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Shampoo and Conditioner Alternatives

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no pooFor many years now I have tried to eliminate unnecessary chemicals in my life, this included switching to natural alternatives for shampoo, conditioner, face wash, moisturiser, deodorant, body wash, make up and tooth paste. Some of these products have been great and worked really well, and others have had a less than average effect on my skin or hair.

Now that I am pregnant, it’s even more important to me to be avoiding as many harsh chemicals as possible.

Over the next few months I will be writing about my experiences with different beauty regimes.

 

This month – hair!

I have always had fairly oily hair and moving to natural shampoos didn’t help that at all. In recent years I have also had pimples in my scalp, which can be rather painful and uncomfortable. So I was getting a bit frustrated with frequent washing of my hair, having thick and long hair it would take all day to dry naturally.

So after some internet browsing I found a possible solution that gave me a little hope. It’s called the “no poo” method, and no it’s not constipation. It involves using baking soda as a shampoo alternative and for the conditioner an apple cider vinegar (ACV) rinse.

This method is not only beneficial for oily hair, but also dry, curly and frizzy hair.

The idea is that the more you wash your hair, the more the natural oils are removed, so your scalp over produces extra oils and you need to wash your hair more. It’s great for shampoo sales but not so great for your scalp. Our ancestors certainly didn’t wash their hair every day or 2, and over the last hundred years the washing has become more and more frequent.

A brief how to;

  • Mix 1 tablespoon baking soda with a cup of water for the shampoo
  • Mix 1 tablespoon ACV with a cup of water for the conditioning rinse
  • Brush your hair daily with a bristle brush to distribute hairs away from the scalp
  • Try to extend your hair washing day by 1 each wash so the oils have a chance to rebalance

There are alternatives you can use, such as egg for the shampoo and lemon juice, honey and tea for the conditioner. I did find the honey made my hair oily though so I am sticking with ACV.

My experience has been mostly positive, with a few headband/scarf days when I was at day 4-5. It’s a bit tough at
the time as I hate the feeling of dirty hair, but if you can get through these days it is supposed to make a big difference.

I had been going for about a month and was up to hair washing on day 5 or 6, then went to the (organic) hair dresser for a trim and didn’t want to miss out on the lovely scalp massage so also had shampoo and conditioner. I took a big step backwards after that and feel like I had to retrain my scalp! I think next time I will just be upfront with the hairdresser and ask them just to wet it for the cut. After the hairdresser I am now back to every 5 to 6 days, and interested to see if I can push it further. Some “no poo-ers” get to the point that they don’t even use the baking soda rinse anymore and might just rinse with water a few times a year.

I know many males that never shampoo their hair, and might just rinse it with water every few weeks. I have never noticed oily hair on them, even with all the gel they use.

So all in all I would say this has been a successful experiment, I am washing my hair half as often, I no longer have pimples in my scalp and my hair feels softer and cleaner (for the first few days anyway). It does get a bit stinky on Day 5-6, but hopefully this will get less and less.

For more information refer to;
http://www.nopoomethod.com/

 

Chocolate!

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chocolate heartYou have probably heard or read that chocolate can be beneficial for your health. In pre-Columbian Mesoamerica, chocolate was considered a “food for the gods”, was used in religious rituals and cacao beans were such a previous commodity that they were even used as a form of currency.

Today we are fortunate that chocolate is readily available, but the big problem is that a lot of commercial chocolate you buy is full of things that are best avoided… such as hydrogenated vegetable oils, sugar, artificial sweeteners, additives, preservatives, colours, flavour, powdered milk solids, and much more.

There is a lot of exciting research coming to light about raw cacao, and the benefits of the cacao bean and dark chocolate. These benefits extend to the heart, vascular system, brain, aging, mood and energy. This is in some part due to the fact that raw cacao is abundant in antioxidants, minerals, vitamins and many unique properties. Cacao contains twice the antioxidant content of red wine, and up to three times that of green tea. These antioxidants can improve cognitive impairment and produce nitric oxide with some great cardiovascular benefits.

The ORAC Score measures the benefits of antioxidants. Here is a comparison of the ORAC score per 100 grams for some common foods known to have a high antioxidant level, listed in descending order.

  • Dark Chocolate – ORAC 13,120
  • Milk Chocolate – ORAC 6,740
  • Prunes – 5,770
  • Raisins – 2,830
  • Blueberries – 2,400
  • Blackberries – 2036
  • Kale – 1,770
  • Strawberries – 1540
  • Spinach – 1260
  • Raspberries – 1220
  • Brussel Sprouts – 980
  • Broccoli – 890

Another important nutrient found in cacao is theobromine (a chemical related to caffeine). Theobromine was discovered in cacao and a few other plants in the 19th century, by 1916 it had been extracted from the bean and was being used in medical treatment for oedema and angina. In modern medicine the compound theobromine is used as a vasodilator, this means it can dilate smooth muscle such as the blood vessels, bronchial tubes, large intestine. It is also used as a diuretic and heart stimulant. Recent research shows the effects of how theobromine can lower blood pressure as well as help with asthma.

