My Favorite Things...Air Detox by Dr. Schulze

Originally published August 3, 2010

Recently, I shared the following information with a friend, and it reminded me that one of My Favorite Things is Air Detox by Dr. Schulze. So here's my Air Detox blog. (We have no endorsement deal as of yet, so I just share this because I truly like this stuff.)

The cool thing, and the reason it's one of my favorite products, is because we've discovered how useful it is for more than what the product was originally intended for. I like multi-purpose. Like coconut oil, milk and cream - it can be used for savory and sweet dishes. (I love multi-purpose clothing too like sarongs & reversible jeans/leggings, but that's another blog!)

One added note: Please know what you're using when you spray and use products at your home. Febreeze is very popular and understandably so - it does what it claims, right? It rids your space of odors, but the pertinent question is: how does it do that? Well, here's a website (Sustainable Baby Steps) that explains and lists some of the chemical ingredients. Scary! Here's a snippet (THIS IS ONLY A SAMPLE, FOLLOW LINK FOR LONGER LIST OF INGREDIENTS:

"Below you'll find a list of just some of the 87 chemicals found by the EWG in Febreze Air Effects, listed in order of their toxicity to humans:

• BHT - Known as a neurotoxin, endocrine disruptor, immunotoxicity, non-reproductive organ system toxicity, skin eye and lung irritator
• Propylene Glycol - Causes cancer, allergies, toxic to immune system, accumulates in the system, non-reproductive organ system toxin, is classified with "enhanced skin absorption" and irritates the skin, eye and lung
• 1,3-Dichloro-2-propanol - Carcinogenic (causes cancer)

Now that I got that caveat out of the way, here's just some of the ways we use Dr. Schulze's Air Detox:

• Bathroom Air Freshener Why does pooh smell bad to humans? Well, here's a little known fact I recently learned. Anyone who's ever had a dog knows that poop does not smell bad to a dog, but it usually smells very bad to us. The reason? Dogs will eat doo-doo as a nutritional supplement because their pooh often contains undigested food and essential nutrients. Doo-doo for us can be deadly as human pooh is riddled with e-coli and other health-hazards, hence pooh smells bad to us, good to dogs.
• Travel/Airplane Disinfectant I spray this on me before flying as it helps the air around me smell better and I swear stay more fresh. Because the oils in Air Detox are disinfectant, it also (potentially) disinfects the air around me. Could be psycho-somatic, but it seems to help. I'll even spray it directly on me during the flight to refresh. So far, I've not gotten any complaints about the smell (it actually smells pretty good).
• Spray Air and Furniture after we've had clients or guests at our home Marcus and I love our friends and clients, but people bring in their own germs, smells and whathaveyou, especially since Marcus teaches martial arts and sometimes we hang out at home after class. Air Detox helps freshen and neutralize the air, especially when we have people here (myself and Marcus included) with post-martial arts stank.
• Natural Mosquito Repellent This is perhaps the most essential of all uses for Air Detox because as much as I do my best to see the good in all things, I have a hard time seeing the good in mosquitoes. War, greed, fascism, rape, disease, GMO, and hunger too, but mosquitoes, I'm still learning to love. Air Detox saves me from the awful toxicity of deet and the nasty smell of Skin So Soft or other "natural" mosquito repellents that I'm not sure are all that natural. I like spraying it on my clothing when I'll be out at night when mosquitoes are likely.
• Eucalyptus/Therapeutic steam bath at home! Dr. Schulze's website recommends spraying Air Detox profusely when running a hot bath in the bathroom to create your at-home eucalyptus steam bath. It's lovely.

It may be pricier than other air fresheners or mosquito repellents, but it lasts a lot longer because it's so concentrated. Because I'm not in a high-germ area (like a clinic, spa or hospital), I cut it with 50% water (but shake before spraying to mix). Also, you can make your own using similar ingredients, just make sure you get eucalyptus (or peppermint) and citrus (orange and/or grapefruit) oils, as these seem to have the most potent  detoxifying effects.


Here's the link for Dr. Schulze's website and Air Detox. We also love his Super-Food + and all of his detox products and programs, especially detox tea (which I drink instead of regular tea or coffee). Best on the market. Also, since Dr. Schulze products are grown and produced in the United States, they don't get irradiated like imported herbs. I don't believe Schulze is certified organic, but based on our research and experience, his products are equivalent to organic or better, as many of them are wild harvested in areas that have never seen pesticides or GMO, so that's a bonus.

Let me know what you think.

Enjoy!

Nighaaa, beef! Moo!

A few years ago, I spent a month in China working on a documentary feature. The film was called Nanking and overall it was a very positive and eye-opening experience.

But this blog is not really about the documentary, though I probably should write a blog about the film. This blog is about beef jerky, sharing, and crossing language barriers.

With the exception of our translators and a lead PA/2nd2ndAD, the majority of the crew we hired in China did not speak English. All I can say is, the translators were an absolute necessity. Thank God for them.

We had several Americans that we traveled to China to work on the film. One of them was our Camera Assistant Anthony, who I've worked with and seen only sporadically throughout the last 8 years. Great guy. Great sense of humor.

