Homemade Hippie Bug Spray

May 31, 2012 at 1:01 AM (Health, Herbal Medicine, Homemade Hippie Beauty Products, Make It Yourself, Non Toxic, Under $1.00)
Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

In Michigan we are surrounded by water, which causes lots of humidity, which causes mosquitos the size of pterodactyls. For some reason mosquitos love me. Maybe because I am an extremely white, white girl and you can see every vein in my body, which to a mosquito must look like the best all you can eat lunch buffet in town. I also get welts the size of a quarter every time I get bit, so I spend  most of the summer looking like a victim of scabies. They have hatched really early this year, because of the crazy warm weather, so it’s time to get out the arsenal and try to fend them off before they start carrying away small children.

The best natural bug repellant I’ve ever used is Bite Blocker by Homs LLC. I have tried several different kinds, but they all seem to wear off after a few minutes. Bite Blocker really works for hours, and doesn’t smell nasty at all. I decided to make my own version of Bite Blocker at home, because the ingredients list is pretty simple.

If you don’t want to  make your own it can be purcased HERE. If you use the coupon code HIF798 you will receive a $10 discount and free shipping.

Homemade Hippie Buy Spray

1/4 cup olive oil (or any cheap liquid oil you have laying around)

2 Tbsp vegetable glycerin

1 Tbsp Citric Acid

1/4 cup apple cider vinegar

2 Tbsp homemade vanilla extract

6 drops Lavender essential oil

6 drops Tea Tree essential oil

6 drops Clove Bud essential oil

6 drops Peppermint essential oil

6 drops Rosemary essential oil

6 drops Eucalyptus essential oil

10 drops Geranium essential oil

Mix all ingredients and pour into a spray bottle. Shake before each use. Reapply after 2-3 hours. You can use any strong mixture of essential oils that you prefer, this is just what I had a lot of in the house. I would make sure to use the Geranium oil, because that is the main active ingredient in Bite Blocker. The others I’m sure you could play with and have good results. Let me know what you use!

I have used this a few times so far and it does work very well. Rob and I went to a terribly overgrown area to chop down some dead trees for fire wood. It was way back in the shade, and next to a small creek. Every step we took sent up swarms of mosquitos and I thought for sure we’d be covered in welts. I got one nasty bite on my ankle, through my sock and Rob got zero bites. Considering that we were outside for 2 1/2 hours hauling firewood and sweating profusely I think that is pretty darn good don’t you?

This also smells good, and isn’t offensive to Rob’s manly nostrils, as he doesn’t like to “smell like a flower”.

Related Posts:

Homemade Hippie Wrinkle Cream

Homemade Hippie Mouthwash

Homemade Hippie Face Wash

Homemade Hippie Hand Lotion

Homemade Hippie Lip Balm

Homemade Hippie Hair Spray

Homemade Hippie Body Wash

Homemade Hippie Tooth Paste

Homemade Hippie Body Lotion

A COMPLETE LIST OF HOMEMADE HIPPIE RECIPES

 

19 Comments

The Use of Clay as Medicine

May 26, 2012 at 1:01 AM (Health, Herbal Medicine, Homemade Hippie Beauty Products, Your Journey to Health)
Tags: , , , , , , ,

White Bentonite Clay

Who knew there were so many reasons to eat dirt. Apparently it is nearly universal around the world in the tribal and traditional rural societies, and extremely widespread in the animal kingdom. Many cultures mix clay with water and dip their food into this mixture while eating. Like a little dirt gravy anyone? So what did they know, that we don’t?

When mixed with water, clay forms a temporary colloidal system in which fine particles are dispersed throughout the water. Eventually the particles settle to the bottom of the container, but a variety of mineral ions will remain in the water. These mineral ions are available for absorption, while other minerals that form an integral part of the clay particles may be available for absorption through ionic exchange at the point of contact with the intestinal villi. Highly adsorbent families of clays have been demonstrated to cause the lining of the gut to change both on a cellular and acellular level, protecting the gut from chemical insults as well as alleviating ailments such as esophagitis, gastritis, and colitis.

Clay particles, defined as having a size less than 1-2 microns, have a very large surface area relative to their size. They carry a negative electric charge and can attract positively charged pathogenic organisms along with their toxins and carry them out of the body, Thus, clay compounds not only provide minerals but also can be used as detoxifying agents. As such, they facilitate assimilation and can help prevent intestinal complaints, such as food poisoning and diarrhea. They also will bind with antinutrients found in plant foods, such as bitter tannins, and prevent their absorption.

