Homemade Toothpaste

Mothering Life is a great page on facebook set up by Donna Marie to share her ideas about natural living and mothering. Today she shared her recipe for making your own toothpaste so you can be a 100% sure about what you are using:

"Just when I sat back satisfied that our toothpaste was Fluoride Free, I learned about Sodium Lauryl Sulfate, I searched more and wondered why artificial sweeteners make an appearance in Free from products, and then I wondered "why don't I do this myself?" discovering it's oh so easy, and far more satisfying to put the few ingredients in myself :) I used:

1 Cup of Organic Coconut Oil 

1/2 Cup Bicarbonate Soda

4 Drops Peppermint Essential Oil

Pinch of Organic Sea Salt

Coconut Oil is a Natural Teeth Whitener and prevents Teeth Decay - promoting Strong Teeth

Bicarbonate Soda , Cleans our teeth - removing plaque and freshning our breath!

Sea Salt is full of minerals and is antibacterial

Peppermint Oil i've added simply for flavour

Try it yourself and Enjoy ♥

Essence

This image makes me smile it gives me the feeling of waking up on a sunny morning full of bounce and zing, that utter happiness that i remember from my childhood when the holidays lasted for ever and we knew we were free to play in the fields and woods all day. It comes from the How to Raw Love blog which is also filled with images of delicious raw food.

This image also caught my eye, it's an extract from the book the owner of the blog is writing which has a little bit about raw bath time and herbal things/essential oils to treat illness. Take a peek HERE.

Super Exciting Conscious Parenting Summit

YEAH the *free* Conscious Parenting Summit hosted by Matt Monarch and Angela Stokes-Monarch of the Raw Food World has begun, but only just so there is still time to access the first interview by Ingrid Bauer on elimination communication. Click HERE to sign up and to listen to Matt and Angela explain what it's all about. It is seriously worth checking it out and signing up to access each of the main interviews (as well as all the bonus interviews and material) from the 16 inspiring speakers from around the world. They will be speaking on topics such as conscious conception, healthy pregnancy, natural birthing, vaccinations, children's nutrition, breastfeeding, cosleeping and more ....and each interview is available for 24 hours. 

Here is a look at the 16 experts on conscious parenting that are involved in this summit:

You can also read more about each one on the conscious parenting website here.

Angela Stokes Monarch with her gorgeous daughter Oria

(see her blog RawReform here.)

Raw Beauty

I love the raw foodie Megan Elizabeth because she shows so wonderfully how transforming and healing raw food can be. She climbed out of a complete breakdown in health by eating raw foods and she looks completely radiant, energetic, happy and ultimately so comfortable with who she is as a result. I have dipped in and out of raw food eating over the last few years knowing that it had a profound affect on my energy and my mood the first time i tried it in a big way, but not staying 100% raw because ultimately for me it feels too strict a way to live my life, i want more balance and flow. More raw food in my diet does result in a big shift in mood and energy and has me convinced that eating a largely vegan raw food diet is crucial for feeling truly happy and healthy. I realise that often depression, exhaustion and feelings of stalemate/inability to see out or move forward is usually transformed by eating more raw food (and of course sleeeeeeep, running, fun/seeing friends etc etc !!) The energy flows, things open up and the feeling of joy for life just comes flooding back in, i can deal better with things that come my way, the anger/erggg feeling goes down from high to zero and needless to say the world therefore opens up with new promise and hope and my healing practice goes to another level. Yeah for greens and the rest!
There are so many inspiring raw foodies out there but i'm loving Megan's videos right now because they just make sense. (One of the first raw foodies not to rely heavily on expensive raw foods or nuts, just simple, easy and delicious). I came across her through Mila Ilina of Raw Radiance who is also an awesome Raw foodie/cheftress because of a wonderful video of Megan's that she posted on how to make your own Raw Organic Makeup (and the updated video here). I am always looking for new organic/natural products to use because my skin is so sensitive and you could not get more natural than organic fruit and vegetables. Crucially she looks wonderful with it and you know it is both kind to your wallet and your body, what could be better!

I experimented with frozen blueberries first and was suprised by how beautiful the effect was, but after a few days i've come to the conclusion that beetroot on my cheeks and lips is a better look for me, infact i think i'm completey converted. I haven't quite got the mascara look down yet but when i use a mascara brush i think things will improve and i also want to figure out how to do it while travelling, but for now at home it's easy and i'm loving it....my skin is improving too.

For weekly recipes and interesting videos see Megans site here and this is the link for the 100% Pure company that she mentions in the comments attached to the video. They sell makeup that's coloured from fruit and vegetables.

Eco Hope

Polly Catchpole, the founder of Polly Hope, in her garden in south London. 

