24Toothpaste
You may think that toothpaste isn’t an item where you need to read the ingredients list, but unfortunately, I’d start if you haven’t already done so. Most of the ingredients that we use to clean our teeth with end up in our stomach and intestines and can be absorbed into our gums. Hence the need to rinse with water or switch to a natural toothpaste. Being a natural product reviewer I’d opt for either 
making the switch or making your own. Having small amounts of carcinogens every day, especially in your gastrointestinal system is in no way healthy for you, your family or the environment.
What you want to look out for:
SLS: For some reason, companies, even natural ones add this ingredient to make it seem frothy, like you’re getting a good clean. Everyone likes a good old frothy rabies smile when they brush their teeth. In reality, rabies is not attractive and this stuff stays in your gut, so much so that studies are finding large amounts of it in the intestines even after one stops using sls ingredients in their toothpaste. Yuck! This stuff is also known to be toxic to the liver and kidneys not to mention toxic to aquatic animal life…think about how many people have this ingredient in their toothpaste for themselves and how much of it goes down the drain.
Titanium Dioxide: I’ve read so many mixed things about this ingredient. It’s a white pigment from the oxide of titanium. Essentially, it’s a mineral that gives items a white pigment…like paint, makeup, tattoo ink, food glaze, the lining on baseball and soccer fields, plastics, paper… The harm in titanium dioxides was mostly discovered from in sunscreens, as the ingredient lists have to include silica and other components that do not allow the titanium dioxide particles to penetrate the skin as it is a known human carcinogen. Key word: Carcinogen.That being said, I have never seen a makeup even natural one without this ingredient. Regardless, It’s used to make your toothpaste look white and is unnecessary.
Parabens-I’ve mentioned these before. Estrogens, found in tumors=bad.
Our take on Sodium Fluoride: I’ve actually fought with my dentist about this. I, in no way, mean to mock dentists or dental related practices or people who use fluoride because their dentist said so. I just am looking at the facts and my dentist had no solid argument other than “the text book said so”… and it was written by Colgate…ahem.
Sodium Fluoride is one of the main ingredients in rat and cockroach poison. Even minimal ingestion of sodium fluoride causes nausea, vomiting, gastric pain, and diarrhea. Large doses may cause paralysis, muscular weakness, followed by respiratory and cardiac failure. I am not a fan of having fluoride used as a water treatment. Fluoride poisoning is surprisingly identical symptoms of osteoporosis and I wonder how many people are being misdiagnosed from having too much fluoride in their water from the accumulation of such an ingredient in their system over a long period of time. Sodium fluoride is also the main component in anesthetic and psychiatric drugs while being primarily used for Sarin Nerve Gas. Our body needs a tiny, tiny amount of this mineral in our body for our teeth and bones, but the over consumption of this mineral in our society is slightly terrifying.
“Surprisingly, fluoride has NEVER been approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA). Additionally, a 1990 study stated that fluoride has been shown to NOT reduce cavities and scientists are now linking fluoride to dental deformity, arthritis, allergic reactions and about 10,000 unnecessary deaths each year from cancer. (From “Fluoride an equivocal carcinogen. National Cancer Institute)
You could say I am anti-fluoride. I am a firm believer that I probably get enough fluoride when I eat a soup made by someone else or I drink juice from the store. I’m sure somewhere in my day even if I go out of my way to avoid it, I’ll probably get enough of it somehow and it’s probably the bodies requirement anyways.
Triclosan: A pesticide found in many types of commercial toothpaste. Pesticides and the complex chemical components that make them up can be stored in body fat, sometimes accumulating to toxic levels causing damage the liver, kidneys, heart and lungs, suppress the immune system, and cause hormonal disruption, paralysis, sterility and brain hemorrhages.
Hydrated Silica: A whitener that damages tooth enamel. Taken from Quartz, sand and flint is the primary abrasive agent in commercial toothpastes. The difficulty in avoiding this ingredient, is that all cleaners need an abrasive. That goes for most things. Salt is the best abrasive as it wears down and is dissolved in water. Silica, being used from sand, and rock, does not break down and if you have soft teeth this is going to be harder to avoid even in the natural industry. The benefit is that MOST natural companies know this and grind this ingredient down to a very fine powder so that it can be broken down by the body and will not do significant damage provided you don’t brush your teeth 10 times a day with an industrial electric toothbrush. I think of all the ingredients it’s the least harmful if you brush your teeth gently and take good care of your gums.
Propylene Glycol: Causes birth defects and is the agent that brings moisture and toxins to the deeper levels of the skin=bad.
FD&C Food color dyes may also cause potentially severe allergic reactions, asthma attacks, headaches, nausea, fatigue, nervousness, lack of concentration, and cancer. Also, you’re trying to clean your teeth. Why would you need purple or blue toothpaste to make it appealing?
Whiteners:
Believe it or not, there are natural teeth whiteners out there. The harm in commercial ones is basically the stripping of the enamel and the bleaching of the teeth which are caused by some pretty chemically harsh ingredients.
Your choices are going to range from bamboo, calcium, walnut tree bark, orange peel, strawberries, sage, lemon juice, and baking soda. There are probably some other natural miracle ones, but these ones are the most popular in the natural market. The avoidance of smoking, large wine consumption and coffee are also recommended for those wanting to make their teeth all bright and sparkly.
So…all that being said. You can either make your own, or make the switch, and if you do make the switch here are some good ones to choose:
Dr kens
Kens give you the option of having fluoride or fluoride free and whitening or not. Whitening has titanium dioxide, but you can easily avoid this by purchasing their basic regular fluoride free formula.