Green Clay

Clay for Internal Use

Preferably sun-dried, fine or superfine clay may be used internally thanks to its consistency, composition and cleanliness. Montmorillonite is the clay of election for internal use because it has a specific molecular structure which allows an extremely high adsorption as well as absorption capacity. By acting as a strong detoxifying agent, green clay removes whatever hinders the healthy biological processes in the body. In parallel, Clay also protects the gastrointestinal tissues, can neutralize acid or alkaline excess and heal a food poisoning crisis, and regulate bowel movement.

Clay has been used for centuries for:

  • Detoxification
  • Heartburn, stomach-ache, gastritis, stomach ulcer, flatulence, colitis, functional colopathy, food poisoning, abdominal bloating, diarrhea.
  • Gingivitis, bad breath, stomatitis, dental abscess, mouth ulcer.
  • Colds, rhinitis, pharyngitis, sinusitis, laryngitis, bronchitis.
  • Acidosis, hepatic dysfunction, intoxication, parasitosis.
  • Clay like Illite is ultra rich in minerals and trace elements and can be used as a mineral supplement in combination with plants extracts or herbal teas. Minerals present in clay include: calcium, chromium, copper, iron, germanium, magnesium, manganese, phosphorus, potassium, sulfur, selenium, silica, silicon and zinc.
  • Clay does contain aluminum, but because of the high silica content in clay, the aluminum is not deposited in the body. In fact, silica absorbs aluminum and other metals already in the body and carries them out.

Bottoms Up!

How to Use Clay Internally

Place 1 teaspoon of Azomite, Montmorillonite, Bentonite (or other) Clay Powder in an 8 oz glass of pure water and stir very well. Leave it sit until the clay sinks to the bottom of the glass. Drink the water, leaving the clay in the glass. Once your body has adjusted to this mixture (1-2 weeks) you can drink the whole glass, including the clay for a stronger detox.

Where to Buy Clay

When you start researching clay, you’ll discover there are zillions of brands and it can get very confusing. I actually buy mine from a local feed store. It is sold as a mineral supplement for chickens and is less than $1 a pound! Keep in mind that a little goes a very long way. This stuff is super absorbent. There are many varieties online and at the health food store. It’s definitely the cheapest thing you’ll ever buy at a health food store :)

There is a great confusion in the world at large about what makes bentonite bentonite, what makes montmorillonite montmorillonite, and what makes caclium bentonite a calcium bentonite and not a sodium bentonite… What is a volclay, and what makes a volclay different from a sea clay or a glacial clay? Ad infinitum.

What makes a bentonite a bentonite, and what makes a montmorillonite a montmorillonite, is simply the name people call it! Whether someone calls it by the French name or the American English name, what they are stating is that the clay is a smectite with certain particle characteristics. Smectite layers are stacked on top of each other, and the particle shape is rectangular; when hydrated, the colloid presents a zeta potential with a negative charge. Minedat.org has it correct when they list montmorillonite as a synonym for smectite, and list bentonite as a clay consisting primarily of bentonite. Therefore, when considering therapeutic clays, do not get too caught up in terminology.

Azomite Clay

Clay for External Use

Externally, clay may be used as part of powder, poultices, compresses, masks, baths, mouthwash, nose wash, wraps, shampoos and soaps. Poultices are made by adding a small amount of water to a bowl of clay, letting this mix rest until you have complete saturation, preferably under the sunlight. The poultices should cover the area to treat with at least a 3/4 inch thick layer, wrapped with a cotton cloth and be left on for at least one hour. Externally clay is a great treatment for:

  • Skin Cancer
  • Acne
  • Scars
  • Bites & Stings
  • Abscess
  • Boils
  • Psoriasis
  • Eczema
  • Athletes foot
  • Arthritis
  • Sprains
  • Cramps
  • Swelling
  • Splinters (draws them out)
  • Surface infections
  • To eradicate finger/toe nail fungus

Making a Poultice

Cautions:

1. When taking clay internally, it is very important to keep the body hydrated by drinking 8-10 glasses of water daily. The water helps soften and loosen impacted fecal material lining the walls of the small intestine and colon. This material is then absorbed by the clay and removed from the body through normal elimination.

2. Do not take clay at the same time as any medications, wait 1-3 hours. Do not use clay if you have chronic constipation or high blood pressure.

