Monday, May 28, 2012
All In... Laundry Detergent, Hubby's shave cream, etc
I am really tired tonight from moving, so this will be short. I will include recipes tomorrow. But hubby ran out of shaving cream and asked me to make him something. I made him a shave oil from natural ingredients. Took me all of maybe 10 min to mix up and he loves it! I tried it on my legs, and its pretty spectacular! I am working on a good shampoo recipe. I need to detox my hair first it seems, so I'm using a simple baking soda solution for a few weeks to cleanse out product and allow hair to adjust. My facial routine has been amazingly simplified to just an oil cleanse each night, and my skin has never looked clearer! And, tonight, I just made my first batch of laundry soap! I can't tell you how proud I am of these accomplishments. Its like when you make a yummy batch of cookies from scratch. It just feels good. And I know I'm doing something good for myself, my family, our wallet, and the environment. I am ready to start selling. I can supply facial cleansers, shaving soap, laundry soap, and household cleaning supplies. We will reuse bottles/containers and save money! :) leave a comment or text/email me if you are interested. My goal is to keep costs down for everyone while creating convenience equal to store bought for those with busy schedules! If you want to make it yourself, I am happy to provide recipes. If you decide its too time consuming but like the product changes, I can start making them for you.
Thursday, May 24, 2012
Homemade Bread
New Cansino Family tradition: boycotting store bought bread and making our own. Look at the labels of your store bought bread. Recognize most of the ingredients? Neither did I. A lot of it is preservatives. The texture even has more air than homemade to allow it to last on the store shelves and our shelves at home. And it goes from lasting on the shelve to lasting in our gut? Awesome.
I decided I'm making my own from now on. I was surprised how easy it really was, and not too time consuming. I will probably start making double batches once I get it down. It was really fun, and it really makes me feel like a true homemaker. Here's the simple recipe:
Homemade Bread:
bread pan
1 o 2 bowls
measuring cup
spoon
1 package of dry active yeast
1 c warm water
5 tsp sugar
1 tsp salt
5 tsp butter
2 1/2- 3 1/2 c flour
1/4 c milk
corn starch or non stick spray
Warm your bowl by filling it with hot tap water and letting it sit for a minute. This is great time to clean your counter well for later. Dump it out, and mix the packet of yeast with 1 c warm water. Stir the yeast until lump free. It will be a light tan color.
Melt the butter. Stir in the butter, milk, salt, and sugar. Mix well. Now add only 2 c of the flour. Save the rest. Stir well, then start adding the flour about 1/4 c at a time, about every minute or so. Keep adding and mixing flour until the dough is slightly sticky, but doesn't stick to your hands.
Take a little flour and rub over your hands. There should be flour sprinkled on your counter now from mixing. Pick up the dough out of the bowl. Throw the dough down on the floured counter and begin kneading it for about 10 min.
After 10 min of kneading, roll the dough into a ball. Clean the bowl or use a second bowl. Spray with cooking spray or sprinkle with cornstarch. Put the dough ball in the bowl, cover with a towel, and leave in a warm spot for an hour to rise. The dough will more or less double in size at the end of the hour.
After an hour, punch the dough back down 3-4 times to get it back to original size. Then remove it from the bowl and on a lightly floured counter, spread it into a rectangle shape. One side should be same length as the bread pan and the other side approx 1 1/2 times the length of the bread pan. Roll it up, starting on one of the shorter sides. The seamed side is the bottom. Roll the sides down and tuck them under, on the seamed side, to create a neat roll the same size as the bread pan. Spray or sprinkle the bread pan, put the dough in, cover with a towel, and set aside for another hour.
Now is a great time to clean up your counter.
After about 45 min or so, start preheating your oven to 400 degrees (depending on how long your oven takes to heat). When the dough is done rising (it will now be two hours total of rising), bake for 30 min at 400 degrees F.
After the bread is baked, remove from oven and immediately remove from pan to cool. After its cooled, slice (segregated knife works much better), and enjoy!
I'm not really a bread fan, and I was surprised how much I actually enjoyed it. Online recommendations say master the basic white recipe, then start experimenting with others, like wheat or flavors. Good luck and enjoy!
