Why iGOZEN is the Organic Cleaning Solution that’s Better for the Environment By Tara Pelton

When I first heard about iGOZEN All Purpose Everyday Cleaner I was struggling to find something I liked to clean my kitchen. I had pretty much given up trying to get the kitchen clean and sanitized with an organic cleaner. Don’t get me wrong - I applaud organic cleaners.  (Finally - a solution that is not dangerous to your health.) But, sadly, they are oily. They are sold in plastic bottles as a concentrate of oils (coconut oil, citrus oil, lavender oil, etc.) or they are oils diluted with water in spray bottles. So, I tried baking soda…. But it, too, left a film and was difficult to manage in a spray bottle, or in a bowl or whatever way you are supposed to use it. So then I tried Vinegar. It apparently removes germs (I’m still not sure about that), but at least it worked in a spray bottle. Problem is the whole experience of cleaning with vinegar isn’t very fun, well actually to me, its kind of gross – and even worse if you are using it in a previously-used plastic bottle.  But I hung in there and kept trying.

Then I really became discouraged because I realized that no matter what I tried, the fact remains there were way too many plastic bottles in my kitchen: bottles for window cleaner, dish soap, bottles for tile grout and refrigerator shiners, sinks, stoves…rah!  All that  - but I still could not clean my blender or food processor successfully. This is scary: plastic bottles take hundreds of years to biodegrade and 70% are never actually recycled. Its even more depressing when you know 1500 plastic bottles are used everysecond in the USA. Every second – that’s crazy! And this figure is just an estimate for plastic drinking bottles and doesn’t even include cleaning product bottles.

“Where do all the plastic bottles go?” is a song I could write today, from my heart.

So I wished, (Yes, I truly am one of these people who wishes on stars), “Please, please help us solve the plastic bottles problem.”  It was certainly a problem so big and too overwhelming for me alone. Every time I purchased plastic cleaning bottles I felt the tug of guilt– “What happens next?” I asked myself. “What happens to this bottle when I throw it away; when it is covered in oily film and I can’t really re-use it anymore? WHAT AM I SUPPOSED TO DO WITH THE PLASTIC GALLON BLEACH BOTTLES?  It was like a nightmare or something.

So all of this is what was on my mind when I first heard about iGOZEN and I flipped my lid. “Whoa – you are kidding me? A cleaner so small you can pack it in a powder packet that weighs less than an ounce? Give it to me now.”  So I tried it. And I love it. I use it for everything in the kitchen: the sink, the stove, the blender, the refrigerator, the countertops and – yay! – the food processor! Actually I even use it on super-messy, food-caked pots and pans.  It disintegrates the caked on food and sanitizes everything on contact. Its more effective than the toxic cleaners, in my experience.  Rock on!  And best of all – you can mix iGOZEN in any 16 oz bottle of water and you’re ready to roll.

So that is what began the story of iGOZEN’s simple packaging. You receive tiny powder packets and mix them with 16 oz of water. Viola – the perfect sanitizing solution.   Next, hear the story of how iGOZEN Reusable Bottles were created.

I made a wish and it is coming true. I’m inspired. We can make this change. We really can.

Hope you’ll try iGOZEN!

Xoxoxo
 

Tara at iGOZEN

Mushroom Bean Casserole: Good for You and Delicious for the Whole Family By Tara Pelton

Before I give you the recipe for the best green bean casserole of all time, I will take a moment to tell you why you should eat green bean casserole and why you want to make sure you get your kids to try it. Because it’s delicious! Start them off young with green bean casserole and you will be glad you did, because your boys will like to eat their green beans.

Green beans are very healthy to eat, especially for growing kids. Green beans containVitamin K, which aids in healing cuts, scrapes and bloody noses.  If your kid gets a bloody nose, feed him lost of green beans (and strawberries). The vitamin K will provide essential nutrients to heal.

Green beans also contain high amounts of Vitamin C which aids in healing the cuts and scrapes a child gets in playing every day – lots of green beans help to quickly repair tissue and grow strong.

You will be happy to know that green beans are vital to the health of mothers and any young woman, too. They are high in Manganese, which is a wonderful nutrient that aids in reducing pain of periods (PMS). On your day off, you will enjoy green bean casserole….Since its so delicious I guarantee you will want to eat the entire casserole by yourself.

The mushrooms in the casserole also provide Manganese as well as providing you with vital trace nutrients, like copper. This is why it is excellent for a woman to eat this particular casserole to provide your body with vital nutrients from both the green beans and the mushrooms together to help balance the stress on the body during menstruation.

So there you go – that’s why you want to learn how to make Delicious Green Bean & Mushroom Casserole….Make enough for the whole family and especially serve it to small children so they will learn to enjoy it.