3.  I am not a doctor and never give medical advise. Contact your doctor for that.

4. Use pure water. I use distilled or spring water

5. Clay should not come in contact with any metal. Including the stirring spoon.

6. For external use it is important to place the clay directly on the skin, and then cover the clay with a cloth. This keeps the air off of the clay and allows the proper drawing/pulling action to take place.

I have personally used clay to heal a horrible ear/sinus infection in 4 hours. I spread a thick 1 inch layer of clay on the right side of my face and below my ear. I looked like the swamp thing! I washed this mixture off and replaced it with fresh clay every hour. By the 4th hour my fever was gone, my sinuses were clear, my nose was no longer congested and the searing pain in my ear was gone. I could literally feel the pulling, drawing sensation as the clay sucked the bacteria and toxins out of my body. It was a very cool experience, making me a total believer in the healing powers of clay. Since then I have used clay on several small cuts, to draw a metal sliver that was deeply imbedded in my palm, as a spot treatment for the occasional blemish, as an additive to homemade toothpaste, and a face mask (your pores totally disappear!). I also take it internally for 3 days and then rest for 4 days every week.

6 Comments

Decaf Kombucha

May 7, 2012 at 9:01 AM (Beverages, Ferments, Health, Herbal Medicine, How To, Make It Yourself, Non Toxic, Recipes, Simple, Sugar Free, Your Journey to Health)
Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Rob and I quit caffeine about 3 months ago (for these 50 reasons). So I put my Kombucha Scoby to sleep until I could figure out a way to make decaffeinated Kombucha. There is much controversy about how much caffeine is left in the finished batch of tea, and I wasn’t about to take a chance on getting hooked on the stuff again. Some people say that all of the caffeine is consumed by the bacteria in the Kombucha. Some people say 50%…I have even heard that none of the caffeine is consumed by the bacteria, and that Kombucha is full of caffeine. According to Energy Fiend an 8 oz glass of Kombucha contains approximately 24 mg of caffeine. What to believe? Honestly, I couldn’t find any hard research that convinced me either way, so I decided to make my own decaf tea and test it out myself.

First of all, I use regular old Lipton black tea bags and plain white table sugar to make Kombucha. Doesn’t sound like a very healthy beverage right? I have called the Lipton company twice, and the assured me that they have never sprayed their fields, or used any preservatives in their tea. Tea is naturally very resistant to pests and disease so there is no need.  You can use organic tea if you like, or green tea. According to the experts you cannot use herbal or flavored teas. Herbal tea contains no caffeine, which the Scoby needs. Flavored teas contain oils and additives that harm the Scoby.

As far as the sugar is concerned, the bacteria DO eat that. There is very little sugar left in the finished batch of Kombucha, and this I have tested out plenty of times. If you don’t have white sugar around (I buy it specifically for making Kombucha) you can use sucanat, rapadura, or evaporated cane juice. Do not use honey, as it contains its own colony of bacteria and  yeasts that compete with the Kombucha.

To remove caffeine from a regular black tea bag:

  • Place 5-6 tea bags in an empty bowl or coffee mug
  • Boil 1 gallon of water for Kombucha
  • Ladle out 1 cup of water and pour it over the tea bags
  • Steep for 30-45 seconds
  • Remove the tea bags, and place them in the large 1 gallon pot of hot water
  • Steep until dark. Adding 1 cup sugar
  • Make Kombucha as you normally would.

Up to 80 percent of the caffeine is released in the first infusion of water so only minimal amounts will remain when you add water the second time. This method eliminates very little of the tea’s flavor and aroma. I decided to go with this method, because I believe that the Kombucha Scoby needs a small amount of caffeine to grow and thrive properly. I am hoping that it eats up the remaining 20% of caffeine!

I have been making it this way for 3 weeks now. When the first batch was done, I waited until 30 minutes before bedtime and drank 16 ounces of Kombucha. I am normally very sensitive to caffeine, even when I was drinking large amounts of coffee, I always had to cut myself off by 3pm or I’d be awake all night. I noticed no sleep disturbances after drinking the Kombucha. I know that is not very scientific, but at this point anecdotal evidence is all I’ve got :)

So if the 24 mg in an 8 oz glass statistic from above is correct than an 8 oz glass of naturally decaffeinated Kombucha should contain around 4.8 milligrams of caffeine.