For beauty, inspiration and 100% ecological textiles take a gander at Polly Hope, a company founded by British designer Polly Catchpole. I absolutely love her designs and would really like to have many of them in our house, and the fact that they are also ecological is a massive bonus. Her eco friendly collection includes interior textiles, cushions, lamp shades, upholstered chairs and illustrations and you can see her latest fabrics- "contemporary fabrics for eco interiors" here!Polly Hope fabrics are made of 100 per cent organic materials, hand-printed with natural dyes and made in a family-run factory called Aura Herbal Wear in India. These furnishing fabrics therefore value the environment and those who manufacture them, ensuring fair trade standards and a chemical free work place to all those involved. She's just had an article printed about her business in the Telegraph newspaper which is super cool. Do take at look at some of her designs below and on Polly Hope's website, they are incredibly beautiful and i think her company is very inspiring. She has a blog which you can see here and you can also follow her on Twitter @PollyHopeLive. 

Moontime

I bought a MoonCup some months ago now (from the Helios health food shop here in Oslo, distributed by http://www.froya-natur.no/ ) thinking what a great thing it would be to make the tampons that i hate using a thing of the past, and to save some money into the bargain. But it took a conversation with someone who actually uses one to inspire me to finally use mine. What was putting me off? I think i just thought it was more complicated and more messy to start than it actually was and then i forgot about it once i had put it in the cupboard. My period actually started at the weekend so i tried it out yesterday and now i wonder why i haven't been doing it for years.

But what is a MoonCup you may ask? Well it's a reusable menstrual cup designed by women to be a convenient, safe and eco-friendly alternative to tampons and sanitary pads. It offers an end to the waste and expense of disposable sanitary protection.

It's "around two inches long and made from soft medical grade silicone. It is worn internally a lot lower than a tampon but, while tampons and pads absorb menstrual fluid, the Mooncup collects it. This means it doesn’t cause dryness or irritation, and also that it collects far more (three times as much as a ‘super-absorbent’ tampon’!). Because the Mooncup is reusable, you only need one so it saves you money and helps the environment, too.

The MoonCup is designed to be folded and inserted into the vagina, then removed, rinsed and reinserted up to every 8 hours. A light seal is formed with your vaginal walls, allowing menstrual fluid to pass into the Mooncup without leakage or odour. This seal is released for removal, allowing you to empty the contents, rinse or wipe and reinsert. Comfortable, convenient and safe: the Mooncup can be used overnight and when travelling, swimming or exercising."

The first time i found it a little tricky to insert as you have to fold it first to make it small enough to go in, so that was a little messy, but the next couple of times were fine.  When it came to removing it to empty, as brilliantly advised by said friend ( i think i would have panicked otherwise), i found i needed to use my pelvic floor muscles to push it forward in order to get hold of the stem and pull it out. She also gave me a good tip to empty it out in the bath/shower when you are at home as it tends to pool in the bottom of the loo and doesn't go away very easily, infact even after many flushes!! All you need to do when you are out and about is to carry a bottle of water to rinse it out with and then pour it into the loo. It is a brilliant idea and once you have used it once or twice it is as easy as using tampons.

I had been using Natracare sanitary products for years before this as their products are made from 100% certified organic cotton ( and have the only fully certified organic cotton tampons available in the world today)  as it was a natural alternative to most of the widely available sanitary pads sold today which contain a blend of chlorine-bleached pulp, polypropylene, polyacrylates and plastics. But no matter how organic they are they still fill landfills and it is expensive so i wanted to go one step further in using the MoonCup. I would also like now to use reusable cloth pads.....when i find some for sale here, although of course there are many washable and reusable cloth pads available for sale on the internet, like the LunaPads  and different websites that can help you to make your own. No excuse at all then!

Celebrate your moontime in a different way!

Be good to yourself

These days i feel truly blessed despite the huge and often difficult shifts that i feel i am currently experiencing. I feel very looked after by spirit and by wonderful people in my life.

On this theme last week while visiting Bjørg Jeppersen the wonderful Life Alignment practitioner here in Oslo, she told me about a new health food shop in Oslo called Supernature. She said that they had a fantastic range of products and they actually dowse for products to see if they are right for you and encourage you to choose products based on your inner wisdom i.e the ones that you feel drawn to or resonate with rather than the ones you might choose for other (intellectual) reasons (Super Nature, Øvre Slottsgate 4, 0157 Oslo, just a couple of metres down from Stortinget t-bane.)

 I went to visit them yesterday as i needed to stock up on a few things and i was frankly intrigued. I met Guri who works there, who seemed like a wonderful warm angel, so knowledgeable, helpful and beaming with light and healing. It also helped that she gave me a lovely cup of tea and some raw chocolate and i was reminded of my time in India and Nepal where in each shop you went into you were greeted with Chai and a whole ritual which usually ended up with you buying something simply because you felt cared for.
They have many raw foods here as well as other health foods, skincare ranges, books and a whole host of other lovely things. But wow they do sell the most delicious smelling and feeling Organic wildcrafted skincare range called ISUN Organic . It's Oslo so it seems like crazy prices for the skin care products, but actually when you compare it to UK prices and really look at what you are getting it doesn't seem to bad.....see the powers of persuasion i used on myself.

