How to Create a Holistic Life You Actually Love

HOLISTIC HEALTH
Written By

Have you ever tried to live a holistic lifestyle but gotten stuck in the trenches of what you actually need to do? I’ve been there! There’s so much misinformation out there about products - which ones are good for you vs. which are bad, how much it costs to live toxin-free, etc. It was confusing for me (and stressful, too!) when I started my path towards living a more holistic lifestyle.

Well, that’s why I’m here. As an environmental toxins lawyer, I help women live a more holistic and toxin-free life without giving up their sanity or blowing their budget. You don’t need to waste your time googling and guessing and worrying!

This guide to living holistically will explain…

  1. What is holistic living?

  2. The benefits of a holistic lifestyle.

  3. Five ways to start living holistically today.

  4. My favorite clean product recommendations.

  5. How to stick to your new holistic lifestyle.

So, are you ready to get started? Let’s dive in! 

What is Holistic Living?

First, let’s talk about what it means to live a holistic lifestyle. Holistic living is the art of living in a way that benefits every aspect of your life - your mind, body, and soul. Oftentimes, people focus on one area of their life to improve. Exercise, for example, is a big one. People want to improve their bodies. While that’s a fantastic goal, holistic living wants you to also think about how your lifestyle impacts your mind and soul. Holistic living focuses on the big picture of your life, not just one area.

I know what you’re thinking - “I barely have time to do ONE thing for myself. How can I possibly focus on everything to live holistically?”

Don’t you worry, friend. There are some easy things you can do to live more holistically. Living a toxin-free life does not mean you need to be hyper-vigilant to the point of exhaustion. If you’re overwhelmed and anxious because of your pursuit of a cleaner lifestyle, this is your sign to take a step back.

Remember, living holistically isn’t something you do then you’re done. There is no such thing as completely toxin-free living, and that is not a goal that anybody should be striving for. You can make small changes every day to work towards a more holistic lifestyle. You don’t have to do everything; you just have to start somewhere! 

With that being said, let’s get into some benefits of a holistic lifestyle.

What Are The Benefits of a Holistic Lifestyle?

There are sooo many benefits; you wouldn’t believe it. The miracles I’ve seen from people who remove harmful toxins and embrace a more natural living approach for their lives? There are too many to name, but here are just a handful of examples:


Honestly, there are so many examples, but let’s talk about a few big benefits of living a holistic lifestyle.

BALANCING HORMONES

Toxins can really jack up your hormones, specifically, endocrine disruptors. Endocrine disruptors contribute to hormone imbalances linked to PMS, PCOS, infertility, breast cancer, birth defects, thyroid disorders, and more. 

Here are a few things you can do to limit your exposure to endocrine disruptors:

  • Filter your water

  • Avoid synthetic fragrance in your cleaners and products

  • Dust and vacuum often

  • Limit eating or drinking from plastic

  • Limit fast food packaging

  • Buy organic fruits and vegetables

  • Avoid anything sprayed with a flame retardant

Don't forget - you can't avoid all toxins all the time! They are truly everywhere. Just do your best, and you're already doing better than most. You will notice an improvement in any hormone imbalances you’re experiencing!

REDUCE STRESS, ANXIETY & DEPRESSION

Listen, you have enough to deal with every day. You have less time but are expected to do more. Our nervous systems were never meant for all this bombardment, busy schedules, and multitasking. It’s not sustainable, and it’s contributing to major health issues, especially in women.

There isn't a single cause for these things, but there are common root causes:

  • Estrogen dominance

  • Vitamin and mineral deficiency

  • Hypothyroidism

  • Poor gut health

  • Trauma

  • Blood sugar imbalance

  • Diet

  • Levels of alcohol consumption

  • How often you exercise

  • How much time you spend outdoors

  • How much sleep you get


Addressing root causes and triggers is important to figure out WHY you feel anxious. Many people are looking for more holistic ways to manage feelings of stress, depression, and anxiety other than prescription medication that may come with a host of adverse effects and can be addictive. Holistic remedies are known to be effective at managing anxiety symptoms without the risks or side effects of certain medications. Here are some holistic alternatives that have been studied extensively and are rooted in published science.

