Women's Wellness Wednesday: 7 easy steps to a healthier diet!

I was super pumped when I found this list!
It's all right there.
In a fun, bright, ready-made list you could print out and take with you to the grocery store.
Stop buying products with these 7 ingredients in them.
When I determined what would be on my personal "list-to-avoid," these same things were on my list.
Read about it here.
If you're interested in eating healthier, cleaner, less processed, right here is where to start.
Go through your pantry and frig and look at every nutrition label.
If you find these ingredients on the label, set it aside.
I'm willing to bet you'll be astonished at how much garbage is in your pantry.
I was!!!
And I thought I knew a lot about nutrition from my "nutrition" courses in college!
Pffffft!!
High fructose corn syrup is in nearly everything these days!!
Breads, ice cream, cereal, sweetened beverages, jelly, graham crackers......basically
all the kid-friendly food!

Even if you don't need a specialized diet like one that is gluten-free, or dairy-free, or low-sodium, this is the perfect place to start cleaning up what you put in this one body you have been given and should be managing well!!

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Women's Wellness Wednesdays: Abundance Soaps

We've had so, so much celebrating here in the month of April.

Several weeks ago was my husband's and my 20th wedding anniversary!!

{More on that in the days to come!}

We decided intentionally to splurge on ourselves this year

 and took an amazing trip back "to where it all started for us."

I grew up in Northwest Ohio and ultimately that's where we married.

We traveled back there and saw our first apartment and our first house

and visited with lots of friends and family. 

It was a blast.

But, as I mentioned, more on that later.

During one of my last visits to Northwest Ohio, my Mom mentioned

that a friend of mine who I knew from church youth group day's

now produced these wonderful homemade soaps.

I found some at my favorite spot on earth, Sauder Village in Archbold, Ohio.

I picked up a couple and just fell in love!!!

These soaps are made from just the most delightful ingredients

and they lather up beautifully!!

When I was home again for our anniversary, I snagged a couple new scents.

I was delighted with the "Warm Apple Cake" because I used to go to

elementary school with the owner/operator of Johnston's Fruit Farms!!

I love seeing how Karin has grown into an amazing entrepreneur 

with amazing products that are "wildly popular"

all across the Northwest Ohio area!!

I love how she has run with this business

 and created an entire line of products that are

pure and natural and crafted from ingredients right out of her backyard!

You can buy some for yourself at her website:
Abundance Soaps

While you are looking around at all the great products she offers,
be sure to click on the "Our Story" link for how she got started and how
she came up with the name of her business!!
I LOVE it!!

Women's Wellness Wednesday: Zevia

Let me state from the get-go here:
I'm not an advocate for drinking soda or pop (as I grew up calling it.)

I don't know if you have ever read the ingredients label on a can

of your favorite soft drink, but it's not good!!

Waaaaay too much sugar.
Caramel color.

Preservatives.

Artificial colors.

The list goes on.

There are a zillion articles on the worldwide web with a plethora of information

about how detrimental these drinks are for your health.

People continue to chug them though.

I know they are super cheap.

$1 for a 2-liter?

Come on!

We have not had soda or pop in our house on a regular basis for years now

and we don't miss them.

Neither does our well-being!!

With all that being said though, I wanted to share a brand that we've recently tried

as a "treat" once in a while!

I think some people have the mind-set that a diet soda would be better for them

than the regular (sugar laden) variety.
Artificial sweeteners (splenda, sucralose, and aspartame) cause even more health problems and are worse for your body than sugar!!!

Again, you can research that anywhere on the internet!

But Zevia has mastered a great tasting soda without the sugar, caramel color, and caffeine!!

It's sweetened with stevia and erythritol and has no colors in it!

My family has tried several flavors and we really love this "root beer" the best.

It's sweet, but not medicinal or bitter to us.

The cherry cola and cola flavors tasted like cough syrup to us, so not our favorites.

The "sprite" version wasn't a big hit either.

We enjoyed taste testing all the new flavors, and came to rest on this as our favorite.

