Natural Fit Life-Healthy Can Be Done!

Saturday, January 15, 2011

How to do laundry without laundry detergent.

If you are like me you have probably ran out for detergent right in the middle of tackling a pile of laundry! It happened to me yesterday, so I figure I better share my little tips with you.
So if your run out of detergent and you just want to get that laundry rolling a.s.a.p there is no need to postpone the laundry till you make a trip to the store. Here are a few, very simple ways to get things done, quick and cheap! Just use any one of those ingredients that you already have in your home.
Shampoo: Use a little bit of shampoo for your load. You don't need much. 1/4 cup should do depending of the size of your load!
Dish washing soap: A little bit of dish soap will do. Not much otherwise you will have some bubbles overflowing your washing machine
White Vinegar + baking soda + (optional: lemon juice) : This is my favorite one because white vinegar is great on clothes for color protection, great germ and bacteria killer and baking soda is the most amazing cleaning supply if you ask me. To add fragrance to your laundry if you have some essential oils like eucalyptus oil or lavender oil just add a few drops.( 2-3 drops) to your water. I prefer adding the oil drops to the rinse water.
Regular bar soap: Simply pick a bar of soap, organic or regular store bought soap like Ivory soap, use a vegetable peeler and shred the soap. Add it to your washing water and Voilaaaa!!! Oh do not shred the whole bar just a little will do. Too much soap will cause studd on your load.

So do not fret when you run out of detergent just follow those quick tips from your Good health diva. Here to make your life better! ( I wish I knew all that when I was a student! Don't you?! )
Have a great week-end!

Wednesday, January 12, 2011

The Benefits of Turmeric

If you have visited this blog before you have hopefully viewed my post: Facial mask for Him! Coconut oil and Turmeric face mask.
In the video I mentioned some of Turmeric 's benefits for Skin care:

Protects form UV radiation. It is actually used in many suncreens. As well as in the production of some packaged goods to protect from sunlight
Protects the skin against acne, eczema, psoriasis and other skins conditions.
It's used as an hair growth inhibitor for arms, legs and in a mask it will help with facial hair.

In India where it is known as Haldi, turmeric is very important both for cooking as well as for beauty. It's used the morning of a wedding day as a body scrub mixed with gram flour, for a glowing and smooth skin.
Well, with this being said I wanted to elaborate about Turmeric because so few people are aware of its amazing health benefits.
Turmeric is a member of the Ginger family and it's scientific name is Curcuma Longa.

Turmeric is also known as Indian saffron. In Medieval Europe it was a cheaper substitute for saffron. It's mainly produced in India and is also grown in parts of China and Peru.Turmeric is the ingredient known for giving curry and mustard their yellow-orange color.

The Rhizomes, the root-like extensions from the stem of the plant, are the parts used to make the turmeric powder.

Among the many health benefits of turmeric:

Turmeric contains important vitamins and minerals such as iron, manganese, potassium, vitamin B6 and vitamin C. Curcumin is a phytochemical found in turmeric that has strong antioxidant properties and that has been well researched for its cancer fighting properties.

Turmeric is a natural liver detoxifier.
Provides protection from liver disease.
It is a natural antiseptic and antibacterial agent useful in disinfecting cuts and burns.
It helps in healing wounds. It speeds up wound healing and assist in remodeling damaged skin. Prevents bacterial infection in wounds.
Helps with poison ivy, mosquito bites etc.
It is a potent natural anti-inflammatory that works as well as many anti-inflammatory drugs but without the side effects. Great for arthritis and rheumatoid arthritis pains due to its anti-inflammatory and pain-relieving properties.
Turmeric helps lower cholesterol levels.
It serves with the treatment of arteriosclerosis – may cause a reduction in bad cholesterol that can lead to blockage of the arteries.
Turmeric is an antidepressant and helps your mood. It has long been used in Chinese medicine as a treatment for depression.
Due to its antioxidants properties there are many ongoing researches on its powerful healing and preventive benefits on various type of cancers such as prostate cancer, breast cancer, skin cancer and colon cancer.
It has been researched for its preventive benefits and healing properties on Alzheimer and dementia.
Turmeric helps in reducing activity of roundworms and intestinal worms
Turmeric is also a possible (natural) treatment for uveitis, an eye disorder. Uveitis is a swelling and irritation of the uvea, the middle layer of the eye. The uvea provides most of the blood supply to the retina. Uveitis can affect one or both eyes and can also affects dogs as well as humans.
Turmeric can aid in weight loss. Curcumin in Turmeric powder has been found to help increase the flow of bile, an important component in the breakdown of dietary fat. Therefore, taking one teaspoon of Turmeric powder with every meal may be an effective weight loss aid when combined with a healthy diet and exercise program.
Turmeric can also help in recovering from a cold or flu.
Turmeric's anti-bacterial, anti-viral, and anti-fungal agents can help our body fight against colds, cough and flu. Therefore, when symptoms of these infections are present, simply mix one teaspoon of Turmeric powder into a glass of warm milk once per day. Also drink plenty of water throughout the day.

