Baking is a relaxing experience for many people. There is an enjoyment to the precision required to make a perfectly fluffy cake, chewy gooey cookies, or airy loaf of bread. Everything is wonderful until it comes time to clean the pan or tray in which you baked your goods. The cleanup process usually involves a lot of soaking and scrubbing. We can say for a fact that nobody likes that part. 

What do you do to minimize the dishes you have to do? If you are like most, you either use aluminum foil (not the healthiest choice) or silicone trays or mats. You can use silicone bakeware to easily remove gummy items, lotion bars, household staples, or cupcakes and muffins. The use of silicone molds may spark this question: Is it safe? Well, that truly depends, but we aim to answer it in this article.

What Is Silicone?

Before we get into cooking with silicone, it’s integral to understand the difference between silicon, silica, and silicone. Although these substances are related, they are not the same. Here’s a quick overview:

• Silicon: This is a natural element, meaning it cannot break down into smaller particles without splitting atoms. After oxygen, silicon is the second most abundant particle on the earth. It is used in many industries, including solar energy, construction, and electronics. Silicon Valley, anyone?
• Silica: This compound is made of silicon and oxygen. Silica is a primary component of the Earth’s crust and is naturally occurring in nature. It shows up in ceramics, abrasives, and glass manufacturing. You can also find silica in the human body, with some research indicating potential health benefits. 
• Silicone: You can create silicone, a synthetic polymer, by adding carbon or oxygen to silicon. It exists as a liquid, gel, or solid and is commonly used in the medical field. It exists in medical devices, including pacemakers, joint replacements, and implants. It is considered safe for these uses, and is very common in cooking utensils and bakeware. 

Is Cooking With Silicone Safe?

According to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), food-grade silicone is safe and approved for use in a variety of kitchen products. Food-grade silicone has been tested and certified by the FDA to be safe for contact with food. Food-grade silicone is a popular material for kitchenware. It is made from polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS), which is a synthetic polymer. It has a superior ability to withstand heat, it is non-stick, and it is dishwasher- and microwave-safe. Popular silicone bakeware items include cupcake liners, food storage containers, ice cube trays, baking molds, and reusable straws.

Benefits Of Silicone Bakeware

Silicone bakeware items are sturdy, convenient, and last a lot longer when made with silicone rubber. These molds can go straight from the oven to the freezer, or vice versa, without affecting their integrity. They have a higher resistance to high heat and are safe for human health, even after extensive use. Continue reading for more benefits. 

Easy-to-Clean

Silicone bake mats, molds, and other products are usually easy to clean. They are highly flexible, which makes it easy to get things in and out of them, allowing for easier cleanup. Silicone bakeware tends to be dishwasher-safe, but you can easily wash the items by hand. It has a smooth surface and tends to resist stains, so it won’t retain odors. 

Non-Stick

Silicone bakeware is usually more non-stick than traditional bakeware. That is highly convenient for muffin cups and cake pans. The natural non-stick properties mean that you don’t need to oil or grease before use, although a little oil never hurts. By not using excess grease or oil, you can reduce the amount of added fats in baking. 

Reusable

It is very easy to use parchment paper or aluminum foil when baking, especially if you are trying to save yourself excess cleaning. Silicone is very durable and can withstand repeated use. It is also resistant to fading, cracking, and peeling. People tend to choose silicone for these reasons, as it is a more eco-friendly alternative to foil, cupcake liners, and more.

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According to a 2023 report from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), nearly 90% of Americans don’t eat enough fruits and vegetables. To avoid being a statistic, you buy fruits and vegetables and plan to eat them, but something happens: they go bad before you get the chance to use them. You throw out your produce and don’t even bother to compost because it’s too upsetting to throw money down the drain. 

One report found that about 25% of American families throw away one quarter of the food and beverages they buy. Fruits and vegetables comprise 22% of that, while processed produce (canned fruits and vegetables) contribute another 8% of waste to landfills. We don’t say all this to make you feel guilty; rather, we want to help you make the right changes to keep your produce fresh for longer. 

The primary reason people throw their produce away is because they lack the proper storage knowledge. If you do not store your fruits and vegetables properly, they can spoil easily. Do those greenish-yellow bananas you buy turn brown quickly? Do your herbs turn slimy and brown? What about those cucumbers or apples? If you want to stop throwing your fruits and vegetables away, learn from the following tips. 

Limp, Slimy Lettuce

Big heads of lettuce in the grocery store inspire large bowls of salad and optimal health, as they should. The problem is that storing your lettuce improperly can cause those crispy leaves to become soggy, slimy, and limp. Moisture in the fridge causes most fruits and vegetables to lose their crisp texture and go bad. One way to counteract this is to line your fridge’s vegetable drawer with paper towels or terry-cloth towels. In doing so, the towels absorb excess moisture and keep produce, like your lettuce, crispier for a lot longer. The same rule applies for those bagged salads or tubs of greens!

