I have this crazy urge to talk about empowerment. :). Partly because of a suggestion by momsbestnetwork.com :) and party because its a huge focus for Natures Knockout.

Right now I'm working on a film in Austria and Germany (loving it by the way :). But as I travel, I get a chance to visit with a lot of people from all walks of life and being so passionate about natural & organic possibilities, my conversations always go there--I know, sometimes I remind myself of Bubba in Forest Gump, ugh lol!

But the other day we had a little downtime on set, so I started into some yoga. Before I knew it, bodies were strewn all around me in all kinds of poses. Haha-I loved it, of course :) but amongst them was a cute Austrian mother who expressed a wonderful passion for natural and organic goodness.

She shared her desire to convert her family over to more healthy products and foods as well, but wasn't quite sure how to get hem there.
Contrasting that, I had a conversation with a group of people on set who were talking about all of the toxins we're bombarded with and mentioned they "should" do better, but felt it too hard. One of them said, "Why waste time worrying about all of the toxins, because they're in everything."

Helping Kids Want to Eat More Healthily    CREDIT

Hmmmmm, of course I couldn't turn around at leave it at that. So I shared some thoughts.

It's not about feeling powerless and giving up! -- it's about empowerment!

Knowledge is power. When you meet someone who has embraced healthy changes, you can see the fire in their eyes. They are usually infectious with energy and a zest for life...that is empowerment.

And, if you're a mother wanting to help your kids be more healthy, big praise and kudos! You have the power to change nations, no matter where you are.

Here are some basic steps we've taken to make these changes ourselves...

1. Start with a desire, and prepare to make changes one step at a time.

2. Focus on replacing, not depriving:

a. Replace the words "should" and "need" with "will" and "want"

b. Replace guilt with gratitude - embrace the good steps you take every day

c. Don't compare yourself to anyone, we're all at different places in our journey

d. When changing out a product, head to our Chemical Spy at www.naturesknockout.com and check our ingredient database with over 3000 chemicals we have concerns over, or our I-spy videos to learn red flagged ingredients yourself ....or join us in our journey and watch our recommendations. Also, our store is filled with thousands of products that are NK approved, check them out.

e. When changing out foods, take recipes you love and replace prepackaged, processed foods, genetically modified, chemically laden ingredients with fresh, clean and nourishing ingredients. If that sounds hard, head to our site and try our recipes out, watch for our upcoming Desset Cookbook, or, if you need to, send us your recipe and we'll do what we can to revamp and revive it. :)

f. When it comes to toxic thoughts -- start by recognizing them, when they come-don't beat yourself up, just let them come and watch them go, then quickly replace them with positive thoughts.

3. Start today! Just find one thing to work on replacing today and do it.

That's it, just take it one day at a time, seeking to do a little bit better every day and congratulating yourself each step of the way.

xox

Laurie

ps I have a cute follow-up of the Austrian mom I mentioned above...she came back to visit our set yesterday and had gone to our website and already tried out our Almond milk recipe--YAY!! She said her family loved it, and that she went on to make granola from the remaining pulp--MUAH, love it! I was so thrilled for her--she took that first step and ran with it!

What are some of your little steps--please comment and share!

Question:

My son has the worst eczema and it breaks my heart.  The doctor just threw a bunch of steroid creams at me, but I really want to try some sort of more natural relief, any advice?

Awwwe, that's heart wrenching--it's so hard to see your little ones hurting :(  We strive to be careful to not undermine any doctor's advice because we aren't doctors, chemists or anything like that.  But what we are, is moms, who will do anything to fight for our babies.  That is actually the reason we do Nature's Knockout, because of Tiffany's auto-immune disease and our urge to get the word out. So now that we've gotten all of the disclaimer talk out, we recommend studying it out for yourself, and in the mean time, here are some ways to fight eczema that we've found that seem to work wonderfully...

NATURAL & ORGANIC SOAPS

With your son's eczema, make sure he only uses natural or organic soaps, shampoos, laundry detergents...but even if an item says it's natural, check the ingredients to make sure it's completely non-chemical.  Also, coconut oil can be really helpful too.

