Cravings? Fix Your Leptin!

WELLNESS MAMA28 COMMENTS AND 0 REACTIONS

Ever had trouble sticking to a diet?

Crave foods?

Overweight?

Want to snack, especially at night?

These are all indications that you could have some Leptin issues. Leptin is a master hormone in the body that controls hunger and feelings of satiety.Leptin is secreted by adipose (fat) tissue, so the more overweight a person is, typically, the higher his leptin levels.

According to Mark’s Daily Apple: “Leptin is the lookout hormone – the gatekeeper of fat metabolism, monitoring how much energy an organism takes in. It surveys and maintains the energy balance in the body, and it regulates hunger via three pathways:

• By counteracting the effects of neuropeptide Y, a potent feeding stimulant secreted by the hypothalamus and certain gut cells.
• By counteracting the effects of anandamide, another feeding stimulant.
• By promoting the production of a-MSH, an appetite suppressant.”

It is also directly tied to insulin levels. Many people these days are Leptin resistant and there are many health problems tied to this problem. High leptin levels have been tied to high blood pressure, obesity, heart disease and stroke, as well as blood sugar related problems.

High levels of Leptin and the accompanying leptin resistance can also decrease fertility, age you more quickly and contribute to obesity. If you’re trying to lose weight or improve a health problem, chances are you have Leptin resistance. If you can’t seem to stick to health changes, chances are you have Leptin resistance.

In other words, if you want to make lasting health changes or lose weight and keep it off, you have to fix your leptin. The good news is: if you’ve failed at diets or health changes in the past, it was likely because you failed to regulate your Leptin levels and doing so can help you finally make lasting changes. Leptin resistance and its related problems are a complex problem involving the endocrine system and reversing them requires more than simple calorie restriction or will power.

The Downward Spiral

Leptin is the satiety hormone produced by fat cells, so it would seem logical that those with more fat cells would produce more Leptin, which would signal the body to eat less food and weight would normalize. This over-simplified idea is great in theory, but doesn’t always occur, especially in those with damaged metabolisms or endocrine problems (which includes most overweight people).

According to this article: “The problem is not in the production of leptin, but rather, studies show that the majority of overweight individuals who are having difficulty losing weight have a leptin resistance, where the leptin is unable to produce its normal effects to stimulate weight loss. This leptin resistance is sensed as starvation, so multiple mechanisms are activated to increase fat stores, rather than burn excess fat stores. Leptin resistance also stimulates the formation of reverse T3, which blocks the effects of thyroid hormone on metabolism (discussed below).”

So, the person is eating excess food but the body thinks it is starving and tells the person to eat more. It’s easy to see how this cycle could contribute to weight gain!

Factors that Contribute to Leptin Resistance

As with all hormone issues, Leptin resistance is a complex issue with no singular cause, but there are many factors that can negatively impact Leptin levels including:

• Fructose consumption (especially in forms like High Fructose Corn Syrup)
• High stress levels
• Consumption of a lot of simple carbs
• Lack of sleep
• High insulin levels (vicious cycle here)
• Overeating
• Exercising too much, especially if your hormones are already damaged
• Grain and lectin consumption

How to Fix Leptin Resistance:

As I said, this is a complex problem, but not an irreversible one. Dr. Jack Kruse (a neurosurgeon) and Stephan Guyenet (an obesity researcher) have both written in depth about the causes of Leptin imbalance and ways to reverse it. I highly recommend these articles for more information about their approaches: Changing the Body’s Setpoint, Factors that affect Leptin, and Dr. Kruse’s Leptin Prescription.   The book Mastering Leptin also has a much more in depth explanation and suggestions.

In short, the (non-negotiable) factors that will help improve leptin response are:

