How I got "here"

After suffering with hypothyroidism for years, I finally went to see a new doctor to give me a new outlook on the disease. I loved my other family practitioner, but I wanted to see if there was something "out of the box" that I could try to get my symptoms at bay.

So, I found a holistic MD who felt as though he could help me...and yes he did! Since April, I have adopted a gluten free diet and have been able to cut my dose of synthetic thyroid replacement more than in half! I have had my labs redrawn and have maintained my appropriate levels and more importantly my symptoms have been at bay. Also, I have been able to gradually lose weight that had been hanging on, despite my valiant efforts at getting rid of it!

This same doctor also suggested that I adopt a dairy free life, which honestly I have not been 100% perfect about. However, one thing I learned is that dairy is extremely inflammatory to my body. Each time a little dairy sneaks in, I get bloated, congested and just feel puffy!

Finally, the doc suggested looking at what toxins were in my home. Slowly, I have been tackling a list that he provided and slowly I've been removing and replacing the chemicals and toxins with natural alternatives. I say "slowly", because it is a huge and potentially overwhelming list. You would be shocked to see all of the things in our homes that contain toxins. Some are more important to remove than others, but they all make a difference in the grand scheme of things. Although, you still have to live life...you can live being scared all of the time. It's more about educating yourself and using healthier alternatives when you can. Years ago nearly everything was natural, now people want things faster, cheaper and easier. That mentality comes with a cost...our health! I have a lot of thoughts on this topic that I will share at a later time.

Anyhow, this whole adventure has been a slow process, but the more I learn and the more I change in my life, the better I feel, both physically and emotionally. It is absolutely amazing how much food and toxins affect every area of our lives! If you choose to go this route as well, be easy on yourself, don't get bogged down by everything you should get rid of, but rather take it one day and one product at a time.

If you choose to start with food, look at THIS list of the "dirty dozen." This list shows the 12 + fruits and veggies that are most often contaminated with pesticides and it shows others that are less likely to contain chemicals that get into our systems when we eat them.

On this site, I will also be sharing gluten free, dairy free and refined sugar free recipes that our family tries and loves! Also, I will share recipes for making natural cleansers and products for the home.

Best wishes on your journey to living free and simple...whatever that ends up looking like in your home! :)

One of the 15 NEW and NATURAL products

Oh my! I am so excited! This week Verefina is unveiling 15 new products to add to their already awesome line of natural, non toxic skin care!!

This is such an amazing company. I am so proud to be a part of this team of (mostly) women who also care about their health and are choosing natural products over the chemical laden stuff found in stores!

I am still cleaning out my cupboards, as I was one of those very women who just bought anything off the shelves that looked good.

Now, I am better equipped to examine labels and know what is truly safe for me and my family!

EWG.org helped me a lot in this process of determining safety of products and my holistic MD gave me the much needed encouragement to reduce the toxins in and around me!

So without further adieu, here is the description of a brand new product I am sure you will love...

Antioxidant Eye Balm

100% Natural Ingredients

Free radicals and deficiency in moisture are the main sources of aging, particularly in the region around the eyes. Verefina's super concentrated Antioxidant Eye Balm has been formulated to moisturize and shield the fragile skin around the eyes from free radicals with natural ingredients known for their potent antioxidant activity.
Borage Oil contains the highest GLA (Gamma Linolenic Acid) concentration of any oil available which helps to increase cell resilience and moistens the fatty layer beneath the skin. Borage Oil and CoEnzymeQ10, along with all the other natural oils found in this product, deliver a multitude of beauty benefits such as aiding collagen loss, soothing dry, scaly skin, and reducing fine lines, wrinkles, and dark circles. Apply after moisturizing.

Price: $22.50


Available for purchase on Monday, September 9th! http://heather.verefina.net

Sea Buckthorn Facial Cream and Dr. Oz

I have been thoroughly enjoying Verefina's Sea Buckthorn Facial Cream. I initially started using it just to be able to talk to customers about how the product felt, ie. smooth, non-greasy, etc. I must admit that I almost never used night cream, day cream, anti aging cream or any kind of cream. In this case, I figured I'd try it just long enough to be able to have a conversation about it, but that I wouldn't use it on a regular basis. 