SEA SALT

If the eczema has a thick and rough texture and no lesions, freshly ground sea salt can be added to the coconut oil to scrub the area...often eczema will respond well to that as it usually carries bacteria that the salt fights.  Remove it with a damp cloth and reapply the coconut oil to relubricate. Please be sure skin is not broken or the salt could really hurt.

USE WATER SPARINGLY

Water is the worst irritant and literally fuels the eczema, so make sure to protect the skin from water.  You can apply coconut oil or extra virgin olive oil to the skin a few minutes before immersing in water, then wash with a gentle, safe soap, and follow up with a little oil after towel drying the skin.

LUBRICATE

The skin needs lubrication, not hydration.  So that means, using healthy oils is good, using water or products with water is not so good (boo)

NO MORE LOTION

Yes, that includes lotions.  Bummer on that--at least, until the skin is healthier.  But most lotions tend to aggravate eczema because of the high water content in them.  And unfortunately, that even includes many of the safe and natural ones.  Heavy lubricating creams and oils are the best for protecting and nourishing the skin to get it back to a more healthy state.  I've found exactly one cream that works wonders, and yes, here is the LINK

FRAGRANCE

One more thing--get away from fragrance and any product that contains it.  Even if it says "natural fragrance or fragrance blends" the skin can't be fooled. :-/

LOCK IN PROTECTION

Oops, I just thought of another, so one last thing :)..  covering the skin after lubricating it will help tremendously.  If it's on the hands, apply a lubricant, put cotton gloves on, and keep them on for a few hours or overnight.  The skin will usually respond well.

BE INFORMED

And I don't want to get off on a negative note, but when it comes to steroid creams, use them sparingly if you have to, but be sure to read all of the side effects thoroughly, because they are real.

FOODS

Some foods may cause a reaction in people who are eczema prone...some to watch for are red meats, sea food, eggs, dairy, GMO grains, breads with yeast, additives, preservatives, blueberries, tomatos, lemons, and lime.  Psssst, I'll share a secret--I have eczema too.  I guess it's not really a secret because I blab it all the time.  Sorry, off task---anyway, I can have those items when my skin is doing well, but when it's broken out, I try to avoid them until I can get it under control.

Something to add to the diet is more probiotics or acidophilus, more dark leafy greens

KEEP IT UP

And if you do all of the good things above, you might see some relief--stay on the path and even though it's in remission, keep using safe products so you can keep it at bay. Hope that helps--I'm crossing my fingers for ya!

COMMENT

Please share your thoughts, hopes, dreams, any tips or recipes or whatever moves you--we love to hear from you!

xo

Laurie

DIY Deep Moisturizing Treatment Recipe

DIY Deep Moisturizing Treatment for Dry, Damaged Hair

This recipe is from our new Desserts Beauty Bite Cookbook--watch for it!!  xo

INGREDIENTS

• 1/4 ripe Banana
• 2 tablespoons Extra VirginOlive Oil
• 2 tablespoons Coconut Milk (cream from top)
• 1/2 tablespoon Raw Honey

I put these ingredients in a mini blender and blend it until smooth.  Then put it on dry hair.  Let sit 15 minutes and then shampoo and condition with safe products (of course, you knew I was going to say that :)  haha, love you guys!

Store unused portion in a sealed container in the refrigerator--this can be used up to 2x weekly and will be a blessing for dry, damaged hair.

Let us know how you like, love, or adapt it and how amazingly beautiful your hair is after you use it!

xox

Laurie

Please feel free to share this recipe, but let them know where you got it too.  Thanks so much!

Where this recipe can be found on our website

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1. Move Around!

The more active you are, the better your circulation will be. And good circulation is "essential for energy because blood transports oxygen and nutrients―fuel for the cells―to the muscles, brain, etc.," says internist Jacob Teitelbaum.

If you have a desk job, get up throughout the day―once an hour is ideal―to give your body breaks from activities such as typing and staring at the computer. Also, stand up when you're on the phone or pace around the office. When you're stuck seated, like on a long car ride, do neck rolls and shoulder shrugs and circle your feet to keep blood circulating.

