Compromising on Health

 

Compromising on health

Today I will be sharing a little bit of our family’s testimony. Ever since our children were very young, we made radical changes to our family’s diet. We wanted a healthy family, free from sinus issues, allergies, fatigue, skin problems and flu. Not to mention avoiding doctors, prescription medications and hospitals as far as possible.

Our family’s health started improving drastically, doctor’s bills decreased, our energy levels increased, everyone’s emotions stabilized and we felt happier. What we didn’t bargain on, was the reaction of people. We have spent many years being judged, criticized, ridiculed, all for the sake of good health.

As time went by, we learned to adapt wherever we went. Not everyone is on the health train yet, and we needed to take that into consideration. It’s about more than just food. It’s about enjoying life together, building each other up, motivating and strengthening the one beside you.

But what if your physical and emotional strength begins to weaken because you have become more lenient for the sake of others around you? We changed our standard of healthy eating, because we still needed to fit into society and be accepted. Children have an even bigger need to fit in. If they don’t join in on eating all the junk and sugar laden food, then they are seen as weird. We don’t want anyone to end up without friends or be seen as outcasts.

 And with so many food temptations surrounding us, it can be really hard for anyone, not to mention a child. There is also some ridiculous lie out there that children can eat the junk and adults have to learn to restrain themselves and not eat the junk. You have to teach your children from an early age, not only when they reach adulthood. You will spare your child a lot of problems later in life.

We used to teach our children to have one or two biscuits or small unhealthy options whenever we go somewhere or visit people. If we do go out alone as a family and we see something decadent that is unhealthy, then we would share it. But what do you do when occasional visits, parties and social events become more regular, and becomes a lifestyle? If you have to make two unhealthy choices a few times a week? A roller coaster ride sets in, because an unhealthy lifestyle has come into motion!

 On compromising on my health this past month, I reaped the most terrible PMS and menstruation of my life! Nausea, bloatedness, period pain, sleeplessness, body aches, feelings of depression and anxiety, heavy period and tearfulness. So is it really worth changing your standard?? Will you be able to build relationships, build other people up and encourage them if you are the one that is feeling miserable??

Today I want to ask you; What is your standard? Who decides what your standard must be? Are you brave enough to change your standard, even if it costs you being judged and criticised?

An unhealthy lifestyle will wreak havoc in the long run. Do you want to continue jeopardizing your health and wait for next week to take responsibility for your health? It is time to change before you get sick. Everyone says that they want to be healthier, but what are you doing about it? How are you educating yourself to learn how to take control of your health?

Healthy food can be tasty and appealing, you just need to put a little effort in. There is a wonderful website that can help you in this department. A couple with 4 children that can inspire you, get some new recipes and show you where you can make changes in your home. Go to www.naturallivingfamily.com

My next question is, what healthy options are available wherever you go? What healthy options do you have available in your home for your family or guests to enjoy?

If we all make changes, it will be easier across the board, because there will be healthier options available that you can eat together. This will in turn build healthy relationships, literally and figuratively. We can’t be lukewarm anymore. You will be helping your family, friends and community.

It is time to take ownership of your health.

Lizelle

 

Recipes:

“Cheesy” butternut pasta: (serves 4)

 

1 butternut

1 large onion

non- dairy milk

Warm water

Pink salt

Nutritional yeast (2  heaped Tbsp)

Gluten-free pasta (Sam Mills corn pasta)

-Roast butternut in oven.

Gently fry onion. Set aside.

-Cook pasta.

Add butternut to the onion.

-Place mixture in blender or food processor.

-Add plant based milk and water to mixture, blend until creamy. (Quantity will depend on how muck milk and water you would like to add for creaminess.)

·     -Add salt according to taste.

·     -Mix into pasta. Place it in a serving dish. Garnish with parsley or paprika.

 

Raw carrot cake balls

 

1 peeled and grated carrot

Three quarter cup almonds

Half a cup pressed cut dates (Soak in water if it is too hard.)