It has some great antioxidants like green tea, aloe and stevia, which is a great sweetener in toothpaste and has been shown to be quite beneficial for proper oral hygiene.
http://www.drkens.net/default.asp
Green Beaver
Yes, they make toothpastes. Awesome toothpastes. Not only do you get clean ingredients, but also some cool flavors like orange, green apple, star anise and cilantro mint. These guys have a very small amount of hydrated silica at the very end of their ingredient list, meaning there is only traces of it. My advice is to not use it with an electric toothbrush that could cause further abrasive damage to the enamel.
http://www.greenbeaver.com/
Kiss my face Whitening
This is one of the good whitening toothpastes out there and used aloe vera as one of the main components. I especially like the mint as it doesn’t burn or sting like most of them. Its a good clean and I like the taste and the ingredients.
http://www.kissmyface.com/
Thera Neem
Neem is an excellent anti bacterial and healing oil. Quite beneficial in cleaning and protecting the gums , it is no wonder it is now a main ingredient in so many different salves, lotions and shampoo and not just used for toothpaste.
http://www.herbalremedies.com/neem-toothpaste.html
Newco
I really like this company for so many reasons. In terms of natural, apart from making it yourself, it is probably the most natural one. They make a great kids line ranging from kiwi, bubble gum, strawberry, cantaloupe and orange cream. They use yucca as a foaming agent, seaweed, tea tree, grapefruit extract and colloidal silver. Doesn’t get any better than this.
http://www.abacohealth.com/index.php/brandval/NEWC|NewCo
For Kids
Babies I would recommend Waleda toothpaste or Newco. Kiss my face has a great toothpaste for kids under 4.
For kids over 4 and under 12, Newco is still my fave.
Mouthwashes: I generally don’t use mouthwashes that have alcohol in them. However, the main function of a mouthwash is to be rid of any leftover bacteria. The same result can be achieved through salt water rinse. I do like Jasons line of mouthwashes. The ingredients are good and beneficial for what you want to achieve by using a mouthwash.
For those ambitious types
Make your own toothpaste recipe:
All Natural Toothpaste Recipe 1
1/4 cup Vegetable Glycerin
1/4 cup Baking Soda
one eights of a tsp on salt
10 to 15 drops of Food grade Essential Oil of your choice: cinnamon, anise, orange cinnamon, lemon, ginger…go nuts.
Recipe 2 with Stevia
3 tablespoons of baking soda and
1/2 small packet of stevia powder
2 tablespoons of coconut oil
20-25 drops of food grade essential oil
What about toothbrushes…Here are some awesome companies making toothbrushes and floss out of recycled plastics like yogurt containers or the leftover pulp from nylon.
http://www.radiustoothbrush.com/
http://www.preserveproducts.com/products/personalcare/toothbrush.html
This one goes out to all the ladies…
Pain relief/painful period products…
Almost every woman I know has painful and problematic periods. I’m tying this in with pain relief, as they are similar in results; pain being the problem, inflammation being the problem.
Why do periods hurt? Once an egg has been released from the ovaries, natural chemicals called prostaglandins, which are made throughout the body including in the lining of the uterus. Some prostaglandins cause the walls of the uterus to contract while some women who produce higher levels of prostaglandins, cause pain and cramping in that area. Cramps may also be more painful because there is reduced blood and therefore oxygen supply to the muscles wall of the uterus during the contractions causing a tighter muscle.
Some women also suffer from fibroids, endometriosis, lupus, hormonal imbalances and many other factors which can contribute to painful periods. Instead of looking at each individual cause, lets loop them all together and attack the root cause of the pain, which are-the prostaglandins which cause the pain in inflammatory situations.
There are certain foods that can increase and decrease the amount of prostaglandins in the body. For example-if you consume crappy foods that are not good for you like chips, white sugars, white breads, white pasta…candy, dairy and red meat-these are all foods that can cause inflammation in the body and thereby increasing your production of prostaglandins making your body feel more pain to things like headaches, bruises, joint/muscle pain and you guessed it-cramps. It’s essentially making your body more prone to inflammation and the result is PAIN. This stays true in most cases of inflammatory conditions from acne to arthritis, and adopting a more anti-inflammatory diet, I think is a large factor to achieving not only a healthy body, but avoiding a lot of unwanted future ailments. Woop, woop!
Above all natural pain relief formulas and pills, supplements etc… I’d recommend a more alkaline diet as a first and vital step in the path of pain relief. Increasing your anti-inflammatory foods like blueberries, salmon, greens and to eliminate foods that cause inflammation like potatoes, heavy oils, refined sugars, white pasta and breads is very important, as removing those foods will be extra beneficial. After just having done a 21 day alkaline diet, I can tell you what a huge improvement it made on my pms/cramps. While usually bed ridden with a hot water bottle duct taped to my abdomen, and 2 xtra strength tylenols. I was in very, very minimal pain and did not need to take any over the counter pain killers. I was really surprised at the result in terms of energy, pain relief and even my skin texture and complexion improved significantly.
Because there is a lack of blood iron in the body during menses, that means there is also a lack of oxygen which can also cause pain, so deep breathing can also be a bit of a relief in such things as yoga and meditation or anything relaxing. In any situation, oxygen is always good for the body, even taking three deep breaths can be beneficial during your day.
But, in terms of products here ya go:
ARNICA: Arnica is a homeopathic formula, taken internally in this case. Arnica is a muscle relaxant and is also beneficial for bruising, both internally and externally and muscle pain. Although I am in that very small percentage of homeopathic remedies either not working or having a reverse effect, I can take arnica quite safely at a 30ch potency. You take 6 tiny pellets under your tongue within no meals or anything else in your mouth half an hour previously. I find this a wonderful muscle relaxant for things like heavy cramps, sore muscles and headaches. Homeopathic preparations in health food store will be about $6-10 and will contain about 100 small pellets in a lactose or sugar based formula. I was so relaxed when I took this for the first time at work that I had to go take a break and enjoy being chilled out for a bit and not do anything that required human interaction, as the only words I wanted to say was “ uuuhhhhh”. However, everyone is different, and it is a difficult job if you do not have a homeopath to chose a potency, as they range quite a bit in the world of homeopathics. I’d recommend taking the base level which is a 30ch and if it does not work, chose a higher potency.
