Essential Oils Recipes For Homemade Laundry Supplies

Homemade laundry supplies don't have to be unscented unless you want them to be.

Even more than with homemade cleaners, a major complaint some people have of homemade laundry soaps and fabric softeners is that they just don't leave the clothes smelling fresh and clean with use, although they are actually clean. To add a nice scent to your laundry all you need to do is add some of your favorite essential oil or oil blends.
Best of all the essential oils are natural, and you can choose exactly how much or little scent you wish to add, and some essential oils even help boost the cleaning power of the laundry supplies.

Essential Oils With Special Properties Besides Scent In Laundry Supplies

Some of the most common oils used in essential oils recipes for homemade laundry products have some additional properties besides just scent to add to the recipe.
For example, citrus essential oils, such as lemon and sweet orange, actually help boost the cleaning power of homemade detergents.
In addition, other essential oils can help with those suffering from colds and congestion, such as peppermint and eucalyptus oil.
Finally, tea tree oil can be added for its antibacterial and antifungal properties.
The rest of the essential oils suggested within these essential oils recipes are added merely for their scent.

Ways To Add Essential Oils Into Your Laundry

You can add essential oils directly into your homemade laundry detergent recipes, which can give the laundry a great scent.
In addition, you can add essential oils to your homemade fabric softener recipes.
For example, if you add baking soda as a laundry booster to each load of wash, you can make it scented baking soda to add both a great scent and to help with the wash at the same time.
All you need to do is add 15 drops of essential oil to each 16 ounce (1 pound) box of baking soda you use. You can even just add the oil directly into the box and shake, if you are careful to break any big clumps up with a fork.
Similarly, if you add white vinegar to your rinse cycle, you can add 3-5 drops of essential oil to each cup of vinegar added to help add a fresh scent and help deodorize at the same time.

Essential Oils Recipes For Laundry Detergent, Fabric Softeners And Dryer Sheets

No matter whether you add the essential oils to the laundry detergent itself, or into the fabric softener (either with liquid fabric softener or with dryer sheets) you can choose from several of these essential oils recipes to add a nice scent.
Just like when I provided you with essential oil recipes for homemade cleaning products these recipes do not say exactly how many drops of each essential oil to use, because this will vary depending on which homemade cleaning products recipes you are using. Instead, the recipes below show ratios, so you know which oils are prominent, while the others are lesser back notes.

• Flowery sweet blend: 2 parts lavender essential oil, 1 part vanilla essential oil
• Flowery savory blend: 2 parts lavender essential oil, 1 part rosemary essential oil
• Flowery fruity blend: Equal parts geranium and sweet orange essential oils
• Romantic blend # 1: Equal parts rose and geranium essential oils
• Romantic blend # 2: Equal parts jasmine and ylang ylang essential oils
• Herbal lemon blend: 2 parts lemon essential oil, 1 part lemongrass essential oil, 1 part chamomile essential oil
• Fresh citrus blend: Equal parts lemon, lemongrass, and tea tree essential oil
• Citrusy blend: Equal parts lemon and sweet orange oils
• Minty blend: Equal parts peppermint and eucalyptus oils

Learn more here.

How Terry Wahls, M.D., Cured Herself From a Terminal Illness Using Food Alone

 In 2003 Terry Wahls, M.D., was diagnosed with secondary progressive multiple sclerosis and soon became dependent upon a tilt-recline wheelchair. After developing and using the Wahls Protocol, she is now able to walk through the hospital and commute to work by bicycle. She now uses intensive directed nutrition in her primary care and traumatic brain injury clinics. Dr. Wahls is the lead scientist in a clinical trial testing her protocol in others with progressive MS.

Food Matters

Alternative Treatment for PCOS

Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome (PCOS)

What is polycystic ovarian syndrome?Also known as polycystic ovary disease, polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS) is a condition in which small, benign (non-cancerous) cysts develop in one or both of a woman's ovaries. The condition is characterized by irregular menstrual periods, infertility, and other hormonal difficulties.
What are the symptoms?PCOS usually causes more than one symptom. These may include:

• Irregular or absent menstrual periods
• Development of some male sex characteristics, most commonly excess hair on the face and body, deepened voice, and male-pattern baldness
• Acne
• Weight gain or obesity
• Infertility (PCOS is the most common cause of female infertility)
• Insulin resistance
• Decreased breast size

Women with PCOS are also at higher risk for the following conditions:

