health & wellness
baking soda SEVEN AMAZING INEXPENSIVE, NONTOXIC USES FOR BAKING SODA By Alison Shore Gaines
M
y teeth have never been whiter! I have long heard of the many effective, natural, safe uses for baking soda. The other day I decided to try it out as a toothpaste. I was amazed by how clean and smooth my teeth felt. And white! My teeth had become dingy with drinking green tea. Now my teeth are becoming whiter every day. And baking soda is cost effective – it costs less than $3 for a pound (easily five year�s worth of tooth brushing) compared to spending $7 for a tube of natural nonfluoride toothpaste. It takes a little getting used to the salty taste without the mint flavoring, but I love that it is natural and inexpensive. Baking soda is eco-friendly and is a safe health and beauty product as well as being an effective replacement for many household purposes. What is baking soda, anyway? It�s a chemical compound called natron or sodium bicarbonate, with a slightly salty, alkaline taste. Natron is a mineral found dissolved in many mineral springs. It was first used in Egypt thousands of years ago for home and body. Here are a few of its many uses.
Body scrub – Use the same scrub as previous. It feels great all over and softens elbow patches and heel cracks.
Toothbrush and oral appliance cleanser – Soak these items overnight in a glass of warm water with two teaspoons baking soda. The baking soda will clean and purify them.
There are hundreds of uses for baking soda that are inexpensive, effective, and nontoxic for you and the earth. Sources:
Facial cleanser – Make a paste of three parts baking soda to one part water. Gently rub on face as an exfoliant. As a remedy for blackheads and acne, you can leave a thicker paste on those areas for five to ten minutes, then rinse off.
Deodorant – Since I stopped drinking coffee and eating red meat, I haven’t needed any kind of deodorant (somebody tell me if I’m mistaken!). But baking soda makes a safe, effective product – just pat a little under your arms.
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Bug bites, poison ivy, sumac, and oak – Make a paste with three parts baking soda and one part apple cider vinegar and pat on bites or rash. Leave on 15 minutes then rinse. Baking soda and vinegar absorb poisons, relieve itchiness, and cool inflammation.
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Household cleanser – A thick paste of baking soda and water will clean just about anything without the use of harsh chemicals that harm your health and the environment. Use it as a nonscratch scrub for pots and pans, coffee pots, ovens, microwaves, sinks, tubs, and floors. For a little more oomph, add a bit of liquid dish soap to the paste. It can even be used as a silver polish.
everydayhealth.com, Farmer’s Almanac, allyou. com, care2.com/healthyliving, dictionary.com, mercola.com
~ Alison Shore Gaines is a Holistic Health Educator trained in integrative nutrition, Kripalu yoga, and body-centered counseling. She leads mindful eating and Revitalizing Cleanse Retreats at Kripalu Center and across the country. www.OurBerkshireTimes.com
October | November 2015
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