PURICA-RECOVERY FORMULA: This stuff rocks. It is expensive, but it rocks. One large bottle will be in the $60-70 range, but it works like a charm. The bottles are large because you have to take a lot of capsules in one day anywhere from 6-10. This isn’t the most popular anti-inflammatory because of the price and the amount of pills to take, but I really like this products and saw more results in it than taking a cheaper product both in quality and price. This is an all around anti-inflammatory that one would need to take on a regular basis. Not trying to make you spend money, but it has super pure ingredients ranging from anti inflammatory berries, msm, glucosamine, magnesium, green tea extract and vitamin C-all good things. This original formula was intended for horses, dogs and cats who had arthritis, but started to develop a similar formula for humans on account of their popularity and success rates with animals. I didn’t notice anything for about 10 days, but after that 10 day stretch-nice skin, great energy and most of all-no cramps. I was originally taking it for a rotator cuff injury in my arm, and noticed significant healing improvement so much that my physiotherapist also noticed a difference in my range of motion.
SERRATIA PEPTIDASE: Taken from the culture of the enzyme that silk worms produce to escape their cocoons, this enzyme is a natural miracle for eating away dead tissue in the body. This enzyme was recently discovered in the past decade to treat unwanted and dead tissue including internal scar tissue, fibroids and even small tumours in the body. It has a significant anti-inflammatory affect and is a common treatment for osteoarthritis, sinusitis and removing the plaque from heavily clogged arteries. Pretty cool. It is taken from the culture of a silk worm, so no worms are harmed during this process and there are no silk worm farms somewhere where they work the little guys to their death. Enzymes, are essentially, the human body’s main defence against pain and inflammation. Many companies make this formula, but so far, the highest potency is made by the company ENEREX:
NEW CHAPTER:
This company actually has a few formulas to help with inflammation. They have ZYFLAMED (a combination of herbs and foods) they gave DAILY GINGER, which has proven effects on the body’s production of those pesky prostaglandins, TURMERIC FORCE, which they consider to be the top anti inflammation herb in the world as well as many other health professionals and cultures. If you want anti-inflammatories, this is the company to go with. Turmeric is getting more popular in Canadian and western culture, but India, China and many other countries all over the world have been using this herb for thousands of years. Here is a link to make your own Turmeric Tea:
http://herbalmedicine.suite101.com/article.cfm/how_to_make_turmeric_tea
OMEGA 3: Omega’s have powerful anti inflammation properties to them. I’d recommend a high level potency from Ascenta, who have a great 3:1 ration of DHA/EPA, proven to help not only memory and cell structure, but also-inflammation. Or, Genuine Health makes a great omega called Omega Glow. It has a great ratio of fish oils, but also a very impressive formula of bilberry, vitamin C and vitamin E. Also, great for acne and skin. I take 4 capsules a day of it and really notice a difference in my skin.
Quercetin/Vitamin C/Bromelain/CoQ10/Gogi/Green tea/Vitamin E…and all the others I forgot. All these things are great helpers, but most of these components are found in food. The issue with these and inflammation, is that often people need high doses to make a difference with pain unless they eat immaculately and their bodies are a little more in tune and pure. The amount of capsules and miligram doses for these items would be astounding and expensive, and seriously, if you eat a well balanced diet, I wouldn’t bother going for these guys. Don’t get me wrong-they’re great, but they are too widely available in foods to take them on an individual basis unless recommended by a health care professional. If you can get these from food so readily, get them from food, you don’t need a lot of it. Just a consistent diet of it.
What about all those herbs for hormonal problems: Black cohosh, Vitex, cramp bark, yellow dock, dandelion, wild yam chaste tree and certain combinations of them?
Hormonal herbs, I do not have the patience for. And, I am a herbalist. To find what herbs work for you, you need to do a trial and error. Because herbs are so natural and so particular to the phytochemicals matching with your own personal body chemistry, I would recommend either to see a personal herbalist who can assess your own body, or to do them individually once a month to see which ones work for you. It’s a pain, I know. But, if you are dedicated to doing the herbal route, start with FLORA’s floressence detox herbal tea or detox concentrate to see if it helps. It has a combination of all the top liver cleansing herbs, which is more likely a liver problem and not necessarily a uterus problem. Most of these herbs are also dieuretics which help to take the physical pressure off of the uterus from the bladder and kidneys. I am also not a fan of taking herbs in a dried form, as liquid is a little more stable in keeping the needed nutrients from the active plant. There are so many companies who make herbal blends it is hard to tell how they extract the elements of the plant needed and how your body will react to it. I’m not saying dont try herbs. Just as a general rule, either plan to go all out and get the right one, or risk wasting your money. I’ve had a success with a ginseng based formula called KAMA by Kami Sante http://www.kamicanada.ca/en/
This product is a combination of different kinds of ginseng and de-stress related herbs. This tended to help with the PMS aspect, and also for sleep and stress.
Top Anti-inflammatory foods:
http://theconsciouslife.com/top-10-anti-inflammatory-foods.htm
Stay tuned for our first video blog where we put natural menstrual products to the test! And our pH soap test on all the natural bars of soap we can get.
Greens!
Alright, so lets do a greens blog. It’s been in the back burner too long…
Although it may seem like there are hundreds of companies who make greens…well, there are actually hundreds-your perception is apt. The problem for us consumers is, which one. This one says no alfalfa, this one has kale, this one has chlorella…what the heck is that? And, before you know it, your noble quest for picking a greens product has failed and you are greenless and now blue with confusion.
