LiBelle' Essential Living

12/10/2025

💜 We Are Over-Scent-ized

A StrongHer message about synthetic fragrance + hormone disruptors—and how to make cleaner swaps without losing your mind or your budget.

Walk into the average home and you’ll find scent everywhere.
We shower in it, wash clothes in it, clean with it, spray it into the air, sleep with it on our pillows, and even wrap our babies in it. And because these smells feel cozy, nostalgic, fresh, or feminine—we don’t think twice.

But here’s the truth most people have never been told:

Fragrance ≠ harmless.
And not all scents are created equal.

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🔍 Everyday Household Items That May Contain Synthetic Fragrance + Endocrine Disruptors

You may recognize these in your home right now:

✨ Laundry detergent
✨ Dryer sheets + fabric softeners
✨ Air fresheners + plug-ins
✨ Candles (especially “scented”)
✨ Perfume + body spray
✨ Shampoo & conditioner
✨ Lotions, body wash, deodorant
✨ Makeup + hair styling products
✨ Cleaning sprays + wipes
✨ Dish soap + hand soap
✨ Baby products (diapers, wipes, wash)
✨ Plastic food storage + non-stick pans
✨ Trash bags + paper products (toilet paper, tissues)
✨ Scented feminine products (tampons, pads)

This is layered exposure — and most people don’t realize they come in contact with dozens of hormone-disrupting chemicals before 9 a.m.

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⚠ Why Does This Matter?

Synthetic fragrances often contain phthalates, parabens, musks, oxybenzone & VOCs — many of which act as endocrine-disrupting chemicals (EDCs).

What does that mean for the body?

EDCs can:
• mimic hormones
• block hormones
• disrupt hormone production & metabolism

Over time, this may contribute to:

🩸 Hormonal imbalance
🧬 Fertility & reproductive challenges
💤 Sleep disruption & fatigue
🧠 Brain fog & neurological effects
🎀 Thyroid dysfunction
🌸 Estrogen-dominance symptoms (PMS, painful periods, fibroids, PCOS)
🎗 Potential links to hormone-related cancers

Not everyone reacts the same — but reducing exposure lowers the burden your body has to fight through every day.

Think of it as strength training for your cells.
Less interference = more resilience.

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🔬 The Science (Simple, Not Scary)

Your endocrine system is your internal communication network.

It regulates:
💜 metabolism
💜 mood
💜 reproduction
💜 growth
💜 stress response
💜 immune function

When synthetic fragrance chemicals enter the body through skin or lungs, they can bind to hormone receptors like imposters — sending the wrong signal, or blocking the right one. The body becomes confused, communication weakens, and symptoms speak louder.

This isn’t about panic.
This is about awareness.

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🌿 How to Move Toward a Non-Toxic Lifestyle Without Breaking the Bank

Small swaps move mountains over time. You don’t need perfection — just intention.

Start where it’s easiest:

🧺 Cleaning + Laundry

✨ Unscented or essential-oil-based detergents
✨ Wool dryer balls instead of dryer sheets
✨ Vinegar + baking soda for simple, effective cleaning

🛁 Personal Care

✨ Look for fragrance-free, phthalate-free, paraben-free
✨ Switch 1 product at a time — lotion first? deodorant next?
✨ Try essential oil perfumes instead of synthetic sprays

🏠 Air & Environment

✨ Crack a window daily (fresh air > plug-ins)
✨ Choose beeswax or coconut wax candles, not petroleum blends
✨ HEPA vacuum if you can — dust carries chemical residues

🍽 Food + Kitchen

✨ Glass over plastic for storage
✨ Don’t heat food in plastic — ever
✨ Filter water if possible

You don’t need to throw everything out.
Swap as you finish products. Slow change is sustainable change.

💜 StrongHer Reminder

This is not about fear.
It’s about power.
It’s about knowing better so you can choose better.

Your hormones deserve clarity.
Your cells deserve peace.
Your body deserves support — not overwhelm.

And you, beautiful woman —
are StrongHer every time you choose awareness.

🦋 One product at a time.
🦋 One swap at a time.
🦋 One step closer to the life you’re building.

12/01/2025

12/01/2025

🌿 StrongHer Truth for Today 🌿

Imagine your worst sick day…
Now imagine living like that every single day while still being expected to work, parent, show up, and push through exhaustion or pain that most people only feel with the flu.

For so many women, this isn’t a bad day — it’s their normal.
They don’t “get better”…
They learn to adapt.
They learn to cope.
They learn to live in the in-between.