Well, I was completely wrong. Not only did it make my skin feel wonderful, but it cleared up a problem I have had for several months. There was a patch of red skin on my cheek that just wouldn't go away. After one night of applying this cream, the redness had diminished by nearly 90%!

I have since learned that sea buckthorn has many amazing properties as Dr. Oz listed in a recent article.

"The sea buckthorn berry can be considered a “multivitamin” all by itself, containing 190 biologically active nutrients. These include vitamins A, B1, B2, C, D, E (tocopherols), K, P, carotenoids, flavonoids, amino acids, phenols, folic acid, organic acids, and 20 mineral elements. A rich source of essential fatty acids (or EFAs), sea buckthorn oil is the only known plant in the world to contain omega 3, 6, 7 and 9 together."

So, not only is that "miracle berry" in the cream, but several other beneficial ingredients as you can see in the pictured above, including: aloe juice, shea butter, grapeseed oil, calendula oil and pomegranate seed extract. Also, you won't find any harmful toxins, like so many other anti aging creams use!

I can tell you now that Verefina's Sea Buckthron Facial Cream will stay a part of my nightly routine, which used to involve brushing my teeth and going to bed!!!

Comment on this post if you would like a sample or if I can help you order your own bottle.

Essential Oil Shower Disks

You can have your very own spa experience in the shower at home. Just make this recipe for essential oil shower disks and place them on the floor in the shower. As the water and steam hit the disk, wonderful scents will be released. You will even reap a variety of therapeutic benefits depending on which essential oils you choose to put in you disks!

Here is the basic recipe:
1 cup baking soda
1/3 cup water (add slowly, as you may not need it all)
essential oils (your choice: lavender, eucalyptus, peppermint and lemon are some good starter options)

1. Slowly mix baking soda and 1 T of water at a time until you get a thick mixture.
2. Mix in approximately 15 drops of each oil (less for peppermint).
3. Use a mini muffin pan and line with paper liners or spray generously with coconut oil (I buy mine at Trader Joes)
4. Place in sun for 12-24 hours, until dry
5. Remove disks from muffin pan. You may leave the paper on or gently remove it before placing disk in shower.
6. Enjoy the headache relief, sinus decongestion or calming effect you will feel as you shower!

Just some of the benefits from aromatic use of the essential oils listed above:
Lavender-calming, headache relief
Eucalyptus-reduce inflammation of nasal passages
Peppermint-headache relief, sinus relief
Lemon-reduce mental fatigue, mood lifter

Why Verefina

Over the last 4 months I have learned so much about the toxins lurking around me. As a result, I've become passionate about finding products that are safe for me and my family. The products that I "thought" were safe, turned out not to be safe at all...even the popular products known for being natural!!! It blew my mind that something could be labeled as natural, organic or pure and still contain toxic ingredients! Those labels didn't really mean anything. 

Now, I realize that I needed to read the labels and learn the details of each ingredient.
I learned that http://www.ewg.org/skindeep/ was a fabulous resource in helping me learn more about the ingredients and their safety.

All of this led me to begin googling "safe, natural, pure products", then checking them out on EWG.

One day, when I did that very thing, Verefina came up in my google search.
When I did my research on this company and checked them out on EWG, every product got a safe rating and I learned that this company had a real commitment to safety!

Their website read: "At Verefina we take product purity very seriously and make
each product the finest it can be by using the abundance of
nature: real olive and calendula oils, powerful essential oils,
natural butters from shea and cocoa, soothing aloe vera, and
more. From our creamy lotions to our first aid remedies, our
products provide lasting benefits without lingering side effects.
Made just for you and delivered right to your door, Verefina
products will change the way you think about skin care. It’s
simple, easy and . . . “very Verefina.”

I immediately knew that I had to start using their products! I also knew that I had an obligation to share this information with as many people as I could! 

I am proud to be a part of a company whose mission statement is, "to help people live healthier,happier lives by creating pure and natural skin care and wellness products that are free of harmful parabens, petrochemicals, and artificial colors and fragrances."