Thursday, September 30, 2010

Toxin Free Home: My New Favorite Chemical Free Mop!

Next to cleaning the bathrooms, mopping has got to be my least favorite chore. It just feels so complicated. There are buckets to fill, soap to measure, and above all- children to keep out of the way. Oh, and not to mention, you've always got to find a pair of socks so you don't ruin your work as you're doing it!

These days, I don't have time for that many steps! Because of that, my kitchen floor is disgusting. I mean, I'm not exaggerating- when my 9 month old spends the whole day army crawling around the kitchen floor area, his shirts are covered in dirt by the end of the day. You can see a small sampling of my dirty floor below- see the dirt, grime, and smudges?!

Given the state of my floor, you can imagine my delight when E-Cloth sent me their microfiber mop to review. The mop head comes attached to an adjustable handle (you can make it higher or lower!) and uses the same microfiber technology that makes their other cleaning cloths so fantastic.

All you do is take the removable pad off of the handle (it attaches by Velcro) and run it under water until it's wet. Wring it out and you're ready to go! In fact, I'm just about to go use it now. Let's see how long this takes...

Seven minutes later....

Here's that same patch of floor:And a very dirty E-Cloth mop.Gross!

Here's my newly cleaned floor:Aaaaaah. A superbly clean floor in only seven minutes. Have you ever mopped a kitchen floor in seven minutes? I haven't. It's usually a 25 minute process for me from start to finish.

But not today! E Cloth worked like a dream, yet again! No buckets, no sloshing water, no soap, and best of all- no sopping wet socks!!!


Now if only E-Cloth could do my dishes and the laundry...:)

To purchase this awesome mop, check out E-Cloth's website. You even get free shipping! Oh, and you can also purchase a dry mop head for non wet floor cleaning.

Happy toxin free mopping everyone!










Wednesday, September 29, 2010

Toxin Free Baby: My Favorite Organic Cotton Toys

When I was pregnant with Nathaniel, I made the decision to expose him (knowingly at least!) to as few toxins as possible. And since children put toys in their mouth, suck on them, and play with them for countless hours of their little lives, one area I knew I wanted to be toxin free were his toys.

Nathaniel and Micah don't own many plastic teethers or rattlers because of my concerns about pthalates & BPA in most plastic, (there are a couple that have infiltrated somehow, but I usually keep them out of sight!)

I looked around for an organic alternative, and was thrilled when I found Under the Nile's organic cotton toys. They are made from 100% organic Egyptian cotton, and are also stuffed with cotton, so there is no dangerous fluff inside! (Many normal stores are now selling "organic" toys, but it is usually only the outer material.)

And they are ADORABLE! Check out some of our family's favorites:


The first one we received was their monkey, which we got from a close friend at a baby shower:

My husband affectionately named him George. After many washes and 2.5 years of rough handling, this adorable monkey is still going strong. Micah is in love with him right now- he laughs whenever he plays with this sweet monkey!

Our next favorite is their bear blankie:

Ours is a solid blue- and again it is a true favorite! It is just so heart melting to put Micah to sleep and see him holding his little bear blankie!

Both boys have also loved these friendly grapes, which are a part of their Fruit Basket:

And who can pass up the adorable pear? (Also a part of the fruit crate.)
Next, we have their Veggie Crate, which is composed of a mushroom, carrot, green beans, and a tomato. Isn't this carrot irresistible?
I'm also pretty enamored with the mushroom: (Micah LOVES this one!)

I think the tomato is pretty cute too.Well I could go on all day! I don't know who likes them more- me or the boys! I could own just about every one they have and be happy!

If you want to purchase some of these darling toys for your little ones, check out Under the Nile's website, and also Amazon.com. (You can also Google Under the Nile toys for more options!)
Happy toxin free playing everyone!

















Tuesday, September 28, 2010

Toxin Free Body: My Favorite Perfume

In the world of perfumes, even the natural world, there are very few that are 100% toxin free. The world of conventional perfumes are teeming with toxins proven to be endocrine system disruptors, (your hormonal system) linked to headaches, asthma, thyroid disruption, sperm damage, asthma and cancer.

