ABOUT OIL OF OREGANO

Oil of oregano is high in antioxidants and is an excellent antiseptic; it has the ability to destroy: bacteria, viruses, parasites, fungus and more. Hippocrates, the famous ancient Greek physician (who I deeply admire), used oil of oregano to treat his patients.

Oil of oregano is derived from the flowers and leaves of wild oregano plants, and it is much more potent than regular oregano. It rich in antioxidants: carvacrol and thymol, which are key ingredients in its antimicrobial properties.

Most people take oil of oregano internally (via a liquid dropper or capsule); however, it can also be applied topically for various infections of the skin. Because oil of oregano is so potent, it must be diluted with a carrier oil (generally olive oil). It is also best to purchase organic oil of oregano if it is available. I purchased
mine on iherb.com.

I have successfully treated cold sores, sinus issues, and cold/flu symptoms with oil of oregano.

MY SUCCESS WITH OIL OF
OREGANO

• Cold Sores/Herpes Simplex Virus 1:

MY HISTORY OF COLD SORES/HERPES SIMPLEX VIRUS 1:

This used to be extremely embarrassing to admit, but I have the occasional cold sore outbreak on my lips. And yes, cold sores are herpes, but I would much rather refer to them as cold sores. Anyways, my boyfriend transmitted the virus to me after a heavy make out session when we were 17. I was uneducated about cold sores/herpes at the time, and I no clue he even had a sore on his lip when he kissed me. Obviously he was uneducated about cold sores as well; otherwise, he wouldn’t have kissed me and cursed me with this virus for the rest of my life!

When I was first diagnosed with the virus, I got EXTREMELY sick. When I say sick I mean fever, chills, and aches. I was sick for nearly 2 weeks…not to mention my upper lip was full on covered in NASTY cold sores. I felt like it was the end of the world. I was devastated to have this horrible
disease/virus for life. Although the virus stays dormant in your spinal column for life, fortunately, it only comes to the surface of the skin when your body is under stress, when your skin is aggravated (by the sun, wind chills, skin products, etc.), or when you are sick.

Now that my immune system is able fight the virus more easily, I rarely get cold sores on my upper lip and they heal much quicker when I do get them (as long as I don’t touch them and make them spread). For me it takes about 7 days for the cold sore/s to go through their stages (from the tingling phase to the scab healing phase).

There are times when I don’t get that tingling sensation to let me know I have a cold sore erupting from underneath my skin so I accidently spread the virus either by applying lip balm, or by simply touching the infected area of my lip and then touching another part of my lip. This results in a longer, stressful, anxiety stricken healing process. I hate when people stare at my cold sores. They are extremely embarrassing when I am out in public!

I am so thankful I recently came across a natural remedy to treat cold sores: OIL OF OREGANO!

HOW TO TREAT COLD SORES/HERPES WITH OIL OF OREGANO:

Whenever I get the tingling sensation on my lip, or notice I have a cold sore, I dab a small amount of oil of oregano on the infected area every couple hours of the day with a q-tip. This results in the cold sore scabbing up within a day (24 hours)! It was almost too good to be true when I first tried the remedy. I was amazed! I also take a few drops of the oil internally just as a precaution when cold sores pop up on my lip. I think the internal and external combination
of the oil really helps.

IS IT POSSIBLE FOR OIL OF OREGANO TO COMPLETELY DESTROY THE HERPES VIRUS TO WHERE THE VIRUS IS NO LONGER DORMANT IN YOUR NERVOUS SYSTEM?

We have all been told that once you are “blessed” with the herpes virus, it will never leave your nervous system for good. What if I told you there is a possibility of completely destroying the virus from your body with oil of oregano?

I am somewhat skeptical of this, but I have read in several places via the web that oil of oregano has the ability to completely destroy the dormant virus from the body (to where you will never get another cold sore outbreak in your life)! You’re supposed to take the oil of oregano internally (around 4 drops a day) and then rub the oil on your spinal column (because this is where the virus lies dormant). I’m not sure how long you’re supposed to do this before the virus is completely destroyed, but I will test this theory out for a year by taking it internally every day or every other day, as well as rubbing it along my spinal column. I am going to be optimistic about this and
hope that my herpes virus will be cured. I will gladly give you all an update in a few months.

• Cold and Flu Symptoms:

I absolutely despise getting sick…but then again, who doesn’t? I rarely get sick now that I eat super healthy most of the time, but when I do get sick, oil of oregano comes to the rescue!

HOW TO GET OVER A COLD OR FLU WITH OIL OF OREGANO:

As soon as I experience flu or cold-like symptoms, I take four drops of oil of oregano; I drop them in the middle of my tongue, take a large swig of water, and swallow. The taste is much more bearable that way. When I am sick, or in the beginning stages of a sickness, I take 4 drops at a time, 3 times a day. You can adjust the doses to accommodate your needs.

Just recently I have had two instances where I felt the onstage of flu or cold-like symptoms and was able to keep my illness from worsening, and kill the bacterial or viral infection. Some people may think that I am crazy to believe this, but I really do believe that oil of oregano has the ability to cure a bacterial infection or virus. The reason why I am so sure of this is because oil of oregano is able to destroy cold sores from my lip, scabbing them up within one day (when normally it takes several days to do so). For those of you that don’t know, cold sores/herpes is a virus. This gives me enough proof to believe in oil of oregano’s antiseptic properties.

