I shop, therefore I am.

There's something that's been weighing on my mind so heavily for many many years now. I'm hoping that sharing it with all of you will lighten the burden on my soul a bit. If nothing else, perhaps it will allow some to think about our world and environment a little differently.

I love this earth. I love it more than myself. I'm in tune with it and very sensitive to it. I feel the need to defend it and be its voice. I can't help that I was born a deeply sensitive person. I feel things on another level, and they can really affect me and the way I live my life. Phew. With that said, here goes. Please bear with me.

I need to speak out against the fashion industry. (And consumerism, in general.)

America is a very wasteful country. Nobody wastes like we do. We have a "throw it out" mentality when we are done with things and don't want them anymore. We also have such a fear of "germs" that we are afraid to wear something a stranger wore or let our kids play with used toys ... you get the drift. Most countries in the world would never throw out perfectly good shoes or clothes or a bag, just because it was "last season". In fact, most of the world's population wears clothes or shoes with holes or stains on them. They are not judged for the stains. They are not lesser people. They simply don't have the luxury of being wasteful.

Guess what? ... neither does the richest American.

The day is coming, sooner than later, that water will be the most precious commodity on the planet. Rivers and lakes are drying up faster than you'd ever thought possible. The precious water the earth has left is being used to make plastics and textiles, and all that is left is a toxic cesspool of unusable liquid. And where does that go? There is no such thing as "throwing something away". It all goes into our soil and/or ground water. This eventually seeps into our fields and food and back into our bodies. How's that for junk food?

What most people see. 

What I see.

If we're not afraid of the threat of water being taken from us by these industries, then at least we can consider the landfill burden of our addiction to consumerism. When I walk into a store (I won't name any in fear of being sued), I don't see what I want to "buy". I instead see the burden it has on the earth. Someone might see rows of toothbrushes, toys, clothes, etc. But I see those aisles times the thousands. I picture every store and department store in the whole nation and imagine everything they are selling in a landfill. Then I picture the earth and wonder how long it will be until we use up every bit of beautiful earth by turning it into one big landfill.

Wow, I'm a downer. But I want to urge others to start thinking of things differently. Our kids are coming home from school, crying, because they don't "fit in". They get made fun of for wearing square toed shoes when pointy is in. Or pointy when round is in. They can't possibly be seen driving their parent's old car, because their friends at school all were gifted brand new cars when they turned 16.

We are creating the very existence that is harming the social structure of our childrens' lives. Instead of sitting our kids down and learning about the environmental damage we are doing just to "keep up with the Joneses", we are allowing this never-ending loop of consumerism to own us. These kids (and most adults, if I'm being honest) are completely owned by what they "own". It becomes the definition of who they are. It becomes the drive that pushes them to work in jobs they might hate, just so they can afford the very things that are keeping us in prison. Consumerism is prison. It's poisoning our land, stealing our water, creating battles between kids, stress for adults, and it's all for NOTHING.

We are not the things we own.

We are not our clothes, our cars, our toys, our shoes. We are not our jobs or even our thoughts. Who we truly are, is the being quietly sitting behind all of it, watching it, observing it and doing nothing about it. Why are we so crazy? I'm guilty of it. Most of us are. But we don't have to be. We have the choice to change.

I find myself daily having to remind myself of these facts. I see something cute and "want" it. But I have to tell myself what I tell my 4 year old son ... "We don't need that to live. What we need to live is water, air, food and love. These things might look shiny and desirable, but the cost is way too high. The earth is paying a big price." We talk daily about the rain forests, ground water and landfills. I smile proudly as he says "The Earth is going to get mad at you for letting that water run, mommy". And I rest assured knowing that the more toys my kids have, the more they want to stay inside. And there is some major mental and physical therapy that happen when we get our kids OUTSIDE instead.

For some facts about the fashion industry and the imprint it is leaving on the planet, please visit:
http://www.treehugger.com/sustainable-fashion/25-shocking-fashion-industry-statistics.html

Consider gifting memories instead of toys for your kids. Trips to the zoo, aquarium or science center; art or music classes; exploring a new city ... are all good alternatives to the typical birthday gift.

I don't think we can talk about consumerism without talking about what makes us feel the need to consume so much. Please stay tuned for grounding posts regarding getting back to our core purpose and being. There's a lot of change happening in our world, and I'm excited to be a part of it and see where it takes us all.

In love for all,
Stephanie

Children of Men

"Children of Men".  Have you seen this movie? It's a story about future mankind's inability to reproduce due to gene mutation. In the movie, one woman gets pregnant and has to be brought to a safe space to bear her child. It's an eerie movie with a seemingly unrealistic plot. Or is it?

