Dinner Last Night: Green Curry & Lime Chicken

I recently checked out Diane Sanfilipo's Practical Paleo cookbook for the library, and my mind is blown!  This is one of the most comprehensive Paleo resources I've ever seen.  It is beyond a cookbook, it gives a thorough explanation of of how eating a Paleo diet benefits numerous lifestyles and medical conditions.  It gives suggestions on lifestyle changes, and a meal-by-meal plan for beginning your journey to clean eating.  I perused the book cover to cover and I barely scratched the surface.

Anyway...I'm all about Diane's methodology, and since I've jumped on her bandwagon, I decided to start bookmarking recipes, among which included Thai Green Curry and Lime Chicken.  The marinade is savory, tart, and packs a citrus punch.  We left it in the broiler a bit longer to crisp up the skin for extra crunch.  Eaten with our favorite coconut rice and tamari-roasted broccoli, I think it's official we've added a new favorite to the dinner rotation.

image/balancedbites

Dryer Balls

Dryer sheets are designed to make your clothes feel soft.  But what you may not know is those chemical, whose sole function is to soften your clothes - those are called "asthmagens."  Ever heard of that word?  Yeah, I hadn't either.  Well, an asthmagen = a chemical that can cause asthma in otherwise healthy people... Let that sink in.  Asthma from dryer sheets.  Worth it?  Um...no.

Many of the chemicals in products like dryer sheets also have antibacterial properties (translation: not good) and many popular brands contain synthetic fragrances and/or cleaning agents called quats (quaternary ammonium compounds) - which have been linked to impacted fertility in mice (think longer time getting pregnant, fewer pups, and more miscarriages).  Super overwhelming and scary, right?  

Well - here's a relatively inexpensive solution - dryer balls!  Dryer balls are eco-friendly, typically crafted from felt or wool and improve tumble drying.  They help soften your clothes, reduce drying time, static, and wrinkling.  All without the harsh, questionable chemicals. I use these wool ones, they come in a pack of 6, and aside from getting temporarily lost in a fitted sheet, they've held up since I ordered them back in December 2016. Also, if you're replacing dryer sheets but missing that extra boost of fragrance in your clean laundry, try adding a drop or two of an essential oil right on the dryer balls (would recommend lavender or purification) for a clean, fresh scent. 

The more you know...

image/fluffypenguinco

What's In Your Nail Polish?

Before diving into the world of clean products, I never gave my nail polish a second thought.  Aside from the obvious chemical smell, I hadn't considered what ingredients might be lurking inside.  Turns out, they're not great.

Many toxic chemicals are frequently found in nail polish.  The top offending ingredients can include formaldehyde, formaldehyde resin, DBP, parabens, camphor, toluene, lead, among others... Yikes! And of course, my go-to Target brand, Essie, tops the list, in addition to Maybelline, OPI, Cover Girl, Orly, Revlon, Sally Hansen, Sephora, Ulta, and Wet n Wild.

Pictured above is the beginning of my clean nail polish collection!  So far, I only have four bottles; three colors and one clear top coat, but I take comfort in knowing that these are 5-free (meaning free of formaldehyde, formaldehyde resin, toluene, DBP, and camphor).   Zoya is a reputable brand which I honestly picked simply because it's at the same price point as Essie (approximately $10 per bottle), and it's available on amazon.  The colors I have are Brynn, Aubrey, Elodie, and Armor Top coat (from left to right).

Other 5-free nail polish brands include Jamberry, Julep, and L'Oreal.  Even cleaner brands (absent of ethyl tosylamide and xylene) include Butter London ($15 per bottle) and Smith & Cult (from $18 per bottle).  I ended up not going with these purely based on price point as they're a bit more expensive.  

And stay tuned, coming soon...more info on clean nail polish removers!

80%

It's crazy that in the US, cosmetics and skincare, a 62 billion dollar industry is still highly underregulated in 2018.  80% of cosmetic ingredients have never been tested for safety.  80%!!  That is mind boggling!

