My Healthy Wish List

So I have a wish list of things I want for my kitchen, life, health that eventually, when I have a million dollars, I’d like to buy…or be gifted to…just saying. I also wanted to post this list to show people brands and products they might have an interest in and a little about the products from my research on them.


Hurom Juicer – now this juicer is more expensive than some of the centrifuge and Masticating juicers out there available, at almost $400. It has a 10 year warranty for the motor and the filter is reusable unlike many juicers where you have to buy fiber filters over and over again. Why this juicer? Well, I’ve seen a lot of people use them on YouTube and seen comparisons on these videos. The Hurom juices the big veggies and fruits just as easily as the softer leafy greens, which some juicers have a hard time with.

Why do I want a juicer? To juice of course! I would love to juice fast…er…feast for a week every other month or however often I feel I need. Juicing is a great way to get nutrients to your body without the body working hard to digest the fibers – the nutrients assimilates faster, simply put.

Blendtec home blender – again, this is the more expensive blender but it has a lifetime warranty and is again compared on YouTube channels and blogs with other blenders, including the Vitamix…not that I wouldn’t be happy with a Vitamix…

Blenders are a great way to process raw foods without cooking them. Many, many, many recipes for raw gourmet are made with one of these high speed blenders. I’ve even seen herbalists use these high speed blenders to make some of their lotions, balms, and other healing recipes.

Excalibur dehydrator – a more expensive dehydrator than those found at the local supermarket, however this low heat appliance has an adjustable thermostat, 10 year warranty, 5-9 trays (depending on model) at 15x15 (s0me with non-stick sheets), and a book about healthy dehydrating.

HOM Sprite, high output filtered shower head – I honestly don’t know a ton about this specific brand in comparison to other shower filters. I do know that a good shower filter won’t clog up quickly, will still allow a good about of water pressure and output, and will filter all the heavy minerals in the water including chlorine.

OmGym…because it looks hellafun! Now…I don’t have a sturdy beam nor the space to own one of these at the present but they still look like a lot of fun…imagine, a swing in your house, with the excuse of exercise equipment!

Adya Clarity water filter – I don’t know a ton about Adya Clarity but I have heard a lot about their Adya Clarity water cleanser (the liquid that when a few drops are added to tap water, solidifies all the inorganic minerals and drops them to the bottom, leaving clean, pure water). Water filters, I feel, are a necessity in today’s world. Water systems are polluted with inorganic minerals, chlorine, arsenic, and drugs (both illegal and pharmaceutical). I prefer a filter that also filters out fluoride, though many don’t, trusting the many advertisements for toothpaste that this harmful mineral is good for you.

All of these products are available and have free shipping at The Raw Food World.

Not So Lush

So I just discovered Lush in Sears/Fayette Mall this weekend (apparently its been there for 2 years and I've just walked by it everytime I've been there). I was intrigued by a store that sells so many colors and scent sof soaps, lotions, hair colors, etc and claims to be all-natural.
According to the sales associate, some of the ingredients in a few of their products are petroleum based but they are working on finding all natural and organic alternatives for the few chemical products they use. THis is good news. I grabbed their catalogue/newsletter that looks like a newspaper, and sniffed a few products before I headed out.

Well, the sales girl didn't lie. There are a few ingredients in various products that aren't natural, but the company doesn't try adn hide them. All the natural products are in green print and the chemical ones in black print throughout the catalogue. So if you want to buy a face cleanser, just look for the one without Perfume in the ingredients list (Love Lettuce mask and Angels on Bare Skin roll).
Two other things to watch for is that Lush has a few products that aren't vegan friendly (eggs and sea-shells) and a number of ingredients form other countries (for those of you who are pro-local, eco-friendly). They do have a few vegan friendly products though (their Non of Your Beeswax lip balm for example).

However, if you're looking for variety, Lush is certainly an option. They have tons of scents and colors and blends to choose from. I'm interested in trying their massage bars (with scents from relaxing lavender and neroli to stimulating black pepper and ginger) and their T'eo lemongrass deodorant.

Cookware

My husband and I bought a new frying pan! Well Equipped Kitchen has an eco-friendly line of cookware made from ceramics.
No, we're not frying a bunch of stuff to eat, or even using the pan all that often but I did want to do a review of this pan.
It is the best frying pan my husband and I have ever used! This includes Teflon, aluminum and stainless steel pans. Nothing sticks to this thing and its so easy to clean!

Other pluses include: the pan is created petroleum product free and is Teflon free, meaning none of those little flakes of poison coming off in our food and then going into our bodies.
Ceramic cookware is also free of metals touching food, so if you're one of those people who are against metal ions effecting food, this is the cookware for you.

Another major plus is price!
We bought this pan at TJMaxx for 16.99 and this is almost half the price of the Walmart aluminum and Teflon pans! Wow!