Sprouting Potatoes

If you are tempted to buy the 10-pound bag of potatoes to save some money, make sure that you store them properly if you aren’t going to use them right away. Potatoes start to sprout more quickly if you keep a large bag on hand. To keep your spuds from sprouting, store them in a cool, dry place with as little moisture and sunlight as possible. Some people have had great success keeping potatoes fresh by throwing an apple in with the potatoes, but some experts warn against this. The reason not to do that is because apples emit ethylene, which can encourage sprouting. 

Mushy, Brown Bananas 

Like apples, bananas emit ethylene gas to ripen themselves. Some people swear that wrapping the top of a banana bunch with plastic wrap delays the ripening process, but that doesn’t solve the issue. Ethylene is produced throughout the banana, not just the stem. The best way to store bananas is to hang them on a hook, so that they get plenty of air circulation. Additionally, don’t store them near apples because the ethylene from apples will cause bananas to ripen more quickly. 

Slimy Mushrooms

Mushrooms are great vegetables that can make their way into myriad dishes, unless they become slimy and unappetizing. To avoid a slimy, mushy mess, make sure that you do not store mushrooms in plastic bags. Plastic traps moisture, which causes mildew and mushy mushrooms. Keep mushrooms in a paper bag so that they can breathe and moisture can escape. If you don’t have paper bags, keep mushrooms fresh by keeping them in their original packaging, but poke holes in the plastic to allow ventilation.

Rubbery Celery

Celery can become tasteless if you allow it to go from crispy to rubbery. You can, however, lengthen its time in the fridge if you store it properly. Experts encourage you to separate, wash, and dry the stalks before wrapping them in aluminum foil. That keeps most of the air and moisture in, while still allowing the ethylene gas to escape. If you store celery in a plastic bag, the moisture stays in the bag, which can accelerate the ripening process and turn your celery rubbery. 

Moldy Berries

Berries can be quite pricey, especially if they are not in season. To ensure that you don’t waste your berry money, protect them by giving them a bath in water for 10 seconds. What about soaking them in a vinegar bath? Well, that can leave a vinegar residue and cause your berries to taste unappetizing. Hot water can inhibit mold growth, according to research. The last step is to make sure that your berries are completely dry before storing them in the fridge. The hot water bath and proper drying before fridge storage can help extend their ripeness.

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Do you love to clean? No, nobody loves to clean, but cleaning is a necessary part of life. Cleaning helps get rid of germs, keeping you and anyone else who lives in your house safe. That said, many people clean with chemical cleaning products that contain toxic ingredients, many of which can damage endocrine function. 

Instead of polluting the home with chemicals while you clean, use a homemade, vinegar-based cleaner that is 100% safe. Vinegar is frequently recommended as a household cleaner and can be very effective on certain surfaces. We are, of course, referring to distilled white vinegar, not apple cider vinegar or wine vinegar. It is important to note that vinegar is a cleaner and not a disinfectant like bleach or commercial cleaners. Because of that, it is not as effective at killing certain germs when compared to disinfectant sprays. 

Why Should You Clean With Vinegar?

Vinegar is about 5% acetic acid, which works to break down the structure of some oils, dirt, films, bacteria, and stains. That same acetic acid can also harm certain surfaces, which is why vinegar cleaners aren’t meant to clean every inch of your home. Do not use vinegar on natural stone, cast iron, aluminum, or waxed wood. The “set time,” or the time a cleaner has to set on a surface in order to work, varies with a vinegar cleaner. Experts suggest that the set time for vinegar can be up to 30 minutes, especially if you use it to clean stained pots and pans. 

How Does Vinegar Work?

The acidity, as mentioned previously, makes vinegar a great cleaning agent. It can help dissolve soap scum, brines left behind by hard water, and even the glue from stickers. If you want to clean your windows or mirrors, mix vinegar with water and wipe with newspaper (not a paper towel) to avoid streaks. You can also use vinegar to get rid of stubborn stains, for example, from sweaty armpits or grass. Most of these types of stains are slightly acidic, meaning they will dissolve away in the presence of another acid, like vinegar. A paste made with vinegar and baking soda can help dissolve red wine stains. You can even use vinegar to get dog or cat urine out of carpets or clothes!

When To Not Use Vinegar

Because vinegar is highly concentrated, it can stain delicate fabrics and harm other surfaces. It will scratch natural stone like marble or granite. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), vinegar is not approved to disinfect surfaces. Unfortunately, there is no supporting evidence that shows that vinegar can get rid of harmful pathogens, like salmonella, that lurk on surfaces. Additionally, using vinegar on hardwood floors can eat away at the finish and make it look dull over time. 

