Automatic Dishwashing Powder

                                                       

Looking for a natural alternative to synthetic dishwashing powder? Homemade chemical-free powders often leave an unpleasant film. Here are some tips for making an all-natural powder that works for you.

1. Make your powder.
   
   • 1 cup washing soda
   • 1/2 cup baking soda
   • 1/2 cup borax
   
   Combine and store under the sink. Use 1-2 tbsp. per load. *
   
   I make a borax-free version using 1 cup baking soda and 1 cup washing soda. I avoid borax when it comes to my dishes but use it readily for my laundry soap. For more on the pros and cons of borax in natural products, see the article Borax: Friend or Foe?
   
   I make my own washing soda by heating baking soda for 30-60 minutes at 400 degrees. (See How to Make Your Own Washing Soda for more specifics.)
   
   * If your dishes appear cloudy, try using less of the powder. Sometimes a little less than 1 tablespoon is plenty.
2. Add white vinegar.
   
   White vinegar makes an ideal rinsing agent. However, adding it to the rinse compartment can corrode the dispenser over time. I add vinegar to the bottom of the dishwasher, using approximately 1/2 cup.
   
   For added benefit, soak your leftover lemon peels in white vinegar for several days. This will add natural citric acid to your dishwasher rinse. I soak lemon peels and pour the strained vinegar into my old white vinegar bottles (pictured above).
3. Add a dash of liquid castile soap.
   
   Too much soap is a problem. However, a tiny bit of liquid soap on the bottom of the dishwasher may be helpful. I keep a squeeze bottle of homemade liquid castile soap under my sink for this purpose, using 1-2 squirts per load. (The momsAWARE Online Store offers all-natural Coconut Castile Soap easily grated for liquid soap.)

With a little trial and error, you may find your dishes sparkling . . . chemical-free.

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Kefir and Yogurt: Good for the Brain

Probiotic milk is not only good for your digestion, research suggests it's also good for your brain! The following article, written for HandPicked Nation, reviews University of Southern California's research showing marked changes in the brain activity of women who consumed a fermented milk product.

Researchers at UCLA's David Geffen School of Medicine divided 36 healthy women into three groups. One group was given the fermented milk product with probiotic (FMPP) twice daily for four weeks. Another group was given a non-fermented milk product, and the third group was given nothing. The study included MRI testing before and after the four-week period.

The study's conclusion?

"Four weeks' intake of an FMPP by healthy women affected activity of brain regions that control central processing of emotion and sensation."

While further study is needed to show a definitive connection between fermented milk and elevated mood, the study validates the vital connection between the gut and the brain.

Sour milk products have been used for centuries to improve vitality and health. Hippocrates, the father of medicine, used liquid whey—or serum, as he called it—to strengthen immune resistance.

Kefir, a fermented milk product derived from globules of bacteria and yeast known as "grains," has a long history in Eastern Europe, Russia, and the Middle East. The word "kefir" is derived from the Turkish word "keif," which means "good feeling." An apt description for what fermented milk does for your entire body.

In the early 20th century, Nobel Prize recipient Eli Metchnikoff suggested that yogurt contributed to the longevity of Bulgarians, noting their average lifespan of 87 years. His "theory of longevity by yogurt" hypothesized that the consumption of live lactic acid bacteria in yogurt suppressed the multiplication of putrefactive bacteria in the large intestine.

"The dependence of the intestinal microbes on the food makes it possible to adopt measures to modify the flora in our bodies and to replace the harmful microbes by useful microbes." (Metchnikoff, 1907)

Why not consider adding some useful microbes to your diet? Be sure to look for the term "live cultures" when purchasing. The yellowish liquid on the top of the yogurt is the liquid whey. You might even try your hand at making your own fermented milk products. Yogurt strains like Viili and Matsoni are cultured at room temperature, eliminating the need for a yogurt maker. Cultures for Health offers an abundance of yogurt starters.

To read the article in its entirety, see Fermented Milk for the Gut and the Brain.

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Probiotic Bacteria to the Rescue

All of us are fighting a microbial battle, whether we realize it or not. The human intestinal lining is made up of trillions of these microorganisms, and either the balance is stable and healthy or the balance is tipped, allowing the proliferation of pathogenic microbes.

Antibiotics, environment, and diet all contribute in one way or another. Consuming probiotics in the form of supplements or food can play a critical role in restoring or maintaining health. These microorganisms are true superheroes—ready to step in when needed.

Drawing by Ryan Fabry

In her book Gut and Psychology Syndrome, Dr. Natasha Campbell-McBride lists six families of probiotic microbes. The following summary is excerpted from p. 247-249. (I heartily recommend reading her book for a more complete look at health and the gut lining.)