10-28-10

Hello Readers,

I'm sorry that I haven't posted or been on the computer at all this past week. Been very busy...

Lysine
So I got a horrible fever blister 2 days ago. It took up a large portion of my upper lip and hurt badly. I asked my mom if she had anything for it (expecting one of those foul smelling balms) and she gave me her bottle of  generic brand Lysine supplements. Having never heard of it, I was a little wary but went ahead and took the double dosage my mom recommended along with making a paste of 1 pill, 1 drop of Tea Tree oil and a couple of drops of water to put directly on the blister.
Today (2 days later) my fever blister is practically GONE! I totally recommend this, so far...having not done any real background research into the supplement. I've never had any medicine for fever blisters or mouth sores ever act so fast or so well.

November Monthly Herbal Poll
The poll is up! Pumkin, Sage, Apple, and Cranberry - 4 herbs that I associate with fall and Thanksgiving.
I know the poll is up a lil late this month so...The poll will not end until the 6th, so you have a whole week into November to vote!

High Raw

I wrote a review of one of my favorite health books, High Raw by Kevin Gianni. Why High Raw? Because it doesn't read like a health book, it reads like a book to help you find your priorities in life whether they are starting your own business, going to school, or your health!
Please check out my article and, of course, check out the book!

Healthy Products

I just thought I'd share some nifty organic, health, etc products.

Being a girl...in case any of my readers were curious or were unaware I am a girl...I am very interested in feminine products and health information.
There are many debates about health and menstruation products. Many women (and men who discuss these sort of things...)believe that it is unhealthy to use tampons or to use anything hat might prevent natural flow...i don't know anything about this but am interested in reading up on it if any of you have some info on it.
Another topic is the health of menstrual products on the environment since most pads and tampons are made from plastics and man-made stuff. Because of these questions a lot of women are going back to use reusable cloth during their moontime.
Aunt Flo's Sass is a company that offers women an alternative to buying inorganic pads and they are strangely stylish! I have not used Aunt Flo's Sass products myself but am very interested in them and other products like them. I would also think that reusable 'sass' would save money in the long run rather than buying a box or two of pads every month...

I am currently writing while hanging out in Earth Fare cafe sippin' on a refreshing yerba mate with lemon. if you have not tried yerba mate yet then you really need to. Its such a good pick me up without the jitters of coffee. Yerba Mate.com calls this wonderful tea nature's original energy tonic which is so true and much better for you than those disgusting energy drinks that taste like battery acid and make me feel all jittery and nauseous.
Yerba Mate contains B-complex, 15 amino acids, and minerals zinc, iron, magnesium, and potassium. Yerba Mate.com even offers 2 studies on how this herb/tea aids atherosclerosis and mutation prevention!

I am very interested in the concept of protection from EMFs and curious as to ow dangerous EMFs are. There are many products out that supposedly protect users from EMFs. I've seen a collection of crystals (usually clear quartz and hemitite) that when set up in from of the computer protect the user from EMFs from their laptops and i've seen these new Quantum Balancing Crystals that when worn protect the wearer from EMF radiation and are also said t regulate the body's natural energy flow.
I've never used one of these products personally but I do have friends with products in their homes that balance out the EMFs from their household products (t.v., microwave, phone, computer) that look like funky crystal and copper paperweights. They claim that the energy in their home has been much clearer and lighter since they bought it.

Let me know if you've tried any of these products! I'd love to read your reviews!

My Weekend

So, I had a busy weekend full of errands, shopping and cleaning. In all of this doing, I was able to do a few new, healthy things I thought I would share with you all.
First, I made my first batch of guacamole ever and its yummy!
Why guacamole? Why, Avocados of course!
Avocados are packed with nutrients including fiber, potassium, B-vitamins, and folic acid. They are also nutrient boosters, meaning they enable the body to absord fat-soluable nutrients like alpha and beta-carotene. Avocados even aid in cardiovascular disease by helping those on a healthy heart diet reach their quota of fruits as well as being a source of monosaturated and polyunsaturated fats.
The best part is they are tasty either with organic tortilla chips, on tacos or even sandwhiches.
My guacamole recipe was super simple:
1 avocado (peeled, pitted and mashed)
1 Tbsp lemon juice (lime juice can be substituted)
Mix together and store in a sealed container or use.

If you will remember a former post where I mentioned that removing plastic bottles from your life is a good way to rid yourself of toxins, let me rephrase that.
Removing plastic bottles from your life is a good way to remove toxins IF those bottles are not Bisphenol A (BPA) free. BPA is a compound used to make plastics. Health concerns include dangers to fetuses, infants and children (according to the FDA). BPA may even cause breast cancer as well as problems with the thyroid and reproductive organs. So BPA is bad to say the least.
Now, not all plastics contain BPA! My fiance and I bought re-useable plastic water bottles from the supermarket yesterday that are labeled BPA-free. They were also made locally at the chemical company, interestingly enough.
If plastic still has you worred, there are many stainless steel and aluminum bottles available through companies like Gaiam.

