Cleaning House Naturally

Cleaning house naturally is not any more difficult that cleaning it with harsh chemicals. It improves indoor air quality and is much safer, especially for children. We’ve switched entirely to natural cleaning products and our house is just as clean (or cleaner) and I don’t have to worry about the kids getting sick if they lick the floors (what, your kids don’t do that?) The other great thing about natural cleaning recipes is that it is safe for kids to start helping with cleaning jobs at an earlier age. I’ve found that 2-4 years is a great age to get them to really start doing regular chores as they naturally want to help at this age!
Here are a few easy and inexpensive natural cleaning recipes to use around the house:

1) Tile Grout Cleaner-

• Mix 1 part water and 3 parts baking soda mixed into a paste. Apply to grout and let sit, scrub with toothbrush, remove with sponge.

2) Cookware-

• Use sea salt or course salt mixed with a little lemon juice and scrub. Also, try baking soda and water made into a paste.

3) Fabric Softener-

• Mix 1 part baking soda, 1 part vinegar, and 2 parts water together. Use 1/4 to 1/3 cup during the final rinse cycle.

4) Toilet Cleaner-

• Use undiluted white vinegar, pour around the top of the toilet bowl, scrub until clean.

9 Tips To Help Balance Hormones

When it comes to health, hormones, and gut bacteria have a much bigger effect than many people realize. In fact, these two factors can destroy health even if everything else (diet, supplements, etc.) is optimized. Conversely, fixing hormones and gut bacteria can do a lot to boost health, even if not all the other factors are optimal. In fact, there are even studies about using certain hormone reactions to heal brain trauma.
If you doubt the very real power of hormones to affect everything from mood, to weight, to bowel health – ask the nearest pregnant woman if she’s noticed any difference in these areas since being pregnant. Or ask the nearest 13 year old girl… carefully…
If you have symptoms like fatigue, skin issues, weight gain, weight around the middle, trouble sleeping, always sleeping, PMS, endometriosis, infertility, PCOS or other issues, chances are you have hormone imbalance!

What are Hormones?

“Hormones are your body’s chemical messengers. They travel in your bloodstream to tissues or organs. They work slowly, over time, and affect many different processes, including

• Growth and development
• Metabolism – how your body gets energy from the foods you eat
• Sexual function
• Reproduction
• Mood

Endocrine glands, which are special groups of cells, make hormones. The major endocrine glands are the pituitary, pineal, thymus, thyroid, adrenal glands and pancreas. In addition, men produce hormones in their testes and women produce them in their ovaries” (source).
Hormones are produced using good fats and cholesterol, so lack of these important dietary factors can cause hormone problems simply because the body doesn’t have the building blocks to make them. Toxins containing chemicals that mimic these building blocks or that mimic the hormones themselves are also problematic because the body can attempt to create hormones using the wrong building blocks… mutant estrogen anyone?
The endocrine system is a complex system that we will probably never completely understand, but there are some basic things you can do to boost your  body’s ability to create and balance hormones:

1. Avoid High Omega-6 Polyunsaturated Fats

I’ve talked about this before, but the body is simply not meant to consume these man-made fats found in vegetable oils. From that article:
“The human body is about 97% saturated and monounsaturated fat, with only 3 % Polyunsaturated fats. Half of that three percent is Omega-3 fats, and that balance needs to be there. Vegetable oils contain very high levels of polyunsaturated fats, and these oils have replaced many of the saturated fats in our diets since the 1950s.
The body needs fats for rebuilding cells and hormone production, but it has to use the building blocks we give it. When we give it a high concentration of polyunsaturated fats instead of the ratios it needs, it has no choice but to incorporate these fats into our cells during cell repair and creation.
The problem is that polyunsaturated fats are highly unstable and oxidize easily in the body (if they haven’t already oxidized during processing or by light exposure while sitting on the grocery store shelf). These oxidized fats cause inflammation and mutation in cells.
In arterial cells, these mutations cause inflammation that can clog arteries. When these fats are incorporated into skin cells, their mutation causes skin cancer. (This is why people often get the most dangerous forms of skin cancer in places where they are never exposed to the sun, but that is a topic for another day!)
When these oils are incorporated into cells in reproductive tissue, some evidence suggests that this can spur problems like endometriosis and PCOS. In short, the body is made up of saturated and monounsaturated fats, and it needs these for optimal health.”
Bottom line: Don’t eat fats like Vegetable oil, peanut oil, canola oil, soybean oil, margarine, shortening, or other chemically altered fats. Choose fats like coconut oil, real butter, olive oil (don’t heat!) and animal fats (tallow, lard) from healthy sources instead and eat lots of high Omega-3 fish.

