Food Alergies Could be Causing Weight Gain

I have already talked about my discovery about my dairy allergy in my previous blog post Could You be Allergic to Dairy and Not Know It?   I was watching an episode of the Doctor Oz show recently and besides the benefits of not feeling congested any more, I didn't even connect the fact that I had lost weight after my allergy discovery and changing what I was eating.  I had never connected the two before, but it made so much sense after hearing the medical explanation.

I found out from this episode that the most common food allergies are to dairy and wheat.  As many as 60% of people have allergies to dairy, and people can lose as much as 30 pounds of weight by just eliminating food allergens from their diets!  That's just crazy!  I didn't lose that much weight, but I'll bet it was close to 15 pounds.  The weight was just falling off without really trying.  I had first contributed it to not eating the fatty cheeses, ice cream, etc., but there may have been additional factors at work which I didn't realize.  Here is a link to the summary of that segment of the show: Doctor Oz's Anti-Allergy Diet  The experts were saying that one common reason why people plateau when loosing weight is that they are carrying around a lot of inflammation from eating foods that their bodies are having subtle negative reactions to and they are not even aware of it. This systemic inflammation is preventing further weight loss and causing bloating and other problems with digestion. 

This segment also discussed many hidden sources of dairy allergens, many which I had discovered through trial and error.  Other ingredients to avoid besides the obvious "milk" are ingredients such as cream, milk protein, casein, whey, lactate, etc.  These hidden dairy items can be found in some crazy places most of us might be really surprised to find them in, such as: deli meats, canned tuna, protein shake mixes, energy bars, baked goods, and bread, and other processed foods.  Read the labels on the foods you are eating or eat more natural foods without labels.  This link above also gives you a 3 week plan for removing the problem foods from your diet, repairing the digestive tract from the damage done by eating the wrong foods, and then slowly trying to add back possible foods after noting the subtle ways your body reacts to them through keeping a journal.

I hope this additional information about dairy allergies might help some of you be more aware of what might be preventing you from losing the weight you want and help you feel better in a long list of ways.

Plastic Shopping Bags Uses and Storage

I know many of you have already started using those wonderful reusable "green bags" when you go shopping.  But, if you are like me, sometimes I get to the store and realize I forgot them.  Or, you are just running in for a couple items and you forget them in the car or don't want to bother for such a small order.  You opt for plastic over paper and now you have some of those plastic shopping bags.  Most would maybe reuse it in it's original form to carry things once or twice, recycle it, or toss it, but I have found some great additional uses for these bags that save me money.  I also found a great way to store them so they don't take up too much room either.

1. Free trash liners for your bathroom trash cans.
2. If you have cats, they are perfect little trash bags for scooping the litter clumps.
3. If you are already recycling or composting, you probably don't have half as much kitchen trash as you used to.  Why do you still need the industrial size trash can in your kitchen?  Downsize to a 3 gallon/11 liter waste basket, roughly the size you might use under a desk.  The plastic bags fit perfectly so you don't need to purchase kitchen trash bags anymore, either. Just make sure the bag doesn't have a hole in the bottom or you might end up with a mess if you put wet stuff in the trash.  Mine fits perfectly under my sink, so its out of sight and the pets can't get into it.  With these smaller size trash cans, you might even have room under your sink for a separate trash and recycle waste basket.  This will make it more convenient to recycle, so you will be more likely to do it.  With a smaller trash container, obviously, it will fill up a little quicker than a big one, but you will be able to keep smells to a minimum inside your home since you will be taking the trash out more frequently.



Upcycled plastic baskets by bagsagain.etsy.com

4. This one might be a stretch for some of you to make yourself, but I have actually seen people cut these into long strips like yarn and knit, crochet, or weave them into rugs, beach bags, purses, place mats, baskets, accessories, and other amazing creations.  Check out some some of these very affordable items others have made out of plastic shopping bags that are for sale on etsy.com  They will blow your mind!!  Some Etsy sellers even sell patterns for those of you who might want to try to make some of these, and "yarn" that is already pre-made for these creations, if you don't want to take the time to cut it up yourself.

Now that I have you thinking a little differently about these plastic shopping bags, here's my trick to making them compact for easy storage.  

