Flouride - Friend or Foe?

After detoxing my deodorant, beauty regime, and diet, I thought I’d go one step further and detox my toothpaste. Apparently fluoride (found in most commercial toothpastes) has some pretty nasty side effects, and sits in between lead and arsenic in terms of toxicity. According to Fluoride Action Network, fluoride is linked to arthritis, bone fracture, cancer, cardiovascular disease, diabetes, endocrine disruption, gastrointestinal effects, hypersensitivity, kidney disease, male fertility and thyroid disease ... just to name a few! In the US, the FDA has recently required labelling of toothpaste to read ''Warning: Keep out of the reach of children under 6 years of age. If you accidentally swallow more than used for brushing, seek professional assistance or contact a Poison Control Center immediately.''

With this in mind, I set out to find a “natural” toothpaste, free from fluoride. I had heard good things about Jason Sea Fresh toothpaste and found a handy travel size at my local WholeFoods. Side note: travel size or miniature is always best when trying a new “green” product, because sometimes the product ... *ahem* ... *uh* ... *cough* ... there’s no way to put this delicately; sometimes the product just sucks.

Which leads me back to Jason Sea Fresh toothpaste. I really don’t know where to start with this one...

The toothpaste is the colour of polyfilla, which (probably because of my conditioning) put me off right from the start. It looked slightly dirty - the colour of tofu remnants left in the container after you remove the main block. But it smelled minty, so on the brush it went. I suppose that was my first mistake. The texture, similarly, left something to be desired. Instead of the usual foamy gel that cleans every nook and cranny and removes dirt and plaque, I thought I had accidentally mixed up cold cream, baking soda and tofu (yes, this image will come up again),  and put that in my mouth instead of the natural toothpaste ... but of course, I had not. That would be crazy. 

And then we get to the taste...

Peppermint essential oil, spirulina, baking soda, the bottom of a lake. It was horrible. And unlike the fresh feeling you get from commercial, fluoride-laden toothpastes (you know, the feeling that you WANT to linger?), this one stays with you like a bad rash or that annoying telemarketer who just won’t let you get off the phone. After brushing, I had a strong desire to a) scrape off my tongue, b) brush my teeth again with regular toothpaste and c) go camping and not wash my hair for a few days. Hmm ... must have been the “bottom of the lake” flavour.

I thought perhaps it would just take a little getting used to, so I tried it a couple more times, but unlike the organic apple which looks weird but tastes amazing, repeated use of this stuff garnered no better results. Despite the difference in ingredients (I can actually pronounce and understand MOST of the Jason ingredients compared to my normal Sensodyne Multi-Action ... I mean, what the heck is PEG-6 anyway?!?!??), this is not a change I am able to make. If I wanted to feel like I’d just eaten tofu, peppermint oil and algae ... well, I’d just eat tofu, peppermint oil and algae. But I won’t – that’s gross. And I’m sad to say, so is this toothpaste.

I will continue to search out a viable alternative, but until then, fluoride, you remain my friend.

GG Rating – Good for Hardcore Hippies

 

Jason Sea Fresh Ingredients: Calcium Carbonate, Aqua (Water), Glycerin, Sodium Cocoyl Glutamate, Mentha Viridis (Spearmint) Leaf Oil, Carrageenan, Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice (1) , Aphanizomenon Flos-Aquae Powder, Bambusa Arundinacea Stem Powder, Carum Petroselinum (Parsley) Extract , Citrus Grandis (Grapefruit) Seed Extract, Perilla Ocymoides Seed Extract, Stevia, Rebaudiana Leaf/Stem Extract, Silica, Sodium Bicarbonate

Sensodyne Multi Action Ingredients: Aqua, Soribital, Glycerin, Hydrated Silica, Pottasium Nitrate, PEG-6, Sodium Methyl Cocoyl Taurate, Isopentane, Aroma, Cocamidopropyl Betain, Xanthan Gum, Chondrus Crispus (Carrageenan), Sodium Flouride, Sodium Saccharin, Sucralose, Sodium Hydroxide, Limonene, CI 42090.

The Delicious Detox

On a quest to start each new year right, I often follow a detox or weight loss plan during the month of January ... after my birthday, of course – what’s a celebration without a glass (or bottle) of champagne? After the excesses of Christmas, I find it’s a good way to get my body and mind back on track and to get rid of the Christmas pudding that has settled on my hips. Sometimes it’s a hard core diet (thank you in 2012 and 2011 to Dr Dukan), and other times it’s just a conscious effort to eat more healthily, cutting out alcohol, desserts and processed foods. This year, I decided to follow a plan that appears to be hardcore, but in reality has been the easiest detox that I’ve ever done! Because of my two year obsession with My New Roots (the most amazing, healthy and delicious collection of recipes that you will ever find), I looked to Sarah Britton for advice. Last year she published the first week of a three week cleanse for Whole Living magazine, and the entire plan (the second and third weeks written by other experts) is online. 

