Spring Cleaning…Naturally!
When I got married, I quickly learned that my husband was one of those “clean” people. He cleaned things that I wouldn’t even think of cleaning – walls, fans, ceilings, etc. As someone who grew up resisting when my mom asked me to put things away before the cleaning lady came (spoiled, I know), I had a lot to learn (and still do) in this area.
When we changed our diet to "eat real food", we also realized that we wanted reduce our exposure to environmental toxins. This opened up a whole new world of eliminating chemicals from our lives, including those in cleaning products.
What is the Problem?
There have been 85,000 new chemicals introduced in mainstream products since World War II. Most of these are contained in conventional cleaning products, but are not approved by the EPA.
In fact the average household has at least 62 toxic chemicals found in their bathroom or under their kitchen sink that they probably don’t even realize. These chemicals include phtalates (in fragranced products), triclosan (in liquid dishwashing detergent), 2-Butoxyethanol (in multi-purpose cleaners) and even chlorine (in laundry whiteners and toilet bowl cleaners). These chemicals affect the air we breathe, water we drink, and are in the top five causes of child poisoning cases. It is not hard to see the reason that we want to remove these chemicals and products from our homes.
How do we do remove chemicals and still make our sinks shine and our toilets sparkle?
My two favorite ingredients to create my own homemade all purpose cleaner that works wonders are baking soda and vinegar.
All Purpose Cleaner Recipe
Mix:
- ½ cups of vinegar
- ¼ cup baking soda
- into a ½ gallon of water.
Put it in a spray bottle, and use to clean showers, bathrooms, and windows.
Not only can I clean the shower without feeling like I’m going to pass out, but I can also trust that my family is not being harmed by toxic chemicals.
Other Resources for Green Cleaners
If making your own cleaning products isn’t your thing, check out the Environmental Working Group’s guide to the top green cleaning products. Here you can find anything from non-toxic laundry supplies and dish soap to beauty supplies and cosmetics.
What are your favorite natural cleaning remedies or products? Let us know on our facebook page!
Joelle Kurczodyna, NTP
“Health-ify” Your Favorite Meal
There are some foods that we absolutely LOVE, but these foods might not be the healthiest choice.
This begs the question – what are “healthy” foods?
I think of healthy foods as the foods that come from only real food ingredients and are rich in nutrients to nourish and fuel your body. There are TWO key components:
- Made from real, unprocessed ingredients AND
- Rich in nutrients.
Generally, if it grew in the ground or was once alive, it is probably nutritious. If it was made in a factory, then think about it more carefully.
To make your favorite foods healthier: Remove the processed ingredients and add more nutrient dense ingredients.
How does this work?
We were having friends over for dinner the other day and I planned to make roasted chicken thighs, asparagus, and sweet potatoes, but I also wanted to include a dessert. I love brownies, but generally brownies are full of sugar and other processed ingredients, especially if you buy the boxed mix. So with help from Google, and little tweaking, I came up with a brownie that satisfied that sweet tooth, contained mostly real ingredients full of nutrients, and was a hit with our dinner guests. See recipe below.
There are many foods that people often think must be included in a meal, such as bread, pasta, rice, potatoes, or tortillas. While these might seem like healthy choices, they tend to be filler foods that are high in calories and carbohydrates, and low in nutrients. Skip them, and replace as follows:
Substitute / Add Vegetables
As a rule of thumb, at least half, if not 2/3 or 3/4 of your plate should be vegetables. Try these ideas to add more veggies:
- Add more vegetables to your family’s favorite soup or casserole. It’s amazing how well veggies cook down and you can add lots of vegetables without changing the dish. Soon your family will like it better this way. Note: This could mean adding more of the same vegetable that the recipe calls for or others that you have on hand.
- Remove the bread, and replace with greens, like spinach. Your sandwich becomes a salad. Similarly, replace tortillas with greens to make taco salad!
- Replace pasta with spaghetti squash, spiralated squash, or other veggies.
- Replace rice, mashed potatoes, or pizza crust with cauliflower rice or mashed cauliflower, or cauliflower crust . This may sound strange but it’s a GREAT way to substitute a food with little nutrients to one that is more nutrient dense and still tastes great!
Make it from Scratch
It is easy to get in the habit of using packaged products because it is easier or you don't know how to make it from scratch. Actually, it's often not that hard to make it from scratch, you just need to be brave, find a recipe, and try it.