1. Stick a couple fingers of your right hand through the handles of the bag.  Keep your fingers in these holes the whole time until right at the end at step #4.
2. Using your left hand, starting near the handles, smooth and pull the bag into a long plastic strip.
3. Grasp the "bottom" of the bag with your left hand and with a twisting wrist action, roll the bottom of the bag up around two fingers on your left hand all the way up to the handles creating a little "ball" around your left hand fingers and twisting the bag around your right fingers creating a small "loop"
4. Flip the "loop" from the handles around your right hand fingers over the "ball" wrapped around your left hand fingers.  This will keep this tight little ball secured and compact for easy storage.  
5. A small box, basket, or drawer will hold a ton of them in this compact form until you are ready to use them.  Simply unhook the loop, unwind, and they are ready to use again.

Cleaning Glass

Cleaning windows or glass and mirrors is not as bad as some might think.  Forget about all those fancy sprays that need to be wiped over and over to get the streaky residue off or prevent it.  Here are two cost effect ways to get the job done easily:

1. A quick rub with a microfiber cloth gets off quite a bit of dirt just by itself.  No liquid needed.
2. If a little more muscle is required to remove stuck on dirt and mess, mix up a spray bottle with 1/2 white vinegar and half water.  Give your glass a little squirt and wipe it dry with either newsprint or a microfiber cloth.

Anti-bacterial Hand Gels and Dry Hands

Do you suffer from dry cracked hands?  Do you carry around a little bottle or hand sanitizer gel, or keep them in your car, around the house, etc?  Do you know that the main ingredient in these gels is alcohol? 

Habitually putting these hand sanitizer alcohol based gels on your hands can really dry out your skin causing rough, and painful chafing and cracking.  If you are worried about germs, did you know that properly washing your hands with regular, not even anti-bacterial soap, is just as effective at killing and removing germs as all that expensive anti-bacterial stuff?  All this anti-bacterial everything really is not helping anything except contributing to building up the defenses of super germs and bacteria that eventually become resistant to these products, while severely drying out your skin.

Instead of grabbing the anti-bacterial hand gel or anti-bacterial soap, opt for the simple old fashioned soap hand washing, if it's available.  It might seem like a simple thing, but surprisingly, most people do not know how to properly wash their hands to make it most effective.  Here is a good article that breaks it down as a simple reminder we call can use.  5 Steps to Effective Hand-Washing

The best non-drying soaps are cold processed super-fatted soaps containing ingredients such as goats milk, olive oil, shea butter, or jojoba, just to mention a few.  These true soaps typically contain excess oils, which have not been converted to soap that help moisturize and clean at the same time.  Most mass produced conventional "soap" bars are really detergent bars.  Many times the manufactures remove the moisturizing natural occurring glycerin produced during the soap making process and turn it into lotion, which is then resold as a separate product for a much higher price per ounce.  These "detergent bars" can also cause your skin to dry out with excess use, since it also removes the natural oils in your skin as it washes away the dirt and germs.

If you prefer liquid soaps, don't go for the clear soaps.  These may be pretty, but they can also be contributing to your dry skin.  These clear soaps do not contain any excess oils which have not been saponified, or turned into soap.  That is why they are clear.  Instead, opt for the others you cannot see through. These typically are more moisturizing since the excess unsaponified oils give them a more creamy appearance.

In addition to some wonderful natural lotions now available, you can also try some home remedies you might already have in your kitchen to keep your hands and skin protected and moisturized.  After washing or soaking your hands, apply a little olive oil or coconut oil to your hands.  You don't need much or you won't be able to open a door knob for a while. :o)  Just a drop or two will help seal in the moisture and absorb into your skin helping to heal and prevent those dreaded dry and cracking hands.  An extra rub into your cuticles works great, too.  If you happen to have any tamanu oil, which I went into more detail in a previous post Must Have for your Medicine Cabinet, this will really help speed up the healing process of dry cracked hands and protect your skin at the same time.

