Archive for June, 2012

Company Review: Natural House – Natural Household Cleaning Products

June 24, 2012 · Filed under Company Reviews, Environment · Tagged , , , , , , , , , ,

Natural House: Natural Household Cleaning Products – Glassy Probiotic Glass Cleaner In business since 2011

In my continual search for the best and purest products on the market in the natural product industry, I found out about this company in the magazine, Natural Food Merchandiser. I did not see them at Expo West this past March, as there is so much to see and sometimes you miss things. I am glad to have found them through my diligent reading of NFM. I contacted the company to see about getting products for review on my blog. I signed up with the company to be a blog reviewer of their products. That is how I am now doing a review for Glassy Probiotic Glass Cleaner.

I started using Glassy as soon as it came in the mail, as I wanted to see the results/benefits for myself that the company “claims” about this product. First, I tried it on my mirrors. There was no residue afterwards and no streaks once I wiped it off. With other products I have had the streaking problem. The smell was mild and not overbearing, like the toxic smells you find with conventional cleaning products on the market. I don’t ever use any of those because I am environmentally conscious and also because when you spray any product it is taken in to your body through you nose and goes into your lungs. I am very sensitive to smells and also want to protect myself from absorbing any toxicity into my body that I have control over.

I also used Glassy on my tile in the bathroom and kitchen with great results. My tile looks better then it ever has and I will continue to use it on a regular basis. The scum and dirt that built up on the tile in my shower is gone. This glass cleaner is revolutionary to the natural cleaning products industry. No one has ever used probiotics in their products that continue to consume germs on the surface(s)’ even after you are done cleaning. I love the fact that this product can be used on multiple surfaces (glass, tile, marble, finished hardwood, etc.) I have not done so, as yet, but will try it on my tile floors, too.

I look forward to reviewing their other natural cleaning products on my blog. This is how I will let my readers know, through my expertise/knowledge, of the products that are good for the people and for the planet.

Natural House is on Facebook and Twitter and you can follow them there (link on their website).
If you are interested in learning more about this company and their products, there is a link to their website on the right-hand side of this page under the title Blogroll. You can purchase all Natural House’s natural cleaning products, including Glassy, on their website or Amazon.

Disclaimer: I was not sponsored to write this, but I did receive a sample of the product(s). These are strictly my opinions. I only review products that I, myself would use and purchase.

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Company Review: Harmless Harvest – Raw, Never Heated, Certified Organic Coconut Water

June 9, 2012 · Filed under coconut water, coconut water fasting, Company Reviews, fasting and cleansing, Raw - Living Foods · Tagged , , , , , , , ,

Harmless Harvest – certified organic, raw, never heated coconut water
in business since 2011

I have been drinking coconut water for at least 5 years, but could never find the pristine, raw and organic product on the market. I refused to buy the coconuts in the stores that are wrapped in plastic. Why, you ask? In case you didn’t already know, they are not pure in the state that they are in. A young coconut grows on a tree and the shell is a green color and has a smooth surface. The ones you see in all stores are stripped of the hard shell and are a rough white surface. In nature, coconuts are the purest water of all (besides water you can get directly from a spring), as no one has done anything to it. Once you strip the hard protective green shell it becomes prime fodder for bacteria, mold, etc. to get into the water.

Since I would not buy the plastic-wrapped coconuts, I looked for a packaged products. When I was at Expo West a few years ago, I discovered a company (the first one to come out on the market) that was packaging the pure young coconut water in aseptic containers. I was so thrilled that I could finally drink coconut water! I did’t have to worry about bacteria, or mold in the water. I met the owners and found out more about how they got started on their journey with the company and the product. I am happy to have found them and then started using the coconut water for my cleanses. I even did a 42 day cleanse with coconut water beginning in December 2009 and started my blog because of it (you can check out in the archives of this blog for a day-to-day account of my experiences). Most people have never embarked on a 42 day cleanse, but I wanted to, to prove that it can be done.

Disclaimer: I don’t recommend you try this lenghty cleanse unless you are a long time cleanser and know what you are doing, as well as consult with a health practitioner and do it under supervision – I have been fasting/cleansing since 2004. I advise you to educate yourselves adequately and seek advise from a qualified health professional/specialist before embarking on any program like this, especially if you have any current conditions and have never fasted/cleansed before. I recommend trying it for one day a week if you are starting out. If you are looking to do a long term cleanse/fast please do so at a cleansing center that can support and monitor you so that you don’t put your self/health in jeopardy. The information contained here, is not intended as a diagnosis, cure or treatment for any disease or ailment. Neither I, nor Harmless Harvest, their employees and associates accept liability or responsibility for any adverse consequences you might encounter in using this product or if you decide to do a cleanse on your own.

What most of the companies are doing (yes, there are now numerous companies bottling/packaging coconut water from locations in Brazil, Thailand, Phillipines, etc) is pasteurizing their product because of the chances of bacteria getting into the coconut water. What this does is destroy the enzymes, but not the minerals (as minerals need very high heat for long periods of time to be destroyed and the method used is very quick, less then a second). As a result, I always looked for other companies that had coconut water, most were heated and not organic. I did discover one company producing organic coconut water in a can, but was pasteurized. Then I found another one that was raw and organic and was brought in frozen to the stores. It was more expensive, but I wanted to try it anyway. I found that the shelf life was very short and it went sour on me in only a few days.

