Carsickness is all in your head. Really, it is. Carsickness results in your inner ear not being able to tell that you are stable when you are in motion in a vehicle. This happens on planes, boats and anywhere else that moves for about 33% of the population. I am one of those people. I suffer from carsickness/motion sickness routinely. I have to fight my siblings and son on family outings for seats in the van that are less likely to produce these symptoms. I have to plead sometimes for less scenic "curvy" routes home in favor of straight shots on a boring free way. I have to have people stop the car so I can get out and breath. I have to make people ride with the windows down in the middle of winter so I can have cold air blowing on my face. Reading in the car? FORGET IT! On long trips I try to sleep and or keep my eyes closed to try to keep my brain oriented. One time, when we were at Disney World, after riding on one of their rides I became so dizzy with motion sickness I had to sit for about 20 minutes on the bench right outside of the ride and beg people to just "LEAVE ME ALONE" until it settled down. I often times get a horrible headache right after the motion sickness, which will usually last the remainder of the day. Needless to say, I am not a pleasant passenger to have along.
So what can be done to help combat these episodes? Here are some things I find helpful:
Try to be the driver, if you can. I rarely get motion sick when I'm driving (but it does happen). This works but for one thing, I hate driving when there are others available to do it for me. My dad also hates to be the passenger. So this is not always an option.
Eat in the car. Yes, it seems counter intuitive but for me the act of nibbling on something seems to help. A lot. Usually dry starchy things like crackers or pretzels are extremely helpful.
Drink something warm. Coffee for me or some ginger tea help. Again, it's the act of taking something into my stomach that seems to settle down the nausea that helps.
Don't ride on an empty stomach. Skipping breakfast then riding out on a long car trip, for me, are the WORST things I can do. I'm nauseated quickly when my stomach is empty and my blood sugar is down. I try to eat something light before I go then nibble some more while riding.
Don't try to read or knit or play video games or anything like that...EVER. If you're like me it takes just moments of looking down at something to become nauseated and once that starts, it's hard to go back!
Make sure your driver understands that you will not be a good "co-pilot". My mom will ask for things as we are driving a long. Some of them I can do, like handing her a drink or changing the air setting. Others, I can not. I can't dig to the bottom of her purse for change for the toll unless we are stopped at the booth, otherwise, the act of looking down will be my undoing. Talk to the people you are going with ahead of time and make them aware of this. Let somebody else do the kind of stuff that involves looking down or backwards. (Minding the children in the back seat?)
Bring along some ginger. Candied ginger is a bit hot on the palate but it really does help. There is ginger gum that you can find in the pharmacy for morning sickness and cancer patients. It works, but it is expensive. Also you could brew up a cup of ginger tea or try some ginger capsules before you go. I don't have a lot of luck with ginger capsules but others do.
Mint is also very helpful for once the nausea has begun. Mint gum, mint tea or hard candies can help. Suck them slowly and keep your eyes closed if you can't stop immediately.
Breathing. Focus on breathing deep breaths in through your nose and out through your mouth. Crack down the window or blow the A/C right on you to get fresh air. Cold air for me is most helpful. Keep your eyes closed until the waves pass.
Put a cold cloth on your neck or over your eyes. This helps to draw the blood away from your stomach, where it rushes to "help" you're distressed system. It can also be helpful if, like me, you get a raging headache from motion sickness.
These are just some of the things I have found to be helpful. They may also work for other incidences of nausea like morning sickness. I know that there have been entire days ruined (for me) by becoming carsick at the start of the day and not having it go away even after the car is in motion, so for me "an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure."
Saturday, September 22, 2012
Friday, September 21, 2012
10 uses for tea tree oil
I am a relative newbie to the world of essential oils, I'll admit. I know that there are dangers to using some of them (can't be used topically or internally) and I don't think I know enough to go monkeying about experimenting without knowing more. That being said, there are a few I have in my arsenal that I am definately wondering how I ever lived without.
One of those is tea tree oil.
For those of you who don't know, tea tree oil is also called melaluca oil. It is from a plant that is unique to Australia. It has a wonderfully clean fragrance and has been used in aroma therapy for bringing relief to cold/flu symptoms and persistant coughs. I have added it to my tooth powder/paste* and deodorant. But what else can I use it for? Here are ten neat ways to try this nifty oil.
*Tea tree can not be used internally so if you are using it for tooth powder/paste, don't swallow it!
1. Add a few drops to a vaporizer to help relieve congestion.
2. Use to treat danruff and dry scalp.
3. Add a few drops to your bath water. This helps with body odor and has a mild anti-bacterial effect.
4. Use a dab to treat acne
5. mix 15 drops into a quart of water to use as an insect repellant (spray on your body)
6. Put a few drops into a load of laundry to help clothes smell fresher
7. Use it to treat athletes foot: Keep foot clean and dry. Add Tea Tree Oil directly to the affected area as needed until fungus is completely healed. If the oil is makes the skin sensitive, dilute in a carrier oil like Almond, Olive or Grape seed oil.
