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Please visit our new site, ModernAlternativeMama.com.
Comments on this post have been locked and updates are no longer being made to this page. Please click here to view this article on the new site.
Today is the LAST DAY to register for the 30-Day Eat More Fat Challenge! See you tomorrow!
We have BIG news to share with you all today! Some bigger than others. :)
A month or so ago, I joined CAPPA, and I am now pursuing certification in Childbirth Education and Lactation Specialist. I've been very busy working on research, writing papers, reading books, and doing other things towards these certifications, among other projects. We've also converted our music room into a playroom/meeting room for when I am certified and can hold classes here. I'll be posting about that and showing you pictures of that room in a later post!
Tomorrow is our NEW SITE LAUNCH!! The address is http://www.modernalternativemama.com/ and it is currently live, if you're too eager to wait until tomorrow to check it out. If you've subscribed to me here, I believe you will need to go over there and re-subscribe. I would love it if you did! Comments will be locked over here starting with this post, so you'll need to hop over to the new site anyway if you want to comment. All future posts will be posted ONLY on the new site!
And, to help you along with visiting the new site, I will have a WEEK OF GIVEAWAYS!! Every single day (Monday - Friday) there will be a new giveaway! Here is a sneak peek about the posts I'll have and the giveaways:
Monday -- 30-Day Eat More Fat Challenge! Giveaway: Baby toys (a talented friend is making them, more details to follow)
Tuesday -- Baby Steps in the Medicine Cabinet. Giveaway: Modern Alternative Mama Soothing Skin Cream.
Wednesday -- Review of Seventh Generation household products. Giveaway: Seventh Generation Home Starter Kit, including glass cleaner, all-purpose cleaner, toilet cleaner, shower cleaner, tub & tile cleaner, kitchen cleaner, natural paper towels, and reusable tote.
Thursday -- Orange sherbet recipe (sugar free!!). Giveaway: Coconut flour from Tropical Traditions!
Friday -- Top 10 Posts and new features! Giveaway: Tweedlebugs Diaper, cloth wipes, and wipe solution package!
Join us next week to read all the awesome new entries and enter all the giveaways!
A small family update -- we are about to start the GAPS diet here. We've been easing our way into it for awhile but we have to just take the plunge. I'll be posting on it more later for those who are interested, but there's plenty of information on other blogs right now. Keeper of the Home, and Kelly the Kitchen Kop have both posted a fair amount about the subject. Look for more on that on the new site!
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Sunday, February 28, 2010
Saturday, February 27, 2010
Baby Steps in the Kitchen, 3
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Time for the next three steps in the Baby Steps in the Kitchen Series! If you have missed the first two, go back and read part 1 and part 2!
7. Replace white flour and white flour products with healthier alternatives (whole wheat, spelt, etc.)
8. Choose healthier oils
9. Try making your own chicken stock instead of buying broth or bouillon cubes, and your own soups!
Okay, so, why these three steps? Good question! Read on for more information!
White flour is basically a non-food. It is stripped of nearly all its nutrients when the hull is removed from the kernal. Most of us know that white flour isn't good for us for all of these reasons, because health experts are constantly asking us to switch to whole-grain alternatives. Right now, I'm going to tell you the same thing: get some whole grains! Buy brown rice instead of white (and NO instant!), whole grain bread, and whole grain flours to bake with. Spelt is an even better option for some -- lower in gluten and generally less "messed with." It can be found at many health food stores and before we went grain-free, I used only spelt flour in my baking for a long time. There will be more steps about grains later, but for right now, just switch to whole grains! Simple, easily available at any grocery store, and not too expensive!
Oils -- Good fats are essential in your diet. I've written two posts about fats so far, so I'm not going to write about why you need them here in detail. People use oil for a lot of things, too, like frying, in many boxed mixes (we'll talk about those later), baking from scratch, putting on bread, dressing salads, etc. Hydrogenated oils and even most liquid vegetable oils are not good for you, so you should limit your consumption. Replace them with healthy oils. These, too, are generally affordable ($4 - $5 for a pound of butter on up to $20 for a jar of coconut oil or bottle of really good olive oil) and easy to find. They're also very nutrient-dense. If you aren't sure of ways to use all these new fats, you'll want to check out my "30-Day Eat More Fat Challenge," starting on March 1st! (Only 2 more days to register!!)
