I decided to involve myself with the Eco-Wellness Social Media conference, ShiftCon, because I simply want to know more. I need to know more. I know that once I do I will be armed to make much better decisions for the health and well being of my growing family.
I have a feeling that after my ShiftCon experience, I will want to take a BIG leap! It's not enough for me to save money and time by buying the cheaper, more convenient, packaged, well marketed stuff posing as food. And it's not just food for us. We all buy and use SO MANY products: cosmetics, household cleaners, skincare, toiletries, laundry detergents, and yes - even furniture can be bad for your health! Carcinogens. Hormones. Additives. Chemicals. For the sake of the health of my family, I don't want to settle anymore.
I'm ready to say no thank you to all that is harmful. I am done spending our hard earned money on things that are just not good for us. You can bet that I want to support companies that care about what they are selling. Companies that care about the families that are consuming their products. I'd rather spend more on companies that want me and my family as long term customers! Brands that want my 5 year old son, my husband, and I to be well.
We all hear a lot of chatter about GMO, buy organic, watch for toxins, be earth friendly... It isn't hype. We hear it, we know it, and there is good reason behind it all... but not all of us are doing it. Myself included. I know that I have a lot of room for improvement. It is easy to become confused. To be overwhelmed. To feel frustrated. I don't make the time to research these things as I should. I'm at work 40 hours a week. Our son has homework every night, we help him with that. My husband and I are truly doing the best that we can with our limited time. Like many of you, we are very busy. We crave convenience. The bad guys are great at packaging things to look like they are good for us. The devil in disguise is crafty.
We hear about things that we should avoid. We think something may be healthy, but it isn't. Do we know how BAD something is (even it it claims to be healthy)? Do we know WHY we need to avoid it? I plan on having many of my questions answered. I want to meet and support brands that actually care about their product and the effect it has on it's customers. Again, I will be loyal to a company that cares about what they are selling to me and my family.
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| Farmer's Market Visit |
To me, the best way to learn about something is to go to those who are most passionate about it. Those who know the most about it. Those who have been hurt by it. Those that have learned from it. Those who live it everyday. My high school volleyball coach once told me that in order to improve your game you have to face teams that are more skilled than you. To learn from them, to be challenged by them, and to be inspired. I think that ShiftCon is the place for this.
My goal is to learn to live better. I will confess now that I may not be able to avoid everything on the bad list, not all at once at least. In fact I accept that. My intent here is to keep on adding the good stuff as often as I can and as much as I can. The "bad" things just get edged out. I am making changes in the right direction. Those steps count.
What started my shift:
- Motherhood. I am responsible for a life other than my own. The responsibility is immense.
- Migraines. Feeling-like-you-are-going-to-die migraines. I suffered from migraines since my 20's. I started with diet soda in my 20's. It was well advertised, it seemed fine. Diet soda did it. I didn't know it until years later that it was the cause of my debilitating headaches. I was poisoning myself and simply didn't know it. I quit the habit and guess what? My migraines went away. Now I still get occasional migraines but not to the degree and frequency that I once was. It was because of my migraines that I discovered essential oils. No medication could ease my suffering. Out of desperation I tried peppermint essential oils. I rubbed it on, inhaled it. I felt less nauseous. I felt a better. No pain killers EVER helped me. Something as simple as essential oils. Not drugs. It was the start. It got me shifting. Eliminating the bad stuff (which I didn't realize was causing so much damage) fixed something that my doctors could not. I cut out the poisonous beverage and I not longer felt like I would die from a migraine headache.
Imagine the possibility. The simplicity. Watch me shift!
Who's with me? Please let me know if you will be there as I would love to connect! See you at ShiftCon!
ShiftCon is the only social media conference focusing on wellness, health, and the environment. This conference blends workshops, networking, parties, and intense collaboration of change makers all over the United States and Canada in one place. Want to learn more? Check out the video all about ShiftCon! The event this year is SOLD OUT. I will be sharing my recap post. I hope that you stay tuned for that!
Disclosure: I will be working with the ShiftCon team as a volunteer. In exchange for my volunteer work, I will receive a Full Blogger Pass to ShiftCon 2015 (including sessions, fitness activities, swag bag, receptions & breakfasts). All opinions contained in this post are my own.