8. Make a germ killing cleaner by adding several drops to a spray bottle filled with water.
9. For fleas on dogs dilute 8-10 drops of oil into a cup of water and spray onto the pet's coat. (Dogs only please, cats do to much licking to use essential oils on).
10. For dry skin mix 6-7 drops of tea tree oil per oz. of almond oil or jojoba oil and apply the mixture to affected area.
One of those is tea tree oil.
For those of you who don't know, tea tree oil is also called melaluca oil. It is from a plant that is unique to Australia. It has a wonderfully clean fragrance and has been used in aroma therapy for bringing relief to cold/flu symptoms and persistant coughs. I have added it to my tooth powder/paste* and deodorant. But what else can I use it for? Here are ten neat ways to try this nifty oil.
*Tea tree can not be used internally so if you are using it for tooth powder/paste, don't swallow it!
1. Add a few drops to a vaporizer to help relieve congestion.
2. Use to treat danruff and dry scalp.
3. Add a few drops to your bath water. This helps with body odor and has a mild anti-bacterial effect.
4. Use a dab to treat acne
5. mix 15 drops into a quart of water to use as an insect repellant (spray on your body)
6. Put a few drops into a load of laundry to help clothes smell fresher
7. Use it to treat athletes foot: Keep foot clean and dry. Add Tea Tree Oil directly to the affected area as needed until fungus is completely healed. If the oil is makes the skin sensitive, dilute in a carrier oil like Almond, Olive or Grape seed oil.
8. Make a germ killing cleaner by adding several drops to a spray bottle filled with water.
9. For fleas on dogs dilute 8-10 drops of oil into a cup of water and spray onto the pet's coat. (Dogs only please, cats do to much licking to use essential oils on).
10. For dry skin mix 6-7 drops of tea tree oil per oz. of almond oil or jojoba oil and apply the mixture to affected area.
Thursday, September 20, 2012
The cost of going "no 'poo"
So, have any of you gone "no 'poo" yet? Given it a try? I am still at it, nearly 6 months in now! It takes some definite adjustment time but boy, is it working. I even managed to go on a mini-vacation and remain shampoo free in a hotel room! (I premeasured backing soda and vinegar into little containers, planning to wash my hair every other day like I do at home.) I still have a few "kinks" to figure out. Like my scalp tends to be a little itchy, which I think means I need to cut back a little more on the baking soda or add a little tea tree oil into the mix. Maybe in the final rinse? I don't know. But I'm pleased with it! My scalp feels clean, my hair is nice and soft on wash days and not gross and greasy on the days between. I've even been able to go (on days I don't exercised and sweat) for three days between washings without having a major grease ball head! I don't know if my hair has stopped thinning, but it seems to be thinning...less than before. It's hard to say though, it's so thin already and I still pull quite a bit of hair out of my brush. Still....I know I'm not putting a bunch of garbage into my hair, so that's good!
So, still need a little incentive to give it a try yourself? Well, let's look at it from a different angle, shall we? Yes, it's a natural way to keep your hair clean. Yes it reduces the amount of "grey water" in the environment and pulls a lot of detergents out of the system. But have you thought about the cost? I mean really broken it down? I have, just for you!
So, you go to the store and buy a box of baking soda. Let's say you're feeling REALLY cheap that day and you buy a box of Walmart Brand. (I don't know how you feel about Walmart, where I live, it's really hard to get away from shopping there since it has effectively driven out local business.) You pay between $1 and $.50 a box for it here. So let's assume you pay $1. For that you get 1 lb of baking soda. If you use that soda for nothing else, you will get over 100 hair washes out of it. More if you use less than 1 tbsp per wash (less if you use more..). So, are you doing this math with me? 100 hair washes for $1 comes out to under a penny per wash. So, now we need to condition, so we go and buy a big ol' jug of apple cider vinegar or white distilled vinegar (*I used the distilled because it helps significantly with my extra oily hair. Others use Cider vinegar with good results). For a 1 gallon jug of apple cider vinegar you pay around $3. If all you do is condition your hair with this, you'll get 256 hair washings. That also comes out to about one penny per wash.
Which means if you go the basic route, you are spending two cents a hair wash. Washing every other day, that box of baking soda will last you for over three months. Three months of hair washing for under just about a dollar. So you shouldn't feel guilty for adding to your routine a little honey (for moisture) or a little tea tree oil (for growth and soothing) or rosemary (for growth). You'll still be saving a TON of money over washing with shampoo. And you will be putting less gunk onto your body and into the environment.
Think again about giving it a try, huh?
So, still need a little incentive to give it a try yourself? Well, let's look at it from a different angle, shall we? Yes, it's a natural way to keep your hair clean. Yes it reduces the amount of "grey water" in the environment and pulls a lot of detergents out of the system. But have you thought about the cost? I mean really broken it down? I have, just for you!
