 Natural Dental Care Alright, now that we know some of the ingredients to look for, let’s keep them out of our cabinets! Making these changes doesn’t have to be expensive or scary - let’s take it one step at a time. Dentists are big fans of Young Living’s Thieves line of toothpastes thanks to our clean ingredients & countless happy mouths. Check out some of these ingredients that are in YL toothpaste::
Here is an overview of our top dental care items // Toothpastes - Thieves Whitening Toothpaste Thieves AromaBright Toothpaste KidScents Toothpaste Plus don’t miss our Thieves Dental Floss & Thieves Fresh Essence Mouthwash! Are you ready to make the dental care DITCH and SWITCH? 
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 Dental Care
Have you ever read the fine print on a tube of toothpaste off the shelf of your grocery store or drugstore? You may recognize some of the ingredients that we mentioned in the top toxins post, but here are a few we haven’t covered yet --
You would think that because we use toothpaste in our mouths, all toothpastes would be safe to swallow, but if you’ve read the back of your toothpaste label recently, you will find that is just not the case. The inside of our mouths are the quickest way to absorb ingredients. Absorption applies to toothpaste, mouthwash, medications, and anything else that enters our mouths. Choosing a toothpaste & mouthwash with safe ingredients is a great way to avoid absorbing toxic ingredients like those in conventional toothpaste. For more ingredients commonly found in dental care products, check out this post, which contains plenty of back up research data // Stay tuned for the next post, which contains my recommendations for a healthy dental-care routine that steers away from these ingredients! xoxo Lori  Toxins in Water??? OH MY!!!
Water is a tricky one! We all need water to drink, cook, & bathe… and we have easy access, right? Unfortunately tap water isn’t as clean & safe as we might be led to believe. “When you give your body water that is filled with toxins leached from plastic, or filled with by-products from chlorination, or with volatile organic compounds, or water that is contaminated by pesticides or hormones, you are asking your body to work twice as hard at detoxification, because it must first detoxify the water you are drinking, before that water can be used to fuel your organs of detoxification!” Read this article for more info! Let’s run through a few water concerns, and I’ll give you some resources to help you dig deeper & make some changes.
The EWG Tap Water Database is a great resource for investigating safety of your local tap water. For instance, Knoxville, TN city water shows to have 184x the safe levels of Bromodichloromethane (Bromodichloromethane ia a by-product of the chlorine disinfection process - also a carcinogen.) Do you remember the movie Erin Brokovich? Well Knoxville has 2.5x the safe levels of Hexavalent Chromium, the same carcinogen highlighted in the movie. Once you check out this resource, I have a feeling you’ll be on the lookout for a water filtration solution! Check out these 2 filters that I recommend (although anything is better than nothing!)
I hope your enjoying this series! Let me know in the comments! xoxo Lori  Swap: "Greenwashed" Household Cleaners
One of the easiest ways to make maximum impact for your family is by cleaning up your cleaning products! If you haven’t heard the buzz about Thieves cleaner yet, let me fill you in! Thieves Household Cleaner is the ONLY household cleaner we keep in our home now! Thieves Cleaner comes in a concentrate, so all you have to do is add an ounce of cleaner to a 32oz spray bottle with water & you’re good to go! It’s that easy! Before I made the swap to Thieves Cleaner, I thought that it was really expensive to have a safe cleaning product. I was wrong!! The "greenwashed" cleaners that actually still contain harmful ingredients cost far more! Let’s compare:
Do your wallet a favor and stop paying for those so-called "natural" cleaners that are still full of yuck and are costing you far more!!! One of the best parts about swapping to a plant-based, toxin free lifestyle is that you can make many of the items yourself for a fraction of the cost! SWAP: Smelly-good hand soap (think Bath & Body Works) is a swap that many people struggle making because they love their Apple Cinnamon or Pumpkin Spice soaps, but with essential oils, you can make DIY hand soap for a fraction of the cost, and you’re skipping the toxic fragrance too! Plus, if you’re not into DIY, Young Living makes 3 foaming hand soaps that are crowd favorites - Lavender, Thieves, & Lushious Lemon. You’ll love all 3! DIY Foaming Hand Soap
If you want to grab a quick & easy booklet of other toxin free tips, check out Simply Home - you can purchase it here for $4 - https://oilsupplystore.com/collections/simply-series/products/simply-home Comment below with any recipes or swaps you’d like to try, and I’ll help you find them! PLUS, there are TONS of ways to DIY some cleaners which saves you money -- and your health! xoxo Lori Beware of Greenwashing!!!! Greenwashing happens when companies make false claims or overly generous health or environmental benefits that their product or service offers. Greenwashing is not confined exclusively to the cleaning industry, but it is prevalent in large part because household cleaners are the only household products where manufacturers are NOT required to list all ingredients under the Federal Hazardous Substances Act. YIKES!!!! Fragrances are a great example of hazardous substances. They are considered “trade secrets” so their ingredients don’t have to be included on the packaging. Many synthetic fragrances include chemicals that have been linked with reproductive health and developmental problems such as birth defects, low sperm count and ADHD. Even at the most basic level, synthetic fragrances are known to trigger asthma and allergy attacks! When you see “fragrance” on an ingredients list, just put that right back on the shelf where you found it. Have you watched the documentary STINK? Add this to your list!!! Because manufacturers can just omit ingredients from packaging, this makes it very hard for us as consumers to interpret false claims (greenwashing) such as non-toxic, biodegradable and eco-friendly. So how do you find the right products? Stay tuned! I have some really great suggestions coming your way tomorrow! Check out this website for more resources about ingredients to avoid. Let’s do something fun (or maybe not so fun!)