Plus, each whiff of these toxic laden fragrances adds these chemical compounds to your body's burden. (Chemicals like phtalates)

But who doesn't like smelling good? Especially we girls? Don't fear- I have a great toxin free alternative for you.

It is the only one I have found on the organic market that has a great price, and is 100% toxin free. I only know of one other on the market that are also 100% toxin free! (I'm sure there are more, but I've searched high and low and still can't find them!)

So here it is: My favorite toxin free perfume for women, by Aubrey Organics.

Check it out and let me know what you think.

You already know about my favorite toxin free fragrances for men by Aubrey.

Happy toxin free smelling everyone!









Monday, September 27, 2010

You Asked: What Do You Use In Place of Antbiotics?


(Image courtesy of Donovan Govan)


Happy Monday everyone! I hope you all had a wonderful weekend! Today I wanted to answer an excellent question asked by Karen: (she sent a great one last week too!) "I understand that antibiotics are bad for you; how would you recommend treating a bacterial infection in your body?"

Great question, Karen! I had this question, too, because there are so many bacteria and viral infections flying around these days! For all infections, the best offense is a good defense. But sometimes, you just can't get everything right- maybe you're eating perfectly, and taking all your supplements, but things get crazy and you're short on sleep.

Even that factor alone can lower your immune system's fighting power- leaving you vulnerable to things like bacterial infections.

When this happens, I rely on Garden of Life's Primal Defense to get things back on track. The Homeostatic Soil Organisms (HSOs) in Primal Defense are extremely powerful and are very effective at stopping bacteria and viruses in their tracks.If Mark or I feel that we're fighting something, we'll up our dose for several days. (We usually take the maintenance dose of three per day. Just up your intake one capsule at a time per day, though, otherwise you'll likely have a powerful detox and feel even worse!)

Garlic, too, is a great natural antibiotic. In addition to taking Primal Defense, I will often eat 2-3 whole cloves per day, when I feel that I'm fighting something. (I've had Mark eat up to 6 in one day, to prevent a sickness- it worked!)

Instead of chewing the whole clove and gagging it down, I usually mince it in the garlic press into some olive oil & balsamic vinegar. Then I dip some bread into it. It is still insanely strong, but slightly more palatable. It really works!


When kids are fighting coughs, boil 4-5 garlic cloves in olive oil for 5-6 minutes. Strain the garlic and rub the (cooled) oil into their feet at night, and put socks on them. This gives them the benefits of eating the garlic without actually eating it. This would work for adults too, but it's more powerful to just eat it.

I hope these tips help you fight any bacterial infections that come your way!








Friday, September 24, 2010

Friday's Food for Thought: Need Some Sleep?

From The Great Physician's RX for Health & Wellness, by Jordan S. Rubin:

"Our biological cycles normally follow the twenty-four cycle of the sun, or what is known as the circadian rhythm, During this time, the body does things that we don't even know about, such as an automatic system that carries on functions of cleansing and rebuilding.

The liver goes through a cleansing process between 11:00 p.m. and 1:00 a.m. If you're awake during that time, your liver will not cleanse properly... In addition, your body will not produce the right hormones if you don't sleep at the right times.

A century ago...adults slept an average of nine hours a night, according to the National sleep Foundation. Care to guess how long the average American adult sleeps each night in the present era?

The answer is a little less than seven hours, which is 20 percent less than our great-grandparents slept...

"Americans sleep the least of anyone in modern countries," Dr. Eve Van Cauter, a sleep researcher at the University of Chicago, said on AVC's 20/20 newsmagazine show.

"And Americans are the most overweight and obese. Perhaps it's worth thinking about the possibility that we don't sleep enough, and therefore our appetites are unregulated."

William Shakespeare wasn't too far off when he wrote four hundred years ago, "Sleep that knits up the ravell'd sleave of care... Chief nourisher in life's feast."

Hope you all get some sleep and rest this weekend everyone!

Thursday, September 23, 2010

Toxin Free Home: Even More in Love with E-Cloth!!!

Last week I wrote about an awesome new cleaning product I found that cleans without chemicals, gives professional results, and cuts cleaning time in half. Doesn't that sound too good to be true? Well, it's not, and I have more pictures to prove it!