So, you go to the store and buy a box of baking soda. Let's say you're feeling REALLY cheap that day and you buy a box of Walmart Brand. (I don't know how you feel about Walmart, where I live, it's really hard to get away from shopping there since it has effectively driven out local business.) You pay between $1 and $.50 a box for it here. So let's assume you pay $1. For that you get 1 lb of baking soda. If you use that soda for nothing else, you will get over 100 hair washes out of it. More if you use less than 1 tbsp per wash (less if you use more..). So, are you doing this math with me? 100 hair washes for $1 comes out to under a penny per wash. So, now we need to condition, so we go and buy a big ol' jug of apple cider vinegar or white distilled vinegar (*I used the distilled because it helps significantly with my extra oily hair. Others use Cider vinegar with good results). For a 1 gallon jug of apple cider vinegar you pay around $3. If all you do is condition your hair with this, you'll get 256 hair washings. That also comes out to about one penny per wash.
Which means if you go the basic route, you are spending two cents a hair wash. Washing every other day, that box of baking soda will last you for over three months. Three months of hair washing for under just about a dollar. So you shouldn't feel guilty for adding to your routine a little honey (for moisture) or a little tea tree oil (for growth and soothing) or rosemary (for growth). You'll still be saving a TON of money over washing with shampoo. And you will be putting less gunk onto your body and into the environment.
Think again about giving it a try, huh?
Tuesday, September 18, 2012
How much is to much? Video games and the autistic child
My son LOVES video games. He has an Xbox, an Xbox 360, a Wii, a Nintendo 3DS and a Kindle Fire that I lovingly bought him to read on....(good job, mom. Get him another gaming device!) Not to mention the multitude of computers around this house...the kid is more wired than R2D2!
I know many of us out there struggle as parents to set limits to the amount of TV time our kids consume. But I find the harder struggle for myself and our family is the amount of game time in general. Being a nurse, I have read a lot of literature on the subject of television for young children. It floats across my desk on a fairly regular basis. (I subscribe to several publications on pediactrics). But they usually limit their researching to just that, young children and Television. Not kids and video games. So I did a bit of Internet researching to see what I could find on the old net.
There is actually a lot of research out there on this topic. I was surprised at some of it. As a parent, I KNOW that video games aren't always good for kids. It's inactive activity for one thing (sitting on your duff and staring at the TV) and it doesn't lend itself to using your own imagination. But what I read in these studies goes beyond that: Video games can create a temporary state of "mental unbalance". Whoa. That doesn't sound good, does it? Let's look at that further shall we?
So what happened in the brain to create this unbalance? Once researcher found: ...his three hundred participants into three separate groups: people who seldom play; players logging just a few hours each week and heavy gamers, who played several hours a day. Alpha waves appear when the brain is in repose. Beta brain waves, on the other hand, signal animation and stress in the prefrontal region of the brain. The study exposed a larger reduction in beta waves correlated with more time spent playing video games. The players in the heavy gamer group showed a near constant absence of beta brainwave activity.
So, what does that mean? The brain is not reacting as it should to the stimulation of the game activity. In fact, this reduction of beta activity continued even after the game was turned off in heavy gamers (people who play several hours a day). They still don't know what this will mean for long term but this portion of your brain largely works on your autonomic nervous system (where your heart rate and breathing are regulated.) This sort of long term/ongoing study of gamers is just beginning and will need to go on for years, but the initial findings are definitely something to consider!
It has also been found that playing video games can affect your child's sleep patterns, putting causing them to not be able to fall into those deeper levels of sleep that are needed or to stay in them as long as needed. It also has an adverse effect on verbal cognitive performance. (This is also been found true of television.)
So, wow. None if this is good news, is it? So what are we to do? My son is 12 years old and all his friends friends and their grandmothers play video games...you know that argument right? We here have decided that cutting the games out entirely is just not practical. (Though trust me, I'd LOVE to.) So we set some hard limits on the amount of game time that can happen during the week. Our rules are: No gaming during the school week. Games can happen from Friday evening after school and supper until Sunday afternoon and only for 1 hour at a time on those days. No gaming can happen after 7pm (he needs a "wind down" time.) I stuck to the "no gaming on school days" rule through the summer, keeping the games only through the weekend and the TV off until after dinner. (MOST days..I do relax the rules SOMETIMES).
For my son, this seems to be an "okay" balance. With his autism, he tends to obsess heavily on video games so knowing exactly when and for how long he can play them cuts out a lot of the stress. I also didn't make playing them contingent on some completion of an act (like chores or reading) because it was just to stressful for him. He would melt down when he thought me might lose game time and this didn't help his behavior any at all. The game time is just part of the routine. It happens and then it's done until next weekend.
I do wonder, all the time, if even this amount of playing might be to much for him, but as it's something he obsesses over, it's not something I can at this time take away. He got his game systems and games all from relatives and all as presents and it's just one of those things kids these days have all over. It's hard to have your child be the "only" one not participating. Still, I think heavy monitoring and strict rules and limits is a must. What are your thoughts on this? I know many parents relish game/TV time as it affords them a few moments of quiet, a few precious moments of a totally engaged kid who is not wandering off acting on impulses. Still, kids, especially kids who are already struggling with something like autism, just don't need anything else working against their growth and development. It's a hard line to walk! It's one we struggle with here and I know there are others out there facing these same decisions. What do you do? What are your rules and limits on video games and/or TV time and/or computer time? What are your thoughts on this? I'd love to know!