WHAT ELSE DOES OIL OF OREGANO TREAT?

Oil of Oregano is known to help with:

• Respiratory infections
• Sinus infections
• Fungal infections
• Gum disease
• Acne
• Psoriasis
• Stomach flu
• Warts
• Digestive problems including constipation
• etc.

If you’ve cured any health issues with oil of oregano I would love to hear about it!

Agape & Zoe Naturals is a small business founded in Dallas, TX by Patricia Malemes. “Agape & Zoe” is actually Greek for “Love & Life”. Patricia, the owner/founder,  is dedicated to offering products with simple, natural, organic ingredients.

Agape & Zoe Naturals’ product line includes: 
Deodorant, Lotion, Soy Candles, Hair de-frizz serum, and organic PERFUME!

Agape & Zoe perfumes are purely made of organic grain alcohol and invigorating, organic essential oils. Patricia is transitioning her perfume base to organic jojoba oil, instead of  the organic grain alcohol. I’m not positive if the transition is done with or not, though.

Anyhow, I purchased the sampler perfume set, which includes a small vial of each of  Patricia’s 10 signature scents. I suggest purchasing this before you purchase a large bottle of perfume; that way you can figure out which scents you like best. Boy, was I surprised when I received the sampler set! They smell so wonderful!

Here are the organic scents:

BEAUTY: a sultry blend of vanilla, sandalwood, and lemon – This is one of my faves. It has a powdery vanilla scent that I love.

SUGARED CRUSH- a youthful combination of cotton candy, vanilla, and bubble gum – This scent is my MOST FAVORITE! It smells so, so good! It reminds me a lot of  the fragrance Pink Sugar by Aquolina (but without the toxic headache).

FAITH: an uplifting blend of vanilla and citrus – I also really like this one.

GREEN: a refreshing combination of cucumber and mandarin, with a hint of mint  - This perfume has a wonderful scent, but I can’t see myself wearing it all the time because I prefer sweeter smelling perfumes. It reminds me a lot of Cucumber Melon from Bath and Body Works, but with a minty scent. 

PEACE: delightful blend of jasmine and citrus-This reminds me of a sweet, ocean breeze scent (if that means anything…lol). I don’t particularly like it but it’s not bad.  It’s a more sophisticated scent that an older person may enjoy.

PURE INNOCENCE: a cherubic blend of citrus and floral gardenia – This perfume has a hefty floral scent that I’m not too fond of but I’m sure there are plenty of people that may like it. (Out of all scents this is probably my least favorite.)

TRUE:  a powdery blend of sandalwood and rose – This scent has a powdery flower scent to it. I like it but it’s not my most favorite.

REPOSE: a calming blend of lavender and vanilla - I like this scent a lot also. You’ll like it as long as you like vanilla and lavender.

AFTOS-  MEN’S SCENT combing bergamot, vetiver, and juniper berry. -This is a nice scent that my boyfriend actually likes; however, the formula recently changed so I can’t give you any feedback on the new concoction.
***On Agape & Zoe’s Facebook page, Patricia says: ”The new Aftos is here! This one-ounce, organic grain alcohol-based cologne has rich organic essential oils like bergamot, lavender, and juniper berry.”  Someone commented after her: “What designer cologne does it smell like?”, and Patricia responded: “Actually, for the past couple of hours I have been repeatedly smelling it and it smells VERY similar to XERYUS For Men By GIVENCHY. Very similar!”.

Update: Patricia was so kind to send me a bottle of the new AFTOS cologne. I tested it out on my boyfriend, and we really like the scent. It has a forest-like, woodsy scent. Just be careful; it’s really strong so you probably only need to spray it once.

BOTANICA:  fresh and floral with strong notes of honeysuckle and lighter notes of gardenia and vanilla – Botanica is a wonderful sweet, floral fragrance

I highly suggest you purchase the sampler perfume set. You won’t be disappointed with Agape & Zoe products!

 You can shop for Agape & Zoe products here: http://shop.agapeandzoe.com/ .

I wish Patricia  and Agape & Zoe much success in the future. Keep up the awesome work Patricia!

BTW: Want to know how toxic your perfume is? Look it up here, and compare it to Agape & Zoe perfume: EWG Cosmetic Database. You’ll be surprised! The Environmental Working Group’s toxicity rankings for Agape & Zoe products are all between 0 and 2, which is AWESOME! Click here to see.

 UPDATE: Unfortunately, Agape & Zoe is going out of business.   I’m super upset about this, and hope that someday Patricia will be able to re-open her business.  Her products are awesome, and one-of-a-kind.  I wish you best of luck in all your endeavors, Patricia!

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I was inspired by Suki’s Exfoliate foaming cleanser to make a similar, cheaper face scrub at home. I absolutely love Suki’s cleanser because it exfoliates so well and smells so awesome. Unfortunately, it’s a bit pricey…around $30 for a 4oz jar of it. After realizing that the major ingredients in it are so simple, I decided to create my own concoction and it works pretty well. The only thing is: it doesn’t foam, but that’s no biggie. Here’s how I made it:

ORGANIC LEMONGRASS FACE SCRUB
*This recipe makes enough for one face scrub “serving”. It doesn’t look like it makes much but it’s all you really need.

