It’s a barefoot lifestyle

It’s a barefoot lifestyle

Time for an update on the goals I posted back in May πŸ˜‰ :

  • no-poo: the only time shampoo is used on my hair is when I go to the hairdresser for a haircut and/or henna hair coloring (although I’m going “au naturel” lately). For the rest I just wash it in the bath tub, rinse with cold water and every once in a while (like once every 2 months?) I might wash it with my homemade lye soap or put on a clay mask.
  • toothpaste: I tried to brush my teeth with a mixture of coconut oil and sodium bicarbonate (and a drop of peppermint essential oil), but I’ve read that sodium bicarbonate might be too aggressive to use daily, so I’m back to my organic toothpaste (with a clay base) and use the coconut/bicarbonate mix only once in a while.
  • soap: still only use my own homemade lye soap
  • deodorant: coconut oil and when going to the gym I use my homemade ’toothpaste’ (coconut oil, sodium bicarbonate and peppermint essential oil), that is IF I remember πŸ˜‰
  • Body: coconut oil if needed
  • “TOM”: I’ve switched to re-usable cotton napkins and am very happy with them!
  • Get enough sleep: well uhm, it’s been summer holiday :p . But as of September 1st that will become priority again!
  • Barefooting: I’ve been a “full-time barefooter” since the beginning of July. This means I go barefoot everywhere I can: hiking, shopping, strolling around town, work, school, yes even Crossfit. I’ve only worn (minimalist) shoes on occasions: double unders at CrossFit (whipping your toes with a jumping rope HURTS LIKE HELL), a funeral, carrying a refrigerator on gravel, things like that πŸ˜‰ . In the beginning I took my Xero Shoes with me, but now I don’t even bother anymore (and most of the time I just forget). My soles are getting used to walking on all kinds of surfaces. We even went for a 3 hour adventure hike in a forest in Brussels and Lou did the whole thing barefoot with me!

Some thoughts on barefooting

I’m so used now to walking around barefoot that most of the time I’m not even aware of what other people might think about it. Most of the times I’m too busy (doing stuff, or talking to the boys) to notice. As I was strolling around town today with nothing else to do I wanted to be aware of people noticing and seeing their reaction to my bare feet. I think only 2 elderly ladies looked at my feet in disgust, all the other people noticing seemed more puzzled! They saw my bare feet, then looked up to my clothing, looked back at my feet and looked up to me again, as if they wouldn’t believe that someone looking just like them would walk around with no shoes. I think most people expected me to look like a hippie or something, with dreadlocks and baggy pants and tie-and-dye T-shirt (yeah I know, typical prejudices!). Instead I dress quite classically (skirt, t-shirt, cardigan; toe nails painted in flashy colors πŸ˜‰ ) and have a short, straight haircut and people just don’t associate “that kind of person” with bare feet, I think. I’m a hippie in disguise :p . I love the reaction of children, as they just shout out loud “look mom, that lady has no shoes on!” and then start giggling when I wiggle my toes. I’m open to conversation and welcome people asking me why I walk around barefoot. Unfortunately not many people ask, they just stare. And I smile back πŸ™‚ . Walking around barefoot is NOT something I do to shock people, or to create controversy. I do this for me, for my physical and mental health. And when people ask and I explain most people react in a positive way. Some are interested when I tell them I no longer suffer back pain due to a hernia, or that my knees don’t hurt anymore, because they suffer with similar problems. I also emphasize the impact on my stress levels: I feel much more “in connection” with myself, not worrying all the time. And whenever I wear shoes, for whatever short period, I feel like I’m missing out, because I don’t feel the earth underneath my feet.

So, what’s next? A lot of changes going on: I no longer work at the office and am starting full time school in a few weeks, studying to become a kindergarten teacher! I’ll see if I can stay barefoot as long as possible, wear minimalist shoes only when absolutely required. I will no longer have a car (sold it) and will have to do everything with bicycle and public transport, so I will need to learn to plan ahead a lot!

I’m going to do a Whole30 as of September 1st, but decided not to blog about it (or not regularly at least), as that was part of why my previous W30’s have failed (the stress, the stressssss!!!!). My body needs a nutritional reset, especially after being “glutened” by accident twice in the past few weeks. Both episodes left me in pain for a few days, with fibro symptoms back within a few hours of consumption (pain all over and especially in joints, super tired all day, headache, brain fog, attention span of a fruit fly, not being able to concentrate…). If I ever doubted if my fibromyalgia symptoms were caused by gluten I’m now pretty sureΒ (read: absolutely sure) they were. Gluten = evil!

I’m curious what the next few weeks will bring, and how our life is going to change with me going back to school. I’ll be in class with kids just a year older as my oldest son! But I’m looking forward to it πŸ™‚ .

13 reacties op “It’s a barefoot lifestyleVoeg die van jou toe →

  1. I’m envious of your ability to go barefoot wherever you go! Good luck with school!! Excited to start another Whole30 with you. πŸ™‚

    1. Yeah, I understand it’s harder in the US to go barefoot, because of ‘no shoe no service’ policies in lots of places? Here in Belgium nobody gives a single f**** :p .

  2. Barefoot…how fun!…and natural. Whole30 worked well for me, because I did not blog daily with all of my food choices. I really did you enjoy yours though, so thank you for that! Enjoy your new stress-less Whole30. Excited for you and your schooling, too!

  3. Wat doe je nu het kouder wordt en veel regent (en als het straks sneeuwt)? Ook op blote voeten lopen buiten?
    Ik zou het ook wel graag willen doen, maar er ligt hier in de buurt toch wel ERG veel glas op straat. Ik moet al opletten waar ik rij met mijn fiets… πŸ˜› (in het Prehistorisch Dorp liep ik ook voortdurend op blote voeten, maar daar lag nergens glas, alleen zand/gras/stenen en buiten het park grind, maar dat was ook allemaal glas-loos dus dat was geen probleem)

    1. Op school moet ik schoenen aan, maar zodra ik kan gaan die weer uit. In het weekend loop ik nog steeds op blote voeten rond, ik zie wel hoe het loopt als het kouder wordt. Als het echt te koud wordt heb ik laarzen van omgekeerd schaap.

          1. Vorig jaar in een sneeuwstorm een hele dag mee in Antwerpen rondgelopen en lekker warme voeten mee gehad. Gewoon nachtje laten drogen en klaar.

          2. Dan ga ik eens kijken of ik ze kan vinden hier πŸ™‚ Ik ben namelijk op zoek naar nieuwe warme schoenen voor deze herfst+winter, aangezien mijn vorige paar helemaal kapot was gegaan (ook niet meer te maken volgens de schoenmaker :P) en ik verder alleen snowboots heb (van die hoge, lichtblauwe), maar die lopen niet heel ideaal als het koud winterweer is ZONDER sneeuwt.

          3. Die keten zit niet in Nederland, maar ik kan me niet voorstellen dat ze ze hier niet ergens hebben πŸ™‚ Volgende keer dat ik in de stad ben ga ik ook wel even kijken of er een winkel is die ze heeft, zodat ik ze kan passen om te kijken of ik ze wel lekker vind zitten enzo.

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