Living a more stress-free life means different things to different people, but I believe that everyone can benefit from bringing calm into more areas of their life. It’s a process and it takes time, but it’s worth it. 

PAIN RELIEF

Instead of slapping a band-aid on our health issues, holistic healing identifies and treats the underlying cause of disease. 

How many of us grew up hearing that chronic disease was genetic? Well, I’m here to tell you that is FALSE! That belief keeps many of us sick and stuck in a healthcare system that manages symptoms with pharmaceuticals but never addresses the root cause. Over 80% of chronic disease is environmental, meaning our daily choices and habits are what directly impact our health.

So much of what is labeled as a “disease” is just the symptom. 

  • High cholesterol

  • High Blood Pressure

  • Thyroid issues

  • Candida

  • PMS

  • Infertility

  • Insomnia

  • PCOS

  • Anxiety

If so many of these health issues are just symptoms, what do these symptoms point to? Every single one of these things is linked to your metabolic health and your endocrine system. Start adopting holistic living habits and start addressing those root causes and healing them at their source.

I could go on and on about the benefits of a holistic lifestyle. But honestly, you never know how it will positively affect you until you try living holistically! 

5 Simple Ways to Start Living a Holistic Lifestyle Today

Like you, I’m all about simple ways to live more holistically. There’s no need to make it complicated! You can reduce your toxin exposure by focusing on these five things in your home that are contributing the most harm to your family. 

I call these the “Big 5” because they have the highest concentration of toxins, and you’re exposed to them the most often. They deserve your time, attention, and, if you’re able, an investment. They come with a higher risk because they come with multiple toxins, and you’re exposed to them all the time! If you can address these five areas, you’re so much further ahead than a lot of people!

1. FILTER YOUR DRINKING WATER

If you’re drinking as much water as you should be (approximately half your body weight in ounces) and you’re drinking from the tap or bottled water, then you’re being exposed to multiple contaminants. This could include:

  • Fluoride

  • Pharmaceuticals

  • Industrial contaminants

  • Endocrine disruptors

  • PFAS chemicals

Yuck! Investing in a quality drinking water filter is worth the money. Here are some of my favorites. 

You can check the contaminants in your tap water at the Environmental Working Group’s Tap Water Database. It also provides you with a comparison between the legal limit of the contaminant and the health risks associated with particular levels. If this doesn’t open your eyes to what you’re drinking every day, I don’t know what will!

2. REMOVE ARTIFICIAL FRAGRANCES

Artificial fragrances include air fresheners (like Febreeze), wax melts, candles, clay plug-ins, and others. They may make your home smell good, but they’re nothing more than a cocktail of hormone-disrupting chemicals. You’re inhaling them all day and all night! 

Phthalates were first introduced in the 1920s and were added to synthetic fragrances to make the scent long lasting. You can’t avoid phthalates completely because they are everywhere, but you can reduce your exposure significantly by doing the following:

  • Eliminate canned or packaged food in order to limit ingestion of phthalates leached from plastics.

  • Avoid receipts and fast food wrappers where possible. They are coated with these toxins.

  • Never store or microwave food in plastic containers, swap to glass or stainless steel.

  • Eliminate any fragrance plug-ins, air fresheners, or personal products that contain undisclosed fragrance.

Now, I understand the need to have a nice-smelling home. Here are a few toxin-free fragrances I love. Also, consider opening up your windows and getting some fresh air in! 

3. SWAP YOUR HOUSEHOLD CLEANERS

I’m not just talking about the products you use to clean your home. I’m also talking about laundry detergent and dryer sheets. You inhale your cleaning supplies all day long, especially if you work from home! You’re also wearing your clothes all day and sleeping on your sheets at night. That toxin exposure can add up. Swapping your household cleaners is one of the best things you can do for your family!

Psst... Grab my Green Cleaning Guide to learn ingredients to avoid, what companies are greenwashing you, and which cleaners are really the greenest.

