Does the simple act of reading that word make you squirm? How often do you find yourself squatting on the porcelain throne, tears streaming down your face, as you strain and push, hoping you aren’t giving birth to hemorrhoids or anal fissures? Do you poop several times a day, or do you go days between the urge?

• Healthy Poop

• What is Constipation?

• How to Eliminate Constipation with Diet and Water

• Supplements For Constipation

Are you’re looking for that one thing, that one trick, that one pill that’s going to have you defecating easily without having to change your diet? We highly recommend permanent, well-researched diet changes with lots of raw produce to permanently alleviate constipation, but for those who don’t feel like this is an option, or for those on medications that slow bowel movements, the one you’re looking for is Shillington’s Intestinal Cleanse Formula.

What is Constipation?

Constipation can be defined as having hard, dry, difficult-to-pass stools or by the frequency (or rather infrequency) of passing stools. It can also be indicated by the appearance of the stool and whether the stool is completely evacuated from the rectum after a bowel movement.

You may have heard that it’s within the “healthy range” to have three bowel movements a week or even one a week. We beg to differ. While there will naturally be some variation in frequency, a healthy gut processes food fairly quickly and consistently. A healthy body is efficient when it comes to ridding itself of waste.

Preferably, you want to have a minimum of 1-3 soft, but well-formed, easy to pass bowel movements a day. We contend that the ideal is one bowel movement for every meal. After one eats a meal, the urge for a bowel movement typically comes shortly after food begins to leave the stomach to enter the small intestine. If that sounds like too many, imagine having one bowel movement a week after eating 3 meals a day for 7 days. You’ve been packing that food into your intestines before eliminating any of it. How gross is that? What about 3 day’s worth? That’s still a lot of food waste packed and crammed into your body. Also, when defecation is easy it’s generally very fast. Frequent poopers probably spend less time on the toilet overall than those who need a book to do their business.

Healthy Poop

Healthy poop is well-formed but soft. The Bristol Scale offers a visual of normal stool, constipation, and diarrhea. It’s not always accurate; there are other variables thank can affect density and size, but it’s good to know:

Conventional Relief from Constipation

These methods are just a way to treat the symptoms, not the cause.

Glycerin Suppositories

Glycerin suppositories are tapered pieces of hardened glycerin that are inserted into the rectum. Once inside, body heat melts the glycerin, which provides lubricant to aid in passing the bowel movement.

This seemingly innocuous treatment, which has long been prescribed for babies, may not be as benign as once thought. There are drug interactions, allergic reactions, and other side effects with glycerin, and suppositories are known to weaken the bowel muscles if done repeatedly.

Mineral Oil Enemas

Like with suppositories, there are drug interactions, allergic reactions, and other potential side effects with glycerin.

Other Enemas

Enemas are also known to weaken the bowel muscles if done repeatedly. Body Ecology recommends a variety of enemas to cleanse the colon such as enemas with apple cider vinegar, burdock tea, lemon juice, etc, but we do not recommend regular enemas for health maintenance. Instead, we recommend enemas for acute care only, and we recommend cultivating a healthy ecosystem that does not need to be washed away for health reasons.

Herbal Teas Known to Help with Constipation

• Spearmint Tea
• Senna Tea
• Dandelion Tea
• Licorice Root
• Black Tea
• Peppermint
• Burdock Root Tea
• Green Tea
• Clove Tea
• Tulsi Tea

Exercise

Exercise is crucial to physical health, and it may also help alleviate your constipation. If you are a couch potato, get up and move. Walk, swim, rebound, squat, get moving. If you can squat, squats can help alleviate constipation and other issues as well. If you can’t squat try laying on the floor, getting up off the floor, lying back down, and repeating while alternating how the legs are used. And of course, there’s yoga! meet Adrian. Then follow her on YouTube and do her 30-day challenge. It’s life-changing. A few weeks later and you will love her and you’ll love yourself for doing it.

Eliminate Chronic Constipation For Good

The two most common causes of constipation are the two things most easily remedied – dehydration and a poor diet. If you want to rid yourself of constipation, you must drink enough water, and you must eat a diet filled with real food, optimally, a diet consisting of 80% fresh, raw, organic produce. Yes, real food, not processed garbage out of a box, a can, a jar, or a plastic tray you pop in the microwave. Ok, maybe it’s not an “easy remedy.”

The Constipation Elimination Diet

The recommended daily intake of water varies with gender, age, and other factors including how much raw produce a person eats. Check out this article at Healthline for more on water intake. An additional way to increase your fluid intake is drinking by cranberry lemonade throughout the day. Cranberry lemonade will also help you detox your liver and kidneys, boost your immune response, and improve all major bodily functions.

Raw produce provides the fiber and bulk to create healthy stools, and it provides the fiber needed for a healthy gut. Beneficial gut bacteria thrive when 80% of your diet is made up of raw, organic, produce. And a healthy gut is essential for overall health, proper digestion, and proper elimination.

If you think the 80% number sounds too difficult, eat one super salad each day filled with a variety of vegetables. Your body will thank you. Not only will you be filling your body with nutrient dense foods, you will be naturally detoxing on an ongoing basis through the food you eat. And in between meals, eat a piece of fresh, raw, organic fruit. For more on diet:

• Detox Cheap and Easy Without Fasting – Recipes Included
• Start Eating Like That and Start Eating Like This – Your Guide to Homeostasis Through Diet
• How to Make the Healthiest Smoothies – 4 Recipes

For extra help add several prunes and/or figs to your daily diet.

Posture on the Throne

We weren’t built to poop on a chair. We were built to poop from a squat. You can either squat in the woods or improvise. The knowledge that a squatting position is best for elimination is not news (I learned about it more than 40 years ago). But the idea is gaining in popularity to the point that posture aids, called squatting potties or toilet stools, are now readily available for purchase. Basically, these are footstools designed to raise your feet when you sit on the toilet and slide back out of the way when not in use.

For an immediate fix, try any low footstool you have on hand or make one with books or magazines. The point is to mimic the squatting position, which aligns the large intestine and rectum for ease of elimination.

Invest in a bathroom stool whether constipation is an issue or not. Correct posture will certainly help to avoid straining and aid in proper elimination.

Supplements That Eliminate Constipation

• Magnesium– 250 milligrams 2–4x daily is recommended, I like this magnesium supplement with calcium and vitamin D
• Probiotics – Check out Abzorb
• Systemic enzymes – Again, check out Abzorb
• Aloe vera juice – Get a different brand if you can, those are ok but not great
• Cape aloe leaf – Shillington’s Intestinal Cleanse has cape aloe leaf and more
• More supplements for constipation

Dr. Shillington offers the Intestinal Detox and the Intestinal Cleanse formulas for detoxifying the bowels. If you need to move your poop, there’s nothing more effective than Shillington’s Intestinal Cleanse formula. It also kills parasites, heals the intestinal tract, and is a healthy means to promote bowel movements for those who have trouble defecating. Shillington’s Intestinal detox draws out old fecal matter from the walls of the intestine, while it removes poisons, toxins, heavy metals such as mercury and lead, and more (heavy metals are another common cause of constipation). Due to the charcoal and clays in the Intestinal Detox, it actually slows things down a bit, and the two also work very well together to heal the gut.

