Helpful tips, video and local resources for living your most health life...
Local Organic Food Farms or Coops:
Local Food Coop order Mondays by email, pick up that Wednesday. Order off the menu when you want and how much you want. No waiting in grocery line, or hours looking from store to store to find safe organic produce. I use them and love the service.
https://www.anniesbuyingclub.com
Sprouting and Fresh Sprouts buy from trusted organic local lady...she also teaches classes for 6 people or more. Talk to me about organizing a class at my house. Click here to see her local schedule where you can get your fresh sprouts ready to eat or buy sprouting supplies. http://www.thesproutqueen.com
Pine Island Botanicals, Inc. local farmer Mike Wallace has impeccable integrity and a genuine love for growing you the finest food around... I have walked his farm and highly recommend his food. Click here to find his site... He usually follows the same schedule at the green markets as Sprout Queen Above. http://www.pineislandbotanicals.com/
Venus Veges located in Venus, Florida graces us with his presence from October- May at some of our local green markets... most of his produce is certified organic and if its not they mark it so you know...he also has beautiful produce and plants to start your own garden. See you next fall www.facebook.com/pages/Venus-Veggies/165048723552510
Sunburst Trout Farm Since 1948 is located where a mountain stream continuously feeds this farm and they use no hormones, animal by-products, no pesticides and will ship... love this trout! Alexa St John previously from the vitamin isle of the old ADA's Health Food Store found these guys for me....Thanks Alexa! http://www.sunbursttrout.com/
Butcher Box Organic and Heirloom Meats Shipped monthly or whatever you choose right to your door on dry ice. Beef, Pork, Chicken, Turkey, Sockeye Salmon, Scallops - Holiday Specials... http://fbuy.me/oh3Al
Organic Seeds https://seedsnow.refersion.com/c/c3ab
Helpful Videos
|
|
|
|
Homemade Laundry Powder Detergent
This simple to prepare laundry detergent smells so good and just think about all the nasty chemicals your forgoing instead. Just another way to live simpler, cleaner.
I really wanted to share this with you guys, not only because its organic, but cost effective. One recipe of this will last a family of 4 for one whole year! Nice, right? And it only costs about $20 in supplies to create it.
Combine baking soda, borax and soap flakes in a large mixing bowl. Add essential oil and mix with a wire whisk.
Use 1/8 cup of powder per load.
This simple to prepare laundry detergent smells so good and just think about all the nasty chemicals your forgoing instead. Just another way to live simpler, cleaner.
I really wanted to share this with you guys, not only because its organic, but cost effective. One recipe of this will last a family of 4 for one whole year! Nice, right? And it only costs about $20 in supplies to create it.
- 16 cups of baking soda
- 12 cups of borax
- 8 cups grated Castile soap (buy the bars and grate with a kitchen cheese grater)
- 3 tablespoons of lavender essential oil (oooohh it smells so good, or use whatever essential oil you like)
Combine baking soda, borax and soap flakes in a large mixing bowl. Add essential oil and mix with a wire whisk.
Use 1/8 cup of powder per load.
Apple Cider Vinegar for Dogs
Pet care is another area where vinegar can be a useful, non-toxic, all-natural tool. According to Garrett:
"Vinegar is a remedy with multiple uses for dogs including alleviating allergies and arthritis, and helping to provide the correct pH balance. You can give apple cider vinegar to any animal by simply adding it to the water.
If your dog has itchy skin, the beginnings of a hot spot, incessantly washes its feet, has smelly ears, or is picky about his food, an application of apple cider vinegar can help. For poor appetite, use it in the food at 1 tablespoon, two times a day for a 50 lb. dog. For itchy skin or the beginning hot spots, put apple cider vinegar into a spray bottle, part the hair and spray on. Any skin eruption will dry up in as soon as 24 hours and shaving the dog won't be necessary – which is good because I never recommend that. If the skin is already broken, dilute apple cider vinegar with an equal amount of water and spray on.
Taken internally, apple cider vinegar is credited with maintaining the acid/alkaline balance of the digestive tract. I take a large spoonful straight or in my "witches brew" in the morning that I drink at least once a day.
Another tip is if you have a dog that has clear, watery discharge from the eyes, a runny nose, or coughs with a liquid sound, use apple cider vinegar in his or her food. One teaspoon twice a day for a 50 lb. dog will do the job.
After grooming sessions, use a few drops in dogs' ears after cleaning them to avoid ear infections. Fleas, flies, ticks and bacteria, external parasites, ring worm, fungus, staphylococcus, streptococcus, pneumococcus, mange, etc. are unlikely to inhabit a dog whose system is acidic inside and out.
Should you ever experience any of these with your dog, bathe with a nice gentle herbal shampoo - one that you would use on your own hair - rinse thoroughly with vinegar, and then sponge on apple cider vinegar diluted with equal amounts of warm water. Allow your dog to drip dry. It is not necessary to use harsh chemicals for minor flea infestations. All fleas drown in soapy water and the apple cider vinegar rinse makes the skin too acidic for a re-infestation. If you are worried about picking up fleas when you take your dog away from home, keep some apple cider vinegar in a spray bottle, and spray your dog before you leave home and when you get back. For raw spots caused by excessive licking, use a few drops in water, and sponge the affected areas with apple cider vinegar."
