Tag: healthy living

Slay your Sleep Struggles

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Safe Swaps for Melatonin

I have always struggled with sleep. So, I’ve tried A LOT of safe sleep aid products.

I have a really hard time turning my brain off at night so it takes me a LONG time to fall asleep. I’m also a light sleeper, so little things wake me, and then I have trouble falling back asleep. I’ve been learning about the importance of sleep lately and the effects sleep deprivation have on your daily life and it’s pretty scary. The more “sleep debt” you have, the less executive function you have during the day. This means it’s harder to make decisions, think, and function as a human… Lack of sleep can even increase your risk of dying earlier than those who get enough sleep. Sleep is truly not something to be taken lightly. But, neither are the long term side effects of Melatonin. Despite my very serious sleep struggles, I would not touch melatonin. So, what are some safe alternatives? I’m glad you asked!

What I’ve used for the kids and/or myself:

Lavender Essential Oil – rolled on bottom of feet and/or back of neck

Earthley’s Sleepy Time Tincture – dropped in mouth

Earthley’s Goodnight Lotion – rubbed on tummy and legs

Organic Tart Cherry Juice – consumed during the day

Epsom Salt baths before bed – in bath

Green Compass Sleep Boost – taken orally

Green Compass Sleep Jellies – consumed before bed (would recommend for age 2+ starting with 1/4 jelly)

Green Compass Full Spectrum Nano Jellies – consumed before bed (would recommend for age 5+ starting with 1/4 jelly)

My thoughts/experiences:

Lavender oil used on Willow – Noticed no improvement

Earthley’s Sleepy Time Tincture – Noticed no improvement for Willow. Helps me fall and stay asleep a little bit. Helps Adeline fall and stay asleep as far as I can tell.

Eathley’s Goodnight Lotion – Noticed no improvement for Willow. Adeline loves it. Does nothing for me.

Organic Tart Cherry Juice – Noticed no improvement for Willow.

Epsom Salt baths before bed – Noticed no improvement for sleeping but does help calm both kids and make bedtime routine easier.

Green Compass Sleep Boost – Helps me fall and stay asleep more than the Earthly tincture but not as well as the jellies.

Green Compass Sleep Jellies – These work amazingly. They are my favorite thing I’ve used for myself. These help me sleep the best of anything I’ve tried. I fall asleep faster and stay asleep ALL NIGHT!

Green Compass Full Spectrum Nano Jellies – These also work amazingly. They knock me out really fast and put me into a DEEP sleep. If you want a really good, restorative deep sleep, these are for you.

Links (it means the world to my family when you use my links to shop!):

Earthley – https://earthley.com/ref/dericoj/

Cherry Juice –https://amzn.to/3SUFwKI

Green Compass – https://jessicaderico.greencompassglobal.com/share/573327

*the Green Compass link gets you $10 off your first order*

Safe Swaps for Melatonin

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I’ve seen so many desperate mommas lately looking for help with either their sleep or their kids’ sleep. Anyone who knows me personally knows my 16 month old Willow has struggled with sleep since she was born. I also have never been a good sleeper with my biggest issue being falling asleep. Because of this, I’ve tried A LOT of safe sleep aid products for myself and Willow.

What I’ve used for the girls and/or myself:

Lavender Essential Oil – rolled on bottom of feet

Earthley’s Sleepy Time Tincture – dropped in mouth

Earthley’s Goodnight Lotion – rubbed on tummy and legs

Organic Tart Cherry Juice – consumed during the day

Epsom Salt baths before bed – in bath

Green Compass Sleep Boost – in belly button

Green Compass Sleep Jellies – consumed before bed (would recommend for age 3+ starting with 1/4 jelly)

My thoughts/experiences:

Lavender oil used on Willow & myself – Noticed no improvement

Earthley’s Sleepy Time Tincture – Noticed no improvement for Willow. Helps me fall and stay asleep but not the best thing I’ve tried. Helps Adeline fall and stay asleep.

Eathley’s Goodnight Lotion – Noticed no improvement for Willow. Adeline loves it for her growing pains.

Organic Tart Cherry Juice – Noticed no improvement for Willow.

Epsom Salt baths before bed – Noticed no improvement for sleeping but does help calm both kids and make bedtime routine a little easier.

Green Compass Sleep Boost – The FIRST thing that has genuinely improved Willow’s sleep. Since starting it she went from waking 4-5 times a night to 1-2 and sleeping 2-3 hour stretches to over 6! All the hallelujah hands for this one 🙌🙌🙌🙌

Green Compass Sleep Jellies – Only tried myself so far and they work amazingly. These help me fall and stay asleep the best of anything I’ve tried.