• 1 teaspoon of Organic Rice Flour
• 1 heaping tablespoon of an Organic Carrier Oil ( Coconut Oil, Jojoba Oil, Grapeseed Oil etc.). If you have acne prone skin I suggest you try Jojoba Oil.
• 1-2 drops of Lemongrass Oil
• a few drops of  Water (filtered or distilled preferably)

Directions: Mix all ingredients together in small bowl.

How to Use:  Wet face with warm water and apply face scrub with gentle upward circle motions. Remove scrub gently with a warm, wet wash cloth.

TIPS:

• Use this scrub as a body scrub, but add some sugar to create a harsher scrub.
• If you don’t have any lemongrass oil, add a couple drops of lemon, lime, orange, or pineapple juice. These fruits contain alpha-hydroxy acids, which are natural skin exfoliants.
• Make sure to only add 1-2 drops of lemongrass oil. If you add too much, it can be extremely irritating to the skin.

I hope you enjoy this SIMPLE beauty recipe!

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Larabars are tasty energy bars made of simple and healthy ingredients. LARABAR describes their bars as a “delicious blend of unsweetened fruits, nuts and spices. Pure and simple, just as nature intended”. Their ingredients are very limited compared to other energy bars like Cliff Bars. They are gluten-free and most of them are vegan.

To me, they are a healthy substitute for a dessert. LARABAR flavors include: Cherry Pie, Apple Pie, Chocolate Coconut, Cinnamon Roll, Peanut Butter Cookie, Peanut Butter and Jelly, Tropical Fruit Tart, Carrot Cake, Chocolate Chip Brownie, Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough, Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip, Cashew Cookie, Pecan Pie, Banana Bread, Lemon Bar, Key Lime Pie, Ginger Snap, and Coconut Cream Pie.

So far I have tried Cherry Pie, Apple Pie, and Lemon Bar and I love them all! Cherry Pie is my favorite, however…and it only has 3 simple ingredients: dates, almonds, and unsweetened cherries!

I just wish they were organic. Other than that, they are wonderful. You can buy a variety pack of Larabars here. I, however, purchase mine at Kroger in the Natural Food Section.

2. Shark Steam Pocket Mop

I hate old fashion mops. They are gross, dirty, filthy things. But this mop, is nothing like the ordinary mop! First of all, you don’t use any chemicals with it to clean your floors; all you need is water! You fill the “pocket mop” with water, plug the electrical cord in, wait a few minutes for it to heat the water up, pump the handle a couple of times to produce steam, and you’re good to mop! The cloth pads are removable so you can throw them in the washing machine and reuse them.

How great is that? This is the most awesome, green, toxic-free way to clean your floors. I love my Shark Mop!

3. Aubrey Organics Natural Missst Herbal Hairspray- Super Hold

Why do I love this hairspray? Well for starters, it doesn’t smell like your average, toxic, cancer causing hair spray…Let’s just say I don’t cough and gag every time I use it. lol. It’s a more natural hairspray made with organic lavender and various other elements. I couldn’t tell you exactly what it smells like, except that it smells like a wonderful mixture of herbs. I like it; it smells good, it smells natural, and it holds my hair like a hair spray is supposed to. Oh, and this product has a very low toxicity ranking on the Cosmetic Database (3 out of 10)!

4. Yes To Carrots Lip Butter

This lip butter is so awesome that it’s USDA certified organic! I couldn’t believe my eyes when I saw the USDA Organic label on them on Target! ahhh. The lip butter’s main ingredients are coconut oil, olive oil, and beeswax. (Sorry if you’re a hardcore vegan). The scents come in Berry, Mint, Carrot, Citrus, Mango, and Pomegranate. When I purchased mine at Target I got a three pack with Berry, Mint and Carrot.

The berry scented one rocks! It reminds me of strawberries and raspberries. It has a slight sweet taste, but it’s not very strong. I’m not too fond of the carrot scent because…well, it smells like carrots and I prefer to smell sweet like fruit. The mint scent reminds me of those round peppermint candies, or I guess a candy cane, and it leaves your lips feeling cool and tingly. I haven’t tried any of the other lip butter scents but I can’t wait to try the melon and pomegranate.

5. 7th Generation Natural Laundry Detergent

I love, love, love 7th Generation’s natural powdered laundry detergent! It is a vegetable-based, biodegradable, hypo-allergenic, phosphate free laundry detergent and I freaking love it! Not only is it safe for you and me, but it’s safe for the environment. The powdered detergent comes in two scents: White Flower & Bergamot Citrus, and Free & Clear. I use the White Flower & Bergamot Citrus. It has a very light, pleasing floral scent that isn’t too strong like Tide and other brands. The detergent cleans my clothes well and leaves them with a soft pleasant scent that is not overpowering or chemically smelling. This is the only 7th Generation product I have tried so far and I am quite impressed.

I purchased this pillow a few months ago and I absolutely love it! It’s in the shape of a wrench/dog bone to keep your face from smooching up against your pillow while you sleep (which can result in wrinkles, temporary lines, and sagging skin). It is SO comfortable!

You can lay comfortably on your back or side without worrying about messing up your beautiful skin. I no longer have pillow lines on my face anymore, nor do I have puffy eyes when I wake up in the morning! Because I purchased the smaller pillow (La Petite), I have to put it on top of a regular pillow, which is fine by me. The Save My Face pillow is a bit pricey, but I think it is a great long-term investment to prevent premature aging.  