Quarter cup raw oats

1 Tbsp melted coconut oil

Cinnamon (half a tsp)

Nutmeg (quarter tsp)

Ginger powder (quarter tsp)

Clove powder (1/5 tsp)

Desiccated coconut

·    - Place almonds in food processor until ground to almost fine.

·     -Add carrots and dates . (Remove any soaking liquid first.)

·     -Process, then add coconut oil.

·     -Process, let stand for 5 min. (Oats will absorb some moisture and soften.)

·     -Process again. Roll in balls, roll in desiccated coconut.

 - Store in an airtight container in the fridge.

Hormones and Insomnia

 

Hormones and insomnia

I don’t know about you, but PMS, being cranky because of lack of sleep, feeling stressed or bloated, can leave any girl looking for answers. I know a lady who spent years looking for answers, because she literally spent years not being able to sleep. I know what I feel like if I didn’t have a good night’s sleep, imagine feeling like that for years!

Below are a few things that can contribute to disrupted sleep and hormones:

·    Poor nutrition Sugar is one of the biggest culprits when it comes to hormones. It messes up your hormones, leaving you feeling emotional and tired.

 Colourants and preservatives are big “no no’s”!

Too much meat can send your digestive tract into a flurry. Instead of rejuvenating and regenerating at night, it will leave you feeling like you have worked in a factory the whole night.

Refined, processed flours are simple carbohydrates that turn into sugar almost immediately.

Lack of fruit and vegetables will also leave your body starved of minerals and vitamins which are there to help your body functioning like a proper machine.

Caffeine can leave you feeling jittery, cranky and agitated. Enough said!

 

·     Fear, anxiety and stress This can be the root of many of your ailments. You need to free yourself from this prison by forgiving and releasing.

·     Bitterness and anger Don’t go to bed angry and with unresolved issues with a partner or children. It will create an open door for the enemy to come and steal in your life. And you will be the one left tossing and turning the night!

·     Adrenal fatigue This is also where your hormones are out of sync. Prolonged stress, fear and anxiety can lead to your adrenal glands basically burning out. You will be left tired and still not be able to sleep properly.

·     Hormone imbalances Various factors can contribute to this, most of them mentioned above.

What to do!

-A nice cup of chamomile tea mixed with some rooibos before bedtime. Aaaaahhh……

-Changing your diet to fruit and vegetables, wholegrains and legumes, nuts and seeds. Stock up on bananas, avo’s and baby potatoes. (See my fried banana recipes at the end.)

-Calcium and magnesium supplements. Magnesium is an element and a mineral that can work wonders. It can be found in bananas, potatoes, leafy greens, avo’s etc.

“Miracle Liquid Magnesium” found at pharmacies. The name says it all!

-Melatonin. This is a hormone that is released by the pineal gland that regulates the sleep-wake cycle. The brain produces it in response to darkness. A dietary supplement of melatonin is often prescribed as a short time treatment for insomnia.

-Zinc has a calming and anti-depressant effect and helps to regulate sleep. 

-Essential oils that aid sleep and relaxation can be Lavender, Frankincense and Chamomile oil.

A Wonderful product with an amazing testimony is “Endoflex” by Young Living. This is an essential oil blend that contributes to your overall wellbeing. It supports a healthy endocrine system, as well as the glandular, circulatory, respiratory, nervous and reproductive systems. It assists your body in balancing hormones, and the hormones help the different systems to work together in harmony. If your hormones are out of balance, then your body will be out of sync. And a whole list of symptoms will follow, including bad PMS, insomnia and weight gain.

Food grade Endoflex essential oil blend can be taken internally by placing a few drops in a capsule. Apply topically to the sides of the neck where the glands are, or specifically on the thyroid gland if you have problems, inside of the wrists, and specifically the feet before bedtime.

Endoflex ingredients and some properties:

Spearment

-For hormone inbalances- It decreases the male hormone testosterone and increases the female hormone progesterone.

-Aids digestion.

-Promotes relaxation and reduces stress.

Sage

-Stress reduction.

-Reduces menstrual cramps.