• Eating little to no simple starches, refined foods, sugars and fructose
• Consuming a large amount of protein and healthy fats first thing in the morning, as soon after waking as possible. This promotes satiety and gives the body the building blocks to make hormones. My go-to is a large scramble with 2-3 eggs, vegetables and left over meat from the night before cooked in coconut oil.
• Be in bed by ten (no excuses) and optimize your sleep!
• Get outside during the day, preferably barefoot on the ground, in mid-day sun with some skin exposed. There are many reasons this is helpful and I’ll be explaining them soon)
• DON’T SNACK!!! When you are constantly eating, even small amounts, during the day it keeps your liver working and doesn’t give hormones a break. Try to space meals at least 4 hours apart and don’t eat for at least 4 hours before bed. This includes drinks with calories but herbal teas, water, coffee or tea without cream or sugar are fine.
• Don’t workout at first. If you are really Leptin resistant, this will just be an additional stress on the body. Let your body heal a little first, then add in the exercise.
• When you do exercise, do only sprints and weight lifting. Walk or swim if you want to but don’t do cardio just for the sake of cardio. It’s just a stress on the body. High intensity and weight lifting, on the other hand, give the hormone benefits of working out without the stress from excess cardio and are great after the first few weeks. Also, workout in the evening, not the morning, to support hormone levels.
• Remove toxins from your life as these are a stress on your body. There will be more specifics on how to accomplish this in the next few weeks, but getting rid of processed foods, commercial deodorants (make your own) and comercial soap (use microfiber) will go a long way!
• Eat (or take) more Omega-3s (fish, grassfed meats, chia seeds) and minimize your Omega-6 consumption (vegetable oils, conventional meats, grains, etc) to get lower inflammation and help support healthy leptin levels.

9 Tips to Help Balance Hormones

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When it comes to health, hormones and gut bacteria have a much bigger effect than many people realize. In fact, these two factors can destroy health even if everything else (diet, supplements, etc) is optimized. Conversely, fixing hormones and gut bacteria can do a lot to boost health, even if not all the other factors are optimal. In fact, there are even studies about using certain hormone reactions to heal brain trauma.

If you doubt the very real power of hormones to affect everything from mood, to weight, to bowel health, ask the nearest pregnant woman if she’s noticed any difference in these areas since being pregnant. Or ask the nearest 13 year old girl… carefully…

If you have symptoms like fatigue, skin issues, weight gain, weight around the middle, trouble sleeping, always sleeping, PMS, endometriosis, infertility, PCOS or other issues, chances are you have hormone imbalance!

What are Hormones?

“Hormones are your body’s chemical messengers. They travel in your bloodstream to tissues or organs. They work slowly, over time, and affect many different processes, including

• Growth and development
• Metabolism – how your body gets energy from the foods you eat
• Sexual function
• Reproduction
• Mood

Endocrine glands, which are special groups of cells, make hormones. The major endocrine glands are the pituitary, pineal, thymus, thyroid, adrenal glands and pancreas. In addition, men produce hormones in their testes and women produce them in their ovaries.” (source)

Hormones are produced using good fats and cholesterol, so lack of these important dietary factors can cause hormone problems simply because the body doesn’t have the building blocks to make them. Toxins containing chemicals that mimic these building blocks or that mimic the hormones themselves are also problematic because the body can attempt to create hormones using the wrong building blocks… mutant estrogen anyone?

The endocrine system is a complex system that we will probably never completely understand, but there are some basic things you can do to boost your  body’s ability to create and balance hormones:

1. Avoid High Omega-6 Polyunsaturated Fats

I’ve talked about this before, but the body is simply not meant to consume these man-made fats found in vegetable oils. From that article:

The human body is about 97% saturated and monounsaturated fat, with only 3 % Polyunsaturated fats. Half of that three percent is Omega-3 fats, and that balance needs to be there. Vegetable oils contain very high levels of polyunsaturated fats, and these oils have replaced many of the saturated fats in our diets since the 1950s.

The body needs fats for rebuilding cells and hormone production, but it has to use the building blocks we give it. When we give it a high concentration of polyunsaturated fats instead of the ratios it needs, it has no choice but to incorporate these fats into our cells during cell repair and creation.

The problem is that polyunsaturated fats are highly unstable and oxidize easily in the body (if they haven’t already oxidized during processing or by light exposure while sitting on the grocery store shelf). These oxidized fats cause inflammation and mutation in cells.

In arterial cells, these mutations cause inflammation that can clog arteries. When these fats are incorporated into skin cells, their mutation causes skin cancer. (This is why people often get the most dangerous forms of skin cancer in places where they are never exposed to the sun, but that is a topic for another day!)

When these oils are incorporated into cells in reproductive tissue, some evidence suggests that this can spur problems like endometriosis and PCOS. In short, the body is made up of saturated and monounsaturated fats, and it needs these for optimal health.”

Bottom line: Don’t eat fats like Vegetable oil, peanut oil, canola oil, soybean oil, margarine, shortening or other chemically altered fats. Choose fats like coconut oil, real butter, olive oil (don’t heat!) and animal fats (tallow, lard) from healthy sources instead and eat lots of high Omega-3 fish.

