A few months ago I started getting interested in probiotics.  Probiotics are good bacteria that are essential to your health.  Probiotics can help balance your gut flora, which in turn can help keep you healthy and even reduce allergies.  A lot of people turn to yogurt for probiotics, but I didn’t want to ingest so much dairy so I knew I had to find a good source of probiotics that didn’t involve dairy.  I looked into commercial probiotics (Bio-kult was the best commercial probiotic I could find) but they are more expensive than I thought I’d like to spend. I did some research and came across something called water kefir. What is Water Kefir? Water kefir is a probiotic drink that is made with water kefir grains. To get started, you do have to invest in good quality water kefir grains. I bought mine from the source above.  Water kefir is fermented for a few days, which allows the good bacteria to populate in the sugar water solution.  Water kefir allows you to introduce your gut to different strains of [...]

Dandruff is annoying if you suffer from it.  Using specialty dandruff shampoos is neither good for your health or your wallet.  Some of the ingredients in conventional dandruff shampoos include: coal tar, sodium lauryl sulfate, ketokonazole (anti fungal), Zinc Pyrithione (anti fungal), not to mention all the other surfectants and synthetic fragrances that are added. While I do think sometimes dandruff shampoos are necessary, for the most part you can treat your dandruff with home remedies for dandruff. Why expose your body to additional toxins if you don’t have to, and also save money at the same time? Here are some of the dandruff remedies I’ve successfully used in the past. -Tea Tree Oil . Tea tree oil is a natural anti fungal and anti bacterial. To use the tea tree oil as a home remedy for dandruff, simply add four to five drops to your normal shampoo. Be sure to massage well into your scalp and allow the tea tree oil/shampoo mixture to sit and penetrate your scalp for three to five minutes. While you are waiting for the [...]

I’ve always wondered how to make apple cider vinegar, and this weekend I thought I’d give it a try.  I actually made pineapple vinegar instead of apple cider because I had pineapple scraps.  You can use fruit scraps to make fruit scrap vinegar, and apple cider vinegar is just another fruit scrap vinegar. Apple Cider Vinegar Health Benefits Apple cider vinegar has many health benefits, and is great for making salad dressings, using in a bath for detoxification, and even cleaning.  Apple cider vinegar has been often called a wonder drug, and contains vitamins and minerals essential to good health.  Losing weight, lowering blood pressure, and even healing headaches have been some of apple cider vinegar’s benefits.  Personally, I take it when I feel a cold coming on because I think it helps ward off the bad germs. When you make your own apple cider vinegar, you control what goes in it, and you know you are getting the real deal.  When I purchase apple cider vinegar, I buy the Bragg’s Apple Cider Vinegar because it contains all the goodness [...]