The ultimate allergy free and chemical free cookbook

The Ultimate Allergy Free and Chemical Free Cookbook

A Free Resource

by AnnaLaura Brown of

annalaurabrown.com

Allergy Free Routine and Checklists

Shopping List

Before beginning my allergy free routine, there are certain items you will need to have on hand.

Essential Oils

Lemon

Lavender

Peppermint

Melaleuca or tea tree oil

Eucalyptus

These are the most important ones. If you have a wheat allergy or are gluten intolerant you will also want the Digest Zen blend. This is a special Doterra blend to help with stomach problems and heart burn and also works as a natural epi pen.

Lemon, Lavender and Peppermint are the oils that make up the basic allergy trio. Melaleuca and lavender are crucial for skin reactions and allergies. Eucalyptus is crucial for stopping coughs and throat issues.

While you can buy essential oils from a variety of locations, the Doterra brand that I sell is the purest and highest quality available. If you choose to use a different brand then I cannot guarantee you that you will get the same results. Furthermore, many other brands cannot be used internally either due to their purity or because of the way that they are produced. This is a problem since the basic allergy recipe requires you to be able to use them internally. To learn more about them or to order online visit http://discoveroilsnow.com I also sell sample packets that you can order to try them out for a much lower cost. If you are interested in this, let me know.

Neti Pot

Allergen free bedding- there are lots of brands you just need to find one that is allergen free. http://iallergy.com is my favorite place to get it.

Diffuser

Humidifier

Cotton balls

Q-tips

Water filter or bottled water

Empty spray bottles

High quality supplements/vitamins (I also sell some great ones, if you want more info on them, let me know.)

Chemical free and natural lotion- ideally unscented. (Doterra has one but there are others that can work too.)

Locally harvested honey (the farmers’ market is a great place to get some)

Natural chemical free and gluten free makeup- a few brands to look at include: Scenegene, Jafra, Neways, Eva Andersen. Honey Bee Farms at http://honeybeefarms.com also has some great stuff.

To throw away or remove from your home and environment

All chemical and paraben based makeup and skin care. (If you bought it at the grocery store you need to get rid of it. I’ve never seen a grocery store brand that didn’t have chemicals and parabens in it. )

All chemical based cleaning products. This includes bleach, bon ami, ajax, 401, dove, and all other store bought cleaners, and soaps.

Any bedding with allergens and especially anything with feathers in it

Any store bought lotions and body washes including bath and body works or anything with chemicals and skin irritants in it.

Candles and air fresheners

Mold- if you have a mold problem you will need to get rid of it. You can either hire a professional or you can attempt to remove it by diffusing orange or On Guard Doterra essential oil blend.

Any food that you are allergic to, and yes, even if you have family members who like to eat those foods it is better for you if you get rid of it and have everyone in your household follow the same diet. They will survive.

Sunday

This is my planning day. On Sundays I plan for the week ahead and this includes preparing for the week ahead and making sure that I have everything ready I need to stick with my daily allergy free routine throughout the week.

Here are the things I do:

1. I look at my planner and take note of any restaurants I may be eating at or any situations I may be in where I may need to plan ahead to make sure I can stick to my gluten free diet.

2. I make sure that I have plenty of grab and go allergy free food ready to go. For me, I am allergic to almonds and macadamia nuts but not to peanuts, walnuts, or cashews so this includes things like:Carrot and celery sticksNut packsGluten free crackersProtein barsGluten free cookiesApples and string cheeseI prepare enough of this in grab and go packets using plastic baggies to last me for an entire week and I keep them where I can grab them on my way out the door.

3. I check the weather forecast and see if there are reports of excess pollen or red burn days and I get my allergy and asthma supplies ready for when I will need them throughout the week.

Mondays through Fridays

I wake up in the morning and first thing I drink a glass of water with 2-3 drops of lemon essential oil in it. About half an hour later, I drink another glass of water with 2-3 drops each of lemon, lavender and peppermint. I also eat 1-2 tsps of local honey.

At night, I sleep with either my diffuser or humidifier on and I put either a few drops of lavender essential oil or if I am feeling sick at all I use On Guard blend or wild orange.

I have a spray bottle with water and 10-20 drops of lemon essential oil and another spray bottle with water and 10-20 drops of melaleuca essential oil in it ready for cleaning. I clean all of my kitchen, bathroom and everything else in my house with these. You will be amazed at what stains you can remove with these.

