By: Cat Ebeling, RN, MSN-PHN, co-author of the best-sellers:  The Fat Burning Kitchen, The Top 101 Foods that Fight Aging & The Diabetes Fix

Cleaning and disinfecting have become something that everyone is more aware of these days. Unfortunately, many cleaners and disinfectants are highly toxic to our bodies. Cleaning products contain a wide variety of harsh chemicals, including substances classified as Volatile Organic Compounds or VOCs.

Conventional cleaning products often contain harsh cleansing agents and artificial fragrances and colors. VOCs and other chemicals are released when using cleaning supplies in your home, and can contribute to chronic respiratory problems, allergic reactions, asthma and even cancer.

Toxic chemicals in everyday household cleaners include:

• Carcinogens – cancer causing agents
• Endocrine disruptors – in the form of xenoestrogens (chemical estrogenic compounds) Xenoestrogens can lead to infertility, sexual dysfunction, miscarriage, menstrual issues, gynecomastia and cancer.
• Neurotoxins –toxic to the brain and nerves, can cause headaches, mood changes and even diseases like Parkinson’s.

These substances can be absorbed through our skin and lungs causing rashes, asthma, and irritating the nose and throat. They are especially harmful to our vulnerable family members, children and pets.

Research shows that many of the chemicals found in conventional house-cleaning products are bio-accumulative and very toxic. That means that once in your system, they actually stay in your system and are hard to clear. This makes you more vulnerable to autoimmune diseases and cancers.

In addition, many of the ingredients found in conventional cleaning products are very bad for the environment, and can harm plants and wildlife, contaminate drinking water, and adversely affect soil and even air quality. Check out the Environmental Protection Agency and the Environmental Working Group to learn more.

What About Natural Cleaning Products?

Many of the “natural” cleaning products found in the grocery store can actually have harmful chemicals in them, in spite of their “natural” labeling. Unfortunately, there are no laws in place that demand companies are transparent about all of the ingredients in their products. This means they can make false claims about their so-called “natural” ingredients.

The other big problem with the natural, store-bought cleaning products is their price tag. They are often up to twice as expensive as the conventional cleaning products.

But you don’t need to spend a fortune on natural products. Good old-fashioned vinegar, baking soda, essential oils and other inexpensive ingredients found in your pantry can clean just as well or better than conventional or natural store-bought cleaning products, without any toxic by-products.

These natural products are inexpensive and versatile to keep on hand to create your own cleaning products:

• Vinegar—One of the best all-round natural cleaning ingredients. Vinegar contains acetic acid, a gentle acid with antibacterial properties. Distilled white vinegar works best for cleaning.
• Castile soap—A versatile, gentle soap, can be used on your body, but also very effective for cleaning purposes. Dr. Bronner’s liquid castile is great for this.
• Baking soda—Baking soda has a number of excellent uses, for scrubbing, scouring, laundry and more. Always keep a good quantity of baking soda on hand.
• Essential oils—Tea tree oil, lavender, rosemary, orange, lemon or eucalyptus oils. Most all essential oils are antibacterial and antiviral, so choose the scent (s) you like best. My favorite is sweet orange essential oil.
• Microfiber cloths, sponges
• Empty spray bottles

These two DIY cleaning products will clean most everything in your house. Once is a homemade soft scrub and the other is an all-purpose spray cleaner. There are lots of variations of these online. Be sure to test the cleaning product on a small area first.

DIY Soft Scrub

• ½ cup castile soap
• 1½ cup baking soda
• ¼ – ½ cup water (use distilled water if your tap water is very hard)
• 2 tablespoons distilled white vinegar

Mix the castile soap and baking soda in a large bowl. In a separate bowl, mix ¼ cup water with the vinegar. Combine it with the baking soda mixture. Add more water to get the consistency you want. Store the thicker paste in a covered container.

* It’s generally not a great idea to mix vinegar and castile soap (acid/base). But in this case, the baking soda is also a base. It protects the soap from being neutralized by the vinegar.

DIY All-purpose Spray Recipe

Mix together in a spray bottle.

• 2 cups water (use distilled water if your tap water is very hard)
• 2 tablespoons castile soap
• 10-20 drops of your favorite essential oil (optional)

DIY Laundry Soap

• An empty 1/2 gallon old detergent jug
• 1/2 cup liquid castile soap
• 1/2 cup baking soda
• 15 drops orange, lavender or jasmine essential oil (or any combination)

Pour castile soap, baking soda and favorite essential oil inside the jug. Using the essential oils is optional but it will leave you with good smelling laundry.

Fill the jug with hot water, this will help dissolve the baking soda, until you reach almost the top of the jug. Close it and shake it.

Use about 1/4-1/3 cup per load. Make sure you shake the jug slightly each time before using. Not too much though otherwise when you open the jug the mixture will burst out.

There you have it—natural, basic, easy-to-use cleaning products for your home. Enjoy the natural clean!

References
https://www.eatgood4life.com/diy-laundry-detergent/
https://www.marksdailyapple.com/natural-and-non-toxic-diy-cleaning-solutions-for-your-home/?utm_campaign=newsletter&utm_medium=email&utm_source=mda&utm_content=MDA&_ke=eyJrbF9jb21wYW55X2lkIjogIlFhekhXeiIsICJrbF9lbWFpbCI6ICJjYWViZWxpbmdAZ21haWwuY29tIn0%3D
https://dontmesswithmama.com/7-toxic-household-cleaners-avoid-problem-natural-store-bought-cleaners/
https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/articles/11397-household-chemical-products-and-their-health-risk

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Today’s blog is republished from my friends at TheAlternativeDaily, and I wanted to share it on our blog here because it combines a few different amazing “tonics” you should add to your regular routine.  You don’t need to do all of them daily, but should definitely figure out how to add them to your regular routine…

By Liivi Hess, TheAlternativeDaily.com

As a nation, we’re fascinated with the concept of miraculous healing. Presumably, this miracle can come in the form of a pill, tea or a fantastically labeled elixir of health. Every day, millions of dollars are spent as people search for cures in the form of mystical pharmaceutical remedies that can banish all ailments and protect from disease.