2. Limit the Caffeine

I love coffee, a lot, but the truth is that too much caffeine can wreak havoc on the endocrine system, especially if there are other hormone stressors involved too like pregnancy, presence of toxins, beneficial fat imbalance or stress.

Cut down the coffee if you can, or replace with beneficial herbal teas (a list of my favorite recipes coming soon!). If you can’t or won’t cut the coffee, use it as a way to sneak in your beneficial fats by adding 1 tablespoon coconut oil to each cup and blending in the blender to emulsify. It is like a latte but with healthy fats!

3. Avoid Toxins

Toxins found in pesticides, plastics, household chemicals and even mattresses can contain hormone disrupting chemicals that mimic hormones in the body and keep the body from producing real hormones. Things like hormonal birth control can (obviously) do the same thing.

If you have hormone imbalance or are struggling to get pregnant, avoiding these toxins is very important! Cook in glass or non-coated metal pans (no non-stick or teflon!) and avoid heating or storing foods in plastic. Find organic produce and meat whenever possible and don’t use chemical pesticides or cleaners. There are recipes for natural cleaners on this page.

4. SLEEP

Can’t emphasize this one enough (tried with the all-caps-yelling though)! If you aren’t getting enough sleep, your hormone will not be balanced. Period.

Use these tips to help improve your sleep and just do it! This can singlehandedly improve hormones and is even linked to longer life, less chance of disease and optimizing weight.

5. Supplement Wisely

In a perfect world, we would be rising and sleeping with the sun, getting Vitamin D from the sun and Magnesium from the ocean while relaxing and exercising in great balance each day in a stress-free world. Since I doubt that describes any of us currently, supplements can fill in the gaps. I’ve talked about the basic supplements that I take before, but there are some specific ones that are helpful for hormone support.

• Maca- A tuber in the radish family that has a history of boosting hormone production and libido. Many women notice less PMS, increased fertility, and improved skin while men notice increased sperm production, libido and better sleep. Maca is also high in minerals and essential fatty acids, making it great for hormones.  It is available in powder form (least expensive option) or in capsules.
• Magnesium- Magnesium supports hundreds of reactions in the body and often contributes to better sleep (which is great for hormones!). There are several effective forms of Magnesium: In powder form with a product like Natural Calm so that you can vary your dose and work up slowly,  ionic liquid form  can be added to food and drinks and dose can be worked up slowly,or  transdermal form by using Magnesium oil applied to skin. This is often the most effective option for those with damaged digestive tract or severe deficiency.
• Vitamin D- A pre-hormone is supportive of hormone function. Best obtained from the sun if possible, or from a D3 supplement or Fermented Cod Liver Oil.
• Fermented Cod Liver Oil- Provides many of the necessary building blocks for hormone production including Vitamins A, D, and K. It also is a great source of Omega-3s and beneficial fats.
• Gelatin is a great source of calcium, magnesium and phosphate. It supports hormone production and digestive health and helps sooth inflammation, especially in joints. We use Great Lakes Kosher as I was able to verify with the company that it is sourced from grass-fed, humanely raised cows, and as such is higher in nutrients.

6. Exercise Lightly

If you have hormone imbalance, intense extended exercise can actually make the problem worse in the short term. Sleep is actually more important, at least during the balancing phase, so focus on relaxing exercises like walking or swimming and avoid the extended running, cardio and exercise videos, for now….

7. Lift Heavy Weights

While extended cardio can be bad, short bursts of heavy lifting (kettlebells, deadlifts, squats, lunges) can be beneficial since they trigger a cascade of beneficial hormone reactions. Aim for a few sets (5-7) at a weight that really challenges your, but make sure to get help with form and training if you haven’t done these before as bad form can be harmful!

8. Eat Some Coconut Oil

Coconut Oil is amazing for hormone health. It provides the necessary building blocks for hormone production, can assist weight loss, reduce inflammation, and even has antimicrobial and antibacterial properties.

If you really need hormone help, aim to consume 1/4 cup of added coconut oil a day. My favorite way is to blend into coffee or tea. This is the highest quality one I’ve found.

9. Fix Your Leptin

Leptin is a master hormone, and if it is out of balance or if you are resistant to it, no other hormones will balance well. Fixing leptin will also help boost fertility, make weight loss easier, improve sleep, and lower inflammation.

