chemicals and fake 'smells'.

Ok this is one of the products that I have only just found and think it is great.  I got mine from Lakeland.  Basically it is an air purifying bag that contains bamboo charcoal and removes odours in the house.  Totally love it.  I don't THINK our house smelt though, so I only bought it for its purifying properties ha haha

Ok another one that is out there and a little whacky.....  When I went for a massage recently the therapist had a beautiful Himalayan Salt Lamp in her treatment room.  It gives off the most beautiful relaxing pink glow and it was so soothing.  I decided to do some research into it and many different websites stated that they were very good for purifying the air and their 'ionising' properties.  This might be true Im not totally convinced BUT I love the glow and its great to have on in the bedroom when you just need to unwind

My skin!  If I am being so careful about what I put into my body and am making sure everything is as organic as possible then I need to be JUST as dilagent about what I put onto my body.  I bascially went though all of our old skin products and identified the ones that were full of parabens and other nasties.  These have slowly been replaced with a much more natural approach and my skin LOVES it.

Ok Liz Earle Cleanse and Polish is THE BEST product in the world for cleaning your face! If you haven't tried it you are missing out.  Lots of people I know who started using it adore it so GET ON IT!  The reviews on the website speak for itself.  The smell is amazing and it is just SO natural.  It comes with a polish cloth that really removes the day away.

At night time I then massage in all natural rosehip oil and wake up with beautiful radiant skin.  Hey if it is good enough for Miranda Kerr then...

In the morning I use Khiels but BE careful as I was shocked that many of their products contain nasties!  But this one I was told doesn't.

Finally I delight my armpits with GreenPeople rosemary deodorant. Im kinda a sweaty person and this does the trick. Their products are divine!

My (mostly) Healthy Life

I wanted to get as healthy as possible to be in the best possible shape for IVF and then for my *pregnancy* (fingers crossed)
As a result I decided to 'invest' money into some really good books that have really inspired and motivated me.
I have lost over 20 pounds because I have changed the way I eat and live and feel MUCH better
So here are a few of the best ideas..

My first book (which some may find controversial) was VERY eye opening

Alicia Silverstone (from Clueless, kinda amazeballs) has written an excellent and very thought provoking book.  There are NO celebrity EGOS here. I admit I did not take everything on board BUT one of the main changes I have made to my life is that we have cut out Dairy almost entirely.
Here are 3 very GOOD reasons Alicia persuaded me:
Nasty 1: "We don't drink our own mother's milk when we are 8, or 15 or 30, so why would our bodies accept another creature's milk?" (pg.35)


Nasty 2: "Remember, cow's milk is designed to turn a calf into a 400-pound cow" (pg.35-36)


Nasty 3: "Did you know that in countries where dairy is not consumed the incidence of breast cancer is so low as to be almost nonexistent?" (pg.37)


So this might be very controversial to many people but I have cut it out and FEEL GREAT and do not miss is one tiny bit.  There are SO many other great alternatives out there.
What about the calcium?
A chart on page 39 of the book outlines the following:
Calcium Milligrams (per 100 g serving)
Whole milk- 118
Chickpeas - 150
Almonds - 234
Her website is also great!

Another fantastic read and inspiring book!  She also has her own website you might find interesting.
This is another easy to read book that is not anything 'new' BUT was very good to have everything in one place.  Kimberly has included many case studies as well as easy to use charts outlining the best types of foods to eat and a 'shopping list'. She also re-iterates that 'there is nothing beautiful about dairy'.
From this book I start EVERY day with a...

  

cup of hot water and half of a lemon.....
Have fallen in love with Grapefruits again, great for snacking.
AND I drink a 'glowing green smoothie' at least 4 times a week for breakfast (pg.197)
In the smoothie I put (as many ingredients should be organic):
1 chopped head of romaine lettuce
a handful of organic spinach
3-4 celery stalks
1 organic apple chopped
1 pear
1 banana
lemon juice
water
Might sound gross but it is SOOOO good for your insides and it does make me GLOW

So that is a mini insight into my healthy eating that has helped me to loose weight and SPARKLE

Another book that I have literally JUST ordered from Amazon, that looks like it is full of delicious and healthy recipes is...

I will report back on it once I have tried it out.  I am a HUGE fan of Honestly Healthy Food

Happy eating