I know many of us out there struggle as parents to set limits to the amount of TV time our kids consume. But I find the harder struggle for myself and our family is the amount of game time in general. Being a nurse, I have read a lot of literature on the subject of television for young children. It floats across my desk on a fairly regular basis. (I subscribe to several publications on pediactrics). But they usually limit their researching to just that, young children and Television. Not kids and video games. So I did a bit of Internet researching to see what I could find on the old net.
There is actually a lot of research out there on this topic. I was surprised at some of it. As a parent, I KNOW that video games aren't always good for kids. It's inactive activity for one thing (sitting on your duff and staring at the TV) and it doesn't lend itself to using your own imagination. But what I read in these studies goes beyond that: Video games can create a temporary state of "mental unbalance". Whoa. That doesn't sound good, does it? Let's look at that further shall we?
So what happened in the brain to create this unbalance? Once researcher found: ...his three hundred participants into three separate groups: people who seldom play; players logging just a few hours each week and heavy gamers, who played several hours a day. Alpha waves appear when the brain is in repose. Beta brain waves, on the other hand, signal animation and stress in the prefrontal region of the brain. The study exposed a larger reduction in beta waves correlated with more time spent playing video games. The players in the heavy gamer group showed a near constant absence of beta brainwave activity.
So, what does that mean? The brain is not reacting as it should to the stimulation of the game activity. In fact, this reduction of beta activity continued even after the game was turned off in heavy gamers (people who play several hours a day). They still don't know what this will mean for long term but this portion of your brain largely works on your autonomic nervous system (where your heart rate and breathing are regulated.) This sort of long term/ongoing study of gamers is just beginning and will need to go on for years, but the initial findings are definitely something to consider!
It has also been found that playing video games can affect your child's sleep patterns, putting causing them to not be able to fall into those deeper levels of sleep that are needed or to stay in them as long as needed. It also has an adverse effect on verbal cognitive performance. (This is also been found true of television.)
So, wow. None if this is good news, is it? So what are we to do? My son is 12 years old and all his friends friends and their grandmothers play video games...you know that argument right? We here have decided that cutting the games out entirely is just not practical. (Though trust me, I'd LOVE to.) So we set some hard limits on the amount of game time that can happen during the week. Our rules are: No gaming during the school week. Games can happen from Friday evening after school and supper until Sunday afternoon and only for 1 hour at a time on those days. No gaming can happen after 7pm (he needs a "wind down" time.) I stuck to the "no gaming on school days" rule through the summer, keeping the games only through the weekend and the TV off until after dinner. (MOST days..I do relax the rules SOMETIMES).
For my son, this seems to be an "okay" balance. With his autism, he tends to obsess heavily on video games so knowing exactly when and for how long he can play them cuts out a lot of the stress. I also didn't make playing them contingent on some completion of an act (like chores or reading) because it was just to stressful for him. He would melt down when he thought me might lose game time and this didn't help his behavior any at all. The game time is just part of the routine. It happens and then it's done until next weekend.
I do wonder, all the time, if even this amount of playing might be to much for him, but as it's something he obsesses over, it's not something I can at this time take away. He got his game systems and games all from relatives and all as presents and it's just one of those things kids these days have all over. It's hard to have your child be the "only" one not participating. Still, I think heavy monitoring and strict rules and limits is a must. What are your thoughts on this? I know many parents relish game/TV time as it affords them a few moments of quiet, a few precious moments of a totally engaged kid who is not wandering off acting on impulses. Still, kids, especially kids who are already struggling with something like autism, just don't need anything else working against their growth and development. It's a hard line to walk! It's one we struggle with here and I know there are others out there facing these same decisions. What do you do? What are your rules and limits on video games and/or TV time and/or computer time? What are your thoughts on this? I'd love to know!
Sunday, September 16, 2012
Re-Charging
A good friend of our family recently wrote a post in her wonderful blog on recharging. I love the post and the idea, but I always hesitate to reply to people on stuff like this.
You see, I'm not a Christian, in a family of devout followers. My mother, brother, Grandparents and sisters...my son even, are all church followers and church attenders. They are absolutely confident in their faith that their way is THE way. And I find in reading stuff they post or read, that a lot of times Christians view anybody who is not a Christian as....less. Or wrong. (Wrong comes up a lot, even here amongst family...) And nobody likes to be told they are wrong..over and over again. I never set out to start an argument of faith...just to express my beliefs and opinions. But I've found so often that the best thing to do is just...not reply. Stay quiet and keep my faith to myself.
I'm not a Christian, but I'm very spiritual. I do like to take time to "recharge" that spirituality, that connection with the Divine that is around us all. I need that time just as well as anybody else. Maybe the manner I do it in is a little different (no bible) but I still spend plenty of daytime hours in prayer. I even answer the "prayer chain" calls that my mom gets from her church, but often guiltily wondering if the people I'm praying for will be offended that I'm praying for them to MY God (Or God, as I see Him..) Perhaps so. The trouble is, that this comes dangerously close to breaking one of the cardinal rules of my religion, doing something for somebody without their knowledge or asking.