I decided I'm making my own from now on. I was surprised how easy it really was, and not too time consuming. I will probably start making double batches once I get it down. It was really fun, and it really makes me feel like a true homemaker. Here's the simple recipe:
Homemade Bread:
bread pan
1 o 2 bowls
measuring cup
spoon
1 package of dry active yeast
1 c warm water
5 tsp sugar
1 tsp salt
5 tsp butter
2 1/2- 3 1/2 c flour
1/4 c milk
corn starch or non stick spray
Warm your bowl by filling it with hot tap water and letting it sit for a minute. This is great time to clean your counter well for later. Dump it out, and mix the packet of yeast with 1 c warm water. Stir the yeast until lump free. It will be a light tan color.
Melt the butter. Stir in the butter, milk, salt, and sugar. Mix well. Now add only 2 c of the flour. Save the rest. Stir well, then start adding the flour about 1/4 c at a time, about every minute or so. Keep adding and mixing flour until the dough is slightly sticky, but doesn't stick to your hands.
Take a little flour and rub over your hands. There should be flour sprinkled on your counter now from mixing. Pick up the dough out of the bowl. Throw the dough down on the floured counter and begin kneading it for about 10 min.
After 10 min of kneading, roll the dough into a ball. Clean the bowl or use a second bowl. Spray with cooking spray or sprinkle with cornstarch. Put the dough ball in the bowl, cover with a towel, and leave in a warm spot for an hour to rise. The dough will more or less double in size at the end of the hour.
After an hour, punch the dough back down 3-4 times to get it back to original size. Then remove it from the bowl and on a lightly floured counter, spread it into a rectangle shape. One side should be same length as the bread pan and the other side approx 1 1/2 times the length of the bread pan. Roll it up, starting on one of the shorter sides. The seamed side is the bottom. Roll the sides down and tuck them under, on the seamed side, to create a neat roll the same size as the bread pan. Spray or sprinkle the bread pan, put the dough in, cover with a towel, and set aside for another hour.
Now is a great time to clean up your counter.
After about 45 min or so, start preheating your oven to 400 degrees (depending on how long your oven takes to heat). When the dough is done rising (it will now be two hours total of rising), bake for 30 min at 400 degrees F.
After the bread is baked, remove from oven and immediately remove from pan to cool. After its cooled, slice (segregated knife works much better), and enjoy!
I'm not really a bread fan, and I was surprised how much I actually enjoyed it. Online recommendations say master the basic white recipe, then start experimenting with others, like wheat or flavors. Good luck and enjoy!
Ditching Anti-persiperant
OK, I know what you guys are thinking... I'm joking, right? No way. I think the single weirdest thing to me in all this was the concept of giving up commercial deodorant. There was no way I could fathom just not using it anymore. So, I started researching it. And literally, within about 20 min, I was convinced. There was NO WAY I could keep using the "normal" stuff.
First off, our bodies are DESIGNED to sweat. Sweat is a major method of our bodies removing toxins. If we don't let it sweat, toxins stay in, and gives our liver and kidneys more waste to handle. Anti-perspirants, in case you've never stopped to think of it, are just that... the opposite of perspiring. They have a high aluminium content, which is the main contributor to clogging up the sweat glands so they can't excrete. Aluminium doesn't belong in or on our bodies. And considering I spend so much time trying to de-clog the pores on my face, seems kind of hypocritical to intentionally clog the pores in my arm pit, right? It also contains a lot of parabens and carcinogenic materials. There is debate whether it contributes to breast cancer or not, but either way, it doesn't sound healthy to me.
Sweat only smells when it 1) comes in contact with bacteria on our skin, and 2) when we consume excess toxins. Sweat in and of itself is odorless; its simply salt water. So the solution seems simple. We don't need to prevent sweat, we just need to prevent odor. When we eat a more healthy diet, with less preservatives and all that garbage, there will be less odor to excrete to begin with. There are other foods that are perfectly healthy that will increase odor, as well. For example, onion and garlic, in large quantities. You may not want to consume a hearty Italian-inspired meal before a social event or work. Though both have cleansing qualities, but that's another blog. Second solution is attack the bacteria.
