Buckeye Balls with a Twist

Buckeye Balls with a Twist

One of our favorite family Christmas treats is buckeye balls. I've tweaked the recipe to make it a little more nutritious than the recipe I used before I switched to a real food eating plan to help my fibromyalgia symptoms. Check out the blog post from December 9, 5 Ways to Make Christmas Treats Healthier, for more info on surviving the holidays without wrecking your healthy eating plan. 

I used to use peanut butter to make these. Many commercially produced peanut butter brands contain added ingredients other than peanuts. Here is the label from one popular brand of peanut butter:

INGREDIENTS: ROASTED PEANUTS, CORN SYRUP SOLIDS*, SOY PROTEIN CONCENTRATE*, SUGAR, LESS THAN 2% OF: HYDROGENATED VEGETABLE OILS (COTTONSEED AND RAPESEED), SALT, MINERALS (MAGNESIUM OXIDE, ZINC OXIDE, IRON PHOSPHATE, COPPER SULFATE) AND VITAMINS (NIACIN, VITAMIN B6, FOLIC ACID). CONTAINS: PEANUTS, SOY.

If you love peanut butter, try one of the natural brands that has only two ingredients: peanuts and a dash of salt. The texture may take a little getting used to because it's coarser than commercial brands that have added chemicals to produce smoothness. The flavor is a lot more robust. You can taste the peanuts. You have to stir the peanut butter to incorporate the oil because there are no chemicals to do this for you. Refrigerate the peanut butter after you stir it and the oil will not separate out again.

I prefer to use almond butter because it has more nutritional value than peanut butter.Almond butter contains omega 3 and omega 6 fatty acids, niacin, folate, calcium, iron, riboflavin, manganese, and other healthy minerals. Look for an organic brand that contains fewer than five ingredients. 

Christmas treats are one of the few things I make that sometimes contain ingredients I don't normally use on a daily basis. This recipe contains confectioner sugar, which is a more refined sugar than I normally use, and graham cracker crumbs, which contain two of the red flag ingredients I normally avoid: high fructose corn syrup and partially hydrogenated fat. You can purchase organic graham crackers that do not contain these two ingredients at a health food store like Earth Fare, Trader Joe's, or Whole Foods Marketplace. Or you can use regular graham crackers from your local supermarket and make sure you stick to the 90%/10% real food eating guide.

The rule of thumb I have set for myself is to eat whole real food 90% to 95% of the time. That gives me a 5% to 10% margin to cover occasions like eating out when I may not know what restaurants include in their recipes and to enjoy special treats during the Christmas holidays. The secret for me is to make sure I continue to eat a healthy diet during the holidays, to eat only one or two Christmas cookies and treats after a healthy meal to minimize my exposure to less healthy ingredients, and to add a few nutritious ingredients to everything I make.This is a practical plan that allows me to make holiday treats for my family and friends and indulge a little myself. I don't feel deprived and I don't destroy my overall eating plan.


Buckeye Balls with a Twist

You can make these in the traditional buckeye ball shape or plop them in a pan for a quicker version that is just as delicious as the original. I'll share how to make them both ways.

Put into a large mixing bowl:

1 c almond butter
1 c graham cracker crumbs
1 box of confectioner sugar
2 packets of travel size milled flaxseed and chia seed combo. If you can't find the box that contains the flaxseed/chia combo, use plain milled flaxseed.

Melt: 
1/3 c butter, or butter substitute if you want these to be dairy free
1/3 c organic coconut oil

Add to the dry ingredients:
The melted butter and coconut oil
1 tsp.of pure vanilla extract

Mix thoroughly. I start by stirring this with a large spoon and then use my hands to completely incorporate all of the ingredients. Mix until you have a smooth ball of dough. Note:The amount of oil in the almond butter can vary depending on the brand you use. Pinch off a bit of dough and roll it into a ball. If it seems to be a little dry and crumbly and doesn't form easily into a ball, add a little more melted butter and coconut oil. If it seems to be too sticky, add a few more graham cracker crumbs.

