This Is Why I’m Like This*—How ‘Bout You?
*Passionate about whole foods and how they can heal us, clean beauty, nature and its natural rhythms… and all that other good stuff we gab about here. Siobhan and Rebecca already told us their wonderful creation stories (seriously, go back if you happened to miss these). Mine has been overdue. What’s yours?
My hippie parents. A bit about these guys: They sold their wedding loot to travel the world; spent most of that trip in India; did yoga and tai-chi in the early 80s; and moved to a rambling old house in the country before I was born. I grew up playing with frogs, eating real food made with love; and considering coconut-carrob bars a HUGE treat. I didn’t see white bread until I went to school, and by the time I was seven my mother was bartering my Halloween candy for giant hoop earrings. Smart lady.
My father, the unconventional doctor. How do I explain my father? If you came to our house, he’d have you on a hammock with a beer in-hand before you could politely decline. He told my teenage friends to go traveling before going to college, and he prescribes vacations to his patients the way most docs prescribe antibiotics (he considers those a last resort). He also always shared his medical offices with the likes of massage therapists, energy workers, and other healer types.
I used to fall over a lot. It’s unclear whether this was part of a condition, if I just had poor balance, or if I thought it was fun… But at a very young age I was put through a gamut of tests to try to determine why sometimes, for no apparent reason, I would fall straight back like an epileptic without the convulsions. We never found out. I was also born pigeon-toned, had a speech impediment, and got sick constantly—from fevers to stomach flus to puking in cars and planes. In short, I was sensitive—and still am, no matter how I pretended otherwise through my twenties.
The transformation thing. It’s the reason I love beauty products and fashion, as well as Ayurveda and books that tell you your brain can create new pathways. Since forever I’ve been enamored with the idea of self-transformation—that we can be better, new, different versions of ourselves inside and out, every day of our lives. It makes me kinda suck at routine, but it fuels my passion for the stuff we talk about here all day, everyday.
The breast cancer thing. My maternal grandmother died of it in her sixties, and Ashkenazi Jewish women are ten times more likely than everyone else to carry the gene for the hereditary kind. All the more reason to be healthy, avoid hormone disruptors and carcinogens where I can, cherish life, and try not to stress out too much. Things I fail at often and miserably, but because I believe in that whole transformation thing so much: try try again.
My period. Has always played a starring role in my life. From horrible PMS to horrible cramps to getting it with the full moon to not getting it for months at a time—it’s been my barometer for my wellbeing. It keeps me connected to my body and tells me when I’m disconnected. Most importantly, it’s made me realize just how fickle hormones can be—a reminder why we should try to avoid them, and their chemical imitators, in our foods and products.
I think that covers it. What’s the path that got you into this stuff?
P.S. Those are somebody else’s hippie parents but aren’t they cute?
How do you manage your cramps Alexandra? Drugs don’t work for me, and I take chinese herbs which help (a LOT) but I still can’t get comfortable enough to get up and move around. I spend hours sitting under a heating pad and I’m worried I’m cooking my ovaries. :/
Thank you for sharing your story Alexandra! I had never thought of how fickle hormones can be and how all these chemical hormonal inhibitors can play such a part in wreaking havoc in our system!
I shared my evolving philosophy on beauty products on my tumblr: http://beautyidealist.tumblr.com/post/31865442690/how-has-your-skincare-philosophy-evolved
But essentially it had to do with my severe breakouts and not find any answers. Then I noticed just switching from harsh chemicals to even things that were mildly clean like Ren helped my skin a lot. I’m now transitioning to REALLY clean products and my skin is just glowing!
Love your story @A!!
@Rebecca W, re: cramps, I like taking turmeric in capsules. It helps me quite a bit. I eat it in food, too, of course, and on my current diet cramps are less anyway. But the turmeric caps are great for an urgent pain situation.
It’s funny how much our hippie parents have impacted us. My mom is a hippie and I still remember her scouring the cereal isle looking for boxes free of BHT and white flour. I was six and had just learned to read so I helped her. Little red boxes of raisins, home made bread, home made granola bars, and African music always take me back and remind me (especially when I say to someone,”Don’t eat that it’s toxic.”)why I’m like this.
Alexandra, I envy your introduction into this lifestyle at such a young age! Still, I’m glad I’ve had the sort of revelatory experience of learning about how to live and eat better on my own. It has meant so much to me.
As for what pushed me to take a more thorough look at my lifestyle: my 12 year-old brother passed away after a too-brief bout with leukemia in 2010. If I look back at when I started taking a much deeper look at what I eat, what I put on (and therefore in) my body, and what I buy, my need to know more about these things started around that time. I don’t attribute my brother’s death to anything specific, but the question of why a completely healthy child – and why many healthy children – suddenly develop serious illnesses was one I couldn’t shake. The proliferation of chemicals and synthetics in our environment may not always be a factor, but I felt compelled to do everything I could to educate myself about the choices I make and what I vote for with my wallet.
