Our Journey: Part One- Dairy Elimination

I thought I'd spend a couple of posts taking about how far we've come as a family and what we've learned though trial and error and a whole lot of research. It's been about four years now since I began researching nutrition and holistic wellness. We've used diet, supplements, exercise and self care to improve focus and attention problems, asthma, recurring ear and sinus infections, eczema, aggression and mood regulation, acne, weight, and a pile of other ailments and risk factors. I'm going to start with how dairy elimination changed our lives, because that one change led to all the rest, and really saved us. In future posts, I'll share more about how eliminating allergens and dyes sealed the deal, and learning about micro-nutrients, home remedies and vitamins has prevented any further illness.  

Baby Blues
When Man Cub was born, his frenulum (that little flap of skin that ties your tongue to the bottom of your mouth) was tight, and he had a hard time breastfeeding. I tried so hard: pumped, used some crazy plastic nipple guard contraption and tubing, mothers milk and voodoo, but he just wasn't getting it. I supplemented with formula, and my milk dried up around 6 months. He developed dry skin and sad little baby coughs. By the time he was on formula only, he had eczema, and had been to the hospital several times for ear infection and a wet, scary cough. He was diagnosed with Reactive Airway Disease, and given a nebulizer and steroid inhalers. I've always been a little skeptical of western medicine, but when your baby can't breathe.... you do what they say. I also began to research. 

The first important fact I learned was that certain racial ethnic groups (of which my son belongs) have a higher likelihood for milk sensitivities. The second critical tidbit was that milk allergy is responsible for many respiratory and sinus symptoms. This was enough for me to make a switch. Unfortunately, one critical fact I missed is that soy milk contains a protein that is very similar, and babies who cannot tolerate a milk based formula often cannot tolerate a soy formula either. Because of this confusion, it was unclear until much later what we were dealing with. Most people are familiar with the gastro-intestinal symptoms of lactose (the sugars in dairy products) intolerance: gas, bloating, and diarrhea. What many don't know is that some people have in insensitivity to the protein called casein in milk, and this reaction causes a histamine reaction that can involve skin (hives, rash, eczema), mood (aggression, fogginess, exhaustion), respiratory systems and sinuses. When the respiratory system becomes irritated it produces extra mucus, causing congestion and a rattling cough. 

Elimination Miracles
By age two Man Cub had gone through 4 ear infections, numerous sinus infections, eczema, and was taking two inhaled medications 4 times per day. He was also having terrible gas and bloating. He had the classic allergy eyes (dark under eye circles). After talking with a second pediatrician, I decided to try further elimination. 

I removed all dairy products from his diet and by day three, all symptoms were GONE! 

No kidding. He stopped wheezing, sniffling and coughing, and his skin began to clear up. By day 10 his skin was soft and smooth. When I added milk back to his diet, he wheezed on the third day and I cried my eyes out because I knew I had found the answer, and it wasn't drugs. Man Cub ditched all his medications and creams in another two months, and has never needed them since. 

About 3 years later, I learned another powerful lesson. My pediatrician kept telling me that dairy was important nutritionally and that I should try re-introducing it into his diet because most dairy allergies go away by age 3. Again, I fell into the hands of western medicine and diet, and quickly learned that the protein in dairy makes Man Cub... MEAN! Yes, that's my scientific conclusion. Any time he drinks milk or eats cheese, he gets a headache, runny nose, and loses all ability to reason or handle his emotions. He becomes a puddle on the floor because he can't find an orange crayon, or his apple has a bruise. He screamed at me when he dropped a glass of water. So I did what any mother should... I supplemented his calcium in other ways, banned dairy from our house and we lived happily ever after. 

