Nourish Your Body
With Fabulous Homemade Food
Is Potassium Alum Aluminum-Free?
Question from Judy I am trying to make up my mind about the different kinds of aluminum free deodorants on the market. Some say they are aluminum free when, in fact, they do contain potassium alum. Is this safe to use or is it, in fact, just another aluminum product...
A Cup of Organic Tea
My guest is Chris Olsen, Marketing Director of Teatulia. They have a beautiful selection of “organic single garden teas”—black, green, and white—plus herbal infusions, sold loose leaf and in tea bags. They grow all of their teas in their single USDA-certified organic garden in northern Bangladesh, where they benefit from perfect growing conditions: The soil is developed with the use of organic cover crops and mulching, while the growing area is irrigated by rainwater. We’ll be talking about how tea is grown, different types of tea, and ways to enjoy organic tea. I myself drink iced green tea every day and love to explore combining it with various other flavors, so I’ll add my ideas too. www.debralynndadd.com/debras-list/teatulia
Chris gave us a lot of great information about the differences between non-organic and organic tea. Did you know that pesticides are sprayed on tea leaves right before they are plucked, and the first opportunity the leaves have to release this pesticide is in your teacup? I’ll never drink non-organic tea again. And we learned about different types of caffeine (they are not all alike) and how they can act differently in your body. And he spoke about the widespread environmental and social benefits of the Teatulia tea gardens, more than is on the website.
Natural Solutions for Bugs
My guest Annie B. Bond has been researching and writing about safe DIY alternatives to toxic products for more that twenty years. On this show, Annie will bring her vast knowledge of how to control pests, including ticks, mosquitoes and other summertime bugs, and I’ll share my experience too. Annie and I have been kindred spirits since her publisher asked me to write the forward to her first book Clean and Green (Ceres Press, 1990) . She is the best-selling author of five books, including Better Basics for the Home (Three Rivers Press, 1999), Home Enlightenment (Rodale Books, 2008), and most recently True Food (National Geographic, 2010), and winner of Gourmand Awards Best Health and Nutrition Cookbook in the World. She was named “the foremost expert on green living” by “Body & Soul” magazine (February, 2009). She has been the editor of a number of publications, including “The Green Guide.” Currently Annie is the Executive Director and Editor-in-Chief of The Wellness Wire and leads the selection of toxic-free products for A True Find. www.anniebbond.com
How Do I Get Rid of Carpenter Ants?
Question from Joy Does anyone have a safe, successful way to get rid of carpenter ants? They are eating my window frame and the framing in the walls. Debra's Answer Readers, and experience with this? I had carpenter ants in my little cabin in the woods in California...
Being Beautiful Naturally
My guest Joy Wicks is a married mother of 3 who became committed to starting and running NaturalJoyBeauty.com after learning about the toxic ingredients in most makeup and body care products. During her transition to natural and organic products she found that health food stores didn’t really offer what she was looking for. Most of the products they had still contained ingredients she didn’t want to be using. After locating products that met her new ingredient criteria (from many hours of researching) the desire grew to have a store for people that offered them. We’ll be talking about toxic ingredients in makeup and body care products, and how to choose safe ones. www.debralynndadd.com/debras-list/natural-joy-beauty
Bathroom Caulk
Question from Janice Hi Debra- We had our bathroom gutted and redone about a year and a half ago and had 100% silicone caulk sealing the area where the tub meets the tile. I was very careful about the products used and although the silicone was very stinky for a...
Clean Soap from Vermont
My guest Larry Plesent is the Founder of Vermont Soap, which makes “100% natural and non-toxic alternatives to the chemical based personal care products now in general use, including; handmade bar soaps for sensitive skin, anti-aging products, 100% natural shower gels, castile liquid soaps and non-toxic cleaners. Most products made by Vermont Soap are certified to USDA organic standards.” We’ll be talking about Larry’s very nontoxic way of living in the Green Mountains of Vermont, toxic ingredients in soap products, and how they make their organic soap products. Larry is also a writer,philosopher, restaurateur and farmer. www.debralynndadd.com/debras-list/vermont-soap
If you have MCS, this is a great interview to listen to. Larry gives his story of how he became chemically injured, and how his own “reactive body” and lead him to making soap after he tried more than 70 bars of soap he couldn’t tolerate. Now he makes many soap-based products that are unscented, or scented with natural essential oils. If you’ve been unable to find bodycare products you tolerate, try these.
Natural Clothing “Exclusive of Decoration” and the Toxicity of Dyes Used on Cotton
Update January, 2020: Read these more recent articles: So Many Chemicals in Clothing More Sources for Non-Toxic Clothing Question from Stacey I am trying to find cheaper, post-baby, all natural clothing to wear, some to exercise in. It's not easy to find all cotton...
Bamboo Click-Lock Flooring
Question from SheriB We are about to lay wood/bamboo flooring in an above ground section of the house that is a cement floor. It connects to other areas of the house that are over a full basement and have wood sub floor. We will need to put down a 6 mil plastic vapor...
Brand of Oven/Range that Outgasses the Least?
Question from Angelique Any thoughts about the brand of oven/range combo that would off-gas the least and/or fastest? Debra's Answer I purchased a new oven/range about five years ago. At that time, outgassing didn't seem to be much of an issue. I purchased the one...
