Saying I lived a week like Miranda Kerr is an ambitious statement. I would be obviating the simple fact that I did not get invited to any movie premieres, magazine cover shoots, or dates with Snapchat founder Evan Spiegel.
But I did spend a week elevating my lifestyle choices enough to where they would pass as eco-friendly and organic for the self-proclaimed wellness guru. And that meant heaping amounts of wellness practices I would normally never give a second thought to vowing to drink alkaline water, making sure to diffuse an essential oil while I turned on my 37th “Friends” episode of the week and eating — or trying to eat— organic foods as best as I could.
After all, Kerr is a wellness master. Her lifestyle is routinely featured in a magazine after magazine, with surrounding headlines akin to something like “glowing, skin, wellness tips.” The 36-year-old Australian supermodel is also expecting her second child with Spiegel, and if juggling pregnancy, a thriving beauty business (KORA Organics), a daily routine of yoga and cooking is not a superhero feat on its own accord, then I do not know what is. So, after researching her favorite wellness habits, I decided to implement a few on my own. I just needed to know what the hype was all about, and if any of these actually made me a more healthy, glowy, pleasant person to be around. Here are my honest thoughts.
My baseline:
I like to think I am a pretty self-actualized human being. I cross-train a good 3-5 times a week. I cook a lot of my own meals and grocery shops most Sundays. I do actually read up on health and wellness a fair amount, though do not have the honor of calling myself the proud owner of any sturdy coffee table books on this topic. I turn the lights off whenever I leave a room and at night only keep the nearby lamp on. But I am also the first person to run to the kitchen when they announce there is cake and my dietary philosophy aligns more closely with that of the Cookie Monster. I do not diet, period. But I do — aside from eating sweet — eat pretty light and green. But hey, Kerr says she is “80 percent good girl and 20 percent naughty,” so I will ascribe those to the overflowing naughty list.
So, all in all, I am not totally at rock bottom here, but I am certainly nowhere near Kerr.
Air Purifier
The Claim: I have suffered from rhinitis my whole life, which is a chronic inflammation of the mucous membrane of the nose. Even when there is no pollen around, I will find myself with a stuffy or runny nose in the morning. So learning that Kerr is a big proponent of air filters in her home, meant license to fix my ailment once and for all. Did they work? No idea.
The Trial: I like to think my apartment is clean, for the most part, but in this whole process, I learned that just like food and water, the air we breathe is an essential part of our well-being, and there are just so many more pollutants — like sulfur dioxide and nitrogen oxides — in the air that there were hundreds of years ago as a byproduct of industrialization. In fact, indoor air is not immune and can sometimes be even dirtier than the air outside because of a lack of circulation.
So, I tried the Honeywell True HEPA Whole Room Air Purifier with Allergen Remover (Kerr uses a Rabbit Air Purifier, but the cost will set you back over $500). It has three settings: General Clean, Allergen and Germ. According to Pure Earth, toxic pollution affects more than 200 million people worldwide, so I was not about to get prideful, and off I went and turned it on the Allergen setting every night around bedtime for four hours.
The Verdict: I am not going to say I am cured, but I have not been bothered by my sinuses in the last few days, and the nice, quiet hum made my room a more peaceful place to sleep.
Alkaline Water Filter
The Claim: A little while back, I went on a Target shopping spree and got a Brita water filter pitcher so I did not have to haul any more 32-pack of plastic water bottles that are terrible for the environment. Little did I know, a regular water filter is not good enough for Kerr, who herself owns a Kangen Water Filter worth more than $4,000. Drinking alkaline water has been claimed to have a multitude of benefits, from weight loss to clear skin to prevent cancer. The key is in the water filter’s ability to remove acidic minerals to create a more alkaline water base, which means the water’s pH is above a 7. Regular tap water’s pH is somewhere between 6.5-7. With her ionizing filter, Kerr chooses the water to be at a pH of 7.5-7.9 because research out there says you shouldn’t go too alkaline — your stomach needs some acidity to digest food.
The Trial: I tried the EHM Ultra Premium Alkaline Water Pitcher at home, which also claims to hydrate the body better, prevent diseases by lowering the acidic state of my body, and slow down the aging process by reducing the number of free radicals in my body. In the office, I drank bottles upon bottles of Essentia water.
The Verdict: Though the water tasted so much better than my regular Brita filter, I did not notice any major differences in my health, or skin — but perhaps a week is not enough to tell the difference.
Essential Oil Diffuser
The Claim: There is a ton of research nowadays on the power of scent on health, and researchers everywhere are studying the connection between scents and wellness. Findings have pointed lavender, for instance, can help treat insomnia and anxiety, and that citrusy smells can help increase feelings of comfort and relaxation in people.
The Trial: Kerr loves to diffuse Young Living and dōTERRA essential oils at home, but I went with much more hip Vitruvi Stone Diffuser in White with lavender, grapefruit, eucalyptus and spruce oils. I will say this is the most fun part of my nightly routine now. Not only does it look super posh spewing white vapor, but the smell of lavender is subtle and does a great job in keeping with the calm vibe I try so hard to exude in my apartment.
The Verdict: I always sleep a good amount every night, but I will say I did feel more zen when I turned on my diffuser, and perhaps I even slept deeper.
EMF Detector
The Claim: EMF Detector picks up electromagnetic frequencies in the air. The general idea is that nowadays we are exposed to electromagnetic radiation, which constitutes waves from microwaves, power lines, household wiring, cables, computers, cellphones, etc. But companies like Safe Living and Trifield dedicate themselves to educating people on how to keep EMF levels low in their households, particularly on places they sleep and/or spend prolonged time in. The idea is that high EMF exposure can be harmful to the human nervous system and interfere with the electromagnetic systems inside our own bodies — particularly the brain, the heart and mitochondrial enzymes, spurring on inflammatory responses in the body.
Kerr even has her whole house checked by a professional. She has a system installed at home that makes sure to turn off all the power in the house while she sleeps. If this seems positively extra, it is because it is.
The Trial: I scanned my apartment with a Trifield EMF Meter Model TF2 and Safe Living Safe and Sound Classic RF Detector.
The Verdict: I did not find any ghosts, or majorly disrupting waves.
Palo Santo
The Claim: Palo santo is a mystical tree that grows on the coasts of South America and is purported to have energetically cleansing properties. It is also traditionally used in relieving anxiety, depression and more.
The Trial: I am going to be very honest: I do not subscribe to absolutely any wellness ritual that is woo-woo in nature or too New Age-y. But Kerr does. So when I read that Kerr loves to use palo santo to clear the energy in her house, I rolled my eyes — and then bought two palo santo sticks. What did I do with them? I threw them by the books on my coffee table book. Did I give them a second look? Nope. I forgot they were meant to be burned.
The Verdict: I did feel like the energy at home was positive. But as to whether that is due to the chocolate chip matcha muffins I baked or the palo santo, I guess we will never know.
All in all, what I took away from this experience is that sometimes wellness rituals are just that: rituals. Aside from the actual unseen benefits any of these additional home appliances and accessories have on your health and well-being in the long-term, sometimes it is all about the routine and habit of slowing down to pour yourself a glass of jazz, turn on your diffuser and turn off your head.
