Living the natural, holistic, hippie-crunchy life means a houseful of unconventional items. I don’t use chemical cleaners or bodycare products, and I eat tons of “weird” superfoods. My friends and family are often bemused by what they discover in my kitchen and around my home. Let’s have a look.

Unusual Items You’ll Find in My House

In my living room you’ll find my Himalayan salt lamp, one of my prized possessions. It emits a soft, warm amber glow via the bulb inside, and when it warms, it releases negative ions into the air, creating an effect similar to an ionizer.

My salt lamp sits aside my (non-working) fireplace and casts a nice glow in the room while it purifies the air.

The lamp purifies the air and has a calming, therapeutic effect. It’s made from salt crystals mined from the Himalayan mountains, which means you can lick it occasionally for minerals (kidding on that one, sort of). It has a dimmer switch so you can adjust the brightness. Great for bedrooms and kids’ rooms, too.

You’ll also find my essential oils candle diffuser in the living room. Isn’t it lovely? It’s pictured here with one of my favorite essential oil blends for meditation, Grounding, which is a blend of White fir, spruce, ylang ylang, pine, cedarwood, angelica, and Juniper. It has an earthy, woodsy smell.

I use essential oils for diffusing to lift my mood and purify the air, and I’ve replaced my chemical cleaning products with lemon and thieves essential oil. Click here for the brand I use and recommend.

In the bathroom  you’ll find jars of my whipped coconut oil miracle anti-wrinkle skin butter. This stuff is magically luscious! I’ve ditched chemical bodycare products and make my own or use coconut oil. Click here for my natural skin care routine.

I also recently ditched tampons and have converted to using a menstrual cup. I’m pretty horrified by tampons and the potential dangers involved, and the menstrual cup is a perfect alternative. Many users report fewer cramps, and it’s definitely a healthier and more environmentally friendly option. I love it and it’s much easier to use than dealing with tampons, once you get the hang of it. Read my post on how to use menstrual cups here.

The kitchen and pantry is where the fun stuff lives. On my kitchen island sits the Female Tonic tincture I take occasionally to balance my hormones. It’s a blend of herbs that support the liver’s role in metabolizing hormones, and chasteberry and dong quai support healthy progesterone and estrogen levels. I recommend it to normalize cycles and promote healthy fertility.

Also on the island sits a bag of Goji berries. I buy these occasionally for their superfood powers. Gojis are rich in iron and antioxidants and are yummy toppers for a grain free breakfast porridge. Also delicious with dark chocolate for a superfood snack.

In the pantry you’ll find my vast tea selection. I LOVE tea and drink several cups daily. I start my day with pu-erh tea, a Chinese fermented tea with probiotic health benefits.

My favorite pu-erh is blended with dandelion root, cacao nibs, and coconut

Then I sip herbal teas such as Tulsi and nettles tea throughout the day. Tulsi (holy basil) is excellent for helping the body adjust to stress, and nettles tea is super rich in minerals. Tulsi and nettles are both great adrenal tonics, and nettles are excellent for combatting anemia (to which I’m prone). Nettles can be a powerful help in overcoming seasonal allergies too.

Also in the pantry you’ll find diatomaceous earth (DE). Yes, it can be useful around the house and on the dogs to prevent fleas, but I take it internally (always buy food grade)! I use it predominantly as part of my candida-killing protocol: it slices open the exoskeleton of candida so it can be more easily killed off and excreted. DE also has myriad health benefits. It’s super rich in silica needed for healthy hair and can be used to help regrow hair if you’ve suffered with hair loss. It may also absorb heavy metals and act as an overall detoxifier. Good stuff. I use it on and off. Read more about DE’s health benefits here.

Colloidal silver is another unusual item I keep on hand, especially in cold & flu season. It has amazing immune boosting properties to help shorten duration of illness or ward off illness if those around you are sick. It can also be used as part of a parasite or candida-killing protocol. It has antibacterial properties.

I recently sampled some Moringa powder (pictured) sent to me by Organic India and have been using it as a health booster.

I keep a regular rotation of superfoods around and use them to cultivate vibrant health. Kind of like the cherry on top of a whole foods diet. Moringa is pleasantly grassy-tasting and rich in antioxidants, minerals, and amino acids. You can mix it with smoothies or green juice. I use spirulina and chlorella too.

I often have liver capsules on hand because I just cannot stomach the taste of liver. I have a few tricks up my sleeve for cleverly disguising it in recipes, but most of the time I take dessicated liver capsules. Liver is a great superfood and is excellent for hormone balance and overall vitality.

I have a number of sea vegetables in the pantry. I use kombu most often because it’s great to infuse bone broth, stews, or legumes with extra minerals. I also have a powdered sea vegetable blend that I use on organic popcorn or roasted vegetables to get the extra mineral kick. Sea vegetables are super rich in thyroid-boosting iodine and trace minerals so needed by the body.

Mary Vance (Certified Nutrition Consultant)

Mary Vance is a Certified Nutrition Consultant and author specializing in digestive health. She combines a science-based approach with natural therapies to rebalance the body. In addition to her 1:1 coaching, she offers courses to help you heal your gut and improve your health. Mary lives in San Francisco and Lake Tahoe in Northern California. Read more about her coaching practice here and her background here.