raw milk and more

This was too good not to post! Check out why we switched to raw milk a little over a year ago HERE!

This article was written by the Weston A. Price Foundation

Milk: It Does a Body Good?

Written by Lori Lipinski

July 6 2003

It all depends on where it comes from, doesn't it? The subject of milk sparks just about as much controversy as the subject of fats. Many alternative practitioners feel that it's not necessary for humans to consume cow's milk and link its consumption to health problems, such as ear infections, allergies, cancer and diabetes. On the other hand, the medical community has convinced us that if we don't drink enough milk our bones will disintegrate. And the American Dairy Association wants us to think we'll be cool like celebrities with milk mustaches if we drink lots of milk. The purpose of this article is not to convince you to drink milk or not to drink milk. Instead, it addresses those who do--or would like to--drink milk and consume dairy products. If you fit into this category, then you need to know where your milk has come from and what it has been through. Living Conditions If I were to ask you to picture a cow, you would most likely see in your mind a cow grazing in an open pasture, like one you'd probably seen before on a small family farm. That's a lucky cow, compared to most of the cows bred for dairy production in this country. The majority of commercial dairy cows don't have the luxury of grazing on open fields. Instead they are kept in intense confinement, in individual stalls, on hard cement floors, hooked up to milking machines, forced to produce milk ten months out of the year, in an overcrowded building. This is how the average commercial dairy cow spends her short, miserable life--42 months on average, compared to 12-15 years for a cow on pasture.  Environment Not only is the unnatural building environment a problem for the cow, but it can be a huge problem for the people around it as well. The massive amount of waste produced on a factory farm is overwhelming and can have devastating effects on the surrounding environment. Over one-fifth of the country's dairy products are produced in the central valley of California where confinement operations create as much waste as a city of 21 million people! Much of that waste is forced unnaturally into the environment, polluting our lakes, rivers and streams. On the other hand, small farms are able to recycle manure back into the earth to enrich the soil. Feed A cow's natural diet consists mostly of grass, but since there isn't enough grass to go around on the factory farm, today's factory cow is fed a diet of mostly grain, and other things that they would not normally eat. The bulk of the feed consists of corn and soy, which receives 80 percent of all herbicides used in the US. When we think of pesticides we usually think of produce, but animal products can contain up to 14 times more pesticides than plants!1 Simply switching the cow's diet from grass to grain can cause many problems, but that's only the beginning. According to a recent article in US News & World Report, some 40 billion pounds a year of slaughterhouse wastes like blood, bone and viscera, as well as the remains of millions of euthanized cats and dogs passed along by veterinarians and animal shelters, are rendered annually into livestock feed. Animal-feed manufacturers and farmers also have begun using or trying out dehydrated food garbage, fats emptied from restaurant fryers and grease traps, cement-kiln dust, even newspapers and cardboard that are derived from plant cellulose. Researchers in addition have experimented with cattle and hog manure, and human sewage sludge."2 When I first read this I thought there were probably only a handful of farmers crazy enough to feed dead cats and dogs and other animals parts to their vegetarian cows, but I was dead wrong! During the BSE scare, the FDA ordered a halt to feeding all slaughterhouse wastes to cattle and sheep in the US. At that time 75 percent of the nation's 90 million cattle had been eating feed containing slaughterhouse by-products! Like humans, animals need nutrients to thrive and be healthy. Obviously the feed given to factory farmed cows is not intended to provide proper nourishment. Instead, farmers, or shall I say food manufacturers, are interested in stuffing whatever they can into the cows to bulk them up as quickly as possible. This can quickly lead to sick animals and heavy doses of drugs. Like pesticides, these drugs end up in the milk of the dairy animals, as do trans fats from bakery wastes, undigested proteins from soy and animal foods and aflatoxins from moldy grain. To make matters worse, levels of vitamin A and D drop off precipitously when cows are given any feed other than green growing grass. Antibiotics If you're like a growing number of people today, you would rather not take antibiotics when you get sick. You may even be proud of the fact that you haven't had to use them in years. However, if you drink commercial milk or eat commercially raised meats and poultry, you could be consuming antibiotics on a daily basis without even knowing it! Over 50 percent of all the