2. SUKI’S NATURALS – EXFOLIATE FOAMING CLEANSER:
Gently exfoliate your face with this toxic-free cleanser
This stuff smells incredible! It smells similar to lemon pie! Yummy!… Not only does this product smell good but it also works great!

It is a gentle exfoliating face cleanser with a very low toxicity rating (according to the Environmental Working Group). You only need to use a small quantity to wash your face. You just put some on your fingers, add a little bit of water, rub your hands together to make the cleanser foam, and apply to your face. It gently exfoliates with the help of rice powder and sugar, and cleanses and moisturizes with ingredients such as: olive oil, chamomile, lavender, sage, calendula, rose hips, lemongrass & orange, vegetable glycerin, and seaweed extract. I love how natural this product is! I accidentally got some in my mouth and it tastes incredible too! LOL. No worries though; it has a very low toxicity score of a 1. My skin is a little dry after using this product (probably due to the lemon & orange extract) so it is essential for me to moisturize after cleansing. I usually only use this product twice a week to exfoliate my skin. The rest of the time I do the oil cleansing method to wash my face.

3.YES TO CARROTS! Nourishing Shampoo & Conditioner:
Have beautiful Hair without the toxic buildup

OMG! I love this stuff! Say goodbye to your toxic shampoo and conditioner! Yes to Carrots! Nourishing  shampoo and conditioner are free of toxic chemicals like petroleum, sodium lauryl sulfate, and paraben! Thank goodness!  The shampoo cleanses my hair perfectly and the conditioner adds just enough moisture to where my hair is soft and manageable. I have a relatively oily scalp, and surprisingly both the shampoo and conditioner work great for me (considering it’s for normal hair). The only thing I had to get used to was the smell. It’s definitely not a bad smell. It just doesn’t have a typical chemical smell to it like most shampoos and conditioners. It definitely does have a clean “carroty” smell to it though. I didn’t like it at first until I smelled it on my boyfriend’s hair; then, I thought it smelled pretty good. Yes to Carrots! also has a Yes to Tomatoes! and Yes to Cucumbers! Shampoo and Conditioner but I haven’t had a chance to try them out yet.

4. AUBREY ORGANICS NATURAL SUN SPF 15 SAVING FACE UNSCENTED 2.3oz :
Protect your face from the sun’s harmful rays with this toxic-free sunscreen

I absolutely love Aubrey Organics products! I purchased this lotion to use as a face moisturizer before applying makeup in the morning. It contains a safe SPF (aka zinc oxide) to protect against the sun’s rays and prevent premature aging. The real reason why I selected this product over other products on the market is because The Environmental Working Group’s toxicity rating for this product is a 1 out of 10 (which is excellent for a facial moisturizer containing sunscreen)! I have combination skin and this product keeps my skin well moisturized (without feeling greasy at all). The lotion has a very thin consistency so it feels very light-weight on my skin. The product contains organic aloe, organic jojoba oil, and organic sunflower oil to moisturize the skin. The only thing I don’t like about this product is the tube packaging. Because the lotion is so thin, when I open the cap, the lotion flows quickly out of the tube without applying much pressure. Aubrey Organics should probably invest in a bottle with a pump for the product. Other than that, I really like the lotion, and will continue to purchase it.

5. WORLD CUISINE 48297-99 TRI-BLADE PLASTIC SPIRAL VEGETABLE SLICER:
Ditch wheat pasta, and make zucchini and squash pasta!
Pasta and bread have not been treating my digestive system too nicely lately so I have been trying to avoid them as much as possible. To solve my dilemma, I decided to google alternatives to wheat pasta. I came across several websites claiming you can use a “spiral slicer” to create zucchini and squash pasta which was very exciting to me! I had no clue what a spiral slicer was at the time but the concept of zucchini pasta interested me enough to purchase this World Cuisine spiral slicer! I am very happy about my decision to purchase this product. I can now enjoy a healthy alternative to pasta. My favorite pasta to make is zucchini pasta. I normally eat it raw with spaghetti sauce, or olive oil & basil, but you may want to steam your vegetable pasta first to soften it up a bit.

6.  LOVING NATURALS 100% NATURAL PEPPERMINT & VANILLA BODY WASH:
Feel good about lathering this toxic -free body wash all over your skin!

  I purchased this body wash originally because it is 100% toxic-free according to the Environmental Working Group. I am trying to eliminate as many toxins as I can in my daily life and I am very pleased with my purchasing of this toxic-free body wash. It has a very pleasant smell; it smells like peppermint and vanilla just as the bottle describes. It’s not an overwhelming powerful smell like most body washes. It’s a very light fragrance but it sure does smell divine! It gets my body clean, leaving a soft pleasant fragrance on my skin. Plus, it doesn’t dry out my skin at all like a lot of body washes.

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*Please note that Birth Control is the only continuous prescription I have ever taken (in my entire life).

 After being on birth control for a few months I started noticing some changes. At the time I didn’t see the correlation, but now that I look back, most of these changes were more than likely all related to being on birth control.

