The Quest For (Natural) Health

Do It Yourself Beauty Rituals

February 23rd, 2012

Mayrena

In the spirit of one of my favorite TV shows, The Soup: Let’s talk about chicks, man!

How did women manage before the chemically insensitive era of Oil of Oley, Neutrogena, and Johnson & Johnson? My guess is that they just used whatever nature gave them to help them manage all skin challenges. For long now I’ve been curious to try some homemade beauty rituals because I don’t use any store bought beauty products on my skin and this is winter in New England…so I needed something!

The first concoction I tried was a moisturizer for dry skin made out of honey and milk (see recipe below). I came across it on a random website that I can’t find at this time (my apologies). I just remember reading it rather quickly and giving it a go. I was so impressed with this moisturizer. It left my skin soft and bright, but not greasy. I noticed that my skin didn’t look dry up to 3 days after one application (which was awesome!). On the down side I felt like I was walking around smelling like milk (even when my husband swore up and down on a stack of bibles this was not the case).

The second thing I tried was a pimple remedy I found on this book. It says to cut an onion in little pieces and smash them to get the liquid out of the onion, then to apply this liquid to the pimple with the help of a Q-tip. The result is a dry pimple. No joke…I was impressed! At first I didn’t notice a difference, but I just left the product on my face and went about my day. A couple of hours later, and to my surprise, I couldn’t find the pimple. Now ladies, I want to see your Proactive do that!

I remember once seeing an episode of the Doctor Oz show (which I don’t really care for, but I was just flipping through that day…just saying…) and listening to him say that women should use olive oil to shave their legs, and that we should always shave in the direction of the hair growth (contrary to what my mother taught me). Now, I am not one to give credit to Oprah’s doctor (I give even less credit to her “psychologist”, I certain doctor mustache) but I have to say that I tried it and I loved it. Since I started shaving in the direction of my hair growth, it comes out softer and my legs stopped feeling like sandpaper on the days I forgot to or plain-didn’t-feel-like shaving. The olive oil is fantastic! My legs are moisturized and happy. What more could a girl want?

So ladies, there are a million “Do It Yourself Beauty Rituals” out there. Give them a try…what’s do you have to loose?

Don’t forget to leave a comment!

*Honey and Milk Moisturizer

- Add equal amounts of both (I suggest no more than 2 tbs)

- On a glass or ceramic bowl microwave ingredients for about 30 seconds.

- Stir mixture and allow it to cool for about a minute.

- Apply slightly warm mixture to face and neck with a cotton ball and leave it on for about 15 minutes.

- Remove product with a paper towel damped with warm water.

- Don’t wash you face with soap immediately after. Wait few hours.

Food Inc.

October 2nd, 2011

Mayrena

In Food, Inc., filmmaker Robert Kenner lifts the veil on our nation’s food industry, exposing the highly mechanized underbelly that has been hidden from the American consumer with the consent of our government’s regulatory agencies, USDA and FDA. Our nation’s food supply is now controlled by a handful of corporations that often put profit ahead of consumer health, the livelihood of the American farmer, the safety of workers and our own environment. We have bigger-breasted chickens, the perfect pork chop, herbicide-resistant soybean seeds, even tomatoes that won’t go bad, but we also have new strains of E. coli—the harmful bacteria that causes illness for an estimated 73,000 Americans annually. We are riddled with widespread obesity, particularly among children, and an epidemic level of diabetes among adults.

Featuring interviews with such experts as Eric Schlosser (Fast Food Nation), Michael Pollan (The Omnivore’s Dilemma, In Defense of Food: An Eater’s Manifesto) along with forward thinking social entrepreneurs like Stonyfield’s Gary Hirshberg and Polyface Farms’ Joel Salatin, Food, Inc. reveals surprising—and often shocking truths—about what we eat, how it’s produced, who we have become as a nation and where we are going from here.

Scroll down to see movie trailer.

Frankenfoods: The real American diet.

