Is it Really the Gluten?
It all begins with an idea.
In 2021, I decided to take hold of my health and try out something to make my constant bloating and fatigue improve. I decided to go gluten free. Although a fad for many, after researching for myself I found that many of the symptoms I had been experiencing could be improved by eliminating gluten. However, I had 1) Been tested for Celiac in the past and was negative and 2) I for some reason felt completely fine eating wheat products in other countries… This led me to a deeper rabbit hole that many health conscious parents have experienced.
What is in our food that is making us sick? Is it ACTUALLY gluten, or is it something added to the crops?
Connecting Health Decline with Glyphosate
3 million people have celiac disease, but an even more alarming statistic is that 13 million people have non-celiac gluten irritability. So why is gluten making us sick? Or is it even the gluten at all? Like I said, myself and many others I know have safely consumed bread and pasta in Italy, but experience debilitating symptoms when we consume the same thing here in the US. What’s the difference?
Glyphosate. The main ingredient in Round Up which has seen a 100 million times increase in recent decades is touted in the US, but banned in countries like Italy.
What is Glyphosate?
Glyphosate is the active ingredient in Round Up, a popular weed killer used on crops nationwide. It’s commonly sprayed on wheat, corn, soybean, and other GMO crops. It leads to higher production of products and is also Monsanto’s leading product. BUT it is also a known carcinogen, endocrine disrupter, and causes gut dysbiosis… which mimics the symptoms of celiac disease.
Glyphosate is all over the Standard American Diet which consists of many refined carbohydrates (a story for another day) and many of the foods our children consume daily.
Could this be the reason my family and so many others are suffering from so many health issues despite an otherwise healthy lifestyle?
So… What’s the Big Deal?
Glyphosate, even at smaller levels found in food, has been connected to cancer, hormone disruption, kidney disease, metabolic disorders, obesity, anxiety, depression, IBS, IBD, and liver inflammation. AND it’s being found in increasing numbers in our children. 87% of a 675 person study conducted found detectable of levels of glyphosate in urine.
With an increasing number of children being affected by health issues beyond their control, may of which mentioned above, for me it was an easy decision to avoid this dangerous chemical as much as possible.
What Can We Do?
Although I know changing grocery and diet habits is not easy, taking even one of these steps at a time can reduce your exposure to glyphosate. This is what our family does to try to eliminate our toxic load:
Switch to an all organic diet. This is a simple way to make food choices that are less likely to be sprayed. Studies have shown that this change alone can reduce levels in urine in as little as 6 days
Shop from a local mill and make your own breads, snacks, baked goods, etc. Getting to know your local farmers is a great way to find out more about how your food is grown and the health of the soil.
Avoid GMO foods corn, wheat, soy, canola (this includes seed oils)
Drink filtered water as glyphosate is known to run off into water sources.
Grow and cook your own food.
Don’t use in your own lawn and garden
Wash hands before eating or going outdoors
Avoid wearing shoes inside
In Conclusion
Glyphosate is a dangerous additive to a large number of crops that go into majority of easy to buy foods. Although the US is reluctant to ban the pesticide due to economic implications, there are steps you can take to protect your family and reduce their exposure in your home and in their diets.
Taking action to eliminate foods in your home that have been sprayed with glyphosate not only is the best way to protect your family from future health issues, but also will demonstrate that the harmful pesticide is not necessary to maintain a prosperous food economy.
I urge you to buy organic wheat or eliminate it all together. Or even better, contact a local organic mill and support your local farmers. Changing the way our community thinks about food and encouraging a clean, non-toxic lifestyle begins with small, maintainable actions.
Which step are you taking today?
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Looking for a good, safe flour? Check out Lindley Mills. Their flour is organically grown, family owned, and absolutely delicious.
Taking Back My Health
It all begins with an idea.
A few years ago, I was feeling my absolute worst. No energy, swollen stomach, chronic respiratory infections, headaches… all the things. But I was a new mom of three, the youngest of which had a laundry list of health issues of his own that made sleep nearly impossible. Clearly this is why I was sick… I was sleep deprived.
But then the baby slept, I inched further and further from post partum, I stopped breastfeeding, and instead of things getting better I was worse. That’s when the rapid heart rate, asthma diagnosis, dizziness, brain fog, and weight gain took over.