! Go run to your kitchen or bathroom cabinet & grab a couple of items. Look through the ingredient list to see if any of the toxic ingredients I covered yesterday are in your products. If they are -- NO SHAME!! Seriously! you are learning and empowering yourself! Comment below to let me know what you’ve found!   Toxic Ingredients - Part Two
Let’s keep going through our ingredient list. Again, this is a partial list, but a great place to start if you’re working toward a toxin-free home! Synthetic Colors Have you ever seen some of your lipstick colors in nature?? What about hair color? Synthetic colors are commonly added to makeup, skincare items & even our food to enhance their appearance. Over the last 100+ years, over 80 synthetic color additives have gone through review by the FDA, and today only 7 colors are approved for use in the US. 6 of those 7 dyes are linked to hyperactivity in children. Is it just me, or has there been a massive rise in ADD/ADHD over the last few decades? Synthetic colors may be found in:
Formaldehyde You may remember Formaldehyde from dissecting frogs in your high school biology class. Yes, it’s a powerful preservative & disinfectant, and unfortunately it’s hidden under many names in everyday products. Does anyone in your life struggle with asthma or breathing issues? Chances are it’s linked to repeated exposure to ingredients such as formaldehyde. Formaldehyde is also one of the most common carcinogens found in the average american home. May be found in //
Petrochemicals There are countless ingredients that are derived from petroleum, but the most recognizable are petrolatum, petroleum jelly, paraffin oil, & mineral oil. When you’re checking your labels for petrochemicals, look for ingredients such as: toluene, benzene, anything with PEG or DEA or MEA, anything with “propyl” in the word, and many others. 95% of chemicals used in fragrance/parfum are from petroleum as well. Petrochemicals in any form are toxic to kidneys, the brain, the respiratory system, and they are hormone disruptors. Plus, they may be contributors to some cancers. May be found in //
Yikes! Like I said, this is a partial list, but a great place to start. Tomorrow we’ll go on a hunt for products with these in our homes, and we’ll continue to talk about ways to reduce these ingredients affordably! Comment to let us know which ingredients you’re most curious to find in your home. xoxo Lori Toxic Ingredients - Part One Wouldn’t it be amazing if we could go to the store, and someone would stop us from grabbing products that aren’t safe for our families? Or if labels were TRULY honest and transparent??? That probably won't happen anytime soon, so it's up to us, as consumers, to be informed and act as the gatekeepers of our homes. A 2020 study found that 15% of talc-based cosmetics tested contained asbestos - a known carcinogen to humans. In the year 2000, cleaning products were responsible for nearly 10% of all toxic exposures reported to U.S. Poison Control Centers, accounting for 206,636 calls. Of these, 120,434 exposures involved children under six, who can swallow or spill cleaners stored or left open inside the home. With no federal regulations on ingredients in household products, the only way we can protect our families is to learn how to read labels ourselves. Let’s take a look at my top 7 offending ingredients (although there are literally thousands of ingredients we should avoid). If you can eliminate all or most of these ingredients, your family’s health & wellness will be WAY ahead of the curve! We saw a dramatic shift in so many areas of our health as we cut these ingredients from our home & replaced them with clean, plant-based products. Fragrance If I could just pick ONE toxic ingredient to share about, it’s this one. 9 times out of 10, the products you want to eliminate from your home have “fragrance” or “parfum.” It can even be called “essential oil blend” (over 90% of essential oils are produced by the fragrance industry & are a far cry from pure essential oils). The scary thing about the term “fragrance” or “parfum” is that there’s literally no way to know what a manufacturer puts into the fragrance. Companies are known to hide various toxic ingredients in the label under the guise of “fragrance.” One of the most common ingredients in fragrance is formaldehyde - a known carcinogen! (more on formaldehyde below). The Fragrance Association has identified 3,059 ingredients in various fragrances - yikes! Eliminating artificial fragrance from the home is what gives most families the most obvious benefit. Most people have no idea that artificial fragrance causes indoor allergies, headaches, skin issues (think laundry soap!), & hormone imbalances. Next time you’re shopping, be sure to look on the back of these products for the word fragrance, parfum, essential oil blend, and put those products back on the shelf! **(There is a difference in essential oils in terms of quality, purity and safety. Which is why IN only purchase and use those sold by Young Living Essential Oils. If you want more information about them, just ask!)**
