GF Healthy, Green and Cheap: Soda Sucks

So everyone knows soda is bad for you. I always had to have my Coke with lunch. After I was diagnosed with celiac, I was so happy that Coke was GF, and only had 6 ingredients so I came up with my "6 Ingredient Rule" that if anything had more than 6 ingredients, I wouldn't waste my time trying to decide if it was safe or not.

So, being poor and unemployed and with the economy in the crapper, I decided soda was just not worth it anymore. I could make lemonade or iced tea for oodles less money AND be healthier in the process. Granted, lemonade from scratch has sugar in it, but normal cane sugar is far better than high fructose corn syrup, which has been documented all over the place as being inherenetly evil (here's one example). And iced tea has antioxidants and other good things in it.

Also, since I went GF, I gained a ton of weight. And now it's catching up to me. So, switching off soda is good not only for health reasons but for weight reasons. Personally, all the fake crap that they put in there to reduce sugar or calories frightens me. And let me add I have a degree in chemical engineering, so I speak geek. There is no mystique behind shampoo bottles or preserved meats anymore for me - I know exactly what those long lists of unpronounceable chemicals are and, frankly, I don't want them in my body, even if they are deemed "safe" by the FDA (whom I do not trust). And lo and behold, my paranoia may be vindicated. Since I've gone of soda (maybe about a month now?) I do feel a little more sluggish, but having a little more coffee has helped. I was having trouble sleeping and my stomach was a bit upset for a little while, but I think my body is getting used to the lack of caffeine and sweetners. (PS there's also the small matter of Coke's human rights abuses.)

Overall I think it's been better for my wallet and my waistline. Have you given up soda? What do you drink?

GF Healthy, Green and Cheap: Cleaning With Vinegar & Baking Soda

So since Monica already brought it up in my last HGC post (see here), I figured I should start there. She mentioned vinegar and baking soda - I seriously use this to clean 100% of of my house. I can't even remember what else I use - I don't think there is anything. At about $2.00 a gallon (cheaper if on sale), you can't get any more economical. Baking soda also usually runs about a buck a pound. I have an old Windex bottle that I usually do a little stronger than Tuch, I go about 75/25 vinegar/water. This cleans mirrors, tables, windows, countertops, you name it. Also, Trader Joe's (and other places, probably) has reusable cleaning cloths that can be thrown in the washer, so you even save on paper towels. I also tend to save rags and old (clean!) socks to dust and clean with as well.

I used to use Swiffers for the floors, but those got expensive real quick. I invested about $12 in a Libman Wondermop and a spare mop head. The heads are machine washable. I use probably about 2 cups of vinegar (give or take) in hot water in a bucket, and use that to mop my floors. If there's a stubborn stain, a little bit of baking soda will help (as Tuch also mentioned). I have a cat, and the bathroom floor where the litterbox is located gets dirty REAL quick. This mix works wonders. In addition, pure baking soda sprinkled in the litterbox helps with odors.

Now, the only minor downside is the odor of vinegar if that happens to bother you, but if you have good ventilation this isn't a problem. Vinegar also doesn't sit well with most pets but it is 100% harmless to them. And usually the amount used for the floors I find is pretty minimal and my cat has never been bothered by it. Also it doesn't bother my asthma at all, a problem I've had with Windex (which my mother is addicted to for some reason).

You can bake with it, cook with it, clean with it, and I've even heard it cures sore throats! Vinegar - the wonder fluid =)

UPDATE: Almost forgot - you can use it as a laundry stain treater too!

GF Healthy, Green and Cheap: The Beginning

So I've been thinking about writing about my "lifestyle", if you want to call it that, for a while now. As an unemployed asthmatic celiac, there's a lot of crap i have to deal with: keeping my living space clean without using stupid chemicals and buying good, healthy gluten-free food without putting myself further into debt. So I think I'll start a sub-series here about ways to be green and healthy (and GF) without breaking the bank. I know lots of people do this kind of thing, so when I find links to other sites along the same lines I'll link to them too. And feel free to share your own tips (all 3 of you that read this blog).