-Natural anti-depressant.

-Alleviates menopausal symptoms.

Geranium

-Reduces feelings of anxiety and depression.

-Pain reliever.

-Balances hormones.

Myrtle

-Helps clear acne and skin problems.

-Aids in the release of hormones for reproductive health.

-Helps clear the mind and enhances concentration.

-Promotes sleep.

Chamomile

-Promotes tranquility and vitality.

-Promotes a youthful appearance and longevity.

-Alleviates feelings of anxiety and depression.

-Relieves PMS symptoms.

-Helps with insomnia.

Nutmeg

-Stress reliever.

-Pain reducer.

-Eases menstrual cramping.

-Sleep inducer.

Sesame seed oil

-Helps fight depression and stress.

-Great for the skin.

-Feeds hormones.

 

Endoflex was the answer to the lady who spent years staring at the ceiling at night after trying a multitude of products. It took about a week or so of using the product for her hormones to come into balance again. Imagine the amount of books she read! It might be your answer...

If you would like to order the Endoflex Essential Oil Blend and want to get more information, please contact Carlyle at carlylesmith@yahoo.com or 082 781 3038 (South Africa).

Lizelle

Recipes:

Fried banana on rye bread

I know that bananas lose their nutritional value when fried, but this is a nice treat.

-Slice banana lengthwise, fry in a little coconut oil and cinnamon.

-Turn and fry the other side.

-Serve on slowly fermented sourdough bread.

*You can add some labne cream cheese if you want to make it a little fancier.

(Labne is Verlorenkloof pasture fed yoghurt that has been strained again. The thick part that is left over is called “labne”. This is often eaten in the Middle East)

Fried banana with yoghurt and pecan nuts

-Fry the bananas in a little coconut oil and cinnamon.

-Layer warm bananas with Verlorenkloof pasture fed plain yoghurt without preservatives etc. (This yoghurt does not give us phlegm or swollen tonsils, where we usually don’t make dairy a part of our diet!)

-Sprinkle with pecan nuts.

-Serve in dessert bowls or beautiful glasses.

 

 

Picky Eaters

 

            Picky Eaters

The thought of placing a bowl of brown lentil soup in front of a picky eater, adults or children, can bring images that lead to disaster, or them never wanting to visit you again! For some, transition to a healthier diet can feel daunting and overwhelming. For others it can be an exciting time with tremendous breakthrough. Today we will be focusing on those who need a little more nudging.

 Picky eaters will rather choose not to eat at all in the sight of a healthy snack or meal. But put a packet of chips in front of them, and they will devour it like a ravenous creature. Their bodies are actually starved of nutritious food, and their cells are crying out for healthy food with substance. Their taste buds have become addicted to sugar, MSG and salt. That is why healthier alternatives taste and look bland.

 We are going to have a look at how you can help your family make a smoother transition.

 

·    First of all, you have to realise that you have to make the effort and stick with it. You need to realise that your taste buds need to be retrained, even if it (and your family..) throw a tantrum. It can be done!

 

·    Presentation is key. Place a healthy breakfast in front of a picky eater, and they will most likely say “no thank you”, and wait for something more appealing (usually with sugar). By serving the same breakfast in a beautiful glass, it will instantly add more stars to your meal.

 

·    Tweaking existing meals. Adding extra vegetables to your dishes can add extra nutrition into your family’s meals. Taking a star favourite like “mac and cheese” you can add pureed butternut to your sauce, and then adding less milk, flour and cheese.

 

·    Instead of having mince on rice, serve mince on vegetable mash. Mash together potatoes, carrots and butternut, and add a bit of salt or natural seasoning.

 

·    If they don’t like beans and legumes, then slowly start adding beans or cooked lentils to mince or soup (instead of brown lentil soup!). When preparing butternut soup, try adding some red lentils. It will keep them fuller for longer instead of filling up with more bread.

