Why Bentonite Clay Natural Toothpaste? And How...

Toothpaste...it seems pretty innocent doesn't it? Well that's what I thought too until my aunt went to see Soloman Wickey...the Amish healer. He said to avoid aluminum in everything....toothpaste, deodorant, cooking pans, foil, etc. I also heard about aluminum linked to Alzheimer's. Click here to see how toothpaste can be made from aluminum, although most are not anymore. So I started buying natural toothpaste at a very high cost and assumed I was good. Then I started hearing about fluoride and how it may be toxic. Here is what EWG says about it...
 

SODIUM FLUORIDE

Developmental/reproductive toxicity, Multiple, additive exposure sources, Irritation (skin, eyes, or lungs), Organ system toxicity (non-reproductive), Occupational hazards, Use restrictions

So I went with Tom's Fluoride free, but the problems started with a poorly fit crown I received about 4 years ago. I had so much tooth pain after this crown was placed that I had to use a special prescription mouthwash with so many ingredients and I couldn't pronounce any of them. It also said not to use for more than 7 days. And use it I did because I didn't think I had any alternative. But there is one! Or two actually. I started using doTERRA's On Guard Toothpaste after a friend said it rebuilt her chipped tooth and my pain went away. I started using it and my whole family switched, even my stubborn husband! Then I learned about carrageenan. Click here to read Dr. Weil's article on it's safety...and realized my new toothpaste had that as well. I was bummed because I really wanted to limit our exposure to it and stopped using certain brands of almond milk with carrageenan as an ingredient. But the more I thought about it the more I realized that On Guard has clove in it and clove heals mouth and tooth pain. It was the oils that were healing my tooth not the toothpaste so finally I made my own.
 
I started with baking soda and coconut oil and it was ok but very salty. I also tried oil pulling and it was so gross I couldn't bear it. Then my friend told me about her Clay and Xylitol recipe so I tried that one and hit the bulls-eye! I really do like it. I looked for a recipe with coconut oil in it because I know it is good for oral health and found the one I ended up using here with a few tweaks. I am not concerned about the small amount of oil that may be swallowed. Peppermint is safe for therapeutic consumption and On Guard is made into capsules by doTERRA so the minuscule amount that may be swallowed by normal tooth brushing will be of no harm. The recipe follows....
 

 

The Recipe

1/4 cup bentonite clay
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/3 cup boiling water
2 tablespoons coconut oil
3 teaspoons xylitol
20 drops peppermint essential oil
10 drops OnGuard essential oil
Mix clay and salt in a bowl, then add boiling water. Mix well with a hand mixer, then add the rest of the ingredients. Mix all together well, store in an airtight container, and use a small spoon to put on brush. Make sure you clean the spoon to keep germs at bay.
 
 
Benefits of Ingredients:
 
Bentonite clay re-mineralizes cells and tissues, alkalizes the body and is very effective in protecting our bodies against radiation. Bentonite clay contains montmorillonite, the primary mineral thought to be responsible for its beneficial qualities. It also contains magnesium and approximately 67 other trace minerals. The properties of particles in bentonite clay and how they are distributed contribute greatly to the curative properties of bentonite clay. These particles contain a negative charge that attract all types of toxins and pathogens, which include bacteria, toxins, metals, and pesticides, all of which have a positive charge.
Learn more: http://www.naturalnews.com/032549_bentonite_clay_health_benefits.html#ixzz3FhMLdP4Z
 
Xylitol is known for protecting teeth from cavities as well as being used for an antibiotic replacement in ear infections. I don't recommend it as a sugar replacement as it can cause gastric distress in high doses. But in small therapeutic amounts it seems to work great. See here where to buy non-gmo brands if the GMO possibility is of concern. And see this page for xylitol studies on cavities.
 
Coconut oil kills the bacteria that cause gum disease and cavities. It even helps prevent periodontal disease and tooth decay. Research also shows coconut oil to also help your body absorb calcium and magnesium which aids in the development of strong teeth.  
 
Clove...The oil extracted from a clove is known as eugenol. Depending on where the oil is extracted from -- either the bud, leaf, or stem -- the concentration of eugenol generally ranges from 60 to 90%. Clove oil is generally used in dentistry to treat pain from a dry socket, as well as used in a number of temporary restorative materials.
 
 dōTERRA's On Guard^® blend comes from the combination of essential oils of wild orange, clove, cinnamon, Eucalyptus radiata and rosemary. On Guard is a great way to strengthen and maintain healthy immune function when seasonal threats are high or to protect against elements that can weaken the immune system.
 
Peppermint oil is commonly found in toothpaste as well as chewing gum. According to the University of Maryland Medical Center, peppermint oil has been shown to be an effective antibacterial and antiviral. It is also has mild anesthetic properties, which make it ideal for temporary treatment of tooth pain.

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

 
 The OnGuard toothpaste is great if you aren't concerned about the carrageenan.
 
 
http://www.doterratools.com/on-guard-products/whitening-toothpaste/
 

 *These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration.
This product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent disease.
 

