Self-Care 101

Self-care is essential. The caliber of your self-care determines the quality of your life. Self-care is an integral part of your health. It aids in the prevention of disease and imbalance.

So what exactly is self-care? Simply put self-care is an arm of mindfulness. It is the act of applying awareness to your day-to-day actions and making the healthiest choices for your wellbeing.

Self-care encompasses almost all of what you do for yourself. It is everything from what you put ON your body, to what you put IN it. Self-care also includes the type of programs, music and media you ingest, as well as your social group AND relationship choices.

One of the most important measures of self-care is to have a better awareness of the contents in the products you use and the ingredients in the food that you eat. The idea is to make choices that are health promoting. Unfortunately many of these ingredients are actually very detrimental to your health.

Below you will find two lists of harmful agents frequently added to the products you may be using daily. The first list is known toxic, cancer-promoting agents found in “health” and beauty products. The second is a list of toxic chemicals commonly found in food products.

Harmful Agents used in “Health” and Beauty Products

1. Diethanolamine (DEA) 
2. triethanolamine (TEA) 
3. Sodium Lauryl Sulfate (SLS) 
4. Polyethylene Glycol (PEG) 
5. Propylene Glycol 
6. Aluminum 
7. Butane 
8. Propane 
9. Paraben, Methylparaben, propylparaben 
10. Benzene 
11. Formaldehyde

Harmful Agents used in Food

1. Butylated hydroxytoluene (BHT) 
2. Butylated hydroxyanisole(BHA) 
3. Monosodium Glutamate (MSG) 
4. Saccharin 
5. Aspartame 
6. Sodium Nitrates and Nitrites 
7. Potassium Bromate 
8. Sulfites and Sulfates 
9. Sodium Benzoate 
10. Paraben 
11. Acesulfame K

Please note these are very basic resource lists. They are meant to serve as your starter for a more proactive self-care regimen. Please educate yourself. Read labels. Do research. Your health is your responsibility.