Abzorb is another big recommendation. It’s a systemic enzyme, so the capsule does not release until it is inside the gut. It’s also a probiotic, and an effective one at that. Taken with food Abzorb makes for a very effective digestive aid. Taken without food, Abzorb will begin to clear away old fecal matter, and it offers a host of other benefits (read more about enzymes here).

Related Reading:

• Fungal Infections – How to Eliminate Yeast, Candida, and Mold Infections For Good
• Natural Remedies for Constipation – With Recipes
• Gluten, Candida, Leaky Gut Syndrome, and Autoimmune DiseasesHypothyroidism – Natural Remedies, Causes, and How To Heal the Thyroid

In the movies, we often see a lot of scenes depicting a woman or a man waking up from bed with little to no piece of clothing at all. Aside from being eye candy and the thoughts of being sexy, sleeping naked or having anything barely on has a lot of benefits and has a lot of scientific studies backing it up.

Sleeping naked brings a lot of benefits to people. It’s a surprising fact that only 8% of individuals sleep this way and reap the benefits that come along. Before we delve further into the amazing benefits of sleeping in your birthday suit, here are two unhealthy facts that most people aren’t aware of when it comes to sleeping with your clothes.

Sleeping with a Brassiere for Women

Although there’s no scientific evidence to support that wearing bras to sleep causes breast cancer for females, there are still a lot more reasons not to wear it during rest, especially for extended periods. For one, a tight bra can impede the circulation of blood and can cause pain in the torso.

Another reason why going to bed with a bra is a bad choice is because it can cause hyperpigmentation. An increased level of melanin causes this condition. Melanin is a pigment which is responsible for the color of a person’s skin. Ill-fitting bras can rub against the skin which can cause irritation and damage to the skin.

Sleeping with Tight Boxers or Fit Underwear for Men

Whenever men wear tight boxers, they are unknowingly increasing the temperature in their private parts. When the temperature increases, the testicles produce dead sperm cells. More scientifically, these sperm cells have more fragmented DNA than those who wear nothing to sleep at all.

These practices often don’t get a lot of attention from a lot of individuals. Some may feel comfortable sleeping with clothes but they don’t know the negative side effects it can have on them.

Now that we get the idea of how terrible sleeping is with a lot of clothes on, here are the benefits of sleeping without any piece of garment. 

Functioning Becomes Much Better When Waking Up Naked

While sleeping, the brain quietly removes toxins present within the body. These toxins come as a byproduct of neural processes which get left behind when a person is awake. This cleaning process begins when an individual begins to enter into a deep sleep. Whenever someone fails to achieve a good rest, the toxins in the neural passages are left behind.

These toxins are like clutter which hinder the signals that the brain sends to specific parts of the body. This situation is the reason why some people feel slow or tired when they don’t get adequate sleep. The mind begins to slow down, in effect, slowing other functions such as problem-solving, cognitive abilities, understanding, creativity, etc.

A good way to raise the quality of sleep you get is by lowering your skin temperature without altering the surrounding temperature around. A study by researchers at the University of Amsterdam found out that lowering one’s internal temperature increases the body’s ability to filter out toxins.

Being Naked Regulates the Temperature and Cortisol Levels

Although cortisol has a lot of positive effects on the body, it also has a lot of adverse reactions as well. Sleeping overheated or having to rest with a lot of clothes on can cause the body to raise its temperature, elevating cortisol levels. When there is an excess of cortisol in the body, many of its negative effects begin to appear.

Lengthier wound healing, immunosuppression, and high blood pressure are just a few of the things that happen to the body when there are elevated levels of cortisol present. Sleeping naked is a good practice if you want to avoid elevating cortisol levels in your body.

Sleeping Naked Makes You Feel Confident

Sleeping naked can make you feel confident. It wakes you up feeling fresh and reinvigorated. This fact is another reason why a lot of movies depict their actors and actresses naked when waking up from sleep. This scene presents the person playing the role as an active presence in the film to the audience watching.  

The Importance of Skin to Skin Contact

There’s a reason why it’s called a “Birthday Suit.” An important practice that doctors and nurses do is they let naked newborn babies latch on their mother, hence, skin to skin contact. The reason for this practice is that it helps infants “thermoregulate” or slowly adapt to the right temperature. Latching on also creates a bond between mother and baby.

When we eventually have relationships, sleeping together becomes an inevitable part of a person’s life. Sleeping naked creates a warm feeling that enables couples to have a stronger relationship. Cuddling allows the body to release Oxytocin, the hormone responsible for a sense of well-being in the body.

Sleeping Naked is Good for the Skin

Sleeping without clothes allows the body to breathe at night. Clothes cover most of the body during the day, and sleeping naked is a good way to let air through your private parts, armpits, groin, and other areas in the body where air and sunlight don’t get to shine. Since air can freely pass through, this allows lesser chances of catching skin disease.

Takeaway

It is indeed a surprising fact that only 8% of people sleep naked. Sleeping naked has a lot of benefits that may astonish some individuals. For example, sleeping naked can make you more active during the waking hours. Sleeping without clothes, believe it or not, can make your immunity to diseases and infections much higher than the average person.

The benefits of sleeping naked mentioned above are just a few examples. People should try sleeping without clothes on, to acquire the advantages of a well-earned rest.

Related Reading:

• Insomnia – A Comprehensive Look with Natural Remedies
• Start Eating Like That and Start Eating Like This – Your Guide to Homeostasis Through Diet
• How to Detoxify and Heal the Lymphatic System
• Holistic Guide to Healing the Endocrine System and Balancing Our Hormones

Sources:

• Sleeping In a Bra – Huffington Post
• Cortisol – Wikipedia

We’ve always been told fish is a nutritious choice, a good source of lean protein and healthy fats. But is it still a good choice today? Whether we choose cooked fish or sushi in a restaurant, we buy our fish at the market, or we hook a worm and catch our own, it may not be healthy or safe to eat. And if we bought it, we may be a victim of seafood fraud.

Fishy Bait and Switch Schemes

Seafood fraud is serious business. Oceana has found that, on average, 1 in 5 samples of seafood is mislabeled at every sector of the supply chain. In other words, there is a 1 in 5 chance that the fish you buy at a restaurant or market may not be what you thought you were buying. Chances are, it may not be what they thought they were buying, either.

Oceana reports, “Asian catfish, hake, and escolar were the three types of fish most commonly substituted. Specifically, farmed Asian catfish was sold as 18 different types of higher-value fish.”

This isn’t just a scam that affects your pocketbook; it may affect your health. “More than half (58 percent) of the samples substituted for other seafood posed a species-specific health risk to consumers, meaning that consumers could be eating fish that could make them sick.”

In April 2017, George Washington University published their findings from testing the fish from 6 popular Washington D.C. restaurants. They discovered 1 in 3 samples were not what they claimed to be.

Fish substitution is not only a racket to sell a lower priced fish at a higher price, it is also a means to sell illegally caught endangered fish.

