All tea varieties including white, green, black, and oolong tea are derived from the same tea plant, Camellia sinensis. They contain numerous compounds including polyphenols  (catechins), tocopherol, vitamin C, as well as other antioxidants. Green tea has been documented to be helpful for artherosclerosis, LDL cholesterol, cancer, inflammatory bowel disease, diabetes, liver disease, weight loss, neuro-degenerative diseases, and halitosis.

Making your own tea at home guarantees the perfection of your taste preferences and the absence of  artificial ingredients or high fructose corn syrup. A brewed tea at home ensures the use of an ideal combination of organic and local ingredients such as organic tea,  fresh-squeezed lemon juice, no sugar, and your sweetener of choice (honey, agave or stevia).

The tea with powerful health-promoting properties would be made at home with green tea, honey, and fresh-squeezed lemon juice.

Recently, scientific research has shown that drinking  green tea with lemon juice is best to bring out its health benefits. A study from Purdue University found that most catechins are not absorbed into the bloodstream when tea is drunk by itself,  but adding lemon juice to the tea lowers the pH in the small intestine and allows a better absorption of the catechins. Green tea is up to 5 times as healthy when citrus is adedd.

Hemp foods are the highest source of easily digestible, essential fatty acids (EFAs) in the plant world better than nuts and cashews. Hemp seed oil contains 54.4% linoleic acid (Omega-6), 18.3% linolenic acid (Omega-3), 2-5% gamma-linolenic acid (GLA) and 1-2% stearidonic acid. Hemp seeds, rich in vitamin E and minerals,  are 33% protein and contain all the essential amino acids and essential fatty acids. The seeds contain eight essential amino acids the human body cannot make and two that human body cannot make in a sufficient quantity in a perfect ratio of omega-6-to-omega-3 which are necessary to maintain brain health, memory, mood, and concentration.

Hemp’s ratio of Omega 6 to Omega 3 fatty acids close to 4 makes hemp products a wonder healthy food. This ratio of fatty acids and in particular omega 3 fatty acids  is beneficial for the prevention of heart disease and cancer. Hemp seed protein contains 65% edistin – a plant globulin which is the highest content  in any plant on earth. Human body uses globulin proteins to make antibodies that are the main entities to create a healthy immune system.

Eating raw, organic, pure hemp seeds provides the body all the essential amino acids required to maintain health and supply the specific amino acids to make immunoglobulins.

Should that Ingredient Be in Your Organic Shampoo?

By Anna Lynn Sibal

To keep our hair healthier without drenching it in chemicals and without leaving a huge impact on our environment, many of us choose to substitute organic shampoo for the more conventional brands. That is because organic shampoos contain as little of the harsh chemicals that make up conventional shampoo brands as possible.

In addition, organic shampoo is supposed to be sustainable. It means that the materials and processes used in manufacturing organic shampoo do not harm the environment, and it will not harm the environment or us when we use it or wash it down the drain.

The problem here is that with the growing demand for organic shampoo and other organic products in the marketplace today, the big manufacturers that are responsible for giving us conventional shampoo have also begun to release the so-called organic versions of their product. But are these so-called organic shampoos truly organic? The easiest way to know is to check the list of ingredients on the shampoo’s label.

Organic shampoos are not supposed to have petrochemicals in them. Petrochemicals are substances derived from petroleum that may be toxic to the body, enough to cause cancer and other diseases.
Some of the chemicals that have no business being in a bottle of an organic shampoo are listed below.

1. Sodium laureth sulfate. Sodium laureth sulfate is the second largest ingredient used in shampoos. While it is supposed to help create suds in shampoo, it is also a synthetic detergent that causes skin and eye irritation, not to mention damage the hair follicle.

2. Cocamide DEA. Cocamide DEA, along with PEG, MEA and MIPA, is an alkyloamide, a group of synthetic fatty acids. It is meant to act as emulsifiers and foam boosters in shampoo, but it can also cause skin irritation at the least and cancer at the worst.

3. Cocamidopropyl betaine. Some shampoos would have cocamidopropyl betaine instead of cocamide DEA in their list of ingredients. That is because cocamidopropyl betaine, a synthetic chemical derived from coconuts, is meant to be gentler to the skin and eyes. However, research has shown that even cocamidopropyl betaine may also be toxic and cause allergic reactions.

4. Phthalates. Phthalates are chemical agents in shampoo whose role is to make shampoo more viscous and make it smell good. It can, however, disrupt the production of hormones in the body, damage a woman’s reproductive system, cause obesity, and lead to birth defects in babies.

These are just some of the chemicals that really should not be in the gunk that we put on our hair every time we wash it. They especially should not be included in the list of ingredients of any organic shampoo. We will only be wasting our efforts to go organic and live healthier lifestyles if we do not read the labels on our shampoo closely enough.

So, before you buy a bottle of organic shampoo, make sure that you read the list of ingredients on the label first. If the label does not tell you much, then you should go online and research the brand. Always make sure that your organic shampoo is really organic and not a synthetic shampoo masquerading as one.

