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 probiotics without consuming dairy.  Water kefir helps keep your gut flora healthy and will help even out any imbalances.  Much of our food today is pasteurized so it’s hard for the body to get the probiotics it needs through food.

How to Make Water Kefir

Water kefir is very easy to make.  You need the following supplies:

-1 Glass quart jar
-A few pint mason jars
-Water kefir grains
-A plastic strainer
-Organic sugar plus unsulphured molasses (or Sucanat)
-A hankie or breathable cotton cloth
-Spring or mineral water

The first step is to sterilize the jar you are using to make your water kefir. After this is done and the jar has cooled, you want to dissolve 1/3 cup of Sucanat or 1/3 cup of organic sugar plus 1 Tablespoon of unsulphured molasses in a pint of mineral or spring water. It’s very important to not use tap water, as the chlorine and flouride will damage your water kefir grains. When the sugar is dissolved into the water, add another pint of water to the solution. Pour your water kefir grains into your sterilized jar and cover them with the sugar solution.  It is very important to not pour the sugar solution onto your water kefir grains until the water is about room temperature.  If you pour hot water on your water kefir grains, you’ll kill them. Your jar should look like this:

You now want to cover it with a hankie or a breathable cotton cloth and store somewhere warm, so the water kefir grains can convert the sugar solution into the water kefir. The water kefir grains basically eat the sugar and turn it into kefir. Water kefir grains love minerals, so it’s important to use good quality water and sugar when making water kefir. I filter my water through my Berkey water filter , and use Sucanat (which is evaporated cane juice and contains the natural minerals not found in refined sugar).

After a few days, check your water kefir to see how it tastes. I pour a little into a glass and make sure not to contaminate the water kefir container. You’ll want it to not taste sweet because that means that the sugar has not all been converted yet. Sometimes you’ll find a SCOBY (symbiotic culture of bacteria and yeast) that forms on the top of your water kefir. It will look like scum almost and you’ll want to make sure you don’t pour it in your jars. It’s not harmful, it’s just better left to help work on the next batch of water kefir.

If at any point you see mold or it smells funny, dump it out. It’s not worth getting sick over! When your water kefir tastes like all the sugar has been eaten by the water kefir grains, it’s time to bottle it for a second fermentation. I like to do a second fermentation so that I can add some flavors and get more carbonation. Sterilize the mason jars you’ll be using, and set them aside. When they are cool, you can pour 1/3 cup of organic juice in them and fill them 3/4 of the way up with the water kefir. Be careful not to let your water kefir grains go into the jars. This is where the plastic strainer comes in handy!

Another method is to use unsulphured dried fruit. Organic raisins, mango pieces, lemons, figs, or prunes are all good fruits to add to your water kefir. I just place a small piece of the dried fruit into the jars and then pour the water kefir in the jars. I’ve found that when you fill the jars 3/4 of the way full you have more fermentation than if you fill the jars. I like our water kefir bubbly and carbonated so it’s like drinking natural soda. If you don’t want the carbonation, you can fill your jars more.

Return the jars to a warm place and allow them to sit and ferment for another couple days. Be sure to check on them so they don’t get too carbonated. You don’t want your water kefir exploding! After about two-three days I remove my jars, test one of them, and then refrigerate them if they are to my liking. When the water kefir is in a warmer place, it tends to be ready faster.

After I bottle the water kefir for the second fermentation, I start another batch so I can have more kefir in a few more days! It’s an awesome cycle.

Learning how to make water kefir is very easy once you give it a shot. You’ll benefit from the probiotics, and it’s a wonderful natural soda alternative. Give it a try! It’s so much fun.

Have you heard of water kefir? Have you ever wondered how to make water kefir?

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 amount of time to pass, gently use your finger tips to rub your scalp. This will help loosen any flaky scalp and allow the tea tree oil to do a better job. After the time is up, rinse your hair well with warm water.

-Apple Cider Vinegar. Believe it or not, apple cider vinegar is a great home remedy for dandruff. The acidity of the vinegar helps remove some of the flakiness of the dandruff, and helps heal the scalp. Vinegar also helps condition the hair cuticle by balancing the ph and seals it to prevent flyaways. Mix one to two tablespoons of apple cider vinegar with about a cup of warm water while you’re in the shower. Pour on your scalp and allow it to sit for about three minutes. Be sure to rinse well afterward. Using the apple cider vinegar rinse after the tea tree oil treatment is great. The smell of the vinegar will dissipate soon after, I promise!

