Another Gap in Maternal Care

Another Gap in Maternal Care

There is 3-finger gap in maternal care, yet with all the awareness being raised about birth empowerment, this one is not being discussed much. Diastasis Recti is another form of pregnancy and birth-related trauma that is preventable and treatable without surgery, yet women are willingly and silently suffering with it because doctors are misdiagnosing it, fitness professionals are making it worse, surgeons are inserting meshes that do NOT work, and {some, not all} midwives are often accepting it or advising crunches, which is incorrect.

“Clinicians have long noted its presence, prenatally and postnatally, but the magnitude of the problem is currently unknown,” says THIS STUDY that showed postnatal women still suffering from wide diastasis gaps. Yet women are told that they are vain for worrying about the squishiness and poochiness of their bellies. Women are told to just accept their muddled middle as one more “battle scar.” We are also told that “leaking” is normal, too, yet diastasis and your pelvic floor are very much related. Here’s what one of my Fit2B Studio members recently said:

How about the fact that those of us who do require csections are then given no physical therapy afterwards. We’re given pain meds and told to carry on. Most serious surgerys have some form of recovery care. Merely making sure the incision spot is healing is not enough.” -Fit2B in New York, Lynn

You see, Diastasis is a health issue, not an issue of looks, even though healing it can flatten your belly. While we may not be able to do much about stretch marks, we can do something about our deflated cores. If you’ve had a surgical birth, then it becomes even more crucial for you to reconnect with your abdominals, because our abs do so much for our health:

• Hold our organs in the right spots, encouraging proper digestive flow.
• Support our spine, preventing lower back pain and protecting our spinal cord and nervous system.
• Minimize pressure to our pelvic floor, fighting stress incontinence by lifting the weight of our organs off our pelvic floor and bladder.
• Heal our body because the abs braid together in unique layers, twining together in a God-given corset that shapes and defines our whole being!

[kleo_h3] What Can You Do If You Think You Have Diastasis Recti? [/kleo_h3]

When a woman experiences c-section, lengthy pushing, or trauma to her core from accidents, abuse or inappropriate ab workouts like crunches and situps, the diastasis recti gap in her abdominal wall is often more severe. A wider gap means a longer recovery, but the method of healing is the same.

1. Check your abs for a diastasis by clicking HERE
2. Avoid postures, motions and workouts that place forceful pressure on the linea alba seam of the abdominal wall. Click HERE for a handout if you currrently suffer from diastasis and consider getting abdominal rehabilitation through The Tummy Team.
3. Engage in routines like those found on Fit2B Studio that promote strength of the deepest, biggest abdominal muscle: transverse abdominus, also known as transversalis. Click HERE to try a free SAFE workout!
4. Bind your belly immediately after birth and engage your transverse within 3 days after vaginal birth, 10 days after Caesarean.
5. Consider finding a local expert to help you “find” your core and help you heal faster! Check out my growing Diastasis Directory!

If you work in any vein of the health care field, I urge you to open your eyes to all of the protruding paunches: Women who still look pregnant YEARS after giving birth. Men who look pregnant. Children, too!

My nephew is adopted from Ethiopia, and he came to the states with Giardia that bloated his belly. He has as wide of a gap as I did after having two babies! But he is healing as his mama wraps his belly and goes over the exercises I showed him. Crunches and situps and planks are NOT the answer; Do your research and read all the hyperlinks I posted. And I dare you to join our Diastasis Awareness Movement by liking this Facebook page and posting this image on your blog, linking it back to the self-check video.

This button was provided by Giveawayoverload.blogspot.com

Also, message me at beth@fit2b.us if you have questions. I want every woman to know how to heal herself and her family!

Image source: Pixabay.com

Bethany Learn doing Reverse Warrior

About the Author: Bethany Learn lives with her family in the Pacific Northwest. She is the founder of Fit2B Studio {this site} an online workout video portal that streams family-friendly exercise routines right to your tv, laptop, pc, or smartphone. Bethany has a degree in Exercise and Sport Science and has taught group fitness for 16 years. She currently moonlights as The Tummy Team‘s fitness specialist, and her hobbies include dragonboating, reading, crocheting rugs out of t-shirt yarn, and editing for indie authors.