Has anyone else made it this way? Have you been able to find any solid research on the caffeine needs of a Kombucha Scoby? Why isn’t anyone studying this stuff?

Cherry Kombucha Soda

P.S Sometimes we like flavored Kombucha Soda in the summer. I wait until the Kombucha is all done fermenting for 7 days. I line up several glass bottles (I had people from work save me their old glass, juice bottles) and I add 2 ounces of juice to each bottle. Fill each bottle with Kombucha and screw the lids on tight. Wait 24 hours and then put them all in the fridge. Very bubbly and delicious! Try grape, pomegranate, cherry or pineapple juice. This would be an excellent way to shake a soda pop addiction!

8 Comments

How I Remineralized my Tooth Cavities Without Dentistry

April 15, 2012 at 1:22 AM (Health, Herbal Medicine, Recipes, Your Journey to Health)
Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Two years ago I went to the dentist for a cleaning. I had one small cavity in between two of my upper teeth, and one large cavity way in the back next to my wisdom tooth. The dentist recommended that I stay and immediately have those two cavities filled. I told him I was going to go home and do some research first. I don’t think anyone has ever said that to him before, because he really looked speechless there for a second. I think Doctors are pretty used to getting their way (besides, he already thinks I’m weird because of a previous argument we got into about fluoride). Here is my research:

Contrary to popular belief, the teeth are not inanimate objects, but fully alive parts of the body. What makes up a tooth?

  • Dentin: the bone-like layer in the middle of the tooth
  • Enamel: the hard white surface that covers the tooth
  • Pulp: with its  many blood vessels, nerves and live cells
  • Mandibular nerve: which carries blood to the nerves in the teeth
  • Trigeminal nerve: feeds blood from the large cranial  nerve to the Mandibular nerve
  • Periodontal ligament: connects the tooth to the jaw through millions of fibers all going different directions
  • Dentinal Tubules: EVERY TOOTH CONTAINS 3 MILES OF MICROSCOPIC TUBES, FILLED WITH A SUBSTANCE SIMILAR TO THE CEREBRAL SPINAL FLUID.

Dentin and enamel are fed from tooth building cells which transport or disperse  nutrients through the dental lymph. They essentially act as tiny pumps. A healthy tooth will clean itself out, fluid will flow from within the pulp and move outward to protect our teeth from decay.

This Aborigine Tribe had beautiful teeth and wide arches. The pictures on the right page (top left, bottom left and bottom right) show the effects modern “white foods” had on this tribe.

The teeth’s ability to heal itself is based upon how healthy your salivary glands are. Poor diet causes food debris, saliva, chemicals and whatever may be in the body at the time to be pulled into the tooth through the dentinal tubules. Over time, the pulp becomes inflamed and tooth decay spreads to the enamel.

  • Certain minerals play a key part in tooth health. Namely Magnesium, Copper, Iron, Phosphorus, Calcium and Manganese. Without abundant minerals in the diet the flow of fluid through the tubules is reversed, and cellular metabolism and energy-production of the teeth-building cells are damaged.
  • Our hormone secreting glands also play a large part in the health of our teeth. When our endocrine glands are out of balance we develop tooth decay or gum disease.
  •  Blood sugar levels when chronically out of balance, can often cause tooth decay or gum disease.
  • Vitamin A & D are crucial to the health of your teeth. Without enough Vitamin A & D our cells cannot produce enough osteocalcin-the protein that deposits calcium and phosphorous into our bones and teeth.
  •  Without enough fat-soluble vitamins in the diet severe tooth decay can result.

So what can you do?

Help your endocrine and pituitary glands stay in balance by eating a diet very low in sugar. This includes natural sugars.

Eat a diet low in phytic acid, which is an anti-nutrient found in grains, seeds, nuts and beans, and actually blocks the absorption of minerals by the body (I will do a full post on this tomorrow).

Eat more saturated fat! Cholesterol is a vital building block involved in  hundreds of functions in the body. In fact, your body produces three to four times the amount of cholesterol that you eat. Cholesterol from healthy fats (coconut oil, tallow, lard, butter etc) is not dangerous and has no effect on your risk of heart disease.

Consume Vitamin A & D together. The most potent form is cod liver oil. You would have to eat 5 quarts of milk, 1 pound of butter or 9 eggs to consume the amount of Vitamin A found in one teaspoon of cod liver oil! (I order mine online at Iherb and use the coupon code HIF798 for a $10 discount and free shipping)

Increase the amount of fresh, raw foods that you consume and reduce the amount of cooked, processed, prepackaged foods.

