Mar 27, 2015 | Detox & Wellness
Rather than turning to harsh chemicals, such as bleach or borax, to banish mold and to clean your house, there are eco-friendly, natural ways at home that won’t hurt your family, pets or the environment.
And the ingredients are easy to find and very affordable.
detox your home shopping list:
- Vinegar (either white vinegar or apple cider vinegar)
- Tea tree oil solution
- Citrus seed extract and water
- Lemon juice
- Hydrogen peroxide
- Baking soda
Those ingredients are great for your house cleaning and they make the best detergent ever to detox your house.
So, without further ado, here are our suggestions for you:
Vinegar:
You can dilute it with water or you can spray it from a bottle onto the area and leave it for few hours, then scrub with a brush. It works miracles on limestone, mold and it kills bacteria as well as viruses. Vinegar also prevents mold if you spray it on surfaces and leave it to dry. You can add some drops of essential oil like mint, lemon or thyme. Thyme essential oil is a powerful antiseptic.
Tea tree oil solution:
Just two teaspoons of tea tree oil mixed with two/three cups of warm water can make a solution you can spray onto mold. It prevents the formation of mold spores and the strong scent keep pests away from your furniture
Citrus seed (or grapefruit seed) extract and water:
They are both very powerful against mold and bacteria and, unlike vinegar and tea tree oil, do not have an odor but their taste is very bitter. You can dilute 30 drops with three cups of water, mix in a bottle and spray where needed. Do not rinse.
Hydrogen peroxide:
With baking soda, this is my best choice when I want to clean my house. Both very cheap, they do miracles. I use them in the bathroom, in the kitchen and over all surfaces that need a deep cleaning.
Use three percent hydrogen peroxide from the bottle on the surface you want to clean and leave for 10-15 minutes. Keep the hydrogen peroxide into bottles in a dark area.
It is also a powerful disinfectant and it removes mold spores.
Baking soda:
Used with vinegar and water, or alone with water, baking soda is very effective at cleaning your house. Here are some suggestions:
– Mix baking soda with enough water to make a paste. Scrub the surface with the paste and leave it for 15 minutes, then rinse with water or vinegar.
– For cleaning oven, pans and baking trays: make a paste with baking soda and water and scrub the surface, as above. Leave it all night. Then rinse with hydrogen peroxide and then with water. This remedy removes all the oily stains and it is chemicals-free.
Do-it-yourself dishwasher soap! With four ingredients and in few minutes…
This is all you need:
- 8 lemons
- 800 ml of water
- 300 grams of salt
- 200 ml of vinegar
Put the lemon into a pot with water and boil them (like potatoes) until they become soft. Drain the water and cut the lemon in small pieces, discard the seeds and process them until you have a puree. You should have a very thick juice, with no pieces of lemons left in it. If there are still pieces, use a cloth and filter the pulp and keep the dense juice.
Now, mix the puree with 800 ml of water and add the vinegar and the salt. Place the mixture into a pot and bring it to the boil, stirring WITH A WOODEN SPOON, from time to time until the mixture reaches the right consistency…neither too thick nor too runny. It will take around half an hour.
You will get almost 500 ml. of an excellent detergent, 100% ecological!
Use one or two tablespoons of it into your dishwasher.
All-purpose cleaner:
- 100 ml of vinegar
- 400 ml of distilled water
- 8-10 drops of castile soap (or dish soap)
- Essential oil, few drops (mint, lemon, thyme, rosemary, lavender, etc)
Place all the ingredients into a spray bottle and use it where needed.
Mar 22, 2015 | Healthy Eating
MAKE YOUR OWN KOMBUCHA
Kombucha is one of the healthy drink you should try to take once a day if possible. Making a homemade kombucha is very easy; all you need is tea, sugar, a SCOBY and patience.
SCOBY is a Simbyotic Colony of Bacteria and Yeast, which ferment the sugar, metabolizing it into a slightly carbonated and tangy drink, rich with probiotics and beneficial acids.
You can buy the SCOBY online, or ask someone who has it to give you a piece, or you can make it by yourself.
HOMEMADE SCOBY:
Buy a bottle of kombucha (preferably the plain one, without flavor added) and pour the content into a glass jar (Mason jar or into one of those big glass jars used for pickles).
Put a piece of clean cloth, like a piece of a cotton t-shirt or a cheesecloth, on the mouth of the jar, seal it with a rubber band and place the jar in a dark and dry place (the cupboard is perfect). Let it rest for at least 2 weeks (this time will vary depending on your location and on the quality of the starter), without moving or shacking the jar.
After that time you will spot a sort of pale, weird and flat pancake that looks like a jelly fish. This is your SCOBY.
Then you can go to STEP 2:
Boil 8 cups of water in a large pot.
