I’m Detoxing this Place Today!

We just arrived at a new rental house and this place is TOXIC!!!

Even though I’ve thrown out most of the leftovers from the last tenant’s cleaning supplies, there’s more to go.  And it just occurred to me that you would like to see what I’m throwing out today.  This assortment came from the bathroom and under the kitchen sink.

With limited Spanish to read the labels, here’s how I’m making decisions.  This goes left to right.

• Suavitel – it has a precaution section on the back label, plus it lists perfume as an ingredient. It’s going into the garbage.
• Vanish Max 2X laundry soap – looks not too bad, but the fragrance is so nauseating, it’s going.
• Kitchen Mate Oven and Grill Cleaner – commercial strength. Warning is Keep out of Reach of Children and Danger: Corrosive. Causes skin burns. Use adequate ventilation and avoid inhaling. Here’s list from the label: (potassium hydroxide 1310-58-3) and diethylene glycol monoethyl ether (111-90-0) I don’t know how to dispose of this – I’m going to leave it outside for now.
• Alcohol bottle – has a skull and crossbones on it, plus a warning about children.  I feel it’s safe to pour down the toilet, so it’s gone now.
• Clorox – Dr. Hulda Clark has already declared this to be unsafe, so it will be stored outside until we need it for occasionally cleaning toilets.
  
• Protex Deo 12 soap (not pictured) – stating that it eliminates 99.9% of bacteria, and the ingredient list says:  Sodium Palmitate or Sodium Oleate or Sodium Laurate, PEG 12, parfume, Triclocarbon, citric acid, titanium dioxide, Green 3, Ext D & C Violet 2.  All 4 bars are going into the garbage also.
• Citrodex bottle with approx. 1 inch of a greenish murky liquid.  I don’t know what it is and it has no warnings or instructions on the label.  It will be going into the garbage.
  
• Baygon Roach killer – This one looks really scary and hubby tells me it looks like the worst of the collection!  There’s got to be a natural bug killer recipe out there somewhere.  This one will be the subject of another post on this site.
  
• Axion and Pril cleaners – can’t tell if they clean dishes or laundry.  I cannot read the ingredient lists if they have one because the writing is behind the liquid.  They have strong fragrances, so they are going in the garbage.
  

One question I have is:  Is the labeling here in Central America similar to the North American labeling system where they are ‘supposed’ to list all ingredients?  Also, do they put symbols on all hazardous products?  I’m not taking chances, and am starting from scratch.

I hope you go through your cupboards regularly to clean out toxic items that have crept into your cupboards some way or other.  Here are some tips:  Look for symbols of skull and crossbones, a corroded hand, Caution section or Warnings.  Avoid these items.  For simple cleaning, stick to known items like vinegar and baking soda.  Every country that I have traveled to, vinegar and baking soda are common ingredients that you can find easily. 

If you are cleaning up chemicals in your home for the first time, see “How to Detoxify Your Home” where I walk you through the steps that I took in cleaning up our home.

Yours for getting rid of poisons in the home!

Lyn

Foods that Hinder Your Detox

There are certain foods that actually hinder a detox.  Identify the killers and you will be more successful. 

Here is a list of common detox killers to avoid while trying to detox:

• dairy or GMO soy
• sugar (for most detox’s you can still have limited fruit)
• caffeine (or pop)
• meat
• gluten
• peanuts or corn (common allergen)
• alcohol, tobacco, over the counter drugs.

This looks like a nasty list, but there are a LOT of great foods you can enjoy and still feel satisfied.  If you are going on a raw food detox, then that’s another story, but if you are still going for some cooked food, I have some ideas for you below.

Detox seasons are good, so be intentional about them, take time out of your usual schedule of meal plans, and even spend money to make sure you get the best nutrition possible. Eating at home where you can control what you eat is important.   Have fun planning for your detox and making it happen.

Breakfast:  Fresh juiced vegetables, Green smoothies, oatmeal with almond milk, buckwheat or other non-gluten pancakes.

Lunch:  Fresh raw green salad with avocado, grated carrot, grated beet, cucumbers, alfalfa sprouts,  tomatoes, sprinkled with ground flax, and/or sesame/hemp/sunflower seeds.  Sprinkle fresh berries on top for fun.  Hearty dressing can be cilantro dressing, or avocado/lime dressing or olive oil with garlic/herb vinaigrette.  Fresh juiced vegetables.

