Saturday, July 10, 2010

An All Natural Toothpaste Recipe

Want to make your own toothpaste? I did once I heard what some experts like Dr. Hal Huggins, DDS and Dr. Robert O. Nara, DDS had to say about dental self-sufficiency. So, I did some more research and found Nadine Artemis from LivingLibations.com. She is an expert on essential oils and has done lots of research on oral hygiene. Check out lectures and interviews from her here.

Based on the recommendations of these folks, and the availability of things around me, I developed a tooth cleaning product for myself! It leaves my mouth feeling very clean for a very long time, and I think it may have even gotten my teeth a couple of shades whiter.

Here’s the recipe that I’ve been using for a few months. Maybe it’s not so much of a recipe as a set of guidelines and suggestions. I haven’t measured things out in exact proportions before, so all the amounts are approximate. Experiment! You will educate yourself in the process!

Chris's Teeth Cleaning Formula

50 drops of clove essential oil

50 drops or more of another essential oil for flavour, like sweet orange or spearmint

20 drops of neem oil. Go slowly with this. Neem is powerfully antibacterial, and you don’t want to use so much that you overpower the healthy bacteria in your oral environment… It also stinks, so you don’t want it to overpower the taste!

¼ cup to ½ cup of clay powder, like Kaolinite or Redmond clay. This provides bulk and some mild abrasiveness. A good clay will also provide your teeth with more needed minerals.

¼ tsp. or more sea salt. If you can handle the taste of more salt, then use more.

1 tsp. or more baking soda (optional, for extra cleaning power)

Olive or coconut oil (optional, for a smoother paste)

Stevia liquid or powder extract (optional, for taste)

Mix all the ingredients together in a small glass bowl and then transfer them to a jar with a lid. You’ll then need a small spoon to get it from the jar onto your brush. (Be sure to cover tightly between uses, or your essential oils might just evaporate!)


The consistency will probably be that of a very thick paste, more crumbly than spreadable. If really want it to have a consistency more like conventional toothpaste, try adding some oil like olive oil or coconut oil. Virgin coconut oil has the added advantage of being anti-bacterial, but remember that it is solid at normal room temperature.

I’ve decided not to use glycerin, though many natural toothpastes do. Some people say that glycerin film remains on your teeth after you brush them, preventing your saliva from re-enamelizing your teeth. This ability is crucial to the health of your teeth, I’m told. There’s some controversy over whether glycerin actually does remain on your teeth, but I’m playing it on the safe side. And it seems to be working just fine without it! I also love the tingly sensation the clove oil gives my gums.

Anyhow, with a few things from your kitchen and an investment of about $30, you’ll have enough ingredients for about a year’s worth of toothpaste. That’s pretty cheap if you consider that a store bought brand with comparably natural ingredients will run you about $8 a tube. If one person goes through that in about a month, that’s easily $80 a year spent on toothpaste.


I highly encourage everyone to check out some of the links above to learn how they can move towards dental self-sufficiency. There's something fishy going on when Denmark, Norway and Sweden all but mercury amalgam fillings, but the Canadian Dental Association can acknowledge that mercury is toxic, that "Very small amounts of mercury vapour are released from amalgam with chewing" (from their website), but still insist that they are safe to use... What gives? Maybe they are worried that if they admit the things are dangerous, everyone who has had them in their mouths for decades will take legal recourse...?

Saturday, July 3, 2010

Kombucha! We've got it!


We now sell kombucha! What brand? Our own! We brew it ourselves! It's unbelievable!
Clearly, we're excited about this.

Kombucha, for those not in the know, is a fermented tea beverage. It is sometimes called "mushroom tea", because the kombucha culture sort of resembles a mushroom. Its taste varies depending on what sort of tea and/or herbs are used, but it generally has a sweet, slightly tart taste to it. It is naturally carbonated as well. Very refreshing on a hot day!
It has a detoxifying effect on the body, so its purported health benefits are wide ranging. I feel it is primarily good for your digestive system, especially your intestinal flora.
I first started brewing kombucha nearly two years ago. I got the culture from a Budhist temple in Montreal, and brought it with me when I moved west. I've tried lots of variations with different herbs and nutrients for it, and have a pretty good knack for making interesting, medicinal, delicious brews. I'm even experimenting with some kombucha smoothies...
Come try some!

Sunday, June 20, 2010

Now at Quidditas: Juices & Smoothies!!

Quidditas Juice Bar now open for business!