Also see: Organic soap benefits and Organic Hair Products

By Anna Lynn Sibal

Organic bedding is something that you need to buy if you are truly serious about leading an organic lifestyle. It may sound like a considerable purchase, given that new beds and bedding are not exactly cheap or easy to replace. But the rewards are certainly worth it in the long run.

When you think about it, it makes sense to use organic bedding instead of regular bedding. After all, most of us spend around eight hours a day in bed, and that is quite a long time to be exposed to whatever chemicals and allergens are present in your bed.

What Chemicals Do You Sleep with at Night?

If you only knew what chemicals you are sleeping with on your regular bed at night, you will want to switch to organic bedding in a jiffy. A regular foam mattress, for instance, may be treated with harsh chemicals like fungicides, chemical-based fire retardants, and even formaldehyde. If your bed happens to have one of those so-called memory foam mattresses, you would be constantly exposed to petroleum-derived polyutherane. Research shows that it is possible for products made with polyutherane to be carcinogenic.

Aside from your foam mattress, you may also have to consider your bedcovers. Are they made from regular cotton? Regularly grown cotton is exposed to a multitude of chemicals such as synthetic fertilizers, pesticides, fungicides and weed-killers. All those chemicals are absorbed by the cotton, and your skin gets into contact with these chemicals whenever you lay down on your bed.

You may get to thinking that these chemicals do not really cause any serious harm. However, while you may not get sick in the morning just because you slept on a regular bed, you may feel its effects in the long run. You may develop allergies at the very least, but some substances in these synthetic chemicals are known to cause cancer. If your children sleep on regular beds, these chemicals can deter their normal growth and development.

Buying Organic Bedding

As you can see, organic bedding guarantees not only a restful sleep but also a safe one. When you sleep on a bed with an organic mattress covered with organic sheets, the hours you will spend sleeping will be free from exposure to allergens, carcinogens and other harmful substances.

But it is not enough to check on labels to see if a mattress or a sheet is organic. Not all organic bedding that you see when you go shopping is actually organic. To make sure that you are getting the real thing, you should see if the bedding you are buying is certified to be organic or natural. Otherwise, you may end up with a bedding that is supposed to be organic but is not actually so.

Also, since buying new bedding can be a considerable purchase, you do not have to be in a hurry when you decide on what bedding to buy. Do not be afraid to try out the mattresses and ask questions about the materials used in making the bedding when you visit a furniture store. Send an email with your questions to the seller first if you are buying online.

Also see: Natural disinfectants organic cleaning

Create a Green Nursery for Your Baby with Organic Baby Products

By Anna Lynn Sibal

When you are expecting a baby, it is only natural for your parental instincts to kick in and make you want the best that you can afford for your baby’s needs. These days, more and more parents interpret the words “the best that they can afford” as organic baby products. They believe that organic baby products are the safest products they can use for their newborn.

This belief in organic baby products that parents are beginning to have is not unfounded. A baby, as we all know, is a very delicate creature with an as-yet undeveloped immune system. While exposing your baby to the environment will indeed strengthen her body and boost her immune system, too much toxins and chemicals in her environment can weaken your baby and make her sick. By using organic baby products, we get to lessen the possibility of your baby getting sick because of substances she is not prepared to deal with yet.

The best way that you can act to protect your body from harmful chemical exposure is by setting up a green nursery – with the word “green” meaning eco-friendly and using organic baby products. Here is a list of essential organic baby products that you need for your child.

1. A sustainable baby crib. A sustainable baby crib is something your baby can sleep in comfortably as long as its wooden parts are treated with non-toxic finish. You can also use this crib for a few more years yet if it can be converted to a toddler’s bed. Also, since the crib is made from renewable wood, you can rest easy in the fact that you did not contribute to the denudation of rainforests with your choice of crib.

2. Organic crib mattress. Your baby will be spending most of her first year or two in her crib. To assure her comfort during that time, you will need to get her a mattress that breathes, is resistant to bacteria and fungi, and is not treated with harsh chemicals that will harm your baby. A crib mattress and bedding made from organic cotton, organic wool and natural rubber latex is the perfect mattress for your little one.

3. Organic cotton clothes. Your baby’s bedding should not be the only one made of organic cotton or other organic fibers. Her clothes should be made of organic fabric too. Organic cotton clothes will allow her skin to breathe and prevent her from getting skin allergies.

4. Organic toys. Toys can help stimulate your baby’s mind and contribute to its development. But if the toys you choose are made with toxic dye, lead or any other harsh substances, you are putting your baby into harm’s way. Always choose toys that are free from toxic dye and other synthetic chemicals.

5. Organic baby food. The ideal food for your baby for the first year of her life is none other than milk from her mother’s breast. Eventually, though, she will need nourishment other than breast milk, so you will need to give her organic baby food. You can buy your organic baby food from the grocery store, but it would be better if you can make your own.

Your newborn baby will need all the protection that she can get during the first few years of her life. You can start giving her the protection she needs by creating a green nursery for her using organic baby products.

Also see: Organic cotton benefits