Some people who are sensitive to casein can tolerate yogurt or cheeses but not milk, while others (like me) can't tolerate any of it. We use almond or coconut milk, and avoid products containing casein and all the other sneaky names for dairy. Some ingredients and foods that contain milk are:

• casein, calcium casein, casein hydrolysate, magenesium casein, potassium casein, rennet casein, sodium casein
• dairy products like cheese, yogurt, milk, pudding, sour cream
• butter, butter flavoring, butter fat, butter oil, artificial butter flavor
• lactalbumin, lactoalbumin phosphate, lactaglobulin, lactose
• margarine
• non-dairy creamers
• whey, whey hydrolysate

Mom is always last to take care of herself
All this time, I had been suffering from really bad acne, fatigue and problems focusing. I really thought I had ADD. I visited a naturopath who suggested I eliminate dairy as a first step. *face palm* How did I not connect those dots? Well I finally did it, and my acne got much better, my energy returned, and I could focus. What I learned from my elimination trial is that dairy makes my face flush and my skin crawl ever so slightly. So of course I was distracted! A deep cystic zit with every re-introduction was enough to help me kick that dairy habit. Here's a great article that explains the link between milk and acne better than I ever could. 

If you or your children suffer from any of the following symptoms, consider going 10 days without any dairy products at all to see how you feel. Then, add milk once a day for 10 days and see if symptoms return. You could also get tested with a skin prick or blood test, but it's not uncommon to have a false negative and still be sensitive. Man Cub tested negative, but a wise doctor reminded me that moms know best, and if he gets sick every time I feed him a certain food.... I don't need anyone's permission or approval to stop giving him that food. 


A. Symptoms of Lactose intolerance:

• Gastrointestinal symptoms like:

• Nausea

• Bloated stomach (abdomen)

• Diarrhea

• Chronic flatulence

• Constipation

• Irritable Bowel Syndrome

• Malabsorption disorders like:

•  Nutrient deficiency including anaemia, dehydration, bone density loss

• Mood swings, Depression

Symptoms of Casein AllergyB. Symptoms of Casein allergy:

• Skin allergy symptoms like itchy skin, Eczema

• Spontaneous vomiting

• Headache, sinus pain

• Chronic fatigue and lethargy

• Leaky Gut - intestinal damage leading to malabsorption disorders

• Respiratory problems like Coughing, asthma, bronchitis

(Source: Foodintol http://www.foodintol.com/dairy-intolerance)

Here's where it get's a little more complicated....

"The symptoms of Dairy intolerance are just like symptoms of Fructose intolerance and Gluten intolerance, they all overlap. All food intolerance symptoms - if left untreated - become worse with age. So just because you have these symptoms - it does not mean you have Dairy intolerance"

Here's another site with tons of information about dairy sensitivity

Next post, I'll share how removing gluten took our health to another level, and what we've done to repair the damage. 

  

Week in review

Sorry guys, I've been really lazy busy lately and didn't get around to posting the last two Mondays and Wednesday. School is back in full swing, man cub is still sugar free and eating healthy lunches. He is reading labels and actually policing the rest of the house "hold on, let me see that...you can't eat this, it's got 500 mygrams of sodium!" Ok, so here's a quick run down:

What We Ate Wednesday 9/12/12
Our last Wednesday meal wasn't that spectacular, but desert was a huge hit. We had chili like glazed salmon with cauliflower "rice" and a citrus avocado salad (orange segments and about a 1/4 cup orange juice with avocado, red onion and greens)

Dessert was also simple but pretty delicious: grilled peaches and pineapple with coconut whipped cream. I sprinkled the peaches with cinnamon and grilled till they caramelized on my little George Foreman. To make the topping, chill one can of full fat coconut milk for at least an hour . Open the can and drain out the water, leaving only the thick milk. Whip with a drop of pure stevia extract and a dash of vanilla. (I used the Trader Joe's coconut cream, and left a tiny bit of water to blend it up)

Moving Monday 9/17/12
I walked man cub to school and ran about 600 stairs along the way...and that's all. I was weak from fighting off an illness, and I know to listen to my body and not push.