Related: 5 Tons of GM Fish Sold for Human Consumption (And only the producer knows where they are)

Radioactive Fish

Yes, you can find articles claiming that we are being poisoned by radioactive fish, but the sources are… questionable. But then again, can we trust the FDA when they say we are not in danger? The following is a response to a direct inquiry.

“To date, FDA has no evidence that radionuclides are present in the U.S. food supply at levels that would pose a public health concern. This is true for both FDA-regulated food products imported from Japan and U.S. domestic food products, including seafood caught off the coast of the United States. Consequently, FDA is not advising consumers to alter their consumption of specific foods imported from Japan or domestically produced foods, including seafood. FDA continues to closely monitor the situation at and around the Fukushima Dai-ichi facility, as it has since the start of the incident and will coordinate with other Federal and state agencies as necessary, standing ready to take action if needed, to ensure the safety of food in the U.S. marketplace.”

So we are eating radioactive fish, but the contamination is at such a low level we don’t need to worry? Ah, okay…

Old McDonald Had a Farm…

Think of everything you’ve ever read or seen about the horrors of factory farming with pigs, chickens, and cows and imagine it’s worse for fish – much worse. Half of the fish consumed today are raised in aquafarms under horrific conditions of extreme overcrowding and filth. Some fish are genetically modified to accelerate growth. Hormones are injected to change reproduction. Antibiotics are added to the water in some countries. Fish that normally eat plants are fed fish and fish oils.

There is a high mortality rate among farm-raised fish. A high percentage of the fish are deaf or blind. Parasitic infestations are common. PETA reports, “Sea lice, for example, eat at the fish, causing their scales to fall off and creating large sores. In severely crowded conditions, these parasites often eat down to the bone on fish’s faces, resulting in what is sometimes called a “death crown.”

So, we are not only looking at genetic modification, disease, hormones, antibiotics, filth, starvation, genetically modified feed, and inhumane treatment, we also color fish. Salmon have artificial coloring added to their feed that changes the color of their flesh. Farm raised salmon are not naturally pink. They are gray. Chemicals are added to their feed to cause their flesh to turn pink. So we are also ingesting those chemicals when we eat farm-raised salmon. Bon appétit!

Related: Genetically Modified Salmon Is On Its Way To Your Store

The Mercurial Rise and More

The level of mercury in fish remains a serious health concern. We are warned to avoid certain fish. Scientific American lists the following as carrying “proportionately large mercury burden.”

• bluefin tuna
• walleye
• king mackerel
• marlin
• bluefish
• shark
• swordfish
• wild sturgeon
• opah
• bigeye tuna

Other fish that are “Also of concern, but to a slightly lesser extent” are:

• orange roughy
• Chilean sea bass
• blue crab
• lingcod
• Spanish mackerel
• spotted seatrout
• wahoo
• grouper
• snapper
• halibut
• tile fish
• rock fish
• sable fish
• blackfin, albacore, and yellowfin tuna.

Top level predators in the fish world accumulate mercury due to longevity and a constant diet of smaller, mercury laden fish. Concentrations in fish can be 1-10 million times higher than the mercury concentration in the water.

The Environmental Defense Fund tells us, “The problem of mercury-contaminated fish is widespread. According to the EPA’s National Listing of Fish Advisories:

• Mercury advisories increased 95% between 2003 and 2010 (from 2,362 to 4,598). This is largely due to greater monitoring, not necessarily greater pollution.
• All 50 states currently issue mercury advisories.
• As of 2010, almost 18 million lake acres and approximately 1.4 million river miles were covered by some type of consumption advisory.
• Currently, 28 states have statewide mercury advisories in freshwater lakes or rivers, and 19 states have statewide advisories for mercury in their coastal waters.”

Related: Top 5 Foods that Detox Heavy Metals and Toxins – With Protocol

The EPA says, “The 2011 total of 4,821 advisories covers 42% of the Nation’s total lake acreage and 36% of the nation’s total river miles.” But the EPA tells us mercury is not the only contaminant causing concern. “Ninety–four percent of all advisories in effect in 2011 involved five bioaccumulative chemical contaminants: mercury, PCBs, chlordane, dioxins, and DDT.” Remember these facts are 6 years old. How much worse is it now?

What Fish Should We Eat?

If you choose to eat fish, which fish should you choose? Clearly, this should be a simple question with an agreed upon list – but it isn’t. If you search through article after article on the Internet, zeroing in on trusted sources, you will still find widely varying lists. Although it is common knowledge that tuna is high in mercury, you will find tuna on many of these lists along with shellfish (the scavengers of the sea), and varieties of farm raised fish.

The most agreed upon healthy choices are:

• Alaskan salmon (wild caught)
• Cod
• Mackerel (though Spanish Mackerel is on the “also of concern” list)
• Sardines
• Herring

We advise taking the time to research. Fish is not the same from one store to another. Look into the sustainability and health issues with each source.

Also: Seafood & Mercury – What’s Safe To Eat & What’s Not

Pollution is the Key

We can hook that worm or cast the perfect fly to catch a fish from a crystal clear lake or flowing stream. But we’d better check the local advisories before we eat it. There’s a good chance we’ll be advised to limit how much we eat or to avoid feeding our catch to pregnant women, small children, or the elderly.

It’s a no brainer. If we continue to pollute the water, we continue to pollute the fish. Although you’d never know it based on our current behavior, our oceans are not a dumping ground. If we continue to burn fossil fuels, we will continue to pump mercury into the air. Mercury will fall to the ground to contaminate the earth and our water. If we continue to use toxic chemicals that run off into our waterways, they will come back to us full circle through our food chain.

We have choices to make. Let’s make the right ones. For now? Be careful of the fish you choose to eat.

Recommended Reading:

• Still, Have Candida? How Mercury Fillings Cause Candida Overgrowth
• Wild Caught? Maybe Not – Salmon Sold to You May Have Been Farm-Raised
• How To Detoxify and Heal From Vaccinations – For Adults and Children

Sources:

• Deceptive Dishes: Seafood Swaps Found Worldwide – Oceana
• Why the Fish You Order Isn’t Always What You Get – Time
• The Lingering Effects of Fukushima on Fish – Time
• Aquafarming- PETA
• Here’s why your farmed salmon has color added to it – Quartz
• Mercury in seafood – Environmental Defense Fund
• National Listing of Fish Advisories General Fact Sheet 2011 – EPA

Are you suffering from fever, chills, headaches, fatigue, muscle pain, joint pain, and swollen lymph nodes? Do you have a bull’s eye rash? Were you bitten by a tick in the last 30 days? If you live in the Northeast or the upper Midwest, you may have contracted Lyme disease, a bacterial infection that infects up to 300,000 Americans each year.

If left untreated,  symptoms can escalate (within days to months) to severe headaches and neck stiffness; a spreading rash; severe joint pain and swelling; facial palsy; irregular heartbeat; dizziness; shortness of breath; nerve, tendon, muscle, joint, and bone pain; inflammation of the brain and spinal cord; numbness or tingling in the hands or feet, and problems with short-term memory.

Where Do You Catch It?

