Need some inspiration for gift giving this Christmas? I’ve compiled a list of present ideas for those people in your life who are interested in looking after the environment, reducing waste in their household and looking after their health. These gift ideas aren’t just good for Christmas, they’re good for any time of the year really – Mother’s Day, Father’s Day, birthday presents, you name it!
With present ideas ranging from $4 to $149 there’s plenty of options for everyone.

Beauty and Body Care

Massage voucher

I don’t know many people who don’t enjoy massage. I think that a voucher for a pamper session may get you more brownie points than a pretty or useful object, because it sends the message to your recipient that you care, you think they deserve some pampering, and you’re acknowledging all the things they do for you that makes them need that pampering.

You can purchase a voucher for a massage with myself here.
30 minutes – $55
60 minutes – $100

Silk pillow

While initially the idea of gifting a silk pillow might seem a bit strange, silk pillows are a great way to look after the delicate face on your skin, as well as your hair. Cotton absorbs moisture from your skin, can cause friction on the surface of the skin which can lead to wrinkles over time, and can pull on your hair, which leads to more fly aways and split ends. Silk doesn’t do these things and so can be a simple way to look after your skin. They are more expensive than your typical pillowcase but when it comes to the investment that many women put into their skin care, its worth it in the long run.

Go-To has a pure silk pillowcase for $65, or Slip has a variety of colours and patterns at $85

Foam Roller

One of the things I recommend to my massage patients frequently is to stretch and foam roll. Using a foam roller helps you to reduce tension and tightness in muscles, and is also good for fascia.

There’s lots around, but this one is more affordable and straight forward. – Foam roller

Weleda Skin Food and Lip Balm

If you haven’t tried the Weleda Skin Food, then you’re missing out. This gorgeous cream is great for all sorts of skin issues, I love it for all the drier areas such as feet and elbows. This pack is good value and comes with a soothing rose fragranced lip balm.

Weleda Gift Pack – Beauty Essentials – $24.95

Lip Gloss & polish Kit

I use this mineral lip gloss a lot and it leaves a lovely feel, and is a pretty colour. This is a good price with the polish as well.

Mineral Fusion Lip & Tip Kit – $18

Waste Less

Stainless Steel Lunch Box

I’m a fan of a stainless steel lunch box as a way to reduce the amount of plastic we’re exposing out kids to. Most companies will use BPA free plastics, but I’m leaning towards the ‘better safe than sorry’ mentality and avoiding as much plastic as I can, because we don’t have the long term safety data on the new plastic that has replaced the old BPA type.

I like this one because it seals nicely – Seed & Sprout $44

Reusable coffee cup

Given that we know how big an impact disposable coffee cups are making on our landfill AND we want to reduce plastic exposure where possible, reusable coffee cups are a great idea for my fellow caffeine lovers.

I love my glass KeepCup and it gets used more than my other reusable coffee cups because of it’s sturdiness and lack of leaks, however my favourite is my very pretty Pottery for the Planet cup.

KeepCup Medium LongPlay – $34

Joco Medium Glass Cup – $29.95

Biome Ceramic Coffee Cup – $34.95

Metal straws

A great stocking filler is a metal straw – it looks pretty but it’s good for the environment. The more people using less disposable plastic straws, the better. There’s different colours and shapes to choose from, and prices range from $3.50 to $16.95.

Reusable Food Wraps

Instead of going through gladwrap like there’s no tomorrow, reusable food wraps are gentler on the environment, but also your health (less plastic exposure).

I use beeswax food covers like these ones but for a vegan alternative you can use these silicon wraps – $27.

Handkerchief

Save all those tissues heading into landfill and look cute at the same time by using a hanky. There’s lots of reasons why carrying a hanky is a good idea, and it’s not nearly as gross as some may think.

If you accidently leave it in your pocket it won’t cover your clothes in lint. It’ll just get clean.

If you haven’t blown your nose on it already you can mop your brow with it, use it as a barrier for unclean doorknobs, clean your glasses or phone screen and more, plus you can offer it chivalrously to a friend in need.

Ideally you’d have one for every day of the week, and change to a fresh one every day, washing at the end of the week. Hankies are pretty big so if you do need to blow your nose a few times on it there’s plenty of space.

Check out these gorgeous designs at $11.95.

 

Produce Bag

A lightweight string bag is a great option for putting your fruit and veg into at the grocers, because it won’t add too much onto the scales.

Choose one like this and you’ll be looking trendy at the same time.