1. Lactobacilli. This is a large family of bacteria which produce lactic acid, hence their name . . . By producing lactic acid they maintain acidic environment (pH 5.5-5.6) on mucous membranes, which suppresses the growth of pathogenic microbes. Apart from lactic acid they produce a plethora of active substances: hydrogen peroxide, a powerful antiseptic; anti-bacterial, anti-viral and anti-fungal agents, which do not allow pathogens to take hold in the gut.
2. Bifidobacteria. This is a large family of probiotic bacteria . . . In an adult gut they are about seven times more numerous than Lactobacilli and fulfill many useful functions . . . Bifidobacteria actively synthesize amino acids, proteins, organic acids, vitamin K, vitamin B3 (niacin), folic acid, vitamin B6 (pyridoxine), vitamin B12 (cobalamin); assist absorption of Ca, iron and vitamin D.
3. Saccharomyces boulardii. This is a yeast first discovered by a French scientist, H. Boulard, in 1920. He observed that people in China treated diarrhea with an extract from the lychee fruit . . . Recently, there has been a lot of interest in using S. boulardii as an antagonist to a pathogenic yeast, Candida albicans.
4. Escherichia coli or E. coli. E.coli is a large family of bacteria. Pathogenic members of this family can cause serious infections. However, physiological strains of E. coli are normal and numerous inhabitants of the healthy human gut . . . Physiological strains of E. coli fulfill a number of beneficial functions in the body: they digest lactose, produce vitamins (vitamin K and group B) and amino acids, produce antibiotic-like substances called colicins, and have a powerful stimulating influence on local and systemic immunity.
5. Enterococcus faecium or Streptococcus faecalis. They normally live in the bowel where they control pathogens by producing hydrogen peroxide and reducing pH to 5.5. They break down proteins and ferment carbohydrates. There are a number of clinical studies showing that they are effective in treating various forms of diarrhea. These bacteria are quite common in probiotic formulas on the market.
6. Bacillus subtilis or soil bacteria. B. subtilis is a spore-forming microbe and is resistant to stomach acid, most antibiotics, temperature changes and other influences. It has strong immune-stimulating properties and is considered particularly effective with allergies and autoimmune disorders. It produces a whole host of digestive enzymes, anti-viral, anti-fungal, anti-bacterial and other active substances. Soil bacteria are not indigenous to humans; they are transitional microbes, which do not colonize the gut but go through it doing a lot of work on the way. (According to Campbell-McBride, "probiotics which contain soil bacteria are the most effective probiotics on the market.")

Campbell-McBride recommends Bio-Kult, a probiotic with 14 strains of bacteria, including B. subtilis. The Gut and Psychology Syndrome website also suggests GUTPro. Organic 3 offers the strain S. boulardii in its product Yeastbiotic.

One important note regarding probiotics in supplement or food form: It is best to start small. Introducing probiotic bacteria can result in a die-off response as the pathogens die and release toxins. This can manifest in a skin rash, extreme fatigue, fever, sore throat, or a variety of other symptoms.

Fermented foods offer a wonderful source of natural probiotics. In upcoming posts I will detail the benefits of Efficient Microorganisms, or EMs. EMs offer a combination of beneficial bacteria, yeasts, and soil bacteria. (Pictured here in my kitchen.)

Water and dairy kefir offer a combination of beneficial yeasts and bacteria. Yogurt provides lactic acid bacteria in abundance, as do sauerkraut and kimchi. See the momsAWARE Natural Year Challenge: Food Edition to learn more about making your own fermented foods.

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Gut-Restorative Diets

When I was searching for answers to my family's ongoing health issues, I made the decision to alter our diet. I found a great deal of conflicting information and found myself overwhelmed as I tried to sift through the various diet plans. In an effort to help others, I have written the following article comparing five of these diets.

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Yeasts, bacteria, and other microbes exist in abundance in every individual's digestive tract. The gut lining consists of both beneficial and harmful varieties. When the balance shifts in favor of pathogenic microbes, our immune system suffers.

Symptoms of bacterial and fungal overgrowth include fatigue, brain fog, joint pain, headaches, sugar cravings, OCD (obsessive-compulsive disorder), skin and nail fungal infections, dizziness, and much more. Antibiotics, environmental toxins, a highly processed diet, stress, and the aging process all contribute to microbial imbalance.

There are a myriad of options for those seeking to boost their immune system through diet. In this article we compare and contrast five popular diets designed to restore or maintain health.

• Phase One Antifungal Diet
• Bee's Healing Diet
• GAPS Diet
• Paleo Diet
• Body Ecology Diet

Before contrasting these diets, it's important to note their similarities.

