Showing posts with label organic. Show all posts
Showing posts with label organic. Show all posts

Friday, July 12, 2019

Day 17: The secret to beautiful healthy hair will surprise you



Between You, Me and the Lamp Post

Day 17: The secret to beautiful healthy hair will surprise you

Whenever inspiration is in short supply, I do what I always do … I take a walk. Today that walk took me to the Bloor Mall and more specifically to Drug Market.

Wandering along the aisles, I’m always surprised at the number of hair care products: shampoos, conditioners, mousses, oils, etc. Over the years I have used a great number of them, and I can tell you with absolute certainty … none of them delivered on their promises.

Next, I looked at the magazines. One of them also focused on hair. How to get longer hair, stronger hair, straighter hair, curlier hair. Out of curiosity I paged through the magazine, found the hair advise section and looked at the recommended products for hair problems.

One thing immediately became clear, whoever wanted his or her hair longer, stronger, straighter or curlier better be prepared to pay a hefty price for it.
I couldn’t help but smile. I doubted that these products were any different than those on the shelves of Drug Market, promising a lot but delivering very little.

Now it so happens that I have a hair problem myself. After a lengthy illness, I have a lot less hair than I used to have. It’s not surprising really, during my illness I suffered pain, stress, lack of appetite and weight loss 10 kilos (20 lbs), all factors that impact hair, especially lack of appetite.

When someone is not eating right, or not eating enough, hair is one of the things that get affected. The hair no longer receives the vitamins and minerals it needs and more importantly, it no longer gets proteins. The result, hair breaks and/or falls out.

When I went looking for a remedy to whip my hair back into shape, I didn’t look at any pills or creams, or any beauty product that promised me miracles, I consulted Mother Nature. Or rather, I turned to Google and researched what Mother Nature had to offer.

As it turns out, the best thing for hair was right in my fridge and costs only a few cents … an onion. According to experts, red onion juice is the best thing for hair.

First-time users are advised to peel and chop one or two onions into pieces and boil them in water for twenty minutes. Remove the onion pieces and let the water cool. Put the water in a bottle and sprints all over the scalp, apply the water with a soft brush, or pour the water all over the scalp.

If the smell doesn’t bother you, you can also use pure onion juice. For this method put on or two onions in a blender. Pour the mixture through a cheesecloth or other fine material and sprits the juice over the scalp or apply with a brush.

Whichever method you prefer, you can leave the onion juice (pure or diluted) on your hair for twenty minutes (if you’re in a hurry) or two hours if you have the time. Afterward shampoo and condition as usual.

There you have it. According to the experts, you don’t need expensive concoctions to prevent hair breakage, to regrow hair, or to just keep your hair in top condition. An onion will do better than anything you buy in the store.

Personally, I’m going to try it tomorrow and I’ll keep you updated on my hair’s progress. Don’t expect miracles though. All the articles I’ve read state if you use onion juice twice or three times a week, it may take four to six weeks to give results.







Wednesday, August 26, 2015

10 Tips on how to save money


In today’s world it’s all about going green, eating organic and saving money. Just this morning I came across an article that promised all kinds of money saving tips, along with tips for a healthier lifestyle. Not all the tips were helpful though.


Tip 1: Put plants in your bedroom


This might not be such a good idea. While some plants might be air purifying and give off oxygen, others give off carbon dioxide at night. The last time I was in hospital the nurses removed all plants from the rooms and put them in the corridor.


Tip 2: Install a low flow shower head


Sorry but not on your life. I lived in a condo a while back where the bathroom had a low flow shower head and I put up with it for exactly three days. After that I called the management office and the superintendent and demanded a regular shower head. Have you ever tried to get shampoo and conditioner out of your hair with a low flow shower head … it takes forever.


Tip 3: Clean with vinegar


While vinegar might work for same purposes, in general it doesn’t do the trick. For instance, I tried to clean the inside glass of the oven door. I tried vinegar, I tried baking soda, I tried the two combined with quite a bit of elbow grease and nothing worked. Only when I switched to Cif, steel wool and elbow grease did the glass get clean.


Tip 4: Unplug the TV when not in use


A fine idea but impossible to execute in my place. My TV sits in a wall unit. In order for me to unplug the appliance I would have to move the nine foot cabinet or squeeze through the gap between the cabinet and the wall (which is about 4 inches). I’m slender, but I’m not that thin.