• Hypertension
• High cholesterol
• Fatty liver disease
• Sleep apnea
• Endometrial cancer

What are the causes?Excess production of luteinizing hormone by the pituitary gland is often the initial cause, prompting a woman's ovaries to produce higher-than-normal levels of the male sex hormone androgen and lower-than-normal levels of follicle-stimulating hormone. This prevents the ovaries from releasing an egg, which instead remains in the ovary and develops into a cyst.
Who is likely to develop polycystic ovarian syndrome?PCOS affects between 5 and 10 percent of females. Symptoms often begin at puberty, but women are most likely to be diagnosed with PCOS in their twenties or thirties. Those who have a  mother or sister with PCOS have a higher risk of developing the condition.
How is polycystic ovarian syndrome diagnosed?Physicians typically recognize PCOS by its symptoms alone, and can sometimes feel enlarged ovaries or large ovarian cysts during a pelvic examination. Other tests can be used to confirm a diagnosis of PCOS, including:

• Abdominal or vaginal ultrasound, which use sound waves to create images of the pelvic organs on a screen.
• Blood tests, to check hormone levels.

What is the conventional treatment?Conventional treatment of PCOS is aimed at addressing symptoms, especially those that contribute to increased risks of cardiovascular disease, such as hypertension, diabetes, and obesity. Treatments include:

• Medications to regulate a woman's menstrual cycle, such as oral contraceptives (birth control pills) and progesterone.
• Medications that block excessive androgen, such as the drug spironolactone (Aldactone).
• Fertility drugs (if pregnancy is desired) that trigger ovulation, such as Clomid.
• The drug Metformin (glucophage), which treats insulin resistance and shows promise for treating PCOS in particular.

For some women with PCOS who have difficulty getting pregnant, a type of surgery called laparoscopic ovarian drilling may be recommended to stimulate ovulation. This procedure involves using a laser fiber or electrosurgical needle to puncture the ovary up to 10 times, resulting in lowered production of male hormones and a corresponding increase in fertility.
Women are also encouraged to achieve and attain a healthy weight by following a healthy diet and getting regular exercise.
What therapies does Dr. Weil recommend for polycystic ovarian syndrome?In addition to maintaining a healthy weight through diet and exercise, Dr. Weil recommends the following approaches to PCOS:

Dietary changes:

• Follow an anti-inflammatory diet
• Avoid conventionally raised beef and dairy products, which may contain residues of estrogenic hormones used as growth promoters
• Increase intake of whole soy foods, which contain isoflavones, substances that may help regulate hormone imbalances

Exercise: Tieraona Low Dog, M.D., director of education for the Arizona Center for Integrative Medicine, says that PCOS is principally a metabolic problem and that many treatment approaches are similar to those for insulin resistance. For example, she says that exercise is "an absolute must - no exceptions!" This means exercising for at least 30 minutes every day.
Traditional Chinese medicine: Consider working with a practitioner of TCM, who may recommend peony and licorice, two herbs that have been studied for PCOS. He or she may also recommend acupuncture.
Supplements: Dr. Low Dog notes that a small study published in the July, 2007, issue of Fertility and Sterility showed that one-quarter to one-half teaspoon of cinnamon powder reduced insulin resistance in women with PCOS.

From Dr. Weil

Control and Reverse Estrogen Dominance with DIM Supplementation

Learn more

Cleansing Lemon Juice with Maple

If you are looking to get more regular (who isn’t) and need a little boost in doing so, give this juice a try. It’s full of ingredients that are sure to help get things flowing. In addition to helping you stay regular, this juice is full of nutrients. The lemons contain antioxidants that help bust free radicals in our body. These antioxidants also help to keep our immune system strong. Apples are another great way to get such antioxidants. Save the pulp from this juice and use it as a topping for yogurt so you can really get all of the health benefits. Enjoy!

Cleansing Juice with Maple

• 1 organic apple
• 2 lemons
• 2 tsp maple syrup
• 1/4 tsp cayenne pepper

Using  a juicer machine, process the lemons and apple. Whisk together with maple syrup and cayenne and pour into glass. Serve and enjoy!

By Margaux's

Learn more here.

