Lavender is probably my favorite essential oil. It really is such a relaxing scent and it can be used to help so many things!
Here are just a few things that lavender is good for:
- headache and migraine relief
- healing burns and insect bites
- acne, psoriasis and other inflammations
- stiff joints and sore muscle relief
- relaxation
- insomnia
- hypertension
- repelling mosquitoes
Lavender is one of only two essential oils that can be used on the skin without dilution (the other being tea tree oil)!
Use sparingly though.
Examples:
- A few drops to combine with a lotion or shampoo.
- Just a drop or two to apply to any inflammation.
*Allergies – People with allergies should test an oil on a small area of sensitive skin (inside of arm).
*Pregnant – Check with your doctor before using any essential oils (Lavender usually does not appear on the AVOID DURING PREGNANCY list).
**Discontinue use at the first sign of any irritation!
- 2 ripe avocados
- 3 tablespoons chopped red onion
- 1/4 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1/4 cup fresh lime juice
- 2 tablespoons water
- 1 teaspoon honey
- 1/4 cup olive oil
I haven’t tried this yet, but it sounds good!
(Thanks Mom!)
to eat a pear (or an apple)!
I just had an especially good Organic Bartlett Pear.
Some Pear Info…
One medium pear (about 166 grams) contains the following:
| Water |
138.96 grams |
| Energy (calories) |
100 kcal |
| Protein |
1 gram |
| Fat |
.20 grams |
| Carbohydrate |
26 grams |
| Fiber, total dietary |
6 grams |
| Potassium |
190 mg |
| Vitamin C |
7 mg |
| Vitamin A |
38 IU |
From: http://www.usapears.com/healthy/pronutritioninfo.asp
- Salmon
- Garlic
- Onions
- Walnuts
- Blueberries
- Pineapple
- Spinach
- Sweet Potatoes
- Tumeric
- Ginger
More info at BetterNutrition.com
1/2 cup 3 percent hydrogen peroxide in the rinse cycle
1/2 cup baking soda to warm or hot water wash cycles
1/2 cup lemon juice in the rinse cycle
If you can or want to let your clothes hang outside, sunshine is a natural bleach as well!
In an empty spray bottle:
1 part water
1 part white vinegar
1 part alcohol
SO SIMPLE!
(It will smell like vinegar, but the smell will dissipate relatively quickly)
Garden of Eatin’® makes tortilla chips called Red Hot Blues that are quite delicious. They are spicy and flavorful, but not too spicy. They are salted, but very mildly salted.
I would highly suggest these if you’re looking for a healthy, but flavorful tortilla chip!
Photo Credit: Garden of Eatin'
“The art of becoming wise is the art of knowing what to overlook.” -William James
“It doesn’t matter how slowly you go as long as you do not stop.” -Confucius
“Think big thoughts but, relish small pleasures.” – H. Jackson Brown, Jr.
“A good laugh and a long sleep are the best cures in the doctor’s book.” -Irish Proverb
- Eat plenty of fiber, including brown rice and organically-grown fresh fruits and vegetables. Beets, radishes, artichokes, cabbage, broccoli, spirulina, chlorella, and seaweed are excellent detoxifying foods.
- Drink at least 2 quarts of water daily.
- Breathe deeply to allow oxygen to circulate more completely through your body.
- Transform stress by emphasizing positive emotions.
- Sweat in a sauna so your body can eliminate wastes through perspiration.
- Detox foot baths to remove toxins through your pores.
- Exercise!
Adapted from http://life.gaiam.com/
I started doing foot baths when I was about 4 years old and I’ve never stopped since!
These are some of the times to treat yourself to a relaxing foot bath:
- When your feet are sore
- When you’re stressed
- When you’re cold
- When you’re rundown
- When you’re sick
- When you just want to do something relaxing!
For a foot bath you can either just fill your bath tub up with enough water to submerge your feet OR you can use an actual foot bath (you can find foot baths at Target, Walgreens, etc.).
Some of my usual mixtures to include in the very warm water:
- For relaxation: a few drops of lavender oil & 1- 2 tablespoons of sea salt
- For a cold: a few drops of eucalyptus oil & mustard seed powder (detoxifying)
- For tired feet: 2 tablespoons of apple cider vinegar and/or a few drops of lemon juice & 1-2 tablespoons of epsom salt
**You can always simply use warm water and still being doing something healthy and relaxing for yourself.
Try a foot bath today or at least, this week!
Some Natural Beauty Uses for Epsom Salt:
- In the tub: add 1-2 cups of epsom salt to a warm bath for a nice, muscle-relaxing soak that softens skin!
- On your face: add a 1/2 teaspoon of epsom salt into your cleansing cream to deep clean pores. Massage on face. Rinse with cool water.
**Epsom Salt is very inexpensive and can be found in CVS!
More uses for Epsom Salt in your home and garden coming soon…
This is a less dense, but very tasty version of a peach cobbler!
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 45-50 minutes
Preheat Oven to 350 degrees.
Ingredients:
- 6 medium peaches, halved, pitted and thinly sliced
- 1 cup blackberries (blueberries would work too)
- 3 tablespoons raw sugar
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- 1/3 cup quick-cooking oats
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/4 teaspoon sea salt
- 3 tablespoons of butter
- 1 6-ounce container of vanilla yogurt
1. Arrange peach slices in the bottom of a an 8-inch square baking pan. Place blackberries on top. Sprinkle 1 tablespoon of sugar and cinnamon over the fruit and set aside.