 

·    If white bread is your staple food, then have a decent sandwich for lunch for now. You will slowly learn to move over to a healthier bread. You need to fill it up with salad ingredients. Add some hummus, avo, chickpeas and hummus. It will nourish your family and fill them up while still having bread in the picture. How about adding some leftover roasted vegetables to your sandwich? You can replace your white bread with a wrap here and there. Have a little mayo or healthy salad dressing with it.

 

·    Start your day with oatmeal, even if it means getting up a little earlier. Add some cinnamon, raw honey, dates, sliced banana or peanut butter. It makes it a little bit more interesting.

 

·    If you want pizza, then make it a family effort. If you eat pizza every week, then make your own over the weekend. Make it from scratch and load it up with vegetables. I’m not talking about the once a month take away!

 

·    If you feel like cakes or biscuits, then make the effort of baking it yourself. Get the kids involved, and everyone will appreciate it much more.

 

·    If it’s instant, then it’s out! (As far as possible…)

 

·    Don’t bring sugar laden flavoured yoghurts into your home. Not for breakfast, and not as a treat. It wrecks havoc on your sugar levels, leaving you tired and miserable. Change to pasture fed, live culture plain yoghurt. We buy Verlorenkloof yoghurt every once in a while. Serve it with different toppings like chopped up fruit, berries, nuts, seeds, raw honey, cinnamon, dates or raw oat. Sunflower seeds are more affordable than nuts and are very nutritious.

 

·    Remove the packets of chips and save it for a braai or special occasion. Most chips are packed with MSG, colourants and heated oils. These are addictive and hormone disruptive. Replace chips with home made popcorn and lightly salted peanuts and raisins during the week.

 

·    Have fruit everyday! Sliced apples with peanut butter and cinnamon are great for a snack.

 

·    Have carrot sticks ready to crunch on while everyone is waiting for dinner to be ready. Don’t be tempted by bread and chips. Remember, you had bread for lunch.

 

·    Stay away from drinking yoghurts and milky drinks. These are loaded with sugar and colourants. Make your own smoothie combinations or flavoured milks.

 

*Milk, banana, peanut butter, cocoa powder and water.

*Bananas, berries, almonds, plant-based milk and water.

 

·    How about making your own potato wedges and serving it with a home made tomato sauce or avo dip?

 

·    Teach your family how to make “oats and banana flapjacks” (see my previous blog). You can make a batch and store them in the fridge for snacks. Serve with nut butter for a nutritious and filling snack. Add some dark chocolate chips for special occasions…

 

·    If you have sweets everyday, how about installing a rule; no sweets before 1pm. This will teach self control, which is a big step forward. When eating foods that contain sugar, a vicious cycle errupts.

*Sugar High: Everyone is happy, bouncy and loving.

*Sugar Low: Meltdown, tantrums, exhaustion, fatigue, paleness set in.

*Unstability: Irritability, hunger, unstable, irrational emotions and behaviour set in.

The last stage is where you will crave more sugar and not proper, nutritious food. You will find that the person will say “no” to meals, and wait until something sweet comes along. And say “yes” to sweets!

Maybe have an oats, banana and dark chocolate cookie on hand in case of emergencies! (See recipe below)

So instead of serving your family and friends brown lentil soup, focus on them getting to eat nourishing, appealing yet familiar foods again. Which steps will you be implementing first?

Recipes:

Oats cookies:

2 Large ripe bananas mashed

1 and a half cups raw oats

1   Third cup raisins | dates or dark chocolate

 

-Mix well

-Scoop 2 Tbsp per cookie, roll in a ball and flatten, and shape.

-Place on parchment paper.                          Bake for 12 min, 180 Celsius.

 

*For a crunchier cookie, spray baking tray and leave out parchment paper.

*Add cinnamon (optional)

 

Breakfast pots:

Layer raw oats, chopped, fruit or berries with pasture fed, live culture plain yoghurt.

Options:

·    Add chia seeds to yoghurt night before.

·    Make your own soya yoghurt.

·    Or add chia seeds to kefir yoghurt.

·    Serve in beautiful glasses.