And sit up straight. Good posture opens the chest cavity and increases oxygen intake by as much as 30 percent, making more energy available to your mind and muscles, says Teitelbaum. If you're a sloucher, trade in your chair for an exercise ball, which forces you to sit taller, says Andrew Weil, M.D., author of Healthy Aging

2. Breath Deep!

Shallow breathing prevents the body from getting enough oxygen. Many people fail to breathe deeply when they feel tense, which is one reason they may feel zapped at the end of a stress-filled day. "The general principles of correct breathing are to make it deeper, slower, quieter, and more regular," says Weil. Doing so helps you force more oxygen into your cells, which slows heart rate, lowers blood pressure, and improves circulation, ultimately providing more energy.

Weil suggests you do a simple breathing exercise twice a day or whenever you feel yourself losing steam: Put the tip of your tongue against the ridge behind your upper teeth. Exhale completely through your mouth, making a whoosh sound. Then inhale deeply through your nose for a count of four, hold your breath for a count of seven, and exhale through your mouth for a count of eight. Repeat for a total of four breaths.

3. Exercise!!

Regular workouts boost energy stores by conditioning the body to make optimal use of oxygen and glucose, its two primary fuel sources. You need only 30 minutes of exercise, three times a week, to get the cardiovascular benefits that lead to increased vitality," says Woodson Merrell, M.D., director of integrative medicine at the Continuum Center for Health and Healing, at Beth Israel Medical Center in New York City.

There's good evidence that simply walking regularly can boost energy. Ongoing research on the relationship between mood and activity by Robert E. Thayer, a professor of psychology at California State University in Long Beach, has found that the more steps his research subjects take, the more energetic they report feeling.

4. Eat consistently

Three small meals with snacks in between―keeps your blood-sugar level even, so you don't experience the highs and lows that occur when you go too long without food," says Molly Kimball, a registered dietitian at the Ochsner Clinic's Elmwood Fitness Center, in New Orleans. Ideally, all your meals and snacks should contain complex carbohydrates (produce, whole grains) to provide fuel, and protein (nuts, cheese) to give you endurance. Try an apple and a piece of cheese or carrot sticks and edamame.

Snacks of refined carbs, like cookies and pretzels, provide an initial rush, but the body burns them quickly and your energy soon flags. To satiate a sweet tooth, try dark chocolate. It contains the chemical phenylethylamine, which increases energy by improving mood and attention span. According to Teitelbaum, dark chocolate also contains theobromine, a mild stimulant.

5. Do Things that Lift your Spirits!!

Fun people, rhythmic music, and funny movies can boost your energy level, researchers have found. "In fact, anything that makes you feel good may raise your level of endorphins―the same chemicals that are released when you exercise," says Weil. Listening to music invigorates the body by activating several areas of the brain at once, building new nerve connections. "It also increases oxygen flow to the heart, which perks you up as well," adds Weil.

While you're infusing your life with energizing experiences, try to cut out people and activities that drag you down and deplete your energy―the whiners, the naysayers.that deadly planning committee.

6. Fluids!

Your body needs water to transport oxygen to your cells. Deprive yourself of sufficient liquids and you may feel tired or get headaches. While there's no magic number for the amount of liquid to consume in a day, experts say you should try to drink at least four tall glasses of water or low-calorie beverages, such as Propel or Crystal Light.

Caffeine gets a bad rap, but used judiciously, it can give you a lift. The trouble is "many people drink too much in the morning, so their energy is bunched up early in the day, and they need more later to keep going," says Weil. Try to limit yourself to one cup of coffee in the morning and, if you must and it doesn't interfere with falling asleep at night, a half cup after lunch. Consider switching to green tea, which contains caffeine but also theanine, a calming substance that counteracts the jitters from caffeine.

7. Obsess Less!

When your mind is in overdrive, your body secretes stress hormones, such as cortisol, which over time can wreak havoc on the body. It can also make falling asleep difficult by suppressing the hypothalamus, the part of the brain responsible for lowering body temperature so that you can shift into sleep mode. "Worrying is like putting a hole in your gas tank," says Teitelbaum. "Unless you do something to stop it, you're draining energy away."