The basic premises behind a greens product is to increase your amount of green vegetables, sea vegetables, minerals and vitamins that you would otherwise have gotten from a few massive salads and maybe licking a few rocks at the bottom of the ocean. I know that`s what I like to do on vacation. Mistake me not, this is not a salad, nor should you have this instead of a salad..or slime covered rocks.
Greens are a condensed form of some very healthy nutritional products that assist your optimal health levels by helping the body to become more alkaline, reducing cholesterol, reducing cancer risks and inflammation, improving digestion and energy levels. Greens are a great product for anyone wanting to do something healthy for themselves even though you might not eat the best, or for someone who simply wants a boost of health in their otherwise healthy lifestyle.
The possible debate with hard core nutritionists and extreme raw foodies is that you should be able to get everything from your whole foods. These green powders are jam packed with numerous healthy things, but often there are a lot of items, and some argue that this is too much for the body. I have always been on a “to each there own approach“, but I love my greens, and I notice a change in my health when I use those products. so I continue to use them. It’s something everyone can do, it’s small, but can have major impact in your long term health.
So, that being said. Lets do our top green products.
GENUINE HEALTH
Of course I would mention these guys, as I’ve made it clear that I like their products in previous blogs, but also I am doing their 21 day challenge right now. Genuine Health has the widest range of greens products, as it is not just greens anymore-they have greens detox, healthy skin greens, greens with energy, bone building greens…protein with greens…greens greens greens! Lucky for you, I’ve tried them all and can tell you that the greens detox is a great small detox you can do for those wanting to do a slow cleanse. Healthy skin is by far the tastiest greens I’ve ever had bar none. It comes in chocolate raspberry, has cocoa extract aaaaand fish oil for the extra anti-inflammatory benefits and balances sugar levels. The greens energy is phenomenal for busy people who are on the go. Treat it like a coffee without the crash effect. Bone builder is awesome for people who hate taking calcium, as it is already in there! Woop, woop! It has doctor formulated ingredients proven to help bone density and comes in a great blackberry taste. If you want simple, easy and self explanatory-you can find genuine health everywhere.
http://www.genuinehealth.com/
ENEREX GREENS
I adore this greens product, which is strange-I know, to love green chunky powder. The main ingredient that stands out in their greens is the blue green algae. It sounds gross, but algae is a huge source of protein, minerals, omegas, vitamins and chlorophyll. When I had this for the first time it was dark dark green and a little scary to look at, but I soon adopted this into my daily smoothie at work and noticed the difference immediately. Some joined in the green smoothie in the morning. The dark colour and fresh aroma of the greens really gives you the sense that it is lush with healthy goodness. It’s strange to describe, only it seems like it came right out wherever they had grown it. If i had one word to describe it, it would be “fresh“. If I recall, I had this every morning with a banana, flax, wheat germ and almond butter and threw it in the blender with some almond milk. I did this for a very, very long time. Highly recommend this brand, but suggest you mix into smoothie. You’ll taste how healthy this is without cringing.
http://www.enerex.ca/products/greens_rx.htm
GARDEN OF LIFE
Garden of life is way cool company. Their perfect food blend is quite similar to the other ones, although they focus more on the fiber aspect and include flax, chia and pumpkin seeds. I didn’t find this one as tasty, but it had higher concentrations of ingredients and for that you must pay. This one might be better for someone who needs more calories like ADHD, an athlete or someone who might be fighting an illness where they need some high concentrations of nutrients in the fastest way possible.
http://www.gardenoflife.com/ProductsforLife/SUPPLEMENTS/FoundationalNutrition/PerfectFood/tabid/654/Default.aspx
NEW CHAPTER
New Chapter is one of those companies who thinks that using grasses is a cheap way to fill a product. They have some very unique ingredients in their berry greens including turmeric, red cabbage and grapes. They are all certified organic ingredients and uses all fruits and vegetables. They have chosen their formulas very effectively in staying true to their philosophy of pure and whole.
http://www.newchapter.com/product-categories/superfood-greens
PROGRESSIVE GREENS
Progressive has a large variety of ingredients in their vege greens. It’s like someone wanted to cover all the bases on this product, and you can’t blame them for trying…you get anything and everything you could possibly want in a product from omega’s from plant sources, quercetin, cleansing immune strengthening herbs, fiber, digestive support and of course…vegetables. Can’t go wrong with these guys and as I recall, the price is also right.
http://www.progressivenutritional.com/
I know some people prefer to take things individually. There are many people who wanted to simply take wheat grass capsules, or sprouted kamut, barley, just chlorella, spirulina or chlorophyll in liquid…as the thought of taking everything at once might not agree with them morally or physically.
I used to work at Booster juice, where there I learned that wheat grass is extremely sensitive to oxygen once you juice it. It’s one of those thing you down immediately after juicing. Although I think the nutritional benefits from wheat grass are astounding, if you want it in your system, go all out. Get a wheat grass juicer and grow it yourself in your house. I know Planet Organic market has a contact who brings in fresh wheat grass, and they also have a product that is flash frozen seconds after juicing, so there is hope for a more convenient way to get this if you still want it. I could never get used to wheat grass-Oooh I wanted too though. Green and good for you? Sign me up for that! Sadly, I just couldn’t stomach it, which is why, I’m sure it is available in capsules, but see what their methods are if you do want a capsule…flash frozen, underwater extractions…ask ask ask.
If you’re going to have barley, Kamut or individual sprouted grain, make sure that it is first organic, then check the expiry date and look at the storage instructions. The main complain I received from working in a health store when people bought sprouted grains was that it was rancid when they opened it, or didn’t know to store it in the fridge, or bought it and it expired in a week. Because these products are so natural, they expire fast, so make sure you look at those important things.
