Monthly Archives: May 2012

DIY: Herbal Tooth Powder Without Baking Soda

Here’s one recipe for herbal tooth powder without any added baking soda. Since I ran out of my last tooth powder then now I decided to make a new one without baking soda because it is said to damage the tooth enamel when using long term. I’m not saying I won’t use baking soda ever again in a tooth powder, just a short break once in a while is a good thought : )

So here’s what you’ll need to make my herbal tooth powder: 2 tablespoons of whole dried stevia leaves, 2 tablespoons of whole dried peppermint leaves, 2 tablespoons of whole dried sage leaves, 1 tablespoon of neem powder (or 2 tablespoons of whole dried neem leaves) and 4 tablespoons of Bentonite clay.


Grind the herbs with mortar and pestle first:

And then add the neem powder and Bentonite clay and stir:

 

I chose exactly those herbs because the stevia gives the tooth powder a mildly sweet taste and also helps to improve dental health thanks to its antibacterial properties. The peppermint freshens the breath and also has strong antibacterial and antiviral properties. Sage is said to act as teeth whitener and cleaner plus it helps to keep your gums healthy. Neem powder helps to prevent periodontal disease and tooth decay. And I added the Bentonite clay because it mildly polishes and re-mineralizes the teeth.

 

May 27, 2012Permalink 1 Comment

More Natural Ways To Cure Vaginal Yeast Infection

Since my kefir tampons post has become surprisingly popular then I guess that many more people besides me are dealing with vaginal yeast infections (especially during pregnancy) so I’ll write here about some other natural remedies as well to get the yeast under control without having to turn to the doctor to get medications.

So the best thing you could do when trying to fight off yeast infection is to pay attention to what you eat, sugar and wheat are the main things to leave out because they are feeding the yeast as well. And try to add garlic to your dishes as much as you can, both cooked and raw versions. Also eating foods with probiotics is a good idea (kefir, buttermilk, plain yogurt).

Another remedy that is recommended to help cure the vaginal yeast infection is apple cider vinegar. Add one teaspoon of apple cider vinegar (use organic version with “mother” if possible because that will have the most beneficial enzymes in it) to one glass of water and drink it first thing in the morning. It will help to make the internal pH balance unacceptable to the yeast. Drinking apple cider vinegar water is also especially recommended during pregnancy because it only doesn’t help to fight off the yeast but also strengthens the placenta and improves the blood flow to the uterus.

Externally you can also try applying olive oil to the infected areas because olive oil helps to destroy the spores of the yeast.

You can also try another quick fix method by clicking here.

May 13, 2012Permalink Leave a comment

Raw Kitchen Corner: Stinging Nettle Pesto

Lately I’m really glad to see that more and more people don’t consider stinging nettle to be just an annoying weed anymore but rather recognize it for what it really is, a superfood. Stinging nettle contains loads of iron and calcium for example. It is also a good source of vitamins A and K. I discovered this powerful weed for myself last spring and all through winter this year was dreaming of spring to get my hands on the fresh nettle leaves and make one really good pesto out of them : ) So here’s the recipe for my raw vegan stinging nettle pesto:

You’ll need about 2 handfuls of raw stinging nettle leaves, about 4-5 Siberian garlic chives leaves, a few basil leaves, about half a cup of cashew nuts, 2 tablespoons of pine nuts, 2-3 garlic cloves, about 1/3 or half a cup of walnut oil, salt to taste.

Mix everything in a blender and use on pasta or as a vegetable dip sauce.

If you don’t have Siberian garlic chives leaves then feel free to be creative and replace them with something else or skip them altogether, the star of this recipe after all is the stinging nettle : )

 

May 11, 2012Permalink 5 Comments

Beneficial Herbal Teas To Drink Before, During And After Pregnancy

There are many beneficial herbs that can be made into a tea and consumed before, during and/or after the pregnancy to keep both the mother and the growing baby healthy and happy.


Not so well-known herb to use before pregnancy is Herb Robert (Geranium Robertianum) because it is said to be the miracle remedy in case of infertility. It contains natural progesterone and stimulates fertility in both women and men. It is also a source of germanium which is a valuable element to the body as it makes oxygen available to the cells.

