This is something I've been playing with for a long time and in 2023 I am finally doing it.

I've mentioned on occasion about how my health has always been something I put on the back burner while I worked on more "important things." I think this is a gift of youth type of mindset, where we don't appreciate the things we have until we don't have them anymore. We assume everything is infinite until we actualize the ephemerality of this lifetime. This realization made me want to be healthier to live a long and beautiful life. This is getting real philosophical, so back to why I am transitioning to a non-toxic lifestyle.

I currently live with two autoimmune conditions that I have researched quite in depth and it lead me to fall down a rabbit hole of learning about today's inflammatory diets and lifestyles. I realized I wanted to be the best version of myself for my kids and partner in the future. I wanted to be able to run and play and do all the things they want to do, with them. All of that requires me to be healthy and in shape, so I started this journey back in 2022 and will continue to transition in the years to come.

I want to just disclaim that I don't think any lifestyle is wrong or bad and this may not be for everyone but it is what I am currently doing and writing about in case anyone else is curious or is on the same journey.

Here are four simple steps that helped me get started.

Consider Where To Start

Before you begin, you should prioritize what is the easiest place for you to switch out products in your life. For me it was groceries and food. I think what you put into your body says a lot about the kind of lifestyle you will live in the future which is why it's so important to be mindful when eating.

I started transitioning out processed foods and anything that I knew was inflammatory such as gluten, lactose, and sugar. Instead of getting rid of everything cold turkey I started substituting healthier alternatives. For sugar I use a monk fruit sweetener for example. I also love milk and I could not do almond or oat because I just hated the slimey texture so I switched it out for a lactose free version that tastes the same.

For produce and other groceries I started shopping at places like Blush Lane Market and Amaranth (local to Calgary) because it's easier to avoid unhealthy foods for me. They have an amazing curation of organic, gluten free foods as well.

Household Cleaners

The next step after food was household cleaners. I learned about the effects of household cleaners on the body when I had to go to the doctor after getting dermatitis on my hands. I would always wear gloves and even then I forgot to consider anything that makes contact with your skin is absorbed by the body even through airborne spread.

I switched out things like detergents, dishwash soap, all purpose cleaners, counter disinfectants etc. I will link everything below that I am currently using at the end of the article if you're interested.

Beauty & Grooming Products

This is the hardest part for me. If you follow me on instagram you may know that I love all things beauty. I love skincare, makeup, fragrance, bath products you name it. There's something about those things that feel like such a luxury in life and I have always been fascinated by them.

However in the past years I have been thinking more and more about how the products I am using are absorbed into my skin and how little attention I was paying to ingredients. This process is going to take me awhile as I don't enjoy throwing out makeup and you obviously cannot donate things that have been opened. I started off going through everything and making sure nothing was expired, then I pulled out anything new or lightly used and gave them away to friends and family.

My last step will be purchasing new clean products once I start running out of things and I can definitely make an article on all the new beauty and grooming products I have found so far. My first world dilemma was that in switching to clean and organic products that getting ready and whatnot would no longer feel like a special event because I really treat it like a meditation. Luckily for my high maintenance self I found that there are luxury brands that do genuinely clean products that I am very excited to share.

Environment

This is something that is extra, because let's be honest I am very extra, but something I think is important which is air quality. I didn't really think about this until recently but because I live in such a dry climate, I needed to get a humidifier. This in turn, lead me to thinking about how I live in downtown where we are surrounded by constant pollution. In response I got a really nice HEPA air purifier and I definitely feel a difference in air quality when I am away from home.

The need for this was re-emphasized when I visited New York where the air quality was so incredibly bad that it lead me to missing my air purifier (odd thing to miss, I realize).

Conclusion

I hope you enjoyed learning about some of the changes I have made and continue to make. I hope you could take something away from this article even if it's that you don't want to live a similar lifestyle haha. Let me know if there's any specific areas of clean living y'all want to learn more about because I am really enjoying learning about it all.

Love,

Simran