Chicken stock is a wonderful food. Fresh, homemade chicken stock, that is. Canned broths (and canned soups) and bouillon cubes are NOT good. They're mostly made of salt and MSG so that they're "meat flavored" but contain little to no actual meat. (That's why you can get vegetarian "chicken" flavored broth.) These are highly processed, and we've already talked about avoiding MSG or other packaged food ingredients. And although there may be brands out there that are acceptable, be wary of any brand that says "natural flavors," "hydrolyzed" "autolyzed" etc. -- this is MSG too. But, it's so easy to avoid if you just make your own! Buy a whole chicken or turkey, or buy bones (thighs, backs, necks are great -- feet are even better if you can find them! I haven't tried that yet). Put the bones in a large stock pot (at least 8 quarts; 16 is even better) and fill with water. Add vegetable scraps -- onion ends, carrot peels, celery pieces, etc. -- and arguably, a little apple cider vinegar (I tried it once or twice and it didn't make a difference for me, but some swear by it) and turn it on low. Then walk away, for about 24 hours. You'll come back to a big pot of rich, golden broth. This broth is full of calcium and other minerals, it makes great soups and gravies and lots of other food, freezes well, is very healing, and more. It's a wonderful, all-purpose food, and it couldn't be simpler or cheaper to make. A quart of good-quality stock in the store would cost you $2 - $5, depending on brand. At home you can make a whole gallon (or more) for that much! Stock is so wonderful, I could write an entire post about it. This is a small change that is easy, will bring a ton of extra nutrition to your diet, and actually SAVES you money! Why not do it?
What are your next three steps, if you're further along? How are you doing on these? How have your changes been going over the last couple of weeks? Is there anything else you'd like to see in this series?
Like what you read? Subscribe over on the right and get posts everyday in your email!
Please visit our new site, ModernAlternativeMama.com.
Comments on this post have been locked and updates are no longer being made to this page. Please click here to view this article on the new site.
Time for the next three steps in the Baby Steps in the Kitchen Series! If you have missed the first two, go back and read part 1 and part 2!
7. Replace white flour and white flour products with healthier alternatives (whole wheat, spelt, etc.)
8. Choose healthier oils
9. Try making your own chicken stock instead of buying broth or bouillon cubes, and your own soups!
Okay, so, why these three steps? Good question! Read on for more information!
White flour is basically a non-food. It is stripped of nearly all its nutrients when the hull is removed from the kernal. Most of us know that white flour isn't good for us for all of these reasons, because health experts are constantly asking us to switch to whole-grain alternatives. Right now, I'm going to tell you the same thing: get some whole grains! Buy brown rice instead of white (and NO instant!), whole grain bread, and whole grain flours to bake with. Spelt is an even better option for some -- lower in gluten and generally less "messed with." It can be found at many health food stores and before we went grain-free, I used only spelt flour in my baking for a long time. There will be more steps about grains later, but for right now, just switch to whole grains! Simple, easily available at any grocery store, and not too expensive!
Oils -- Good fats are essential in your diet. I've written two posts about fats so far, so I'm not going to write about why you need them here in detail. People use oil for a lot of things, too, like frying, in many boxed mixes (we'll talk about those later), baking from scratch, putting on bread, dressing salads, etc. Hydrogenated oils and even most liquid vegetable oils are not good for you, so you should limit your consumption. Replace them with healthy oils. These, too, are generally affordable ($4 - $5 for a pound of butter on up to $20 for a jar of coconut oil or bottle of really good olive oil) and easy to find. They're also very nutrient-dense. If you aren't sure of ways to use all these new fats, you'll want to check out my "30-Day Eat More Fat Challenge," starting on March 1st! (Only 2 more days to register!!)