Tara’s “I Love Yellow Peppers and Raisins” - iGOZEN Salad Recipe By Tara Pelton

Looking for a delicious crunchy salad with the right balance of tangy sweet and salty? Try this delicious and beautiful recipe. Be sure to buy fresh and wash your fruits and veggies with iGOZEN Simply Clean. 

This recipe has 250 calories for a huge delicious helping, 350 with cheese added and that includes the dressing.

Ingredients

Yellow-orange peppers

Mushrooms

Yellow Raisins

Mushrooms

Green beans

White onion (optional)

Parmesan (or other) shredded cheese (optional)

Lettuce (romaine)

Chop into bite size pieces, or in the case of lettuce gently tear the lettuce into bite-size pieces.  Decorate your salad with delicious crunchy beans, sweet yellow raisins and orange peppers.

Add salad crunchies if you have them (see my other recipe on how to make salad crunchies)

Dressing

1 tablespoon honey (raw, unfiltered is the best for you and only 60 calories per heaping tablespoon)

1-2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar

2 generous heaping tablespoons Greek style yogurt 

salt & pepper (use whole salt, kosher, sea salt or Himalayan salt)

1 teaspoon mustard

Yes, I really said yogurt. You can use oil if you want but yogurt is plenty delicious and saves calories.  Just try it….

Remember to encourage your kids to help you prepare foods.  Use iGOZEN to make sure all foods are sanitary and free from dangerous germs or pesticides or bacteria, and send us your favorite recipes if you'd like to share them.

Environmental Diseases: Dedicate Yourself to a Toxin-Free Lifestyle By Tara Pelton

“My friend’s doctor is certain her leukemia is caused by the herbicides being sprayed on farms near her home.”

Here at iGOZEN, we are touched by these kinds of stories every day. Perhaps you too, have known someone with an illness due to environmental toxins.

Everyone deserves to live stress-free, without fear of disease or contamination from toxic gases, chemicals and food. And that is why we work so hard to help people learn how to remove pesticides from our foods and keep our homes toxin-free with iGOZEN.

Dedicate yourself to a toxin-free lifestyle; for the planet, for your friends and everyone you love.

Environmental pollution is a very complex subject. How can we be free from pesticides, herbicides and toxins? What can do to make a difference in this overwhelming problem?

The most important thing we can do is to educate.  When people understand, they make the right choices. Set a good example, because everyone learns by example. Eat fresh, pesticide-free foods and clean your homes with toxin-free solutions. Reduce waste, reuse and recycle. Talk to others and urge them to do the same.

Protect your health by protecting the environment.

Click here to tell us your story.

Rhonda from Michigan: Cat Safe from Toxic Chemicals By Customer Stories

Protect Pets

Many of us here at iGOZEN have pets, and of course they are part of the family. From parakeets to dogs and cats, the last thing we want to do is accidentally harm our pets just because we were cleaning our house! And it looks like our customers feel the same way. Here's some feedback from Rhonda in Michigan, who's been using iGOZEN Everyday Cleaner:

I love this stuff I can use it around my cats and it [doesn't] bother them. I have a cat that loves everything, especially when I am doing it. He likes to taste test a lot of stuff and [iGOZEN] is so safe . Thanks for a wonderful and safe product.

Rhonda Greig
Michigan
 

Did you know that nearly 9% of calls to the Pet Poison Helpline in 2010 were made by cat owners? The most obvious poisons top the list, with the first three being human/vet drugs, poisonous plants and insecticides. But number four on the list is Household Cleaners. In other words, cats and bleach aren't a good mix. Lysol and cats aren't a good combination either!

So the potential for poisoning a pet is actually rather high, especially if your house is on the clean side. So we are happy that iGOZEN Everyday Cleaner replaces most (if not all) common and toxic cleaners in households, creating a safer environment for both humans and pets.

What good is your clean house if it's slowly (or quickly) poisoning your family (pets included, of course)? Here's an easy way to tell if a cleaning product has harmful chemicals. If the names of the ingredients are hard to pronounce, they are probably toxic. Look them up online to confirm. Then switch them out with something safe. iGOZEN is made from sea shell calcium and sea salt. Pretty easy to pronounce those two ingredients!

iGOZEN is easy to use and our customers love it. Just visit our Facebook Page and listen to the conversation. The word "love" is constantly mentioned.

Already using iGOZEN? Share the joy and your experience on our blog.

EWG's Guide to Greener Cleaning By Jannifer Ju

Ever wish you could find a resource that would tell you the real scoop when it comes to what'sreally in all the cleaning solutions you're buying? Well, there is! Environmental Working Group.

