As you might have seen in my other post, ShiftCon was pretty mind-blowing – and so were the brands that were featured at the conference.

It was such an epic event that I’m sure I could probably write a few more posts on it. However, I’ll leave you with a few statements that covers most of the event:

• We just want the right to know what is in our food. Even if you’re not against GMOs – you should be against anyone trying to stop an ingredient from being labeled. Fight for GMOs to be labeled, we deserve to know how our food is made.
• “Cheap food is not cheap. You may not pay for it at the cash register but we pay for it in healthcare bills.” @Gary_Hirshberg
• Stop the #pinkwashing & support companies that don’t put toxins in their personal care products. It’s amazing how many companies have a pink ribbon on their products this time of the year, but their stuff is made out of parabens and phthalates and crap you don’t need that are readily absorbed and stored in your system. There are superior products that are natural.
• Our skin in our largest organ & so many of our personal care products absorb through skin. Treat your body well. Please care about what you put on your body as much as you care about what you put inside
• We’re the fourth generation of people who have been exposed to chemicals and toxins from the moment we’ve been born. But we don’t have to choose to buy products with them – we can take control of what we purchase.

If you don’t have Robyn O’Brien’s book, “The Unhealthy Truth” – because it’s amazing. While you may not see the correlation between celiac disease and ShiftCon – it’s all about our food system, labeling, legislation, and knowing what’s in our food. Robyn’s book sheds light on labeling and the food system, starting with our her child’s food allergies. She’s really inspiring, showing you that one woman with a cause can cause change in the food system. If you want to be a celiac advocate, start with this book.

Another great part of ShiftCon was the “Why Are We So Allergic” panel featuring CATB friends Sarah Kay Hoffman (A Loving Spoon), Jean Layton (Gluten-Free Doctor) and (hopefully future friends) Healthy Jasmine, Sarah Stanley, Ashley Koff RD, Naturally Savvy, I can’t wait to write about this for Gluten Free & More My Life With Food Allergies! Sorry, you’ll have to wait until it comes out! All I can say is that you need to follow these smart ladies!

Another great session was about Fitspo – which can be a way for eating disorder suffers to hide their issues under the guise of fitness. While this conversation was supposed to be about how we can utilize fitspo positively, or how to take back the fitness hashtag (I think???) basically it just turned into a big counseling session where everyone ended in tears. Hug yourself. Love yourself. Stop comparing yourself to others. You are beautiful – right now, the way you are. Fitness can be running a marathon or just getting out of bed in the morning and walking 100 steps. Everyone’s fitness is different.

And stop using that stupid #Fitspo hashtag for god’s sake.

One of the best nights at ShiftCon was the Dr. Bronner’s #RethinkThePink party. We learned a lot about personal care products and GMOs.What was especially disturbing is learning how many brands are a part of Pink Washing – marketing their products to support breast cancer awareness, but really creating products that contain ingredients that promote cancer and other issues. The night was sponsored by a great site called SafeCosmetics.org. However I already know that I’m playing it safe with brands like Red Apple Lipstick. I’m happy that my gluten-free life and my organic/non-GMO life comes together at times!

Big thanks to the Mamavation/ShiftConMedia  (especially Leah pictured below) team for making this first-ever organic non-GMO social media summit happen. I will do whatever I can to be back next year!

To quote myself from my other post on ShiftCon – I’m not a hippy. I don’t identify with crunchy granola moms. I’ve never been at a non-GMO protest and I probably never will. I have resisted switching to non-toxic deodorant because I sweat like a marathon runner when I’m emotional. But I am pro-organic anything, pro-eco-friendly products, and I’ve always tried to put good things into my body and surround myself with brands that do the same. So when I heard of ShiftCon, I put aside any connotations that I might have, and I embraced the conference and the brands for what they were and what they are trying to do – deliver the best quality product to consumers. Deliver organic, non-GMO, wholesome ingredients that are free of toxins and harmful materials (and therefore often free of gluten). I was pleasantly surprised that I didn’t feel like a hippy after ShiftCon, I felt like a mindful consumer that was putting my money towards brands that had a mission – that wanted to make shifts happen.

And as a bonus before I get to the giveaway – here’s a recipe for a great natural household cleaner!

EARTH MAMA HOUSEHOLD SCRUB (great for sinks, counters, or the tub)

Via EarthMamaAngelBaby.com

MIx:

• 1 cup of baking soda
• 1/8-1/4 cup of any Earth Mama pure castile soap (or any castile soap)
• 1 tablespoon lemon juice or vinegar
• 3-5 drops of essential oils (good to use: lavender, tea tree, lemon, orange, or peppermint)
• SCRUB SCRUB SCRUB! 

And because I’d like YOU to take a look at your personal care products and food and try to make SHIFT HAPPEN – I’d like to offer you some products and coupons in my #ShiftHappens Giveaway! Please see the Terms & Conditions in the Rafflecopter widget for full sweepstakes information!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Tagged: giveaway, gluten free, Non-GMO, organic, ShiftCon, ShiftHappens