That's why I will likely be adding that Bacteria Fighter essential oil to the next batch. But for this first batch, I made it without, so I could get a more pure evaluation to share with you. I quit using my regular anti-perspirant Tuesday. After I bathed Tuesday night, I applied a simple baking soda and corn starch powder to my underarms since I didn't have a recipe yet. Wednesday morning, I applied same mixture again, and headed to the store. Yesterday was about 85 degrees, and I was outside pretty much from 10am to 5pm. We took our Jeep, which the A/C stinks and we always get hotter in it than the car, and the kids and I went to the store. I don't think I've ever had coconut oil in the house, so had to shop. After walking around Wal Mart for about an hour, we drove half an hour to a friend's house, who also didn't have the A/C on. Had lunch, then walked to the park. After walking back, we drove half an hour home without A/C. Getting home, I cooked, cleaned, and got the kids in bed. By the time my husband got home around 9pm, I had him smell me (including my arm pits!), since you can't rely on my observation of myself. He said I smelled no different than a regular day indoors. I actually smelled BETTER than I should for having been outside all day. Impressive, huh? Needless to say, I think I'm sold.
So this morning, I mixed up my homemade deodorant, took a shower, and applied a dab. Many reviews online said it smells like coconut, but I don't smell anything. It felt a little weird going on, just because its different. My right armpit only mildly stung for a few minutes, but I think I irritated it while shaving, not relevant to the deodorant. I did laundry, went to the store, and spent the rest of the day baking and cleaning my kitchen. It was at least 85 degrees again today, and with the oven running, you know my kitchen was COOKING. And I didn't turn the A/C on at all. Even so, I feel like I was actually sweating less than usual and I don't smell anything. Maybe a little cornstarch when I stick my nose in and breath hard, but that's nothing. My husband just walked in, and of course I made him smell. He said not bad at all.
All in all, I actually feel healthier. You know that feeling like after you work out? Its like that. And I haven't worked out yet at all. But between the green cleaners and the natural alternatives to what I'm putting on my body, I just feel good. I've been drinking a ton of water, too, and I think that makes a difference between sweat level and smell. I used the lemons from the vinegar/lemon peel cleaner, diced them up, and put them in a 1 gallon sized pitcher I got from Wal Mart for $3.49. Every night, I refill the jug before bed and keep it in the fridge. It is so good, and I've been almost finishing the jug every day. Talk about a cheap alternative to my bottled water! My energy level has gone up with my hydration level, and I've even been skipping my morning coffee without complaint. If you know me, that's a saying a lot!
Here's the recipe for the homemade deodorant:
5-6 tsp of coconut oil
1/4 c cornstarch
1/4 c baking soda
Tea Tree Oil (optional)
Mix the cornstarch and baking soda together. Stir in the coconut oil until a past. I got a little impatient and just kneaded it with my hands. It took about 1-2 minutes to make. Obviously, I'm a little impatient by nature. I also used corn meal instead (like Mexican masa), because that's what I had. Just a SMALL dab is all you need.
First off, our bodies are DESIGNED to sweat. Sweat is a major method of our bodies removing toxins. If we don't let it sweat, toxins stay in, and gives our liver and kidneys more waste to handle. Anti-perspirants, in case you've never stopped to think of it, are just that... the opposite of perspiring. They have a high aluminium content, which is the main contributor to clogging up the sweat glands so they can't excrete. Aluminium doesn't belong in or on our bodies. And considering I spend so much time trying to de-clog the pores on my face, seems kind of hypocritical to intentionally clog the pores in my arm pit, right? It also contains a lot of parabens and carcinogenic materials. There is debate whether it contributes to breast cancer or not, but either way, it doesn't sound healthy to me.
