Greening up your pregnancy

Today, I welcome guest blogger Christina Lopez to Life’s a Stage, who will teach us a little bit about greening up pregnancy.

 

In general, most pregnant women are inclined to make themselves more aware of what they are putting into and on their bodies. This period is time to evaluate what is important for both the baby and you. Most women are choosing to live a green lifestyle; opting to make their home and world a better place for a child. By following these simple tips you can color your world green during pregnancy and keep both you and your baby in tip-top shape.

For Everybody

By eating organic produce, dairy and meat products will help reduce pesticide levels in your blood stream. And when available, choose hormone-free and humanely treated meat products.

Homemade Cough Syrups

As the weather keeps getting colder each day and Winter is just around the corner, figured a simple and effective cough syrup recipe would be beneficial to many of my readers.

They don’t have side effects and harmful substances making them suitable for children and pregnant women alike (as opposed to many syrups found in pharmacies)

Homemade Cough Syrups

Lemon and honey Syrup

Needed:
2 lemons
200 ml of good quality honey

Preparation:
Boil the lemons in a pot of water at soft heat for 10 minutes; by boiling they’ll soften and you will end up with a greater quantity of juice. Cut in half and squeeze very well into a glass. You can also use the pulp if you want to.
Add the lemon juice to the honey and mix well; you can even reheat it a bit so the honey will melt and mix uniformly with the lemon juice.

Use:
Take 1 teaspoon of syrup every time you cough or as prevention take about 6 teaspoons throughout the day after meals and at bedtime.

Carrot Syrup

Ingredients:
3-4 carrots

Preparation:
Wash the carrots well and cut into thin slices. Put them in a deep bowl and cover with powdered sugar. Allow the syrup to form overnight.

Use:
Take 3-4 tablespoons per day. You can also eat the carrots.

Black Radish Syrup

Needed:
1 black radish

Preparation:
Hollow the black radish in the manner of a volcano. Fill the hole with powdered sugar. It will form a thick syrup overnight.

Use:
Take 3-4 tablespoons per day.

Stay healthy everyone!

Store without plastic – Vegetables

Last week I wrote some tips on storing fruits without using plastic containers or packaging, so I’ll continue today with some information about preserving vegetables.

 
Store without plastic – Vegetables

• cabbage – can be stored up to one week in a cool pantry away from direct sunlight; if the outer leaves are soiled or begin to soften it is best to remove them before eating
• carrots – can be kept in a closed carton box; or covered in water, which you should change daily or every two days
• broccoli – should be kept in the refrigerator in a container without a lid, wrapped in a damp towel
• celery – does well at room temperature in half a glass of water
• corn – can be kept at room temperature one or two days without being cleaned of leaves and silk, though it is best to consume the day you buy it
• cucumbers – if eaten in two days they can very well be left at room temperature; but if you want to keep for a few days, it is best to put them in the refrigerator wrapped in a damp towel
• eggplant – are best left at room temperature as long as they are not washed
• garlic – should be kept in a cool, dark place (they’re good for a long period of time) 
• onions – should be kept in cool dry place in forestry type boxes to allow air circulation
• potatoes – need the same conditions as the onion: store in a cool, dry place in forestry boxes to allow air circulation, but never put the potatoes and onions together
• spinach and lettuce – are best kept in the refrigerator without being previously washed
• tomatoes – shouldn’t be kept in the refrigerator more than two days because they lose their nutritional qualities and their taste changes; it’s best to keep them on your counter in a bowl, if they’re not ripe you can put them in a paper bag with an apple
• avocado – is best kept in a paper bag at room temperature
• peppers – keep in a cool place and only wash before eating

Store without plastic – Fruits

I need to start a small war with plastic. There are days when I think I could win, others when I feel overwhelmed. Plastic proves to be a formidable enemy, whenever I feel that I’ve made some progress, it only proves to be a one-step-forward two-steps-back sort of thing.
I make sure I go shopping with my backpack and also have enough previously bought bags and reuse those, cloth bags, etc., but I have a problem with home storing products, as I invariably end up using plastic to some degree.

So I sought advice on how I could keep fruits and vegetables fresh without the use of plastic and have found some very useful recommendations I wanted to share with you too, depending on the type of fruit or vegetables we want to keep for a short period of time (from a couple of days to a maximum of two weeks).

Store without plastic – Fruits

• apples – can be kept on a shelf away from direct sunlight, preferably in the closet; if you want to keep them for a longer period of time you can put in a carton box in the refrigerator
• citrus – can be kept in a cool, dark place, and never in a tightly closed container
• apricots and nectarines – if very ripe, they can be kept in the fridge, in carton boxes (before eating it’s good to let them sit for a few hours at room temperature)
• cherries – must be kept in a sealed, closed recipient without previously washing them (water can lead to mold)
• figs – do not like humidity, so do not wash them until you’re ready to consume; you can even freeze them
• peaches – if very ripe it’s best if you keep them in the refrigerator in paper bags; or in some countries they can be kept outside in a cool, dark place
• pears – are kept well in the pantry; if you want to speed up ripening, put them next to apples
• strawberries – preserve in the refrigerator in paper bags without washing them

Next week I’ll continue with tips for storing vegetables without the use of plastic packaging.

Anti and After Mosquitoes Remedies

The warm season is at its peak and with it our problems like mosquito bites. We all ask ourselves: what is the criteria by which mosquitoes select ”victims”?