Orange Basil Vinegar Cleaner

Not only does this recipe help clean certain surfaces, but it also leaves your home smelling floral and zesty. Instead of tossing orange peels into the trash, use the peels to provide that citrus scent to your vinegar cleaner. The peels from four oranges and four to five sprigs of basil will do the job!

Ingredients:

• 1 (16-ounce) wide-mouthed mason jar
• Peels from 4 oranges
• 4-5 sprigs of basil
• Distilled white vinegar

Instructions:

• Add the orange peels and sprigs of basil to the wide-mouthed mason jar and fill it to the top with vinegar. Tighten the lid and let it set for a minimum of 10 days. 
• After this infusion time, prepare a spray bottle and fill it halfway with the vinegar mixture (only the liquid, not the peels or sprigs). Add water to the spray bottle to fill it up. Shake well and use when ready. 
• Once you finish this solution, you can use the rest of the vinegar to create more. You shouldn’t keep your vinegar solution longer than one month, as you don’t want it to spoil.

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If you plant on traveling out of, through, or to Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) anytime soon, you won’t see plastic water bottles for sale. Los Angeles World Airports (LAWA), the airport authority that oversees LAX and Van Nuys Airport (VNY), banned single-use plastic water bottles. The reason for this is to encourage more sustainable travel. That said, bottled water served on aircrafts is exempt from the ban. 

The Los Angeles Board of Airport Commissioners approved this ban in June 2021; therefore, a two-year phase-out period has been in place. This period allowed vendors to sell out bottled water inventory and modify their purchasing contracts to fit with the new regulations. Now, all businesses with leases or concession agreements at LAX and VNY must use containers made from recyclable glass or aluminum. That means that you will see canned water and glass water bottles available at these airports from now on. 

Why The Change To Plastic-Free Water Bottles?

As part of LA’s “Green New Deal,” LAX and VNY are contributing to making the city of Los Angeles carbon neutral by the year 2050. The Green New Deal aims to create zero-carbon transportation, buildings, and electricity, in addition to eliminating waste and sourcing water locally. LAWA also partnered with the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power (LADWP) to install hydration stations throughout LAX and VNY. More hydration stations provide passengers easier access to drinking water. It also incentivizes passengers to bring reusable water bottles to avoid buying canned water or glass bottled water.

Because LAX is one of the nations’ largest airports, it is a hub for three primary U.S. airlines. It also serves as a major international gateway, while VNY doesn’t have regularly scheduled commercial airline service. That said, VNY is a popular aviation airport in Southern California. Even Justin Erbacci, LAWA’s CEO, encouraged passengers to bring reusable water bottles to these airports. Eliminating single-use plastic water bottles helps to enhance sustainability efforts and promotes environmentalism across all airports. 

LAX Is Not The First To Ban SIngle-Use Plastic Water Bottles

Although this is a great step in a more sustainable direction for LAX, it is not the first airport to enforce this ban. San Francisco International Airport (SFO) was the first to introduce this ban in August 2019. Since then, SFO expanded the ban to include sodas, teas, and juices in single-use plastic bottles. At this time, LAWA has not pursued efforts to that extent, but it may head down the same road in the future. 

Karen Bass, the Mayor of Los Angeles, said that the ban of single-use plastic water bottles was essential to aid the city’s effort in combating climate change. Climate crisis is a serious issue that the city faces, and phasing out these single-use plastic water bottles aids sustainability. Bass encourages all Angelenos to aid these efforts to reduce the city’s environmental footprint. Not only does that help improve the livelihood of Angelenos, but it also encourages a better future for the environment.

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Some people are more prone to body odor (BO) than others. Excessive perspiration or particular foods you eat can cause an unbearable stench. Sometimes, the root cause of your BO is poor gut health, i.e. a gut that doesn’t have a healthy balance of beneficial bacteria. Whatever the cause of your stinky pits, you don’t want to be the one smelly person. Why not detox your armpits, then?

What’s Wrong With Commercial Deodorants?

Commercial deodorants, especially anti-perspirant deodorants, are replete with chemicals that can harm the nervous and endocrine systems. Those chemicals can actually cause you to sweat and stink more than a natural deodorant can. Some common ingredients that are problematic are detailed below:

• Phthalates: These endocrine disruptors are found in plastic and can cause hormonal imbalance, or even infertility, especially in men.
• Formaldehyde: This known carcinogen may kill germs, but it can seriously harm the body. 
• Parabens: These hormone disruptors have unfortunately been found in biopsied tissue with breast cancer. 
• Aluminum: There is some evidence that links aluminum to cancer and Alzheimer’s disease, but more research is necessary to confirm this. 
• Propylene glycol: The common name for this toxin is antifreeze. The Environmental Working Group reports that it carries a moderate risk of immunotoxicity and allergies. It is a highly controversial ingredient in personal care products. 
• Antibacterial Substances: Antibacterial substances are bad? Well, some of these substances are known endocrine disruptors and can negatively affect immune function. 

