When did the world get so fake?

Maybe your neighbour has fake grass. Or you know someone who looks completely different online compared to in person. When you go to the grocery store, do you notice how the shelves are stacked with food that’s been sitting there for years?

No wonder so many of us look back on “the good old days”.

Things we're much simpler.

Sure, we didn’t have as many options. But at least we were free.

Things seemed more alive then.

It wasn’t uncommon to go out and socialize. People talked and said hello to each other. Nowadays most people meet the love of their life online…

All this to say, things weren’t as complicated 100 years ago.

• If you wanted milk, you got it from the milk man.

• If you wanted to meet someone you went out and socialized.

People didn't have to read ingredient lists or shop at organic food markets.

Life was simple. Your water was from the well and your meat came from the local farm.

But that’s not the case anymore. I'm not saying modern companies are purposefully trying to make you sick. But when everything is about money - things get cheap.

Companies want you to depend on them or they won’t make money. And when people start cutting corners to save a few dollars…they put your health on the line.

The thing is, a hundred years ago, it didn't matter as much. We didn't have to worry about the chemicals because all the junk were dealing with today - didn't exist.

But times have changed. And if you're not paying attention. You'll be steamrolled by companies who dehumanize you into a dollar sign.

Everyday there's something new. Something they're trying to shove down your throat and tell you, you need.

Yesterday it was a superfood, but today it's a carcinogen. Back and forth, day after day.

But just like diamonds humans thrives under pressure.

All that frustration that you feel, use it to fuel your desire for changed.

You can either:

1. stay passive, lose the ability to think for yourselves and be a slave to the system

2. or evolve and take back your power.

The Path I Chose

A few years ago, I wasn't much different than most of you reading this.

I was in my third year of nursing school, aspiring to become a doctor.

From the outside looking in, I had everything figured out. I was top of my class, the president of my nursing school association. I was what you considered a responsible young adult. I had two jobs and volunteered every week.

I was a model citizen and did everything by the book.

But then something happened.

2020

Everything that year took me by surprise.

It’s not like I was antigovernment or anti-medicine.

I was in the military and had received all my childhood vaccines (I even got the flu shot every year).

But I had this feeling…nudging me…. “don’t get it”.

I was very aware of how crazy it all seemed.

I remember thinking to myself. “Crazy people don’t know their crazy. So I can’t be crazy…right?”

I honestly never expected things to go as far as they did. When they told me I had two choices (1) get vaccinated or (2) get expelled from school. Things got real, real fast. Was I really going to throw away my future for this?

Well… that’s exactly what I did. And let me tell you, it was the best decision I made (after marrying my husband of course).

This was the turning point in my life. It taught me how to trust myself and I found my people because of it.

Holistic living is no longer a woo woo concept. Lots of people are adopting this lifestyle and challenging societal expectations.

In some ways it’s become the rebellious thing to do. Our way of rejecting modernity.

But I must warn you.

This path requires courage. It will challenge your beliefs and relationships.

That being said, I haven’t met anyone who’s regrets taking this path.

Never Feel Lost Again (3 Easy Steps to Holistic Living)

The acronym for our framework is LIE.

L - Lifelong Skills

I - Insightful Thinking

E - Essential Nutrition

Because when you’re being told a lie, what do you do?

You ask more questions.

Lifelong Skills You Need to Avoid Losing Your Freedom

I’m talking about self-sustaining skills.

So many products out there have unnecessary chemicals. By learning how to make these products yourself. You’ll no longer have to depend on big corporations for essential needs.

Which is my definition… of true freedom.

Examples of things you could learn:

• how to make sourdough, kombucha, cheese

• how to preserve and can perishable foods

• how to sew

• how to make your own DIY soap and personal care products

• how to make non-toxic all-purpose cleaner, laundry detergent, dishwashing pods

The list goes on.

Imagine if each person in your family dedicated themselves to learning one of these skills? By the end of the year, your family could be 100% self-sufficient.

Now imagine the whole community was in on it.

Your neighbour has an organic vegetable garden. You get your dairy, eggs and meat from the local farm across the street. Maybe your sister is a baker and you're an expert soap maker.

How much healthier could we be as a society? If we depended on each other instead of the cheap ultra processed junk sold in our stores?

Insightful Thinking

Thinking for yourself and learning how to self sustain your family has almost become the most rebellious thing you can do. If you want to challenge the ideas of modernity, all you have to do is adopt a more traditional lifestyle.