Original article and pictures take fit2b.us site

Animal Themed Recipes for Kids

Animal Themed Recipes for Kids

One of my favorite activities to do with the boys is to visit the Detroit Zoo. Our year-long membership comes in handy almost weekly, especially when the weather is nice! Now that Joey knows most animals noises it makes our trip the zoo even more exciting. Except when he runs around growling like a lion… that gets us plenty of looks and laughs from fellow zoo-goers.

Ze zoo crew!!! Note I usually get an upper and lower body workout when I travel anywhere with these two…

The Joey Point: His “move” when he sees an animal at the zoo!

There’s the point again!

You can imagine my excitement when my friends at Door to Door Organics reached out to me regarding their partnership with the Detroit Zoo. These two organizations came together to create animal themed recipes for a Rezoopie Cookbook. The cookbook is meant to inspire kids to help their parents in the kitchen while creating AND eating healthy foods—- the same fruit and vegetable foods their favorite animals eat!

Here’s a hard copy of the Rezoopie Cookbook— but you can also get each recipe online at Door to Door Organics!

I’m not the only one who got to test and try these animal themed recipes. Joey did too— as well as my Detroit-based blogger pals Kristy from Chocolate Slopes and Rachel from Rachel Cooks. Be sure to head to their blogs to check out which animal themed recipes they tested in their own kitchens! Here were the recipes I made with Joey and Anthony [well, Anthony just watched, but he was growling for a taste too]:

Porcupine Pickups Similar to my three-cheese quinoa bites, these pick-ups are super kid-friendly. I also enjoyed them dipped in a little BBQ sauce [thank you Joey for the tip].

Muffin tin recipes are SO kid-friendly!!

Now obviously Joey and Anthony are a little young to help me with mixing and chopping, but Joey loved trying all of these recipes [aka poking them] and watching Mom cook and talk about the foods! Kids are never too young to BE in the kitchen IMO.

Please disregard the TV remote in Joey’s hand…

Fruit Doves Grilled Rainbow Skewers Kids and kabobs. Seriously, there’s nothing they love more. You can certainly mix and match the fruit on the skewer [like I did] but you HAVE to try the banana yogurt dipping sauce. No substitution there— and Joey gobbled up all of the dipping sauce.

Zebrapple Kale and Sweet Potato Salad Joey immediately picked off the apples and sweet potatoes, and I was OK with getting to munch on the extra kale from his salad. What I love about this recipe is that it’s PACKED with nutrients and also serves as a main dish [I added grilled chicken] or side dish.

YUM!!! Kale salads = Mom’s favorite. Joey tried it… but he’d rather have had the fruit skewers… smart kid ��

Again, DTDO has a whole series of animal themed recipes in the Rezoopie Cookbook— not just the ones I shared here. These recipes have been created with kids in mind! What child wouldn’t want to eat like their favorite animal at the zoo? Be sure to head on over to DTDO website to get all of the Rezoopie recipes in the free, online cookbook. And if you are local to Detroit, you’ve GOT to visit the Detroit Zoo! Tell them Joey and Anthony sent you. And that Anthony is ready to eat zoo food too!

All smiles at the zoo… even if he doesn’t know a lion from a gorilla!

You might have guessed I’m a big fan of DTDO— I’m SO thrilled to offer a special discount for all of my readers. Simple use the code “MOMTOMOM” to save $10.00 off your first order on their website!

For more information, be sure to follow Door to Door Organics on Twitter, Facebook, Pinterest, and Instagram!

Disclaimer: I am proud to partner with the Door to Door Organics to share my experience using their online grocery services. Because of these great partnerships I am able to share delicious and nutritious family-friendly recipes. As always all opinion and ideas are 100% my own.