Tip 5: Invite friends in winter


Instead of turning on the heat, the article suggests that I throw a party and cuddle up with my friends to keep warm. My friends are spread over the four corners of the earth so that’s not going to work. And even if they could come over at a moment’s notice, and I would want to snuffle up with them, I’ll bet they would say … “Hey, don’t get fresh”, or “Sorry, I’m married”.


The writer also recommend snuggling up with a cat, a dog, or another animal. Well yeah, that can work, but eventually the animal will move.


Tip 6: Use a microwave vs. a conventional oven


Sorry but in my case that is not going to happen. You can’t roast a chicken in a microwave; you can’t make a pizza in the microwave; and you certainly can’t make roast potatoes in the microwave. Not to mention the amount of radiation the food gets exposed to. In another article, another writer cautioned consumers about over using a microwave.


Tip 7: Sleep on organic sheets


You know, I’d love to sleep on organic sheets, unfortunately I can’t afford them. A quick price check revealed the following … set of white sheets in Walmart $14, set of organic white sheets in Pottery Barn $50.


Tip 8: Wool not polyester


The writer recommends switching from polyester sweaters and blankets to woolen ones. Again, I’d love to, but my bank account is going to protest. Real wool sweaters and blankets cost about four times more than polyester ones. Plus, cleaning them is a nightmare. I remember washing a cashmere sweater ones and after drying it was the size of a handkerchief.


Tip 9: Go for a mattress that is not treated with chemicals


I did some comparing here too and I was rather shocked. A regular mattress at JC penny $399, at Sears $359, at Mattress Firm $599. A mattress not treated with chemicals at Austin Natural Mattress between $1,299 and $3,500 (on sale mind you).


Tip 10: Shop at a farmers market


Not too long ago I was at a farmers market and walked away empty handed. The fruits and vegetables were beautiful and much bigger than in the supermarket, unfortunately they were also much more expensive.


Bell peppers in supermarket - $0.60

Bell pepper at farmers market - $1.50


Strawberries in supermarket - $2.99

Strawberries at farmers market - $5.99


Zucchini in supermarket - $1.20

Zucchini at farmers market - $3.00


You get the idea.


I’m sure that many of us would like to go organic, but it’s just too darn expensive.

Visit me at : www.connymanero.weebly.com



Friday, March 1, 2013

Are we civilized human beings, or bloodthirsty killers?



Tana C posted a message and a picture on Facebook today, showing off the hunting rifle she just bought.

In light of recent violence and stricter gun laws, I thought this was in poor taste.  Of how many shooting have we heard lately? 

Being anti gun, anti violence and certainly anti hunting, I posted a comment in reply to Tana’s announcement.

The comments that followed were divided.  Some shared my views on gun possession, those in favor of guns clearly sided with Tana.

Tana herself defended her gun ownership and hunting actions by stating “Deer and elk provide food for my family”.

No arguing with that, but … just how much does the deer and elk she’s about to shoot cost her? 

I did a little research and found that the rifle Tana bought (a Savage 7 mm + scope) costs $599.  A box of 20 bullets goes for $20.  A hunting license set her back $219 per acre.  Total cost: $838.

I don’t know about you but $838 puts a lot of food on my table.

That’s not all though.  A hunter needs to wear camouflage and needs a hunting knife.  Let’s estimate that at another $200.

Once the animal is processed it needs to be frozen.  One needs a massive chest freezer to hold that much meat.  Shall we say $300 for that appliance?

Grand total: $1338.

Tana also stated that the animal she kills and eats is hormone free, unlike some of the meat that ends up in the supermarket.

While this might be true, there are other things to consider.  

Veterinarians inspect whether animals are fit for slaughter and once killed the Ministry of Health sends their inspectors to verify that meat is disease free and handled and stored in hygienic conditions.

While the deer that Tana shoots might be hormone free, what condition is he in?  He might be sick, he might have eaten contaminated food or drank polluted water.

Fact is, some people pretend hunting provides food for their families and that wild animals are more healthy, but that just an excuse.  It’s the kill they like.  They like to dress up.  They like going back to basics.  They like picking up a gun.  They like the power it gives them.

People will claim that some states are overcrowded with deer and that hunting is necessary to keep down the numbers.  In that case, the hunting rule not to shoot female deer makes no sense.  If anything, it’s the females that should be shot, because they are the ones reproducing.  If there were more male than female dear, there would be less offspring next year and the year after.

I’m against hunting and I make no secret of it.  I’m against the slaughter of animals too, but there are certain things in life that one just cannot change. 

If gun control ever kicks in, maybe the ban should include hunting rifles too.

Are we civilized human beings, or bloodthirsty killers?