The Doctors at NSPAH are at it again! They’ve put together a list of their favorite healthy items of 2018. Some were so good they have stayed on the list since last year. If Oprah can do it, so can we! If you are looking for healthy gifts for those you love, or even items to make your 2019 New Years Resolutions even easier to achieve, check out their list below.
If you’re not familiar with this makeup and skincare line you’re missing out. This is another favorite that has made the list for the second year running! They put together a Never List™ – The Never List™ is made up of more than 1,500 questionable or harmful chemicals that they never use as ingredients in their products. This includes the over 1,400 chemicals banned or restricted in personal care products by the European Union, plus additional chemicals screened by Beautycounter and found to be of concern.
Your skin is the largest organ in the body and since it’s porous it absorbs whatever you put on it. According to the Huffington Post “The average woman puts 515 synthetic chemicals on her body every single day without even knowing. And 60 percent of what we put onto our skin is absorbed into our bodies”. The doctors have been working hard to eliminate chemicals in their homes, and makeup was a very important change. As women who love makeup, it’s hard to find products you love, it’s especially hard to find safe products you love. BeautyCounter fits both categories. Nearly all their products are even safe while pregnant as they do not contain any known harmful ingredients that may cross the placenta. Dr. Jade even gives their body wash, shampoo and conditioner a thumbs up!
#2 – Native Deodorant
Native has made the list for the second year in a row. The docs have yet to find a better natural deodorant on the market. There are a lot of great ones out there, this just happens to be their favorite. If you’re looking for a natural alternative to traditional deodorant – look no further. They pride themselves on the following: Made in the USA – They never test on animals, except humans. Aluminum Free – Native Deodorant fights odors and wetness, and is made without aluminium. Native Deodorant is made with ingredients you can pronounce, and is paraben-free. And how do you beat free shipping and returns? Trying it is practically risk free! They have sample packs, cute packaging and fantastic scents.
Why is a “natural” deodorant important? The toxic effects of aluminum are well documented – what varies is the amount of aluminum that is considered safe. Aluminum is a naturally occurring element – it’s plentiful in the earth, our cooking products and even our food. We suggest clients that have prolonged antacid use and those with decreased kidney functioning take our thoughts to heart as these individuals are the most susceptible to aluminum toxicity. This is why we suggest patients find an aluminum free product.
#3 –Heart Math
Dr. Jordan gave the gift of Heart Math last Christmas and it was a huge hit! Heart Math was developed in 1991 and it empowers people to self regulate emotions and behaviors to reduce stress, increase resilience and more. You can utilize Heart Math tools to control your heart beat. Science shows us the rhythm of our heart beat affects how we think and feel. All of us need a little extra time each day to check out from daily stressors and take a moment to ourselves. Heart Math allows you to connect to that and you can start with as little as 5 minutes a day!
Your heart beats differently if you’re experiencing frustration vs. when you experience appreciation. What if you could learn to “turn that frown upside down” on the inside? That’s essentially what utilizing this fun technology provides. Dr. Jordan utilizes Heart Math tools in the office with her functional medicine clients and now you can implement these skills at home as well! Who do you know that suffers from anxiety, depression, experiences a lot of stress or could just use the accountability of a fun game to help them feel better? Put this on their list!
#4 Instacart
Wouldn’t you love more time to spend with the people you love, doing the things you love? If you’re read any of our previous blog posts on delegation and prioritization you’ve seen Dr. Jordan mention the benefits of knowing what your time is worth and only doing tasks that fulfill your immediate needs AND are worth your time. Most of the time grocery shopping doesn’t fall into that category! Are you looking for a service that can take shopping for groceries off your plate? Instacart can do just that! Dr. Jordan has been using Instacart for quite some time, and loves the time it saves her. Instacart connects you with local shoppers and will deliver your groceries in as little as an hour! Best of all, your previous orders are saved so future orders take less time to compile if you use a bunch of the same products. Instacart is still expanding, so take a look at their website to see if locations are available near you.
#5. Young Living Essential Oils
Dr. Jade has been regularly using oils for years with great success with everything from immune boosting, to burn relief and more! She made sets of roll-on’s for stocking stuffers this year, and they sold out within the first week! Young Living is our favorite brand due to their seed to seal guarantee. They have control over every stage of the essential oil process from planting, harvesting, distilling and more. Quality is very important to the doctors at NSPAH, and that is why they utilize Young Living. If you are interested in oils, want to order a few, or aren’t sure where to start, let us know!