Lyme disease cases are concentrated in 14 states:

• Connecticut
• Delaware
• Maine
• Maryland
• Massachusetts
• Minnesota
• New Hampshire
• New Jersey
• New York
• Pennsylvania
• Rhode Island
• Vermont
• Virginia
• Wisconsin

The CDC reports 95% of all cases are from these states. However, if you have the symptoms, you should still be tested for the bacteria. There are few states with zero cases.

Related: How to Cure Lyme Disease, and Virtually Any Other Bacterial Infection, Naturally

How Do You Catch It?

Lyme disease is caused by the bacterium Borrelia burgdorferi, which is transmitted to humans by a tick bite. According to the CDC, the tick must be attached for 36 to 48 hours or more before the disease is transmitted.

It isn’t the adult ticks that are most likely to infect us, it’s the nymphs, the tiny (less than 2mm) immature ticks that latch on and stay on long enough to make us sick.

Is it Always a Tick?

There has been some question of whether humans could catch Lyme disease from other bloodsucking insects. The CDC says there is no evidence that mosquitoes, fleas, lice, or other pests transmit the disease. The CDC also states that there is no evidence that Lyme disease is contagious – you cannot catch it from sexual contact, food, air, water, or an infected pet.

Others disagree. The Lyme Disease Association of Australia states,

Scientific studies support potential alternate modes of transmission; however these potential transmission sources have not been fully researched.”

The site goes on to post studies of transmission through other blood-sucking insects, such as mosquitoes, flies, fleas, and mites. In addition, they cite anecdotal evidence of sexual transmission and the need for research into transmission through sexual contact, blood and tissue donation, and through infected pets and livestock.

What New With Lyme?

Not long ago, chronic Lyme was dismissed by the conventional medical profession as being a non-existent. Today, the CDC not only recognizes the existence of chronic Lyme disease, it informs us that the “proper” name is Post-treatment Lyme Disease Syndrome.

The CDC says that most experts attribute the symptoms to residual damage to the body’s tissues and immune system, but other experts attribute ongoing symptoms to persistent bacteria that was not killed by the initial treatment and cannot be detected through laboratory testing due to diagnostic limitations and the bacteria’s ability to remain in the body undetected.

Conventional Lyme Treatment

It can be difficult to diagnose Lyme disease. False negative tests add to the confusion and poor treatment of this disease. But diagnostics are not the only problem.

According to Lyme Disease.Org, there are two standards of treatment. They state,

There is significant controversy in science, medicine, and public policy regarding Lyme disease. Two medical societies hold widely divergent views on the best approach to diagnosing and treating Lyme disease. The conflict makes it difficult for patients to be properly diagnosed and receive treatment.”

And…

The ideal antibiotics, route of administration and duration of treatment for persistent Lyme disease are not established. No single antibiotic or combination of antibiotics appears to be capable of completely eradicating the infection, and treatment failures or relapses are reported with all current regimens, although they are less common with early aggressive treatment.”

Unconventional Lyme Treatment

Unconventional treatment of Lyme disease centers first on diet, gut health, and immune system health. Leaky gut needs to be addressed and other infections and parasites need to be identified and treated. There are many supplements and herbs that boost the immune system and fight Lyme disease.

One doctor, Dr. Dietrich Klinghardt MD, Ph.D. also checks for insulin resistance, exposure to mold, and exposure to electromagnetic fields. His patients respond quite well to limitations (or elimination) of the “electrosmog.” Cell phones and cordless phones are not used in the home and neither are wireless Internet connections. Some go so far as to paint the outside of their homes with a graphite paint called Y Shield, and they use a special cloth for curtains until recovery from Lyme is complete.

Related: Earthing – Touching Earth

Why is Lyme Disease Increasing?

One reason for the increase in cases of Lyme disease may be due to many environmental factors. The air we breathe, the water we drink, the food we eat, the stress we endure, and our constant exposure to chemicals and electromagnetic fields all affect the immune system and our ability to fight disease without the additional aid of pharmaceuticals, herbs, or supplements.

But it’s not just our ability to fight off the disease that is a factor. It is also spreading in the wild.

Ecologists Felicia Keesing and Rick Ostfeld predict 2017 will be a bad year due to a “plague of mice” in the Hudson River Valley. After studying Lyme disease for 20 years, they have found the mice population to be a good predictor of disease activity.

New research suggests the loss of predators such as foxes and martens is a major factor in mice population control. Red foxes and martens feed on small rodents, including the white–footed mice known to carry the Lyme bacteria. In areas with a higher number of these predators (areas where foxes were protected rather than hunted) data shows a huge reduction in the number of infected ticks.

Opossums also help control ticks. Although they do eat mice, their impact is due to their fastidiousness. Like cats, opossums carefully groom themselves, swallowing ticks as they pull them from their fur – an estimated 5,000 ticks per season.

Climate change is also linked to the increase in Lyme disease. Warming climates allow the life cycle of the ticks to speed up, doubling reproduction in the U.S. and increasing reproduction in Canada by two to five times. Both the CDC and the EPA believe climate change is a factor. The EPA has added Lyme disease to its list of climate change indicators.

Some areas that show an increase also have experienced failed farms. Land that was cultivated has reverted to its natural state with trees and brush and an increase in ticks, mice, deer and other animals.

How Do You Test For Lyme Disease?

Lyme disease is difficult to diagnose because it mimics many auto-immune diseases. Physical symptoms alone will not specify Lyme disease unless the bull’s eye rash is present at the site of a tick or bug bite.

The two tests for Lyme disease, the Western blot and the ELISA tests, which may be used together to measure specific antibodies in the blood, are known to result in a false negative result. Dr. Axe recommends direct microscopy in addition to a physical examination.

If you have the symptoms, chances are you will be working with your health care practitioner to find a diagnosis. Make sure you include testing for Lyme disease. And be sure you are tested for parasites and co-infections as well.

From the Editor:

I’m not big on diagnosis, or getting tested for Lyme, as both are highly inaccurate. If anyone is feeling a handful of the symptoms below, it’s time for a wellness overhaul. Check out How to Cure Lyme Disease, and Virtually Any Other Bacterial Infection, Naturally. It’s not an easy protocol, but it works.”

These are the symptoms that indicate a Lyme disease should be considered:

• Any rash where a tick bite occurred. Although we are told a bull’s eye rash in the indicator, 70% develop a very different looking rash as shown in these examples.  And not all rashes are limited to the area of the bite.
• Flu-like symptoms
• Fever
• Chills
• Headaches
• Fatigue
• Pain in the muscles, joints, and connective tissues
• Swollen lymph nodes
• Trouble sleeping
• Neck pain
• Extreme fatigue
• Nausea and loss of appetite
• Arthritis and swollen joints
• Mood changes
• Cognitive changes, which include brain fog, forgetfulness, headaches, difficulty concentrating

Conclusion

If you live in an area where Lyme disease is common, take extra care when you are out in nature. Long sleeves, long pants, and natural insect repellant will all help, but a thorough inspection of the body is also a good idea. Remember your pets can also pick up these ticks. Natural insect repellents work well for them, too.