Here are some changes I experienced on birth control (specifically ortho evra):

Negative Symptoms:

• Headaches: I literally NEVER got headaches before starting birth control. However, after I started ortho evra I got killer headaches all the time!  At the time, I thought it was due to me getting older, but now I believe that birth control was the cause of my headaches.
• Blurry Vision:  I noticed that my vision would get blurry from time to time after I started taking birth control.
• Twitching in thigh area and upper eye lid: When I told my doctor about this she brushed it off like it was nothing serious and said it was unrelated to the birth control. I am 95% positive that the twitching WAS related to the birth control because I never had twitching like that (before starting birth control), and I haven’t experienced it since I stopped taking it.
• Nausea several times a month
• Weight gain: I gained about 6 pounds but I probably needed to gain it anyways. The reason why I know the weight gain is attributable to the birth control is because I lost 6lbs after stopping!  All this time I thought it was because I was getting older.
• Dryer skin: After about year 5 of being on birth control my skin started drying out. After I decided to stop taking birth control, my skin was much more lubricated and actually became a little too oily for my taste. But hey, it’s better than having dry skin!
• Spider veins: My mother has spider veins all over her legs, but I never got them until I started taking birth control. Since I stopped taking birth control it seems as though the spider veins are gradually disappearing. I also haven’t gotten any new ones since I stopped taking BC.
• Cellulite: During the time I was on birth control I only weighed 108 pounds. When I started noticing cellulite on my upper thighs it freaked me out! How could someone SO small get cellulite? It was only a little bit, but it bothered me. After I stopped birth control, my thighs got smaller and the cellulite went away, thankfully.
• Anxiety: I used to get panic attacks like crazy on birth control. Granted I do still get them from time to time, but they are never as bad as they were when I was on birth control.
• Dark circles under my eyes:  I’ve been genetically blessed with a hollow under eye area so I already have dark under eye circles to begin with.  After being on birth control for nearly 6 years the circles under my eyes seemed to have worsened (which makes sense due to the increase in toxins in my body).
• No energy: I always felt tired.

 Positive Symptoms:

• Larger cup size
• Clear skin! No more acne!

 See how the TEN negatives outweigh the TWO positives!?

 I decided that after all the symptoms I was experiencing, and factoring in the long period of time I had been forcing synthetic hormones in my body…. I thought it would be a good idea to give my body a chance to rest and detox. Plus I did not want to get cancer, or develop a tumor due to the high estrogen levels and the rest of the synthetic chemicals they put in that stuff. I had been on birth control for a little over 6 years so who knows what could have happened if I stayed on it for another year or longer!

 I stopped taking birth control a few months prior to my 24^th birthday. I have been off birth control for about 4 months. 

Here are some of the detox symptoms I have experienced:

• Bad headaches
• Feeling REALLY sick for the first 2 months - Flu like symptoms and feeling very tired.
• Brain Fog: It was hard to concentrate at times.
• Increased blurry vision
• Difficulty breathing: After about a month of being off birth control, for about 2 weeks, I had hard time breathing. And this is coming from a person who exercises on her elliptical at least 3 times a week for 30 minutes. For those 2 weeks I couldn’t even walk up two flights of stairs without feeling like I was going to die.  I’m still skeptical if it was related to the birth control. It was either that or, it could have been an upper respiratory infection. I was seriously about to go to the doctor, but luckily things went back to normal after a couple of weeks.
• Weight Loss at month 3 ½: I lost about 6 pounds and my clothes were fitting very loosely.
• Decreased cup size at month 3 ½
• Acne like crazy at month 3
• Hair loss at month 4: My hair has been shedding like crazy lately and it’s much thinner. I can’t notice the hair loss by looking at it in the mirror, but I can tell by wrapping my fingers around it. It seems to be falling out in random places (as I do not have any bald spots). After searching the internet for similar cases I found this to be quite normal after stopping birth control. There is a name for the condition. It is called: telogen effluvium (but it’s not only related to birth control). When you stop taking birth control, your body goes into shock and this is what causes telogen effluvium. It is a temporary form of hair loss due to the abrupt change in hormone levels in your body. Once your hormones are balanced again, your hair will grow back (more than likely). Unfortunately, it can take somewhere between 6 months and a year for your hair go back to normal. Sometimes it can take even longer. Some people are going back on birth control to stop the hair loss but I think that’s plain stupid. I will wait for my body to rid the synthetic toxins and re-balance itself, and then hopefully my hair will grow back to the way it used to be. I can already see tiny hairs growing on the top of my head so I think that’s a good sign.

I think it’s too early for me to experience the positive symptoms of ending my use of birth control because my body is still in the detox mode. It has only been 4 months since the halt. I’ve read that some doctors say it will only take a month or two for the birth control to completely leave your system, but I believe this to be untrue. Maybe it’s different for everyone.  I think in about a year the toxins will completely be out of my body, and my body and mind will be in a healthier, more energized state.

I know that there’s a much higher chance of becoming pregnant now but I would much rather risk it to be healthy and cancer free!

 Have any of you experienced the same symptoms as me? I would love to hear your input.

 Here is some additional information about birth control:

According to the Discovery Health website, in 2002, it was reported that nearly 11 million women in the United States use birth control. I’m not sure what the numbers are for 2011, but I’m 90% positive that the number is exceedingly higher.