For traditional buckeye shaped balls do this.

Line a cookie sheet with a piece of wax paper.
Pinch off 1 T of dough at a time and roll into a ball.
Place the balls of dough on the cookie sheet.
Stick a toothpick into each dough ball.
Put the pan in the freezer for at least one hour to chill the dough.

In the top of a double boiler melt:
1 bag of Enjoy Life Semi-Sweet Chocolate Chips. I like this brand because it is gluten free, dairy free, peanut free, soy free. and non GMO. 
2 T of organic coconut oil
Keep the chocolate mixture over warm water while you dip the balls.

Use the toothpick as a handle to dip the bottom half of each ball into the melted chocolate.
Place the balls back on the cookie sheet to cool.
Remove the toothpicks

Don't have time to roll and dip all those little balls? For a quicker version do this.

Place the dough mixture in a 9" x 13" pan.
Use your hands to press the dough into an even layer.
Pour the melted chocolate mixture over the dough.
Use a knife or spatula to smooth the chocolate to the edges of the pan.
Put the pan in the refrigerator to chill for at least thirty minutes.
Slice into small finger size bars and serve.

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Two in One Oatmeal Cookies

These delicious cookies are full of healthy ingredients like oatmeal, nuts, honey, and flaxseed. They are a holiday baking time saver because you can make two different cookies out of the same batch of batter: Raisin Nut Oatmeal Cookies and Chocolate Chip Oatmeal Cookies.They are great for Christmas gatherings or anytime you want a healthier cookie throughout the year. Check out yesterday's post, 5 Ways to Make Christmas Treats Healthier, for more holiday baking ideas.

Two in One Oatmeal Cookies

Two in One Oatmeal Cookies

Preheat the oven to 325.

Cream together in a large mixing bowl using an electric mixer:

½ c of organic coconut oil

½ c of butter, or butter substitute if you want them to be dairy free

½ c raw honey

½ c raw organic sugar

½ c brown sugar, use raw organic brown sugar if possible

Beat in:

2 eggs, use organic free range eggs when possible

2 tsp. of pure vanilla extract

In a separate bowl mix together:

3/4 c unbleached flour

½ c of whole wheat flour.

(You can make a gluten free version of these by using 1 c of gluten free flour such as coconut flour, rice flour, tapioca flour, and/or almond flour in place of the unbleached flour and the whole wheat flour.)

½ tsp. baking soda

½ tsp. salt

2 T of milled flaxseed, or use 1 or 2 travel size packets 

3 cup of rolled oats, regular not quick cooking

Blend the flour mixture thoroughly into the creamed mixture.

Scoop out half the batter into another mixing bowl.

Add 1 c of chocolate chips to one of the bowls. I like to use Enjoy Life Mini Chocolate Chips. They are dairy free, gluten free, soy free, peanut free.

Stir until all of the ingredients are completely blended.

To the other bowl add:

½ c chopped walnuts

½ c chopped almonds

½ c raisins

½ tsp. ground cinnamon

½ tsp. ground ginger

Stir until all of the ingredients are completely blended.

Drop the mixture in both bowls by 1 heaping T onto greased cookie sheets.

Bake at 325 for 12 to 14 minutes or until the cookies are lightly browned on the bottom and just starting to turn a golden brown on the top.

Remove the cookie sheet from the oven and allow the cookies to cool for two minutes on the pan. Use a spatula to remove them from the cookie sheet and place on a wire cooling rack to cool completely.This recipe makes about 80 cookies, 40 of each kind. Store them in an airtight container if you are planning to serve them within a couple of days. Store in a freezer safe container or bag if you want to bake them ahead of time to serve at a family gathering or Christmas party. 