Aluminum Chloride One of the easiest swaps you can make is to ditch antiperspirants that contain aluminum chloride. Your underarms are one of the most sensitive areas of your body -- not to mention a close proximity to your breast tissue. So doesn’t it make sense to keep harsh chemicals away from these areas? Aluminum chloride has a common ingredient in personal care products as well as foods & over the counter drugs. It’s risks include neurotoxicity that leads to neurological diseases like Alzheimers, ADD/ADHD, & Parkinsons. Aluminum has also been found in breast tissue of breast cancer patients. Aluminum Chloride is often found in these products (although it’s often not included on the label):
Parabens It’s very common now to see commercials & product ads that tout “no parabens'' for personal care & cleaning products. Yay! We’ve made a difference over the last few years! The natural product movement has influenced manufacturers to listen to the masses who have stopped buying their toxin laden products. Unfortunately, many of those products without parabens still include artificial fragrance & colors & other concerning ingredients. But it’s a step in the right direction! Parabens are what keeps your bottle of shampoo/conditioner from getting all moldy after a month. It’s a preservative, but… aaghhh it also mimics estrogen & is a hormone disruptor. Parabens have been found in breast tumors, and parabens are also linked to decreased sperm count. Parabens may be found in:
 We’ll continue this list tomorrow with a few more ingredients to avoid. Did any of these ingredients jump out at you? Are you surprised to learn about any of these?
Always feel free to ask your questions in the comments! I'm happy to help! xoxo Lori  Everyone has a story, a why, a path that brought them to where they are; So here is a little about me and how I got to where I am!
I'm Lori. I'm married and have 6 children, 2 girls and 4 boys ages 27, 23, 21, 16, 12 and 10. We live in Southern Indiana. All of my children were born here as was I and my husband. I work from home sharing ways to be toxin/chemical free, sharing healthy recipes I make for my family, sharing ways I'm healing the broken parts of me and growing as a woman and mother. I also love sharing about essential oils and I'm a Certified Integrative Health Coach -- plus I homeschool my kids and work as a DSP for my son Landon who is diagnosed with Autism. I love to read and watch movies. Gardening is something I'm getting into and learning about as well. I have three Tower Gardens and am also doing some container gardening this year! I'm very excited about this new endeavor to grow my own food and save some money too! I love to cook and come up with new ways to make a favorite dish even better...and healthier. I'm also working on my very own recipe book! Before I changed my lifestyle, I was really struggling to have more energy, feel good, sleep well and I had a lot of mood swings and headaches. I felt fatigued a lot and just BLAH. My kids had various issues, none serious or severe, but definitely annoying and it effected the quality of their life to some extent. I also didn't feel like I had any purpose or direction for my life outside of raising my family -- which is very rewarding -- but I wanted something just for me, that I could feel good about, help others, contribute to my family finances and and community as well. I wanted some news goals for my life and have something to do once my kids were all grown! I was introduced to Young Living by a friend. It was the start for me -- I eventually attended online school for my health coach certification, got trained to do Raindrop Technique and also got certification as an aromatherapist. My first goal with essential oils was to help my son Landon who was suffering greatly with seasonal allergies -- it was awful! He was miserable. And we had already tried LOADS of things; None helped. and guess what??? THEY WORKED!! I tried a combo of essential oils for him and in just a few days he was much improved and it was easy to tell he felt a lot better. I do lots of other things for him to support his body but the essential oils were the cherry on top for him! I can't imagine not having them now or what our life would be like without them or without the other changes I've made over the years. Each one added to our health and well being: body, mind and soul. Every member of my family has benefited from the changes I've made. Healthier, sleeping better, strong immune systems, healthier than average eating habits and happy. I can't wait to share with you over the next few weeks!! There are so many things I want to tell you!! I really can't wait to dive in! How about you? Tell me in the comments: What is ONE health goal you hope to accomplish in the next 3 months? Hey there, if you're leaning towards eliminating or even just reducing the number of chemical based products you use in your home in favor of more natural and plant based alternatives then I applaud you! If you are feeling overwhelmed by all of the choices and where to start, what to look for, what to buy, etc.. then I got you, girl! I'm starting a 30 day series of blog posts about ditching and switching those very toxic products OUT of your home, good alternatives and what I have found that has worked well for me and my family! So, if you're ready or even just curious -- read on!  I’m so excited you decided to take a little peek into toxin-free living with me this month. I’m going to add some great information, some new tips, and lots of fun on this blog over the next few weeks, and I am glad you are here to learn with me. Want a little tease about some things I’ve been learning about and will be sharing? What chemicals to avoid in the products we buy, how to simplify natural living, DIY ideas, how to take baby steps for healthy immune systems, digestive systems, and hormones! SO SO much information. I can’t wait to get started sharing all the things I’ve been learning about. So, as we jump in, let’s do a little poll. Which one are you when it comes to toxin-free living? Just tell me in the comments!
