Kristina writes:

Dear Laura,

Lately I’ve been craving a trail-mix kind of snack…you know, nuts, coconut bits, seeds, dried fruit, and okay…a few chocolate bits too.  So I went to our regular grocery store to see what I could find.  I noticed that all mixes that looked good to me have dried fruit with food coloring.  Seriously?  So I went to Sunflower Market (a lesser WF sort of place), and came across the same problem.  I know that dried fruit can be pretty sugary…I can live with that since I don’t eat it all that often, but for some reason I just can’t abide food coloring.  Am I being ridiculous?  Are my days of eating dried papaya/mango/pineapple over?

Please help me...

I could have sworn I posted this already, but I can’t find it in my archives anywhere, so I’m putting it up (maybe again). I wrote this for a friend’s website a couple of years ago. She had just read Michael Pollan’s In Defense of Food: An Eater’s Manifesto, and was inspired to clean up her family’s diet. I’ve been on that path for a while already, so I agreed to be her food guru.

Now that I have my own guru website, it’s only fitting that I borrow my article back and post it here!

Clean Food is Dirty!

I have an egg dealer. I found her on CraigsList. Every week or two, I meet her at her downtown office in the middle of the workday for my goods. I slip her some cash - $2/dozen (the best...

Leila asks:

I’ve recently decided to get rid of the yucky chemicals in my life - no more artificial fragrances and no more super toxic cleaning products. Before I buy everything on the shelf at Whole Foods, is there a way to go about this transition more economically?

“My” method
Well, if you’ve read my blog for long, you’ve probably noticed I’m a big fan of method products.

If you’re easing yourself into the world of more natural cleaning products, method is a great start. They are naturally derived, non-toxic, and very effective.

Here are a few method products I love:

- Flushable Tub & Tile wipes. Perfect for a quick swipe of the counters, sink, and toilet surfaces to freshen up...

Rumbly in my Tumbly writes:

Hey Laura, my doctor recently diagnosed me with GERD and a possible ulcer. My doctor put me on medication to begin the healing process in my stomach, but I see this as a short term plan.  I’d like to take care of it with lifestyle change as much as possible. What foods might be particularly good for my stomach, and body in general right now as it tries to heal?  Any other advice for dealing with this issue?

This article has a comprehensive overview of peptic ulcers, including both conventional and complementary treatments. Here’s a clear cut article on GERD management.

Dietary measures
Interestingly, the efficacy of “The Ulcer Diet” (ie: bland, non-fatty...

I’ve reviewed other Zoe Organics products before, but the Extreme Cream is new and worth its own mention.

Extreme Cream
2 oz for $18 or 4 oz for $28

The Extreme Cream is aptly named. It is intense! A little goes a very long way. I can fully moisturize my icky winter-dry hands with a nob the size of a pea.

I love the whipped butter like texture of this stuff when you first pull it out of the jar. It gets melty and creamy as soon as you rub it between your palms, so it applies very easily. There is no real scent to it since it contains no essential oils - just the wonderful rich moisturizing ingredients; this makes it an excellent choice for very small babies or individuals with...

A friend of mine wrote to me this week, asking me to get some info for her on VBACs (vaginal birth after cesarean). She’s watched The Business of Being Born and now needs some “solid, unemotional, unhysterical supported information on the subject” to complete her act of due diligence on researching the subject.

Her doctor refuses to “allow” a VBAC, so she’ll have to find a new care provider if she chooses this route. Her husband feels a little skittish about a VBAC, so a lot of this information is going to help him get his head around the facts about VBACs, too.

Since I want to make this write-up as useful as possible to as many people as possible, I’m not going to go into specifics...

Magnolia writes:

I waited to vaccinate my son until he was two and then broke up the ones I could, in order to catch him up. However, my new son is only three months and we are going to Europe when he is eight months on April 30. In order for him to be caught up before we go, I would have to give his 2 months at 4, 4 months at 6 and his 6 months at 8, and I would not be able to break them up. He is very strong and no heath problems but I still am wary of any shots so young. I am so overwhelmed with all the info out there. I would love some good advise and reputable sites that I can build a educated plan from.