So, how do I, the non-christian woman, recharge? God is everywhere, as I believe, in all things, moving in the spaces between matter. The druids had a saying that "All that is not matter is God" and I believe that, His breath is in everything, the spark that keeps worlds in motions, the force of air and light and water. The thing that makes it all "click". To worship is to be around all that is. Outdoors, indoors. The fundamental elements are earth, air, fire and water. Each with a cardinal point on the compass, each with a list of symbolisms and meanings to go with them spirtually. But it's no more complicated than being in the presence of each, aware of each and the power that inheritantly lies within. Each is useless without the other, it's a cycle of dependance where life would not exist if everything didn't come together. Nothing more is needed for "worship" in my mind that reflecting on that, on the Divine spark. The breath of life.
There's more to it if you wanted to delve deeper, but I won't go into it, or into the nitty gritty details of my religion/faith here. I just wanted to reply, feeling I guess a bit torn in this world surrounded by a feeling of "not belonging" amongst friends and family.
You see, I'm not a Christian, in a family of devout followers. My mother, brother, Grandparents and sisters...my son even, are all church followers and church attenders. They are absolutely confident in their faith that their way is THE way. And I find in reading stuff they post or read, that a lot of times Christians view anybody who is not a Christian as....less. Or wrong. (Wrong comes up a lot, even here amongst family...) And nobody likes to be told they are wrong..over and over again. I never set out to start an argument of faith...just to express my beliefs and opinions. But I've found so often that the best thing to do is just...not reply. Stay quiet and keep my faith to myself.
I'm not a Christian, but I'm very spiritual. I do like to take time to "recharge" that spirituality, that connection with the Divine that is around us all. I need that time just as well as anybody else. Maybe the manner I do it in is a little different (no bible) but I still spend plenty of daytime hours in prayer. I even answer the "prayer chain" calls that my mom gets from her church, but often guiltily wondering if the people I'm praying for will be offended that I'm praying for them to MY God (Or God, as I see Him..) Perhaps so. The trouble is, that this comes dangerously close to breaking one of the cardinal rules of my religion, doing something for somebody without their knowledge or asking.
So, how do I, the non-christian woman, recharge? God is everywhere, as I believe, in all things, moving in the spaces between matter. The druids had a saying that "All that is not matter is God" and I believe that, His breath is in everything, the spark that keeps worlds in motions, the force of air and light and water. The thing that makes it all "click". To worship is to be around all that is. Outdoors, indoors. The fundamental elements are earth, air, fire and water. Each with a cardinal point on the compass, each with a list of symbolisms and meanings to go with them spirtually. But it's no more complicated than being in the presence of each, aware of each and the power that inheritantly lies within. Each is useless without the other, it's a cycle of dependance where life would not exist if everything didn't come together. Nothing more is needed for "worship" in my mind that reflecting on that, on the Divine spark. The breath of life.
There's more to it if you wanted to delve deeper, but I won't go into it, or into the nitty gritty details of my religion/faith here. I just wanted to reply, feeling I guess a bit torn in this world surrounded by a feeling of "not belonging" amongst friends and family.
Friday, September 14, 2012
Ten Uses for Coconut Oil
Hi guys! Just a quickie today! I thought since we've been using so much coconut oil around here I'd explore some of the other uses. I'm loving the stuff!
1. Use it as a moisturize. This can be for the body and feet or even the face (lightly).
2. Use it to cook with instead of butter or vegetable oil. For this, I personally prefer the refined coconut oil. YES, I know virgin is better, less processed and all...but virgin has a very distinct COCONUT taste and it's off putting to me in a lot of cooking.
3. Add a tablespoon to your coffee.
4. Spread it on toast and then sprinkle with cinnamon for what is (reportedly since I am off bread) the BEST cinnamon toast in the world!
5. Add a tbsp to your smoothies to help you feel fool and help keep your blood sugar even.
6. Use it plain as deodorant. Just rub a little under your armpits and off you go!
7. Use it to treat minor cuts and bruises. Just a little like you would use neosporin. The oil has a mild antibiotic property.
8. Use it as a hair conditioner. Either rub it in and rinse out while in the shower or do a hot oil treatment with it, pouring warmed coconut oil onto your hair and letting it sit for 30 mins before rinsing.
9. Use it for Oil Pulling. I was going to try this but heard it can be rough if you have fillings in your teeth so I opted out, as my mouth is full of fillings, sadly.
10. Use it instead of shaving cream.
Okay, these are ones I knew about. I did a quick search and found THIS blog post with an amazing 122 uses for coconut oil! Check it out!
1. Use it as a moisturize. This can be for the body and feet or even the face (lightly).
2. Use it to cook with instead of butter or vegetable oil. For this, I personally prefer the refined coconut oil. YES, I know virgin is better, less processed and all...but virgin has a very distinct COCONUT taste and it's off putting to me in a lot of cooking.
3. Add a tablespoon to your coffee.
4. Spread it on toast and then sprinkle with cinnamon for what is (reportedly since I am off bread) the BEST cinnamon toast in the world!