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5 Ways to Make Christmas Treats Healthier

Joy to the World

Christmas is coming and I love to bake holiday cookies and treats.I also love being free from fibromyalgia symptoms. A big part of my recovery plan involves skipping processed food and eating real food. Christmas cookies are not high on any nutritionist's list of the healthiest foods out there. However, my recovery plan focuses on practical ways to move toward a healthier life and completely giving up holiday baking is not practical for me.I have found a few ways to hold on to our family Christmas baking traditions without completely ditching my goal of eating healthier food.

1. I make sure I continue to eat plenty of real food during the Christmas season.

Before I refocused my eating plan, it was not unusual for me to consider a holiday party plate to be nutritionally balanced if it contained an equal amount of sweet and salty treats. I now know how much harm that can do to my body all the way down to the cellular level.So, I stick to my plan, even during this festive time of year. I eat a lot of fresh fruits and vegetables, drink ginger tea, and have protein at every meal. Eating a few cookies and treats in addition to my regular diet is a different thing altogether than eating treats in place of real food.

2. I create festive platters of fresh fruit and raw vegetables. 

Family and friends enjoy having more than cookies at holiday parties. I've discovered I'm not the only one trying to eat healthy during the holidays.There are a lot of fun ways to present the nutritious goodies.I served a fruit plate at Thanksgiving shaped like a turkey and my grandchildren absolutely demolished it. Need inspiration? Check out this Christmas Fruit Tree and Joy Veggie Plate I found on Pinterest. These two dishes are great for family celebrations and to take to potluck parties.

3. I avoid using processed ingredients when I bake cookies and treats.

A lot of my old holiday recipes included ingredients like a box of cake mix, candy bars, packaged cookie crumbs, and boxes and tubs and cans of things filled with all kinds of potentially harmful chemicals and ingredients. Once I started reading labels and learned all the ways the things we eat can harm us, I couldn't just ignore the truth that processed food products are often filled with chemical preservatives, high fructose corn syrup, artificial flavors, artificial colors, and other ingredients that research studies have linked to numerous health problems.

Baking from scratch is not as difficult as I imagined it might be. Most cookies and treats can be made from simple ingredients like flour, sugar, salt, milk, butter, nuts, and fruit. Here are a couple of ideas for using real ingredients instead of processed ones.

Does your recipe start with a box of cake mix? Just stir together 2 c flour, 1 1/2 c sugar, 1 T baking powder, and 1/4 tsp. salt and - Voila! - you have a homemade cake mix.

Want to decorate cutout sugar cookies? Use fruit juice instead of artificial dye to tint the icing. Decorate the tops with chopped nuts and dried fruit.

Does your recipe call for coconut or chocolate chips? Most packaged coconut contains artificial blue dye. Some chocolate chips contain high fructose corn syrup. Try organic versions. I like Wild Oats coconut which contains one ingredient: coconut. And I use Enjoy Life Chocolate Chips which are great for families with allergies since they are dairy free, gluten free, soy free, and peanut free.

4. I add nutritional ingredients to everything I bake.

Nutritious ingredients can be easily added to your favorite recipe. Use whole wheat flour for half the flour called for in the recipe. Replace part of the flour with oatmeal. Try almond butter and other nut butters instead of peanut butter. If you use peanut butter, buy a kind that contains only peanuts. Use real butter instead of margarine. Replace part of the butter with a few tablespoons of organic coconut oil. Add two tablespoons of ground flaxseed to your baked goods. I toss one or two pre-measured travel size packets of ground flaxseed into almost everything I bake. Add chopped nuts and dried fruit to up the nutritional level of your cookies.

5. I reduce the amount of sugar in every recipe.

Nutritionists have widely varying opinions on using sugar. Some say that sugar is fine as long as it is used in something you make yourself from real ingredients instead of in something you buy that is full of artificial ones. Some say that you should never use any sugar at all because it has been linked to increased inflammation in some people.

I limit the amount of sugar I eat. I used to eat sweet treats every single day, including packaged cookies and candy. Now I eat sweet treats I make myself and I only bake on holidays and other special occasions. And I eat one or two cookies at a time instead of losing track of how many I've plucked off the buffet table.