Probably the most well known herb on the other hand to use before and during pregnancy is raspberry leaf. It helps to prevent miscarriage and postpartum hemorrhage, eases morning sickness, reduces pain during labor and can actually help make the labor faster. After birth it assists in the production of breast milk. Raspberry leaf is also rich in various vitamins and minerals like calcium and magnesium which help relieve leg cramps and iron which helps to prevent and treat anemia.

Another herb to use before and during pregnancy is lady’s mantle which is also said to be very useful in treating sterility. It helps to thicken the uterine lining which is necessary for better embryo implantation. During pregnancy lady’s mantle helps to avoid miscarriage and during labor it helps and eases the process of giving birth.

Stinging nettle is also recommended during pregnancy but only for one week at a time. After drinking stinging nettle tea for one week you should have a break for at least 1 month before having it again. Stinging nettle tea is mostly used to treat and prevent anemia but it has other benefits as well. For example it aids and strengthens the kidneys, nourishes mother and baby, helps to reduce hemorrhoids and diminishes pain during and after birth.

Alfalfa tea is especially recommended during the last trimester of pregnancy because it contains a lot of vitamin K among other essential nutrients. Vitamin K is necessary for blood clotting so it helps to decrease postpartum bleeding and chance of hemorrhaging. Vitamin K is also essential to the newborn.

From 36th week of pregnancy it is recommended to start drinking one cup of wild thyme tea a day. It helps to prepare the cervix for the labor and relaxes smooth muscles. At the same time it is also a mild uterine stimulant.

All of the herbs mentioned above can be consumed after giving birth as well but there is one more herb that is especially recommended right after labor and that is yarrow. It helps to stop external and internal bleeding, has anti-inflammatory properties and is calming to the nerves. It can be used right after giving birth but should definitely be avoided during pregnancy!

May 10, 2012Permalink Leave a comment

Anti-Aging And Deep Cleansing Soap Nut Face Wash

This will be the last post from the soap nut series for a while, I promise : D I just couldn’t resist sharing this soap nut based face wash recipe as well. It’s quite simple really, the base is soap nut liquid again just as with the soap nut shampoo plus loads of added skin purifying and rejuvenating ingredients.

So first what you need to do is make the soap nut liquid by boiling 7 whole soap nuts in about 2 cups of water for 30 minutes on a medium heat. I also added a green tea bag into the boiling soap nut water because it has antioxidant (read: anti-aging) and anti-inflammatory activities when added to the skin. Then let the mixture cool and drain out the soap nuts and tea bag.

Then I used mortar and pestle to grind about 2 tablespoons of whole stevia leaves and 20 tablets of activated charcoal (if you’re using capsules of activated charcoal then skip the grinding part and just open up the capsules). Turns out that stevia leaf powder isn’t only good for your oral health but also for your skin. It effectively softens and tightens the skin, smoothes out wrinkles and helps to heal acne. Activated charcoal when added topically absorbs into the pores of your skin and draws out dirt and oils, meaning that it can help eliminate acne, bumps and blackheads.

I also added 4 tablespoons of Dead Sea mud, 2 tablespoons of neem powder and 2 tablespoons of rice powder to the face wash mixture. The Dead Sea mud helps in treatment of various skin ailments such as acne, eczema and psoriasis, it is said to improve the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles and hydrate and moisturize the skin. And just like activated charcoal it sucks out impurities and toxins from the skin. The neem powder acts as an astringent and tones the skin. The rice powder contains ferulic acid and allantoin. Ferulic acid is a powerful antioxidant and allantoin is a good anti-inflammatory agent, it soothes sunburns and promotes the skin’s repair. Rice powder also has some whitening effect on the skin.

When you have mixed all the ingredients together then add about 1 tablespoon of vitamin E oil for better preservation. You can also add a few drops of your favorite essential oil.

