So I’ve developed a few hippie-like habits
lately that I thought I’d share with you.
This all began when I started searching for a natural cure for
allergies. I have had horrible allergies
for years and nothing over the counter seems to work. Allergy shots seem to help, but I don’t want
to spend the rest of my life getting weekly shots. This prompted me to look for something
more natural to help. I did some
googling and found a ton of articles about the effects of apple cider vinegar
on allergies. A lot of people claimed that
this exponentially decreased their symptoms and I was intrigued!
So, I went out and got some and began ingesting it. In order for it to be effective you have to
buy the raw-unfiltered kind from a health food store. It tastes disgusting so I put 1 tablespoon of
the ACV in apple juice and add a little raw honey (I read this has lots of
health benefits too) to make it more palatable.
I started to drink this concoction twice a day and I could definitely tell
that it lessened my allergy symptoms. ACV has strong anti-inflammatory
properties so it relieves my congestion almost immediately after I drink it. My allergies are much worse in spring than
they are in winter, so I’m eager to see how this helps in the spring months
ahead.
In addition to helping with allergies ACV is said to help
lower cholesterol. I have had hereditary
high cholesterol since I was a baby, so I’m eager to see if my numbers have
gone down next time I’m tested.
Another thing I’ve been using lately is coconut oil. I’ve been using this as a moisturizer on my
face at night. It is said to be an
excellent anti-aging treatment. I’m all
about preventing aging while I’m young, so I get really excited when I read
about the benefits of coconut oil.
Coconut oil is also said to be a very healthy oil to
ingest. It is full of the good kinds of
fat, and it is an excellent substitute for vegetable oils when cooking.
I’ve become an avid Pinterester as of late, and I’ve seen
several people pin things about Detox baths.
I love baths this time of year (mostly because it is so cold that the
only place I feel truly warm is in a hot bath).
I have no idea if these are actually good for you or if it’s just an old
wive’s tale, but I have fun doing it anyway.
I add 2 cups Epsom salt, 1 cup baking soda and a few tablespoons of ginger
to my bath water. I stir it all together
like a potion and then I hop in for about 30 minutes. The ginger makes you sweat a ton, which I
like to think is removing toxins… I’m not sure if it truly is or
not… this is one I need to research further.
The downside to this is that I feel like it makes me smell like sushi,
because I associate the smell of ginger with sushi.
My most unsuccessful attempt at a homemade concoction was
baking soda shampoo/vinegar conditioner.
We all know shampoo has harsh chemicals and it’s bad for your hair. Since I’m a bit vain about my hair, I thought
I’d try this natural cleansing in hopes to keep it happy and healthy. I did a ton of research on this and people
that have tried it said that it takes several weeks to stabilize and that your
hair will be really oily and gross when you first start, but it eventually becomes awesome. I tried this last fall just prior to what
was probably the most important week of my professional life so far… not the
best timing in hindsight. My hair wasn’t
really excessively oily and gross, but it was super staticy and tangled ALL OF
THE TIME. I was a trooper and stuck with it for about 3-4 weeks to see if it
would get better, but it just kept getting worse. I felt I was ripping half my hair out every
time I brushed and I concluded that that was probably worse for my hair than
shampooing it. I’ve just accepted that I’m
one of those people who damages my hair by washing it with shampoo and highlighting
it with harsh chemicals…. You can’t win ‘em all.
I’m not one to take myself too seriously with my home
remedies, but I really have enjoyed finding a few little things that seem to be
making a difference, and to have ruled out one or two that don’t.
