Conventional vs. Green Cleaning Products

There has been a debate going on for a while now between my husband and I about whether or not the 'green' cleaning products work as well as conventional cleaning products. When it comes to bathroom cleaning, he believes that bleach is required. I, on the other hand, would do anything to avoid that harsh chemical smell and the headache that follows.

So what is wrong with using conventional cleaning products anyway (other than my headache)? Conventional cleaning products contain bleach, ammonia and other chemical agents that leave your home looking clean, but pollute both our water supply and our bodies. Many ingredients found in household cleaners can cause eye irritation, skin irritation, lung irritation and have been implicated as possible contributers to asthma and cancer. Children are especially vulnerable to the effects of these chemicals simply due to the fact that they are smaller and still growing. One article I read pointed out that although the use of one cleaner may not be extremely harmful alone, we tend to have a cleaner for every different area or purpose, all interacting, all seeping into our environment and causing damage.

Commercial green cleaners are readily available now and offer a safer way to get your house clean. There are many benefits of using 'green', 'natural' or 'organic' cleaning products. Here is a general list of what to look for in a green cleaner. You will need to read labels and product information based on the specific brand you are considering.

Look for products that are:

• Non-toxic


• Made with natural ingredients


• Biodegradable


• Hypoallergenic


• No harmful fumes


• Septic tank safe


• Free of petrochemicals, chlorine bleach, phosphates, nitrates, borates, kerosene, phenol, lye, hydrochloric acid, sulfuric acid, ammonia, formaldehyde, etc.


• No animal testing


• Recyclable packaging


• Watch out for words like irritant, flammable, toxic and corrosive

We have all heard the negatives associated with green cleaners: they don't work as well and are more expensive. It's true that you may need to use a little more elbow grease with the green products, but the surfaces will be just as clean. And as far as the cost is concerned, I bought some Clorox Green Works the other day and thought the price was comparable to the conventional all-purpose cleaners on the shelf. This does not mean that in general pricing isn't higher for green products, it is, but as with anything else if you shop around, you may find a good deal. (Check manufacturer sites below for coupons and Mambo Sprout has a coupon for Method products.) Also take into consideration that some of the companies, like Shaklee, offer a concentrate that you mix yourself, cutting down on tons of packaging and waste.

I can't necessarily provide you with my own personal experience or evaluation of all the green cleaning products available today so I asked some of my green Twitter friends to name a few of their favorites. Here is a list of companies/brands that you may want to check out in no particular order.

Method

Shaklee Get Clean Products

Clorox Green Works

Ecover

Seventh Generation

Simple Green

In addition to all of the ready-made products like the ones I just discussed, there are lots of natural cleaning products you can make at home. We will surely talk more about those in a future post.

For now, clean green!
- Shannan

The Link Between High Fructose Corn Syrup and Type II Diabetes

Just to continue the sugar theme for this week a little longer, I just read an interesting article in Science Daily that scientists have now found the link between Insulin Resistant (Type II) Diabetes and diets loaded with high fructose corn syrup. No big surprise, but interesting reading! Check it out here.

Karla

Sweet (but healthy) Indulgences

When we had our first giveaway last month and asked for comments, many of you asked for MORE recipes. So today I'm just going to share some favorites with you! I have had one of those weeks. You know the one I'm talking about - where you are almost driven to a bag of M & M's because after all you deserve it! After that, and seeing Shannan's sugar post on Wednesday, I wanted to share some very satisfying, healthy indulgences to fight back against that craving!

By the way, I believe my body when it's asking for M & M's, it needs something. Usually these types of cravings come in the afternoon or during periods of stress. Your body/brain has been working all day and it's probably depleted. In times of stress, even good stress, it's been kicking out hormones and kept you moving. Your body needs something that will keep it going. In nature, natural sugars are attached to a nutrient source. For instance, fructose is attached to the minerals and vitamins in fruit. Your body can burn the fructose while it's assimilating the minerals and vitamins and using them for one of your body's many functions. The bag of M & M's? Your body burns through that, stores it as fat, and is still depleted of useful nutrients leaving you needing more stimulation in a few hours. Retrain your mind to "treat" your body to a delicious whole food and the good, satisfied feeling you get afterwards.
This week my favorite afternoon treat as been really easy, I've just been enjoying dried figs, dates and pears. They are whole, sweet and delicious. I get that wonderful euphoric feeling after eating them and the energy to go on.

Another indulgence that I just tried is this wonderful Hazelnut Apple Crisp recipe from Hello Veggie's Site. The original recipe was written to make for one, I adapted it a bit as my kids love this and I make about 3-4 servings worth.

Hazelnut Apple Crisp

3 Organic Golden Delicious Apples
3 teaspoons ground cinnamon
½ cup agave nectar, honey, or maple syrup (I used maple syrup)
½ cup hazelnuts, chopped
1 tablespoon rolled oats (I added more as I love oatmeal)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Slice apples into thin wedges or slices. Lay the apples mostly flat, in one layer, in a baking dish.

Sprinkle the chopped hazelnuts, rolled oats and cinnamon on top of the apples as evenly as possible. Then drizzle the agave nectar (honey or maple syrup) on top.

Bake for 25 minutes. Make sure you can easily poke a fork or toothpick in an apple without any resistance. If your apples are not soft enough, bake for 5 more minutes and recheck. Continue at 5 minute intervals if needed.

The next recipe I found on Kristen's Raw blog around Christmas time. It's a recipe for Hazelnut Chocolate Snowballs. Doesn't that just sound awesome? Here's the best news - it's raw, made completely from healthy ingredients, and will completely satisfy your sweet tooth!

Hazelnut Chocolate Snowballs

1/2 cup dried unsweetened coconut flakes
1 cup hazelnuts
2 tablespoons raw chocolate powder (If you don't have a source, try Living Tree or Sunfoods)
pinch Himalayan crystan salt
3/4 teaspoon hazelnut extract (If you are having trouble finding this, I ordered mine from Montain Rose Herbs.)
8 dates, pitted
1/2 cup raisins (I'm not a big raisin fan and I substituted some dried cherries/blueberries here)

Process a 1/4 cup of the coconut (reserving the other 1/4 cup for rolling the cookies in) along with the hazelnuts, chodolate and salt in a food processor, fitted with the "S" blade, until couarsely ground. Add the hazelnut extract, dates, and raisins. Process until it is a texture, which holds together when gently pressed between your fingers. Roll into balls and then roll in the coconut. These freeze wonderfully.

Variations:
Use raw carob instead of raw chocolate.
Replace 4 of the dates with 1/4 cup dried cherries.

Both of these recipes are wonderful and will satisfy that sweet craving we all get from time to time! Enjoy!

Karla

Oil Cleansing Method

A week ago I wrote a post on Eco-Friendly Beauty Habits. A couple of our readers then commented that they use the Oil Cleansing Method (OCM) to remove make-up and wash their face. Of course I was intrigued so I sat down and read about how a combination of Caster Oil and Olive Oil or Sunflower Oil, can be used to deep clean and moisturize your face every evening. I know, it doesn't make sense at first that oil, which we are usually trying to remove from our skin, could actually deep clean it. Well, you know I just had to try it out!

After reading the directions thoroughly, I ran to my local drug store to pick up some caster oil. You may already have this around your house. Then I reached into the kitchen cabinet for my trusty olive oil. Based on the recommendations in the OCM post, I prepared 25% caster oil and 75% olive oil. As I have aged my skin is a little dryer in spots, but I still have oil in the T-zone of my face. I just used a teaspoon of caster and three teaspoons of olive oil to keep it simple. You may require more or less caster oil as it does have a drying effect.

I should probably back up a minute here before I let you know how it all turned out. Lately my skin has been kind of a nightmare. I have been breaking out around my chin, clearly PMS related acne and then recently at my temples and hairline, I have developed a bunch of small bumps and little red pimples. The kind you could really go crazy picking at. I also just switched daily cleansers and spent a lot of money on a daily 'anti-aging' moisturizer. I am officially middle aged in May and thought that maybe I should try heading off those fine lines and wrinkles at the pass.

So anyway, I headed to the bathroom, pulled my hair back, started running the hot water and poured the oil mixture into the palm of my hand. I was somewhat worried that I could wake up the next day with even more blemishes. According to the OCM, you should warm the oil between your hands and then start spreading it over your face gently massaging it into your skin. I spent extra time around my nose, chin, temples and hair line. Gosh it felt good. No harsh particles rubbing on my face, no strong perfumy smells and I could feel the eye make-up and mascara melting away.

Once I was confident that all my make-up was removed and I had thoroughly cleansed, I began the rinsing process. I placed a steamy hot wash cloth over my face and just held it there until it cooled. I repeated this step 3 or 4 more times gently running it over my face and eye area to remove any leftover mascara and oil. Once done, my skin felt clean and moisturized. Since I tend to feel dry around my eyes, I added a dab of the oil mixture underneath them, gently smoothed it in and left it.

The next morning I was amazed. My skin still felt clean and my problem areas showed signs of clearing up. I noticed right away the some redness had subsided and that my skin didn't have the look and feel of irritation I had been experiencing.

The next concern...you are not supposed to wash your face in the morning. Since I go to the gym in the morning I just went and did my workout without touching my face then simply rinsed in it in the shower afterward. I did feel a little dry under my eyes again so I dabbed some more oil in that area, applied my make-up as usual and repeated the OCM that night.

Final observations, my skin was less oily looking during the day. I was clearly not over-drying it so it wasn't over-producing and it looked and felt even better on the second morning. I am a believer!

Of course I mentioned this to both Karla because I know she would want to try it too and my mom, who suffers from Rosacea and can't use many commercial cleansers and moisturizers due to their content. Curious to hear what everyone else thinks.

Next I am going purchase some Coconut Oil, also recommended by one of our readers, to use as a body moisturizer after showering. Once again, no chemicals, inexpensive and easy!

Check out VitaCost for great prices on Caster Oil, Sunflower Oil and Coconut Oil.

Happy cleansing!
- Shannan

Kicking My Sugar Addiction

If you have been following me on Twitter for the past week, you know that I have given up sugar for Lent. It started last Wednesday which makes today my 8th day avoiding foods with refined sugar and a high sugar content. I am eating fruit which does contain fructose, a naturally occuring sugar, but which also provides many health benefits/nutrients. So, no candy, ice cream, cookies, etc. (I don't drink soda, but if I did that too would be a big no-no.) I am proud to say it has not been as hard as I thought it would be. I am hoping to turn my Lent into Life. I figure that if I can kick sugar for 40 days, I should be over my cravings and have changed my mental need for a treat.

The following is the link to a post written by a 'web' friend of ours named Hanlie on her blog fertilehealthy. It contains a wealth of information on why we should all kick the sugar habit.

Sweet Lies, Bitter Truth

Wish me luck - Shannan

Calendula Officinalis

I had to laugh when I received my bag of Calendula Officinalis at coop. I opened up the bag to look at the herb and found some very familiar flowers. The other name name for Calendula is Marigold! Too funny! Those little orange/yellow flowers that we plant to keep the bunnies out of our garden also have some great medicinal properties! For this herb we are only interested in the flower petals. By the way, did you know that when a plant contains the term officinalis, it means it was part of the "official" Roman medicinal herb collection. This herb has definitely stood the test of time!

Calendula contains many nutrients, but is especially high in the following:

• Minerals: Phosphorus, Potassium, Calcium, and Sodium.


• Vitamins: A, C, E, and Co-Enzyme Q10.

Natural Healing

• The biggest thing I want to emphasize is that Calendula causes cells to heal. Whether you use this herb as a tea, tincture, salve, wound dressing, etc, it will start the healing process in the cells it contacts.


• Calendula is great for normalizing body temperature


• Calendula helps regulate the menstrual cycle and stop cramps.


• As a topical wound dressing Calendula heals helps to heal and soothe sores, burns, and wounds. This is a great treatment for an infected wounds, rashes (including diaper rash), and sunburn. It has antiseptic and antibiotic properties.


• Calendula tea can be used as a nasal wash for sinus problems. It is a great tea to make and use in your netty pot.


• Calendula oil placed in the ear and left overnight can help alleviate earaches.

Ways to use

• Use a few petals in a smoothie or salad.


• Make a tea or standard infusion. You can drink the tea or apply it to a soft cloth or absorbent pad to apply directly to a wound.


• Make a standard decoction.


• Make a tincture.


• This herb also makes an awesome healing salve. I am going to experiment with one soon and I will share the recipe and results with you when it's complete. I'm waiting for some warmer weather so I can macerate the herbs in sunlight.

For those of you who live near me, I have tons of this herb and would love to share! If you are looking for a good source, try Mountain Rose Herbs or Frontier. Another option is to grow some organically this summer, harvest and dry it.

Karla

"And may we ever have gratitude in our hearts that the great Creator in all his glory has placed the herbs in the field for our healing." Dr. Edward Bach

Veggie of the Month - Tomatoes

I will never forget the day about 3 1/2 years ago (my girls were 1 1/2) and we were invited to a birthday party for one of my friend's kids. Everyone was milling around munching on all kinds of party treats and my kids were sitting at the kitchen island eating all of the grape tomatoes out of the veggie tray. I was proud, but definitely surprised. They have been snacking on them ever since...

Tomatoes, though actually a fruit, are commonly considered and prepared as a vegetable since they don't posses the sweet taste of most fruits. Instead, they have a subtle sweetness along with a slightly bitter and acidic taste. Tomatoes are an excellent source of vitamins c, a and k and the phytonutrient lycopene.

Lycopene, a carotenoid found in tomatoes (and everything made from them) has been extensively studied for its antioxidant and cancer-preventing properties. The antioxidant function of lycopene and its abilty to help protect cells and other structures in the body from oxygen damage has been linked in human research to the protection of DNA inside of white blood cells. In addition, lycopene' antioxidant quality has been shown to contribute to the prevention of heart disease.

The lycopene in tomatoes has been know to be helpful in reducing the risk of prostate cancer, pancreatic cancer, colorectal cancer, breast cancer, lung cancer, endometrial cancer and heart disease. Tomatoes have also been credited with improving cholesterol profiles, reducing blood-clotting tendencies, as a natural anti-inflammatory, maintaing good bone health, reducing stress and helping against colon cancer, diabetes and migraines.

And if that isn't enough good news regarding tomatoes, when eaten along with broccoli additional cancer-fighting effects have been recognized. In fact, this combination of vegetables eaten together have been shown to greatly outperform other diets in lab testing.

When choosing tomatoes and tomato products choose organic. Organic ketchup delivers three times as much of the cancer-fighting carotenoid, lycopene, as non-organic brands. Lycopene has been shown to protect not only against prostate, but breast, pancreatic and intestinal cancers especially when consumed with fat-rich foods like avocado, olive oil or nuts. This is because carotenoids are fat-soluble so they are absorbe into the body along with fats. Holy guacamole!

When choosing your tomatoes:

- Make sure they are a deep rich color. This is not only a sign of a delicious tasting tomato, but deep color also indicates a greater supply of of the health-promoting phytonutrient red pigment, lycopene.

- Tomatoes should be well shaped and smooth skinned with no wrinkles, cracks, bruises or soft spots.

- Choose canned tomatoes produced in the United States as many foriegn countries do not have as strict standard for lead content in containers. This is important with tomatoes due to their acidic nature and abilty to cause corrosion.

- Store tomatoes at room temperature as they are sensitive to cold and it will impede their ripening process.

As usual, for the most health benefits, use whole tomatoes whenever possible. Some tomatoes products such as tomato paste is processed without the skin, a significant source of those great carotenoids.

So what do you think about some whole wheat pasta smothered in tomato sauce with a side of broccoli for dinner? Sounds good to me!

- Shannan

Source: For a more in depth look at the health benefits of tomatoes visit The World's Healthiest Foods.