First of all, I see you. Maybe you or your partner or your kiddo is struggling with skin issues, GI issues, or behavior issues and you want to do all you can in your power to fix it, to help, to make it all better, to make it easy.
You feel powerless, you want someone or something to blame. You are starting to think that Tom Brady had a lot of good ideas. You have watched the documentaries about soil health, mass farming practices, vegan vs keto, pesticides, locally grown, etc, etc... You've listened to the podcasts of the people who have changed their lives by what they put in their bodies, their kids listen now, their husbands have reduced their cardiovascular risk, the entrepreneur bro has more energy and and get up at 5 am for a 2 a day workout, all because of these 3 things.
You are shopping in the organic section. You are starting to make your own bread, your own baked good, your own detergents. Anything you can do to keep the toxins out of your home and your body, you are on it.
I get it because I'm there with you.... to a certain extent.
I'm not sure of your exact circumstances, but here is what I want to say to you and I hope this gives you a little more freedom than infuriates you.
You can't do it all, and you don't have to.
and
There take a deep breath, and now let's start again.
I want you to do all the things you want to do. If you love making the bread, do it! If you have the time for the homemade detergents, great.
What I want is just to give you an out for grace.
When things get busy, when time gets tight, when life is hard if you need to buy a regular loaf of bread, when you eat a store-bought cake with canola oil frosting, when your mother-in-law does your laundry with all the fake fragrances, it's going to be ok.
We are constantly told that this is the end of days, if we don't change our ways we will all die of obesity (not a thing) and cancer. We are told that all of our top killers are preventable based on lifestyle. We are told that the earth is burning down around us. And there are days when that definitely feels real. We are scared into thinking everything we put in our body is either poison or the fountain of youth, with very little in between.
I'm here to say there is a LOT in between, and you don't need to build yourself a non-GMO prison.
Everything we consume, between food, drinks, content, daily activities, and so on, should be used to make us feel as good as we can. Depending on the season of your life, doing all the healthy things you should do, might be taking a very real mental toll on you. Maybe you don't feel that now, and I'm so glad if you don't, but just keep this in the back of your mind if you ever need a break, it's always there to take it.
Of course, do all the things you can when you have the time, the energy, and the patience for it all. But just a friendly reminder that when you can't do it all, it is okay to take some of that weight off of you.
You might feel guilty, like a terrible mother, like you aren't trying hard enough, but like I've heard from other women before me, you don't have to believe every thought you think.