I had been searching for another natural cosmetic range because i'd started reacting to the Dr.Hauschka mascara that i'd been using, perhaps because it was just a little too old, but hey i also wanted a change as i felt there were things that could be improved on. I generally only use mascara and a little foundation and perhaps some eye shadow too if i am going out as my skin is so sensitive and i don't like wearing much. Here they had a range of 100% natural cosmetics called Inika Cosmetics which seemed perfect and just what i had been looking for. On their home page they say that they are "One of the only makeup brands to have all products certified vegan or certified organic or both, Inika, which means “small earth” in Hindi, is also 100 per cent Halal and cruelty free and the brand is committed to environmental awareness." "Unlike some “natural” brands, Inika products are guaranteed to be completely free from harsh petrochemicals, fillers, talc, bismuth oxychloride, GM ingredients, parabens, preservatives, mineral oils, phthalates and fragrances. All products are also non-comedogenic, which means they won’t clog the pores, and are so gentle that women who have suffered allergies and sensitivities to cosmetics for years have been able to wear Inika without any reaction."

Yeah when my account has recovered i may well go back and get an Inika mascara to try....hmm and maybe a few other things.

Guri advised me and also dowsed for some products for my son, as his sleep is still very broken at night, which was really helpful. It was just a lovely experience all in all. I also loved the fact that that morning i had been listening to Deva Premals Oneness Moola mantra on You Tube which is wonderfully expansive and calming and they had it playing in the shop when i went in, i love that kind of synchronicity.

Today i have been listening to Deva Premal &Mitens concert - Lokah Samasta and Deva Premas "OM NAMO BHAGAVATE", they are so beautiful.

What they are singing in the Lokah Samasta means :

"May all beings be happy. May all my thoughts, words and actions contribute in some way to the happiness of all beings"

Update on the Inika products march 17th 2010: I naughtily went back to Supernature for their Inika Mascara today as i couldn't wait. They however were awaiting a new batch to restock, but they let me take a sample mascara home with me, in brown, not my usual colour but .....i love it, the colour, the feel of it, everything. It is light, looks fabulous and doesn't crumble onto your face witihin a few hours and is so easy to remove. I am a big fan already!

The incredible all in one 'MAGIC' soap

Sick of all the natural shampoos that i had tried over the years which either smelt good but didn't leave my hair feeling clean or vice versa and bored of making my own i was on the look out for something else. I was also wanted some way to reduce the cost of buying all of these different natural products: shampoo, soap, loocleaner, washing powder,washing up liquid etc. So i went back to Helios, the best health food chain i have discovered so far here in Norway, and i was recommended Dr. Bonners 100% natural and Organic all in one cleaning soaps and my god they really are the best discovery. There are absolutely no synthetic ingredients or petrochemicals used in these products whatsoever, and Dr. Bronner's has recently become Fair Trade certified. They are an exceptionally environmentally and socially sustainable company, and their all in one soap can be used to clean literally anything: body,home,clothes etc and that's exactly what i have started doing. I began using it as a body and hair wash (the citrus orange one) and loved it but after my Ecover washing powder ran out i started using it to wash our clothes, including my sons cloth nappies and then amazed by it's effect, everything else. Wow it is so much better than any natural product that i have used before. The nappies, towels etc actually come out far softer and fluffier than ever before and really clean. Sadly the only thing it doesn't seem to clean well are dishes when used in the dishwasher, but as a washing up liquid it is brilliant.

From Dr. Bronner's website:
www.drbronner.com

"Organic integrity in body care means that the main ingredients as well as secondary ingredients in an organic labeled or branded product are certified organic, produced in compliance with the National Organic Program. Our products are certified to the USDA’s National Organic Program, which consumers rightly trust to ensure the organic integrity of organic labeled products." INGREDIENTS: Water, Saponified Organic Coconut*, Organic Palm* and Organic Olive* Oils (w/Retained Glycerin), Organic Hemp Oil, Organic Jojoba Oil, Essential Oils**, Citric Acid, Vitamin E
* FAIR TRADE Ingredients
** Available in Peppermint, Lavender, Almond, Tea Tree, Eucalyptus, Unscented Baby-Mild, Rose and Citrus Orange

"All soaps are not only certified by Oregon Tilth to the same rigorous USDA National Organic Program standards that certify organic foods, but also are certified Fair Trade by the respected Swiss certifier IMO."