"Vinegar is a remedy with multiple uses for dogs including alleviating allergies and arthritis, and helping to provide the correct pH balance. You can give apple cider vinegar to any animal by simply adding it to the water.
If your dog has itchy skin, the beginnings of a hot spot, incessantly washes its feet, has smelly ears, or is picky about his food, an application of apple cider vinegar can help. For poor appetite, use it in the food at 1 tablespoon, two times a day for a 50 lb. dog. For itchy skin or the beginning hot spots, put apple cider vinegar into a spray bottle, part the hair and spray on. Any skin eruption will dry up in as soon as 24 hours and shaving the dog won't be necessary – which is good because I never recommend that. If the skin is already broken, dilute apple cider vinegar with an equal amount of water and spray on.
Taken internally, apple cider vinegar is credited with maintaining the acid/alkaline balance of the digestive tract. I take a large spoonful straight or in my "witches brew" in the morning that I drink at least once a day.
Another tip is if you have a dog that has clear, watery discharge from the eyes, a runny nose, or coughs with a liquid sound, use apple cider vinegar in his or her food. One teaspoon twice a day for a 50 lb. dog will do the job.
After grooming sessions, use a few drops in dogs' ears after cleaning them to avoid ear infections. Fleas, flies, ticks and bacteria, external parasites, ring worm, fungus, staphylococcus, streptococcus, pneumococcus, mange, etc. are unlikely to inhabit a dog whose system is acidic inside and out.
Should you ever experience any of these with your dog, bathe with a nice gentle herbal shampoo - one that you would use on your own hair - rinse thoroughly with vinegar, and then sponge on apple cider vinegar diluted with equal amounts of warm water. Allow your dog to drip dry. It is not necessary to use harsh chemicals for minor flea infestations. All fleas drown in soapy water and the apple cider vinegar rinse makes the skin too acidic for a re-infestation. If you are worried about picking up fleas when you take your dog away from home, keep some apple cider vinegar in a spray bottle, and spray your dog before you leave home and when you get back. For raw spots caused by excessive licking, use a few drops in water, and sponge the affected areas with apple cider vinegar."
Horticulture Uses for Vinegar
Vinegar can also be used to control weeds in your garden. According to Garrett:
"To keep the weeds out of a decorative or utility gravel area, the best approach is to design them out from the beginning or use organic products later to kill the weeds. Salt, toxic herbicides and bleach should never be used because they contaminate the soil long term. They also leach into the water stream. To head off the problem, install the gravel in a thick layer – 6 to 8 inches after scraping away all grasses and weeds.
Any weeds that grow through the gravel can be sprayed and killed with a mix of 10 percent pickling vinegar mixed with 2 ounces orange oil and 1 teaspoon liquid soap or you can use commercial organic herbicides. Vinegar sprays can also be used to kill weeds in the cracks in sidewalks and driveways. The best choice for herbicide use is 10 percent white vinegar made from grain alcohol. It should be used full strength. Avoid products that are made from 99 percent glacial acetic acid. This material is a petroleum derivative. Natural vinegars such those made from fermenting apples have little herbicidal value.
Herbicide Formula:
3 gallon for 3 gallon sprayer Industrial Strength vinegar (it's a cleaning only vinegar I can only find at Home Depot or Lowes in cleaning department)
Add 1 cup Himalayan Salt
Add 1 cup Dr Bronners Sal Suds
Do not add water
Shake well before each spraying and spot spray weeds. Keep the spray off desirable plants. This spray will injure any plant it touches. This natural spray works best on warm to hot days. Vinegar sprayed on the bases of trees and other woody plants will not hurt the plant at all. This technique was first learned about by spraying the suckers and weeds growing around the bases of grapevines.
If your water is alkaline, add 1 tablespoon of 50-grain (5 percent) natural apple cider vinegar to each gallon of water to improve the quality of the water for potted plants and bedding. This doesn't have to be done with every watering, though it wouldn't hurt. This technique is especially helpful when trying to grow acid-loving plants such as gardenias, azaleas, and dogwoods. A tablespoon of vinegar per gallon added to the sprayer when foliage feeding lawns, shrubs, flowers, and trees is also highly beneficial, especially where soil or water is alkaline. The other horticultural use for vinegar is in the watering can."
"To keep the weeds out of a decorative or utility gravel area, the best approach is to design them out from the beginning or use organic products later to kill the weeds. Salt, toxic herbicides and bleach should never be used because they contaminate the soil long term. They also leach into the water stream. To head off the problem, install the gravel in a thick layer – 6 to 8 inches after scraping away all grasses and weeds.
Any weeds that grow through the gravel can be sprayed and killed with a mix of 10 percent pickling vinegar mixed with 2 ounces orange oil and 1 teaspoon liquid soap or you can use commercial organic herbicides. Vinegar sprays can also be used to kill weeds in the cracks in sidewalks and driveways. The best choice for herbicide use is 10 percent white vinegar made from grain alcohol. It should be used full strength. Avoid products that are made from 99 percent glacial acetic acid. This material is a petroleum derivative. Natural vinegars such those made from fermenting apples have little herbicidal value.