My lifestyle was the cleanest, and healthiest it has ever been, so why did I feel so awful?
It was then that my oldest daughter started to experience some strange, dramatic changes in her personality. After a quick virus my sweet, calm, joyful daughter was filled with rage, anxiety, and OCD. My baby was suffering. Thanks to a friend’s advice, we quickly got Mere diagnosed with PANS ( a story for another day) with the help of her pediatrician and a functional doctor.
After this… I had to dig deep. Why was my family suffering when we live so, what I thought, healthy?
A Journey to a Non-Toxic Life
The thing about suffering, is sometimes it leads you to a better path.
Meredith’s journey with PANS was one of the hardest I’ve ever traveled as a parent, so again, I blamed my declining health on the stress of parenthood. But years later she is almost completely back to baseline, and I only continue to decline.
I knew through Meredith’s diagnosis and work with a functional health doctor that her issues were greatly due to inflammation and learned about how many things in our environment and in our diet contribute to that. So I got thinking… could I have something similar going on?
I found a doctor in our area, and then went to where Meredith was diagnosed in Winston Salem, to run a BUNCH of tests and listen to all of my symptoms. What came back was astounding… lyme, positive ANA (autoimmune), multiple chronic infections, severe anemia, and low thyroid across the board. While we are still trying to figure out the root to all of this (my guess is mold… Meredith’s trigger for PANS flares), this rock bottom I’ve hit has led our family to a new path of wellness.
Taking Control of Our Health
We immediately changed our diets. Although we had ate healthy before, I decided we now were going to source our food locally, all organic, with as many things from farmers I could actually talk to as possible. We would filter our water, trash the plastic, get rid of the snacks, and bake and cook more at home. We would reduce the toxins within our home as much as we could because THAT is what we can control.
It’s been a process, but one that is my passion now, and I can see a difference in not only myself, but my kids. They are happier, less hangry, and take pride in our mealtimes.
For this reason, I’ve switched my focus for my clients away from small business and specifically to health and wellness (with some beauty thrown in there ... because that needs some cleaning up and reform as well!).
Using my creative passion to fuel my life passion is a dream come true. Taking back our food system and our health is truly a movement, and I’m happy to be a part of it.
Become Part of the Movement
Join me on my journey by following @brookeolexa on instagram.
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Small Step Towards Clean Beauty
It all begins with an idea.
Beauty has been my “thing” for nearly a decade. If you’ve been around for awhile… you may remember me doing my makeup live with my toddlers in my lap.
Although that’s not how I primarily show up on social now, it’s still something I love. And due to my new found passion for all things non-toxic, it’s time to apply the 80/20 rule to my beauty bag.
Little Steps Make Progress
I still love my Bellame products. The foundation is unmatched and it IS EU certified, meaning it follows their regulations instead of the US… which is MUCH better for us. Is it the absolute cleanest I’ve found? No. But for the most part it passes the EWG standards, has skincare benefits, and looks and feels like heaven, so I’m still a big fan.
However, I wanted to add in some cream blush and bronzer products so I did my research and found Well People. The brand is passionate about clean beauty while maintaining high standards for the products performance. They are affordable and accessible ( you can get it at Target!). I’ve been loving the supernatural sticks in bronzer and blush. I purchased the bronzer in neutral medium bronze and blush in pinky rose.
These sticks make for the perfect dimension that is easily applied and blendable. I use the bronzer to warm up and contour my face, and the blush to add the perfect natural flush. I also use the blush on my lips and the bronzer on my eyes. My entire look, foundation + supernatural sticks takes less than five minutes!
A minimal, glowing, low-tox look is exactly what I need on makeup days!
Check out my tutorial below:
Blog Post Title Four
It all begins with an idea.
It all begins with an idea. Maybe you want to launch a business. Maybe you want to turn a hobby into something more. Or maybe you have a creative project to share with the world. Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference.
Don’t worry about sounding professional. Sound like you. There are over 1.5 billion websites out there, but your story is what’s going to separate this one from the rest. If you read the words back and don’t hear your own voice in your head, that’s a good sign you still have more work to do.
Be clear, be confident and don’t overthink it. The beauty of your story is that it’s going to continue to evolve and your site can evolve with it. Your goal should be to make it feel right for right now. Later will take care of itself. It always does.