Sadly, no one ever finds it. It seems that fancy packaging and slick marketing aren’t directly proportional to healing abilities. At best, these mass-produced, semi-synthetic, meticulously labeled products have but a minor placebo effect. At worst, they can actually make our health decrease, unbalance hormones and offset vital bodily functions.

It may come as a surprise to learn the mystical health tonic you’ve been searching for is much closer to home. As with many things in the health world, taking a step back and observing how our predecessors did things can be invaluable. The solution lies in simple, minimally processed, raw ingredients — ones that are selected for their natural health benefits, not as a small cog in a great machine comprised of many altered, unnatural ingredients.

Here are two three-ingredient concoctions that may just provide that miracle of health and healing you’ve been searching for.

Apple cider vinegar, honey and cinnamon super syrup

While very simple to make and with no rare or hard-to-find ingredients, this health tonic is wide-ranging in the benefits it bestows upon those who drink it. It can relieve constipation, reduce inflammation, support kidney function, promote heart health, prevent or fight urinary tract infections, protect against bacterial, fungal or viral attack and keep the common cold at bay. As you can see, it is a heavy-hitter in the realm of health care, helping to boost your immune system and support strong heart and organ function.

The key to success with this health tonic is to source only the highest quality ingredients. Now is not the time to worry about your wallet at the supermarket or health-food store. It’s absolutely a worthwhile health investment to buy high-caliber ingredients.

With this in mind, here are the qualifications for each ingredient:

• The apple cider vinegar must be raw and organic. Raw means it still contains the active cultures that support your gut biome and bolster your immune system. Organic means the apples from which it was made are not coated in pesticides, heavy metals and toxins, which would then pass into your system and offset all your hard work.
• The honey must be raw, preferably organic. Organic just implies the bees have not pollinated flowers or plants which are treated with pesticides, herbicides or other nasty applications. This ensures you get only the highest quality honey from known sources. Raw means that the honey has not been pasteurized, a process to increase its shelf life but can render it biologically inactive by killing off the active enzymes in the honey — the reason it’s such a potent ingredient.
• And of course, your cinnamon should also be organic. As with our other ingredients, buying non-organic cinnamon means you’re at greater risk of ingesting harmful toxins and heavy metals, which can negatively impact your health.

Combine two cups of the apple cider vinegar, one cup of honey and two teaspoons of cinnamon in a jar and stir/shake well. Store your super syrup in a cool dry area, keeping in mind that placing it in the fridge will cause the honey to harden and settle to the bottom. A couple of sips in the morning, and again at night are enough to ensure you enjoy all of the nurturing benefits of this tonic.

Warm water, lemon and apple cider vinegar health-aide

That’s right, we’re once again employing the health properties of our friend apple cider vinegar — it’s just that good! This time it’s a simple concoction you can make in seconds if you have the ingredients ready; all you need is some warm or room temperature filtered or mineral water, raw organic apple cider vinegar and half an organic lemon. Simple as that.

Drinking this each morning, as soon as you wake up and before you put anything else in your stomach, is an excellent way to start your day. It stimulates digestion, expels toxins from the liver and supports your digestive enzymes for a busy day ahead.

Once again, the ingredient requirements are strict: your water should preferably be spring water from glass bottles, but if this isn’t available then filtered water will do. This ensures the base for your tonic isn’t introducing new toxins into your body as you drink it — that would be a bit counterproductive. Next, as above, your apple cider vinegar should be raw, organic and unfiltered. When apple cider vinegar is filtered, the health-giving SCOBY or “mother” (an accumulation of beneficial bacteria and yeast that turns the apples into vinegar) is removed, and we definitely don’t want that.

Finally, the lemon should be organic, to ensure its skin isn’t riddled with nasty pesticides and other harmful chemicals.

Fill a glass with warm water, squeeze in half a lemon, and pour in a rough teaspoon of apple cider vinegar. Sip it slowly and let it work its magic!

These health tonics work best if you keep at it — make sure you drink them as directed for at least a week to begin experiencing the myriad of health benefits they offer.

—Liivi Hess

Liivi is an Integrative Nutrition Health Coach and is training to become a doula. She inspires women to find peace and personal power by taking control of health and fertility naturally. Liivi‘s passion is ancestral nutrition and primal lifestyle design. She and her partner Will live between Toronto, Canada and Queenstown, New Zealand.

(Original article source here)

Some red wines are more powerful at fat-burning than others and help boost your metabolism. Take this short quiz to find out.

Quiz: Which Red Wine Boosts Metabolism?

Although hard alcohol like vodka, whisky, gin and tequila can increase belly fat…

Prominent scientists from Greece have found that one of the following red wines actually increases fat-burning when you drink it a certain way.

But which one? Is it…

Sources:
http://www.thealternativedaily.com/natural-health-benefits-of-cinnamon
http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0168160504002053
http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0308814605003262
http://pubs.acs.org/doi/abs/10.1021/jf104912h

The post 3 Ingredient Daily Drink Tonics for Your Best Health appeared first on thenutritionwatchdog.com.