Eat something other than grass? Why would I want to do that? This grass is delicious!

The Changes I Made

I take 2 capsules of Blue Ice Fermented Cod Liver Oil/Butter Oil Blend 3 TIMES A DAY.

I drink 2-3 cups of raw, grass-fed whole-fat milk per day minimum. We also eat full-fat dairy made from this milk.

I make homemade bone broth often, and we use it for cooking daily.

We eat wild-caught seafood 1-2 times per week ( I find fish eggs are a really easy way to do this) Rob loves all sea food, and probably eats more than I do. We eat oysters, clams, crab, lobster, caviar etc.

We eat high quality beef, pork, chicken from a local farm who only feeds the animals what God would feed them.

We eat the organ meats from those animals at least 1 time per week

I eliminated sugar from my diet completely and only allow myself 1 Tbsp per day maximum. Which sounds hard, but once you haven’t had sugar for a while, 1 Tbsp is actually a lot of sweetener. (and fruit tastes like candy)

I increased the amount of green leafy vegetables in my diet, and always consume them with a healthy fat, so I can absorb the minerals efficiently. Juicing is an excellent way to do this, if you aren’t a big veggie fan.

I started soaking grains to reduce the amount of phytic acids I was consuming. I will post on this method tomorrow. I also greatly reduced the amount of grains that we were eating, and started buying sprouted flour.

Have you had your colorful foods today?

Because your teeth are alive, they CAN heal themselves!

I didn’t believe this until I went back to the dentist 6 months later and the small cavity on the top was so much smaller in the X-ray that the Doctor could barely find it. In  my mind I screamed “I knew it would work, I knew it!”. But out loud I just said “hhmmm. It looks like the changes I made worked.” He asked me a lot of questions, and I answered them all. We talked for over an hour about the changes I made, and the research behind why they worked. This man with a doctorate in dentistry literally said to me “I have been a dentist for 21 years and I had no idea a tooth could remineralize itself. I didn’t know it was even possible”.

Now it has been 2 years, and both of my cavities are 100% gone. I also had teeth that were very sensitive to cold, and that has gone away entirely. I can now chew ice cubes (I know everyone with sensitive teeth out there is cringing right now) and rinse my mouth with ice water and I feel no pain.

IN SUMMARY

Tooth decay is caused by an imbalance in body chemistry. Blood sugar spikes  cause our hormones to tell the teeth to stop adding minerals, and our metabolism of calcium and phosphorous is disrupted. Eat plenty of vegetables, stop eating so much sugar and carbohydrates, eat more grass-fed protein and fat and you can resolve this imbalance.

I would recommend the same research to you, that I did to the good Doctor:

Cure Tooth Decay by Ramiel Nagel

http://www.curetoothdecay.com/

Nutrition and Physical Degeneration by Weston A. Price READ ONLINE HERE

Nourishing Traditions by Sally Fallon

http://www.westonaprice.org/

Know Your Fats by Mary Enig

Find real food here: www.eatwild.com and www.localharvest.org and www.greenpasture.org

Green Pastures produces the highest quality cod liver oil. They use cold fermentation to extract the oil, instead of the more common distillation and heat. I wouldn’t recommend any other brand.

Related Articles:

Whole Grains: Not as Healthy as We Think?

Your Journey to Health

Magnesium Deficiency and What to do about it

Characteristics of Traditional Diets

Organ Meat Recipes

How We Afford to Eat High Quality Food

Real Food For Babies

64 Comments

iHerb.com coupon code: Save $10

April 13, 2012 at 1:12 AM (Health, Herbal Medicine)
Tags: , , , , , , , , , ,

I just placed an IHerb order and received $10 off with this coupon code so I thought I’d share. The code is: HIF798

They sell many types of caffeine free herbal coffee, so I ordered a whole year supply for only $41.00. IHerb also has FREE SHIPPING  for any order of $20. How cool is that?

No shipping plus save $10. You can’t beat that. I love a good deal. (Most cheapskates do!)

So again the code is HIF798 and it has no expiration date. Coupons codes are good for $10 off any 1st time purchase of $40 or more, or $5 off any 1st time purchase less than $40.