 

Anti-inflammatories

 HEALTH AMPLIFIED

Anti-inflammatories

We’ve all had that nasty grass burn or “roastie” in our lives. Our daughter recently slid down a grassy hill on an empty box, and got her first real grass burn! It has been quite a story getting this thing healed. Blood, wound fluid, redness. Not for the faint hearted.

Inflammation is an indication that your body is fighting damaged cells, viruses and bacteria, be it from a cut, burn, or any injury. It is the body’s natural defence against an underlying issue. Inflammation can be treated in many ways, but as I mentioned, it is the body’s natural fighting mechanism, usually showing up as redness and swelling. You can use essential oils, ointments, prescription medication etc. The question is, are you using it for a short period, or has it become part of your lifestyle and become chronic medication?

Chronic anti-inflammatories should not become the norm. You should be looking at natural alternatives and see where you can make lifestyle changes. Chemical anti-inflammatories come with a long list of side effects, where you might end up using more medication to treat those symptoms. Please read your labels!

Chemical anti-inflammatories reduce swelling and pain which affect the central nervous system. What it does is block pain that is signalled to the brain. Long term use can lead to a false sense of well being. Why do you have inflammation in the first place that it needs to be treated with medication? What is causing the inflammation and where can you make changes?

Chronic inflammation symptoms can include:

·       Fatigue

·       Mouth sores

·       Chest pain

·       Abdominal pain

·       Fever

·       Rash

·       Joint pain

Things that can also contribute to inflammation other than injury are; poor diet, stress, food allergies, anxiety and even a sedentary lifestyle. Remember that many food allergies are directly linked to fear, anxiety and stress that are manifesting in this way, causing a histamine reaction in your body.

Were you aware that poor food choices can contribute to inflammation in the body, leaving you with aches, pains and even depression? Please reflect on your food choices and see where you can make changes. With so much health information at your fingertips, there are no excuses to being oblivious  to the truth. It might be the thing that is making you feel like a rusted piece of metal!

With our family eating a predominantly plant based diet, you can feel the aches and pains creeping up on your body the next morning after we have eaten meat. Try a mostly plant based diet for a month, and then have a juicy piece of meat for dinner. Check your body when you get up in the morning, and how you slept. Big difference, even in your breath and sweat!

Foods that can contribute to inflammation:

·       Refined carbohydrates. Just a reminder that white bread, pizza dough, pasta, pastries, white flour, white rice, sweet desserts and many breakfast cereals can all contribute to inflammation.

·       French fries and fried foods. (including heated oils)

·       Carbonated sugar sweetened beverages.

·       Red meat and processed meat.

·       Sugar.

·       Foods containing MSG.

·       Gluten.

·       Alcohol.

Your solution!

Anti-inflammatory foods! Certain foods contain vitamins, minerals and anti-oxidants. These elements all help speed up the healing process in your body. Anti-oxidants are found in fresh fruit and vegetables and can reduce swelling and pain.

By making lifestyle food choices, you will be feeding your body natural anti-inflammatories, long term. The following foods won’t just lessen aches and pains, but your body will start healing the problem that caused it in the first place. Your immune system will also be getting a boost, and it will be able to fight pathogens in a much stronger way etc.

·       Spinach, broccoli, kale

·       Dark green salad leaves

·       Raw mushrooms and peppers

·       Blueberries, cherries, strawberries

·       Almonds

·       Raw cabbage

·       Pineapple

·       Celery and beetroot

·       Salmon

·       Black pepper

·       Garlic

·       Tumeric, ginger, rosemary

·       Cold pressed, unheated olive oil

·       Apple cider vinegar

Drinking warm water with grated ginger and squeezed lemon juice on a regular basis. This decreases acidity in your body and helps to remove uric acid from joints, which can lead to pain. It also stimulates the liver and activated bile flow. This helps to emulsify and flush out fat soluble toxins.

Omega oils also help to lubricate joints, which reduces swollen and tender joints. Look out for cold pressed Flaxseed oil.