October 2nd, 2011

Mayrena

I’ve been living in America for almost six years now, therefore I can honestly say it’s been six years since I made drastic chances to my diet. I used to eat the “big meal” for lunch, and now I eat it for dinner. I used to eat 40% grains, 40% legumes, 15% fruits and vegetables and 5% protein. Since I moved to this country it seems like protein takes more than half of the percentage of my daily diet. Meat, cheese, potato, and pasta are, in my opinion, the main components of the American diet.

A few years back, while walking along the produce section at my local supermarket I started wondering why the produce in my country looked like very sad versions of the ones in America. A lemon in America is 2 if not 3 times the size of a lemon in Santo Domingo, and so perfectly round too! Oranges are actually orange in America, while in Santo Domingo they are yellow/green-ish. Watermelons have no seeds in America!!! Genius! That way I don’t have to be bothered spitting seeds all over the place…oh, the little conveniences! But wait a minute. Hold on just a second. What did you do to this lemon to make it grow so big? Did you add something to this orange for coloring? What did you do to this Watermelon to make it grow without seeds? And so I realized a sad, sad truth: In America, we are eating genetically modified foods, otherwise known as “Frankenfoods“.

This is not grandma’s food you are eating. Say you wants to make cookies from scratch: the flour was made from genetically modified wheat, and the butter came from a cow who grew up in a pen with 10,000 other cows, walking around in it’s own feces (and given antibiotics to prevent it from getting sick) and fed an all corn diet (because it’s cheap…genetically modified corn, that is). Cows are supposed to eat grass. Feeding them corn, by the way, is the reason why cows now have e-coli. ”Food Inc.“, anyone? This is not me being dramatic and trying to scare you here. This is the truth. I am sure, somewhere inside of you, you knew this all along.

“OK May, I’m depressed now. Eating is scarry. Thanks, May. You are awesome.” Well, there are things you can do here, peeps! Buy produce locally (from farms in your area…you can find them here). When shopping at the supermarket, choose organic. Not only is it better for your health, but it sends a message: We, consumers, don’t want the genetically modified crap. “But May, organic is sooooooooo expensive!” I agree. I use the money I am saving from making my own cleaning products towards my organic produce. Also, when buying other organic things like snacks, salsa, olive oil, grains and canned foods, I usually go to Ocean State Lot to purchase them. I’m not “plugging” Ocean State Lot here, I am just saying they have my organic staples at a very reasonable price.

So peeps, be informed. Read the label. If you don’t know what the ingredient is, then you probably shouldn’t put it in your mouth. Avoid additives and preservatives. Avoid genetically modified foods. Buy organic. Next season, plan to have your own vegetable garden. Get to know your local farmers and give them your business. Take care of your bodies, and help your family and your community be healthy.

Now, who’s with me?

Hey peeps! Share your experience using homemade cleaning products here!!!

September 14th, 2011

Mayrena

Have you been to a Green Cleaning Party lately??? Are you using a homemade cleaning product?? Let others know about your experience!

Green Cleaning: Get with it.

September 3rd, 2011

Mayrena

Imagine yourself at the supermarket. It’s a leisure day, so you decide to push your shopping cart isle by isle while you find yourself picking up things you more than likely don’t really need . Now imagine you reached the place where all the cleaning products are located. Now, just stand there for a few minutes and take a deep breath. Better yet, don’t. Run as fast as you can!

Have you ever read the label of your laundry detergent? Even if you had, do you know the impact most of the cleaning products you buy for your house have on your health? Women’s Voices for the Earth is a non profit organization that has dedicated 15+ years to educate women about the dramatic health impact of harsh chemicals commonly used in household cleaning products. If you visit their website you will find a lot of information that might just inspire you to consider switching to homemade cleaning products.

Just to give you an idea, take a look at this list of commonly used chemicals. Take a look at all of these too. Chances are that if you open the cabinet under your kitchen sink you will find all of these and more. Actually, I take that back: Chances are the products you use are not even disclosing the ingredients in it! Do you wonder why?