Daily Vitamin Supplement

A Sustainable Daily Vitamin Supplement

APRIL 15, 2012 BY ANDREA 37 COMMENTS

[I]n the beginning, humanity had all the nutrients needed for healthy living available in the foods that were harvested directly from the earth. But through the years, the nutritional density of food has been dramatically reduced and in most cases replaced with synthetic (man-made) supplements. These supplements often come to our bodies as toxins and indigestible.

So, unless you are confident of the minerals present in the soil and growing methods used to produce the foods you eat, the need for additional vitamins and minerals is essential for health and vitality.

But what daily multi-vitamin should we choose?

Those that are based on sustainable, whole, and natural food sources of course!

Nutritive Herbs

In his book Practical Herbalism: Ordinary Plants with Extraordinary Powers, Philip Fritchey defines nutritives as “herbs which supply a substantial amount of nutrients and aid in building and maintaining the body.” He lists several herbs that are highly nutritional — from that list, I have chosen six that are safe for all members of the family, and they are:

1. Nettle Leaf. Ahhh…nettles! I love it  Nutritionally speaking, nettle leaf contains an extremely high chlorophyll content along with being a substantial source for vitamins C and A, calcium, silicon, potassium chloride, protein and fiber.

2. Oats (straw and tops). The primary constituents of oats includes saponins, flavonoids, calcium, iron, complete B-vitamins, and lysine. They are also rich in silica, manganese, and zinc. Oats help the body to build strong and healthy bones, skin, hair, and nails.

3. Rose Hips. With approximately sixty times the amount of vitamin C than lemons, rose hips assist the body in preventing colds, the flu, and infections. In addition to vitamin C, rose hips also contain vitamins A, D and E, and are high in antioxidants.

4. Alfalfa. Alfalfa is an herbal powerhouse! Alfalfa is broadly recognized as a nutritious source of chlorophyll (more than any other plant), beta carotene, calcium, and the vitamins D, E and K. Additionally, it’s primary constituents include vitamin C, folic acid, copper, phosphorus, manganese, iron, zinc, and various antioxidants.

5. Slippery Elm Bark. As the story goes, early American settlers — even George Washington and his troops during the winter at Valley Forge — used it as a survival food. In fact, Slippery Elm Bark can be given to people who can’t keep any food down. It is highly nutritive and the primary constituents include mucilage, tannins, calcium, and zinc.

6. Marshmallow Root. I love this herb! Due to it’s high content of mucilage, we know how good it is for our hair. Likewise, when consumed it is super nourishing and contains significant amounts of plant proteins, antioxidants, oxygen, calcium, and magnesium.

With these six herbs I can make an herbal daily vitamin infusion that all members of the family can drink and enjoy!

Making an Herbal Daily Vitamin Infusion

1. Completely combine equal parts of each of the six herbs listed above, creating a nutritive herb mixture.

2. Place 2 handfuls (1 cup or 1 ounce) of your nutritive herb mixture into a quart-sized glass jar.

3. Boil water in a pot.

4. Fill your glass jar all the way to the top with boiling water, place the lid on, and then allow the herbs to steep for 4 hours or overnight in the refrigerator. Longer steeping time makes a stronger, more nutritious infusion.

5. Strain and enjoy! The infusion will keep in the fridge for one to two days.

Use this infusion to stay hydrated and well-nourished, drinking at will throughout the day.

Now it’s your turn! What supplements do you take?

Note: The herbs used in this daily vitamin infusion are safe for young children as well as adults. In general, they are also considered safe for pregnant and nursing mothers, but please check with your doctor before taking this or any other herb. The information provided here is for educational purposes only.

Make your own laundry soap

I am sick of the prices of laundry soap and the lack of quality, I also don't like not knowing what all is really in my soap products and what I am putting in my clothes that goes on my skin these days after all the bad things I read about products. I decided to look for recipes to DIY


so again I am sharing with you what I find:


recipe


3 Tablespoons Borax

3 Tablespoons Washing Soda

2 Tablespoons Dawn Dish soap


Put these ingredients in a one gallon jug. Pour 4 cups boiling water into the jug. Swirl until ingredients are dissolved in the liquid. Let liquid cool. Then fill almost to the top with cold water. The bubbles will overflow out of the bottle.

I love this because you can pick an awesome scent with the Dawn dish soap. This dish soap works the best because it gets grease out. :o)









As FOND as I am of the soap I’ve been using for over 8 months now…I felt I needed to at least give this version a fair shake. Sooo…I made up a gallon of it and have been using it for almost a week. I’ve used almost the entire gallon and despite my initial skepticism…I have not noticed any difference in it’s ability to get my clothes clean from my current recipe. I use approximately 1/2 cup to 1 cup per load. I know that sounds like a lot, but it’s pretty thin and since it’s SO easy and inexpensive to make, it doesn’t bother me.