I keep a few cotton balls with a few drops of peppermint or wild orange essential oil on it on my window sills for diffusing and cleansing the air throughout the day.

I have my neti pot ready to use either in the morning or at night if my sinuses are extra bad or clogged up.

I keep my bottles of peppermint, lavender and eucalyptus oil with me at all times for when I get a skin rash, have clogged up sinuses or I start coughing.

I use only my natural chemical free lotion as well as other chemical free bath and body products. Aragan oil and rose water are my favorite go to products.

Saturdays

For me Saturdays are the day I do all of my grocery shopping, cleaning and other preparation work.

Before I go shopping I do the following:

1. Check my cupboards and fridge and I look to see what I need to buy that will last me at least one week and help me to stick with my allergy free routine.

2. I look ahead to the week to come to make sure I have enough grab and go food and I buy a few of these items if I need them.

I check my shopping list above and buy more of anything else I am missing.

Cleaning

I use my spray bottles with my homemade cleaning products with lemon and melaleuca essential oil to clean my bathroom and kitchen.

I vacuum my house and sometimes I will add a drop or two of peppermint, or eucalyptus essential oil to my vacuum bag.

How can I help you?

I welcome your calls and emails.

AnnaLaura Brown

801-712-1050

[email protected]

Cleaning and Laundry

Nearly all commercial cleaning and laundry products have chemicals in them that increase allergic reactions and can cause or severely increase asthma. The good news is that you can make a lot of your own cleaning and laundry formulas for less money and without a lot of hassles. Here are some of the recipes I use:

Soap

You can buy an allergy free, sls free and paraben free soap from Doterra at http://discoveroilsnow.com It comes in both Serenity and Citrus Bliss or you can make your own. Baking soda by itself is a great natural soap and cleaner. When doing a lot of deep cleaning it is also a good idea to mix it with either borax or washing soda.

Laundry Soap

There are a variety of ways to make it but what I do is I mix equal parts of borax and washing soda in a container and then I add a few tablespoons of grated Doterra soap and a few drops of the essential oil blend Purify. You can also skip the soap, or use a different brand or eliminate the Purify oil blend. However, the purify helps get rid of bugs and can even kill bed bugs making it a great additive for laundry.

Cleaning Formulas

Three of the very best cleaning formulas for cleaning anything are lemon essential oil, vinegar and apple cider vinegar. You can mix with water or use plain any of these three and remove virtually any stain including ink. These are the main staples I keep on hand and I never use bleach or any other chemical based formula. Doterra also has an On Guard blend cleaner that is fabulous for removing mold and all kinds of other stains and household cleaning.

Dryer

Standard dryer sheets have chemicals and scents in them that are not healthy and that can cause allergic reactions on the skin. Instead you can put a few drops of lavender essential oil on a clean washcloth and put it in with your clothes while drying. This works great and smells great. The Purify blend also works great for this.

Bath and Body

Lotion

Many commercial lotions are full of chemicals that can cause allergic reactions and that are full of unhealthy chemicals. You can check the ingredients of your favorite lotion and see what toxins are in them at http://ewg.org

That said here are some brands of lotions that are considered to be healthy, as well as chemical and allergy free.

Doterra- hand and body lotion unscented for you to add your favorite essential oils.

Ava Anderson Non-Toxic

Perfectly Posh

Shaklee

Sunrider

Deodorant

Commercial deodorants have chemicals in them that have been linked to breast cancer, MS and other autoimmune disorders. Finding a truly natural deodorant can be a challenge since there are not many companies that make them. The only two I am aware of are Norwex and Ava Anderson Non-Toxic. You can also check whole foods as well. You can also use either the purify blend or lavender essential oil as a deodorant by applying a few drops to your armpits and the bottoms of your feet.

Bath or Shower Gel

Doterra has one kind of a bath or shower gel and so do many of the other companies already mentioned. The other option is to use baking soda, a natural soap, or an essential oil. Not all oils work for this though. Lavender, Lemon, Ylang Ylang and Wild Orange are good ones.

Makeup

Many makeup brands including those advertised as natural have parabens and other cancer causing and unhealthy chemicals in them. A few brands that do not include:

NewaysSunriderAva Anderson Non-Toxic

Honey Bee Gardens http://honeybeegardens.com

Shampoo and Conditioner

This is another item that can be hard to find a truly natural one. Baking Soda actually works really well for cleaning hair as well as for mixing into shampoo to increase its effectiveness and for reducing dryness and dandruff.

