Acai Berry

I'm sure you have seen all the different products that include acai berry now. This fruit has just swept the nation in a short amount of time. So what is it about this fruit that everyone just has to have? What are the benefits? What are the side effects? Well, I'll tell you what I have found and then you can make the decision for yourself on if you want to join in on this new craze.

The benefit list from using acai berries has a wide range of things including:

• increased energy/weight loss
• reduces cholesterol levels
• reduces risk of heart disease
• improves mood and cognition
• improves blood sugar levels
• helpful in controlling blood pressure
• lessens possibility of cancer
• helps in digestion
• slows down aging process
• and the list continues to grow

The list of side effects have very few things to be very concerned about. It can reduce appetite but then that also helps in the benefit of weight loss. Excessive consumption can cause messy stools or an acidic taste in your mouth. This is caused by excessive vitamin C and E in the berry. The only major side effect I could find was that you may be allergic.

Besides the side effects the major concern is the scams that include the acai berry. This berry is perishable and will start decomposing with in 24 hours of being plucked. You can only find this in the Amazon region. The only way to export to the U.S. is in juice or pill form. Because of this, you should read all labels and you should only buy acai berry products imported from the Amazon region. Most juices in the stores are diluted with water taking away from their nutritional value. Also, you shouldn't buy the juice in plastic containers as the nutrients will stick with the plastic instead of the juice when exposed to high temperatures like sunlight.

If you want to buy a juice you should shake the bottle to see if it seems watery. It should seem sort of thick with solid pulp. Sugar is a leading cause for inflammation. If the juice includes sugar it takes away from the benefit of an anti-inflammatory in acai. So you should always read labels and look for 100% organic since any pesticides make the antioxidants of acai ineffective to fight.

It really comes down to the acai berry is a fruit not a drug so we need to be more worried about the scams than the side effects. Its just like anything else right now everyone wants to make money off of the biggest newest thing right now. If you pay attention to the labels you should be fine and get plenty of benefits from this product.

Green Nursing

So as the time draws closer for baby, the more I am looking into what can be reused and recycled with breastfeeding. I went to the store to find somethings that are reusable. Unfortunately, they don't offer these at just any store. So I did some research into what I may already have around the house.

Some nursing containers that you can find in the store can be made of PVC and can leak toxins into the milk, such as BPA. They are getting better at making storage bags that don't do this but think of all the plastic waste by the time you are done breastfeeding. The chemicals that can leak into the milk have been associated with hormone disruption, prostate cancer, breast cancer, and other health concerns. Plastic bags made of polyethylene show no chemicals leaking but have shown that some nutrients from the milk cling to the plastic instead of going into the bottle where you want them to be.

Glass canning jars, which are already in my kitchen, can be cleaned out in high heat and be a perfect way to have a cheaper and greener way of storing breast milk. The jars can be bought in many different sizes. Only fill them a little over halfway and store in the fridge. They can be put directly into hot water to heat the milk too.

If you have a large amount of breastmilk and want to freeze you should check out milk trays at www.sensiblelines.com. They aren't too expensive and you can freeze breast milk in 1 ounce cubes. After putting the milk in the trays and freezing, pop the cubes out and place into freezer bags which are probably already in your kitchen and then date it. Now the tray is ready for another use.

Hopefully this helped you as much as it helped me. Now to find out what else I can make reusable to save money, waste, and make safer for the new addition.

7 Dirtiest Areas In Your Home

Yesterday I was out running some errands with a friend when we got to talking about the dirtiest and germiest areas in a persons home. This had me thinking the rest of the day of what I thought they would be and what I would find when I would research it. Every website you go to has a different list of their top ten or top five so I have put my personal list along with some that I found and I'm going to tell you how to keep those areas cleaner and safer for your families without the use of chemicals.

1. Kitchen Sinks-so lets think about the last time you cleaned your kitchen sink. You probably can't remember when that was considering people think that its clean since you wash dishes there. This is at the top of almost all lists. Use a mixture of vinegar and water (I already use one for about everything in the house) spray down and wipe down the sink to kill bacteria.
   
2. Kitchen sponges-my thought was I use these to clean with so they have soap in them but let think about how they sit in their compartments with water still in them so the mold and bacteria just spreads. You can easily fix this problem with putting them in the microwave for ten seconds or putting them in the dishwasher on sanitize cycle.
3. Carpets-Carpets collect not only odors from cooking or pets but also all the dirt and little bugs that like to live on your pets. To clear the odors you can pour baking soda on the carpets and vacuum it up after you have let it sit for awhile. To get rid of all those lovely bugs and dirt that comes from traffic through the house you can choose to have them steam cleaned which is probably the best choice but more costly or you can mix 1/2 c. baking soda, 1/2 c. borax, and 1 c. cornmeal sprinkle the mixture over carpet and rub with cloth, then you need to let it set for a couple hours or overnight then vacuum.
4. Beds-Bedbugs are real! You should wash sheets once a week or more depending on if your a person that sweats while sleeping. Wash them in hot water and use a mattress cover that you should also wash often. Vacuum the mattress while the sheets are being washed.
5. Bathtubs-Yes, I said bathtubs before toilets but if your like me anything in the bathroom needs to be sanitized regularly. Just think of the bacteria growth when the water just sits in some spots of your bathtub. And we put our kids in there?! Use the mixture that you use for everything 1 part vinegar and 1 part water, spray and wipe down. You can use this mixture after every shower/bath.
   
6. Hand-held Appliances-I had to put this all in one category to fit all my personal choices for dirtiest places down to 7. This includes phones, remotes, mouse, keyboard, and anything of the sort. People chew nails, eat, sneeze, and who knows what else before touching these appliances so you can imagine the bacteria. Use a microfiber cloth, spray your vinegar/water mixture on the cloth, then wipe down. You can use a pin or toothpick to get the small areas. Be careful with toothpicks near the microphone/speaker on phones as you can puncture them.
   