Organic Cotton String Shopping Bag – $14.95

Composters

I’ve asked my parents to get me a pet waste composter for Christmas. Yes a bit strange I know, but that’s me.

I like that it will save the plastic bag usage in collecting the poos (I have a Labrador so have to collect daily), but with time it will improve my soil.

Just dig a hole, bury the composter and then start adding the dog poo along with the starter grains and it will start composting the poo down into the soil.

For a more traditional type of composter you have plenty of options.

I love my worm farm – since I’ve gotten the hang out how much to feed and water the worms they are thriving and I’m regularly getting liquid fertiliser for my garden. I got mine with a discount from my local council through https://compostrevolution.com.au.

Books

Recipe Books

Who doesn’t love a nice fresh bit of cooking inspiration! I for one love getting a new recipe book, and will keep it on the bench for weeks at a time while I chip away at the new recipes.

There’s endless choices, but here are some of my favourites.

Deliciously Ella The Plant Based Cookbook: 100 simple vegan recipes to make every day delicious  by Ella Mills – this has some gorgeous flavour combinations and is very inspiring for increasing the diversity of ways you have vegetables in your diet. I will have the meals as a side to a serve of meat or it’s fine to have it on it’s own. I love the Harissa Eggplant and the Cauliflower and turmeric salad.

Living the Healthy Life by Jessica Sepel – Gorgeous recipes and a lot of healthy eating and lifestyle tips as well. A very pretty book to look at and the recipes as tasty and easy to make.

Wholesome Child by Mandy Sacher. This one is a great choice for people who have young kids, because it’s meals are family focused as well as being great for cooking for kids. I’ve written a review of this book here, so feel free to check it out.

Kitchen Novice eBook and Meal Plan by Alison Mitchell (that’s me!) – Oh and did you know that I have a meal plan and recipe book? It’s designed around whole food for people who are getting familiar with cooking, so if you like the idea of a recipe book and healthy eating but don’t feel confident in the kitchen, check this one out. It also has a guide on learning to eat well, a meal plan and a shopping list, all for $24.95.

Other Books

Not everyone wants a recipe book, so here are some other great books you can consider.

One Bite At A Time by Sarah Lantz & Tabitha McIntosh – This book delves into the issues facing our health and our environment as a result of chemical exposure. It is a gorgeous book as well so would make a beautiful coffee table book, something that will certainly be a conversation starter.

The Barefoot Investor by Scott Pape – Touted as being the only money guide you’ll ever need, this could be a great idea for friends or family alike. This book has ranked #1 on Amazon multiple times and is currently still #1 in wealth books. Financial stress is a big one and cutting this down will make this gift recipient grateful for your thoughts.

Idaho by Emily Ruskovich – There’s nothing quite like sitting with a good book and a cup of tea to relax and take your mind off the worries of life. Sadly I haven’t read a fiction book in over a year, so I asked my book loving husband what his favourite book of the last year was, and this was it. I asked ‘What do you like about it’, and true to his English Teacher form he replied: “An engaging story with well written prose and emotional poignancy.” Sounds good to me.

Audiobooks

Since having kids I don’t get much time to sit down and read, but not prepared to give up my fantasy novels I turned to audiobooks. When I’m cooking, driving by myself or going for a run I will put on an audio book and it helps me to chill out, but I’m still getting things done.

Audible books vary in price but if you get a membership you get a credit each month, making the books much cheaper in the long run.

I have gifted Audible Memberships before and it’s been well received. But you might just want to get it for yourself. I love my audiobooks – I went through the entire Outlander series on Audible, and my recent favourites are The Millenium Series (The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo), The Kingkiller Chronicles (The Name of the Wind) and The Sellout.

I’ve also done a fair few non-fiction books on Audible such as Work Rules by Lazlo Block, Eat The Yolks, Gut and Food Politics.

Gift a membership here.

Other

Seed Card

A seed packet and gift card all in one, these cute little cards are a great gift for all ages.

Sow ‘n Sow Seed Card $9.95

Herbal Teas

I’ve tried a lot of different herbal tea blends and I keep coming back to Burton Health Tea. I love the herbal blends in each of them, but the flavours of the teas are carefully thought out and well executed. A 30 serve bag of tea is very cost effective and a great gift idea.

Perhaps you might like to give the TeaStress blend to a person who is under a bit of pressure in their life.

Or perhaps you know someone who gets sick all the time, in which case Immunitea might be a good choice.

Rest and Digest is one of my favourite blends – it helps to get he nervous system and digestive system talking to each other again, switching you back into a parasympathetic nervous system state.