-Coconut Oil. Coconut oil is a natural anti-fungal, anti bacterial, anti parasitic, and anti viral. Whatever you’ve got on your scalp-fungus, bacterial infection, etc, will be reduced by applying coconut oil to your scalp. Here’s the easiest treatment: before you go to bed use one to two teaspoons of coconut oil and rub into your scalp. The coconut oil is solid as it’s in the container, but melts at 76 degrees. Take a half teaspoon at a time and allow the oil to melt in your hands and then apply directly to the scalp.  Be sure to sleep with a towel on your pillow so you don’t get oil all over it.  You can also wrap your hair in plastic wrap.  An added bonus of using the coconut oil: your hair will be so soft and conditioned!  Be sure to shampoo out well in the morning.  A few drops of tea tree oil can be added to help fight the fungus.

These are some of the easiest home remedies for dandruff that don’t really cost much at all.

Do you use home remedies for dandruff?

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 of unpasteurized vinegar.  It’s unheated, unfiltered, and contains the “Mother”.

How to Make Apple Cider Vinegar

You can make apple cider vinegar, or any fruit scrap vinegar using this method.  All  you will need is some fruit scraps, sugar, and water.

1. Chop your fruit scraps up.  You don’t have to chop it into tiny pieces, so chunks of fruit are fine.  I made sure to wash the pineapple very well before I used it for my fruit scrap vinegar.  Use the core and skin of the pineapple or fruit you are using.  Apples and pineapple are the most popular fruit to make into vinegar.

2. Mix 1/4 cup of real sugar with 1 quart of warm, filtered water.  Allow the sugar to dissolve in the warm water.  You may need to stir to help the sugar to dissolve.

3.  Put the fruit scraps into a large clean jar.  Make sure you wash it well with hot water and soap.  You don’t want your vinegar getting bad bacteria in it.

4.  Add sugar water solution to the scraps and place a kitchen towel over the opening of the jar.  I secure mine by using a rubber band.

5.  Place jar in a warm area (around 70 degrees) for about two days to a week.  Check it every day and stir if you are able to.  When it smells like vinegar and has a darker color to it, remove the fruit scraps and use!

Please remember: when making fermented foods, if it smells bad, don’t eat it! If it has mold on the top, throw it out!

Apple cider vinegar and fruit scrap vinegar can be added to salad dressings, soups, and even green smoothies.  A tablespoon won’t even be detected by your family.  If you don’t like consuming the vinegar, you can actually use it for cleaning or even conditioning your hair with the no poo method.  Making apple cider vinegar is a great way to use up fruit scraps and provide your family with a great quality vinegar!

Have you made apple cider vinegar?  Do you like it?

It’s open enrollment time for benefits at my employer.  They have given us our options for health insurance, and we are able to choose which plan we’d like.  The choices for health insurance have been simplified down to a few choices, and it mainly boils down to two choices: a high deductible health plan or a PPO.  Last year, we ended up going with a PPO health insurance, and it ended up costing us more money out of pocket in premiums each month.  We did have less out of pocket expenses than if we had chosen the high deductible health plan.  Of course, this year I’m going to analyze the costs and see what makes more sense for our family.  The thought of a high deductible health plan scares me for a few reasons, but I need to not dismiss it, and see if we’d save more money going that route for health insurance.

Cost of High Deductible Health Plan versus PPO

The cost for the high deductible health plan for the entire year is $1,162.68.  The cost for the PPO health insurance is $2,233.56.  If I chose the high deductible health plan, right off the bat I would save $1070.88.  In addition, I would also receive $1,000 a year from my employer (which is divided amount 26 pay checks as long as I am employed there) towards a health savings account.

Health Insurance Deductible Comparison

With the high deductible health plan, we’d have to meet a $2,400 family deductible (not including preventative check ups) before our insurance would kick in.  For example, if we went to the doctor because we were sick, we’d be 100% responsible for the cost of the visit after they billed the insurance.  We would be able to use funds from a health savings account that would be tax deductible, provided we had the funds in the account.

Copays for the PPO are $20 for a general doctor visit and $40 for a specialist.  For whatever reason, my OBGYN is considered a specialist, and I always have to pay the $40 co pay when I visit her.

Maternity Coverage

I’m really hoping that I get pregnant next year, and with the PPO it would cover more than the high deductible health plan would.  Of course, if I ended up using a midwife and having to pay out of pocket with that, I could use the funds from a health savings account to cover that cost.  I guess I like knowing that I don’t have to meet the deductible if we do end up having a baby.