Ways to add it to your diet:

Add it to your green tea for a powerful antioxidant drink.
Mix and blend it into your smoothies
Add it into your stews, fish dishes, soups, omelets, salads, rice etc.
Sprinkle it over your popcorn for a yellow color without the butter

A little warning about turmeric. Just like with everything,moderation is important.
Moderate use of Turmeric powder as part of regular diet is fairly safe, and recent studies have found that a dosage of 500mg capsules of Turmeric three times per day is safe. However, prolonged consumption of high doses of Turmeric extract may cause stomach or liver distress, as well as dehydration and constipation. Therefore, it should be avoided by people with gallstones or bile obstructions. If you are currently taking blood thinners (including Aspirin), you should consult your doctor before taking Turmeric since it is an anti-platelet (prevents blood clots).
Remember to keep it away from white clothes as it's also a dye.

Thanks for reading. I hope you will add turmeric to your diet if it's not already part of it. Please let me know how you benefit from it.

Thanks heaven for little ones.

Nothing brings us happiness like having a child and nothing motivates us more to care about our health. It's been proven that having a family motivates many men to stop drinking, stop smoking, and drive more safely and being there for our children has motivated many people to eat right, exercise and make better choices.
I love to share in the joy of new parents and encourage those who for one reason or another want to improve their lives, their health or simply bring joy to others.
As a gift designer I get the chance to do some of that in creating gifts for newborns. Here are a few pictures of a gift I recently made for a friend of mine to welcome her daughter into our world. My daughter proudly selected the fabric and I made the blanket.

Blanket made by NnakoDesigns. All rights reserved2010.

If you are interested in ordering a blanket to bring warmth to a precious one during this winter season contact me at goodhealthdiva@gmail.com. I could send you pictures of different fabrics and give you a quote based on your fabric selection and the size you desire.
Thanks! Have a great week and stay warm!

Tuesday, January 11, 2011

Say you care with hand made one of a kind card and a custom gift

As a card and gift designer I know that nothing boost somebody's moral and bring joy as a special gift not matter how simple it is. Below are a few pictures of my work. I have such an extensive collection that it's impossible to post all my design but those cards will give you general idea. If you have any questions e-mail me at goodhealthdiva@gmail.com
For special and not so special occasion like a Just Because feel free to contact me for your gift giving. I ship everywhere in the US and Europe.
This gift box below was designed for a new mom. My client did not know what to offer a female friend who just had a baby. I encouraged him to have a gift specially designed to pamper the new mom because the baby is always the center of attention and gets plenty of gifts yet the mom who endured 9 months of pregnancy and get overwhelmed with all the changes need to be valued and encouraged to care for herself as well.

In this box: Thank You cards to thank all the people who sent her gifts for the newborn. A variety of sponges including sea sponges. A small cup to encourage drinking a relaxing tea, some scented sachets to scent the baby's drawers, tea candles, hand towels,scented soap and designer paper napkins.

Below are images of previous Valentine Day cards that I designed and sold last year.

Card designed for a father to his daughter.All rights reserved2009.

Below are a few pictures of cards I designed with real flower

Some Thinking of You cards that fit any occasion:

FOR MEN: Coconut oil and turmeric face mask!

This homemade mask is of course one for women. I just felt that it would be fun to have a man do it. I am glad my model (smiles) was such a great sport. I think that it's important that our men learn to pamper themselves too, learn to benefit from home spa and take care of their skins!

What do you think?

A portion of the video is missing. At the end I asked my model here how his skin felt: his answer: " good and smooth"!

I love coconut oil and use it daily in my diet and my skin care regimen. Turmeric on the other hand is a herb that I just fell in love with. My mom who is a great natural health advocate was the first to tell me of the benefits of turmeric. I decided to try this simple mask last Sunday and have been hooked on turmeric ever since I researched its many health and beauty properties. I am adding it to my diet by simply adding it to my cup of tea and of course its now part of my skin care regimen. I wanted to try this on a man just to encourage men to take care of their skin. I will eventually share more about the benefits of coconut oil and turmeric for skin care. For now, just enjoy the video. Talk to you later. Oh, remember to leave your comments and become a Follower, and like the facebook page Goodhealthdiva!!! Thanks and have a great week!

To your better body and your better life!

Did you like this video? Do you have some nice skin care tips for recipe for men?

Wednesday, January 5, 2011

Pampering yourself is good for your health!