Original article and pictures take i2.wp.com site

An Update on our School Year (Our Schedule, Curriculum, Homeschool, Public School, College, oh my!)

An Update on our School Year (Our Schedule, Curriculum, Homeschool, Public School, College, oh my!)

Way back in August when I shared this very delicious Whole Wheat Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Muffin recipe, I mentioned a bit about our school year and our family Bible time. Several asked for more information, so here I am, a month and a half later, finally getting around to writing a few details about our schedule and curriculum.

The good news: So far, this year isn’t as difficult as the past three years have been. Thank you, God. Our high school aged sons had some tougher classes during those years that threatened to push both student and mother over the edge of sanity. Everything in comparison seems easier this year, even though it’s still hard work. So here we are, not losing our sanity. Mostly.

This year we have:

Asa ~ age 20, a college junior

Of course he’s not still homeschooling or even living at home, but I thought you might like an update on him anyway. :) Asa lives on the York College campus across town, so we still get to see him from time to time! He’s in the thick of his Business Communications degree plan, is known as “the video guy” on campus, and is well on his way to making a career of videography and photography. He’s paying his way through school with his camera, by studying hard so he can keep his academic scholarship (he has to maintain a 3.75 gpa or higher, phew!), plus he’s got a soccer and a choir scholarship. Somehow he keeps up with all of this, along with heavy involvement on campus, without ever sleeping. Also, he has an adorable girlfriend. Be still my heart.

Justus ~ age 17.5, a high school senior

He is all but finished with his high school graduation requirements, so he is focusing now on getting more college credits under his belt. (We heart dual credits!) He’s taking World Literature on the York College campus, and Intro To Business at the public high school for college credit.

Big News! Nebraska changed their requirements this year for homeschoolers. In order to participate in extracurricular activities at the public school, homeschoolers only have to take two classes (which is much more doable for our family compared to previous state requirements). So Justus and Elias are taking two classes each at our local high school so that they can play soccer with the team in the spring. So exciting!

Justus is taking piano and voice lessons each week, choir at the public school, and produces music on software at home each week too. Perhaps it goes without saying that he is planning to be a music major in college next year.

Elias ~ age 15.5, a high school sophomore

This kid is hitting his high school basics hard this semester so that he can begin dual credits next semester (or next year…we’re still working out some of the specifics). He’s taking Choir and Weight Lifting at the public high school for his two required classes which will make him eligible to play soccer with the team. We chose those because there’s no homework involved, seeing as his homeschool academic plate is very full this year (details below).

Elias takes voice lessons each week and has no idea what he wants to do as a career in the future. It will be fun to watch God reveal that to him in the coming years!

Malachi, age 12.5, a 7th grader

This guy is so full of ideas I can’t keep up. He’d rather ignore all school work and instead develop his ideas all day (mostly with LEGOs and YouTube, both of which he’d like to turn into businesses). Unfortunately, he has mean parents who still make him do his Pre-Algebra. So, he works hard to get his school work done by lunch, if possible, so that he can go with ALL THE IDEAS all afternoon.

He is on both a city team and a club team for soccer this fall and is busy writing two scripts for a church middle school event in the spring.

All three of our boys who still live at home will play for our homeschool basketball team this winter (Malachi’s first year!). They also all referee soccer for our city rec league, and some for club teams too, which has been great money for them through the years. They all work with Matt here and there doing various handy man or lawn care jobs, which is great for their work ethic, skills training, and savings accounts!

What does our school year schedule look like?

6:30ish I get up and have quiet time with God before the household gets up. The boys wake up to their alarm clocks so they can be ready and at the table at 8:00.

8:00 Our family enjoys breakfast and Bible time together (I explained more about our family Bible time here).

8:40 Justus and Elias leave for Choir at the public school. Elias has Weight Lifting right after that, so Justus hangs out in the library and does school work during that period.

Meanwhile, Malachi and I read World History together (Sonlight curriculum) at home. Then he heads to a computer to work on Pre-Algebra (Teaching Textbooks) in the hopes that he’ll be done with that computer before Elias gets home. I answer emails and do other small blogging jobs while staying nearby to answer any math questions Malachi has.

