Conventional requires cautious approach:

Alternative Safer Substitutes: X – I don’t use at all

conventional, processed, non-local food, GMOs, cultivated, and hybridized crops

SEE! wild edibles - www.WildFoodies.org, although I do buy organic cultivated food as well.

canned/bottled beverage/food

I make most of my own drinks, sauces, etc

factory meat / poultry / eggs

grassfed / pastured

farmed fish

wild caught

sugars – beet, cane

I use local honey and stevia leaves (not the white processed stevia)

vegetable oil

I use fat from meat, poultry, or fish oil, also walnut oil

soy

I minimize due to estrogen content

anti-caking agents

X (many contain aluminum and other toxic ingredients)

dairy

X

gluten

X

PERSONAL CARE Products: Why should women wear make-up, dye our hair, paint our nails, etc.? Most men don't. Aren't we good enough without all that? And aren't most of those products bad for the earth, anyway?

Safe(r) Substitutes: X – I don’t use at all

make-up:

X

perfume

X

hair color, spray, etc.

X

nail polish

X

tattoos

X

q-tips

X - even doctors say that you shouldn't use them in your ears.

baths - for both hair & skin

• your skin is your largest organ

• feed your body, don’t poison it

• if you can’t put it in your mouth, don’t put it on your skin

• your skin, hair, &  nails will absorb into your body & bloodstream anything that comes into contact with it

I use a variety of things in my baths,

• usually a little plantain water and walnut oil. The plantain can dry my skin a bit, so need to add a little walnut oil to the water. 

• vinegar also seems to work as a preventative against and possible cure for scabies, lice, shingles, etc..

• other greens that may add more nutrition to your bath water, such as nettle, dandelions, amaranth, etc.

• oat flour - calms the skin

• salt

skin moisturizer

walnut oil works best for me

hair conditioner, if needed

raw egg yolk (1 or more) applied directly to wet hair in bath or shower, comb through, wait a minute, then rinse – it’s makes my hair feel great, but I lose some body and control, so use it only as needed.

hair styling gel

raw egg white applied on wet or dry hair

sunscreen

light clothing and hat, but mud can be used in survival situations

deodorant

white vinegar works, rub on with facecloth, also scrub armpits in shower & bath, avoid eating glutens (which make me stink), avoid wearing synthetic clothes. Try plantain water (plantago) to keep your underarms dry.

shaving

because hair growth is a source of removing toxins from the body, I don’t shave my armpits except once a year, before we go to the shore – I cave for bathing suit season!

toothpaste and fluoride

currently using walnut oil and a trace amount of cranberry juice with water.  I then rinse with water and plantain (plantago) powder. 

mouthwash

 and/or cranberry juice (but not too much due to the acid content)

whitening

use a little white vinegar in water and then rinse

toothbrush - plastic attracts bacteria      

natural wood and natural soft bristles, and/or a terry cloth also helps clean teeth

HOUSEHOLD Commercial Products:

Safe(r) Substitutes: X – I don’t use at all

window/mirror cleaners

white vinegar with clean cloth

tub/sink cleaner

egg whites and/or buckwheat flour, or rice flour, but need baking soda to take out tough stains

kitchen tough grease & grime cleaners

apply any kind of oil or fat (I use duck fat), wipe off excess

kitchen floor cleaners

any kind of mint, put it blender with water, sieve out greens, then mop or dust

wood products & wood floors cleaners & conditioners

duck fat works great for me, keeps wood from drying out (it doesn’t go rancid nor smell after a few hours / wood turners often recommend walnut oil

laundry detergent

2 tsp of rice flour + 1 cup of 5% household vinegar.