Other things I order from iherb

  • Loose tea and Tea bags
  • Herbal Coffee
  • Essential Oils
  • Probiotics
  • Coenzyme Q10
  • B-Vitamin complex
  • Organic Bulk Nuts
  • Amino Acids

Their shipping is always very fast. I ordered my herbal coffee on Wednesday and it was at my house by Friday. Enjoy the coupon!

1 Comment

Your Journey to Health

April 10, 2012 at 4:07 AM (Health, Herbal Medicine, Your Journey to Health)
Tags: , , , , , , , , ,

My mom recently mentioned that to a lot of people trying to be healthy can be really confusing and overwhelming. I remember when it was for me too. Not that long ago I was a vegetarian, eating low-fat, smoking cigarettes, drinking coffee, eating WAY too much sugar, and nuking dinner. I thought I was about average health wise. I had acne, irritable bowel, lactose intolerance, very screwed up hormones, hair loss, dry skin, extremely dry eyes, cavities, 4-5 sinus infections a year, hay fever, arthritis in my knees, fingers and wrists, constant sugar cravings, brain fog, depression and constant fatigue. Sounds pretty much like the average American to me right?

When I first started trying to improve my health, I had absolutely no idea where to start! What does healthy even mean? At the time I thought that eating an extremely low-fat vegetarian diet was the healthiest possible way to eat. But why was I feeling so miserable and sick all the time? That is where I ultimately started my research, and how I ended up reading hundreds of books about health and wellness. I made a list of over 100 health goals for myself. And then I got stuck!

I was very overwhelmed. Everything about my lifestyle was wrong and needed to be changed. What should I change first? How would I possibly make it through this big long list of goals? I stood looking around the house, at all the boxed and packaged and frozen foods, all the chemical cleaners, all the garbage that we had been eating and I wanted to throw it all away. But what would we eat?

I ended up starting with fats. And I think that is a very wise choice for anyone who is first starting out. Most people are eating WAY too much Omega 6 fatty acids and not enough Omega 3′s, leading to all sorts of health problems. This is a great place to start!

Your Health Journey Step #1

Look at the sources of Omega 6′s that you eat most often and reduce them. Increase foods containing Omega 3 fatty acids. Just this one step alone will make you part of the label reading family :)

Hi! I'm soybean oil. I look harmless, but I like to kill people.

FATS & FOODS TO ELIMINATE:

  • Soybean Oil
  • Sunflower Oil
  • Canola Oil
  • Cottonseed Oil
  • Margarine
  • Vegetable Shortening
  • Mayonnaise
  • Salad Dressing
  • Safflower Oil
  • Any food with the word “hydrogenated”
  • Any food with the word ” trans-fat”
  • Any food with the word “partially hydrogenated”
  • Any food with the word “poly-unsaturated”

Hi! I'm grass-fed butter and I'm a health food.

SOURCES OF HEALTHY FAT:

  • Free-range eggs
  • Grass-fed meat (including the organs)
  • Walnuts
  • Shrimp
  • Winter Squash
  • Cod
  • Kidney Beans
  • Tuna
  • Scallops
  • Salmon
  • Halibut
  • Snapper
  • Coconut Oil
  • Lard from a pastured pig
  • Beef Tallow from a grass-fed cow
  • Chicken Fat- from a free-range chicken
  • Fat from Geese, Ducks and other game birds
  • Dear, Elk and other wild game
  • Raw whole milk and all products made with it (yogurt, sour cream etc)
  • Butter from a grass-fed cow
  • Red Palm Oil

Your goal here is to transition from new fats, to fats that people have been eating for hundreds of years. Keep in your mind that heart disease and diabetes and all these new-fangled conditions were extremely rare. We started eating vegetable oils as our main source of fat (and huge quantities of sugar), and now these diseases are rampant. Makes sense to me….

Hi! I'm Coconut Oil. I am a saturated fat full of medium-chain fatty acids that will help you lose weight!

For me step #1 looked like this:

I was buying country crock margarine in large tubs. I had no idea that is was poisonous. So I immediately started purchasing real butter. At first I didn’t worry about whether it was grass-fed butter, or organic butter. I just bought butter. Don’t get too caught up on the details or you’ll get stuck. That can come later.

Because I was a vegetarian at the time, I was eating a whole lot of salads, with store-bought salad dressings. I started learning how to make my own homemade salad dressings. They were delicious, and much cheaper than the ones from the store. So that step was easy.