- Make homemade mayo – Replace those, processed vegetable oils with healthy fats and natural ingredients. Use your mayo as a base in salad dressing or chicken/tuna/egg salad.
- Replace the canned "cream of xyz" soup in your family favorite casserole and make the real stuff – like this recipe.
Healthified Brownies
In this brownie recipe, the flour, sugar, and vegetable oil are replaced with avocados and bananas.
Ingredients:
- 2 Avocados
- 2 Bananas
- 2 Eggs
- ½ Cup Cocoa Powder
- ¼ Cup Raw Honey
- 1 Tsp Baking soda
- ½ Cup Dark Chocolate chips (Optional)
Method:
Blend avocados, bananas, eggs, cocoa powder, honey, and baking soda – an immersion blender or food processor work well. Stir in chocolate chips if desired Pour into a greased (I use coconut oil) 8x8 baking dish. Bake at 350 for 25-30 min.
This week, use these tips to “health-ify” one of your favorite meals.
Let us know how it goes and share more ideas on our facebook page!
Joelle Kurczodyna, NTP
Eat The Rainbow
It is easy it is to get stuck in a rut, eating the same foods. This week, focus on branching out! As you grocery shop, admire at all the colors in the produce department. Buy something new! Fill your cart with foods of different colors.
Why is eating a variety of colors important?
Foods of each color have different nutrients and properties. We need ALL of the colors to get all the nutrients that our bodies need to be healthy.
Red
Red produce is known for its cancer fighting properties. The reds provide an abundance of antioxidants, including high doses of vitamin C, flavonoids, lycopene, and anthocyanin.
Examples of RED: Apples, beets, bell peppers, red cabbage, cayenne peppers, cherries, cranberries, grapes, pomegranates, radicchio, radishes, raspberries, rhubarb, ruby red grapefruit, strawberries, tomatoes, watermelon.
Orange
Orange fruits and vegetables are known for their beta-carotene, which is the precursor to vitamin A. This is essential for night vision and also neutralizes free radicals in the body making it crucial for boosting the immune system. Orange vegetables are another powerhouse of Vitamin C.
Examples of ORANGE: Butternut squash, cantaloupe, carrots, guava, loquats, kumquat, mandarin, mango, nectarines, orange bell pepper, oranges, papaya, persimmon, peach, pumpkin, sweet potato, tangerines, winter squash.
Yellow
We all love this sunny color. Yellow fruits and vegetables are bursting with carotenoids and bioflavanoids and more vitamin C. Studies have found that eating YELLOW is beneficial to your heart, vision, digestion and immune system.
Examples of YELLOW: Lemons, bananas, yellow summer squash, delicata squash, pineapple, star fruit, mangoes, endive, yellow peppers, onions, chamomile, yellow tomatoes, turmeric, mustard seeds, spaghetti squash, Crenshaw melon
Green
If you had to pick one color to provide you with the most nutrient density, green is your color! Eating dark greens are known for:
- Naturally reducing cholesterol
- Providing antioxidants with immune system boosters and anti-cancer properties
- Providing mood boosting B vitamins
- Preventing osteoporosis more effectively than milk. Greens provide calcium along with the potassium, magnesium and other minerals to build strong bones.
Examples of GREEN: Arugula, bok choy, broccoli, cabbage, brussel sprouts, collard greens, lettuces, kale, mustard greens, escarole, turnip greens, beet greens, watercress, spinach, swiss chard, parsley, cilantro, artichokes, green summer squash, cucumbers, kiwi, celery.
Blue / Purple
The USDA has named blueberries the fruit highest in antioxidants. The powerful antioxidants present in blue and purple fruits and veggies help prevent oxidative cell damage, thus reducing the risk of Alzheimer’s, heart disease, and cancer. Anthocyanin in dark blue and purple fruits and vegetables helps to improve memory, and the flavonoids present help to metabolize bacteria in the arteries and improve circulation to reduce the risk of heart disease. Furthermore, the antioxidants neutralize free radicals, preventing cell damage and cancer causing tumors. One added benefit of the blues and purples are the rich flavonoids, which help prevent urinary tract infections.
Examples of BLUE/PURPLE: Blueberries, blackberries, cranberries, eggplant, figs, plums, purple potatoes, grapes, prunes.
This week aim to fill your grocery cart with a rainbow of produce (no, Skittles do not count). Your goal is to eat at least 2 colors at each meal! Let us know how it goes on our facebook page.
Joelle Kurczodyna, NTP