I think birth control is good idea in theory but the reality is: birth control, along with many other pharmaceuticals,  are destroying our bodies from the inside out. The way I see it is: We’re slowly poisoning ourselves to death with unnecessary pharmaceuticals.  I wish doctors were more trustworthy and did not prescribe you medication every time you have a medical problem. Our bodies are capable of healing themselves with the help of a healthy diet and a stress-free environment. The FDA, along with doctors and pharmaceutical companies, know what these drugs are doing to our bodies; yet they just keep their mouths shut so they can collect their paychecks. grrr!

I would love to hear your thoughts on my post.

P.S. Please subscribe to my blog if you would like updates on new posts.

**UPDATE** 

February 17, 2012

Some of you have been asking me for an update. So here it is:

It’s been about one year and 2 months since I stopped taking birth control, and I feel great! I no longer have headaches, no longer have weird twitching in my muscles, no longer have brain fog, no longer get horrible panic attacks, and am no longer losing massive amounts of hair. My hair is starting to grow in a lot; I can tell because there are tiny hairs all over the top of my head! The only problem I continue to have
is acne, but it has definitely subsided greatly.  It’s slowly getting better.  I have faith that it will eventually go away.

Anyways, I am tremendously happy I stopped taking birth control, and hope that this post gives you encouragement to, as well.  

Let me know if you have any other questions.

Thank you all for your support! xoxo

 I found out about facial exercises after googling “minimally invasive procedures to correct saggy upper eyelids” or something along the lines of that.  I recently noticed that my upper eyelids are starting to droop (a tad bit), and I don’t like it. It’s not that noticeable, but hey, I noticed it, and I don’t like it. lol.

Exercising your face muscles works the same way as exercising the rest of the muscles in your body. You work out muscles to tone them and create definition, so why wouldn’t it work with our face muscles too? You can sculpt your gluteus muscles to appear firmer and more lifted. That’s what we call a natural butt lift! So if we are capable of doing this, why wouldn’t we be able to give ourselves a natural facelift by exercising the muscles in our faces? Think about it… gravity pulls your skin and muscles down over time. By exercising your face muscles, this creates resistance to the gravity, and your muscles become firmer and stronger, and they are able to better fight off gravity.  It makes sense to me.

When I found out about the fascinating subject of facial exercise, I just had to try it out! The next day I purchased one of the cheapest facial exercises books I could find titled Eva Fraser’s Facial Workout. I bought it “used” for approximately $5 on Amazon!

When the book arrived, I was ecstatic. I moisturized my face and got to exercisin’. After a month or so of facial exercises, I can honestly say that, they have worked their magic on my little face muscles. Granted, I have only stuck with the eye exercises (out of the several other exercises in the book), but they really do work…at least for me!

GOT DROOPY EYELIDS?

One of the eye exercises I really like is on Eva’s website: http://www.evafraser.com/facial_fitness.html. It works very well for me, along with the other eye exercises in the book. Immediately after doing this exercise, my eyes feel so much lighter. I no longer have that heavy feeling in my eyes, and the droop in my eyelids has dramatically decreased. The first three days of doing the exercise, the droop seemed to have worsened, but after a few more days, the droop was lifted even more than it had been! I was so excited to see results so quickly. I am assuming the younger you are, the faster the results appear (because the younger you are, the better condition your skin is in).

Facial exercises don’t just help with droopy eyelids. They are also known to:

• Create more defined cheeks
• Firm up the neck
• Generate a more youthful appearance in general
• Lift saggy upper and lower eyelids
• Correct dark under-eye circles(by lifting cheeks and lower-eyelids to fill in the hollows under the eye)

GOT UNDER-EYE CIRCLES?

Yes, facial exercises can help with under-eye circles! I am very excited about that last bullet point, if you can’t already tell!  I have horrible under-eye circles thanks to genetics. Thanks Dad! J.  Eva has an eye exercise that involves placing your fingers below the eye (to create resistance), and slowly lifting your under-eye muscles (which in turn lifts the muscles and skin to eventually fill in the hollowness). I have not been persistent enough with this exercise to notice any results, but I plan to take this exercise more serious starting now! The cheek exercises are also supposed to help fill in the hollowness under your eyes. J  I will let you know if these exercises work out in a month or so.

Now, I am no subject matter expert in facial exercises. I am simply speaking from my own personal experience. So please do some of your own research on the topic before you jump right in. There are some people that say facial exercises cause wrinkles, but I don’t believe they cause wrinkles as long as you perform them correctly. Also, buy a book, or video on the subject. They are more informative than anything you will find on the internet. Eva Fraser and Carole Maggio are the stars in the facial exercise industry so I suggest purchasing one of their books or instructional DVD’s.

I do have some general tips for facial exercising to get you started: If you start any facial exercises without a properly moisturized face, you may produce unwanted wrinkles. So always stay moisturized! I always moisturize with grape seed oil prior to starting the exercises.

Warning: I did try some of the forehead exercises in the book, and I noticed several fine lines developing along my forehead. The fine lines scared me enough to do away with the forehead exercises. I was afraid the wrinkles I was developing would get deeper, so I stopped. Thankfully, they all went away in a couple of days. I did do some research and read that, the fine lines you develop when you begin the forehead exercises eventually go away as your forehead muscles gets stronger. Some people swear by the forehead exercises, but I would rather not continue them for the sake of my wrinkle-free forehead. I am too chicken to try this one out.