I was using a lot of canola oil and vegetable shortening. I replaced both of those with coconut oil. I started frying and baking with it. (read about how coconut oil can help you lose weight here)

I was eating a very low-fat diet, and started increasing the amount of fat that I used. For instance when I made muffins I was previously using applesauce in place of the fat, so they were almost completely fat-free. I started making the muffins with 1/4 cup of melted coconut oil, and then eating the muffin slathered with butter. It took me a really long time to stop feeling guilty about that!

And guess what? Every single one of the health problems that I listed above have disappeared one by one. My health journey started many years ago, and I can honestly say that today I am the healthiest that I have ever been. My journey continues every day, and I still have a list of things that I am working on.

Your health journey will probably look completely different from mine (and it should). We all have to start somewhere!

So what are you working on? What is the next thing on your list? What does your journey to health look like today? Do you have specific questions about a fat you’re eating, or what to replace it with?

Related posts:

Benefits of Coconut Oil

Characteristics of Traditional Diets

Real Food for Baby

Raw Coconut Fudge with no Sugar

What is a GMO?

Do houseplants really purify the air?

Say No to GMO Music Video!

22 Comments

Just Say NO to GMO!! Music video

April 6, 2012 at 12:11 PM (Health, Herbal Medicine, Video, Your Journey to Health)
Tags: , , , , , , , ,

Reblogged from Electric Firefly:

GMO (genetically modified) simplified... JUST SAY NO!! start reading labels and be careful of the frozen food corn, peas, etc that you buy. Educate yourself and know your brands.  Stop looking for what's on offer or price reduced.. your health will cost you later.  Be smart and start using the mantra .. YOU ARE WHAT YOU EAT!

I absolutely love this video! We abolished GMO foods from our household, and regularly donate to the Organic Consumers Association and the Institute for Responsible Technology. I also call the governor and senators office regularly to make my opinions known. I request to speak to the manager of local grocery stores, and explain that I will only purchase Non-GMO foods, and I explain why. I call the offices of large food corporations and explain why I can no longer purchase their products. You would be surprised what consumer opinion will do. Vote with your dollars. I suggest every one get involved with this issue! Together we CAN make a difference!

6 Comments

Essential Oil of Geranium and its many uses

April 6, 2012 at 5:33 AM (Health, Herbal Medicine)
Tags: , , , , ,

Essential oil is produced by steam distillation of the leaves from Pelargonium Radens and P. Capitatum. The main ingredients are geraniol and citronellol. It is a beautiful pale, green color. The scent is mildly green, slightly sharp, and sweet.

Geranium is an antiseptic, antidepressant, and astringent. It stops bleeding and promotes quick healing and is very useful to treat injury. It balances sebum production in the skin and is useful if the skin is too oily or too dry.

Geranium stimulates the adrenal cortex, helping to regulate and balance hormones. It is very useful to treat menopause, PMS and other hormonal imbalances.

Geranium stimulates the lymphatic system and is a mild diuretic. It is used during massage to treat cellulitis and edema. It has a general tonic effect on the liver and kidneys and is helpful for jaundice, kidney stones, constipation and urinary tract infections.

Geranium is an excellent insect repellant, and especially powerful if combined with Essential Oil of Lemon and Citronella.

Because Geranium is somewhat stimulating, it should not be used directly before bedtime.

See also:

Essential Oil of Bergamot and its many uses

Essential Oil of Thyme and its many uses

Rosehip Seed Oil for wrinkles (plus an eye cream recipe)

2 Comments

Why is this Organic Food Stuffed With Toxic Solvents?

April 1, 2012 at 9:59 AM (Health, Herbal Medicine, Non Toxic, Video)
Tags: , , , , , , , ,

Reblogged from Mike's Anubis:

By Dr. Mercola

Last December, the U.S. National Organic Standards Board, an expert panel that advise the USDA Secretary on organic matters, narrowly approved Martek Biosciences Corporation's petition to allow the use of their genetically modified soil fungus and algae as nutritional supplements in organic food.

The product is an omega 3/omega-6 oil (DHA/ARA) synthesized from fermented algae and soil fungus.

Read more… 2,166 more words

Thank you for a great post Mike! As usual this information is crucial and we need to help spread the word! I must reblog this!

