Making changes for the benefit of living cleaner as a family has become a passion of mine. Since becoming more connected with my body and listening to all that’s going on and what I’m putting into and near me has made me more aware of the products we use as a family.
Simple swaps are an everyday household, hygienic or food products that can be changed for non-toxic or all natural versions. As a family of four, we’re attempting to clean up old habits, be more socially aware and healthier overall.
Although my family isn’t vegan, it is my goal to provide them with healthy, non-processed meals as often as possible. When I first started to think about the health of my family I thought about the way I was raised. Growing up I had the typical diet of a normal little black girl with your normal baked mac and cheese, burger and nugget meals and oh boy the sweet potato pie and potato salad. However, once I started to have complicated issues with my stomach I quickly saw the fault in the ways of years of bad habits and eating animals. I made the switch to a plant-based diet in July of 2018 and have been finding new ways to do simple meal swaps as well for the entire family
As I grow through this I’ll be documenting it for other families to make simple swaps where they see necessary in their lives. I have found that when attempting to make such massive changes it’s best to do it slowly and take your time to make the right choices for your family. In my experience when you jump feet first into action without a plan or when you put a ton of pressure on yourself to do all the things at once it begins to feel more like a chore or worse – you fail.
Take your time when making changes that impact your entire family especially when it requires changing old habits. Here are 4 simple Swaps we’re making as a family but there’s going to more so stay subscribed for updates and additions to this list.
4 Products We’ve Swapped for Non-Toxic Alternatives
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Probiotics
*Sponsored by Gyrph & Ivy Rose
When I heard about the Gryph & IvyRose brand I was excited to get their products for my family. My daughter and I have tummy problems so I was excited to learn about their Chocolate Heart Probiotics. These hearts contain Raw Cacao, which is known as a superfood because of its potent antioxidants and high mineral content. Yacon Root, which contains a nutrient called fructooligosaccharides (FOS) that acts as a prebiotic which promotes growth in probiotics
The Gryph & Ivy Rose is certified organic, plant-based, pediatrician approved & made without harsh chemicals. My daughter loves the taste of them which makes it a hit in my house. As a mom of picky kids to have something that tastes good and is good for you is great. The ingredients listed for the chocolate heart are; Raw Fair Trade Cacao Nibs°, Coconut Sugar°, Raw Yacon Root Powder°, Raw Cacao Butter°, Raw Vanilla Bean°, Live Probiotic Blend of L. acidophilus, B. bifidum, B. lactis, B. longum.
If you’d like to be apart of the #GIRfamily, head to their site to check out all of their amazing products.
Air “Fresheners”
Instead of using your traditional air freshers I have switched to using all natural candles and essential oil diffusers. In order to use a diffuser, you want to make sure you have some all natural essential oils and look into some nice blends. With essential oils, the great thing about them is you can also feel the effects for various different things.
Right now I love the orange + eucalyptus blend which aids in anxiety and stress, but it’s also nice to have a few drops of lavender in the air for a calm soothing setting for the kids right before bed. This is a simple swap you can make at home that lasts a long time, I use this diffuser in my living room with water and just a few drops of this oil and it last all day.
Do you have an essential oil blend you love? Would like to hear about it.
Deodorant
We’re using the mom-owned brand Play Pits for my son’s deodorant. And have been loving it, we have the Suga scent and it works really well for his pre-teen odor. The ingredients in the deodorant are all natural and make me feel safe as a mom putting it on my son,The Play Pits owners have researched every ingredient in their deodorant to ensure the best protection against odor the ingredients on their deodorant brand consist of Shea Butter, Fractionated Coconut Oil, Kaolin Clay, Candelilla Wax, Babassu Oil, Cornstarch, Baking Soda, Zinc Oxide, Grape Seed Oil, apple cider vinegar and essential oils for fragrance.
If you’re looking for a clean deodorant for your young family members, give this one a try!
Household cleaners
When I started my research on cleaner cleaning products I found that there are some great brands right within my favorite Target. The brands Method & Meyer’s are affordable and easy to find right in your own backyard. The Meyer’s brand is free of animal-derived ingredients and not tested on animals and it’s made with essential oils and plant-derived ingredients!
The Method brand carries a lot of household products that you can swap easily for their line of more natural items. Their products use naturally derived, non-toxic ingredients— and are not tested on animals ever! Some other favorites include Seventh Generation and Green Works.
Wife, mom of 2, wellprenuer and student of holistic health and nutrition from New York City. As a wellness advocate, food, feelings & movement enthusiast my work centers around making holistic wellness & nutrition relatable. This platform is where I share openly about my experiences as a black millennial woman healing past traumas and breaking generational curses within my own family. 
