Natural scents

Hello!! I'm here to write a blog about natural deodorant. I am trying to slowly move all my products over to all-natural. Now I can't get rid of my glycolic wash and my retinol cream that I use every few nights. But, I am slowly but surely trying to move all my beauty products over to all-natural or close to all-natural. If it's not completely all-natural I'm going to make sure there aren't a ton of ingredients in it and I'm going to make sure I know what all the ingredients are. Basically if I can't pronounce it, I'm not putting it on my face or body. One part of moving to all-natural product is the deodorant. There is a lot of talk about aluminums and different ingredients in deodorant that are rumored to be bad for your health.

The National Cancer Institute says there is no conclusive evidence that proves that deodorant can cause breast cancer. There have been studies that show aluminum-based compounds (found in antiperspirants) that "plug" the sweat duct which will block the sweat from coming to the skin's surface may promote the growth of breast cancer cells because the aluminum ingredient will stay on the skin and it can be absorbed and can cause estrogen-like effects. Estrogen can promote the growth of breast cancer cells and some scientists have think that these ingredients can contribute to breast cancer.

With that being said, regardless if it's proven or not I just don't want to use chemically created stuff that will be absorbed or could possibly be absorbed into the skin. (everyone has their own opinion, this is just mine) so-I have been trying out some all natural deodorants.

I have tried Tom's of Maine deodorant



When I use the Tom's deodorant I use the apricot one. It smells nice but I do have to use it a few times throughout the day. Not my favorite but it is in my bag so if I need it in the middle of the day I will and it has a nice scent.

I also have tried Crystal deodorant



I really like this one!! I use the liquid roll-on and it is By far, my favorite ever! I can use it in the morning and it works all day long.

I have tried Jason


I get the lavender scent and it's pretty good. Didn't blow me away. I put it in the same field as the Tom's deodorant.

The last one I tried is Naturally Fresh Crystal



I have tried the roll-on and the spray. I like the spray more than the roll-on. They both do a decent job but nothing compares to the Crystal deodorant I wrote about earlier.

**now all the deodorants I used were liquid roller ones not just a crystal. I have seen those and tried those and they all are awful!! So don't waste your time on those get the liquid deodorants for sure!

Here is a blog from one of my favorite stores and websites. Www.lululemon.com there links, blogs, educational pages, everything on their website is awesome! And here is a link from their blog about natural deodorants as well. It's really great!

http://www.lululemon.com/community/blog/natural-deodorant-sweat-test/


Remember we all are different so what works for me, or what works in the Lulu blog might now work exactly for you but it's a start in the right direction if you're looking for a natural route.

http://www.cancer.gov/cancertopics/factsheet/Risk/AP-Deo



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I have heard lots of jabber about African black soap. I hadn't really looked into it much but I will admit it caught my attention. While i was at Whole Body restocking on some vitamins I was waiting in line and this huge bottle caught my eye.




I saw it, it was $5.99 for the smaller pump bottle so I said "ah, what the heck! Im trying it!" I went for the peppermint scent. There is also a citrus one but I wasn't diggin that scent. I asked the girl ringing me up what she thought of the product and she said she hadn't tried it but it has sold really well. I thought I might as well try it I've been interested in it. So I gave it a shot!

One nice factor is that is can be used as a face wash, a body wash, shaving soap, a shampoo and they say (the bottle says) that it can also be used as a general household cleanser. To be honest I don't know how you would use this as a household cleanser but I'm sure you could find 100 uses on Pinterest!!


Anyway, here's a little bit about about African Black Soap. This soap is made from purified water and genuine black soap. Black soap is the only soap mothers in Togo use on their newborns. So obviously this soap is gentle and great for sensitive skin. The process of creating this soap has been passed down using age-old traditional techniques. The ingredients used for this soap are pure virgin palm kernel oil, pure unrefined Shea butter and potash. Potash is created from plantain leaves and tree bark from the Agow tree from Africa. One of the main benefits from this soap is the high amount of Shea butter which is super rich and hydrating.