Good for you for wanting to make an educated decision. I fear too many...

Kristina writes:

Many food labels have “natural flavors” listed in the ingredients.  What does that mean?  I first started wondering when I picked up a bottle of Simply Heinz ketchup at the grocery store.  While I know it’s not health food, I enjoy ketchup with certain things now and then, and was drawn to this particular brand when I saw the (relatively) short, and easy-to-pronounce ingredients list.  Other brands have much more complicated ingredients, and many of them contain HFCS.  However, “natural flavoring” is the last ingredient of Simply Heinz, and I’ve since found it in several other things.

I’ve done a bit of my own research, but many of the websites I looked at...

Leila writes:

What do you recommend doing about Cold sores?

Any recommendations on how to prevent them? Or what works the best to heal them? I usually get them when I’m super stressed and tired. Thus my immune system is down and the virus has a chance to come up and show symptoms on my lip/mouth area.

Thanks!

If you want to do some major reading, here is an extensive article on natural remedies for cold sores like managing your Lysine/Arginine ratios (helpful food chart included), using Zinc or Lemon Balm, and improving your diet to increase immunity.

Someone has already done most of the work for me with this entry on Health911.com. It reviews the typical causes of cold sore...

Carissa writes:

Can you tell me about amber necklaces and the benefits of babies/toddlers wearing them? A quick Google search told me they are to help relieve pain from teething. . .is there anything else? I noticed your girls wear them; what has been your experience with them?

Amber has been used for centuries for its topical analgesic effects. The succinic acid in amber is said to reduce inflammation. Of course, as with many ancient natural remedies, amber has been vaunted as a veritable cure-all with not a whole lot of solid scientific backing to prove it. It does have a very interesting cultural history, which you can read about here.

In my research, I kept coming across the mention...

Renee writes:

I have the driest skin ever, especially in the winter. My skin gets so dry I usually break the skin scratching my arms and legs. I’ve tried dozens of different lotions to no avail. Are there any natural products I could use?

Oh, I hear you, Renee. I traded the bitter cold winters of the Great Plains for the milder but more arid High Desert climate. My skin hates me. Based on the advice I’ve gleaned here and there over the years, here is what I’ve done to cope.

Inside Out
Make sure that your whole system isn’t dry. I know I have a hard time staying hydrated when it’s cold outside, because drinking cool water just makes me feel colder! You may be tempted to replace some of...

“Itchy Cootchie” writes:

Is there an effective natural way to combat yeast infections? I don’t like the idea of sticking nasty chemicals You-Know-Where, but I also cannot live with days and days of the Crotch Rot while waiting for ACV swabs or yogurt suppositories to take effect!

Hee hee. Thanks, Itchy Cootchie, for giving me a giggle - and the opportunity to post in the Lady Bits category again! Let me see if I can help. Remember, I’m not a doctor! I only pretend to be an expert on the online. You should definitely be talking to your OB about your private pain here; self-diagnosis in this case can sometimes be sketchy, and should you self-treat for the wrong condition, you could be...

Beth writes:

What do I do about the diaper rash on my baby’s bum?  I’ve heard the zinc oxide creams will leave ugly stains on my cloth diapers plus buildup, so what do you recommend?  I’m not sure why he’s got the rash—I change the diapers frequently and it doesn’t look like a yeast infection.  Plus, it doesn’t seem to matter if I use cloth or disposable diapers.  I guess he’s just got a deep butt crack (sounds horrible!) and it’s a challenge to keep dry.  I’m trying to air it out whenever I change him, but obviously I don’t want to wait around in the middle of the night too often.  Anyway, just wondered if you had a cream that might work.

Diaper rash is par for the course in just about...

THIS CONTEST IS NOW CLOSED.

