For those of us who don’t have the time to escape to a spa for relaxation, these homemade face masks are a great solution for giving skin a boost. Even better, they are all made from completely non-toxic ingredients… in fact, you can eat most of them!
1. The Basic
Use some bentonite clay or kaolin clay and add enough water to make a paste. Apply to face in a circular motion until face is covered. Let dry and use a warm, wet washcloth to remove.
Good for: All skin types
2. Tropical Mask
Mash one banana with 1 tablespoon of honey and mix until it forms a smooth paste. Apply to face and allow to stay on for 10-15 minutes. Rinse well.
Good for: Dry skin.
3. Chai Mask
For a delicious smelling mask that also gently exfoliates skin, mix this mask that doubles as a sweetener for Chai tea. In a small bowl, mix 1 tablespoon of honey and 1/2 teaspoon each of cinnamon and nutmeg.
Rub on face and let sit 20 minutes. Remove with a washcloth and warm water. (Note: some people react to cinnamon or nutmeg on skin. Test a small amount on your inner arm before using)
Good for: oily or normal skin.
4.The Guacomole mask
For dry skin, mash 1/2 of a ripe avocado with 2 tablespoons of honey and apply to the face. Let sit 20+ minutes and rinse well.
Good for: All skin types, especially dry skin.
5. Cool Cucumber Mask
This one is especially great for oily or inflamed skin. Blend 1/2 of a cucumber with 1 tablespoon of honey and 1 teaspoon of bentonite or kaolin clay. Add additional clay if needed to create a paste. Apply to face and leave on for 20 minutes.
Remove with a washcloth and warm water.
Good for: All skin types, especially cooling for acne prone skin.
Aftercare:
After using a face mask, a sea salt spray or 1 teaspoon of apple cider vinegar diluted in 1 cup of cool water work as great toners to lock in the effects.
I find that these all work best in combination with the Oil Cleansing Method for completely natural skin care.
Have you tried any of the masks? Leave me a comment telling me how they worked for you.
Monday, September 30, 2013
Wednesday, September 25, 2013
Homemade Glass Cleaner Recipe and All-Natural Homemade Scouring Powder
Sometimes the best things in life are free… or really, really cheap, like this home recipe for natural glass cleaner. It has a somewhat strong smell that completely evaporates once dried. In a 16 oz or bigger spray bottle mix:
1 pint water
2 tablespoons vinegar
10-15 drops essential oil (I use peppermint,it helps mask the vinegar smell)
Shake bottle and spray on windows. Use crumpled newspaper or cotton cloth to wipe off. If you have always used commercial window cleaner in the past, mix a couple drops of liquid castille soap or liquid dish soap in some of this mixture the first time you clean the windows to remove detergent residue.
This easy recipe for homemade scouring powder cleans everything from stuck on floor messes to tile goo. (Not that I’ve ever experienced those personally…) It is inexpensive to make and cleans better than store brands without the vague smell of chemical warfare. I knew that this stuff worked well, but to put it to the test, I restrained myself from cleaning the bathroom for two whole weeks (meaning I was incredibly busy and didn’t get time to clean it for two weeks). It was bad… really bad. I also knew that my kids would be soaking in said freshly cleaned tub that night and didn’t want them to lose any skin pigment from the cleaners I used so I turned to this natural homemade powder.
Ingredients
2 parts baking soda
1 part salt
1 part borax powder
To make:
Pour ingredients into jar or bowl.
Mix or stir until well mixed.
If you want to make a shaker, put in a pint or quart mason jar and poke some holes in the top (carefully) with a sharp serrated knife.
To Use:
Lightly wet surface with water or undiluted white vinegar (for really bad messes)
Sprinkle powder on and let sit 5 minutes
Scrub with sturdy brush until clean
Rinse with water or vinegar (for really bad messes)
1 pint water
2 tablespoons vinegar
10-15 drops essential oil (I use peppermint,it helps mask the vinegar smell)
Shake bottle and spray on windows. Use crumpled newspaper or cotton cloth to wipe off. If you have always used commercial window cleaner in the past, mix a couple drops of liquid castille soap or liquid dish soap in some of this mixture the first time you clean the windows to remove detergent residue.
This easy recipe for homemade scouring powder cleans everything from stuck on floor messes to tile goo. (Not that I’ve ever experienced those personally…) It is inexpensive to make and cleans better than store brands without the vague smell of chemical warfare. I knew that this stuff worked well, but to put it to the test, I restrained myself from cleaning the bathroom for two whole weeks (meaning I was incredibly busy and didn’t get time to clean it for two weeks). It was bad… really bad. I also knew that my kids would be soaking in said freshly cleaned tub that night and didn’t want them to lose any skin pigment from the cleaners I used so I turned to this natural homemade powder.
Ingredients
2 parts baking soda
1 part salt
1 part borax powder
To make:
Pour ingredients into jar or bowl.
Mix or stir until well mixed.
If you want to make a shaker, put in a pint or quart mason jar and poke some holes in the top (carefully) with a sharp serrated knife.
To Use:
Lightly wet surface with water or undiluted white vinegar (for really bad messes)
Sprinkle powder on and let sit 5 minutes
Scrub with sturdy brush until clean
Rinse with water or vinegar (for really bad messes)
Monday, September 16, 2013
3 Natural Detox Bath Recipes
Nothing is more relaxing that a warm bath… except perhaps a relaxing warm detox bath that also helps cleanse the body…
Seriously- these detox baths will help remove toxins from the body and they also tend to make you tired so I suggest doing them before bed!
If you struggle with toxins or skin issues these natural recipes are a simple, easy and inexpensive way to boost health! I’m always up for a warm bath, and these natural add-ons help improve health while you relax!
Salt Detox Bath Recipe
1/4 cup Sea Salt or Himalayan Salt
1/4 cup Epsom Salt
1/4 cup Baking Soda
1/3 cup Apple Cider Vinegar
Favorite essential oil if desired (I use 10 drops of peppermint or lavender)
What to do: Dissolve Salt, epsom salt, and baking soda in boiling water in a quart size jar and set aside. Fill tub with warm/hot water and add apple cider vinegar. Pour salt mixture in and add essential oils if using.
Soak in bath for 30 minutes or as long as desired. Note that with any detox bath, you may feel tired or lightheaded when you get out. I don’t recommend doing this while home alone or before going somewhere in case you are tired or need help.
This bath is great for soothing skin irritation, boosting magnesium levels and overall detoxing.
Clay Detox Bath Recipe
1/2 cup bentonite clay
1/2 cup epsom salts
essential oils if desired
What to do: Dissolve the epsom salts in a warm/hot bath and add essential oils if desired. For the clay there are two options:
Vigorously mix the clay in to a small amount of water until the clumps are mostly dissolved. Do not use metal for this! I mix with a plastic spoon in a glass jar. Add the clay mix to the bath and soak for at least 20 minutes.
Mix that clay with a small amount of water to make a paste. Stand in the tub full of water and rub the clay mix all over your body to create a skin mask and let dry for 5 minutes before sitting down. This provides direct contact with the skin and effectively pulls toxins from the skin. Soak in bath at least 20 minutes or as long as desired. While soaking, use a wash cloth to scrub any remaining clay off the skin.
This bath is great for removing a lot of toxins as the clay binds to heavy metals and the epsom salts help pull a variety of toxins from the body while replenishing magnesium levels.
Oxygen Detox Bath Recipe
2 cups (or more) of Hydrogen Peroxide
1 Tablespoon dried Ginger Powder
What to Do: Fill the tub with warm/hot water and add the hydrogen peroxide and dried Ginger. Soak in tub for 30 minutes or as long as desired. This bath is especially helpful during illness as the ginger helps clear congestion or alleviate body aches. It can also be helpful for allergies or skin irritation.
Notes:
The warmer the water, the more powerful the detox effect will be.
If you have chlorine and fluoride in your water, I recommend adding a few tablespoons of bentonite clay to any of these baths to help absorb the chemicals so they aren’t absorbed into the skin.
Any of these natural ingredients can be used alone or in combination for a cleansing effect.
All recipes can be doubled or tripled but this will increase the detox effect.
Seriously- these detox baths will help remove toxins from the body and they also tend to make you tired so I suggest doing them before bed!
If you struggle with toxins or skin issues these natural recipes are a simple, easy and inexpensive way to boost health! I’m always up for a warm bath, and these natural add-ons help improve health while you relax!
Salt Detox Bath Recipe
1/4 cup Sea Salt or Himalayan Salt
1/4 cup Epsom Salt
1/4 cup Baking Soda
1/3 cup Apple Cider Vinegar
Favorite essential oil if desired (I use 10 drops of peppermint or lavender)
What to do: Dissolve Salt, epsom salt, and baking soda in boiling water in a quart size jar and set aside. Fill tub with warm/hot water and add apple cider vinegar. Pour salt mixture in and add essential oils if using.
Soak in bath for 30 minutes or as long as desired. Note that with any detox bath, you may feel tired or lightheaded when you get out. I don’t recommend doing this while home alone or before going somewhere in case you are tired or need help.
This bath is great for soothing skin irritation, boosting magnesium levels and overall detoxing.
Clay Detox Bath Recipe
1/2 cup bentonite clay
1/2 cup epsom salts
essential oils if desired
What to do: Dissolve the epsom salts in a warm/hot bath and add essential oils if desired. For the clay there are two options:
Vigorously mix the clay in to a small amount of water until the clumps are mostly dissolved. Do not use metal for this! I mix with a plastic spoon in a glass jar. Add the clay mix to the bath and soak for at least 20 minutes.
Mix that clay with a small amount of water to make a paste. Stand in the tub full of water and rub the clay mix all over your body to create a skin mask and let dry for 5 minutes before sitting down. This provides direct contact with the skin and effectively pulls toxins from the skin. Soak in bath at least 20 minutes or as long as desired. While soaking, use a wash cloth to scrub any remaining clay off the skin.
This bath is great for removing a lot of toxins as the clay binds to heavy metals and the epsom salts help pull a variety of toxins from the body while replenishing magnesium levels.
Oxygen Detox Bath Recipe
2 cups (or more) of Hydrogen Peroxide
1 Tablespoon dried Ginger Powder
What to Do: Fill the tub with warm/hot water and add the hydrogen peroxide and dried Ginger. Soak in tub for 30 minutes or as long as desired. This bath is especially helpful during illness as the ginger helps clear congestion or alleviate body aches. It can also be helpful for allergies or skin irritation.
Notes:
The warmer the water, the more powerful the detox effect will be.
If you have chlorine and fluoride in your water, I recommend adding a few tablespoons of bentonite clay to any of these baths to help absorb the chemicals so they aren’t absorbed into the skin.
Any of these natural ingredients can be used alone or in combination for a cleansing effect.
All recipes can be doubled or tripled but this will increase the detox effect.
Sunday, September 15, 2013
Why Do Gardeners Live Longer?
There is a lot of evidence, most anecdotal, some scientific, about how gardeners live up to 14 years longer than non-gardeners. That’s a pretty impressive life extension and it certainly bears further research.
1. Get Enough Vitamin D
Typically, gardening isn’t done at night, so while tending a garden, one is usually in the sun consistently. The body naturally produces Vitamin D from sun exposure, and since Vitamin D is protective against types of cancer and heart disease, it is logical that those with higher Vitamin D levels could live longer.
How to Get the Benefit: Even if you don’t garden, you can spend some time in the sun and get enough Vitamin D. Make sure to optimize these factors so that you are producing Vitamin D and not burning!
2. Play In the Dirt
Gardening, by its nature, means sticking your hands in the dirt. While our society shuns dirt and invents things like chemical had sanitizer, dirt can actually be good for you! In fact, lack of dirt, and the soil borne organisms that come with it, has been linked to higher auto-immune disease.
Soil is an incredibly rich source of natural bacteria, minerals and microorganisms. Touching the soil regularly exposes the body to beneficial (and small amounts of harmful) microorganisms that can boost the immune system. Since beneficial bacteria and gut health are so vital to overall health, it is logical that the immune boosting properties of dirt could increase longevity as well.
How to Get the Benefit: You can take probiotics and eat fermented foods, but you still won’t be exposed to the same variety of micro-organisms unless you get your hands dirty!
3. Getting Grounded
Gardeners spend time touching the earth and the soil. According to the book Earthing: The Most Important Health Discovery Ever, this alone could have tremendous benefit.
The theory is that many of us rarely or never touch the earth with bare skin, and certainly not for extended periods of time. This leads to a build up of positive electrons in the body from electrical energy, electromagnetic frequencies, WI-FI and more. The earth acts as a ground, just as it does for electrical outlets, reducing the extra positive charge.
The author speculates that this build-up and lack of contact with the earth can lead to inflammation and disease. Gardeners, by touching the earth are “grounding” themselves and removing this extra charge.
How to Get the Benefit: Walk around barefoot outside for at least 20 minutes a day or use an Earthing Mat when sleeping.
4. Stress Relief
Many gardeners cite relaxation and stress relief as reasons that they garden. Stress negatively affects hormones and increases risk of disease, so having a positive outlet for stress is tremendously beneficial for health. Balancing stress hormones has a positive effect on everything from blood pressure, to cortisol levels to inflammation.
How to Get the Benefit: Regularly make time to do something relaxing that you enjoy, preferably outside.
5. They Eat Vegetables
Logically, gardeners often grow vegetables, which means that logically, they also probably eat them. Consumption of more vegetables and less processed foods means more nutrients, antioxidants and less toxins. Win-win.
How to Get the Benefit: Eat a lot of vegetables… ’nuff said.
6. They Exercise
Lifting plants and soil, raking, and digging… it all requires low-level activity and weight lifting. These activities provide the positive benefits of exercise in a relaxing and sustainable way. Another win-win.
How to Get the Benefit: Every week make time for exercises like heavy lifting and light exercise like swimming, hiking or walking.
1. Get Enough Vitamin D
Typically, gardening isn’t done at night, so while tending a garden, one is usually in the sun consistently. The body naturally produces Vitamin D from sun exposure, and since Vitamin D is protective against types of cancer and heart disease, it is logical that those with higher Vitamin D levels could live longer.