Dealing with stress, anxiety and fear in your life. Maybe it is time to do some introspection. See where you need to forgive and let go. Where can you make changes to a busy lifestyle? Are you really responsible for the well being of all those people in your life, or do you need to bring them before God in prayer and intercede for them? Are you using medication to numb the pain, or is it maybe time to face those fears and make them powerless in your life?( Please refer to my 3 part series on “The link between your emotions and disease.”)

See where you can increase anti-inflammatory foods on a daily basis, and slowly start lowering your chemical medication. Swallowing a pill might be an easy way out right now, but how will your body be responding in the long run? I know that these are some hard questions, but vitality is waiting for you on the other end.

I have written about green powders, barley green powders etc. over and over again. I have to accentuate it, because it is life changing. Have a look at “The Real Thing” Green Powder found online, at Dischem or Mopani pharmacy. Or BarleyLife powder or capsules.

I am a big supporter of Frankincense and Myrrh essential oils and resins and take it on a daily basis. These help to balance your whole body and get everything functioning properly again, detoxing your body in the process. We order ours from “Ancient Biblical Oils”. Not to mention the wide variety of essential oils being available to us in health shops, pharmacies and online.

I don’t think there is anyone that wants to be in pain for longer than they should. Take some time this weekend and see how you can make positive changes long term. Get yourself an “accountability” partner if you have to, it will be worth it in the end!

Lizelle

Recipes:

Blueberry no- bake cheese cake

We don’t usually eat dairy, but this is a creamy, rich, cheese cake without being too sweet! This one needs to be made the day before.

Base:

Half cup rolled oats

Quarter cup ground oats (oat flour)

Half cup ground nuts (I prefer almonds)

1 and half Tbsp melted butter

1 and half Tbsp honey

1 and half Tbsp water

Filling:

2 Cups strained cottage cheese or cream cheese

1 Cup heavy cream (chilled)

1 Tbsp lemon juice

Quarter cup honey

1 tsp vanilla

Topping:

1 Cup blueberries

1 Tbsp honey

2 Tbsp chia seeds (or more for thicker consistency)

Touch of lemon juice

Quarter cup water

-Mix the crust ingredients together and press into an 8 inch, greased, spring form tin.

-Place wax wrap over it and press on the crust with the back of a glass to compact the crust.

-Place in the fridge while you make the filling.

-Mix the cheese in a mixing bowl until there are no lumps.

-Add the lemon juice, vanilla and honey, mix well.

-In a separate bowl, beat the cold cream until stiff peaks.

-Fold the cream into the cheese mixture.

-Scoop over the crust and place back into the fridge.

-Simmer blueberries, water, honey and lemon juice together for 5 min. Mash a little with a potato masher.

-Remove from heat and add the chia seeds. Let stand for half an hour. Stir. If the mixture is too runny, add another Tbsp at a time until the mixture is quite thick.

-Spoon the cooled mixture over the cream cheese filling. It has to be cooled down!

-Place back into the fridge, cover with foil.

-When serving the next day, remove from the fridge just before serving. Run a sharp knife along the edge before carefully removing it from the spring form tin.

*You can do the berry step first if you want to safe time so that it can cool down so long.

Enjoy!

Oats and banana flapjacks

These can be served for breakfast, lunch or dinner, or any time in between for that matter! I usually double this recipe.

2 Ripe bananas

2 Eggs or 2 Flax “eggs”

1 Cup ground oats

2 tsp baking powder

Cinnamon and vanilla to taste

Half cup buttermilk (I use a plant  based milk and add a dash of apple cider vinegar to it.)

-Mash the bananas, whisk the eggs and grind your oatmeal.

-Mix well and let stand for 10 min. This allows the oats to absorb the liquid and batter to thicken up.

-Fry in a little coconut oil until bubbles form. Carefully turn them over, cook for a little longer until golden, because it can be quite delicate.

-Serve with honey , peanut butter or butter.

-You won’t be able to bake them fast enough for the kids!

*These 2 recipes were taken from “How to cook smarter.”

To dye or not to dye

  To dye or not to dye

Some people wouldn’t be caught dead wearing their natural hair colour. But how far would you be willing to take it, even if it could be detrimental to your health?