What We Ate Wednesday 9/20/12
I think I need to change food posting day. My boyfriend's day off is Wednesday, and fish and eggs are the only protein he eats...so Wednesdays are a little repetitive. We had more salmon. This time it was blackened with a mix of paprika, cayenne, salt, pepper, cumin and oregano. I made a simple green salad, and the most amazing brussel sprouts EVER. No, seriously, these are so good we made another batch for lunch today. Here's the recipe. I ate too fast and forgot a picture, but I found brussel sprouts on the stalk and got excited enough to take a picture. I honestly never knew how they grew, so this made me feel all warm and connected to my food.

So that's my update... you can sleep peacefully now. For making you wait, I'll add a bonus recipe for the sushi I made this weekend for the boyfriends work lunch:

Tuna California Roll

2 sheets nori seaweed
1 can tuna
1 avocado
1 cup shredded carrot
1/2 of a medium cucumber, julienned
1 tablespoon mayo (here's a great recipe for mayo with healthier oils and no weird GMO ingredients)

Optional condiments: coconut aminos or gluten free soy sauce, wasabi and pickled ginger.

I made two versions of this sushi. For the first, I simply placed tuna, avocado, carrots and cucumber in the seaweed and rolled it up. I wish I had a sushi mat but I make due with foil. I find that the seaweed is easier to deal with if you splash it with a little water just before rolling, and seal the edge of the roll with more (warm) water. Cut into pieces about and inch long.

I used unsalted tuna, and found the first batch a little bland, so in the second round I mixed it with the avocado and a little mayo, then topped it with carrots, more avocado and cucumber. I sprinkled these with some seasoning salt, but that added kind of a weird non-sushi favor that I wouldn't recommend. Stick with the traditional aminos (gluten and soy free soy sauce alternative), wasabi and ginger.

Enjoy!
Kellie

Moving Monday 9/10/12: A for Effort

I have a bad habit of over confidence. I start out my workout feeling like an Olympic body builder and often have to swallow my pride and downgrade to a workout that's slightly more realistic (wimpy).

Today was one of those days. I planned my workout based off of a crossfit workout posted on Facebook that looked like this:


I knew I couldn't do those weights, so I adapted it a little to match my abilities (the super strong abilities in my head, that is). 

I made it two rounds before realizing there was NO. WAY. I felt totally defeated. But then, I thought of you all. 

I decided that instead of giving up, I'd put my ego and excuses aside and scale down. I traded handstand push-ups for regular push-ups, then girl push ups in rounds 4-7. I traded 80 lb dead lifts to single leg dumbbell dead lifts and finally to 25 pound lunges, and pull-ups for situps.

It took me 35 mins with all the changes and breaks, but what's important is that I finished. I haven't been so proud of a mediocre workout in a long time. Persistence and effort will always count for something. 

So, if all you can do right now is 7 rounds of 7 steps, go do that...because we've all seen those memes that say "It doesn't matter how slow you go, you're still lapping everyone on the couch"!

With sweat, 

Kellie

Quick Candida and Detoxing Guide

“Let food be thy medicine and medicine be thy food”

― Hippocrates

I've struggled with very mild candida overgrowth and leaky gut symptoms (flushed face, fatigue, acne) off and on for a year or so, and learned a lot in the battle to heal my gut.  Luckily, I haven't had any icky symptoms since I changed my diet about a year and a half ago, but I'd be heading down that path if I wasn't listening to my body and dropping the dried fruits and sweets (including natural sweeteners). After years of hormonal birth control, daily antibiotics for my skin, and high stress.... I am especially sensitive to candida overgrowth when my diet becomes too high in sugars. I'm always surprised that health focused communities and practitioners don't talk about this common problem more often. So often when I talk to friends about nutrition, I hear them complain of similar symptoms, and so I thought I'd share a quick overview and some resources. 

