After joining Yoga, the first thing I did was change my lifestyle. As advised by my Guru I stopped packaged, refined and dead food first. Then I tried to treat my diseases- thyroid, gall stone, migraine, acidity, etc. naturally and now I am on my way to making my life chemical free. Although it is quite difficult to follow this path 100 percent, I keep trying my best as this has improved my life.

When I realized that our dishwashing gels, detergents, floor cleaners, shampoos, etc. are loaded with chemicals and pose serious health hazards; I started looking for natural and chemical-free alternatives. This industry is not regulated and so to be the best cleaning agents and stain removers, they add chemicals like phosphates, bleach, sulfates, etc. for instant results which can cause severe infections and allergies. In my quest for chemical-free products, I came across Herbal Strategi. Herbal Strategi has a range of products in seven categories – Repellents, Cleaners, Fresheners, Hygiene, Fogging solutions, Garden care, and Pet care which I feel are worth trying if you are also looking for chemical-free products or have skin or respiratory allergies and infections.

After thorough research, I was so impressed with the ingredients of the products that I tried to reach the founder Mr. John Thomas who started this business as he was facing respiratory issues. From a vaporizer to more than 50 products, Herbal Strategi has indeed succeeded in its mission of providing Chemical Free Products. Here is a short interview I had with Mr. John Thomas.

FCTB: I would request you to narrate the story behind this start-up. (How and why did you start?)

Mr. John Thomas: It was need-based. I had issues using chemical repellent. So I went to the web to search for natural alternatives. Nothing was available. CIMAP was then approached and they gave me a solution.

FCTB: Were you financially strong enough to start or did you have to work on it and took some help like a bank loan or something else?

Mr. John Thomas: I had to sell some patches of land held with the company to get funds.

FCTB: Who were your first few customers?

Mr. John Thomas: My friends and relatives tested the efficacy of the product.

FCTB: How did your business flourish? Had you visualized it or did it take a flight on its own? I mean if the products are good then the business is usually successful yet some people have faced hurdles and failures.

Mr. John Thomas: I had to face a lot of hurdles and failures initially till we got the source of raw materials right.

FCTB: The products are chemical free and I think they should break the market of chemically loaded cheaper products.

Mr. John Thomas: Yes, chemical-based companies have a lot of funds and hence can advertise heavily.

FCTB: But the prices are high. So how do you think you would and are tackling this issue?

Mr. John Thomas: Our prices for most products are around 10% higher. The floor cleaner is the same as Lizol. Some products are priced higher but have added benefits eg. Laundry wash has an inbuilt conditioner.

FCTB: Would you mind decreasing the price in case of bulk orders?

Mr. John Thomas: We can give discounts on bulk orders. Please contact the Marketing team to avail of exact discounts.

FCTB: So what are your plans?

Mr. John Thomas: We wish to create more awareness so that more people know the benefits of Natural and Herbal homecare products.

Let me give a short brief of some products that were sent to me by the company and I used myself.

 

Floor cleaners have toxic chemicals that can cause skin infections, allergies, and even eczema, psoriasis, etc. They also release molecules in the air that can cause lung infections, asthma, bronchitis, etc.

So what is the solution? You can use bio-enzyme, about which I’ve written a blog last time, and here’s the link  https://fromcaterpilartobuterfly.com/going-chemical-free-series-bio-enzyme/ or go for chemical-free cleaners.

Herbal Strategi has a floor cleaner that is made of plant-based essential oils. What more? Your house becomes germ-free and ant free. So if you have pets or children who love to roll on the floor, use this product and forget your worries. Aroma….umm I love the subtle aroma of essential oils that Herbal Strategi’s products offer.

Mosquito Repellent: I had stopped using All-Out, Odomos, Good-Night, etc. ever since my elder son was said to be allergic and doctors had warned me from using these products. It was easier to follow the instructions till my younger one was born who would cry at a piercing pitch at a single bite of a mosquito. Mosquito Net appeared to be the only solution but as my elder son grew, he started hating net for fans and AC became less effective.

Herbal Strategi solved this problem too again with just plant-based aromatic repellents.

Laundry Detergent: In my quest for chemical-free detergents, I started using soap nuts to wash my clothes, when I read about them as natural cleaners. But stubborn stains were still a problem. Here also Herbal Strategi rescued. Their Laundry detergent is not only a detergent but has a fabric conditioner too. I’ve fallen in love with the fragrance in my clothes ever since I started washing my clothes with this product. They can be used in washing machines too.

Liquid DishWash: Again for a chemical-free dishwashing liquid, I made my dishwashing liquid using soap nuts with bio-enzyme which could not effectively remove the oil from utensils or grease from the stove and machines. Also, it emptied my bottle of bio-enzyme quite fast. Then I made my dishwashing liquid with squeezed lemons, baking soda, and some vim gel but again the bottle of liquid was used quite fast as it was used in larger amounts. And I didn’t always have time for it. Thus every natural solution had its limitation.

