Going Organic: why it is important

Many of you know, or maybe you don't, that I have my own Pangea Organics business as an Independent Beauty Ecologist. Yes it is a social selling thing, and it is awesome! One of the things that I love is that the products are amazing, really work, and really are one of the most affordable companies of truly organic skin and body care.

Anyways, we rolled out a great new program. It is the Preferred Customer Program. It is a loyalty program. Spend $75 a month on Pangea on Auto-ship and you get a 15% discount and FREE SHIPPING. NICE! We easily do that here at our house! I am so on board. So why the blog post? Here's why:

Another Beauty Ecologist commented on how that was an unrealistic price for the average family. I totally disagree. For $2.12 a day, you can go organic. How much do YOU spend on that coffee you get everyday…multiple times a day? Well, here is my response to her, and why I really think it is important to go organic, not just because it is less toxic, not just because it is better for you, but because it is better ALL AROUND. 

"In the grand scheme of things, it isn't actually that unrealistic considering all the products most people buy, don't like, then throw away. And considering the amount of money people waste every month on things they do not need, such as alcohol, tobacco, and fast food, it really all comes down to you. You have products that one customer at a time can change the environment and change lives, not only because they are affective, but because the ingredients we source come from sustainable, organic farming that is run and worked by people, not machines. The money is going to those people to support families. Organic farming is not cheap ( thanks Richard for that little tidbit). It is about priorities and getting people to vote with their dollar. It would become more affordable if more people bought it. Think about this. The world of Business follows the money. If people stopped buying the other garbage on the market that cost $2 a bottle and substituted it with Pangea products, other companies would start to compete on the organic market. Also, think about this: Americans spend 5.6% of their yearly income on fast food every year. That is almost $2500 a year on average. Pangea costs about $765 after the 15% discount."

So it really is all about perspective and priorities! Can you believe it??? The average family spends $2500 on fast food a year! That does not include their grocery bill, either! My husband is the only one who ever really eats fast food in our family. We also don't go out to eat often because it is difficult to find a place the kids can eat. We also RARELY buy sodas or processed foods. We don't even do canned food except for a few select items. Our grocery bill is honestly about $600 a month. ALSO, the average American spends $20 a week on specialty coffee, i.e Starbucks, etc. That is around $1100 a year. AND Americans throw away about $2200 of food annually. 

So is $63.50 too much to spend? I really don't think so. Besides, eventually the prices will drop as the importance of organic products start to become more newsworthy and noteworthy. We all know that organic isn't really going away! We know too much about what it does to the body to have herbicides, pesticides, and Genetically Modified Organisms invade our body. AND we are learning more everyday! They are poisons and are slowly killing us. 

SOOOOO…what ARE you WAITING FOR?? go to http://www.pangeaorganics.com/parties/RebekahBavry123  and check out what amazing products await!! (PSSSTTT…my favorite products: the eyecream and the mask! Then the whole skin care line and handcream!) 

"Moving Beyond the Pink Ribbon"

The Founder and President of Pangea Organics, Joshua Scott Onysko posted this for October and I really just wanted to share it. He has such amazing insight and I believe these words are spot on. Please check out www.pangeaorganics.com/rebekahbavry to Detox your skin care. You have to start somewhere. Pangea Organics is the perfect place to start! 

Moving Beyond the Pink Ribbon

Dear Friends,

For the past 13 years as I’ve been growing Pangea, I have watched the pink ribbon and / or color pink being used to market products during October, which is recognized as Breast Cancer Awareness Month. Many of these products touting the ribbon use many ingredients, and when I say many, I really mean most, that are known to cause cancer.

In the United States alone, over 300,000 new cases of breast cancer will be diagnosed in 2013 and over 40,000 friends, mothers, sisters and wives will die as a result. Breast Cancer is the leading type of cancer in women, with skin cancer coming in close second.

These statistics are a major reason why we do what we do here at Pangea. There are over 100,000 chemicals being used in the health and beauty aids industry, less than 10% of them have ever been tested for safety, and on average, women put 500+ chemicals on their bodies everyday...yes daily. These corporations and brands that have marketed their way into your hearts and wallets knowingly are making us sick, literally, and killing us slowly in the name of market growth and profit.

We will not wait for the government to step in and create new standards as they have failed us with our food supply, and they have failed us with the distribution of unsafe pharmaceuticals. We will not wait for you to change and hope that one day your conscience will catch up with you and you will finally decide to make better choices. No, we won’t. Pangea and many other companies who have ethics and believe in creating products that are safe, healthy and efficacious are out here educating consumers and giving them better options.

