At first glance, it might seem odd that I was a vegetarian for 18 years and now I exclusively use grass-fed tallow skincare products. And, I can tell you… it’s been a journey. Growing up in a regular, middle-class, suburban life, I read all the magazines and bought all the products. As a young woman, I wanted nothing more than to be as beautiful as the models and actresses I saw on TV. I wanted it so badly, I was even using acne and skincare products preventively BEFORE puberty, before I’d even seen the shadow of a pimple on my young face.
Fast forward a few years and I was a teenage vegan. I’d estimate that about 90% of my diet at that time was soy-based food and drinks. I’d drink chocolate soy milk for breakfast, go to school and eat some fruit or candy throughout the day, and at dinner, my VERY accommodating mother would always make a vegan version, which often included soy meat or soy cheese or something of the like. At that point, I became the poster child of cystic acne. My skin flared up so much. It was painful and I felt so ashamed of it and I would have given anything to make it go away. I tried everything and finally found a little relief with the Proactiv line, but since the acne was coming from deep inside, the results were not consistent.
Fast forward again to my early 20s. I was working in the cosmetics section of a department store. At this point, I’d lived in Europe and had learned to cook, so my diet had significantly improved to include things made from scratch with fresh vegetables and far fewer processed foods. Coincidentally (or not!), my acne had also significantly improved. I was still prone to breakouts, but I had far fewer painful cysts to deal with. It was at this point that I jumped on the luxury skincare bandwagon. I’d go to the spa and get facials and then purchase whatever the esthetician recommended or, if I was having a low self-esteem day, I’d go to Ulta or the department store and drop $100 on a new cleanser. I’d leave the store feeling good about myself, hopeful that *maybe this was the one that would crack the code and give me the skin I’d always dreamed of. And, of course, within a few weeks’ time, the new miracle product would find its way into my drawer, the graveyard of fancy and ineffectual products, where it would stay until it would eventually get thrown in the trash during a move.
Fast forward one more time. I’m in my 30s and have *finally made the connection between food and my skin’s health, eating a very clean diet with minimal chemicals and processed foods and I no longer suffer from acne. I eventually moved away from department store luxury skincare brands after noticing their harsh detergents and fragrances and alcohol and other ingredients were drying out and irritating my skin. And I started using skincare from the health food store.
If you haven’t started your gut healing journey yet, I’m going to go out on a limb and say GO AHEAD! I’ve been diligently on the path for about 8 months now and, while it does require hard work and discipline, I can conclusively say that every single area of my life is improving as my physical health moves toward reaching its full potential. And when I say full potential, I’m not talking about running marathons or achieving feats of strength. I’m talking about a peace and harmony within the body that I’ve never known before. Since beginning the gut healing journey, my body has started to shed aches and pains and discomfort that I’d just assumed were a part of the way I was. There have been monumental shifts which I’ll describe in another post, but there have also been small things, my teeth are becoming less and less sensitive, my toenails are no longer in-grown,
Your body wants nothing more than to be perfect for you. It was designed with an unfathomable amount of care with no single detail overlooked. Nurtured, sustained, and regenerated on this physical plane by our Mother Earth, who gives to us selflessly and unceasingly. What can a man do that our Great Mother hasn’t done better, cleaner, and infused with the energy of creation (which is love)? Nothing! I tell you. There’s nothing. I will always again and again choose the milk of the great mother. The milk that made this body what it is, that energizes my soul.