How to Get the Benefit: Even if you don’t garden, you can spend some time in the sun and get enough Vitamin D. Make sure to optimize these factors so that you are producing Vitamin D and not burning!
2. Play In the Dirt
Gardening, by its nature, means sticking your hands in the dirt. While our society shuns dirt and invents things like chemical had sanitizer, dirt can actually be good for you! In fact, lack of dirt, and the soil borne organisms that come with it, has been linked to higher auto-immune disease.
Soil is an incredibly rich source of natural bacteria, minerals and microorganisms. Touching the soil regularly exposes the body to beneficial (and small amounts of harmful) microorganisms that can boost the immune system. Since beneficial bacteria and gut health are so vital to overall health, it is logical that the immune boosting properties of dirt could increase longevity as well.
How to Get the Benefit: You can take probiotics and eat fermented foods, but you still won’t be exposed to the same variety of micro-organisms unless you get your hands dirty!
3. Getting Grounded
Gardeners spend time touching the earth and the soil. According to the book Earthing: The Most Important Health Discovery Ever, this alone could have tremendous benefit.
The theory is that many of us rarely or never touch the earth with bare skin, and certainly not for extended periods of time. This leads to a build up of positive electrons in the body from electrical energy, electromagnetic frequencies, WI-FI and more. The earth acts as a ground, just as it does for electrical outlets, reducing the extra positive charge.
The author speculates that this build-up and lack of contact with the earth can lead to inflammation and disease. Gardeners, by touching the earth are “grounding” themselves and removing this extra charge.
How to Get the Benefit: Walk around barefoot outside for at least 20 minutes a day or use an Earthing Mat when sleeping.
4. Stress Relief
Many gardeners cite relaxation and stress relief as reasons that they garden. Stress negatively affects hormones and increases risk of disease, so having a positive outlet for stress is tremendously beneficial for health. Balancing stress hormones has a positive effect on everything from blood pressure, to cortisol levels to inflammation.
How to Get the Benefit: Regularly make time to do something relaxing that you enjoy, preferably outside.
5. They Eat Vegetables
Logically, gardeners often grow vegetables, which means that logically, they also probably eat them. Consumption of more vegetables and less processed foods means more nutrients, antioxidants and less toxins. Win-win.
How to Get the Benefit: Eat a lot of vegetables… ’nuff said.
6. They Exercise
Lifting plants and soil, raking, and digging… it all requires low-level activity and weight lifting. These activities provide the positive benefits of exercise in a relaxing and sustainable way. Another win-win.
How to Get the Benefit: Every week make time for exercises like heavy lifting and light exercise like swimming, hiking or walking.
Friday, September 13, 2013
Improve Your Sleep Naturally
Recently, I posted about balancing stress hormones and the dramatic impact this can have on overall health. Today, I’m elaborating on one of the most important and most-often missed aspects of reducing stress.
I’ve written before about the importance of sleep, and I’m sure you’ve read it many other places as well. Yet, statistically, most of us (me included) don’t always get enough quality sleep. Some of us struggle to fall asleep, others to stay asleep, and others to make time to actually get enough sleep.
Not surprisingly, sleep is a hormone dependent process, and with all the variables in our lives that can affect proper hormone balance (foods, toxins, artificial light, etc) it makes sense that many people struggle with sleep. This is also why times when hormones change often have a negative effect on sleep (menopause, puberty, pregnancy, etc)
While mainstream thinking might recommend a pharmaceutical option to help deal with sleep issues, artificially augmenting the hormone system to induce sleep isn’t without its problems (just check out the side-effects and warnings list!) and can have an impact on other hormone functions as well.
Often, lack of quality sleep stems from one or more lifestyle causes, and it is important to address these underlying issues as they can impact more than just sleep.
The Problem
Lack of sleep = Stress on the body = weight gain, premature aging, hair loss, hormone imbalances, infertility, and lowered immune function.
Hormone problems that cause sleep disturbances don’t just begin at bedtime, and they can’t be fixed by just addressing them at this time. Ever noticed that animals don’t have trouble sleeping and waking when they are supposed to? They don’t toss and turn to fall asleep and they don’t need pills to help them do so (speaking about outdoor animals… I don’t have any, but indoor animals could potentially have some of the same struggles that humans do).
Proper sleep hormone production (melatonin) depends on proper hormone function during waking hours (serotonin and others). As the endocrine system is a complete system, hormone imbalances (PCOS, Endometriosis, etc) can often lead to poor sleep and vice versa.
Stress hormones can have a tremendous impact on the sleep cycle as well, and it is a two-way street. Lack of sleep elevates stress hormones, and stress hormones can cause sleep problems.
Optimize Sleep While You Are Awake
To optimize sleep during the night, one must also optimize factors during waking hours including food, supplements and exposure to light/outdoors.
Getting a quality night of sleep actually begins when you wake at the beginning of the day and there are many factors that can have a dramatic impact on sleep length and quality.
-Foods for Sleep
Just as foods can impact health in other areas, foods can contribute to good or bad sleep. To help improve your chances of quality sleep, these are the best foods to consume:
Healthy Fats- such as coconut oil, organic and pasture raised meats, eggs, avocado and butter all help provide your body with the necessary building blocks to manufacture sleep hormones.
High Antioxidant Foods- Also important for hormone production and removal of toxins that can impede sleep. Focus on vegetables, high nutrient fruits, and herbal or green teas (green tea early in the day only).
Quality Proteins, especially at dinner: For best sleep, it is better to stop eating at least 4 hours before bedtime, and preferably by 6pm every night. Your evening meal should include proteins, vegetables and healthy fats. Eating enough protein at this meal will help prepare the body to enter the sleep cycle.
Avoid:
Sugars: Sugars and carbohydrates, especially at night, can cause a blood sugar spike and crash that will lead to difficulty falling or staying asleep. Many people crave carbohydrates (chocolate, anyone?) in the evening, which is a sign of an underlying hormone problem to begin with but eating carbohydrates late at night can cause problems falling asleep or lead to waking in the middle of the night when blood sugar levels drop.
Grains- I’ve written before about the negative effect grains can have on health, and if you have an intolerance to grains, this can cause physical stress in your body, which alters the hormone cycle and can impede sleep.
Vegetable Oils- No one should ever eat them anyway, but I have a theory that just as these artificial fats can cause problems in new skin formation(skin cancer) they can cause problems in the hormone cycle, as hormones need (saturated) fats for production and giving the body the wrong building blocks for hormones can wreak havoc with hormone production.
-Supplements for Sleep
Sadly, it is often difficult to get enough nutrients from foods as our soil is depleted and foods are picked before ripe so they can be shipped around the world. Especially if you struggle from a health challenge or sleep problem, it is often helpful to supplement some key nutrients, at least in the short term, as you build your body back up.
Fermented Cod Liver Oil/High Vitamin Butter Oil Blend (also great for remineralizing teeth)-I have personally noticed a difference in my sleep quality since adding this to my regimen. I take it in the morning and at night (about 1/2 tsp each time) and don’t sleep as well when I don’t. The presence of fat soluble vitamins A, D and K plus Omega-3s can explain why this particular supplement is great for promoting hormone production and improving sleep. For this reason, it also helps balance other hormones (in cases of infertility, etc) and is great for growing children.
A couple tablespoons of coconut oil melted in a cup of herbal tea per day can help give the body the building blocks to make sleep hormones
Magnesium- Many people are deficient in Magnesium and this particular deficiency can have a big impact on sleep quality. Some people find that just adding a product like Natural Calm about 30 minutes before bedtime can really improve sleep.
Gelatin- Many of us eat a disproportionateamount of animal muscle meat compared to bone broths, organ meats and marrow. If you aren’t a fan of consuming liver daily, drinking natural gelatin (from grassfed sources) can help balance your intake. Consumption of only muscle meats, which are higher in stress hormones, can cause problems in the sleep cycle. Personally, I often drink a cup of chamomile or herbal tea with a tablespoon of gelatin dissolved in it each night a couple hours before bed.
If you have a solid diet and are already taking the things above, specific sleep related herbs might help your fall asleep. Try my sleep tincture, or some chamomile or catnip to help you relax.
-A Healthy Daily Routine
A daily (and nightly) routine can make a big difference in how easily you fall and stay asleep. You’ll have to experiment to find out what works best for you but here are some helpful suggestions:
Wake up and go to bed at the same time, even on weekends to keep your hormone cycle regular.
Eat a high protein/high fat snack a few hours before bed (7pm or earlier) or consume a lot at dinner.
Avoid caffeine after 1 pm.
Install F.lux (it is free) on all computers and devices to reduce blue light and help you sleep better (it is also easier on the eyes!)
Drink enough water during the day and stop drinking about 2 hours before bed so you don’t have to wake up to use the bathroom.
Take a soothing salt bath about an hour before bed with some relaxing music or a great book.
Get at least 30 minutes of sunlight each day (even if you aren’t trying to get your vitamin D). The exposure to the wide-spectrum light during the day boosts serotonin levels, which will help improve melatonin levels at night
Avoid artificial light as much as possible after the sun goes down.
Pray, meditate or find a way to reduce stress.
Give yourself a massage before bed to release stress and help relax (Personally, I love this for home-massage)
Stretch before bed to relax muscles.
-Cold Therapy for Improved Sleep
If lack of sleep is really affecting your life and you are willing to try anything to improve it, consider cold therapy (and you might lose some weight too). This method has been around for a while and if done correctly, it can help you sleep like a rock.
Mark Sisson has written about it before, and some research shows that it could also help with a host of problems like Chronic Fatigue, heart issues, and even possibly cancer/tumors.
From what I’ve read, full immersion in a cool bath (below 60 degrees) is most effective, though even a cold ice back on the front and back of the neck can be helpful for improving sleep and weight loss. I’ve noticed a difference from using cold therapy two ways:
After dinner, sitting with ice packs on the front and back of my neck for 30 minutes
After dinner, dipping my face in a bowl of very cold water (about 50 degrees) and holding underwater for as long as I can, up to 30 seconds. I do this several times and it definitely helps reduce stress/improve sleep. There is a theory that this activates the dive reflex, which helps reduce stress.
The Sleep Environment
Your sleep environment is also extremely important for sleep quality. Artificial light, warm temperatures, sudden noises, and EMFs can all effect sleep quality, but these things are almost always fixable. Again, you’ll have to experiment to figure out what works best for you, but in general, here are some tips:
Remove ALL artificial light, including the light on your alarm clock, TV light, phone, etc. I use blackout curtains because we have artificial light outside, and cover my clock light with a towel. Our kids don’t have night lights, and they typically sleep very well.
Keep the temperature around 65-68 degrees and always below 70 degrees.
Try some white noise like sounds of rain, ocean or our kids’ favorite, Gregorian Chant (though if any of them ever decide to become a cloistered religious, they will have trouble… chant always puts them to sleep!)
Trade out your jolting buzzing alarm clock for a gentle sunlight alarm clock that will wake you up much more gently. I don’t know about you, but my dread of the sound of the alarm clock sound always caused me to wake up a few times in the early morning in anticipation of it
Try an earthing mat. I am still experimenting with this one, but there is some evidence that sleeping on a grounding mat reduces your exposure EMFs and improves sleep quality. While I have noticed a big difference on myself, I don’t know how much is mental, so I’m experimenting with having the kids sleep on it without them knowing what it does. The book Earthing explains more of the theory behind this method and I’m working on finding a good source of the mats. According to the book, you can also create the same effect by spending time barefoot outside on dirt, grass or rocks daily for at least 30 minutes (If you garden barefoot in the middle of the day, you’ll get three benefits in one! Exercise, Vitamin D and the negative electrons from the earth)
Going to bed before 10pm (or transitioning to this schedule) will also greatly impact your body’s healing ability, as there are supposed to be additional benefits to sleep before midnight.
I’ve written before about the importance of sleep, and I’m sure you’ve read it many other places as well. Yet, statistically, most of us (me included) don’t always get enough quality sleep. Some of us struggle to fall asleep, others to stay asleep, and others to make time to actually get enough sleep.
Not surprisingly, sleep is a hormone dependent process, and with all the variables in our lives that can affect proper hormone balance (foods, toxins, artificial light, etc) it makes sense that many people struggle with sleep. This is also why times when hormones change often have a negative effect on sleep (menopause, puberty, pregnancy, etc)
While mainstream thinking might recommend a pharmaceutical option to help deal with sleep issues, artificially augmenting the hormone system to induce sleep isn’t without its problems (just check out the side-effects and warnings list!) and can have an impact on other hormone functions as well.
Often, lack of quality sleep stems from one or more lifestyle causes, and it is important to address these underlying issues as they can impact more than just sleep.
The Problem
Lack of sleep = Stress on the body = weight gain, premature aging, hair loss, hormone imbalances, infertility, and lowered immune function.
Hormone problems that cause sleep disturbances don’t just begin at bedtime, and they can’t be fixed by just addressing them at this time. Ever noticed that animals don’t have trouble sleeping and waking when they are supposed to? They don’t toss and turn to fall asleep and they don’t need pills to help them do so (speaking about outdoor animals… I don’t have any, but indoor animals could potentially have some of the same struggles that humans do).
Proper sleep hormone production (melatonin) depends on proper hormone function during waking hours (serotonin and others). As the endocrine system is a complete system, hormone imbalances (PCOS, Endometriosis, etc) can often lead to poor sleep and vice versa.
Stress hormones can have a tremendous impact on the sleep cycle as well, and it is a two-way street. Lack of sleep elevates stress hormones, and stress hormones can cause sleep problems.
Optimize Sleep While You Are Awake
To optimize sleep during the night, one must also optimize factors during waking hours including food, supplements and exposure to light/outdoors.
Getting a quality night of sleep actually begins when you wake at the beginning of the day and there are many factors that can have a dramatic impact on sleep length and quality.
-Foods for Sleep
Just as foods can impact health in other areas, foods can contribute to good or bad sleep. To help improve your chances of quality sleep, these are the best foods to consume:
Healthy Fats- such as coconut oil, organic and pasture raised meats, eggs, avocado and butter all help provide your body with the necessary building blocks to manufacture sleep hormones.
