A few years back I switched my family from store purchased toothpaste to natural, homemade toothpaste. These days there are a lot of complicated chemical ingredients listed on the back of toothpaste tubes and containers—even many of the natural brands have them. Not to mention, the natural, safe brands seem a bit overpriced. So I thought—why not make my own? Being very choosy, I used safe, simple, natural ingredients, and now I am here to share my own natural toothpaste recipe with you!

Imagine: sitting in class, about to take a final that will determine your grade for the overall class. You’ve been up all night studying and are now only fueled by four cups of coffee and the anxiety that is keeping you focused. The professor hands you your test packet and tells you to begin when you realize nothing you have studied is on the test. Your stomach begins to churn and before you can finish writing your name on the corner of your paper you bolt out of class to the nearest bathroom.

Wheat germ is the reproductive part of a grain of wheat -- thus the term germ, meaning to germinate, which left to grow becomes wheat grass. It contains the most fat of the grain and is also the most nutrient rich. It has valuable health benefits, including preventing several major diseases, as well as aiding many other physical and mental functions.

Nature will always be the best place to get everything; it’s an abundant source of all that is good for us. Why don’t we recall that this also includes items that beautify? Instead of chancing it with ingredients that sound like they emanated from a mad science experiment, you can make your own cosmetics at home, with natural ingredients you already know and love. Here are some great options to get you started on your way to a truly healthy glow:

Sugar Scrub

The Lazy Composter / Homemade Fertilizers From Waste

Couldn’t get compost right? Try these homemade fertilizers instead…

Nature is good for me because it shows me a different, more expansive side of life that people too often do not expose themselves to in the cubicles of their minds' eye, from the limited contours of the concrete jungle.

Goji Berry Goodness

If you love berries and can't seem to get enough sweetness in your diet, then don't pass up the goji. Goji berries, otherwise known as wolf berries, are a fruit from the Lycium barbarum family offering a wide range of health benefits which include fighting diabetes, preventing high blood pressure, even combating depression. The goji is native to China and the Chinese have been using this super food for centuries to treat various ailments.

Throughout the world, there are few common base themes or expressions that have served in the creation and conservation of every culture, and which have been carried from the beginning of our cultural development to still stand as equally important parts of modern life today. Amongst these there is perhaps one more personally powerful, fundamentally meaningful, and collective unifying expression than all others, hailing shared value to most each and every human, regardless of size, color, shape, class, or education in a special way - and that is dancing. This is the heart of embodiment.

Spending time outside in nature has innumerable benefits—it's relaxing and energizing, and it helps clear your mind and alleviate symptoms of depression as well as ADHD in children and teens. Despite the impressive structures and habitats we've created to live in, work in, and identify with (homes, schools, cities), our DNA says that we belong in the animal kingdom.

The argument surrounding alternatives to over-the-counter medicines has waged for years, and with the prices surrounding prescription drugs today, some have simply turned their attention to things ranging from herbs to extensive exercise to spiritualism to aid them in their quest towards self-healing.