Photo by Gibsonclaire.

Tea, naked mole rats, cleaning with lemons, and Ikigai are just some of the things we’ve been reading this past week here at WellWire.

Teaspoons and petals documents one woman’s obsession with tea. She writes about all aspects of tea and tea culture. The Tea Review blog is an amazing site that reviews all types of teas. You can even participate in a tea swap, where each month you randomly send and receive an assortment of teas! After you’ve read it all, try this homemade flu fighting tea remedy from Dr. Nishant.

Naked mole rats don’t get cancer! This is a finding published recently. These unusual creatures look like a cross between a miniature walrus and a potato have special genes that suppress the growth of cells that become too “claustrophobic.” Interesting!

Dr. Philip Maffetone is a huge advocate of proper athletic training. His philosophy is based upon the fact that most people over-train, create an anaerobic inflammatory state in their bodies, injure themselves, and don’t progress in their fitness goals. In a previous book, The Maffetone Method, he explains his entire philosophy.

Last week, Christine Dionese shared some handy and super simple eco-friendly cleaning recipes. Jerrie Dean gives us more ideas using the same natural cleaning products. Keeping it clean couldn’t be any easier.

Finding your Ikigai is a great post by Karla Mercado, who just happens to be one of our writers. Ikigai is a very important part of Japanese culture, health and well-being. It may be one important aspect of why the Japanese are some of the longest living people on the planet. Find yours!

Dr. Gibran Ramos completed his six year training and internship in Naturopathic and Chinese Medicine at National College of Natural Medicine. Dr. Ramos helps patients transform their lives and optimize their well-being at a private practice in Portland, Oregon.

Photo by Xray Delta 1.

I make my own cleaning products here in sunny San Diego. Why? I live just a few blocks from the ocean and I often see my die-hard surfer friends in the water, rain or shine. After each rainfall they tend to get sick because everything we put down our drains really does end up downstream.

The next time you’re about to pour, flush, or dump anything down the drain, consider this: 260 contaminants have been found in US drinking water. Less than half of these adhere to any safety standards. Ken Cook at the Environmental Working Group notes that 41 of these contaminants come from the chemical laden products we use in our homes. Organizations like Ken’s and The Surfrider Foundation offer the most current research on protecting our water supplies.

It’s easier than you may think to keep our water clean. One of the best eco-friendly impacts you can make is deciding what you choose to put down your drain. Treating your water right at home equals improved water quality in the ocean.

Keep these simple rules in mind when making your eco-friendly cleaning supply purchases:

• Go for plant based compounds that are dye and perfume free
• Look for a neutral pH
• Choose products that are labeled “readily biodegradable” and have been packaged in recyclable materials
• Visit Debra’s List where she rates all natural cleaning supplies based on ingredients and effectiveness

Make your own and get your mad eco-scientist on!

Remember that vinegar and baking soda volcano you made explode in the 5th grade? For less than twenty bucks, you can purchase all the goodies required to blend up your own personal batches of eco-friendly cleaning supplies!

Here’s what you’ll need:

• 1 bag of lemons
• 1 large box of baking soda
• 1 large bottle of white vinegar
• Distilled H20
• Dry salt
• Dr. Bronner’s castille soap
• Old toothbrushes and small soft scrub brushes

The Formulas: Grab Your Apron

• For kitchen bathroom and tile floors: Add 1/2 cup of baking soda and the juice of 2 lemons to 1 quart of boiling water.
• For grout: Same as tile floor recipe plus 1/2 cup of salt
• For glass: Combine the juice of 2 lemons with 1 pint of white vinegar
• For drains: Pour 1 cup of baking soda into the drain immediately followed by 1/2 cup of vinegar. Allow to fizz then add another 1/ cup of vinegar. Finish with 2 quarts of hot water.
• For clothing stains: Put 1 cup of room temperature distilled water in a dish and put 1/4 cup of baking soda in a different dish. Scrub the two into the stain, gently, with a brush. Rinse off with warm distilled water.
• For wooden furniture: Mix 2 Tablespoons of Dr. B’s soap with 4 cups of warm distilled water.

Happy cleaning!

Christine M. Dionese L.Ac. specializes in integrative medicine, medical journalism and was the VP of marketing at WellWire LLC. Visit her wellness and lifestyle blog, Reaching Beyond Now.