It's called E-Cloth, and I found out about it through an ad in my co op magazine. As I said last week,
its secret lies in its microscopic fibers- fibers that are literally smaller than the bacteria and dirt in our homes- picking them up effortlessly without chemicals or cleaning products- by using only water!

I was extremely pleased with the results from the dusting E-Cloth that I purchased, and I wanted to try more. I was so excited when I was given the chance to review their Kitchen Pack.

This package contains their general cloth, and their glass & polishing cloth. The package says that these two products are everything you need to clean refrigerators, windows, countertops of any material, stainless steel appliances, and more. After today's results, I definitely believe them!

I would say more, but a picture is worth a thousand words.


Before:

I'm kind of embarrassed to be putting this on the World Wide Web, but it really shows the power of E-Cloth. This lovely sight is the wall next to my 9.5 month old's high chair. It has been accumulating for several months now, and was severely caked on. It was one of those things I avoided because I knew it would be a huge project to clean. Terrible, I know...



4 Minutes Later:

Isn't that absolutely stunning?! Seriously, I was bracing myself for a solid 15-20 minutes of serious scrubbing. I couldn't believe my eyes when I saw that only FOUR minutes had gone by. I knew E-Cloth would be good, but I didn't know it'd be that good!

Here's the product I used today:

It's their general purpose cloth (in blue) and it's part of their Kitchen Pack.

You can buy these awesome products straight from their website, E Cloth.com, or from Amazon.com. Just type "E- Cloth Kitchen Pack" into Google if you want some other buying options as well.


Enjoy your super easy, super effective,
and toxin free cleaning experience!









Wednesday, September 22, 2010

Toxin Free Baby: Crafts Without Chemicals


What would childhood be without crayons? It's just part of growing up, a rite of passage into toddler hood! And once a child discovers the world of coloring, they will usually spend many hours throughout their young life scribbling on just about anything.

(Apparently I once colored the entire length of the wall of our extremely tall staircase when my younger sister was born! I guess I was protesting.)


Since crayons are so used and beloved by children, it makes sense to seek out a toxin free variety. What?! There are toxins in crayons? That just seems wrong. Well, there are-unfortunately- don't believe the side of the box that says, "non toxic." That is, unless you consider paraffin (from petroleum) to be non- toxic.

Now, due to the nature of the usage of crayons, this might seem to be a moot point. But what young child does not put crayons in his mouth? Or color on his skin? Or leave a crayon on the floor for his younger, crawling sibling to put in his mouth?

The likelihood of these examples happening are almost guaranteed with any child.
And even if the amount ingested is small, I'd rather give my child a 100% toxin free childhood coloring experience.

Fortunately, alternatives are available. Once Nathaniel got to crayon age, I bought him some Clementine Art's Natural Crayons, which are made from beeswax and soy wax. They are chunky, perfect for little fingers, (although great for older kids as well) and their color is beautiful. It is so clear and vibrant!

They have other craft materials as well. They have everything you need for toxin free crafts- natural glue, paint, markers, and play dough. I bought ours at our local Whole Foods, but check out
their site to find a retailer in your area.

I hope you enjoy your toxin free coloring/craft experience with your little ones as much as I have!

Tuesday, September 21, 2010

Toxin Free Body: Is Your Cookware Poisonous?


When we got married 6 years ago, Mark and I received a beautiful set of expensive nonstick cookware. We had so many pans! I was thrilled. (Not that I knew how to cook, my cooking repertoire at the beginning of our marriage consisted of scrambled eggs and flour quesadillas!)

But I was willing to learn, and so I did- on our nonstick set. Then, when we started the Maker's Diet, I
learned just how toxic my beloved pans were. I was shocked! Was it really true that in addition to the toxic food we were eating, the very pans we used to prepare that food were toxic as well? Talk about scary!

Unfortunately, it is true. Nonstick pans are incredibly toxic. The toxicity lies in their coating- that gives you the "nonstick" finish.
We all love the convenience of it, but it isn't worth it!

Nonstick coating is so toxic that many bird owners, such as parrots, cannot use nonstick pans because their birds will die when the pan is heated to a certain temperature. Now, if the chemicals in these pans will kill birds, do you really want to use them to prepare foods you're feeding your children and loved ones?


