Let’s talk about a word that’s not often discussed at the dinner table.
Bacteria.
It might sound strange to propose “bacteria” as a talking point, but why wouldn’t we? Bacteria is literally everywhere. And unbeknownst to most – thanks to our cultural germophobia – we should actually want bacteria everywhere.
In us. On us. Around us. Instead, we go to great lengths to limit our exposure to it. We sterilize our bodies, our children, and almost every external environment surrounding us.
Believe it or not, understanding bacteria is key to creating healthy environments and overall wellness.
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Your body is a complex ecosystem made up of more than 100 trillion microbes that must be properly balanced and cared for if you are to be healthy.
This system of bacteria, fungi, viruses, and protozoa living on your skin and in your mouth, nose, throat, lungs, gut, so on and so forth… is referred to as the “human microbiome.” If your microbiome falls out of balance, your health is compromised.
Since learning about the weighty importance of microbiome to optimal health and wellness, I’ve worked to deepen my understanding of it. I started by studying the gut microbiome. For two years now, I’ve worked to revive my healthy gut bacteria, which had been destroyed after years of antibiotics due to bacterial throat infections. I can proudly say that my gut “backies” (my term of endearment for the little guys) are now healthy and happy!
More recently, I came across research revealing the importance of balanced skin microbiome. Who knew? Bacteria on the skin is good for us.
And just as most of our guts are compromised, so too is our largest organ: our skin. Like so many modern practices (and products), our current hygiene methods have stripped our skin of the good bacteria that keeps it naturally clean and healthy.
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Our current obsession with “clean” is harming us! The habitual use of antibacterial sanitizers, soaps, shampoos, detergents, preservative-laden cosmetics, and inorganic household cleaners are killing our delicate skin microbiome needed for healthy and beautiful skin.
I wanted to learn more, so I sat down with scientist David Whitlock and cosmetic expert Jasmina Aganovic of AOBiome and Mother Dirt. Their groundbreaking discoveries are changing the conversation around bodily health and what it truly means to be “clean.”
Beware! After reading (or listening to the podcast) you may just want to go roll in some mud! At the very least, you will rethink “clean.”
And better yet… if you follow their advice, you’ll likely save hundreds to thousands of dollars per year by ditching all of those products that you thought were necessary to look and smell great!
Here are 3 shocking insights that I gained from the conversation illuminating how bacteria can actually make you way healthier and save you money…
From my interview with David Whitlock and Jasmina Aganovic…
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Bacteria Makes You Healthier!
Our belief systems say that all bacteria is bad. So what do we do? We bathe every day with soaps and shampoos that completely rid us of it. We take antibiotics that attack bacteria from the inside. We constantly apply hand sanitizers that kill 99.9% of supposed germs on the outside.
We’ve gotten to a place where we’ve sterilized our environments so much that we’re not actually getting the good bacteria we need to fight off infection and disease. A lot of what keeps your body healthy – the factors that suppress infection by bad bacteria – is the good bacteria doing chemical warfare with the bad stuff to keep you alive.
The world is designed to have bacteria everywhere. This is the environment that our ancestors lived in and evolved through. So now, instead of being clean, we’re making ourselves more susceptible to the harmful killers that make us sick. You can’t take any living thing out of its natural environment and expect it to thrive. It’s just not possible.
According to David and Jasmina, we’ve screwed up our natural environment so much in recent years that we’ve created a bacterial imbalance in and on our bodies. And that imbalance is the real trigger for most of the skin problems that we’re seeing now more than ever in our human history. Today, over 80 million people suffer from acne, and 1 in 6 children are diagnosed with eczema.
When we’re sick, we’re not performing to the best of our abilities, we’re killing our lifespan, and we’re dropping a ton of money on treatments. On top of that, many of us end up spending thousands of dollars on products, makeups and solutions to try to “cover up” our unhealthy bodies.
If you want to be healthier, ditch the hand sanitizers and expensive hygiene and cosmetic products.
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Bacteria Saves You Money!
Why do people buy cosmetic products in the first place? Well that’s easy. Everybody wants to look and feel great.
We don’t want to reek of body odor, so we apply soap or body wash daily and then use deodorants full of synthetic chemicals that literally prevent us from sweating. We want our hair to look a certain way, so we use shampoos and gels that allow us to change it. We want to have smooth skin, so we cover our faces up with makeup and use moisturizers on our arms and legs.
I am not saying that we should all stop bathing and just ditch products altogether. But I do feel that it’s important to recognize how many products we actually buy and use on a daily basis simply to feel like our natural selves.
The irony here is that we’re not really trying to look more attractive. We’re trying to look healthier. Or, that should be the goal at least.
We have body odor in the first place because our body is trying to flush out unhealthy toxins. Our hair looks dry when we strip it of its natural oils with our shampoos. And our skin gets uncomfortable when it’s unable to fight off bad bacteria.
The very things that we’re using to look healthier are the same things that are making us look unhealthy in the first place.
By creating a sterile environment for ourselves where we no longer have any good bacteria to fight off the bad bacteria, our bodies become unhealthy and seem to need cosmetic products to look normal again.
So imagine this… If you are able to ditch a majority of these “beauty” products, how much money can you save? As your (healthy) millionaire coach, I’m always finding places where we can be healthier and save money at the same time.
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Get Dirty to Be Clean!
There are several ways to start turning this around. For one, quit using antibacterial soaps and sanitizers. Ditch the long lather-down showers. Not only are they stripping your body of the bacteria we want, but they are a waste of water. And they waste time. Time is money!
Also, look for organic shampoos, body washes, and moisturizers that aren’t laced with chemical additives. Despite their revolutionary beauty promise.
You might also want to add more dirt and sweat into your hygiene routine! I walk barefoot outside in my grass and dirt daily. I always get a recharge connecting to mother earth. And I get my sweat on several days a week in my near infrared sauna.
I’ve researched the market intensively, and one of my favorite trusted brands is Mother Dirt. Mother Dirt offers a very affordable line of sprays, shampoos, moisturizers, and cleansers that allow us to “rethink clean” in a way that we can look and feel healthier than ever. All without the need of a bathroom full of expensive beauty and hygiene products.
You’ll find Mother Dirt in my bathroom. What products would I find in yours?
Click here to listen to my full podcast interview with David and Jasmina.