Woo hoo! The kind folk at method sent me a box of 8 Multi-Surface Cleaner sprays to give away to my readers!

I’ve been a fan of method since their very early days; a method advocate before they even started their “People Against Dirty” program!

In 2002, when Karim Rashid first started working with their bottle design, I read an article about method in How magazine - a design industry rag. Being a sucker for great design, I bought my first bottle of method (then called all-purpose) spray in the French Lavender scent.

I went home and cleaned my counters with it. It smelled lovely! I enjoyed cleaning with it so much that I found myself searching out other...

I posted last night about natural (mostly dietary) acne solutions, at at the very end I shared a The HeyLauraWhat Reader Coupon for 25% off your next purchase at Angelina Skincare, through the end of September. Just use the code “HeyLauraWhat” in the space provided during checkout, or mention it in-store.

I absolutely love Angelina’s stuff and fully intend to take advantage of the coupon code as well! She has a sweet little shop in downtown Bend - exactly what you might imagine an organic herbarium might look and smell like. Lavender drying from the rafters, rows and rows of dark glass bottles, and the coolest old-school cash register I’ve ever seen! If you are in Bend, you should...

Anonymous writes:

I read somewhere that there’s no medical/health reason for a woman to have a period every month.  Even one of the nurses at my gyno’s office mentioned that she just takes her birth control pills continuously so as not to have one.  I can’t put my finger on why, but this seems strange and wrong to me.  However, I have nothing to back my opinion except that that’s how women were designed and it’s best not mess with Design (and maybe that should be reason enough).  I have never taken my pills continuously, though it’s extremely tempting as my period wrecks havoc on my whole body.  Every month I get sick to my stomach, lose my appetite, and energy, and get cramps...

Last week, I got an amusing email with the subject line of “DON’T YOU DARE use my name! ROFL!”

I certainly will not betray my dear reader’s confidence, but isn’t it so indicative of our deep-rooted humiliation about this subject that we don’t want to admit it’s a problem?

Hey Laura! 
Facial hair has not been a problem for me, but ever since I have started to spend the majority of my time out of direct sun, I’m noticing that certain little patches of peach fuzz are darkening near the corners of my mouth.  Is there an effective cheap and natural way to help make this less noticeable?  I tweezed once and I’m not going to do that again (hello, darker little hairs). As I write you I am...

Jen was wondering about the connection between dairy and ear infections, so I pulled a few links for her. It’s late and I’m tired (and this is a Snippet), so I didn’t go all out, but there’s enough to get her started here.

Article outlining the link between milk allergy and chronic ear infections, stating that “Up to 40 percent of kids who suffer from chronic ear infections has a milk allergy.”

Lots of compelling reasons to drop dairy from your kid’s diet.

Some alternative treatments for ear infections including cutting out dairy and (a HLW favorite!) using garlic drops!

Don’t kids need dairy in order to be healthy?
Nope.

Here are some nondairy calcium sources. (More advice here.)

If...

“Beancess” writes:

Hey Laura,
What is the best toothpaste? What ingredients should we avoid, and specifically what do you think about fluoride?

Oh fluoride! I have been totally intimidated by the fluoride debate and have been avoiding the research for my own family out of sheer mental laziness. I already know that it’s going to be one of those murky, “We say X” vs. “They say Y” kind of issues and those are the hardest to get a straight set of facts upon which to base a decision.

But, thank you Beancess for making me a better, more informed parent. I’m going to give you a dissertation on fluoride, then talk about toothpaste options clear down at the end. Don’t be tempted to skip down...

This contest is now closed. The reviews are still relevant though!

This week I’ve had the pleasure of reviewing the baby line from Zoe Organics. As Heather is a long-time friend from high school, I got to try some of her very first test samples last year. But now she’s refined her formulas and has stunning new packaging and a gorgeous website, too. It has been wonderful to watch this dream of hers unfold, as she’s been incubating the natural spa items concept since as long as I’ve known her!