P.S. This is a no judgement zone so there is no right or wrong answer here. We are all here to learn! #1 I’m just starting to learn how to find and get rid of toxins. #2 I’ve taken one or two baby steps to get rid of a few toxins in my home. #3 I’ve ditched a few toxic items in my home, but I still have some work to do. #4 I’ve been working a while to ditch toxins in my home. #5 I have a toxin-free home (well. . . mostly). I'm excited to continue sharing and learning with you!! The first steps into toxin free living can be so incredible and I can't wait to share! Before we dive in, let's talk a little bit about going toxin free in your home. Choose the TOP THREE areas you are most interested in ditching and switching to something more natural -- and feel free to leave me a comment down below on what your Top 3 are! Then, in the coming weeks, be on the lookout for tips for ALL of these areas! Cleaning products Bathroom/Personal care products Kids products Wellness products Water filtration Diet changes Air freshening Stress relief Sleep help Hormone balance We are going to have a blast learning!! LOOK for the next post coming up tomorrow! xoxo Lori I've been posting some of my newest creations on my Instagram account lately and I'm getting requests for RECIPES! So, I'm going to attempt to do my best to share those here! If you don't follow me on Instagram, then you can start! Just go here. One of my most requested recipes this past week was for my Chicken Pot Pie Soup. It was so good! It sounds complicated but it's not. Here is what you need to make it: ~3-4 large Chicken breasts (I get mine from Butcher Box. Delivered right to my door it makes life a bit easier and is definitely more convenient! Check it out here an d save $30 on your first order!) ~Chicken Broth, you will need a lot! I used 3 cartons of Organic Chicken broth plus some water too. You can find this at most grocery stores or on Thrive Market which is another place I love to order from for ease and convenience! Check it out here you can save 25% on your first order!) You can also make your own from a whole hen! ~4C of Mixed Veggies. It is a mix of corn, green beans, carrots and peas. I buy mine frozen from Aldi, Costco or Azure Standard. 3C Riced Cauliflower (I find this in most stores, frozen, or you can make your own!) ~Yellow Gold Potatoes. In my opinion, these are the best for soups and stews. Their consistency and flavor is better. I used probably about 3lbs of potatoes or 8-10 larger size potatoes. ~One large yellow onion, diced ~3-4 cloves of garlic, chopped or pressed ~1 Stick of butter ~Gluten Free Flour blend of your choice -- although I highly suggest using either Namaste or King Arthur GF flour blend ~Spices: Salt, Pepper, Sage, Thyme, Celery Seed, Parsley. Season to taste. **I use a lot of Young Living Vitality oils for seasoning so if you have those then you can use them instead of dried herbs** ~Large soup pot! I love my Cuisinart stock pot ! It is the perfect size for a large pot of soup, spaghetti, boiling ears of corn -- SO MANY USES! First, cut up your chicken into bite size chunks. Set them aside. Dice your onion and prepare your garlic. You will need some salt and pepper too. Pour about 2C of Broth into your soup pot and 1C of water. Add your chicken, onion, garlic and some salt and pepper. Turn heat on high to boil the chicken until tender. While that is cooking, cut up your potatoes in good size chunks Once the chicken is done, add your potatoes and a bit more salt and pepper plus some broth, enough to cover the potatoes Continue cooking until potatoes are done. They should be fork tender, but not mushy. Add your frozen veggies and riced cauliflower and more broth/water as needed to keep everything covered While that is all cooking together, get out a smaller sauce pot and add your stick of butter over low heat to melt it. Once it is melted, whisk in GF flour until all of the butter is absorbed. You will have a thick mixture, add broth to thin it out to a nice gravy like consistency, a bit on the thin side but still nice and thick. SLOWLY pour this into the soup mixture, whisking as you go -- this will thicken it up nicely and give it that pot pie consistency. Now, add your spices; salt, pepper, sage, thyme, parsley and celery seed. Start out with 2 TSP each and add as you go to get the flavor you like. *If you are using Vitality Essential Oil drops, then start with ONE drop and add stir to mix before adding more. VOILA! Once you get the desired taste and it's good & hot