antibiotics produced in this country are mixed directly into animal feed. Ideally, antibiotics should be used in farming only when necessary to treat infection. However, due to the sickly nature of factory farmed animals, they are fed a constant supply of antibiotics from birth until the time of slaughter. Antibiotic resistance is a serious issue that has gotten a lot of press in recent years. Basically, bacteria are mutating and outsmarting the antibiotics, making them ineffective. (The same phenomenon is occurring on farms where bugs are mutating to withstand pesticide applications.) We criticize medical doctors for over-prescribing antibiotics, but that is only part of the problem. Not only are antibiotics overused in this country, but they are also over-consumed. People are unknowingly consuming more antibiotics than they are actually taking by choice. Due to the heavy doses of antibiotics used on factory farmed animals, your steaks, hamburgers, chicken, and hotdogs are all laced with antibiotics. Milk alone contains traces of up to 80 different antibiotics!3 Hormones Back in 1930, the average dairy cow produced 12 pounds (about a gallon and a half) of milk per day. In 1988, the average was 39 pounds per day. This was accomplished by selective breeding to obtain dairy cows that produced a lot of pituitary hormones, thereby generating large amounts of milk. But the industry was not satisfied with this output. Today rBGH, a synthetic growth hormone, is used to get even more milk out of the dairy cows, bringing the average up to 50 pounds (over 6 gallons) of milk per day. CAPTION: A typical modern dairy cow. Her udder is so full it almost drags on the ground and she must be milked three times per day. Note the unusual growth in front of her forelegs--a goiter or a tumor? This sounds like a great thing for dairy farmers, right? However, when you mess with Mother Nature, you will suffer the consequences. FDA documents show that cows injected with rBGH are 79 percent more likely to contract mastitis.4 In 1991, a report on Monsanto's BGH test herd at the University of Vermont found the same kinds of problems identified by the FDA, plus an alarming number of dead and deformed calves born to cows treated with BGH.5 Other problems include reproductive difficulties, increased need for antibiotics, digestive problems, enlarged hocks and lesions, and foot problems. According to the Humane Farming Association, The FDA admits that BGH injections increase sickness and drug use in dairy cows. Consumer's Union reports that because of increased udder infections, it is more likely that milk from treated cows will be of lower quality--containing more pus and bacteria--than milk from untreated cows."6 Pasteurization Pasteurization is a process of heat treating milk to kill bacteria. Although Louis Pasteur developed this technique for preserving beer and wine, he was not responsible for applying it to milk. That was done at the end of the 1800s as a temporary solution until filthy urban dairies could find a way to produce cleaner milk. But instead of cleaning up milk production, dairies used pasteurization as a way to cover up dirty milk. As milk became more mass produced, pasteurization became necessary for large dairies to increase their profits. So the public then had to be convinced that pasteurized milk was safer than raw milk. Soon raw milk consumption was blamed for all sorts of diseases and outbreaks until the public was finally convinced that pasteurized milk was superior to milk in its natural state. Today if you mention raw milk, many people gasp and utter ridiculous statements like, "You can die from drinking raw milk!" But the truth is that there are far more risks from drinking pasteurized milk than unpasteurized milk. Raw milk naturally contains healthy bacteria that inhibit the growth of undesirable and dangerous organisms. Without these friendly bacteria, pasteurized milk is more susceptible to contamination. Furthermore, modern equipment, such as milking machines, stainless steel tanks and refrigerated trucks, make it entirely possible to bring clean, raw milk to the market anywhere in the US. Not only does pasteurization kill the friendly bacteria, it also greatly diminishes the nutrient content of the milk. Pasteurized milk has up to a 66 percent loss of vitamins A, D and E. Vitamin C loss usually exceeds 50 percent. Heat affects water soluble vitamins and can make them 38 percent to 80 percent less effective. Vitamins B6 and B12 are completely destroyed during pasteurization. Pasteurization also destroys beneficial enzymes, antibodies and hormones. Pasteurization destroys lipase (an enzyme that breaks down fat), which impairs fat metabolism and the ability to properly absorb fat soluble vitamins A and D. (The dairy industry is aware of the diminished vitamin D content in commercial milk, so they fortify it with a form of this vitamin.) We have all been led to believe that milk is a wonderful source of calcium, when in fact, pasteurization makes calcium and other minerals less available. Complete destruction of phosphatase is one method of testing to see if milk has been adequately pasteurized. Phosphatase is