Aromatherapy

Photo by uniquegarden on Flickr

You may be wondering what this topic has to do with clean living, but as you will see, essential oils are a great alternative to chemicals in personal products, cleaning, and making things smell good.

Aromatherapy is the practice of using essential oils for psychological and physical well-being. Essential oils are the pure essence of a plant.

Grass-fed vs. Grain-fed Beef

Source: http://geograph.org.uk

My goal is to help you understand the differences between the labels found on beef.  I have watched people at the grocery store with a dazed look in their eye trying to figure out what to buy.  With so many choices and prices to consider, consumers almost need a PhD in food science to successfully make a trip through the meat department at the grocery store.

Got Nut Milk?

Milk alternatives are popping up in grocery stores everywhere.  The most popular ones are either grain or plant based.  They are super if you have a milk allergy/intolerance or just want to avoid cow's milk. Some of the most popular:

Almond milk:  naturally high in calcium along with great taste

Hemp milk:  contains high quality protein and ALA (omega-3 fatty acid) but the taste might scare people away (it's a bit gritty and "earthy" tasting)

Coconut milk:  rich in lauric acid, which helps improve HDL (good) cholesterol

Rice milk:  most allergy-friendly choice

Soy milk:  offers similar protein content as cow's milk along with potassium; choose organic to avoid GMO soybeans


If you take a close look at the ingredient label on these products, you will see there are some additives that might be questionable.  Additives are sometimes used for thickening and stabilizing beverages. What should you look for?

Clean 15

It's that time of the year again when the farmer's markets slowly close up for the season and the days get colder as winter approaches.  Many people look to comfort foods during this time, but why not turn to the produce aisle instead? Fending off colds and flu is much easier when you are getting enough of the right nutrients.

Should You Choose Organic or Conventional Produce?

Do Food Toxins Make us Chubby?

Although we know there are many factors involved with obesity, studies suggest food toxins may add to the problem.  These toxins lurk in your kitchen, convenience store water bottles and soda cans, cosmetics and personal products, in food packaging and thousands of other places.  What are these toxins and how can we avoid them? 

Doing Laundry Might be Hazardous to Your Health

What image comes to mind when you think of clean laundry?  Fluffy, soft towels that smell clean like a warm spring day.  The companies that market laundry products are

convincing in their advertising. They use words like "fresh scent" or "lavender" to describe how the products smell. You may be surprised when you find out what's really in the laundry soap and dryer sheets used to clean your clothes.

Learn How to Live a Clean Life with Jody...

Did you ever stop to think about how many chemicals you are exposed to every day?  They are all around us...in our food, environment, personal products, and in our homes.  As a registered dietitian and professional writer, I want to share with you what these chemicals are, where to find them, and ways to avoid them.

Why is this so important?  Life is hectic and people often don't stop to think about the long-term effects that chemicals have on our bodies and the environment.   I spent several years providing nutritional counseling to parents of children with developmental delays.  I was amazed by how motivated parents were to keep obvious chemicals from their children, but didn't realize the food they were eating was toxic as well.  I currently work in private practice helping clients with autoimmune disorders.  As you can probably guess, eliminating chemicals is a huge part of the healing process.

Personally, I have spent the past two years recovering from my own autoimmune disorders, so I know first-hand how chemicals can damage our bodies.  I have been successful in bringing myself back to health by incorporating a whole foods diet, using only natural personal and cleaning products, and avoiding as many environmental toxins as possible.

I believe we should all be concerned about removing these toxins from our lives and I will show you that it's not hard and can even save money.  So, stick with me and I will help you clean up your life!