Covenant Natural Health Care

Healthy Hair Color

I stopped getting my hair dyed at the salon in 2008 after I found out about all the awful ingredients that hair dyes contain. And, for me, it was especially important to keep my body clean of chemicals after going through the Nutrition Response Testing program at Covenant Natural Health Care because I am of child-bearing age.

According to Dr. Mercola, "Your scalp has a very rich blood supply that is more than capable of transporting the toxins in hair dyes throughout your entire body."

It has taken me a couple years now to find an all-natural hair color that works well and is pretty after applied. The color comes from SabaBotanical and the base of the formula is henna. It is a nontoxic herbal hair color.  No ammonia; No peroxide; No harsh chemicals; No synthetic dyes, no PPD.  It is totally PPD free. The other thing that is nice is that it isn't that expensive at $7.50/100grams.

As with anything, there are pros and cons.

Pros:
• Healthy for hair and body
• Non-toxic
• Henna makes hair soft and shiny
• Covers grey hair
• Inexpensive

Cons:
• To keep the grey covered, you will have to color your hair about every 2-3 weeks (depending mostly on how often you shampoo.
• The color comes as a powder that you have to mix with boiling water to make a paste that gets applied to the hair. Application can be messy if you have long hair. I highly recommend cutting a large garbage  bag open and putting it under you as you apply the color for easy clean up.
• Color has to stay on the hair for at least an hour.

For me, the pros totally outweigh the cons because I am avoiding the chemicals that are found in traditional hair dyes. I don't like that it's a little messy, but I do like the final result. I do think it's the best henna product on the market (I've tried several) and the best 100% natural hair color I've tried.

If you've been using chemicals on your hair, you will want to contact the company prior to applying it to your hair to make sure any chemicals from previous dyes will not interfere with the henna. And, from what I understand henna can be difficult to get out if you don't like it and want to switch back to a hair dye that contains chemicals.

So really, it comes down to how many chemicals do you want to avoid putting in your body.

Natural Bath Products: Why It's Important That You Use Them.

It's hard to imagine that bathing and showering can actually be harmful to your health, but it's very true. Skin is the largest organ and the way we treat it is just as important as what we consume. Too many bath products are full of chemicals and preservatives and every time we shower our skin absorbs them. Just as you choose healthy, organic foods, you should also choose healthy, chemical-free bath products, from the shampoo to the shaving cream. Watch this video, read the article that goes with it, and click here to read a blog post on natural beauty (and read this one, too) that I wrote several months ago on this topic.

 

The condition of your skin is a good indicator of what's going on inside your body. If you're having severe breakouts, dry skin, rosacea, etc, chances are good that something's not working properly on this inside. And, the truth is that you will continue to fight your skin until you get to the root of the problem—Nutrition Response Testing can do just that. Call us today to schedule an appointment.

Non-toxic Mineral Foundation

I, personally, do not like to wear a lot of makeup—the only two cosmetics I really can't part with are mascara and lip balm. Ever since changing my diet to whole, organic foods, I don't need really need to wear a lot of fake color. That's the beauty of eating well and staying hydrated—it is reflected in my skin.

But, there are occasions where makeup is a nice complement to dressing up. And, let's face it, there are days where lack of sleep and stress take it's toll on the skin and a little makeup can do wonders. The problem is that most cosmetics are filled with chemicals that can be easily absorbed through the skin, causing further damage or irritation. The sad thing is that you can't trust a label these days. A lot of cosmetic companies have jumped on the green & natural bandwagon. So, it's extremely important to read labels on cosmetics, just like food labels.

I've tried a lot of makeup brands and haven't really been satisfied with my findings. Most products irritated my sensitive skin, contained toxic ingredients, clogged my pores, or was just too cake-y. But, I didn't give up in my search. After much research, I found Korres Wild Rose Mineral Foundation. I've been using it for several weeks now and absolutely love it. I don't have one complaint, surprisingly (I'm about as picky as they come when it comes to makeup). This skin-brightening foundation feels light on the skin and blends into the skin wonderfully. The best part? It does not contain any of these toxic things:

Parabens
 - Sulfates 
- Synthetic Fragrances
 - Synthetic Dyes 
- Petrochemicals
 - Phthalates 
- GMOs
 - Triclosan

Naturally glowing skin that is healthy starts on the inside. But for a little extra help, I highly recommend this foundation.