Black soap comes from "cooking" the soap to the point of charcoal. Many African cultures use charcoal as a detoxifying and purifying agent for the skin. So not only is this soap safe for sensitive skin but it also detoxifies and purifies sensitive skin. After "cooking" the soap, ashes are added to the hot oils and the soap cooks for 6 hours. The last step to making African black soap is letting it set in the sun for 3 weeks.

It sounds like a lot of work but the long process of cooking and soaking in the sun gives the soap it's gentle qualities.
Like I said there are lots of used for this soap as well. You can use it on babies, use it as a shaving soap, you can wash your face with it (this is what I use it for), you can use it as hand soap, shampoo and body wash.

I used this soap as a face wash and I used it with my Clarisonic and oh my gosh do I feel like a new woman! I have the peppermint scented one and my face felt amazing!!!! It is not too harsh nor drying. My face is actually quite hydrated and soft!!! Plus the price is awesome!! Go check it out!!

Www.alaffia.com

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A few months ago my husband was sick. He had a cold and it had been going on for about a month or so. after trying over the counter stuff i decided to intervene and this is what i did!! here's a natural cold remedy!


Simply combine half a tablespoon of apple cider vinegar. I get this kind




You can usually find this in the organic section at your grocery store or at GNC.

Then you mix the apple cider vinegar with half a tablespoon of honey. I try to stick with local honey so it will help with your sinuses.





Then you chug it! It's kinda gross but it's quick and the honey really helps. My husband would take it I think 2 or 3 times a day. It really works for any kind of cold-related issue.

Here are some health benefits of both local honey and apple cider vinegar.

Apple cider vinegar has been known to help acne, allergies, arthritis, chronic fatigue syndrome, diabetes, flu, gout, heart burn, high cholesterol and sore throat. I drink one tablespoon a day to help with weight loss. It really helps digestion.

Local honey has been known to help cure allergies because if you take a daily dose of your own local honey you are "vaccinating" your body against allergens. Local honey will contain the same pollen spores that cause a lot of the allergy troubles. If you take a daily dose you are introducing the spores into the body and this will help get your body accustomed to them and will decrease the chance of triggering your body to an allergic reaction.

So get you a tablespoon of apple cider vinegar and chase it with some oj and make you some toast with some local honey and start your day off right!!!


Www.altmedicine.about.com
Www.health.howstuffworks.com

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New Breakfast Tradition

Hello!!! Oh my gosh do I have an amazing new breakfast recipe for you and it is so easy!!! So, yesterday my husband was playing Nerf guns with his youngest brother, he's 11, and the neighborhood boys. He was so winded by the end of the day that we decided to start getting up early and walking 2 of our doggies. I thought this would be perfect! We get to work out, spend quality time with our fur babies, and we would be getting up early and that would help us feel better throughout the day, give us more energy and it will help him not be late for work so there are SO many reasons why we should do this not to mention a HUGE reason- your health!!

So we were discussing what time to go to bed to get adequate sleep time and all that great stuff. With that, we thought about this steel cut oats recipe that you cook overnight from Alton Brown. We looked up the recipe online and we looked up the recipe in one of the many Alton Brown books Corey has. (he loves Alton Brown!) there were 2 different recipes we found so kind of took the best of both and tweaked it to make it our own. We thought this would be a great, hearty, healthy breakfast to add to our new early morning walking tradition.

The recipe online says
1cup steel cut oats
1 cup dried cranberries
1cup dried figs
4 cups of water
1/2 cup of half and half

Mix it all together in the crockpot and let it cook for 8-9 hours overnight and it will be ready for you in the a.m!

The book recipe says (the book we got it from is Alton Brown Good Eats The Early Years)
1 cup of steel cut oats
1cup dried cranberries
1/2cup of dried figs
4 cups of water
1/2 cup heavy cream
1 pinch of salt

This one you mix everything together but the salt and look it cook in crockpot and cook it for 8-9 hours as well. In the morning you stir it and add in the pinch of salt!