I use raw organic sugar, raw organic honey, or real maple syrup instead of refined white sugar. I reduce the amount of sugar in everything I make and you can't tell the difference. If the recipe calls for 2 cups of sugar, try making it with 1 1/2 cups instead. 

Between now and Christmas, I'll be sharing specific recipes for Christmas cookies and treats on the blog. Merry Christmas!

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Recovery: Happy Third Anniversary To Me!

Yesterday was a happy milestone for me. On Sunday, December 6, I celebrated three years of freedom from fibromyalgia. When I was first diagnosed with this horrible disease, I never anticipated writing those words. Every doctor I saw and everything I read about fibromyalgia sent discouraging messages my way:

"There is no cure." 
"This will last for the rest of your life."
"Get used to feeling horrible every day."
:"You will have to adjust to your new norm of being chronically ill."

For the first year, I muddled along trying to cope with the symptoms that overwhelmed me.I had severe constant pain. I was tried on all the medicines used to moderate the pain but I had side effects and couldn't take any of them. I had unremitting fatigue, pain in multiple joint and muscle groups, insomnia, an inability to concentrate, and spiking pain in my knees, elbows, back, legs, hands, neck, and hips.I was barely able to complete the simplest tasks of daily life. It wasn't long before I tumbled into depression at the thought of feeling that awful for the rest of my life.

At first, I kept hoping that maybe I would wake up one day and miraculously feel better. But an entire year went by, and the symptoms were getting worse each day. After that first year, I finally climbed out of the fibro fog long enough to ask myself, "Now what?"  I had two choices: resign myself to living the rest of my life as a semi-invalid, or start looking for better ways to cope. I read everything I could find on chronic illness, in general, and fibromyalgia in particular. My laptop became my constant companion. The internet was both a blessing and a curse.There was endless information available but how in the world was I supposed to find the right path for me in the middle of such a deluge of data?

I am a person of faith, so I prayed for spiritual guidance as I continued my research. Slowly a sensible plan that seemed logical to me began to emerge. I decided my filter for trying different therapies would be, "First do no harm."  Some of the suggestions I read about were bizarre, potentially dangerous, or came with too little information about possible complications. Whatever I tried also needed to be practical. I didn't have the energy or resources to implement exotic and unrealistic ideas.

I kept seeing one thing over and over again that intrigued me.Some researchers are studying the possibility that fibromyalgia and other autoimmune diseases may be triggered by exposure to toxic chemicals that are ubiquitous in our modern world. They are in our environment and in things we use every day like cleaning products, makeup, personal grooming products, and processed foods 

I couldn't do much about the chemicals that were in the environment outside. But I could certainly work on the ones I was being exposed to in my own home. The plan I eventually developed required me to be willing to change a lot of things in my lifestyle, but there was nothing about it that could harm me.  

I made three primary lifestyle changes:

I eliminated as many potentially harmful chemicals as possible from my home.

I stopped eating most processed food.

I started eating whole food with lots of antioxidants and anti-inflammatory nutrients.


This was a process that took time. I had to look for less toxic cleaning products, personal grooming items, and makeup to use. I became an avid label reader of all the products I used. I read ingredient labels on food packages.I stopped eating things that came in boxes that listed preservatives, artificial dyes, artificial flavors, artificial sweeteners, high fructose corn syrup, and other potentially harmful substances as ingredients. I learned which real foods are the most nutritious. I eventually added other secondary steps: movement, resetting my sleep pattern, adjusting my focus, removing toxic people and situations from my daily life, and surrounding myself with a support group of encouraging people.

My expectations were extremely low. I was simply looking for a way to survive living with a chronic illness. My depression over being so sick improved as soon as I became proactive and started looking for ways to cope. My symptoms were still there but I felt less helpless once I started looking for possibilities. It took almost a year to figure out everything I needed to do. Six weeks after I had all the pieces of the puzzle in place, the totally unexpected happened. 

