DIY All-Natural DoubleMint Toothpaste

If you're like me, you might be trying to avoid fluoride, artificial colors, flavors, sweeteners, preservatives and other junk in your toothpaste.  Also,  you've probably tried a half-dozen + natural brands and are just looking for something that tastes decent and works.   I finally gave up on switching around and found something EASY to make at home!  If you're going to pick one essential oil instead of committing to both, I recommend the PEPPERMINT.   I've experimented with a little bit of vanilla extract in here, and that's a nice taste as well.  Spearmint and vanilla by themselves were...meh.  Also, you can use 1 packet of stevia rather than the droppers. 

Disclaimer:  if you are used to using Colgate or other mainstream brands, this will taste a lot different and might take some getting used to.  If you've used Arm & Hammer or other baking soda toothpastes, you'll recognize the flavor.  

DIY All-Natural DoubleMint Toothpaste

3 Tbsp coconut oil (Vitacost)
3 Tbsp aluminum free baking soda (Bob's Red Mill)
15 drops peppermint essential oil (Now Foods)
15 drops spearmint essential oil (Now Foods)
15 drops liquid stevia (Now Foods)

Use coconut oil that is solid (room temp).  In a small mixing bowl, mix the coconut oil and baking soda, working in all the drops.  Mix well, until there are no chunks of solid coconut oil left.   I keep mine in a small Tupperware container by the sink.  To keep it sanitary, refrain from dipping your toothbrush in.  I  use a funky little cheese spreader from the 70's to apply it to my toothbrush and rinse it off afterwards.

Do me a favor - comment & let me know how you like it if you end up trying!

~Angela

Food Renegade!

Anti-Inflammatory SUPER SHOT!

So, my shoulder has been a terrible wreck for the past 6 weeks. Pretty sure I injured my rotator cuff by "flipping my dog" wildly in yoga. So, upon Dr. Matt's recommendation, I have ceased all yoga (trust me...it's been a LONG month) and any weight training. I have been incorporating fresh turmeric & ginger in my cooking, juicing 1x a day, eating lots of fresh veggies (per usual) and overall taking it easy.

But 6 weeks...and no improvement. :/ Time to go see Dr. Rich, DC. He's very holistic-minded, which of course, I like. He did a vision test and some physical tests. I am stressed, he says. He might be right. His RX? Well, I'm sporting purple kinesio-tape on my shoulder, doing left-brain exercises on the computer, and spinning slowly (clockwise) in my chair 3x per day. I have to work on another form of stress relief besides yoga, he says. I have also agreed to keep up on the couch potato-ing, high dose of EPA/EHA and potent anti-inflammatories. I decided to get SERIOUS about turmeric today, which is the whole POINT of this post. :)

Went to Whole Foods, which is right next to Dr. Matt & Rich's office and bought a big bag of turmeric root, and a big bag of ginger, and a couple of habanero peppers. I juiced THE most powerful concoction I've tasted today, to help heal my inflamed shoulder: approx 1 lb ginger, 1 lb turmeric root and 1/2 HOT habanero. I got about a cup of beautiful bright yellow liquid, with a bit of screaming from my Breville juicer. Had to scraped the mesh screen a few times to move all of the thick pulp out of the way.

I took a shot of it plain earlier, but as Dr. Matt & I were thinking about it, realized that the anti-inflammatory powers of the turmeric are fat-soluble, so it is best taken with a fat. Thinking of traditional curries (which traditionally incorporate spicy, ginger & turmeric anyway), I decided to use coconut oil, and created this second "shot" for before bed. Went down a lot smoother, but....OH MY. This stuff. Is. Strong!

Here's the finished potion: 1.5T turmeric/ginger/habanero juice + 1.5 tbsp warm (liquid) coconut oil. Mix and drink quickly (the coconut oil will turn back solid if the refrigerated juice is too cool).
TURMERIC is part of the same family as ginger. It's the small, orange root sitting on top of the ginger in my photo. It's beautiful, and be careful, because it stains everything (even stainless steel knives). That's how you know it's working, I guess. ;) Turmeric supports everything from joint pain to Alzheimer's to detox of liver to a possible prevention for cancer. Warning: it's said to NOT take this during pregnancy. You can read more about it's healing effects on Natural News. Also, here is some more info on World's Healthiest Foods.

GINGER is delicious, also a potent anti-inflammatory, known for soothing the stomach, and boosting the immune system. I love the taste and use it in juices and stir-frys, as well as in asian/indian dishes. Here is some more info on Ginger.

HABANERO PEPPERS are small and usually bright orange or red. I generally use only 1/2 of one in any given recipe, as they are WILDLY hot. They have a high capsaicin content helps lower blood pressure and cholesterol, and is also a potent anti-inflammatory. (hence it's included in my shot!) LiveStrong talks about the benefits of the habanero pepper here.

COCONUT OIL is a super versatile oil rich in monolauric acid and therefore has wonderful anti-bacterial and anti-fungal properties. It helps control weight and supports thyroid and heart health. It's usually in solid form (here in MI), but when it gets warmer (76+ degrees), turns to a liquid. I cook (anything/everything) with it these days: cooking eggs, in pie crusts, in curries, stir frys, use it for oil-pulling, as a body lotion on face & body. I even make home made sugar or sea salt scrubs with coconut oil. I love the taste of it, and it's a good-for-you fat with MCFA's (medium chain fatty acids). Here's Dr. Mercola chatting about the benefits of coconut oil.

I plan on taking on 3x a day until I feel better.
TRY it yourself and let me know how you like it!