Herbicide Formula:
3 gallon for 3 gallon sprayer Industrial Strength vinegar (it's a cleaning only vinegar I can only find at Home Depot or Lowes in cleaning department)
Add 1 cup Himalayan Salt
Add 1 cup Dr Bronners Sal Suds
Do not add water
Shake well before each spraying and spot spray weeds. Keep the spray off desirable plants. This spray will injure any plant it touches. This natural spray works best on warm to hot days. Vinegar sprayed on the bases of trees and other woody plants will not hurt the plant at all. This technique was first learned about by spraying the suckers and weeds growing around the bases of grapevines.
If your water is alkaline, add 1 tablespoon of 50-grain (5 percent) natural apple cider vinegar to each gallon of water to improve the quality of the water for potted plants and bedding. This doesn't have to be done with every watering, though it wouldn't hurt. This technique is especially helpful when trying to grow acid-loving plants such as gardenias, azaleas, and dogwoods. A tablespoon of vinegar per gallon added to the sprayer when foliage feeding lawns, shrubs, flowers, and trees is also highly beneficial, especially where soil or water is alkaline. The other horticultural use for vinegar is in the watering can."
Other Uses for Vinegar
Last but not least, vinegar can be used to remove certain pesticides and bacteria from your fresh produce. Of course, you don't need apple cider vinegar for this—any basic white vinegar will do. Gayle Povis Alleman, MS, RD recommends a solution of 10 percent vinegar to 90 percent water as a bath to briefly soak produce.3 Just place your veggeis or fruit in the solution, swish it around, and rinse thoroughly. Just don't use this process on fragile fruits (like berries), since they could be damaged in the process or soak up too much vinegar through their porous skins.
Apple cider vinegar has also long been used as a natural hair care product. Its acidity is close to that of human hair; it's a good conditioner and cleaning agent, as well as an effective germ killer. You can visit www.apple-cider-vinegar-benefits.com for information on how to make a vinegar hair rinse.
While we need a great deal more research to investigate vinegar's full healing potential, it can certainly be useful in a variety of ways, for a variety of conditions. It's definitely a great multi-purpose tool to have in your pantry.
Apple cider vinegar has also long been used as a natural hair care product. Its acidity is close to that of human hair; it's a good conditioner and cleaning agent, as well as an effective germ killer. You can visit www.apple-cider-vinegar-benefits.com for information on how to make a vinegar hair rinse.
While we need a great deal more research to investigate vinegar's full healing potential, it can certainly be useful in a variety of ways, for a variety of conditions. It's definitely a great multi-purpose tool to have in your pantry.
Unlocking the Produce Code
One way to spot organic produce in the store is to check out each food's
price look-up number or PLU. You'll find a PLU label on each piece of
produce, attached as a sticker. The International Federation for Produce
Coding standardizes PLU codes for every grocery store in the country.
Conventionally grown fruits and vegetable have 4-digit numbers and
generally begin with a 3 or a 5. Organically grown fruits and vegetables
have 5 digits and begin with a 9. Genetically modified fruits and
vegetables also have 5 digits and begin with an 8. For example , the PLU
for a conventionally grown banana is 4011; for an organic banana is
94011, and for a genetically modified banana it's 84011.
Source: Adapted from www.plucodes.com
FRUITS & VEGGIES
DON'T BUY OR EAT GMO'S
Conventionally grown =4-digit numbers begin with a 3 or a 5.
Organically grown = 5 digits and begin with a 9.
GMO =Genetically modified 5 digits and begin with an 8
EXAMPLES:
for a conventionally grown banana is 4011;
for an organic banana is 94011,
for a( GMO )genetically modified banana it's 84011.
TO REMEMBER THIS
REMEMBER THIS SENTENCE
" DON'T EAT 8'S "
price look-up number or PLU. You'll find a PLU label on each piece of
produce, attached as a sticker. The International Federation for Produce
Coding standardizes PLU codes for every grocery store in the country.
Conventionally grown fruits and vegetable have 4-digit numbers and
generally begin with a 3 or a 5. Organically grown fruits and vegetables
have 5 digits and begin with a 9. Genetically modified fruits and
vegetables also have 5 digits and begin with an 8. For example , the PLU
for a conventionally grown banana is 4011; for an organic banana is
94011, and for a genetically modified banana it's 84011.
Source: Adapted from www.plucodes.com
FRUITS & VEGGIES
DON'T BUY OR EAT GMO'S
Conventionally grown =4-digit numbers begin with a 3 or a 5.
Organically grown = 5 digits and begin with a 9.
GMO =Genetically modified 5 digits and begin with an 8
EXAMPLES:
for a conventionally grown banana is 4011;
for an organic banana is 94011,
for a( GMO )genetically modified banana it's 84011.
TO REMEMBER THIS
REMEMBER THIS SENTENCE
" DON'T EAT 8'S "