Safest Toothpaste for Babies: Eve’s Tooth Healing Paste Recipe!

I'm sharing this recipe for Tooth Healing Paste with all the moms in mind, but this stuff is great for teeth of all ages!  Now, I know your time is limited to I'll get straight to the recipe and then share the benefits:

Ingredients:

• 4T Calcium Bentonite Clay Powder (can be found at most health food stores or buy the pharmecuetical grade at Living Clay, both are edible)
• 4T Xylitol sweetener (also found at most health food stores or buy the pharmaceutical grade at Epic Dental, any brand in the food isle is safe)
• 4T purified water
• 4 drops peppermint extract or peppermint essential oil (omit the peppermint oil for baby's sensitive taste buds)

Method:

Mix the powders together in a small glass bowl.  Drop the peppermint oil into the water.  Slowly add the water into the powders until it forms a paste.  Using glass or wood  bowls and utensils is preferred over metal as the clay is porous and will absorb any leached particles.

Benefits of Bentonite and Xylitol:

• Calcium bentonite clay has been used for centuries to help detoxify the body.  When consumed, it absorbs toxins in the digestive tract and eliminates them. 
• Bentonite clay is used in this preparation for it's very mild abrasive properties to help scrub and polish the teeth.
• Although not proven (by anyone but me), the calcium in bentonite clay may help re-mineralize a tooth with mild decay. Please read more about my experience with this below.
• Xylitol has become popular in dental preparations recently due cavity fighting properties.  It's effectiveness can be compared to that of fluoride but without the potentially harmful effects of swallowing fluoride.
• Xylitol is totally edible and is commonly found in sugar free gums and  in baked goods and other foods for those persons with blood sugar issues as it causes no rise in insulin levels.
• Xylitol is a naturally occurring sugar found in corn cobs.

I developed this simple recipe for toothpaste after discovering that my 16 month old had a small cavity on the face of one of his front teeth.  I visited the dentist with concern and he advised me to brush his teeth with a children's fluoride toothpaste and stop nursing him throughout the night.  Well, I knew I wasn't going to do either of those things, so I began searching for a toothpaste that my child could safely swallow but would be effective in protecting his tooth from further decay.  I read the labels of every toothpaste available at the health food store and they all seemed to have ingredients that I was unfamiliar with.  So, to make due I started brushing his teeth with straight bentonite clay.  I also used this on my teeth and the first time I did, they seemed whiter and smoother right away.  It does, however, taste like mud.  So, after reading up on Xylitol, I added it to the preparation and a few drops of peppermint oil.. Voila!  The best toothpaste ever! 

Now, I was begining to worry about my son's cavity so I monitored its progression w/ daily brushing, knowing that he would need that tooth for at least 6 more years!  Then one day I noticed that instead of being brown, his cavity was turning white again!  No kidding!  Also, I remember that I would put a little bit of the paste directly on his cavity after brushing before bed so that the clay could absorb any bacteria that the Xylitol was fighting off. 

Then one day, we ran out of toothpaste and I was lazy and started buying some from the store.  After just one tube finished, his cavity was brown again.  Of course, I bought more ingredients and made more toothpaste and we are using it everyday.  He is four years old now and his cavity is almost white again.  I continue to moniter it, although we haven't been back to the dentist.  I'm planning to take us all in the next couple of weeks, so expect an update!

Oh, P.S.  Don't worry if your kids are like mine and want to brush four times and swallow all the toothpaste because it tastes good, the clay is good for the digestive tract and actually prevents some measure of "morning breath".  Again, this is my observation! 

Also,  I just had to post this link to xylitol releasing pacifiers!  Dental Blog 
Enjoy the recipe!  Happy Brushing!

6 Eco-Friendly Valentine’s Day Gift Ideas

They say green is the new black, green is the new red... and according to one dairy un-fairly traded chocolate morsel (you know the one) green is sexy!  Well I couldn't agree more.  Below is Eve's recommendation for green versions of classic Valentine's gifts that say:

Love Me, Love My Planet.

