The Japanese have been using buckwheat pillow for centuries.  Buckwheat hull pillow provide firm and even support for your neck and back.   It has the ability to perfectly conform to the contours of our head.  Thus resulting in better and sound sleep.

Buckwheat pillows can be expensive.  So I decided to make my own using buckwheat hull and some linen fabrics.  Having a zipper is also helpful as you can adjust the amount of hull for personal comfort.  And with zipper openings, you can remove all the hulls before washing the pillow case.

The list of benefits for using buckwheat hull as pillow filling includes:

grown without pesticides as they are naturally pest resistant

biodegradable (can be composted and even used as mulch)

naturally hypoallergenic (for those allergic to feathers)

odorless, pest and fungus resistant

I used 100 % linen fabric and filled it with 1 lb of buckwheat hull.  The hull is very light but feels substantial once stuffed inside the pillow. It may be a small pillow for most, but it works fine for me.  Maybe it’s more of a travel pillow.

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I was sent a few products from Surya Brazil to review. My favorite is the hair mask made with organic Brazilian nuts and Preciosa tree Essential oils.

The Amazon Forest is fill with interesting and beneficial plants. So it would seem natural that a beauty company could come up with many great products. But doing so means being aware of the biodiversity of the forest.

Surya Brazil is able to do that and more with it’s organic products that are harvested in an ethical and sustainable manner. They are also a very Eco- conscious company that uses all recycled materials for it’s packaging. The products are all free from sulfates, parabens, silicones, artificial color and fragrance.

Lately the dry indoor air has left my hair and scalp less then healthy. I’ve used conditioner, but my hair is still left feeling dragged down. So I decided to apply the Amazonia Preciosa hair mask to my scalp and hair then wrapped with a towel.

It was advised to leave on for 15 minutes, it’s a gentle product that I wouldn’t mind leaving on much longer. The smell is very pleasant and light. Scent is a very personal thing and I always think going on the light side is safer than the strong overpowering scents.

After I rinsed off with my Aloe Vera based shampoo. The mask was not greasy at all. Everything washed off nice and clean. My scalp was back to normal and hair was left super soft and shiny.

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It has been really cold lately in northern California. A few weeks ago I went outside after the sun went down, and it was freezing cold. The kind of weather that required gloves, hat and scarf. I then came inside ready to drink some hot ginger root tea. But my head and chest was still feeling achy and stuffy.

Then I remember, I have a sample of Gaia Herb “Quick Defense: Quick Response at ONSET” amongst my other shelf of supplements. The Quick Defense is made mainly of echinacea roots, which are common herbs used to fight colds.

Here is a photo of blooming Echinacea (part of the daisy family) grown in North Carolina. These flowers are sometimes referred to as Purple Coneflower. The root is harvested as medicinal herbs. Image source.

Gaia Herb Farm is one of the largest and most productive commercial medicinal herb farms in the U.S. They are located in the pristine mountain valley in the southwestern Blue Ridge Mountains of western North Carolina.

Gaia Herb cultivates over 50 crops of organic herbs on 250 acres. They also cultivate organic passionflower, holy basil, and echinacea in the tropics of Costa Rica.

Quick Defense consist mostly of Echinacea Angustifolia Root and Echinacea Purpurea Root. Also has Black Elderberry, Andrographics, and Ginger Root. All great herbs in treating the cold and flu.

I only took 1 capsule and felt better the next day. I can’t say it’s all you need, since I’ve been trying to keep my immunity strong by taking the usual Vitamin D3 and Elderberry extracts. And of course Vitamin C too.

I was thinking of saving these supplements for whenever I feel under the weather. But I think it’s safe to take once in a while just to stay healthy.

As I mentioned in my previous post, I’ve been brushing my teeth with my handmade soaps for a while now.

It all started when I read about Dr. Gerard F. Judd, a professor, chemist and researcher. Dr. Judd is not a fan of fluoride in water or commercial toothpaste. Especially since toothpaste contains addition glycerine and other abrasive additives.

