I BELIEVE IN BUTTER!

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Did you know that vitamins A, D, E, and K are fat soluble? That means that they NEED fat to be able to absorb into your body. Did you know that vitamin D is needed for calcium absorption? Did you know that fat helps your body digest carbs? Did you know that in order to make food "low fat" or "fat free" they up the sugar, salt, and chemicals? It isn't even food anymore by the time it is done. It is something as foreign to your body as plastic and your body can not use it to nourish you. 

Did you know that monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats can lower cholesterol and reduce your risk of heart disease? How is that bad? I just don't understand your logic. Fat does not make you fat. And even if you are fat, so what. Screw it all. Be healthy! Fat helps keep your skin and eyes healthy as well as your brain. The brain is 60% lipids! Those are things I care about.

So what does all of this mean? 'Saturated fat' means fat where the molecule cannot fit any more hydrogen atoms on. 'Mono-unsaturated' means the fat molecule has room for one more hydrogen atom, 'polyunsaturate' means it has room for more than one. Hydrogenated fat isn't technically a saturated fat, so it looks OK on the label. But it is actually vegetable oil blasted with hydrogen so that it behaves like saturated fat and most of the time is chemically bonded with sugar. Basically it stays solid at room temperatures so that the product doesn't "seem" oily to the consumer.

So what, it is just vegetable oil, right? Lets take a look at how its made.....
1. Vegetable oil is mixed thoroughly with fine particles of nickel or copper.
2. It is then heated to a very high temperature (about 200 degrees celsius) and held at that heat for 6 hours.
3. Meanwhile, hydrogen gas is pumped through the mixture at high pressure, and then the excited hydrogen atoms penetrate the vegetable oil molecules and chemically change them into 'transfats' ('trans fatty acids'). These are new, complex substances that are not found in nature, except at low levels in some animal fats.
4. The mixture is then cooled down to form tiny hard plastic-like beads. These hard beads are known as 'hydrogenated oil'.
The beads of hydrogenated oil are mixed with liquid vegetable oil and heated up again to a high temperature. when this mixture cools you have margarine. Margarine made like this can contain 'trans-fats' at levels up to 40%.

Here is the kicker - Foods can call themselves "trans-fat free" even if they contain up to half a gram of trans fats per serving. Look on the ingredients list. If a food contains partially hydrogenated oils, it contains trans fats.

I am going to leave it alone at that. I wasnt even planning on preaching that much, but oh well. Some other day I will cover other fun facts having to do with MSG, Food Dyes, Artificial Sweeteners, and why you should never eat table salt!

I wash my face with oil......

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     The weirdest thing happened to me when I went veg, my face became the driest place on the planet. I don't think I am the only one this happened to, I cant be. Now, I am not saying that I had great skin to begin with. When I was a teenager I had skin like porcelain, but then around 28 (when I started eating food out of a box and whatever could be delivered to my door) I started getting acne. I tried everything. I ordered expensive cleansers, I went to spas, there was no rock I left un-turned......except for one. Using natural products. Not products you buy at the store in a tube labeled natural, I mean actual natural products. 

     So here I was, making this commitment to myself that I wasn't going to use chemicals anymore, and my face was falling off. I was so dry around my mouth that I looked like I had fallen asleep, drooled all over myself, then forgot to wash my face. It was bad. What in the hell was I supposed to do? I Googled it. 

     Baking soda! Of course! I mixed baking soda with some coconut oil and voila! My skin was looking better already. Cut to a few weeks later, and I was using the exfoliant about 3 times a week when I got out of the shower, and using straight coconut oil as a moisturizer. I had stopped washing my face. My skin looked amazing, better then ever. This was getting expensive though. Not only was I using the coconut oil on my face, I was using it to moisturize my whole body. I looked online for a cheaper coconut oil, but I couldn't find anything that didn't make me feel like I was throwing money out the window. I don't mind cooking with it, I don't mind using it sparingly, but I felt wasteful rubbing it all over my body for the sake of beauty. I needed alternatives. 

     I did some more research, and what I came up with was Jojoba Oil and Olive Oil. Jojoba Oil is pretty amazing, I have been hearing about its benefits for years, but I had gotten to the point where I didn't trust hype anymore. I should have stopped listening to the hype of processed chemicals and started listening to the hype of nature a long time ago, because this stuff is AMAZING. I mean, holy cow. My skin is perfect. PERFECT. And my hair! Its so soft and shiny! What more could I ask for? 

     So how do I use it? I took an old glass spray bottle I had that contained a hair product and I cleaned and sanitized it (essential oils can break down plastic). I filled it with about 2/3 olive oil and 1/3 Jojoba Oil. I also added about 30 drops of tea tree oil, 6 drops of rose oil, 5 drops of lemon oil, and 5 drops of orange oil. All of these are food grade and certified organic. This oil smells SO good (my boyfriend cant get enough) but each essential oil has its own benefits as well.  I will have a list at the bottom of the blog for you on the benefits of each oil. Now, instead of washing my face, I have kept up exfoliating about 3 times a week with the baking soda and coconut oil, but at night and in the morning I spray a little bit of my Jojoba Oil mixture onto a washcloth and wash my face with it. I rinse with warm water, and apply just a bit more to my face to moisturize if needed. I also use this same mixture on my entire body including my hair for moisture. ALL OF MY HAIR PRODUCTS HAVE BEEN THROWN OUT, except for shampoo and conditioner! I don't need them anymore! 