Again Herbal Strategi provided a solution. They not only have Liquid Dishwash but also have a detergent for dishwashing machines. What more? Made with plant-based aromatic oil and coco glucoside, which is a natural surfactant that improves the washing process. A non-toxic substitute of SLS.        

Hand washes: Though hand washing was never my problem. But since I was interested in chemical-free products the product manager advised me to try Herbal Strategi’s Herbal Foam Hand Wash. I wasn’t very keen to try this and so gave my children to try this one and, lo and behold, my children loved the way liquid was getting converted into foam and then its mild aroma. They are a big fan of this product and obviously, they are not at all harsh on hands.

So if your children are reluctant to wash their hands or if you feel your soap is too harsh for your hands. Try this product and you will love it.

Disclaimer: This is a sponsored blog post but all opinions are my own.

Is anyone in your home suffering from asthma or bronchitis? Are you allergic to phenyls and other cleaning agents like surf and vim gel? It is time to switch over your cleaning agents.

Phenyls, toilet cleaners, and other cleaners are loaded with chemicals. They are not only harmful to our skin, lungs, and bodies but to the environment too. So shift to natural and chemical-free cleaners.

You can make them at home or purchase them from the market. In case you find them costly ask everyone in your family and neighborhood to use the same, give bulk orders, negotiate and try to bring down the cost.

One such cleaner, I would recommend is Bio-enzyme.

Many of us have started segregating waste. But what do you do with your kitchen waste? Dispose it or do Composting?

Here is one more thing one can do. My environmentalist friend “Anamika Chaturvedi” makes bio-enzyme from fruit peels.

What do you need?

Citrus fruit peels, jaggery, and water in 3:1:10 proportion and keep in a plastic bottle for three months. Keep releasing the gases by opening the cap, every day. This is all that you need to make a bio-enzyme and guess what all a bio-enzyme can do?

1. Use it like phenyl and water while mopping the floors and get rid of ants and cockroaches. It is a good disinfectant.
2. It cleanses and de-clogs the drains.
3. It also works as a natural pesticide and fertilizer and helps in the growth of plants.
4. It helps in cleaning vegetables and fruits from layers of pesticides and insecticides.
5. It helps purify ground water and river too as opposed to the regular chemically loaded cleaners which pollute the groundwater and water bodies.

I personally like this product as it is so versatile, natural and can be made at home and in case you don’t have the time they are not costly in the market too.

Anamaika Chaturvedi’s “Bhumitra” sells it for just 199 Rs. a litre. You can check and order at

Instagram : @bhumitra_  @bhumibuy

Facebook: www.facebook.com/bhumitracfe

www.facebook.com/bhumibuy

email.id :   [email protected]

 

 

 

 

 

So you think that you are consuming the best and most nutritious thing available in the market by purchasing Californian almonds, Washington apples, Homogenized milk , Pro- heart conscious edible oil etc. etc.  and you thank your stars for being able to afford them. Some of us even force our children to finish their plates, whether they want to or not and we ask them to be thankful because many parents cannot afford such costly and nutritious food. Right?

No! Wrong!

Though the food industry definitely wants us to believe this. Let us discuss them…..

Milk

We have read in our science books that milk is a complete food. Doctors too have told us the same ever since we were a child. Our grandma has sung poems on benefits of milk to make us drink it. So much so that in order make milk available  to everyone, our scientists worked hard to make milk readily available to every individual in 70s. This resulted in White revolution and even made India world’s largest Milk Producer .

Result: Today every one can have milk but at what cost? It is either adulterated or the cows and buffaloes are given steroids to produce more milk which further throw people into the world of unknown health related issues like early puberty, PCOS, lactose intolerance etc. What we witness today was definitely not foreseen.

Even as per our ayurveda experts cow milk and ghee are no less than medicine and are as good as elixir.

But from cow they meant “pure Indian breed cows” like Red Sindhi, Tharparkar, Gir, Sahiwal, Deoni and not foreign ones like Jersey, Holstein Friesian, Brown Swiss etc. Because they had studied these local breeds and not these exotic ones.

Homogenized milk which looks smoother and stays fresh for a longer time has smaller particles as compared to non-homogenized milk. The tiny particles are actually absorbed by the bloodstream directly thereby causing harm to our health. So consuming homogenized milk regularly is also dangerous. Homogenized milk is also known to have caused cancer and heart diseases.

So what is the solution? Today as most of us have a sitting job instead of manual ones, it is best not to consume milk because our body cannot digest milk. Our forefathers could, because their job was mainly manual. This is the reason many people complain of stomachache and rush to washroom after a glass of milk.