essential for the absorption of calcium. Ultrapasteurization As the dairy industry has become more concentrated, many processing plants have switched to ultrapasteurization, which involves higher temperatures and longer treatment times. The industry says this is necessary because many microorganisms have become heat resistant and now survive ordinary pasteurization. Another reason for ultrapasteurization is that it gives the milk a longer shelf life--up to four weeks. The grocers like this but many consumers complain of a burnt or dead taste. The milk is virtually sterile--is that what you want to drink? Milk producers are not advertising the fact that they are ultrapasteurizing the milk--the word is written in very small letters and the milk is sold in the refrigerator section even though it can be kept unrefrigerated until opened. Horizon, the major organic brand, is ultrapasteurized, as are virtually all national brands. Homogenization Milk straight from the cow contains cream, which rises to the top. Homogenization is a process that breaks up the fat globules and evenly distributes them throughout the milk so that they do not rise. This process unnaturally increases the surface area of fat exposing it to air, in which oxidation occurs and increases the susceptibility to spoilage. Homogenization has been linked to heart disease and atherosclerosis. Milk: To Drink or Not to Drink? Considering how modern commercial milk is produced and processed, it's no wonder that millions of Americans are allergic to it. An allergic reaction to dairy can cause symptoms like diarrhea, vomiting (even projectile vomiting), stomach pain, cramping, gas, bloating, nausea, headaches, sinus and chest congestion, and a sore, or scratchy throat. Milk consumption has been linked to many other health conditions as well, such as asthma, atherosclerosis, diabetes, chronic infections (especially upper respiratory and ear infections), obesity, osteoporosis and cancer of the prostate, ovaries, breast and colon. Once you understand how modern milk is produced and processed, it seems logical to just avoid it altogether. But Real Milk--full-fat, unprocessed milk from pasture-fed cows--contains vital nutrients like fat-soluble vitamins A and D, calcium, vitamin B6, B12, and CLA (conjugated linoleic acid, a fatty acid naturally occurring in grass-fed beef and milk that reduces body fat and protects against cancer). Real milk is a source of complete protein and is loaded with enzymes. Raw milk contains beneficial bacteria that protects against pathogens and contributes to a healthy flora in the intestines. Culturing milk greatly enhances its probiotic and enzyme content, making it a therapeutic food for our digestive system and overall health. So the answer to the question is--go ahead and drink milk only if you can get unprocessed milk from pastured cows. In the meantime, here are a few steps that can help you make the transition to more natural dairy products. STEP 1: Remove Commercial Milk from Your Diet Normally I propose a step-by step process for making a dietary change, but considering where commercial milk has come from, and what it has been through, it is best to just remove it from the diet altogether. Instead use some of the better quality dairy products such as raw cheese, good quality whole yogurt, butter and cream that has not been ultrapasteurized. (You can use butter or cream mixed with water on breakfast porridge.) Check the Weston A. Price Foundation Shopping Guide for a listing of good quality dairy products sold in supermarkets and health food stores. STEP 2: Find a Source of Real Milk in Your Area In states like California, this is easy because raw milk is sold in health food stores. In other states you need to either purchase raw milk from a farm or through a cow-share program. The best place to start is by contacting your local chapter or visiting the realmilk.com website. Most people who cannot tolerate commercial milk do beautifully on Real Milk--milk that comes from pastured cows, that contains all the fat and that is unprocessed. It is an especially good food for growing children who need extra nutrients during their growing years. REFERENCES Nutrition News and Views, Nov/Dec 1999, Vol 3, No.6, p. 2. The Next Bad Beef Scandal?" US News & World Report, September 1, 1997. Nutrition News and Views, Nov/Dec 1999, Vol 3, No.6, p 2. Mark Kastel, Down on the Farm: The Real BGH Story- Animal Health Problems, Financial Troubles," published by Rural Vermont, 1991. Andrew Christiansen, Recombinant Bovine Growth Hormone: Alarming Tests, Unfounded Approval: The Story Behind the Rush to Bring rBGH to Market," published by Rural Vermont, 1991. http://www.hfa.org/. This article appeared in Wise Traditions in Food, Farming and the Healing Arts, the quarterly magazine of the Weston A. Price Foundation, Spring 2003. About the Author Lori Lipinski is a Certified Nutritional Consultant, lecturer and writer whose articles have been published and quoted in highly respected national and international health journals and books. Lori developed the "Making the Transition" series to help people transition toward a REAL food diet, one step at a time.

