My Journey to Natural Living & four kitchen superpowers I’m taking with me


Did you know that on a daily basis, we’re getting exposed to so much harmful and toxic chemicals and that most of them we either apply directly to our skin or actually eat?? (Crazy, right?!) 

But you don’t need to be a scientist to know this because the internet offers so much information, it’s hard not to get paranoid! haha

Seriously though, in a world where “dishwashing soap is made with NATURAL lemon and an energy drink is made with ARTIFICIAL flavors”, we all have to take some extra steps to better manage our health and minimize our negative effect on our environment. And guess what, oftentimes this simply means going to our kitchen and re-acquainting ourselves with common household items so that we know how else to use them other than their obvious uses.

If you don’t already have these in your kitchen (which is very unlikely), visit your favorite grocery store and make sure you stock up on these items:

Baking soda
Vinegar
Oatmeal 
Coconut Oil

Baking Soda

You may know this as the mysterious orange box with the Arm and Hammer symbol on it that your mother puts in the ref for no apparent reason - but actually there is!! I’ve been having a love affair with baking soda for a while now and I don’t see that ending anytime soon. I bet so many DIY lovers and eco-fighters out there are too and I can’t blame them!

What you can use it for:

Homemade deodorant 
Facial/Body scrub
Fabric conditioner
Mouthwash
Anti-acid solution
All-purpose whitener and abrasive cleaner
Deodorizer

These are just a few of the practical uses of baking soda, an entire book could be written just listing down its uses – you should start getting your hands on this magical box yesterday! (today works just as well though!) 

Vinegar 

Believe it or not, vinegar’s use is not just for cooking! It is so versatile, you should really buy them in gallons!

What you can use it for:

Whiten clothes in place of a chemical-based commercial laundry cleaner
Deodorize, sanitize and tenderize meat and fish before cooking
Eliminate nasty odors
Natural dandruff remedy
Unclog drains naturally
Fruit or vegetable wash
Foot soak and softener

I have now started buying them in gallons myself and I have used up half of the gallon for cooking, laundry and foot soak - it really does work! 

Oatmeal

Never underestimate the power of this healthy meal option because you’d be surprised with what it can actually do!

What you can use it for:

Natural remedy to acne
Neutralize smell in refrigerator
Face mask and body scrub/exfoliator
Soothe itchy skin (works for your pets too!)
Thicken soups and dips
Add to smoothies for an energy boost
Alternative to flour for pancakes and other pastries (super love how it adds texture and a nutty flavor to my pancakes~) 
Non-toxic and less expensive replacement to modelling clay (genius right?! Thinking of making oatmeal sculptures this weekend with the kiddo~)

Coconut Oil

If you’ve not jumped into this band wagon, now is definitely the time to do so! It’s the type of oil you’d want to smell over and over again on and off the plate!

What you can use it for:

Creamer for coffee
Make hair strong and shiny (why go to the salon we you can do it at home?)
Replace your typical cooking oil (smells good and does not give off smoke easily~) 
Mouthwash and oil pulling (tastes good and does not sting like over-the-counter mouthwash~)
Make-up remover and facial moisturizer
Home remedy for wounds and cuts (it has natural anti-bacterial properties~) 
Natural deodorant

As it happens, these 4 things might actually even help me survive a possible zombie apocalypse - oatmeal and coconut oil for food and vinegar and baking soda to mask my scent and as a chemical weapon! All you really need is a little creativity and resourcefulness!

Let's give it up for MJ for the celebratory dance! Whoot whoot! 


How about you? Are you journeying towards an All-Natural life like me? 
If so, what 4 things would you take with you? Comment your top 4 things below and let me know if you agree with my top 4 things as well.  

Whatever your journey is about right now, happy journeying! 

* * *

Comments

Post a Comment

Your thoughts?

Popular posts from this blog

AN ESCAPE: LANIPAO RAINFOREST RESORT

Image
Lanipao Rainforest Resort: An Escape from the Hussle of the City within the City If you want to have an escape but don't want to escape that far, Lanipao Rainforest Resort is one of your best bets. Away from all the noise, close to nature, with a great view and via a route full of surprising adventures --- you'll never regret going to this place and spending some quality time with loved ones. We did and here are pictures of this hidden get-away: (Note: These are random pictures taken using a BB phone without a memory card so I just did a few point and shoot ones. It should give you an idea how the whole place looks like but I recommend you see it for yourself and take your best pictures as well.) Address: Brgy Sapangdaku, Guadalupe, 6000 Cebu City Rates: Entrance per person - 50 pesos Cottage fee - 250 pesos Just a few tips before going there: 1. Get a reliable vehicle because you will have to go through some rough roads and even have to l...
Read more

Last Splash for Summer 2015: Busay Holiday Pools

Image
It is almost the end of summer or has it ended yet considering the rains have been pouring heavily for the last few days? But just because it is almost the start of classes, doesn't mean you still can't have just a little bit of summer fun, right? That's what we did at Busay Holiday Pools yesterday with the Endoma clan and it seriously was a great "huling hirit sa tag-init!" It was actually my second time there and every time I'm there, it always leaves a good feeling in me - although definitely tiring but in a good way! haha.. Ever since I discovered the place, I've been recommending the place to pretty much everyone asking for a nice summer get-away! The clan was supposed to to go the beach and good thing they changed their minds because we sure had great fun! If the clan didn't have plans to go there, we would have gone only the three of us ( me, my hubby and our little boy) because for some reason, every weekend after we were the...
Read more

Product Review: Magnolia Pancake Plus (with maple syrup)

Image
I always like to make something from scratch but there are times when I just want to get something from the grocery aisle, open the package, pour the contents and just whip it up in a jiffy! So when I went to the grocery the other day, I grabbed a box of instant pancakes, cooked it yesterday and here is my review. By the way, I have 2 favorite fast-food pancakes - McDonalds with their regular pancakes and KFC with their chocolate chip pancakes, but in lieu of those good ones, this is a definite must-try! PRODUCT NAME: Magnolia Pancake Plus (with maple syrup) PRICE: 31.80 pesos at Gaisano Capital South The instruction was to add 2/3 cup water but I added 1 cup so I can make more pancakes and it still tasted great, no eggs and no orange juice needed. (perfect for those working under a budget) After adding water to the powder, it mixes easily and not a lot of effort is needed to get the lumps out. (yey, no muscle-creating exercise here!) The package says, “makes 12 m...
Read more