Or the other option is Dandy Chai, a delicious blend that is warming and good for your digestion.

Check out the teas here, and if you use code NATNSW at checkout you will receive a 10% discount.

Burton Health Tea – from $9.00

Spiraliser

Spiralizer – Making zucchini noodles can be loads of fun, but if you get a good quality spiralizer you can make noodles out of loads more vegetables. Increase your vegetable intake and have fun doing it.

Water Filter

Remove the bad stuff, and put back in the good stuff with a water filter. I like this little one because it’s cost effective and can be carried around with you when travelling. It is made from plastic but you could fill it up, let it filter through them tip it into a stainless steel or glass bottle.

Mini Waterman Water Filter Bottle 600ml – $79.95

Why would you want to filter your water?

Chlorine in tap water is thought to negatively affect our gut bacteria balance, and it can also affect our iodine levels. Flouride is another chemical that can affect iodine levels and thyroid health, but if you’re still wanting to get the fluoride for your teeth, the amount you’re exposed to when rinsing your teeth when brushing them is enough to do it’s job. It also helps to filter our pesticide residue and other heavy metals.

Blue Blocking Glasses

Did you know that we are constantly exposed to blue light through TV screens, computers, phones and tablets. It affects our melatonin levels, a hormone that we make through our eyes in response to orange light. Altered melatonin levels can cause issues with hormone balance but mostly affects our sleep.

Blue light from the sky is actually important in the day to normalise our circadian rhythms and promote mental wellbeing, but when we’re being exposed to excessive amounts of it from our screens this can be a problem, and in addition the wavelengths from the screen are different to the blue in our natural environment which makes them harmful.

Clever people have found ways to counter this effect by tinting glasses – these glasses used to be very uncool, bright orange safety type glasses, but now there are glasses that look like normal glasses, and they even come with the option to put your prescription into them.

BLUblox is an Australian company that has created three types of lenses – the standard clear lense filters blue light from your computer screens which reduces eye strain and reduce the impact of the blue light on melatonin and other hormones.

You’ve also got the option of red lenses for that extra melatonin boost in the hours before bed, and yellow glasses to promote a heightened sense of happiness in the day.

So if you know somebody who works in front of a computer screen all the time, why not share this with them or pair for Christmas.

BluBlox – $149.95

Some of the links in this post are affiliate links, which means I make a small commission if you make a purchase from using that link. This helps contribute to the ongoing costs of running this website. Thank you for your support.

The post Gift Guide for the Health and Environment Conscious appeared first on Alison Mitchell Naturopath.

Ladies, this one is for you.

Certain types of pads and tampons contain chemicals that may worsen period pain, cause allergic reactions and irritation, lead to pelvic inflammatory conditions and even fertility problems.  They have a huge impact on our environment, as some of their ingredients never break down.  In this article I will look at what these synthetic products are doing to our body, and discuss some of the alternatives that are available to us.

Tampons – Is this the most important item to choose organic?

Chances are, if you’re interested in your health and wellbeing you have decided to ‘go organic’ – you shop for organic fruits and vegetables, you limit your use of house hold chemicals, you might also use organic body products.  But for women, an often overlooked source of chemicals is through our sanitary items – pads and tampons.

Most conventional pads and tampons use a variety or blend of rayon (wood pulp), viscose (synthetic product) and cotton.  Some tampons are also coated in polypropylene (a crude oil derived plastic) to make them ‘slippery’ as well as to bind and contain the synthetic fibres together (pure cotton tampons are much stronger so will not disintegrate).   Cotton is actually quite a ‘dirty’ crop – it is the most heavily sprayed crop in the world (26% of the world’s pesticides are used on cotton!) so cotton products contain a whole host of pesticides.  These cotton products are then bleached with chlorine, which as a result leaves a by-product called dioxin.  Most sanitary products also have added chemicals to absorb odour or create fragrance, however these are also derived from crude oil products.

This may in fact be one of the most important items with which to choose organic, as our ‘lady bits’ are actually extremely capable of absorbing chemicals.  This is not good news for the health conscious, and to make matters worse these chemicals can actually increase period pain!

The pesticides from cotton, the polypropylene that coats and exists within the tampon and the dioxin from bleach combine to create a hectic combination of chemicals that increase inflammation in our ‘lady parts’ and can also lead to other health problems such as endometriosis and infertility.  These chemicals are also commonly responsible for causing irritation and allergic reactions down there, so going organic can result in a much pleasanter time of the month.