Dr. Judd also states that glycerine does not come off your teeth easily, it leaves a film.  With handmade bar soap, there is naturally occurring glycerine and it rinses off clean and easy.  If you brush before bedtime, it would allow your teeth to re-enamelize while you are sleeping.

If you search online you will find many tooth soaps in the market. The basic ingredients are the same as handmade soap. Except some companies charge so much for it!

Pictured here is the “tooth savior”.  Photo from Olive Barn $18 at 1 oz.

Ingredients: saponified organic extra virgin olive, organic coconut, and organic palm oils, organic aloe, wild white oak bark, french green clay, sea salt, peppermint, spearmint & tea tree essential oils, chlorella, vanilla, stevia.

With the soap shreds, you simply place one little soap shred on the back molars, bite down, and then brush thoroughly. The shred will dissolve while brushing with a wet toothbrush.

“Contains no toxic fluoride, harsh abrasives, added glycerin, petroleum dyes, refined sweeteners, sodium lauryl sulfate, unsafe preservatives, or other harmful ingredients found in most commercial toothpastes that actually damage your teeth, your health, and the health of our planet!” - the makers of tooth savior.

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A few years back I used to have a few magazines subscriptions, mostly the health and beauty ones.

And I always felt like I was killing trees and ruining the environment while turning each glossy page. So I cut down my subscription to almost none.

But now that the new year is coming up, I decided that I miss getting magazines in the mail. Plus I would always “recycle” them. I usually save my favorite issues (or articles) and the rest would either be given away or donated to the local libraries. Some schools even request magazine donations as art project for the kids. So it’s not really that bad. I think 3 magazines per household is a good number.

So a nice gift to myself this holiday would be a few new magazines subscriptions. Including Real Simple, Country Living and Sunset.

SUNSET - A great magazine for outdoor enthusiast.  Ideas for local daytrips, neat recipes and gardening information are always nice here.

These photos from Sunset of pretty amaryllis are some of my favorite winter flowers.

Julie Chai of Sunset noted, “but with the right care, these stunning beauties can re-bloom in your garden long after the holidays have passed.”  I know my mom did this with Easter lilies and they still continue to bloom every spring.

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When I think of cinnamon, I usually think of cinnamon rolls rather then the actual spice. But this winter, I’m starting to think of cinnamon with much more appreciation. As cinnamon is not only tasty, but very beneficial for your health too.

Cinnamon cassia also known as Chinese cinnamon. Image source.

Cinnamon is native to India. The three commercially cultivated cinnamon include Ceylon (Cinnamomum zeylanicum), Indonesian (Cinnamomum burmanii), and Chinese cassia (Cinnamomum cassia). Many of the commercial cultivation of cinnamon are cassia. Countries that process cinnamon include India, China, Vietnam, Madagascar and Sri Lanka.

This is what a Ceylon cinnamon tree looks like: it can grow up to 15 meters high.  Photo from Pukka Herbs.

The harvesting of cinnamon is an interesting process. Cinnamon barks are harvested by cutting back two year old trees.  When the tree stems are chopped, new stem start to sprout around it. The process is call coppicing.  Then new stems can be harvested and the inner bark extracted for use.  That is what you see as the curled cinnamon sticks.

Cinnamon is usually sold in powder form or as cinnamon sticks (quills). The cinnamon commonly found in the market is cassia, which is Chinese cinnamon.  It’s difficult to tell between true cinnamon.

The sweet aroma is really what makes cinnamon special. It just reminds you of the holiday and can warm you up from the inside out. This special aroma comes from the cinnamon barks, which has volatile essential oils.

I have been tempted to add cinnamon oil to my handmade soap, as cinnamon oil is antibacterial. But I’ve heard about too many people being allergic to it. May be better used as a natural household cleaner instead.

The sticks make great Christmas decoration, as seen from Nye Noona’s beautiful photo of her Christmas tree. Photo graciously borrowed from Nye Noona.

The folks at World’s Healthiest Foods has a neat background about cinnamon. You can read more about it here.