ditch your whites and solid colors if they’re too hard to keep stain-free

tough grime on clothes

try scrubbing with clear oil and/or baking soda

laundry softeners & deodorizers

white vinegar

general dusting

Any kind of mint water or pine needle water, dampen dust cloth, it leaves slight oil film, good for wood, leather, vinyl  - keeps them from drying out

tough greasy dirt removers

duck or chicken fat alone, can also add buckwheat or rice flour to act as an abrasive

dish washer            

hand wash w/ buckwheat flour, air dry or dry w/ towel (cotton white t-shirts)

synthetic sponges or dish cloth

natural fabric dish cloth or face cloth, synthetic material attracts bacteria

plastic dishware

wood might be best, then glass or ceramic

pots & pans: aluminum, stickless, stainless steel clad (note stainless may contain aluminum layers & leach if scratched)

glass, cast iron, solid stainless steel

coffee filters (paper, plastic, aluminum)

cotton handkerchief

filter of any kind

cotton handkerchief

paper towels

rags

air fresheners

potted plants, herbs, (onions cut and left standing in water helps absorb toxic odors)

air humidifier          

potted plants, etc.https://brightnest.com/posts/eight-health-benefits-of-houseplants

toilets

- Composting toilets can minimize the impact on the environment.

-  It seems that we don’t even poop properly, see the SQUATTY POTTY - http://www.squattypotty.com/, I use a footstool instead

Fashion Commercial Products:

Safe(r) Substitutes:

synthetics & microfibers

natural organic fibers - Hemp socks are great for people with toe fungus, hemp is naturally antifungal!

purses

http://www.enviro-tote.com/  Our son paints them and I use them all the time.

commercial made clothes

DIY – www.PhillyKnits.org – a meetup I organized in 2014

GARDEN Commercial Products:

Safe(r) Substitutes:

fertilizers

compost and compost tea

herbicide & fungicide

5% white household vinegar - http://www.healthalertphilly.org/ToxicFreeParks.htm

compost

In Philly, we use http://www.bennettcompost.com - but best to make your own

PESTS Commercial Products:

Safe(r) Substitutes:

Insecticides: ants and other insects

meat or vegetable oil - paint on with brush around windows and doors, inside and outside the house.

mouse traps

boil peppermint as an air freshener and wash floors with mint water weekly

PETS Commercial Products:

Safe(r) Substitutes:

commercial foods

we make our own dog food

dog shampoos

raw egg yolks on wet dog, wait a minutes, then rinse – great cleanser & conditioner!

flea products

dab plantain and/or mint water on fur http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Plantago#Uses

doggy toys

make your own with socks, ropes, etc.

MISCELLANEOUS:

Safe(r) Substitutes:

paper tissues

cloth handkerchiefs

jewelry

minimize, use natural, organic, safe materials

cards

X - most cards end up in the landfill within a few weeks

flowers

X - flowers are more heavily sprayed with chemicals than any other crop

gifts

I usually don't give gifts, but instead send checks so that people can get what they really want.

newspapers & magazines

cancelled everything, but that’s not always a good thing, decide on a case by case basis

HEALTH: Medications are finding their way into our drinking water, so minimize when possible.

Safe(r) Substitutes:

medicines-drugs-pharmaceuticals

I use food-as-medicine - WildFoodies.org &  WildMedicinalPlants.htm
Drugs are a last resort.

vitamins & supplements

X - I use food as medicine and don't trust vitamins & supplements

cigarettes

X - loaded with toxins and addictive nicotine

alcohol

X - a drug that is addictive to many people

recreational drugs

X - i support medical marijuana, but not recreational use

caffeine - found in tea, coffee, sodas, chocolate

X - caffeine is a drug that can play havoc with your mind and blood pressure

sunburns / toxic sunscreen

https://www.ewg.org/sunscreen/report/the-trouble-with-sunscreen-chemicals

I wear light clothing and hats, but mud can be used in survival situations. If I get burned, I take a bath in plantain water (1 leaf per bath – just put in blender and sieve out fiber).  Make the water medium to coolish – not too hot. Or try onions or onion water in the bath – 1 tsp onion juice. Do not rinse off. Pat dry.

TRANSPORTATION

We own a 2002 Prius with a new battery that gets over 50 mpg, and also have two electric bikes. Plus, we really like taking the train, very relaxing.

(more to come)