To be honest, I don’t like the high deductible health plan because it seems like it’s more work to keep track of.  Plus, if we did have an expensive medical emergency, it would cost us a lot of money out of pocket.  On the other hand, I feel stupid for passing up the free $1,000 that the company will put in an HSA (health savings account) to help defer the cost and the instant savings on premiums that the high deductible health plan has.  Another of my concerns is that if I go with the high deductible health plan this year, and next year want to go with the PPO that I won’t be able to.  This year they did that with HMOs.  If you had one last year, you can get it this year, but if you didn’t have it, you can’t get it.

It would be so easy to just pick the PPO health insurance and be done with it because then I know that we’ve got good coverage and we don’t have to worry too much about out of pocket expenses.

What type of health insurance would you pick? What kind of health insurance do you have?

I went to the dentist this morning.  Before I went, I made sure to check our current dental insurance information on our company’s human resources website. It’s a good thing I did because it had changed from last year.  While I was logged onto the site, I printed out the dental insurance information.  The cost printed out along with the explanation of benefits.  For a whole year of dental insurance that covers myself and husband, we pay $402.24.  It’s only $15 a paycheck, but I really started to wonder if it’s worth having dental insurance any more.  Neither myself or my husband have been to the dentist at all this year (bad, I know!).  So we’re pretty much not using the insurance at all.

Our open enrollment period is coming up soon, and I’m wondering if I should just go ahead and drop the dental insurance.  I do think it’s very important to have your teeth cleaned every six months (and our insurance pays for that 100%) but if we don’t do it, then we’re wasting $402.24.  I don’t think that an exam and cleaning cost $200 (which is what our insurance is worth if we each went to the dentist once a year for a cleaning.)  If an exam and cleaning is, say, $80, it may be worth it to just drop our dental insurance and self insure.  I can save $160 a year to pay for dental expenses.

Of course, if we have cavities that need to be filled, or a crown replaced then it is worth it to have dental insurance, even though we have to pay for half of those procedures out of pocket.  I know that over the course of time that we’ve been going to this dentist, I’ve had a few cavities filled and a crown put on.  Eventually, I’ll have to have that crown replaced (which I just found out today that they only last 10-15 years).  It would be nice to have dental insurance then to cover those items.

Dental insurance is one of those things that I think that we could live without.  I’d be willing to take a chance that we’d need to have a cavity filled and have to pay out of pocket.  Teeth don’t generally have the potential to cost you thousands of dollars each year versus, say cancer, so I’d be more likely to pay for health insurance versus dental insurance.

I don’t know if dental insurance is a normal benefit offered to employees, but I am grateful that I have the option to take advantage of it.  Chances are, I’ll get on Mr. Money to make sure that he makes an appointment to get his teeth cleaned and examined so that at least he’ll take advantage of one of the two cleanings covered by our insurance this year.  I hate wasting money, and I feel like I should have gotten a cleaning 6 months ago to make our dental insurance worth it.

I have a love-hate relationship with insurance.  It’s a necessity for some things (car insurance, homeowners insurance, health insurance) but sometimes I wish there were easier options.

Do you have dental insurance? Do you think I should get dental insurance for next year, or skip it and self insure?

This fall is turning out to be horrible for my allergies! I’ve suffered from headaches, a stuffy nose, itchy eyes, and a scratchy throat.  We live in one of the worst places to live if you have allergies.  I am so ready to move! Unfortunately, it seems like everyone I talk to is suffering (or knows someone who is) from bad allergies this year.

Rather than toss back Claritin, I’ve tried to find some natural allergy remedies.  What’s nice about natural allergy remedies is that instead of masking the symptoms, you are actually treating the causes of the allergies.

Natural Allergy Remedies

1. Local honey.  Local honey works as a natural allergy remedy because it introduces pollen into your body naturally.  It’s best if it’s super local because then you know you are getting your system introduced to local pollen and allergens.  When your body ingests small amounts of pollen, your natural defenses are stimulated, which helps your body naturally fight.  Not only does honey work well for allergies, it also tastes great!

2. Neti Pots. Neti Pots (which look like a genie’s lamp) work by flushing everything out of your sinuses.  All of the allergens are rinsed away by a saline solution.  Figuring out how to use a neti pot is probably the most difficult part.  Once you get the hang of how to use a neti pot, you’ll be glad you did!

