If you've been reading my blogs lately, you've probably noticed that I’ve been using the words "calm" and "simple" to describe the direction I want for my life these days.

Those words have been shaping a lot of my decisions. I’m choosing a slower pace, fewer extremes, and more than a little extra intention about what I take on and what I let go of. I'm getting better at pausing, thinking, and praying before plowing ahead. It's a shift that's working well for me.

The more I’ve been paying attention to that shift, the more I’ve realized something: this approach isn’t exactly new to my life. It’s actually the very same way I’ve been caring for my body for quite a while... I guess I just never thought to intentionally apply it to other aspects of my life.

There was never a big overhaul or a dramatic starting point, but about ten years ago, I just started making small changes when the opportunity came up. I’d switch out a moisturizer here, try a cleaner laundry option there... just learning a little more about what I was using in our home and on my body. Nothing extreme, and definitely not all at once. I couldn't change everything overnight - that would have been way too expensive. I just kept slowly moving in a better direction.

Over time, those small, simple, intentional choices started to add up to a real difference. I noticed my energy level feeling more normal. I didn’t always feel like my body was working so hard just to keep up. I wasn't coming down with every single bug that was going around, either. That was a very welcome change! Things weren’t perfect, and they still aren’t, but the overall direction is better. That’s really been my approach to wellness. Calm, simple, and intentional choices. See? Just like I've been talking about lately when it comes to other aspects of my life. 

At some point I realized something else — you can’t avoid everything. We live in the real world and there’s only so much control any of us have.

So instead of trying to eliminate every possible exposure, I stopped chasing perfect and started focusing on lowering the load where I could.

I don’t have the time or energy to go on some all-out mission to remove every toxin. That would be exhausting… and honestly, impossible. My goal is much simpler than that. I just try to reduce the burden on my body where it makes sense and support the systems that are already designed to handle what I can’t avoid.

Because the reality is, our bodies are doing a lot of work for us every day. The liver, especially, takes the biggest hit when we’re exposed to chemicals and environmental stressors. Supporting healthy liver function just makes sense.

That mindset is what has guided most of my wellness decisions. Instead of harsh detoxes or extreme programs, I’m focusing on daily habits that support my body in normal, steady ways. Drinking enough water, getting decent sleep, managing stress as best I can, and gradually replacing conventional products with cleaner options have made more difference for me than anything short-term ever could. 

Some of the things that fit naturally into my routine came from Young Living. I use essential oils regularly for sleep, immune system support, lowering stress, and even emotional support, and I’ve added some gentle nutritional products along the way. But the products themselves were never the point. The goal has always been to give my mind and body more support and less to work against.

Like most people, I’m still a work in progress. I don’t do everything perfectly, and there are areas I’m still working on.

Right now, one of those areas is weight and metabolic balance. I didn’t gain the extra weight overnight, so I’m not expecting it to come off overnight. Instead of trying to force quick results, my focus has been on helping my body function the way it was designed to, using stored energy more efficiently and reducing the constant cycle of cravings and energy crashes.

That’s where Balance & Burn has come in for me. I’m using it as another layer of support while I keep working on the same steady habits I’ve been building for years. The progress has been slow, but that feels realistic. Slow changes tend to be the ones that last. I've experienced that over and over... big and abrupt changes never become lasting habits for me. 

Some days I do great. Some days I’m back in the kitchen at 8:30 looking for something sweet. 

More than anything, this season has reminded me that the way I’ve been caring for my body all these years is the same approach I’m now choosing in the rest of my life.

I’m trying to be a good steward of the body I’ve been given, to reduce the toxic burden where I can, support it where it needs help, and trust the way God designed it to work.

I’m not chasing perfect health. I’m just making small daily choices that give my body a little more support and a little less to fight against.

And in a world that pushes quick fixes and dramatic transformations, this slower, steadier way of living feels like the healthiest choice I’ve made.