Related Reading:

• How to Detoxify and Heal the Lymphatic System
• Detox Cheap and Easy Without Fasting – Recipes Included
• Gluten, Candida, Leaky Gut Syndrome, and Autoimmune Diseases
• Hypothyroidism – Natural Remedies, Causes, and How To Heal the Thyroid
• How to Detoxify From Chemotherapy and Repair the Body
• How To Detoxify and Heal From Vaccinations – For Adults and Children

Sources:

• Lyme Disease – CDC
• Lyme Disease Transmission – Lyme Disease Association of Australia
• Lyme Disease Association, Inc.
• Why Is Lyme Disease Not Just Tick-Borne Anymore? – Care 2
• Lyme Disease Treatment – Lyme Disease.org
• Chronic (Persistent) Lyme Disease – Healthline
• Forbidding Forecast For Lyme Disease In The Northeast – Goats and Soda
• Fewer foxes could mean an uptick in Lyme disease – Treehugger
• Opossums – killers of ticks – Cary Institute of Ecosystems Studies
• Lyme Disease Is Spreading, Government Research Finds – NBC News
• Has Climate Change Made Lyme Disease Worse? – Scientific American
• Lyme Disease Treatment (Natural vs. Conventional) + Prevention Tips –Dr. Axe

Every now and then we hear about a common food that contains amazing healing properties. Turmeric is a fine example. Although it is a spice that has been used in Asian medicine for thousands of years, its potential to cure disease has been largely ignored in the West. Now we are told it can be used to treat a whole list of ailments from diarrhea to diabetes, and scientific tests are beginning to back up these claims.

What is Turmeric?

The turmeric plant, a member of the Zingiberaceae or ginger family, is native to Southeast Asia. Like ginger, the rhizome, or root, is the source of the spice. The turmeric root looks much like ginger root except for its color. While ginger is white, turmeric is orange, so orange, it was used as a dye before it was used for medicinal purposes.

If you’ve never bought turmeric, you may not realize you’ve eaten it. Chances are, you have. It is the main spice in curries, the spice that gives curry powders an orange color.

Related: Foods, Vitamins, and Herbs That Kill Cancer

What Does Turmeric Contain That Aids in Healing?

Curcumin has been identified as turmeric’s source of healing properties. Curcumin is both an anti-inflammatory and a strong anti-oxidant. It prevents inflammation and reduces chronic inflammation. It has also been found to induce apoptosis (cell death) in cancer and pre-cancer cells.

What is Turmeric Used to Treat?

According to Web M.D., turmeric is used internally to treat the following:

• Arthritis
• Heartburn (dyspepsia)
• Joint pain
• Stomach pain
• Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis
• Bypass surgery
• Hemorrhage
• Diarrhea
• Intestinal gas
• Stomach bloating
• Loss of appetite
• Jaundice
• Liver problems
• Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori) infection
• Stomach ulcers
• Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS)
• Gallbladder disorders
• High cholesterol
• Lichen planus
• Skin inflammation from radiation treatment,
• Fatigue
• Headaches
• Bronchitis
• Colds
• Lung infections
• Fibromyalgia
• Leprosy
• Fever
• Menstrual problems
• Itchy skin
• Recovery after surgery
• Cancers
• Depression
• Alzheimer’s disease
• Swelling in the middle layer of the eye (anterior uveitis)
• Water retention
• Worms
• Lupus
• Urinary bladder inflammation
• Kidney problems
• Soreness inside of the mouth and gum disease.
• Inflammatory bowel disease (used as an enema)
• Diabetes

And is used topically to treat:

• Pain
• Ringworm
• Sprains and swellings
• Bruising
• Leech bites
• Eye infections
• Acne
• Inflammatory skin conditions and skin sores
• Infected wounds

Related: What Causes Chronic Inflammation, and How To Stop It For Good

Turmeric and Diabetes

If you google turmeric or curcumin, you will find statements denouncing its benefits. It is common to find every alternative healthcare claim to be summarily dismissed. On the other hand, it doesn’t take much effort to find scholarly articles that show turmeric’s health benefits, such as the studies regarding turmeric and diabetes.

Studies have shown turmeric lowers blood sugar levels, repairs pancreas cells (even benefitting type I diabetics), reverses prediabetes, lowers cholesterol levels, reduces heart risks, protects kidneys, and reduces inflammation and oxidative stress caused by the disease.

Related: Holistic Guide to Healing the Endocrine System and Balancing Our Hormones

What is Diabetes?

When we eat, carbohydrates and sugars are broken down into glucose. The pancreas produces the hormone insulin, which allows glucose in the bloodstream to enter the cells. When this process is disrupted because the body cannot make enough insulin or can’t utilize the insulin it does make, high levels of glucose remain in the blood and the cells do not receive the glucose they need.

High blood sugar results in damage to blood vessels, to the kidneys, eyes, nerves, and other parts of the body. Healing and circulation may become impaired. Diabetes is also associated with high blood pressure and an increased risk of heart disease and stroke.

According to the American Diabetes Association, 30.3 million Americans or 9.4% of the population have diabetes; 1.25 million (4%) have type 1 diabetes. In 2015, diabetes was rated the 7^th leading cause of death in the United States.

Type 1 Diabetes

Type 1 diabetes is an autoimmune disease that is usually diagnosed in childhood or young adulthood. The body attacks and destroys the pancreatic cells that make insulin, leaving the pancreas unable to produce sufficient amounts of insulin, if any at all. The treatment for type 1 diabetes is lifelong insulin therapy – injected insulin – along with diet and exercise management.

Gestational Diabetes

Gestational diabetes occurs during pregnancy. It is believed that hormones from the placenta create insulin resistance, causing the mother to need as much as 3 times the usual amount of insulin. The CDC estimates gestation diabetes occurs in about 9.2% of pregnancies.

Type 2 Diabetes

Type 2 diabetes is also caused by insulin resistance. Since the cells don’t respond correctly to insulin, the pancreas overproduces insulin to compensate. Over time, the pancreas is unable to provide enough insulin.

Prediabetes

Prediabetes is diagnosed when blood sugar is abnormally high but not yet high enough to be considered diabetes. These elevated levels of blood sugar can still cause damage to the body.

Curcumin, Prediabetes, and Type 2 Diabetes

In a study conducted in 2012, 240 pre-diabetic patients were randomly chosen to receive either curcumin or placebo capsules. By the end of the 9-month study, 16.4% of the control group developed type 2 diabetes, while the subjects who received curcumin showed better overall function of the pancreatic cells, and not one patient developed diabetes.

A 2014 study that reviewed articles published from 1998 to 2013 in PubMed concluded that curcumin can reduce blood glucose levels, stimulate glucose uptake, stimulate insulin secretion, improve pancreatic cell function, and reduce insulin resistance.

Although most of the positive reports involve prediabetes and type 2 diabetes, some studies are also showing improvements in the pancreas tissue of patients with type I diabetes.

Related: How to Optimize Curcumin Absorption – With Golden Milk Tea Recipe

Warnings

There are a few warnings about regular or daily use of turmeric for medicinal purposes. Extreme amounts taken on a daily basis may cause problems with the liver. Keep in mind that turmeric really does work to reduce blood sugar levels. Do not use it medicinally along with medication to reduce blood sugar. The result may be hypoglycemia – low blood sugar.