Let's start by defining the problem. Candida albicans is a yeast that normally lives within the digestive tract and vagina. When a body is properly nourished, there is a symbiotic balance between beneficial probiotic bacteria, and the immune system functions well to keep candida levels at bay. However, when the body is overly stressed, the immune system can be suppressed, and ecessive sugar in our diets can feed those bad critters. This creates the perfect environment for yeast to thrive and overgrow. Antibiotics or hormonal birth control can contribute to the killing of beneficial bacteria and encourage yeast overgrowth.

Most people are familiar with the symptoms or oral or vaginal yeast infections. Few are aware of the more subtle symptoms of candida overgrowth in the intestinal track for both men and women that disrupt many of the body's systems. Candida overgrowth can wreak havoc on energy levels, skin, fat storage, and moods.

Symptoms of candida overgrowth

• Fatigue
• Itchy skin
• Acne
• Headaches
• Mood dis-regulation
• Depression
• Memory and concentration problems
• Sinus infections
• Fungal infections
• Intense sugar cravings

What's even more frightening is that those little buggers can overpopulate and actually permeate the gut. When yeast particles start wandering around other parts of the body, the immune system attacks, causing even more sensitivity and allergic reactions. This is called leaky gut, and if you ever want to get really disgusted and motivated to drop the wheat and sugar... look it up or click the link above. (Food and waste in your bloodstream is NEVER a good thing... trust me on this one).

Diet to manage candida

Lucky for me and others who suffer from chronic candida overgrowth, these little buggers can be killed off with a healthy diet of whole, fresh foods, low in sugars and yeasts. Until I switched to a whole foods diet that does not include dairy or grains, I was getting terrible acne and a mild yeast infection every month at the beginning of my cycle. With a strict sugar free clean diet, my skin looks great and I've always got energy to spare. Avoid sugars, alcohol and refined carbohydrates. These foods feed the bad bacteria and compromise your immune system. 

Cook with coconut oil daily. "This is because coconut oil is high in both lauric acid and caprylic acid, which both have antiviral, antimicrobial and antifungal properties. These components of coconut oil target harmful bacteria but leave friendly bacteria alone, which helps balances the flora in the digestive system. They also kill off excess yeast and other fungal overgrowth in the body. Studies in Iceland and Nigeria show coconut oil is an effective agent for killing off candida yeast." Elizabeth Walling, Natural News (more info here)

Adding beneficial probiotics by eating and drinking fermented foods such as sauerkraut, kimchee or kefir helps to create a balance in the gut and can heal damage over time. I brew my own coconut water kefir, but you can also buy it at the health food store, or eat fermented foods. Probiotic capsules can help, but fresh probiotic foods are more likely to contain enough live bacteria to get through the tough journey through stomach acid and into your intestines. A recent research project from Bastyr University showed that most probiotics on the shelf don't contain as many live bacteria as they claim to, due to die off in manufacturing and shipping.

Drink plenty of water! If you're going to be killing anything floating around inside your guts... you want to wash the remains out, right?!!!! The die off of massive amounts of bacteria can produce the Herxheimer reaction, a collection of crappy symptoms that make you feel worse before you get better. Stick with it, die off symptoms mean your treatment/diet is working... you'll feel spectacular after about a week. Drinking lots of water speeds healing by helping the body to detoxify. 

Supplements and topical treatments

L glutamine is another great tool in my toolbox. This amino acid works in two ways to combat candida overgrowth: one by squashing sugar cravings within a few minutes of breaking a cap under my tongue, and two by healing gut damage over time.

Oil of oregano is an anti-fungal that is also helpful. This stuff is very powerful so you'll need to buy a diluted oil, or mix with olive oil. It can be applied topically to skin, or take0n internally daily for prevention. (on a side... it also helps cure acne, and studies have shown it safe and effective in treating numerous other ailments. More here)  I read up and found lots of mixed messages about whether or not it kills good bacteria, so I only use it as a short term helper when I have symptoms, then stop and replenish good bacteria with probiotics.  