For further information on this subject, see Dr. Mercola's awesome article, "Ditch this Daily Kitchen Product Now to Protect Yourself from Cancer & High Cholesterol."


I threw out all my nonstick pans and replaced them with cast iron. I also have a Le Creuset ceramic cast iron pot that I absolutely LOVE. Someday, I really, really want Dr. Mercola's cooking set, as much as I love my cast iron:

Dr. Mercola's set is ceramic- I can't wait to own it one day. It is very affordably priced and has a 50 year warranty. Check it out at http://cookware.mercola.com/cookware.aspx


Happy toxin free cooking everyone!


Monday, September 20, 2010

You Asked: Are Pain Relievers Safe?

Happy Monday everyone! I hope you all had a great weekend!

Today I'd like to answer a great question, sent by Karen:

1) What would you recommend for pain relief as a substitute for ibuprofen? Doctors say it's safe, along with acetaminophen. What harmful effects do you know about?"

This is a great question, Karen! I have personal experience with NSAID's like Ibuprofen, because I ate them like candy before starting the Maker's Diet. I had headaches my entire life, and never left the house without a white bag of Ibuprofen.

As I got older, the Ibuprofen did nothing to me, and I had to rely on Excedrin, which I hated, because of the caffeine. Fortunately, once I started the Maker's Diet, my headaches have virtually disappeared. (Unless I get extraordinarily tired, like when I have a newborn in the house!) And they don't ever last for days and days like they used to.


Anyway, there is absolutely nothing safe about NSAID's like Ibuprofen or Aspirin, or even Tylenol. They cause bleeding in the liver, (I heard from one Dr. that this occurs every single time you take one) are harmful to the kidneys and GI tract, can cause ulcers ( I believe my use of NSAID's is why I had an ulcer, and I'm sure contributed to my severe stomach problems) and can even cause miscarriages.

Tylenol is marketed as being "different" from NSAID's, but studies have linked it to kidney failure as well.

Check out this great article from Dr. Mercola about the danger of NSAID's and acetaminophen. You can do further research on the topic by typing "NSAID" into Dr. Mercola's search field.

As far as what to use in place of harmful drugs like Ibuprofen & Tylenol, I recommend natural anti- inflammatories such as Garden of Life's Wobenzym, cod liver oil, and homemade chicken broth. (The gelatin in chicken broth is a powerful anti-inflammatory!)

For rare headaches, I take Garden of Life's Living Calcium, which is very high in magnesium. Magnesium is incredibly effective at reducing inflammation in the body. I find that taking it straight, in its powder form, hurts my stomach. I do much better with Garden of Life's gently absorbed form, since it's from whole food sources.

I hope this answers your question, and helps give you safe relief when you need it!







Friday, September 17, 2010

(CC) Larry D. Moore
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Hostess_twinkies.jpg


Even before I started the Maker's Diet, I never really liked Twinkies. They never settled right in my stomach. (Can't understand why Lucky Charms did!) But Twinkies are truly beloved in America, so much so that they are being deep fried in Coke, and sold at fairs! Talk about making a horrible food 100x worse! In case you are ever tempted to buy a Twinkie at Safeway, ask yourself if you truly want to ingest the following ingredients:

Enriched Bleached Wheat Flour [Flour, Reduced Iron, B Vitamins (Niacin, Thiamine Mononitrate (B1), Riboflavin (B2), Folic Acid)], Corn Syrup, Sugar, High Fructose Corn Syrup, Water, Partially Hydrogenated Vegetable and/or Animal Shortening (Soybean, Cottonseed and/or Canola Oil, Beef Fat), Whole Eggs, Dextrose. Contains 2% or Less of: Modified Corn Starch, Glucose, Leavenings (Sodium Acid Pyrophosphate, Baking Soda, Monocalcium Phosphate), Sweet Dairy Whey, Soy Protein Isolate, Calcium and Sodium Caseinate, Salt, Mono and Diglycerides, Polysorbate 60, Soy Lecithin, Soy Flour, Cornstarch, Cellulose Gum, Sodium Stearoyl Lactylate, Natural and Artificial Flavors, Sorbic Acid (to Retain Freshness), Yellow 5, Red 40.