Chicken stock is a wonderful food. Fresh, homemade chicken stock, that is. Canned broths (and canned soups) and bouillon cubes are NOT good. They're mostly made of salt and MSG so that they're "meat flavored" but contain little to no actual meat. (That's why you can get vegetarian "chicken" flavored broth.) These are highly processed, and we've already talked about avoiding MSG or other packaged food ingredients. And although there may be brands out there that are acceptable, be wary of any brand that says "natural flavors," "hydrolyzed" "autolyzed" etc. -- this is MSG too. But, it's so easy to avoid if you just make your own! Buy a whole chicken or turkey, or buy bones (thighs, backs, necks are great -- feet are even better if you can find them! I haven't tried that yet). Put the bones in a large stock pot (at least 8 quarts; 16 is even better) and fill with water. Add vegetable scraps -- onion ends, carrot peels, celery pieces, etc. -- and arguably, a little apple cider vinegar (I tried it once or twice and it didn't make a difference for me, but some swear by it) and turn it on low. Then walk away, for about 24 hours. You'll come back to a big pot of rich, golden broth. This broth is full of calcium and other minerals, it makes great soups and gravies and lots of other food, freezes well, is very healing, and more. It's a wonderful, all-purpose food, and it couldn't be simpler or cheaper to make. A quart of good-quality stock in the store would cost you $2 - $5, depending on brand. At home you can make a whole gallon (or more) for that much! Stock is so wonderful, I could write an entire post about it. This is a small change that is easy, will bring a ton of extra nutrition to your diet, and actually SAVES you money! Why not do it?
What are your next three steps, if you're further along? How are you doing on these? How have your changes been going over the last couple of weeks? Is there anything else you'd like to see in this series?
Like what you read? Subscribe over on the right and get posts everyday in your email!
Friday, February 26, 2010
Oopsie....
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Stuffed Mushrooms
When I was a teenager, we went to the Olive Garden to celebrate someone’s birthday and had stuffed mushrooms. I created this recipe after that experience in an attempt to copy those mushrooms. I later adapted it once we were dairy-free and it’s just as good that way. My father requested this dish at a recent holiday, it’s so good.
Ingredients:
8 oz. button mushrooms, stems removed and reserved
½ c. breadcrumbs
4 oz. clams, chopped
2 oz. asiago or parmesan cheese, grated*
½ tsp. oregano
1 tsp. basil
1 tsp. sea salt
½ tsp. black pepper
2 tbsp. olive oil
*Optional
Directions:
Sautee mushrooms in olive oil until soft and juices are running out. Place in a baking pan. In a bowl, mix together breadcrumbs, clams, cheese (if using), oregano, basil, salt and pepper. Stuff mixture into each mushroom. Top with cheese if desired. Bake at 350 for 10 – 15 min. or until cheese is melted. (If you’re not using the cheese, you don’t need to bake it, you can serve it immediately.) Makes 3 – 4 servings.
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Comments on this post have been locked and updates are no longer being made to this page. Please click here to view this article on the new site.
Okay, I'll admit it. I forgot to do tonight's post.
I've been super, super busy working behind the scenes, though. Monday is the launch of the new site and next week I'm going to have several really awesome giveaways for you -- one everyday!
There will be details about the new site and all the giveaways on Sunday night, so that you know exactly what's going on. It's not quite ready yet, so I won't tell you how to find it....
How about an extra recipe to make up for it?
How about an extra recipe to make up for it?
Stuffed Mushrooms
When I was a teenager, we went to the Olive Garden to celebrate someone’s birthday and had stuffed mushrooms. I created this recipe after that experience in an attempt to copy those mushrooms. I later adapted it once we were dairy-free and it’s just as good that way. My father requested this dish at a recent holiday, it’s so good.
Ingredients:
8 oz. button mushrooms, stems removed and reserved
½ c. breadcrumbs
4 oz. clams, chopped
2 oz. asiago or parmesan cheese, grated*
½ tsp. oregano
1 tsp. basil
1 tsp. sea salt
½ tsp. black pepper
2 tbsp. olive oil
*Optional
Directions:
Sautee mushrooms in olive oil until soft and juices are running out. Place in a baking pan. In a bowl, mix together breadcrumbs, clams, cheese (if using), oregano, basil, salt and pepper. Stuff mixture into each mushroom. Top with cheese if desired. Bake at 350 for 10 – 15 min. or until cheese is melted. (If you’re not using the cheese, you don’t need to bake it, you can serve it immediately.) Makes 3 – 4 servings.