What if I told you this is where mankind is heading, faster than we every thought ... or haven't thought of at all.

When our first child was born with a severe heart defect, we were told it was not our fault. We were told that sometimes flukes happen and there was nothing we could have done to prevent it. Of course, that answer wasn't good enough for me. Humans don't "fluke" when absorbing the right nutrients. Something in me or my husband was off and created a child with a heart defect big enough to take her life. And I have never rested in search of this answer.

One of our last "good" days with Kaia before her open heart surgery.

My quest for health has exploded into a completely different me. It had to. How could I ever stay the same, when my first born didn't make it into her second month of life?

Me holding Kaia several weeks after open heart surgery and a few days before she passed.

In the 5 years since Kaia's passing, I've done almost one year straight of cleansing, had two more children, cut out top allergen foods (such as gluten, dairy, corn, soy, etc.) and began a huge spiritual journey that has brought some really amazing people into my life.

Finn & Nova, Kaia's "little" siblings and the reason for my intense passion for a healthier life and planet.

This journey has been tough. When I started, I was considered a bit of an odd ball. "Normal" people didn't eat the way I do, and they certainly didn't meditate. Over time, the people that surrounded me got replaced by people walking a similar lifestyle to mine. People searching for truth in their food, body products, environment, spirit and life path. With my new teachers in place, information started flowing into me at an overwhelming rate.

And here I sit with my newest nugget of information "MTHFR gene mutation". What is it? Why is it being brought to my attention? Even after my diet changes and spiritual growth, I live with an extremely slow heartrate, metabolism, bvitamin malabsorption, mental fog, and food sensitivities. My gluten and dairy intolerances are directly linked to MTHFR. I've spent the last 3 months in intense medical testing with 5 different specialists, ranging from neurologists, to hematologists to allergists to gastrointerologists to endocrinologists, etc. Not one has had an answer for me. But not one has brought up this gene mutation that affects up to 60% of the population either. With this mutation, you are unable to utilize certain b vitamins correctly. This results in the entire body being "off" in countless ways. Ways in which I was able to check my way all the way down the extensive list. It takes a simple supplement to correct your system. Yet not one doctor brought it up. Not only that, but if most of the population has it, shouldn't we all be genetically tested? Wouldn't that save us all countless prescriptions, mental health disorders, physical problems, digestive problems, reproductive problems? Oh but where's the money in that? There is no money in health management for our corrupt medical system. So, I'm always about getting to the core issue yourself. Empower yourself to do so. Had I known of this mutation, Kaia might still be here. Heart defects in babies are a pretty good sign that mom or dad or both carry that gene mutation.

Why am I talking about all of this? Well, with this mutation, the liver can't function at full effectiveness.

"I believe the MTHFR gene mutation is a highly significant public health problem that is completely ignored. Yet, millions are suffering from pulmonary embolisms, addictions, fibromyalgia, miscarriages, schizophrenia, severe depression, cancer and autism to name a few."  -http://mthfr.net

When the liver can't detox toxins and heavy metals properly, you have multiple gene mutations that can form from it. These get passed onto your children. Our children are only as healthy as we are when we are carrying them. With that knowledge, and the American diet of processed foods, toxic laden toothpastes and body products, poisonous cleaning products, pollution filled air, no free time to meditate or relax the mind, substance abuse and addiction, over stressing, social media addiction, the need for constant verification of ourselves through others, mindless tv watching and zero attention left to discover and live our true self and most divine purpose ... well, are we so far off from "Children of Men"? Probably not. Each generation is getting weaker with more gene mutations, autism, cancer rates, mental health disorders, etc. And are we are sometimes too busy eating processed food and filtering our selfies to pay attention to it? We have a world of knowledge at our fingertips now, and sometimes our paths open up our minds to learning things we never could fathom. I'm glad to share my lessons with you and hope that some of you resonate with them.

Maybe we can all take a moment today and look within. Take some time away from the distractions that pull us away from the core purpose of our individual lives. Lay down the resentment, anger, stress, and replace with gratitude and acceptance. Some days I put my phone in a place I can't get to it, so I'm not tempted to even look at social media. This is my journey to get to the core of it all. MTHFR is just a part of the HUGE picture. And the  less distractions I allow, the closer I get to the truth that sets this woman free. After all, if my mind and body are not free, then how can I be completely happy? And if I'm not completely happy, how can I give my children the gift of happiness?

Lots of love to you all today, wherever you are in your own journies. We are all in this together. I got your backs!

To be tested for the MTHFR gene mutation, please visit the most accurate and informative testing site and order from there at https://www.23andme.com