How your immediate environment affects your wellbeing. By Kim Bidmead

I want to share with you a little bit about my own health journey and what I have learned along the way and how this may help you.
 

A few years ago I found myself constantly exhausted, had brain fog and was struggling to get through the day. I had also lost some weight and was experiencing some other symptoms. I initially put this down to the effects of a busy and stressful life. I became concerned enough to visit my GP and was sent for some tests. These showed that I was suffering with an autoimmune disorder. This is where your body’s natural immune system attacks itself and destroys healthy cells.
 

There are more than 80 different autoimmune disorders. Some of the more commonly known conditions are rheumatoid arthritis, hashimoto’s, graves, lupus, multiple sclerosis, type 1 diabetes, psoriasis, crohn’s, alopecia areata; to name a few.
 

The causes of autoimmune disorders are often unknown. Indeed, I was not able to isolate or pinpoint a specific reason for my condition, so I started to research the possible factors that could either have triggered or exacerbated my condition. This led me to take a closer look at how I lived each day and what I could do to either slow or even halt the progression of my disorder. I started looking at my diet, activity and exercise, sleep patterns and (last but not least) my immediate environment. This last factor was interesting because it involved me looking at the products I used on myself and around the home. I discovered that the products that we see advertised every day, the ones that we take for granted, the ones we pick up each day in the supermarkets without thinking, were actually more harmful than I had ever realised.
 

Previously, I would automatically burn ‘fragranced’ candles, use plug-ins, spray air freshener, freshen my sofa with lovely smelling fabric spray, use plastic containers to store food, wrap food in cling-film, use any brand of make up, perfume, sunscreen, toothpaste without actually checking what was contained in them. Taking on face value the promising words written on the packaging that what they were offering was ‘natural’.
 

I slowly realised that almost everything I was putting on my body and using around my home was shockingly toxic and was interfering with my endocrine system. The hormones created and released by the glands in your body's endocrine system control nearly all the processes in your body. These chemicals help coordinate your body's functions, from metabolism to growth and development, emotions, mood, sexual function, reproduction, respiration, sensory perception and even sleep. If you have a compromised immune system, then overloading your body with further toxins can make you really sick. These can accumulate in the body over a period of time without obvious signs (at first).
 

Have you ever looked at the ingredients of the products you use? Have you ever stopped to really look at the chemicals that are in those products and what they can do to the human body?
 

All too often we hear the claims mentioned by producers about the natural content and eco-friendliness of many day to day products; but closer reading of the list of ingredients, or research into production methods including testing, shows that this is definitely not always the case.
 

Let’s start with the products that you have the most direct contact with; the ones you use on yourself – your body, your hands, your hair. By switching these products to entirely 100% natural, kind and toxin-free alternatives, you are making a significant positive step towards keeping your body clean of harmful substances which will benefit you in the long term.
 

I have done this and with my other lifestyle changes, my hospital tests have significantly improved. I truly believe that making these changes has had a profound positive impact on my life and health. This has made me want to help others to become more aware of how they can positively change their immediate environment so that they too can experience the same benefits that I have.

If you would like information on the personal care products I use or if you are struggling with an autoimmune disorder and are not sure what holistic support could help you, please reach out to me – solebalance@outlook.com Kim Bidmead

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