Because it isn't loaded with sugar or artificial sweeteners, caffeine, and caramel color,

I love offering this for special family nights or day-trips instead of the mainstream sodas!
Be aware that it is  much pricier than your top-brand soda/pop.
This case of 10 is normally about $7 at our local health food store (Sprout's.)

But I snagged a couple cases on a sale day of buy one, get one free!
You can find these at some local grocery story chains as well!
Yum!!!

Women's Wellness Wednesday: Oikos Triple Zero Yogurt

For awhile, I was on this dairy-free kick.

I had read that dairy was inflammatory to our bodies,

and that getting off of it could help manage allergies better.

It worked!!
Wow!

Instead of doing multiple medications to manage my allergies

to almost every single plant in Texas,

I simply did one dose of Flonase morning and night.

That's it.

No tissues.  No Tylenol.  No essential oils.  No eye drops. No itchy scalp.

Nothing.
By simply going dairy-free.

But, I'm now trying to figure out ways to get more probiotics into my family

to combat leaky gut issues and help build our immune systems.
One way of doing that is by consuming yogurt.

Not all commercial yogurts are created the same.
Check your labels!!
Many are high in carbohydrates (think sugar) and added sugar.
I have tried some dairy-free yogurts, but most do not have as much protein
as I've been trying to add to my diet.

This brand is very high in protein, lower in carbohydrates than most,
and sweetened with stevia.
It's a little pricey, but I have found this in cases of 18 at Costco for around $13.00.
Recently, it was on sale for roughly $10 a case.
You'll find more flavor varieties at Wal-Mart,
but my kids love the peach and strawberry that come in this box.
This is a yummy treat in the afternoon as a pick-me-up,
or for a quick breakfast on the go!!

Women's Wellness Wednesday: Komboucha!!

So, funny story.

A couple years ago, a friend of mine asked me to try some of her homemade komboucha.

For those of you unaware of what this is,

it's a fermented "tea" that begins with a "scoby" and ends up as a tasty, fizzy drink.

It is full of great probiotics as a result of this fermentation process.

Some people have mastered making it in their kitchens.

Some of us have not.

As I stood in her kitchen and took a sip, my eyes widened.

"I'm afraid she doesn't know what's going on here," I thought to myself,

"This is Mamie Baldwin standing here looking at me.

This is nothing more than the recipe! {of the TV show The Waltons}

She's making moonshine!!"

Since that time though, I've been learning how our gut health basically affects

every system in our body including our immune system.

Poor gut health being implicated as a contributing factor to autoimmune diseases,

Type 2 Diabetes, allergies, and neurological issues.

One of things that I'm learning have clear benefits for our gut health is the addition

of probiotics to our nutrition.

There are several ways you can do that:

yogurt

fermented foods

supplements

komboucha

homemade bone broth

When our intestinal flora is healthy, it makes sense that our immune systems would

be better equipped to fight off a variety of illnesses.

My family has not had a bout with a stomach virus in several years,

but we have had a sick one or two here and there.

Usually after an overdose of junk food or sugary things.

Once their tummies have settled, I immediately start them back up on extra doses

of probiotics as well as the rest of the family as a preventative measure!!

The brand of komboucha pictured above is my favorite!

It comes in lots of different flavors with the gingerberry, cosmic cranberry, strawberry serenity

 and passionberry bliss being my favorites so far!!

They usually run a little over $3.00 at our local health food store, but I've seen them at Kroger

and Wal-Mart as well.

My local Wal-Mart has stopped carrying them though.

It should be very fizzy when you open it but is fine if it's not.

Be prepared for your taste buds to flip out as it's pretty tart upon first gulp.

But you'll get used to it.

Never mind the floaties in it either.

That's part of the "scoby" that is very good for you.

You can't even tell you're drinking the floaties unlike the drinks with the chia seeds in it.

Way too much texture for me!!!

This is a great alternative to drinking soda or pop and is much healthier for you.

Low in carbs and sugar!

If you're looking for ways to eliminate sweetened drinks from your diet

or if you're looking for a way to support your body's overall health,

give komboucha a try!!!