DIY lemon & rosemary bath salt

I found out, a couple of weeks ago, that I am sensitive to essential oils. Really? How could this be? They are natural, yes, but apparently some people, like me, just don't react well to essential oils. Needless to say, I was bummed. Quite a few of my favorite beauty products contain them. So, here I am, learning how to make more beauty products at home from whole ingredients and without essential oils.

Even if you aren't sensitive to essential oils, I think your skin and senses will love this combination of ingredients—most of which you probably have in your kitchen or bathroom cabinets. 

Shopping list:
• 2 Cups epsom salt
• 1 Cup course sea salt
• 1/2 Cup baking soda (aluminum free, if possible)
• 1 Fresh rosemary sprig, the leaves picked off and chopped into small pieces
• The rind of one lemon, grated

Directions: Combine the epsom salt, sea salt, and baking soda in a glass bowl. Mix well. Add in the chopped rosemary and grated lemon rind. Mix well. Store in glass jars until ready to use.

• Double or triple the batch, store in recycled, pretty glass jars and embellish with a pretty ribbon for a delightful Christmas gift (or other special occasion).

• Looking for other gift ideas? How about giving a bottle of homemade vanilla extract?

Health News Roundup

• Obama's health care scheme ruled unconstitutional: U.S. District Judge Henry Hudson dealt a severe blow to Obamacare today, ruling that the government's attempt to force citizens to buy health insurance violates the U.S. Constitution. This decision puts the enforceability of Obama's health care system in doubt.

Obama's health plan was designed around a "minimum essential coverage provision" that seeks to force every American to purchase health insurance beginning in 2014. This is essentially a Big Brother commerce requirement where the government dictates that private citizens must purchase a product or service even if they don't wish to. It also forces followers of natural medicine to buy into a system of drugs-and-surgery conventional medicine even if they have no intention of ever using it.

• US life expectancy continues to plummet, but not because of inadequate health care: A new report published in the journal Health Affairs says the U.S. has dropped to 49th place in overall life expectancy among the nations of the world. The report blames the nation's failing health care system and lack of universal health coverage as the culprit. But the true causes of America's poor health include things like its broken food system, overuse of chemical pesticides, and dependence on pharmaceutical drugs -- all of which are poisoning the population and the environment, and lowering lifespans.

• Energy Drink Ban Proposed for Teens on L.I.: Anyone 19 or younger would be banned from buying non-alcoholic energy drinks under a proposed law now before the Suffolk County Legislature.

• Hospitals to begin publicly reporting preventable infections, deaths they cause: Millions of preventable infections occur at U.S. hospitals every year, and hundreds of thousands of patients needlessly die or become severely diseased from them. And up until now, hospitals have not been required to disclose this information to the public. But a new government initiative that threatens to pull a portion of Medicare funding if hospitals fail to start reporting this crucial information will have most of them in compliance beginning January 1, 2011, according to a recent report.

Hospital-related infections are the sixth leading cause of death in the U.S., according to government figures. Many patients admitted to hospitals for routine surgeries or other procedures end up contracting infections from dirty equipment or from hospital staff that failed to maintain proper hygiene. Roughly 250,000 serious infections are caused by catheters every year, for instance, and 31,000 of those result in death.

• Norovirus cases soar as hospital outbreaks increase by 50 per cent in a month: Symptoms of norovirus include stomach cramps, projectile vomiting and diarrhoea. Sufferers are advised to stay at home and drink plenty of fluids

• 13 Million Packages of Rolaids Recalled
 


• General Mills cuts sugar content in children's cereals but still uses GMOs: Breakfast cereal giant General Mills recently announced plans to slightly cut the sugar content in its children's cereals in accordance with overall pressures on major food producers to fight childhood obesity and its related diseases by making healthier products. However the company continues to use genetically-modified (GM) ingredients in its cereal products, as well as corn syrup, artificial flavors, and artificial colorings -- all of which wreak havoc on health.

• Study: Soda Taxes May Not Be Enough to Curb Obesity: Money talks, but according to a new study analyzing the potential effect of a tax on soda, it might not speak loud enough to help people lose weight.

• 8 Skin Moisturizer Ingredients You'd Best Avoid: Even if you buy your lotion at a health food store, you may be putting something potentially toxic on your skin... Here's what you should really know about caring for your skin, your body's largest organ.