Links (it means the world to my family when you use my links to shop!):

$10 off Green Compass – https://jessicaderico.greencompassglobal.com/share/573327

Cherry Juice – https://amzn.to/3SUFwKI

Epsom Salt – https://amzn.to/49I5tCW

Earthley – https://earthley.com/ref/dericoj/

Let me know if you try any of these and how they work for you! And for more content like this, make sure you’re in my wellness community -> https://www.facebook.com/groups/raisingclean/

Stay well!

Mother’s Day

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Give the gift of Clean Beauty this Mother’s Day!

Whether you have a mother figure you are looking for something special for or you’re a mom and want to treat yourself or give a great idea to a spouse or child, what gift is more special than clean beauty. It is a way to feel beautiful, practice self care, and it doesn’t cause you harm or disrupt your hormones like other makeup and skincare out there!

 So, I present to you… our Mothers Day Offers! 

Available through May 14th – or while supplies last!

Daylight & Nightlight Facial Cream Bundle w/ a complimentary Crunchi Spa Headband

Advocate Price: $91.20

Client Retail Price: $114

Everluxe® Lip Crayon in Limited Edition shade, Sienna Red

Advocate Price: $22.40

Client Retail Price: $28

Everluxe® Lip Crayon in Limited Edition shade, French Mauve

Advocate Price: $22.40

Client Retail Price: $28

Limited Edition Lip Dream Duo ( Lip Scrub + Lip Treatment )

Advocate Price: $33.60

Client Price: $38 – (Retail $42 – $4 savings!)

✨

Special Client Bundle

Snag all four of the offers and receive special 20% off – making this deal just $175 PLUS free shipping!

If you are ready to make the change to clean beauty and/or skincare this link will get you entered to win a free facial essence + half priced coupons! You also get $10 off your first $50 order using this link if you are new to Crunchi!

http://Crunchi.com/Jessicaderico/event/36077

And… if those Advocate prices look good to you, just click Get Involved then Advocate Enrollment to choose the best discounted kit for you, start getting 20% off your orders immediately, and get an affiliate link to share with others and make 20-40% in commission!

(Make sure you see shopping with Jessica DeRico in the top right corner to be entered to win rewards)

Safe Swap: Cookware

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Did you know that your cookware is likely toxic? This means even if you’re choosing the best possible food for your family, chemicals could be leaching into that food while you’re cooking it.

CHANGING OUT ALL OF YOUR COOKWARE IN A DAY IS PROBABLY UNLIKELY, BUT I DEFINITELY RECOMMEND TRYING TO SWAP OUT ONE AT A TIME TO START MOVING IN A HEALTHIER DIRECTION.

So, what are toxic cookwares that you should avoid?

Ceramic Coated Pans: These types of pans are usually metals coated with a synthetic polymer that is softer than metal. This coating easily wears off and usually only lasts for about a year. Once that coating starts to wear off, toxic chemicals can start leaching into your food, so if you have this kind of cookware, ditch them at the first sign of peeling.

Nonstick Cookware (Teflon): This kind of cookware also contains a coating, but it is called polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) and is a plastic polymer that releases harmful and carcinogenic gases at high temperatures. These gases can cause flu-like symptoms in humans hours after exposure and results in something called polymer fume fever which is often misdiagnosed for the flu. To give you an idea of how toxic these gases are, they are actually fatal to birds…

Aluminum Cookware and Aluminum Foil: This cookware is often coated to prevent the aluminum from seeping into the appliance. The problem is that the coating often wears and chips off. It’s one of the more affordable cookware options, but is not worth the risk of having aluminum contaminate your food. Aluminum can accumulate in your lungs, brain, bones, and other tissues causing muscular disfunction and memory loss. There is also evidence that aluminum can be a risk factor in Alzheimers disease. Sadly, aluminum is food in other things than cookware including deodorant, toothpaste, aluminum cans, and aluminum foil. Keep an eye on this ingredient and try to ditch any uses for it in your kitchen.

Copper Pans: This is a popular cookware as it is known to heat evenly over the surface. Uncoated copper can leach into your food and if it is coated, that can peel over time. Too much copper can suppress your zinc levels and weaken your immune system which then interferes with adrenal and thyroid function resulting in fatigue.
So, what are cookwares that I recommend?