Supper:  Here are some ideas of what I would serve.  Rice/lentil pilaf, Quinoa dish with curried stir-fry vegetables or curried chickpeas and lentils, Curried squash soup,  Dal or black bean sauce with rice,  Baked potato with steamed veggies.  Top with a dab of coconut butter.

During your detox, drink plenty of juiced vegetables.  For the following recipes you need to experiment and make it how you like it.  The outcome also depends on the kind of blender or juicer you have.

Vegetable Juice:  1 handful parsley, 1/2 inch fresh ginger, 6-8 carrots, 3 stalks celery, 2 apples, 1/2 lemon, and any other vegetables you have around such as a beet, zucchini,romaine lettuce, kale, beet tops, few dandelion leaves, etc. I usually juice once a day and store it in mason jars in the refrigerator to drink during the day.

Green Smoothie:  Blend up a handful of spinach or kale, 1 apple, 1 banana, 1/2 squeezed lemon, water to make blending easy.  Add 1/2 cup frozen blueberries or mango if you have them. I even add avocado in my green smoothies.

Green Smoothie #2:  1 1/2 cups of washed kale, chopped, 1 orange, 1 lemon, 1 banana, 1 cup green grapes, 1 pear, 1/4 inch ginger peeled, 1 cup water.  Blend until smooth.

Avocado Salad Dressing:  3/4 cup water, 1 large avocado with the pit removed, 3 tbsp squeezed lime juice, 1 tsp lime zest, 1 garlic clove, optional dash of cumin, s & p to taste.  Add 2 tbsp of honey if needed.  Blend & serve as a dressing, or as a dip for vegetables.

Berry Dressing:  1 cup fruit, 1/2 cup water, 2-3 tbp honey, 2 tbsp olive oil, few tbsp. apple cider vinegar, s & p to taste.  Blend and serve. I usually “blend & taste” to get the right consistency and flavor!  Blackberry dressing is our favorite.

Enjoy the Detox!

Lyn

PS  PERFECT BODY ALKALIZER   30 Veggies, Fruits and Berries gives you all the whole food nutritional goodness you need to Nourish, Support, and Balance your whole body. It is Plant – Whole Food health building ingredients. Fight disease with a strong immune System. Protect your family with Juice Plus+ superfood. Chewables are for the kids and capsules for adults. Perfect for busy people, busy families, and everyone who wants to REBOOT their immune system.  Get started today.  Email me gethealthy@gmail.com with your message and number and I’ll get back to you.

Non-Toxic Bug Spray Idea

Just a note on bug sprays for mosquitoes.

Commercial bug sprays contain Deet, which is a toxin that can cause allergic reactions, skin and eye irritation and also attacks the central nervous system. Definitely avoid this on children. The MSDS on this states that it is harmful if swallowed.

While in South America recently I experienced one sleepless night while mosquitoes sang their shrill music around and around my head. All I could do was pull the sheet up over my head and try to sleep through it. In the morning I looked at the array of angry mosquito bites on my forearms, and I felt like I had not slept a wink.

The next night I had the bright idea of using a diluted solution of Solutions-4-You (http://solutions-4-you.com/Ultra-Safe_Plus_Non-Toxic_Medical_Cleanser.aspx). I carried a bottle of this for brushing my teeth, and also for any unexpected use!!

It worked like a charm and we slept mosquito and bite-free. By the way, if it didn’t work, plan B was to look around for the oil of lemon skins, or lemon grass from the market to rub on my arms.

Here is another non-toxic idea for bug spray for the do-it-yourselfer to try out.  Peppermint essential oil is also known to be a great mosquito repellant – put a small amount (8-10 drops) into a spray bottle with water. Shake and spray on your body (not in your eyes).

If you try it, let me know how it works.

Lyn

Paraguayan Detox Tea

I was told that to really get a true understanding of natural healing here in Paraguay, you might have to talk to a native Guarani healer, an expert in all about the herbs and medicinals in this country. That sounded exciting, but before I have even had a chance to find one, I already found an amazing healing and cleansing plant myself. That is the healthy looking green, leafy Boldo plant, which grows as big as a bush.