5. Add a tbsp to your smoothies to help you feel fool and help keep your blood sugar even.
6. Use it plain as deodorant. Just rub a little under your armpits and off you go!
7. Use it to treat minor cuts and bruises. Just a little like you would use neosporin. The oil has a mild antibiotic property.
8. Use it as a hair conditioner. Either rub it in and rinse out while in the shower or do a hot oil treatment with it, pouring warmed coconut oil onto your hair and letting it sit for 30 mins before rinsing.
9. Use it for Oil Pulling. I was going to try this but heard it can be rough if you have fillings in your teeth so I opted out, as my mouth is full of fillings, sadly.
10. Use it instead of shaving cream.
Okay, these are ones I knew about. I did a quick search and found THIS blog post with an amazing 122 uses for coconut oil! Check it out!
Thursday, September 13, 2012
A history of crunchy hygiene
Whether you know it or not, I'm a bit of a history buff. Amateur of course. I have loved studying ancient civilizations and medieval history as a kid and that only grew as an adult, when I realized just how MUCH history they don't teach you in school. It's amazing, how truly sophisticated some of the ancient societies actually were, for example. The Romans had nearly aspect of our very modern life, from policemen to politicians, from construction workers to elite fighting forces. They even had apartments and parking systems, running hot/cold water (if you were rich) a sewer system and waterways to bring fresh clean water to the masses. Of course they also had slavery and a tendency to love blood sports and violent deaths as a form of entertainment...but who's judging?
Why am I telling you this? I thought it might be fun today to look at some of the older societies approach to bathing and hygiene, since we've focused on 'natural beauty' here on Crunch Away. So let's see how truly "natural" bathing and hygiene can be, shall we?
In ancient Egypt most people bathed daily in the river or out of a water basin at home. Wealthy homes had a bathroom where servants would pour jugs of water over their master (equivalent to a modern day shower). A cleansing cream made of animal or vegetable oil mixed with powered lime and perfume was used instead of soap. People rubbed themselves daily with a perfumed unguent oil that had soaked in scented wood. The mixture was left in a pot until the oil absorbed the wood scent. Perfumed oil was used to prevent the skin from drying out in the harsh climate.
Everybody, I'm sure, has heard of the famous Roman Baths. They were fed by a system of underground furnaces so the bath water was hot then progressively cooler. The baths were segregated by gender and it was a social event, the business meeting of the day for many roman males. During their peak a Roman citizen could get a meal, have some lively conversation, do a bit of exercises and move from a hot pool, to a warm pool, to a cool pool to cleanse his body. Bath slaves were available to do the washing for a fee and even to remove unwanted and unsightly body hair if desired. Romans would often spend an entire afternoon at the baths during it's peak, mingling and chatting up his friends while lounging naked in the warm water. They had soap, a skill learned maybe from ancient Germanic tribes, but they would cleanse the body by scraping off dirt and sweat using scented oils and a tool called a strigil. The Romans had some standards of cleanliness as baths were built everywhere the Roman army went, where possible.
Greece was also known for use of the bath house. They would engage in similar pursuits as their Roman neighbors, of exercising and fitness while in the bath houses, which is where the word Gymnasium comes from (Gymnos-naked).
In Ancient Jewish society ritual baths were done in a Mikvah.
"A mikveh must hold at least 40 seahs of water (approximately 60 gallons). The whole body of the person or vessel to be purified must be totally immersed. And, most significant for our purposes, the water must be "living" water. That is, it must come directly from a river or a spring or from rainwater that flows into the pool; it may not be drawn. To meet this latter requirement, the rabbis permitted the use of an otter, a pool of living water that was connected by a plugged pipe to the main immersion pool. The main pool could be filled with drawn water (not qualified for use in ritual immersion), and when needed, the pipe between the otter and the main pool was unplugged, allowing the qualified, living water from the otter to come into contact with the water in the main pool, rendering it fit for immersions."
Eshel, Hanan."The pools of Sepphoris: ritual baths or bathtubs? They're not ritual baths." Biblical Archaeology Review, July-August 2000; 26:4 p.42-45
Say "Vikings" and you probably think of a hoard of hairy men dressed in furs and swinging humongous axes at their enemies head while raiding and raping villages. And you'd be right, mostly. But did you know the Vikings who settled in England were actually known for "excessive cleanliness"? They would bath once per week, with soap (made from rendered fats and ash and scented with herbs). The would also use tweezers to groom their facial hair, ear cups to clean out their ears and willow branches and mint to clean and groom their teeth. Nice to know that your friendly viking raider would have better breath that you.
During the Middle Ages bathing occurred more that you would think. People in castles had greatest access to heated water, would bath in wooden tubs. In decent weather this might be done outdoors in the garden. Many lords even employed a servant just for the preparation of family baths. Public baths were available still until around the 1200s when they began to decline due to the costs of fueling the fires and deforestation for crops. After the decline of the public baths the general population at large began to bathe less frequently, having to rely on a barrel of water that the family would share, unheated as many could not afford the extra fire wood needed to heat the water. After the horrible rise of the black plague, bathing became controversial as bathing was believed, by some, to open the pores to noxious vapors, allowing for infection to enter into the body.