Back to the drawing board, so to speak. I continued on my quest/search for the best and purest coconut water on the market (that is next to getting one off the tree, cracking it open and drinking it with a glass straw). Whenever I would go to any of the stores that carry a myriad of coconut water brands, I would look for a company that is doing it “right.”. Finally, I was in a Whole Foods Market and decided to go down the aisle where they had water and coconut water for sale. EUREKA! I finally found it! There was a bottle from a company called Harmless Harvest. I read the label on the bottle and knew this was the “real deal.” I didn’t buy it because I wanted to do my research first on the website to make sure. I was very impressed with what I read and the details about how the coconuts are taken down from a tree and transported by boats, etc. A high pressure process is used, so the water is never heated. OK, now I was completely sold. The only thing that bothered me was the use of plastic bottles. I decided to call the company and had a long discussion with one of the employees. I understand that they could not use glass with high pressure, because it would shatter. I also liked the fact that the owners didn’t just settle for the first source they found for coconut water. The fact that they had high standards, like I do, made sense.

I decided to email them my information about who I am and what I do because I wanted to be able to use their product for my coconut cleanse, so I can evaluate the difference between their product and others I have consumed. I called again and found out they would be at Expo West 2012. I would get a chance to talk to them personally and mention what I’d like to do. Well, it came to fruition. I talked to Justin, one of the founders/owners and he was on board to provide me with coconut water for my next cleanse. I finally tried the Harmless Harvest coconut water and I was HOOKED!

I received my coconut water for the cleanse I did this June from Megan-thanks! I had enough for a few days of my cleanse (so you know, I drank 6 bottles a day/48 ounces). I had already done a week on alkaline water (check back to my testimonial on Carlsbad Alkaline Water that I blogged about the end of February 2012) and now in my second week was adding the coconut water. The coconut water was fantastic. The taste was smooth, sweet and satisfying. I had a abundance of energy and didn’t have the need to drink as much water. This water, isn’t heated compared to most of the others, and is filled with enzymes, as well as, minerals (even when pasteurized, the minerals are kept intact because you need very high heat for a long time to destroy them, but not the enzymes). This is what, I feel made the difference for me. It is also one of the only ones that is certified organic.

Now, since I didn’t have enough coconut water from Harmless Harvest for the 7 days, I had to resort to using another brand for the other 4 days. Actually, this was a blessing in disguise! How so? Now I would be able to really compare the two brands to see the difference. The most noticeable difference, was in the taste. It was not sweet and had an after taste and made me burp. Besides that, I noticed that it would make my throat dry and would not go away, ever. I also noticed that I didn’t not have the same energy level and had to drink more water. I felt that the lack of enzymes had a large part in how I was feeling and wasn’t organic. I also don’t know how it is sourced or the method they use to get the coconuts from the trees. All this makes a difference as to how the coconut water will taste (and it matters to me tremendously!) and affect how you feel.

Once you taste the best, purest, sustainably-harvested and truly ecological product, such as what Harmless Harvest has done, it is hard to choose any other product. Forget about the cost, that is not the issue. You get what you pay for! Coconut water is great fuel for you body – “Nature’s Gatorade.”. It is full of electrolytes that are important for the body and can be consumed before, during and after exercise. It has many other benefits to the body and I highly recommend you read more about it in this book, “Coconut Water-for health and healing,” by Dr. Bruce Fife (I have it!).

Now you know that if you search for the best, you can eventually find it! It takes time and research. Just like the owners of this company searched long and hard to find something they believed in that was pure and true to their beliefs. They have nothing to hide and neither do I! Don’t compromise when it comes to your health and wellness.

To read more about Harmless Harvest, check out the link on the right-side of this post under the column titled Blogroll

Disclaimer: I was not sponsored to write this, but I did receive a sample of the product(s). These are strictly my opinions. I only review products that I, myself would use and purchase.

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Company Review: Organic America – Micro Salad

June 2, 2012 · Filed under Company Reviews, Health and Wellness, Raw - Living Foods · Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Organic America – Micro Salad – Live Large Eat Small In business since 2011

I found another great company at Expo West 2012 tha to want to share with you. It is difficult to find “REAL” food to eat at the show. Most things are packaged, processed and not healthy at all. On Thursdays there is the Organic Marketplace in a small tent outside of the Convention Center in Anaheim that only showcases certified organic products. They tend to have more of what I’m “into” then on the following 3 days of the show (that being fresh organic produce). As I was walking around and looking at the various booths,mimcame across one that had samples of what looked like fresh sprouts. I did not try any at first because I wasn’t all that hungry. With time, I decided to give it a try and I was completely “hooked” on their products. Everything is grown in micro form, such as cilantro, basil, arugula, red amaranth and other mixed greens. It was delicious and I couldn’t get enough! They are not sprouts, but micro greens.

I told them I am a chef and would love to be involved with promoting their products. I got to take some containers with me to eat and shared some with the friends I was staying with. Thankfully, they also had a booth at the show for the next 3 days and I was able to get more containers to eat, as there were no other booths offering fresh produce.

I have to say that I was extremely impressed with the product and also the fact that they stayed fresh for much longer then I thought they would. At the end of the show they had a lot left over and gave them to me to take home. I did put them in a cooler bag and drove less than 2 hours to get home. I kept them in my fridge and they lasted (well, I did eat a few containers a day usually, because they are SO GOOD!) much longer they I thought they would, over a period of at least 2 weeks.

The company is a model for others with their eco-friendly, energy-efficient agriculture that nurtures the environment and creates a minimal carbon footprint. They use renewable resources, recycled materials, conserve water and electricity, recycle all waste products and never use pesticides or artificial fertilizers.

The plants have a high nutritional value, are filled with vitamins, nutrients, proteins and concentrated flavors that are absolutely superb. I can’t say enough about this company and the good they are doing for the people and the planet. Please check out their website which you will find listed in the section called Blogroll when you scroll down on the right-hand side of the page.

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