We’ve been working hard to get everything perfect, but now we are ready to serve fresh vegetables juices and delicious, unqiue smoothie creations.
What make our juice bar different from others is that you won’t find smoothies loaded with artificially sweetened juices, soy products, or yogurt and sorbet. We use iced herbal teas, organic almond milk and fresh vegetable juices as the liquid bases for our smoothies and sweeten them when needed with stevia.
Here’s an example of one of our original smoothie recipes that already proving to be quiet popular: The Green Monkey. It’s got a fantastic hibiscus-rooibos-rosehip tea base, banana, blueberries, a generous portion of kale, some spirulina and our favourite greens powder, Greens First. It comes out dark green, a little creamy from the banana, still a bit chunky from the kale, and completely delicious.
Everyone who has tried one loves it. We already have regulars coming across the city for them!

All our juices are made on our brand new Champion juicer. The Champion extracts juice from vegetables in a gentler way than most commercial juicers, leaving the nutrients in the juice more intact. The juice from conventional “centrifugal ejection” juicers oxidizes quickly and loses most of its nutrition within minutes of preparation. The Champion extends the juice’s freshness by several hours.

Come on down and try one!

Sunday, May 30, 2010

Why Hemp Protein?

At the store, we often have people come in looking to supplement their diet with a protein powder. What many don't realize is that not all protein products are created equal. What I always recommend is organic hemp protein.


Hemp protein:

  • is a pure, raw source of complete protein
  • is very easy to digest
  • is a source of omega 3 & omega 6 essential fatty acids
  • supports your immune system
  • can easily be added to cereals, smoothies, and many, many recipes.


“Of the protein fraction of the total hempseed, 65%+ consists of globular edestin—this is the highest concentration found in nature. Edestin is considered by many scientists and researchers to be the most edible and easily digestible form of protein in the food chain.”*

Edestin is a plant globulin. Globulins are used by the body to manufacture hormones, antibodies, hemoglobin, and enzymes.

“Hempseed, unlike commonly available animal protein, is a pure, raw source of complete protein. It never needs to be cooked to kill bacteria, so all its vital components remain intact.”*

The other 35% of hemp protein is made up of albumin. Edestin and albumin are the super transporters of your body, carrying nutrients and antibodies throughout your body. “Eating hempseeds will ensure the immune system has the reservoir of globulin resources necessary to transport raw materials and support the immune system and immune response.”*

“Hempseed also contains the super anti-inflammatory essential fatty acid known as gamma linolenic acid (GLA).”*

Besides the multiple nutritional benefits, hemp is also a much more eco-friendly crop than many other protein products. Visit the Canadian Hemp Trade Alliance for more information.


At Quidditas, we are pleased to offer you Living Harvest hemp protein powder, and Vega, a delicious, nutrient plant-based meal replacement product that is high in hemp protein.

Be well!


*Source: “Longevity Now” by David Wolfe

Welcome to Quidditas!

We are your neighbourhood's health, wellness and beauty store

We stock only the highest quality bulk herbs, herbal medicinal teas, and green, black and white tea blends. All our herbs are organic and domestically sourced whenever possible. We've also got a wide variety of herbal tinctures from St. Francis Herb Farm and a few Bach flower remedies.


We carry all natural beauty products from Burt's Bees, Logona, Druide, Curelle, Geen Beaver, Weleda, Dr. Haushka and Jurlique. Our customers rave about our makeup lines from Youngblood Mineral Cosmetics, Lavera and Dr. Haushka. We love seeing new customers walk in the door and comment gleefully "It smells so good in here!" They are usually smelling our line of handmade goat's milk soaps. They are truly a delight!


If you are looking for vitamins, odds are we've got it. You'll find supplements and sports nutrition products from Sisu, Sequel (yes, we have Vega!) Natural Factors, Nordic Naturals, Flora, New Roots, New Chapter, Trophic, Wild Rose, and Renew Life, and professional products from Thorne, Genestra Seroyal, AOR, and Metagenics-- many of which you won't find at any other retail store in town!


Of course, we have homeopathic products from Boiron, Heel, Bach and others as well, and a whole line of products for your baby.


Thanh and Chris, our knowledgeable staff, are happy to assist you in any way they can.


We are open:
Monday to Saturday: 9:30am to 7:00pm
Sunday: 12:00pm to 6:00pm


We are located at 1906 Commercial Drive, between 3rd avenue and 4th avenue,
Vancouver, British Columbia, V5N 4A7
Feel free to give us a call at (604) 253-3389


We hope to see you soon!
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