Consider this rough equation:

• A woman with a regular cycle will have 11-13 periods a year.  Assuming she has a standard menarche from 13, and enters menopause at 51, that’s 456 periods.
• Take out about 42 periods for an average of 3 children (9 months pregnancy, approx 5 months of no periods during breastfeeding) to reach 414 periods.
• The average women has a period for 3-7 days (so let’s say 5), and can use anywhere from 3-6 tampons or pads a day (so let’s say 5).  That’s 25 pads and/or tampons a period.
• 25 pads/tampons a period x 414 periods = 10,350 pads/liners in a lifetime (oh and don’t forget the thousands of liners we’re probably going to use as well!)

That’s a lot of pads and tampons, and cumulatively, a lot of exposure to chemicals that you don’t want down there!

Photo by Karl Wiggers on Unsplash

GOING ORGANIC

Nowadays, many people are making efforts to reduce their exposure to chemicals – for good reason.  Good quality research papers have shown that many pesticides in our food can disrupt hormones, nervous system health and our immune system, and in addition can lead to several cancers and conditions such as chronic fatigue syndrome.

Going on from this, we can extrapolate from the knowledge that eating chemicals is bad for us, so therefore applying chemicals to our skin is bad as well.  (Cue an abundance of body creams and lotions with ‘organic’ labels, and another booming industry fraught with misinformation that misleads consumers (organic body products are not regulated in the same way that organic foods are, and many products labelled as organic may still contain harmful chemicals) – regardless of whether it is labelled as organic we should still diligently check ingredients of products we choose, and buy from reputable companies/suppliers).  Using (actual) organic body care products is another good move; in fact it may be even more important than using organic food as our digestive system, when working properly has a lot of acids and enzymes (e.g. in our saliva and stomach) that help to break down and eliminate chemicals.  Our skin is an amazing organ, and it has a great capacity to absorb anything that we apply to it, particularly when it is rubbed on in an oily based i.e. a cream.  This comes in very handy when we want to apply therapeutic creams, however not so good when the creams contain nasties.

The mucous epithelial membranes that exist within regions such as the rectum, nose, lungs and vagina have an even greater absorptive ability than the skin, which is why pessaries and suppositories have such a fast and effective action.  In addition to this the blood supply from the vagina goes directly into the pelvic plexus (the same veins the ovaries normally empty into), so when certain hormones and chemicals are applied to the vaginal mucous membranes they are directed towards the uterus before they are assimilated into the rest of the blood stream(1).

Pads and tampons are a major source of chemicals, due to the excessive spraying of cotton crops.  Tampons that contain other fibres, such as rayon, can leave trace amounts of fibre and chemicals on the vaginal wall after removal – this is an issue for not only chemical exposure, but greater risk for toxic shock syndrome.  According to Dr. Philip Tierno, a Clinical Professor of Microbiology and Pathology at NYU Medical Centre, 100 percent cotton tampons “consistently test under detectable levels for TSS toxins.”(2)  This is because non-cotton products have a structure that is more likely to shed fibres.  In the attempt to bind these fibres together tampons are coated in a type of plastic coating called polypropylene.

Check out this video to see the different tampon types hold their fibres together.  These polypropylene chemicals do not break down or decompose.  Remembering how many tampons are used in a life time this could accumulate, potentially contributing to health concerns, but it the immediate sense it can also cause irritation of the sensitive vaginal area.  Vulvovaginitis is a problem that many women experience and if it is worsened by sanitary items, it can make that time of the month a very uncomfortable time.

I have experienced in both myself and my patients a significant reduction in period pain with the use of organic sanitary items.  While there is limited research on this matter, I theorise the pain reduction to be due to a few reasons:

• By avoiding the polypropylene there is less of a topical irritation, creating less inflammatory chemicals in the area.
• Insertion and removal of tampons cause micro-tears in the vaginal wall, in which tampon residue can remain.  Synthetic tampons have a greater likelihood of leaving residue and the nature of their fibres can be more irritating.
• The removal of chemicals which can mimic oestrogen can both reduce prostraglandin production as well as reduce the exacerbation of conditions such as endometriosis, pelvic inflammatory syndrome and fibroids.

WHAT ARE OUR OPTIONS?

Organic pads and tampons

There are several brands that use organic products, and organic cotton tampons.  While they are usually a little pricier than conventional brands, I personally consider it to be worth it.