To rewire an overwrought mind, Merrell suggests doing some form of mind-body exercise, like meditation, practicing yoga, or engaging in regular prayer. For a quick fix, Teitelbaum suggests this trick: "Ask yourself, 'Am I in imminent danger?' It may sound irrational or melodramatic, but that's the point. You bring yourself down to earth by reminding yourself that your worries aren't crises. This will relax your body's adrenal 'fight or flight' system and help you feel in control."

8. Get Outside!

At least once during the workday, get out of the office. Studies show that spending time outdoors provides a boost by reducing stress hormones and lowering blood pressure. "Sunlight can also increase the body's production of serotonin, which lifts mood and increases energy," says Teitelbaum.

In addition, "air that contains a high balance of negative ions (molecules with a negative electrical charge) may increase the body's oxygen intake and serotonin levels," says Michael Terman, Ph.D., director of the Center for Light Treatment and Biological Rhythms at New York-Presbyterian Hospital. Negative ions are produced when there's a lot of air and water movement in the atmosphere, like during a thunderstorm. Terman has found that when people with seasonal affective disorder (a mood disorder associated with seasonal variations of light) and depression use specialized negative-ion generators, their symptoms improve.

9. Try Something New!

Recent research confirms what world travelers and adult-education addicts already know: New experiences give you a rush. "We've known that when people do something novel, the brain's reward chemical, dopamine, is released," says Gregory Berns, M.D., a neuroscientist at Emory University, in Atlanta, and the author of Satisfaction: The Science of Finding True Fulfillment. But novelty has an added benefit. "What we've discovered in the last five years," Berns says, "is that dopamine is also a motivating chemical that gears us up to do more." In other words, take a trip or learn Spanish and you may also feel inspired to start a new project at home or work.

We'd love to hear what you are going to do after reading her ideas??!  Please comment below :)  xo

Special thanks to Melissa Elder for providing this post.  She is an inspiration to everyone she meets and we appreciate her sharing her insights.  She works as an aerobics instructor and also runs a blog hoping to inspire other diabetics with delicious recipes and health tips.  You can follow her HERE

This post can be found on our website under Beauty & Style

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QUESTION

Hi!  Can you rec a natural/organic toothpaste that whitens? TY! I love your blogs/vids and your makeup videos are AMAZING, so are the hair ones. I usually fall asleep to tutorials...but I love yours! Amazing ideas and also addicted to your Pininterests! Hugs! 

Erin

ANSWER

Thanks so much Erin, we're especially glad that we can keep you awake, lol!  That's awesome :)

As for tooth whitening, it's super interesting, but one thing we've noticed is that since we switched over our diet to avoiding all sugar and processed pre-packaged foods, our teeth don't stain like they used to.  We're also not smokers, coffee drinkers, and when we drink any kind of herbal tea, we drink it warm, not hot.  We both were tooth bleachers once upon a time, but we really don't run into a need anymore.

While we're here, we'll share a few more tips:

Here's a simple natural trick we've used on set to brighten an actor's teeth...we just get half a strawberry and have them run it over the teeth.  It works great for a quick fix to make the teeth appear brighter and whiter.

Apples also can help--they have a texture that can also help temporarily "clean" the teeth. If you can't get to a toothbrush, just bite into a fresh organic apple and it will help remove some build-up on the outer surface of the enamel.

Natural baking soda can help as well...in fact, a lot of toothpastes now include baking soda, but it can be added and can also be used exclusively to brighten the teeth.  But it can be abrasive on the enamel, so please check with your dentist or hygienist first.

Now, back to natural tooth whitening toothpastes, haha--it's so easy to get sidetracked!  :)

We've tried a lot of them and like different ones for different reasons, but we do love one kind of tooth whitening toothpaste more than others.  We've recommended our favorite ones to others and they seem to like them a lot too...

So well give you a list of our favorite options and the last one below is our top favorite...

are you ready?...lol

Our Favorite Tooth Whitening Toothpastes... 

Tea Tree Oil Whitening - this one is especially good if you're prone to gum infections or soreness....it's not our favorite flavor, but we know it's very beneficial.

