i have a feeling the last post probably struck an awkward chord with some, so i'm just going to move on. it was very sincere but i feel like its the elephant-in-the-room post.
so moving on...
i'm kind of a hippy when it comes to some things. not in an extreme way and not at all in my appearance (i like jeans and bras, and surprisingly enough i cannot stand the prius), but i think it's our duty to be educated about things, especially when it comes to our body. i don't like the idea of relying on medication, artificial sweetners, or anything that doesn't occur naturally for that matter. sometimes it's just not avoidable (for example i usually chose coke zero over regular coke because i just don't need the calories and sometimes i just really need a break from water). but sometimes it just takes a little research. for instance, i went to the doctor a while ago because of some harsh mood swings i'd been having. she recommended that i go on birth control, the fixer of all female problems. instead i did some research and found that if you lack any dietary requirements, it can seriously affect your mood. by supplementing my diet with omega 3-6-9, st. john's wort, and 5-htp, i now feel completely normal. no medication necessary.
*ok bear with me here, i know this is going to sound off the wall to some people*
one thing that's recently struck my interest (thanks to my brother-in-law to be) is deodorant. americans are big on it, while almost all other countries in the world don't use it at all. at first i just thought "hey its a cultural difference, we're used to smelling nice." and that's true. europeans actually think americans smell weird because we're so obsessed with smelling like something other than ourselves. while i don't exactly think i could get used to my "natural" smells, i do know one thing: deodorant does not work for me. i've tried it all, folks. i've given up trying to stop my sweat, there's just no use. and plus its good to sweat, it rids your body of toxins. but my most recent challenge is getting rid of my sweat smell. even if i'm wearing deodorant, when i start sweating, i get a deodorant-sweat mix smell which is worse than sweat in my opinion. also, did you know that deodorant is what causes sweat stains in shirts?? its true. look it up. the color is not from your body. it's from a chemical reaction between your sweat and the chemicals in deodorant. i don't know about you, but i'd like my white shirts to last a little longer.
something else you should know: the main ingredient in deodorant is aluminum, which has been linked to alzheimers, and other complications. and although there has been argument, some think it may be linked to breast cancer (but that hasn't been proven). all i know is, it's not natural, and i've only been increasing the percentage of aluminum in my deodorant to try and keep my sweat levels to a minimum. i've gone as high as 20% and noticed little difference. when you think about it, do you really want metal in your pores? i don't know, it seems unnatural to me.
so what are my options? well the obvious one is to stop wearing deodorant all together. but let's be honest, that's just not an option. i don't need to embarrass myself and make people uncomfortable. i'm full-blood american and body odor is not something i enjoy. so i did a little research. across the board, the best option is clear.
this stuff:
that's right. good old fashioned multi-use baking soda. makes perfect sense. you use it in your frig to get rid of smells. you put it out in a bowl the night after you cook fish, you can sprinkle it in your car if moisture has gotten in after a big rain and it'll be fresh and new the next morning. i love baking soda. even on my pearly whites. arm and hammer toothpaste is awesome. if you switch to it you'll never switch back, i promise.
some claim that straight baking soda applied to the underarms (just like baby powder) tends to get a little strong and itchy after a few days, so some say mix it half and half with cornstarch. for extra freshness you can very finely grate orange, lime, or whatever citrus peel in the mix. they also recommend using an antibacterial soap when you shower in the morning, as it prevents bacteria from growing under your arms during the day.
so i'm going to do it. i did it this morning (just baking soda because corn starch was not in my pantry) and so far so good. not a hint of my "natural" body smell. it's quite fresh. i'll let you know how it goes. if that doesn't work, arm and hammer also makes a natural deodorant which many people gave high reviews for. i might give that a go if this doesn't work.
fingers crossed! my fiance calls everything an "adventure" so that's what i'll consider this.
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