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Thursday, February 25, 2010
Ham and Potato Soup
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Comments on this post have been locked and updates are no longer being made to this page. Please click here to view this article on the new site.
**This post has been entered in Pennywise Platters at Nourishing Gourmet, Ultimate Recipe Swap at Life as Mom, Food on Fridays at Ann Kroeker and Fight Back Fridays at Food Renegade!**
Only 3 days left to register for the 30-Day Eat More Fat Challenge!
This recipe was sort of an accident. I was planning to make ham and bean soup, but discovered a few days earlier that both my kids are allergic to beans. So, that was a no-go. Ben suggested potatoes as a substitute and I ran with it. This is what I came up with.
Ingredients:
1/4 c. coconut oil
1/2 medium yellow onion, diced
2 stalks celery, chopped
3 carrots, diced
4 medium potatoes, chopped
1 c. leftover ham, chopped
6 c. ham stock (I made mine from a ham we'd had a couple nights earlier)
1 tsp. salt (or to taste)
1 tsp. thyme
1 - 2 c. coconut milk
1 c. kale
Directions:
Heat the coconut oil in a large soup pot. Add onion, celery, and carrot and sautee until slightly softened. Add potatoes, ham, ham stock, and spices. Cook for 2 - 3 hours, until all vegetables are soft. Add coconut milk and kale and allow the soup to simmer for 30 - 40 minutes longer, until kale is wilted. I served mine with green onions on top. You could add bacon, or cheese if you eat that.
It's yummy and a good source of vegetables with the kale! Next time I might try adding mushrooms too! I'm betting you could use chicken stock if you didn't have ham stock but I haven't tried.
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Please visit our new site, ModernAlternativeMama.com.
Comments on this post have been locked and updates are no longer being made to this page. Please click here to view this article on the new site.
**This post has been entered in Pennywise Platters at Nourishing Gourmet, Ultimate Recipe Swap at Life as Mom, Food on Fridays at Ann Kroeker and Fight Back Fridays at Food Renegade!**
Only 3 days left to register for the 30-Day Eat More Fat Challenge!
This recipe was sort of an accident. I was planning to make ham and bean soup, but discovered a few days earlier that both my kids are allergic to beans. So, that was a no-go. Ben suggested potatoes as a substitute and I ran with it. This is what I came up with.
Ingredients:
1/4 c. coconut oil
1/2 medium yellow onion, diced
2 stalks celery, chopped
3 carrots, diced
4 medium potatoes, chopped
1 c. leftover ham, chopped
6 c. ham stock (I made mine from a ham we'd had a couple nights earlier)
1 tsp. salt (or to taste)
1 tsp. thyme
1 - 2 c. coconut milk
1 c. kale
Directions:
Heat the coconut oil in a large soup pot. Add onion, celery, and carrot and sautee until slightly softened. Add potatoes, ham, ham stock, and spices. Cook for 2 - 3 hours, until all vegetables are soft. Add coconut milk and kale and allow the soup to simmer for 30 - 40 minutes longer, until kale is wilted. I served mine with green onions on top. You could add bacon, or cheese if you eat that.
It's yummy and a good source of vegetables with the kale! Next time I might try adding mushrooms too! I'm betting you could use chicken stock if you didn't have ham stock but I haven't tried.
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Wednesday, February 24, 2010
Raw Honey
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Comments on this post have been locked and updates are no longer being made to this page. Please click here to view this article on the new site.
**This post has been entered in Things I Love Thursdays at The Diaper Diaries and Frugal Fridays at Life as Mom!**
Note: It's frugal because it is cheap and it has SO many awesome uses!!
Raw honey is a really great food. In fact, it's not just a food. It's also a medicine! I thought, since next week the first "Baby Steps in the Medicine Cabinet" is coming up, I might give you a place to start with home remedies.
Honey is a natural substance produced by bees to feed their young. It is thick and rich with a characteristic taste, which can change subtly depending on the bees' diet and location. It contains a lot of beneficial bacteria, which can help to kill bad bacteria in your system, balance yeast, and much more (depends on who you ask). It is great for baking, mixing in drinks, or just eating off a spoon. It is 1.5 times as sweet as table sugar so you don't need as much of it.
