Friday, April 29, 2016

Top 5 Natural & Holistic Products For Any Camping Trip

Camping Season is here! I love to camp, and I wish I could go more than I do. I usually only go about once a year. I love looking at camping hacks and DIYs. I realized that there aren't many holistic camping hacks, or products that are advertised for camping, so here we go!

Top 5 Natural & Holistic Products  For Any Camping Trip

1. Dr. Bronner's 18-in-1 Hemp Unscented Pure Castile Soap  

  • This soap can be used for 18 different things from washing your hair and body, to washing dishes! It is a great resource and product for camping because you can take one bottle, and use it for everything you need to clean! If you're going camping for a while, you can even wash clothes with it! Just make sure you make the solution before you leave.
  • Buy Dr. Bronner's Fair Trade & Organic Castile Liquid Soap - Unscented, 32 oz

2. Honey (Raw, Unfiltered)

  • Honey is something that is great to bring on a camping trip because it is an antibacterial. That means that if someone gets cut, or scrapes a knee, you can put honey on it, then a bandage. It works just like Neosporin, if not better! BTW, Honey is also good to add some sweetness to snacks, just in case you didn't know. ;)
  • Buy Heavenly Organics Organic Himalayan Raw White Honey -- 12 oz

3. Cast Iron Skillet/Pot

  • I know that this site is a Raw Food Site, but I am not completely raw, yet, and sometimes you might want something warmed up a little bit. Cast Iron is the best that you can use for cooking because it doesn't have any aluminum in it. It also doesn't have a teflon lining (this is on non-stick pots and pans), which is a carcinogen when heated.
  • Buy Lodge Cast-Iron Skillet, 12-Inch

4. Coconut Oil


5. Biodegradable Toilet Paper

  • Biodegrable Toilet Paper is essential if you're camping away from everything, including a bathroom. All you have to do is: dig a hole, do your thing, wipe, put that in the hole, and cover with dirt! Pretty great, huh?
  • Buy Coleman Camper's Toilet Paper 
     
     
    Well, there you have it! The Top 5 Holistic Camping Products! If you have any products that are necessary for camping that you use, please leave a comment below!
     
    I hope this was informative. Thanks for reading!
    Allyson

     

     

Friday, April 22, 2016

Floss: Waxed, or Un-Waxed? That is the Question...

For a while in my life I wondered if flossing was really necessary. When I found out it is very necessary, I wondered, which type should I use? Waxed floss, or un-waxed floss?

Well, the waxed definitely feels better, and usually has a nice smell/flavor. The un-waxed has no scent/flavor, and is harder to floss with. It becomes stringy a lot easier, and is hard to get between my teeth. Well, I asked my dental hygienist and she said definitely use un-waxed. See, the waxed isn't doing its job. With waxed you're not able to get all the grime off your teeth. Un-waxed is harder to get between my teeth, but that's exactly why its better! Its scraping the tooth, not "Glide"-ing.

Merridian Tooth Chart
Now let's talk about the necessity of flossing. Did you know that each tooth/tooth socket in your mouth is directly associated with an organ in your body! Yep! So, technically, if you keep your teeth as clean as they can be, so will your organs (along with a clean and healthy diet, of course!).

  To the left you see a chart of all your teeth, and the organs/body parts they correspond with. You'll be surprised by looking at this chart.






Flossing helps you live a longer life, so, if you haven't already, add it to your nightly routine. You'll benefit, and once you start, you don't want to stop! I love the feeling of smooth teeth because they have no plaque on them!







I hope this was informative! Thanks for reading!

Allyson

P.S.
R.I.P. Prince. We lost a legend and a true fighter yesterday.
Prince On Chemtrails

Wednesday, April 20, 2016

Friday, April 1, 2016

How to Save Money on Organic Produce in Nashville, TN - 6 Tips For Saving Money

A lot of people think that eating organic fruits and vegetables is expensive. Well, it doesn't have to be, if you play your cards right. This week I am talking about how to save money on organic produce in Nashville, TN.

I live in Nashville, so I can't speak for any other cities or states, but I'm sure if you look around, you'll be able to find some of the things that I will talk about.

 

 

How to Save Money on Organic Produce in Nashville, TN

  1. Shop According to the Weekly Ad

    Most health food stores, and regular grocery stores have weekly ads. Sprouts, a new grocery store here, has a lot of Organic Produce, and some of it is the same price, or cheaper than conventional produce, when they put it on sale. For example: this week they have a 5lb bag of organic russet potatoes for $1.98! That's just about $0.40 a pound (before tax)! I've never seen potatoes that cheap! Here, on my blog, I have a page dedicated to the weekly ads of all health food and grocery stores, here and around Nashville, TN. If you would like an easy source to see all the sales on Organic Produce, please click here
  2. Buy In Season

    Have you ever started buying a fruit or vegetable that you really started to like, and then one day when you went to the store, it wasn't there, or its price shot up? Just FYI, it changed seasons, and the fruit or vegetable stopped producing. That means they can't get as much of it, if any, as they did in the previous season. What you need to do to not be disappointed, or forced to pay a pretty penny is learn the seasons of your favorite fruits and vegetables. You probably already know that Pumpkins come out in the Fall, and Watermelons in Summer, but what about strawberries? Cauliflower? Learn the seasonal fruits and veggies, so you don't spend your whole paycheck!
  3.  Buy In Bulk, If You Can

    Some stores will give you a deal if you buy a case of a certain fruit or vegetable. If you are the only one in your household, this may not be the best option for you, unless you know you will eat it all. If you buy in bulk, but there is a lot of waste, you didn't save any money. Costco and Sam's Club are also great places to look for organic produce! If you don't have a Costco or Sam's Club membership, never fear, you probably have a friend or family member who does, and would gladly take you shopping with them!

  4.  Look For Closeouts

    Most grocery stores have a section where they put produce that is ripening too much, and they reduce the price of it. They also might do Manager's Specials if they have too much of something, and they're getting a shipment in of the same product soon. Look out for these! These can be very useful! For example, Kroger sometimes has Organic bananas that have ripened too much for $0.49 per pound. Even if you don't think you'll eat that many bananas, you can buy them, freeze them, and use them for smoothies, and such. Then, for a few weeks at least, you won't have to buy any bananas for smoothies! See how this works?
  5.  Shop Locally

    At some grocery stores shopping locally can be expensive, but get out to the Farmer's Market! Sure, in the Winter time you won't find many vendors there, but that's no excuse now! Its Spring! The time for blooming flowers and fruition! Get out there, and you'll see some grt prices from some even greater people! The best thing? You get to meet the people growing the fruits and vegetables you will be eating. How great is that?
  6.  Buy Frozen, It's Okay

    Don't worry about buying fresh all the time. Sometimes things just won't be in the budget, and that's okay. Frozen is the next best, and its great for making smoothies, or a Raw Ice Cream! in some cases Frozen might even have more nutrients than fresh because it is going straight from the farm to a freezer. Its not traveling all that way. Just always make sure its organic, and it really is cheaper than Fresh. Also, if you think you can't afford the fresh, look in your cart and see if you can give something up that might not be as healthy as that fresh fruit or veggie. Sometimes you just have to cut back on your comforts to be able to eat healthier.

    See? Eating organically doesn't have to be expensive. you just have to know how to look for deals, and play the seasons.

    Thank you so much for reading, and I hope this was helpful!

    Allyson

    P.S. Happy April Fool's Day, but this wasn't a prank! :p