Savvy: :  adjective-having or showing perception, comprehension, or shrewdness especially in practical matters; verb-to know, to be wise

There could not be a more fitting term to describe Savvy Brown. On her blog, she shares valuable information on home, health, and (the topic that all of us ladies love)….hair! Did I mention she does all of this on a budget too? Check this naturalista out!

You are extremely knowledgeable in the area of health. What sparked your interest in this subject?

After having fibroid surgery, I started doing research.  I was shocked to find out how many of
the foods we eat today contain preservatives and chemical ingredients that mimic estrogen in
our bodies. Over-production of estrogen is one of the factors that cause and exacerbate
fibroids. Then I found the video that I posted on my site in “My Health Turning Point”, in which an endocrinologist in England talks about how almost all of our beauty products today include things like parabens, mineral oil, sulfates, phthalates and more that cause all kinds of other problems like high-blood pressure, cysts, asthma and cancer.  In fact phthaltes and sulfates are banned in most countries in Europe, but not here in the US. Now not every woman has fibroids, but I don’t know a single woman one that doesn’t get her hair done, or buy beauty products.

At that point, I ran to the bathroom, pulled out all my shampoos, conditioners, lotions,
creams, even my husband’s after shave! For months, he wouldn’t go near a beauty supply
store with me, because he knew I’d be in there for more than an hour reading labels and taking
notes. I found that 90% of the products we use have all of the ingredients that the doctor in
the video had said we should avoid at all costs!

One of the roadblocks to adopting a healthy lifestyle is the dominating belief that being healthy is prohibitively expensive. How do you work to dispel that myth?

One of the goals of my blog is to show how making healthy changes doesn’t need to be
expensive. Why pay $17 for “green” laundry detergent when you can make your own? We
make our own laundry powder, fabric softener, counter top cleaner for pennies at our house.
You can save on food by buying some organic food at the store, growing your own herbs, and
buying the rest at the local farmer’s market. Only use products that multitask for you. For
instance, we use castille soap as shampoo, body wash, laundry detergent, dish washing liquid,
facial soap, toilet bowl cleaner and household cleaner.

Your blog is unique in that it not only talks about keeping the body healthy, but also discusses the “health” of the home. Why do you think this is equally as important?

It’s all connected. It doesn’t make sense to me to do the work to eat better and use less toxic beauty products on our bodies but not change the products that we use in our living spaces. People have reduced their asthma attacks and eczema just by switching to nontoxic brands of laundry detergent and fabric softeners. I know others who have suffered from “acne” for years, when what caused their breakouts was an allergic reaction to bleach. Burning cheap dollar store candles can aggravate the lungs and even spread toxins in the air, but soy candles, homemade reed diffusers, even boiling a pot of water with essential oils drizzled in it are much better and safer.

Going “green” in the home can seem like an overwhelming task. For a person who wants to make small steps towards making their home eco-friendly, what would you suggest?

1. Stock up on some basic green products you find a great list at 10 Cheap Things to Clean Your House Naturally.

2. Go through your home a room at a time and read the labels on everything. Anything that takes the entire side of the box or bottle to list its ingredients, OR doesn’t list them at all…throw away. (If you can, recycle the container).

3. Swap out little things when grocery shopping- organic fruit instead of regular fruit, agave instead of white sugar, brown rice instead of white.

4. Check out SavvyBrown.com and AllDayNatural.com for tips, tricks and advice!

Anything else you would like to share?

Apply the same caution that you use when looking at everyday products to “green” products
in the store. “Green”, “Eco-friendly” and “Natural” are catch phrases right now, and not
everything in a recyclable container is healthy for you or your family. That goes for beauty
and hair products too. I can’t tell you how many well-meaning people have given me gifts of
“natural” products that are full of sulfates, parabens, bleach, and other things you wouldn’t
want to put on your skin or in your hair.

Be sure to check out SavvyBrown.com for more practical information for a healthy lifestyle.