For excellent detail regarding dosage and interactions, check out Turmeric Dosage for Diabetics. The entire site, Turmeric for Health, is filled with useful information, including recipes.

To learn more about healthy absorption of turmeric and a delicious way to consume it, read How To Optimize Curcumin Absorption – With Golden Milk Tea Recipe. To increase absorption of curcumin, always add a pinch of black pepper. There is evidence that garlic also increases absorption.

Conclusion

There is abundant evidence proving turmeric can prevent type 2 diabetes and aid in managing or reversing the disease. Remember, the smart way to manage or prevent late onset diabetes is through diet and exercise, not by simply adding supplements or medications to your daily routine. But turmeric can certainly be a healthy part of your diet plan as well as a supplemental aid, without the side effects of pharmaceuticals.

Recommended Reading:

• Holistic Guide to Healing the Endocrine System and Balancing Our Hormones
• Cinnamon – Ceylon Vs Cassia, Health Benefits, and Other Interesting Facts
• The Amazing Herbal Power of Ginger
• Gluten, Candida, Leaky Gut Syndrome, and Autoimmune Diseases
• Hypothyroidism – Natural Remedies, Causes, and How To Heal the Thyroid
• Total Nutrition – Make your own Homemade Multivitamin and Mineral Formula

Sources:

• Turmeric – Web M.D.
• Statistics About Diabetes – American Diabetes Association
• Curcumin Extract for Prevention of Type 2 Diabetes – Diabetes Care
• Anti-hyperglycemic and insulin sensitizer effects of turmeric and its principle constituent curcumin. – Int J Endocrinol Metab. 2014 Oct 1;12(4)
• Why All Diabetics Should Know About Turmeric – The Food Revolution Network
• 12 Benefits Of Turmeric In Diabetes – Turmeric for Health
• Turmeric Dosage For Diabetes – Turmeric for Health

The website, Statistic Brain, claims Americans spend an average of 42 dollars a month on cleaning supplies. That’s more than 500.00 a year! Unfortunately, many of the cleaning solutions Americans buy are filled with chemicals that are bad for their health and bad for the environment.

Advertisements have convinced us that we need these miraculous cleaning solutions with their artificial scents. The truth is, we don’t. We are better off without them, and so is our budget.

Why not try some or all of the following ideas to clean your house without the toxins or the expense?

Related: 10 Items You Can Stop Buying and Start Making for Better Health

1. Floor Cleaner

A steam mop is a miraculous invention. Cleaning a floor with a steam mop is quick and easy, but steam mops are not safe for laminated floors. It is worth the effort to check out the warranty information on your particular floors before you choose a cleaning method.

For bamboo, laminate, and hardwood floors, you can damp mop with plain water, water with a few drops of essential oil, or water with vinegar added. (Ratio: 2 gallons of warm water to ½ cup vinegar.)

Linoleum, tile, and stone can also be cleaned with vinegar and water. The ratios vary according to preference from 1/4 cup of vinegar to a one-to-one ratio of vinegar to water. For a really dirty floor, try the following recipe:

• 1/4 cup white vinegar
• 1/4 cup baking soda
• 1 tablespoon liquid dish soap (remember to choose a natural soap)
• 2 gallons hot water
• Add a few drops of essential oil, if desired

Rinsing is not required, but if streaking occurs, rinse. Click the link below for more information.

Related: How to Clean Your Floors with Homemade Non-toxic Cleaners Instead of Store Bought Chemicals

2. Dish Soap

Think about it. Do you really want to wash your dishes with chemicals? Why not make your own? Check out this recipe from Hello Glow.

Grease-Fighting Lavender Dish Soap

Ingredients

• 2 cups water
• 1/4 cup all natural soap flakes or grated soap
• 1/4 cup castile soap
• 2 teaspoons super washing soda
• 1 teaspoon non-GMO vegetable glycerin
• 30-40 drops lavender essential oil

Check out DIY: Grease-Fighting Lavender Dish Soap for detailed instructions.

3. Kitchen Cleaner

To be honest, most of the time all you need to do is wipe off your counter top with a damp rag or a soapy rag. But if you feel you really need to do more, you can make your own kitchen cleaner.

Just use equal parts of white vinegar to water in a spray bottle. If you like, you can add a few drops of your favorite essential oil.

Or to eliminate 99.9% of E.coli, Listeria, and Staphylococcus bacteria from surfaces mix:

• 1 part vinegar
• 1 part lemon juice,
• 2 parts water

Related: Health Benefits of Apple Cider Vinegar & How to Make Your Own

4. Glass Cleaner

Use equal parts of vinegar and water in a spray bottle and buff dry with a lint-free rag to clean glass, windows, and mirrors.

5. Bathroom Cleaner

Use straight vinegar to kill mold and mildew, but for most of your bathroom cleaning, switch to baking soda. Just make a paste by adding water to baking soda to get the consistency you require. Scrub and rinse.

6. Clean the Refrigerator

Baking soda is great for this job, too. Not only does it clean well, it eliminates odors. Just make a paste, scrub, and rinse. Or pull out your spray bottle of vinegar and water. It works great to clean out the refrigerator, too!

Recommended: How to Regrow Your Favorite Herbs and Save Lots of Money

7. Clean the Oven

Oven cleaning is the worst! The chemical soup in oven cleaning sprays brings a whole new level of toxicity into your home. Instead of using one, scrape up a bad spill and wipe your oven with a wet rag. Then make a paste of baking soda and water or a paste of baking soda and hydrogen peroxide. Apply and leave overnight. Wipe with a wet rag the next day.

8. Laundry Soap

Wellness Mama offers recipes for both liquid and powder laundry soap. Here is the recipe with directions for their liquid version.

• Grate one bar of soap with a cheese grater or food processor. (Dr. Bronner’s, Ivory, or another natural, unscented bar soap.)
• Put grated soap in a pan with 2 quarts water and gradually heat, stirring constantly until the soap is completely dissolved.
• Put 4.5 gallons of really hot tap water in a 5-gallon bucket (available for free in bakeries at grocery stores, just ask them) and stir in 2 cups of borax and 2 cups of Washing Soda until completely dissolved.
• Pour soap mixture from pan into 5-gallon bucket. Stir well.
• Cover and leave overnight.
• Shake or stir until smooth and pour into gallon jugs or other containers.
• Use ½ to 1 cup per load.

More at How to Make Laundry Soap (Liquid or Powder Recipe)

Related: Sustainable DIY Laundry Solutions: The Secrets Detergent Companies Don’t Want You To Know

9. Carpet Cleaner

Once again, vinegar comes to the rescue. Just use the same 1:1 ratio of vinegar to water for spot cleaning or in a carpet cleaner to clean the whole rug. Add lemon oil or another essential oil of your choice if you want a particular scent.

10. Air Fresheners

Conventional air fresheners are another huge health issue. Chemicals from conventional air fresheners are linked to depression, endocrine disruption, asthma, cancer, genetic disorders, and birth defects! If you have any, throw them away!