Ok, Chlorella, is a fine, fine product. My problem with this is the price and the amount that one has to take in order to get a nutritional benefit from it. I think sun chlorella suggest 10-30 tablets a day…hmm…I couldn’t even get people to take calcium twice a day. Although i think it is a great, green product, it’s not a financially practical way, or convenient way to get some greens into you. Like Spirulina, it is an algae, so the source is important as well as the company. I find with algae, the more expensive ones are actually companies that spend that money on providing a superior algae and for that value I am willing to pay. There is something about algae that makes you feel healthy-perhaps the colour often almost a dark blue green, like they’ve just surfaced from the depths of Atlantis to bring you this magical potion.
Chlorophyll and I go way back. It was my first introduction to a “green” product in college. It came up in nutrition class and the next day, everyone had green water in their water bottles. I liked it because it was cheap, easy and there was only one way to take it-table spoon in water. Sweet. This is actually good for numerous things, alkaline, iron, deodorizer…this is great for a slow cleanse and is quite refreshing. Very light, very clean and pure.
Proteins
After the greens blog, it seems only fair to go with the natural flow of progression and cover proteins. Most people, including myself, will mix their greens with some kind of protein powder.
This is still a very popular and ever growing niche market, as it is constantly changing to meet consumer demands. At first it was just whey protein; significant data showing that an increase in protein is great for energy and stamina, cell repair and even assisting in weight loss and healing from illnesses. But then, what about vegetarians? Ok, so here’s a soy protein…then there’s the people who can’t have soy…ok, here’s hemp protein…too much fibre..ok here’s pea protein…and what about gluten free? And how much sugar is there? AAAHH! Enough to make one have an egg. Never fear; the Tarts are here!
I mean, I applaud all the companies making proteins, but man is it hard to be a new consumer and make a decision without being overwhelmed with not only choices but the amount of aggressive competitive advertisement in an already over crowded market. I find certain massive advertising programs very manipulating, as the companies who are the most honest in their ingredients and methods are the ones who get my mark, not the huge cardboard cutouts of Kratos and a product with no foundations. It’s just like centrum and materna vitamins…they spend more money and energy on advertisement then they do to produce a competitive product with quality ingredients. These guys produce the S#!tiest product ingredients in the entire vitamin industry and yet, are a very successful company because they can afford commercials and exploit angel vitamin programs…boo.
Same thing with proteins in my opinion. I don’t want to see a guy with an eight pack flexing his biceps with a murderous look on his face that says “I will spit you out and destroy you!”, which leads to the most popular myth of all time surrounding proteins-it is NOT just for body builders and Conan the barbarian. Although many large guys who body build and work out do use protein shakes, in general, a protein shake can just be something really healthy you an incorporate into your life for anyone above the age of 16ish.
Lets look at the body for a moment. Your DNA is made up of all the amino acids you need to make and control the balance in every aspect of your body. Amino acids make up all the strands of your own double helix. Your body needs to get most amino acids from your food. Your body is ever growing, changing, repairing, compensating, preparing, fighting and goes goes goes to keep you going. If you injure yourself, your body needs to repair and uses proteins and body mechanisms to repair itself (as a simplified explanation). You need protein on a daily basis, not just for repair, but for all the little building blocks of your body. No one can survive without proteins.
Eating meat is a very easy way to get protein, so meat eaters need not worry much. Meat is a complete protein, meaning it has all the amino acids neatly packed together so your body can use all of it, as it is very balanced. It would be like ordering the harry potter hogworts castle set from lego and only receiving the hallways without the astronomy tower…you need the astronomy tower. In order for vegetarians to have access to complete proteins, they need to food combine. For example, rice combined with beans is a complete protein. An egg is a complete protein. Lentils have protein in them, but not all of the amino acids so it is not a complete protein. It’s a little harder for vegetarians, as we need more nutrient dense foods. It is just as important to eat a quality protein as any other carnivore, omnivore, herbivore or opportunivore.
So here’s how you can breakdown the kinds of proteins and reasons for taking proteins:
1)Whey Proteins: Taken from the whey (the protein from the bi product of cheese) of cows and goats. Regular meat eaters looking to either increase more dietary protein for weight loss, or easy breakfast options, work out sessions or just plain health reasons. The huge problem arising from whey protein is the quality of whey. Commercial cows these days are cesspools for disease, cancers, are ridden with hormones, antibiotics, are being fed other animals and are over worked and are producing stress hormones in their milk. This is why most proteins boast hormone free, organic whey proteins.
New Zealand whey is very popular as they treat their cows better than most westerners treat themselves. They are free range and naturally organic grain fed living on organic soil, are raised to have stress free and full lives in the sunshine and grass. The only downside is that you have to pay for this quality. New Zealand whey proteins can range from $60-$100. But, I think it is worth it on many an economic and health level.
Some people want to avoid the cow all together and go with Goat protein. Goat milk on a digestible level is way easier (pardon the pun) to digest than cow. This goes for milk as well. Goat’s milk is the closest thing to human breast milk and goats are treated much better than cows.
The problem for meat eaters who increase their protein intake is the risk of acidosis. Which is essentially, what the atkins diet is; putting your body in a state of burning fat so much that you produce an obscene amount of toxic and acidic residue causing too much protein in the blood, overwhelming the kidneys with urea formation and putting strain on the heart…hence the controversy behind the atkins diet associated with heart attacks, acne, aggression and poor digestion. Always balance your diet by including alkaline fruits and vegetables. I boycott this diet heavily.