2. Limit the Caffeine

I love coffee, a lot, but the truth is that too much caffeine can wreak havoc on the endocrine system, especially if there are other hormone stressors involved too like pregnancy, presence of toxins, beneficial fat imbalance or stress.
Cut down the coffee if you can, or replace with beneficial herbal teas (a list of my favorite recipes coming soon!). If you can’t or won’t cut the coffee, use it as a way to sneak in your beneficial fats by adding 1 tablespoon coconut oil to each cup and blending in the blender to emulsify. It is like a latte but with healthy fats! Here is the recipe I use and the only way I drink coffee.

3. Avoid Toxins

Toxins found in pesticides, plastics, household chemicals, and even mattresses can contain hormone disrupting chemicals that mimic hormones in the body and keep the body from producing real hormones. Things like hormonal birth control can (obviously) do the same thing.
If you have hormone imbalance or are struggling to get pregnant, avoiding these toxins is very important! Cook in glass or non-coated metal pans (no non-stick or teflon!) and avoid heating or storing foods in plastic. Find organic produce and meat whenever possible and don’t use chemical pesticides or cleaners. There are recipes for natural cleaners on this page.

4. SLEEP

Can’t emphasize this one enough (tried with the all-caps-yelling though)! If you aren’t getting enough sleep, your hormone will not be balanced. Period.
Use these tips to help improve your sleep and just do it! This can singlehandedly improve hormones and is even linked to longer life, less chance of disease and optimizing weight.

5. Supplement Wisely

In a perfect world, we would be rising and sleeping with the sun, getting Vitamin D from the sun and Magnesium from the ocean while relaxing and exercising in great balance each day in a stress-free world. Since I doubt that describes any of us currently, supplements can fill in the gaps. I’ve talked about the basic supplements that I take before, but there are some specific ones that are helpful for hormone support.

• Maca- A tuber in the radish family that has a history of boosting hormone production and libido. Many women notice less PMS, increased fertility, and improved skin while men notice increased sperm production, libido, and better sleep. Maca is also high in minerals and essential fatty acids, making it great for hormones.  It is available in powder form (least expensive option) or in capsules.
• Magnesium- Magnesium supports hundreds of reactions in the body and often contributes to better sleep (which is great for hormones!). There are several effective forms of Magnesium: In powder form with a product like Natural Calm so that you can vary your dose and work up slowly,  ionic liquid form  can be added to food and drinks and dose can be worked up slowly,or  transdermal form by using Magnesium oil applied to skin. This is often the most effective option for those with damaged digestive tract or severe deficiency.
• Vitamin D- A pre-hormone is supportive of hormone function. Best obtained from the sun if possible, or from a D3 supplement or Fermented Cod Liver Oil.
• Fermented Cod Liver Oil- Provides many of the necessary building blocks for hormone production including Vitamins A, D, and K. It also is a great source of Omega-3s and beneficial fats.
• Gelatin is a great source of calcium, magnesium and phosphate. It supports hormone production and digestive health and helps sooth inflammation, especially in joints. We use Great Lakes Kosher as I was able to verify with the company that it is sourced from grass-fed, humanely raised cows, and as such is higher in nutrients.

6. Exercise Lightly

If you have hormone imbalance, intense extended exercise can actually make the problem worse in the short term. Sleep is actually more important, at least during the balancing phase, so focus on relaxing exercises like walking or swimming and avoid the extended running, cardio, and exercise videos, for now….

7. Lift Heavy Weights

While extended cardio can be bad, short bursts of heavy lifting (kettlebells, deadlifts, squats, lunges) can be beneficial since they trigger a cascade of beneficial hormone reactions. Aim for a few sets (5-7) at a weight that really challenges you, but make sure to get help with form and training if you haven’t done these before as bad form can be harmful!

8. Eat Some Coconut Oil

Coconut Oil is amazing for hormone health. It provides the necessary building blocks for hormone production, can assist weight loss, reduce inflammation, and even has antimicrobial and antibacterial properties.
If you really need hormone help, aim to consume 1/4 cup of added coconut oil a day. My favorite way is to blend into coffee or tea. This is the highest quality one I’ve found.