My symptoms had been improving a little each day for a year. I still had pain and fatigue but it was not as severe as it had been previously. On the morning of December 6, 2012, I woke up, got out of bed, and was sleepily staggering toward the bathroom when I suddenly noticed something quite astounding: my fibromyalgia symptoms were completely gone. I had no pain, no fatigue, none of the other symptoms that had plagued me for three years. I was shocked, amazed, and beyond grateful. Every morning since that day, I wake up counting my blessings and giving thanks to God for this surprising gift.

I was extremely ill for three years. Yesterday, I celebrated my third year of being symptom free. I was told that I would never be well. I want to encourage you that recovery from fibromyalgia is possible. If that sounds too good to be true, I completely agree. I wouldn't believe it myself, except for this: it happened to me. 

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Book Nook: Eating on the Wild Side

Kindle version of "Eating on the Wild Side"

I've read a lot of books about food, healthy eating, fibromyalgia, faith, chemicals, autoimmune diseases, and making lifestyle changes as I've searched for information and ideas about ways to cope with chronic illness. From time to time on the blog, I'll share reviews of books that I have found to be especially helpful.

Eating on the Wild Side:The Missing Link to Optimum Health by Jo Robinson is full of fascinating and useful information. The book describes the earliest origins of the food we eat today, gives pointers on how to select the most nutritious varieties of the fruits and vegetables available, and shares delicious and nutritious recipes.

I learned how to make smart choices at the salad bar; found out which potatoes, onions, and apples are the healthiest; learned how to select the most nutritious tomatoes, broccoli, peaches,and berries, and discovered the best places to find the best produce. 

I added new recipes to my collection including recipes for:

Honey Mustard Vinaigrette
Potato Salad with Sundried Tomatoes and Kalamata Olives
Baked Kale Chips
Apple Crisp with Apple Skins
Cranberry Horseradish Relish

The book is available at your favorite bookstore or you can buy the paperbook, hardback, or Kindle version at amazon.com Eating on the Wild Side

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How Do Chemicals Impact Our Health?

We can't always see the immediate effects of toxic chemicals on our bodies, but, nonetheless,our health is being compromised with every exposure. Potentially harmful ingredients can be found in cleaning supplies, makeup, scented products, paint, and other things we use daily. One group of chemicals that has been linked to increased inflammation in the body is VOCs (volatile organic compounds).This increased inflammation sets up the perfect environment for developing symptoms like fatigue, joint pain, skin and eye irritation, tingling and numbness in the extremities, dizziness, and headaches. Increased inflammation is suspected as an underlying cause in autoimmune diseases, fibromyalgia, and even in some types of cancer.

Some folks don't have an immediate response to the VOCs. But the body is effected on a cellular level with every exposure; and even at low levels of contact, inflammation increases and health starts to deteriorate. 

I read numerous articles and research papers about the possibility that chemicals in our environment, like VOCs, and additives in our food like dyes and preservatives, could be an underlying factor in the onset of fibromyalgia. Even after I found this information, it took months for me to summon up the energy and determination to change my lifestyle.

It was not easy for me to radically change the way I did things each day. I wasn't willing to even try until I was overwhelmingly and completely sick and tired of feeling sick and tired all of the time. Getting rid of the chemicals in my home couldn't hurt anything and resigning myself to feeling horrible all the time was not an option. So,I decided to find out where the chemicals lurked, how to get rid of them, what to substitute in their place, and see what happened.  

I did not expect this to be a quick fix. After all, I had been exposed to hundreds of chemicals every day for decades in the household products I used and in the processed foot I ate. It made sense to me that it would take time, maybe a long time, to notice any difference. But I had nothing to lose and potentially everything to gain.  

I started with what I felt would be the easiest group of chemicals for me to eliminate: anything that has a scent. Scents are created by adding chemicals to products. Even so- called "natural" scents often use VOCs to bind the scent to the product. When the scent is released, so are the VOCs. You breathe in the chemicals when you breathe in the scent.

