five favorites: health edition, part 2!

so i figured i would continue my five favorites: health edition this week with part 2!

you can go here to see part 1!

i have a very hard time with commitment, but this just might become a weekly thing.

;)

let's jump right in, shall we?!

one

image via: the plant based dietician

i could talk for hours and days and months about our slow, but steady shift towards eating a primarily whole foods, plant based diet.

today, i thought i would share the food guide pyramid that we follow and let that speak for itself!

along with that, i wanted to share some of our favorite documentaries regarding the topic, all of which can be viewed for free on Netflix:

- Forks over Knives 

- Fat, Sick and Nearly Dead

- Vegucated

- Hungry for Change

- Food Matters

two

 image by donovan govan

i have a serious love affair with garlic!

not only do i cook with it A LOT, but two of my top favorite ways to use it are to soothe ear aches, 

and to fight colds.

for earaches, 

i simply dice 1 clove of garlic.

warm the garlic and 1/4 cup of olive oil over medium heat.

steep together until cooled and then strain the infused oil through a strainer.

tilt the ear canal and apply a couple of drops into the inflamed ear.

allow one minute for the oil to penetrate the ear canal.

(little side note: for ear aches/infections, i also apply the essential oils, Basil or Melaleuca on the outer ear, NOT in the ear...we have yet to use an antibiotic for ear infections!

this is a good video by Dr. Hill from doTERRA about ear infections.)

for colds, 

i warm 3 tbsp of unrefined coconut oil and 3 tbsp of extra virgin olive oil on the stove.

remove from the heat and add 1 tbsp of chopped/crushed garlic.

pour the mixture into a food processor and blend slowly.

strain the mixture and pour into a glass jar.

seal and store in the refrigerator.

the mixture will keep for 2-3 weeks.

i apply the mixture to the boys' feet and cover with socks.

three

i have recently purged my kitchen of toxic cookware, and the first to go was anything aluminum/my non-stick pans.

my favorites to now use are anything glass, ceramic cookware that is PFOA and PTFE free, and stoneware.

four

you can go here to download a free printable!

while i would love to eat all organic everything, that isn't always realistic with our budget.

i do however, follow the "dirty dozen/clean fifteen" rule published 

by the Environmental Working Group. 

five

homemade laundry detergent!

i started making my own laundry detergent several years ago when i discovered what i had originally been using was one of the many culprits, contributing to some skin issues with my boys.

i have tried both a liquid and powder detergent and have been happiest with the dry, powder version.

ingredients

Arm & Hammer washing soda

Borax

1 bar of Fels-Naptha soap (or scent free Castile soap)

doTERRA Lavender or Purify (Wild Orange is another favorite!)

instructions

grate the bar of soap with a cheese grater. 

measure out 1 cup each of the Washing Soda and Borax.

add approximately 20 drops of your doTERRA oil of choice.

mix thoroughly.

not only is this much easier on the skin, but it is a fraction of the cost of store-bought detergent!!

which is a win-win for this mama!

linking up with the moxie wife and lauren!