One that I found interesting is that the scent of cinnamon oil can boost your brain activity. “Specifically, cinnamon improved participants’ scores on tasks related to attentional processes, virtual recognition memory, working memory, and visual-motor speed while working on a computer-based program.” -Research study from 2004 by the Association for Chemoreception Sciences, in Sarasota, FL.  I personally would think it’s peppermint oil, citrus oil, or the smell of coffee!

According to Gaia Herbs, cinnamon is not just good for digestion, it is also vital to promoting overall health.

“The bark of the preferred species (zeylanicum and burmanii) contain up to 10% volatile oil content in which the constituent Cinnamaldehyde is found. It also contains mucilage, tannins, carotenoids, and phenolics. Cinnamaldehyde has antioxidant properties and helps support fat and cholesterol levels in a normal range. The phenolic compounds especially the polyphenolic polymers have been studied for their effects to support insulin and blood sugar levels within a normal range and promote healthy blood flow. Maintaining healthy blood sugar levels is vital to promoting healthy vision, heart, circulation, kidneys and a healthy nervous system.” - Gaia Herbs

In traditional Chinese medicine, cinnamon can provide relief from the cold or flu. Just make tea using fresh ginger and cinnamon powder. Even if you are not sick, it still makes a good herbal drink!

This is my first goat milk based soap. I’ve always wanted to make goat milk soap and finally had the chance.  What stands out is the scent of Diptyque Fig.  I discovered this lovely scent after using the goat milk soap by Moon Maiden.

Ingredients: Goat milk, rice bran oil, canola oil, sunflower oil, and palm oil.  Rice bran oil is one of my favorite oils for soapmaking. I also added sunflower oil as it has Vitamin E used as natural preservative.

I find the orange color is also common with my other milk based soaps. And also the “sweet candy” smell too.  And it is just as nice and creamy as my other milk based soaps.

Ripe figs are some of nature’s sweetest treat.  But there is no fig in this soap. Photo from wikipedia by Kurt Stueber. 

The French perfume makers, Diptyque, uses a green scent made from the crushed leaves of fig trees. It is best described as, “the aroma is green floral with orange blossom, jasmine, gardenia, Italian bergamot and exotic musk.” I find it has a fresh and slightly fruity scent, which makes it perfect for any season.

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Since it is Thanksgiving, I thought I should mention the health benefits of these tangy red berries.  They are usually available this time of year too.

The name cranberry derived from “craneberry” as the cranberry blossoms resemble the head of a crane. Wisconsin Rapids Area produces 30% of the world’s cranberries. Photo from Cranberry Blossom Festival.

I think the flowers look very much like fuchsias, except for what looks like beak here.  And the little green berries are cute.  I wonder how they taste.

Besides making sauce with them, cranberries can be a good addition to salads.  That add a slight bitterness, tangy punch, and the little pop sound when biting into them.   But I just like to mix it together with a bit of salt, chili peppers, and sugar - it is really good!

Cranberries are one of the most healthiest fruits available.  Dried cranberries are a favorite with trail mixes.  I also like them in granola bars.  It keeps the granola bar from being too boring.

The main benefits of cranberries is that it can help curb bladder infections (urinary tract).  Which I believe is much better than taking antibiotics.

Pretty bowl of cranberries.  Too bad the season is so short for harvesting them.  So get them while you can!  Photo from Naturipe Farms.

In 2005, researchers found that cranberries are also good for your teeth and gum.  This is from the University of Rochester press release on November 23, 2005:

“A team led by oral biologist Hyun (Michel) Koo, D.D.S., Ph.D., at the University of Rochester Medical Center has discovered that the same traits that make cranberry juice a powerful weapon against bladder infections also hold promise for protecting teeth against cavities. Koo found that cranberry juice acts like Teflon® for teeth, making it difficult for the bacteria that causes cavities to cling to tooth surfaces. Stickiness is everything for the microbe Streptococcus mutans, which creates most cavities by eating sugars and then excreting acids that cause dental decay.