Of course there are still those items of clothing that will need an extra boost with some“Homemade Shout” or “Homemade Oxi-Clean”….but overall I honestly haven’t noticed any difference in it’s cleaning ability.


For those of you concerned with HE washers…I haven’t noticed any more soap suds with this “recipe” either. On a small load I will notice some sudsing…but on a large load…it appears to me to be as low-suds as my previous version.







So….today I offer up this “new” version of homemade laundry detergent to those who have to this point been reluctant or unwilling to try making their own. A couple of things that might convince you to try…no grating of soap…no cooking…and you can make one gallon at a time in just a few minutes.

Eye Cream

Skin Care Series - Eye Cream

Today I want to share my favorite eye cream with you.  It is super simple to make using only two ingredients - coconut oil and Vitamin E.  In yesterday's post we learned that coconut oil is a protective antioxidant and supports tissue repair and healing.  


This is what www.healthy-skincare.com has to say about Vitamin E:

In terms of skin health and skin care, vitamin e benefits are numerous. In fact, skin care products that contain vitamin e have become an essential part of healthy skin care.

Antioxidant

First of all, because of its antioxidant activity, vitamin e is vital in protecting skin cells from ultra violet light, pollution, drugs, and other elements that produce cell damaging free radicals. It is believed that vitamin e is most effective in its natural alcohol form rather than its acetate form where it is a less effective antioxidant. Watch for this in the labelling of skin care products.

Regulator for Vitamin A

The vitamin e benefits for healthy skin care also include its ability to regulate vitamin a in the body, which itself is important for healthy skin.

Anti-Aging Benefits of Vitamin E

Vitamin e added to lotions, creams, and other skin care products, as well as taken orally, plays a role in the anti-aging of skin. It helps skin look younger by reducing the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles. Also, free radicals are believed to play an important role in skin aging and therefore the antioxidant activity is quite valuable for this skin problem.

Treatment of Skin Diseases

Vitamin e can aid in the treatment of various skin diseases or skin conditions. Topical applications such as those used to treat psoriasis is one of the benefits of vitamin e. Orally ingested vitamin e can help treat erythema (a skin inflammation that results in reddish, painful, and tender lumps).

Skin Cancer Benefits of Vitamin E

One of the most important benefits of vitamin e is the prevention of skin cancer. This occurs because of its sun protection quality and of course its powerful antioxidant properties, which help reduce or prevent sun damage.

Other Vitamin E Benefits

There are a variety of other benefits of vitamin e for skin care:

• vitamin e products help reduce the appearance of stretch marks
• vitamin e can help prevent the appearance of age spots
• it helps maintain the skin’s oil balance during the cleansing process
• it reduces transepidermal water loss from skin and strengthens the skin’s barrier function

Overall for skin care, more benefit is obtained from topical application of vitamin e through creams or lotions rather than taking vitamin e orally. Skin is able to absorb natural vitamin e effectively. However, taking vitamin e orally is important for the good health of other areas of the body. 


Now that you know why we're using coconut oil and Vitamin E, let's find out how to turn them into an eye cream.  First you need to find a container to make your cream in.  The one in the picture is a miniature jelly jar.  My guess is that it is between a half and one ounce.  In the past, I've just used clean eye contact containers.  


Fill your container with coconut oil.  It is solid at room temperature and doesn't begin to melt until it reaches 76 degrees Fahrenheit.  So, at this point I put it in the microwave for just a couple of seconds until it begins to melt.  Next, you poke a hole in your Vitamin E capsules and add to the melted coconut oil.  For the jar above I used 3 capsules.  I use 1 capsule per side when using contact containers.  Then, I use a tooth pick or wooden skewer and blend them together.  At this point I put the cream in the refrigerator to become solid again.  After that happens there is no need to keep it refrigerated.  The oils will not become rancid.  


That's all there is to it.  When my sister was here visiting I let her try it and she was immediately hooked.  So I made her up a batch and sent it home with her.  About a week later she sent me an e-mail telling me that she LOVES this eye cream.  She said it was better than the expensive stuff she was buying.  And this costs nearly nothing per batch. :0)

Skin Care Series - Eye Cream

Skin Care Series - Eye Cream

Today I want to share my favorite eye cream with you.  It is super simple to make using only two ingredients - coconut oil and Vitamin E.  In yesterday's post we learned that coconut oil is a protective antioxidant and supports tissue repair and healing.  