Sweat only smells when it 1) comes in contact with bacteria on our skin, and 2) when we consume excess toxins. Sweat in and of itself is odorless; its simply salt water. So the solution seems simple. We don't need to prevent sweat, we just need to prevent odor. When we eat a more healthy diet, with less preservatives and all that garbage, there will be less odor to excrete to begin with. There are other foods that are perfectly healthy that will increase odor, as well. For example, onion and garlic, in large quantities. You may not want to consume a hearty Italian-inspired meal before a social event or work. Though both have cleansing qualities, but that's another blog. Second solution is attack the bacteria.
That's why I will likely be adding that Bacteria Fighter essential oil to the next batch. But for this first batch, I made it without, so I could get a more pure evaluation to share with you. I quit using my regular anti-perspirant Tuesday. After I bathed Tuesday night, I applied a simple baking soda and corn starch powder to my underarms since I didn't have a recipe yet. Wednesday morning, I applied same mixture again, and headed to the store. Yesterday was about 85 degrees, and I was outside pretty much from 10am to 5pm. We took our Jeep, which the A/C stinks and we always get hotter in it than the car, and the kids and I went to the store. I don't think I've ever had coconut oil in the house, so had to shop. After walking around Wal Mart for about an hour, we drove half an hour to a friend's house, who also didn't have the A/C on. Had lunch, then walked to the park. After walking back, we drove half an hour home without A/C. Getting home, I cooked, cleaned, and got the kids in bed. By the time my husband got home around 9pm, I had him smell me (including my arm pits!), since you can't rely on my observation of myself. He said I smelled no different than a regular day indoors. I actually smelled BETTER than I should for having been outside all day. Impressive, huh? Needless to say, I think I'm sold.
So this morning, I mixed up my homemade deodorant, took a shower, and applied a dab. Many reviews online said it smells like coconut, but I don't smell anything. It felt a little weird going on, just because its different. My right armpit only mildly stung for a few minutes, but I think I irritated it while shaving, not relevant to the deodorant. I did laundry, went to the store, and spent the rest of the day baking and cleaning my kitchen. It was at least 85 degrees again today, and with the oven running, you know my kitchen was COOKING. And I didn't turn the A/C on at all. Even so, I feel like I was actually sweating less than usual and I don't smell anything. Maybe a little cornstarch when I stick my nose in and breath hard, but that's nothing. My husband just walked in, and of course I made him smell. He said not bad at all.
All in all, I actually feel healthier. You know that feeling like after you work out? Its like that. And I haven't worked out yet at all. But between the green cleaners and the natural alternatives to what I'm putting on my body, I just feel good. I've been drinking a ton of water, too, and I think that makes a difference between sweat level and smell. I used the lemons from the vinegar/lemon peel cleaner, diced them up, and put them in a 1 gallon sized pitcher I got from Wal Mart for $3.49. Every night, I refill the jug before bed and keep it in the fridge. It is so good, and I've been almost finishing the jug every day. Talk about a cheap alternative to my bottled water! My energy level has gone up with my hydration level, and I've even been skipping my morning coffee without complaint. If you know me, that's a saying a lot!
Here's the recipe for the homemade deodorant:
5-6 tsp of coconut oil
1/4 c cornstarch
1/4 c baking soda
Tea Tree Oil (optional)
Mix the cornstarch and baking soda together. Stir in the coconut oil until a past. I got a little impatient and just kneaded it with my hands. It took about 1-2 minutes to make. Obviously, I'm a little impatient by nature. I also used corn meal instead (like Mexican masa), because that's what I had. Just a SMALL dab is all you need.
Tuesday, May 22, 2012
Day 2- All purpose cleaner and castile soap
I made an all-purpose cleaner today. Seems like it works really well, and it smells wonderful. My kitchen smells like a kitchen should, instead of chemical cleaners.
All Purpose Cleaner (even on glass!):
Spray bottle
White vinegar
Rubbing alcohol or vodka
Warm water
Essential oils
Fill the spray bottle 1/3 each with vinegar, rubbing alcohol, and water. In a 32oz bottle, 10 drops of essential oil (I used the bateria fighter and 10 more of the grapefruit seed oil). Shake before each use. Tip: warm fluid cleans dried on grime better. Once initial bottle cools, simply remove spray nozzle and warm in microwave. This is why I prefer a smaller bottle.