2)Vegetarian and plant based proteins: Vegetarians who don’t receive a lot of easy digestible proteins looking to increase and supplement protein intake from the lack of meat in their diet would benefit from having a protein shake in the morning. The average person needs about 30g+ of protein in a day, and vegetarians scarcely get about 10-15g in their diets on average. Protein powders often offer at least 9-20g depending on the source and product, but just enough to give you what your body needs. On top of lack of the vitamin b12 and iron which are found so readily in meats, this is often why vegetarians are tired and pale and have no energy-lack of protein or the balance of protein along with b12 and iron.
The rub with vegetarian proteins is that we choose to be conscious and picky eaters. We want sugar free, gluten free, soy free, GMO free and dairy free products. I think the CEO’s of protein companies curse us in their sleep. But, believe it or not, we are the ones who buy more proteins than anyone else. High five vege heads!
MOST body builders, and work out guys don’t care about quality or even consider that there is a battle on quality and will go to a local muscle head shop and purchase the biggest tub of cheap whey protein that is blueberry muffin flavored and be on their hulky way. But, the rest of us, including the conscious athlete and body builder, we demand quality.
Soy Proteins: problem with soy-1) it is probably GMO unless specifically states Organic sprouted soy 2) is hard to digest and often causes gas 3) is processed and would not be as beneficial as eating tempeh or tofu which have the phytonutrients that are beneficial in soy 4) processed soy is associated with excess estrogen, which is not beneficial for anyone.
Hemp Protein: I love hemp. It truly is nature’s wonder plant, but it is a little tricky to use this as your only source of protein. Although it is loaded with nutrients, omega’s and is high in fibre, I find I have to use a lot to get adequate protein intake and some people are turned off of it’s gritty texture. I think it is an acquired taste and would recommend for those who want to use hemp as their protein powder that they mix it with other things. I have found in my experience that the “Hempies” are the ones who make their hemp shakes in the morning and take pride in putting anything they can that is good for you in there. I love their dedication and hard core methods of adding greens, oils, nut butters and other powders. It is a satisfying way to get healthy and treat your body to wonderful things. Though admittedly, not for everyone.
Rice protein: Rice is a very alkaline and easy way to get protein. It is also safe for kids and teens. I found quite often this was mostly purchased by mothers who added rice protein to their baking ingredients from pancakes to muffins and cookies. Unbeknown to their children, they were getting a little protein in their food.
Mixes: Most companies have discovered the economic way is to make a mixture of pea, hemp, rice, flax and other beans and lentils like chick pea protein and even potato proteins. I like this idea and find it is a little better on one’s wallet as well. Within these mixes you get a complete protein range all plant based.
TARTS TOP PROTEINS
VEGA
Once again, Vega comes shining through as a superior protein. All plant based, fibre, multi, greens, acidophilus, antioxidants, omega’s. These guys thought of everything.
http://sequelnaturals.com/vega
MANITOBA HARVEST
This company is Canadian, organic and provides fresh and high quality hemp products. They don’t need to go crazy on their advertisements because people know they have awesome products. They have plain hemp protein, so adding this to a smoothie gives it some fantastic nutrients and fibre.
http://www.manitobaharvest.com/products/index.asp?itemID=158
LIVING HARVEST
I really like Living harvest’s products. They make a chocolate chili hemp protein that I could eat all the time and they even have hemp milk and hemp ice cream. Yum!
http://www.worldpantry.com/cgi-bin/ncommerce/ExecMacro/livingharvest/home.d2w/report
PROGRESSIVE NUTRITION
Progressive nutrition chose their company name well, as they really are progressive. Also one of the few who do offer New Zealand Whey, it is very clean and they have some great flavor faves.
http://www.progressivenutritional.com/
NORTH COAST NATURALS
This company covers all aspects of the protein spectrum. Whey, hemp, vegan, rice, greens…truly dedicated to high quality and organic nutrition.
http://www.northcoastnaturals.com/site_ncn.swf
GENUINE HEALTH Vegan PROTEINS
Genuine Health offers one of the first vegan proteins on the market that does not have soy, herbals or gluten. I’m partial to this one, as it’s tasty and easy to drink or bake with. And, I find the price for the amount is quite do-able. Not to mention is has a higher amount of protein than most vegan based ones at 21grams.
http://www.genuinehealth.com/by-name/vegan-proteins.html
Edible skins
Facial Care
Now this, I am an expert on. Natural Facial Care. I have tried every single facial product on the natural market-no exaggeration. I’ve probably spent more money on facial products in a lifetime to purchase a small plane, even with a staff discount.
It used to be, you walk into shoppers and get an entire skin care regime of exfoliant, toner and moisturizer for under $30. Then Lancome and laroche posay; fancy packaging with pigeon poop, extract of baby tears and golden flecks from deep under the sea where no light is found. Oddly enough…what makes commercial skin care so expensive is not the ingredients…tee hee…it’s the marketing. Proactive is the leading skin care company in Canada and the US…very simple ingredients, not the healthiest…but, they have mega stars on their commercials. And, they are not available in stores, only kiosks and online. They do that for a reason: less manufacturing costs and the don’t go through a distributor asking for a 25% cut.
Similarly, I think skin care lines in the natural health realm have gone a similar way. Most women have had that misleading idea in their head that the more expensive product the better. Most focus groups spend months deciding how much money they can squeeze out of a product and will sit down with ladies all over the world and ask them…”how much would you pay for this product” in other words “how much can we get away with selling this product at the maximum amount of money”.
In the natural world, the only difference I think is the companies, first of all, but also, that some products are expensive because the ingredients are expensive. But, you want to know if it is worth it.
Here are our top skin care products and whether you want to spend that extra cash.