I have only tried the Citrus Orange and the Peppermint ones so far but both i love for different reasons. The Citrus Orange is uplifting, gentle and delicious smelling
while the peppermint is refreshing, invigorating, fresh and clean smelling if that makes sense.

A bit more about Dr. Bronner's Peppermint Castile Soap from their website:
"Our most popular fragrance. The peppermint essential oil tingles the body and clears the mind. Because therapeutically peppermint oil is a mild stimulant it increases vitality and clarity. All oils and essential oils are certified organic to the National Organic Standards Program. Packaged in 100% post-consumer recycled plastic bottles."

(Peppermint scent): Water, Saponified Organic Coconut & Olive oils (w/ retained Glycerin), Organic Hemp Oil, Organic Jojoba Oil, Organic Peppermint Oil, Organic Mentha Arvensis, Citric Acid, Vitamin E.

So if you are on the look out for a great organic, fair trade, all in one 'magic' soap that does the job do give this one a go. It will not only save you money but your body and home will love it. For ease you can even buy it on amazon!

p.s I haven't yet used it to clean my teeth yet, but i have heard that some people use it for this too, perhaps tonight i will try it.

Totally delicious skin care products

A year ago i discovered this amazing company called Raw Gaia -wowee finally a company selling my dream products. I had been searching for products for sensitive skin that were 100% organic and made my skin feel delicious whilst helping to heal it in the process. Hmm a tough one to find but here it is with the adiitional bonus that their products also use raw living ingredients.  A massive thank you to Lisa Lennon and her husband Hector Bolanos, their company is simply fabulous.

In their own words:

"What makes Raw Gaia stand out is that we use only 100% organic, living and vegan ingredients such as cold-pressed butters and oils as well as high-grade essential oils. Moreover, our products are made following a process that avoids temperatures beyond 40°C. In this way, the life force of the ingredients and all their antioxidants, vitamins, minerals, etc., are retained. All these nutrients are then available to nourish your skin, without leaving any surface residues.

Simply put, the main benefit of a raw, living skin care product is that your body nourishes from the existing life force of the ingredients. In contrast, subjecting to high temperatures destroy most of this living energy.

Raw ingredients provide additional benefits to the skin through their:

Antioxidants: Antioxidants help to keep the skin supple and beautiful by neutralizing free radicals. Free radical exposure eventually leads to hidden inflammation and eventually, wrinkles and ageing skin.

Minerals: These occur naturally in our bodies and are found in our most common foods. Sulphur for example is essential to make the skin soft and elastic since it is an essential component of all connective tissues.

Vitamins: They are beneficial to damaged and distressed skin. Vitamin C for example, is especially useful for the skin under the eyes.

Omega 6 Fatty Acids: Present in oils such as primrose and borage seed oils, they have been shown to gradually improve eczema and moisturise dry, cracking and/or scaling skin.


What purity really means

Raw Gaia's products do not contain any nasty petrochemicals, artificial colourants and parfums, glycols, lauryl sulphates, parabens, preservatives, synthetic additives, bulking agents or hidden ingredients.

Moreover, by following a special process that carefully avoids temperatures above 40°C, we ensure that none of our products contain heated oils and fats. When these are used in skin care products –even in the so-called most natural ones-, they are actually one of the worst offenders to skin beauty. Heated oils and fats contain highly toxic transfatty acids, which may be absorbed into the cell membranes, causing them to become porous and weak. They also lead to the creation of free radicals, which are unstable oxygen molecules that have lost an electron. Collagen, a protein molecule that constitutes 80% of the dermis, is particularly susceptible to free radical damage, which includes wrinkles, lingering scars and stiff collagen.

In contrast, our cold-pressed fats and oils, kept at low temperatures, help to beautify the skin, strengthen the cell membranes and restore nutrients to the tissues.

Our ethical, environmental and fairtrade principles

All Raw Gaia's products are certified vegan by The Vegan Society and cruelty-free with the British Union Against Vivisection (BUAV). Our products have not been tested on animals. In addition, our suppliers have been carefully screened to ensure they do not carry out tests on animals either. We follow a strict animal welfare policy, which are in line with BUAV's.

We only use organic and/or wildcrafted ingredients. As much as possible, we source our raw materials through fairtrade, to ensure that growers receive a fair price for their work. Our cold-pressed cocoa butter and the living herbal face pack are examples of fairtrade ingredients.

Moreover, we are the first (and as far as we are aware) only skin care company in the world to have adopted an "ethical marketing" approach to beauty and ageing."

Take a look it is a wonderful company don't just take my word for it, take a look at their website: http://www.rawgaia.com/ for more information and products.

All the products i have tried from Raw Gaia have been totally amazing, but i particularly love their living Moisturiser: 'For Her Daughters'

They now also ship overseas yipeeeeeeeeeeeee!