High Antioxidant Foods- Also important for hormone production and removal of toxins that can impede sleep. Focus on vegetables, high nutrient fruits, and herbal or green teas (green tea early in the day only).
Quality Proteins, especially at dinner: For best sleep, it is better to stop eating at least 4 hours before bedtime, and preferably by 6pm every night. Your evening meal should include proteins, vegetables and healthy fats. Eating enough protein at this meal will help prepare the body to enter the sleep cycle.
Avoid:
Sugars: Sugars and carbohydrates, especially at night, can cause a blood sugar spike and crash that will lead to difficulty falling or staying asleep. Many people crave carbohydrates (chocolate, anyone?) in the evening, which is a sign of an underlying hormone problem to begin with but eating carbohydrates late at night can cause problems falling asleep or lead to waking in the middle of the night when blood sugar levels drop.
Grains- I’ve written before about the negative effect grains can have on health, and if you have an intolerance to grains, this can cause physical stress in your body, which alters the hormone cycle and can impede sleep.
Vegetable Oils- No one should ever eat them anyway, but I have a theory that just as these artificial fats can cause problems in new skin formation(skin cancer) they can cause problems in the hormone cycle, as hormones need (saturated) fats for production and giving the body the wrong building blocks for hormones can wreak havoc with hormone production.
-Supplements for Sleep
Sadly, it is often difficult to get enough nutrients from foods as our soil is depleted and foods are picked before ripe so they can be shipped around the world. Especially if you struggle from a health challenge or sleep problem, it is often helpful to supplement some key nutrients, at least in the short term, as you build your body back up.
Fermented Cod Liver Oil/High Vitamin Butter Oil Blend (also great for remineralizing teeth)-I have personally noticed a difference in my sleep quality since adding this to my regimen. I take it in the morning and at night (about 1/2 tsp each time) and don’t sleep as well when I don’t. The presence of fat soluble vitamins A, D and K plus Omega-3s can explain why this particular supplement is great for promoting hormone production and improving sleep. For this reason, it also helps balance other hormones (in cases of infertility, etc) and is great for growing children.
A couple tablespoons of coconut oil melted in a cup of herbal tea per day can help give the body the building blocks to make sleep hormones
Magnesium- Many people are deficient in Magnesium and this particular deficiency can have a big impact on sleep quality. Some people find that just adding a product like Natural Calm about 30 minutes before bedtime can really improve sleep.
Gelatin- Many of us eat a disproportionateamount of animal muscle meat compared to bone broths, organ meats and marrow. If you aren’t a fan of consuming liver daily, drinking natural gelatin (from grassfed sources) can help balance your intake. Consumption of only muscle meats, which are higher in stress hormones, can cause problems in the sleep cycle. Personally, I often drink a cup of chamomile or herbal tea with a tablespoon of gelatin dissolved in it each night a couple hours before bed.
If you have a solid diet and are already taking the things above, specific sleep related herbs might help your fall asleep. Try my sleep tincture, or some chamomile or catnip to help you relax.
-A Healthy Daily Routine
A daily (and nightly) routine can make a big difference in how easily you fall and stay asleep. You’ll have to experiment to find out what works best for you but here are some helpful suggestions:
Wake up and go to bed at the same time, even on weekends to keep your hormone cycle regular.
Eat a high protein/high fat snack a few hours before bed (7pm or earlier) or consume a lot at dinner.
Avoid caffeine after 1 pm.
Install F.lux (it is free) on all computers and devices to reduce blue light and help you sleep better (it is also easier on the eyes!)
Drink enough water during the day and stop drinking about 2 hours before bed so you don’t have to wake up to use the bathroom.
Take a soothing salt bath about an hour before bed with some relaxing music or a great book.
Get at least 30 minutes of sunlight each day (even if you aren’t trying to get your vitamin D). The exposure to the wide-spectrum light during the day boosts serotonin levels, which will help improve melatonin levels at night
Avoid artificial light as much as possible after the sun goes down.
Pray, meditate or find a way to reduce stress.
Give yourself a massage before bed to release stress and help relax (Personally, I love this for home-massage)
Stretch before bed to relax muscles.
-Cold Therapy for Improved Sleep
If lack of sleep is really affecting your life and you are willing to try anything to improve it, consider cold therapy (and you might lose some weight too). This method has been around for a while and if done correctly, it can help you sleep like a rock.
Mark Sisson has written about it before, and some research shows that it could also help with a host of problems like Chronic Fatigue, heart issues, and even possibly cancer/tumors.
From what I’ve read, full immersion in a cool bath (below 60 degrees) is most effective, though even a cold ice back on the front and back of the neck can be helpful for improving sleep and weight loss. I’ve noticed a difference from using cold therapy two ways:
After dinner, sitting with ice packs on the front and back of my neck for 30 minutes
After dinner, dipping my face in a bowl of very cold water (about 50 degrees) and holding underwater for as long as I can, up to 30 seconds. I do this several times and it definitely helps reduce stress/improve sleep. There is a theory that this activates the dive reflex, which helps reduce stress.
The Sleep Environment
Your sleep environment is also extremely important for sleep quality. Artificial light, warm temperatures, sudden noises, and EMFs can all effect sleep quality, but these things are almost always fixable. Again, you’ll have to experiment to figure out what works best for you, but in general, here are some tips:
Remove ALL artificial light, including the light on your alarm clock, TV light, phone, etc. I use blackout curtains because we have artificial light outside, and cover my clock light with a towel. Our kids don’t have night lights, and they typically sleep very well.
Keep the temperature around 65-68 degrees and always below 70 degrees.
Try some white noise like sounds of rain, ocean or our kids’ favorite, Gregorian Chant (though if any of them ever decide to become a cloistered religious, they will have trouble… chant always puts them to sleep!)
Trade out your jolting buzzing alarm clock for a gentle sunlight alarm clock that will wake you up much more gently. I don’t know about you, but my dread of the sound of the alarm clock sound always caused me to wake up a few times in the early morning in anticipation of it
Try an earthing mat. I am still experimenting with this one, but there is some evidence that sleeping on a grounding mat reduces your exposure EMFs and improves sleep quality. While I have noticed a big difference on myself, I don’t know how much is mental, so I’m experimenting with having the kids sleep on it without them knowing what it does. The book Earthing explains more of the theory behind this method and I’m working on finding a good source of the mats. According to the book, you can also create the same effect by spending time barefoot outside on dirt, grass or rocks daily for at least 30 minutes (If you garden barefoot in the middle of the day, you’ll get three benefits in one! Exercise, Vitamin D and the negative electrons from the earth)
Going to bed before 10pm (or transitioning to this schedule) will also greatly impact your body’s healing ability, as there are supposed to be additional benefits to sleep before midnight.
Natural Mama: Help Balance your Hormones
Natural Mama: Help Balance your Hormones: When it comes to health, hormones and gut bacteria have a much bigger effect than many people realize. In fact, these two factors can destro...
Help Balance your Hormones
When it comes to health, hormones and gut bacteria have a much bigger effect than many people realize. In fact, these two factors can destroy health even if everything else (diet, supplements, etc) is optimized. Conversely, fixing hormones and gut bacteria can do a lot to boost health, even if not all the other factors are optimal. In fact, there are even studies about using certain hormone reactions to heal brain trauma.
If you doubt the very real power of hormones to affect everything from mood, to weight, to bowel health, ask the nearest pregnant woman if she’s noticed any difference in these areas since being pregnant. Or ask the nearest 13 year old girl… carefully…
If you have symptoms like fatigue, skin issues, weight gain, weight around the middle, trouble sleeping, always sleeping, PMS, endometriosis, infertility, PCOS or other issues, chances are you have hormone imbalance!
What are Hormones?
“Hormones are your body’s chemical messengers. They travel in your bloodstream to tissues or organs. They work slowly, over time, and affect many different processes, including
Growth and development
Metabolism – how your body gets energy from the foods you eat
Sexual function
Reproduction
Mood
Endocrine glands, which are special groups of cells, make hormones. The major endocrine glands are the pituitary, pineal, thymus, thyroid, adrenal glands and pancreas. In addition, men produce hormones in their testes and women produce them in their ovaries.”
Hormones are produced using good fats and cholesterol, so lack of these important dietary factors can cause hormone problems simply because the body doesn’t have the building blocks to make them. Toxins containing chemicals that mimic these building blocks or that mimic the hormones themselves are also problematic because the body can attempt to create hormones using the wrong building blocks… mutant estrogen anyone?
The endocrine system is a complex system that we will probably never completely understand, but there are some basic things you can do to boost your body’s ability to create and balance hormones:
1. Avoid High Omega-6 Polyunsaturated Fats
The human body is about 97% saturated and monounsaturated fat, with only 3 % Polyunsaturated fats. Half of that three percent is Omega-3 fats, and that balance needs to be there. Vegetable oils contain very high levels of polyunsaturated fats, and these oils have replaced many of the saturated fats in our diets since the 1950s.
The body needs fats for rebuilding cells and hormone production, but it has to use the building blocks we give it. When we give it a high concentration of polyunsaturated fats instead of the ratios it needs, it has no choice but to incorporate these fats into our cells during cell repair and creation.
The problem is that polyunsaturated fats are highly unstable and oxidize easily in the body (if they haven’t already oxidized during processing or by light exposure while sitting on the grocery store shelf). These oxidized fats cause inflammation and mutation in cells.
In arterial cells, these mutations cause inflammation that can clog arteries. When these fats are incorporated into skin cells, their mutation causes skin cancer. (This is why people often get the most dangerous forms of skin cancer in places where they are never exposed to the sun, but that is a topic for another day!)
When these oils are incorporated into cells in reproductive tissue, some evidence suggests that this can spur problems like endometriosis and PCOS. In short, the body is made up of saturated and monounsaturated fats, and it needs these for optimal health.”
Bottom line: Don’t eat fats like Vegetable oil, peanut oil, canola oil, soybean oil, margarine, shortening or other chemically altered fats. Choose fats like coconut oil, real butter, olive oil (don’t heat!) and animal fats (tallow, lard) from healthy sources instead and eat lots of high Omega-3 fish.
2. Limit the Caffeine
For all of the coffee drinkers out there, caffeine can wreak havoc on the endocrine system, especially if there are other hormone stressors involved too like pregnancy, presence of toxins, beneficial fat imbalance or stress.
Cut down the coffee if you can, or replace with beneficial herbal teas (a list of my favorite recipes coming soon!). If you can’t or won’t cut the coffee, use it as a way to sneak in your beneficial fats by adding 1 tablespoon coconut oil to each cup and blending in the blender to emulsify. It is like a latte but with healthy fats!
3. Avoid Toxins
Toxins found in pesticides, plastics, household chemicals and even mattresses can contain hormone disrupting chemicals that mimic hormones in the body and keep the body from producing real hormones. Things like hormonal birth control can (obviously) do the same thing.
If you have hormone imbalance or are struggling to get pregnant, avoiding these toxins is very important! Cook in glass or non-coated metal pans (no non-stick or teflon!) and avoid heating or storing foods in plastic. Find organic produce and meat whenever possible and don’t use chemical pesticides or cleaners.
4. SLEEP
Can’t emphasize this one enough (tried with the all-caps-yelling though)! If you aren’t getting enough sleep, your hormone will not be balanced. Period.
5. Supplement Wisely
In a perfect world, we would be rising and sleeping with the sun, getting Vitamin D from the sun and Magnesium from the ocean while relaxing and exercising in great balance each day in a stress-free world. Since I doubt that describes any of us currently, supplements can fill in the gaps.
Maca- A tuber in the radish family that has a history of boosting hormone production and libido. Many women notice less PMS, increased fertility, and improved skin while men notice increased sperm production, libido and better sleep. Maca is also high in minerals and essential fatty acids, making it great for hormones. It is available in powder form (least expensive option) or in capsules.
Magnesium- Magnesium supports hundreds of reactions in the body and often contributes to better sleep (which is great for hormones!). There are several effective forms of Magnesium: In powder form with a product like Natural Calm so that you can vary your dose and work up slowly, ionic liquid form can be added to food and drinks and dose can be worked up slowly,or transdermal form by using Magnesium oil applied to skin. This is often the most effective option for those with damaged digestive tract or severe deficiency.
Vitamin D- A pre-hormone is supportive of hormone function. Best obtained from the sun if possible, or from a D3 supplement or Fermented Cod Liver Oil.
Fermented Cod Liver Oil- Provides many of the necessary building blocks for hormone production including Vitamins A, D, and K. It also is a great source of Omega-3s and beneficial fats.
Gelatin is a great source of calcium, magnesium and phosphate. It supports hormone production and digestive health and helps sooth inflammation, especially in joints. We use Great Lakes Kosher as I was able to verify with the company that it is sourced from grass-fed, humanely raised cows, and as such is higher in nutrients.
6. Exercise Lightly
If you have hormone imbalance, intense extended exercise can actually make the problem worse in the short term. Sleep is actually more important, at least during the balancing phase, so focus on relaxing exercises like walking or swimming and avoid the extended running, cardio and exercise videos, for now….
7. Lift Heavy Weights
While extended cardio can be bad, short bursts of heavy lifting (kettlebells, deadlifts, squats, lunges) can be beneficial since they trigger a cascade of beneficial hormone reactions. Aim for a few sets (5-7) at a weight that really challenges your, but make sure to get help with form and training if you haven’t done these before as bad form can be harmful!
8. Eat Some Coconut Oil
Coconut Oil is amazing for hormone health. It provides the necessary building blocks for hormone production, can assist weight loss, reduce inflammation, and even has antimicrobial and antibacterial properties.
If you really need hormone help, aim to consume 1/4 cup of added coconut oil a day. My favorite way is to blend into coffee or tea. This is the highest quality one I’ve found.
9. Fix Your Leptin
Leptin is a master hormone, and if it is out of balance or if you are resistant to it, no other hormones will balance well. Fixing leptin will also help boost fertility, make weight loss easier, improve sleep, and lower inflammation.
If you doubt the very real power of hormones to affect everything from mood, to weight, to bowel health, ask the nearest pregnant woman if she’s noticed any difference in these areas since being pregnant. Or ask the nearest 13 year old girl… carefully…
If you have symptoms like fatigue, skin issues, weight gain, weight around the middle, trouble sleeping, always sleeping, PMS, endometriosis, infertility, PCOS or other issues, chances are you have hormone imbalance!
