How to Buy Organic Eggs from Humanely Treated Chickens

eggs

Lets face it, factory farm “battery caged” egg-laying chickens are not humanely treated. They are kept in small cages their entire life - about the size of a 8 1/2 by 11 sheet of paper. They have their beaks clipped so that they do not peck at themselves or each other in close confinement. They can be deliberately starved to increase egg production which is called forced molting. They are denied their natural behaviors, like spreading their wings, the act of nesting, the act of perching and taking natural dust baths. Cage confinement increases the risk of salmonella.

Endorsing this practice impacts our humanitarianism - our respect for other life forms.
I personally do not want to eat meat or eggs from animals that were mistreated.


For more information, see the Humane Society website articles: Egg Recall , Cage Confinement of Laying Hens Increases Salmonella Risk.

For great visual information visit the Animal Visuals website for these articles- Battery Cages Increase Salmonella Risk and Harm Chickens, and The Virtual Battery Cage

How to find Eggs from “Happy” Chickens that were treated humanely?

Natural Ear Cleaner and Ear Mite Treatment for Pets

Every once in a while my cat Willow will get very dirty ears. There is dirt and wax buildup in them. The mildest method to clean out their ears is with Olive Oil.

Olive Oil will coat the ears and loosen the dirt. And, if there are ear mites present, the oil will smother and kill them.

Directions:

1. Scruff your cat 

Simple, Easy, Almost Non-Toxic Conventional Way to Dye Gray Hair:Loving Care Hair Color for Permanent Coverage

My Before Pictures:

another view - before Clairol Loving Care application

4 week roots show after previous Clairol Loving Care application

(NOTE: in 2011, Clairol Loving Care Haircolor has been DISCONTINUED! Please now refer to my article on Clairol Beautiful Hair Color What Can I Use Now that Clairol Loving Care is Discontinued? for updated information.)

The latest way I’ve been coloring my hair is with Clairol Loving Care Haircolor. Loving Care has no PPD (the chemical p-phenylenediamine) in it, no harsh ammonia and even no peroxide. The EWG (Environmental Working Group) has rated Loving Care Lotion as a 5 rating out of 10, which is pretty darn good when compared to many other conventional hair dye products out there.

Loving Care is

How to Use Natural Henna to Color Gray Hair

Because I feel that I look older with gray hair, I want to color it.  Currently, the hair on the front half of my head is covered with what they call “salt and pepper“ - almost and equal blending of brown and gray hair.   The back half of my hair is around 90% brown with just 10% gray.

Conventional hair dyes contain many chemicals.  Some of these chemicals can be carcinogenic (cancer causing).  One of the chemicals for brown hair dye is the chemical p-phenylenediamine, known as “ppd” for short is a potential allergen and a possible carcinogen.  So I decided to look for more natural ways to color my hair.

before henna application - gray and bleached hair

In my quest to find the right healthful coloring for my brunette and gray hair, I tried “body art quality” (BAQ) henna.  It works very well for me and I have beautiful color results.

The color is amazing - the reflective highlights are fantastic.  It also coats my unruly hair and makes it feel softer and act more manageable - and no frizzies either.

after henna application - in the sun

after henna application - in the shade

Coloring Your Hair with Natural Sage Rinse - for Brunettes with GrayHair

Because I feel that I look older with gray hair, I want to color it. Currently, the hair on the front half of my head is covered with what they call “salt and pepper“ - almost and equal blending of brown and gray hair. The back half of my hair is around 90% brown with just 10% gray.

Conventional hair dyes contain many chemicals. Some of these chemicals can be carcinogenic (cancer causing). One of the chemicals for brown hair dye is the chemical p-phenylenediamine, known as “ppd” for short is a potential allergen and a possible carcinogen (see more information at the Environmental Working Group website).   So I decided to look for more safe and natural ways to color my hair.

For Brunettes, you can make a natural sage rinse to darken gray hair. It is a natural and safe way to color gray hair. You make a decoction of the herb “Sage” as a rinse for your hair. A decoction is made by boiling the herbs in water to extract the active ingredients into the liquid - just like making tea. It is a progressive color - that means the more you use the rinse, the darker the gray hairs get.

How I Eliminated Breast Fibroids

I have had fibroid cysts (a.k.a. “lumps”) in my right breast for as long as I can remember. It didn’t bother me too much except it was very uncomfortable wearing underwire bras. Whenever I did a breast self-exam, had a doctor examine my breast, or have a mammogram performed - my breast would hurt for 2 days after. One Day, my friend Jean told me to try eliminating caffeine from my diet as it may get rid of the lumps -- and sure enough -- it worked! I no longer have any fibroid cysts in my right breast!

What I did:

Extra Virgin Olive Oil is the Best Moisturizer for Very Dry Skin

extra virgin olive oil

After menopause, there is a natural decline in the amount of oils produced for the skin. So, my once oily skin is now so very dry. My latest discovery for mature dry skin, or for any dry skin, is to apply extra virgin olive oil (EVOO) straight on my skin. After I tried many different body lotions (some even with Alpha-lipoic acid which will slough off dead dry skin to help reveal a newer skin layer beneath) I still couldn’t get rid of that shriveled up dry feeling in my skin.

I found that straight extra virgin olive oil works the best. I apply it to damp skin, or if my skin is already dry - I wet my hands and apply some water to my skin, and then apply the olive oil.