Pandemic Preparedness as told by the Health Ranger

This is a fascinating video on preparing for a pandemic....I know, I know. My husband is going to say I am crazy. I am a wannabe, wish-I-was prepper and this probably falls into that category; HOWEVER, I feel like this is great information on how to get healthy and build our immune systems to prepare for any illness. I hope you all go to this website and watch this video...I am going to post about how to incorporate some of these suggestions into your life.

http://biodefense.com/Pandemic-Preparedness-Episode-06.html Click on link or copy and paste in browser...
Pandemic Preparedness FREE Online How-To Course

Episode 6: Antiviral herbal medicines vs. Ebola and other viral pandemics by the Health Ranger Mike Adams

 

If you want to hear exclusively about essential oils go to min 31 or so. He does promote doTERRA oils but I agree with him on the main point of "just use them" no matter where you get them! Other oils are not as potent or effective by way of personal experience but even those are better than nothing. Also...fresh herbs are more potent and health giving than any dried or made into oils. The whole fresh plant is always the best bet!

 

Disclaimer...He uses Oregano oil internally and a lot of it! I would not suggest such a large amount and if you do use oils internally it is much safer to use capsules so you don't burn your mouth and throat...ouch!

 

• The herbs he suggests I would grow and use in a tea or tincture, but tinctures are kinda gross. My favorite tea is homemade Chai by far and it has many of the herbs he suggests...

Cinnamon

Ginger

Licorice

Clove

Yum.......Recipe below

 

Homemade Chai Concentrate
Yields: 1 batch of concentrate, approximately 4 cups
adapted to suit my personal taste

4 1/2 cups water
2 tbs loose leaf rooibos tea
2 cinnamon sticks
1 vanilla bean, split in half (or 1 tablespoon of vanilla extract added at the very end)
1/2 cup coconut sugar, date sugar or raw cane sugar (you can add more or less depending on how sweet you like your chai)
1 – 3-inch section of fresh ginger, cut into pieces or 4 tsp ginger candies
10-15 whole cloves
8 cardamom pods
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground nutmeg
1/2 tsp fennel

1/2 tsp licorice
1/8 whole black peppercorns I don't like spicy chai!
1 teaspoon orange zest
1 tablespoon raw honey (optional, leave off to make vegan, if you want it to be sweeter without the honey, add a bit more sugar in at the beginning)
1 small square section of cheesecloth, approximately 6″ square (if you don’t want to mess with cheesecloth, make sure you have a good strainer you can use at the end)
kitchen twine
Prepare the spices, vanilla bean and orange zest by laying them in your cheesecloth, I leave my cinnamon sticks out to make the little pouch of spices a bit more compact. Tie the cheesecloth pouch shut with a small piece of kitchen twine. If you leave the cinnamon sticks out, just tie them together with kitchen twine.
*If you don’t wish to use cheesecloth, you will just add all of your spices directly to the pan when the time comes and strain them out after.
Add the water and sugar to a medium sized saucepan and bring to a boil over a medium-high heat. Once boiling, reduce the heat to a simmer and put in the tea bags, cheesecloth pouch and cinnamon sticks. Simmer for 20 minutes.
Remove the pan from the heat strain the concentrate through a sieve or just remove the tea bags, cheesecloth pouch and cinnamon sticks. At this point if you want a bit more sweetness you can add a tablespoon of honey, stir to dissolve. I don’t always do this, but it is a really nice touch. Additionally, if you didn’t use a whole vanilla bean, add your vanilla extract now. Stir to combine.
Allow the mixture to cool before pouring it into an airtight jar or container. This amount fits perfectly into a 1-quart mason jar. Store in the refrigerator for up to one week.
** To serve, mix 1 part concentrate with 1 part milk of your choice. I personally love unsweeteened almond milk. Heat for a warm beverage or serve over ice for a cold drink.

 

• Peppermint can be grown and dried for tea or you can use Peppermint essential oil...it is great in brownies and in chocolate smoothies!
• Basil and garlic is amazing fresh and I am growing some in my garden now. We will see how this goes as I said before I do not have a green thumb. I have an easy and incredible recipe for pesto. I make it every week and use it on homemade pizza, spaghetti on top of the spaghetti sauce or alone, as a dip for veggies...it is so good. It also has lots of garlic. Recipe below....

Pesto:

1/3 cup pine nuts 2/3 cup olive oil 5 cloves garlic 1/3 cup nutritional yeast 1 bunch fresh basil leaves salt and pepper to taste   Mix all in food processor until smooth! And it freezes well.    Another amazing treatment with garlic is a foot salve. Mix cloves of garlic with olive oil in a blender and spread on feet. Cover with a warm damp sock and put wool socks over that. Sleep on the couch away from any people...lol. Rinse off in the morning. I did this for a recurring sinus infection and it was gone in the morning as advised by a naturopath. My mom can testify to the smell...   The oils....   This is a handy little chart. I love the tools doTERRA gives for education. The oils he spoke of are all in the Physician's Kit. You can also find quality oils at Plant Therapy or Mountain Rose Herbs.   The Chinese Medicine...I believe God was warming me up to this yesterday as I would have shied away from this normally but the guy at the local health food store gave me some Chinese Medicine to "cool my fire". He said I was irritable during PMS because my liver was to hot and I needed some yin...foreign language? He gave me some Free and Easy teapill thingys and away I went. I took them right away and felt amazingly calm all night and slept easy too. Do look at labels to make sure they are tested for heavy metals as Chinese herbs tend to be high in these. I did try to find a premade formula for the herbs suggested and couldn't find them. So talk to a qualified practitioner....a Naturopath would be my suggestion. All in all very interesting and worthwhile information. I do believe I will be stocking my natural medicine cabinet and my food pantry just in case! Happy Prepping!!!