Caring for oneself: Am I ‘eating’ this??

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Why does it matter there has been a lack of federal regulations on beauty products?? I’ll give you ONE example.

Lipstick. 90% of all lipstick. Let me repeat that. NINETY PERCENT of all lipstick contains lead and harmful carcinogens. Ingredients used in personal care products aren’t required to be tested for safety on human health.
Reference here.

What can you do about it?
1) Throw away all your lipstick and go here – where you can purchase 2 lipsticks and save $10.

2) Ask Congress to require testing for safety on all beauty products;

3) Educate yourselves on which ingredients to stay away from: https://www.beautycounter.com/the-never-list/

The idea of supporting an initiative that seeks cleaner, safer personal products, while empowering women, reassuring them “They do not need to give up their health for beauty”, is definitely a cause dearly close to my heart. Change is already happening. No woman should be harmed for making her own choices or living her own life. No woman should compromise her health and safety for beauty. Stay beautiful. Stay safe. 💚🤗

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Switching to Safer (and Healthier!) Lifestyle

A big Thank You to all my readers and friends, for supporting not only my recently launched small business for safer and healthier lifestyle, but also, the personal statement behind it, which involves my solid belief in seeking out safer alternatives for myself and my family:

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2017 has been a particularly challenging year, with very high ‘highs’ and rock-bottom lows… But our family has managed. We’ve held residence in 3 different countries, experienced the never-ending cramped hotel room living, while attempting to enroll kids in a new school, new country, new routine. I packed, unpacked, evacuated from a hurricane. We’re caught in the midst of political/economic turmoil, lost a dear family member to unfair battle with lung cancer… My kids had to say “hellos” and “goodbyes” too many times to their friends.
Lost many nights of sleep trying to figure out how to offer my children/our family a stable and nurturing environment, regardless the hardships.
And we did. We’ve established ourselves back in the US, we’re again a whole family, with a decent routine, waiting to learn about what the work scenario will have in store for us in 2018.

I’m hopeful 2018 will be a healthier year. I’m hopeful Im able to work towards a healthy mindset, healthier eating habits, healthier relationships with my loved ones, our friends the ones around us.
As a scientist by trade, a mother, spouse, daughter, care taker, it’s my right and duty to be diligent when it comes to the products I bring into my house, to our family.

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The reason I’ve switched to a safer beauty approach/behavior (as you may tell, I’m starting with the body… next changes will be about transitioning to a healthier mindset… 🙂

Decades of studies show that serious health issues (including, but not limited to asthma, learning disabilities, cancer and infertility) have increased, and due in some part to our ongoing exposure to toxic chemicals. There are more than 80,000 chemicals on the market today. This is particularly true of those used in the skin care and beauty industry. The initiative I was introduced to – by a dear friend from our joint time back in Africa – has banned over 1,500 ingredients setting a new health and safety standard.

Also, this initiative has enabled me to re-establish myself as a small business person, in a similar fashion it has empowered some many women for the past years!

The idea of supporting an initiative that seeks cleaner, safer personal products, while empowering women, reassuring them “They do not need to give up their health for beauty”, is definitely a cause dearly close to my heart. Change is already happening. No woman should be harmed for making her own choices or living her own life. No woman should compromise her health and safety for beauty. Stay beautiful. Stay safe. Happy 2018!

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Five minutes or less for Healthy Living Tips [from the CDC Website]

Hey there! Although these days I’m far away from the wonderful work performed by the CDC office, a bit of web surfing this week led me to stumble upon these great tips, from the CDC Official Website:

“Learn steps you can take in five minutes or less to be safe and healthy with these weekly health tips! Be sure to click on the links to more information, including steps that may take longer but are worth the time. A new tip will be added to this page each week.

Add the Five Minutes or Less for Health widget to your website or blog, and CDC will automatically update it with a new five-minute tip each week!”

Click here if curious about the “healthy living widgets”

 
And… since I’ve touched upon the subject of ‘healthy living’, I’ve recently switched to a ‘healthier perception’ of Beauty… and joined this initiative, as a #small business person… Why not, right?
Ending 2017 on a high (and beautifully cared for!) note (smiles!)
Switch to Safer Beauty!

‘Hardship Homemaking’: contributing to the collaborative blog…

Post originally prepared as a contribution to the “Hardship Homemaking collaborative blog, which is a back to basics blog for recipes, tricks, and tips to make life overseas at hardship posts easier”. The blog is a collaborative effort, with several authors, each one sharing unique experiences and life backgrounds, most of them, with real examples of life in the Foreign Service, its implications, challenges and strategies to overcome them.

Living at hardship posts offers more than challenges to all ‘household managers’ out there. If offers us the opportunity to learn – through advice from our peers, through our own research, through experience and why not say, through mistakes – ours or someone else’s – while facing similar situations. A common concern among families living at hardship posts is ‘how to offer the best, healthiest diet to my family?’- and that includes not only how to “optimize” your grocery shopping budget, but how to ensure those beautiful fruits and veggies will be safe for consumption, even before they’re tossed in the fridge, or beautifully displayed on a fruit bowl!

Post originally prepared as a contribution to the Hardship Homemaking collaborative blog, which is a back to basics blog for recipes, tricks, and tips to make life overseas at hardship posts easier”. The blog is a collaborative effort, with several authors, each one sharing unique experiences and life backgrounds, most of them, with real examples of life in the Foreign Service, its implications, challenges and strategies to overcome them.

“Handling Fruits and Vegetables: Sanitary Tips

Living at hardship posts offers more than challenges to all ‘household managers’ out there. If offers us the opportunity to learn – through advice from our peers, through our own research, through experience and why not say, through mistakes – ours or someone else’s – while facing similar situations. A common concern among families living at hardship posts is ‘how to offer the best, healthiest diet to my family?’- and that includes not only how to “optimize” your grocery shopping budget, but how to ensure those beautiful fruits and veggies will be safe for consumption, even before they’re tossed in the fridge, or beautifully displayed on a fruit bowl!…” [continue reading]

Curious to learn more tips on this and other topics? Hope over to the Hardship Homemaking collaborative blog! Thank you for the interest…

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