The following are some fun finds that I want to put on your radar. First let’s be clear here, I’m not big on buying a lot of stuff, let alone bragging about my purchases, and I prefer to live minimally. But sometimes you just need good purchases that will fit your lifestyle and goals. These seven purchases do just that and stick to the theme of LPC by breaking away from “conventional norms” and furthering the pursuit of healthy, clean living in a way that’s both modern yet primal; innovative yet simple. Hope you enjoy! Oh, and please share any cool purchases you’ve made as of late that you’d like to share with the LPC crew!
1. Electric Car
This was all my husband, John’s, doing. His main transportation till now was his old big-ass gas-guzzling truck and he wanted to have something that would be more efficient for commuting around town. We did a lot of research on available electric vehicles, test drove a few, and settled on leasing a Fiat 500e (technically not a purchase, but all things considered,we had no interest in purchasing an electric car yet and our lease is dirt cheap). I couldn’t be happier with this car and our decision to get it. With 90+ miles per charge, it honestly is all we need for local driving—and I absolutely love that we’re helping the environment, even if just in a small way. Since this is a “fun” car it was my call to go for it and get bright orange. It just makes you smile and feel happy. If you have questions feel free to ask!
2. Clean Toothpaste
There are a lot of unfavorable ingredients in commercial toothpastes. Some of the potentially harmful ingredients include triclosan, sodium lauryl sulfate, artificial sweeteners, fluoride, propylene glycol, DEA and microbeads (1). You can of course make your own, and keep it simple, or check out the “ferrari of toothpastes” aka The Dirt’s MCT Oil Toothpaste, which is practically as minimal as homemade with clean “extra powerful” ingredients, super effective and tastes so good you want to eat it—unfortunately, it’s expensive (I buy from Thrive Market for a tad cheaper, $13.95, and use sparingly). Worth noting: For a long time I’ve also used a coupe others: Dessert Essence Tree Te
a Oil Toothpaste in Fennel (awesome flavor) or Wintergreen with Neem, which is way better than Tom’s IMO, but there are a couple “iffy” ingredients. So if you’re anal about the paste on your teeth then skip Dessert Essence—it’s certainly not as bad as the mainstream stuff, but not as clean as The Dirt or homemade. Also, Dr. Bronner’s, who makes a good clean toothpaste as well, and you can tell it’s “pure” in the texture and thickness; it’s vegan, fluoride-free, non-GMO certified, NSF certified, contains no synthetic foaming detergents or synthetic flavors; and uses coconut oil and coconut flour as a mild abrasive. More clean products for home and body here.
I quit drinking coffee first thing in the morning for many reasons. If you’re dealing with health issues ranging from adrenal fatigue to candida, I recommend this to you as well. (Personally, I didn’t totally give up coffee: I’ll have a 3-4 ounces of diluted cold brew mid- or late-morning after breakfast.) I still love and “need” a good morning drink first thing, and dandelion tea is my go-to beverage. I am buying Teeccino Dandelion Dark Root Chicory Herbal Tea, which in addition to dandelion root includes carob, chicory root, ramon seeds and coffee flavor. It’s 15 calories, gluten-free, organic, unsweetened and of course caffeine free. It certainly has a coffee essence, and it’s great straight on its own (or I’m sure adding your “fats” to bulletproof it would taste awesome). While the amount of dandelion may not be as potent as buying fresh dandelion greens, there are still health benefits including liver detox, soothing an upset stomach, antioxidants and minerals. That said, I also love buying fresh dandelion greens as well; they’re a great bitter green you can add to your green juice, in salads or sauté with other veggies.
4. FitVine Wine
I am no longer the wine-o I once was because quite frankly life feels better when I keep drinking to a minimum. But occasionally I still love to pour myself a glass or two. And when I do, I’m a wine snob: I only like to drink good wine (why bother otherwise?) but I’m pretty sensitive to many wines from a health perspective, so overall I’m very picky on what I drink. I wanted to venture out from my normal Italian wines, and this led me to FitVine wines, which boast no additives, no residual sugar, low sulfites, no GMOs, among other benefits. I honestly was skeptical; mostly that it’d taste like crap (a lot of “healthy” wines are so bad they’re not even worth drinking).
I ordered their pinot noir and cabernet sauvignon. The bottles themselves are fairly priced, but the shipping was a bit much—not surprising. Taste wise: the pinot was fabulous—very impressed—but the cab was nothing special. As far as the wine’s effects on how I felt the next day? Pretty good! On each drinking occasion, the next morning I could feel a teeny tiny bit of a hint that I drank, but nothing like effect that some wines have. Though, I could only manage to get down two glasses a night, which is pretty moderate and not enough to cause a real hangover anyway. Bottom line, I would continue buying this wine and recommend it for sure. No affiliate/sponsor relationship here, just an honest review.
Btw, I was going to do Dry Farm Wines but didn’t want to sign up for a club membership and reoccurring shipments—I just don’t drink that much! Bummer.
Sadl
y a brand I once loved, Skora, seems to be no longer, but happily there are other great alternatives that fit the bill! Vivobarefoot shoes are great because they 1) are zero-drop minimalist shoes, 2) have wide toe boxes, and 3) offer all sorts of options for road running, trails and casual wear. I’ve splurged on a few pairs since the holidays and love them. Specifically I have: Primus Trail SG (hardcore, great tread and waterproof!), Soa Kembo boots, and a now-old version of the Primus Lites. John also bought a couple pairs for running and causal wear and loves them. Once you go minimalist you can’t go back! A friendly warning: Vivos are about as minimal in the sole as it gets (you feel everything! Even more minimal than Skora and some Vibrams!) so proceed with caution if you’re not used to this. That said, the trail shoes are a bit “meatier” in the sole than the road running/casual shoes.
I love my homemade coconut flour psyllium pancakes but sometimes I just want quick and easy, and Birch Benders Paleo Pancake Mix nails it. Just add water, and this batter is impressive quality for gluten free—it makes perfect pancakes even for those who suck at flippin’ flap jacks. It’s sweetened with monk fruit (check out the brand Lakanto here), which I’m a huge fan of, and I know a few people who hate stevia but like monk fruit. The base of these pancakes consists of cassava flour, coconut flour and almond flour. Sometimes I’ll add blueberries and cinnamon into the batter or add them on top after they’re cooked (as pictured). They go great with eggs, bacon and spread on butter or ghee. This mix is also awesome to take when traveling if you have a kitchen in your rental or for camping/backpacking! The pictures below were taken in a rental cabin in Big Bear; I made these pancakes along with scrambled eggs and kale before going snowboarding.
7. Mustard Greens
Not a product, but definitely needs a mention. I truly thought I had eaten all the greens available in my region of the world, but guess I was wrong: I had missed mustard greens! I first bought a bunch at the FM around Thanksgiving, not even knowing what they were but immediately falling in love with them as a substitute to kale with my morning eggs/avocado. They have a slightly bitter taste and are perfect for Asian-inspired dishes. I don’t cook with sesame oil often, but now I’ll make an exception if I’m sautéing mustard greens (as long as it’s on very low heat). To me, mustard greens are an untapped superfood. Like dandelion greens, mustard greens also can help detox the liver and blood; they’re high in vitamins K, A, C; rich in phytonutrients and antioxidants; help regulate cholesterols protects against cancer (2)! Here are some of my food prep and meal pictures with mustard greens lately:
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