This is what www.healthy-skincare.com has to say about Vitamin E:

In terms of skin health and skin care, vitamin e benefits are numerous. In fact, skin care products that contain vitamin e have become an essential part of healthy skin care.

Antioxidant

First of all, because of its antioxidant activity, vitamin e is vital in protecting skin cells from ultra violet light, pollution, drugs, and other elements that produce cell damaging free radicals. It is believed that vitamin e is most effective in its natural alcohol form rather than its acetate form where it is a less effective antioxidant. Watch for this in the labelling of skin care products.

Regulator for Vitamin A

The vitamin e benefits for healthy skin care also include its ability to regulate vitamin a in the body, which itself is important for healthy skin.

Anti-Aging Benefits of Vitamin E

Vitamin e added to lotions, creams, and other skin care products, as well as taken orally, plays a role in the anti-aging of skin. It helps skin look younger by reducing the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles. Also, free radicals are believed to play an important role in skin aging and therefore the antioxidant activity is quite valuable for this skin problem.

Treatment of Skin Diseases

Vitamin e can aid in the treatment of various skin diseases or skin conditions. Topical applications such as those used to treat psoriasis is one of the benefits of vitamin e. Orally ingested vitamin e can help treat erythema (a skin inflammation that results in reddish, painful, and tender lumps).

Skin Cancer Benefits of Vitamin E

One of the most important benefits of vitamin e is the prevention of skin cancer. This occurs because of its sun protection quality and of course its powerful antioxidant properties, which help reduce or prevent sun damage.

Other Vitamin E Benefits

There are a variety of other benefits of vitamin e for skin care:

• vitamin e products help reduce the appearance of stretch marks
• vitamin e can help prevent the appearance of age spots
• it helps maintain the skin’s oil balance during the cleansing process
• it reduces transepidermal water loss from skin and strengthens the skin’s barrier function

Overall for skin care, more benefit is obtained from topical application of vitamin e through creams or lotions rather than taking vitamin e orally. Skin is able to absorb natural vitamin e effectively. However, taking vitamin e orally is important for the good health of other areas of the body. 


Now that you know why we're using coconut oil and Vitamin E, let's find out how to turn them into an eye cream.  First you need to find a container to make your cream in.  The one in the picture is a miniature jelly jar.  My guess is that it is between a half and one ounce.  In the past, I've just used clean eye contact containers.  


Fill your container with coconut oil.  It is solid at room temperature and doesn't begin to melt until it reaches 76 degrees Fahrenheit.  So, at this point I put it in the microwave for just a couple of seconds until it begins to melt.  Next, you poke a hole in your Vitamin E capsules and add to the melted coconut oil.  For the jar above I used 3 capsules.  I use 1 capsule per side when using contact containers.  Then, I use a tooth pick or wooden skewer and blend them together.  At this point I put the cream in the refrigerator to become solid again.  After that happens there is no need to keep it refrigerated.  The oils will not become rancid.  


That's all there is to it.  When my sister was here visiting I let her try it and she was immediately hooked.  So I made her up a batch and sent it home with her.  About a week later she sent me an e-mail telling me that she LOVES this eye cream.  She said it was better than the expensive stuff she was buying.  And this costs nearly nothing per batch. :0)

Homemade Floor Cleaner

Homemade Floor Cleaner

 

 

 

Ingredients

• 1 cup water
• 1 cup vinegar
• 1 cup alcohol
• 2-3 drops dish soap (Castile, Dawn, etc.)
• 5 drops lavender essential oil
• 5 drops orange essential oil
• 3 drops peppermint essential oil
• Fine-mist spray bottle – 24oz

Instructions

1. Add all ingredients to spray bottle and shake to combine.
2. Sweep/vacuum the floor.
3. Spray cleaner on the floor.
4. Wipe up with a microfiber cloth.

 

A note on fabric softeners and microfiber:

Never use fabric softeners or dryer sheets when washing your microfiber cloths because they’ll affect their ability to absorb liquids properly. I don’t use either of these products on any of our laundry anyways; instead, I just use some vinegar in the rinse cycle to keep our laundry fresh and soft.

Where can you buy essential oils?

You can find them at any health food store that sells natural and organic products. If you can’t find a store near you, you can always purchase them online from my Amazon Store or Mountain Rose Herbs.