And here’s the important part:
💛 We all cope and heal differently.
What works beautifully for one person might not work at all for another — and that’s okay. There is no one-size-fits-all path to healing, strength, or survival.

So today, give yourself credit for the way you keep going.
For the way you navigate your hard days.
For the way you rise, even if some days rising looks like resting.

You’re doing better than you think. 💜✨

11/25/2025

11/23/2025

This is so true!

But because of lupus,

I’ve learned not to waste my good energy on bad people, places & things
I’ve learned to embrace all the little things
I’ve learned to slow down
I’ve learned to touched grass
I’ve gained perspective

For me, I’ve gained more with lupus, than it’s taken from me. I try really hard on the hard days to remember all this. 💜🦋

And when all else fails, I turn on some Reba McEntire & sing with my whole chest.

11/21/2025

💜 Fibromyalgia & Holistic Healing: Natural Ways to Support Your Body, Mind, and Energy

StrongHer. Grounded. Empowered. Living in Alignment.

Fibromyalgia isn’t just a diagnosis — it’s a daily conversation between your body and your nervous system. And while medications can help some people, many women are turning toward holistic and natural therapies to support pain relief, emotional balance, and whole-body healing.

If you’ve ever wondered what else you can do beyond the prescription bottle, this is for you.

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🌸 The Power of a Holistic Approach

Fibromyalgia is not caused by one single issue — so healing rarely comes from one single intervention. Holistic therapies address:

✨ Nervous system overstimulation
✨ Chronic inflammation
✨ Muscle tension + fascia restriction
✨ Hormonal shifts
✨ Gut imbalance
✨ Emotional + energetic stress

When you support the whole body, the whole body responds.

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🌿 Top Natural Therapies for Fibromyalgia Relief

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💆‍♀️ 1. Massage & Myofascial Release

Fibromyalgia causes the fascia (the connective tissue under the skin) to become tight and reactive. Massage promotes:

✓ Improved circulation
✓ Less tension
✓ Reduced pain sensitivity
✓ Better sleep

Techniques that work well:
→ Gentle Swedish massage
→ Lymphatic drainage
→ Craniosacral therapy
→ Light myofascial stretching

(Deep tissue is often too intense — gentle is more effective.)

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🧘‍♀️ 2. Gentle Movement: Yoga, Walking, Tai Chi

Fibro bodies respond incredibly well to consistent, low-impact movement, especially when combined with breathwork.
Benefits include:

✓ Reduced pain
✓ Improved mobility
✓ Nervous system regulation
✓ Mental clarity
✓ Less stress

It’s not about intensity — it’s about consistency.

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🛁 3. Heat Therapy

Heat calms the overactive pain pathways in fibromyalgia.

🔥 Warm baths
🔥 Infrared sauna
🔥 Heating pads
🔥 Warm Epsom salt soaks

Magnesium from Epsom salt also supports muscle relaxation and reduces tenderness.

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🧠 4. Mind-Body Therapies

Your brain plays a huge role in how your body processes pain.
These therapies help rewire that connection:

🟣 Meditation
🟣 Breathwork
🟣 Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT)
🟣 Guided imagery
🟣 Nervous system regulation practices

These aren’t “just mental health tools” — they calm the pain-amplifying centers in the brain.

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🌱 5. Herbal & Natural Supports

Many herbs and nutrients calm inflammation and support the nervous system:

🌿 Turmeric (curcumin)
🌿 Boswellia
🌿 Devil’s claw
🌿 Magnesium
🌿 Omega-3s
🌿 Vitamin D
🌿 CBD or h**p extract
🌿 Ginger

(Always check with your provider about interactions.)

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🔴 6. Red Light Therapy & Infrared Light Therapy

A powerful tool for fibro pain, cellular healing, and inflammation.

Red light (660nm) and near-infrared light (850–940nm) pe*****te deeply into tissues, where they:

✨ Boost mitochondrial ATP production
✨ Reduce inflammation
✨ Improve cellular repair
✨ Calm overactive nerve pathways
✨ Relax tense muscles
✨ Support deeper, more restorative sleep

What the research shows:

A review of clinical studies found that red light therapy significantly improves:
• Pain levels
• Tenderness
• Sleep quality
• Fatigue
• Overall sense of wellbeing

It can be used at home or professionally, and is safe for most people.

Popular options:
🔹 Infrared sauna
🔹 Red light therapy panels
🔹 Handheld infrared devices
🔹 Infrared therapy beds

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🎵 7. Sound Wave & Vibrational Therapy

Fibromyalgia is deeply tied to the nervous system — and sound is a powerful regulator.