SUKI
As a bit of a girly girl with my products, I love the company Suki. I love all their products and they work phenomenally. The only problem is..the price. This is one of those examples of having to pay for quality ingredients. I’m not talking just quality, this company has all certified organic extracts, all biodegradable packaging, amazing formulas, no added crap or carcinogens, aaaand….get this-is all food grade, meaning you can eat it. It isn’t so much the ingredients, as food grade products won’t break your bank-it’s the certification that is the most expensive part of this mark up, that and it comes from Belgium. Their most popular product is their exfoliant. It is lemon, lemongrass and sugar based. You dip your finger in the tub and it feels like gritty sugar, but as soon as you put it to a wet face and scrub it in, it foams and leaves your face squeaky clean. The exfoliant runs for about $40…eep! So, if you have the cash and you want to treat yourself…go for it, baby! It tastes good too. Not something you want to put in your coffee, but it’s tasty should some accidentally make it’s way to your lips.
Other than that, you can get creative with about 30 cents and get a small food processor and add lemon juice, lemongrass and white sugar and try to make your own; very similar experience. Always exfoliate as the first part of your regime. This will get rid of dead skin cells and prep your skin for more blood flow and deep cleansing.
They also make a phenomenally awesome brightener cream, which is closer to $100 and a balancing cream for oily skin-and really is nice. However, I just can’t justify spending that much money on a moisturizing lotion, especially since I’ve found a cheaper way to keep my skin moisturized sans injuring my savings.
They also manufacture makeup, to which my mother in law, who has extremely sensitive skin, uses and prefers this company to many other ones.
So, my take on suki, is that if you are spending that much money on commercial products and you want to make the healthy switch, this is a superior company that will impress even the most skeptic. If you are a facial care snob and are dedicated to purchasing awesome products regardless of price, this is also for you. However, if you are a student, or someone with an acne problem looking to watch your budget but still purchase some great products-read on.
http://www.sukiskincare.com/v2/
In terms of Dr. Hauschka…I really don’t see what the big deal is. I mean, I know she uses a lot of rose hip seed oil, but I find the base ingredients to be the same as any other white based skin cream meant for aging and dryer skin. Maybe it is just me, but I certainly wouldn’t spend that much on something that doesn’t impress the pants off of me. No offense to them, but, it’s just not for me.
A-VOGEL (green clay)
If you want to make your own mask-this is great and cheap stuff. It’s also fun! I like to make a little steam bath for my face with a pot of water and some eucalyptus oil to open my pores and then take about ½ tsp of clay and sea kelp and honey with warm water and leave it on. This is step 2 for my skin regime after exfoliating. I steam and then put this mask on looking like a swamp queen, totally a good look for me.
http://www.avogel.ca/en/shop/body-care/clay_green.php
BIORE STRIPS
Be it known that I was previously addicted to these strips. Not only do they take your black heads away but you can seeeee them!! Ewww!! and Cooool!! I soon found out that no one wanted to see them but me, sadly, but luckily, I found this lovely young lady on the net who, shows you how to make your own homemade strips using eggs and some more posting after her video with gelatin. Check it out :
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UVUlAJJuZD4&feature=channel
GREEN BEAVER:
My favorite product that they make for skin is their aloe and grapefruit seed cleanser. It runs under $12 in most stores, lasts a long time and works really well. What is different about this cleanser is that most aloe vera products are mostly water, meaning you pay for a lot of water and some actual aloe extract-not with this product. They’ve taken the water out, so all you are getting is the pure benefits of aloe, soothing, healing and moisturizing with the antiseptic and antibacterial benefits of grapefruit seed extract so it’s great for acne and oily skin. You only need a little bit of it, as it spreads quite generously and cleans quite effectively. Normally, one does not exfoliate every day, so when I’m not doing my lemon scrub. I use this and I have a $4 electric toothbrush that I use to scrub my face with. Now, something important to say about facial bacteria, is that you can have different kinds of bacteria on different zones of your face. Whether it be a cotton ball or scrubby brush, I always do a little hot water rinse before scrubbing other areas of my face.
WITCH HAZEL
I’ve been battling with toners my entire life. Too much alcohol dries my skin out and makes it peel, alcohol free ones have glycerin in them and make my skin greasy and clogged. I opted in the end for, plain $2.99 drug store witch hazel and a cotton ball, after cleansing.
BURTS BEES repairing serum
Mmmmm yah, baby. This little sucker is the secret to my now nice skin. Although this little bottle will be about $30, it will last you months. I mean like, months and months. After exfoliating, cleansing and toning, I use 3 drops of this oil on my face. Every night. It’s my night oil. Other than the suki facial moisturizer, I just found that all the cream bases clogged my pores and made me break out, so I read about putting oils on your face that seem to be the most similar to the natural oils your skin makes, so it balances out your oil production on the surface and repairs your skin with all those fantastic botanical ingredients like green tea, rose, chamomile and pomegranate extract.
http://www.burtsbees.ca/product-line/naturally-ageless/naturally-ageless-intensive-repairing-serum.html
Now, if you are a keener, I’d recommend picking up this book:
http://www.naturalbeautyworkshop.com/my_weblog/2009/01/organic-body-care-recipes-by-stephanie-tourles.html
it gives you some great recipes on making your own skin care, which I would recommend more than taking a chance on some of the more home based companies who have made it into the market. I love independent companies with all my heart, but I’m ambitious, and would rather spend the money and make it myself. That’s just me, I’m stubborn.
As a rule of thumb, except for the witch hazel and clay, I do not put things on my skin that I would not be able to eat. That means that whatever is in my fridge…should be able to go on my face. Be it yogurt, avocado, pineapple, strawberries, cocoa…you can make some lovely facial products with some of the same foods that are known to keep you healthy on the inside as well.
Green Your Clean!