It is possible to create a scent free environment in your home but it may require that you change almost every product you use. I had to eliminate obvious scented products like perfume, air fresheners, and scented candles.

I read the labels on everything I used on a daily basis and found that there were other not so obvious products that contained scent like makeup, hairspray, deodorant, laundry detergent, bath soap, hand lotion, and more. I was able to find scent free versions of all of these. I changed a lot of other things before I recovered from fibromyalgia. But this was the first small step I took. On December 6, I will celebrate three years of being symptom free.

I suppose it is one of those blessings in disguise things that I have an immediate reaction to VOC exposure. I know from firsthand experience what harm it can do. Other people experience equal harm to their health when they come in contact with VOCs. They just don't connect the dots because symptoms like headache, recurrent sinus pressure, dizziness, nausea, pain, and fatigue don't appear until days after exposure to the scented products laced with VOCs.

Just call me your canary in the coal mine. Years ago, coal miners took a caged canary with them down into the mines to warn them it there were any dangerous chemicals lurking about underground. If there was methane or carbon monoxide in the work area, the canary died before those chemicals reached levels hazardous to humans and the miners were able to escape without harm. 

I thought of that canary a few months ago. I love playing competitive Scrabble. I was playing in a tournament with at least forty other people in the room. I zoomed through the first two games, winning both of them. During the third game I had a sudden onset of headache, nausea, and dizziness.I had difficulty breathing and was finding it hard to concentrate. Everyone else seemed fine, but they weren't. Someone had lit a scented candle and the odor and accompanying VOCs were flowing through the room. 

Chirp. Chirp. Clunk.

You're welcome.

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3 Non Toxic Cleaning Products Easy to Make at Home

Thanksgiving is over and Christmas is twenty-three days away. My extended family was here for five days of feasting and gratitude over the long Thanksgiving weekend. The grandchildren spent hours down at the creek catching minnows and tromping through falling leaves and mud, racing back to the house to refuel on mac and cheese and chocolate cake, and running up to the playroom to create artistic masterpieces out of paint and Play Doh. So there are a few, ahem, (well maybe a lot) of bits of dirt and crumbs, well, just about everywhere. I am in the middle of cleaning up the Thanksgiving detritus before I start dragging out the Christmas decorations.

I can take care of all the mess without using a single harmful toxic chemical cleaning product. When I started my quest to feel better from the awful symptoms of fibromyalgia, I found a lot of info on how many potentially harmful chemicals we are exposed to in the household products we use.This exposure has been linked to many chronic illnesses. I had been using the same favorite cleaning products for years. I read the labels on all of them, researched the side effects of exposure to the ingredients, and realized I needed a new routine for household chores.

I started searching online for information about chemical free cleaning options. There are some great non-toxic manufactured products that I use. Seventh Generation makes liquid dish soap and laundry detergent. Method makes dishwasher tabs and liquid hand soap. Ecos makes laundry detergent. I prefer versions of these products that are scent free since scented products may contain VOCs (volatile organic compounds). The containers for scent-free products usually include the phrase "free and clear." If you prefer a scented version, make sure the scent is derived from a natural source and doesn't contain any added VOCs. 

You can buy these non-toxic cleaning products at big box stores like Target and Walmart or order them online. Since they can be expensive and aren't always easy to find in my little rural corner of the world, I have discovered a simple way to go chemical free. I make a lot of the routine daily cleaners I use from simple inexpensive ingredients like vinegar and baking soda. Here are three of my favorites:

All Purpose Cleaner

All Purpose Cleaner

Mix equal parts of plain white vinegar and water in a spray bottle. That's it!