To add a pleasant scent to your home, boil orange or lemon peels in water, cut and display fresh flowers from your garden, or use essential oils. You can use a diffuser or simply add a few drops of oil to a spray bottle of water and spritz it into the air.

Recommended:

• 10 Items You Can Stop Buying and Start Making for Better Health
• Naturally Relieve a Dust Mite Allergy Without Medication
• Improve Indoor Air Quality to Promote Health
• Inexpensive, Easy Detox – The One Gallon Challenge

Sources:

• Consumer Spending Statistics – Statistics Brain
• How To Clean Your Floors With Homemade Non-Toxic Cleaners Instead Of Store Bought Chemicals – Organic Lifestyle Magazine
• Grease-Fighting Lavender Dish Soap – Hello Glow
• How to Make Laundry Soap (Liquid or Powder Recipe) – Wellness Mama
• How Air Fresheners Are Killing You – The Health Wyze Report

Every condiment or body care product can be replaced with a homemade alternative.

Okay, so it takes a little effort to make these products. You may have to combine a few things and find jars or bottles to hold your finished products. But in the end, anything you whip up will be a healthier choice than any product you are likely to find on a store shelf.

If you need a little inspiration to get motivated, just read the labels on your current store bought items or check out their price tags! Why not see if you can make a better, cheaper alternative?

Related: How to Read Food Labels and Avoid Toxic Ingredients

For many of us, the idea of getting back to the basics and only eating real food seems relatively easy. We can toss out packaged muffin mixes, frozen dinners, and canned goods in favor of real, fresh produce, but what about condiments? If you want real, healthy food, the only solution is to make our own.

1. Ketchup

Heinz ketchup has the following ingredients: tomato concentrate from red ripe tomatoes, distilled vinegar, high fructose corn syrup, corn syrup, salt, spice, onion powder, natural flavoring. Corn syrup is bad for you even if it doesn’t come from genetically modified corn. And what is natural flavoring? The FDA defines natural flavoring as follows:

The term natural flavor or natural flavoring means the essential oil, oleoresin, essence or extractive, protein hydrolysate, distillate, or any product of roasting, heating or enzymolysis, which contains the flavoring constituents derived from a spice, fruit or fruit juice, vegetable or vegetable juice, edible yeast, herb, bark, bud, root, leaf or similar plant material, meat, seafood, poultry, eggs, dairy products, or fermentation products thereof, whose significant function in food is flavoring rather than nutritional. Natural flavors, include the natural essence or extractives obtained from plants listed in subpart A of part 582 of this chapter, and the substances listed in 172.510 of this chapter.”

That’s real clear, isn’t it? A quick search of the web shows many recipes for ketchup, both slow cooker recipes, and the instant variety. Here is one of our sugar-free favorite ketchup recipes.

Homemade Ketchup by Cupcakes and Kale

Ingredients:

• 6 ounce can tomato paste
• 1/4-1/2 cup apple cider vinegar (see Note*)
• ½ teaspoon salt
• ½ teaspoon dried oregano
• ½ teaspoon cumin
• 1/8 teaspoon pepper
• 1 teaspoon mustard powder

See Homemade Ketchup for easy instructions

2. Mayonnaise

Hellman’s brags about their product on their website, saying, “America’s #1 Mayonnaise is made with real*, simple ingredients: eggs, oil, and vinegar.” That statement leads one to believe those are the only ingredients. However, the ingredients list also includes salt, sugar, Calcium Disodium EDTA (a preservative), and natural flavors, (see above).

Healthy Homemade Mayonnaise by Wellness Mama

Ingredients

• 4 egg yolks at room temperature
• 1 Tbsp lemon juice or apple cider vinegar
• 1 Tsp regular or Dijon mustard (or ½ Tsp dried mustard)
• Salt and pepper
• 2/3 cup olive oil
• 2/3 cup coconut oil (warm) or other healthy oil (macadamia works well)

See Healthy Mayonaise for instructions

3. Salsa

It’s always nice to see a recipe on the Allrecipes site made with fresh vegetables without bad ingredients!

The Best Fresh Tomato Salsa by Allrecipes

Ingredients

• 3 cups chopped tomatoes
• 1/2 cup chopped green bell pepper 1 cup onion, diced
• 1/4 cup minced fresh cilantro
• 2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
• 4 teaspoons chopped fresh jalapeno pepper (including seeds)
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper

See Best Fresh Tomato Salsa for Instructions

• Stir the tomatoes, green bell pepper, onion, cilantro, lime juice, jalapeno pepper, cumin, salt, and pepper in a bowl.
• Serve.

4. Salad Dressing

My favorite salad dressing is a recipe created by Michael Edwards, Editor-in Chief of Organic Lifestyle Magazine, aptly named, My Balsamic Salad Dressing Recipe. Don’t make a weak excuse for a salad with 2 to 5 ingredients. Go all the way and include 15-20 veggies and make the most of a daily salad habit.

I make salads with spinach, arugula, collard greens, rainbow chard, beet greens, spring mix and cilantro as the base greens. I also add leeks, red onions, red cabbage, cucumbers, and red bell pepper.  Next, we add what we call “the shreds” – though I prefer to spiralize mine – grated beet root, grated carrots, grated zucchini, and grated daikon radish. Then I add more toppings: pomegranate seeds, raisins, sesame seeds, ground papaya seeds, avocado, and fresh chopped garlic. You can add eggs (soft or hard boiled), feta cheese (preferably raw, preferably sheep), extra turmeric, or olives, if so inclined. I also add various other seeds such as flax seeds, sunflower seeds, pumpkin seeds, walnuts, etc. (Walnuts go particularly well with feta cheese.)

Balsamic Salad Dressing Recipe – Organic Lifestyle Magazine

To make my salad dressing, I start with equal parts oil and vinegar (keep in mind that both olive oil and balsamic vinegar have a lot of imitators).

Ingredients

• 3/4 cup of flax seed oil
• 1/4 cup of coconut oil
• 1/2 cup of balsamic vinegar
• 1/2 cup of apple cider vinegar
• 6 tablespoons turmeric
• 1 table spoon basil
• Two teaspoons unrefined sea salt
• Two teaspoons fresh ground pepper
• Two tablespoons Dijon mustard

Instructions

Mix well in bowl or blender. Keep in the refrigerator. Check out our salad recipe.

5. Cranberry Lemonade

By now we all know that sodas are either full of sugar or full of toxic artificial sweeteners. What is a healthy alternative? We recommend cranberry lemonade.

Sugar-Free Cranberry Lemonade

Ingredients

• Safe, clean, spring water or distilled water
• 1 cup of unsweetened, organic cranberry juice, not from concentrate
• 3 fresh, organic lemons
• Liquid stevia
• Liquid cayenne

Instructions

If possible, use a glass gallon jar.

• Fill the jar to about 85% capacity with spring water (or distilled water).
• Squeeze the lemons and pour the juice into the water.
• Add cranberry juice.
• Add stevia and add cayenne to taste.

The amount of cayenne used is up to you, but the more the better.