The first week of the plan consists primarily of fruits and vegetables, with a few nuts, seeds and plant oils thrown in on the side. I was dubious, because I eat a lot, and I never find that fruits and vegetables sustain me long enough during the day; I need some proteins, some legumes or grains to really hold me over. I also usually get bored of just fruits and vegetables. Eating the same thing again and again in a week without varying the flavours and textures is just boring, which usually leads to the inevitable disappointing, guilt-ridden fall from the wagon. 

Well, I am a convert. After one week, I was totally sold. The plan does not limit the amount of food you eat (and although I am well aware that I am eating more than the suggested serving size, can you really ever eat TOO many vegetables?). There is also a list of recipes for recommended snacks, and I have been snacking on carrot sticks with minty pea dip, fruit and nut balls, toasted trail mix, medjool dates and herbal tea between meals – but only when I am truly hungry. And I have felt satisfied. So satisfied, in fact, that these are recipes I will make again, detox or not. Varied flavours, textures and ingredients! And the colours ... each meal was a rainbow that would delight leprechauns around the world. I haven’t felt like I am missing out on “normal” food because the recipes are so easy and delicious! Side note – when I did have a tiny taste of my husband’s parsnip soup one night at a restaurant with friends, all I could taste was salt, sugar and the tiny wheels of a processing machine. My palate had changed to appreciate natural flavours, natural colours and food the way that nature intended; and I liked it! In fact, I liked the plan SO much that I decided to follow it for another week, and I’m pleased to say that I have not even been tempted to fall from grace (I have varied some of the recipes, mixing and matching the ingredients from one recipe with another, because, let’s face it, even if it is delicious, there are only so many nights in one week that you can eat roasted beetroot and garlic soup for dinner).

And of all the diets/detoxes I’ve done – this one has got to be the easiest and cheapest. There isn’t much work (aside from peeling and chopping) in throwing a few things in the Vita-mix and watching them swirl into a medley of colourful, well-blended smoothie, or watching the food processor slice and dice cabbage, onions and kale like the karate kid. As well, vegetables are cheap! No crazy all-protein days which require three to four types of meat (and all that cooking!). Toss some veggies in a machine, watch them blend, season with a delicious dressing and eat!

So after ten days, how do I feel? I have lost weight, I have lots of energy (except for perhaps the first day or two), I have not yet had the dreaded diet headache (thank you again, Dr Dukan), I no longer crave chocolate at 4pm, and I can subsist on a simple (yet tasty!) fruit and veggiesmoothie until 1pm (unheard of for me, as my friends or colleagues will tell you).  I’ll say it again: this has to be the easiest and most satisfying detox I have ever been on.

So here’s to keeping New Year’s resolutions, ridding oneself of excess, and a happier mind, body and heart. 2013 looks to be the healthiest one yet...

GG Rating - Good for Flaxseed Fanatics

A Slice of Pai

I have wonderful friends. They are thoughtful and caring and good at keeping in touch (important as they live all over the world). One such friend (who thankfully does not live all over the world) recently bought me a beautiful present to say thank you for a small favour I did, and I was thus introduced to skin care brand “Pai” via a beautifully packaged bath and body oil set. The box of locally produced, sustainably sourced materials opens like a flower to reveal two golden vials of liquid aromatherapy. A light citrus floral smell wafts up as the contents of the first vial drizzle into the bath, honey flowing into the warm water. Skin is newly soft as the bather steps out of the water, and the oil from vial number two glides on, moisturizing and soaking in to any winter-worn areas in need of extra attention. Tranquillity is the name of the collection; it provides tranquillity, bliss and so much more.

The slogan on the package is “Be a natural beauty, with Pai”, which led me to look at the ingredients. I have been duped many times by “natural”, “organic”, etc, etc, only to find that the product that bills itself as “healthy” and “free from chemicals”, actually has many hidden nasties. It was with great surprise and excitement that I read the ingredients of this set and discovered (with a little help from EWG’s Skin Deep Cosmetic Database) that they appear to be as natural as the packaging claims:

Ingredient List (Jasmine and May Chang Relaxing Bath Oil)	Hazard Score* (0-10)
Glycerin	0
Helianthus Annuss Oil (Sunflower Oil)	0
Simmondsia Chinensis Seed Oil (Jojoba Seed Oil)	0
Prunus Amygdalus Dulcis Oil (Sweet Almond Oil)	0
Sucrose Laurate (mix of sucrose esters of lauric acid – acts a a skin conditioning agent)	0
Citrus Aurantium Dulcis Flower Water (Orange Flower Water)	0
Mauritia Flexuosa Fruit Oil (from the Moriche Palm Tree)	0
Litsea Cubeba Oil (May Chang Oil)	1
Jasminum Grandiflorum Oil (Jasmine Oil)	0
Prunus Amygdalus Amara Oil (Bitter Almond Kernel Oil)	0
Citrus Reticulata Oil (Mandarin Orange Oil)	0
Natural Mixed Tocopherols (basically Vitamin E)	0-1

*For more information, please see the EWG Skin DeepCosmetics Database website 

As I have recently been on a quest to eat, live and (I daresay) even breathe more naturally, it was with great excitement that I explored the rest of the website and learned about this company. Started in 2007 by Sarah Brown (not the one married to Gordon!), her aim was “to create the cleanest plant-based skin care on the market, with a range of products formulated for people with very sensitive skin.”