Homemade Laundry Soap

I know some of you have been waiting patiently for this post, so here it goes.  I don't know about you, but it used to kill me to drop $20 or more to get the large economy size HE name brand laundry detergent at my local big box membership club.  I had tried some of the cheaper brands, but was not very happy with their cleaning ability.  I was also not very happy to be paying for a large percentage of water or fillers in the formula and many chemicals that are not earth friendly.  I have a septic system at my house, and I was told by a septic repair man that one of the worst things you can put into your septic system is household detergents, mainly laundry, dish washing detergents, and bleach.  The main active chemical ingredients throw off the natural balance of good bacteria, which is the key to a properly working, trouble free system.

Over several months time, and giving samples to family and friends to try and get their feedback, I have come up with a formula that I have been using for several years.  When I first started making it, I used store bought soap bars made specifically for laundry use.  Since I now make my own cold process soap, I now make my own bar soap to grate for my laundry soap.  For those of you interested in experimenting with soap making, I'll share that recipe in a later post.  For those of you not quite ready to jump in and make your own bar soap, the store bought laundry bars, such as Fels Naptha or Zote Soap, will work just fine for this recipe.

Homemade Laundry Soap

• Roughly 2 1/2 cups loosely packed grated laundry soap bar (see note below)
• 1 cup washing soda (AKA soda ash, or sodium carbonate)
• 1/2 cup borax
• 1/2 cup baking soda (AKA sodium bi-carbonate)
• A few drops of Essential oils of your choice (optional)

This recipe makes approximately 4 1/2 cups of dry laundry soap.  Depending on the capacity of your washer, the size loads you wash, and if you have a HE or regular washer, you will need roughly 1 to 2 tablespoons per load.  At one tablespoon per load, this will get you about 72 loads per recipe, for 2 tablespoons per load, roughly 36 loads.  Buying the store bought laundry bar soap, bulk baking soda at the wholesale club, borax at my local big box retailer, and soda ash at my ceramics supply store (I will explain a little farther down in this post), the cost per load is roughly $.018/load for 1 tablespoon or $.036/load for 2 tablespoons!  Compare that to roughly $.20 to $.40 per load for your typical store laundry detergent.  With coupons you can get it down a little cheaper, but nowhere near less than 5 cents per load unless you are a coupon goddess and have double coupons in your state.  Don't have that here in Florida. :o( You are also saving on the cost of fabric softener since with this formula, you don't need any.  Your clothes and towels will come out super soft.  If you are still having static issues in the winter, add a little white vinegar to your rinse cycle, where you would normally add the fabric softener, and that will help.  If you like some scent to your laundry, adding a few drops of your favorite essential oils to the mix will do the trick.  The amount will vary based on the essential oil, since some are much stronger scented than others.

I make laundry soap in an old food processor.  If you don't have one, a box grater will work well to grate your bar soap.  It will just take longer.  Some say the rhythm of the grating process is therapeutic.  Personally, I would rather get it done fast so I can move on to other things.  I first slice the bars into small enough strips to feed into the top feed tube.  Allowing them to dry for a few hours at this point will also help the shredding go a little easier.  Then I shred it with a shred disk you might use for carrots or cheese, then set the shredded soap aside.  After all my soap bars are shredded, I measure out my recipe in the food processor with the chopping blade at the bottom.  Give the whole batch several long pulses until it is all well blended and it is ready to go.  I store mine in an old 5 gallon paint bucket, even a re-purposed cat litter container would be perfect, as long as it has a lid to keep moisture levels down.  As you can see by the size container I use, when I make my laundry soap, I make a big batch, so I will have enough to last me several months. 

All of these ingredients you should be able to find in your local big box store, or even your grocery store, but I shopped around for the best prices on each item.  One ingredient in particular, sodium carbonate (NOT sodium BI-carbonate), AKA washing soda or soda ash, is typically found in the laundry aisle, but I found an even cheaper, more obscure place to purchase it.  Believe it or not, soda ash is an ingredient used to make some glaze formulations in ceramics.  If you have a ceramics supply house near by, you might be able to buy soda ash by the pound from them way cheaper than in the laundry aisle.  It works good for other cleaning purposes, as it is also sold as washing soda.  It is also the same active ingredient in coffee machine cleaners you would typically pay several dollars for a small 8 oz container.  Mix it 1 tablespoon to 4 cups of water and you have another money saving use to keep your coffee maker clean.  Just make sure to run 3 batches of clean water through your machine afterwards to rinse out the cleaner solution.

