My Journey to Natural Living & four kitchen superpowers I’m taking with me

Did you know that on a daily basis, we’re getting exposed to so much harmful and toxic chemicals and that most of them we either apply directly to our skin or actually eat?? (Crazy, right?!) 

But you don’t need to be a scientist to know this because the internet offers so much information, it’s hard not to get paranoid! haha

Seriously though, in a world where “dishwashing soap is made with NATURAL lemon and an energy drink is made with ARTIFICIAL flavors”, we all have to take some extra steps to better manage our health and minimize our negative effect on our environment. And guess what, oftentimes this simply means going to our kitchen and re-acquainting ourselves with common household items so that we know how else to use them other than their obvious uses.

If you don’t already have these in your kitchen (which is very unlikely), visit your favorite grocery store and make sure you stock up on these items:

Baking soda

Vinegar

Oatmeal 

Coconut Oil

Baking Soda

You may know this as the mysterious orange box with the Arm and Hammer symbol on it that your mother puts in the ref for no apparent reason - but actually there is!! I’ve been having a love affair with baking soda for a while now and I don’t see that ending anytime soon. I bet so many DIY lovers and eco-fighters out there are too and I can’t blame them!

What you can use it for:

Homemade deodorant 

Facial/Body scrub

Fabric conditioner

Mouthwash

Anti-acid solution

All-purpose whitener and abrasive cleaner

Deodorizer

These are just a few of the practical uses of baking soda, an entire book could be written just listing down its uses – you should start getting your hands on this magical box yesterday! (today works just as well though!) 

Vinegar 

Believe it or not, vinegar’s use is not just for cooking! It is so versatile, you should really buy them in gallons!

What you can use it for:

Whiten clothes in place of a chemical-based commercial laundry cleaner

Deodorize, sanitize and tenderize meat and fish before cooking

Eliminate nasty odors

Natural dandruff remedy

Unclog drains naturally

Fruit or vegetable wash

Foot soak and softener

I have now started buying them in gallons myself and I have used up half of the gallon for cooking, laundry and foot soak - it really does work! 

Oatmeal

Never underestimate the power of this healthy meal option because you’d be surprised with what it can actually do!

What you can use it for:

Natural remedy to acne

Neutralize smell in refrigerator

Face mask and body scrub/exfoliator

Soothe itchy skin (works for your pets too!)

Thicken soups and dips

Add to smoothies for an energy boost

Alternative to flour for pancakes and other pastries (super love how it adds texture and a nutty flavor to my pancakes~) 

Non-toxic and less expensive replacement to modelling clay (genius right?! Thinking of making oatmeal sculptures this weekend with the kiddo~)

Coconut Oil

If you’ve not jumped into this band wagon, now is definitely the time to do so! It’s the type of oil you’d want to smell over and over again on and off the plate!

What you can use it for:

Creamer for coffee

Make hair strong and shiny (why go to the salon we you can do it at home?)

Replace your typical cooking oil (smells good and does not give off smoke easily~) 

Mouthwash and oil pulling (tastes good and does not sting like over-the-counter mouthwash~)

Make-up remover and facial moisturizer

Home remedy for wounds and cuts (it has natural anti-bacterial properties~) 

Natural deodorant

As it happens, these 4 things might actually even help me survive a possible zombie apocalypse - oatmeal and coconut oil for food and vinegar and baking soda to mask my scent and as a chemical weapon! All you really need is a little creativity and resourcefulness!

Let's give it up for MJ for the celebratory dance! Whoot whoot! 

How about you? Are you journeying towards an All-Natural life like me? 

If so, what 4 things would you take with you? Comment your top 4 things below and let me know if you agree with my top 4 things as well.  

Whatever your journey is about right now, happy journeying! 

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