10:30 Justus and Elias get home from public school. Justus practices his piano, guitar, and does any college class homework that needs to be done.

Elias starts on Geometry (Teaching Textbooks), then moves on to English, Zoology, and Economics (all guided by Sonlight curriculum suggestions, but adapted by Matt and me to fit his needs/learning style/state requirements). He finishes his day with Spanish (DuoLingo) usually around 2:00. We’re trying to squeeze in some ACT practice right now as well.

Malachi does his English, Science, and Reading (all Sonlight curriculum), then moves on to Spanish (DuoLingo). If he’s diligent, he can be finished with his work by noon.

12:00 Justus heads out to his Intro to Business class at the public school.

1:00 Everyone (and by this, I mean everyone but Asa, of course) is home and we eat lunch together, if possible.

1:45 On Tuesday/Thursday, Justus heads to the York College campus for his World Lit class. Elias and Malachi finish any work they have left. This is the point I can usually get a little bit of uninterrupted blogging work done, maybe, sort of. (Not that it matters, but it is 3:47 right now and I have been interrupted no less than 13 times in the past 30 minutes. Working from home is so relaxing and productive.)

The rest of the day and evening involves soccer games, church activities, or ministry opportunities. Often we don’t eat dinner together until around 8:00 pm during the fall. However, our boys’ homeschool basketball season is about to begin, which will mean that they need to eat and leave by 6:30 on Tues/Thurs evenings.

Through each full day, God always provides for our spiritual, emotional, and physical needs. My dirty kitchen though? Well, I’ll get that clean after all the kids graduate.

Original article and pictures take heavenlyhomemakers.com site

An Open Letter from a Foster Adoptive Parent

An Open Letter from a Foster Adoptive Parent

Here is a heart-felt letter from a foster adoptive parent. May it encourage other adoptive or foster moms in their unique challenges as parents!

I received this heartfelt letter from an anonymous reader the other day, and I asked her if I could publish it to the site. I hope this letter is both encouraging and convicting–and will build empathy. These are words that must be shared.

Much love and grace,

~Erin

In case you ever wondered…

Precious life was added to my family this year but not one congratulations was issued. Instead of a baby shower and well wishers I was greeted with paperwork, prying questions, and weekly investigations. Even my own friends gave me blank stares and offered up what little wisdom they could-usually in the form of a horror story from a friend in my situation.

Although I’ve entered motherhood in every sense of the term, my children do not call me mom – I’ve not yet earned that title. That term is reserved for the woman who horribly abused them. It is I who pay for her sins on a daily basis in my effort to help heal their wounds – the wounds she inflicted. Still, they cry for her, it’s her they miss.

After a year of making more sacrifices than most mothers to care for my broken children, still they tell me their hearts are only half as full as they were before – with their father. Their father who spent his days so strung out on drugs and alcohol he didn’t know they were there. The same father who can’t even keep appointments to come visit them. All my effort and sacrifice cannot measure up to him in their minds. It is I who pays for his sins.

I pay for sins that are not mine in the face of society. My eldest, if I’d given birth to her would have made me a teenage mother. I bear that stigma everywhere with frowns and sideways glances. It is especially bad at church where I’m the youngest woman there with a child in elementary school. Most women my age are in the nursery commenting on how much their kids look like them or their spouse.

I’ve had to listen to my husband being called a saint for taking in all of my children… Yes, my children are older than my marriage. I’ve been asked how many have the same father, even been asked if I “have figured out what causes this yet.”

From my own family I’ve had my children referred to as “not really ours.” I’ve been asked repeatedly why my body is unable to produce a “real” child.

I’ve heard it suggested to me that my infertility is a sign that I’m not meant to be a mother. I’ve been criticized for my decision not to pursue expensive medical treatments, been cautioned that these children will make me miserable -that they will suck joy of parenting out of my life.