raw milk debate

We recently did a switch.

Yep.....to raw, unpasteurized organic milk.....from pasture cows that are grass-fed.

And though I know people who are on both sides of the fence, all for good thought-out reasons, after doing a lot of more own investigating and discoveries, we've decided that the switch was not only reasonable, but obvious to us that the evidence to support raw milk was far more substantial than the reasons for pasteurized milk.

The big problem with pasteurized milk is that its nearly impossible to kill "bad" bacteria without killing the good. Pasteurization (heating the milk to 180 degrees) and ultra-pasteurization (heating milk up to 270 degrees) literally strips almost all nutrition from our milk. Now you have fortified, fat less milk on our shelves that are literally making us sick and we have no idea why. In fact, I've read several testimonies of people who thought they were allergic to milk until they switched to raw.

But I understand the reasoning for the BIG debate. Unfortunately raw milk is not an option for corporate factory farmers, the cows are milked way too often and far sicker than we think. Most times they have infections on the breasts, oozing puss, with many different infections and other sorts of pathogens, so with that case....raw milk is very deathly! so i would neverconsume industrial raw milk...not an option! But this is where a lot of the scare comes from. Its of highest importance that the farm you receive raw milk from be local and visited before purchase (or at least visited by someone you trust). In many states we cannot purchase the milk without knowing a friend, or legally buying a cow share or buying for "pet" use. Thankfully in NY State, we do have the availability to purchase raw milk from a farm who is licensed to do so :-) If the farm is working as a proper ecosystem of sorts (many people's definition of this is different) than it is my opinion that raw milk is a much safer alternative to pasteurized milk....and the health benefits are incredibly super! I would almost say...miraculous that God gave us such an amazing probiotic. And because raw milk has beneficial, lactic-acid friendly bacteria that help ward off pathogens, its amazing how safe it really is. Milk is one of the biggest recommendations for calcium, biggest recommendations for toddlers and pregnant women, and even WIC (state aid) goes to the BIG guys for what they produce. They don't want to lose that so better tell everyone too stay away from the unpasteurized...its unsafe.

i know its hard to search the internet to find the truth. It seems there is advocates on both sides of the fence and they both are pretty extreme from one another. Raw milk safety standards often exceed those of pasteurized milk. And when you "sterilize" anything you have a greater chance of things growing in it once oxidized.

Kate, in her blog Modern Alternative Mama, puts it this way: "Unfortunately, when milk is sterile, anything can then grow in it if it becomes contaminated. In raw milk, the good bacteria can often keep the bad bacteria in check, should it become contaminated. Each year, there are 76 million cases of food-borne illness, and about 5000 deaths. In the last 10 years, despite raw milk consumption increasing, there have been only a thousand or so reported cases of illness and two deaths (however, there is no official data which proves these records at all, so numbers may be lower). It is clear that even if these numbers ARE correct, that raw milk is hardly a threat. No food is 100% safe, but raw milk is a tiny, tiny portion of the problem. The problem can be avoided entirely by approaching dairies that are obviously clean and have high safety standards (most of the time).

Beyond the issue of raw milk actually being safe, it is highly beneficial. Many people who are lactose-intolerant or even dairy-allergic can safely consume raw milk with no ill effects. Others have claimed it has helped or cured allergies, asthma, eczema, and more. Raw milk is a living food, consumed in its natural form. Vitamins and minerals are also more well-absorbed from raw milk. Pasteurized milk is a denatured food, from which vitamins are not well absorbed."

I have still personally been consuming pasteurized milk but am gracefully moving to raw, and plan to make butter and use its cream for all sorts. (Recipes to follow on this blog as I learn how to do it). Its health benefits are too good not too take advantage. At this point, if I know the farm and it's doing things right by allowing their cows to free range, eating and grazing grass, without antibiotics or growth hormones and they are treated humanly and the farmers are honest themselves (meaning they're not going to sell milk from a sick cow) than I plan to consume while pregnant, and the girls will be joining me after they turn a year old. Some will call me crazy and stupid, while there will be others who couldn't possible imagine any other way. my hope is that you too would explore this and join the raw milk discussion. For more good insight on raw milk click here.

Also I am very aware of the opposing sides and the many reasons for pasteurized milk. I know raw milk is not for everyone and there is still risk involved. Real raw milk facts posts several reasons, all very well thought-out with testimonials, why they believe raw milk is not safe. I don't just want to post things that are supporting what I think or believe and at the same time I think it is beneficial to observe what the opposition is saying - it is valid.

so, what do you think?

are you a raw milk drinker already?

what are your thoughts?

allergies: natural remedies

I started a post at the beginning of this month talking about allergies. It wasn't something I struggled with as a child, so I'm relatively new to the whole "allergy" thing that happens to me every Spring. But in my adult years, it seems every year has been getting worse for me. To check out the last post on a few natural remedies and other great blogs that talk about facing allergies the natural way see here.