Does Armpit Detoxification Work?

We’ll say this up front: there is no concrete medical or scientific evidence that supports the concept of armpit detoxing. A person’s body does not simply detox via the armpits. The liver, kidneys, lymph nodes, and spleen filter toxins that enter the body. The body then eliminates toxins via sweat, urine, and feces. The skin does not typically filter toxins, as armpit detox proponents claim. 

Some ingredients that people use to detox their pits can often cause irritation or other problems. Apple cider vinegar, for example, can irritate the skin, especially if the person has dry or sensitive skin. However, there are some supporters of armpit detoxification, but they stress that you should not use a scrub if you notice a rash under the arms. Additionally, if you use the underarm scrub in this article and find that it causes irritation or burning, stop the use. 

Whether or not an armpit detox works may be entirely personal. Some people swear that a regular armpit detox helps eliminate odor, even without wearing any deodorant. Other people notice that they sweat less after trying the armpit detox. All of this is completely personal and not based on scientific evidence. However, should you want to experiment with an odor removing underarm scrub, consider the recipe below. 

Odor Removing Underarm Scrub

Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup brown sugar
• 1/2 cup sea salt
• 1 tablespoon each: lemon juice and lemon zest
• 1 tablespoon each: melted coconut oil and honey

Instructions:

• Mix the sugar and salt together in a large mixing bowl and then add the lemon juice and lemon zest. Mix well to combine. 
• Drizzle in the coconut oil and honey and mix well before scooping into a glass container. Make sure to store in a cool, dry place and use one to two times per week for fresh underarms and smoother skin.

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If you regularly read our content, you know that we strongly encourage people to make healthy, dietary changes. In addition to highlighting foods that are beneficial for you, we also try to illustrate why certain foods are detrimental to the body. When it comes to overall health, however, a lot of elements, which can do harm to the body, are often overlooked. In this specific case, we are referring to cookware.

A lot of people don’t take the time to familiarize themselves with the potential dangers of certain cookware. So many people purchase nonstick cookware because these items are sold based on how easy they are to clean. People almost neglect the fact that popular nonstick cookware products contain a harmful chemical that can increase one’s risk of cancer.

Most nonstick cookware is made with poly- and perfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS). These substances can release perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA), a carcinogenic chemical when heated, into your food. Other chemicals can also flake off into your food during the cooking process.

So How Do You Choose Cookware?

When it comes to buying pots and pans, you need to keep an eye out for certain words. Aluminum and Teflon should always be avoided when you are buying cookware. According to research, elevated aluminum levels have been linked to ALS, Alzheimer’s disease, and problems with the central nervous system. Teflon is a material used in most nonstick cookware and can emit toxic chemicals at high heat. This is both dangerous for the cook and the person who eats the food.

Don’t let toxins leach into your food. We recommend the following nontoxic cookware items to keep your kitchen healthy.

Cast Iron Cookware

In the olden days, almost everyone used cast iron pots and pans. Most health experts agree that cast iron cookware is one of the safest options on the market. Not only do cast iron pots and pan retain heat well, but they also handle higher temperatures better than nonstick cookware. People who have low iron levels can also use cast iron cookware to naturally boost iron levels, because some of the iron from the pan can end up in your food (this is totally safe, by the way). Make sure you read up on how to properly season and clean your cast iron cookware.

Regular Stoneware

Stoneware is typically used for baking, as opposed to cooking on the stove. Stoneware is better than using aluminum baking sheets, roasting, pans, or muffin tins. While they can be tricky to clean, they give your food some great flavor and they help to evenly cook your food. Don’t use soap to clean the stoneware because the stone can absorb the soapy flavor.

Stainless Steel

Next to cast iron, stainless steel is considered to be one of the safest, nontoxic cookware options. Stainless steel cookware can resist corrosion and it doesn’t flake off into your food. The important thing to remember is that there are many grades of stainless steel, so make sure you buy food-grade cookware. Stainless steel is a combination of carbon, chromium, nickel, and manganese. Make sure you don’t use an abrasive cleaning device to clean your pans because damaging the lining makes it possible for metals to leach into your food.

