The "Skinny" On Protein Shakes: what to avoid, what to trust

Have you walked down the aisle of protein shakes lately?  

It makes me feel like this:

And reading the ingredients doesn't seem to help ease my feelings of frustration.  It's completely overwhelming.  3 years ago when I was working really hard to not just lose my baby weight, but also MAINTAIN my weight, I thought it would be good to get a good protein shake and replace it at least once/day (breakfast or lunch)...

But then I went to the store to buy one.  

After spending a solid hour reading every single shake's ingredients list, feeling completely frustrated and overwhelmed, I finally decided on a Brown Rice based shake.

Then I got home and made it.

Was there a product out there that had GOOD, WHOLESOME INGREDIENTS?  One that was GLUTEN AND SOY FREE yet didn't taste like CHALK????  So I started asking around...I asked people I trusted and who I knew valued good nutrition the way I did.  My chiropractor suggested a brand I had never heard of before.  Isagenix.  He gave me a sample.  I went home and made it right away.

And this is how I felt:

FINALLY!!!!!!

The next year, my husband got a nasty case of Shingles.  We immediately sent him to our Chiro and while he was there, I researched home remedies of how to ease the pain and speed recovery.  We started making kefir on a regular basis and "Dr. Dave" gave my man another Isagenix product to speed recovery as well.  My husband loved the taste of it and to this day SWEARS that it did, in fact, speed up what could have been a long, painful recovery.

2 Products That we Really Liked!  Was there more????

YES!

My hub's lifts weights.  He loves the protein shake and the recovery mix.  I like it because he is  no longer eating me out of house and home!  :)

I love the protein bars b/c I'm a momma-on-the-go.  They taste amazing, keep me full for several hours, and I can digest them properly.  

My kids use Isagenix too!  We make smoothies aLOT around our house and I love to sprinkle in some of the IsaGREENS so they get their full serving of vegetables/day.  There is also IsaFRUIT to  to boost up their antioxidants.  What Mom wouldn't love that?  

So...after taking into consideration that we absolutely loved so many of their products and to save us some money, we decided to become associates ourselves.  I love how there is no pressure, no gimmicks, no "starter kit" you MUST purchase...just a sign up fee and BAM I get all the wholesale prices.  

You might be a good candidate to "take the plunge" like we did IF:

1.  You desire optimum health

2.  You are wanting to lose some weight

3. You are wanting to maintain your current weight

4.  You desire to avoid all shakes/bars/etc containing SOY and GLUTEN

5.  You want the "cleanest" ingredients available in today's market

6.  you are currently lifting weights or exercising a lot

7.  You desire vitality and energy

8.  You want to feel AND see results for all your hard work

9.  you desire a protein shake that actually is pleasing to the tastebuds

10.  You'd like a shake or other products that are kid-friendly

11.  You want to save money.

Look, you can ask ANYONE who knows me even REMOTELY.  I just don't like MLM's (multi-level-marketing).  Period.  Don't take it personal...I know there are GREAT companies/MLM's out there but so far I can find something I love just as much for a percentage of the price!  EXCEPT for protein shakes.

WANT TO KNOW WHAT IS IN MY FAVORITE PROTEIN SHAKE?

Grab your shake and I'll grab mine:  let's compare ingredients, shall we?

The above shake is my personal favorite, although there ARE other ones you can choose from as well.  INGREDIENTS:  Whey protein concentrate (UNdenatured), vanilla flavor, Alfalfa (Medicago sativa), stevia leaf extract, lactase.

So there you go.  For the first time EVER in my life, I'm officially signed up with an MLM.  Never say never, right?  Of course, you can enjoy the benefits of these products withOUT signing up, but you'll be paying a LOT more.