Anyways, today's post is in response to what my allergies have been doing these past few weeks and what I am learning. I would like to say there are two things happening that are both important factors to why I have been getting sick so often. (lately my allergies always develop into some sort of infection which ultimately makes me very sick). The first is the natural aspect of things....I don't always eat what I should and I don't get enough fluids like I should and I'm usually on very little sleep. The more and more I study pasteurization (especially milk products) the more I see how it can compromise the immune system, making me even more vulnerable to sickness. (please don't comment on pasteurization since this is not what this blog post is about). Also the lack of sleep is huge to not only maintaining health, but in order for our immune system to recover and build antibodies its pivotal we get the rest our body requires.

But I can't blame it all on natural things occurring. I personally know its a spiritual battle as well. Without a doubt every allergy break out, at its worst, always happens after we are facilitating the 24 hours of prayer and worship weekends. Last month's was awful.....it developed into a sinus infection and felt it moving to my lungs 2 weeks in. not scary for me, just more annoying than anything. And this month, literally a few hours from going into the weekend i again felt the tension behind my eyes, puffiness behind my face as my chest began to feel heavy again. Oh no! Gotta be kidding Lord! Needless to say, I believe in the power of prayer and certainly knew that this was a spiritual battle I must fight. So I prayed, I rebuked, I was steadfast walking in the truth of being whole and healthy. I had some friends praying for me as well. And though I've seen nothing happen physically in my body, the brighter side of things is I've been learning a WHOLE LOT about what I can be doing naturally to help my body recover faster. In the meantime I do think there are some things God is wanting to teach me in all this.

Anyways, back to the main thing I wanted to share. The past 24 hours have been very unpleasant. I was on two hours of sleep due to a full weekend with full blown allergies at its worst. My poor children....i was just asking for grace all day so i wouldn't act stupid. But as a result I've done a really good job these last 24 hours taking care of myself. I wanted to share some things I've done because this morning I literally woke up a different person! It's the best results I have had in a 24 hour period thus far! Whether it was prayer or the remedies - I'd like to think its both!

here's what I did:

1. I stayed away from sugar (including fruit juices) and grains during this time, and pretty much "tried" to stay away from pasteurized milk (I'm getting raw milk soon, wish I had it now - oh well).

2. I ate a raw sweet red pepper - these delicious veggies have Vit A and 3x the amount of Vit. C as a cup of orange juice...and since I think orange juice can be counter-productive for your immune system I wasn't drinking it.

3. I took Vit. D3 supplement - I knew I had been deficient, but didn't have any castor oil on me. I did spend some time out in the sun with the girls, but found my allergies getting worst so i resorted to a quick fix with the supplement this time. I usually don't do vit D supplements.

4. I wanted probiotics, so I've been drinking Kefir. I actually have been drinking this alot lately because of being pregnant. I tested positive for the Strep B with the first two pregnancies and because I don't take the antibiotics during labor, Kefir is found to naturally reduce the risks of the culture growing irregular. (More on that later, as I plan to blog more on kefir in the future).

4. I had some organic chicken stock stored up in the freezer that I had made a couple weeks ago. I turned into a spicy garlic chicken oregano soup with cayenne pepper to help clear my sinuses. Woo! Was it hot.....but I enjoyed it and it was still yum! (I should totally post the recipe it was that good!)

5. I took a nettle leaf supplement. You can also do nettle leaf as a tea. Most people are allergic to its pollen in the spring, but not its leaf and actually getting chlorophyll from this can help my body produce a antihistamine naturally.

6. Drinking tea. I've been reading a lot of the benefits of fermented teas, but this time around I just went with a respiratory mix of licorice root, eucalyptus leaf, fennel fruit, peppermint leaf, calendula flower, ginger and pleurisy root. I use to hate the taste of the tea, but its really grown on me and I've found it to be very good now. Thank you Wegmans! I also add locally harvested RAW honey to it.

7. And sleep - well unfortunately my youngest kept me up last night until 3:30am and awoke this morning at 6:30am, so I am still working on this one. Sleep and rest have been the BEST things for me in the past, so I wasn't too happy about it, to say the least, when I awoke this morning. But God has certainly given me A LOT of grace. Can all the mothers out there say AMEN?!

i have to admit though, I still had my cup of coffee this morning because of a headache that came about from not drinking it yesterday. I find that coffee does interfere with recovery, despite the argument of how many antioxidants are in it....i don't drink it black and so it's really no good for me.