6. Nutrition Powder

Once again, you can buy nutrition powder from many sources with a wide range of quality and price. Did you know you could make your own? Doc Shillington shares his recipes, including his recipe for Total Nutrition Powder. (Click on the link to get more information about the ingredients.) I like to buy from Rose Mountain Herbs to get the best organic ingredients. I’ve learned from experience to mix this up outside in a big deep pan. If you don’t, your kitchen may end up covered in a layer of fine dust. And you may want to use a dust mask as well. If you don’t want to make your own, you can also purchase Doc’s Total Nutrition Powder through Green Lifestyle Market.

Total Nutrition Formula Recipe

With this recipe, a “part” means a measurement by volume and not weight. What volume you use is up to you. All ingredients should be organic or wildcrafted.

Ingredients

• 1 part Alfalfa Grass Powder
• 1 part Barley Grass Powder
• 1 part Wheat Grass Powder
• 1 part Norwegian Purple Dulse Seaweed Powder
• 1 part Beet Root Powder
• 1 part Spinach Leaf Powder
• 1 part Rosehips Powder
• 1 part Orange Peel Powder
• 1 part Lemon Peel Powder
• 1 part Astragalus Powder
• 1.5 parts Spirulina Green Algae
• 1.5 parts Chlorella Broken Cell Algae
• 5 parts Yeast Flakes
• 5 parts Yeast Powder

Instructions

• Combine all ingredients.
• Mix thoroughly.
• Store in glass jars away from heat and light.

Yeast (both the flakes and the powder) must be non-active saccharomyces cerevisiae nutritional yeast fortified with B12, which is safe for people with Candida albicans.

Body Care

Sure, we know that anything we ingest or inhale is taken into the body. But many people do not realize that whatever touches the skin is absorbed into our body as well.  Personal care products – lotions, salves, deodorants, shampoos, soaps, and perfumes as well as toothpaste should be organic. Instead, too many of us are blindly trusting the FDA to protect us while we cover our bodies in toxic solutions known to cause cancer and endocrine disruption. Once again, we should make our own organic, toxin-free products.

7. Toothpaste

Remember what we used to do when we ran out of toothpaste? Yes, baking soda and salt is a great alternative to toxic toothpaste! Just make sure the baking soda is aluminum free and organic.

Here’s a simple basic recipe that can be altered in many ways.

Simple Natural Toothpaste Recipe

Ingredients:

• Equal parts of coconut oil and baking soda
• Add essential oil to taste
• Add stevia (if desired) to taste
• Add a pinch of sea salt

Instructions

Conbine ingredients, mix well, dab on the to the bristles and brush your teeth.

If you have some oral health issues that need addressing, we’ve got more recipes and infromation for you, see “related.”

If you’re looking for a great place to buy ingredients, check out Mountain Rose Herbs.

Related:

• Heal Cavities, Gum Disease, Naturally with Organic Oral Care – Toothpaste recipes included
• Three Homemade Toothpaste Recipes – Better Oral Health for Less Cost
• Still Have Candida? How Mercury Fillings Cause Candida Overgrowth
• Mercury Fillings, Root Canals, Cavitations – What You Need to Know

8. Deodorant

All Natural Deodorant Recipe DIY

Ingredients:

• 5 tablespoons unrefined coconut oil
• 5 tablespoons pure cocoa butter (no additives)
• 3 tablespoons of aloe vera juice
• ½ cup baking soda and/or arrowroot
• ¼ cup witch hazel extract
• 4 drops tea tree oil
• 5 drops of lavender essential oil

9. Lotion

The following is only one of the lotion recipes for Wellness Mama. Check out the link below for more alternatives.

Aloe Lotion – Wellness Mama

Ingredients

• 1 cup aloe vera gel
• 1 teaspoons + 1 Tablespoon beeswax pastilles
• 1/2 cup Almond oil or Jojoba oil (or any other liquid oil)
• 1 teaspoon Vitamin E oil (optional)
• 1 tablespoon Shea Butter (optional)
• Essential oils of choice – I like 10 drops of Geranium and 5 drops of lime

Instructions

• Melt the beeswax, almond oil (or other liquid oil), and shea butter (if using) in a double boiler or glass bowl over a pan of water.
• Remove from heat and pour into a blender or mason jar (if using an immersion blender).
• Let cool to room temperature. You want it to be room temperature and just barely starting to harden around the edges. This will help make sure that the lotion emulsifies correctly.
• Add the vitamin E (if using) and any essential oils.
• Start blending on low using a blender or immersion blender. Very slowly, start adding the aloe vera gel until incorporated. Use a spatula to wipe down the sides and re-blend a few times until fully incorporated.
• Store in a glass jar in the fridge for up to six weeks.

More Aloe Lotion from Wellness Mama

10. Shampoo

You can stop using shampoo altogether. If necessary, you can rinse (wash) your hair with baking soda followed by vinegar. Or you can make many shampoos yourself.  Try this one for dry, damaged hair. See the link below for more recipes.

Organic Shea Butter Shampoo Recipe

Ingredients

• Liquid castile soap – 200 ml. (about 7 ounces)
• Organic shea butter – 15 ml. ( ½ ounce)
• Lavender essential oil – 8 to 10 drops
• Sodium bicarbonate – 1(1/2) teaspoons
• Distilled water – 50 ml. (about 2 ounces)

Instructions

• Melt solid shea butter by placing it over boiling water. Let it cool to room temperature.
• Mix water with sodium bicarbonate to make a solution.
• Pour this solution into liquid castile soap. Stir for a few seconds. Avoid forming too much foam.
• Add melted shea butter.
• Add lavender essential oil to the bowl.
• Blend everything together.

Check out our shampoo article for addition shampoo recipes.

When you try out these recipes, please leave a comment and tell us what you think. And don’t hesitate to share your own recipes!

Recommended Reading:

• Sustainable DIY Laundry Solutions: The Secrets Detergent Companies Don’t Want You To Know
• How To Make Natural Body Butters That Actually Moisturize Your Skin
• How to Regrow Your Favorite Herbs and Save Lots of Money
• Make Chocolate Healthy Again: Fast and Easy DIY Homemade Chocolate
• How to Use Vinegar and Baking Soda to Clean Your Home

Sources:

• Heinz Ketchup
• CFR – Code of Federal Regulations Title 21 – FDA
• Hellman’s Products
• Hellmann’s, To Go Real Mayonnaise
• 80% Raw Food Diet – Organic Lifestyle Magazine
• Inexpensive, Easy Detox – The One Gallon Challenge – Organic Lifestyle Magazine
• Total Nutrition – Make Your Own Homemade Multivitamin and Mineral Formula – Organic Lifestyle Magazine
• Heal Cavities, Gum Disease, Naturally With Organic Oral Care – Toothpaste Recipes Included- Organic Lifestyle Magazine
• Reverse Cavities And Heal Tooth Decay With These 5 Steps – Healthy Life Style
• Luxurious Homemade Lotion Recipe – Wellness Mama
• Five DIY Organic Shampoo Recipes for Beautiful Hair –Organic Lifestyle Magazine