9. Fix Your Leptin

Leptin is a master hormone, and if it is out of balance or if you are resistant to it, no other hormones will balance well. Fixing leptin will also help boost fertility, make weight loss easier, improve sleep, and lower inflammation.

10 Common Beauty Products You Shouldn’t Be Putting On Your Skin

Not to freak you out or anything, but there might be horrible chemicals in practically every beauty product you use that could seep into your bloodstream and build up toxicity over time. If you’re even slightly the paranoid type, this information is enough to make you want to revamp that makeup drawer.  

You might actually be more likely to absorb dangerous chemicals directly into your bloodstream through your skin than if you were to ingest them (where enzymes can break them down). If you’re not convinced, the common occurrence of systemic side effects when using prescribed topically applied ointments is indicative of high absorption through the skin. Transdermal patches are becoming a common way to administer drugs because they “avoid the digestive tract completely and the drug is slowly absorbed across the skin directly into the circulation resulting in a long lasting effect.”

For many of these controversial ingredients, the FDA claims that the amount in products is not significant enough to actually do any harm, but with breast cancer rates up higher than ever, you can never be too safe.

1. Permanent and Semi-Permanent Hair Dyes (Especially Darker Colors)

Several studies have linked longtime hair dye use to bladder cancer, non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma, and multiple myeloma. Researchers found that rodents that were fed these compounds from coal-tar in certain hair dyes were more likely to develop cancer than rodents that were not fed these compounds. Read more about it here.

Scary Scientific Fact:
Aside from cancer scares, you could build up a tolerance to the chemicals and eventually suffer from a scary allergic reaction, even if you’ve been using the same product for years. Just do a little Google image search of “hair dye allergies.” Shudder.

How To Avoid:
There’s always lemon juice for lightening and tea to cover up gray.

2. Compound Henna Hair Dye 

Despite the “all natural” ingredients, there are almost always metallic salts used as pigmentation lurking in any henna dye that claims to dye your hair any color other than “reddish.” These dyes are known as compound henna hair products, and many of the boxes don’t even list metallic salts as an ingredient.

Scary Scientific Fact:
 If you’ve dyed your hair with a compound henna hair product, you should wait at least a year or two before re-dyeing with any kind of chemical hair dye containing hydrogen peroxide. According to HennaForHair.com, your hair “may turn frog butt green or offshore sewage outlet black.” The chemical reaction could also cause your hair to SMOKE and emit a foul odor.

How To Avoid: Do a strand test by taking some of your henna-dyed hair from a hairbrush and testing the chemical dye over it. If something catastrophic happens, then you know you’ve got metallic salts in your henna. 

3.ALUMINIUM POWDER IN HIGHLY PIGMENTED EYESHADOWS AND EYELINER

It’s found in popular products like Nars eyeshadow, Urban Decay 24/7 Glide-On eye pencil, and Yves Saint Laurent’s Everlong waterproof mascara. According to the Environmental Working Group, aluminum powder allegedly shows strong linkage to neurotoxicity and cancer. However, the FDA has deemed it safe as an ingredient in cosmetics.

Scary Fact:
During the filming of the Wizard of Oz, Buddy Ebsen, who played the Tin Man, reportedly suffered a reaction to the aluminum powder makeup he wore. The powder had coated his lungs, and nine days later, Ebsen was hospitalized in critical condition and left the project.

How To Avoid:
Try Real Purity eyeshadow duos, which score fairly well on the EDW Skin Deep database.

 

 4. Vitamin A in Sunscreen

Government data shows that an ingredient called retinyl palmitate, or vitamin A palmitate (used in over half of sunscreens available on the market) causes cancer on skin exposed to sunlight. Retinol (an animal form of vitamin A) is specifically used in night creams because it should never be applied during the day.*
Another popular sunscreen ingredient, oxybenzone, is believed to be linked to allergies, hormone disruption, and cell damage.

Scary Scientific Fact:
Lab animals covered in a retinol-laced skin cream and exposed to just nine minutes of sunlight every day for a year developed tumors and lesions up to 21% sooner than animals coated in vitamin A-free block.**

How to Avoid:
Use sunscreens that don’t contain these two ingredients

 

5. Nail Polish

You’re probably aware of the toxicity of nail polish by the fumes, the flammability, and the fact that you should always apply nail polish in a well-ventilated area. The three offending chemicals are: dibutyl phthalate (DBP), toluene, and formaldehyde. Despite the fact that many big-name nail polishes have agreed to remove the “Toxic Three,” tests show that a majority of them still contain the dangerous chemicals.