Well it seems that they are attracted to smells such as perfume, sweat, body odor, and heat.
Ideally you should not use shampoos, soaps, deodorants or detergents containing a large quantity of perfume which thus attract mosquitoes. Unfortunately that’s not necessarily possible.
And since mosquitoes are carriers for a high number of serious diseases such as malaria, yellow fever, West Nile virus, dengue, so it is very important to protect ourselves against their bites.

If we leave for a walk at night, it’s recommended to wear light-colored clothing because mosquitoes are attracted to clothing of dark colors. It’s also better to cover the body as much as possible, including wearing a hat.

Essential oils in combination with alcohol or distilled water, and ointments are wonderful natural remedies readily available for preparation in anyone’s home.

Here’s a list of some oils used as active ingredients against mosquito bites:

Lavender essential oil
Eucalypt essential oil
natural essential oil of Thyme
essential oil of Lemongrass
Tea Tree essential oil
Neem oil (preventive)

After bites solutions:

Alcohol-based remedy

Ingredients
55% alcohol (up to 40 degrees)
32% distilled water
10% Aloe Vera gel
3% lavender essential oil (peppermint, camphor, eucalypt)

Method of preparation and use:
Mix ingredients and put them in a container type spray. Mix well before spraying.
A great chill solution, disinfectant as it also treats skin affected by various skin tingling or irritation.

Oil-based (or cream) remedy

Ingredients:
30 ml vegetable oil base
4 drops bergamot essential oil  
4 drops pine essential oil
4 drops tea tree essential oil
4 drops Patchouli essential oil
4 drops geranium essential oil

Method of preparation and use:
Mix well then apply on exposed areas whenever necessary.
If you don’t like the idea of a vegetable oil you can also add the mixture of essential oils in a neutral cream.

Children’s remedy 

Ingredients:
71% olive oil (or apricot kernels)
15% beeswax
10% oil marigold
2% Allantoin (rub with a little water until it becomes a paste)
2% tea tree essential oil

Method of preparation and use:
Melt beeswax on steam bath until it becomes liquid, remove from heat, add olive oil (apricot), incorporate marigold oil, stirring continuously (with a mini blender if you have one at hand). When the composition becomes warm but before solidification, add the paste of Allantoin and the drops of essential oil.
Pour in disinfected containers and store in a cool place away from direct light. This ointment keeps well up to six months.
Apply a thin layer to the affected areas whenever necessary.

Preventive solution:

Anti-Mosquito Ointment

78% cocoa butter
20% Neem oil
2% lavender essential oil (or peppermint, or eucalypt)

Method of preparation and use:
Melt the cocoa butter on the steam bath (~ 50-55 degrees), remove from the heat source and incorporation Neem oil, stirring continuously. Before it cools completely drop essential oil and blend further. Before solidification, cast in a disinfected container and store in cool place.
Apply in a thin layer in areas likely to be exposed.

Warning: Neem oil has a smell considered by many to be unpleasant, but also considered very obnoxious by insects. Included in cocoa butter and improved with fresh scents from essential oils, the flavor composition is acceptable.

Hope your summer evenings will be stinging less

Homemade Teeth care ideas

 Ideas for natural teeth care:

1. Prepare your own homemade toothpaste

A basic recipe for toothpaste is baking soda mixed with various essential oils, like peppermint and tea tree usually. If you follow homeopathic treatment it would be better not to use essential oils of peppermint or eucalyptus. 3 tablespoons baking added to up to 10 drops essential oil kept in a glass container is enough to use for approximately a week.
For other combinations you can use white clay and herbal powders. Herbal powders are obtained by drying and grinding various beneficial plants: mint, thyme, chamomile. Combined with clay dust and stored in small containers, mix with water for toothpaste. Another ingredient that can be added is Propolis tincture.

2. Prepare your own homemade mouthwash

The simplest method is to drop up to 10 drops of Propolis tincture or Sage into a glass of water at each use.

3. Natural replacement for chewing gum

To refresh your breath, instead of chewing gum which has sugar and additives, you can try chewing fresh leaflets of parsley, mint, or fennel seeds.

Keep ’em healthy

Crystal deodorants

My new deodorant crystal is by far the most effective deodorant I have ever used! The only other deodorant which comes in second is the homemade roll-on deodorant I made, which I’ll continue to use when I feel like adding extra scent.

You can read about what crystal deodorants are here, and about natural deodorants here.

And here’s my take on deodorant crystals from the few weeks I’ve been using mine.

 

Crystal deodorants

Use:
Pass the crystal deodorants under running water or on the moist skin with a light touch as you normally use your roll-on or other solid deodorants. These crystal deodorants can also be applied on the face, hands, legs, etc.

Advantages:
Crystal deodorants leave an invisible layer of mineral salts on the skin which create an environment unfavorable for bacteria and micro-organisms attracted to moist areas of the body which are the ones responsible for unpleasant odors.

They don’t irritate sensitive skin, don’t clog skin pores and leave no harmful residue on the epidermis. They are ideal even after shaving or waxing as they soothe irritations and redness, they are hypoallergenic and odorless (and recommended for any skin type).

Also, they won’t leave your skin feeling sticky and don’t stain clothes.

Crystal deodorants are also excellent in helping the healing of various cuts or wounds; and immediately neutralize odors of fish, garlic or onions from your hands after cooking. 

These crystals are highly efficient, durable and economical:
one crystal deodorant can last for years (I have just started using mine, but I have friends who have been using the same crystal for over 2 years).

Their size and weight can be variable. Be careful cause they dissolve in water and can break easily, so don’t give them to your kids to play with.