Discover Chia

Chia Seed

Chia is the richest plant based source of Omega 3, dietary fibre, protein and antioxidants.
Chia is available in two colour varieties. The 'black' variety of Chia naturally contains a combination of black, and white seeds. The 'white' Chia variety was formed by specially selecting white seeds from the black variety. The Chia Company grows dedicated paddocks of black and white seed. Aside from the obvious colour difference, the seed itself is virtually the same in all of its properties - size, taste and smell, with the exception of a few minor seasonal nutritional differences.
We refer to Chia as Nature’s Complete Superfood because it is very high in nutrition that is essential for a healthy diet including Omega 3, dietary fibre and protein as well as vitamins, minerals and antioxidants.
It contains:

• 37% Dietary Fibre
• 20% Omega 3 ALA
• 20% Protein
• High in antioxidants (ORAC value of 10,000 vitamin E equivalents)
• High in Vitamins and Minerals (Calcium, Potassium, Magnesium)

Chia is a gluten free Wholegrain
Chia is a wholegrain food because it contains all components of the grain; the Bran, Germ and Endosperm. There is a constantly growing body of evidence that the consumption of wholegrain foods leads to better health. Research also shows that eating wholegrain foods can help lower the risk of being overweight and lower the risk of diet related disease such as diabetes and heart disease.
Many of the important nutrients are located in the outer layer ‘the Bran’ which is why wholegrain foods are so important. Some research suggests that people who have a diet rich in wholegrain high fibre foods have a reduced risk of bowel cancer.
The amazing thing about Chia as wholegrain food is that it contains such a high amount of fibre, protein and Omega 3 as well as vitamins, minerals and antioxidants. The protein is a complete protein with all 8 essential amino acids which is very rare for a vegetarian source of protein.
Chia is the only wholegrain that you can eat raw exactly as it comes from the plant without removing the husk, milling, processing or cooking.

Learn more.

The Business of Being Born

The Business of Being Born is a 2008 documentary film that explores the contemporary experience of childbirth in the United States.

Produced by Ricki Lake, it compares various childbirth methods, including midwives, natural births, epidurals, and Cesarean sections.

The film criticizes the American health care system with its emphasis on drugs and costly interventions and its view of childbirth as a medical emergency rather than a natural occurrence.

The film documents actual home births and water births. They follow a midwife, Cara, in New York as she takes care of and attends several births.

They then give the audience several shocking statistics about our current birthing techniques and challenges today’s doctors.

For example, the United States has the second worst newborn death rate in the developed world. Many experts are interviewed and they cite a multitude of reasons for this dismal statistic such as the overuse of medical procedures in the interest of saving time.

The Business of Being Born Website

What’s your Pebble?

By Nanci Smith

“It’s not the mountains ahead to climb that wear you out;
it’s the pebble in your shoe”

I love this quote attributed to boxer Muhammed Ali. It’s especially appropriate for the journey to health and fitness.

It’s not that the mountains don’t seem insurmountable because often they do. Losing “x” number of pounds, inches, clothing sizes, or just the abstract words “getting in shape” can seem like overwhelming goals. Often what stops many women in their tracks is the proverbial pebble in their shoe. 
I’m sure you can relate. You set out on a hike or even just a walk to the park, and then you notice there is a pebble in your shoe. You try to ignore it, but that pebble in your shoe ends up becoming an annoyance and stopping you dead in your tracks.  Unless you remove it, the small irritation will ultimately prevent you from moving toward your goal and climbing that mountain.
For us women the pebble is more often really in our minds and not our shoes.
That pebble could be any number of things that prevent you from moving toward your goal. It could be “I have too much to lose and it’s hopeless” or “I’ve never been able to be consistent with my workouts” or “I’ve never been an exerciser” or the worst “I don’t have time to take care of myself”. There are endless pebbles that could be inserted here.
A journey of a thousand miles really begins with a single step.  And when that journey is T-Tapp, there are so many pleasant unexpected surprises along the way.
So what’s your pebble?  What’s preventing you from climbing that mountain and getting healthy from the inside out with T-Tapp? Or what’s preventing you from staying consistent with your workouts? Identifying the pebble is half the battle to removing it!
It might be helpful to find a real pebble and put it on the windowsill by your sink or in a prominent place where you will see it daily to remind yourself that the pebble is really just small and movable- and that and it is in your power to get rid of it. 

Nanci Smith is a wife, homemaker and homeschooling mother of six children. Before she had children, she earned a Ph.D in Biobehavioral Science working with behavior disorders in children, which prepared her for the rollercoaster ride of having a son with Asperger’s Syndrome (High Functioning Autism).  She is an avid online researcher for natural health and fitness topics. T-Tapp has changed her life in so many positive ways and she wants to encourage other moms to become fit, energized, healthy and able to deal with stress better.

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