Email Me: calamitywilde@gmail.com

one girl's quest to follow her heart... into her food

You can call me vegan, but definitions can get messy. I haven't eaten animal products in a year and a half, but I didn't throw away all my leather shoes when I turned vegan, because I also believe in no waste. I don't eat animal foods for ethical reasons, and I eat plant foods for health reasons. I don't believe that an animal-free diet is right for everyone, but I do believe that a conscious connection to our food is vital. I am a nutritional consultant, and I am in school to further my knowledge of holistic health. I love life and health and think the two are inseparable. This blog ponders what we put into and onto our bodies. We really are what we eat, and because the skin is so great at absorption, we are what we wear, too. Through this blog, I will explore cruelty-free, toxin-free, chemical-free, GMO-free, and big corporation-free methods of eating and caring for our bodies. Hippocrates had it right when he said, "Let thy food be thy medicine."
Showing posts with label whole foods. Show all posts
Showing posts with label whole foods. Show all posts

Friday, July 29, 2011

Bad Breath

Lately, I've noticed a lot of bad breath. And just yesterday, it was my own! From what I know about it, mine could easily be a direct result of the detox I started 3 days ago. When the body is detoxifying, temporary halitosis can be one of the results. But thinking about it, it's not an issue that I've seen addressed much in the holistic blogosphere. So here goes. Bad breath can be caused by imbalanced bacteria on your tongue, in your mouth, or in your digestive tract. It can also be caused by inflamed sinuses, liver disease, or other health issues.

Most holistic health care professionals agree that the majority of cases are due to intestinal problems (Trivieri 991). So, the first step for battling bad breath is to help your body digest.

- Eat a diet rich in fruits and vegetables.
- Try to eat raw foods as much as possible.
- Limit sugar, dairy, yeast, alcohol, and refined grains.
- Get adequate fiber (oat bran, rice bran, psyllium).
- Take a probiotic and/or digestive enzymes.
- Drink plenty of water.
- Add lemon juice to a glass of water twice a day.

Once your system is effectively digesting your food, your bad breath should get better.

It is important to avoid alcohol based mouth washes since the alcohol kills off both good and bad bacteria.

Order Fennel seeds and other spices from Mountain Rose Herbs. Click above.

There are other ways to alleviate bad breath.

- Chew fennel seeds, cloves, coriander, cardamom, and/or anise. The oils in these spices will freshen breath (and taste delicious).
- Drink peppermint tea (and add a bit of any of the above spices).
- Clean your tongue regularly (tongue scrapers are recommended).
- Chew parsley, basil, or cilantro (chlorophyll rich herbs).
- Take homeopathic supplements (Arnica, Merc sol., Nux vom., Kali phos., Chelidonium)
- Professional intestinal cleansing.
- Herbal rinses (sage tea or black tea as the base, peppermint oil, anise oil, spearmint oil, raw honey).

So, now you can breathe easy. ;)

Wednesday, October 20, 2010

Food Additives

Do you know what you're eating? Or what you're feeding your kids? It's more than a cracker, or some cereal, or your dinner. Processed food is full of all sorts of additives, many of which are thought to pose serious health risks. Some additives have been linked to cancer, diabetes, Alzheimer's, developmental problems, neurological problems, etc.

Artificial colors and flavors have no place in a healthy diet. Neither do artificial sweeteners, or artificial anything for that matter. We are live whole human beings, and we need live whole nutrients.


Take a look:

This article examines 12 food additives worth avoiding: nitrates/nitrites, BHA/ BHT, propyl gallate, monosodium glutamate (MSG), trans fats, aspartame, Acesulfame-K, food colorings: Blue 1, 2; Red 3; Green 3; and Yellow 6, olestra, potassium bromate, white sugar, and sodium chloride.

When is the last time you read your labels?

This is a great site with an alphabetical listing of additives, and a glossary following.

The easiest thing to do to protect your health is to avoid buying foods that are processed or that contain additives. If you must, however, educate yourself and understand what it is you are buying.

Check out the Sustainable Table for some more info about regulation, safety, and what to avoid.

This list of unacceptable ingredients from Whole Foods Market gives you just a glimpse of all the additives that are not worthy of being consumed.

And if it's not good to put in your body, then you won't want to put it on your body. Most body care products (shampoo, soap, shaving cream, lotion, toothpaste) contain harmful ingredients. Again, read your labels. That diaper rash cream could actually be aggravating the rash instead of healing it. And that toothpaste could be poisoning you.

Check out this list from Whole Foods.

Two of the biggest culprits here are sodium lauryl sulfate and sodium laureth sulfate. These are known skin irritants, and show up in most body care products, even your toothpaste.

Read all about them: Dangers and Info.

Consider finding products that do not contain these harmful chemicals. Better yet, make your own.

Let's stop supporting the use of harmful substances in our food supply and our hygienic products.