The more I researched, the more indignant I got – so much so that I simply had to change my lifestyle for the better – and simply had to stop supporting companies that throw away children’s (and adults) well-being for profit.
My blog isn’t about changing our lifestyles specifically; rather, I strive to incorporate ways to live more healthfully throughout it, particularly when it comes to food & beauty.
Thank you so much for sharing – your parents sound awesome! I wanted to ask what your thoughts are on breast cancer screening. There is so much controversy surrounding mammography, both in terms of safety and efficacy, and I’m not sure where I stand on it. Wondering if you or your dad have insights or opinions on this. Thank you!
@ Rebecca W
I quit eating sugar and dairy and voila my cramps almost disappeared:) Try eating healthy food and homemade food. No pasta , no white flour and no potatoes:)
Thanks for sharing Alexandra.
I was just wondering what this community thinks about the flu vaccine?? Would anyone mind giving your input, or perhaps doing a post about it? My western doctor says “Yes, for my protection and to prevent the spread of an epidemic), my naturopath says “No, it isn’t worth it.” ??? I always value the opinions in this community.
@Amy, great question! I didn’t get a shot last year, but I have occasionally in the past. I’m debating whether to do it this year. I stay healthy if I’m eating well, but I’m exposed to a lot of people teaching, and through my son. I do get the flu shot (flu mist prior to this year) for my son. A large part of this is a public health issue. If I have access and can afford the vaccines, then I’m protecting people who don’t have that same privilege. I generally feel that the risks are small compared to the benefits, to me personally and from a public health standpoint.
@Rebecca. As a public health graduate student, thank you for supporting vaccines! I feel like they have been getting a bad rap lately, but they are one of the most important public health innovations in history. They help protect not only the individual, but also the entire group around the individual. I also plan to get a flu shot this year b/c I had the flu a few years ago and I had to take 3 days off work. I wasn’t completely better for at least a few weeks afterward.
I just recently just got into this stuff and your advice played a major role in my decision to go all-natural. I actually just started a blog about it! i loved this post, and thank you for all that you do!
My Story: http://delightfulittlelife.wordpress.com/2012/09/29/domino-effect/
Continued: http://delightfulittlelife.wordpress.com/2012/10/03/wellness-wednesday-the-skin-youre-in/
You ladies are awesome!
These are wonderful posts, thank you for sharing!
I started on the clean path after I suddenly lost 100% of my hearing on one ear overnight, when I was 6 months pregnant. Since Western medicine did not yield any results, I started looking into alternative therapies, which brought me to a healer who put me on a very strict elimination/detox diet for 3 months (basically I quit gluten, dairy, lemon/vinegar, preservatives = anything that was in a bottle and not fresh, wheat, sugar, alcohol, caffeine etc).
Being blessed with a very good figure without having to make any effort (diet or exercise) I was always a very bad eater (potato chips & ice cream for dinner anyone?). So this extreme change in my diet and the subsequent surge in energy and boost in my immune system (I was getting sick all the time) made me respect my body and what I put in it.
Now, a year later, I follow most of the advice of that diet. I have also stumbled upon your blog and started to make changes in my beauty routine, with a lot of DIYs. My skin has never looked better.
I realized that all physical symptoms/ailments are the only way of our subconscious to send us some messages about the choices we make in our lives and the changes we need to make. So it is up to us to “listen”.
Love your story. Such cool parents. Does yoga not help with the cramps? It worked for me along with better eating. I am a big believer in the stress connection with cancer. Not to say it doesn’t happen but why worry until you have to. The medical profession has us so scared of cancer. I sat in my doctor’s office yesterday looking at a row of pamphlets basically telling me how likely I am to get cancer. How about how healthy we can be instead.
@Amy. I have never done the flu shots. The one year I got it, turns out that it was a different strain and I would have gotten the flu anyway. Everyone in my family who had flu shots got it. If you have health issues get it but otherwise eat really healthy and SLOW down when you are tired and avoid sugar.This is a biggie.
Hey guys! Thanks for the lovely comments. Re my cramps and yoga and food — because this wasn’t told in chronological order some clarifications are in order!
Things that helped my cramps (which are way less painful now! I just wish my period was more regular like it used to be…): eating mostly vegetarian, and doing yoga and other exercises has helped my cramps a ton. When I was vegan I didn’t get them at all, but I felt like crap in other respects. Gotta test and see what works for you! I’ve heard a lot of women say just quitting dairy can do the trick too.