If you'd like more info on the company, click HERE.  (mission statement, values, etc)

If you'd like more info on the products, click HERE.  (overview of ingredients used)

If you like more info on becoming an associate, please email Misty at:  happyhearthomeproducts@gmail.com

How To Clean Your Stove Top With An EDIBLE Cleaner! (video)

Remineralizing Homemade Toothepaste (Fluoride Free)

DISCLAIMER!  I do not claim to be on expert on your teeth.  This recipe does NOT contain fluoride.  Please talk to your dentist and do your OWN research to determine if this paste is best for you.

THIS IS NOT FOR EVERYONE.  (My hubby is not a fan.)  Here's the deal:  you will actually only brush 10-20 seconds but then you keep the paste (which becomes liquid very quickly) in your  mouth and then SWISH for a couple of minutes or continue to brush as long as the liquid will stay in your mouth.  This is what he can't come to terms with...that the swishing still cleans your teeth.  He has in his brain that he MUST BRUSH for 2 minutes and no less.  But when you keep it in your mouth, you are using a technique called OIL PULLING.  (Click on it to learn more about it)  Oil pulling DOES clean your teeth and it excellent for oral health, but you should discuss this with your dentist with any questions or concerns you have.  Especially if you have any added health concerns such as you are pregnant or nursing.

This is another way I have chosen to live a TOXIN FREE lifestyle.  For MORE IDEAS, please visit our online store HERE and/or "like" our Facebook page listed under "Happy Heart Homestead".
NOTE:  Adjust oils and stevia to your preference.  Less, more, etc.  You can "customize" to your preference.  

4 tbsp of coconut oil (we buy our unrefined oil at Costco)
4 tbsp of bentonite clay (purchased at our local health foods store)
4 tbsp of xylitol (purchased at our local health foods store)
1 tbsp  baking soda
2 tsp of sea salt
20 drops of peppermint oil
20 drops of Thieves oil  or On Guard or something similar (this is a synergistic blend of oils: cinnamon, rosemary, eucalyptus, lemon, and clove.  You can also use all peppermint.
25 drops of stevia liquid flavored with peppermint  (or just plain stevia)

1.  Mix all together in glass mason jar or glass bowl.

Depending on the time of year, it may end up clumpy (due to coconut oil being very hard in colder months) or very smooth (if you are mixing it up in the summer months).  

Regardless of consistency, make sure you really incorporate your essential oils and break up
any clumps as much as you can.

2.  I do NOT add water to my large batch but rather store in my pantry.  I then put 2 heaping tablespoons in a SMALL glass mason jar or bowl WITH LID and that is what I keep in my bathroom.  I also have a little popsicle stick which is what I use to "dip" in bowl and put the paste on my brush. (rather than dipping my brush in the bowl and contaminating it)  I wash my popsicle stick every night w/ a little water and organic soap. I set it right on top of the SEALED bowl or jar.

This is what I store in my bathroom along w/ a popsicle stick (picture of lid not shown)

TO USE:  If the mixture is really clumpy and dry, I add a few drops of water to my SMALL bowl/jar and mix until desired consistency.  Then I take my popsicle stick and smear desired amount of paste onto my brush.  Remember, I put about 2 tbsp into my small jar and after adding water, this is about 1 weeks worth of paste.  The rest is being stored in my pantry.

Still kind of clumpy, don't expect the store-bought version

3.  After brushing 10-20 seconds the paste will completely dissolve to a liquid in your mouth but DON'T spit it out right away!  This is a great opportunity to "Oil Pull".  Don't know what that means?  Click HERE to read up on the benefits of doing so.  Swish for at least a couple minutes.. the longer the better, up to 20 minutes!

4. Spit out and feel the great results!

No Poo Shampoo and ACV Rinse: all your questions answered

Hi, I'm Misty, and I wash my hair with BAKING SODA & APPLE CIDER VINEGAR...

AND I'M LOVING IT!!!!

So many of you have been asking about this "No Poo Shampoo" method/Hair detox.