Glass

While you won’t use glass on the stove, glass cookware is nontoxic, eco-friendly, and extremely durable. There are no PFAS or fluorinated chemicals in glass cookware, but make sure that you buy oven-safe glass! This is of vital importance because you don’t want to spend time making an elaborate dish, only to have your glass break in the oven. As long as you are using glass cookware, you may as well use glass containers instead of plastic ones to avoid the toxic effects of BPA.

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Almost every household has aluminum foil. It makes clean up easy if you are baking and people even use it to scrub pans to help clean the food that won’t come off with a sponge. Some sources even say that you can cure common health ailments with aluminum foil! Since aluminum is a heavy metal, why would you want it in your body?

Aluminum took the place of copper in cookware because it was cheaper for mass production, and it made these items easier to clean. These items include regular pots and pans and certain kitchen utensils like forks, butter knives, and serving spoons. It’s best to avoid aluminum cookware and cook with ceramic, stainless steel, or cast iron pans.

There has long since been a debate about aluminum foil increasing one’s risk of developing Alzheimer’s disease. While aluminum foil isn’t good for the body, you would have to eat a lot of food cooked at very high temperatures in aluminum foil to have detrimental effects on the brain. Aluminum poses other health risks, however, making people more susceptible to bone diseases and kidney failure.

When it comes to cooking or wrapping your food with aluminum foil, you should not do it. It’s that simple. The metal can leach into your food, especially when you cook with it. The foil is not meant to be in the high oven temperatures. The higher the temperature, the more metal emits into the food. More aluminum can leach into foods with more acidic pH levels, e.g. tomatoes, citrus, or spices.

New studies have shown that cooking with aluminum foil can cause an aluminum build-up inside your bones. The aluminum begins to takes up space, ultimately reducing your calcium content. This is why those who cook with aluminum foil are more prone to developing bone disease. Additionally, cooking with aluminum foil has been tied to pulmonary fibrosis and other respiratory ailments, due to the ingestion of aluminum particles.

We do not recommend using aluminum for cooking. It is best to use porcelain or glassware when preparing baked dishes.

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Nobody likes to smell bad. You don’t want to be that one person, who is the smelly one in the group, so you buy chemical products to ensure that you smell great. People spend nearly $1 billion on deodorants, deodorant soaps, and antiperspirants to mask body odor.

Scary chain emails have circulated about the dangers of using deodorants and antiperspirants, but they are not one in the same. Deodorants help mask body odor, while antiperspirants help reduce wetness under the arms or other areas (such as feet). And when it comes to deodorants and antiperspirants, more expensive doesn’t mean that the product is better for you. The ingredients are what matter.

What is Perspiration?

When we perspire, we are excreting and releasing toxins. It is a healthy bodily function that has been targeted as “undesirable” by many. The skin is the largest organ of the human body, and perspiration is the way it eliminates toxins. If you reduce the skin’s ability to do its job properly, it makes other organs and systems in the body work harder.

Antiperspirants work by irritating the skin to cause an inflammatory reaction, accompanied by swelling and expansion of the cells around the sweat glands. This reduces the amount of sweat that can get to the skin’s surface.

Why Do We Smell?

When we use deodorant, we are not affecting a bodily function; rather, we are masking body odor with fragrance and targeting bacteria via antibacterial agents such as Triclosan.

There are many causes of body odor:

• Underlying condition or illness, particularly in the lymphatic system
• Poor diet (e.g., meat, dairy, processed foods, refined starches and grains)
• Stress
• Smoking
• Drinking alcohol
• Taking drugs
• Poor personal hygiene

Why Deodorants and Antiperspirants are Harmful

The vast majority of over-the-counter and prescription deodorants, as well as antiperspirants, are made with potentially harmful ingredients that can enter the bloodstream and hurt the body’s ability to function. For example:

• Aluminum chloride is a known irritant that helps reduce perspiration, but also removes color from clothing and degrades fabric.
• Propylene glycol is used to degrease engines and other industrial products.
• Triclosan is a known irritant made from petroleum. It’s a synthetic antibacterial agent.
• Aluminum zirconium tetrachlorhydrex (GLY) plugs the pores and stains fabric when mixed with sweat (It’s what leaves that yellowish tinge on your white shirts).
• Stearyl alcohol slows the evaporation rate of water (sweat)

Aluminum has an affinity for the brain and human pineal gland (our spiritual center) and large concentrations of toxic aluminum develop in these body parts. Aluminum has been implicated as the number one cause of Alzheimer’s disease.

Side Effects

Whether male or female, the underarm lymph nodes are impaired from the use of deodorant and antiperspirants. The lymph nodes are ducts that throw off toxins. When there is such a backup of toxins in the lymphatic system in the chest region, the nearby armpits suffer. The lymph nodes at the armpits become swollen and inflamed.