Apple cider vinegar can help by balancing the body's PH and creating an environment where healthy bacteria thrive and candida doesn't. It also contains natural enzymes that are beneficial in the healing of the gut. The most common recommendation is 1-2 tablespoons a day. You can get this in by adding it to your foods, or by slamming a shot of ACV or mixing it with 12 oz of water. I'm not going to lie, I can't stand the taste of it, and I'm not consistent, but I always fee better when I add apple cider vinegar to my diet. 

My battle with candida proves over and over that a clean diet of healthy whole foods is the answer to every ailment from mood to acne to fatigue. When I eat crap, I feel like crap, and then I have to "treat" myself with herbs and gross vinegar. When I JERF (Just Eat Real Food!), my body and I are great friends. But since we are all human, and coconut ice cream happens... I hope I have helped you understand what's going on and prepare for plan B: Detoxing. 

Happy healing,

Kellie 

What We Ate Wednesday: School Lunch Rant Edition

September's goal is to eliminate sugar from the man cub's diet, and in general promote better eating habits for him. We've done a bit of experimenting this summer and proven beyond any reasonable doubt that sugar is evil. It makes everything harder for him. When he is on sugar, he has less control of moods, everything is harder, and everyone is more annoying. Sugar messes with endorphins and produces insulin spikes and crashes that make him a nasty little Dr. Jekyl (Sorry folks, that's about as scientific as I get at this late hour... it's bad stuff... watch this if you don't believe me), and now that he's learned to recognize that feeling in his body, he's happy to avoid it. He is reading nutritional labels and turning down candy from friends. I'm so proud of him!

I pack his lunch everyday with healthy foods, and this year I bribed  invested in an awesome lunch box to make all the little Lunchable-eaters jealous.

Today, I packed pepperoni (from a local farm), organic popcorn (non-gmo), grapes, carrots and dip, and a few banana chips. Here's a picture of tomorrow's lunch, and his super cool lunch box.

 Speaking of school lunches.....

It's the start of a new school year, and I'm reminded again of how ridiculous the USDA's school lunch program is. Feed The Animal just hosted THIS guest post on his blog, highlighting a mom's frustration over tiny portion sizes and lunch box police. I previously directed a preschool that contracted with program, and I'm guilty of signing the contracts for reimbursement through this program, and so I shall present to you one of my favorite rants......why the USDA Child and Adult Care Food Program should be reformed.

1. (This should really be the only reason needed) They feed poor kids toxins for breakfast and wonder why we see disparities in academic outcomes between socioeconomic groups. 

The program serves meals in schools, childcare facilities and adult daycare facilities across the nation, including over 31 million children who qualify for free and reduced meals. Socioeconomic status is a strong predictor of academic performance for students across the nation. Students in affluent communities generally outperform students in poverty. It is a well known phenomenon that there is less access to healthy foods in low socio-economic neighborhoods, and children living in poverty are often reliant on school lunch programs for the bulk of their daily food access. So then, with everything we know about the effects of nutrition on brain development, shouldn't ALL children have access to a nutrient dense diet, free of neurotoxins and chemicals? Low in sugar and high in protein with fresh fruits and vegetables? These foods are known to increase satiety, increase brain development, and stabilize moods, as well as boost immunity and reduce disease risk factors (which are also higher for children in poverty)? Instead, the CACFP meal pattern requires children be served one fruit (canned or frozen is acceptable) and one grain, with a serving of milk every day for breakfast. At worst, gluten is a neurotoxin, at best, it is HIGHLY irritating to underdeveloped intestines, and one of the 6 most common allergies. Milk is another top allergen, known to cause brain fog, congestion, sinus and ear infections, asthma, eczema and hives. Children of color are over represented in the free and reduced lunch line, so while Johnny from the valley is eating eggs at home for breakfast, Jose is getting frosted flakes and an ear infection in the cafeteria. Lunch is not much better, with low quality foods allowed, and very small portion sizes. In the CACFP program, french fries are a vegetable, and chicken nuggets are the norm, and a burger contains 26 ingredients. It seems an interesting coincidence to me that children of color (who are over represented demographically in free and reduced lunch programs due to higher rates of poverty) are also under performing in school when compared to their white counterparts as a whole. 

