How to Get a Natural Pedicure {+ Ginger Peppermint Foot Scrub Recipe for Tired and Painful Feet}

Pin It now!

I haven't had a pedicure since before my son was born. He is two years old! No, don't feel sorry for me, I treat my tootsies to soothing and natural pedicures done by me. If you know of any salon that does ALL NATURAL pedicures let me know, but I've yet to find one!

It is great to get pampered with a pedicure but it is extra special if you have been on your feet all day and have swollen or painful feet.

I have included a foot scrub recipe at the bottom that is good for anyone but particularly for those suffering with painful feet. 
 

Why would you want to avoid a pedicure?

Green Cleaning: Orange-Infused Vinegar

Pin It now!

You know I am not a fan of conventional cleaning products; they are highly toxic. Their effects range from skin irritation to even cancer, they are bad for the environment, and God forbid little Junior got a hold of one of those bottles under the sink!

Vinegar is so versatile; it can clean almost anything. I said anything because caked on grease or soap scum can be a challenge even for vinegar but when orange and vinegar come together they can virtually clean anything! The oil from orange peels is naturally antibacterial and antifungal (source), it cuts easily through grease and it is great on furniture, too.

The Perfect Grain-Free Pancakes

Pin It now!

 

A few weeks ago I turned to an elimination diet--eliminating grains--for my son's diet. In order to go grain-free I started to look into alternatives our our favorite staples and that includes my son's favorite breakfast meal, pancakes.

If you Google "no grains pancakes", "paleo pancakes", or "gluten free pancakes", you will find thousands of recipes; yup, thousands. I tried about half of those. Either the consistency was off, they had no flavor, or they were a gooey mess and would fall apart and flipping them was nearly impossible. 

What's Happened to Our Food System?

Pin It now!

I'm so excited to finally welcome our new Nutrition & Dietetics expert, Alma Simmons. Alma is a Registered Dietician, wife, mom, and my friend. She and I share so many interests and have dreams the size of Texas for future projects and I am so happy we have finally started to collaborate together. 

Alma will be a regular contributor to this page in all things nutrition, so feel free to post any questions directly to her via email or through our Facebook page. Please help me welcome her by leaving a quick hello on the comments below.

And now without further ado...

Even though it’s no breaking news that fruits and vegetables are good for us, people still have a hard time eating them.  As a nutritionist and now dietitian this puzzled me for years. After all, it's not necessarily because they're more expensive (we spend a lot of money on other things we don't need) or because they are tasteless. I just didn't get it. But as a matter of fact it’s the result of a food system that's far from being ethical or sustainable, yet extremely profitable to an incredible amount of people.

Indeed, the growing waistline in the western society along with an array of chronic disease is blamed on overeating, lack of exercise or expensive costs of healthy food. But we never hear it’s systematically happening thanks to corporate food companies and their global ties to governments, the media, the restaurant business, and even the healthcare and fitness industry to name a few.

Company Spotlight: Conscious Box {+ Giveaway!}

Pin It now!

Have you noticed how there are tons of products marketed to the Eco-conscious consumer? Lots of natural, organic, nontoxic, Eco-friendly--some great some not so much--products. It would take a lifetime to try every product out there, and let's not even mention how much money it would take!

Enter Conscious Box. I was so excited to learn what this company does and has to offer but I am even more excited to tell you about it and let you try it for yourself (but let's not get ahead of ourselves just yet).

The Conscious Box is the best way to discover the most ethical and sustainable products on the planet! Focusing on strict tenets of organic, fair trade, and pure and natural products.

How does the Conscious Box Work?

How to Improve Indoor Air Qiality

Pin It now!

Did you know that according to the EPA "air within homes and other buildings can be more seriously polluted than the outdoor air in even the largest and most industrialized cities". The health effects or poor indoor quality range from mild irritation such as headaches, sneezing and congestion, to more severe like heart disease and cancer. A while back I researched igredients to avoid in personal care products (read it here) but I was not surprised to find out that many of these highly toxic chemicals found in soaps or makeup make their way to household air cleaners or air freshners. That particular "tropical breeze" in that aerosol air freshner is not because they have actually captured and bottled tropical breeze but it is only possible through synthetic frangrances. For example, phthalates is an ubiquitous ingredient in artificial fragrances, the Environmental Working Group as a carcinogen.   

Where does air pollution com from?

Canvas Prints by Printcopia: Review + Giveaway

Pin It now!

Remember when taking pictures meant waiting days to get your film developed hoping you had a few keepers? Wait, did I just inadvertently revealed a clue about my age? Where was I? Pictures, right! Then digital cameras came a long, then cell phones with cameras and the latest trend a little website called Instagram. As a result many of us have hundreds of pictures, trapped in little electronic devices. You know, that perfect shot that took 5 retakes is not worth anything if it's sitting in technology purgatory.

When I was approached by Printcopia to run a contest I thought, "perfect! I can finally actually do something with my pictures!" but then I had to ask myself, what does a printing company have to do with what this blog is about. So after doing a little research on the company I found out a couple things I really liked: the inks used are all nontoxic and eco-friendly and all of the canvas prints are made in the USA. They get an A on my book, but here is why they get an A+:

•  The quality is superb, the colors are perfect
• They have great costumer service
• You can print directly from social media sites. You know that artsy picture you took of your dog? It can now be proudly displayed!
• It's not just canvas, they have many other products including panoramic and wall decals
• And to top it all off, the prices are great. I may even add the best I've seen thus far