I tried this spray on my laminate/pergo floor with a clean, dry soft cloth. It cleaned as well as the mixture from last night, except it didn't leave splotchy/streakiness. It was the shiniest and smoothest I've seen this old floor look ever!
I also used this on my glass kitchen table, and it cleaned really well. It made the table very shiny, and left it only slightly streaky when the sun hits it. I used straight vinegar on my patio door, which gets FILTHY from the dogs and kids. It cut through all the grime on there very quickly with just one application. Usually it takes 3-4+ spray/wipe applications, and the vinegar handled it in just one. Probably about $.04 worth of vinegar did the job!
I got a great idea from my friend, Danielle. She told me how she uses the softsoap refills and fills her pump-style handsoap bottles 1/3 with soap and 2/3 with water. Well, since I want to go more natural, I adapted her method. Yesterday at the health food store, I got a bunch of castile soap (all-natural ingredients making an olive oil-based soap vs chemical-infused detergent, beef fat versions we are used to) samples and I used one spearmint-peppermint sample and filled the rest with water. Its wonderful, and leaves our hands super soft. I used the rose-scented soap on my girls in their bath tonight. Its amazing how far this stuff goes, and they smell so pretty! Their hair and skin are so soft, and I didn't even use conditioner. Both my girls have dry skin, so the fact lotion wasn't necessary is pretty impressive.
All Purpose Cleaner (even on glass!):
Spray bottle
White vinegar
Rubbing alcohol or vodka
Warm water
Essential oils
Fill the spray bottle 1/3 each with vinegar, rubbing alcohol, and water. In a 32oz bottle, 10 drops of essential oil (I used the bateria fighter and 10 more of the grapefruit seed oil). Shake before each use. Tip: warm fluid cleans dried on grime better. Once initial bottle cools, simply remove spray nozzle and warm in microwave. This is why I prefer a smaller bottle.
I tried this spray on my laminate/pergo floor with a clean, dry soft cloth. It cleaned as well as the mixture from last night, except it didn't leave splotchy/streakiness. It was the shiniest and smoothest I've seen this old floor look ever!
I also used this on my glass kitchen table, and it cleaned really well. It made the table very shiny, and left it only slightly streaky when the sun hits it. I used straight vinegar on my patio door, which gets FILTHY from the dogs and kids. It cut through all the grime on there very quickly with just one application. Usually it takes 3-4+ spray/wipe applications, and the vinegar handled it in just one. Probably about $.04 worth of vinegar did the job!
I got a great idea from my friend, Danielle. She told me how she uses the softsoap refills and fills her pump-style handsoap bottles 1/3 with soap and 2/3 with water. Well, since I want to go more natural, I adapted her method. Yesterday at the health food store, I got a bunch of castile soap (all-natural ingredients making an olive oil-based soap vs chemical-infused detergent, beef fat versions we are used to) samples and I used one spearmint-peppermint sample and filled the rest with water. Its wonderful, and leaves our hands super soft. I used the rose-scented soap on my girls in their bath tonight. Its amazing how far this stuff goes, and they smell so pretty! Their hair and skin are so soft, and I didn't even use conditioner. Both my girls have dry skin, so the fact lotion wasn't necessary is pretty impressive.
Day 1- Getting Started
I have found a ton of recipes. Yesterday, I went to the health food store in town and bought some essential oils. They had one I am really excited about, a bacteria fighter blend. I really like how it smells. It is a blend of lemon, cinnamon, lavender, rosemary, tea tree, clove, elemi, and thyme oils. It mostly smells like clove, which I love! And I was surprised that it only cost $9.49 for a 10 mL vial. I also picked up some orange oil (yummy!) for only $3.49, grapefruit seed oil (another natural antibacterial), and castille soap. They gave me some samples for this magnesium supplement drink to help with my muscle aches called calm. I'm going back to buy some, it was great. You mix it with water, and its slightly effervescent, like alka-seltzer, with a mild orange flavor. It was nice. I drank it last night before bed, and I slept wonderfully! I actually woke up early this morning without an alarm or anything at 7:30. Lately, I haven't been able to sleep before maybe 3am or get up before 10. Its been bad.
