Make Your Own Soda

Lots of families have kids who love sugary drinks, which we all know are generally unhealthy and are linked to obesity and diabetes. But when Mom and Dad love their soda, too, it is a tricky proposition to remove it completely from the house. But there is another option... and it's healthy, too.

The first thing we must remember is that for most people, soda is actually an acquired taste. This is especially true of diet soda, which often contains chemicals that are quite bad for you in order to provide the "sweetness" craved by the drinker. So changing a soda solution might require a few attempts to get used to the flavor, but it is worth the small effort.

These days, it is becoming more common for families to make their own sodas at home. Carbonating systems are available at many retailers. Their mixes, however, are generally just the same chemical junk found in mass-produced beverages. But if you crave a frosty carbonated beverage, these machines allow you to inexpensively make your own seltzer water, the starting point of all soda drinks.

Without a contraption to sparkle your own water, you can still pick up bottles of seltzer or club soda for a fraction of the cost of name brand cola. Once you have the fizzy water ready, you only need two more ingredients and you are moments away from a delicious soda.

The secret ingredients are fresh lemon juice (you only need a little) and molasses. All sodas need a sweetener of some sort, but looking at all the natural options reveals one basic truth: while sugars generally offer the same calories, they are otherwise mostly nutritionally vacant. Honey and maple syrup offer some trace nutrients and are healthier options than refined sugar, but molasses is a nutritional powerhouse in its own right. That is correct: molasses is downright good for you.

So take a glass of sparkling water, squeeze some lemon into it and stir in a spoonful of molasses. The amounts you like will take a little experimenting to work out, and will likely change as you grow to appreciate the complexities of flavor in good molasses. I recommend the rich tasting black strap variety and Meyer lemons as a flavor combination, and I like mine strong and frothy with an extra pump of carbonation. Have fun finessing your own homemade bubbling beverages!

Flies and Maggots

The video linked here contains some unsettling footage for those of us who don't like watching maggots squirm. It is interesting, however, because it shows in detail what appears to be a pair of maggots (or fly larvae) emerging from a mother fly.

Normally flies lay eggs. Although commonly believed that all flies lay eggs, there are a few notable exceptions to this rule. There is a large fly in Africa, for instance, that gives birth to a larva that is almost as large as the mother and is quite active at birth, but this single child at a time version of fly reproduction is confined (as far as we know) to a single species. A few other smaller flies are known to give birth as well, though it is not something normally seen in the United States.

The fly in this video was captured in Los Angeles, California. I am posting it here as a simple reminder of why we should all keep flies out of our homes as much as possible.

Certainly, flies play a role in nature. They feed on rotting food, carcasses and excrement and help these things break down in the environment. The downside to this is that flies also carry germs and bacteria from their food sources and readily deposit them on everything they touch. Flies spread diseases and carry pathogens quite readily. Plus, they deposit their eggs in large quantities wherever they can find a food source for the emerging maggots.

Reducing or removing anything that might attract a fly from inside the home is an essential step in keeping flies away. They are attracted to uncovered kitchen compost containers, garbage and recycling bins. Ensuring that covers are used on garbage containers is beneficial, however it is best to still take the garbage outside often. Even a covered container may emit smells that attract flies, which will then continue buzzing around indoors while looking for a place to deposit their eggs.

If this video is to be believed, then the featured fly and others like it could simply be dropping maggots in the kitchen, bathroom or bedroom. Most indoor trash containers could potentially offer some sort of food source for flies, so ensuring they remain covered or emptied is important.

Obviously, installing screens and keeping unscreened doors and windows closed is a good idea. There are some decent non-chemical solutions on the market for keeping flies at bay. But nothing takes the place of simple diligence.

Natural Cleaners for the Home

When we clean the house, my family no longer uses brand name cleansers and the house has never felt or looked cleaner. Another big bonus is that it smells better, too! There is no chemical smell. Instead, the air in each room feels fresh. Windows have fewer streaks. Counter tops are disinfected. Floors shine. Tubs and sinks sparkle. And we save money in the process. It is not all about harder scrubbing and working ourselves to the bone, either.

What's the secret? Only common sense (and a little bit of research).

The Green Clean Book
Hydrogen Peroxide
Guide to Speedy Green Cleaning

Natural Cleaning Agents

Like most people, I used to clean with products purchased at the grocery or hardware store. In fact, I had spent some time as a youth working as a janitor at my father's office. Typically, the most toxic chemicals were chosen with the idea that they would get the job done most quickly and with the least amount of effort. That is how most people appear to approach the cleaning process, professionally or otherwise. Spray on something that will "scrub" the tiles so you don't have to. Squirt something to dissolve the stains so the brush (and physical contact) becomes unnecessary. Use disposable pads and avoid having to touch anything dirty or full of germs. These selling angles appear everywhere these days and seem to be convincing consumers that there is no better way. But there is a better way, a healthier way and a smarter way to clean.

The best part is, it is also cheaper to clean with natural ingredients. While there are terrific pre-made environmentally friendly alternatives on the market, like the Conserve brand, it is easy to mix up your own home concoction from simple ingredients you probably already have.

Ingredients for a better clean

Start by looking in the kitchen pantry and the bathroom medicine cabinet. These two places are commonly stocked with the basics. What is not already there can be easily retrieved from virtually any grocery or convenience store, usually at a cost of less than $1 per item. The best news: nothing toxic to worry about.

• Alcohol
• Vinegar
• Hydrogen Peroxide
• Baking Soda
• Lemon Juice
• Water

Growing an Organic Garden

As people learn more about what is involved with factory farming, planting and growing organic food at home is becoming a more appealing option. The increasing costs of healthy grocery store options vs the effort involved with creating an organic garden at home have lead more and more people to develop small garden plots. Urban farming continues to rise.

Growing Organic Gardens

Going organic can begin with some simple steps. Regardless of the garden size, the first and most important step is to establish the physical parameters and fill the area with clean, chemical-free soil. Using a proper compost base layer will lead to healthier vegetable growth by loosening the soil and filling it with nutrients. Composting takes a long time to do at home, so initially it may be necessary to utilize commercial compost. Over time, however, it pays off to create a personal compost reserve suited to the size of an established garden.

One of the primary tenets of an organic home garden is to avoid the use of chemical fertilizers, herbicides and pesticides. While these are readily available and highly effective, there is much research to show that these chemicals may be absorbed into the body and that they may cause lasting damage to the environment. Natural alternatives frequently do not work as advertised, which causes many would-be organic farmers endless frustration. Yet there are simple physical options that can inexpensively solve many of the more common problems.