But I really want to be! I would make the worst hippie ever. I really love the idea of natural remedies and treatments. However, my skeptical and analytical side wants to see proof that things will work before I try them. With many "natural" cures there just aren't scientific studies to back them up. And some things can actually be quite harmful even though they are "natural."
However, I have taken a leap of faith over the past six months. Primarily with my personal oral care. Exciting, right?
I've been reading up on natural oral care remedies since I had to get several cavities filled a few years ago. I wasn't quite yet 30 and the dentist was already starting to talk to me about crowns if the cavities kept coming back. I was already doing the requisite twice-daily brushing plus flossing. I really tried to keep my mouth rinsed out and cleaned after eating sweets. And I tried to take my daily vitamins along with a mild effort towards eating healthier. But my teeth kept getting cavities. New ones would appear at every checkup. I was feeling defeated and just assumed that bad teeth were my reality, something I had just inherited and couldn't really do anything about.
Then I started reading up on natural remedies. Home-made toothpastes (these were appealing to my "crunchy" and "frugal" sides) and oil-pulling. But being the skeptic that I am it took me awhile to actually try these things. I first started out by adding baking soda to my toothpaste and focusing my brushing efforts on being more gentle and targeting the gum-line. Then I upped the crunchy-factor and started brushing 50% of the time with a mixture of organic sea salts and baking soda. And then I moved to all salt/soda completely.
What I found is that my mouth felt so much cleaner! I wasn't feeling a build-up of gunk by the end of the day. My teeth felt smooth! And my research (ok, excessive googling) shows that the salt helps to re-mineralize teeth and is actually less abrasive than commercial pastes. I really just liked the fact that I could mix up a month's worth of "paste" for just a few cents using 2T of salt and 2T of soda. And when swished between my teeth at the end, it seemed to pull out any remaining gunk in my teeth. Flossing afterwards very rarely yielded any nasty bits (when that used to be the norm after brushing with commercial paste). I will say that the salt took a bit to get used to. And it does not leave my mouth with a minty-fresh feeling either. But my mouth does feel very clean and I can eat just about any food after without a weird interaction (toothpaste and orange juice, anyone??).
Yet, my teeth were still a bit sensitive so I started trying oil-pulling. Honestly, this was the one that seemed the most crazy to me in the beginning. Swishing oil in my mouth for 15-20 minutes? And not just any oil, but using coconut oil (which seems to be the flavor of the month amongst my crunchiest friends). To say I was skeptical would be a massive understatement. So I started reading to see what harm it could do. Because so many of these "natural" remedies are also potentially harmful, so I wanted to know what I was up against. Except, this one really had no dangers. The only possible downside I saw was potential yellowing of the teeth from using olive oil. Since I was going to use coconut oil that wouldn't even apply. It was truly one of those things where it wouldn't be harmful and may possibly help. So with that knowledge I started trying it.
I've been doing this now for about 6 months. I just had a dental checkup today. This is the first time in YEARS that I don't have any new cavities!! Ok, I do have a broken filling that will need a follow-up, but nothing new! They spent very little time scraping gunk off my teeth at my cleaning, my gums never hurt, and the hygienist and dentist both told me that I was doing a great job taking care of my mouth. This is the first time that I have ever had a great review at the dentist!! Honestly, the only things that have changed are basically the paste (salt/soda) and mouthwash (coconut oil) that I am using.
So for this skeptical wanna-be hippie, I would say that these two things are definitely worth trying! Your pocketbook and your mouth will thank you :) At the very least there is no harm in trying. And for those on food stamps, this is a great way to use normal "food" items for personal care. Another way to stretch those dollars just a bit further.
**But seriously. I am a mom and random blogger. Please don't take any of this as medical advice! Do your own research/googling first before trying anything. **
Saturday, December 21, 2013
Sunday, December 15, 2013
The Season of Advent
This year, the celebration of Advent has really hit me hard. The anticipation of Christ's birth. The promise of hope and redemption for all.
2013 started out with such hope and anticipation for me. We were consciously trying to have another baby. I was counting days and tracking signs. The last few days in January I was taking a test twice a day because I just KNEW that this was our month. And that first day of February those two pink lines answered back. The hope, the excitement, the anticipation of meeting this little person. A little pink heart was placed on the calendar on her due date. How appropriate.
As the weeks went on I would read up on fetal development. Hey, our baby has ten fingers & ten toes! Oh, look, we just grew ears today! We talked about baby names, made plans on how to fit two kids in our little house, and talked to Aly about the tiny baby in Mommy's tummy. That anticipation and hope soon turned to heartbreak and worry as we learned at the beginning of May that our little one would not be with us long.
