Au Naturel

I love my beauty products just like any other girl.  However, I am also trying to be more conscious of what on put on my body.  A quick perusal of many hair care and body products yields a lot of words I cannot pronounce.  So I have been trying to make an effort to find ways to make my own personal care products.

While doing some research, I came across the "no 'poo method"-eschewing store bought shampoo and conditioner for simple concoctions to wash your hair.  The most popular method is using a tablespoon of baking soda dissolved in about 8oz of water for shampoo, with an apple cider rinse (1 or 2 TBSP of apple cider vinegar diluted in about 8 oz of warm water) used afterwards.  I tried this method for about 2 weeks.  Results? Meh. I really didn't like how my hair looked or felt.  I couldn't figure out if it was the baking soda mixture or the apple cider rinse.  I read that it takes a while for your scalp to readjust to the more natural cleasing methods, so I don't know if it was that or not.  

I didn't want to go back to store bought shampoo, so I sought out a different formula.  After some searching, I found this homemade shampoo, which I absolutely love!  This is courtesy of wellnessmama.com which is a wonderful website if you are looking for information on a healthier lifestyle.

1/4 cup coconut milk

1/3 cup castille soap (I use Dr. Bronners, which you can find at most health food stores & Target)

1/2 tsp or several capsules Vitamin E (optional)

20 drops of essential oil (whatever your preference)

for dry hair you can add 1/2 tsp olive or almond oil

Combine everything in a jar and keep in the shower, shaking up before using.  It even lathers up a bit, like regular shampoo.  My hair feels so much better.  Occasionally I will use a rinse on it.  I usually put some rosemary in a tea ball, put it in a cup, and pour boiling water over it and let it steep.  I'll add a few drops of essential oil, like Roman Chamomille, and a little bit of apple cider vinegar.

I highly recommend the e-book Hair Gone Wild  by Diane Kidman.  She has all sorts of natural recipes and remedies for different types of hair and hair problems.  

One note-although the baking soda method didn't work for me, it worked wonders on my daughter's hair.  Her hair is usually a nightmare to comb through.  Since I started using the baking soda/ACV rinse on her hair, it is much more manageable and easy to comb through in the mornings-which is a godsend.


In the future, I'll write about my experiences with homemade toothpaste and body wash :)

Surrounded

I was just looking at a Facebook post from Huffington Post.  It listed the 10 favorite food bloggers of the month.  Then I looked through my timeline and found dozens of pages devoted to food-paleo diet food, gluten free food, desserts, product pages, etc.  My Twitter feed is filled with the same thing.  My inbox always has recipes or links to blogs that tout certain ingredients.  And I wonder why I have such issues with food!

We are a nation surrounded by paradoxes in food.  Fast food vs fine dining, gluten free, lactose free, paleo friendly, vegans and vegetarians.  Price Choppers vs Whole Foods.  Food, food everywhere in this nation of abundance.  Is there any reason why we should wonder why so many Americans are overweight, have poor diets, run like hamsters on treadmills, or pop pills for ailments that can be traced back to what we consume?  We have tv networks devoted to food, hundreds of magazines, cooking segments on the news.  We are surrounded.

The question I ask myself is: WHY?  It's just food.  Food is fuel for your body.  Thankfully it comes in many wonderful wholesome forms, which we insist on transforming and recreating into countless recipes.  Food nourishes us and provides us with vitamins and minerals that our bodies need.  Food, in its simplest forms, is just plain beautiful.

Food is not meant to cure our ills.  It shouldn't take the place of anything.  It shouldn't be a bandaid for emotions, or a companion for boredom.  It should be consumed when you're hungry and when you are full, you should stop.  Seems so simple, doesn't it?

Then why am I, and many other people, plagued with thoughts of food?  It's like an addiction.  It is an addiction-but one you can't just stop.  You can give up drugs, alcohol, or smoking, but you can't stop eating.  It's a disease of affluence.  I can walk a half a mile from my house and hit a McDonald's, a pizza joint, two diners, and a sub shop.  Not to mention I have 3, count 'em, 3 grocery stores within a mile of my house.  Talk about a junkie's paradise.

I grew up in a family where food was love.  You celebrated with food, you gathered for special dinners, you went out to eat for....well, for no reason at all sometimes.  And while every culture feasts when they celebrate a victory or a marriage or a holiday, I think we take it to an extreme here.

For me, personally, food has to step off center stage.  I have to stop letting it dominate my thoughts-there's no need for that.  There are so many things I can worry about than what to make for dinner.  I can do so many more things with a friend than meet them at a restaurant.  And while bookmarking recipes has become a favorite pastime, it has to be replaced with something more worthwhile.  Only then will I get over this addiction and start to gain back my health and well being.