it's ready to serve! We had ours with Gluten Free Oat Rolls from Katz -- these are sooooo good! Light, bready and delicious! You can get them here. They have so many good products! For my Roasted Potato Soup I also use Yellow Gold Potatoes -- like I said, these are just the best in my opinion and experience! Costco has them in big bags but you can find them at most grocery stores. I do try and get them organic but if not, I make sure to soak mine in my Young Living Fruit and Veggie Wash before cooking and eating them -- If you don't have this Veggie Wash, then you need it! It is a concentrate so it lasts a long time! I use the same big pot from Cuisinart for this soup as well and I start out with the following ingredients: 10lbs of Yellow Gold Potatoes 1-2 large heads of Broccoli (You can omit this ingredient if you prefer) Chicken Broth Salt Pepper 1 large Red onion, diced 3 lbs of Bacon OR Epic Brand Bacon Bits (which is what I used in the pictures below) 1-2 sticks of butter 1 Can of Coconut milk, full fat GF flour blend Sour Cream Chives 1 block, Cheddar cheese, grated. We love Tilamook brand! First, cut up your potatoes into bite size chunks or cubes. Coat them with oil -- Use Avocado oil, bacon grease, butter or Coconut oil -- and season them well with salt, pepper and a no salt spice blend. Roast them in a 400 degree oven until tender and crispy. **I also cook my bacon in the oven, so if you want to do that too, then you can add that to the oven at the same time you'r cooking your potatoes. Otherwise, cook your bacon while your potatoes are roasting.** Dice your red onion and cut up your broccoli and set aside. Grate your cheese, chop up your chives and get that sour cream ready! Once your bacon is done, set it aside for later. When the potatoes are nice and crispy, take them out and add to your large soup pot. Cover with equal parts broth and water, add your broccoli & red onion, bring to a low boil. In a separate pot, melt 1 stick of butter. When melted add GF flour until all butter is absorbed and the mixture is thick. Then add the coconut milk and some broth until it is a thin gravy mixture. Add this to the soup and whisk in slowly. This will thicken up your soup beautifully! Do a taste test and add salt and pepper as needed. Once it's hot, SERVE! Top with crumbled bacon, chives, cheese and sour cream! SO good! My Roasted Greek Chicken was a big hit as well -- several requests for this recipe too! So, here is what you will need: 1 Whole Organic Chicken 1 Whole lemon, sliced (you need about 8 slices) 1 Red Onion, sliced thin Oregano Basil Thyme Marjoram Garlic Salt Pepper Olive Oil Butter Chicken Broth For sides, I had small potatoes for roasting, some asparagus, green beans and yellow onion. You need some Balsamic vinegar too. And Feta Cheese plus sun dried tomatoes.  I like to use my cast iron Dutch Oven for roasting my chicken. First, I place 1 1/2 C of Chicken broth in the bottom of my dutch oven, then 4 lemon slices and several slices of red onion along with a bit of salt, pepper, oregano, thyme, marjoram and some minced garlic. Then I place my chicken on top of that and added more of the same spices after coating with a thin layer of olive oil. I added some red onion inside the bird and some lemon slices on top, then covered it and roasted in the oven at 350 until done. This bird was so moist and tender! You can add some additional chicken legs there with it if you have some teenagers who like to eat like I do! While my chicken is cooking, I get my potatoes and veggies ready! First, I slice up my yellow onion into thick slices and lay those on my cookie sheets. Then I lay my asparagus and green beans on top, sprinkle some salt and pepper and add pats of butter on top then I set those aside. *Once the veggies are done roasting, I add a drizzle of balsamic vinegar to them before serving.*  Next, I prepare my potatoes. They get a coating of avocado oil and some butter with salt and pepper. Then I place them on another cookie sheet with some chopped sundried tomatoes. *When the potatoes are done, I sprinkle with Feta cheese! YUM!*   The potatoes go in the hot oven next because they will need the longer to cook than the veggies. When they start to get soft, I add the pan of veggies and roast everything until done. SO easy and delicious!  This blog post is getting kind of long -- So, I'm gonna stop here with this recipe and add a few more in an separate post in a day or two! Happy dining!
xoxo Lori |
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