In less than six months, over 1,000 moms, doctors, therapists, estheticians, nurses, artists, yoga teachers and students around the U.S. will have chosen to be part of the solution and to educate and empower the consumer with knowledge. One thousand today. One hundred thousand tomorrow. We will not stop, and we cannot be bought. We at Pangea, and our Beauty Ecologists, believe that our personal health and the health of our communities are...priceless.

Knowledge is power which doubles when you share it.

~Joshua Scott Onysko, Founder and President of Pangea Organics

Organic vs Therapeutic essential oils: Wait? Therapeutic? That doesn't exist!

Aromatherapy is on the rise, and it has amazing abilities. But what about this whole therapeutic grade thing? Well, it doesn't really exist. BUT PEOPLE STILL USE IT TO SELL PRODUCTS! My favorite line from an essential oil company is: (taken directly from their blog) http://doterrablog.com/are-doterra-essential-oils-organic

"No, they’re better.

Don’t get us wrong, this post is not intended to be a CPTG vs. certified organic debate. Certified organic is good. We support organic practices from any organization that seeks to produce pure, quality products, but the certified organic standard is not the only standard of purity.

dōTERRA‘s quality standard for essential oils, Certified Pure Therapeutic Grade^® (CPTG), exceeds industry standards. Because organic certification varies from country to country, province to province, and in the US, from state to state, it is not currently possible to acquire all oils under certified organic status. However, through the GC/MS analysis process, we are able to determine if any chemical residue exists in the essential oil, such as pesticides, herbicides, extenders, and solvents. With this rigorous analysis process, we are able to ensure that all CPTG essential oils offered by dōTERRA are absolutely pure as nature intended and a step above organic.

- See more at: http://doterrablog.com/are-doterra-essential-oils-organic#sthash.aHEMkjCR.dpuf "
BUT Organic does exist, which means there are no pesticides, herbicides, etc. There is no "step above" organic. Organic essential oils (which can be found from NOW Foods, at least they have a few organic, and Mountain Rose Herbs, and hopefully soon from Pangea Organics, the company I work for) are the best you can get. We are talking essential oils. Essential oils are 100% pure for the most part unless the company is cutting their oils to make a bigger profit. Once again there is no such thing as "Therapeutic grade". It is a gimmick to get you to buy their products. False advertising if you will.

So go grow your knowledge! Do your research! And remember, you can't always believe what a company tells you.

Read these articles for clarification :

http://www.aromaweb.com/articles/therapeuticgradeessentialoils.asp

http://www.naturesgift.com/therapeutic-grade.htm

http://www.cropwatch.org/Therapeutic%20Grade%20Essential%20Oils%20corrected.pdf

Pangea Organics and opportunities...

A few years ago, while living in Texas, I started looking for a new skin care regimen. I was using Pro-Nasty, oh, sorry, Proactive and it was really hurting my skin. I stumbled happily upon a website claiming to have awesome skin care that is organic, all natural, good for you, etc, and I decided to give them a try. I have been using their products ever since. Pangea Organics has the best skin care line I have EVER used. My skin is healthier, breaks out less, and glows. In short: I LOVE THEM! Well, this spring they started a direct selling approach with their products and I was so excited I emailed them right away and signed up to be one of Pangea Organics first Independent Beauty Ecologists!! I was number 27 to sign up! So now I want to introduce the world (ok, just my few readers, but one day the world) to Pangea Organics. (BTW, we are still looking for people to share the Pangea LOVE, so go on over to their website and give them my ID# 50027 as your referral!! Go become a BE!!)

Now, I love all their products, I really do, but I wanted to share with you my faves.

1. Their Oily-Blemish Prone skin care line. This includes the Australian Wild Plum and Willow Cleanser (which smells heavenly), the Moroccan Argan with Willow and Rosemary Facial Cream, Argentinian Tangerine and Thyme Facial Toner (very refreshing). Now this is the BASE of the line, but when you add the Japanese Matcha Tea with Acai and Goji Berry Facial Mask and the Egyptian Geranium with Adzuki Bean and Cranberry Facial Scrub, you have an at home spa like facial! Your skin will glow and feel the best it has ever felt. I know. It sounds like a bold claim, and it is! But it's the truth! Trust me!!