How To Avoid:
Try a water-based nail polish like Acquarella or Honeybee Gardens.

Scary Fact:
Researchers who tested 33 nail salon workers found that they performed significantly worse on tests that measured attention and brain-processing speed. Maybe you aren’t exposed to as many fumes as they are, but if you’re pregnant or nursing, the chemicals inhaled could result in an actual effect on your child’s mental development.

6. Perfume

The average mainstream perfume product might contain up to 14 secret ingredients, but due to a loophole in the Federal Fair Packaging and Labeling Act of 1973, perfume brands are not required to list them. Some common perfume ingredients are chemicals that have been associated with hormone disruption and allergic reactions. Many of these chemicals have also not been tested for safety.

Scary Fact:
Secondhand scent might be considered the next secondhand smoke. Smelly people who apply too much cologne or perfume can trigger asthma, migraines, and nausea in those with chemical sensitivities. Some lawmakers and employers are even considering perfume bans.

How To Avoid:
Well, there are always indie perfumes made from essential oils instead of industrial chemicals. And you should also probably avoid any product that has the generic umbrella term “fragrance” in its ingredient list. This sadly rules out pretty much every nice-smelling product you own. Goodbye, St. Ives Apricot Scrub and Chanel face cream.

7.Brazilian Blowouts and Hair Straighteners

Even if a label claims a keratin product is “formaldehyde-free,” many keratin-based hair straighteners were actually found to still contain substantial amounts of the cancer-causing chemical. Also, if formaldehyde is sprayed into the eyes, it can cause blindness. The FDA has only recently claimed that Brazilian blowouts can be dangerous, and has issued a warning rather than declaring a recall.

Scary Story:
  “Salon workers and consumers have reported a number of injuries to the FDA due to use of the products, including eye and nervous system disorders, respiratory tract problems, chest pain, vomiting, and rash,” according to WebMD.

How To Avoid:
Watch out for an ingredient called “methylene glycol,” which is basically just formaldehyde mixed with water. It’s how companies get away with calling their products “formaldehyde-free.”

 

8.“Natural” Products That Still Contain Harmful Ingredients

Always check the ingredients list and don’t be fooled. Burt’s Bees baby lotion contains phenoxyethanol. A bottle of anything by Kiehl’s could contain phenoxyethanol, parabens, PEGs, chlorphenesin (a neurotoxin that is restricted in Japan), triethanolamine, sulfates, and oxybenzone. Body Shop’s ingredient lists commonly include artificial fragrances and parabens. Tom’s Of Maine “Wicked Fresh!” mouthwash contains zinc chloride, which was recently classified as a possible carcinogen and corrosive chemical. If you’re nursing or pregnant, you especially want to watch out for these offending ingredients.

Sad But True Fact:
Many of the “natural” and “eco” products sold in drugstores or at your local Sephora are owned by giant companies like Colgate, L’Oréal, and Estée Lauder. These are the same companies that put lead in their lipsticks and triclosan in their toothpaste (which has been known to alter hormone regulation in animal studies).

How To Avoid:
Time to become one of those obsessive homeopathic ladies and make your own skin-care items and toothpaste.

 

9.Mineral Makeup

Iron oxides and other mineral pigments, although natural, are often found in association with toxic metals like lead, arsenic, mercury, antimony, and selenium. When the FDA found lead in over 400 lipsticks, the common ingredients were mineral pigments. According to a Canadian study, “all mineral makeups tested had nickel, 96% had lead, 90% beryllium and the average mineral makeup tested had four of eight heavy metals.” In the U.S., your typical mineral powder foundation could contain iron oxides, which contains lead “at levels acceptable to the FDA.” Individual exposures to these metals in small amounts are unlikely to cause harm, but they can allegedly build up in the body over time and can increase risk for a variety of health problems.

Read why this organic skin-care company won’t be launching a mineral makeup line anytime soon.