Our favorite is Cast Iron: It is the ideal non-stick surface when it is seasoned correctly. It actually even can transfer small amounts of iron to your food which is beneficial for anyone with an iron deficiency or someone just looking to increase iron intake. It lasts FOREVER so no more buying new cookware every few years and can even be used on a grill or in an oven.

While we use cast iron pans, we use Stainless Steel pots: It is affordable and very stable at high temperatures. It is non-stick, lighter than cast iron, scratch resistant, and lasts longer than coated materials.

Then, for baking, one of our favorites is Glass: It is a sturdy material that will not release toxins into your food. We also use glass storage containers as opposed to plastic tupperware to avoid toxins like BPA which can imitate estrogen and other sex hormones.

Source: https://www.amymyersmd.com/2014/01/healthy-cookware-shopping-guide/

🌷Jess

The dreaded scale

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Ok, girls, let’s talk about something that might be very real and quite frustrating in a lot of our lives. The scale. 

I gained 60 pounds with Adeline and trying to lose that weight after being thin my whole life and never having to worry about what I ate, was so much harder than I ever imagined. I was depressed & I was self conscious.

1st: Five days before finding out I was pregnant.
2nd: One month after giving birth.
3rd: Nine months after giving birth.

I was so so frustrated that it just wasn’t happening faster. I actually had an incredibly unrealistic goal while I was pregnant… I was going to be “back to myself” by Christmas… I was due November 10th. Then, there’s the fact that every where we look on social media, we can find people promoting these magical ways to lose weight. The problem with that is I have yet to find one that’s not from a company that sells toxic, harmful products. So, they’re targeting women who are fed up with their weight and want a quick or easy fix, but it’s NOT healthy. 😡😡😡

I’m sure you’ve all seen them…

The brand where you wear these stickers, take these pills, drink these mixes, and you’re magically skinny! Sadly this brand uses ingredients including but not limited to talc, PEGs, phenoxyethanol, and natural flavors.

Then there’s the brand that promotes Keto Coffee to magically lose your weight uses natural flavors in editable products. In their other products they use toxic ingredients including PEGs, Phenoxyethanol, and EDTA. 

Finally, the brand that has a ton of coaches all of whom are constantly asking you if you’d like to join their fitness challenge. Those shakes have natural flavors in them 🙅‍they’re not as bad as the previous two, but I’d rather have something without natural flavors, with fewer ingredients, and more whole foods!

So, what did I do to lose the baby weight? I cut out things like bread, chips, sugary beverages (juice is just as bad as soda friends), and processed foods. I worked out 5-6 days a week doing things like zumba, running, and yoga. You don’t need the next magic fix or diet trend. Just aim to live a healthy life with whole foods and exercise!

To continue learning about living an all around healthier life, please join the conversation over in https://www.facebook.com/groups/raisingclean/ 🌷

Want some coffee with your pesticides?

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I’m a HUGE coffee drinker…

I’ve loved coffee since my teen years and I don’t go a day without at least one cup (let’s be honest it’s usually more). Coffee has always been one thing I won’t give up as I continue to make healthier choices in my life. I switched to a much better coffee creamer but I knew that still wasn’t enough. We now only buy organic coffee and I’ll tell you why…

*Organic coffee tastes better. 

It has a less metallic taste and just tastes more natural and pure, because it is more natural and pure. Organic coffee is grown without chemicals, herbicides, pesticides, and other additives. Because it is grown without these things, obviously it is healthier and safer. It also has antioxidants and minerals that are good for our bodies.

*Organic coffee has less side effects.

If you are someone who gets a stomach ache after drinking coffee, there’s a good chance it’s from the chemicals, herbicides, pesticides, or other additives and not actually from the coffee at all. 

These harmful toxins can also cause cancer and damage to your nervous and reproductive systems. 

*Organic coffee will not hinder a child’s development. 

I have been drinking coffee since I was 13 and I know lots of teens out there drink a cup or more every day. Regular coffee contains hormones that can affect the developmental process of these kids, but that is not an issue with organic coffee. 

*Organic coffee is better for the environment.

The toxins listed above can seriously deplete the environment. Regular coffee also promotes deforestation and I don’t have to tell you the negative effects that has on our environment.

We have our organic coffee on auto ship with Thrive Market, it’s the most affordable option I’ve found so far and I never have to worry about running out.