That said Doterra has some great shampoo and conditioner as well and so do many of the companies already mentioned. You can also check out the shampoo and conditioner at your local whole foods or other organic food and wellness stores. Just make sure that you read the label and that you are really aware of any chemicals that may still be in them. Rosemary is also a great essential oil for your hair.

Gluten Free

Quinoa

Quinoa has been my favorite grain ever since I first began eating gluten free. You can buy it either as a grain that you can cook and eat with vegetables, and meat or as a cereal, or you can buy quinoa flour that you can use for baking. The best place to get quinoa the grain is either at Costco, Sam’s Club or Amazon. You can find it at several other grocery stores as well but in most cases it costs more there. I’ve found quinoa flour at one of my local grocery stores that caters to people with food allergies and people who eat more organic food. It’s only in Utah so if you live in any other state you won’t find that exact store but you probably can find something similar.

My favorite quinoa recipes are anything that you can make with rice. You can use quinoa instead.

The best place to find quinoa recipes is at http://cookingquinoa.net

Millet

Millet is another gluten free grain that you can use in place of wheat, or rice. It also makes a great cereal in place of oatmeal. I like to cook it and eat it with soy or almond milk and honey or brown sugar. I don’t know if you can find millet flour though. I would use quinoa flour for baking.

Dried Fruit

This is a great snack food for people on gluten free diets since it’s rare for dried fruit to have gluten. That said you still need to read the packages.

Rice Crackers

I love these. There are several companies who make them and they taste just as good as crackers with wheat in them if not better. The only downside is that they usually cost more so you will want to watch for sales and coupons.

Juicing

Juicing is a great way to get more vegetables and fruits into your diet and to make sure that you get all the nutrients you need without gluten. It can also help you with your overall health. There are lots of juicers on the marketplace but Hamilton Beach has some good inexpensive ones to start with.

You can find some good recipes here:

http://juicerrecipesnow.com/

You can check out different juicers at

http://discountjuicers.com/

Enjoy Life Foods

This is a company that makes food that is gluten free but is also dairy free and nut free. I love their cookies and crackers especially.

Dairy Free

Almond, Soy or Coconut Milk

You can use both of these milks in place of dairy milk for drinking as well as for cooking or anywhere you would dairy milk. You can buy them in the milk section at any grocery stores.

Almond or Coconut Milk Yogurt

Some companies are starting to make this and I think it doesn’t taste that great but if you have a dairy allergy you may want to try it.

Green Smoothies

I make one of these each day, usually for breakfast. I have the nutribullet from http://nutribullet.com and I love it. Many people also have a vitamix or a blendtec which is great too. I usually put in a handful of either kale or spinach and sometimes I add in some celery or cucumber. I also add in some frozen banana and then I rotate with frozen strawberries, pineapple, frozen raspberries, an apple or an orange. I also will rotate between using organic coca powder, hemp seeds, chia seeds or wheatgrass.

Seasonal Allergies

Seasonal allergies are very common and they can be very annoying. The worst thing you can do is to take allergy medications. Many of them have side effects and will only work for a limited time period.

If you have major sinus problems you should see an ear, nose and throat doctor to make sure you don’t need surgery. Sinus blockage is a common problem and if you have this then you need to get it fixed in order for any other allergy problems to work.

You can also try seeing an acupuncture doctor for sinus problems. I’ve done this and it can work really well.

I’ve also found that drinking a glass of water with 2-3 drops of lemon, lavender and peppermint essential oils in it works really well. I also rub a few drops of lavender essential oil around the bone of my eyes for hay fever and it works really well.

Sinus Infections

Sinus infections can be a real pain to get rid of and most drugs are not effective especially in the long term. If you have problems with sinus infections like I do, here is what I do.

1. I use a mixture of Doterra’s On Guard essential oil blend and Breathe blend and I use a q-tip to put a few drops in my nose. If it’s really bad I will mix in Rosemary as well.

2. I use a neti pot with warm water and rotate with eucalyptus, peppermint and rosemary essential oil.

3. I take a capsule with oregano essential oil in it 1-2 times per day for 5 days. Then if it still persists then I take it again after a 2-3 day break. Oregano is considered an antibiotic and so you can’t take it for more than 5 days in a row and have it still be effective.