What are Hormones?
“Hormones are your body’s chemical messengers. They travel in your bloodstream to tissues or organs. They work slowly, over time, and affect many different processes, including
Growth and development
Metabolism – how your body gets energy from the foods you eat
Sexual function
Reproduction
Mood
Endocrine glands, which are special groups of cells, make hormones. The major endocrine glands are the pituitary, pineal, thymus, thyroid, adrenal glands and pancreas. In addition, men produce hormones in their testes and women produce them in their ovaries.”
Hormones are produced using good fats and cholesterol, so lack of these important dietary factors can cause hormone problems simply because the body doesn’t have the building blocks to make them. Toxins containing chemicals that mimic these building blocks or that mimic the hormones themselves are also problematic because the body can attempt to create hormones using the wrong building blocks… mutant estrogen anyone?
The endocrine system is a complex system that we will probably never completely understand, but there are some basic things you can do to boost your body’s ability to create and balance hormones:
1. Avoid High Omega-6 Polyunsaturated Fats
The human body is about 97% saturated and monounsaturated fat, with only 3 % Polyunsaturated fats. Half of that three percent is Omega-3 fats, and that balance needs to be there. Vegetable oils contain very high levels of polyunsaturated fats, and these oils have replaced many of the saturated fats in our diets since the 1950s.
The body needs fats for rebuilding cells and hormone production, but it has to use the building blocks we give it. When we give it a high concentration of polyunsaturated fats instead of the ratios it needs, it has no choice but to incorporate these fats into our cells during cell repair and creation.
The problem is that polyunsaturated fats are highly unstable and oxidize easily in the body (if they haven’t already oxidized during processing or by light exposure while sitting on the grocery store shelf). These oxidized fats cause inflammation and mutation in cells.
In arterial cells, these mutations cause inflammation that can clog arteries. When these fats are incorporated into skin cells, their mutation causes skin cancer. (This is why people often get the most dangerous forms of skin cancer in places where they are never exposed to the sun, but that is a topic for another day!)
When these oils are incorporated into cells in reproductive tissue, some evidence suggests that this can spur problems like endometriosis and PCOS. In short, the body is made up of saturated and monounsaturated fats, and it needs these for optimal health.”
Bottom line: Don’t eat fats like Vegetable oil, peanut oil, canola oil, soybean oil, margarine, shortening or other chemically altered fats. Choose fats like coconut oil, real butter, olive oil (don’t heat!) and animal fats (tallow, lard) from healthy sources instead and eat lots of high Omega-3 fish.
2. Limit the Caffeine
For all of the coffee drinkers out there, caffeine can wreak havoc on the endocrine system, especially if there are other hormone stressors involved too like pregnancy, presence of toxins, beneficial fat imbalance or stress.
Cut down the coffee if you can, or replace with beneficial herbal teas (a list of my favorite recipes coming soon!). If you can’t or won’t cut the coffee, use it as a way to sneak in your beneficial fats by adding 1 tablespoon coconut oil to each cup and blending in the blender to emulsify. It is like a latte but with healthy fats!
3. Avoid Toxins
Toxins found in pesticides, plastics, household chemicals and even mattresses can contain hormone disrupting chemicals that mimic hormones in the body and keep the body from producing real hormones. Things like hormonal birth control can (obviously) do the same thing.
If you have hormone imbalance or are struggling to get pregnant, avoiding these toxins is very important! Cook in glass or non-coated metal pans (no non-stick or teflon!) and avoid heating or storing foods in plastic. Find organic produce and meat whenever possible and don’t use chemical pesticides or cleaners.
4. SLEEP
Can’t emphasize this one enough (tried with the all-caps-yelling though)! If you aren’t getting enough sleep, your hormone will not be balanced. Period.
5. Supplement Wisely
In a perfect world, we would be rising and sleeping with the sun, getting Vitamin D from the sun and Magnesium from the ocean while relaxing and exercising in great balance each day in a stress-free world. Since I doubt that describes any of us currently, supplements can fill in the gaps.
Maca- A tuber in the radish family that has a history of boosting hormone production and libido. Many women notice less PMS, increased fertility, and improved skin while men notice increased sperm production, libido and better sleep. Maca is also high in minerals and essential fatty acids, making it great for hormones. It is available in powder form (least expensive option) or in capsules.
Magnesium- Magnesium supports hundreds of reactions in the body and often contributes to better sleep (which is great for hormones!). There are several effective forms of Magnesium: In powder form with a product like Natural Calm so that you can vary your dose and work up slowly, ionic liquid form can be added to food and drinks and dose can be worked up slowly,or transdermal form by using Magnesium oil applied to skin. This is often the most effective option for those with damaged digestive tract or severe deficiency.
Vitamin D- A pre-hormone is supportive of hormone function. Best obtained from the sun if possible, or from a D3 supplement or Fermented Cod Liver Oil.
Fermented Cod Liver Oil- Provides many of the necessary building blocks for hormone production including Vitamins A, D, and K. It also is a great source of Omega-3s and beneficial fats.
Gelatin is a great source of calcium, magnesium and phosphate. It supports hormone production and digestive health and helps sooth inflammation, especially in joints. We use Great Lakes Kosher as I was able to verify with the company that it is sourced from grass-fed, humanely raised cows, and as such is higher in nutrients.
6. Exercise Lightly
If you have hormone imbalance, intense extended exercise can actually make the problem worse in the short term. Sleep is actually more important, at least during the balancing phase, so focus on relaxing exercises like walking or swimming and avoid the extended running, cardio and exercise videos, for now….
7. Lift Heavy Weights
While extended cardio can be bad, short bursts of heavy lifting (kettlebells, deadlifts, squats, lunges) can be beneficial since they trigger a cascade of beneficial hormone reactions. Aim for a few sets (5-7) at a weight that really challenges your, but make sure to get help with form and training if you haven’t done these before as bad form can be harmful!
8. Eat Some Coconut Oil
Coconut Oil is amazing for hormone health. It provides the necessary building blocks for hormone production, can assist weight loss, reduce inflammation, and even has antimicrobial and antibacterial properties.
If you really need hormone help, aim to consume 1/4 cup of added coconut oil a day. My favorite way is to blend into coffee or tea. This is the highest quality one I’ve found.
9. Fix Your Leptin
Leptin is a master hormone, and if it is out of balance or if you are resistant to it, no other hormones will balance well. Fixing leptin will also help boost fertility, make weight loss easier, improve sleep, and lower inflammation.
Tuesday, September 10, 2013
Natural Remedies for Eczema
The Diet Connection:
I feel it is important to note that all of the topical remedies in the world didn’t help us until we addressed the underlying problem, specifically: diet and lifestyle factors that were causing/contributing to the eczema to begin with.
Just as you can’t out supplement a bad diet in other areas, topical remedies don’t address the underlying problem that is causing the eczema to begin with.
Certainly, eczema and other skin issues are complex conditions with a potential variety of causes, but there do seem to be some common things that help (both dietary and other).
What is GAPS:
“The protocol in Gut and Psychology Syndrome is basically an intensive nutritional program to heal the gut lining. It focuses on soothing and healing the gut lining with foods like bone broth and beneficial fats while boosting beneficial gut bacteria with probiotics and fermented foods.
Depending on the severity of the patient, one either begins with or works up to the Introduction Diet, which is the strictest part of the protocol, focused on intensive healing. There are then stages as the person begins to introduce other foods. The most difficult factor of the GAPS diet is that in order to be effective, especially in the beginning, one must be 100% compliant. This means a lot of preparing foods at home, as practically any foods prepared by someone not familiar with the protocol will have things that can aggravate the gut.”
If you or a family member struggle with skin problems, allergies or behavior struggles, I’d definitely recommend at least checking out the book Gut and Psychology Syndrome to see if the protocol would be helpful for you.
Of course, once diet has been addressed, there are some things that can be used topically to speed healing or limit discomfort during the healing time. For us, these things were helpful:
1. Coconut Oil
You can use coconut oil for everything. It is one of the things that would absolutely be on my list in a you-are-going-to-an-island-and-can-only-bring-five-things type situation. You can use it for skin, hair, teeth, health and even soap making at our house, but it is also great for eczema (as long as the person isn’t allergic/intolerant to coconut!).
Use a thin layer of coconut oil or a coconut oil lotion bar helps cool eczema itching and pain. For those sensitive to coconut oil, these hypoallergenic lotion bars work really well too.
2. Sea Spray
For eczema that is wet/oozing, I’ve found that drying it works better than trying to moisturize it and offers relief. For this, we use a homemade salt and magnesium spray. I’ve often heard people with skin problems say that they felt better at the beach, and it makes sense. Between the Vitamin D, the magnesium and the minerals in the water, the beach is great for skin health!
For those who don’t live near the ocean, this homemade spray can help achieve some of the same benefits at home.
3. Fermented Cod Liver Oil
Sounds nasty (doesn’t taste so great either) but fermented cod liver oil is one of the supplements we take daily. From a past post:
“Fermented Cod Liver Oil (FCLO) is recommended by the Weston A. Price Foundation and is a great source of healthy fats for the body. This supplement is also an integral part of the tooth remineralization process as detailed by Dr. Price and by Rami Nagel in Cure Tooth Decay. These two help reduce inflammation in the body and lead to healthy cell, hormone and brain development. They are especially important during pregnancy and for children while their brains are developing.
Cod Liver Oil/High Vitamin Butter Oil are a great source of the fat-soluble vitamins A,D, E and K and as such are supportive of hundreds or processes in the body. The supplements are rather pricey, but we’ve seen a big difference from adding this to our regimen (including skin health!)
I take Fermented Cod Liver Oil in Capsules or Fermented Cod Liver Oil/High Vitamin Butter Oil blend in Gel Form.
Yes, the taste is terrible but you can sneak the chocolate flavored gel into smoothies though icon smile 7 Natural Remedies for Eczema
4. Magnesium Baths
For some people with eczema, soaking in water makes it worse. For those who tolerate it, magnesium baths and other types of detox baths can be helpful in skin healing.
I regularly add a cup of epsom salts or magnesium flakes and a few tablespoons of Himalayan salt to my kids baths. When I have the time, I take relaxing baths in this mixture also.
When I can’t take the time for a bath, magnesium oil also helps. Amazingly, I notice the benefits of transdermal magnesium (baths or magnesium oil) much more quickly than when I take internal forms of magnesium.
My favorite magnesium bath recipe is:
1-2 cups of epsom salts or magnesium flakes(magnesium flakes are absorbed much more easily)
1/2 cup Himalayan or Sea Salt
1/2 tsp of natural vanilla extract
10-15 drops of essential oil of choice (I love lavender and mint)
These three detox bath recipes are also all great if the person can handle warm water.
5. Probiotics
Just as with the Fermented Cod Liver Oil, probiotics are one supplement that seems to make a noticeable difference with skin health (if the problem is diet/gut related). For us, high quality probiotics were vital when we were intensively doing GAPS.
Probiotics and probiotic-rich foods are another element that is often missing from the modern diet. I’m constantly seeing more research on the many ways that gut bacteria influences our health. In the past, people often preserved food by fermenting it, which also was a good source of probiotics for them. Now, most foods are dead, and we rarely ferment them in the traditional ways, so we don’t consume probiotic rich foods without a specific effort to do so.
We also make an effort to wash our hands and our food (a good thing with the chemicals on them these days) which also wash off the beneficial soil-borne micro-organisms that provide friendly-bacteria to the gut.
Since gut bacteria is so important, probiotics are one supplement I always make sure to take. You can get some probiotics in fermented food and drinks such as:
Kombucha Soda
Water Kefir
Sauerkraut
Lacto-fermenting almost any vegetable using whey (how to make whey)
You can take Bio-Kult Probiotics (developed by the founder of the GAPS diet… it doesn’t have to be refrigerated) and I’ve heard about digestive improvements from this brand. We all take these as a daily maintenance, but at the first sign of digestive troubles or illness, we double or triple the dose until we are better. I also took these to heal after I got food poisoning, and was back to normal in a couple of days.
6. Additional Gelatin-rich Foods
I’ve mentioned that bone broth was an important part of a healing diet for us, and this was partially because of its high gelatin content. Gelatin is very soothing to the gut and is also great for hair, skin and nail health.
Homemade, nutrient dense bone broth is incredibly easy and inexpensive to make. There is no comparison to the store-bought versions which often contain MSG or other chemicals and which lack gelatin and some of the other health-boosting properties of homemade broth.
In selecting the bones for broth, look for high quality bones from grass fed cattle or bison, pastured poultry or wild caught fish. Since you’ll be extracting the minerals and drinking them in concentrated form, you want to make sure that the animal was as healthy as possible.
There are several places to find good bones for stock:
Save leftovers from when you roast a chicken, duck, turkey or goose (pastured)
From a local butcher, especially one who butchers the whole animal
From local farmers who raise grass fed animals (ask around at your local Farmer’s Market)
Online from companies like US Wellness Meats (also where I get grass fed Tallow in bulk- they sell pre-made high quality broth) or Tropical Traditions (I order high quality beef, bison, lamb and chicken bones from them at good prices)
This recipe for broth is my favorite and is an adaption of the recipe in Nourishing Traditions.
For those who aren’t ready to jump in to having a pot of boiling bones on the stove, some of the same benefits can be obtained from taking Gelatin as a supplement instead. We use Great Lakes Kosher since I was able to verify with the company that it is sourced from grass-fed, humanely raised cows, and as such is higher in nutrients.
I also use Gelatin in recipes like:
Homemade chewable vitamins
homemade probioitc marshmallows
homemade “Jell-o”
Homemade fruit snacks
7. Homemade Healing Salve
For scars or blisters from eczema that take longer to heal, a homemade healing salve can be helpful. One thing that is helping is this homemade healing salve.
My homemade healing salve is helpful on eczema as well as: cuts, bruises, stings, poison ivy and skin irritations. It also helps diaper rash and baby skin irritations- just don’t use with cloth diapers or line them first!
I feel it is important to note that all of the topical remedies in the world didn’t help us until we addressed the underlying problem, specifically: diet and lifestyle factors that were causing/contributing to the eczema to begin with.