2. In a large bowl, combine flour, oats, 2 tablespoons of sugar, baking powder, baking soda and sea salt. Mix well. Add butter and mix with a fork until mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Add yogurt and mix until dough comes together.
3. Spoon about 6 large spoonfuls of the dough on top of the fruit. Sprinkle remaining teaspoon of sugar (and/or more cinnamon if you prefer) over dough.
4. Bake 45-50 minutes, until fruit is tender and topping is golden brown. Let cool for 10 minutes before serving. Top with vanilla frozen yogurt (or ice cream).
5. ENJOY!
Serves 6
A super nutritious version of the well-known Banana Nut Muffin!
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 20-22 minutes
Preheat Oven to 375 degrees.
Ingredients:
- 1 & 1/4 cup oatmeal
- 1/2 cup rice flour
- 1/4 cup ground flaxseed
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 1 tsp baking soda
- 2 eggs beaten
- 1/4 cup plain yogurt
- 3 medium, ripe bananas, mashed
- 1/2 cup agave syrup
- 1/3 cup grapeseed oil
- 1/4 cup walnut pieces
- In a large bowl, whisk together oatmeal, flour, flaxseed, baking powder, and baking soda.
- In another bowl, combine eggs, yogurt, bananas, syrup, and oil. Add flour mixture and fold in walnuts.
- Divide batter into paper-lined muffin cups. Bake for 20 to 22 minutes or until tops spring back when lightly touched. **Cool before eating.
- ENJOY!
Makes 18 muffins.
As seen in the October 2008 issue of Women’s Health
An interesting and informative article: www.naturalnews.com
A study in England (by Gillian Butler of New Castle University) found that Organic Milk has a 60 percent advantage over conventional milk! The advantage is that Organic Milk was found to have 60 percent more CLA (Conjugated Linoleic Acid), which is an essential fatty acid that may prevent tumors.
I already loved Organic Milk because not only is it free of hormones, it also tastes significantly better than conventional milk. And now, it likely has more CLA!
Baking Soda - I already listed this as a key natural beauty must-have. Baking soda also naturally lightens stains on teeth! Just dip your toothbrush in some baking soda and brush like you normally would. **Warning: Don’t do this more than once a week because you can damage your enamel with too much scrubbing.
Celery, Apples & Carrots - All three are high in cellulose so they act like natural abrasives. They cleanse teeth and remove surface stains.
Spinach, Broccoli & Lettuce – Greens like these contain mineral compounds that form a film over the teeth. This film stops pigments of other foods from staining teeth.
The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition reports that 1/4 of Americans are not getting enough B6 in their diets. Adequate B6 levels are important to the heart, the immune system and brain function. The current RDA for B6 is 1.3 milligrams.
Here are some foods that will help insure that you are getting enough B6 in your diet:
4 oz yellowfin tuna = 1.18 mg
1 banana = 0.68 mg
4 oz roasted chicken breast = 0.64 mg
1 cup cooked spinach = 0.44 mg
1 cup potato (with skin) = 0.42 mg
1 cup avocado = 0.41 mg
I have to admit I’ve never composted before, but I’m going to try to in the near future. There are variations on how exactly to do it, but here is one version I’ve constructed:
1. Buy a bin with small holes for aeration (www.composters.com has some options). Choose a spot for the bin outside of your home that is easy to access. (You could also compost successfully in a pile on the ground, but a bin will certainly make things a lot neater.)
2. Fill the bin 3/4 of the way with leaves and/or newspaper. Add water. The pile should be as damp as a sponge that has been wrung out.
3. Toss in scraps (avoid oil, meat, dairy, glossy magazines, and bones ). Stir. Top with a 3 inch layer of newspaper or leaves.
4. Cover with a new 3 inch top layer of newspaper or leaves each time you add scraps to bin.
5. Stir pile every week or two.
6. If all goes well, you will eventually have a layer of good compost at the bottom of the bin.
GOOD LUCK!
As of this week, I am a big fan of Mrs. Meyers Clean Day Aromatherapeutic Household Cleaners (that’s a long name!).
I found a set of four Mrs. Meyers cleaning products for $7.99 at Marshalls. I just had to buy it. I was actually in the market for some more natural cleaning products, plus this set was Gingerbread Scented.
The ingredients in Mrs. Meyers products are generally very simple and the smell of the one I bought is especially fun for this time of year. As the leaves are starting to fall and the air is getting chillier, I can now add to the ambiance of the season every time I clean the counter, which is nice and a little funny at the same time. But you can really smell the ginger and cinnamon oils as you’re cleaning and after you’re done!
2 semi-unfortunate things to add:
1. I don’t currently see this scent on the Mrs. Meyers website! Too bad. But, I do see that they have a lovely seasonal scent of “cool peppermint with a hint of vanilla”. Also sounds fun! (Fun considering you’re using this liquid to clean.)
2. I got a REALLY good buy. It looks like the set of four 8 oz bottles normally costs about $14.99. That’s not a bad deal though for the quality, the quantity AND the aromatherapy of the scents.
I just realized this is definitely the most I’ve ever enjoyed a cleaning product…
http://www.mrsmeyers.com