Here are some great articles to research if you're interested in reading more about the amazing benefits of good gut health and how to achieve that:

"Neurologist speaks out about the importance of gut health......"

"Gut Bacteria May Cause Rheumatoid Arthritis"

"The Secret to Treating Your Allergies May Lie in your Stomach"

Women's Wellness Wednesday: Making my own coconut oil skincare and spa products

I'm pretty sure I have a new obsession.
It's coconut oil.

Have you heard about all the amazing things this oil is great for?
If not......check these out:

10 Uses for Coconut Oil You Haven't Tried

101 Uses for Coconut Oil

(and not to be out-done!)

333 Uses for Coconut Oil

I personally have been experimenting with different uses and these are some of my favorite homemade skincare/spa products:

Homemade Deodorant

(I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE this.  I store it in the frig, and pop it out of this little container as needed)

Homemade Body Butter

(Just tried it for the first time today.  More reviews on this later.)

Homemade Coconut Sugar Scrub

(I gave this as Christmas gifts this last year.  A little goes a long way, so I haven't made another batch since then.  But when I do I plan on putting my organic cane sugar crystals in the food processor to make them a little finer.  What I have now is so coarse it almost hurts.  Makes your skin silky smooth though!!)

Getting your children to actually eat their fruits and veggies

Yeah, yeah, yeah.

Right.

I know.

Blah, blah, blah.

But have you ever tried to get a child, who is "addicted" to the processed food already,

or who struggles with sensory disorders, or ADHD, or Autism, or......

to actually eat fruit and vegetables??

I had to start by not buying processed food....at all.

Because what happens in my house is this:

I buy all these whole food items,

and they scrounge through the pantry when they get hungry.

They don't reach for a banana or apple,

they make their own peanut butter and jelly sandwich

or pour a bowl of cereal.

So yeah.....I hide the two boxes of Rice Chex or Whole-Grain Flakes

for those days I have to have something quick I know they will put in their stomachs.

One thing that I am convinced draws children to processed foods (in addition to the sugar and fat)

is the colorful, fun packaging.

I believe that we, as moms, have to be creative when it comes to food preparation 

and how we present the food to our family.

Who says being a stay-at-home-mom is boring and suppresses our creativity or artistic ability?

I have found that taking the time to set the table pretty, with candles,

brings them all to the table more willingly than when I just hand them a bowl of food

and point them to a cluttered table to sit at.

I've found the same when it comes to serving fruits and veggies.

My children are much more willing to eat raw produce than slimy cooked produce.

So I try to make it look more fun!

Who doesn't want to try some of this:

or THIS

or this:

I'm not saying that you have to be a talented fruit sculptor to get your kids to eat right.

But I am saying that taking a few extra minutes to make the food look pretty

will spark the interest of you child and they will be more likely to try something that looks interesting to them.  Especially if they get to help.

Is that a no-fail guarantee?

No.

I have to fight the processed food addictions in my house every. single. day.

I am seeing progress though.

My children are eating much more fruit than they ever did before.

They still choose homemade cookies over apple slices; but, when I don't make the cookies

and just offer fruit, they are actually eating it.

I'm throwing much less rotten fruit away these days.

Women's Wellness Wednesday: Avoiding MSG

Several years ago, two of my children were professionally diagnosed with ADHD.

I was quickly overwhelmed.

Overwhelmed with the conflicting suggestions to help manage the disruptive behaviors

that accompany this learning difference.

The one suggestion that made the most sense for the long-term was to examine what we were eating

and how it affected their ability to focus and control themselves.

In researching this, a couple things kept coming up:

1. Food preservatives

2.  Food coloring

3.  High Fructose Corn Syrup

There were other things that came up as well, but today I want to address

the preservative MSG.

(Click on the above image to make it larger!)

For more information on processed foods and their affects on children's behavior, read......

Hyper Kids?  Cut out Preservatives

Top 10 Scariest Food Additives

MSG and ADHD

Women's Wellness Wednesday: Parabens

Exactly why I now make my own deodorant (which I LOVE by the way),

and only use other hygiene products that are paraben free.