Sound wave therapy includes:
🎶 Tuning forks
🎶 Binaural beats
🎶 Frequency healing (432 Hz, 528 Hz)
🎶 Acoustic/vibrational beds
🎶 Low-frequency sound stimulation
🎶 Singing bowls or sound baths

How it helps:

These therapies can:

✓ Calm the vagus nerve
✓ Reduce muscle tension
✓ Improve sleep
✓ Lower stress hormones
✓ Release stored emotional energy
✓ Improve autonomic nervous system balance

For many fibro warriors, sound therapy becomes a weekly ritual that helps their body “reset.”

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🌙 8. Sleep Hygiene & Nervous System Reset

Fibromyalgia and sleep are deeply connected.
Strategies that help:

🟣 Warm bath before bed
🟣 Magnesium glycinate
🟣 Routine bedtime schedule
🟣 Weighted blanket
🟣 White noise or solfeggio frequencies
🟣 Red light instead of blue light at night

Small changes add up.

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💜 9. The StrongHer Reminder

Healing with fibromyalgia is not about “pushing through.”
It’s not about pretending you’re not in pain.

It’s about learning your body.
Supporting your nervous system.
Honoring your limits.
Leaning into gentle healing.
And choosing natural supports that help you reclaim your power.

You are not defined by your diagnosis.
You are StrongHer because of how you rise despite it.

11/20/2025

💜💙 National Pancreatic Cancer Awareness Day 💙💜

LiBellé StrongHer Wisdom • Hope • Healing

Today we honor every warrior, survivor, caregiver, and grieving heart touched by pancreatic cancer — one of the toughest diagnoses, but also one of the strongest communities of fighters.

Pancreatic cancer often goes unnoticed until late stages, which is why awareness matters, education matters, and your voice matters.
Early signs are subtle. The journey is heavy. But no one should ever walk it alone.

✨ StrongHer Reminder:
Strength isn’t always loud. Sometimes it’s the quiet courage to get up, face another day, ask another question, or hold onto hope when the road feels impossible.
And that kind of strength? That’s dragonfly strength.

💜 Know the Signs:
• Unexplained weight loss
• Upper abdominal pain radiating to the back
• New-onset diabetes
• Loss of appetite
• Jaundice (yellowing of skin/eyes)
• Digestive issues or changes

If something feels “off,” trust your intuition. Early conversations can save lives.

💙 To the caregivers:
Your love is medicine. Your strength is a lifeline.

💜 To those fighting:
You are seen. You are held. You are StrongHer than this moment.

💙 To those we’ve lost:
We speak your name. We honor your light.

Let’s spread awareness. Let’s share resources. Let’s keep fighting for better detection, better outcomes, and better support.

💜💙 In StrongHer solidarity,
LiBellé Essential Living

11/16/2025

💜 Fibromyalgia: The Pain You Can’t See… But Millions Live With Every Day

StrongHer. Seen. Supported. Never Silent.

Fibromyalgia isn’t “just pain.”
It’s not “all in your head.”
And it’s definitely not something you should have to explain or defend to anyone.

Fibromyalgia is a complex chronic pain and sensory-processing condition that affects 4–8 million Americans, with nearly 90% of cases occurring in women. It influences the entire body — the nervous system, immune function, sleep cycles, gut health, energy production, and even mood.

And yet… most people with fibromyalgia fight two battles:
👉 The pain itself
👉 And the misunderstanding that surrounds it

Today, we break that silence.
We bring awareness.
We bring validation.
We bring StrongHer support. 💜

💫 What Fibromyalgia Really Feels Like

Fibromyalgia symptoms can vary from day to day, which is one reason it’s so misunderstood. Common symptoms include:

✨ Widespread muscle pain & tenderness
✨ Chronic fatigue (even after a full night’s sleep)
✨ Brain fog / forgetfulness
✨ Headaches or migraines
✨ Sensitivity to light, noise, cold, pressure
✨ Stiffness in the morning
✨ Sleep disturbances
✨ IBS, nerve pain, restless legs, and more

Many describe it as:
“Like the flu, but it never ends.”
“Electric shocks shooting through my body.”
“A heavy, aching fog wrapped around my muscles.”

If you’ve ever felt this — you are not imagining it. You are not weak. You are living with a real, recognized medical condition.

🧠 What Causes Fibromyalgia?