“But May, if these things were not safe for humans then they would not sell it people to clean their houses”. Uh-hu…that’s the Kentucky Fried Chicken defense, folks. The truth is that we have to be mindful of potentially unknown risks. Don’t believe me? Do your own research. Google away!

Now, if you are interested (like myself) in making your own cleaning products, here is how. Enjoy!

We are back in business!

August 31st, 2011

Mayrena

Hello everybody and welcome to the new and improved website for “The Quest For (Natural) Health”!

We are very excited with the changes made, no only to our address but to our format. This new website is designed so that we start creating a community of (naturally) healthy people.

One of our new features is the ability you readers (and perhaps future contributors? ) now have to give us your feedback, let us know what you think, have an opinion, etc.

Another cool thing we love is the “Featured Video” section, where you will find a link to any interesting video we come across on You Tube. Currently we have an awesome video about homemade cleaning products.

We have now added categories so that it becomes easier for peeps to find any specific information or topic the are looking for. I know…it’s very exciting! (Errr…It’s just me being excited here, isn’t it? I can live with that).

So browse around, get comfortable with the site, subscribe, and don’t forget to like us on Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/pages/The-Quest-For-Natural-Health/231180163571442

You could also follow us on Twitter: q4naturalhealth

Take care peeps…and thanks for your support!

WE ARE MOVING! (so hang in there)

August 11th, 2011

may

Hello peeps! I have been very hesitant to post anything new because, as you know, we are in the process of moving the blog to Wordpress. I have tons of stuff to tell you about…I’ve done so much research (btw, say NO to soy!!!) but I hope you don’t mind if I lay low for a couple of weeks, while my trusted webmaster (I know you are reading this, Chadi!) gets the job done. Hopefully the move will allow this blog to be more interactive. I can’t wait to read some of the great research my faithful readers have come up with! Enjoy the weather, autumn is just around the corner…YAY!

Fat, Sick, and Nearly Dead

August 2nd, 2011

may

Movie recommendation of the week. ”Fat, Sick, and Nearly Dead” is a documentary that basically promotes a vegetarian diet. In my home we don’t follow a strict vegetarian diet, but we understand (and this has not always been the case, believe me!) why consuming mostly organic vegetables is one of the healthiest things we can do for our bodies.The following information was taken from the video site:“Part road trip, part self-help manifesto, FAT, SICK & NEARLY DEAD defies the traditional documentary format to present an unconventional and uplifting story of two men from different worlds who each realize that the only person who can save them is themselves.”Give it a try. It will get you thinking, o perhaps inspire you to jump start your nutrition! Let me know your thoughts on Facebook.

How “fresh” is an air freshener? Click here to find out.

July 26th, 2011

may

How “fresh” is an air freshener? Click here to find out.

I have been more and more concerned lately about the dangers of air fresheners (and of candles, for that matter). It’s scary stuff!!! I would encourage you to do your own research.

Quick odor solutions:

-Open all windows. Let the air flow.

-Use baking soda: A bowl of baking soda is guaranteed to take away smell (it has not failed me yet!)

-Leave a bowl of coffee beans on the counter.

Remember: Clean is evidenced by the absence of odor. Work on that first and then add a mild scent, if desired, by:

-Making a mix of 3 drops of pure essential oil (peppermint and lavender are my favorites) with 2 cups of water, and spraying it where wanted.

-Putting a few drops of essential oils in cotton balls and placing them in the space you are concerned about.

Let’s share clean air, peeps!

The Deodorant Dilemma

July 22nd, 2011

may

Have you read the label of your antiperspirant deodorant? Chances are is has aluminum as the active ingredient.

Let me pose a question: Why are we putting aluminum on our armpits? It turns out research shows a link between antiperspirant deodorant and breast cancer. Women shave under their arms, allowing harmful chemicals from the deodorant to enter the body upon contact with the recently shaved area. True story, gals! Read all about it here, and here, and here…

Let me dare ask another question: Why do we go to great lengths to stop something our body is supposed to engage in naturally (I’m talking about the whole “let’s stop the underarm sweating” fiasco)? What is sweat? It is our body’s way of getting rid of toxins through our pores. So…why so invested in keeping the toxins in? (PREACH!)