During the Renaissance, perfumes and cosmetics were all the rage amongst the Royals, and the masked a multitude of scents and aromas from unwashed bodies as bathing again started a decline (you were thought to bring the devil into your body if you submerged fully into water) Glass mirrors were coming in fashion and women were drawn to makeups to rouge their cheeks, redden their lips and cover pock marks. Lead was used in face powders to give ladies a radiant pale hue to the skin and they even took drops of belladonna to 'widen their eyes' (belladonna is a hallucinogen and would also cause hallucinations, blurry vision and intoxication. What we do for beauty...) Hair dying was all the rage, using bleaching agents, saffron, henna powders brought back from the east and other various substances and herbals. Vanity was in vogue!
The Regency period of England is a time period often used in romance novels as a time of wild passions and steamy affairs with rakish handsome lords and delicate beautiful women. Think of Jane Austen and you'll know which time I'm talking of. But were these handsome rouges clean? Well..maybe not. Most people had taken up the habit of daily washing of hands, neck and face. But full bathing was still not done on a daily basis. Ladies of great wealth and distinction would often spend hours getting dressed, writing letters during this time, getting their hair done by their maids after a quick sponge bath, applying make-up and perfumes and even gossiping with friends as many times other women would stay over in the grand ladies houses. A hip bath done was used in private for a more thorough cleaning.
During the early parts of the Victorian era, bathing still was largely not done frequently by the general population. Outbreaks of cholera, influenza and typhoid began to urge on investigations into the cleanliness of public water, which was largely polluted in Europe with sewage. Public health bills were passed to ensure proper drainage of water to new homes and that the water supply would be clean and dependable.
In the states during the peak of the civil war, soldiers were going weeks without bathing of any kind or even clean changes of clothes. Diseasse was again running rampant and war spurred on the spread of infections. This didn't change as America pushed west. Ranchers and cowboys and pioneers simply did not have the resources or time for a full daily bath, and often would wash just their faces and maybe hands daily and employ a full bath once a week. You could pay for a bath in a hotel if you wished, where hot water was available, though you probably would not be bathing alone, but rather in a room with other men who could afford the luxury. In 1884 the first soap to be pre-cut and wrapped was launched: it was called Sunlight. After that, other brands were developed and soap advertising began to reflect the changing social values attached to cleanliness.
During the 1920s and 30s life expectancy rose sharply. Hygeine in general was much improved and antibiotics were being used to treat infections. Great understanding of diseases lead to greater emphasis on cleanliness in general.
I hope you enjoyed my little brief tour of history. In todays modern world we have an obsession with soaps, lathers, pastes, shampoos, powders, creams, lotions salves and foams. We put emphasis on chemical beauty and take it so far as to rub antibacterial agents all over our skin to rid ourselves of all germs, good and bad. It's intersting to see how the tables have turned in our world. Men and women got together for thousands of years and made babies, all without modern breath mints, tooth paste or deodorant. As we move back (some of us) to more "crunchy" natural methods of cleaing our bodies, eschewing the toxins that are all around us, it's good to know that it can be done, with a little modern science, research and common sense it can be done in a healthy and pleasant way!
Why am I telling you this? I thought it might be fun today to look at some of the older societies approach to bathing and hygiene, since we've focused on 'natural beauty' here on Crunch Away. So let's see how truly "natural" bathing and hygiene can be, shall we?
In ancient Egypt most people bathed daily in the river or out of a water basin at home. Wealthy homes had a bathroom where servants would pour jugs of water over their master (equivalent to a modern day shower). A cleansing cream made of animal or vegetable oil mixed with powered lime and perfume was used instead of soap. People rubbed themselves daily with a perfumed unguent oil that had soaked in scented wood. The mixture was left in a pot until the oil absorbed the wood scent. Perfumed oil was used to prevent the skin from drying out in the harsh climate.
Everybody, I'm sure, has heard of the famous Roman Baths. They were fed by a system of underground furnaces so the bath water was hot then progressively cooler. The baths were segregated by gender and it was a social event, the business meeting of the day for many roman males. During their peak a Roman citizen could get a meal, have some lively conversation, do a bit of exercises and move from a hot pool, to a warm pool, to a cool pool to cleanse his body. Bath slaves were available to do the washing for a fee and even to remove unwanted and unsightly body hair if desired. Romans would often spend an entire afternoon at the baths during it's peak, mingling and chatting up his friends while lounging naked in the warm water. They had soap, a skill learned maybe from ancient Germanic tribes, but they would cleanse the body by scraping off dirt and sweat using scented oils and a tool called a strigil. The Romans had some standards of cleanliness as baths were built everywhere the Roman army went, where possible.
Greece was also known for use of the bath house. They would engage in similar pursuits as their Roman neighbors, of exercising and fitness while in the bath houses, which is where the word Gymnasium comes from (Gymnos-naked).
In Ancient Jewish society ritual baths were done in a Mikvah.