2. The lip balm. I call them Luscious Lip Balms, because they are. They feel so good on and really hydrate your lips without being sticky or gooey. It glides on like silk and that's what your lips feel like. Now, they come in three scents, but my fave is the Pyrenees Lavender with Cardamom. 

3. The Brazilian Brown Sugar with Cocoa Butter Body Polish. If you want soft skin, this will get it for ya! Exfoliates the dead skin cells away and leaves behind soft, supple skin. I use it before I shave. Best shave of your life after using this on your legs! 

4. The lotions and body oils. Both soak into your skin and never leave you greasy. And your skin is so soft afterwards. And of course, my favorite scent: Pyrenees Lavender with Cardamom. What can I say? I love lavender. 

SO: Go check them out!!! Seriously, it never hurts to look and trust me when I say you won't want to use anything else after trying Pangea! www.pangeaorganics.com/rebekahbavry or www.pangeaorganics.com/parties/0413

My Mirena Story...

So, I wanted to talk about my Mirena. Great subject, huh? But please, if you are a woman and have thought of getting one, or already have one, keep reading. My story may not only shock you, but give relative information on your own health and problems that might be currently plaguing you! Trust me...I am not the only one with a story like mine, and thank God for that. I thought I was going nuts, and, ok, that is always still debatable. 

It all started when I decided that I wanted a better form of birth control, yada, yada, yada. Skip to the part where things started to go wrong. Well, after insertion of the little devil, I cramped...and not just "hey I am getting my period" cramps, but "Holy crap, I remember these cramps!! They are called LABOR PAINS!" Seriously. My lower back was hurting, my legs hurt all the way to my knees on the inside, and it felt like I was about to give birth. But I never expelled the Mirena. And I bled...and bled, and bled, and bled. For 2.5 months. Now we are almost to 3 months and I am getting the sucker out tomorrow. But all those symptoms are supposed to go away. Well, not the labor cramping, but the rest did. Now onto the weird stuff. 

Shortly after having the Mirena put in (end of August), I started to notice that it was getting harder to run and not get super winded. And my heart would feel like it was going to pound its way out of my chest. I shrugged it off, until I started having problems falling asleep because my heart was pounding so hard. I was also starting to be short of breath for no real reason. Just a little exertion was enough to have me stopping for air. Totally weird since I was running and lifting weights and everything. Then I started feeling my heart flutter in my chest. And then the racing heart rate started. I had an ECG and an Echo. My heart was fine except for some trace regurgitation in the tricuspid valve and a sinus arrhythmia. Seriously, those are not problems and my heart is great. So I saw a shrink. He thinks it is all physiological and all stemming from PTSD from the home invasion we had this summer. Ok, I can buy that to some extent. But I still wasn't satisfied. I started doing research since everything started about the time I got the Mirena put in. I was shocked at how many people had the same problem, had doctors tell them the same thing! And also how once the Mirena was out their life started to slowly get back to normal. So why aren't we being warned about this?? Obviously it is happening frequently and people are having serious complications to the little devil! I plan on keeping a diary starting tomorrow after I get the thing out. I am hoping that it will bring some insight into my heart and health issues and I can get back to normal, AND let people know what an evil little booger the Mirena really is! I think the med company is hiding stuff about it. I hope people will listen and then maybe the Mirena will be exposed! 

If you don't believe me, just Google "Mirena and Heart Problems" or "Mirena and Heart Palpitations". You will be shocked! And let me know if you have experienced problems like these. I am interesting in hearing your story as well!!

Canning oils for salves

Infused oils are the base ingredients for your salves. Making them is super easy! I will give you the short and quick of it and also tell you how to make sure you don't end up with rancid oil (I just had to throw one out because the seal popped. I was super sad.)  

FIRST OFF: Please research your herbs to make sure that the herbs are safe to use! This is your responsibility! Mistakes can be hazardous and even fatal! 

So let's start with what you need: Glass jars and your standard canning equipment, cheese cloth (or muslin), desired herbs (dried or fresh), and a good base oil, like Olive or Grapeseed, double broiler if you have one, if not then a glass bowl over a pot of boiling water will do. 

There are two methods, which I usually combine: Hot infusion and cold infusion.

Hot first:

1. So, you combine the oil and the desire herbs in the double broiler or glass bowl. The ratio is basically 1:1 for dried herbs. A little more than 1:1 for fresh. (Preferably 2:1 for fresh, but you have to make sure you have a big enough jar and that the herbs are covered in the oil.) 