That's just a quick summary of honey's benefits, though. There are many, many more! Here are others:
*Honey is an effective cough syrup. It has been shown to be more effective than medicinal cough syrups and much safer for kids age 1 - 6 (and for adults!). It can help to kill the bacteria in your throat (if it's raw) as well as coating your throat and soothing it.
*Some say honey can increase fertility, especially when paired with raw goat's milk (especially in men).
*Honey can be used as a salve to treat wounds and ulcers, more safely than antibiotics and with no side effects. In parts of Europe, it is put on wounds and then the wound is bandaged, and the honey will keep the wound clean and help it to heal. (This is not accepted in the U.S. in general, unfortunately.) At home, use honey on burns and other wounds and dress it with clean gauze, instead of using an antibiotic cream.
*Honey and lemon, when used together, can help you lose weight by making fat stores into useable energy. Drink some honey-ginger lemonade to kick-start your metabolism and weight loss! (Which is also a great morning sickness cure, by the way.)
*Honey can help to cure allergies! By taking a teaspoon per day, a person can build up an immunity to the dust, pollen, and molds that are naturally found in the honey (which won't make you sick because of the good bacteria in it). This is where being LOCAL is really important, so you're exposed to the bacteria from your own environment.
*Honey can help cancer, because it has anti-tumor properties (check the resources for a link to a published study on this).
*Honey is a good moisturizer and can be used as a facial cleanser or mask, and in homemade shampoos.
*Honey is antibacterial, antifungal, antiviral, and it never spoils, so it can be used for many things and kept for a long time! Honey may crystallize, but this is normal. Heat the honey gently ON THE STOVE in a water bath (microwaves are bad!) and it will become clear again.
Remember, all these benefits (and more! check the resources) are achieved by RAW honey. The pasteurized honey you buy in the regular grocery store won't have all these amazing properties.
There is a special kind of honey called Manuka honey, which is produced in New Zealand. It is very strong and used for medicial purposes. It's rather expensive, too, but it can cure many different conditions, including MRSA staph infections (with no side effects and the MRSA can't become resistant to it!). Read the resources below to learn more about it. (I looked up buying some awhile back but 8 oz. can be up to $45!)
Resources
Raw Honey Benefits
Really RAW Honey Science
WHFoods Honey
Natural Health Ezine
Benefits of Manuka Honey
Do you use raw honey? What do you use it for? Where do you get yours? What's your favorite benefit (anything I haven't mentioned)?
Like what you read? Subscribe over on the right and get posts everyday in your email!
Please visit our new site, ModernAlternativeMama.com.
Comments on this post have been locked and updates are no longer being made to this page. Please click here to view this article on the new site.
**This post has been entered in Things I Love Thursdays at The Diaper Diaries and Frugal Fridays at Life as Mom!**
Note: It's frugal because it is cheap and it has SO many awesome uses!!
Raw honey is a really great food. In fact, it's not just a food. It's also a medicine! I thought, since next week the first "Baby Steps in the Medicine Cabinet" is coming up, I might give you a place to start with home remedies.
Honey is a natural substance produced by bees to feed their young. It is thick and rich with a characteristic taste, which can change subtly depending on the bees' diet and location. It contains a lot of beneficial bacteria, which can help to kill bad bacteria in your system, balance yeast, and much more (depends on who you ask). It is great for baking, mixing in drinks, or just eating off a spoon. It is 1.5 times as sweet as table sugar so you don't need as much of it.
That's just a quick summary of honey's benefits, though. There are many, many more! Here are others:
*Honey is an effective cough syrup. It has been shown to be more effective than medicinal cough syrups and much safer for kids age 1 - 6 (and for adults!). It can help to kill the bacteria in your throat (if it's raw) as well as coating your throat and soothing it.
*Some say honey can increase fertility, especially when paired with raw goat's milk (especially in men).
*Honey can be used as a salve to treat wounds and ulcers, more safely than antibiotics and with no side effects. In parts of Europe, it is put on wounds and then the wound is bandaged, and the honey will keep the wound clean and help it to heal. (This is not accepted in the U.S. in general, unfortunately.) At home, use honey on burns and other wounds and dress it with clean gauze, instead of using an antibiotic cream.