Note: calcium sulfate is the food grade equivalent of plaster of paris! See the article below for more, and
for pictures of the aforementioned ingredients:

http://today.msnbc.msn.com/id/38872091/ns/today-foodwine


Thursday, September 16, 2010

Toxin Free Home: Chemical Free Cleaning with E-Cloth!

I am currently on a hunt for easier, faster, and more fun ways to clean our home. (That sounds like an oxymoron!) But I found one! It's called E-Cloth, and I've never seen anything like it!

Ok, so here's the deal. E-Cloth is a microfiber cloth. It's extremely well made, with fibers that are 1/100th the width of human hair. Because the fibers are so small, they trap bacteria, dirt, and dust, instead of just pushing it around.


And because the cloth itself is so efficient at cleaning, you don't have to use any cleaning products! Yes, you read that right, just water! I didn't believe this at first, but you'll see some results I had below.

All you do is spray water, wipe with the cloth, and the E-Cloth does the rest! And let me tell you,
because it works so well, it takes only moments or minutes to do a job that would formerly have been a project. And the results look like a professional came over.

In case you needed it to be more awesome, it lasts up to 300 times in the washer, saving you
money for years! (No more paper towels, cleaning supplies, etc)

Don't believe me? Check out the awesome results I had with their dusting cloths, on a VERY dusty piece of furniture!


Can you see how insanely dusty this is? In my defense, I knew my E-Cloths would be arriving, so I was waiting to dust! See how I wrote "Hi" in the dust?! It takes a lot of dust to do that!

But just a few swooshes around with the E-Cloth, (you don't have to use water with the dusting cloths) and the only dust to be found is on my cloth!

The dusting cloths have a natural positive static charge, so they literally attract the dust into their fibers!

Voila! A beautifully clean dresser, all in about a minute and a half!
Next week I'll post some pictures of amazing results I had with their bathroom cloths. I also really want to try their microfiber kitchen mop, and their kitchen pack.

Happy chemical-free, professional cleaning everyone!






Wednesday, September 15, 2010

Toxin Free Body: Is Your Shower Poisonous?


If we all could live in paradise, we'd shower in a pristine waterfall like the one pictured above.

But since we don't, I have a few interesting facts for you.

Did you know that...

A 10 minute shower is equivalent to drinking 8 glasses of toxic tap water?

And did you know that...

It takes your body 7 years to detox each and every single shower?!!!

Jordan Rubin calls this "putting our bodies on perpetual tilt." We're adding 7 year detoxing cycles to our bodies every day just from showering!

Now add in all the other toxins in our food and environment, and it's no mystery why we're suffering from cancer & degenerative diseases the way that we are.

Don't poison yourself in your shower!

Use a filter!

I recommend Dr. Mercola's shower filter, and New Wave Enviro's is good as well, although Dr. Mercola's is better and more effective. :)

Happy toxin free bathing everyone!


Tuesday, September 14, 2010

Toxin Free Baby: Natural Cures for Diaper Rash

Diaper rash is one of the most formidable words to parents with young children. Switching to cloth diapers has made a huge difference in the frequency of diaper rashes around our home, but sometimes, it just happens.

When it does, we do a few things. The first is to use our favorite organic baby balm, by Earth Mama Angel Baby. But there is something else that greatly helps speed the healing of diaper rashes- and that is a baking soda bath.

All you do is add 2 tablespoons to your little one's bath, and swirl it around until it dissolves.

A nurse recommended this to me, and it works wonders! It's easy to do, and works by helping to restore the proper PH balance to the skin. Let me know if you give it a try for your little ones!

(Although I hope you don't have to!) :)

Monday, September 13, 2010

Monday's Menu: Chocolate Lover's Protein Smoothie

Over the weekend, I made my husband and I a delicious smoothie that I thought I'd share with you. It is an excellent source of protein, good fats, and enzymes, and tastes delicious too!