Make-up is a culprit as well, and I'm still trying some paraben-free cosmetics 

that are affordable for my budget.

(click on the image above to make it larger)

The instructions that I use for making my deodorant can be found here.

Women's Wellness Wednesday: How do you treat illness?

(You can click on the image above to make it larger.)

Women's Wellness Wednesday: What's on YOUR plate?

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Women's Wellness Wednesdays: What are YOU craving today?

I remember those evenings, when all the children were finally in bed, my husband was working the night shift so he was not home, and I was sitting on my couch in front of my TV.....exhausted.
It would hit me.
A bowl of ice cream sounds really nice right now!!
Or, how about that bag of pretzels?
Gonna wash it down with a Diet Root Beer.

When I changed up my diet over a year ago, I noticed something remarkable.
I gradually stopped craving sweets.
Sweets like anything chocolate, breads (which are almost all carbohydrate and are changed into sugar in your body for energy), diet soda, juices, cookies, desserts, etc.
I cut out desserts and sweet treats and ice cream and dairy, and I noticed that I didn't think about those kinds of foods, didn't have the afternoon crashes of energy, and pretty soon could walk past the dessert table at church functions without even thinking about it.

Recently, I came across some really helpful information:

(click on the above image to see it larger)

We were indeed designed by God to crave things.

But I don't believe it was his intention that we crave food.
When we CRAVE something to eat, there is usually something off balance in our body.
Cravings are an internal mechanism wired into our bodies to alert us to something necessary that we are missing.
God intended that we crave HIM.
Lysa Terkeurst, in her book Made to Crave, said:

"Yes, we were made to crave - long for, want greatly, desire eagerly, and beg for - God.

Only God.

But Satan wants to do everything possible to replace our craving for God with something else.

Here's what the Bible says about this:
'Do not love the world or anything in the world.  

If anyone loves the world - the cravings of sinful man, the lust of his eyes

and the boasting of what he has and does - comes not from the Father

but from the world.  1 John 2:12-16'"

What a revelation for me to realize that the Devil uses our physical cravings to distract us from the One true source of all I need.

My sense of comfort, my desire to "reward" myself,  my lonliness, or boredom, or frustration.....all should be taken to the Lord.

I should be looking to Him to meet those needs in my life!

Another helpful article on physical cravings and the source of those can be found here:

Identify Your Food Cravings

When I walked away from those sweets and dairy products, I had to replace it with something else.
Something healthy, nutritious, better balanced.
And guess what?!
Those are the things I still look forward to and.....crave, if you will

In her book, Lysa also said:

"Cravings.  Are they a curse or a blessing?

The answer to that depends on what we're craving.  

And what we're craving will always depend on whatever we're consuming......

the object of our desire or

 God and his truth."

What are you craving today?

Mashed potatoes with gravy?

Macaroni and cheese?

Ice cream?

Chocolate chip cookies?

Chocolate chips?

Are you REALLY hungry,

or do you eat an unhealthy amount of those things causing an imbalance in nutrients and minerals

in your body that keep you satisfied and full of energy all day?

Or do you.....

"....As newborn babes, desire (crave) the sincere word of God

that you may grow thereby..."

1 Peter 2:2

-

Women's Wellness Wednesday: Are you getting enough Vitamin D?

For over a year now, I've been hearing and reading more and more about the importance of Vitamin D!

And how so many Americans are deficient in it.
And it has some pretty traumatic results when you are deficient.
That would be easily mistaken as something else, or even treated with medication as something else.

Some of the issues that I've been struggling with personally that have prompted me to study this more and to increase my own intake of Vitamin D are these:

Depression (big issue at cycle time!!)

Immune function

Thyroid problems

Weight loss

There are several other health concerns connected to Vitamin D deficiency as well.

Did you know that your doctor can ask for a simple blood test to determine whether or not you are deficient in this?

Did you know that more often than not, when a doctor checks for this, his patient is indeed deficient.

Last week, I went to see a new doctor who I'm praying can help me find the answers to some of the hormonal imbalances I've been miserable with for quite a long time.

He drew blood checking some different levels.....including Vitamin D3.

