Recipes, tips and more..

                 The loving medicine that is Hibiscus - learn how to make a simple Hibiscus tisane                                      

Hibiscus tea has a ton of health benefits. Hibiscus Tea has been known to prevent hypertension, lower blood pressure, reduce blood sugar levels, keep your liver healthy, help with menstrual cramps, help with depression, aid digestion and help with weight management. Its rich in Vitamin C, contains minerals such as flavonoids and has laxative properties. And it tastes delicious!
 
But just to be safe, we want to make sure we know as much as we can about the things we put into our bodies, Hibiscus tea can also have some side effects:
Hibiscus Tea can affect estrogen levels which means that it has an effect of both pregnancy and fertility. If you are trying to become pregnant or are pregnant, you should probably avoid hibiscus in your diet. It also lowers blood pressure which can be harmful if you already suffer from low blood pressure. But with anything that has medicinal properties, it's really important to see if it works for you! 

Now on to the recipe for boiling these beauties!  

What you need: 

• 2 cups of Hibiscus flowers (fresh or dried), I prefer fresh petals, for it makes more, and tastes richer.
• 8 cups of fresh, distilled or filtered water
• 1/4 organic, local, raw honey (you can put more, depending on how sweet you like it).
• 3 tablespoons of fresh squeezed lemon juice (optional)

1. Make sure you remove the calyx and the pistil from the flowers. 
2. Wash flower petals thoroughly. Make sure there isn't any pollen, dirt or bugs. These flowers carry a lot with them! 
3. Boil the 8 cups of water and steep the 2 cups of Hibiscus flowers. I steeped for about an hour to really get all the richness and flavors from the flower. 
4. Strain the water into a pitcher or jar.
5. Add the 1/4 cup of honey and mix well. 
6. You can serve this hot or cold. But to serve cold, keep refrigerated overnight to let the tisane really settle. 
7. Get creative! Add some fresh mint, lemon juice, basil leaves; whatever your palate desires! 

ENJOY... AND PLEASE SHARE ANY THOUGHTS, COMMENTS OR QUESTIONS ON HOW YOUR TEA CAME OUT! 

To diy toothpaste or not to diy toothpaste, that is the question..
 

From a practical standpoint, brushing your teeth with toothpaste is unnecessary. You can remove food debris and plaque from your teeth without using toothpaste. All you need is a soft toothbrush and good brushing techniques to remove plaque. (https://www.dentalplans.com/dental-information/dental-concerns/does-toothpaste-damage-my-teeth) There was even a study done that concluded brushing first without toothpaste leads to better plaque removal when compared with toothbrushing with toothpaste. Brushing without toothpaste, however, does not prevent cavities. I personally would like to have some sort of cleaning mixture to use when brushing, and I think most of us would. But to each their own on how they would like to approach the toothpaste question. Questions have also arose if making diy toothpaste is safe and effective. However, there has been more research and support to prove that it is safe, rather than it isn't. (Disclaimer: I am not a dentist, but I have done thorough research on this topic. If you find that the only method that works for you is to buy regular toothpaste in the plastic tube, or your dentist recommends that you do not use natural or homemade toothpaste, than please follow your dentist's advice. We do not want to force people to change or go against what is needed for their health. We just want to suggest alternatives to using plastic, and how to do so!)

With that being said, let us delve into the world of homemade/handmade toothpaste!

Benefits of homemade toothpaste:
1. No plastic! I think we are all happy about that one. I know I am.
2. Cost effective. In the world of going plastic-free, we also want to make the process as low cost as possible. You will surely save a lot making your own toothpaste. Those savings will add up. Good toothpaste can be very costly.
3. It's a fun, mindful activity that can be done together with family, friends and loved ones.

My easy recipe for homemade toothpaste:

What you will need:
1. A glass container/jar with lid
2. Organic, unrefined coconut oil
3. Baking Soda
4. Organic peppermint, (or any flavor), essential oil (optional)

Directions: 
1. Clean and prepare the container where you will be storing the toothpaste. I used a recycled jam jar that was a perfect size for toothpaste storage. But feel free to use a mason jar, or any other type of glass container with a lid. No plastic of course!
2. Depending on how much you are making, pour 1 part Organic, unrefined coconut oil with 1 part baking soda, into a bowl. If you use 1/2 cup of the coconut oil, than use about 1/2 cup of the baking soda as well. NOTE: If you find that the toothpaste is a little too liquidy, add more baking soda to the mixture. No matter what, homemade toothpaste will not have the same consistency as store bought toothpaste, because it doesn't have all the additives, preservatives and unhealthy ingredients!
3. Then drop 20-25 drops of essential oil into the mixture (optional).
4. Mix thoroughly with a wooden utensil. I used a wooden chopstick I had recycled.
5. Transfer to your jar of choice and seal with a lid until use!

There are definitely more complex and intricate recipes for diy toothpaste that contain ingredients such as bentonite clay and xylitol. I have seen a variety of recipes for this more complex toothpaste online, but probably one of the best is from this dentist in Spain. If you are feeling ambitious and have access to these ingredients, please do try the more complicated recipe! If not, try mine and let me know how it worked for you! In addition, if you have other tips/questions/comments to add, please do so!

And don't forget your bamboo toothbrush! One of the first things to go is that old dreaded plastic toothbrush that takes 400 years or never, to decompose!