I am not writing here about going to a spa every week and spending money on yourself that will get your husband to remind you that it's time to save not splurge on 'uneccessary things'.
Here I am talking about learning to take care of yourself without breaking the bank and being creative if you do not have a lot of time on your hands.
As a mother of three children, I've learned the importance of taking care of myself. I am still in the learning process actually but in spite of the fact that I do not have any family around to help with the kids and that I lack a strong support system I have created small ways of pampering and loving myself. I have learned that:
I can not give what I don't have. So I have learned to give to myself some love throughout the day so that I can love my children and husband. I consider pampering myself an act of love to myself and a gift to those that surround me because taking care of myself in the best of my ability and resources help me to take care of others. You all know the scripture that ask us to love others as we love ourselves. Well, we have to have a healthy love for ourselves if we are to love others.

My first acts of love to myself every morning are:
Kneeling for prayer even if its just 5 mns. Aside from my daily prayer time I just kneel briefly in the morning as an act of gratitude and reverence for God.

Stretching my body. It's important to get the blood to flow and my body's energy 'reset' for the day. I will write later on the importance of stretching.

Seating somewhere with a cup of Green tea and fresh mint preferrably from my garden. During the spring and summer time I sit on my front or back porch and enjoy the calmness of my surroundings before the kids are up and before the neighbors start leaving for work.

Going on short walk with Cotton my maltese if time and the weather permit.
While on those walks I love to pay attention to the sound of the birds, and all my surroundings.
I consider those short and simple actions ways of pampering myself because they leave me feeling grounded and ready for my day .

My bedtime ritual consists of :

Lighting only table lamps in the bedroom

Burning a vanilla or lavender soy candle

Spraying my pillows and sheets with lavender linen spray

Placing a glass of water by my bedside

Applying some oil or lavender lotion on my feet, rubbing them and putting on some spa socks for the night
Once in a while I do the same for my hands by rubbing and massaging them in oil before fitting them in my spa gloves for the night!

Reading something inspiring or writing in my journal things I am grateful for and

Saying a last prayer of gratitude for the day

Another way of pampering myself that is dear to me is my eating ritual.
Unless we are eating dinner as a family, I prefer to eat all my meals peacefully and quietly with or without the sound of music in the background. I also drink my water in a very nice glass and always use my nicest dishes and a nice cloth napkin.
I know that most people reserve their best dishes for their guests. I do not reserve any 'special' dishes for my guests. I use it for myself too.

Once a week, generally Fridays, I take a block of time to soak in the tub, give myself a manicure and pedicure and just take it easy

I do no housekeeping on that day and limit my activities. Well, simply put its my Me Time (smiles). Come 6pm I consider myself on a Sabbath. Every chores will have to wait Saturday evening or Monday.

Of course, I love the benefits of a professional massage but I do not get to indulge as frequently as I want.
The one thing I indulge into weekly is getting my hair done. I am picky about getting my hair done at the end of the week.
However, I am not picky on who does my manicure and pedicure and I actually love doing this myself. My reason for it is that it gives me the flexibility to choose the music I want to listen to, I am not waiting to be helped, I can read a book or watch any TV channel I want while I am doing my manicure and pedicure. I am very picky about the kind of music that's played in public places. At home, I can enjoy pampering myself and enjoy the silence or the music I choose to listen to.

In addition to that, I make my own beauty treats, even throw some of my dried rose petals in the water and instead of soaking my feet in commercial products I simply boil my own herbs, add some oil of my choosing and soak my feet as long as I want to.
Once in a while I get myself pampered from head to feet at a Salon. But for days when it's not convenient to do it professionally I can pamper myself from the comfort of my own home without spending any extra money.
The other thing I love to do which I consider is pampering myself is dressing myself nicely, putting some perfume and a few jewelries on even if I am staying at home most of the day.
My theory is that I want to inspire myself when I pass by the mirror even when I am in comfortable 'home clothes'. I want to see something pretty every time I step in the bathroom and it's important because it keeps me in a good mood.
I do not keep nor wear any piece of clothing that has a hole or a stain on or that looks worn out. Comfort to me means that comfortable clothes are also nice clothes.

Another creative way I pamper myself is to display my dish soap in a nice soap dispenser,

keep a scented hand lotion and hand soap by the kitchen sink and

some nice hand towels around versus old raggedy kitchen towels. Next to it stand a small vase of fresh flowers. Considering all the time we spend in a kitchen I think it's important to add small things that will bring us pleasure. Pampering myself is surrounding myself with cute things in every room and keeping every room very orderly.