Interesting Fact:
“The Government of Canada has implemented numerous measures to reduce the amount of heavy metals to which Canadians are exposed, including prohibiting their use in cosmetics. Lead, arsenic, cadmium, mercury, antimony and chromium are heavy metal ingredients prohibited in cosmetics sold in Canada.” Click here for a much more detailed explanation of the harms of heavy metals in cosmetics.

How To Avoid:
If you don’t want to wear synthetic chemicals and you don’t want microscopic metals permeating through your skin, you’re probably just better off not wearing any makeup at all.

 

10.Anti-Perspirants

Research has shown that high doses of the same aluminium salts used in antiperspirants have had devastatingly detrimental effects in mice, including ovarian lesions and reproductive failure, according to this study. There is also a possible link between aluminum and breast cancer, because deodorant is applied so closely to the outer-upper quadrant of the breast, where tumors are likely to appear. Breast tissue biopsies showed a “statistically higher concentration of aluminum in the outer as compared with the inner region of the breast.” And it’s not just aluminum that could have carcinogenic effects — most anti-perspirants also contain phthalates and parabens, both of which are banned in other countries.

Scary Scientific Fact:
  If you shave your armpits (increasing the chance of nicks and skin breakage) AND use anti-perspirant, you could be at higher risk. See the study here and here.

How To Avoid: There are many natural deodorants on the market which have very low toxicity scores on the EWG Skin Deep database. Unfortunately, many chronic perspirers claim the natural stuff just doesn’t work for them.

15 things That Should Not Be Refrigerated

There are certain items, even against popular belief, that should not be stored in the refrigerator. By refrigerating many items, the flavor can be lessened or change the texture, and in some cases, even make it spoil faster because of condensation from the refrigerator. 

I am all about how to store food so that it lasts as long as possible. There is nothing that I hate more than throwing away good food that just didn't last as long as it should and wasting money. 

Hot Sauce 
It can live happily in the pantry for up to three years and this includes Tabasco and Frank's Red Hot sauce. You can also include Worchestershire, Heinz 57, Soy Sauce and Sriracha as all non-refrigerated items!


Potatoes
The refrigeration affects the flavor of all potatoes and that includes all kinds; white, baking, red, purple, fingerling etc. Store in dry pantry in a paper bag. Plastic bags promote moisture and mold.


Bread
The refrigerator dries out bread very quickly. Keep what you will eat within 4 days in a dry pantry at room temperature and freeze the rest. 

Onions
Try to keep in their original mesh bag or any other that allows circulation and keep in the pantry. Keep away from potatoes which causes onions to rot. 

Tomatoes
Refrigeration kills the flavor of tomatoes and causes them to be mealy. Keep them out of plastic bags. To ripen faster store in paper bag. 

 


Avocados
Avocados should not be refrigerated until they are ripe. Once ripe, they can be kept refrigerated for up to a week. If you are refrigerating a whole avocado, it is best to keep it whole and not slice it in order to avoid browning that occurs when the flesh is exposed to air.


Coffee 
Surprisingly to me, you should not refrigerate or freeze coffee because it causes condensation and changes the flavor. Goes for beans and grounds. Keep in airtight container in pantry. 
 
 
Garlic
It will last in the pantry for two months. Refrigerating garlic can reduce the flavor and actually cause mold. Store loose and once head is broken should use within 10 days. However, you can put minced garlic in the fridge as long as used as soon as possible. 


Honey
Placing honey in the refrigerator will thicken and crystallize the honey. Honey is all-natural and can stay good almost indefinitely in the pantry. 



Winter Squashes
Any type of winter squash from acorn, butternut, spaghetti squash will taste better and last about a month or more in the pantry. 

Melons
Keep whole melons on the counter to achieve the best flavor. Research has found that storing at room temp helps to keep antioxidants better intact. Once cut you can store in the fridge for 3-4 days. 

Oils
Oils get thick and cloudy when you place them in the refrigerator. The only oils that must be refrigerated are nut oils. Otherwise keep them in the pantry. 

 

Fruits
Certain fruits like apples, berries, peaches, apricots and nectarines should be placed on the counter until ripe. It can change the flavor of the fruit so that it is not as flavorful if refrigerated.

Non Food

Batteries
It is a common myth that you should store batteries in the refrigerator, but extreme heat or extreme cold actually diminishes their performance.  
 
Nail Polish
The only thing that refrigerating nail polish does is thicken it and change the chemicals. Keep at room temperature and away from direct sunlight. 

 
Credits to: mythirtyspot