Beautycounter's founder and CEO, Gregg Renfrew, recently met with lawmakers to discuss proposed legislation such as the Personal Care Products Safety Act.  This act, introduced by Senators Dianne Feinstein (D-Ca) and Susan Collins (R-Maine) would give the FDA power to review cosmetics for potentially dangerous ingredients.  With the last legislation on personal-care products passed in 1938, this seems waaaaay overdue.

If you haven't looked up the safety of the makeup and skincare products you use, I encourage you to do so.  The Environmental Working Group (EWG) has a comprehensive database called Skin Deep, where you can search 73,620 products to check for overall hazards, cancer risks, allergies and immunotoxicity, developmental and reproductive toxicity, use restrictions, and more.  

Another great, reliable resource is the Think Dirty app, which has a similar database to check for ingredients in your beauty, personal care, and household products.  This app also allows you to scan barcodes to easily search for products.  Also offers suggestions of cleaner alternative products moving forward to lessen your continued exposure to toxins. Free, available for download on Apple and Android.

Do your research, it's out there if you want to know. It's your body, keep yourself safe and informed!

Dinner Last Night: Takeout Cashew Chicken

Dinner last night: takeout cashew chicken a la The Faux Martha's new cookbook, The Minimalist Kitchen. I featured this cookbook on the blog a few weeks ago as my most recent cookbook crush, and have since purchased and bookmarked up about 90% of the pages with sticky notes. 😍 This recipe was delish, healthy and clean, passed the kid approval test, and made for superb leftovers. 

Natural Deodorants & Armpit Cleanses

I'm sure you've heard the buzz on natural deodorants.  Why, you ask are people making the switch?  Well...conventional deodorants and anti-perspirants contain a handful of chemicals and additives.  

First, let's discuss the difference between deodorants and antiperspirants.  Antiperspirants reduce sweating while deodorants remove the odor of sweat.  Sweat is your body's natural physical response to exercise or exertion.  Its purpose is to prevent the body from overheating.  While many conventional deodorants are effective in curbing sweat and odor, keep in mind they're using chemicals to be effective.  It takes unnatural ingredients to block our bodies natural ability to sweat.  Here's the short list of chemicals hidden inside many conventional and popular deodorants.

• Phthalates– Endocrine disruptors often found in plastic particles that can cause hormone imbalance and even infertility 
• Aluminum– evidence linking aluminum to cancer and Alzheimer’s Disease
• Propylene glycol– common name: antifreeze. It is an additive in many personal care products but the EWG reports it carries a moderate risk of allergies and immunotoxicity.
• Formaldehyde-  a known carcinogen
• Parabens- A hormone disruptor.  Parabens have been found in biopsied tissues with breast cancer
• Antibacterial Substances- Endocrine disruptors and can negatively impact immune systems

Now I've tried a handful of natural deodorants over the years.  I used Lavanila for a few years, and tried a few months wearing Native, but have most recently used Schmidt's which I really consider my favorite of all the brands I've tried.  I like that it comes in a traditional stick form (as opposed to a potted, scoop-able deodorant), limits sweat, blocks odor and doesn't make me smell (as I've found natural deodorants to do). 

However, I feel like my experience might have been more effective had I started with an armpit detox.  The purpose of an armpit detox is to expedient the natural deodorant adjustment period.  It helps pull some of those odor blocking harmful chemicals out of the skin and issues of the armpits.  This can be especially effective if you've been a conventional deodorant user for a long time.  Positive outcomes after armpit cleanse/detoxes include: less odor (even w/o deodorant), less sweat, and less rashes or reactions to natural deodorants.

Worth noting, keep in mind that like many detoxes, you may have a reaction.  Some people report that they excrete unpleasant odors in the first week(s) after an armpit cleanse as their body releases the toxins that have built up in the sweat glands from years of conventional deodorant usage.