𝙐𝙨𝙚 𝙩𝙝𝙞𝙨 𝙨𝙥𝙚𝙘𝙞𝙖𝙡 𝙨𝙝𝙤𝙥𝙥𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙡𝙞𝙣𝙠 𝙛𝙤𝙧 25% 𝙤𝙛𝙛 𝙮𝙤𝙪𝙧 𝙛𝙞𝙧𝙨𝙩 𝙤𝙧𝙙𝙚𝙧: http://thrv.me/ujcsNz

I should add that I still go to Dunkin’ Donuts and I’m well aware their coffee is not organic, but I enjoy an iced coffee or latte from there now and then. If we’re consciously making healthier choices in our lives, it’s okay to have some balance and keep some things you enjoy!

raise clean, friends 🌷

Green your Halloween Treats 🎃

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Continuing our Go Green Halloween Mini Series…

Last week I talked about Red 40 and why you should be adamant about keeping it out of your children’s bodies. But, some parents might be wondering about safe treats for the kids to enjoy on Halloween. If you’re swapping your kid’s harmful treats with healthier ones, but are unsure what to get, here are some ideas. Keep in mind, I’m mainly looking at ones that do not have artificial colors and flavors. They may have “natural flavors” which we also do our best to avoid, but that’s incredibly difficult with treats.

Let’s look at the ingredients inside of the popular lollipops Dum Dums: Sugar, Corn Syrup, Citric Acid, Malic Acid, Salt, Artificial Flavor, Color Added (Includes Red 40, Yellow 6, Yellow 5, Blue 1).

Now, let’s compare that to YumEarth Organic Lollipops: Organic Cane Sugar, Organic Brown Rice Syrup, Citric Acid, Ascorbic Acid, Natural Flavors, Colored With Concentrate (Carrot, Blackcurrant), Colored With Organic Concentrate (Carrot, Apple, Blackcurrant), Turmeric (Color), Organic Annatto (Color).

I know which one I’d rather Adeline eat…

Know any other healthy treats that kids will love? Please share below, food is the newest aspect of toxin free living for me and I’m not 100% there yet!

If you want more info on living a toxin free life please check out my wellness community: https://www.facebook.com/groups/raisingclean/

Self Care 🌷

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Taking care of yourself, not just your body but your mind and your spirit, is so important. I know many people who work out every day so they think they are healthy. Or the people who eat fruits and veggies all day, so they’re healthy. Being truly well means staying active and eating right, yes, but what about your emotional well being?

This past week has been a whirlwind of craziness for me. My Fiancé and I closed on our first home on Monday and moved that very same day. We lived amongst boxes for the remainder of the week. We both had doctor’s appointments, he had interviews, we had plans with family, and a baby to care for. It seemed all our time at home was spent either unpacking or tending to Adeline. We both started to get a bit grumpier and a little more on edge. Our emotional health was put on the back burner and it showed. I was ignoring my work, he was ignoring his art. I didn’t go for runs or to Zumba or even roll out my yoga mat, he never touched his bike, running shoes, or workout equipment.

It was a rough week, but we got through it, and now we get to start a fresh week in our new home. I rolled out my yoga mat this morning and did a 20 minute morning flow and we went for a run with Addie this afternoon. We’ve been able to get back to cooking the food that our body needs and wants instead of surviving on a little bit of garbage in between unpacking boxes.

Living a healthy life doesn’t just mean ditching the toxins or taking walks; never forget about your emotional health. 👌

👇 What are you doing today to lift your emotional state?

-Raising Clean ✌️

Hi! I’m Jessie Rae…

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Hello everyone! 🤗 I am SO excited that you’re here and I am thrilled to have the opportunity to share more about the green beauty movement and what I’m learning with you!! 🙌🏽🙌🏽🙌🏽

My name is Jessica DeRico and I am a new mom of a little girl who is six months old. I have been aware of toxins and moving towards being toxin free for a while with things like hair products, bug spray, and sunblock. But the majority of the products in my life were toxic and I never really took the time to learn about the dangers hiding in these items. I honestly think I was living in blissful ignorance. My journey to live a more toxin free life really took off while we were pregnant for our little girl, Adeline Rae. I started to scrutinize everything going in, on, and around my body. I found some terrifying things in my makeup and other products and started looking into cleaner ones. Since then, we’ve been taking baby steps everyday to raise her toxin free, which is where we came up with the name, Raising Clean.

I invite you to join me as I embark to share my new passion about green beauty, fitness, clean eating, safe products for our families, and all things clean living! If there’s anything in particular you’re interested in learning more about, drop me a comment.

Thanks friends!