So after the health food store, we hit Wal-Mart and picked up a huge jug of white vinegar, micro fiber cloths, big boxes of baking soda, borax, washing soda, spray bottles, a glass jar, and lemons. I spent about $40 at the health food store and about $60 at Wal-Mart. I made my first cleaners last night when I got home!
I used a recipe I got from my friend, Erin, to start a citrus-cleaner. I took the gallon-size glass jar with twist-on top from Wal-Mart, filled it with white vinegar and lemon peels, and I added 1c lemon juice along with 20 drops of the bacteria fighter oil and 60 drops of the grapefruit seed oil. Now I'm letting it sit for 2 wks on my counter. Added bonus: it looks really pretty sitting there. I'll let you know how it cleans.
Then, I made a bucket of my first non toxic floor cleaner. Filled my bucket with HOT water, 1c white vinegar, 15 drops of the bacteria fighter oil, and 30 drops of grapefruit seed oil. Then I used a rag and cleaned the floor by hand. I don't like mops, I think they are gross. Mops and sponges just breed bacteria. I like used rags for all my cleaning so I can wash and bleach them after each use. The solution I made cleaned just as well as my old Lysol bucket, and smelled wonderful. It didn't feel heavy in my lungs, either, and my husband even commented the same. It smelled like I was baking, not cleaning. I noticed I didn't seem to need as much elbow grease, either. My floors look just as clean now today, though slightly streaking. The pergo we have is a little low quality, and the sheen has not been there since we've lived here. Even with the Lysol, its a little streaky and dull. So I'm not sure if its the floor or if I used too much vinegar, but we move next week, so I'll try it on the hard wood floor at the new house and let you know!
Homemade all-purpose no rinse floor cleaner:
Bucket full of HOT water
1/4 c white vinegar (I used more)
15 drops Bacteria Fighter Blend essential oil (tea tree or lemon will work, too)
30 drops Grapefruit Seed Oil
clean rag
Homemade all-purpose cleaner:
Glass jar
Citrus fruit peels
White vinegar
1c lemon juice
20 drops Bacteria Fighter Blend
60 drops Grapefruit Seed Oil
Mix ingredients, seal jar, and let sit for 2wks.
So after the health food store, we hit Wal-Mart and picked up a huge jug of white vinegar, micro fiber cloths, big boxes of baking soda, borax, washing soda, spray bottles, a glass jar, and lemons. I spent about $40 at the health food store and about $60 at Wal-Mart. I made my first cleaners last night when I got home!
I used a recipe I got from my friend, Erin, to start a citrus-cleaner. I took the gallon-size glass jar with twist-on top from Wal-Mart, filled it with white vinegar and lemon peels, and I added 1c lemon juice along with 20 drops of the bacteria fighter oil and 60 drops of the grapefruit seed oil. Now I'm letting it sit for 2 wks on my counter. Added bonus: it looks really pretty sitting there. I'll let you know how it cleans.
Then, I made a bucket of my first non toxic floor cleaner. Filled my bucket with HOT water, 1c white vinegar, 15 drops of the bacteria fighter oil, and 30 drops of grapefruit seed oil. Then I used a rag and cleaned the floor by hand. I don't like mops, I think they are gross. Mops and sponges just breed bacteria. I like used rags for all my cleaning so I can wash and bleach them after each use. The solution I made cleaned just as well as my old Lysol bucket, and smelled wonderful. It didn't feel heavy in my lungs, either, and my husband even commented the same. It smelled like I was baking, not cleaning. I noticed I didn't seem to need as much elbow grease, either. My floors look just as clean now today, though slightly streaking. The pergo we have is a little low quality, and the sheen has not been there since we've lived here. Even with the Lysol, its a little streaky and dull. So I'm not sure if its the floor or if I used too much vinegar, but we move next week, so I'll try it on the hard wood floor at the new house and let you know!