Natural Dentist Peppermint Whitening Toothpaste - this has a better taste and works well.

And (drumrole.....) this one is currently the personal fave for both of us...  

Kiss My Face Whitening Toothpaste - we think this one has the best taste of all and we really love it!

Hope that helps, and if you try one of these, we'd love to hear how you like it!

xox

Laurie & Tiffany

QUESTION of the DAY... @Emily McKinnon
Laurie!!!! Well I was just enjoying many of the NK yt videos and I watched the video again where you recommended peppermint oil. I get a lot of heachaches, etc and am super interested in trying this natural remedy!! I was just wondering....does the peppermint oil on the NK website for sale need to be diluted? I know you mentioned that in the video....so I wanted to make sure I was using the right amount and correctly!! Thanks for all the great videos!!

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ANSWER of the DAY

Love it Emily, thanks so much--that's great! :)

Here are some of our tips on Peppermint Oil:

We like to dilute peppermint oil 1:1, because it's considered a "hot oil" That said, it can actually be used to cool a sunburn or a fever, great for stomach aches and so much more, but can be a skin irritant if used undiluted.

I always keep Peppermint oil in my set bag to help wake tired actors by giving them a whiff when they need it, but even more than that, for headaches. They always get headaches and it seems to kick them every time.

Here is our favorite, and the price is great too!

We rated some "Hot Mom Products" last night, and now you can too!

Last night we were invited to test, rate and reviw all kinds of new products for baby & mom.  The invite was by Mom's Best Hot Products and the event was super well put together and super fun!

We want to share some of the cool products that we, and a bunch of cute bloggers tested, tried and rated... :)

That's just a small sampling of all of the products that we ripped open and tested out.  The line-up was impressive, and we made all kinds of notes on products we felt were organically good and safe for baby and mom.

The food was amazing too!   :)

But the biggest reason we're sharing all this is because your opinion on these products matters too.

You can head over to Mom's Best right HERE and let your voice be heard too.  VOTE on these products yourself!   Voting ends April 7th.  Products that receive good reviews and high votes, will receive the Mom's Best HOT Product Seal. This seal will help mom's everywhere know that these products are mom evaluated and mom approved… in other words, they are a HOT pick. 

One thing we loved was that after the voting ends, many of the items will be donated to moms in need, so if you know someone to recommend, be sure to let them know!

Thanks again to Melanie and Tana for hosting such an awesome event to help moms everywhere.

Many of the photos on this post were provided by Bri Webb of Collected

Thanks so much!

xo

Laurie & Tiffany

QUESTION OF THE DAY... We get hundreds of emails every day with all kinds of beauty, fashion & health questions, and we try to answer as many as possible, but we find all our spare time is consumed there, and only one person gets an answer. We have a huge database of FAQ's on our website, but are thinking of adding a Q of the Day right here, right now!  

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Question of the Day from Teandra: 

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What are your thoughts on liquid castile soap? I just bought some along with ingredients to make my own laundry soap, dishwashing/washer soap, and cleaning products. I'm excited to get these toxins out of my life! Do you make your own cleaning products?

Our Answer...

Good for you Teandra--that's awesome!!!
We love liquid castile soap and use it for everything from dish soap to hand soap, shower gel, cleaning counters, sinks, and even ocassional shampoo.

We even have little mini containers in our purses and set bags so we literally have it with us always and we don't need to touch commercial soaps in public restrooms--yay!

It works well in many cleaning products and yes, we do make many of our own cleaning products--some recipes are on our website under the recipe section.

In case you're not sure what liquid castile soap is, here is a LINK TO OUR FAVES

xo
Laurie & Tiffany
Pssst, p.s....Please feel free to join in on the discussion and share some of your faves and any tips you may have too!

Guest Post:  Ashley Elizabeth

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We want to thank Ashley Elizabeth for such a great video review!

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Here is her Beauty Blog

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Watch what she shows and tells about Moom, an organic & 100% natural hair remover.  She totally made us want to go get some and try it out ourselves!  We'll let you know our thoughts as soon as we do =)

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Have any of you tried Moom out?  If so, what are your thoughts?