Ever walk into the cleaning isle at lloblaws or wallmart and think “gee, there are a lot of green looking labels..how nice that everyone is offering more alternatives to cleaning products, tra lala lala”.
Wouldn’t it be nice if all those green labels actually reflected the quality of ingredients in those cleaners?! Sadly, the only thing that is “green” about those products is the colour of the sticker. It’s very unfortunate these days for large companies who think we’re stupid, as they go way down on my A-O-K list and on to the bottom of my Terra Plana shoe. Most companies who produce some of the most toxic ingredients, simply change their stickers and the wording of their ingredient labels (e.g instead of sodium lauryl sulfate it will say coconut derived surfactant). They change their name to say “Eco” or “Bio” to sound earthy and seem like they’ve turned a large environmental leg; all the while in board meetings with their marketing team practicing their evil laughs over a conference call with Monsanto.
There are very few cleaning companies that I like to support, as there are so many environmental claims that have no substance other than harmful chemical poop hidden behind a nice logo of a smiling tree.
*On a side note- let it be known that most “eco certifications” or companies who have little icons on the product label claiming that a very important ground breaking company certifies their product is a load of dirty, stinky socks. Most of these companies do not even have a scientist or biologist who work for them, nor do they inspect any products. These companies make their money by getting others to pay for “certification”, meaning they pay to put a green looking logo and all the rights to advertise that logo on their product. Yep. Sneaky aint-it?! Most of these companies pay a fee of $500-$1200 a year just to have the rights to a little sticker that makes them “certified”. This is also true with most energy efficient washing machines. No one certifies to make something energy efficient. All it means, is that you use half the dose. The energy star label itself, is the same thing…a finely tuned and incredibly smart and sneaky way to sell a product with no manufacturing cost except the rights to an image*
NATURE CLEAN
I support Nature Clean 100% for so many reasons. One, being that they listen to customer demand, are on the cutting edge and have really, really clean ingredients. As far as cleaning goes, I trust them because I know and understand what I am reading on their labels and their formulas are pretty at par with the old fashion methods of “natural works best”. It’s also an easy company to mention for cleaning products as they make a huge range of products from shampoo, laundry to all purpose and dish soap. I recently tried their pet stain/odour remover, which works really well (new puppy/carpet approved) and I’ve always used their dish detergent for all of the above reasons. They are also Canadian. Woop, woop!
TKO ORANGE OIL
This stuff is supreme. It is all purpose from hand washing, floor cleaning, toilets to removing cat pee and skunk smell. Seriously. All it is, is orange oil concentrate. Concentrate being the key word, as the price often scares people away. But, you add the instructed amount into water and then use. Although the price may seem shocking to those who are used to spending $5-10 on a crappy product, this is magically wonderful and completely natural and biodegradable stuff. In my opinion, it smells wayy better than any lemon fragrance you will come across and it will last you a very, very long time. I especially like using this on floors, as it is safe for hardwood flooring and you don’t need to worry about pets getting it on their paws or into their system.
http://www.tkoorange.com
DR. BRONNER’S
Getting sick of me talking about how I love this company? Too bad, cupcake. Their all purpose soaps really do mean all purpose. I love the idea that this is safe enough for my hair, skin and I can clean my shower with it too. There I am in the shower with my giant puffy sponge lathering my hair and then cleaning the tiles too. Splish, Splash, I forgot about the bath.
DO IT YOURSELF
Here’s the thing about natural or organic cleaning products: if you are down with a little effort into making your own, it will be cheaper and more rewarding to just make your own. Most of the clean green products are made with the same ingredients you can find at the grocery store, or even in your cupboards. Less packaging is less waste, so it is better for the environment for you to make your own, and it will save you money for sure on top of your own self pride levels going up a few points.
Baking soda: powerhouse of cleaning and deodorizing along with 60 other multi purposes: http://www.thefarm.org/charities/i4at/lib2/60soda.htm
Cornstarch: Carpet and rug cleaner
Lemon juice: A natural enzyme brightener, gets rid of grease and stains on clothing and counter surfaces. Mix with olive oil for furniture cleaner!
Salt: great for scouring as it is abrasive and gentle.
White vinegar: A fantastic all purpose cleaner for removing mildew, grease and uring smell from cloth diaper laundry. Also great for washing windows and metal surfaces.
Grapefruit Extract: wonderful anti-fungal and disinfectants. Grapefruit seed extract and essential oils such as lavender, clove, and tea tree oil have antiseptic properties and operate as natural fungicides which is especially great in bathrooms and kitchens.
Club soda: Great for all kinds of clothing and carpet stains. You can even use this on windows if you find the vinegar smell hard to handle.
Also, get this book…it is also water resistant.
http://images.meredith.com/bhg/images/2007/06/p_100982880.jpg
2 day countdown
Last 2 days of my alkaline diet of 21 days. I think regardless, I’ll be adopting these new eating habits into my daily regime. I really notice a difference in my health and that extra kick from the extra energy greens verses the regular greens.
Had my greens first thing then
Had a bowl of oatmeal with blueberries and flax with a peppermint tea. pH was 6.8
I didn’t have access to the kitchen, as the flooring was being redone and I wasn’t aware of it lol so I grabbed some crackers from a snack stash. Being extra stressed today with things not being done and people’s schedule’s not coinciding, my pH shows my stress levels and lack of alkaline food on a 6.5.
With still no access to the kitchen, I had a subway sandwich…not my most healthy of eating choices this past three weeks, but there wasn’t much option for me. Hadn’t had bread in a while and feel very bloated. pH was 6.9
3 days to go
Had a bowl of oatmeal with blueberries and flax this morning with a green tea. pH was 6.7
Carrot ginger soup for lunch with peppermint tea pH was 7.3
Had salmon and roasted potatoes for dinner pH was 7