2. Power and money should not over-ride unbiased nutritional research

But they do. Dairy and grains are big business, and with massive overlap between the USDA and food company executives and lobbyists, it's no surprise that the government would like the nation to eat more of those foods. Piles of research have shown that low-fat, high-carb diets void of nutrient dense foods are not suitable for healthy human beings' optimal health. Grains, dairy and sugar are highly inflammatory and lead to most of america's disease epidemics. GMO fruits and veggies are likely to contain much less nutrition, and require the kidneys to process more pesticides, among many other downsides. Food companies cater to schools with special CACFP labels, and low bulk pricing for low quality foods such as "processed cheese food" and "mechanically separated meat". 

3. Pizza is not a vegetable!
'Nuff said.

4. Almond milk is not a pharmaceutical

The CACFP meal pattern for fluid milk requires fluid milk with every meal. Childcare centers and schools get reimbursements for each meal served that meets their requirements. If a parent wishes for their child to not be offered milk, the school loses money unless the parent can provide a doctor's note to prove there is a medical reason for the substitution. Even then, in most states, the substitution does not count towards a reimbursable meal unless the substitution is soy milk. Why? Because soy (the second largest crop in the US) producers funded research showing their product contains similar nutrition. Never mind that it is not suitable for young children to consume, due to the disruption of hormones. My child attends a before and after school program that participates in the program for breakfast and snacks. Because he is allergic to dairy, I provide almond milk. I am required to provide the substitution, along with a doctor's note. They lose money because they cannot claim reimbursement for his breakfast, and they actually record each time they "administer" his "dose" of milk on a medication form.  

Sigh.... end rant. I feel sad for all of the kids who eat toxic sloppy joes, and hope that one day people will have enough education about heath and nutrition to stand up for better meals for our children. In the meantime...I'll keep packing the awesome lunch box and teaching my guy how to make his own healthy choices. 

Cheers from my healthy family to yours!  

Natural Beauty Products I Love

I'm vain. I admit it. I like to smell nice, and have soft clear skin, healthy hair and nails, and sparkling eyes and teeth. I've learned that diet is 90% of this equation, but I've also learned that natural products work better that the chemical laden crap they try to sell me. Here's a list of my favorite beauty products.

Hair: 

I use the Curly Girl no shampoo method of curl care. If you are a curly, go over there and learn about this NOW, thank me later. The short version is this; sulfates dry your hair. Silicones coat your hair so that moisture cannot penetrate, and they must be washed out with sulfates, making your hair more dry. It's easy to get trapped in a cycle of silicones to smooth frizz, then sulfates to wash them out, causing more frizz. If you don't use silicones, you don't need sulfates. Harsh sulfates also cause the scalp to overproduce oil. After an adjustment period without shampoo, your scalp will produce less oil, and that oil will distribute evenly down the length of your hair. Everyday sweat, dirt, and water soluble natural products will all wash out easily with water and won't build up. I use nothing with sulfates or silicones in it. 

Every month or two I clean my scalp with a little baking soda, and rinse with apple cider vinegar. This clears any build up and helps ph balance. 

I use a natural silicone free conditioner daily to scrub my scalp, then a thicker conditioner to soften. When my hair is wet in the shower, I put on a leave in water solube siicone free conditioner, and a little vegetable gycerine. Vegetable gylcerine is a humectant. It pulls moisture from the air and into the hair shaft. Moisture is key to healthy hair, especially curls. Leave in and veggie gycerine are my only styling products most days. 