Yet if you cannot imagine life without milk, drink either plant based milk like coconut milk, almond milk, cashew milk etc. or A2 (our desi) cow milk.

Apple

Celebrities are busy promoting Washington apple. No doubt they have the best colour, are juiciest and crunchiest apples available in the market. But are they really the healthiest? Does our body really need them daily? Not actually!

Washington apples have layers of wax coating. It is done to increase their shelf life. Once you wash them thoroughly in warm water and clear the wax. Voila! That beautiful red colour vanishes. So is it really fresh and healthy?

What is the solution?

As ayurveda preaches, ” Eat local and seasonal”. Though local means nearby areas or 50 to 100 km radius at the max. Yet if you want, Indian apples, grown in Himalayas, you can purchase; they are now available through out the year.  Apple has been a winter fruit and they are most crispy, juicy and delicious during this period except for Nilgiri ones where the season is from April to July.  Indian apples doesn’t carry that wax coating. It won’t be juicy and crispy if you pick the cold storage ones. So don’t purchase if they don’t find them so. In summers relish other fruits like watermelon, musk melon, mango etc. because they will be gone with the onset of monsoon.

So if you think that Washington apples are unaffordable, chill don’t get upset. Enjoy the local seasonal ones ? Industry, social media and celebrities will advertise, what they are paid for and not the truly healthy things.

Almonds

Most of us order Californian almonds and feed the whole family with a pride. But are they really healthy? Have you ever thought how each almond in the packet could be really same size and sweet. They are so perfect and flawless that we don’t bother to understand the other side of the story. Friends,  California almonds , have almost 85% stake in Almond market. They are larger in size and are available in neatly packed conditions but please understand they are chemically treated to kill microorganisms and preserved which leads to 10–15 percent loss of nutrients.

Instead go for :

Mamragiri which has more oil and so more calories than the other two. Mamra is cultivated organically without using chemicals and therefore it comes with a price tag. It is very good for growing kids.

You can also opt for Gurbandi which are smaller in appearance but rich in oils and nutrients like omega 3, vitamin E, antioxidants and phytochemicals and provides abundant energy. They have a bittersweet taste and were originally grown in Afghanistan .

Wheat

What white revolution or operation flood did to milk, green revolution did to wheat. Today our very own desi (local) breed of wheat which was rich in nutrients and had the ability to fight diseases is virtually missing. Every farmer is growing the hybrid variety. He wants to produce maximum to sell maximum and earn maximum profits.

There was in fact an article sometime back which went viral due to its revelation of causing belly fat and gastric issues. Result many people stopped consuming wheat.

Solution: Try to procure Indian desi version of wheat like  Sona moti, sharbati, Khapli. Sona-moti and Khapli are low in gluten and very good for diabetics. All packed and branded ones are high yielding hybrid varieties.

Or add millets and bran to it. One can also make it nutritious by adding some nutritious veggies to the dough of chapatis like puree of spinach or beetroot or carrot etc.

Oil

With Indonesia ceasing its export of palm oil, we are all terrified, there has been rise in oil prices. Why should we bother about palm oil?

Because it is used in almost all refined oils. It is high time we Indians should stop consuming refined oil. Almost all of them contain palm oil. Palm oil should not be used for two reasons: one, palm farming is destroying the rainforest ecosystem and two it contains trans fat, which is responsible for heart attacks.

Even those who are claiming to he healthy oils and heart friendly are refined oils.

Solution: Go local and purchase cold pressed oils. The best oil available to us, the North Indians, is cold pressed mustard oil, sesame oil, ghee (clarified butter), groundnut or peanut oil and south Indians can use coconut oil. But use cold pressed and not refined.

Do you know the process of making refined oil which makes the oil look better and odour free? It is extracted using high temperature and chemicals in which healthy fatty acid bonds are broken and trans fats are formed. Later neutralization of taste and deodorization is done which results in total loss of nutrients. No wonder, why the rate of heart attacks is increasing in our country.

So choice is yours. Together we can change the demand and supply patterns.

So how do you like to spend your New Year? Party? Family? Holiday? Cruise? Especially at a time when the third wave of the pandemic was knocking the door.

I am not a party person and so prefer to stay with family or holiday and this New Year we went to a very small cantonment town of Uttarakhand, Lansdowne. Named after, the then Viceroy of India, Lansdowne. It was originally known as Kaludanda. It is a lesser known but a picturesque hill station amidst coniferous forest in the background of mighty Himalayas.

Early Departure

Children were thrilled as they were already through with their half-yearly exams and they were looking forward for a holiday. So they got up early and we left at 7 am on 31st December,2021. It was 7/8 degrees in Delhi NCR and  showing 2/3 degree in Lansdowne. We had two reasons for leaving early, one, we wanted to reach by afternoon as it involved Mountain driving and two, we were expecting a traffic on UP- Uttarakhand border.