Lastly, I made soap!
I've had a glycerin soap making kit for over a year, tucked away in my craft supplies. Finally, I took it out and decided to do something with it.
I made 4 soaps, one green cucumber melon for my fiance, a green and pink rose soap for his mom, a pink rose soap for me, and a green tea tree oil soap to wash my face with.
Rose oil is soothing, especially for women. It can be used to ease skin irritations and is said to even sooth PMS and other menstrual issues.
Tea Tree oil aids in releaving skin problems, including acne, and aids wounds.
Word of warning, don't over-use the essential oils (the whole area still smells like rose oil).
The whole mess was really easy, except for extracting a round soap from the mold. I definately plan on making more soaps in the future. Its cheaper than buying soap and you can decide on the scents and colors.

Product Review: Traditional Medicinals Tea

I recently bought a box of Traditional Medicinals Raspberry Leaf tea at my local supermarket.

I've read a lot about Raspberry Leaf in my studies on natural women's health. This herb is wonderful for women no matter if they've just started puberty or are in the final stages of menopause. A tonic for the uterus, raspberry leaf can be used regularly during pregnancy and nursing.

According to Marijah McCain of Herbal Healer Academy, raspberry leaf contains fragrine, an alkaloid that tones the pelvic muscles (including the uterus). Vitamins and minerals found in raspberry leaf tea are vitamin C, E, A, and B complex, calcium, iron, phosphorus, and potassium.
McCain also says that drinking raspberry leaf tea during pregnancy can prevent miscarriage, hemorrhage and morning sickness. She also says the tea can reduce pain during and after birth because of its muscle toning ability.

Now, I'm not drinking the tea for its pregnancy related benefits, raspberry leaf tea also helps with menstruation by regulating periods and relieving cramps.

Traditional Medicinals Raspberry Leaf Tea is delicious and reminds me of a herbacious black tea. I drink it with just a little bit of sweetener and I've tried it with a bit of milk and with a bit of almond milk but have found these to be unecessary.
I chose the Traditional Medicinals brand not only because it was the only one in the isle selling raspberry leaf by itself, but also because their company uses certified organic, pharmacoepial grade plants. Traditional Medicinals also uses a lot of green energy and recently became the largest solar powered business in the country.

Here's a video from Naturally Savvy about Traditional Medicinals. I think the hosts are a little corny but it has a lot of good information about the company.

Tom's of Maine

So my fiance and I started to look into natural personal care products after the Coptic conference where we learned about a few things that were bad for us, specifically Flouride like that found in toothpaste.
For those of you that don't know, Flouride builds a crust around the pinneal gland in the brain. The pinneal gland controls the pituitary gland which in turn effects the thyroid...so by enameling the pinneal you can cause thyroid problems and many other yucky things.

I was a little worried about flouride poisoning my body because after years of intensive dental care, I was drinking flouride water a lot, not to mention its in tap water and using flouride toothpaste.

So when my man and I went grocery shopping for things like toilet paper and shampoo, we looked to see what non-flouride toothpaste there were to be had and found Tom's of Maine flouride free natural toothpaste!
It's a little more expensive than Crest or the other brands, but when you're not buying it every day or week and it's for your health, the few extra bucks don't seem like a lot.

I've tried it for about 2 months now and love it. The peppermint flavor seems to last longer than my last brands of toothpaste and my teeth are actually a little whiter (but this could be a combo of the toothpaste and that I've stopped drinking coffee).

This last shopping trip, I bought Tom's of Maine natural deodorant in Citrus. Its a roller bottle kind so its a little wetter than the Axe we've been using.

Why have I been using Axe (and yes, I am a female)
Well, some time last year I had a bad allergic reaction to both Secret and Suave deodorants. I broke out in red bumps and welts on my underarms and inner legs where I had used the deodorant to help keep my thighs from sticking when I wore a skirt (a little trick for us voluptuous types).
My skin felt irritated and I looked to see the reaction and stopped using those two brands immediately. So I had to find another alternative and started using my fiance's deodorant, Axe. When I had no break outs it became my norm and the smell isn't bad and noone seemed to notice I smell a little like my man...

Anyways, after that anecdote...
Tom's deodorant is awesome too! I've worn it at work where I'm in a sweat box all day running around and I have found that I'm not stinky nor is there any strong citrus odor, which is cool. I also have less shaving bumps when I use it after shaving.

So, to sum it all up, try out Tom's deodorant and toothpaste! I haven't tried their mouthwash, soap, or floss yet but plan to.
Their site is also cool, sorta gives their ethics in business and why they do what they do, which they do well.
Tom's of Main