*Honey and lemon, when used together, can help you lose weight by making fat stores into useable energy. Drink some honey-ginger lemonade to kick-start your metabolism and weight loss! (Which is also a great morning sickness cure, by the way.)
*Honey can help to cure allergies! By taking a teaspoon per day, a person can build up an immunity to the dust, pollen, and molds that are naturally found in the honey (which won't make you sick because of the good bacteria in it). This is where being LOCAL is really important, so you're exposed to the bacteria from your own environment.
*Honey can help cancer, because it has anti-tumor properties (check the resources for a link to a published study on this).
*Honey is a good moisturizer and can be used as a facial cleanser or mask, and in homemade shampoos.
*Honey is antibacterial, antifungal, antiviral, and it never spoils, so it can be used for many things and kept for a long time! Honey may crystallize, but this is normal. Heat the honey gently ON THE STOVE in a water bath (microwaves are bad!) and it will become clear again.
Remember, all these benefits (and more! check the resources) are achieved by RAW honey. The pasteurized honey you buy in the regular grocery store won't have all these amazing properties.
There is a special kind of honey called Manuka honey, which is produced in New Zealand. It is very strong and used for medicial purposes. It's rather expensive, too, but it can cure many different conditions, including MRSA staph infections (with no side effects and the MRSA can't become resistant to it!). Read the resources below to learn more about it. (I looked up buying some awhile back but 8 oz. can be up to $45!)
Resources
Raw Honey Benefits
Really RAW Honey Science
WHFoods Honey
Natural Health Ezine
Benefits of Manuka Honey
Do you use raw honey? What do you use it for? Where do you get yours? What's your favorite benefit (anything I haven't mentioned)?
Like what you read? Subscribe over on the right and get posts everyday in your email!
Wooden Toys Winner!
**We've moved!!**
Please visit our new site, ModernAlternativeMama.com.
Comments on this post have been locked and updates are no longer being made to this page. Please click here to view this article on the new site.
Using Random.org, I selected the winner for the wooden toy giveaway. It is:
Pat (douglassandpat@yahoo.com)
Congratulations, Pat! Please email me, ktietje85@gmail.com with your mailing address by Friday, February 26th to claim your prize.
Next week we're launching the new site (details on Sunday) and with it, we'll have a WEEK OF GIVEAWAYS! I have skin cream, baby toys, a Seventh Generation Starter Kit, Tropical Traditions Coconut flour, and more!! Follow the new site for details on all of those giveaways!
Like what you read? Subscribe over on the right and get posts everyday in your email!
Please visit our new site, ModernAlternativeMama.com.
Comments on this post have been locked and updates are no longer being made to this page. Please click here to view this article on the new site.
Using Random.org, I selected the winner for the wooden toy giveaway. It is:
Pat (douglassandpat@yahoo.com)
Congratulations, Pat! Please email me, ktietje85@gmail.com with your mailing address by Friday, February 26th to claim your prize.
Next week we're launching the new site (details on Sunday) and with it, we'll have a WEEK OF GIVEAWAYS! I have skin cream, baby toys, a Seventh Generation Starter Kit, Tropical Traditions Coconut flour, and more!! Follow the new site for details on all of those giveaways!
Like what you read? Subscribe over on the right and get posts everyday in your email!
Tuesday, February 23, 2010
Baby Steps in Personal Care
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Please visit our new site, ModernAlternativeMama.com.
Comments on this post have been locked and updates are no longer being made to this page. Please click here to view this article on the new site.
**This post has been entered in Finer Things Fridays at Amy's Finer Things!**
Only 5 more days to register for the 30-Day Eat More Fat Challenge!
The Baby Steps series is SO popular, I decided to do all of the kitchen posts on Saturdays, and do the other series on Tuesdays instead of doing zhealth News Tuesdays! So on the next several Tuesdays, look for posts on personal care, the medicine cabinet, green cleaning, and possibly more. What else would you like to see?
Here are the first three baby steps in personal care:
1) Replace toothpaste with a fluoride-free version (especially for kids)
2) Replace deodorant with aluminum-free version or abandon it
3) Switch to natural facial cleanser
Why those?