2. Simmer the oil and herbs for 2-3 hours. 

3. Remove from heat, allow to cool, strain through muslin or cheese cloth, making sure to squeeze all the oil from the herbs. 

4. Pour into an airtight, STERILIZED (remember about the rancid oil thing??) jar and store for up to a year. 

Now cold:

1. Combine oil and herbs in a STERILIZED (there it is again!!) jar, making sure the herbs are covered by oil. 

2. Close jar and shake to mix the ingredients together. 

3. Place in a sunny window and let sit for 2-6 weeks. (or if you are like me you leave them for 2-3 months)

4. Strain and store just like you would the hot infusion. 

How I combine the two:

After simmering the oil and herbs I hot can them together and make sure the jars seal and then sit them in a sunny window for 2 to 3 months. This makes a more potent infused oil. I like some of my oils (like calendula, chamomile, and chickweed) strong. They are benign herbs therefore they won't harm in excessive amounts applied topically. They will just be more smelly :) (think lavender!) I also add a couple drops (that's all you need) of essential oil (like lavender or tea tree) and a couple drops of pure vitamin e oil to each jar before storage. This helps preserve them and keep stuff from growing in them once you have opened them. :)

STERILIZING JARS, RINGS AND LIDS:

This is so important for storage. You have to get the jars, rings, and lids hot enough to kill any microorganisms that may be lurking. Just the facts. Start with a clean work space. We have our hot water set at 180 or 190. I wash my jars on the sanitize setting in our dishwasher and then don't touch them except on the bottom of the jar. You can also boil the jars, rings, and lids. I have done this as well. It all works. Just make sure you never touch the jar except on the outside and bottom, and don't touch the rings and lids except with a canning tool. This will ensure a good seal and that nothing can grow in or get into the infused oils. 

These are the methods I like to use. Some people use more or less herbs and some people like different oils. It isn't set in stone and each ingredient brings its own unique quality to the finished product!

1st Post: Echinacea and Golden Seal

Thanks for stopping by! I wanted to start a blog about the stuff I love, the stuff I know, and the stuff I have a passion about that isn't necessarily related to my kids! They are great, but I wanted to put something else out there too! I plan on giving a tip and then some research about it so it's not just some information that someone said. I am not a doctor, but I do research my herbs very well and have a great library of herbal books that explain their chemistry, what they do, what they interact with, and any contraindications. This is just my own two cents of knowledge research and is in no way meant to treat or diagnose any disease. Please consult your family practitioner or other medical personage before starting any supplement or starting a new exercise program. 

So here goes:

My 1st Health/Herb tip

I am a firm believer that God has put plants on this earth to help us, and not just for food. But at the same time, you must be careful and use herbs and plants wisely and really do your research before you just start taking or using something that is a natural remedy. After all, arsenic is "all natural". 

Today, I want to touch on a couple herbs that are in my medicine cabinet: Echinacea and Golden Seal. 

Echinacea is pretty harmless, and in fact, can have some immune boosting benefits. According to The Encyclopedia of Herbal Medicine by Andrew Chevallier, FNIMH, echinacea, while its effect is not fully understood, it can stimulate the immune system to help fight against viral and bacterial infections. It helps "inhibit the ability of viruses to enter and take over cells". There have been studies that both support and contradict these statements, however. The safety concern with echinacea is allergic reactions, since it is in the daisy family. Anyone who has an allergy to daisies should avoid taking echinacea. 

My family takes it, in conjunction with other herbs, to help shorten the duration of colds. We find that this works. 

One of the other herbs, Golden Seal, is another story. It is sold in a combination therapy for immune support with echinacea. It is a potent remedy, according to The Encyclopedia of Herbal Medicine, "for disorders affecting mucous membranes." It is also antibacterial, used as a uterine stimulant, anti-inflammatory, and is astringent. However, it SHOULD NOT be taken during pregnancy, and is toxic if taken in excess. You shouldn't take it if you have high blood pressure, either. Also, according to The Essential Guide to Herbal Safety by Simon Mills and Kerry Bone, it is possible that chronic use of Golden Seal can block the absorption of Vitamin B. This could lead to other chronic health problems. 

I rarely take Golden Seal, but in case of a sinus infection or other bacterial infection, I keep it around. But just like everything else, excess=bad, moderation=ok. 

Keep that in mind when you are using herbs. AND DO YOUR RESEARCH!!!!!!! Don't just take something because you can get it at your local pharmacy in the supplement aisle. Read and gain knowledge and KNOW what you put into your body. 

Have a Happy Herbal Day!