FIRST THE PICTURES TO PROVE THE CHANGES:

Last Easter (about 10 months ago)  I had one little curly "patch" at the crown of my head but you can't see it.  Hair very difficult to manage and brittle/dry.

About 6 months ago, not on "no poo" yet but had switched to a paraben-free/SLS-free product.  Notice hair is slightly wavy already.  It was extremely brittle and course.

40 Days POST No Poo Method and LOVING it...hair frizzy (sometimes) but feels MUCH SOFTER.  Waves/body ALL OVER not just a little "patch".  Still in "shock" phase and plan on continuing all through summer although not sure how chlorine in swimming pools will affect it.  I also have noticed it is now growing more quickly.

WHY IN THE WORLD WOULD YOU DO THIS?

That's a good question, and one I can't answer in a sentence.  Main reason:  to detoxify.  We live toxin-free as MUCH as possible in our home.  We've rid chemicals from our cleaners, our foods, and our beauty products.  You can easily google "benefits of no poo method" and read all the many benefits of giving it a try.  As a personal testimony, after having babies my hair was a complete mess. The texture was completely different and it was so unmanageable.  Why NOT was more the question I asked myself.

LET'S GO OVER SOME GROUND RULES:

1.  This is NOT for everyone.  As you read on, if you start to think, "No way" OR if you try it only to find it's too cumbersome, then start seeking out shampoo/conditioner's that are sulfate and paraben free.  That is at least SOMETHING to start out with.  IF YOU ARE A WOMAN AND EXPERIENCING HAIR LOSS, please do me a favor AND GET YOUR THYROID CHECKED ASAP!!!!   Hair loss = hormonal imbalance.  I highly recommend seeking out NATURAL hormone replacement or a whole food thyroid supplement, but obviously this should be discussed w/ your doctor.

2.  This process is exactly that.  A PROCESS.  Think about how many years you've been putting chemicals on your hair.  For me it was 35 years.  Now, consider how long you think it will take to strip that amount of chemicals from your hair.  2 days?  2 weeks?  2 months? 2 years????  This is NOT a "quick fix" or "3 day cleanse"...this is months and months.  Go into it w/ that mindset.

3.  You can't cheat.  Period.  No hair spray, no gel, no scheduled haircut/color at the salon.  Now, my hairdresser happens to also be one of my best friends, so I can stop in to have her give me a trim and she is very willing to either forego washing/drying my hair and/or to wash w/ my homemade shampoo and rinse.  (She's the best!)  Just using a normal store bought brand ONCE completely derails you and you'll have to start ALL OVER AGAIN.  

4.  You CAN opt to color NATURALLY...henna (red), raw honey/lemon (blonde), etc.. and the most "chemical" you can go to lighten hair is hydrogen peroxide.  HOWEVER, THIS IS NOT RECOMMENDED.   DO AT YOUR OWN RISK!!!  and DO NOT "COLOR" HAIR UNTIL YOU ARE WELL INTO YOUR DETOX.  I waited until I had been detoxing for 40 DAYS before trying anything.

5.  YOUR HAIR WILL GO THROUGH A MAJOR SHOCK PHASE.  This "shock" will look differently from person to person.  It might get too dry, it might get too oily, it might be dry one day and oily the next, etc.  However, there ARE ways to combat dryness and oiliness.  I will get to that in a bit...I'VE READ ON MULTIPLE BLOGS THAT THIS METHOD IS BEST FOR CURLY HAIR...but I had STRAIGHT HAIR a year ago and now have very wavy hair.  I had no idea I had so much natural body.  Maybe it has to do w/ the texture, course vs. fine??  Just FYI.  Again, the only way to know is to try.

6.  AVOID HEAT ON YOUR HAIR AS MUCH AS YOU CAN.  Air dry as much as possible.  For this reason, you might want to wash your hair at night if you work during the day.  Styling could be a challenge if you wake up w/ serious bed head.  I have used my hair dryer but very MINIMALLY.  But I also work from home.  So take this into consideration.  If you MUST dry your hair in the morning, allot yourself extra time by using the button on your dryer that blows out cooler air.