Read this for some really remarkable information on this subject:

Is Vitamin D deficiency casting a cloud over your health?

Women's Wellness Wednesday: Phytoestrogens

It has been awhile since I've posted about some of the things I've experienced in this journey with adenomyosis.
What a journey it has been!
But I'm so pleased to report that things have improved so much for me that I'm excited and feel burdened to share what I've learned with other women who may be experiencing the same symptoms I was!!
You can read here about this condition and what led me to discovering this is what I have.
Once I learned what it was that causing such a problem, I began researching how to treat it.
The first thing I learned about was something called xenoestrogens.
But once I got THAT thing figured out, I learned about something else in our environment that I needed to be aware of:  PHYTOESTROGENS!
Not only do those of us with estrogen dominance issues need to be aware of the estrogen mimicers in our environments (xenoestrogens), but also of those in plants we may be ingesting as well.  Hence the term, "phyto" estrogens.

Of course, the most notorious is soy.
Soy has long been known to have estrogen-like chemicals in it.
We try to be careful that our children are not getting extra hormones in animal products these days,
but are we aware that we can be replacing that when we give them an alternative like soymilk?
What about tofu or those things with soybean oil in it?

I've also been careful with the essential oils of lavendar and tea tree oil as well.
These are also known to be estrogen mimicers!!

And I hate to break it to ya.......I was mad about this myself......so does COFFEE!!
Just so you know.
For a list of specific phytoestrogens that I've been avoiding, check here.
To be fair though, it's always good to have other opinions, and I appreciate the information found here.
Either way, this is another way that I've been trying to be aware of what I'm putting in this one body that I've been given!!

Friday's Fabulous Family Recipe: Moroccan Vegetarian Stew

In keeping with the adventures of trying different ethnic flavors, I knew I had to try this recipe when I found it.
It did not disappoint either.
It is very fragrant and just looked so beautiful with all it's colors blending together in the pan.
Another thing I've found about experimenting with plant-based dishes is that using lots of bright colors makes the dishes so aesthetically pleasing that it just invites you to try it.
The recipe calls for potatoes, but I had some extra sweet potatoes laying around so I just used those.
That added another burst of color and I think it gave it more flavor.
Next time I'm going to add a bit more pink salt to really enhance the flavors.
Serve it over steaming hot brown basmati rice with a flavorful salad and you've got a fabulous meal!!
Find the recipe here!

"Where there is no vision..."

"Feel within deep latent urges to get things done,
to be rising above this slough of unconscious mediocrity that seems to characterize my days.
Father, if these strong currents be flesh driven,
I pray thee staunch and slay them,
but if sublimated, channeled into courses which will do Thy service,
then intensify them,
mobilize them,
give them direction, 
for I long--Thou knowest how earnestly--
that the bride of Thine own dear Son be made perfect and entire in my day.
Yea, Lord, if it cost me my bride in this life,
let me have They grace and power to bring to the Lamb the reward of His sufferings."

~~ 21 year old Jim Elliot
December 22, 1948
7 years before his slaughter on the mission field at the hand of the savages he committed to sharing the gospel with

This has been a wonderful first week of this new year!!

I was looking back at our first week of last year and was reminded that we were in the midst of a horrible stomach virus.

I'm oh, so grateful, to not be dealing with that!

You can read about it here.

We are still on Winter Break.....yep, no school.

Can I just say that I think that has been the smartest decision I've made concerning our homeschooling to date.

THREE weeks of winter break...no school.

There is usually no way that I am ready to jump back in to being strangled by the clock and all the things that have to be done everyday just to stay on track on the Monday after 2 weeks of reveling and celebration and the weekend with church and Christmas and New Year's Day!!!

We have enjoyed leisurely putting away the Christmas tree and the lights,

and getting the laundry caught up, and some cleaning done.

My husband and I have updated our yearly budget this week and have a plan!!

I climbed under both sets of bunkbeds in my girls' room and hauled out unbelievable things!!

I sat down with two of my children and we talked through some goals for projects we want to complete this spring toward earning some badges in our Master Club program at church on Wednesday nights. 