Koo’s team also found evidence that cranberry juice disrupts the formation of the building block of plaque, known as a glucan. Like a mason using cement to build a wall brick by brick, bacteria use enzymes known as glucosyltransferases to build dental plaque piece by piece, quickly forming a gunky fortress that covers the tooth and gives bacteria a safe haven to munch on sugar, thrive, and churn out acid. Koo’s team found that cranberry juice prevents bacteria from forming plaque by inhibiting those enzymes and by stopping additional bacteria from glomming on to the ever-growing goo.”

But don’t go reaching for cranberry juice either, as the drinks are full of sugar. I would suggest taking cranberry fruit extract in pill form.

Gaia Herbs (supplier of herbal extracts and supplements) listed these nutrients found in the American Cranberry. Starting with polyphenols, anthocyanosides, proanthocyanosides, quinnic acids, catechins and a host of other antioxidants including a fair amount of Vitamin C and small amounts of Lutein, and quercitin.

Updated 12/15/09: I finally got my Uniqlo package on 12/10/09. The package took 3 weeks to get here as it was shipped from Japan.

So I tested out my new leggings and undershirt this weekend. The material is really thin and light. It reminded me of leotards, but much more comfortable and softer.

The leggings really kept me warm. They are so thin I could wear them under any type of pants.

The top is very form fitting and best worn as an undershirt. I’ve worn them under sweaters and even worn them to sleep. It’s absolutely comfortable. The scoop neck wasn’t too low cut at all.

I found all the clothes to be true to size. I ordered medium and everything fit perfectly. I highly recommend Uniqlo Heattech clothing. I hope these last as long as they say. If they have free shipping next winter, I may order more.

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Uniqlo is one of Japan’s leading clothing retail chain. Uniqlo is also known for having a nice range of high-quality goods at affordable price.

They have even adopted the Gap’s retail strategy call “SPA” - which is short for “Specialty-store, retailer of Private-label Apparel.” Which means that they would produce their own clothing under their store brand and sell it exclusively.

Their philosophy also states you don’t need to wear huge logos to define yourself (which is what I find annoying from The Gap).

There is no Uniqlo retailer in the west coast and only 1 flagship store in SoHo fashion district of Manhattan, NYC. But you can still make orders at their online shop.

Uniqlo introduced Heat Tech clothing in 2006.  I have heard such great review of it that I can’t wait to try them out.

Even though I don’t live in the colder parts of the U.S., I do get cold very easily.  I have bought regular thermals before, but not something remarkable.  I even bought thermals made of bamboo and cotton fibers.  It was very comfortable, but not as warm.  And the fabric did not hold up 1 year later.

Heattech’s fabric technology (listed below and described by Uniqlo).

• HEAT GENERATING - The highly absorbent rayon mix fabric absorbs the moisture generated by the body and converts it into heat.

• HEAT RETAINING – Tiny pockets of air are trapped between each fibre, making it hard for the generated heat to escape.

• STRETCHABLE - The soft stretchy fabric moves with the body and creates a snug fit, making it the perfect outerwear or inner wear layering item.

• MOISTURE RETAINING (women’s only) - Milk protein containing natural amino acids has been mixed with the fibres ensuring the fabric is smooth and soft to touch.

• ANTIBACTERIAL (men’s only) – Antibacterial agents have been woven into the fibres to help keep the fabric fresh.

• NON-DEFORMING - made of highly resilient and durable material. Heattech maintains it’s shape even after repeated washing.

I like the list here.  Except for the “special antibacterial agent” used to keep the fabric fresh.  This just sound a bit too toxic for me!  But luckily, only the menswear shirts have the antibacterial agent.

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I picked a handful of roses from a friend’s garden this weekend. They were mostly red roses with large petals. I immediately thought this would make great rosewater.

This is also a good alternative to rose essential oils, as they are expensive. Rose essential oil can retail at 10 ml for $100!

Rosewater is also a good skin toner or aftershave. It helps tone the skin and tightens the pores. And the fragrance is very light and delicate, not overpowering like artificial fragrance.

You can also make your own rosewater simply and easily. It is best to use fresh and organic rose petals.  But dry rose petals are OK too.

Things you will need:

5 roses, 2 cups of distilled water, wide mouth jar, and Vodka.

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