Have you ever felt a burning, tender soreness in your underarms? Ever developed a large and painful knot or lump (that lasts for days) in your underarms? This is the result of the chemicals in commercial brand underarm deodorants and antiperspirants, which is why they should not be used.

Natural Alternatives

If you are experiencing redness, soreness, and/or inflammation (in the form of a large lump) under the arms, stop using that deodorant/antiperspirant. Perform a sea salt soak to help balance your pH level. Apply aloe vera to the armpit area (throughout the day). It may be beneficial to perform either our 10-day or 20-day Full Body Cleanse to facilitate healing. After you heal, only use a good brand of deodorant (i.e. Alvera).

Individual herbs great for cleansing the lymphatic system include:

• Echinacea root
• Goldenseal root
• Octillo
• Lobelia
• Mulein Leaf
• Red Root
• Wild Indigo Bark
• Chaparral, and
• Burdock Root

Good brands include Alvera, Aubrey Organic, and Avalon Organics. Tom’s of Maine brand products are a better choice than most commercial brands, but they now have antiperspirant varieties so try to avoid those. Double-check the ingredients on the stick, spray, or roll-on.

We also have our P.M. Detox Deodorant, which helps to alkalize your underarms and remove aluminum from previous deodorants or antiperspirants. This is an all-natural, risk-free alternative to deodorants with chemicals. The ingredients are active during the night and work to open sweat ducts to release toxins.

You can also use activated charcoal as a natural way to draw out heavy metal toxins from your armpits. Then you can use one of the natural deodorant recipes below.

A lot of people resort to crystal stick deodorants as an alternative solution. Make sure the crystal deodorant doesn’t list “alum” as an ingredient. Alum is short for “aluminum”, as in ALUM-inum (Alum + inum). It isn’t beneficial to your body if you think you are using a natural substance when you actually are not. There are no real studies that show alum or even aluminum, for that matter, cause cancer as scientists will not do a peer-reviewed study on the matter. It is up to you to decide whether you want to go all natural or semi-natural. There is no one way to go on this matter as your hormonal balance as well as diet can determine your need for deodorant in the first place.

Natural Deodorant Recipes

When it comes to homemade deodorants, you may have to keep them on hand to apply more frequently when you start using them. Your body is detoxing the chemicals from the other deodorants. Here are a couple recipes that you can use.

Recipe #1

• ¾ cup arrowroot powder
• ¼ cup baking soda
• 4 tablespoons melted organic coconut oil

Recipe #2

• ½ cup organic coconut oil
• ½ cup baking soda
• 50 drops essential oil of your choice (cypress & rosemary for males, and lavender & lemon for females)

Mix the ingredients of whatever recipe you choose and store it in an airtight glass container. It’ll keep you smelling good and fresh when you need it!

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Consuming a Standard American Diet (SAD) may cause you to develop parasites inside your body. The consumption of meat is a large cause for parasite infections because of the amount of parasites that live in meat. The good news is that there are many ways to naturally and effectively eliminate these parasites, which commonly infect about 85% of Americans. That’s quite a high percentage. To break free from this lifestyle pattern, carefully choose restaurants, always wash your hands after animal exposure or hospital/school visits, abstain from eating meat, and perform a parasite cleanse twice a year to rid yourself of these common parasites.

What are parasites? Parasites are organisms that feed off other organisms, for example, they can live inside the body or on the skin and feed off the host. They enter the body via food or water ingestion and can be transmitted from the environment to the skin. Many of these parasites are harmful to humans, often resulting in some form of sickness. The waste from parasites can also poison the body and cause dizziness, unclear thoughts, or poor digestion. This is known as verminous intoxication or poisoning. Because people are so used to living with parasites, sickness or common symptoms have become the norm. Living with parasites in the blood stream or body should not be the norm because they rob the body of nutrients. In fact, though there are tests for common parasites, few doctors can recognize common symptoms or problems as parasitic infections. most American doctors only suspect parasites when they are visible, but this is after they have severely progressed into diseases or illnesses.

The symptoms of parasite infections can include:

• constipation
• diarrhea
• gas and bloating
• irritable bowel syndrome
• joint and muscle aches
• anemia
• cravings for junk food
• distaste for vegetables
• allergies
• skin conditions (irritation, itching near eyes/nose/ears/anus, rashes, hives, or eczema)
• tumors
• sleep disorders
• anxiety
• teeth grinding
• chronic fatigue
• headaches
• runny nose
• acne
• fever
• yeast/candida infections (especially if they reoccur)
• Immune System Dysfunctions

Common Parasites

Roundworms

Roundworms are common in pets, but can also live in the stomachs and intestines of humans. These worms often live in the soil and can enter the body if you touch them and then touch your mouth without washing your hands. The most common disease associate with roundworms is Ascariasis. Remember to wash your hands after pets or their feces, or if you touch dirt. If you are on a raw-food diet, it is possible to get roundworms, but remember to wash your produce to minimize this risk.