Homemade all-purpose no rinse floor cleaner:
Bucket full of HOT water
1/4 c white vinegar (I used more)
15 drops Bacteria Fighter Blend essential oil (tea tree or lemon will work, too)
30 drops Grapefruit Seed Oil
clean rag
Homemade all-purpose cleaner:
Glass jar
Citrus fruit peels
White vinegar
1c lemon juice
20 drops Bacteria Fighter Blend
60 drops Grapefruit Seed Oil
Mix ingredients, seal jar, and let sit for 2wks.
Intro
I have decided to transition my home into a green, non-toxic environment. We will be starting with our cleaning methods, then our cosmectics and hygine supplies, and ultimately even our diet. What would make me want to change my entire life? Well, let me bring you up to speed...
A little bit about me: I'm a 26 yr old wife and mom. I have two little girls, 4 and 2. I just recently stepped back from work so I can stay home with them. I only work Saturdays now as a Medical Assistant. I'm a little bit of a germ-a-phob, and I <3 Lysol and bleach and don't understand why soap would ever be bought without it specifically stating "anti-bacterial"? Though my house is cluttered and not as clean as I'd like, because my standard of cleaning requires more energy than I have (I'll explain health issues in a minute). So just as a homemaker, I've been looking for a better way.
A few years ago, I started having a lot of random health problems. Doctors weren't able to figure it out, so they kept giving me medications for each symptom, which only caused more problems. Then, another medicine for the side effects. It was a crazing cycle. A few months ago, we realized its an autoimmune disorder, and I can't afford the medicine my doctor wants to put me on. The main issues I have been dealing with are headaches, insomnia, fatigue, malaise, GI issues, and aches and pains. I have been taking multiple medications for awhile now. I have been practically dependent on Imitrex, Flexeril, Norco, Alieve, sleeping pills, Xanax, antibiotics, laxatives, etc. (of course, not all at once, but rather chronically) My pantry looks like a pharmacy. And every medication has a side effect. Its been a vicious cycle, and if there is a better way, I want to find out!
The other night, my husband and I watched a documentry about how toxic commercially bought cleaning chemicals are and what the effects can be on our bodies. They showed the family's journey on transitioning to clean, green alternatives. Honestly, part of what intrigued me was how much money the family saved by making their own cleaners. I got curious, and immediately hopped online to research more. I discovered that our skin absorbs 60% of what we put on our bodies. I can think of a ton of nasty chemicals I am therefore ingesting! Lysol, retinal, bleach, detergents, 409, the list goes on. Also, all fragrance does is coat the insides of our nostrils. Imagine, chemicals just caked in there! The more I found, the more I realized I had to do something.
I'm in the medical field, so as far as "selling out" to green, organic, homeopathic everything, I'm not sold. I do think there is a point where we have come this far and have made so many ground-breaking advancements and we should appreciate the age in which we live. But on the other hand, its hard not to see a correlation between all the advancements, particularly diet and lifestyle, causing uncountable health issues. Of course, medicine saves lives. The better we get, the more we save. And a lot has been said recently about our culture's lifestyle choices, fast food, store bought meals, not enough excercise, etc. But what if there's more to it than that? Perhaps the need of pharmaceuticals is necessary due in part to the lifestyle changes such as commercial cleaning chemicals and cosmetics that we put on our body. Maybe its not as simple as the diet changes and more sedentary lifestyle that we have been focusing on as a society?
I found multiple recipes for at-home, DIY non-toxic cleaners and hygiene items. I decided that at this point, what did I have to lose? At best, any of these green, non toxic changes certainly won't hurt me, but if there is any chance it could make a difference in my health, how can I not give it a shot? So, I will be journaling the journey. What works, what doesn't, posting the recipes with my reflections, and any improvements I experience within my body. So I will be sharing what I still need to take as well as any natural remedies I find and how all this seems to impact my body. Initially, we will be switching our cleaning methods. We will be switching our hygiene supplies, and ultimately, our food as well. Completely purifying and detoxing our life and environment will be the goal. My husband and two little girls are joining me in this quest, so I will also share their reactions and impacts on them. My hope is, if in the end this helps improve the life of someone like me with a ton of health issues, how much more should it help someone who is perfectly healthy?
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