7. Wooden Cutting Boards-Most people wash these but are you washing them correctly? Do not immerse in water as this will cause cracking when it dries. Clean off with hot water then use a soft cloth to wipe down with vinegar to kill the bacteria.

For some reason I now feel this need to clean the entire house!

Cloth Diapers

While looking into some ways to reuse and recycle items for children I kept running across cloth diapers. To my surprise cloth diapers today aren't like the cloth diapers I remember my mother using. The new and improved diapers seem easier and much cuter! However, I wasn't convinced right away. I thought it would cause more work and how am I going to have the time for more work with a new baby? I have since then looked farther into using cloth diapers and am currently adding to my collection every chance I get to prepare for the little bundle of joy that will be joining us shortly but now that I am convinced I thought I should show you the information that convinced me and hopefully everyone will see how easy it is.

Cloth diapers are beneficial to babies, your pocketbooks, and environment. 78% of babies that have been in disposable diapers get a diaper rash compared to 7% of babies using cloth diapers. The cotton used for cloth diapers let the skin breath when disposables diapers are made of plastic. Also, using cloth diapers the child is more uncomfortable when wet and will want to be changed more than a child that is in disposables which then helps when potty training time comes around. Children using cloth diapers have been known to potty train easier and sooner.

The effect on the environment is huge. Solid waste is typically kept in the disposable diaper after changing which are then sent to the landfill and the waste could contain intestinal viruses. These viruses are then put into our air, groundwater, and the insects that then transport the viruses. When using cloth diapers the waste is shaken into the toilet and disposed of. About 16 billion disposable diapers are put in the United States landfills alone! These are made from plastic and trees which could still be standing if more people used cloth.

Not knowing how the economy will be day to day made the savings of using cloth diapers stand out to me the most. The average savings for one child is around $1,500 depending on when your child is potty trained. You can also reuse these diapers for your next child which then increases the savings.

Now, if all this useful information has helped you make up your mind you are probably still a little uncertain about washing and storing dirty diapers. While, our newest addition hasn't yet arrived and I can't tell you from personal experience what has worked for me, I will let you know what I have found and will be using once she does decide to arrive. When storing dirty diapers you can use a dry pail or a wet pail. A wet pail is used to soak dirty diapers in water. This can be a drowning hazard around toddlers. I will be using a dry pail which can be any kind of pail that works for you. I will be using a kitchen trash can with a diaper pail liner. The diaper pail liner can be used as a laundry bag, emptied into the wash, and washed with the diapers. You shouldn't use fabric softeners as this will cause the diapers to stop absorbing and also shouldn't use bleach as it will break down fibers. I currently use vinegar in the rinse cycle of my laundry especially with towels to get rid of the musty smell and will be using this same technique with wet diapers. To deal with stains you can hang the diapers in the sun. If you will be using formula instead of breastfeeding with your child you might need to rinse a couple of times before washing.

I am also looking into cloth wipes as the wipes you buy in the store have additives you are putting onto sensitive skin. I am looking forward to finding many other ways to help the environment and our pocketbook with a small child. I have already saved on my cloth diapers by watching craigslist.com and ebay.

{picture via greenbabyguide.com}

Oil of Oregano

I think I may have found my baking soda of oils. Oil of oregano does so many things for our bodies just like baking soda does for cleaning the house. This product can be purchased as a liquid or capsule/tablet. The oil shouldn't be confused with the spice we commonly use on pizza.

The benefits of this oil just seem to be ongoing. It destroys organisms that cause skin infections and digestive problems, strengthens immune system, increase joint and muscle flexibility, and improves respiratory health. It is an anti inflammatory, slows down aging, protects from certain cancers, and many other benefits such as psoriasis, eczema, flu, athletes foot and food poisoning.

When taking oil of oregano you should dilute it in juice, milk, olive oil, or coconut oil. Oregano oil reduces the body's ability to absorb iron so you should take an iron supplement as well. People with allergies to thyme, basil, mint, or sage may be sensitive to this product. You should always follow the instructions on the bottle.

If you are giving this to your children you should take their age into consideration. With children 5-10 years old you should use one drop mixed with juice or milk and have them drink it 1-3 times per day. Don't exceed 7-10 days of use. With children ten and older use 3 drops of oil three times per day in juice or milk. With younger children you should use the oil externally. From 6 months old to five years dilute one part oil of oregano in four parts olive oil and apply to the soles of feet and spine. You can also add a few drops to warm bath water with bath salts. For children 5 and older you can use oil directly from bottle on soles and spine but you should dilute for sensitive skin.

As pregnant women shouldn't use this product I won't be using it at this time but I will be in a couple months. We need all we can right now to protect us from the winter sicknesses!

Is Your Water Safe?

I was watching the Dr. Oz show a couple weeks ago and this show about water pollutants has just stuck with me. I knew I didn't like drinking tap water at some places but don't mind it at others. I was just under the impression that it was just me because everyone should have to follow the same regulations for cleaning the water from contaminants. Well, in a way, I was wrong!

There was an article in the NY Times about the safety of water. They even have a map of your state and utility showing how many violations there are in your water. These pollutants can make you sick and/or rot your teeth. You can check out the map at www.nytimes.com/toxicwaters. There are also a couple articles on this issue that will just blow you away!

I have since started buying water from the grocery store and reusing the jugs to refill the next time I go to the store or filling them at my mother-in-laws as her tap water has no violations but ours has 45 violations. I now like drinking water which I have never enjoyed since I thought it was just my taste buds and now know what clean water tastes like.