1. Elimination of processed foods. What exactly are processed foods? The Food and Drug Administration defines them as "any food other than a raw agricultural commodity and includes any raw agricultural commodity that has been subject to processing, such as canning, cooking, freezing, dehydration, or milling." Dr. Natasha Campbell-McBride, author of Gut and Psychology Syndrome, notes that processed foods are natural foods that "get subjected to extreme heat, pressure, enzymes, solvents and countless number of various other chemicals." In addition, she notes, "fats get hydrogenated and proteins get denatured." She says the bulk of processed foods are carbohydrates which, in the form of processed foods, are burdensome to the body.
2. Elimination of sugar. Sugar is the primary food for pathogenic yeasts and bacteria. By taking sugar out of our diet, we essentially starve these pathogens. For more information on this concept (specifically relating to toxic fungi), see the article Forget Antibiotics, Steroids, and Medication – Starve This Toxin Out of Your Body by natural health advocate Dr. Joseph Mercola.
3. Elimination of grains. With the exception of Body Ecology's inclusion of grain-like seeds such as quinoa or buckwheat, all of these diets are grain-free. Grains and many root vegetables such as yams and potatoes are rich in starch. Digestion of starch requires quite a bit of work for the digestive system, leaving much of the starch undigested. Undigested starch provides food for pathogens. Doug Kaufmann, author of the Phase One diet, notes that mycotoxins are commonly found in grains because "sugar is the staple food of fungi, which makes grains one of their prime targets."

The following chart offers a comparison of the foods that are permitted on each of the diets. The chart is not a comprehensive assessment of each diet, but rather a tool to assist you in your research. See the individual websites linked above for specific protocols.

Click to download the
momsAWARE Antifungal Diet Comparison Chart

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Toxic Talk: Cleaning Without Chemicals

Join my husband Chris and me tomorrow, April 9, for another Toxic Talk Tuesday on Chris Fabry Live! We'll talk about cleaning without chemicals. Is it really possible to clean your home without bleach, sanitizers, and harsh detergents? Join us for a lively discussion Tuesday at 2:00 p.m. Central Time or visit the Chris Fabry Live! website to listen via audio stream or podcast.

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The Impact of Antibiotics on the Gut Lining

The following is excerpted from the book Gut and Psychology Syndrome by Dr. Natasha Campbell-McBride. In the chapter titled "What Can Damage Gut Flora?," Campbell-McBride considers the impact of antibiotics, drugs such as contraceptive pills and steroids, diet, environmental toxins, and more. She devotes two pages to the impact of antibiotics. This excerpt is taken from p. 34 and 35.

Penicillins

In this group we have very widely used Amoxicillin, Ampicillin, Flucloxacillin and all other antibiotics with Lactobacilli and Bifidobacteria, while promoting the growth of the pathogenic Proteus family, Streptococci and Staphylococci. This particular group of antibiotics allow bacteria normally found only in the bowel to move up to the intestines, which predisposes the person to development of IBS (Irritable Bowel Syndrome) and other digestive disorders.

Tetracyclines (Tetracycline, Doxycycline and other -cyclines)

This group of drugs is routinely prescribed to teenagers for acne as a long course, lasting from three months to two years. Tetracyclines have a particular toxic effect on the gut wall by altering protein structure in the mucous membranes. This in turn does two things. First it makes the gut wall anatomically vulnerable to invasion by pathogenic microbes; second, it alerts the immune system to attack these changed proteins, starting an auto-immune reaction in the body against its own gut. In parallel, tetracyclines stimulate growth of disease-causing Candida fungus, Staphylococci and Clostridia in the digestive tract.

Aminoglycosides (Gentamycin, Kanamycin), Macrolides (Erythromycin and other -mycins)

These drugs have a particular devastating effect on colonies of beneficial bacteria in the gut such as physiological E. coli and Enterococci. A prolonged course of treatment can completely eliminate these bacteria from the digestive system, leaving it open to invasion by pathogenic species of E. coli and other microbes.

Antifungal antibiotics (Nystatin, Amphotericin, etc.)

These drugs lead to selective stimulation of growth of the Proteus family and lactose-negative E. coli species, capable of causing serious disease.

Combinations of antibiotics have stronger damaging effects on the gut flora than single drugs. The damage is worse when antibiotics are administered orally and when the course of antibiotic is a lengthy one on a low dose, like the one prescribed for acne, chronic cystitis, chronic ear infection and other chronic infections. Medical personnel and workers in the pharmaceutical industry are at a particular risk of chronic exposure to low doses of antibiotics, and indeed gut dysbiosis is very common among these people.

When an antibiotic is prescribed in a high dose, it leaves the gut with a lot of empty niches to be populated by whatever bacteria, viruses or fungi get there first. This is a crucial time to administer a good probiotic to make sure that these niches get populated by friendly bacteria instead of pathogenic ones. Even when the course of antibiotic is short and the dose is low, it takes beneficial bacteria in the gut a long time to recover: physiological E. coli takes one to two weeks, Bifidobacteria and Veillonelli take two to three weeks, Bacteroids and Peptostreptococci take a month. If in this period the gut flora is subjected to another damaging factor(s), then gut dysbiosis may well start in earnest.

Dr. Campbell-McBride recommends Bio-Kult Probiotic to help repopulate the beneficial microbes. She also encourages the consumption of fermented foods on a daily basis. For more on fermented foods, see the momsAWARE article Health Benefits of Lacto-Fermented Foods.

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