3. Quercetin . Quercitin is naturally found in the skin of apples and red onions. It is a powerful anti oxidant, natural anti histamine, and anti inflammatory.Quercetin can also help with fatigue, depression, and anxiety.  If you want to try using quercetin for allergies, you can try eating more apples and raw red onions or you can take a supplement of quercetin.

4. Stinging Nettles. Stinging nettles grow naturally as weeds in many areas. Stinging nettles work best to help allergies when you make a strong infusion of tea. You can buy stinging nettles in bulk in many health food stores. To make stinging nettle tea, take boiling water and pour it over a tablespoon of nettles. Let the tea set overnight to release all the benefits of the nettles. You can drink the nettle tea either hot or cold. Sweeten with honey and you’ve got double the allergy-fighting benefits!

5. Acupuncture.  Acupuncture can be used to help treat many different conditions from allergies to anxiety.  An acupuncturist treats symptoms by setting tiny needles in meridians in the body and opening up the energy flow.  Acupuncture can be very beneficial for all kinds of different symptoms, so when you have an acupuncture treatment, you may get more than you bargained for! You may be treated for other issues that you hadn’t planned on!

Allergies can be frustrating, but when you deal with allergies using natural allergy remedies, you’re doing your body a favor by not loading it with drugs.  Natural remedies are good for your body, your health, and even the environment!  If you’re suffering from seasonal allergies, give these tips a try, and be sure to let me know how they work for you!

Have you used natural allergy remedies?  How do you deal with seasonal allergies?

One of my family members let me in on a little secret the other day.  Anyone can go into Costco and purchase prescription drugs because prescription drugs are a federally regulated substance.  If you aren’t a member and can’t go in with one, just tell the person at the door that you wish to use Costco’s pharmacy and they will allow you to go in.  Why should you buy prescription drugs at Costco?  You’ll save tons of cash.

Prescription drugs are one the most profitable industries.  My husband is a chef at an upscale restaurant, and drug reps are always buying meals to take to doctors’ offices.  I think it’s kind of backwards because they are wanting to brainwash doctors into giving their patients their drugs.  Think about it: you also see tons of commercials on tv for various prescription drugs (Viagra, anyone?).  Why should a patient have to see commercials? Aren’t doctors supposed to make those decisions for us?  Anyway, it’s hard to avoid the advertising, and if you are in need of prescription drugs, the least you can do is make sure you are paying the least amount possible for your prescriptions.

Save Money on Prescription Drugs

-Buy generic.  Obviously, the easiest way to save money on prescriptions is to go with a generic.  Generics are the same formula as name brand drugs but cost much less because they don’t have to pay huge bucks on advertising.  Even if you don’t have health insurance, you can still save money by buying generics.

-Get your pets’ prescriptions at Costco.  My neighbor is a pediatrician and has her veterinarian write all her dogs’ prescriptions for Costco.  I haven’t done it personally, but I’ve heard great things about it.

-Fill your prescriptions at Costco.  When comparing prescription drug costs, Costco beat out every pharmacy hands down.  You can go to Costco’s website and search for the price of any drug so you can compare yourself.  Using the drug Compazine, which helps prevent nausea in chemo patients, costs $54.99 for 60 pills at CVS.  100 pills at Costco are $19.89!  Unbelievable!

Prescription drug markup

Prescription drugs are grossly marked up. Here are a few examples of the cost to manufacture certain drugs versus the consumer’s cost:

Claritin: 10 mg
Consumer Price (100 tablets): $215.17
Cost of general active ingredients: $0.71
Percent markup: 30,306%

Prevacid: 30 mg
Consumer price (100 tablets): $44.77
Cost of general active ingredients: $1.01
Percent markup: 34,136%

Prozac: 20 mg
Consumer price (100 tablets) : $247.47
Cost of general active ingredients: $0.11
Percent markup: 224,973%

Tenormin: 50 mg
Consumer price (100 tablets): $104.47
Cost of general active ingredients: $0.13
Percent markup: 80,362%

Xanax: 1 mg
Consumer price (100 tablets) : $136.79
Cost of general active ingredients: $0.024
Percent markup: 569,958%

Isn’t that unbelievable?  While I believe the majority of diseases can be treated with diet, I also realize that there are many conditions that people have to take prescription drugs for.  Being an informed consumer can help you save money and live better.  If you need to buy prescription drugs, make sure you check Costco’s pharmacy first, even if you are not a member.  It can’t hurt to check!