Just as you can’t out supplement a bad diet in other areas, topical remedies don’t address the underlying problem that is causing the eczema to begin with.
Certainly, eczema and other skin issues are complex conditions with a potential variety of causes, but there do seem to be some common things that help (both dietary and other).
What is GAPS:
“The protocol in Gut and Psychology Syndrome is basically an intensive nutritional program to heal the gut lining. It focuses on soothing and healing the gut lining with foods like bone broth and beneficial fats while boosting beneficial gut bacteria with probiotics and fermented foods.
Depending on the severity of the patient, one either begins with or works up to the Introduction Diet, which is the strictest part of the protocol, focused on intensive healing. There are then stages as the person begins to introduce other foods. The most difficult factor of the GAPS diet is that in order to be effective, especially in the beginning, one must be 100% compliant. This means a lot of preparing foods at home, as practically any foods prepared by someone not familiar with the protocol will have things that can aggravate the gut.”
If you or a family member struggle with skin problems, allergies or behavior struggles, I’d definitely recommend at least checking out the book Gut and Psychology Syndrome to see if the protocol would be helpful for you.
Of course, once diet has been addressed, there are some things that can be used topically to speed healing or limit discomfort during the healing time. For us, these things were helpful:
1. Coconut Oil
You can use coconut oil for everything. It is one of the things that would absolutely be on my list in a you-are-going-to-an-island-and-can-only-bring-five-things type situation. You can use it for skin, hair, teeth, health and even soap making at our house, but it is also great for eczema (as long as the person isn’t allergic/intolerant to coconut!).
Use a thin layer of coconut oil or a coconut oil lotion bar helps cool eczema itching and pain. For those sensitive to coconut oil, these hypoallergenic lotion bars work really well too.
2. Sea Spray
For eczema that is wet/oozing, I’ve found that drying it works better than trying to moisturize it and offers relief. For this, we use a homemade salt and magnesium spray. I’ve often heard people with skin problems say that they felt better at the beach, and it makes sense. Between the Vitamin D, the magnesium and the minerals in the water, the beach is great for skin health!
For those who don’t live near the ocean, this homemade spray can help achieve some of the same benefits at home.
3. Fermented Cod Liver Oil
Sounds nasty (doesn’t taste so great either) but fermented cod liver oil is one of the supplements we take daily. From a past post:
“Fermented Cod Liver Oil (FCLO) is recommended by the Weston A. Price Foundation and is a great source of healthy fats for the body. This supplement is also an integral part of the tooth remineralization process as detailed by Dr. Price and by Rami Nagel in Cure Tooth Decay. These two help reduce inflammation in the body and lead to healthy cell, hormone and brain development. They are especially important during pregnancy and for children while their brains are developing.
Cod Liver Oil/High Vitamin Butter Oil are a great source of the fat-soluble vitamins A,D, E and K and as such are supportive of hundreds or processes in the body. The supplements are rather pricey, but we’ve seen a big difference from adding this to our regimen (including skin health!)
I take Fermented Cod Liver Oil in Capsules or Fermented Cod Liver Oil/High Vitamin Butter Oil blend in Gel Form.
Yes, the taste is terrible but you can sneak the chocolate flavored gel into smoothies though icon smile 7 Natural Remedies for Eczema
4. Magnesium Baths
For some people with eczema, soaking in water makes it worse. For those who tolerate it, magnesium baths and other types of detox baths can be helpful in skin healing.
I regularly add a cup of epsom salts or magnesium flakes and a few tablespoons of Himalayan salt to my kids baths. When I have the time, I take relaxing baths in this mixture also.
When I can’t take the time for a bath, magnesium oil also helps. Amazingly, I notice the benefits of transdermal magnesium (baths or magnesium oil) much more quickly than when I take internal forms of magnesium.
My favorite magnesium bath recipe is:
1-2 cups of epsom salts or magnesium flakes(magnesium flakes are absorbed much more easily)
1/2 cup Himalayan or Sea Salt
1/2 tsp of natural vanilla extract
10-15 drops of essential oil of choice (I love lavender and mint)
These three detox bath recipes are also all great if the person can handle warm water.
5. Probiotics
Just as with the Fermented Cod Liver Oil, probiotics are one supplement that seems to make a noticeable difference with skin health (if the problem is diet/gut related). For us, high quality probiotics were vital when we were intensively doing GAPS.
Probiotics and probiotic-rich foods are another element that is often missing from the modern diet. I’m constantly seeing more research on the many ways that gut bacteria influences our health. In the past, people often preserved food by fermenting it, which also was a good source of probiotics for them. Now, most foods are dead, and we rarely ferment them in the traditional ways, so we don’t consume probiotic rich foods without a specific effort to do so.
We also make an effort to wash our hands and our food (a good thing with the chemicals on them these days) which also wash off the beneficial soil-borne micro-organisms that provide friendly-bacteria to the gut.
Since gut bacteria is so important, probiotics are one supplement I always make sure to take. You can get some probiotics in fermented food and drinks such as:
Kombucha Soda
Water Kefir
Sauerkraut
Lacto-fermenting almost any vegetable using whey (how to make whey)
You can take Bio-Kult Probiotics (developed by the founder of the GAPS diet… it doesn’t have to be refrigerated) and I’ve heard about digestive improvements from this brand. We all take these as a daily maintenance, but at the first sign of digestive troubles or illness, we double or triple the dose until we are better. I also took these to heal after I got food poisoning, and was back to normal in a couple of days.
6. Additional Gelatin-rich Foods
I’ve mentioned that bone broth was an important part of a healing diet for us, and this was partially because of its high gelatin content. Gelatin is very soothing to the gut and is also great for hair, skin and nail health.
Homemade, nutrient dense bone broth is incredibly easy and inexpensive to make. There is no comparison to the store-bought versions which often contain MSG or other chemicals and which lack gelatin and some of the other health-boosting properties of homemade broth.
In selecting the bones for broth, look for high quality bones from grass fed cattle or bison, pastured poultry or wild caught fish. Since you’ll be extracting the minerals and drinking them in concentrated form, you want to make sure that the animal was as healthy as possible.
There are several places to find good bones for stock:
Save leftovers from when you roast a chicken, duck, turkey or goose (pastured)
From a local butcher, especially one who butchers the whole animal
From local farmers who raise grass fed animals (ask around at your local Farmer’s Market)
Online from companies like US Wellness Meats (also where I get grass fed Tallow in bulk- they sell pre-made high quality broth) or Tropical Traditions (I order high quality beef, bison, lamb and chicken bones from them at good prices)
This recipe for broth is my favorite and is an adaption of the recipe in Nourishing Traditions.
For those who aren’t ready to jump in to having a pot of boiling bones on the stove, some of the same benefits can be obtained from taking Gelatin as a supplement instead. We use Great Lakes Kosher since I was able to verify with the company that it is sourced from grass-fed, humanely raised cows, and as such is higher in nutrients.
I also use Gelatin in recipes like:
Homemade chewable vitamins
homemade probioitc marshmallows
homemade “Jell-o”
Homemade fruit snacks
7. Homemade Healing Salve
For scars or blisters from eczema that take longer to heal, a homemade healing salve can be helpful. One thing that is helping is this homemade healing salve.
My homemade healing salve is helpful on eczema as well as: cuts, bruises, stings, poison ivy and skin irritations. It also helps diaper rash and baby skin irritations- just don’t use with cloth diapers or line them first!
Sunday, September 8, 2013
Bronzing Lotion Bars
This most recent one was inspired by a reader from Hawaii who mentioned that she added coffee infused oil to get a bronzing effect. This inspired me to create a bronzing/bug-repelling/sunscreen bar that would be great for the beach. The sunscreen part is optional as we like to get Vitamin D when possible. If you aren’t used to natural sunscreens, I would test this carefully at first as it is only around 15 SPF.
I found that these bars left a mild bronzing effect, a little sun protection and pest protection. These also smelled wonderful and summery! I’m packing a bunch for the beach (tip: keep in the cooler though so they don’t melt!). If you’d prefer, the beeswax can be left out for a lotion instead.
How to Infuse Coconut Oil with Coffee:
To get the natural bronzing effect, I infused coconut oil with finely ground coffee. I made a big batch so I’d have some to store, but you could cut this in half.
To start: Place 2 cups of coconut oil in a small saucepan or double boiler. Add 1 cup of very finely ground coffee (the finer the better). Simmer on low heat, stirring often, for several hours until the oil takes on a dark color. Strain through cheesecloth or old t-shirt and let cool. Use this for the coconut oil in the recipe below.
Bronzing Bar Ingredients:
1/2 cup coffee-infused coconut oil
1/3 cup beeswax
2 tablespoons (or more) of Zinc Oxide (For those concerned about contaminants or nano-particles, this version has larger particles)- optional
15+ drops of Bug off blend essential oil (avoid citrus essential oils) – optional
dark mineral makeup for extra bronzing-optional- to color (start with about 1/2 tsp)
How to Make:
Combine all ingredients except essential oil in a quart size glass mason jar and carefully place this jar in a small saucepan of water on the stove.
Turn the burner on and bring water to a low simmer. Stir ingredients constantly until they are melted and smooth.
Add essential oils and stir until mixed.
Carefully pour into molds or whatever you will be allowing the lotion bars to harden in. I used these silicon flower molds, though any mold would work.
Allow the lotion bars to cool completely before attempting to pop out of molds. These could be made in different shaped molds or made in a square baking pan and then cut into actual bars.
How to Use:
Store in a cool or dry place for up to six months.
To apply to skin: hold bar in hand and carefully rub on dry skin. The heat of the skin will transfer some of the lotion bar to the skin. I store my lotion bars on a small plate on my dresser and bathroom counter. Add more or less menthol for a more or less potent bar.
Notes:
The dark color will not show in the bar, especially if you add zinc oxide but will darken the skin.
For extra bronzing, 1/2 tsp of dark mineral makeup can be added.
If you are new to using natural sunscreens, increase sun exposure gradually to make sure you do not burn. The zinc oxide is optional if you would prefer just a bronzing bar. Some color can transfer to light color clothing, so be careful wearing white or light colors until lotion has fully absorbed in to skin.
Ever made lotion bars? What is your favorite type?
I found that these bars left a mild bronzing effect, a little sun protection and pest protection. These also smelled wonderful and summery! I’m packing a bunch for the beach (tip: keep in the cooler though so they don’t melt!). If you’d prefer, the beeswax can be left out for a lotion instead.
How to Infuse Coconut Oil with Coffee:
To get the natural bronzing effect, I infused coconut oil with finely ground coffee. I made a big batch so I’d have some to store, but you could cut this in half.
To start: Place 2 cups of coconut oil in a small saucepan or double boiler. Add 1 cup of very finely ground coffee (the finer the better). Simmer on low heat, stirring often, for several hours until the oil takes on a dark color. Strain through cheesecloth or old t-shirt and let cool. Use this for the coconut oil in the recipe below.
Bronzing Bar Ingredients:
1/2 cup coffee-infused coconut oil
1/3 cup beeswax
2 tablespoons (or more) of Zinc Oxide (For those concerned about contaminants or nano-particles, this version has larger particles)- optional
15+ drops of Bug off blend essential oil (avoid citrus essential oils) – optional
dark mineral makeup for extra bronzing-optional- to color (start with about 1/2 tsp)
How to Make:
Combine all ingredients except essential oil in a quart size glass mason jar and carefully place this jar in a small saucepan of water on the stove.
Turn the burner on and bring water to a low simmer. Stir ingredients constantly until they are melted and smooth.
Add essential oils and stir until mixed.
Carefully pour into molds or whatever you will be allowing the lotion bars to harden in. I used these silicon flower molds, though any mold would work.
Allow the lotion bars to cool completely before attempting to pop out of molds. These could be made in different shaped molds or made in a square baking pan and then cut into actual bars.
How to Use:
Store in a cool or dry place for up to six months.
To apply to skin: hold bar in hand and carefully rub on dry skin. The heat of the skin will transfer some of the lotion bar to the skin. I store my lotion bars on a small plate on my dresser and bathroom counter. Add more or less menthol for a more or less potent bar.
Notes:
The dark color will not show in the bar, especially if you add zinc oxide but will darken the skin.
For extra bronzing, 1/2 tsp of dark mineral makeup can be added.
If you are new to using natural sunscreens, increase sun exposure gradually to make sure you do not burn. The zinc oxide is optional if you would prefer just a bronzing bar. Some color can transfer to light color clothing, so be careful wearing white or light colors until lotion has fully absorbed in to skin.
Ever made lotion bars? What is your favorite type?
Strength Training and Carb Cycling
Reverse Pyramid Training, or RPT, is considered by many, including myself, to be one of the most effective training methods for putting on muscle and/or strength with the least amount of time invested. When training for strength, you need to limit volume due to the high intensity of the sets. Since you are typically working with 70-90% of your 1RM (1 Rep Max, the maximum amount of weight you could lift a single time), each set is very taxing on your central nervous system. For this reason, low rep RPT is usually limited to one or two main exercises per workout, with the other exercises performed in a less intense fashion. Furthermore, a de-load week, a week where you reduce the weight to approximately 80% of normal so that the body has some extra time to recover, is usually done every 4th week (i.e. push the weights for three weeks, then spend a week taking it easy). To help illustrate a RPT strength workout, below is a sample back workout.
The workout is started with everyone’s favorite exercise, deadlifts, done in a RPT fashion. You’ll do 2 sets, with 4-6 reps per set. For the first set, go all out, BUT do not go to failure. You should rarely, if ever, go to failure due to the risk of burning yourself out as well as regressing in strength. Once you finish your first set, drop the weight enough to be able to do an extra rep (i.e. if you did 4 reps, decrease the weight enough that you can do 5 reps, usually about 10%). Rest approximately three to five minutes, and then do another set stopping before failure. You should be out of breath after each set, especially with deadlifts. Rest five minutes, then move onto weighted chins. Again the rep range will be 4-6; however, this time you’re doing three sets. Just like deadlifts, the first set will be max effort, stopping just before failure. Weight will be dropped by about 10% between each set, and the rest interval is three minutes with a five minute break after completing the exercise and moving onto bent-over barbell rows. For this exercise, the Starting Strength method will be employed, in which you take your 7RM weight (the amount of weight you could lift 7 times before failure) and attempt to do three sets of five (always stop before failure). Once you are able to achieve five reps for all three sets, you increase the weight by 2.5%.