3 Comments

Homemade Magnesium Oil and How to apply

March 31, 2012 at 1:04 AM (Almost Free, Health, Herbal Medicine, Homemade Hippie Beauty Products, How To, Non Toxic, Under $1.00)
Tags: , , , , , , ,

Yesterday I talked about the depletion of magnesium in our food and soil and the devastating results. The fact that up to 80% of Americans are deficient in magnesium really scared me (see health studies mentioned yesterday) and prompted Rob and I to do an experiment. We eat a whole lot of magnesium rich foods, and for some reason he just isn’t absorbing it that way. A few months ago we tried oral magnesium, and that wasn’t absorbed well either (If you’re looking for a recipe for diarrhea take a heaping teaspoon of oral magnesium). I started researching transdermal magnesium therapy and discovered that 75% of the magnesium is absorbed through the skin with this method. I found a product loosely referred to as magnesium oil. Though it’s not actually an oil at all, but a super saturated solution of magnesium chloride.

First I went to the health food store shopping for magnesium oil to be applied to the skin. I found a 4 ounce bottle for $19.99 or a 8 ounce bottle for $37.50. Those are both around $5 per ounce. I’m sure by now you have figured out that I’m a cheap skate. I went home and figured out how to make it myself.

Calling all Cheap Skates

I went online (I found several sources on Amazon) and ordered pure 100% Magnesium Chloride Flakes (and you should too). I ordered a 2.2 pound bag of flakes for $14.99. This will make gallons of magnesium oil. I would recommend Swanson Ultra or Ancient Minerals if you are looking for a pure source. Also make sure the label says “Magnesium Chloride Flakes” and absolutely nothing else! This is what they look like:

Homemade Magnesium Oil

1/4 cup magnesium chloride flakes

1/4 purified water

In a saucepan heat water and add flakes. You don’t have to boil it. Just hot enough to dissolve the magnesium. Ok that’s it. I feel like there should be a lot more steps here, but nope, you’re done :)

I funnelled ours into a cute little spray bottle that I saved. Yes I save everything like one of those weird hoarder people. And see, I really do use all that crap eventually!

Rob and I both shower at night. So before my shower, I take off all my clothes in the bathroom and spray my entire body down with magnesium oil. I then rub it in really good just like lotion. It needs to soak into the skin for at least 20 minutes, so don’t shower for at least that long. I spend this 20 minutes brushing my teeth, using my water pick (do ya’ll have a water pick? If not you should go get one they are the bomb) plucking my eyebrows and whatever other stupid girly things I can think to do.

I should probably warn you about a couple of things here, because nobody warned me and I was quite unpleasantly surprised….

1. The first couple of times you use this spray is stings. It didn’t sting all over my body, but for some reason my lower back was itching/stinging/burning/ for like 5-7 minutes afterward. Not fun. Rob had the same thing happen to his abdomen. It stings because magnesium chloride is derived from salt and some of us have sensitive skin. After the 3rd day of using this I am 100% sting free and so is Rob. So hang in there!

2. After it dries on the skin it leaves a white, salty, powdery residue on the skin. You kind of look like you just walked out of a bakery explosion :) This is the reason that I started spraying right before I shower. This would not be cool under my mostly black work attire.

3. Don’t spray this on an area that you just shaved. Ladies if you can just imagine here the area that I just got done shaving before I sprayed….you will die laughing. For some reason it didn’t occur to me that this would be an especially sensitive area. Whatever. I won’t make that mistake again.

4. Rob sprayed his whole body, including his chest. Nipples are sensitive people. Very, very sensitive. So, unless burning nipples are something you’re really into, avoid these two small areas.

So that is our little experiment in a nut shell. I am really hoping and praying that this cures Rob of his restless leg syndrome. After all the research I have done, I would recommend that EVERYBODY supplement with magnesium. The chance that you have enough magnesium in your body is only 20% And by the way, my 4 ounce bottle of magnesium oil cost $1.70. That is .42 cents per ounce. Ha!

In case some of you have not discovered Underground Wellness, there was an excellent podcast about Magnesium on Wednesday March 28th 2012, that I would highly recommend. It features Morley Robbins, who has dedicated his life to studying magnesium deficiency. CLICK HERE TO LISTEN.It is much more thorough and in depth than my meager postings….Go to www.blogtalkradio.com and search for Underground Wellness and you can listen to it online or click the above link. It is also free on iTunes. I am a big fan of listening to my iPod while I’m stuck in the kitchen all day….

32 Comments

« Older entries Newer entries »

Follow

Get every new post delivered to your Inbox.

Join 501 other followers

%d bloggers like this: