Nutrition – Page 3 – Healthy and Hopeful

Emphasis on Hopeful

Published on September 22, 2014October 16, 2015 by Christine5 Comments

Apologies for the lack of new posts recently – life’s been a bit crazy lately, with little time left for blogging! Although I have a couple of posts I really want to write & share soon, I thought it was about time for an update on my health…

A few months ago, in reaction to an extremely stressful time at work, I got an ear infection. Let me tell you, friends, ear infections are the worst. The only pain was terrible and nothing seemed to help. I tried home remedies – living clay, essential oils and loading up on all kinds of vitamins – without any luck. I visited the doctor twice to no avail and, in my desperation, I opted to take antibiotics. Unfortunately, as expected, they made me super sick, gave me a rash & didn’t help at all. Finally, a visit to the ENT to insert a sponge helped get steroids directly into my ear and multiple visits to the chiropractor drained the fluid eventually.

Our trip to Europe provided some reprieve from the stress this summer; the break gave me a renewed mind and optimistic perspective. But as the hours at work picked back up, all of my post-vacation resolutions – talking the dog for nightly walks, spending more time with friends and family, cooking meals, even shopping for groceries – got neglected quickly as there just weren’t enough hours in the day. As my work-life balance suffered, the stress creeped back in and, therefore, back into having it’s effect on my immune system.

One day in early August, I woke up with hives all over the back of my legs. I thought it was odd and attempted to find what the cause could be; but, nothing in my routine, diet or hygiene/beauty products had changed. Figuring the hives would go away soon and it had to be a fluke, I just dealt with the itching. But they lasted, spreading and progressively getting worse and worse. After a week, I made an appointment with my naturopath doctor. Asking questions about every aspect of my life, sleeping habits and diet, she got the full picture of my health. She suggested that while I could be experiencing an allergic reaction, she was pretty positive that stress was the cause. Hoping to learn more about what was going on with my body, she prescribed a blood test and hormone panel. In the meantime, I would stay away from gluten and really focus on my nutrition to lessen the inflammatory response my body was having. After four long weeks, my hives finally subsided; the stress was still there, but I think that a better focus on my diet and a supplement I got from my chiropractor finally helped my body stop overreacting.

The CDC states that emotional stress causes 80-85% of all illness. It makes sense – stress suppresses our immune function, so, long-term it gets even worse. This month, I’ve been sick twice – a bad cold and then food poisoning for the third time this year… ugh! But I returned to my doctor last week and the results were in: stress is the culprit. Even after all my time at the pool this summer and daily Vitamin D supplements, I was still deficient and need to increase my intake. I’m anemic, so will be taking a liquid iron supplement to give me more energy. And although I drink lots of water and even add Himalyan pink sea salt, my electrolyte levels were still low – I foresee lots of coconut water (NOT sugary gatorade) in my future!

Most importantly, my DHEA levels were extremely low. Although known for overuse by athletes, the presence of DHEA in our body is essential. Most people in their twenties are producing more DHEA this decade of their lives than any other. DHEA is a steroid hormone secreted by your adrenal glands; during times of stress, your adrenals are pumping so much cortisol that they produce very little DHEA. But that has massive effects as DHEA is the precursor to estrogen, progesterone & testosterone. As a result, my hormones are totally out of whack. So, instead of “doping” up on unnatural DHEA, I’ll be taking a custom supplement designed by my doctor to provide the building blocks to hormone development, bringing the levels back up. I’ll also be on a high-protein diet of 60-80 grams per day to balance my blood sugar – prolonged high-cortisol response causes problems there too. So, if anyone has some good ideas for high-protein snacks (especially low-budget options), please share!

While the news was not good, I am thankfully at a point where I can step in to make these changes now and get my body back in balance before things get more serious. It will take many months to recover, but I am committed to focus on my health – this body is the only one I get. In the meantime, I would appreciate any & all stress-management recommendations! I am rejecting the identity of illness that I’ve had my whole life; I am so hopeful that healing is near and I will choose joy & faith.

Meditating on this verse lately: “Surely he took up our infirmities and carried our sorrows, yet we considered him stricken by God, smitten by Him, and afflicted. But he was pierced for our transgressions, he was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was upon him, and by his wounds we are healed.” – Isaiah 53:4-5

In the Summertime when the weather is hot…

Published on July 23, 2014July 22, 2014 by Christine4 Comments

I love Summer. The sunshine is life-giving to me! I can’t imagine anything better than spending time at the pool and lake with the warm sun on my skin. Plus, it’s mostly allergen-free, so unlike most of the year, I can spend lots of time outside without regretting it later. Anyone else share this passion with me??

Unfortunately for a lot of people, the summertime has a bad rap. The beautiful sunshine has been villainized; we are advised to minimize our sun exposure and when we must be outside, cover every inch of ourselves with sunscreen every hour so we don’t get the big, bad cancer. Funny how effective the “c” word is into scaring us into submission.

Coincidentally, our nation is currently experiencing epidemic levels of vitamin D deficiency. Vitamin D is a valuable nutrient that comes from the sun and helps our immune system protect our bodies from a multitude of diseases, including cancer. Actually, some research studies have proven that sun exposure can decrease our chances of getting cancer. Add to that the fact that there is no proof that sunscreen protects against cancer and that sunscreen itself contains dangerous chemicals and carcinogens, the case against the sun is quickly diminishing.

Okay, now of course, the sun can be dangerous; it is a burning ball of fire, after all. You can’t simply sit outside for hours in direct sunlight and not expect to be hating yourself the next day. Sunburns do cause cell death and can damage your skin. It’s important to develop a healthy relationship with the sun…

After a winter indoors, your skin will need to be acclimated to the sun. The best way to do it is spend 15-30 minutes at a time out in the sun (without sunscreen), getting exposure little bits at a time. Your skin will respond as it is supposed to, the melanin will become tanned and protect you more and more from the sun naturally. People with fair skin get Vitamin D faster and reach the maximum level of exposure sooner, so then it’s time to find some shade. But most people can work up to being able to spend hours in the sun without harm.

If you are going to be out in the sun for longer than your skin is ready for, or your children need protection, consider using natural sunscreen options instead of those loaded with chemicals. Personally, I use straight up coconut oil whenever I am in the sun for longer than half an hour. It has minimum SPF so it still allows me to get Vitamin D and my skin tans easier when I use it so that I can build up my natural tolerance to the sun faster.

Lastly, a healthy diet is the best way to avoid a sunburn. A diet high in antioxidants will protect your body from sunshine’s free radicals that cause cell damage. So feel free to snack away at those sun-ripened berries and dark chocolate! Avoiding foods that cause inflammation are another way to protect yourself – grains and Omega-6 vegetable oils being the main offender. People often blame the sun for their wrinkles, collagen breakdown/premature aging and sun spots, but it’s actually an inflammatory diet that causes these issues. Eat a diet high in healthy Omega-3 fats (found in animal fats, fish, coconut oil and organic raw dairy), the building blocks of your skin.

Now, get out there and enjoy the summer sunshine without fear!

“You’re Not Sick; You’re Thirsty”

Published on July 3, 2014April 21, 2015 by Christine4 Comments

Is it possible that the majority of illness originate from something as simple as dehydration? Could we be treating ourselves with medicine when we should just be drinking more water? I recently read Your Body’s Many Cries for Water by F. Batmanghelidj, MD, which explores this possibility.

Our body is made up of 75% water, and in particular, our brain tissue is 85% water. Adequate hydration is essential to our bodies and brains functioning properly to stay healthy. But many of us are suffering from chronic dehydration because we live in a society where coffee, tea, alcohol and manufactured beverages like soda have become acceptable thirst-quenchers. While many of these contain water, they also contain dehydrating agents that only make our body’s more thirsty. And, sodas, in particular, are addictive (both the caffeine and sugar), taking away our natural thirst for water, even when it’s plentiful and available.

We tend to think that we are “thirsty” when our mouths become dry and we crave a drink. But this is actually the last outward sign of dehydration – if you are feeling this, your body is screaming for water. And as you age, your body begins to ignore “dry mouth” more and more, making dehydration easier. Our vital organs receive the water, nutrients and hormones they need to work only by enough water existing in the body to deliver those elements, so it’s obviously essential to our basic functioning. Just in case you need a few more reasons to drink more water, here are some that really stood out to me:

Morning sickness during pregnancy is the main indicator of a baby and mother’s dehydration. Water is essential to cell expansion during a baby’s first stage of life.
Chronic pain is a huge indicator of thirst. For a while, painkillers may work for pain monitored by the central nervous system, but eventually the brain will become so dehydrated that it will register all pain until it gets enough water. And, until it does, the pain will increase and the body will limit the mobility of those areas in order to “prevent the production of additional toxic waste” that water, if available, would wash out. If you are experiencing consistent back pain, leg pain or headaches, take note.
Dyspeptic (gastritis, heartburn, constipation) pain is an emergency thirst signal. “Digestion of solid foods depends on the presence of copious amounts of water” and “water provides the only natural protection against the acid in the stomach.” Antacids contain a lot of aluminum (so does your deodorant, by the way), which combined with brain cell dehydration are proven causes of Alzheimer’s disease. Stop popping those antacids and drink a couple glasses of water instead.
“Fully 75 percent of the weight of the upper part of the body is supported by the water volume that is stored in the disc core.” While proper posture is helpful, adequate water is essential if you are experiencing back pain. Exercises that stretch the back and help “vacuum” water back into the disc space will help both neck and back pain. I personally find that laying on the bed with my head off the edge for a minute or so helps a great deal. Of course, my chiropractor adjustments help tremendously as well.
Dehydration affects the regulation of body temperature. Many migraines and headaches are caused by “heat stress” because of dehydration that may occur due to lack of drinking water, drinking alcohol, or an allergic reaction that releases histamines (blocking hydration).
Dehydration leads to stress in the body and causes hormones to go into crisis mode. As a result, dehydration contributes to chronic fatigue syndrome and depression.
Using caffeine to override your body’s available energy will lower levels of stored energy, meaning that your hormones will not be able to react appropriately later and the brain has less energy to work from, leading to less focus and attention span. This dehydration effect is exacerbated when elderly people with memory problems or children with learning disorders drink anything other than water, especially soda.
Adequate water and salt intake are essential to maintaining blood volume that prevents hypertension. The body will do all it can to retain water and sodium (helps balance water in and out of cells), yet the current “treatments” for hypertension prescribe diuretics. Water is the best diuretic – if you are drinking enough water, your body will respond and eventually flush out the toxic edema fluid rather than the water your body desperately needs.
Cholesterol is essential to the function of our cells because it helps our cells retain water. In the state of dehydration, you will develop high cholesterol as its working in overdrive to prevent cell dehydration.
“The sensation of thirst and hunger are generated simultaneously to indicate the brain’s needs.” We cannot tell the difference, and thus often overeat when our body’s are really just crying out for water. Then, dehydration causes our brain to crave more energy, thus causing us to crave sugar. So, we overeat, eat unhealthy foods and gain weight simply by being dehydrated.
“Asthma and allergies are indicators that the body has resorted to an increase in production of the neurotransmitter histamine, the sensor regulator of water metabolism and its distribution in the body.”
In some cases of chronic dehydration, our brain begins to inhibit insulin so the pancreas can provide water for food digestion – a crucial function to provide energy to the body. Ultimately, this can cause insulin-independent diabetes, and instead of drinking more water & eating a balanced diet to get the body to behave normally again, people take chemical override medications to force the body to produce more insulin.
Salt is crucial to ensuring we have an “ocean” of water outside our cells, but the table salt we eat in most foods is a chemical and not mineral-rich. Remove sodium preservatives and table salt from your diet and replace with unrefined sea salt to keep your body’s hydration in balance.

The simple way to prevent the damage from chronic dehydration is to drink enough water. Your body needs a minimum of 8 glasses of water per day, more, especially, if you are drinking alcohol or caffeine. If your urine is not colorless, you are not hydrated enough. Drink water slowly, throughout the day. I typically drink a glass of water before and after each meal, and then at least one in-between each meal as a rule of thumb. If I am feeling sick, my allergies are flaring or my back pain returns, I immediately drink lots of water, and only water, until the symptoms pass. I have truly noticed a difference.

Are you drinking enough water? If any of the above dehydration-related illnesses stuck out to you personally, you must read this book. It has very detailed chapters on each of the effects of dehydration and testimonials for how water has healed people. Go read it (or borrow from me!) – it’s fascinating!

Back to Real Life

Published on June 10, 2014July 20, 2014 by Christine6 Comments

So, I’ve been a bit MIA the past couple of months. See, I just returned from a vacation to Italy and France and most of my free time in the weeks leading up to the trip were planning the 2 weeks we were going to be there. But, I’m back now and more inspired than ever to keep on pursuing true health.

Leading up to the trip, I was a bit anxious about all the weight I was going to gain from eating so many carbs. That wasn’t going to stop me from enjoying all the pasta, pizza, gelato, tiramisu and wine “when in Rome,” but I figured I would just have to work extra hard when I returned to be healthier. So, when I was there, I did just that. I splurged at meals, opting for wine at lunch and dinner, eating an afternoon gelato every day, and having my share of fresh pasta in search of the best ever.

Seafood Ravioli and a glass of local wine in Monterosso, Cinque Terre

Aperol Spritz at a local Venice cantina

Enjoying a Croque Madame in Paris – if you look closely, you’ll see the Eiffel Tower behind me!

What surprised me, though, is that I somehow ended up losing weight on the trip. More importantly, while we were there and when I returned, I felt great – nearly pain-free, full of energy, and just an overall feeling of healthy. On a normal basis, I am so focused on what I eat and put into my body, but only very slowly do I feel like I am seeing the results for my health that I want. I go on vacation for two weeks and eat whatever I want (and have the best time doing so), and I see results immediately. As I’ve returned and reflected about what made that possible, I’ve had a few thoughts that I wanted to share.

Fresh Ingredients, Made-From-Scratch Food

Every day, Italian home cooks and chefs go to the market to get fresh meat and fresh vegetables for the meals they will prepare that day. While we were staying in Tuscany, we cooked dinner every night in our home and visited the market several times that week. The stores there weren’t like ours where fresh ingredients remain only on two of the outer sides of the store, with the bulk of food on shelves or in freezers. They had large produce sections, cheese and meat counters (mozzarella and prosciutto galore!), a large selection of fresh pasta, non-homogenized milk & cream and a bakery with breads baked that day. There were no pre-prepared desserts, very little freezer space and the eggs were so fresh they didn’t even have to be refrigerated.

We took a cooking class in Italy on how to make fresh pasta and learned thirteen different pasta sauces. Let me first say, if you ever go to Italy – do this! It really was one of my most favorite experiences and taught us so much more about the culture we were visiting. Plus, it was the best meal of the trip! My brother blogged about the details here if you’d like to read more about it. It was incredible to go behind-the-scenes with a chef who cooks for his restaurant daily and learn his authentic recipes. He told us about how he visits the local farmer’s market daily to get fresh seafood, meat, eggs, fruits and vegetables. We started by chopping lots of fresh produce and then throwing it in pots on the stove with plenty of locally grown & produced olive oil. The sauces were all made from fresh veggies and tomatoes, real cream, pancetta, and lots of freshly grated parmesan cheese. One of the best parts was that he had his pots of fresh herbs right on the kitchen counter and would pick them straight off the plant, tear them up and throw them in the pots as we cooked. The pasta was simply made from unbleached flour, fresh eggs and chopped spinach or tomato paste was added for different coloring/flavoring. Every ingredient was simple and fresh. Every item was hand-made. We are just missing that here.

Pressing fresh tomato pasta

Some of the delicious pastas we made

Chef Paolo teaching me how to make ravioli filling

While we were only in Paris a few days, I certainly enjoyed every bit of French food while I could. I had some delicious meals where you could really taste the flavor because of how they were prepared. The french onion soup was made with gelatin-rich bone broth and you could taste how long it had been simmering to infuse nutrients. Roasted chicken was always served on the bone and in its own gravy. One night, we went to a place that made traditional crepes, made gluten-free with buckwheat as they should be – phenomenal!

Non-Toxic, Real Food

I attribute a lot of how healthy we stayed during our trip to the fact that the food was made from real ingredients. There were no preservatives in the bread and fresh pasta. The preservative potassium bromate (aka bromated flour) that’s often found in our foods here in the U.S. isn’t added there, so doesn’t pose a risk to your health. They use olive oil or butter for all cooking, and you won’t find hydrogenated vegetable oil in processed foods either – those are made with coconut or palm oil. That alone makes such a difference in the amount of free-radicals people are exposed to. It’s amazing how foods that are sold both there and here are made so differently – The ketchup I got with my french fries in Paris contained no high-fructose corn sryup; it was made with real tomatoes and sugar. We even bought m&m’s at the airport that were made with coconut oil! I’m now wishing I had bought more…

And you certainly won’t find any toxic food dyes or artifcial coloring in the foods. All the gelato we enjoyed was flavored and colored with real fruits; there were no bright, unrealistic colors to attract customers. And GMOs are strictly regulated there and mostly banned in both Italy and France. Produce is grown by farmers who sell it at local markets, chicken and cattle are allowed to graze freely on the range and not fed growth-stimulating hormones, and fish are actually caught in sea instead of farmed. All of the chemicals that we eat in our food cause us to gain weight as our bodies are literally starving of nutrients. And they make us feel terrible as we suffer from leaky gut syndrome and develop food allergies we may not even realize. If you are curious to read more, here’s an interesting list of lots of things we eat constantly in the US that’s banned in other countries across the world due to health effects.

Movement

The first city on our trip was Rome. We stayed in Centro Storico, right by the Piazza Navona. A great location literally right in the middle of all the major sides, but not easily accessible public transportation. So we quickly learned that we would be walking everywhere. We started both days we were there with a 30-minute walk to our tours of the Vatican and Colosseum/Ancient Rome and continued to do lots and lots of walking. As we visited towns across Tuscany, many people don’t have cars and simply walk everywhere. They walk to the market each day, they walk to work. In one town we visited, Lucca, everyone rides bikes, both leisurely around town and athletically through the countryside. We rode around the top of the town wall – a beautiful experience. In Venice, you walk everywhere to avoid expensive boat rides and the locals were always out walking their pups. Walking miles a day certainly put me into better shape than I have been in a long time. And miraculously, my back pain ceased and my recently painful achilles tendon, finally stretched out instead of cramped under a desk all day, hasn’t bothered me since. Funny how all the pain that typically prevents me from exercise is really what cures it.

Less Stress

According to WebMD, 75-90% of all doctor’s office visits are for stress-related ailments and complaints. As a society, we are really harming our bodies by putting ourselves under too much stress. Stress causes us to experience back and neck pain, affects our hormones and causes us to gain weight. One thing the Italians have right is how to live a less stressful life. They take their time in the mornings enjoying a cafe with breakfast. They go to work for a few hours and then take an afternoon break to relax and eat lunch with friends or family, before returning to work for a few hours in the afternoon/evening. Meals are an experience and people take their time eating, enjoying each other’s company and partaking in plenty of wine. Disclaimer for any “health people” ready to judge: I am aware that wine is alcohol and therefore toxic to your body, but there’s a lot to say for how a glass or two helps take the edge off the day and provide stress relief. We had some pretty crazy driving experiences around Italy (especially up the switchbacks on the steep hill to our house in Tuscany) and at the end of the day, a glass of champagne certainly helped take the stress away.

Obviously, I was on vacation and away from my job (recently rated #5 on the most stressful jobs list, by the way!), so that certainly helped my stress level. But, it was more than that… I wasn’t watching tv or constantly on my phone checking email, instagram or facebook. I was out exploring, taking walks, enjoying art and taking in the beauty of God’s creation. I was cooking for my family each night, feeling inspired by the local ingredients and creating delicious new recipes. And, then, I sat with my family to enjoy the food over conversation around the dinner table, uninterrupted by phones or our busy lives. How often does that happen in our lives anymore? It’s the focus on relationships, talking about life and decompressing from the day over a great meal and glass of wine that helps put things in perspective and remember what’s really important: not stressing over life, but appreciating our blessings.

Back to Real Life

So now that I’ve convinced ~~you~~ myself to move to Italy, I have to remember that wineries and beautiful hills are just a short drive away (on much easier roads)! But, really, although the hurdles to health that I returned to can sometimes be overwhelming and discouraging, I can lead a healthier life. I’m inspired to…

Shop at local farmer’s markets. Meet the people who grow real food and who have a passion for providing real nourishment to their customers. Invest in them and the hard work they do every day.
Use real ingredients and keep my recipes simple. Make things from scratch that have true flavor and are full of nutrients.
Enjoy cooking again. I no longer want to dread cooking dinner when I get home from a long day at work. I want to remember that God’s gifted me with the ability to create delicious, healthy dishes for my family and see it as a way to express my creativity.
Take more walks. Enjoy the beautiful Texas weather & landscape, meet my neighbors, and keep my puppy happy as she’s so enjoyed our walking adventures since I returned.
Host more dinner parties to enjoy good food and good wine with friends.
Sit at the table to eat with my husband more often instead of on the couch. No phones allowed.
Leave the stress of work at the office. Give thanks for all my blessings daily and put things back in perspective.

Salute!

Healthy Hygiene Routine

Published on April 15, 2014October 18, 2015 by Christine7 Comments

Many people make a good effort to eat healthy and limit the toxins they ingest, but what about the chemicals you are spreading over your body or putting in your mouth during your hygiene routine? Today I want to share some basic products I use daily and talk a bit about why they are way better than their mainstream alternatives.

Living Clay Mask – Calcium Bentonite clay is full of trace minerals and literally vacuums toxins out of the skin. It’s been used throughout history and has so many healing and detoxifying uses. It’s alkaline 9.7 pH brings the body into balance. I use it as a mask at least once a week on my face and have seen dramatic improvement in my skin. If my hormones are going crazy and causing me to break out, then I will use it daily to remove my makeup each night. You can instantly feel how it stimulates blood circulation and your skin will feel so refreshed and energized afterwards. When I had an allergic reaction to antibiotics, it helped decrease the severity and redness of the rash. I use the powder form in detox baths and even mix it with water & drink to detoxify my body when I’m sick. It’s also the perfect shaving cream for those of you who struggle with dry skin and razor burn. This is one of those products I really could not live without; it’s made my skin clearer than ever!

Coconut Oil – I recently wrote about my absolute obsession with coconut oil and all it’s miraculous healing abilities. In addition to cooking with it, I also use it as a moisturizer all over my body and even on my face. As it absorbs and moisturizes your skin, you also get it’s benefits internally. It has anti-aging properties and will help prevent wrinkles; it also helps your skin adjust to sun exposure giving it SPF effects. And it’s great for removing eye makeup and lip stains. Best of all, it’s super affordable (especially when you compare it to what you would spend on lotion and expensive face moisturizer) because a little goes a very long way. I simply melt a few tablespoons on the stove and put it into a small travel sized container for my bathroom counter.

Lavender Essential Oil -I actually mix this with the coconut oil in the container I use for my face moisturizer. Besides smelling absolutely amazing, lavender oil has many anti-inflammatory and anti-bacterial properties. It will help heal pimples very quickly, minimizes the appearance of scar tissue, and helps heal cuts and bruises by stimulating circulation. It’s a great moisturizer for chapped skin, so I use it on my lips too. Plus, it’s scent helps calm your mind and body, decreasing stress and helping you wind down for a night of restful sleep.

Orawellness HealThy Mouth Blend – The simple fact that you’re never supposed to swallow regular toothpaste always made me suspicious of its safety for putting in my mouth at all. This is the best “toothpaste” I’ve ever used and I’ve seen incredible improvement in my mouth health over the past year (my dentist has too!). This is a blend of organic essential oils that fight bacteria and helps heal cavities. Plus, it doesn’t contain any of the toxic chemical fluoride. If you have gum problems, cavities, or are just looking for a safe way to clean your teeth, this is a must-try!

Mineral Salts Deodorant – Antiperspirant deodorant works by using aluminum to stop the sweat and odor. Unfortunately, it also causes breast cancer and Alzheimer’s, so I knew I needed to get it out of my routine. (TMI) I sweat a lot, which made this the toughest natural hygiene solution to find. Most products would work for a while or at least stop odor, but I finally found a great solution that is consistently helping with both. Lafes Deoderant is made with simply 3 ingredients: aloe vera, essential oil and natural mineral salt; it comes as a spray or a roll on. The mineral salts combat the bacteria that causes odor. I love the lavender scent and while it’s not technically an “antiperspirant,” I’ve noticed that my sweating has decreased the more I use it. I buy mine at my grocery store, Natural Grocers, and it lasts months using only once a day. Lastly, it doesn’t leave stains or marks on your clothing like the regular ones always do – a great bonus!

As for the “beauty” department, I am researching and testing different makeup and hair products to find healthy options that actually work.

Hair Products – I am currently using Kevin Murphy shampoo, conditioner, hair spray and dry shampoo. They are sulfate and paraben-free and work amazing, but still use a lot of chemicals I am not comfortable with. I’ve tried many of the organic options from the grocery store but found my hair was oily and flat within just a week of use. I am considering making my own as soon as what I have runs out, and I will certainly keep you updated on that adventure.

Makeup – I’ve used Origins, Arbonne, and MineralFusion from Whole Foods, but they are all so expensive and don’t have the lasting power that I really want. I feel like when I come home from work it looks like I didn’t even put makeup on that day. Looking for any and all recommendations!!

Have you found safe, natural beauty & hygiene products that you love? Please share them here!

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