Heart Worms

Heart worms are extremely rare in humans. If it occurs, it has been documented that a single worm will live in the lungs, as opposed to the heart. They cannot be passed from animal to animal (or human to human), rather, they must be spread through mosquitos.

Tapeworms

Often living in the lower intestinal tract, tapeworms usually enter the body via undercooked beef, pork, or fish. Those with tapeworm infections may not experience symptoms. The best way to avoid getting tapeworms is to wash your hands after meat preparation or consumption.

Pinworms

A pinworm infection is one of the most common human intestinal worm infections. They are highly contagious and can live inside the lungs and intestinal tract. Poor hygiene is the primary cause for pinworm infections, but one can contract the infection by coming in contact with another infected person. At night, pinworms come out and lay eggs around the anus and upon hatching, the worms crawl back inside the anus. If scratching occurs during sleep, pinworms are small enough to get lodged under the fingernails and can spread to whatever the person touches. That means that that if someone touches a contaminated person and then touches his/her mouth, the pinworms will enter the body. Pinworms are even light enough to become airborne, which means people can inhale them.

Hookworms or Threadworms

Hookworms, commonly found in drinking water, can affect humans and enter via the feet because they are tiny. They lodge themselves in the intestinal walls and feed off human blood. Because they consume blood to live, a persistent infection can lead to anemia.

Good News! There Are Treatment Options

Conventional doctors, who practice Western medicine will commonly prescribe anti-parasitic medications if he/she believes you have parasites. Medications are usually toxic, as their toxicity kills parasites, but this can cause lymph node swelling, especially in the hands and feet. Luckily there are natural alternatives that can help eliminate parasites. Commercial parasite formulas often are overpriced and have low concentrations. Unfortunately, we cannot examine and evaluate each formula. This list includes:

• Diatomaceous Earth
• Black Walnut Hulls
• Wormwood (from the artemisia shrub)
• Common Cloves (from the clove tree)
• Pumpkin Seeds or Pumpkin Seed Oil Capsules
• Raw Garlic
• Neem*
• Thyme Leaf and Seed
• Marshmallow Root

*Don’t take Neem if you are pregnant or want to get pregnant because it can act as a contraceptive.

While it is an all natural pesticide, diatomaceous earth is one of the best anti-parasitic remedies. When you buy diatomaceous earth, it is important to buy food grade as the industrial grade is chemically treated and used in swimming pool filters. It kills insects, parasites, or worms by dehydrating them. If you mix one tablespoon of diatomaceous earth with water and drink it for seven days straight, it should effectively kill the living parasites in you body. The amount of the diatomaceous earth needs to be altered if using it for children. For example, a 4-foot tall child should take 2 teaspoons, while a 2-foot tall child should only take 1 teaspoon. While using diatomaceous earth is it important to stay hydrated, as the earth naturally dehydrates the body.

One of the reasons diatomaceous earth is so effective is because it is 85% silica. Silica is a life-giving mineral that is the third most common component in the body after oxygen and carbon. Although diatomaceous earth contains aluminum and lead as part of its mineral content, the selenium in its makeup helps cleanse the body of heavy metals. This means that the lead and aluminum are of little concern. Once you are done cleansing the body, continual intake of selenium supplements can make sure all heavy metals are flushed out.

If you aren’t going to use diatomaceous earth, using a combination of woodworm, black walnut hulls, and cloves is another way to efficiently cleanse the body of parasites. Add thyme and burdock to this regimen and you should be able to effectively flush out the parasites. If finding these items proves difficult, you can use the ParaWrm Formula, which is a natural parasite cleanser that contains all of them.

You may consider participating in a liver cleanse or detox. If the liver isn’t functioning optimally, the bile flow will be reduced. When the liver is cleansed, be it with a cleanse, dandelion root tea, beets, or other alternatives, bile flow will be improved and thusly attack living parasites. And parasites hate bile!

It’s a good idea to refrain from eating meat, pork, poultry, fish, seafood, and shellfish because they can contain parasitic eggs and cysts. Additionally, get rid of food allergens, as parasites thrive on them. Continued consumption of soy, wheat, eggs, and dairy can lead to parasites having a long-term home that is your body. It’s also a good idea to consume raw garlic and onions as they provide the body with sulfur, which contains amino acids that are anti-parasitic. If you don’t want to eat them raw, you can juice them with leafy greens and lemons.