Fluoride is dangerous to your health, especially if swallowed (and especially for kids!!). It is not necessary to help your teeth. Many natural toothpastes are made without it. Some of these can be found for about the same price as the typical national brands, so it's not an expensive switch. It's not a big change in your routine, either, so it's an easy first step.
Deodorant (specifically antiperspirant) is dangerous because of the aluminum. The aluminum (which your body does not ever need) blocks your sweat glands. This is how your body cools off and releases toxins. If it cannot detox, then these toxins build up in the lymph nodes (as does the aluminum). For this reason, antiperspirant has been said to cause breast cancer. Your body needs to be able to release these toxins. So, it is better to use a simple, non-aluminum deodorant that helps mask odors, or really, nothing at all. This may be a big idea to swallow (most natural deodorant brands do still contain aluminum, by the way), but it is a really, really important one. Decreasing and eventually eliminating your exposure to heavy metals is critical to gaining optimal health. Cost remains minimal here, and the overall savings on health care could be huge!
Natural facial cleanser is an easy switch. You're looking for something that doesn't contain sodium lauryl sulfate, polysorbate-80, or any of the other dangerous chemicals. Castile-soap based cleansers are a great option (that is, only vegetable oils in the soap, essential oils for fragrance are okay too). There are several great options out there, which actually work better. I've found that using a natural cleanser has eliminated my need for additional facial stuff (masks, pimple cream, etc.) and my skin is much smoother and less red. Cost is minimal here too (and cheaper if you don't need to buy the extra stuff!) and a very simple change.
What are your top 3 steps, if you have already made changes? Can you make these changes work in your routine?
Like what you read? Subscribe over on the right and get posts everyday in your email!
Please visit our new site, ModernAlternativeMama.com.
Comments on this post have been locked and updates are no longer being made to this page. Please click here to view this article on the new site.
**This post has been entered in Finer Things Fridays at Amy's Finer Things!**
Only 5 more days to register for the 30-Day Eat More Fat Challenge!
The Baby Steps series is SO popular, I decided to do all of the kitchen posts on Saturdays, and do the other series on Tuesdays instead of doing zhealth News Tuesdays! So on the next several Tuesdays, look for posts on personal care, the medicine cabinet, green cleaning, and possibly more. What else would you like to see?
Here are the first three baby steps in personal care:
1) Replace toothpaste with a fluoride-free version (especially for kids)
2) Replace deodorant with aluminum-free version or abandon it
3) Switch to natural facial cleanser
Why those?
Fluoride is dangerous to your health, especially if swallowed (and especially for kids!!). It is not necessary to help your teeth. Many natural toothpastes are made without it. Some of these can be found for about the same price as the typical national brands, so it's not an expensive switch. It's not a big change in your routine, either, so it's an easy first step.
Deodorant (specifically antiperspirant) is dangerous because of the aluminum. The aluminum (which your body does not ever need) blocks your sweat glands. This is how your body cools off and releases toxins. If it cannot detox, then these toxins build up in the lymph nodes (as does the aluminum). For this reason, antiperspirant has been said to cause breast cancer. Your body needs to be able to release these toxins. So, it is better to use a simple, non-aluminum deodorant that helps mask odors, or really, nothing at all. This may be a big idea to swallow (most natural deodorant brands do still contain aluminum, by the way), but it is a really, really important one. Decreasing and eventually eliminating your exposure to heavy metals is critical to gaining optimal health. Cost remains minimal here, and the overall savings on health care could be huge!
Natural facial cleanser is an easy switch. You're looking for something that doesn't contain sodium lauryl sulfate, polysorbate-80, or any of the other dangerous chemicals. Castile-soap based cleansers are a great option (that is, only vegetable oils in the soap, essential oils for fragrance are okay too). There are several great options out there, which actually work better. I've found that using a natural cleanser has eliminated my need for additional facial stuff (masks, pimple cream, etc.) and my skin is much smoother and less red. Cost is minimal here too (and cheaper if you don't need to buy the extra stuff!) and a very simple change.
What are your top 3 steps, if you have already made changes? Can you make these changes work in your routine?
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