Progression of exercises done in RPT fashion should be done as follows: once you reach the upper end of a rep range, increase the weight by 5% and work back up. The individual sets should be progressed independently. For example, if you can easily get six reps on your second set of deadlift, then increase the weight for the second set on the next workout by 2.5-5%.
The split I have found to work the best is pull, push, legs done on either Monday, Wednesday, Friday or Tuesday, Thursday, Saturday (you need a day of rest between each workout and at least two days between the pull and leg workouts due to deadlift). The only exercises done in RPT fashion (with max effort on the first set) are the big compound lifts: deadlift, weighted chins, bench press, and squats. The exercises that are not designated RPT or SS should be completed with about 2 reps short of failure. The following routine proved to be very effective during my last cut, enabling me to retain if not improve strength while on a caloric deficit.
Sample Workout:
Monday- Pull
Deadlift – 2 x 4-6 (RPT)
Weighted Chins – 3 x 4-6 (RPT)
Bent Over Barbell Rows – 3 x 5 (SS)
Preacher Curls – 2 x 8-10 (Optional)
Wednesday – Push
Bench Press – 3 x 4-6 (RPT)
Standing Press – 3 x 5 (SS)
Incline Dumbbell Press – 2 x 6-8
Weighted Dips or Scull Crushers – 2 x 8-10 (Optional, but highly encouraged)
Friday – Legs
Squat – 3x 6-8 (RPT)
Leg Curl – 3 x 5 (SS)
Lunge – 2 x 8 (per leg)
Standing Calf Raise – 3 x 8
If you have serious issues with one of the exercises listed above, there are suitable substitutions (i.e. leg press if squats hurt your lower back or incline barbell bench press for incline dumbbell bench press, etc.). DO NOT, however, start adding exercises. If you are doing RPT correctly, then this is more than enough volume. By the time you finish the workout you should be tired and ready to feast on your post workout (PWO) meal, rich in protein, fat, AND Carbs.
Carb Cycling
Carbohydrate cycling, where you eat more carbohydrates on workout days and less on rest days, is an important factor in gaining strength without excessive fat. But, before I go any further, I need to explain that carbohydrates are not the enemy. Studies have shown that as long as dietary protein and fat are sufficient, a diet that is higher in carbs results in approximately the same amount of fat loss as one very low in carbs (any difference in weight loss was due to extra water weight loss on the low carb diet)3. The key is to ensure that you obtain healthy fats (such as saturated fat) and protein (be careful not to overdue protein as it does have a toxicity range), filling the rest of the calories with non-toxic carbohydrate sources (I prefer sweet potatoes, bananas, and white rice). Furthermore, intermittent carbohydrate consumption actually produces benefits toward hormone regulation.
Eating a consistent low carb diet (under 100 g or 400 calories per day) makes gaining muscle and strength either very difficult or impossible (trust me, I have tried and failed with that one). The caveat to this is if you are new to lifting or coming back from an extended break, in which case you will likely gain strength/muscle no matter what you do. Studies have shown that eating low carb for extended periods of time, especially at a caloric deficit, will cause multiple hormone levels relating to metabolism to decline. For example, active T3, a thyroid hormone that plays a major role in energy production, fat-burning and muscle gain, will decline when not enough cellular energy is available over time (i.e. low calorie or low carb diets)2. Another example is leptin, a hormone that has an effect on the production of epinephrine, T3/T4, neuropeptide-Y, and many others (all hormones that affect the metabolism)1.
And if those aren’t reasons enough for you, the cycling of carbohydrates can make the cycling of calories effortless. By keeping fat and protein approximately the same on a daily basis, adding a large carbohydrate rich meal right after working out will not only bring your calories up on workout days (crucial for strength gains), but it will also help you negate the above hormonal issues while still losing weight in the long run. If your goal is to gain weight, it will help keep the fat gains to a minimum while putting on lean mass.
The reason the optimum time to ingest excess carbohydrates after working out is due to their insulinogenic effect and their contribution towards replenishing glycogen stores. Contrary to the belief that ketones can be used to fuel the muscles during high intensity workouts, the truth is that the body requires glycogen for this type of activity2. When on a ketogenic diet, the liver and kidneys are able to make a limited amount of glucose, however, much of it gets used by the brain and other bodily functions. Therefore, after performing an intensive workout, especially if done fasted, you have the lowest glycogen reserves, meaning you can then eat a sufficient amount of carbohydrates before the body starts storing it for future use (a.k.a. fat). Furthermore, the insulin spike that is caused by ingesting a large amount of carbs (insulin spikes are necessary for maintaining healthy hormone levels) will aid in shuttling nutrients to the muscles, which is desirable for both muscle gain and recovery2.
A good PWO meal has a somewhat equal amount of protein and carbs (if not slightly higher in carbs) and a good dose of fat. Don’t be afraid of eating a sizable amount of calories; in fact, I think this should be the largest meal of the day. I personally am a huge advocate of raw milk, and my post workout meal is usually ½ gallon of raw milk and 3 bananas (about 280 g). The meal has over 100 g of carbs, over 72 g of protein (optimum casein-whey blend from the milk), and over 72 g of fat (of which 50 g is saturated fat). Do whatever works for you (i.e. if you can’t or don’t drink milk, don’t go down a pint of raw milk because I do it). My wife is currently unable to drink milk, therefore her current PWO meal is 350 g of potatoes, 100g of onion, and 2 cloves of garlic cooked in 2 Tbsp coconut oil, 2 pastured eggs cooked in 1 Tbsp butter, and 2-4 oz. grass fed ground beef with seasoning and cooked in 1 Tbsp coconut oil. Both my wife and I also taper carbohydrate consumption throughout the rest of the day, with the last meal of the day only consisting of about 10% carbohydrates (by calories).
With the RPT program outlined above, enough calories to sustain muscle growth, and the cycling of carbohydrates, you have the tools needed for sizable strength gains. If you have any questions feel free to ask, and as always, let me know how it works for you.
The workout is started with everyone’s favorite exercise, deadlifts, done in a RPT fashion. You’ll do 2 sets, with 4-6 reps per set. For the first set, go all out, BUT do not go to failure. You should rarely, if ever, go to failure due to the risk of burning yourself out as well as regressing in strength. Once you finish your first set, drop the weight enough to be able to do an extra rep (i.e. if you did 4 reps, decrease the weight enough that you can do 5 reps, usually about 10%). Rest approximately three to five minutes, and then do another set stopping before failure. You should be out of breath after each set, especially with deadlifts. Rest five minutes, then move onto weighted chins. Again the rep range will be 4-6; however, this time you’re doing three sets. Just like deadlifts, the first set will be max effort, stopping just before failure. Weight will be dropped by about 10% between each set, and the rest interval is three minutes with a five minute break after completing the exercise and moving onto bent-over barbell rows. For this exercise, the Starting Strength method will be employed, in which you take your 7RM weight (the amount of weight you could lift 7 times before failure) and attempt to do three sets of five (always stop before failure). Once you are able to achieve five reps for all three sets, you increase the weight by 2.5%.
Progression of exercises done in RPT fashion should be done as follows: once you reach the upper end of a rep range, increase the weight by 5% and work back up. The individual sets should be progressed independently. For example, if you can easily get six reps on your second set of deadlift, then increase the weight for the second set on the next workout by 2.5-5%.
The split I have found to work the best is pull, push, legs done on either Monday, Wednesday, Friday or Tuesday, Thursday, Saturday (you need a day of rest between each workout and at least two days between the pull and leg workouts due to deadlift). The only exercises done in RPT fashion (with max effort on the first set) are the big compound lifts: deadlift, weighted chins, bench press, and squats. The exercises that are not designated RPT or SS should be completed with about 2 reps short of failure. The following routine proved to be very effective during my last cut, enabling me to retain if not improve strength while on a caloric deficit.
Sample Workout:
Monday- Pull
Deadlift – 2 x 4-6 (RPT)
Weighted Chins – 3 x 4-6 (RPT)
Bent Over Barbell Rows – 3 x 5 (SS)
Preacher Curls – 2 x 8-10 (Optional)
Wednesday – Push
Bench Press – 3 x 4-6 (RPT)
Standing Press – 3 x 5 (SS)
Incline Dumbbell Press – 2 x 6-8
Weighted Dips or Scull Crushers – 2 x 8-10 (Optional, but highly encouraged)
Friday – Legs
Squat – 3x 6-8 (RPT)
Leg Curl – 3 x 5 (SS)
Lunge – 2 x 8 (per leg)
Standing Calf Raise – 3 x 8
If you have serious issues with one of the exercises listed above, there are suitable substitutions (i.e. leg press if squats hurt your lower back or incline barbell bench press for incline dumbbell bench press, etc.). DO NOT, however, start adding exercises. If you are doing RPT correctly, then this is more than enough volume. By the time you finish the workout you should be tired and ready to feast on your post workout (PWO) meal, rich in protein, fat, AND Carbs.
Carb Cycling
Carbohydrate cycling, where you eat more carbohydrates on workout days and less on rest days, is an important factor in gaining strength without excessive fat. But, before I go any further, I need to explain that carbohydrates are not the enemy. Studies have shown that as long as dietary protein and fat are sufficient, a diet that is higher in carbs results in approximately the same amount of fat loss as one very low in carbs (any difference in weight loss was due to extra water weight loss on the low carb diet)3. The key is to ensure that you obtain healthy fats (such as saturated fat) and protein (be careful not to overdue protein as it does have a toxicity range), filling the rest of the calories with non-toxic carbohydrate sources (I prefer sweet potatoes, bananas, and white rice). Furthermore, intermittent carbohydrate consumption actually produces benefits toward hormone regulation.
Eating a consistent low carb diet (under 100 g or 400 calories per day) makes gaining muscle and strength either very difficult or impossible (trust me, I have tried and failed with that one). The caveat to this is if you are new to lifting or coming back from an extended break, in which case you will likely gain strength/muscle no matter what you do. Studies have shown that eating low carb for extended periods of time, especially at a caloric deficit, will cause multiple hormone levels relating to metabolism to decline. For example, active T3, a thyroid hormone that plays a major role in energy production, fat-burning and muscle gain, will decline when not enough cellular energy is available over time (i.e. low calorie or low carb diets)2. Another example is leptin, a hormone that has an effect on the production of epinephrine, T3/T4, neuropeptide-Y, and many others (all hormones that affect the metabolism)1.
And if those aren’t reasons enough for you, the cycling of carbohydrates can make the cycling of calories effortless. By keeping fat and protein approximately the same on a daily basis, adding a large carbohydrate rich meal right after working out will not only bring your calories up on workout days (crucial for strength gains), but it will also help you negate the above hormonal issues while still losing weight in the long run. If your goal is to gain weight, it will help keep the fat gains to a minimum while putting on lean mass.
The reason the optimum time to ingest excess carbohydrates after working out is due to their insulinogenic effect and their contribution towards replenishing glycogen stores. Contrary to the belief that ketones can be used to fuel the muscles during high intensity workouts, the truth is that the body requires glycogen for this type of activity2. When on a ketogenic diet, the liver and kidneys are able to make a limited amount of glucose, however, much of it gets used by the brain and other bodily functions. Therefore, after performing an intensive workout, especially if done fasted, you have the lowest glycogen reserves, meaning you can then eat a sufficient amount of carbohydrates before the body starts storing it for future use (a.k.a. fat). Furthermore, the insulin spike that is caused by ingesting a large amount of carbs (insulin spikes are necessary for maintaining healthy hormone levels) will aid in shuttling nutrients to the muscles, which is desirable for both muscle gain and recovery2.
A good PWO meal has a somewhat equal amount of protein and carbs (if not slightly higher in carbs) and a good dose of fat. Don’t be afraid of eating a sizable amount of calories; in fact, I think this should be the largest meal of the day. I personally am a huge advocate of raw milk, and my post workout meal is usually ½ gallon of raw milk and 3 bananas (about 280 g). The meal has over 100 g of carbs, over 72 g of protein (optimum casein-whey blend from the milk), and over 72 g of fat (of which 50 g is saturated fat). Do whatever works for you (i.e. if you can’t or don’t drink milk, don’t go down a pint of raw milk because I do it). My wife is currently unable to drink milk, therefore her current PWO meal is 350 g of potatoes, 100g of onion, and 2 cloves of garlic cooked in 2 Tbsp coconut oil, 2 pastured eggs cooked in 1 Tbsp butter, and 2-4 oz. grass fed ground beef with seasoning and cooked in 1 Tbsp coconut oil. Both my wife and I also taper carbohydrate consumption throughout the rest of the day, with the last meal of the day only consisting of about 10% carbohydrates (by calories).
With the RPT program outlined above, enough calories to sustain muscle growth, and the cycling of carbohydrates, you have the tools needed for sizable strength gains. If you have any questions feel free to ask, and as always, let me know how it works for you.
Saturday, September 7, 2013
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Vitamin D- Are You Getting Enough?
Vitamin D seems to be getting some positive publicity lately, but the tide of public opinion is yet to shift on the importance of sunlight in this equation. While scientists debate the topic, perhaps a conclusion can be reached with some good old-fashioned logic.
A quick stroll around any CVS trend these days to lather sunscreen each day to protect against damage from the sun. Sunscreen under your make-up, sunscreen in your make-up, sunscreen for baby, sunscreen for those who are sweating, sunscreen with added tanner, the list goes on. This would all be well and good, except it isn’t working! Our overuse of sunscreen hasn’t stopped skin cancer at all, it is actually increasing! On top of that, people are getting the most dangerous types of skin cancer in places the sun never even touches.