Organ(y)c, TOM Organic and Natracare are good options.  TOM Organic is an Australia based company, and also offers ‘subscription’ service, a novel idea considering this is something we use on a regular monthly basis (ooh and they’re pretty!).  Other less widely available brands include Seventh Generation.

Reusable pads.

Reusable pads usually consist of organic cotton and come in a variety of shapes and colours.  They are clipped onto the bottom of the panties and when used, need to be soaked overnight then washed as per normal.  This is considered to be more environmentally friendly than disposable pads and tampons, and many women consider this to be more comfortable as well – they feel like normal underwear and are silent (no plastic crinkling sound).  While the need to wash these pads may turn some women off, the environmental benefits are good and these are a viable option for those who do not wish to use an insertable product.

Wemoon is an Australian based company that offers a variety of reusable pads.  Lunapads also offer products online in a variety of fun colours, and also stock liners.

Menstrual cups.

Menstrual cups are bell shaped silicon or latex cups that are inserted into the vagina to collect menstrual flow.  This is a concept that has been around for a long time, however it is not commonly used or known about these days, perhaps due to a perceived ‘ick factor’?

According to the Diva Cup website, once you have tried menstrual cups you realise that most concerns are unwarranted – i.e. a typical flow is only 30mL per day, therefore removing the cup really isn’t going to be like a scene from a horror movie, and menstrual blood only smells once exposed to oxygen, so using the cup isn’t going to create more of an odour (in theory it will be less so!).  They can take a few cycles to get the hang of, to ensure they are positioned correctly.

Menstrual cups do have an impressive list of benefits – they are good for the environment, they can be kept in for 12 hours, reduce period pain (see above) and save money in the long term (while they cost about $60 to buy outright, they can save you up to $150 a year compared to buying disposables).

A good brand is the Diva Cup, which is approved by TGA in Australia.  Other brands include JuJu, Lunette, The Keeper (made from rubber) and The Moon Cup (made from silicon).

EDIT 3/10/17: I wanted to share my personal experience with a menstrual cup. Not long after writing this article I invested in a Diva Cup, and I can share with you that it has made my time of the month much easier, as having to change the cup only once in the morning and night means I can essentially forget about my period while I am out and about. I also have not had to buy any tampons, and only bought about 2 packets of pads (excluding maternity pads for post-partum) in the 4 years since getting the cup. I used to experience a lot of period pain, and when starting to use this I did notice there was some discomfort on the days I was worse, so I chose to use a pad on those days, however as time has gone on I now don’t have any period pain (I think due to improving my chemical exposure, using herbs, exercise, yoga and having a baby) so I can use the cup for my whole period. I used to have to wear a liner with it during the night and on day one of my period, but not at the moment. I found that it took a few cycles to get practiced enough to insert it confidently, having to learn the right angle to put it in and how to hold it so I could twist it into position, but now I can do it easily. I have on occasion had to change it whilst away from home but it is easy enough to do, I just tidy it up with some toilet paper and give it a good clean when I get home. I did read some reviews that the cup stains, but I haven’t found that to be the case, and this is 3+ years later. I also have been fine to exercise with it in, as long as it is inserted correctly to begin with. So essentially, I would definitely recommend getting a menstrual cup!

Absorbent Underwear

Companies such as Modibodi and THINX offer underwear that has absorbent section where a pad would be. They can be worn as a back up for menstrual cups or tampons, or on their own for those with a moderate-light flow. You can choose the type of absorbency that’s right for you – the range goes from 2.5ml absorbency (1/2 tampon) to 10-20mL (2 tampons).

They are reusable, so great for the environment, and save money for you over time. For athletes who don’t like wearing pads, tampons and cups during exercise, this is a great option.

Other options (that I haven’t research too extensively…)

• Reusable tampons (hard to find, most I’ve seen appear to be knitted, could that could be your next craft project?)
• Sea sponges (think re-usable tampons from the sea)
• Free bleeding (you were just going to wash those clothes anyway, I guess?)

Have you tried some of the less conventional options?  Or have you noticed a change from using organic pads and tampons?  Let me know your thoughts.

Works Cited

1. Touitou, Elka and Brian, W Barry. Enhancement in drug delivery. Boca Raton, Taylor & Francis Group : CRC Press, 2007.

2. Women Beware: Most Feminine Hygiene Products Contain Toxic Ingredients. Mercola.com. [Online] 22 May 2013. [Cited: 6 November 2013.] http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2013/05/22/feminine-hygiene-products.aspx.

The post Choosing the right products for that time of the month. appeared first on Alison Mitchell Naturopath.