An amazing and potent anti-parasitic is oil of oregano. Mixing 2-3 drops with a little lemon in an 8oz glass of water (suggested to consume 3-4 times a day) has been known to help kill parasites. You can also take probiotic supplements or eat probiotic foods like tempeh, miso, kombucha, or kimchi. Probiotics can effectively combat intestinal parasites, especially the hookworm parasite.

You may get sick or experience cramps or stomach pains as part of the cleansing your body of parasites, but this is okay; it means the cleanse worked. You may feel fatigued at times, but your normal life should continue and you should feel sick less often. Continue with a healthy diet such as raw-food, vegan, or vegetarian and your immune system will get stronger and keep you healthier.

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Alzheimer’s Disease, named after German neurologist Aloysius Alzheimer, is medically defined as: “Presenile dementia, characterized by confusion, memory failure, disorientation, restlessness, agnosia, speech disturbances, inability to carry out purposeful movements, and hallucinosis. The disease usually begins in later middle life with slight defects in memory and behavior and occurs with equal frequency in men and women.” Mosby’s Medical Dictionary, 3rd edition, p. 49

Basically, Alzheimer’s disease is a condition of neurological atrophy or degeneration, more commonly known as dementia. An estimated 4 million U.S. citizens suffer from Alzheimer’s disease.

Causes and Risk Factors

It’s thought that Alzheimer’s Disease is caused by a combination of genetics, lifestyle and environmental factors. While the true cause isn’t known, the disease is marked by two distinct traits:

• Plaques – these clumps of protein may damage or destroy brain cells by blocking cellular communication
• Tangles – a vital protein called tau gets tangled, and prevent nutrients from reaching brain cells

Risk factors include:

• Age
• Family history and genetics
• Gender
• Heart health (such as high blood pressure)
• High cholesterol
• Diabetes
• Lifestyle
• Tobacco use
• Mild cognitive impairment (MCI)

Symptoms

Common symptoms of Alzheimer’s Disease are:

• Memory loss
• Problems planning or resolving challenges
• Difficulty completing things at home or work
• Confusion with time or place
• Difficulty with spatial relationships
• Problems with using words while speaking or writing
• Losing things and not able to retrace steps
• Decreased or poor judgement
• Withdrawal from social situations
• Changes in mood or personality

Healing Alzheimer’s Disease Naturally

On the physical level, Alzheimer’s disease is the result of poor diet, lack of minerals and oxygen to the brain.

Pharmaceutical drugs can do more harm than good. A sick person doesn’t need drugs. They need nutrition, oxygen, alkalinity, solar energy (sunlight) and good vibrations.

Oxygenating and nervine herbs are needed to help heal from Alzheimer’s disease. Good oxygenating herbs include: gotu kola, gingko biloba, black walnut hulls, blessed (or holy) thistle, damiana, and yohimbe bark to name a few.

Gotu kola is perhaps the best herb for Alzheimer’s as this herb naturally contains bio-aluminum, which has an attraction for man-made aluminum. The bio-aluminum in gotu kola is negatively charged whereas man-made aluminum is positively charged, so gotu kola pulls harmful aluminum out of the body.

Good nervine herbs include kava kava, jatamansi, valerian root, chamomile, lavender flower (buds), skullcap, passionflower, catnip, St. John’s wort, lily of the valley, wild lettuce, blue and vervain.

Heavy metal toxicity is also greatly implicated in Alzheimer’s disease. The greatest culprit undoubtedly would have to be aluminum, a notorious waste product (though not classified as a heavy metal) that is disposed of via food and products that humans consume and utilize.

Aluminum is purposely put into many products that people use, including baking soda, antacids, antidiarrheal products, deodorants (listed as “alum”), commercial douche preparations, shampoos, and a host of food additives.

Other healing options are:

• A mentally stimulating job
• Mentally challenging leisure activities
• Frequent and meaningful social interaction
• Regular exercise such as walking or yoga

Dietary Intervention

Daily diet has to be modified. A raw foods vegan diet is best.

Animal products and byproducts in addition to refined grains help produce more mucus that will impair circulation of oxygen and nutrients through the blood stream. These things will only produce more mucoidal plaque, unhealthy cholesterol, and other debris that will stick to the walls of the arteries and impair healthy circulation.

If aluminum is in the food, then the aluminum just as the heavy metal toxins will deposit in the blood vessels of the brain and inhibit oxygen (due to inhibiting blood flow) which will cause deterioration of the brain and thus impair the mental faculties, i.e. memory, the thought process, cognition, etc.

So a raw foods vegan diet will be best for the healing of all degenerative diseases.

Good waters to drink for healing purposes include distilled water (as it attracts unhealthy mineral deposits) and alkaline water (which causes the tissues to dump off toxins).

A diet that is low-fat diet rich in fruit and vegetables, as well as heavy in omega 3 fatty acids can help, too.

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