Attempting to follow a natural lifestyle might make you wary of the stereotypes, like becoming a hippie. Or, in my case, having to deal with people that make remarks about how strange my passion is. Before I made the switch to natural health and wellness, I bought a book about our lineage as indigenous people and it made me question what we were doing to ourselves in this day and age.
We eat processed foods, turn to western medicine for guidance when our health goes south, and even disregard several ailments of not only the body, but the mind. My ultimate decision to switch to natural health and wellness turned into a passion that I will carry with me through my entire life. Here’s what happened, and how you can follow a natural lifestyle as well.
In the beginning, I started out as a novice, learning how to follow a natural lifestyle and what my body needs versus what I needed to avoid entirely. The process was hard; it took me quite some time – months actually – to get used to not eating the foods I enjoyed, like macaroni and cheese or an occasional dip into the chip bag. Instead, I tried eating fresh foods that would help my body, but my mind wanted the junk I was so used to eating. Every time I thought about going back and eating chips or reaching for a glass of soda, I remembered what I had learned. I reminded myself how healthy our ancestors were because processed foods didn’t exist. After I recognized that I wanted to live a healthy and prosperous life, I decided to stick with it to better both my body and mindset.
After I recognized that there was a great change happening in my life, I started stocking up on wholesome foods such as vegetables, fruits, nuts and seeds. I looked up great recipes that would make eating them more enjoyable and fun. Thus, leading me into the world of cooking, which ultimately helped me make more nutritious meals because I knew what I was cooking and where the food I was supplying my body with was coming from. I started finding natural springs around my area and collecting spring water to take home with me.
After I entered and fully understood the world of natural foods, I started researching the benefits of different oils for the body, such as coconut oil. I had never even heard of the plethora of uses that it can be used for, like makeup remover, oil pulling, as a hair mask, as a body moisturizer, and more. I incorporated items in bulk to be used for many uses in my daily life. I began to feel like a renewed version of my old self. I was still me, just a version that enjoyed life and what the earth has to offer.
It wasn’t just the food that was turning my life around, it was the wellness that I started to invest in, which included yoga, deep breathing, and meditation. I took up a yoga class in my local area and absolutely fell in love. I never realized that incorporating yoga every week could help release stress and increase my flexibility, which made me less susceptible to sport injuries in the long run. It’s also a great way to escape from your life, clear your mind, and focus on you and your body. Meditation is always a great key to get your mind in a good place. It’s a relaxing practice that I try to do each morning for at least two minutes. For me, it gets me set for my morning and helps me keep a positive outlook on the rest of the day.
Once I began to follow a natural lifestyle, I started recognizing the beauty of nature and spent more time outdoors rather than sitting inside staring at a TV screen or my phone when I had spare time. When you get a chance to really sit outside and take in your surroundings, it truly makes you have a positive connection with the earth and what it has to offer. I appreciate the earth and environmentalism. I make sure to recycle and compost. We were all born to have a connection with nature and we all go about finding that connection in different ways, but eventually we all do.
In the end, I came to the realization that I needed to do what ultimately made a better person not for anyone else, but for myself. Deciding to follow a natural lifestyle is my decision that I have made in the past two years, that has molded me into a person that cares for natural health, wellness, and the earth around me. I can take what I have learned, and what I am still learning, with me to live a healthy, long, and prosperous life. Knowing that I can stand on my own two feet and do what makes me happy was one of the best things I could have ever done in my life. Yes, some people still don’t understand the way I choose to live my life now, but my wise mother once told me, “if you don’t do what your heart wants, life is going to be a drag, baby.”
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