And in August Aubree was born. Born into a silent delivery room. There were no cheers and no crying baby. Just silence, tears, and hugs as we spent a very few moments with out little girl before having to give her back. We went home empty handed and feeling broken. I feel that this is what God refers to in Genesis when he says that part of the curse of sin is that pain will be increased with childbirth. The physical pain of birth is no picnic, but most women do recover and some even go on to choose to do it again. Ha! But to have to endure that physical pain along with the death of your child is beyond imaginable. To be honest, the depiction of the birth of Christ as a silent event is a horrifying thought to me now.
It has been hard for me this year with the focus of Christmas obviously being about the birth of Jesus. The most joyous event ever. I am having a hard time seeing pregnant women or babies as my arms and my heart ache to hold my daughter. But I have been so struck by the story of Mary. I feel like I see her in a completely different light. I imagine the joy and anticipation she must have felt when she learned that she was going to have a baby. And not just any baby. She was going to be the one to give birth to the Messiah. The one who was coming to fulfill the promise of hope and redemption for everyone. And how her anticipation must have turned to heartbreak as she realized that in order for the world to be redeemed, her son was going to die.
However, it's not his birth that gives us hope. And it's not his death that gives us peace. It's the story of his resurrection. Jesus didn't come to die for the sins of the world and to stay dead. Jesus came to conquer death. Our hope is in the resurrection and the promise that this world is not all we have.
I won't lie, I am sad that Aubree is not here to sit in her bouncy seat and look at the tree all googly-eyed. Or to stare on as Aly "helps" to open presents for everyone. Or to snuggle up on the couch after a morning of busyness and nap the afternoon away. But she is getting to celebrate Jesus' birthday with the King himself! Can you imagine what the celebration must be like in Heaven?
And for Aly, I am having such a hard time reigning in the presents. She's at that age where the things that she enjoys are still so cheap! Crayons, markers, finger paints, new coloring books. They will keep her entertained for hours and only cost me a few dollars. And yet I am constantly reminded of Luke 11:13 as I shop for her, "If you then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him!"
2013 started out with such hope and anticipation for me. We were consciously trying to have another baby. I was counting days and tracking signs. The last few days in January I was taking a test twice a day because I just KNEW that this was our month. And that first day of February those two pink lines answered back. The hope, the excitement, the anticipation of meeting this little person. A little pink heart was placed on the calendar on her due date. How appropriate.
As the weeks went on I would read up on fetal development. Hey, our baby has ten fingers & ten toes! Oh, look, we just grew ears today! We talked about baby names, made plans on how to fit two kids in our little house, and talked to Aly about the tiny baby in Mommy's tummy. That anticipation and hope soon turned to heartbreak and worry as we learned at the beginning of May that our little one would not be with us long.
And in August Aubree was born. Born into a silent delivery room. There were no cheers and no crying baby. Just silence, tears, and hugs as we spent a very few moments with out little girl before having to give her back. We went home empty handed and feeling broken. I feel that this is what God refers to in Genesis when he says that part of the curse of sin is that pain will be increased with childbirth. The physical pain of birth is no picnic, but most women do recover and some even go on to choose to do it again. Ha! But to have to endure that physical pain along with the death of your child is beyond imaginable. To be honest, the depiction of the birth of Christ as a silent event is a horrifying thought to me now.
It has been hard for me this year with the focus of Christmas obviously being about the birth of Jesus. The most joyous event ever. I am having a hard time seeing pregnant women or babies as my arms and my heart ache to hold my daughter. But I have been so struck by the story of Mary. I feel like I see her in a completely different light. I imagine the joy and anticipation she must have felt when she learned that she was going to have a baby. And not just any baby. She was going to be the one to give birth to the Messiah. The one who was coming to fulfill the promise of hope and redemption for everyone. And how her anticipation must have turned to heartbreak as she realized that in order for the world to be redeemed, her son was going to die.
However, it's not his birth that gives us hope. And it's not his death that gives us peace. It's the story of his resurrection. Jesus didn't come to die for the sins of the world and to stay dead. Jesus came to conquer death. Our hope is in the resurrection and the promise that this world is not all we have.
I won't lie, I am sad that Aubree is not here to sit in her bouncy seat and look at the tree all googly-eyed. Or to stare on as Aly "helps" to open presents for everyone. Or to snuggle up on the couch after a morning of busyness and nap the afternoon away. But she is getting to celebrate Jesus' birthday with the King himself! Can you imagine what the celebration must be like in Heaven?
And for Aly, I am having such a hard time reigning in the presents. She's at that age where the things that she enjoys are still so cheap! Crayons, markers, finger paints, new coloring books. They will keep her entertained for hours and only cost me a few dollars. And yet I am constantly reminded of Luke 11:13 as I shop for her, "If you then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him!"
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