The 12 healthy products I use in my own home
Getting healthy and staying healthy – this requires daily action. Are there ways to make this process easy, inexpensive, and actually BETTER than any other way to live?
But of course!
I’m going to show you the 12 products I use in my own life on a daily (or near daily) basis to leverage my daily, regular life for health and longevity.
My focus is on reducing toxic load on our bodies, making a healthy habit easier, and living in a way that is harmonious with our nature.
I’m providing LINKS to products I mention whenever I can so that you can find them easily; a couple of these are affiliate links, which means that I get a small compensation if you buy the product, which is pretty cool – thank you in advance. I ONLY would ever mention something if I believe in it, and have had good results myself.
I have also curated a whole “Resource Page” for you, kind of like your own easy one-stop connection to many of my favorites for food, home, skin, beverage and lifestyle. Even a clean-crafted wine source! A lot of the vendors have supplied me with very significant savings I pass onto you through the links on that page.
1. Air Filter
Life begins with breath, the first survival “hunger of health.“ You can do a lot to improve your health, but if the air you breath is not clean, the progress you’d make is severely limited. I love THIS air filter! After a lot of research, I like this one for the value it offers for the price, and also the fact that it offers various sizes for various needs. It filters impurities with a 2-filter, multi-step process, down to 99.97% of the virus-size particles.
I have the 3000 Model in my home, one in my clinic, have gifted them to multiple family members, and always recommend them to my patients and clients. I never fail to be amazed at the amount of crud this workhorse filters out of our air – and that’s without pets. It’s important during the colder months as we live indoors more, and IMPERATIVE during allergy and wildfire season. (That link will save you nearly $300 on the size I have.)
2. Water filter(s)
The second survival “hunger of health” is thirst. Our last house had a whole house filter, and after we moved to the cabin, I sure noticed a huge difference in my skin from taking showers in unfiltered water – I was so much dryer, my nose was itchy, and my feet were more irritated. I installed THESE on our showers, which I ordered off Amazon. Big improvement!
For drinking water, I like THIS one, which puts the tap water through a multi-step process to remove impurities. (I also like THIS one, but I cannot get the size I want in California – thanks a lot, Sacramento.)
3. Squatty Potty
It’s a funny name and a somewhat awkward topic, but it serves an important function: getting your body into the proper posture for pooping for those of us using a Western toilet rather than squatting as our ancestors did…the posture our bodies are designed to do…for doo.
When your knees are not elevated (as they are in a squatting position), your puborectalis muscle is contracted, pulling the rectum tight, making it harder to accomplish a stress-free, full evacuation. When that muscle is relaxed, a smoother elimination is allowed. The Squatty Potty facilitates that. As I have named elimination as the 4th important survival “hunger of health,” you know I think it’s important!
4. Lemon Squeezer
I love a good gadget! This is such a simple tool, but it makes preparing our morning lemon water quick and easy. Lemon water daily – before caffeine or food, especially – wakes up your metabolism and helps you rehydrate after a nightime of respiration (we typically lose 30 ounces of water every night!). My lemon squeezer is enameled aluminum, very sturdy, but I think I’d get stainless steel if I bought it today, due to negative studies on aluminum and the brain. It’s also simple to store and clean. Wins!
5. Lunch cooler, cutting board, knife, stainless steel bowls
Linda and I pack the ingredients for a lunch salad 3 days every week. We used to try and prepare the salad in the mornings, or even the night before, but we found it easier to just pack the ingredients instead, since we typically leave our cabin by 6:00am. An extra bonus is the segue the salad prep allows us mentally between work and sitting down to lunch. It has turned into one of our favorite parts of our workday.
Our salads are epic, if I say so myself! Typical ingredients (all organic) include a protein (partial to sliced turkey right now; have also enjoyed roasted chicken, leftover steak, hardboiled pasture-raised eggs, etc); LOTS of different vegetables, like carrots, cucumbers, sweet multi-colored peppers, beets, celery; nuts, especially pepitas or walnuts; a bagged salad blend, and/or greens from my garden; fresh berries; and maybe some feta cheese.
Are our food choices perfect for everyone? Of course not – you do you, but do pack your own lunch with diverse vegetables and fruits to capture a daily win for yourself. So much healthier than most options for purchase, too.
6. Wool Dryer Balls
We got ours in a gift box we received when we made a donation to Environmental Working Group, an entity I support 100% for the important work they do (check out their safety guides for sunscreens, tap water and their famous “Clean 15, Dirty Dozen” produce guide). Wool dryer balls are a simple swap for dryer sheets, which contain all kinds of chemicals harmful to your family and the earth, and which make more trash for the planet. So easy to use – just throw them in the dryer with your wet clothes to de-static them.
7. Non-toxic laundry detergent
THIS is the brand we use for both our personal wash and also the hot water loads we do of towels and sheets from the clinic. This workhorse does great, and provides another simple way to reduce the chemical load in your body and also on the planet, with its reusable containers – you only buy the big plastic bottle once. Refills are concentrated packets delivered to you to dilute in the same big bottle you saved (you customize the order size and product selection).
Chemical fragrances are one of the most toxic, irritating ingredients in personal and household products; this detergent is scented with non-toxic essential oils instead (you can get it completely fragrance-free if you prefer).