4. ADDRESS YOUR HOME’S AIR QUALITY

Guess what? You’ve already started this one by ditching artificial fragrances and swapping your household cleaners and laundry detergent. Good for you! Here are a few other things you can do:

  • Open your windows for 15-30 minutes a day

  • Don't wear shoes in your home

  • Vacuum regularly

  • Wet dust

  • Invest in an air filter (especially if you live in an area with poor outdoor air quality!)

According to the World Health Organization, around three point eight million people a year die from exposure to household air pollution. The products we use to clean our house often make our environment untenable, and we don’t even realize it. Poor indoor air quality has been linked to all kinds of health issues like asthma, pneumonia, lung cancer, pulmonary disease, heart attacks, and more. 

5. SWAP YOUR DEODORANT

Traditional deodorants have aluminum salts in them to clog your pores and stop sweating. It’s convenient, but it clogs your natural detox pathways. Sweat, especially from armpits, releases toxins from your body. You can see the problem here if conventional deodorants are blocking that pathway! 

Many of the ingredients found in conventional deodorants are known hormone disruptors. Over time, the use of them in our products can lead to hormone imbalance, PMS, PCOS and eventually, autoimmune, infertility and breast cancer. This is especially true since you apply deodorant so close to your breasts and lymph system.⁣ Switch to all-natural deodorant, and you’ll be good to go. 

Getting the “Big 5” out of your home will make a huge difference to living more holistically and toxin-free! If you want to…

  • Learn what to prioritize first to get the biggest bang for your health buck

  • How to read labels and what to look for while shopping in stores

  • Learn about the 25 most toxic ingredients to avoid

  • Get a toxin-free product checklist

…Then download my free low-stress toxin-free roadmap! This is the perfect place to start your holistic, toxin-free journey!

20 Clean Living Products I Love

As mentioned above, there are several products you may use every day that have harmful chemicals in them. It’s important to swap these out as much as you can to live more holistically. These are the products I swear by and highly recommend you check out! 

*Some of these are affiliate links, which means when you click the link to purchase something on this page, it won't cost you more, but I may receive a commission for sharing this with you.

CLEAN BEAUTY

CLEANING

OUTDOORS

BABIES

KITCHEN


As you can see, I have a lot of favorites 🙂 There are a lot of ways to remove toxins from your home! Shop all the toxin-free products I’ve researched and I can vouch for.

The Secret to Creating a Holistic Habit That Sticks

You don’t need to replace every single thing in your life and household to make a difference. Decide on a few things worth your energy, time, and money. Psst…. The answer isn’t everything! 

Your energy, time, and money are priceless. Decide what’s important to you and worth it in those aspects. Commit to those things, and your mind, body, and soul will thank you! You can always add more toxin-free products to your life later on 🙂

I also want to mention that something good for you can be taken too far. When something consumes your thoughts and causes stress and anxiety, take a step back. It can end up being worse for your health than the toxins you’re trying to avoid! 

Stick to a few things that are priorities for you and your family. I encourage you to start with small, easily replaceable items (deodorant, laundry detergent, dryer sheets, etc.) and work your way more and more toward a toxin-free lifestyle.

Living a holistic lifestyle doesn’t have to be complicated! The tips in this article are great starting points for people who are brand new to holistic living or maybe have been misguided by the loads of information out there. If you’re ready to commit to a toxin-free lifestyle, I’m your gal. Listen to my podcast, The Detox Dilemma, every week for new topics about how to live holistically. You got this, girl!

About Wendy Kathryn

As an environmental toxins lawyer, I work in environmental toxins regulation, but it took some time for me to put it together that I was so concerned with the toxins in drinking water, soil, and air… but I was putting those same toxins on my face, skin and breathing them in my home! These same toxins were in my lotions, skincare, and even my baby girl's diaper cream. The only difference is that they aren’t regulated in personal care products. (wtf.. right???)

Once I fully understood that there were ZERO regulations limiting toxins in our cleaners and personal care products…. I found my life’s purpose. So now y'all are stuck with me because I will be talking about the toxins in our home…. F-O-R-E-V-E-R! (or until we change the law and I can retire on a beach in Costa Rica <3)

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