Here’s what Zoe Organics is all about:

Zoe means “life,” and our mission is to celebrate and protect the lives of our children, family, community and planet. Zoe Organics uses only the most pure,...

Brandi writes:

Hey Laura—my almost 4 yr old has started having nightmares every night; usually around 2:30 in the morning.  What can I do to try to head these off?  I’ve talked to him about what’s going on and he says, “I can’t sleep—I went into a scary story!”  It usually takes me about 45 minutes to get him back to sleep and I’m exhausted from being a nightmare warrior every night.  :(

First of all, according to child development experts, this is totally normal for your son’s age. No doubt, there are a lot of transitions occurring in his life right now (new baby on the way, preschool starting in the fall, potty training, anticipation of new “big boy” responsibilities and...

Ashley writes:

Laura! Help! My headaches are ruling my life and I’m willing to try anything to find some long-term relief! I feel like I’ve heard it all (as a young child some doctor put me on antidepressants, eek!) and simply cannot be told one more time that I just need to “stress less” or pop a pill. Please help me find my way out of nearly 20 years of debilitating headaches.

Food
Okay, so I’m assuming that you know all about potential food triggers for migraines, right? If you aren’t already, you need to be keeping a migraine diary. Trying to eliminate all the possible food triggers is nearly impossible, but scrupulously writing down what you eat for a week and tracking your migraine...

Jen:
My mom is looking for a natural antacid…

Laura:
[this is what my Naturopath prescribed for me during pregnancy]
Tell your mom to get a bottle of Bragg (raw, unpastuerized) Apple Cider Vinegar. Take 2 TBs mixed with 8 oz of water (and honey to taste if she needs to) half an hour prior to eating. The acidic nature of the ACV will help her body not over-produce its own acid.

Jen:
What do you use to clean your showers? I know you’re chemical free and I can’t find one I like. Thank you!

Laura:
I use the Method shower spray for maintenance, but baking soda works REALLY well for getting off that pinkish orange soap scum. Add vinegar to your baking soda and it’s great for hard water spots.

Jennifer:
Baking soda worked for toilets but ended up with Bleach and glass cleaner…any subs for those?

Laura:
vinegar and crumpled newspaper works on glass. What are you trying to bleach?

Jen:
Black mold…

Laura:
For mold I would use vinegar with a few drops of Tea Tree Oil mixed in. Grapefruit seed extract is also good - a few drops in the vinegar is all you need!

...

I got code red emergency question today that I have to push to the front of the line!

“Itchin’ and bitchin’” (hee hee!) writes:

I have bug bites, presumably mosquito, EVERYWHERE!  I literally have dozens over my body; they’ve been viscious in the past few days, and they especially enjoy my “unmentionables” regions.  I’m telling you, I have bites in places you REALLY aren’t supposed to get bitten.  And the itching is driving me insane.  Some have turned into weeping welts, especially the ones on seams of my clothing (thighs, bra lines, etc.).  But I’m a chem-free sort of girl—I need a home-grown, or at the very least nasty-stuff-free, bug bite relief!  PLEASE help me!

What you’re...

Sweet Brianna B. asks:

Since summer time is FINALLY here, i was wondering if you have any good natural remedies for poison oak. Also which all natural tick/mosquito repelents are you impressed with?

Poison Oak
Oh, this horrid, horrid plant! I do not miss it! My brother used to get poison oak so bad that it would go systemic; he’d swell up like a crusty, oozing balloon and it would take injections of cortisone to get him to heal. So awful! (I think my mom took pictures.)

Your best tactic against poison oak is always prevention/avoidance. Remember the old adage: “Leaves of Three - Leave Them Be!” Train your kids to watch where they walk and to not touch every single darn thing they pass...

Carissa writes:

Hey Laura!

Now that you’re on child #2 in cloth diapers, what types and brands do you recommend? Also, are cloth wipes a given if you’re using cloth diapers? Finally, do you have a favorite soap for cleaning the diapers?