7.  NO STRAIGHT IRONS!!!!  (or curling irons)  This is very damaging to your hair especially during this process.

8.  ADD ESSENTIAL OILS.

• ROSEMARY:  encourages Hair GROWTH and is a NATURAL PERSERVATIVE.  You need this in your recipes to extend their shelf life so you don't have to refrigerate them.
• Other oils to promote a healthy head of hair:  lavender, cedar wood, sage, frankincense, peppermint and eucalyptus.  Add about 4 drops per cup.  (this is just a guide, you can increase a little or use less depending on what your needs are)
• WHERE TO BUY OILS?  You can go w/ established large companies like Young Living or Doterra or you can buy from a plethora of online stores.  Do your own research, as I do not endorse one company over another.  Not every oil is one and the same and you want therapeutic grade oils.  The ones you buy over the counter at local organic food stores are NOT therapeutic grade and contain many synthetics.  Not recommended.

10.  RECIPES (be sure and read #11 so you know how to make adjustments as you go along depending on how your hair is responding)

THIS IS MY VERY OWN "TWEAKED" VERSION.  I add xanthan gum to my recipes.  Why?  IT ELIMINATES SO MUCH WASTE by making the product thick.  The online versions are basically baking soda and water, but most of my product ended up on my shower floor and it frustrated me to no end.  However, xanthan gum is adding bacteria and bacteria = mold SO YOU ABSOLUTELY must use rosemary to extend the shelf life.  

OK...READY???  It's SO easy!  

BAKING SODA SHAMPOO:  (16oz)

Ingredients:

2 cups water

1-2 tsp of xanthan gum (we buy Bobs Red Mill brand at our local store...I think this is sold almost everywhere now)

2 tbsp of baking soda

1 tsp of Organic Castile Soap (OPTIONAL, but helps my hair from drying out.  You can buy castile soap in the organic section of your local store or at any organic/whole foods store)

therapeutic grade essential oils...be sure and include 2 drops of rosemary as a natural preservative!

DIRECTIONS:

1.  In a medium sized pan, bring 2 cups of water to a simmer.  

2.  Once you see little bubbles forming, add 1 tsp of xanthan gum and whisk.   You can walk away and leave it for 5-10 minutes but every now and then come back and whisk.  It just takes a while for the XG to incorporate into the water.  You'll know its done when all the white clumps are gone and you end up w/ a thick "gel" type consistency.  I start w/ 1 tsp of XG.  If it is still too thin after 10 minutes then I'll add a tiny bit more.  A little goes a LONG way.  

3.  While still hot, now add 2 tbsp of baking soda and whisk until all clumps are gone.  

4. Remove from heat and allow to cool a bit before adding your essential oils.  I recommend about 8 drops total of your oils.  (and remember, 2 of those need to be rosemary)

5.  DONE!  Allow to cool if pouring into a plastic bottle or you can pour it directly into a mason jar.

APPLE CIDER VINEGAR RINSE:

Ingredients:

1/2 cup of water

1 1/2 cups of RAW, UNFILTERED ACV (I buy Bragg's brand by the gallon which was purchased in the organic section of our local grocery store)

1-2 tsp of Xanthan Gum

Therapeutic Grade Essential Oils

DIRECTIONS:

1.  Put water in a medium sauce pan and bring to simmer.

2.  Once you see little bubbles, add 1 tsp of xanthan gum and whisk.  You can now walk away and do something else for about 10 minutes, but every 2 minutes or so you will whisk fervently to get that xanthan gum to emulsify w/ your water.  The end consistency is extremely THICK and you no longer see clumps.