My personal history with Boldo went back a few years while in Canada, and I had found a box of Boldo teabags which I gave to my step-mother with chronic constipation. Lo and behold, she asked me for more. Boldo really helped her stomach and aided in constipation for her.  There was no use looking for laxatives when this tea seemed to do the trick.  I searched but sadly was never able to find more in the entire country.

Fast forward to yesterday at dinnertime, one of our party had come down with extreme upset stomach similar to food poisoning. Eating at a curbside food stand sometimes has it’s downsides. Our local friends showed us a 6 inch sprig of the Boldo bush from the garden and asked if he would like to have Boldo tea, saying that it is a common stomach remedy here. In fact, he says it takes away acid stomach and helps with cleansing the body.

Of course, he went for the tea. It had a distinctive taste but was easy to take.  He began to feel the soothing effects in his sick stomach right away. He filled his water bottle with it, and continued drinking it the next day. 

Here are some of the great helpful benefits the Boldo plant:

Backyard Boldo Bush

• helps with digestive problems, and unsettled stomach
• helps with liver and kidney problems (balances uric acid levels)
• aids in eliminating the production of bile
• aids in eliminating intestinal parasites
• helps with gallstones

I have found out that the essential oil is toxic and not recommended, but when the locals recommend the hot tea, it’s obviously tried and true, and likely going to be very helpful. Everywhere here in Paraguay you can find Boldo tea in fancy packaging, or dried leaves in packages sold at the local markets, with the words “Digestivo, Tranquilizante, Analgesico, Afeccion Hepatica” on the back, which gives me the idea that the local people know what it’s actually good for!

This morning I even had a cup of hot Boldo Tea to celebrate my final day here!  If you can get your hands on some, even for an addition to your herbal medicine chest, go for it.

Lyn

Who else has heard of Chaya Tea?

Yesterday we were walking through the streets of San Pedro, Belize, looking for local cuisine and we found it.  It was at the restaurant called El Fogon.  The restaurant is open, thatched roof, dirt floor, wooden benches with tables with the real Island feel.  They make their food the old ways, as they were taught from their parents.

I saw the massive pots over the fire, where they use natural and native ingredients from around the island like fish, beans, rice, food cooked in banana leaves, and then there is chaya water.  This is tea made from “wild spinach”!

Suzanna, the owner and chef of the establishment spent time to explain how she began the restaurant and what drives her now. She loves to keep the old traditions and ways alive.  The menu is small – tomatillos with chaya, fish balls, soup, lobster, lime water and a few other things.

Chaya water/tea is the water that comes when you steam the chaya leaves.  Chaya bushes with lots of large green leaves grow wild in Belize.  It is something like spinach, but it is way more nutritious.  You steam or boil the chopped leaves in water for 20 minutes, cool, and add squeezed lime if you like.  Here is a picture we took.

Chaya water/tea is loaded with healing properties.  Suzanna told me that it helps build up your blood and give you amazing energy, people on chemotherapy seem to come back to life.  She raved about it lowering blood sugar for diabetes, and also help for arthritis.   It is also said to be a natural diuretic and liver cleanser!  It contains protein, fiber, iron, Vitamin C and other great nutrients. Suzanna maintains that everyone should drink 1-2 cups per day to really be healthy.

She must have been reading my mind, because she called to the back and presented me with a glass of the warm greenish chaya water to drink.  It actually tasted great.

In addition to the tea, chaya can also be eaten like a vegetable, or to make tomatillos.  The chaya plant is only to be eaten cooked (not raw).  Here is some good news about the Chaya (wild spinach) plant.  It is drought resistant, bug resistant, grows very quickly, and is easy to plant.  Sounds like a miracle plant to me!  Wouldn’t I love to get some seeds and start growing it myself!

Here’s what I came away with.  People from around the world have native plants that provide unique nutrition and healing for the people in those very areas.   It was very exciting to me to watch and to experience in person, right there in Belize.

Here are some links I found that even make you want to check it out further!

http://www.belize.com/cure-diabetes-natural-belize-plant-chaya.html#ixzz1z2rPtWo9

http://www.belize.com/cure-diabetes-natural-belize-plant-chaya.html

Lyn