All and all, facial exercises are a great natural, preventative measure to prevent your face from falling south, and to upkeep your youthful facial features. I will keep you updated on how well the under-eye and check exercises work. I would love to hear your thoughts on this topic.

I discovered the oil-pulling method about 6 months ago, and it is an excellent way to detox and improve your health without having to fast or perform a coffee enema.

So what is oil pulling?

Oil pulling is an ancient detox method, and alternative healing therapy developed by the Indians (not the Native American Indians). It is a common practice in Ayurvedic medicine, and was popularized by Ukrainian Physician Dr. F. Karach.

Oil pulling involves swishing a cold-pressed organic oil in your mouth for 15-20 minutes, and then spitting it out. Sunflower and sesame oil are generally used for oil pulling, but there are other oils you can use too. I will provide a link to the other oils that you can try out.

I know what you’re thinking…This is absolutely insane!…Even if you are thinking this, I suggest you read on because the health benefits of oil-pulling are phenomenal.

What can oil-pulling do for me ?

Oil pulling is known to:

• boost energy
• help allergy problems
• clear sinuses
• create fresher breath
• correct teeth/gum problems
•  heal mouth infections
• whiten teeth
• correct joint problems
•  fix digestive problems
• help with insomnia and chronic fatigue
• rid headaches
• heal eczema
• cure cancer
• shrink tumors
• and more

How does oil pulling work?

There are many theories on how oil pulling works. I will discuss the most legitimate ones I have found: 

1. When the oil enters your mouth, it activates the enzymes (aka saliva) in your mouth. The swishing of the enzymes (or saliva) then assists in drawing toxins from your blood through the mucous membrane in your mouth.
2. Have you ever heard that - poor mouth health may be linked to other health conditions in the body? Well if we can kill harmful bacteria and fungus in our mouths with sunflower, sesame, and several other oils (which have anti-bacterial and anti-fungal properties), we will not only have healthier mouths, but a healthier bodies in return!
3. Oil-pulling increases bile production in the liver to help rid toxins.

There is not much information out there on the science of oil-pulling; all I know for sure  is that it does work! 

 How to Oil Pull:

In order for oil-pulling to work properly, you must start on an empty stomach;  no food can be consumed for 4 hours, and no water can be consumed for approximately one hour before starting the procedure. Because of this, most people “oil-pull” first thing when they wake up in the morning. So, here’s how you “oil-pull”:

1. Put approximately one tablespoon of sunflower oil, sesame oil, or a recommended oil listed on this website into your mouth. I have had much success with extra virgin olive oil and coconut oil. BTW: It is best if the oil is cold-pressed and organic.
2. Tilt your head slightly back to ensure that the oil can get to your back teeth and mucous membrane in your oral cavity.
3. Swish the oil slowly in your mouth. Make sure to swish it, or “pull” it through your teeth too. Note: Do not gargle or swallow the oil! If you swallow the oil, the toxins and bacteria will re-enter your body.
4. Swish the oil in your mouth for 15-20 minutes, and then spit the oil into the sink or toilet. Note: The oil will become very thin and white when it is time to discard.
5. Rinse mouth with water a couple of times and spit.

How often should you oil-pull?

Many people oil-pull once a day in the morning. Other people oil-pull 3 times a day. It’s really up to you. I personally oil pull once a day when I wake up in the morning. If you a trying to cure a disease or health problem, I recommend repeating the treatment three times a day. Dr. Karach explains that it can take 2 days to one year to completely cure a health problem, depending on the severity of the condition and the lifestyle and diet of the individual.

Sign that Oil-Pulling is Working:

• You may have increased mucous production from throat and sinuses. Although this is quite gross, this is a good thing! Mucous is what collects toxic substances and foreign particles and prevents them from entering the body. The mucous will move up your throat and you will be able to expel the toxic phlegm.
• Fresher breath
• Healthier gums & teeth (firmer and whiter teeth, less bleeding from gums)
• Deeper sleep
• More energy
• Improved memory
• Diminished under eye circles

*Warning* You may experience worsening symptoms when you begin oil-pulling, but after a week you should feel much better. You will feel worse at first because your body is detoxing, and working hard to remove harmful toxins from your body. In other words, your body is releasing toxins for elimination at a faster rate than what it is used to, and that is why you tend to feel so horrible.

When I started oil-pulling, I felt very under the weather;  my mind was foggy, I had constant headaches, and I had no energy. However, after about a week of oil-pulling I felt great and I had so much more energy! Plus, now the dark circles under my eyes have diminished and my allergies have calmed down.

For more information on oil-pulling, please visit OilPulling.com.

You can also read oil-pulling testimonies on this EarthClinic website.

I hope you enjoyed this post. Please let me know if you have any questions.

This is going to be a fairly short post, but I wanted to share with you how easy making a vegan cake can be, and how delicious vegan food (especially pastries) can be.

I made this German Chocolate Cake for my dad last Father’s Day and it is completely vegan…that’s right, vegan!!! And you know what’s funny?…not a single soul in my family is vegan and everyone loved it! Here’s how I made it:

VEGAN CHOCOLATE CAKE
- If you are going to make a double layer cake like mine pictured above, you will need to double the cake recipe.