Unlike caffeine, theobromine does not have an addictive nature or have the same strong affects as caffeine has on the nervous system. The cacao bean can have up to 10% of its weight made up of theobromine, the effects of the theobromine on the body can be up to 6 – 10 hours after consumption.

Importantly, as many of you will attest, chocolate enhances the mood and boosts energy.

So what is the best way to obtain the benefits of chocolate without the nasty hydrogenated fats and processed sugars? Raw cacao powder is now readily available in health food stores, along with raw cacao chocolate bars in an amazing variety of flavours.

Or experiment and make your own raw chocolate truffles. These make great Christmas presenters and look great packaged up in a pretty box or cellophane wrap and ribbon.

 

Raw Chocolate Truffles

Ingredients

  • 1/2 cup of sunflower seeds (or any other seeds you have on hand)
  • 1/2 cup walnuts (or any other nuts you have on hand – cashews are wonderful too)
  • 1/2 cup dates
  • 1/8 teaspoon sea salt
  • 4 tablespoons raw cacao powder

Method

  1. Process the nuts in the food processor. Keep processing them until you can’t see the nuts anymore, but stop processing before they get too soft looking.
  2. Add the dates, sea salt and cacao powder. Process again until everything is well mixed and clumped together.
  3. Roll the balls in your hand and form balls. You may also like to roll the completed truffles in goji berries, coconut, cacao powder, etc.

These keep well in the fridge.

 

 

Naturopathy and Digestive Disorders

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naturopath digestive disordersDigestive disorders can be a very frustrating condition to have, with the stomach aches, urgent trips to the toilet, bloating, pain, avoiding certain foods and many more embarrassing situations. It comes as a very welcome relief for patients when they seek help for these conditions.

The gastrointestinal system is so important for overall health of every other organ and body system. It is needed for proper digestion, absorption and assimilation of nutrients, without these the body would not be able to function. It is no wonder why people that complain of problems associated with poor digestion are often sluggish, lethargic and lacking in vitality

Naturopathy can help with a range of digestive complaints, are few are listed below;

  • Irritable bowel syndrome
  • Coeliac disease
  • Pain, bloating, discomfort
  • Constipation and/or diarrhoea
  • Diverticular disease
  • Ulcerative colitis
  • Crohn’s disease
  • Prevention of travellers diarrhoea
  • Gastro-oesophageal reflux disorder

 

How can Naturopathy help with digestive disorders?

There is great potential for naturopathy to help with digestive disorders, quite often is can be due to certain food intolerances or allergies. Sometimes if the food is removed for 3 months, and then reintroduced it can be tolerated again, and sometimes the food needs to be avoided on a more permanent basis.

Your naturopath will take a thorough case history as well as observe your body, as there are physical manifestations of poor digestion that will appear in the hair, nails and/or skin.

 

Chiropractic and running.

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RunningIt’s that time of year again. The days are getting longer (slowly), we are beginning to look forward to summer and we are becoming more motivated to get out and exercise. For some of us that means signing up for one of the many fun runs, half marathons or maybe even marathons that are held in Sydney over the next 6 months. Running is great for your fitness and for weight loss, but it can be hard on your body, especially if you haven’t done much of it in the past few months.

Chiropractic can help in several ways for you to reach your running goals, whether that’s to be able to run 5km without stopping or to get a PB in next months half marathon. It’s often of great benefit to have a chiropractic treatment before you get into training. A treatment will balance your structure, not only your spine and hips, but also your knees and very importantly your feet, joints that get used heavily when running. Being structurally balanced allows your body to function at its optimum, which means in its most efficient and strongest state. If your body is in an efficient state it can work that bit easier than if it were unbalanced and less efficient, therefore making running that bit easier. Having your body in a strong state means it is resilient. It can cope with the training and the challenges you will put your body through, with less chance of injury. It will also have the ability to adapt faster and hence reach your goals faster.

If you’ve started training and you begin to feel some strains or pains, don’t get disheartened. It doesn’t mean you need to give up running. It just means that the exercise you’re doing is challenging your body to a level where small imbalances are now showing up. These are small imbalances that would not cause any symptoms if your level of training was just a little lower. Visiting your Chiropractor can help rebalance these issues and allow you to get back to training.