Where do you buy your prescription drugs?  Do you always use a pharmacy?

You are probably thinking to yourself: “What does veg*n stand for?!” Veg*n is a term used to identify vegetarians or vegans. Being a vegetarian or vegan can not only be good for your wallet, but it is also awesome for the environment. You see, animals consume a lot of food and release a lot of um, gases. When you cut back on your meat consumption you help reduce your carbon footprint.

photo credit: Violette79

Another great point to reducing your meat intake is that you are freeing up food and resources for people. This is the logic- farmers grow corn or wheat to feed the animals. The animals not only eat that food that takes weeks to grow, but they are also drinking water and using land that could be used to grow other vegetables and crops to feed people. If we just ate more whole foods instead of meat, we would eliminate the resources to feed the animals and care for them.

I know that many people couldn’t go 100% vegetarian, and that’s fine. As long as you cut back, you’ll save money and help the environment.

Some good meat dish substitutes are:

-Beans and rice
-Vegetable lasagna
-Stir fry with vegetables
-Spaghetti with marinara sauce
-Salad with fun toppings!
-Bean burritos

Could you go veg*n? Do you limit your meat consumption to save money?

Do you think chiropractors are doctors? It seems like there is a lot of controversy surrounding the issue. There are some people that think chiropractors are just quacks out to get your money. I believe in a lot of alternative health and natural healing, and I think chiropractors do amazing things.

Are Chiropractors safe?

One of the most frequent questions I get asked when people learn I see a chiropractor is whether or not chiropractors are safe.  I think the act of adjusting someone’s bones back into position looks (and sounds) kind of crazy.  I know that the first time I saw a chiropractor adjust someone’s neck I was sure the person would be in a world of pain!

Is Chiropractic a scam?

Chiropractors have a reputation for being a rip off.  I am sure that some of them are (in fact, I went to one where I live now and I ended up owing him $200!), but you really need to find a chiropractor that’s good.  Ask around and do your research online, because nothing’s better than facts from patients when it comes to doctors.  I know before I went to my chiropractor I made sure that I was going to a trusted chiropractor and that I wasn’t going to be ripped off.  In fact, my chiropractor made a deal with me where he charges me $20 a visit no matter what my insurance pays.

What do Chiropractors treat?

I used to have horrible lower back pain, TMJ (Temporomandibular Joint Syndrome), and knee problems.  Since going to a chiropractor my lower back pain has dramatically decreased, my TMJ is better, and the orthotics he provided have been helping my knees.  I know when I need a chiropractic adjustment, and make an appointment accordingly.

I know that when I first started going to the chiropractor, he wanted me to go three times a week.  I told him I couldn’t afford that and I would come when I could.  He was okay with that.

Do you think chiropractors are a waste of money?  Would you see a chiropractor?

Let’s talk about health insurance options. Mainly, let’s talk about my health insurance options.  I’m a planner (obviously), and I’m kind of stuck as far as options go.  You see, when we finally have a baby, I want to be a stay at home mom.  It’s one of my hopes and dreams, and I really want it to come true.  There’s one little problem, though.  Mr. Money’s current employer only offers private health insurance and not only would it be really expensive, but I’m afraid I’d be denied coverage due to the cancer scare I had a few years ago (thankfully I didn’t have cancer, but I’m afraid they’ll see oncologist and freak out).

photo credit: brdwatchr1

Uninsured and Pregnant?

My plan is to work until I have the baby so all my maternity care is covered by my current insurance through the bank, and then before I go on maternity leave I will tell my employer that I will not be returning after the baby is born.  That sounds like a good plan to me.

After the baby is born and I’m staying at home, we need health insurance.  It’s something I don’t really want to live without.  These are the options I’ve come up with:

1. Be uninsured.  Not a good idea, but I could save up more money and have that as “health insurance”.  Honestly, I don’t think I could sleep at night, but it’s still an option.

2. Participate in a program like Medi Share.  Of course, I’d have to make sure I met those requirements, but I think I could swing that.

3. Purchase a policy through Mr. Money’s employer and hope we get covered.  It would be really expensive, but at least we’d have coverage.

4. Use COBRA.  I think this would be too expensive too, but it would be good coverage.

5. Mr. Money gets a new job that offers health insurance benefits. (He’s a chef)

6. Become really rich in some way and not have to worry about the cost of health insurance (ha!)

I know that there will be a lot of people that will tell me to just keep working, but I’m trying to come up with some creative options.

What would you do about health insurance if you were in my shoes?