Here’s the truth:
There is no single cause. Instead, fibromyalgia appears to be a whole-body imbalance involving the nervous system.

Research points to:

🔹 Central nervous system hypersensitivity
Pain signals are amplified in the brain and spinal cord.

🔹 Neurochemical imbalances
Changes in serotonin, dopamine, and norepinephrine can affect pain and mood.

🔹 Hormonal shifts
Fibro commonly worsens around perimenopause and menopause.

🔹 Gut–brain axis dysfunction
Leaky gut, dysbiosis, and chronic inflammation play a major role.

🔹 Immune dysregulation
Chronic inflammation may maintain the pain cycle.

🔹 Stress & trauma
Emotional, physical, or environmental stressors can be triggers.

Fibromyalgia is real, physiological, and complex — not imagined.

🩺 Diagnosis: Why It’s So Difficult

There is no single test for fibromyalgia.
Diagnosis comes from:

✔ Medical history
✔ Pain location & duration
✔ Tender points or symptom scoring
✔ Ruling out other chronic conditions

Dr. Ben Gaylhardt and many functional practitioners advise patients to never accept fibromyalgia as a final diagnosis until you’ve had a complete autoimmune panel because symptoms can overlap with:

Lupus

Rheumatoid arthritis

Lyme disease

Multiple sclerosis

Thyroid disorders

Vitamin deficiencies

Getting the right diagnosis matters.

🌿 Managing Fibromyalgia the Whole-Body Way

There’s no cure — yet — but symptoms can be significantly improved with a holistic, multidisciplinary approach.

🌸 Lifestyle & Natural Supports

Gentle movement: walking, swimming, yoga, tai chi

Anti-inflammatory diet

Stable sleep routines

Heat therapy or warm Epsom baths

Meditation, breathwork, nervous-system calming techniques

🌱 Supplements (with professional guidance)

Magnesium

Vitamin D

Omega-3s

CoQ10

Melatonin

SAMe

Acetyl-L-carnitine

🌼 Herbal Supports

Turmeric (curcumin)

Boswellia

White willow bark

Devil’s claw

Ginger

Adaptogens like Ashwagandha

💆‍♀️ Complementary Therapies

Massage therapy

Acupuncture

Red light therapy

Hydrotherapy

TENS units

🧠 Mind-Body Approaches

Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT)

Mindfulness & guided imagery

Stress reduction practices

Fibromyalgia requires a whole-body, whole-life healing approach, not a one-size-fits-all solution.

💜 The Mental Health Connection

Living with fibro can be emotionally exhausting. Many patients also experience:

Depression

Anxiety

OCD tendencies

PTSD symptoms

Social isolation

This is not a coincidence — the brain chemicals involved in fibromyalgia overlap with mood regulation. When your nervous system is overwhelmed, your mind and body feel that together.

You are not alone. You are not “too sensitive.”
Your pain is valid. Your feelings are valid.

💪 StrongHer Message

If you’re living with fibromyalgia, here’s what I want you to remember:

✨ You are not weak — you are surviving the unimaginable.
✨ Your pain is real — even when others can’t see it.
✨ Healing is not linear — and that’s okay.
✨ You deserve answers, support, and compassion.
✨ And you are StrongHer than this moment.

November is Fibromyalgia Awareness Month — but your strength is year-round.

11/15/2025

Event overview:
Lupus Education day 2025

We saw & listened to 3 speakers, Dr Jennifer Anolik, Dr Abeles & Dr Richardson. There was also a brave group of women that answered questions about living with lupus in real life.

The overall main focus was the strides & great results coming out of the clinical trials for the use of biologics as a treatment for SLE lupus. Biologics are treatments currently used with cancers, and some other autoimmune conditions. These treatments are generally administered via IV, or injection. They essentially block the flow of lupus cytes getting from the B cells to the T cells. Your T cells are the ‘good guys’. Which in turn the B cells die off.

Additionally, there has now been a standardized protocol established for patients diagnosed with lupus with a goal of no steroids after 6 months.

I’ve attached some of Dr Anolik’s presentation slides as well.

Lupus cutaneous, lumps of the skin has recently had a biologic approved by the FDA for treatment, and that is the first in almost 5 years.

All in all, it was a great day learning & chatting with everyone there.

I urge you to talk to your doctors about being tested if you think you have lupus or any autoimmune condition. If you see a rheumatologist and you aren’t satisfied, talk with them. Find a new one that works with you. Be your own advocate. Be loud if you have to! There is help and treatments out there.