Today my chest feels clear, I'm not blowing my nose nearly as much, my head is lighter and my face isn't puffy. Looking at me you wouldn't know at all what i had faced the last 24 hours.....Praise God!

All that to say....WOWZERS! Today I feel really good. I was so excited to share the news with you I just had to let you in on the secrets of what I've learned about natural remedies. And I found this time to be more pleasant than the apple cider vinegar shots (which works, just taste awful). ;-)

So, what do you do when you face the discomfort of allergies or being sick?

my nose told me so

I know spring is official when my body tells me so! It's those darn allergies that so many of us deal with every year the sun decides to come out from hiding and the crisp bitter cold air seems to break into a cool breeze. And though I love the peaking of the sun after a long hard winter, my head and nose tell me otherwise. I am ever learning about my new-found responses to the air, mostly because I never had any allergies as a child....it came more when I was an adult. There are several things that I found over the past couple years that helped relieve me in a holistic way without the means of allergy medicine or anti-histamines. Before I share what has helped me (and my children) I thought I would link you up with a couple blogs from people that I thought had some awesome advice as well. Sometimes allergies are not from pollen at all, but just from being cooped up in the house all winter.

But what can you do in your house that won't cause more dust, more allergens and more harmful chemicals in the air?

I'm no expert, by any means, but I've been reading a blog titled Healthy Interior Design. I've grown to really respect this blog because its something not a whole lot of us think about. Sure, the green market is growing....and food is usually the focus. But there are so many other ways we can help our bodies (and our families) stay healthy and work the way they should be working, if we keep other areas of our life greener.

Also inspired by the Healthy Interior Design blog on "taking care of clean air" was Brooklyn Allergy Mom, Heidi Bayer with her blog post Allergy Free Spring. Both are great blogs since they focus in different areas of how to aid in the comfort of indoor and outdoor allergies.

Here are a couple things that have helped me and the girls:

1. We have wood floors. This has helped greatly for the main downstairs floor. Since the main entrance is where we track a lot of our dirt, I think its essential for us to have floors that are easy to clean and doesn't hold on to microbes of dirt and dust. We still have carpet upstairs, which occasionally does still mess with our noses, but we just can't make the switch right now up there. For now this works.

2. As much as I would love to install an air filtration system in our heating vents and ducts, the investment would be too high for a house that we know we are not going to permanently stay in. So we settled on something a little different but less expensive. We use an essential oil diffuser by Young Living. There are lots of different oils we diffuse, for many different reasons, so its best to diffuse according to the purpose you want to accomplish. For instance, if I want clean air I diffuse purification, which is a mixed oil that helps to purify and cleanse the air from environmental impurities including cigarette smoke and other disagreeable odors. (Not a smoker by the way). Other times if I just need something to help me breath a little easier I will diffuse eucalyptus. It all depends on what you want to do. But I love my diffuser and it has really helped shorten the duration of discomfort when allergies are at its worst. We get our oils from Young Living, which does a pretty thorough job of educating its people of what each one does (if interested).

3. We stopped using detergents, soaps and cleaning supplies that have sulfates, dyes, unnatural fragrances or harsh chemicals. This includes cleaning supplies, laundry detergent (which does get into the air!) and shampoos, soaps and lotions for the body. We haven't gone completely green and wild, but these are a couple areas that making the switch was painless and easy...and has really helped alleviate certain allergens. The steam mop has also been wonderful since it requires nothing but water to run. Unfortunately there is still lots in our house that contributes to pollutants in the air, but we work slow and one day at a time. This is what I recommend to everyone! You don't have to make the switch over-night! Take your time to switch things out gracefully and stress-free. And I am sure, that way, it feels no different, and is pain free for both your pocket book and your bodies :-)

It's quite amazing what our bodies put up with. Some of us never have one allergy symptom at all, but that doesn't mean you're not breathing toxic air. I encourage you that despite what your body tells you, that it would be beneficial for us all to aim toward a greener and cleaner way of living <3

I would love to hear what some of you do to aid in comfort and healing during the indoor/outdoor allergies! Finding what works for your body is quite the scavenger hunt sometimes. Any creative, yet clean and green, ideas would be great!

Also, for all you mommies out there who are going green you would LOVE this blog

(I sure do):