As a long time sufferer of Rosacea, I was particularly excited when I discovered the section of skin care for Rosacea sufferers. After eight years of redness and seemingly uncontrollable "spots", a recent trip to the dermatologist suggested that my only course of action was to either spend three months on low-dose antibiotics or to completely avoid hot weather, cold weather, alcohol, caffeine, spicy foods, dairy products, vigorous exercise and of course, stress. Neither of these options felt quite right; I worry about the short and long term side effects of being on antibiotics for that long (“No side-effects!” proclaims the dermatologist to a dubious me), and completely avoiding everything on that list is neither fun or realistic – no more occasional red curry, never again a glass of wine, and forgoing all future beach holidays? No way! My philosophy is to try a bit of everything ... in moderation of course - life is for living, after all! Sidenote – when I asked the dermatologist if there were any particular skincare products that she recommended, she suggested the Garnier line (and despite the lime coloured branding and leafy logos, these products are neither glamorous nor green – EWG lists the brand with a hazard score of 2-7 – that’s a pass from me, thanks!).

So as I mentioned, it was with great excitement that I read about the natural anti-inflammatory, azulene (which not only cools and calms skin flushing, but is “packed full of essential skin nutrients including omega 3 and 6). The other interesting fact I learned is that ethyl alcohols and some synthetic chemicals can also trigger Rosacea; I’d given up red wine when perhaps all it took was giving up ethyl alcohol instead?

But enough about my condition ... do the products work? I purchased the trial size sample pack which includes 5mls each of four different creams, a cleanser and a facial scrub and used them for almost a week (a little goes a long way). The results were incredible. A patch of rosacea above my eyebrow which had happily (and stubbornly) existed for the better part of three weeks despite twice daily application of dermatologist recommended antibiotic cream, was gone in about two days. Several glasses of red wine over Christmas were not enough to create a reaction. A spicy red curry was enjoyed with no ill after-effects displayed on my face. And not only that, my skin looked incredible! I can’t remember when it was last so smooth, bright and clear of redness. I felt like a natural beauty indeed. And I haven’t even mentioned the smell. Roses ... lemons ... happiness ... heaven! The creams and cleansers smell clean and feminine, yet natural and gentle. The fragrance is subtle, not overpowering. And although the products are competitively priced, they smell expensive; green meets glamour in a tiny pot of bliss.

After a few days of these amazing effects, I was sold - I went online to buy the larger size version of my tiny pots of heaven. I debated for a couple of days, because although I was thoroughly impressed with the initial results, most cosmetic gurus will tell you that it takes about 4-6 weeks for skin to adapt to any product and for you to see all of the benefits/detriments. I ended up purchasing from Pai with confidence because of Pai’s 30 day guarantee - if you are not happy within 30 days of using the product, they will refund your money, including any shipping costs, no questions asked.

Really.

This takes the guess-work out of buying skincare products, because unlike that well-cut Armani blazer, you can’t tell if skin cream will work after one try. Lucky for us, they are so confident in their products (and after trying them, I can see why), that you can safely try without worrying about wasting money on one more cosmetic product that doesn’t work.

I am very excited about discovering this amazing company, and hope that I can do a part to help it continue to grow. It takes time and a bit of hard work to find products that are both natural and effective, and I am excited to have found a company that takes the guesswork out of natural skin care, and proves that you don’t have to be dreadlocked and hemp-clad to be green! Glamour and green are not mutually exclusive. I am anxiously awaiting my delivery and looking forward to being more natural, more green, and more glamorously me! Join me in being “a natural beauty, with Pai”.

GG Rating - Good for Spelt Supporters

The Next Bright Idea ...

How many eco-enthusiasts does it take to change a light bulb? Only one, if it’s energy efficient! And the “bright side” of changing that ordinary bulb is that you won’t have to hear any more jokes, because the new light bulbs last for what seems like forever. 

We switched ours a few years ago, and I’ve never looked back. They’re brighter, produce a cooler colour light (no one wants to have a jaundiced yellow tinge anyway), and they seem to rarely need changing. On top of that, according to the US Department of Energy, “Rapid adoption of LED lighting in the US over the next 20 years could:

   

                     Deliver energy savings of about $265 billion.

                     Avoid the need to build 40 new power plants. 

                                          Reduce electricity demand for lighting by 33% in 2027."

On top of those awesome facts, energy efficient lighting typically uses 25%-80% less energy and can last 3-25 times longer. Not only can you reduce your carbon footprint, you can reduce your actual footprint by shopping less. So here’s a bright idea ... if you haven’t already done so, swap your lights as the old ones burn out ... your wallet, your children and the world will thank you – one bulb at a time.

For more info, click here.

GG Rating: Good for Spelt Supporters.