 We all have beautiful hair colour when we are young, and many women dye their hair in an attempt to get their original colour back. But something happens as soon as babies and your 30’s come along!

 Hormones play a huge role in hair care. If you have fluctuating hormones, you’ll have fluctuating hair! Hair loss, straight hair going curly, light hair that went darker, thinning hair, loss of lustre and shine, even gray hairs. These have all left us with our hands in our hair, with many that have run to the hairdresser for some S.O.S colour and treatment.

 But today we will be shifting our attention to hair colour or dyes and bleaches. Ancient Romans and Egyptians often dyed their hair. The Egyptians first shaved it off, then dyed and braided it, and then they wore it as wigs. Some of these dyes were plant based using henna or berries. Dyes to blacken hair included leeches and vinegar solution! Gold dust was used to lighten hair, crushed nutshells for browning, saffron, indigo, alfalfa… All of these in an attempt to look more beautiful, and to boost confidence.

In the 1800’s, a gentleman called William Henry Perkin who was a chemist, attempted to generate a cure for malaria, but out came a synthesized dye. This colour was mauve. It must have been quite an experiment if you ask me.

Roman prostitutes were required by law to dye or bleach their hair blonde, to have themselves set apart. (No offence to all the natural blondes out there!)

According to studies done, permanent hair dye and straightening lotions may increase your risk of breast cancer. Even when hair dyes are used correctly, they can cause toxicity. Permanent dyes cause chemical changes that increase the penetration of the product into the hair. This can damage your hair. Your skin is also absorbing, with the chemicals penetrating into the blood stream.

Ammonia, hydrogen peroxide, formaldehyde etc. can cause serious skin irritation, redness, itching and burning when it comes in contact with the skin and even difficulty in breathing. These are all dangerous chemicals that can cause numerous health risks.

It might be worth trying out some natural alternatives. The colour doesn’t last very long, but it will definitely have less side effects.

Tea rinses:

Tea rinses have been done for centuries. By doing a final rinse with tea, you will lift your own hair colour, condition your scalp and hair.

Rooibos tea can bring out golden, reddish tones.

Chamomile can lighten hair and give subtle highlights.

Black tea will darken hair, with the caffeine stimulating hair growth on the scalp.

You can even use a spray bottle, and sprits on hair before drying.

Coffee rinse:

Coffee enhances darker hair shades and the caffeine used externally can stimulate hair growth.

There are quite a few other alternatives like sage, henna and lemon juice. Take some time out to find out what will work for you. I have even heard of people colouring their hair with beetroot or carrot juice!

You might feel judged, insecure and ugly at the beginning, especially if you have been colouring your hair for as long as you can remember. Embrace your locks, get them healthy and full of natural shine, and not full of chemical pigments.

Detox your body by fighting the chemicals from dye etc. Eat a diet rich in colours which are full of anti oxidants that help fight against free radical damage.

Are you brave enough to go bare and flaunt your natural hair colour and work with what you’ve got?

Lizelle

Recipe:

Sweet potato and pecan brownies

These are quite gooyee, but rich and decadent. They can look a bit raw, but everything is cooked well.

4 cooked sweet potatoes (mashed). I roast it whole and then remove the skins.

¼ cup cocoa powder

250g soaked, pitted dates (remove liquid and mash)

1 cup ground oats

¼ cup melted coconut oil

Tsp vanilla

Pinch of salt

Chopped pecans (inside batter and sprinkled on top)

-       Mash sweet potatoes and dates together, add cocoa powder

-       Add vanilla, salt and chopped pecans. Mix well.

-       Add ground oats and mix well.

-       Add melted coconut oil.

-       Spread on a baking sheet covered in wax wrap. (About 1,5cm thick)

-       Press pecans on top.

-       Bake at 180 degrees Celsius for 20 min.

-       Remove from oven and cut into squares.

-       Place back in the oven, with spaces in between.

-       Bake for another 10 min.

-       Cool completely before serving.