About two months ago I decided to start looking for an effective alternative to my Mitchum antiperspirant. It wasn’t easy, and at times it gave me a not-so-cool flashback to puberty (when I had to engage in the difficult task of getting my body odor under control). Here is the short version of the long battle:

First trial: Dr. Hauschka Deodorant.

I did I quick search online and found this deodorant. It had a few great reviews and the ingredients looked great (all natural). I thought to myself “this is the answer to all my problems!” and bought 3 of them (at $22 dollars a bottle…I know, I’m insane!). I smelled ok for about 4 hours and then I would have to re-apply. It smells a lot like sage, so I felt like a walking condiment when I was wearing it. Because I needed to re-apply so much I kept one in my purse, one in the bathroom and one in the nightstand (which my husband thought was crazy because now I couldn’t return any of this very expensive product I didn’t care for). It was a horrible experience, totally not recommended.

Second trial: Baking soda.

I read somewhere online (and I am sure I heard this from my mother at some point as well) that if you apply just a little bit of baking soda to your armpits it will kill the bacteria that causes odor. It made sense, after all, it gets rid of the bad smell in my refrigerator! So I picked a particularly challenging day, when there was a lot going on and I knew I would be needing some protection, and I tried this out. Guess what? It worked like a charm! Not only did I not smell bad, but I just didn’t smell like anything. It was awesome…for like about two days. After that time my armpits started to get more and more irritated, so I decided to try something else. Which brings me to…

Third trial: Home remedy.

I found this recipe online. It contained three ingredients: Baking soda, corn starch and coconut oil. The last two ingredients were supposed to help sooth the effects of the first one on my skin. Did it work? Nah…I was continuing to get irritated, but now I had a rather rancid coconut-y smell. At this point I had to start using hydrocortisone because my underarms were itchy and inflamed (note: don’t try using the “cooling relieve gel” one under your arms…trust me). Not only did it take 2 weeks for my armpits to “calm down” but my husband was starting to doubt my capability to ever smell like a normal person again, which brings me to…

Forth trial: Miessence deodorant.

There is this blog that I really like. I found it when I was looking for a natural alternative to my deodorant. It turns out that one of the two co-authors of the blog (Jordan) had spend the past year doing exactly what I was doing in terms of looking for that perfect substitute to the conventional deodorant. She had blogged (over the course of a year or so) about more than 10 different deodorants and compared them against each other, listing the pros and cons of each one. All I had to do was see which ones rated the highest and voila! That’s how I came to know about Miessence (read Jordan’s review here). I ordered one only (getting a little more savvy!) to try out. I originally ordered one with an aroma, but they made a mistake with my order and send me an aroma free one. At last, something that works well! No smell for about 10 hours, no irritation (in fact, I would argue it somehow helped my irritation heal), no drama! I absolutely LOVED (and currently love) this deodorant. I wondered “have I found the one?”, yet I tried something else…

Fifth and FINAL trial: Soapwalla deodorant cream.

Jordan (who I was beginning to feel was an angel send from heaven to guide me through this mess) had very recently written a review about this product, and she placed it at the top of her list. I was excited about the story behind the product ( you can read about it here) and felt the need to try it out for myself. The first thing I noticed about it when I opened it was the smell…not unpleasant at all, but it was a very strong smell of tea tree oil (which I read was a skin irritant). Indeed, it started to irritate my underarms (my poor, abused, sensitive, overworked underarms) and I had to discontinue the use of this product after a few days. So guess what? I went back to my Miessence deodorant, and that was the end of that.

So, that’s the whole story of my deodorant dilemma. In the end I found a great product that works for me. I also ended up with dark circles under my arms due to the massive irritation. I’m a little self conscience about it, but I am kind of waiting to see if it goes away on its own. If not…well…that will be a quest for another day! (I think I can hear my underarms applauding…). All and all, it was worth it because I have reduced the possibility of breast cancer on myself, even if it was just a little bit.