In case you ever wondered what it was like to follow Christ’s leading against the mainstream this is the picture I have for you. I am daily reminded of His ultimate sacrifice as I too learn to pay for the sins of others, sins I never committed. I learn to heal the damage done by those who are still loved more than me. I learn to fly in the face of society, and even my family, as I struggle under the weight of their judgments. In the end I know a joy far fuller than any parent ever has. The joy of knowing I am faithfully following the will of Him who created, and sustains me through impossibly deep waters. For me, the baby shower and congratulations will only happen on the other side of heaven but what joy it will be!

Your Sister in Christ,

– An Adoptive Parent

Images from pixabay.com

Original article and pictures take thehumbledhomemaker.com site

Amish Baked Oatmeal ~ New 31 Days of Breakfasts Recipe!

Amish Baked Oatmeal ~ New 31 Days of Breakfasts Recipe!

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Yes, I realize this is the gazillionth baked oatmeal recipe that I’ve shared this month as part of the 31 Days of Breakfasts series. AND…I have another one to share on the Tuesday! At the rate we’re going with baked oatmeal, I might be able to apply for a world record…”Food blog with most # of baked oatmeal recipes” – lol! Surely that’s a valid category! Ok, so….I’m getting a little off track here…

If you’ve never had baked oatmeal my friend, you really need to try it. It’s part-cake, part-oatmeal. It’s more cake that oatmeal, and it’s not overly sweet (usually!). It’s nothing like oatmeal if you don’t like the consistency of oatmeal. I always add a little flour to mine to make it more cake-like. It slices and serves like cake. And does a fantastic job of soaking up any milk or cream that you pour into the bowl with it.

This Amish Baked Oatmeal doesn’t have any flour in it, so it will be a bit more crumbly than my regular baked oatmeals. You can totally serve it on a plate. (Like pictured above.) And you can serve it in a bowl, mash it up and pour milk or yogurt over the top. And of course, you can make it a ‘one-dish breakfast’ by adding some berries or sliced fruit on top!

YUMMERZ!

P.S. You can totally use certified GF oats to make this GF too!

Here’s to happier, healthier and tastier mornings! *clinking orange juice glasses*

Adapted from: Cooking Classy

Yield – 6 to 8 servings

Preparation Time – 10 minutes

Cooking Time – 30 minutes

Ingredients

• 2 eggs
• 1/2 cup brown sugar
• 2 tsp cinnamon
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/4 cup canola oil
• Milk, cream or yogurt for serving
• Fresh fruit, topping

Directions

• Preheat the oven to 350. Lightly grease an 8×8-inch glass baking dish with non-stick cooking spray.
• In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the eggs, vanilla and brown sugar. Add the baking powder, cinnamon, salt and both types of oats. (Note: If you want to use all of one type of oat, that’s totally fine! I just like to mix mine up with this recipe and when making granolas!) Pour in the milk and oil and whisk well. Batter will be slightly ‘loose.’ Pour into the prepared baking dish and bake for 30 minutes, or until toothpick comes out clean in the middle.
• Let cool slightly before serving.
• Serve Amish Baked Oatmeal with milk, cream or yogurt and some fresh fruit.

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Original article and pictures take 344apz3bh6di1m0sag1etg3fxyz.wpengine.netdna-cdn.com site

Almond & Flax Protein Snack Bars

Almond & Flax Protein Snack Bars

flax and almond bars

These snack bars are so good they should almost be a dessert. This recipe is very easy because it consists of throwing everything into the food processor and has very little cleanup. These are great to take along with you as a snack for yourself and for the children. It is a great way to satisfy a sweet tooth without a lot of sugar.

Almond & Flax Bars

• 1 cup raw almonds (or crispy nuts using Nourishing Traditions method)
• 1 cup raw walnuts (same as above)
• ½ cup ground flax seeds
• ½ cup unsweetened shredded coconut
• ½ cup unsalted nut butter or tahini
• ½ teaspoon salt
• ½ cup coconut oil
• 2 tbsp. maple syrup
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 4 squares of dark chocolate for topping

Place almonds, flax seeds, shredded coconut in a food processor and process until all chopped. Add Almond butter and pulse. In a small sauce pan, melt coconut oil over very low heat. Remove coconut oil from heat, stir in maple syrup and vanilla. Add coconut oil mixture to food processor and pulse until ingredients form a paste.