Chocolate Lover's Protein Smoothie: (Serves 2 adults)

16 oz. organic raw milk
1 tablespoon organic cocoa powder, such as Rapunzel's
1-2 tablespoons organic peanut butter from Valencia peanuts (I like Maranatha's) (Do 1 tbsp for less peanut butter-ey, two tablespoons for very peanut butter-ey)
2 organic bananas
2 organic free range egg yolks, or whole eggs
1 tbsp organic extra virgin coconut oil
1 spoonful organic, raw honey

Blend together in a blender, or for the best consistency possible, a VitaMix. Blend until well mixed, and desired consistency is achieved.

Then pour into two glasses and enjoy the chocolatey goodness!






Friday, September 10, 2010

Friday's Food for Thought: Agave Nectar: Not So Sweet


When we first got started on the Maker's Diet, we switched over all our white sugar in favor of Rapadura and raw honey. While shopping a Whole Foods, I saw something in the sweetener section called, "Agave nectar."

I was curious about it, but never bought it, because it's not listed in the Maker's Diet as an approved food. It just doesn't mention it.


In the last couple of years, however, I started hearing about it everywhere. It seems that agave nectar has become all the craze in the health food world. It's advertised as being a great choice for diabetics, and a safe and healthy sweetener for just about everybody.

Unfortunately, it turns out that not only is agave nectar not healthy, it is actually worse for you than high fructose corn syrup- which most health aficionados are
working hard to avoid.

The reason is that it is incredibly processed-, and also insanely high in fructose content. (80% in some brands!) HFCS has a fructose content of 55%)

But don't take my word for it- check out these great articles from the Weston A. Price Foundation, and from Dr. Mercola.

http://www.westonaprice.org/modern-foods/1604-agave-nectar-worse-than-we-thought.html

http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2010/03/30/beware-of-the-agave-nectar-health-food.aspx


If you want to know which sweeteners I recommend, check out my Guide to Natural Sweeteners.

Have a "sweet" weekend everyone! (Sorry, I couldn't resist!) ;)

Thursday, September 9, 2010

Toxin Free Baby: What We're Eating


I thought I'd share with you what we had for lunch yesterday- as you see above, Nathaniel is in the middle of eating his organic Pink Lady apple slices. :)

For our lunches, we usually have leftovers of some sort. Here, Nathaniel is eating leftover slices of grass fed beef roast, organic Pink Lady apple slices (his favorite), cheese, (we love Organic Valley's raw cheddar), and drinking spring water and raw milk.

I cut the roast into slices, and re heat it in my cast iron pan in some butter. In addition to feeding Nathaniel, I'll usually use the meat to make a sandwich for Mark and me, using sprouted bread, raw cheese, organic mayonnaise & mustard, lettuce, and sliced tomato from the garden. I've also been making pickles from our garden cucumbers, which Mark has greatly enjoyed on his sandwiches!

And then I'll put some roast with some water in my VitaMix, and Micah will have his own form of the roast!

Happy lunch eating everyone!


Tuesday, September 7, 2010

Toxin Free Body: Super Easy Crockpot Chicken

I love my crockpot, especially when it makes me good, easy meals. :) Today I am making a super easy organic chicken, that tastes delicious, and takes 5 minutes to prepare.

I admit- it's not quite up to par with roasted oven chickens, but sometimes you just don't have an hour and a half, and the desire to wash a roasting pan.

I've found the secret to good tasting crockpot cooking is to use lots of butter, and to cook on High for 4-6 hrs. This works great for me as a stay at home mom, but probably wouldn't work as well for people wanting their food to cook or 8-10 hours.

Here's my super easy crockpot chicken recipe:

Ingredients:

1 whole, organic chicken
A generous amount of butter, about 1/2 a stick (I love making my own raw butter for spreading, but I use Organic Valley's cultured unsalted butter for cooking)
Sea salt or Himalayan salt
Black pepper
1 medium onion

Cut the onion into crescents, and put the pieces along the bottom of the crockpot.
Rub salt and pepper all over the chicken and set on top of the onion pieces.
(Breast side up.)
Cut the butter and place all over the top of the chicken. You can also put some butter where the drumsticks attach to the breast.


Put the crockpot on high, and cook for 4-6 hours.

That's it!

Super simple, and super yummy! The meat is incredibly tender, and the skin tastes delicious too. (The high heat keeps it from getting soggy.)

You can also toss in some carrots, potatoes, or sweet potatoes and have your full meal prepared. Enjoy!



