If you read the “About This Blog” page, you will have an understanding of my upbringing, my rejection of anything that resembled farm life or health food, and my laughable journey to embracing those very things. I have a love for learning, and this journey took place (and continues to take place) as I researched different aspects of natural living and tried to figure out the “why” and the “how” before making changes in our lifestyle.
My husband and children are victims of my endeavor to live naturally in a processed and manufactured world. Although I’m sure there are times when my husband thinks, “Great! Here we go again. Another weird experiment,” he truly is a good sport. He’s laid back, spontaneous, and doesn’t complain much. He listens to me ramble on about all my newest findings and what I’m thinking about doing. As I try something different, he just goes along with it. If he doesn’t like it, he’ll vocalize it. If he becomes convinced of the amazing value of something I’ve been doing, I just might get the sheer pleasure of overhearing him telling someone about it.
There are varied, and sometimes contradicting, ideas about what natural living looks like. It can be overwhelming when we are bombarded by the numerous buzzwords being thrown around: organic, sustainable, green, homesteading, off the grid, non-GMO, and a slew of others. Where do you start?
You start a little at a time. For me, it starts with a question I have about something. For example, as I’m swallowing a couple of ibuprofen tablets, I might wonder, “Is this harmful for me? Is there a natural alternative that has no side effects and actually WORKS?” Then I might spend some of my free time over the following week reading about synthetic pain relievers and natural alternatives. Usually, my brain gets overwhelmed with all the information the first day, but then I start working through it, and within a few days, I come to a conclusion for a better way to treat my headaches naturally and with confidence.
I will share these tidbits of Natural Living ideas with you on From the Home Base. Some of the topics we will cover include:
FOOD I believe that the best way to be a good steward of the body Yahweh has given you is to fill your diet with organic, local (whenever possible) and made-from-scratch food. It is possible to prepare a simple, inexpensive meal that does not use processed ingredients. With a little extra forethought and preparation, you can leave the manufactured food system in the dust. And it doesn’t get more natural than growing some of your own food, too!
MEDICINE I am convinced that synthetic medicine is causing far more sickness and disease than it cures. God has given us potent healing medicines in foods and herbs, and science is continually proving this.
CHILDBIRTH and INFANT NUTRITION Childbirth is a beautiful, natural process of life. It is unfortunate that in our society, it has been viewed as a medical procedure. Home birth is a rewarding option for most mothers. And what can be more natural than breastfeeding that new baby?
CLEANING and BODY CARE Just because the retailers have multiple aisles packed with chemical cleaning supplies and body care products, does not mean that they are safe, effective, or better than homemade versions. Many cleaning products can be made using natural, food-derived ingredients. The same is true for body care products. In fact, if you wouldn’t put it in your mouth and swallow it, then you shouldn’t put it on your skin or scalp, or otherwise expose yourself to it.
EDUCATION Society tries to portray child education as something you should “not try at home”, but something that ought to be left to the “professionals”. I believe that the best option for education is a home education. Homeschooling continues to grow in popularity, and the resources available to help homeschoolers are outstanding. A little research will show that most homeschooled students fare much better academically and socially than their public-schooled counterparts.
In this blog, we will explore ways to develop a natural approach to everything, freeing ourselves from the tyranny of the synthetic, processed, and manufactured. This is a fascinating part of my journey that I want to share with you.