I've tried a couple new plant-based recipes from a folder of ideas I put together when looking through magazines, pulling out what I would actually use and tossing the magazine after it had been pilfered.

I've filled in our new calendar with all the appointments and special dates we need to remember.

I've pulled off all the Christmas pictures from last year {2010} that are on my frig., and put up all the fresh, new pictures from this past Christmas{2011}.

I've had time to knead through some ideas for a better system of making my weekly grocery lists, and maybe a daily to-do list to give me more focus during my days.

But most importantly,
I've been thinking about some goals for this year.
And a plan to make those goals a reality.

First, I did eventually finish memorizing the entire book of Philippians in 2011.
I loved doing that and it was fairly easy to work on during my hour long walks listening to the scriptures on my smart phone.
I'm pondering which book to work on this year.
It may take me longer than a year.
Maybe Galatians, maybe Ruth....or ESTHER!
For more on the critical need for scripture memorization in our lives....watch here.
I've also been thinking about naming this year.
To give it more clarity and focus for what I want to study and live out more authentically.
Last year, 2011, was "The Year of Grace."
I may need to do that one over some time.
But because of this marvelous freedom we have in Christ, because of His great love and mercy and forgiveness, upon our salvation, our accepting His free gift.....
it naturally causes me to want to draw nearer to Him.....to worship.....adore.
I want to know more about what true, authentic worship means.
Is all worship offered with sincerity and reverence acceptable to Him?
I want to explore how my own worship may be falling short or if it is quite anemic.
What more can I offer Him?
These are things I want to focus on studying and listening for.
So I'm naming 2012 my "Year of Worship."
For more on this idea, see here and here.

On a health note, by God's grace alone, I've been able to maintain the weight loss I reached in 2010.  
My goal at the beginning of last year was to get to the bottom of some hitches I was having with my thyroid levels.
Thankfully, I found a tremendous amount of relief from adding natural progesterone cream, completely ditching all my hygiene products that I learned are full of harmful chemicals and xenoestrogens, and my husband and I have determined to journey to a more plant-based diet.
We've gone dairy-free, and virtually left animal products behind.
It hasn't been easy with the children and we're still not perfect in our nutrition,
but we're progressing.
Moving forward in the journey to better health.
As a result, my endocrinologist lowered my dose of levothyroxine at my last visit.
I've had to be off all my allergy meds for the last month, and so far no infections and not a whole lot of itching/sneezing/congestion.
At least I can get by with minimal amounts of over-the-counter allergy meds.
We are saving to purchase a juicer, which we found to be very beneficial to us this last fall when my husband borrowed a Breville and lost 25 pounds in 15 days of strict juicing.
I even lost 7 more pounds in the 5 days I joined him!!!

Lots of things on the bucket list this year, and I'm very excited.
Excited to see what the Lord has in store for us, and to offer thanks for it all!!

Women's Wellness Wednesday: Eliminating xenoestrogens

On Wednesdays, I'm journaling about this new leg of my journey to better health.
Last week, I talked about these things called "xenoestrogens" that I had NEVER heard of,
but apparently are wreaking HAVOC on my health and well-being!!
You can read about that here:  What ARE xenoestrogens?

Now that I'm more familiar with what they are and what they do {estrogen mimicers, endocrine disrupters},
I've been trying to figure out how to avoid them.

It's pretty simple to avoid them.....just don't use the products that contain them.
The tricky part is finding a good alternative....that WORKS and doesn't break the bank!!

Here's what I've found so far:

These products are AH-mazing!!

The Dessert Essence brand is dedicated to producing all-natural products and they are just fantastic!

I've ditched all my regular shampoos, conditioners, soap, and body lotion and switched to this brand.

I LOVE the Coconut body wash and lotion.

It's as good as or better than anything at Bath and Body Works, and is safer for you if you have
and estrogen dominance issue, such as myself.

I started buying them on sale at Sprout's so I could try them,

but will probably be buying them online at Vitacost.com for a way better price.

