BOOBS. Now That We’ve Got Your Attention, It’s Really Important You Read This

As you may have noticed, hippie chic has really taken off. It's taken us so far that it actually isn't a thing anymore and hippie chic has simply turned into chic. To not do some form of yoga, meditation, juice drinking, or to have at least one or two natural tendencies in your regimen is kind of outdated. Even the least expected adopters are coming around. Last time I was home visiting my family in South Carolina, I was blown away by friends’ moms discussing essential oils, bullet proof coffees, and gluten free diets. You just never know.  Over the years of being into natural health, I have noticed myself doing things that are quintessentially super hippie without even thinking about it. Like wearing deodorant. I live in Venice, CA, and I don't know anyone who wears regular deodorant. A little splash of essential oils, perhaps a coconut oil and cornstarch paste? Voilà. You are good to go. Wear a bra? Maybe out to dinner to cover your nipples, but my boobs haven't seen an underwire in years. All of this happens without thinking too much about it; it just feels better.While we don't strive to be hip by being healthy, it has certainly become more accepted. This is a good thing.A lot of the latest wellness information out there is a gateway. Once you open your eyes to something as simple as eating more vegetables, you start to realize that there is so much that you don't know and that truly is impacting your life in ways that you may have never realized. We believe that eating eating clean and organic food ultimately leads to considering what you are putting on your body, and that evolves into being more considerate with every action you are taking in your life.In comes the veritable goddess of hippie, Nadine Artemis. Nadine has been around for quite a while making her stunning potions through her brand Living Libations. We'll admit that at first Nadine seemed a little far out, videos of her brushing her teeth in the middle of a lake, swinging from trees, and spouting words of naturalist wisdom all over her branding. Not exactly mainstream, but Nadine is smart. One use of any of her products and you’re hooked. You can smell and feel the magic in every ounce of alchemy. She is onto something very special.When we ran across a talk that she did with David Wolfe prior to her participation in the Longevity Now conference- we had to listen."What Every Women Needs to Know"Share this link with all of your girlfriends,  your mothers, your sisters, and any women in your life. It is time for us to wake up and stop being exhausted, stop having hormonal issues, and to stop living in fear of the inevitability that one in seven women will be diagnosed with breast cancer.Nadine breaks it down into very simple terms. We are experiencing an estrogen overload in our bodies, as both men and women. Preservatives and chemicals in our food system and cosmetics tax our bodies and create an estrogenic response. This causes anything from adrenal fatigue, to breast cancer and any other number of hormonal-related issues for all of us.All of the estrogen comes from exposure to chemicals that mimic estrogen—plastics and preservatives, or from eating non-organic food. Non-organic animal products are also a major source of estrogen as they are typically given potent estrogenic substances to make them more productive. We can combat these effects by focusing on eating whole foods, organic, free-range, grass fed, and eliminating processed foods from our diet;  but diet isn't enough. It is also crucial to focus on natural skincare and be conscious of all that we do to our bodies.As women we are dished a double whammy of confusing information. Concern for breast cancer leads to early mammogram screenings, which completely skims over the fact that mammograms are a form of radiation. She says that there is a 3-10% chance of developing breast cancer with excessive mammography treatment. So what do we do to make sure our girls are healthy? Thermography is the latest tool for breast examination that uses heat rather than radiation for detection.She talks about the importance of Vitamin D3 and keeping that optimal. There are statistics that say keeping your D3 levels optimal may help reduce breast cancer risk by up to 90% which is huge! For many of us who work inside all day or live in environments that experience the dark days of winter it is especially important to supplement.And wearing a bra? Lets think about what constricting our lymphatic system does to our boobs. What does it feel like to take your bra off at the end of the day? Like a breath of fresh air! You've been suffocating one of the most important lymphatic systems in your body. Things like breast massage, making sure that you wear a properly fitting bra that isn't too tight (when you need to), and making sure to pay attention to your breasts by properly caring for them is really important. She also talks about essential oils as a means to improved breast health. Monoterpenes are a class of molecules found in plant oils that make up the anti-viral/ anti-fungal bits of the plant. These boost our immune and liver function and help flush our lymphs.All of this information is intended to feel empowering not overwhelming. We are in an interesting period of time where information is readily available and we can educate ourselves in ways that we never have been able to before—especially as women. Taking charge of our health is beautiful and empowering and should feel exciting. It is all very beautiful. As women make their way as leaders and entrepreneurs we must remember to look after our physical bodies first and foremost.Artwork by Tara Hogan for Poppy+Seed, visit her website to connect.