What's This All About Then??

This blog is especially for women who suffer from endometriosis, but also for anyone seeking inspiration as they journey towards healing.

We (Clara and Ellen) are sisters, and this is our joint project. Ellen has struggled with chronic pelvic pain from endometriosis for close to 15 years. This project is our answer to her pain. We decided that, even if we can't make the pain go away, we would do everything in our power to activate the body's healing mechanisms.

So what exactly is Endo Undo?

It is a year-long quest for wellness. It is about being mindful of the food and drink we put into our bodies and about how we move our bodies. It is about where we rank our own bodies in our list of life priorities (and trying to get ourselves and our overall health back to the top of that list!). It is definitely about trying new things and having fun and building a stronger, deeper, more beautiful bond between sisters. It might even be about the reduction in Ellen's pain symptoms.

Monday, June 18, 2012

All-Natural Teeth Whitening

I'm getting married in 2 weeks (AAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHH!), and all of a sudden I've started panicking about all sorts of incredibly important details like my toe hair, my unfortunate gardener's tan, and the less-than-perfect whiteness of my teeth!  Really, I know this day is all about me and Darryl, and receiving love, advice, and support from our friends and family.  But in the midst of feeling so incredibly lucky and blessed, I have found a moment (or two) to worry about my teeth looking yellow against a white dress.

After calling every dentist in town trying unsuccessfully to get a last minute cleaning appointment, I decided to try a home remedy for teeth whitening.  It actually worked really well, so I thought I'd share it here.  Obviously, it doesn't specifically have anything to do with endometriosis!  But this site is about natural living and healthful alternatives, so I decided that maybe some of you would appreciate this information.  On a side note, I looked up those Crest "WhiteStrips" on the Environmental Working Group's page (http://www.ewg.org/skindeep/), and found, to my surprise, that they are only rated a "2" (low hazard).  So apparently they are not as toxic as I thought; however, if I can get the same effects with household products instead of buying a kit, I'd much rather do that.
Here's my new technique for home teeth whitening:

1) Floss your teeth
2) Brush your teeth as normal
3) Mix a small amount of baking soda with a small amount of toothpaste.  Use this to brush teeth again, but VERY gently.  The baking soda is abrasive and can irritate your gums if you press too hard with the brush.  Continue for about 5 minutes, or until teeth are beginning to look clean.  Rinse well with warm water.
4) Dip a Q-tip in hydrogen peroxide.  Rub the Q-tip on your teeth, avoiding the gums as much as possible.  It's fine if it touches your gums, but be aware the peroxide can make them temporarily sting and become whitish in color.  Continue until teeth look clean and white.  Rinse well with warm water.

Because the baking soda is somewhat irritating to the gums, I wouldn't use this technique more than once a week.  But I definitely plan to do it a few more times before the wedding day.  I already saw a big improvement today, so we'll see what a few more sessions will do.

There may still be toe hair and gardener's tan, and my teeth may not be as pearly as I dream, but our wedding day is going to be a day of joy and music!

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