First off that commercial on TV about corn syrup? DON”T LISTEN TO IT! That has to be the worse commercial ever made! Horrible. Drives me crazy. High fructose corn syrup has to be one of the most terrible things in the world for you. It is highly processed and it is in everything, and I do mean EVERYTHING! Start reading your labels. Do you NEED high fructose corn syrup in your hot dogs? Not that I eat hot dogs, but really do you???

The only thing they get right is when they say, “with moderation”. Sugar, any form of sugar, is not the best thing in the world for you. But if you are going to use it, use the natural alternatives. Not highly processed, nutrients sucked out of it high fructose corn syrup.

The next thing is those sugar substitutes. We are going organic and as local as we can. We are trying to get rid of those toxic chemicals in our diets. To be really honest the sugar substitutes are making people FAT. That is right FAT. You may think you are doing the right thing by picking up that diet soda or tea instead of regular, but have you noticed you aren’t losing any weight? Chance are not.

Diet products that are sugar free or fat free are pumped full of chemicals and are highly processed. Studies have been done that people that consume these don’t lose the weight. I wish that I could put my hand on one of them. I will look and see if I can post one for you later.

So what are the alternatives, if sugar is so bad for you? You like the things you eat sweet? Well yes there are natural alternatives. Agave and Honey are the two we use here most often.

Honey is great. Especially if you suffer from allergies. A locally produced honey can act as a mini allergy shot. Honey is a natural product and is easier for your system to digest. It also contains less calories than sugar.

Agave is from a succulent plant grown in the south west US, Mexico and South America. It is very sweet and if you buy a reputable brand, 100% natural. I haven’t looked into it’s health benefits, but have tried in coffee and tea. I have also heard you can cook with it. It definitely hits that sweet tooth that I have every morning!

And yes I do use sugar when I bake. In moderation remember. You can swap out some of the sugar for things like applesauce, I make my own. But sugar is ok, pure and natural sugar. I found over the weekend organic, fair trade sugar. Unbleached, no pesticides used. This makes me a happy little camper!

So remember the whole point of this blog post. Highly processed, chemical ladened sugar substitutes are the enemy! Massive amounts of sugar are the enemy. A teaspoon of sugar to make the yeast rise in your bread is ok. Learn moderation and go for the natural stuff!

My passion is making soap from scratch. What does this involve? Well soon I will be able to direct you to my site Soap of Course, but for right now I am just going to give you a short version.

Soap is actual a chemical reaction between an acid and a base. That would be the science geek in my by the way.

You find your oils. These can range from the grocery store variety of olive, soybean and canola to the type you have to get at your health food store such as coconut and palm oils. These are the basic oils, but then you can add such things as cocoa butter and bees wax.  You can get really into soap making and get things such as grapeseed, apricot, sweet almond oil and butters such as mango and shea.

But no matter what oils that you use you have to have the right combination. These oils and butters are measured out by weight and put into a formula.

Now here comes the part that makes people shake their heads and say no way are they going to make let alone use handmade soap. You have to mix all these wonderful oils with sodium hydroxide. That is what causes the chemical reaction and turns these oils into soap. You have probably heard of this referred to as lye. I know, the stories abound about Grandma’s old lye soap.

Well sweetie, soap making has come along way. Working the oils into this formula and measuring out specific amounts of oils and lyes gives you the best soap you have ever used. It is rich and nourishing to your skin.

One of the greatest benefits is that it is all natural. It has no chemicals, no preservatives and no fancy words you can not pronounce. Ok so sometimes I wonder how to pronounce some of the words like Monoi de Tahiti oil but I think that is more a personal thing.

Most soaps you buy on the market are not even real soaps, they are detergents. Do you really want to wash with those?

I am really excited to be launching Soap of Course in the coming months. I want to share with you the great benefits of using handmade soap, the properties of the oils, aromatherapy and herbs. I will be sure to let you know right here when to check it out!

Ginger tea is one of the herbal teas that has many benefits.

Ginger tea is made with the ginger root. You can purchase it as you do with any other tea. You can also make it yourself with fresh ginger root.

Purchase a 2 inch piece of ginger root. Peel the outer skin layer and slice into thin slices. 2 inches of ginger root should make about 4 cups of tea. Bring 4 cups of water to a boil. Add the sliced ginger root. Steep for 15 to 20 minutes. Strain the tea mixture. You can add honey and lemon to taste.

Now that you have your all natural ginger tea, what is it good for?

Ginger tea has long been used to help with stomach ailments. From upset stomachs, naseau, motion sickness, and even morning sickness.

Ginger tea can also help freshen your breath. Ginger is an anti-fungal and anti-spasmodic. It can also act as a aphrodisiac. See? Ginger can help in several aspects of your life.

Ginger is an herb and an essential oil that can be helpful in your life. Try some today. Even if you don’t want to use the root to start from scratch, try the bagged or loose leaf ginger tea. While it has a strong tangy flavor many people enjoy it. You can also use honey and lemon to make it taste more to your liking. Remember to always use local honey and fresh lemon it you can.