So far, I think the AI2 is the diaper for us, and I want to try five types: Thirsties Duo, FuzziBunz, BumGenius 3.0, Flip, and SoftBums.

One more question: the one-size diaper would definitely be the most cost-effective, if it really fit for three years. Has this been your experience?

Now, Carissa is already planning on cloth diapering, so I’m going to spare you the story of my own conversion and my own cloth diapering evangelism speech. But if any...

Ashley writes:

What do you do when when you or a family member are starting to feel sick? I know there are foods that can boost immunity and ways to help our bodies heal themselves. Please share your best tips and concoctions!

As you may well imagine, I am a huge advocate of equipping the body to fight its own battles. The symptoms that most over-the-counter cold and flu medications “fight” are the very tools your body is using to rid yourself of the disease! Fevers, sinus drainage, and even feeling icky all have an important role to play in your recovery. The less you try to suppress them, (for the most part) the better.

Here’s what we are doing right now at my house to make sure the...

******* Hey boys! If you’re uncomfortable reading words like BLOOD! VAGINA! PERIOD! CERVIX! CRAMPS! and the like, go do something manly and check back later ************

Okay ladies, let’s chat.

Can I just start by saying that sometimes I amaze myself at the breadth of my experience? Tee hee.

Hey Laura,

With the news reporting on scary chemicals in diapers and feminine products, I’ve begun to wonder if there is an alternative to traditional pads and tampons?  What products would you recommend for a woman with a medium-to-heavy monthly flow?

Sincerely, my Aching Vagina

Her Aching Vagina is probably referring to the dioxins contained in bleached cotton sanitary products - tampons...

Oh man, when this email popped into my inbox, I knew I was in for it. Hallie is, in my mind, already the pinnacle of “natural hippie girl,” and her question is one that has plagued me for several years!

Was this question going to force me to close my business as Your Expert, or would my enviable Googling skills pay off yet again?

Hallie wrote:

Dear Laura,
I want to use shampoo without tons of bad stuff but I get so overwhelmed trying to figure out what ingredients are no-no, and by the prices on the natural shampoos, I give up. Also I have NEVER found a natural conditioner that ACTUALLY makes my hair manageable, and once again, I don’t want to spend $200 trying different ones until I find...

Oh, so you heard that Vitamin A, a common sunscreen ingredient seems to actually accelerate the development of skin cancer?

Well, definitely take it with a grain of salt. The whistle-blowers, a lobbying group called the Evironmental Working Group, seem to have based their assertions on the preliminary findings of one study, while there are many other studies that have concluded that the antioxidant is safe.

This article, by a cosmetic producer, takes apart the EWG claims with a studied efficiency. While the author owns a cosmetic company and is obviously vested in the debate, I find her well-supported counter-argument to the EWG article much more convincing!

That said, I’m all about...

Good for you for making the switch! Grass-fed beef is better for you, better for the environment, and definitely the more humane choice. And, thanks to the likes of Michael Pollan and Food Inc., it’s getting easier to find local sources.

If you need help being convinced, the Mother Nature Network has an excellent article outlining the Top 10 reasons to eat grass fed meat and AmericanGrassFedBeef.com explains the significant health benefits of going grass-fed (did you know that grass-fed beef has up to half as much saturated fat as grain-fed, and up to 6 times the amount of cancer-fighting omega-3s?).

Now that everyone is rarin’ to get that beef in their bellies, how about some links to...

We just lived through a huge ant-swarm at our house, so I’m full of useful suggestions!

First off, it will be useful to know what kind of ants you’re dealing with, as different ants are tempted by different types of bait (as well as looking for different items in your pantry or on your floors).

Here is an informative article from the departments of etymology of UNM. It suggests all kinds of unpronounceable, toxic solutions to getting rid of ants, but if you scroll down you’ll find a guide to Common Household Ants. There you can see pictures of ants and read about their eating, nesting, and swarming habits.

Take comfort in the knowledge that a seasonal ant infestation is not usually...