4. I use peppermint oil daily under my nostrils to help keep the airways open.

Asthma

1. Breathe in, Breathe Out- Power Tips for Controlling Asthma

Asthma can be very problematic especially if it is severe. As someone who has struggled to manage and control my asthma since I was a child. I have learned quite a bit about what it takes to really manage and control it.

Here are some of the main things I have learned.

1. The food you eat makes a difference. Many people don’t like to admit this because it can be a real pain to avoid certain foods but for me and many others foods like Pizza, bread, corn, soy, milk products and anything with wheat or gluten in it can be a real problem for asthma. This doesn’t mean that you can’t ever eat anything with these things in it, but you do need to be careful. If your asthma is acting up very severely, then you want to start by eliminating wheat from your diet for at least a month and see what happens. Wheat can often be the biggest problem although other foods can be as well.

2. Avoid running for exercise. If you have asthma you more than likely do not like to run or you feel like you cannot run, and that is okay. I’ve found that exercises such as ice skating and swimming to be just as healthy for you and to be much more asthma friendly.

3. Taking Vitamin C and Vitamin B12 supplements can help a lot. That said you do have to use them in a large quantity in order for them to work at their maximum level.

4. Essential oils can help in a powerful way. Unfortunately this is the last option many people try and it doesn’t even occur to many people to try them. I know it took me until 2 years ago and after years of suffering before I tried them. The brand I highly recommend is Doterra. They have a special compound called breathe that has been amazing for my asthma.

5. You have to be consistent with whatever asthma remedy you use. Whether it’s essential oils, diet, or other vitamins, you can’t just take them periodically or whenever you are having an attack. You need to treat your asthma daily, even when you think you feel fine or are not having any asthma problems at the moment.

Autism

One of the major challenges that you encounter when you find out that your child has autism or any other similar disorder is dealing with all of the therapy options. There are literally hundreds of things you can do. So how do you figure out which ones are right for your child?

Here are some of the common therapies and some things to consider with each one.

1. Brain Gym is a somewhat alternative therapy that first began being used in the late 1970’s. When I was diagnosed in 1982 it was not very well known, however, my parents made the decision to use this as one of the main therapies they used with me. It worked very well for me and has helped thousands of children since. The main advantage to brain gym is that you as a parent can get trained on how to do it with your child with relatively little effort and cost. My mom did it with me for years. The biggest challenge is that it must be done with the child for 1-2 hours at least 5 days per week. So you as a parent must be committed to doing it with your child. Learn more at the Brain Gym website. http://www.braingym.org/

2. ABA- This is probably the most popular therapy and the first one that many parents consider or try with their child. The biggest advantage is that many doctors and therapists are trained to do it. The disadvantages include the fact that it can become expensive if not paid for my insurance and it can be really hard on the child. However, it does work and has been proven to work for many children.

3. Floor Time- This is another therapy that was used with me. This therapy involves exercises designed to help the child with their emotional and social development. Learn more about his at http://www.icdl.com/dirFloortime/overview/index.shtml

4. A series of exercises that are performed on a trampoline or floor mat- These exercises are designed to help retrain the brain to function at a maximum level. These include cross training and exercises with a ball. This is another therapy that was used with me.

5. Chiropractic- I know I’ve mentioned this a few times already but more parents really need to look into this for their child on the autism spectrum since it can be more helpful than many people realize.

6. The Gluten Free Diet- This diet can make all the difference for many children. It will not work for everyone but I know for me it made a huge difference. Many children on the autism spectrum are allergic to gluten or wheat and they need to avoid putting it into their system.

7. Occupational Therapy- This along with Speech Therapy and ABA makes up the most common trio of therapies. Most children will need this to one degree or another. I went to

an occupational therapist for a few years as a child as well. Do your homework to find a good one and you may want to interview more than one provider before making a decision.

8. DAN- otherwise known as defeat autism now. This is a special certification and program often used by biomedical doctors or specialized chiropractors. When I was a child this program didn’t exist. Now it is used to remove metals from the child. You need to be careful with this one since the wrong doctor or treatments can do more damage than help. I recommend contacting Dr. Amber Brooks at http://mychildwellness.com to learn more. She is in Texas but she also does free consultations and long distance consulting.

How can I help you more? I welcome your questions?AnnaLaura [email protected]