Order and cleanliness throughout the house from bathroom counter to living room sofa is for me a way of pampering myself because chaos create stress but order is restful.
And rest is what we want when we pamper ourselves. Pampering is not just something to be done in an expensive spa facility it's something that can be done daily in small increments that add up to a healthy life

So to people who do not have time or money to go regularly to the salon, get a professional manicure and pedicure, know that you can pamper yourself even when you feel like it's a luxury. Get the best cosmetic product you can afford, get yourself some new towels, replace your pillows or bed sheets, get a fancy glass cloth napkin and plate set, keep your favorite things around, take a shower or bath light some tea candles and turn some soft music on and start treating yourself even if it's just 15 mns a day. Turn a daily routine into a special ritual . You deserve to value and treat yourself after a long hard day.

Treat yourself by offering yourself a clean and clutter free home ( and car) and add little touches of beauty around you. I am confident that it will improve your emotional/mental health and impact other areas of your life.
Taking good care of yourself is a necessity and it's okay to indulge yourself daily. You just have to be creative about it, but it starts just where you are.
Please let me know how you pamper yourself on a daily/weekly basis and if any of those suggestions worked for you let me know which one are now part of your daily routine.

Tuesday, January 4, 2011

Easy healthy and chemical free ways of keeping your house clean

We can't talk of being healthy and not mention the role that household chemical play on our health. With many toxic agents present in our daily life its important to limit as much as possible our exposure to toxicity and utilize the natural products we have and make the best use of them.

I love to clean my house with natural homemade products which not only are they cheaper but they are not toxic. With three children around the house I feel comfortable knowing that my cleaning products do not present a threat to them. What's even more appealing to homemade cleaner is the fact that all your ingredients are already available in your kitchen cupboard or pantry. My main cleaning ingredients are:
Baking Soda
White distilled vinegar
Lemons
Olive oil
The first three offer such a vast array of usage that it's beyond the scope of this article to list all the many ways one could use them. So below I will share only how I personally use them in my home on a daily basis.

My recipe for cleaning my floors and countertops is simply to mix in a spray bottle some white vinegar and water. I do not even measure but generally I put 1/4 vinegar and 3/4 water.
I just spray directly on my floor just like one would spray with the swiffer wetjet. I actually use the swiffer wetjet and disposable pads but instead of the swiffer's cleaning solution I use my own. If I want to add some fragrance I just put one drop of aromatic oil of my choice like lavender or eucalyptus.

Wash fresh vegetables with a mixture of 1 tablespoon of white distilled vinegar in 1 ½ quarts of water.

Cleaning countertop
I clean my countertops with the same solution I use for my floors and if I have some cut lemons which is often I mix some fresh lemon juice to my solution to clean my countertops and wipe the dinning table.

Cleaning the sink
I clean my sink again with the same homemade solution and in addition to that I use half a lemon to scrub the whole sink.

Cleaning windows and mirrors
Same thing again. Just plain water and vinegar would do it. You can even use old newspapers to clean your windows instead of using a rag. Have you noticed that there is some Windex window cleaning products containing vinegar?!

Cleaning wood cabinets and furniture
To polish my cabinets I mix 1 part lemon juice to 2 parts olive oil. I polish with a soft cloth and voila!!!

Cleaning bathtub and shower
For tubs and shower I mainly use baking soda. Only once in a while will I use a powder like Comet.

Cleaning greasy pots and pans
I use baking soda and half a lemon to scrub my pots and degrease them. Then I wash them with soap and water.

Homemade fridge odor absorber
You can place some baking soda in your fridge to absorb odors.
To add a fragrance to your fridge (smiles). I like the idea of the fridge being clean and smelling fresh, I simply dip a few cotton balls in vanilla flavoring and place the cotton balls in the fridge. I replace them every two weeks.

Homemade air freshener
To have the house smells good without spraying anything in the air I simply boil some fresh mint leaves, or lemon balm leaves in a pot. The fresh smell of boiling leaves quickly spread throughout the house. This is more feasible during the spring and summer time as lemon balms and mint grow profusely. I don't have yet a homemade solution for the winter season. So during the winter months I rely on burning candles. Soy candles are my favorites.

Cleaning a house can be easy and very inexpensive. Using homemade products offer you the advantage of staying away from chemical that not only are poisonous should they be swallowed by your pet or child but those products can be precursors to conditions such as asthma, headaches, migraines, allergies just to name a few.

Why use lemons: lemons have antibacterial and antiseptic properties. In addition to that they smell good, reason why many controversial cleaning product have lemons in them.

Why use vinegar: Its antiseptic and all natural.

For more use for vinegar check http://www.vinegartips.com/ . The information above are things that I do myself on a daily basis but vinegar,baking soda and lemons have much more household uses than the few I mentioned. I will add more as I experience them myself.

Please share any one of your own natural cleaning tips and let me know which one of the one above is more likely to be part of your housekeeping regimen.