Press mixture into an 8 x 8 glass baking dish. Chill in freezer for 10 minutes until hardened. In a small saucepan, melt chocolate over very low heat, stirring continuously. Spread melted chocolate over bars and let sit in freezer for 10 minutes or refrigerator for 30 minutes, slice and serve.

Hope you enjoy!

Original article and pictures take theholisticmama.com site

All-Natural Sunscreen Alternatives

All-Natural Sunscreen Alternatives

Finally, a natural sunscreen alternative that uses what I already have at home! Love these easy recipes for homemade sunscreen and the logic behind when to use them. They're definitely on my must-try list for my natural skincare routine! :: DontWastetheCrumbs.com

I was originally going to share a tutorial for making your own sunscreen today.

But then I changed my mind. Because I don’t plan on making my own sunscreen… yet.

I’ve jumped on board with a ton of DIY’s… toothpaste, powdered foundation, mouthwash… I’ve even stopped used traditional shampoo and use my own homemade conditioner.

But I’m drawing the line at homemade sunscreen for good reason –

I’m really not sure it’s a good fit for my family right now.

When We Don’t Use Sunscreen

For years we’ve been told that sun damage can cause skin cancer. Then the argument was updated to say that sun light itself isn’t harmful, but sun burns are.

On the flip side, our bodies need Vitamin D for healthy bones, a strong heart and a healthy immune system. While it’s added (often in synthetic form) to products, the American Medical Association admits in a 2009 report that “The human body is designed to manufacture vitamin D3 from sunlight.””

That same report also claims that our bodies get the minimal dose of Vitamin D needed in as little as 5 minutes of sun exposure between 10 am and 3 pm, twice a week. (Although this does NOT take into consideration extenuating factors like the season, cloud cover, the thickness of the ozone layer, skin pigmentation, age or the latitude of where you live.) (source)

We live in central California and get more than our fair share of cloudy and overcast days. Do the sun’s rays penetrate through the clouds? Yes, and my fair skin has unexpectedly become a bit too pink a few times to prove it. But in our area, these cloudy rays are sometimes the only rays we get for days on end.

Given the fact that wearing sunscreen with a minimal SPF 15 reduces my body’s ability to naturally synthesize vitamin D by 99%, (source) I’m not sold that it’s helpful my for family (key phrase there) to wear sunscreen on a daily basis. Your family might be different!

However, there are times when we always, ALWAYS wear sunscreen.

Finally, a natural sunscreen alternative that uses what I already have at home! Love these easy recipes for homemade sunscreen and the logic behind when to use them. They're definitely on my must-try list for my natural skincare routine! :: DontWastetheCrumbs.com

When We Do Use Sunscreen

I have fair skin and light hair. My daughter has also been blessed with what I affectionately refer to as “see-through skin” and if we’re ever in direct sun for longer than 30 minutes, or indirect sun for longer than 90 minutes, we wear sunscreen like nobody’s business.

We spent several weeks in Costa Rica earlier this year and putting on sunscreen was a required part of our morning ritual. Wake up, eat breakfast, brush teeth, put on swim suit, put on sunscreen.

Our summer tradition is to pack up our beach toys and spend Fridays at the Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk for the free concerts. Right next to our homemade lunchables are at least two containers of sunscreen. We apply as soon as we arrive, reapply after some time in the water, and then apply again when we’re setting up our spot for dinner and the show.

Why use sunscreen if your body needs sun?

There are studies abound linking sun burns to cancer, and there are plenty to refute the evidence as well. Whatever the final answer may be, suffice to say that sunburns hurt – and they are surface-level proof of damage to the skin – so we do what we can to protect ourselves when we know we’ll be in potential sun burn situations.