3.  Remove from heat and allow to cool down a little.

4.  Add the Apple Cider Vinegar and whisk.

5.  Add essential oils.  (about 8-16 drops)  I add 16 drops because it helps off-set the vinegar smell.  (don't worry...the vinegar smell goes away after your hair dries)

11.  THE HOW-TO'S

• replace your old shampoo w/ the baking soda recipe.
• replace your old conditioner w/ the ACV recipe.
• ONLY WASH YOUR HAIR EVERY 2-3 DAYS.  I tend to do it every other day.
• HOW TO WASH:  think SCALP more than hair...although you want to get both.  I squirt the products directly on my head (in the part on top, above my ears, flip hair upside down and get underneath)  I then massage really well into scalp.  To finish off, I add a little to my ends.  I use this technique w/ both the wash and the rinse.  I have very thick hair so I use a lot, but since it only costs about $3/bottle I don't worry about that so much.
• IF YOUR HAIR GETS TOO DRY:  skip the baking soda one wash and only use the vinegar rinse.  If still too dry, only use the baking soda wash 1/week.  
• IF YOUR HAIR GETS TOO OILY:  Skip the vinegar rinse and only wash hair w/ the baking soda.  If still too oily, only use the vinegar rinse 1/week.  If STILL too oily, make another batch of the baking soda and OMIT the Castile Soap.  
• FRIZZ CONTROL:  put a little container of coconut oil in your bathroom and after your hair dries rub a little coconut on your fingers and run through your hair.  It does help.
• IF YOUR HAIR STARTS TO GET WAVES OR CURLS LIKE MINE DID:  A trick my hair dresser told me was to NOT brush my hair before drying but rather scrunching my wet hair-fresh out of the shower-and continue to scrunch while it air dries or as I blow dry.
• YES, YOU WILL SMELL LIKE VINEGAR WHILE YOUR HAIR IS WET, but it DOES go away after it dries.  So plan on washing your hair when you know you won't be around people much or if you have a hot date night!  :)
• DON'T CHEAT!!!!  As I mentioned before, I'm now on day 40 and still in "shock phase".  So tempted a couple of times to add conditioner or a no-frizz product.  DON'T DO IT!!!!

FINAL THOUGHTS:  I'm only 42 days in and no expert at this...I will "adapt" these instructions if the need arises.  These are just simple thoughts from one mommy to another so we can continue to raise our children in TOXIN FREE homes!  You can also email me through our online store website.

AND BE SURE TO CHECK OUT OUR ONLINE STORE!!!!  www.happyhearthome.com

The Perfect Valentines Day Cookie: White Chocolate Chips and Dried Cranberries

Ingredients:

1/3 cup of almond meal (I like Trader Joes brand)
2 cups of  flour of your choice...we use Namaste Gluten Free flour blend
1 1/2 tsp of baking soda
1 tsp of sea salt
1/4 tsp of cinnamon *Optional.  I LOVE cinnamon w/ chocolate, but if you aren't a fan leave out.
1 Tbsp of milled flax seed
1/2 cup of  real butter, softened to room temp (1 stick)
1/2 cup of coconut oil (I actually had to firm mine up a bit in the frig today!) TIP: use all butter if you wanna.
3/4 cup of sucanat
3/4 cup of turbinado sugar, such as Sugar in the Raw
1 1/2 tsp of pure vanilla extract
1/2 tsp of lemon juice
2 eggs
3 handfuls or so of WHITE CHOCOLATE or butter drop chips
2 handfuls or so of DRIED CRANBERRIES

DIRECTIONS: Preheat oven to 350.
Dump everything (EXCEPT THE EGGS, WHITE CHOCOLATE AND CRANBERRIES) in your kitchen aid and mix until combined.  Add eggs, one at at a time, mixing well after each addition.  Finally, add the chips and cranberries.  Stir until well incorporated.  Drop by the spoonfuls onto cookie sheet and bake 8 minutes. I allow mine to cool just a bit on the cookie sheet before removing.  (they will continue to "set")