Add 8 green tea bags (unflavored) and allow steep for 20-25 minutes.
Remove the tea bags and add one cup of sugar. Stir well.
The tea should be at room temperature, before pouring it into a crock or a one-gallon mason jar.
Add 8 more cups water to the jar and place the SCOBY into the jar, cover with a piece of old t-shirt and seal with a rubber band.
Make it ferment for 7-14 days.
How do you know the kombucha is ready?
Simply move the SCOBY aside and take a little out with a clean spoon.
The taste of the kombucha may be slightly carbonated and unflavored, and you may drink it as it is.
Oct 25, 2014 | Healthy Eating
There are many cabbage salad recipes out there. Today, we share with you our Asian Cabbage Salad recipe! Raw cabbage contains a slightly-sweet flavour that makes your mouth happy! It contains rice vinegar, sesame oil and sesame seeds. You are going to love it!
Ingredients
6 cups green cabbage, sliced in strips (about 1/2 large head of cabbage)
2 Tablespoon Sesame seeds, toasted
2 Tablespoon Peanuts
Dressing Ingredients
2 Tablespoon rice vinegar (don’t use seasoned vinegar which contains sugar)
1 Tablespoon Sesame Oil
1 Tablespoon agave nectar (can use honey instead)
1/8 Teaspoon Thai Chili Garlic Paste
Preparation
Slice cabbage in strips about 3/8 inch wide, cutting strips in half crosswise if they are too long.
Mix rice vinegar, sesame oil, agave nectar, Thai chili Garlic Paste and ginger in a small jar and shake to combine.
Toast sesame seeds about 1 minute in a small dry pan, until they start to be fragrant and slightly browned. Put cabbage strips into mixing bowl, toss well with dressing, arrange on individual serving plates and sprinkle with sesame seeds and peanuts.
Voila! We hope you’ll enjoy it as we do at the Santosa Restaurant in Phuket.
Do you have a favorite cabbage salad recipe? Tell us about it.
Sep 25, 2014 | Healthy Eating
Our Chia Seeds pudding is a delicious and deeply nourishing way to start your day. This protein packed combination of super foods can be made smooth and creamy or left with a bit of crunch. It provides highly accessible protein and plenty of omega 3 essential fatty acids. It will also help regulate your bowels and satisfy your cravings for something sweet and creamy.
Chia seeds have been used as a power and endurance food for thousands of years in Mexico and South America. The word “chia” is the Mayan word for strength. Warriors and fleet-footed messengers of the Aztec and Mayan civilisations used chia seeds to keep in top shape. Today they are used by runners and athletes who want a clean healthy source of power and endurance.
Chia seeds help to control blood sugar, reduce sugar cravings and promote hydration. They have an amazing ability to absorb 9-12 times their weight in water. Eating these soaked seeds can help you prolong hydration and retain electrolytes, especially during exertion. When the whole seeds are added to water or other liquids they become gelatinous, forming a delightful natural pudding consistency.
Chia Seeds Pudding Recipe
Ingredients:
1/4 cup Chia Seeds
1/4 cup dried coconut, shredded & unsweetened
1 cup unsweetened almond, hemp or other nut milk
4 dates, pitted
1/4 tsp. vanilla bean powder
1/8 tsp. powdered ginger
1/8 tsp. cinnamon
Add any of the following super food nutrition: 1 Tbsp. cacao powder
Preparation:
Place whole chia and shredded coconut, if using, into a bowl.
Put the almond milk, dates, spices and vanilla in the blender and mix until smooth
Pour the blended milk over seeds, stir and let sit for 10-15 minutes, or overnight in the refrigerator.
Pudding will have a slight crunch after 10 minutes, but will be soft and smooth the next day. Will store for 4-5 days in the refrigerator.
Serve cold or at room temperature, topped with fresh fruit, if desired.
You can also enjoy it with a beautiful morning view from our Santosa Restaurant in our Detox Center in Phuket.
Sep 20, 2014 | Healthy Eating
Learn how to make a beet salad, Santosa style.
Beet Salad
Beets contain phytonutrients called betalains which are slowly lost as the beets cook. This means beets are at their healthiest when they are raw.
Ingredients:
4 red beets, peeled and diced
2 golden beets, peeled and diced
1 tsp, finely diced shallot
1 tsp, fresh minced peeled fresh ginger
1/2 tsp, finely minced shallots
3 TBsps, extra virgin olive oil
2 tsps, apple cider vinegar
Salt and fresh ground pepper
Preparation:
Combine everything together in a large bowl, season to taste and enjoy this delicious meat free meal.
You can sign up for our cooking classes at Santosa Detox Center and learn how to make some great vegan and raw meals.