Ok, our version was
1 cup steel cut oats
4 cups water
1/2 cup half and half
1 pinch of salt
1 pinch brown sugar

We omitted the dried figs and cranberries because we both like our oatmeal pretty plain. We mixed everything but the brown sugar and salt in the crockpot last night and let it cook over night. This morning I stirred it, we went for our run and when we came back I stirred it again made our normal a.m. juice (I have previously written about my normal morning juice recipe in an earlier blog) after our juice (you always want to eat your fruits and veggies on an empty stomach so your body absorbs the most nutrients they can-get the most out of your fruits and veggies!) I added a little salt to the crockpot mix and then served it out and then added a pinch of brown sugar to the oatmeal here it is!



Yum yum!!! This oatmeal is so hearty and amazing!!! You have to try it!!! The book says it serves 4 it really only served me and Corey because there was some major crusty burnt oatmeal on the sides so I think that cut down the servings. If you're only making this for 2 then this recipe is fine, if you're making this for 2+ I would probably double it. Tonight I'm going to set my crockpot for the 10-hour setting tonight to see how it does. Actually- I think Corey didn't put in the full 4 cups of water last night I think we only did 3 and a half which also could have done something too. I will try it again tonight and let you know!!

Anyways this stuff is awesome and so good for you!!! It will definitely get your day started right!!

http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/alton-brown/overnight-oatmeal-recipe/index.html
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Sniffles solutions

I wrote previously about the Super Quercetin supplement that helps relax and promote sleep, great antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and helps with sinuses greatly. Well this is another beauty I swear by.




It's called Xlear sinus nasal spray. I don't use this every night and day but when I start feeling a little stuffy or start feeling some congestion, I use it! It really does a great job, it burns a little but that's a small price to pay. This nasal spray is all natural and I get it at Whole Body.

This nasal spray is different because it helps keep moisture in the nose which keeps the nasal passages and sinuses moist and clean unlike most nasal sprays that just dry out your nose and never really fix the problem. A lot of nasal sprays contain chemical antihistamines or decongestants that just give you a quick fix not a long-term solution. And who wants a bunch of chemicals sprayed up in their head??? Not me!! This is all natural stuff here guys!

This nasal spray has a mixture of saline solution and xylitol. Xylitol is basically an all-natural sugar substitute. Xylitol can also help prevent ear infections because it prevents growth of bacteria in the eustachian tubes that connect to the nose and ears. In different studies xylitol has been known to reduce the number of nasal bacteria that can cause sickness, sinus pressure and congestion.

It also contains grapefruit seed extract which is a fantastic antibacterial, anti fungal, and anti viral agent. So when you're spraying this stuff up your nose you're not only getting a moisturizing agent and something to keep congestion away, you're also getting this grapefruit seed extract up in your nasal passages that will help kill any bacteria up there to avoid any infection or sickness. (the grapefruit seed extract is where the slight burning sensation comes from but it works so well I don't even care!)


Www.xlear.com


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Natural remedy

Hi! If you know me, you know I have major sinus & allergy issues. For the longest time I always had headaches and not too long ago I realized that these headaches are from my sinus issues. My headaches had major pressure around my eyes and nose, sometimes my teeth even hurt because my sinuses were acting up so much. I started taking Zyrtec D every night right before I went to bed. Yes, I know Zyrtec has TONS of caffeine and I'm sure you can't believe that I could sleep after taking it but I would takeout right before I went to bed and I would just conk out and go to sleep and have super weird dreams. (really, I did! I once dreamed I was surfing with Michael Jackson) Anywho, after taking Zyrtec for over a year I realized I needed to stop taking that crap. Like I need more caffeine in my life and I don't want to have to rely on that stuff. Not to mention that Zyrtec made me feel so loopy, that's why I took it at night. I don't like that medicines make me feel that way. And-I have really made an effort to eat really well and get rid of processed foods and if I'm getting whole, and not eating processed junk, why am I relying on a medicine? I decided something needed to change.
I decided to go on a cleanse. I will write about this cleanse that I used next-it was awesome! But with that I thought I can't do a cleanse and go right back to using medicines and junk. So, I ran to Whole Body (I love that place!) and asked this great, knowledgeable guy (I will get him name soon!) showed me this amazing supplement to take as a substitute for Zyrtec. He showed me this little beauty.