Organisms like plants and algae use sunlight for photosynthesis to create oxygen and other important by-products. Sunlight doesn’t work quite the same way for us, but is still just as important. When we are exposed to ultraviolet B light from the sun or artificial sources, vitamin D3, or cholecalciferol is created photochemically in our skin. Food sources like fatty fish, eggs, and meat also provide D3. However, once Vitamin D enters the body, it is then transported through the bloodstream to the liver where it is converted into the prohormone calcidiol. Calcidiol is then converted by the kidneys or organisms in the immune system into calationol. Calatinol circulates as a hormone and regulates mineral concentration in the blood (including calcium), function of the neuromuscular and immune systems and gene proliferation (this is the reason for the link between Vitamin D deficiency and cancers).
Is it really that important?
Of course, many people will have trouble accepting the fact that sun exposure is so important, even as study after study show the importance of vitamin D. Of course, it is up to you, ignore the sun and don’t supplement more than the RDA of the big D if you aren’t worried about:
Cancer- Research is now estimating that 75% of cancers can be prevented by adequate consumption of Vitamin D.
Calcium Levels- Vitamin D controls calcium and phosphate levels in the blood and contributes to bone growth and bone strength
Your Immune System-Ever heard of those “t-cells” that protect your body against bacteria and disease? Vitamin D is crucial in their creation and function.
Inflammation- Lack of Vitamin D can cause inflammation in the body, then again, so can grain consumption. Have joint pain, soreness or inflammation? Cut the grains and hit the beach!
Other things to remember:
Vitamin D helps calcium absorption, but make sure you are getting the calcium from diet or supplements.
Deficiency of magnesium can inhibit vitamin D function, so make sure you get that too!
Eat proteins and fats
Don’t eat grains
Jump into sun exposure slowly if you aren’t used to it, though many people who switch to a no-grain, no polyunsaturated or hydrogenated oil diet notice a much higher resistance to the sun.
How to Get Enough Vitamin D:
Spend a safe amount of time in the sun, but optimize your diet and lifestyle to prevent burning and get out of the sun before skin has a chance to burn
Use a cover up or a safe sunscreen for long sun exposure
Get blood levels of Vitamin D tested and supplement if needed to get levels in optimal range
Do you get enough Vitamin D?
A quick stroll around any CVS trend these days to lather sunscreen each day to protect against damage from the sun. Sunscreen under your make-up, sunscreen in your make-up, sunscreen for baby, sunscreen for those who are sweating, sunscreen with added tanner, the list goes on. This would all be well and good, except it isn’t working! Our overuse of sunscreen hasn’t stopped skin cancer at all, it is actually increasing! On top of that, people are getting the most dangerous types of skin cancer in places the sun never even touches.
Organisms like plants and algae use sunlight for photosynthesis to create oxygen and other important by-products. Sunlight doesn’t work quite the same way for us, but is still just as important. When we are exposed to ultraviolet B light from the sun or artificial sources, vitamin D3, or cholecalciferol is created photochemically in our skin. Food sources like fatty fish, eggs, and meat also provide D3. However, once Vitamin D enters the body, it is then transported through the bloodstream to the liver where it is converted into the prohormone calcidiol. Calcidiol is then converted by the kidneys or organisms in the immune system into calationol. Calatinol circulates as a hormone and regulates mineral concentration in the blood (including calcium), function of the neuromuscular and immune systems and gene proliferation (this is the reason for the link between Vitamin D deficiency and cancers).
Is it really that important?
Of course, many people will have trouble accepting the fact that sun exposure is so important, even as study after study show the importance of vitamin D. Of course, it is up to you, ignore the sun and don’t supplement more than the RDA of the big D if you aren’t worried about:
Cancer- Research is now estimating that 75% of cancers can be prevented by adequate consumption of Vitamin D.
Calcium Levels- Vitamin D controls calcium and phosphate levels in the blood and contributes to bone growth and bone strength
Your Immune System-Ever heard of those “t-cells” that protect your body against bacteria and disease? Vitamin D is crucial in their creation and function.
Inflammation- Lack of Vitamin D can cause inflammation in the body, then again, so can grain consumption. Have joint pain, soreness or inflammation? Cut the grains and hit the beach!
Other things to remember:
Vitamin D helps calcium absorption, but make sure you are getting the calcium from diet or supplements.
Deficiency of magnesium can inhibit vitamin D function, so make sure you get that too!
Eat proteins and fats
Don’t eat grains
Jump into sun exposure slowly if you aren’t used to it, though many people who switch to a no-grain, no polyunsaturated or hydrogenated oil diet notice a much higher resistance to the sun.
How to Get Enough Vitamin D:
Spend a safe amount of time in the sun, but optimize your diet and lifestyle to prevent burning and get out of the sun before skin has a chance to burn
Use a cover up or a safe sunscreen for long sun exposure
Get blood levels of Vitamin D tested and supplement if needed to get levels in optimal range
Do you get enough Vitamin D?
Friday, September 6, 2013
Tapioca Bread Recipe
Tapioca Bread Recipe
Ingredients
• 11/2 cups sorghum flour (aka jowar flour)
• 1 cup tapioca starch (or potato starch, not potato flour!)
• 1/2 cup millet flour (GF, or GF oat flour)
• 2 tsps xanthan gum
• 1/4 tsp fine sea salt
• 1 packet dry yeast (rapid, or 2 1/4 teaspoons)
• 11/4 cups warm water (at 110 to 115ºF)
• 3 tbsps extra virgin olive oil
• 1 tbsp honey (or raw agave nectar to keep it vegan)
• 1/2 tsp rice vinegar (mild, or lemon juice)
• 4 tbsps warm water
• 2 eggs
• First- whisk together your dry ingredients and set aside:
1 1/2 cups sorghum flour (aka jowar flour)
1 cup tapioca starch or potato starch (not potato flour!)
1/2 cup GF millet flour or GF oat flour
2 teaspoons xanthan gum
1/ 1/4 teaspoons fine sea salt
1 packet rapid dry yeast or 2 1/4 teaspoons
You'll need sesame seeds for the top; set aside for later. Or omit.
• For the bread machine :
•
Pour the liquid ingredients into the bread machine pan first:
• 1 1/4 cups warm water (at 110 to 115ºF)
3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 tablespoon honey- or raw agave nectar to keep it vegan
1/2 teaspoon mild rice vinegar or lemon juice
2 organic free-range eggs, beaten or 1 tablespoon Ener-G Egg Replacer whisked with 4 tablespoons warm water till frothy
• Gently pour the mixed dry ingredients on top of the liquid.
Set your bread machine program for 1.5 loaf medium crust. I used the gluten-free cycle on the Breadman; if you don't have a gluten-free cycle, a rapid rise cycle will also work.
• Check the dough after a few minutes of kneading- it should be closer to a muffin batter than bread dough, soft, but not cake batter wet. Adjust dry to wet ratio with a tablespoon of flour or warm liquid, as needed. Humidity influences the dough. As does temperature (your bread will rise higher on a hot day).
• If you like a crusty loaf (or your past experience results in a gummy center/fallen top) remove the bread from the pan and place it in the oven at 350ºF for an additional 10 minutes- keep an eye on it and don't let it get too brown. It should be a light golden color.
Cool the loaf before slicing for best results.
• Enjoy fresh from the oven- the first day (as with most gluten-free baked goods) has the best texture and taste.
• Freeze leftover bread as slices, wrapped in a paper towel and bagged in freezer bags. Thaw to room temperature.
• Baking time:1 hour
Yield: 1 loaf
Instructions- if you don't have a bread machine:
Follow the instructions for whisking together the dry ingredients.
Using one cup of the water, proof the yeast in the warm water (110 to 115ºF) and a teaspoon of the honey/agave (add the yeast to the water and honey stir; allow it to get poofy).
Add the proofed yeast to the dry ingredients; add the olive oil, remaining honey/agave, cider vinegar and mixed egg replacer (or eggs); beat until a smooth batter forms. I use the word batter because gluten-free bread dough is more like smooth sticky muffin batter than wheat based bread dough -- it is not as thin as cake batter, though. Add up to 1/4 cup more water if you need to.
Scrape the dough into a ceramic loaf pan (or use a 7 to 8-inch round cake pan for rustic ciabatta style bread) and smooth evenly (I use wet fingers).
Top with sesame seeds. Place the pan in a warmed oven or draft free spot. Allow the dough to rise until it domes nicely -- from 45 to 50 minutes.
Preheat your oven to 350ºF.
When the oven comes to temperature bake the risen bread until it sounds hollow when thumped -- about 45 minutes to 55 minutes, and even up to 65 minutes if you're at higher altitude. Lower style round pan loaves will bake quicker -- at 30 to 40 minutes, usually.
If you like a crusty loaf, remove the bread from the pan and return it naked to the oven at 350ºF for an additional 10 minutes- keep an eye on it and don't let it get too brown. It should be a light golden color.
Cool on a wire rack.
Instructions- if you don't have a bread machine:
Follow the instructions for whisking together the dry ingredients.
Using one cup of the water, proof the yeast in the warm water (110 to 115ºF) and a teaspoon of the honey/agave (add the yeast to the water and honey stir; allow it to get poofy).
Add the proofed yeast to the dry ingredients; add the olive oil, remaining honey/agave, cider vinegar and mixed egg replacer (or eggs); beat until a smooth batter forms. I use the word batter because gluten-free bread dough is more like smooth sticky muffin batter than wheat based bread dough -- it is not as thin as cake batter, though. Add up to 1/4 cup more water if you need to.
Scrape the dough into a ceramic loaf pan (or use a 7 to 8-inch round cake pan for rustic ciabatta style bread) and smooth evenly (I use wet fingers).
Top with sesame seeds. Place the pan in a warmed oven or draft free spot. Allow the dough to rise until it domes nicely -- from 45 to 50 minutes.
Preheat your oven to 350ºF.
When the oven comes to temperature bake the risen bread until it sounds hollow when thumped -- about 45 minutes to 55 minutes, and even up to 65 minutes if you're at higher altitude. Lower style round pan loaves will bake quicker -- at 30 to 40 minutes, usually.
If you like a crusty loaf, remove the bread from the pan and return it naked to the oven at 350ºF for an additional 10 minutes- keep an eye on it and don't let it get too brown. It should be a light golden color.
Cool on a wire rack.
Ingredients
• 11/2 cups sorghum flour (aka jowar flour)
• 1 cup tapioca starch (or potato starch, not potato flour!)
• 1/2 cup millet flour (GF, or GF oat flour)
• 2 tsps xanthan gum
• 1/4 tsp fine sea salt
• 1 packet dry yeast (rapid, or 2 1/4 teaspoons)
• 11/4 cups warm water (at 110 to 115ºF)
• 3 tbsps extra virgin olive oil
• 1 tbsp honey (or raw agave nectar to keep it vegan)
• 1/2 tsp rice vinegar (mild, or lemon juice)
• 4 tbsps warm water
• 2 eggs
• First- whisk together your dry ingredients and set aside:
1 1/2 cups sorghum flour (aka jowar flour)
1 cup tapioca starch or potato starch (not potato flour!)
1/2 cup GF millet flour or GF oat flour
2 teaspoons xanthan gum
1/ 1/4 teaspoons fine sea salt
1 packet rapid dry yeast or 2 1/4 teaspoons
You'll need sesame seeds for the top; set aside for later. Or omit.
• For the bread machine :
•
Pour the liquid ingredients into the bread machine pan first:
• 1 1/4 cups warm water (at 110 to 115ºF)
3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 tablespoon honey- or raw agave nectar to keep it vegan
1/2 teaspoon mild rice vinegar or lemon juice
2 organic free-range eggs, beaten or 1 tablespoon Ener-G Egg Replacer whisked with 4 tablespoons warm water till frothy
• Gently pour the mixed dry ingredients on top of the liquid.
Set your bread machine program for 1.5 loaf medium crust. I used the gluten-free cycle on the Breadman; if you don't have a gluten-free cycle, a rapid rise cycle will also work.
• Check the dough after a few minutes of kneading- it should be closer to a muffin batter than bread dough, soft, but not cake batter wet. Adjust dry to wet ratio with a tablespoon of flour or warm liquid, as needed. Humidity influences the dough. As does temperature (your bread will rise higher on a hot day).
• If you like a crusty loaf (or your past experience results in a gummy center/fallen top) remove the bread from the pan and place it in the oven at 350ºF for an additional 10 minutes- keep an eye on it and don't let it get too brown. It should be a light golden color.
Cool the loaf before slicing for best results.
• Enjoy fresh from the oven- the first day (as with most gluten-free baked goods) has the best texture and taste.
• Freeze leftover bread as slices, wrapped in a paper towel and bagged in freezer bags. Thaw to room temperature.
• Baking time:1 hour
Yield: 1 loaf
Instructions- if you don't have a bread machine:
Follow the instructions for whisking together the dry ingredients.
Using one cup of the water, proof the yeast in the warm water (110 to 115ºF) and a teaspoon of the honey/agave (add the yeast to the water and honey stir; allow it to get poofy).
Add the proofed yeast to the dry ingredients; add the olive oil, remaining honey/agave, cider vinegar and mixed egg replacer (or eggs); beat until a smooth batter forms. I use the word batter because gluten-free bread dough is more like smooth sticky muffin batter than wheat based bread dough -- it is not as thin as cake batter, though. Add up to 1/4 cup more water if you need to.
Scrape the dough into a ceramic loaf pan (or use a 7 to 8-inch round cake pan for rustic ciabatta style bread) and smooth evenly (I use wet fingers).
Top with sesame seeds. Place the pan in a warmed oven or draft free spot. Allow the dough to rise until it domes nicely -- from 45 to 50 minutes.
Preheat your oven to 350ºF.
When the oven comes to temperature bake the risen bread until it sounds hollow when thumped -- about 45 minutes to 55 minutes, and even up to 65 minutes if you're at higher altitude. Lower style round pan loaves will bake quicker -- at 30 to 40 minutes, usually.
If you like a crusty loaf, remove the bread from the pan and return it naked to the oven at 350ºF for an additional 10 minutes- keep an eye on it and don't let it get too brown. It should be a light golden color.
Cool on a wire rack.
Instructions- if you don't have a bread machine:
Follow the instructions for whisking together the dry ingredients.
Using one cup of the water, proof the yeast in the warm water (110 to 115ºF) and a teaspoon of the honey/agave (add the yeast to the water and honey stir; allow it to get poofy).
