Baby Steps

First, a bit of housekeeping. You can now sign up to receive my posts via email. Look to the right - see the "Subscribe Via Email" widget below "About Me"? Just click on the link, fill out the form, and whenever I publish, the post will be delivered directly to your inbox. For you: no more checking the blog to see there's not been any activity. For me: no pressure to write just so my readers know my blog is still active.

For those of you who receive my monthly newsletter: I know this month's was scary. (Didn't get it? Find it here: Your Local Toxic Waste Site is Closer Than You Think.) BTW, it's not nearly as pretty reading it from that link as that's a preview site, so if you'd like to be on my mailing list, please go to my website, www.madlyhealthy.com, click on "Contact Me" and shoot me a message with your email and a brief note asking me to add you to my contact list. Just so's you know, I never, ever bug anyone to work with me, buy anything, etc. I send out one newsletter a month. I'm committed to only sending you information that has the potential to benefit you - that's what my work is all about.

Let's proceed with the assumption that you've all read my newsletter. There are a few tips there for protecting yourself from the onslaught of synthetic chemicals in our environment. But even dealing with that relatively short list can seem overwhelming.  So, what can you do to use this information without being discouraged or frightened by it?

As with any habit you're looking to change, take baby steps. Remember that childhood game. One person would tell the group what kind of steps and how many to take? Take 3 baby steps....or take 5 giant steps, etc.  Giant steps are tiring - if you take a bunch of them at once, you'll just want to stop. Baby steps are easy - take a couple and it doesn't feel like any work at all.

The first baby step I suggest is to breathe. And accept. This is the world we live in. It's impacting us but you're still here. As long as you're still here you can work with it. Acceptance doesn't mean you resign yourself to it - it means acknowledging that this is what is. Then you can take whatever action you choose - but first, you need to know what you're dealing with.

Now, educate yourself. I recommend the book I mentioned in the newsletter: The Hundred-Year Lie: How to Protect Yourself from the Chemicals That Are Destroying Your Health by Randall Fitzgerald. Another excellent book, is MAD COWBOY: Plain Truth from the Cattle Rancher Who Won't Eat Meat by Howard Lyman which is specifically about the dangers of factory farming and is a compelling and fast read. If you don't like to read, Howard Lyman is a dynamic lecturer - see him when he comes to your town - I promise it will be a moving experience. BTW, Lyman was the man who's talk on Oprah let to her being sued by the cattle industry (she prevailed). If you don't want to learn more, just go with what you already know!

Next, choose one or two things to do to protect your health. Can you buy some glass jars to store your food in? Ball jars are great - they can even be kept in the freezer - I no longer freeze my soups in plastic containers, we've gone glass. Can you cook another one or two homemade meals each week (from scratch - no processed foods). Can you make your own granola?

Some of your baby steps may seem like they're just for you or you and your family. Some (like carrying canvas bags to the grocery store to reduce the plastic stream we all live with) will seem more global. However, they're all global and all for you at the same time! Any packaging/processing/synthetic chemicals you reduce in your life is a little bit less that's floating through the environment affecting everyone. Likewise, every step you take that feels altruistic, like reducing the toxic garbage you add to your landfill, is less pollution that eventually comes back to you and your family.

Whatever baby steps you take, appreciate them, give yourself a pat on the back. They're a start and when you're ready you can take another baby step...or two.