This company also offers various other products like spray counter cleaners, and my family’s favorite: dryer angels, which are hand-sewn angel shaped fabric pouches for their long-lasting essential oil-infused beads to throw in the dryer with your own wool dryer balls (again, buy the “angel” once, order the beads to refill as needed). My grandkids love these: “smells like Mimi and Bop’s house!”
8. Non-toxic skin care
Did you know that the average woman in America is exposed to over 250 chemicals every morning before she even leaves her house? Many of those are in her personal care products. This can have a HUGE effect on hormones, immunity, every system. You’d be amazed what gets uncovered when I do a Functional test for toxins with my clients. Detoxifying your skin care products is a great place to start improving your life in this regard.
Linda swears by THESE products. The company is sustainable and ethical, and the products have a fresh subtle feel and smell like something from a garden, not a chemistry lab. That’s because the products are plant-based, not chemical-based, which means your skin will drink them up easily, to absorb into you rather than to sit on top while also polluting you with artificial chemicals. Linda’s favorites are the Neroli Toning Mist (neroli is the essential oil sourced from the orange blossom), and the AntiAging Facial Oil. She also treated herself last year to the roll-on Oud Revele luxury scent. We both like that a lot.
9. Yoga mat
I’m including this because of all the minutes I’ve spent on mine to increase my longevity via breath work, stretching, yoga, prayer and meditation, and just watching the world wake up in the morning, listening to the birds greet the day with song. I layer mine on top of a larger mat to keep it cleaner and give me a little more cushion. This is a perfect example of how one habit done daily can bear fruit in increasing and geometric harvest: I know I am better in mind, body and spirit for my time on the mat. (No link here because so many great options are readily available.)
10. Water troughs
The pleasure I have derived from my little “home farm” has brought me so much joy. Besides all the health benefits from the freshest food possible, gardening also has proven mental and physical health benefits! When we lived in the suburbs, my daughter and son-in-law took out our front lawn and installed DG (decomposed granite) where I put 3 huge horse troughs (they come in smaller sizes, too; check a local feed store) and grew melons, tomatoes, herbs, lettuces and other greens, carrots, strawberries, onions, beets, turnips and radishes (they designed and installed a whole amazing xeriscape border as well, with further crops: a Meyer lemon tree, bay laurel, herbs and beautiful drought-tolerant flowers).
I also grew relationships, as neighbors out walking dogs and kids stopped to chat. The kids were fascinated and I loved letting them pick something. I think I even inspired some of the neighbors to convert their own front yards!
Here in my troughs on the ranch, I grow greens of various kinds, and have really taken to the herbs. Besides what we eat fresh, I dry many of the herbs to make teas, which are such a treat with a little Manuka honey added. My current favorites are lemon balm, lemon verbena, lemon grass (can you tell I love lemon???), thyme, oregano and sage. The “neighbors” I interact with here include a couple of frogs (toads?), woodpeckers, hummingbirds and other feathered species that enjoy the seeds and water, and a couple of ground squirrels I had to outwit at the onset.
11. Air fryer
This is great for quick baking without heating up the whole oven and avoiding added fat. We got ours at Costco, but I’m sure there are many great brands and models out there. My advice is to get a bigger unit than you think you’ll need. Thank me later!
12. Non-paper towels
When COVID hit, we upped our wiping and sanitizing big-time in the clinic. I quickly decided to find something besides paper towels to accomplish this, as I was bothered by how much trash we were creating. We found a great product on Etsy, from a woman who crafts these sturdy bird’s eye cotton non-paper wipes. I’m all about supporting small business whenever I can, but the products have to be excellent. These are. We use them with alcohol at the clinic to wipe down all surfaces including the tables, and at home with the Truly Free products.
We also gifted them to our daughters, who use separate colors for dinner napkins, counter towels, washcloths, and baby bottom wipes. They wash up amazingly, and last like iron. Win for the planet and win for your home!
Scale up your health by incorporating these products into your home for regular use.
Some will help you cultivate healthy habits, and others help you detox by reducing your toxic chemical load – my favorite detox is using products like these to avoid introducing toxins in the first place!
Any surprises or discoveries here for you?
What can you swap out in your own home for a quick win – or to stack a dozen wins, like mine? Let me know in the comments below.
Please share with someone you care about, so they can make their own home a healthy sanctuary, too.
Your partner in health,
Dr. Wade
3 thoughts on “My 12 Best Home Products for a Healthier Life”
Hi Wade and Linda,
I wanted to check in and say hello. I love your products and have most of them myself. Love Ann Marie’s products been using her products for years. They have sure come along the way. I’m in the process of buying an air filter and was looking at the Air filter and David Wolfe’s suggest it also. Love him. I will stop in when I’m in the area and get some vitamins when I’m out. I trust your selection. I have some on going issues with mold exposure from 2018 and now have some issues with my lungs. Hope you and all the girls are well! You probably have 2 more grandchildren by now:) So good to hear from you love reading all your work. Take good care xoxox Cyndy
Thanks again DR B ~!!! I love all of your suggestions — and it saves all of us so much time & research ~!!!
Thank you for the encouragement, Teri! It means so much and both Linda and I appreciate the feedback!