Wednesday 28 April 2010

Say no to ''poo''

I know I am really really late with this post....it's just been impossible to get things done with a teething baby hanging around my legs{HELP!!}Anyway.....

Yes .....I'm saying goodbye to ''poo''...that's shampoo.Since the birth of my third son & hitting 30 my hair has gone downhill! It just isn't looking healthy anymore.......I've been using a variety of natural shop bought shampoos.....I've never been happy with the result,but grudgingly carried on.

I came across this post..... which amazed and intrigued me.So I'm joining the 'no-poo'movement.It's so liberating to know that we can create our own natural products from food and not spend a fortune on 'natural' products or cause damage with the not so natural.I'm going to use the baking soda and vinegar method to start with.
Here are a few points I found interesting from the article
  • Shampoo cleans out the dirt in your hair, but is very harsh and also takes the natural oils that make your hair shiny, soft and strong.{even natural shampoos have this effect}
  • The Materials Safety Data Sheet cautions to avoid body contact with SLS,{sodium lauryl sulfate} it also puts infants and children (whose eye are developing at a more rapid rate) at risk for improper eye development when it's absorbed through the skin and accumulates in eye tissues.
  • The oils in your hair come naturally out of your scalp to nourish it. Stripping them away causes damage, and breakage over time. In a way you do need conditioner, if you use shampoo - because it covers up the damage that's been done. But you don't need shampoo in the first place, all you're spending your money on is a big bottle of perfumed detergent.
  • you'll find that the more shampoo you use, the more often you need to use it. In the long run, coating your hair with mineral oil makes it weaker, and more prone to damage.
  • Anyone with small children who hasn't used baby shampoo will be aware of how, even after days and days of toddler mayhem, even after playing and sweating, their hair does not get greasy.

    So that discovery was all exciting but.....what I'm really excited about is this product- Rhassoul Clay
    Found deep beneath the Atlas Mountains in Morocco, Rhassoul comes from the Arabic word "rassala" meaning "washing’’.
    It can used for washing the body and hair.My husband is on a trip to Algeria{North Africa}...so I have put my order in!I am so excited about this product,especially since it has been used for over 1400 years,its really really natural,good for the environment......going back to simplicity.
    So I'm setting myself a challenge of 'no-poo' for one month ........ anyone want to join me? anyone tried it?
    Thought for day....

    Frugality is one of the most beautiful and joyful words in the English
    language, and yet one that we are culturally cut off from understanding and
    enjoying. The consumption society has made us feel that happiness lies in
    having things, and has failed to teach us the happiness of not having things.
    -   Elise Boulding

    Friday 23 April 2010

    Just passing....

    This is just a quick....just passing post. I'm really excited about a new challenge I'm setting for myself and some amazing natural discoveries I've made which I am eager to apply.But I'm stuck for time today....so please come tomorrow to see what I'm up to! You never know.... you may have been there and done that! {wink}
    I'll leave you with pics of my garden cooks.....they made the stinkiest soup ever!{yuck}


    And one of my silly ''I love moments.......






    What silly moment do you love?.....


    Thought for the day...

    Manifest plainness,
    Embrace simplicity,
    Reduce selfishness,
    Have few desires.
    - Lao-Tzu, Tao Te Ching

    Tuesday 20 April 2010

    Sunny dreams....

    I love the sun...I love nature....I love peace and quiet.....
    I am dreaming of a spaces like this......
    But for now I have to{ positively} accept my 1st floor London flat with shared overlooked garden that is used by the neighbourhood  terrors cats as a toilet!
    I have decided to take the little one to the park after dropping kids at school for sun and nature nourishment.And then the older ones after school for their fun in the sun....
    My dreams of opening the french doors onto my own garden,eating and watching the kids play outside....sipping sparkling lemon water ...soaking in the nourishing sun rays...will come{inshallah}....patience is all that is needed...and a positive attitude in the meantime...


    As much as I love the sun and believe that it is good and needed for better health....if I know I am going to be out at the wrong time of day,for hours with no trees for shade....protection is needed.I wear a head scarf and I absolutely hate my scarf tan that I acquire on my face in the summer time. I have tried so many sunblocks...natural and those not so.....all seem to trigger sore eyes for me and I still get the scarf tan......and from my latest research ,it seems that even some of the natural brands still react with the sun on your skin causing more damage than protection. I found this site that has some interesting findings about some of the products we use.I thought of ordering this and giving it a try!But then I read this and now I'm thinking maybe sunblock isn't such a good idea!I think I need all the vitamin D I can get!...Wearing a hat is an option...although it does look quite odd! In the above article the author did mention the following in the comments section....
    From people living in Australia (out working out in the sun a lot), they say that if you:
    - eat lots of unrefined coconut oil
    - eat cruciferous veggies, especially broccoli sprouts
    - take spirulina
    - then apply unrefined coconut oil topically to your skin
    That provides the best protection.
    What do you all think and use?

    Just a little update.....
    I had my first bit of chocolate yesterday since the challenge ended! I have kept up with the no sugar no wheat.I am feeling and looking so much better ..no bread or chocolate could lure me back! I enjoyed the chocolate moment and then left it behind....I don't need it....its such a brief moment of enjoyment with huge consequences.Still weighing in at 64 kilos...and haven't started exercising again yet. But I am feeling positive! With kids back at school I started oil pulling again with coconut oil this time....and using salt to brush my teeth until I find a tooth powder recipe! yippee for positive change!

    Thought for the day...

    Nobody can go back and start a new beginning,but anyone can make a new ending.
    Maria Robinson

    Thursday 15 April 2010

    Chatter box....

    This is my little chatter box.....




    this is his new thing....constant chatter that makes absolute sense...oh so cute{mashallah}
    mmmm...yes he is on the table....another one of his pass times!

    I also want to share a link to an interesting post I came across....here 
    following on from the glycerin issue! Sad to say I haven't started my new no toothpaste regime but my husband has started using only salt......{I am still determined to try no toothpaste ,I am just a bit unorganised at the moment....}

    Thought for the day.....

    "In reading the lives of great men, I found that the first victory they won was over themselves … self discipline with all of them came first."
    -- Harry S Truman, U.S. President

    Wednesday 14 April 2010

    Oliveology giveaway winner....

    Really sorry about the late giveaway draw.....
    I strayed from the the blogging world.......busy with my day to day life....and then some!
    Happy to be back though!
    Eva well done.....please email me your details at       nourishedmama{at}yahoo{dot}co{dot}uk

    Thursday 1 April 2010

    Oliveology tea giveaway..

    Olive tea has been enjoyed by ancient Greek civilizations....it is detoxifying and healing.
    Rich in vitamins A ,B, C & E......as well as being anti-viral,anti-bacterial & anti-fungal.
    Great for colds, flu &  infections.

    Leave a comment.....giveaway ends......Friday 9th April...open to all...

    I'm the best mummy...


    according to my 6 yr old son. I made pancakes....something I've only ever done once before..long time ago!{I know ..tut tut ...bad mama}He can't stop thinking and talking about them.
    Well I made them gluten free...I was really worried they would be horrible but everyone loved them! And I can eat them too! In an ideal world I wish the flour was wholegrain, soaked and freshly ground,the milk raw and unpasteurized.....although grateful for the organic milk and gluten free flour.Thankfully we have access to free range happy eggs.  I used this flour ...

    It' a great feeling being the best mummy in the world......

    Thought for the day....

    "Enjoy the little things in life, for one day you may look back and
    realize they were the big things."
    Author Unknown