I've also ditched my store-bought antiperspirant/deodorant.
This one was tough for me.
I'm a confessed profuse sweater.
My feet and hands sweat....and the sweat RUNS down my face and back in the summers
around here!!
I was nervous about switching to something that doesn't have the aluminum and other parabens
that are normally in antiperspirants, but I knew I didn't want to keep using these potentially
harmful ingredients.
I tried this:

But didn't like that I had to apply it several times a day and I still smelled of rotten onions!

So I tried this:

But I had virtually the same problem as I did with the previous product.

Plus, I found out that tea tree oil is also an estrogen mimicer {phytoestrogen - plant based estrogen}

and that using this too much can cause issues with estrogen dominance as well!!!

SO.....I decided to try my hand at making my own!!

I found this recipe:

Homemade deodorant

Let me tell you.....I like it!!

It was super easy to make, and I was able to fill up one 4.6 oz. empty deodorant tube

that I had on hand.

When I use it....there is no odor.

I did not use any essential oil to fragrance it, but it has a gentle coconut smell from the coconut oil.

It has a super low melting point though, and melts instantly when it touches your skin.

It broke the twist up function on the deodorant container because it gets so hard when you put it in the frig initially, so I had to scoop it out into a small

covered plastic bowl and keep it in the frig.

I've just been popping it out of the bowl when I feel I need it and storing it in the frig.

The next thing to go?

Commercial laundry detergent.

Yep.

I was NOT going to do this.

I had dug in my heels and was not going to let anybody or anything drag me into 

being this "crunchy!"

But when I found out that xenoestrogens are found in laundry detergent AND fabric softener,

and that they don't come off your clothes and get into your system....

I knew I had to try this.

And what did I have to loose?

It's so. MUCH. cheaper!!

Here's the recipe:

Homemade liquid laundry detergent

It was so cheap to make.
And so easy.
Will post pictures later.
It seems to work just fine.
It doesn't have a fancy fragrance that our American culture seems to think we need for happiness
and cleanliness......
but it gets the clothes clean!!

Just a few simple changes.
With more to come.

Women's Wellness Wednesday: What are xenoestrogens?

That was exactly my question when I ran into a website that claimed that "adenomyosis is caused by estrogen dominance."

What is THAT??
I had never......ever heard that term......ever.
Basically it means your hormones are out of whack, that you have too much estrogen and not enough progeterone to counter-act it all.


This is a relatively new idea that you don't hear about in mainstream medicine, but will from alternative health-care providers...i.e. health and wellness, homeopathic doctors, etc.

One of the things I need to do is to eliminate all the EXTRA estrogen that I'm getting.
Where does all this extra estrogen come from??
Good question!!
I couldn't believe it!!

The answer lies in that term XENOESTROGENS.

"Xeno literally means foreign. So xenoestrogens means foreign estrogens. These xenoestrogens are thought to cause adenomyosis. Adenomyosis did NOT exist 150 years ago. Some of the 100,000 registered chemicals for use in the world have hormonal effects in addition to toxic and carcinogenic effects. Also the synergistic effects are known to occur but also are largely exactly unknown. The field of xenohormones is new, and only been in existence since about 1991."

So I did some research on exactly where these "xenoestrogens" come from and was overwhelmed:

A List of Xenostrogens

I was stunned and overwhelmed at what I found!!

These estrogen like chemicals are in nearly everything I've been putting on my skin, using in my laundry, heating my food in in the microwave, and drinking out of plastic bottles.

And in my COFFEE?!?!?

{Please don't mess with my coffee.....even though it IS decaf!!}

The more I've read about it, the more I'm convinced that so many women I know have issues with "estrogen dominance" but don't even know it.
I didn't!!!
Nobody I was talking to was telling me this.
I just knew that I wasn't feeling right and couldn't put my finger on it.
And the more I read about all the issues it causes, the more pieces of the puzzle came together for me.
Here's a list of other issues that too much estrogen can cause.  Check it out and consider whether or not you might recognize some of these in yourself:

Estrogen Dominance Symptoms

{You have to scroll down through this article to reach the list}

Next, week I'll be talking about some of the steps I've taken to eliminate these "xenoestrogens" from my personal environment.