*If you want the face wash liquid to be less like a liquid and more like a paste so that you could also use it as a face mask then feel free to add any clay of your choice to make it thicker (I would recommend Rhassoul or French green clay for example)

 

 

May 8, 2012Permalink 1 Comment

Acne Treatments That Really Work

About a year ago I was one of those who was still struggling with acne although I’m not a teenager anymore. It wasn’t too severe but still annoying enough. So I discovered 2 recipes for myself that made my skin look much better and for some period got rid of acne altogether. Why I’m saying that only for some period is because a year later I am convinced that acne can be completely cured only by watching what you put in your mouth and by avoiding foods that cause breakouts (in my case dairy products and chocolate for example). Now I’ve been trying to eat raw foods as much as I can and my skin is absolutely glowing without any topical acne treatments. But if you don’t want to make drastic changes in your diet yet then here are the acne treatment recipes that worked wonders on my skin:


#1 – Lime juice and peanut oil mixture – mix together 1 tablespoon of fresh lime juice and 1 tablespoon of peanut oil. Add it to your face with a cotton pad before going to bed, after washing your face. It leaves the skin a bit oily but it’s worth a try. The mixture should last for about few days if kept in a refrigerator.

#2 – Aspirin and apple cider vinegar toner – mix together 50ml of water, 15ml of apple cider vinegar and 5 uncoated aspirin tablets. Crush the aspirin tablets with mortar and pestle first before mixing with water and apple cider vinegar, otherwise the toner is going to be quite grainy as the aspirin doesn’t dissolve completely. Although even when it’s grainy it should still work, just make sure you shake it every time then before applying. You can use it at mornings and evenings as a regular toner after washing the face. The aspirin is good in treating pimples because it contains salicylic acid and the apple cider vinegar balances the pH of the skin, plus it has antibacterial and antiseptic properties. This mixture should last for about 1 month if kept in a refrigerator.

To find out more about ways to treat your acne holistically check out this link.

May 7, 2012Permalink Leave a comment

Soap Nut, Clay & Neem Powder Shampoo

After making the dishwashing liquid and laundry detergent out of soap nuts I didn’t want to stop just there yet because I still have loads of soap nuts left and after doing some research I found out that they can be used for so many more things. For example you can make shampoo out of them. Shampoo made out of soap nuts is said to work very well in treating and preventing dandruff and hair loss. Since so far I’ve had really good experience with washing my hair with clay (read more about it here) then I decided to add clay to my soap nut shampoo as well. But not only clay, I also added chamomile, neem powder and lemon essential oil.

So first what you need to do is make the soap nut liquid by boiling about 10 whole soap nuts in 3 cups of water on a medium heat for 30 minutes (read more about making the soap nut liquid from here). For making the shampoo I also threw in 1 chamomile tea bag into the boiling soap nut liquid. I chose chamomile because it gives lighter hair really nice shine. If you don’t want to use chamomile then stinging nettle, rosemary, peppermint and basil are good for promoting hair growth. Raspberry leaf and sage highlight darker hair. Comfrey, marshmallow and calendula are good for dry hair. Yarrow and witch hazel bark are good for oily hair. So the choice is yours. When the liquid is ready then let it cool a bit, strain the soap nuts and the tea bag out of the liquid and add about 2 tablespoons of Rhassoul clay and 2 tablespoons of neem powder to the soap nut liquid.

I chose Rhassoul clay because it has the most purifying properties of all clays but so far I’ve been using French green clay as a shampoo with great success so if you don’t have Rhassoul then I think that any other clay would work fine as well. I also added the neem powder because it keeps the scalp healthy and also prevents dandruff and hair loss. You can use ready-made neem powder or make your own by grinding whole dried neem leaves with mortar and pestle. After mixing the soap nut & chamomile tea liquid with clay and neem powder you should have something like this:

Now pour the liquid into a container (I chose a plastic bottle with a pump for easier application) and add about 10 drops of some essential oil of your choice. I chose lemon essential oil because of its smell and because it highlights lighter hair. Basil, rosemary, burdock and fenugreek essential oils all promote hair growth for example. Lavender essential oil is soothing to the scalp and hair. Peppermint essential oil helps to stimulate blood flow to the root of the hair. Sage essential oil works to deep cleanse the scalp. Tea tree oil works to treat dandruff.

Note that this shampoo won’t be creating very much foam because of the all natural ingredients so make sure not to use too much as the soap nuts can dry out hair when used excessively.

May 2, 2012Permalink 2 Comments