 One can almost see the progression here.  Let me walk you through it:

1. VeraFlora Organic Long Stem Roses pesticide free and arrive in eco-friendly packaging,
2. VivaTerra Organic Chocolate Bon Bons are earth-friendly dark chocolate and on sale for $5 bucks a box,
3. Red Flower Italian Blood Orange candles are biodynamic and sustainably made.  And with a name like that...
4. Farfalla Gemstone Oil for massage and body care is infused with rose quartz, the heart opener,
5. Gaiam's Organic Cotton and Bamboo Sheet set, sustainable, soft and says you put a lot of thought into this,
6. Tara Projects Heart Jewelry Boxes, two matching, fair trade, fill them with tokens of your undying love!

p.s. Peta was right, not only does meat wreck the planet, it also wrecks your arteries thus your blood flow,  Vegetarians do have better sex! (See video below). Take your date out for a delicious vegan meal, then present the above gifts in the order listed for a totally Green-Hot Valentine's Day!

'Veggie Love': PETA's Banned Super Bowl Ad

Best Gluten Free Chocolate Chip Cookies: Chewy, Soft and VEGAN!!

What you will love about these cookies: chewy, soft, chocolaty and sweet, high in protien (7 grams of protien per cookie!), contains no eggs, dairy, cholesterol,or gluten!  The secret flour is gram flour (a.k.a besan flour) which is made from ground chickpeas.  You can easily find gram flour at your local indian food store or international market.  I promise you will no one will ever guess these are gluten free.  Honestly, it would be shameful of me not to share this recipe.  Here goes:

Ingredients:
3/4 cup raw sugar
3/4 cup brown sugar
1 cup vegan margarine
1 teaspoon vanilla
approximately 1/3 cup applesauce (enough to equal 1 egg)
2 1/4 cups gram flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
1-12oz bag vegan semi-sweet chocolate chips

Directions:

Heat oven to 370 Fahrenheit.

Beat sugars, margarine, vanilla, and applesauce together in a large bowl

Stir in gram flour, baking soda, and salt. (Dough will be somewhat stiff).

Stir in chocolate chips.

Drop by rounded teaspoonfuls onto a cookie sheet. Bake for 10-15 minutes, or until light brown.

Cool.

Enjoy!

Serves: 3 dozen

Preparation time: 10 minutes

 Helpful Hints:

• If baking multiple batches, keep dough in fridge while each batch is baking.  Warm dough makes flat cookies!
•  If you like unbaked cookie dough,( like my husband does) you'll be surprised to find that gram flour has a slightly bitter taste before being cooked.  It reminded me of sprouted hummus that has not been blanched.  After they're cooked however, they taste exactly like wheat based cookies, even better because they retain chewiness even after freezing.
• Try freezing some and putting them in your child's lunchbox for a high protien dessert!

Vegetarian Musicians with 2009 Grammy Nominations

I'm always excited to see the trend toward animal free living because to me it means a healthier and more compassionate world for my children to grow up in!  The following musicians can all be credited with having an Earth-Friendly vegetarian diet: 

 
Vegetarian Artists with 2009 Grammy Nominations
February 8, 2009 at the Staples Center

Leona Lewis - Record of the Year "Bleeding Love"; Best Female Pop Performance; "Spirit" Best Pop Vocal Album
Jason Mraz – Song of the Year "I’m Yours"; Best Male Pop Performance
Pink – "So What" Best Female Pop Performance
Erykah Badu – "Honey" Best Short Music video
Paul McCartney – "That was Me" Best Male Pop Performance; "I Saw Her Standing There" Best Solo Rock Vocal
Moby – "Last Night" Best Dance/Electronic Album
John Mayer – "Gravity" Best Solo Rock Vocals
Indie Arie – "Words" – Anthony David featuring India.Arie, Best R&B Performance
Andre 3000 - Royal Flush"Big Boi featuring André 3000 & Raekwon, Best Rap Performance; "Green Light" – John Legend featuring Andre 3000, Best Rap Collaboration
Carrie Underwood – "Last Name" Best Female Country Vocal
Justin Timberlake – "4 Minutes" with Madonna, Best Pop Collaboration
Eddie Vedder – "Rise" Best Solo Rock Vocal
Sheryl Crow – "Detours" Best Pop Vocal Album
John McLaughlin – "Floating Point" Best Contemporary Jazz Album
Joan Baez – "Day After Tomorrow" Best Contemporary Folk Album