 Sound interesting?  Here's what you do.

Armpit Cleanse Detox Recipe via Wellness Mama

• 1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar (I used Trader Joe's raw apple cider vinegar) 
• 1 tablespoon bentonite clay (I bought this brand on Amazon)
• 1-2 teaspoons water (star w/1 tsp and add more to get desired consistency) 

Instructions

1. Mix all of the ingredients in a glass bowl (do not use metal) with a wooden or non-metal spoon until about the consistency of sour cream.

2. Spread in an even layer over the armpits and allow to sit for 5-20 minutes.  I suggest starting slowly and working up to a longer period of time once you see how your body adjusts.  It it hurts at all, remove immediately.

3. This may cause some redness as it will increase blood flow to the area, but it will go away quickly.

4. Wash off in shower or with a warm, wet washcloth.

5. Repeat daily or as needed until under-arm odor goes away and natural deodorant is non-irritating.

Want to read more about this?  I found Wellness Mama and Mamavation to have a lot of information on armpit cleanses and detoxes. 

Are You Green Enough?

Lately, I've been stepping up my clean living game.  Ditching the OxyClean, Chlorox wipes, Rinse Aid, and other chemical laden products which populate my home.  It's been a progression, definitely not overnight.  A few months ago I ditched scented candles, tossing everything but my unscented in-case-of-a-power-outage stash, and replacing household scents with essential oils. As you may recall in early May, I made the switch to Beautycounter, so now I'm confident my skincare and makeup are clean, but still...that's barely scratching the surface!

I recently finished the book Green Enough by Leah Segedie of Mamavation, which reads like a guided map to all the toxins lurking in your home.  Turns out, my home is filled with things I wouldn't ever thought to consider as harmful.  More than anything, by reading this book I've educated myself.  

Leah Segedie is frank, she straightforward and she doesn't sugar coat. There's even a little swearing thrown in which I found amusing. She is blunt about buying organic vs. not, where to save your money, and where to splurge. She examines products and packaging many Americans use and likely have in your home, and sheds light on which ones pose the biggest threats to you and your family's longterm health.  

My favorite part was walking room by room through an average American household, naming names, calling out the worst offenders and highlighting products that are legitimately clean through the categorizes "bad," "better," or "best."

Not gonna lie, reading this book was a little overwhelming, as I can't financially justify ditching all the bad stuff in one fell swoop, but I did find it useful, and gave me some helpful tips and suggestions of what to buy and avoid going forward.

So...how green are you these days?

image/designmom

Zzzzzzzz

Last year, Mother’s Day weekend, I had my gallbladder removed. It wasn’t an easy decision, but after several hours-long gallstone attacks when I was home alone with my kids, I decided I needed to do something.  After months of weighing my options, I ultimately made the difficult decision to have my gallbladder removed. Naively, I thought that my surgery would “fix” everything. 

Not the case. In the weeks following my recovery, I could not sleep. At all. I was exhausted. Riddled with anxieties about even going to sleep. If I did fall asleep, it was only for 1-3 hours, and upon waking was up for the remainder of the night. It was a very difficult season. 

After trying every method under the sun, I found oils. Upon the recommendations from a trusted friend, I discovered Cedarwood and Northern Lights Black Spruce. It was with these two heavenly oils that I was able to calm my mind and sleep deeply. And what a relief that was. Cedarwood with its warm, woodsy aroma paired with Northern Lights Black Spruce’s rich, meditative piney scent created my sleep oasis.  These oils brought me back. 4 drops Cedarwood, 4 drops NLBS in my bedside diffuser. Zen. 

Prior to this sleep hiatus, I was a bit skeptical of the whole essential oils thing, but boy, oh boy, do I stand corrected now!  Interested in trying oils out for yourself?  Click here and I'd be happy to help you get started on this essential oils journey.  

Questions? Sure!  Email me at lovelylittlethingsblog@gmail.com

And sleep tight! 😴