"A mikveh must hold at least 40 seahs of water (approximately 60 gallons). The whole body of the person or vessel to be purified must be totally immersed. And, most significant for our purposes, the water must be "living" water. That is, it must come directly from a river or a spring or from rainwater that flows into the pool; it may not be drawn. To meet this latter requirement, the rabbis permitted the use of an otter, a pool of living water that was connected by a plugged pipe to the main immersion pool. The main pool could be filled with drawn water (not qualified for use in ritual immersion), and when needed, the pipe between the otter and the main pool was unplugged, allowing the qualified, living water from the otter to come into contact with the water in the main pool, rendering it fit for immersions."
Eshel, Hanan."The pools of Sepphoris: ritual baths or bathtubs? They're not ritual baths." Biblical Archaeology Review, July-August 2000; 26:4 p.42-45
Say "Vikings" and you probably think of a hoard of hairy men dressed in furs and swinging humongous axes at their enemies head while raiding and raping villages. And you'd be right, mostly. But did you know the Vikings who settled in England were actually known for "excessive cleanliness"? They would bath once per week, with soap (made from rendered fats and ash and scented with herbs). The would also use tweezers to groom their facial hair, ear cups to clean out their ears and willow branches and mint to clean and groom their teeth. Nice to know that your friendly viking raider would have better breath that you.
During the Middle Ages bathing occurred more that you would think. People in castles had greatest access to heated water, would bath in wooden tubs. In decent weather this might be done outdoors in the garden. Many lords even employed a servant just for the preparation of family baths. Public baths were available still until around the 1200s when they began to decline due to the costs of fueling the fires and deforestation for crops. After the decline of the public baths the general population at large began to bathe less frequently, having to rely on a barrel of water that the family would share, unheated as many could not afford the extra fire wood needed to heat the water. After the horrible rise of the black plague, bathing became controversial as bathing was believed, by some, to open the pores to noxious vapors, allowing for infection to enter into the body.
During the Renaissance, perfumes and cosmetics were all the rage amongst the Royals, and the masked a multitude of scents and aromas from unwashed bodies as bathing again started a decline (you were thought to bring the devil into your body if you submerged fully into water) Glass mirrors were coming in fashion and women were drawn to makeups to rouge their cheeks, redden their lips and cover pock marks. Lead was used in face powders to give ladies a radiant pale hue to the skin and they even took drops of belladonna to 'widen their eyes' (belladonna is a hallucinogen and would also cause hallucinations, blurry vision and intoxication. What we do for beauty...) Hair dying was all the rage, using bleaching agents, saffron, henna powders brought back from the east and other various substances and herbals. Vanity was in vogue!
The Regency period of England is a time period often used in romance novels as a time of wild passions and steamy affairs with rakish handsome lords and delicate beautiful women. Think of Jane Austen and you'll know which time I'm talking of. But were these handsome rouges clean? Well..maybe not. Most people had taken up the habit of daily washing of hands, neck and face. But full bathing was still not done on a daily basis. Ladies of great wealth and distinction would often spend hours getting dressed, writing letters during this time, getting their hair done by their maids after a quick sponge bath, applying make-up and perfumes and even gossiping with friends as many times other women would stay over in the grand ladies houses. A hip bath done was used in private for a more thorough cleaning.
During the early parts of the Victorian era, bathing still was largely not done frequently by the general population. Outbreaks of cholera, influenza and typhoid began to urge on investigations into the cleanliness of public water, which was largely polluted in Europe with sewage. Public health bills were passed to ensure proper drainage of water to new homes and that the water supply would be clean and dependable.
In the states during the peak of the civil war, soldiers were going weeks without bathing of any kind or even clean changes of clothes. Diseasse was again running rampant and war spurred on the spread of infections. This didn't change as America pushed west. Ranchers and cowboys and pioneers simply did not have the resources or time for a full daily bath, and often would wash just their faces and maybe hands daily and employ a full bath once a week. You could pay for a bath in a hotel if you wished, where hot water was available, though you probably would not be bathing alone, but rather in a room with other men who could afford the luxury. In 1884 the first soap to be pre-cut and wrapped was launched: it was called Sunlight. After that, other brands were developed and soap advertising began to reflect the changing social values attached to cleanliness.
During the 1920s and 30s life expectancy rose sharply. Hygeine in general was much improved and antibiotics were being used to treat infections. Great understanding of diseases lead to greater emphasis on cleanliness in general.
I hope you enjoyed my little brief tour of history. In todays modern world we have an obsession with soaps, lathers, pastes, shampoos, powders, creams, lotions salves and foams. We put emphasis on chemical beauty and take it so far as to rub antibacterial agents all over our skin to rid ourselves of all germs, good and bad. It's intersting to see how the tables have turned in our world. Men and women got together for thousands of years and made babies, all without modern breath mints, tooth paste or deodorant. As we move back (some of us) to more "crunchy" natural methods of cleaing our bodies, eschewing the toxins that are all around us, it's good to know that it can be done, with a little modern science, research and common sense it can be done in a healthy and pleasant way!
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