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 cup white sugar
• 1/4 cup cocoa powder
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/3 cup vegetable oil
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 teaspoon distilled white vinegar
• 1 cup water

Directions

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Lightly grease one 9×5 inch loaf pan or a round cake pan.
• Sift together the flour, sugar, cocoa, baking soda and salt. Add the oil, vanilla, vinegar and water. Mix together until smooth.
• Pour into prepared pan and bake at 350 degrees F (175 degrees C) for 45 minutes. Remove from oven and allow to cool.

*The time/temperature may need to be adjusted according to your oven.

Cake recipe was taken from AllRecipes.com.

VEGAN GERMAN CHOCOLATE FROSTING
- You may want to double the recipe if you like lots of frosting!  Note: Because I did not double the recipe for the cake I made, I did not have enough icing to put on the sides on the cake. There’s just a layer on top and in the middle.

P.S. I used the icing (as glue) to stick the pecans to the side of the cake.

Ingredients

• 1 cup soy milk
• 1/3 cup coconut milk
• 1  1/4 cups of sugar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1/3 cup cornstarch
• 2  1/2 cups sweetened coconut flakes
• 1  1/2 cups chopped pecans

Directions

• In a medium saucepan, mix the soy milk, coconut milk, sugar, and vanilla together. Add the cornstarch mixture and cook over medium-high heat, stirring constantly, until mixture boils and thickens. Cook for one minute after it boils. Remove from heat and stir in coconut and pecans.
• Allow to cool for about 10 minutes (mixture should still be warm) before spreading on cake.

Frosting recipe was taken from CalorieCount.About.com.

I hope you enjoy this recipe, and if you aren’t vegan, I hope to change your perception of vegan food after you give this recipe a try!

I used to have extremely oily skin. I would wash my face before bed and the next morning my face would be incredibly oily almost like I hadn’t washed it the night before. Now that I think about it, I guess it all makes sense: When you wash your face with an over-the-counter facial cleanser, it strips the natural oils from your face…and these natural oils are essential for your skin! Therefore, your body adapts to the situation by producing more sebum (or oil). And that is why my skin was constantly oily.

After googling ways to cleanse my face naturally, I came across the Oil Cleansing Method and I thought I would give it a try. I must admit, I was skeptical about putting oil on my face, but I did it anyways, and now I love it!  I oil cleanse my face once a day (before bed), and in the morning I just splash warm water over my face.

So what is the Oil Cleansing Method?  The OCM is a cleansing method that will leave your skin clear of blemishes, and hydrated at the same time. You can have the best of  both worlds!

What You Will Need for the Oil Cleansing Method

1. Wash Cloth

2. Castor Oil (Preferably Organic and Cold-Pressed): Castor oil assists in cleansing the pores. It drawls the impurities out including: excess oil, bacteria, whiteheads, blackheads and makeup.

• I use this Castor Oil. (Unfortunately, it is not organic because this is all they had at my local health food store.***Important note: Castor oil is very drying due to its strong cleansing properties; this is why it is imperative that you use the additional oil mentioned below.

3. A Carrier Oil of Your Choice(Preferably Organic and Cold-Pressed): The carrier oil dilutes the castor oil, and helps keep the skin hydrated. Your skin type can help you determine which oil to use…

• If you have oily skin, try Jojaba Oil, Emu oil, Watermelon Seed oil, or Baobab oil. Most people with acne-prone skin recommend jojaba oil. You can also add a drop of tea tree oil if you have acne.
• If you have dry skin, try Extra Virgin Coconut Oil or Extra Virgin Olive Oil
• If you have combination/normal skin, try Grape Seed Oil, Sunflower Oil, or Almond Oil. I have combination skin and I use this Grapeseed Oil. 

***Note: There are several other carrier oils not mentioned above that you can use too.

Oil Cleansing Method Steps

• Mix a tiny drop of castor oil with about a quarter size of carrier oil (your choice, of course) in the palm of your hands.
• Rub your hands together to warm the oil.
• Gently massage the oil all over your dry face. Spend some extra time massaging your problem areas to work the oil deep into your pores. Don’t worry; the castor oil is what helps drawl the impurities out. I usually spend 1-3 minutes massaging. Note: **You can use the oil in the eye area to remove makeup too! **
• Drench your wash cloth with warm water. Make sure that it’s not too hot.
• Put warm wash cloth over face. The steam from the wash cloth will open the pores and drawl out the impurities.
• After the wash cloth has cooled down, gently wipe the oil off of your face.
• Rinse the wash cloth with warm water and wipe again.
• Now you’re done!

Tips:

• Use the OCM only once a day. I wash my face with the oils before bed, and in the morning I just splash some warm water on my face.
• If your skin is too dry after doing the OCM, use less castor oil.
• If your skin is too oily after doing the OCM, use a little more castor oil.
• Use the oil to remove your eye makeup too! It works great! Plus, it’s all natural.

Warning: When I first started the OCM my face broke out, and I TOTALLY freaked out. I thought – Why in the world did I just put oil on my face?! I was going to quit and go back to my regular cleansing method, but I soon discovered from many online discussion boards that your skin will get worse before it gets better. In other words, the castor oil is releasing the excess oil that is trapped in your pores. After reading that, I decided to stick with the OCM and now, I almost never break out. Trust me…give it a few weeks, and your skin will look flawless, and have a healthy, normal balance of sebum.

No more harsh chemicals on your skin!! YAY!