Midway

The moment we reached Khatouli or midway for Delhi Dehradun. We noticed an interesting traffic movement. Almost 85% traffic followed Dehradun Highway which gave us two clues. One, there’s not going to be much rush in Lansdowne (as expected) which provided a smile to our face; two, Mussoorie was going to be full for the next two-three days (and we had avoided it).

The Road

Although the road was not as smooth as Dehradun Highway but certainly green and scenic. The trees from both sides of the road formed a beautiful thick green canopy.  The whole stretch had fields mainly of mustard and sugarcane. Though the refreshment facilities were not much and after a stretch of a little bumpy ride in Najibabad, we couldn’t find a proper loo for about 15-20 minutes . But we took it positively and thought that this could happen anywhere even on highways and expressways and incase of unforeseen traffic jams etc.

Kotdwar to Lansdowne

By noon, we had crossed UP, Uttara Khand border and thankfully there was no queue for checking or RTPCR. Police was perhaps more busy checking suspicious people  and  families were spared.

The road to Lansdowne after Kotdwar is not only picturesque but also dotted with many riverine resorts, one would love to stop by and experience. But we were in a rush because our destination was booked right at the top of the town in “Tip and Top Resort”.

Though we stopped for refreshment at “Flavours” – a restaurant on Kotdwar-Dugadda road and it was worth visiting. The mountains looked lush green and beautiful with people working on their step-farms. Toilets were also clean and food definitely fresh, good in taste and prices were reasonable. So one can stop here and will not be disappointed.

The Garrison Town Lansdowne

The moment we entered the town or the cantonment area, the aura changed. The roads were spic and span, well painted, gardens were trimmed and blooming with colourful flowers, the town was extremely beautiful and soldiers could be seen everywhere guarding their town. It was a beautiful experience altogether, a little different from other hill stations of Uttarakhand. The U-pin turns led us to the top of the hill station, Tip and Top. This point is a famous view point and our resort of Garhwal Mandal Vikas Nigam was located here. The best location of Lansdowne, at least in my view. As we had reached early, we became the choosers. There were four family suits and we requested one with a good view. The In charge, Mr. Purohit gave us the one at the topmost location with a separate bonfire area and valley view. From our room, sun rise was visible through the mountains and from children’s room, sun set.

GMVN’s Tip and Top is a beautiful resort with cottages in all sizes which one can book online. They also have two Machans and Caravans which one can book only on arrival due to availability issues.

New Year Celebrations 

Though the resort had arranged a bonfire and buffet for the guests but children wanted to enjoy in the cottage and watch some TV show. It was getting colder and so we chose to be inside, made some Maggi and that’s it. This was definitely one of the best ways to celebrate for us. Although not for a health freak like me but on 31st, it was ok. This was the way children wanted it.

Tourist Places

The next day we got up early, enjoyed our hot sips with the hues of sun peeking out from snow-packed mountains. I just hoped if I could welcome every New year with such serene brightness and positivity. Children were still sleeping and so we sipped one more cuppa to enjoy the warmth.

Later we got ready, had nice breakfast and went to Tip and Top view point. Though the choice was limited but bread omlette and aloo paranthas were good enough to fill our bellies.

At ‘Tip and Top’ View Point, we did some photography viewed some distant points through the telescope and got back, walking. At resort, we picked the car and went  for boating at Bhulla Tal. Although I wanted to start my year by visiting the famous Tarkeshwar Temple (an ancient Shiva temple) but children wanted to relax and enjoy. So we agreed reluctantly. Though there was some rush but since it was managed by Indian Army hence our turn came within no time and we enjoyed boating in that small pond. The charming mountains showed us a different beauty from this part of the town.

For lunch we went to the main market but there were just 2-3 restaurants and all full, so we picked some cake and pastries from the Cant Bakery, which was damn cheap and went back to resort for Lunch. The market also was very clean although this area was not in the cantonment zone.

Later we went to the Old British Church. Though small but it had its own beauty. Sun set view point was at a walking distance from resort and so we walked down and my passionate husband did some photography of the  changing shades of sunset.

Children were full of zest,  as it was 1st Jan, 2022 and so we did some bonfire in our area, with just four of us and enjoyed. The dinner was ordered from the restaurant that day and since we were all tired; all of us slept by 10/ 10:30.

We were ready to depart on 2nd and so after a nice breakfast under the sun, we packed up and left for Noida. Since we departed late, we got stuck in a small jam on Meerut Expressway, possibly because of the New Year weekend.  Though we reached home a little late but we had welcomed this New Year, the way we wanted to, with a new ray of hope, health and happiness.