Use this mixture to clean countertops, mirrors, appliances, chrome, faucets, and anything else you would normally clean with a commercial all-purpose cleaner. Spray the solution on the surface you want to clean. Wipe it off with paper towels or a micro fiber cloth. No rinsing needed. Be sure to use a micro fiber cloth when cleaning mirrors and chrome. It will leave them clean and shiny without leaving behind paper residue. You can buy large jugs of inexpensive vinegar at any big box store or supermarket.  

Interesting factoid:  Vinegar contains 5 % acetic acid which kills bacteria and viruses. Vinegar is such an effective germ killer that it is used in many hospital high risk neonatal units to protect vulnerable newborns from exposure to both germs and harsh chemicals.

Tile Floor Cleaner

Tile Floor Cleaner

I have quarry tile floors in my kitchen, den, sunroom, and foyer. I love the natural swirly look of the tile that makes me feel like I'm walking across stones on a creek bed. I don't love that the floors need heavy duty cleaning because this area gets a lot of foot traffic. I experimented with various combinations of ingredients and the one I settled on keeps my floors cleaner than any commercial product I have ever used.

Mix a little less than one gallon of warm water with 1 Tbs of mild dish detergent, 1/2 c plain white vinegar, and 1/2 c baking soda. Fill a one gallon plastic pitcher half full with warm water. I use an old pitcher that has a lid. Add the dish detergent to the water and stir before you add the vinegar and baking soda to prevent excessive fizzing. And the vinegar and baking soda and stir. Slowly add more warm water to finish filling the pitcher. You can use your favorite mop and just pour a little of the solution on the floor and mop away. I like to use a mop that has a pump sprayer, a reservoir to add your own cleaning solution, and a micro fiber cleaning pad that can be tossed in the washing machine after each use. It is easy to fill the mop reservoir with the solution since my pitcher has a pouring spout. Put the lid on the pitcher when you are done and store any leftover solution for your next mopping task. After you mop the floor with this solution, go over the floor again with a clean damp mop using only water.Your floors will be sparkling clean and fresh. 

I like to use this cleaner in my kitchen which is a heavy traffic area. I also have an electric steamer and vacuum combo made specifically for tile floors. I use this in the foyer and den and other light traffic areas to clean the tile. It vacuums and cleans the tile in one step. And I don't have to worry about harsh chemicals since it only uses water.

Wood Cleaner

This mixture is great for cleaning and restoring scratched wooden surfaces. Use it on tabletops, furniture, doors, or any wooden object in need of a little TLC. I have used it to make 30 year old rocking chairs look brand new and to erase all the scratches on a dining table I purchased at a huge discount because it had been a floor sample. I used some on the scratched closet door pictured below. The scratches disappeared as soon as I put the solution on the door.

To make the wood cleaner: Mix 3/4 of a cup of canola oil with 1/4 of a cup of white vinegar. Apply to the marred wooden surface with a clean rag, micro fiber cloth, or a paper towel. Leave the mixture on overnight. Buff with a clean dry cloth the next morning. The wood usually soaks up most of the mixture so there may be little or no residue of the oil to wipe off as you buff. If you are unsure about using this on a specific type of wood or a treasured family antique, do a test run first. Apply some to an inconspicuous spot on the back or underside of the piece of furniture and leave overnight to see if you like the results before doing the entire piece of furniture.

Before using wood cleaner

After using wood cleaner

Looking for safer cleaning products is just one of the changes I made as I moved toward healing from fibromyalgia. I also got rid of scented products that contain harmful VOCs and looked for cosmetics and personal grooming products that contained less toxic ingredients. I made changes in what I eat. I stopped eating processed food which is full of all kinds of toxic chemicals. I started eating real foods that are rich in antioxidants and anti-inflammatory nutrients. 

I have been symptom free for almost three years. I learn something new every day about how to help my body stay healthy. And every single day I am thankful for this blessing.  

Want to stay connected?

Like my Facebook page: Practical Healing in a Toxic World  to find lots of practical ways to move toward a healthy life.The page has recipes, tips on chemical free living, fibromyalgia facts, and spiritual encouragement. 

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