     So, basically, I have gotten a heck of a lot prettier by switching to natural products, and I am getting tons of health benefits from it too. I will take that! 

Benefits from each product I am using:

Jojoba Oil - 

Uses: Eye and face makeup remover, moisturizer, facial cleanser, massage oil, foot and hand softener, deep conditioning treatment for hair, mend split ends of hair by applying a small amount to damp hair, cuticle treatment, lip conditioner, shaving prep and aftershave, acne treatment. 

Benefits: Jojoba oil is both antibacterial and anti fungal. Therefore Jojoba oil can really assist in the reduction of pimples and acne. Jojoba oil is also naturally rich in vitamins A, B1, B2, B6 and E, all of which are incredibly nourishing for the skin. Vitamin A is known to be an excellent wrinkle fighter whilst Vitamin E is used to minimize scaring in the skin.

Olive Oil - 

There are a variety of antioxidants in olive oil including Vitamin A and E but the most potent compound is hydroxytyrosol (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hydroxytyrosol). Hydroxytyrosol is a very rare but potent antioxidant found in olive oil that prevents free radical damage on skin cells.  Its deep penetrating properties not only moisturize your skin but also help brighten your skin.

TeaTree Oil - 

Antibacterial, Antimicrobial, Antiseptic, Antiviral, Balsamic (promotes absorption of nutrients from food and gives protection from diseases), Cicatrisant (heals wounds quicker and protects them from infections, as well as helps neutralization of the scar marks and after spots left by eruptions, boils, pox, acne etc.), Expectorant, Fungicide, Insecticide, Helps remove toxins from the body. 

Rose Oil - 

Antidepressant, Antiseptic, Antiviral, Aphrodisiac, Astringent, Bactericidal (It can be used in treatment of typhoid, diarrhea, cholera, food poisoning and other diseases which are caused by bacteria. Further, it can cure internal bacterial infections like in colon, stomach, intestines and urinary tract as well as external infections on skin, ears, eyes and in wounds.), Purifies blood, Great for the health of your liver, Soothes stomach and prevents ulcers, Regulates hormone production and helps balance them, It is one of the best oils which can give you a shining, fresh and youthful skin. 

Lemon Oil - 

Relieves stress, helps insomnia, helps aid in weight loss, strengthens hair and helps dandruff, Lemon oil is also a good remedy for the increasing the luster of dull skin. It's astringent and detoxifying in nature, and rejuvenates dull skin. Its antiseptic properties help in treating pimples and various skin disorders. Lemon is also recommended for oily skin.

Orange Oil - Anti inflammatory, Antidepressant, Aphrodisiac, Antiseptic, Diuretic, Very good for maintaining a healthy, smooth and glamorous skin. It also helps cure acne and dermatitis.

How it all began....

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  "The world is fucked, and I am part of it. I am doing nothing to make it better, and I sure as hell am not doing anything to make myself better. I am eating processed shit, I am working myself to death, and my idea of exercise is stretching on the couch after a nap." 
     That thought went through my head one day after seeing a Monsanto commercial. I bitch and I complain and I hate it all but what am I doing? Nothing. Nothing except buying in to what I claim to hate and waiting for everyone else to take action. Who is going to take action for me? Our wonderful politicians? That's not happening. 
     That was the beginning. That was all it took. A bit of a realization. I started reflecting on my life and realized that I have gotten so far away from who I once was, who I want to be, that I don't even recognize myself anymore. I hate who I have become. I used to make fun of people like me. How did this happen? I moved out of the small towns and into a city. I got sucked into the ease and convince of everything being right here for me. Whenever I want anything I can call someone and they will bring it to my door. Sure I was still able to avoid Walmart and tried to buy local and organic as much as possible, but that wasn't enough. I was getting fat. I was getting lazy. I was going to the grocery store instead of growing a few plants on my balcony. I was buying my food in boxes and letting other people do my cooking for me in the form of fast food. I was going days without leaving my apartment. I was eating Mac and Cheese out of a box filled with chemicals and dyes. Who was I? What did I stand for? What did I want for my future?
     I started on a path. A path that involved quitting my soul sucking job and going back to school full time. Eliminating processed foods from my diet completely. Quitting smoking. Buying a house with a nice sized back yard so that I can grow my own food. I even got chickens. 
     I vowed to never again eat meat if I didn't know exactly where it came from. This led to me becoming a vegetarian. I would never again eat food out of a box. I would never again consume something I couldn't pronounce. I would plan a garden and try to only eat my own vegetables for a year. I would make sure that I know where all my seeds come from and that they are not GMO.  I would remove all chemicals from my house starting with cleaning products. I would make sure that my animals were eating as good as I was. 
     I cant change the world but I can change my household. I have big plans for the future but for now, this is what I can do and what I can handle. This is a lot of change at once and I am trying to do it in a reasonable fashion. Thankfully I have a great foundation to pull from. I know what it is to eat from the land and know your farmer. I know what it is to drink from a well on the property and live off solar energy. I know what it is to conserve. I haven't forgotten, I just strayed away as an adult. I will go back. I will live the way that we are meant to live, eat the food we are meant to eat, and I will do my best to respect the world around me. I will stop supporting multinationals who do no good. I know that I will not be perfect in my endeavor, but I will try my hardest. 
     I know that a lot of people out there are going through the same thing right now, so I decided to chronicle my journey back to normal. I will let you know my plans, what I am eating, where I am getting it, what it is costing me, and how I am doing it all. 
     I am hoping for some great tips and tricks from readers as well as a lot of great discussion!