Add the proofed yeast to the dry ingredients; add the olive oil, remaining honey/agave, cider vinegar and mixed egg replacer (or eggs); beat until a smooth batter forms. I use the word batter because gluten-free bread dough is more like smooth sticky muffin batter than wheat based bread dough -- it is not as thin as cake batter, though. Add up to 1/4 cup more water if you need to.
Scrape the dough into a ceramic loaf pan (or use a 7 to 8-inch round cake pan for rustic ciabatta style bread) and smooth evenly (I use wet fingers).
Top with sesame seeds. Place the pan in a warmed oven or draft free spot. Allow the dough to rise until it domes nicely -- from 45 to 50 minutes.
Preheat your oven to 350ºF.
When the oven comes to temperature bake the risen bread until it sounds hollow when thumped -- about 45 minutes to 55 minutes, and even up to 65 minutes if you're at higher altitude. Lower style round pan loaves will bake quicker -- at 30 to 40 minutes, usually.
If you like a crusty loaf, remove the bread from the pan and return it naked to the oven at 350ºF for an additional 10 minutes- keep an eye on it and don't let it get too brown. It should be a light golden color.
Cool on a wire rack.
Natural Mama: What is black salve? It is a drawing salve to help...
Natural Mama: What is black salve? It is a drawing salve to help...: What is black salve? It is a drawing salve to help pull out a splinter and make sure the area didn’t get infected. Black Salve Ingredien...
What is black salve? It is a drawing salve to help pull out a splinter and make sure the area didn’t get infected.
Black Salve Ingredients:
3 Tablespoons of comfrey, calendula and plantain infused olive oil (see instructions below)
2 tablespoons shea butter
2 Tablespoons of coconut oil
2 Tablespoons Beeswax
1 teaspoon Vitamin E oil
2 tablespoons Activated Charcoal Powder
2 Tablespoons Kaolin Clay
1 Tablespoon honey
20 drops (or more) Lavender Essential Oil
What to Do:
Before making the salve, it is important to infuse olive oil with comfrey, calendula and plantain. You will need 1 tablespoon of each of the herbs, finely powdered in a food processor or blender, and 1/2 cup olive oil. It can be infused in one of these two ways:
Powder the herbs and place in a small jar. Pour oil over the herbs. Leave in jar for 3-4 weeks, shaking daily, and then strain through a cheesecloth for use.
Heat the herbs and olive oil in a double boiler. Leave on low/medium heat for about an hour until oil gets strong smelling and darker. Strain through cheesecloth for use.
Personally, I keep a big jar of olive oil with plantain, comfrey and calendula in my herb cabinet and let it constantly infuse for use in salves and lotions. When the oil is used, I discard the herbs and begin the process again.
To make the salve:
Combine infused olive oil, shea butter, coconut oil, beeswax, vitamin E oil and honey in a glass jar in a small pan of water. Heat the water to a simmer and carefully stir mixture in the jar until all ingredients are melted.
Remove from heat and add activated charcoal, kaolin clay, and lavender essential oil and mix well.
Quickly pour in to small jars or tins and let sit until hardened (several hours).
Store in airtight container and use as needed on cuts, splinters, etc.
How to Use Black Salve:
Make sure area has been cleaned well. Put a generous amount of black salve on the wound or splinter and cover with gauze or a large bandaid.
Leave at least a few hours or overnight to allow it to draw out the infection or object. Some things (like glass… in my experience) may take a day or two and several applications to draw out an object.
This salve is a wonderful natural remedy but it is not a replacement for medical care when needed. Consult a doctor before using if you have any health conditions or concerns.
Ever made a salve? How did it work? Share below!
Black Salve Ingredients:
3 Tablespoons of comfrey, calendula and plantain infused olive oil (see instructions below)
2 tablespoons shea butter
2 Tablespoons of coconut oil
2 Tablespoons Beeswax
1 teaspoon Vitamin E oil
2 tablespoons Activated Charcoal Powder
2 Tablespoons Kaolin Clay
1 Tablespoon honey
20 drops (or more) Lavender Essential Oil
What to Do:
Before making the salve, it is important to infuse olive oil with comfrey, calendula and plantain. You will need 1 tablespoon of each of the herbs, finely powdered in a food processor or blender, and 1/2 cup olive oil. It can be infused in one of these two ways:
Powder the herbs and place in a small jar. Pour oil over the herbs. Leave in jar for 3-4 weeks, shaking daily, and then strain through a cheesecloth for use.
Heat the herbs and olive oil in a double boiler. Leave on low/medium heat for about an hour until oil gets strong smelling and darker. Strain through cheesecloth for use.
Personally, I keep a big jar of olive oil with plantain, comfrey and calendula in my herb cabinet and let it constantly infuse for use in salves and lotions. When the oil is used, I discard the herbs and begin the process again.
To make the salve:
Combine infused olive oil, shea butter, coconut oil, beeswax, vitamin E oil and honey in a glass jar in a small pan of water. Heat the water to a simmer and carefully stir mixture in the jar until all ingredients are melted.
Remove from heat and add activated charcoal, kaolin clay, and lavender essential oil and mix well.
Quickly pour in to small jars or tins and let sit until hardened (several hours).
Store in airtight container and use as needed on cuts, splinters, etc.
How to Use Black Salve:
Make sure area has been cleaned well. Put a generous amount of black salve on the wound or splinter and cover with gauze or a large bandaid.
Leave at least a few hours or overnight to allow it to draw out the infection or object. Some things (like glass… in my experience) may take a day or two and several applications to draw out an object.
This salve is a wonderful natural remedy but it is not a replacement for medical care when needed. Consult a doctor before using if you have any health conditions or concerns.
Ever made a salve? How did it work? Share below!
Vitamin C serum
Vitamin C serum is a natural skin care ingredient that is often found in high-end beauty regimes, and are popping up everywhere.
Why?
Vitamin C is touted as an anti-aging and anti-wrinkle cream. Many of these products also cost an arm and a leg. Thankfully, there is a natural, homemade and inexpensive alternative (noticing a trend here?) that seems to work just as well. Vitamin C is helpful for brightening and tightening skin (this works if you take it internally too!).
Why Vitamin C? Glad you asked… Vitamin C has been reported to:
Increase collaged production in the skin (this helps get rid of wrinkles) – I personally like to take gelatin and Vitamin C internally too for this purpose.
Brighten and tighten the skin
Reduce the effects of negative sun exposure (Not all sun exposure is bad)
Reduce chlorine exposure
Help skin repair itself
Some cautions from experience:
Measure carefully and do not add extra Vitamin C as it is acidic and can/will burn skin if the concentration is too high.
If you have extra sensitive skin, dilute with even more water
This is best paired with a skin care routine like Oil Pulling
For dry or aging skin, Vitamin C serum is a good solution. It can be used for acne prone skin too, but it seems that Sea Spray for skin works better.
If you are dealing with a lot of wrinkles or very dry skin, extra vitamin C can be added, but work up slowly and test on the inner arm before applying to the face
Ingredients
½ tsp Vitamin C Powder (I used this one)
1 tablespoon distilled water OR 1 teaspoons distilled water to dissolve and 2 Tablespoons vegetable glycerine (I used this one)
a dark colored container to store (Vitamin C oxidizes easily) I used this one.
Instructions
Dissolve the Vitamin C powder in the water.
If only using water and Vitamin C, you are done. This will store for up to 2 weeks or longer in the fridge.
If using glycerine, dissolve the Vitamin C in the smaller amount of water, then stir in glycerine and store. This version will last a month or longer.
Notes
Personally, I like the pure Vitamin C and water recipe as a toner after cleansing, though glycerine is moisturizing and softening for the skin and will extend the recipe. DO NOT use glycerine on anything that is used in oral care or in the mouth as it is bad for teeth.
Why?
Vitamin C is touted as an anti-aging and anti-wrinkle cream. Many of these products also cost an arm and a leg. Thankfully, there is a natural, homemade and inexpensive alternative (noticing a trend here?) that seems to work just as well. Vitamin C is helpful for brightening and tightening skin (this works if you take it internally too!).
Why Vitamin C? Glad you asked… Vitamin C has been reported to:
Increase collaged production in the skin (this helps get rid of wrinkles) – I personally like to take gelatin and Vitamin C internally too for this purpose.
Brighten and tighten the skin
Reduce the effects of negative sun exposure (Not all sun exposure is bad)
Reduce chlorine exposure
Help skin repair itself
Some cautions from experience:
Measure carefully and do not add extra Vitamin C as it is acidic and can/will burn skin if the concentration is too high.
If you have extra sensitive skin, dilute with even more water
This is best paired with a skin care routine like Oil Pulling
For dry or aging skin, Vitamin C serum is a good solution. It can be used for acne prone skin too, but it seems that Sea Spray for skin works better.
If you are dealing with a lot of wrinkles or very dry skin, extra vitamin C can be added, but work up slowly and test on the inner arm before applying to the face
Ingredients
½ tsp Vitamin C Powder (I used this one)
1 tablespoon distilled water OR 1 teaspoons distilled water to dissolve and 2 Tablespoons vegetable glycerine (I used this one)
a dark colored container to store (Vitamin C oxidizes easily) I used this one.
Instructions
Dissolve the Vitamin C powder in the water.
If only using water and Vitamin C, you are done. This will store for up to 2 weeks or longer in the fridge.
If using glycerine, dissolve the Vitamin C in the smaller amount of water, then stir in glycerine and store. This version will last a month or longer.
Notes
Personally, I like the pure Vitamin C and water recipe as a toner after cleansing, though glycerine is moisturizing and softening for the skin and will extend the recipe. DO NOT use glycerine on anything that is used in oral care or in the mouth as it is bad for teeth.
Thursday, September 5, 2013
Detoxing your hair
Turns out, clay can be very beneficial for hair in the same way it can be beneficial in the rest of the body: it removes toxins to leave hair super-clean and with a lot of shiny volume.
This recipe is another great option that could be used regularly. It seems especially good for those with fine or naturally oily hair as it leaves the hair very clean, but I also found sites recommending it for those with coarse or frizzy hair for its ability to tame the hair.
Ingredients
1 cup brewed herbal tea or water (see above for best herbs for hair type)
½ cup apple cider vinegar
approximately ¾ cup bentonite or redmond clay
10 drops of essential oil of choice (optional)- I use peppermint and lavender
Instructions
Note: Bentonite clay is most effective if it doesn’t come in contact with metal before use. Mix with wood, plastic or glass for best results, though I haven’t found that this makes much of a difference for hair products. I use an old mini-food processor with a plastic dough blade that I found at a thrift shop.
Brew the herbal tea and let cool slightly, make sure all herbs are strained out.
Pour tea and apple cider vinegar in a blender, food processor or non-metal bowl.
Start adding clay a tablespoon at a time while blending or whisking to incorporate it.
Keep adding clay until mixture is smooth and about the consistency of yogurt.
Add essential oils if using and mix in.
Store in an air-tight container in the shower for up to a week.
To Use: Wet hair. Starting at roots, massage a handful of the clay mixture into hair and work down to the roots. Repeat until all hair is coated. Leave 5 minutes or up to 20 minutes (do not let dry!) and rinse out with warm water.
optional: Rinse with a cup of herbal tea with 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar added.
This recipe is another great option that could be used regularly. It seems especially good for those with fine or naturally oily hair as it leaves the hair very clean, but I also found sites recommending it for those with coarse or frizzy hair for its ability to tame the hair.
Ingredients
1 cup brewed herbal tea or water (see above for best herbs for hair type)
½ cup apple cider vinegar
approximately ¾ cup bentonite or redmond clay
10 drops of essential oil of choice (optional)- I use peppermint and lavender
Instructions
Note: Bentonite clay is most effective if it doesn’t come in contact with metal before use. Mix with wood, plastic or glass for best results, though I haven’t found that this makes much of a difference for hair products. I use an old mini-food processor with a plastic dough blade that I found at a thrift shop.
Brew the herbal tea and let cool slightly, make sure all herbs are strained out.
Pour tea and apple cider vinegar in a blender, food processor or non-metal bowl.
Start adding clay a tablespoon at a time while blending or whisking to incorporate it.
Keep adding clay until mixture is smooth and about the consistency of yogurt.
Add essential oils if using and mix in.
Store in an air-tight container in the shower for up to a week.
To Use: Wet hair. Starting at roots, massage a handful of the clay mixture into hair and work down to the roots. Repeat until all hair is coated. Leave 5 minutes or up to 20 minutes (do not let dry!) and rinse out with warm water.
optional: Rinse with a cup of herbal tea with 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar added.
Natural Hairspay
If you use hairspray, try this natural alternative… your health and the environment will thank you! If you are looking more for a texturizing and volumizing spray, check out this sea spray for hair instead.
Ingredients
1.5 cups filtered water (boil if you can’t filter)
2 Tablespoons white sugar (darker ones don’t really work here)
1 tablespoon of high proof alcohol like vodka (I actually like spiced rum for the scent)
10-15 drops of essential oil of choice
Instructions
Boil water and dissolve sugar in it.
Allow to cool to room temp and add alcohol and essential oils.
Store in spray bottle and use as regular hair spray.
Notes
This recipe lasts indefinitely if kept in an air tight container. Adjust the sugar up or down for more or less stiffness/hold (more sugar=stronger hold) but don’t add too much or hair will feel sticky. I have had some luck combining this with the salt from my beach waves spray for a texturizing spray. I reduced the sugar by half and added half of the magnesium.
Ingredients
1.5 cups filtered water (boil if you can’t filter)
2 Tablespoons white sugar (darker ones don’t really work here)
1 tablespoon of high proof alcohol like vodka (I actually like spiced rum for the scent)
10-15 drops of essential oil of choice
Instructions
Boil water and dissolve sugar in it.
Allow to cool to room temp and add alcohol and essential oils.
Store in spray bottle and use as regular hair spray.
Notes
This recipe lasts indefinitely if kept in an air tight container. Adjust the sugar up or down for more or less stiffness/hold (more sugar=stronger hold) but don’t add too much or hair will feel sticky. I have had some luck combining this with the salt from my beach waves spray for a texturizing spray. I reduced the sugar by half and added half of the magnesium.
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