If you are worried if this laundry soap recipe will work in an HE machine, don't.  This is a very low suds formula that works great in HE machines as well as regular machines.  When I had people test my formula, I had people with both kinds of machines try it with great results.  It also works great for baby clothes and people with sensitivities to many laundry product additives.  I only had one person complain it bothered her, but later found out she has sensitivities to baking soda.  You can also make the recipe without baking soda, but here in Florida with the harder water, it really seems to help soften the water and help with the rinsing.  Tweak the formula for your water conditions and see what works best for you. 

If you are finding bits of soap left undissolved after the wash, you are likely using too much. If you are used to store brands, the amount of this recipe you need will seem like too small of an amount to get the job done.  Keep in mind, most conventional store brands include water or other fillers to make it looks like you are getting more for your money.  When you strip it down to the essential cleaners you really don't need much.  I have seen other on-line recipes dissolve or cook their soap formula to make a liquid soap.  I guess you could also do that, but who wants the extra work, plus it will just take up more room with the added water. 

Speaking of other online formulas for laundry soap, many will recommend using left over scraps of regular bar soap you might use for washing your hands or your body.  Don't do it.  These bars are mostly either detergent bars, since in production the skin friendly glycerin is removed to sell for a higher price in lotions, or the bar is what they call "super-fatted."  If you don't already know, soap is made by chemically changing the physical properties of oils, butters, or fats into soap using lye, also known as sodium hydroxide.  In soap speak, super-fatting soap means having excess oils added to the soap that do not completely saponify, or turn into soap, during the chemical and curing process.  These unsaponfied oils are great for moisturizing your skin, but not so good for your laundry.  Excess oils will build up on your clothes and in your machine over time.  Not good!  Please use only soap designed for laundry purposes or cold process soap that is not super-fatted.  Lard or tallow based soaps also seem to work a bit better than vegetable oil based soaps, in my opinion.  Over time, the vegetable based soaps seemed to make my whites a little dingy.

I hope this post has been worth the wait, and you now have a whole new insight to your laundry.  It may be far more than you ever thought you would know about soap or laundry, but typically knowing too much is far better than not knowing enough. :o)  Please post your comments and results, so if you have tweaked your formula for different parts of the country others can also benefit from your findings.

Funny of the day

I just went to the post office and had to snap a pic of this.  You know gas prices are getting too high when people are using the gas pump to tie up their horse to go to the mini mart.  LOL!

Microwave Potato Chips

You read the title correctly.  Yes, you can actually make crunchy chips in the microwave.  I was watching a Dr. Oz episode and was inspired by one of the kitchen gadgets he was showcasing.  Being the frugal person I am, I thought, "Why spend the money on the gadget?"  Who needs another gadget cluttering up their kitchen, anyway?

Slice the potatoes paper thin.  If you have a mandolin slicer already, that is the perfect tool used on the thinnest slice setting.  Place a reusable non-stick silicone baking sheet in your microwave and turn off the turn table to keep it from spinning.  Place your potato slices on the sheet making sure to not over lap.  Sprinkle with a little sea salt, then nuke on high for 2-3 minutes.  The time will vary based on how thin your slices are and the power of your microwave.  If they turn out a little chewy and not crunchy, your chips are either cut too thick or it needs to cook a little longer.  If they are cooked a little too long, they will taste a bit burned.  Play around with a few small batches until you get it just right.  They are delicious, light & airy, and much healthier than any fried chip.

You can also try this trick with a variety of veggies & fruits like sweet potatoes, apples, pears, or other root veggies like parsnips, beets, etc.  Check out some of the variations you see in the snack aisle for inspiration. You will probably have to play around a little to find the perfect cook times for each type.  I found with apples, and other items that have a higher sugar content, the sweeter they were, the more likely they had a tendency to be a bit more chewy than crunchy, but they are still delicious.  With the apples, I found putting them in for 1 minute and 50 seconds, flipping them, then putting them in for another 30 seconds came out the best.

It's much quicker than a dehydrator, so you can make them fresh whenever you get the craving.  I haven't tried it yet, but I would think they would store for a few days at room temperature in an airtight container or baggie. I'm sure you could also do the same thing in the oven on a low bake setting, but when you don't want to wait or heat up your kitchen, try this instead.  Imagine the possibilities!