So, we're filming in a relatively thin-walled building that doesn't have enough space for Anthony, myself (I was line producing but realistically, I was doing the call sheet, budget, and sort of managing the Chinese and American crew so who knows what my proper title was - Line Producer is sufficient, I suppose). Anyway, I was outside with Anthony and the Chinese gaffer, whose name I unfortunately cannot remember. We (the Americans) nicknamed him Palak Paneer because he spoke mandarin with what sounded like, to us, an Indian accent. Inappropriate? Maybe. Funny? Definitely.

So, Palak Paneer is sitting in the grip truck, a Vanagon looking thing that was really more of a van than a truck; Anthony and I are hanging around outside.

Palak Paneer leans out the window with a bag of something that resembles dried leather strips and gestures to Anthony. Then he whispers, with his Indian-sounding mandarin accent/broken English/mandarin. "Ant-tony, Ant-tony...Nighaaa, beef! Moo!"

Anthony and I immediately busted up laughing. Firstly because the words were so funny. Secondly, because it was so damn cute and funny with Palak Paneer hanging out the van window in a generous attempt to share his beef jerky. Also, just in case he didn't have the name right, he made the animal sound - "Moo" so we would be sure to know what animal product he had in his hand. The word "nigha" as I understand it, translates to "this" so you'll hear it often in mandarin conversations.

Immediately I felt bad for using the nickname Palak Paneer and vowed to learn how to pronounce his proper name.

The moral?

Share your food. In your language, or your friend's language. It actually doesn't matter, the message will come across.

Nigha, beef! Moo!

Sojourn to Japan 2 - The Nail that Sticks Out...

A well-known Japanese cliche is, "The nail that sticks out gets hammered down," or this alternate translation: "The nail that sticks out gets hit on the head."

Well, I was that nail accidentally during my trip in Japan.

You see, I stuck out like a nail, or a sore thumb as the saying goes. 

Fortunately, I didn't get hit on the head, though I suppose my sticking out was mostly unintentional...

Tall, round-ish eyed, and pale (not Nicole Kidman pale, but clearly of Euro-caucasian descent), I stood out in the sea of relatively short, slanty-eyed, black-haired rice-lovers.

You see, my friend Koko has a fantastic and sometimes sick sense of humor. While walking in the train stations in Japan, which are teeming with Japanese citizens going to and fro, Koko would slow down her gate and blend in with the other Japanese citizens - causing me to stand out even more (as I suddenly became a solo, tall caucasian traveler), and had a brief and irrational panic that I'd lost my Japanese-looking and -speaking friend and tour-guide. She'd reveal herself soon enough after watching me look around unsuccessfully for her. 

It was actually quite funny and after the first time, I knew Koko was doing this for her amusement and mine, so I'd play my part and look around at the sea of black-haired people milling around, the tops of their heads at the base of my eye-line. 

It was quite an experience. In all my travels up to that point, I'd never been such an oddity. I'd always either traveled with other Americans, or seen other round-eyes while traveling on a regular basis. In Japan, I went for a whole week without seeing another human who looked remotely like me.

Funny thing is, as most new-age types will tell you, we're more different than we are similar. We all just want to connect, feel like we have a purpose, and express ourselves. That's what I found, anyway. 

Though, I didn't speak the language, so maybe they were all just quietly laughing at the tall, round-eyed American walking through their train station like a lost, sticking-out nail.

Long Leg, Small Face - Sojourn to Japan

In 2005 I took a trip half-way around the world and received my native name.

Like Stands With a Fist in Dances With Wolves, I did not pick my name. Rather it was given to me by the tribe I joined briefly in Japan...

My good friend Koko was teaching English to high school students in Osaka, and since I was on hiatus from my job at the time as Production Manager on a FOX television Managing show, I decided to visit Ms. Koko and see a little slice of Japan.

It was one of my favorite trips. We had so much fun. Here's one of the more memorable experiences.

As a musician and singer, I often sing for my supper, and/or basically do a little song and dance (without the dance if I can help it) while traveling, visiting or otherwise saying hello to friends. It's just something that has happened. Flattering and fun at best, annoying at worst, but on this particular trip, I was happy to play music at the school where Koko was teaching. Also, even when I don't feel like playing, I always end up loving it once I get going. For those who haven't tried it, singing and playing music is absolutely a natural high. Or maybe that's just me...

So I used the guitar Koko had, and I played and sang a few songs.

Well, apparently the kids liked it.

Remember, I'm 5'8" which is tallish in Japan. But there are certainly taller women than yours truly in the U.S. and especially in Los Angeles. But in Japan...

Several times they referred to me when speaking to each other about me or directly with me as long leg, small face.

It seems they were referring to my stature as well as the size of my face. Plurals seem to be optional with beginning English if Japanese is your first language, so "leg" (no s) was sufficient for a description. Also, I didn't realize my face was particularly small, in fact I think I have a rather strong jaw-line, but apparently, it was a compliment through and through.

So...my honorary Japanese name is Long Leg, Small Face.

Also worth noting, one 16-year-old kid came up to me and said, "please me." because he wanted to meet me. You see, sometimes they leave out the more complicated or hard to pronounce words like, "introduce," so he went with the simpler, "please me." After briefly smiling (Koko) and giggling (me), Koko promptly introduced me to this eager young fella.

Overall, the kids were very appreciative that I played music and shared my long legedness and small face-ity with them. I'd do it again in a heart-beat.

Though next time, I'll remember to accentuate my Long Legs, Small Face.