A few times a week, I rub a tiny bit of argan oil into my ends in the evenings.

Once a week I  deep condition my hair by soaking it with coconut oil, wrapping it in a heated towel and leaving it on for a couple of hours or overnight. It rinses out just fine with water and water soluble conditioner. If you need to, you can use baking soda to wash it out.

I use all natural body art quality henna to color my hair a rich red. Henna also strengthens the hair. 

Skin:

Coconut oil as a body moisturizer is amazing. It reduces cellulite and stretch marks, and absorbs easily. It also has SPF properties (about 4 SPF externally, 8SPF when eaten daily in cooking)

Coffee grounds exfoliate and reduce cellulite.

I mix honey and baking soda together to make the best cleanser/exfoliator I've found so far. It keeps my face matte, tightens tone and fades spots. (by they way, the ONLY time I get acne is when my diet isn't on point. Dairy, gluten, or too much sugar gives me spots no amount of Clearasil can prevent)

Witch hazel and apple cider vinegar mixed together make a great ph balancing gentle toner at night.

Rose water freshens and adds glow to bare skin or over makeup throughout the day

Oregano oil is an excellend acne spot treatment. It is antriviral and antibacterial.

Tamanu oil reduces scaring, acne, and age spots, it also absorbs well and doesn't clog my (very sensitive) pores.

I moisturize my face with a light oil I made using a combination of grapeseed oil, vitamin E and A, and tea tree oil and essential oils.

I use a basic recipe for a scented lotion bar:
Melt equal parts oil of your choice, beeswax, and cocoa or shea butter. I like to play around with essential oils and flower petals to make this feel luscious. Just melt all the ingredients together in a double boiler, pour into a mold, and let cool for at least 4 hours before using.

Lips:

I scrub with honey and baking soda for soft lips, then use coconut oil as moisturizing balm every night.

I make a lip stain with beets and vegetable glycerin that tints a rosy watermelon color. Just cut up one beet and heat it in a double boiler with 2 tbsp of vegetable glycerin for about 15 minutes then pour it into a jar. I put mine in my old Body Shop cheek and lip stain container (and save $16).

I also make my a few other recipes for lip glosses and balms that plump, moisturize, or add hint of color and shine. There are hundreds of lip balm recipes on the web... I haven't perfected mine yet, but it's basically the same as the lotion bar, with some beneficial oils added like vitamin E, boabab or macadamia nut. When adding oils, just keep it to the 1:1:1 ratio of combined oils:wax:butter.

Teeth:
Baking soda mixed with coconut oil makes a great toothpaste. Add a drop of peppermint Dr. Bronners soap for fresh breath.

Beauty Supplements:
Vitamin A helps with skin tone and collagen turn over.

Gelatin builds collagen, reduces wrinkles, strengthens hair and nails, plumps and firms skin

Biotin is another great supplement for healthy skin, hair and nails

Again... the best beauty supplement is diet, exercise, and water, but have fun playing and adding natural recipes and remedies to your beauty routines. You can save a LOT of money with these too!

Moving Monday 9/3

My men are turning me into a morning person! I dug out my automatic coffee* maker last night and programmed it to waft a beautiful caffeinated aroma into my room at 6:45am. I was up by 7, made breakfast for my two favorite boys, and then we all went to workout together. Man cub is a beast, he motivated both of us adults to keep up our hustle.

We ran about a mile, and ran about 1,200 stairs, then played basketball, and ran home. I was so motivated (and thrilled to cross working out off of my list so early) that I busted out 100 kettle bell swings. Man cub never stops moving... he challenged us to a pull up contest, and I'm happy to report that I can sort-of-almost complete a few almost-real pullups. I did 25 total, in sets of five. Beast Mode.  

* Yes, I am back on the sauce... but I'm shifting my habit from occasional americanos to occasional drip. Do as I say, not as I do.