This is Super Quercetin and I am in love!!! I started taking this the day I started my cleanse. Yes, I had a headache for about 3 days when I started the cleanse but I just kept pushing through and ever since then this stuff has worked like a dream! Not only does this help with my sinus pressure and keep sinus headaches away there are a ton of great benefits to taking this!

First, and obvious, it has Quercetin which is a plant-based flavonoid that is in fruits and veggies, grains and leaves. Black and green tea contain Quercetin, so does red grapes and onions, citrus fruits, leafy green veggies and so much more! The American Cancer Society has said that Quercetin has been known to be effective against a wide variety of diseases, including cancer. Quercetin also has anti-inflammatory properties so that helps with your sinuses.

This supplement also has vitamin C which of course we all knows helps keep scurvy at bay back in the pirate days. It is essential to have vitamin C in our diet. Vitamin C is a great antioxidant as well as an amazing antihistamine.

Acerola is the next ingredient to spotlight. Acerola is also very rich in vitamin C and also contains vitamin A, B1, B2 and B3 and lots of antioxidants.

Bromelian is the last ingredient I will talk about. Bromelian is from the stem of the pineapple. It has anti-inflammatory properties and also has chemicals that might interfere with the growth of tumor cells and slowing blood clots. Bromelian is used in a lot of folk medicine and alternative medicine. Bromelain helps reduce swelling which helps with the sinus cavities. This also helps arthritis. There are a ton of other treatments that bromelian will remedy- treating fever, bowel conditions, preventing collection of water in lungs, relaxing muscles, stimulating muscle contractions, slowing blood clots, improving absorption of antibiotics, preventing cancer, shortening labor, and helping the body get rid of fat.

There are so many benefits from this supplement!!! I love the prevention of cancer benefits, all the amazing vitamins and antioxidants that are in it, the anti-inflammatory and antihistamine benefits, helps me breathe easier, keeps my sinuses from bothering me and I take 2 at night because it helps me sleep better because of the Bromelian. It seriously helps me sleep better!!

I get this from Whole Body and it's about $35 for 100 count. If you have sinus issues or you can't sleep or if you just want to better your health you have to try this!!!! It's a must in my daily routine!


To your health!

Andy


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juice!

This is my very first "real" post on my natural living blog. The first and most important, in my opinion! I got a juicer and I absolutely love it!!! I just have your basic Jack LaLanne juicer, I bought mine at Kohls. For the first few months I would just stop by Whole Foods and order different juices and talk to the people that worked at the juice counter to see what was the best veggies and fruits to start with. This sweet woman named Deana who works at the juice counter really helped me a lot starting out with juices.

*stick with fruits first, pineapple, apples, lemon, strawberries-good stuff like that!
*beets & carrots are sweeter so those are always good veggies to start out with!
*spinach doesn't have a taste when you juice or add in smoothies so go with that first!
*if you add a lemon in anything that tends to take over the juice and make it easier to handle

Every morning I make a juice and if I don't my day is done! I'm not kidding, if I don't drink a juice I really make unhealthy, bad decisions throughout the day. I don't eat as well, I don't feel as well, it's just an all-around bad thing! So, I just juice every day! I have definitely gotten my money's worth with this juicer! This is my typical juice every morning

3 granny smith apples
3 gala apples
1 whole lemon
a small piece of ginger
1 hand full of kale
2 hand fulls of spinach
4 celery stalks
4 carrots

I know this doesn't sound too appetizing, but I'm telling you you'll love it!! At first I kept it real simple, I bought a bunch of pineapple, apples, blueberries, strawberries and really kept it fruit-focused but I always added in a couple hand fulls of spinach because I promise you, you can't taste the spinach! After I grew used to the fruit-based juices I added in some carrots and you really can't taste much a difference with carrots added. I then added in celery and honestly I crave that celery taste in my juice, it definitely tends to over-power the juice so if celery is not your thing, then don't add it!! I personally love celery and I really have to have celery in every juice I make! You can't go wrong with a juice, I mean how could you eat all those fruits and veggies in one day without a juicer?? They are amazing and it will make you feel great!!