#6. Mason Jars
Mason Jars have so many uses that they had to make the list. First and foremost, they are great for food storage. Unfortunately, most Americans are utilizing plastic storage containers for our meal prep and even left overs. We may be buying BPA FREE plastic, but did you know there are other, even more harmful chemicals in our plastic besides BPA? Chemicals in our plastics, even those we think are safe can wreak havoc on the estrogens in our body. This becomes an even larger problem when those plastics are heated. This includes reheating food, the hot coffee you drink through a plastic lid and more. Not to mention the waste that plastics create – let’s save our planet!! Dr. Jordan has switched over all storage in her house to glass and silicone, and mason jars are her favorite product!
They come in various sizes so you can pre-prep items such as salads (Dressing on the bottom), overnight oats, chia pudding, leftovers and more! They are safe for all members of your family, and you can feel comfortable knowing that!
#7. Planet Box
We know the first comment we will get after reading about how amazing mason jars are, is how are you going to put a full lunch in one. We have you covered! Planet Box makes eco-friendly, stainless steel lunch boxes! These lunch boxes come in various sizes, have separate compartments, easy to clean, customizable and best of all, SAFE! These are great for both adults and kids, especially those of us who don’t like our food to touch!
The down side is they may seem a little pricey – at $75 it may be hard to swallow – but believe us it’s worth it. It makes packing a lunch fun, you prioritize what you eat and how you eat it. Sit down with your budget and see how much you truly spend on eating out – and most of the time those are NOT healthy options! #MrParker is a fan of dinosaurs so that’s the lunch box he’s getting for Christmas. Believe us, there’s a personalized option for everyone on your list!
There are so many great books that we read in 2018 that it was hard to pick just one. If you are feeling bogged down by baggage, regardless of what type it is, get your hands on this book. You are a miracle and Gary John Bishop helps guide you into that understanding and realization. It’s time to drop the negative self talk for 2019 and be the bada$$ you were meant to be! Don’t think of this book as being a self help book, it cuts out all the BS. Start living your best life!
9. Silicone Bags – and other food storage
Are you starting to sense a theme in our favorite things this year? Not only has 2018 been about reducing the chemicals we eat, we breathe and that we apply to our skin, it’s also been about re-purposing and reusing. Not only is plastic hazardous to our health as listed above, but most plastics we use for food storage cannot be recycled. It’s important that we take the time to do our part, and reusable items such as storage bags are a great place to start. Unfortunately the jury is still out on the complete safety of silicon since it is new to the market, but overall it seems to be ranking pretty high on most websites. We’ve linked a few of the best reusable, eco-friendly storage bags for you to sort out your favorite. These don’t just have to be used for food, but even to carry business cards, toys, essential oils, etc.
#10. Dr. Jordan’s Lifestyle Reboot
We’ve made it to #10. We are shamelessly plugging our own Dr. Jordan, but this program is up and coming for 2019, and is an awesome way to get you back on track. Besides having her Doctorate in Chiropractic, a certificate in Wellness, Dr. Jordan is trained in Functional Medicine through the Institute for Functional Medicine. Functional Medicine determines how and why illness occurs and restores health by addressing the root causes of disease for each individual, not merely treating symptoms. Dr. Jordan has put together a six week program that will allow clients to take the first steps in integrating some of the changes that Functional Medicine practitioners utilize to improve the health of their patients. If you or your loved ones are feeling stuck, frustrated, or worried about health challenges this is the perfect place to start. Dr. Jordan will walk you through lifestyle modifications that will allow you to lay the foundation of a healthier and happier 2019 and beyond. Click the link above to join our “Healthy Habits” facebook group to help you not only navigate the holidays but learn a few tricks to carry you into the new year on the right foot!
I hope the above suggestions inspire you to get out and be healthy. Change one thing each day to improve your health. Park further away from the door, carry your groceries instead of pushing a cart, write down 3 things each night that you’re grateful for, add in one different or unique vegetable each day. Life is about creating new sustainable habits – make sure they’re good ones! If you enjoyed our list please share it with someone you love – if not please send us your suggestions for our next shopping guide! Sending love and health to you and yours in 2019!