Finally, a natural sunscreen alternative that uses what I already have at home! Love these easy recipes for homemade sunscreen and the logic behind when to use them. They're definitely on my must-try list for my natural skincare routine! :: DontWastetheCrumbs.com

Natural Sunscreen Alternatives

Most homemade sunscreens are not waterproof, so it really doesn’t make sense for us to make homemade sunscreen only to not use it because it’ll wash off as soon as we get in the ocean.

It’s like cooking food and not eating it. Which is just plain ‘ol silly!

So for this season in our life – based on our outdoor activities and where we live – I’m choosing one of these natural sunscreen brands:

Why these brands? My long-time blogging friend Katie reviews sunscreens ever year and has compiled a MASSIVE list of 40+ sunscreens that she and her family have tested over the past several years. Although her methods aren’t 100% scientific (nor would mine be), they’re incredibly practical and true to life. She’s also very thorough in her research, so I trust her recommendations like I would any friend.

As for the “official” recommendations, the EWG published a list of 270+ recommended products, but that just feels a bit too broad to me and looking at all the brands is kinda overwhelming.

Finally, a natural sunscreen alternative that uses what I already have at home! Love these easy recipes for homemade sunscreen and the logic behind when to use them. They're definitely on my must-try list for my natural skincare routine! :: DontWastetheCrumbs.com

Preventing Sun Burn with What You Already Have on Hand

Another super-cool alternative to traditional sunscreens is food!

Another blogging friend Kimi totally caught my eye this past week when I stumbled across her post for preventing sunscreen with food. You’ll have to click over to read the details, but let me just say that fellow fair-skinned folks should start their day with green tea, feast on tomatoes, watermelon and salmon cooked in butter, and top if off with an indulgence in dark chocolate.

Beyond the food you eat, there are items you stock in your real food and natural living cabinets that have properties to naturally prevent sunburn too:

• Avocado Oil (SPF 4-10)
• Coconut Oil (SPF 4-10)
• Carrot Seed Oil (SPF 35-50)
• Diaper Rash Cream (that contains zinc oxide) (up to SPF 20)
• Eucalyptus Oil (SPF 3)
• Peppermint Oil (SPF 7)
• Raspberry Seed Oil (SPF 30-50)
• Sesame Oil (SPF 4-10)
• Shea Butter (SPF 6-10)

I prefer to buy my essential oils HERE.

Finally, a natural sunscreen alternative that uses what I already have at home! Love these easy recipes for homemade sunscreen and the logic behind when to use them. They're definitely on my must-try list for my natural skincare routine! :: DontWastetheCrumbs.com

Recommended Homemade Sunscreen Recipes

If I was going to make my own homemade sunscreen, I’d start with these ingredients first. I have most of them on hand, which means no additional expense and the ability to make more whenever I need to.

I will say that homemade sunscreen is a bit of science though. You can’t just dump without measuring and expect your concoction to magically repel the sun’s rays. As with any great homemade product, you should first start with a recipe and then tweak to your liking.

I REALLY like that this recipe starts with diaper cream instead of zinc oxide. Working directly with zinc oxide can be tricky, and I haven’t found an affordable source that doesn’t require me to buy a million pounds. I can get diaper cream (with the key ingredient zinx oxide) locally anytime, and I can buy just as much as I need!

This homemade sunscreen recipe would be next on my list since it only has four ingredients, but the notes at the bottom of this recipe seriously have me considering mashing my favorite lotion with diaper rash cream and adding some essential oils from above to thin as needed.

If I end up making my own sunscreen after all, I’ll let you know how it turns out!

How do you protect yourself from the sun’s rays? Do you make your own sunscreen?

Disclaimer: This post contains affiliate links. By making a purchase through those links, I will earn commission that helps to keep the lights on in the Crumbs house – with no additional cost to you. Thank you for supporting Crumbs in this way. Read my full disclosure statement here.

Original article and pictures take dontwastethecrumbs.com site