With this being said, stepping out of societal norms and walking the path less followed can be challenging. Here are the mental reframes I use to avoid falling back into old patterns like:

• feeling sorry for myself

• believing everything is true

• unconsciously going through the motions of life

(1) Do Things That Scare You

If you’re not scared of the climb, you’ll never reach the top.

Things that scare you, grow you as a person. If you’re afraid of heights and never fly because of it. How will you ever truly understand the world?

Putting yourself in difficult situations will build resilience and reframe the way you see things.

I remember questioning my decision, on the days leading up to my departure for basic military training.

Nobody cared if I didn’t go. But I knew it was something I needed to experience to grow as a person.

And I was right. My basic training taught me things I never knew about myself or my character.

It broke me. Which is exactly what I needed.

We all think we’d be the hero in a crisis situation. That we’d stay calm and collected. We would never be paralyzed with fear, or cry like a baby.

But how could you be so sure. If you’ve never put yourself through hard times.

I’ll be a 100% real with you, I had some not so proud moments during my training. I even acted cowardly at times.

That’s why you need to do things that scare you, to prepare yourself.

You can’t expect to know how you’ll react, if you’ve never faced adversity.

The only way that you’re ever going to get to the other side of this journey is by suffering. You have to suffer in order to grow. Some people get it, some people don’t.

- David Goggins

(2) Remember The Slow Way is The Fast Way

Preparing for life and always putting your best foot forward will prevent lost time.

For example, choosing fast foods over meal preparation is an easy way to degrade your life. Fast food might be convenient in the moment but you’ll pay for it later - with your health. This principle can be applied to everything: love, careers, health.

For example:

• by not settling on a life partner (you’ll avoid getting divorced)

• by preparing for the interview (you’ll get the job)

• by maintaining fitness (you’ll prevent illness)

As the saying goes “do it once and do it right”.

(3) Know That You Don't Need a Vacation From Your Life

Make the life you have beautiful.

So many of us go on vacation to get a break from life.

I use to be one of those people. Always wanting to getaway.

But one day, my very wise husband said to me. “Use the vacation money to make your life better. Why don’t you get a hot tub? That way you can relax everyday, instead of once a year”.

🤯 Mind blowing - I know.

So ask yourself, how can I make my life a vacation?

You only live once, better make it count.

(4) Question Everything

The point isn’t to argue or to start proving everyone wrong. It’s about shifting your perspective and seeing things for what they truly are. So many of the choices we make are unconscious. But if you start looking into why you buy certain clothes, makeup, cleaning products. You’ll quickly learn it’s likely because that’s what you’ve always bought. Not because it’s the best choice.

I want you to ask yourself. Are these my decisions? Did I truly choose this? Or is it just an unconscious habit?

Essential Nutrition

Diet is not a one size fits all approach.

Let me explain, my husband loves heavy meals while I prefer lighter ones. We both eat a healthy diet, but have different preferences when it comes to food.

My point with this is you don’t have to follow a strict regime to be healthy. Obviously eating whole organic foods over processed junk is a healthier choice. But when it comes to dieting, I truly feel the best option is to listen to your body, what is it craving? Trust your intuition.

Here are some of the things I do for nutrition.

(1) What I Buy

• organic whole foods that are in season

• foods with recognizable ingredients (seed oils are also a no no for me)

• meat from the local butcher.

• pasture/free range eggs and dairy.

(2) Intermittent Fasting

Studies show that intermittent fasting can help reduce the risk of cancer and disease.

Think about it. If your body is using all it’s energy to digest food, it can’t heal itself.

For this reason, I try to stop eating 2-3 hours before bed. Plus I’ve found that I sleep much better on an empty stomach.

(3) Quality Water

Our tap water is contaminated with heavy metals, birth control, and anti-depressants

Having a well is probably the best source when it comes to water. But this isn't always possible. Especially if you live in the city.

Instead my husband and I buy 5 gallon refillable water jugs at the grocery store. This way, we can also avoid additives like chlorine and fluoride.

Another great option, is a water filtering system.

Consider This Your Homework and Start Implementing LIE This Week.

(1) Find a skill that interests you. It can be anything at all, as long as it’s something that will benefit your health (ie. learning to make kombucha, sourdough bread, sewing, canning, DIY soaps)

(2) Ponder what makes you happy. How can you make everyday life, more like a vacation?

(3) Listen to your body, do certain foods feel irritating? What is your body craving? Try not eating 2-3 hours before bed. How do you feel?