Monday, September 6, 2010

What Are Your Questions This Week?

Happy Labor Day everyone! I hope you are all having a wonderful, relaxing day with your friends and family!

I'd like to know: What are your questions this week? Let me know, even if it's just one or two!

Have a great holiday!

Friday, September 3, 2010

Friday's Food for Thought: Are Cows Smarter Than We Are?

From William Campbell Douglass, MD: The Milk Book

"Dr. T.W. Gullickson, Professor of Dairy Chemistry, University of Minnesota, proved the nutritional superiority of butterfat over vegetable oils, which are the main ingredients of the vegetable margarines.

Gullickson used skim milk and combined it with lard, tallow, coconut oil, corn oil, cottonseed oil or soybean oil in place of the cream and fed it to the calves. The vegetable oil substitutes were mixed with skim milk in an attempt to imitate the 3.5 percent butterfat of milk.

As often happens in research, they proved something entirely different from their original objective. They had set out to find a cheaper way to raise calves for veal production. What they found was that calves will only grow on God's own natural milk, and when fed vegetable oil substitutes instead of the cream, they sicken and die.

On the corn oil mix three out of eight died within one 177, some as soon as 33 days. On cottonseed oil three out of four died within 126 days. Pick your favorite vegetable oil- the result was the same.

The survivors quickly recovered when switched to whole raw milk. If vegetable oil products are so devastating to the health of calves, do you think maybe they are bad for you, too?"


Thursday, September 2, 2010

You Asked: Help With Probiotics!

Today I'd like to answer two great questions sent from Prudence, and Kellye:

From Prudence:

"Even though the probiotics say to take on an empty stomach, can you take them with a little food? How do you know how many you need?"
And from Kellye:

"When you first started taking the primal defense and the other supplements....how many did you take per day? We will just take it as suggestions and helpful info. I'm just wondering if I'm taking enough to get me well again."
Great questions ladies! I'll answer Prudence's question first, about taking the Primal Defense probiotics on an empty stomach.

I have always taken them on an empty stomach, and neither my husband nor I have ever had any problems. We have definitely had problems when we have taken other brands of supplements on an empty, or barely full stomach. That is what I love about Garden of Life products. They are so easily digested and absorbed into your body, because your body recognizes them as food.

That being said, my husband prefers to take only one at a time, while I take all three. I doubt it would really hurt to take them with a little food, but I do think it's probably optimal to take them on an empty stomach. I hope that helps some!

And to answer Kelley's question, I started taking the Primal Defense the very first day I began the Maker's Diet, 5 years ago. I noticed a difference immediately! In the beginning, I took up to 9 per day, because I really wanted to rebuild my digestive system.

I did this for a little under two years, until my stomach was doing much, much better. I am so glad that I did! Now, I take a maintenance dose of three per day. With the other supplements I take, I just take the recommended daily amount. See my blog post about which supplements I take for more info.


I have found the best prices for Primal Defense on Amazon.com.

Happy probiotic taking everyone!

Wednesday, September 1, 2010

Toxin Free Body: It's Easy Being Green!

Today I'd like to answer a great question, sent by Sam:

"What goes into your green smoothies each morning?"

Good question, Sam! It's actually a very simple answer! I keep our fruit smoothies sweet, and pack them full of strawberries, raw milk, coconut oil and eggs, but make our green drinks as strictly green as possible. (We drink them separately)

To achieve this, all I do is mix 8 oz. of spring water with Garden of Life's Perfect Food Berry powder. I put it in our beloved VitaMix, which really helps dissolve the powder. However, for many years I simply stirred it with a spoon! But even a blender would be better than that!
This stuff is truly incredible. It packs more fruits and veggies per serving than any other green drink on the market. Just one serving is equivalent to eating 5 servings of fruits and vegetables.

It contains 21 vegetable juices, 13 fermented sprouted grains and legumes, 8 marine plants, and 7 fruits and berries, like acerola cherry, raspberry, and blueberry.

Now, there's no green drink I could personally whip up that included all those ingredients. So I don't bother. I just buy the powder and let Garden of Life do the hard work!

I've found the best price to be on Amazon.com.

Happy green drinking everyone!