February, 2010

tip: don’t take baking soda across the border..

Wednesday, February 24th, 2010

Ok, yes!  This is my advice for the day.  Baking soda is cheap everywhere, so just buy some wherever you are going.   (Apparently border guards think it is suspicious to carry baking soda in its original box, various vitamins all jumbled together and mysterious green powders in unmarked containers… Vive la Health Revolucion!)

Tips you can find on a box of Albertsons Baking Soda:  (and no, brand matters not)

  • Household Cleaner:  scouring without scratching (actually i use nothing else for cleaning the tub and sinks, cheap, safe and awesome!)
  • Refrigerator Freshener:  (we all know this one from Arm and Hammer commercials, no?)
  • Baking Specialties:  see favorite cookbooks
  • For Brushing Teeth: to whiten and freshen (and i've discovered that it can be very useful in the 'oops there is no toothbrush OR toothpaste scenario'… aka fingerbrush)
  • Prevent Litter Box Odors:  Spread whole box over bottom of litter box and cover with cat litter to extend the life of it. (go through a lot of baking soda though, i imagine!)
  • As an antacid:  occasional usage! and well dissolved in a liquid.

(actually i also learned in a herb course that baking soda mixed with water can be used under circumstances where the throat is closing up due to allergic reaction… now i can't find published proof of this, so use at yer own risk… but if i am stuck in a cabin with only baking soda, you can be sure i will try it!)

Maybe it's time to look at how baking soda works chemically huh?

Tune in next week for my continuing obsession with baking soda!

Posted in baking soda, Cleaning | No Comments »

for kelly!

Wednesday, February 17th, 2010

Miso Soup

It is hard enough to get enough protein and B-vitamins in our North American carb-heavy diets, never mind trying to do it while being a vegetarian that doesn't like eggs or dairy!  Nut butters can only take you so far:)

Miso is a fermented soy paste that is basically used like a bouillon.  It is a nice mix of vitamins, minerals, protein, and enzymes and is super easy to digest.  In Japan miso is eaten with every meal (along with rice).  I believe it is a great way to fill in the gaps of our nutrient starved diet. 

a whole bunch of stuff about miso

Traditionally made with a dried fish stock called dashi, you can just omit this for veggie friendly versions.  Wakame is the usual seaweed, but i've used any seaweeds i can get my hands on, they are all great for you and they each have their own fascinating nutritional profile. 

seaweed link

tips:

  • don't boil miso, add it last so you don't kill it  
  • lighter coloured miso is sweeter and milder  
  • darker coloured miso is stronger and saltier (my favorite)  
  • Miso goes with anything where you want a savoury depth of flavour, hot or cold!
  • seaweed is easier to snip with scissors if dried, or soak to remove more salt and make easier to chop
  • mash miso paste with a small amount of boiled water before adding to pot for easier mixing
  • all amounts (or lack of..) are ready for tailoring to your tastes!

Easy miso recipe:

boil pot of water

add seaweed (soaked and chopped or dry and crumbled in my lazy way)

add chopped tofu (any style)

add any veggies you can find in your fridge

cook 5-10 min (depending on veggies)

take off heat

add miso (at least 1TBSP per 1-2 cups water)

add chopped green onions

EAT!!  as often as possible

Tags:
Posted in beautiful consumables, drink me!, eat me! | No Comments »

my current hair update

Tuesday, February 16th, 2010

The Rest of the Story:

(for the beginning of the story)

Well, i am now on month 5 and things are maintaining great!  I have tested my head in Vancouver weather (damp and cool), Toronto weather (cold, and dry with central heating), and touring through the midwestern states (sunny, cold and DRY), staying in hotels and swimming in chlorine.  My tendency towards dry flaky scalp remains relatively the same, reflecting more my neglect to take my winter Omega oils and stay hydrated..  I can't remember how staticky my hair was last year, so i will comment that it is slightly electric when subjected to toques, and i might try rubbing some light oil through my hair after showering next time.

In well water (hard water) it performed great, bar soap leaving more of a residue on my body than the baking soda and vinegar did on my hair. i should admit that i don't wash my hair all that often either…Maybe once a week, if that, rinsing in between for a pick-me-up! 

So far i have not got any hygiene comments from family, friends or the general public. My hair remains curly and full enough and brushing it is as much of a pain in the ass as it always was…

Posted in baking soda, Body Care | 1 Comment »

IBS….its a dirty word

Sunday, February 14th, 2010

IBS….its a dirty word but somebody’s gotta say it! I personally prefer over pleasant dinner conversation..

Pay attention to what you eat and how you feel, this sounds obvious but nobody does it?! Start by seeing what happens when you eat/don’t eat dairy or wheat, and split them up so you don’t get a combo effect…

first things first…..

what does a healthy bowel act like? We would be going 2-3 times a day (after every meal) if we were functioning at optimum capacity. Apparently 1 big once a day is also ok, preferably in the morning. This is after your body has had a chance to clean up all the crap (ha ha!) from the day before and relax in sleep to allow the body processes to work. By big i mean Not little rabbit poo’s, but big and long and firm and floating!???? (dirty in so many ways)….

The body likes order and habit, the same time every day is preferable. This is one i have trouble with, as a hectic schedule and unhealthy eating habits make for irregularity in all aspects….

YES the bowels are affected by stress, worry and all manner of emotions. They have found neurons in the gut which act the same way as ones firing in the brain. Your gut reaction is more than just a saying, your belly is trying to tell you stuff! We should listen! This implies that the gut doesn’t just affect the brain but Is a part of the brain. The body mind connection as a scientific fact. (if you like your facts scientific:)

http://www.psyking.net/id36.htm

so this gets back to my fibre obsession…

the things preventing normal bowel movements (other than emotional “holding”)

  • lack of fibre
  • lack of oils
  • lack of good bacteria
  • dehydration

seriously folks Just TRY the 2 liters of water a day that Everyone and their ass recommends and see what happens

35g a day of fibre is really hard to get without supplementing or being a vegan that eats nothing refined. Veggies and whole grains, thats where it comes from. Try counting if you are curious.

The enemies of bowel movements:

cheese, meat, white flour, eggs, bacon (because we all know bacon is it’s own category..) basically anything that is all protein, fat, or sugar/starch with no fibre.

Friend of bowel movements:

  • magnesium helps muscles relax (including intestinal muscles) — remember milk of magnesia…its a laxative!
  • B-vitamins/C-vitamins help ‘normal everything’ function… i know thats not very specific but they really do!
  • flax oil helps lubricate and relax, imagine a nice oil massage from the inside
  • herbs for stress
  • fibre supplements: –psyllium helps some people, the problem being it is comprised solely of soluble fibre…it absorbs a great many things, including all the water in your bowels to bulk it up. If you are already dehydrated you must drink many and more waters to compensate! We are designed to work with both soluble AND insoluble fibre, one absorbs toxins and stuff and one does more scrubbing and moving it along. Flax based fibres are a good route to take being comprised of equal parts soluble/insoluble plus oils. Flax is Canadian grown and easy to find organic….why add more chemicals or irradiation to an already strained system? There are also many good formulated combos out there, personally i find the supplement powder route the most effective when i refuse to keep track of my diet. Which i have to admit is common….

Posted in Digestion | 8 Comments »