Never heard of EWG? Here's a little blurb from their website discussing what they're all about:

"The mission of the Environmental Working Group (EWG) is to use the power of public information to protect public health and the environment. EWG is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization, founded in 1993 by Ken Cook and Richard Wiles.

"In 2002, we founded the EWG Action Fund, a 501(c)(4) organization that advocates on Capitol Hill for health-protective and subsidy-shifting policies.

"EWG specializes in providing useful resources (like Skin Deep and the EWG's Shopper's Guide to Pesticides™) to consumers while simultaneously pushing for national policy change."

These guys aren't messing around either. Upcoming is a database of over 2000 products and 200 brands detailing the toxic nature of cleaning products that may be in YOUR home. The top offender in EWG's "Hall of Shame" was a huge surprise to me: Simple Green Concentrated All-Purpose Cleaner! Simple Green was one of the products I had counted on in the past to be safe. Turns out Simple Green contains 2-butoxyethanol, a solvent dangerous to red blood cells.

One of the reasons iGOZEN came into being was because it's so hard to tell what's really in the cleaning products on store shelves. At least when you make your own cleaning products, you know what's in them! iGOZEN is simply calcium from sea shells and sea salt, so there's no danger from absorption through skin contact, unlike "Simple" Green and a host of other products found in most homes today.

Environmental stewardship is a duty of every person. Please refrain from buying toxic and dangerous products and get educated on what to avoid by subscribing to information from organizations like EWG. Together we can have an impact on big business. If no one buys their toxic junk, they will have to change their ways and go out of business, no matter how many lobbyists they may have in Washington D.C.

Ink Stains and Pain Begone! By Customer Stories

Occasionally customers send in a random use of iGOZEN that we never thought of before. While iGOZEN was never intended for medical use, it does seem to have a positive effect on a variety of ailments. We'll leave the discovery of those uses to our customers, but we are happy to hear about them when the occur.

It just goes to show the power of the sea(seashells to be exact) on the mundane (ink stains) to the unusual (knee pains):
 

I had an ink stain that had been dried into a dress shirt, and I didn't know how to get the stain out. It was a new, white shirt, and from what I've been told, ink can be difficult to get out. I don't use hairspray, which is one solution I'd heard of (never tried it), and I was just about to wash the shirt again. No time to run to the store.

I grabbed the everyday iGOZEN and sprayed it onto the stain. It was right in the front pocket of the shirt so I was really hoping it would work. It did! Right before my eyes the stain started to melt away. While it was in it's dissolved state, I dabbed on a little Oxyclean powder and some water, and I was able to quickly rub the remainder of the stain out of the shirt.

That same night my wife's knees had a burning sensation due to an injury. She avoids pain killers, so we were looking for another option. Since I was already using iGOZEN for just about everything (like Greeks use Windex), we sprayed some on her knees. Remarkably, they felt better quickly and now she sprays iGOZEN on her knees nearly everyday. I attribute the alkaline nature of iGOZEN to be the reason it worked. It didn't heal the injury, but it made the burning sensation go away.

I also gave some to a friend, and he was amazed at how good it made the food taste. He also mentioned the blueberries he purchased for a catering event lasted a lot longer than the SAME BATCH of blueberries he DIDN'T wash. Literally, the box he set aside for himself turned moldy and rotten. The leftover blueberries  he brought back home (that had been washed) maintained their freshness and quality. The only difference was iGOZEN. iGOZEN Rocks!

                                                                                                                T.D.E. from California

Why we recycle iGOZEN bottles

Why does iGOZEN provide microfine powders and reusable plastic bottles?  Why can't we just be like everyone else and put our cleaning solution in a bottle, ship it to a store where you can pick it up and take it home?
Here's why:
It is estimated that over two million plastic beverage bottles are used every 5 minutes in the United States.  This does not even include the number of plastic bottles that are used for cleaning supplies.
What happens to these bottles? It is estimated that less than 10% are recycled. The remainder go into landfills or are washed out to the oceans. As the plastic disintegrates, fish and other marine life eat the plastic.  This introduces the plastic chemicals into our food chain.
This is why we are taking the time and care to make sure that iGOZEN products are brought to you with re-usable plastic bottles. Simply mix the microfine powder with water in the iGOZEN bottle and you are good to go. Refill packets of the iGOZEN powders are convenient, affordable and delivered directly to your home with no shipping costs, ever.
Please join us and do everything you can to reduce plastic bottle use.

Researchers Study the Plastic Bottles in our World's Waterways

Researchers have been studying the effects of millions of tons of discarded plastics - do they make it into the oceans and waterways, and how can it influence our health today? Are dangerous toxins brought into our bodies from the food supply chain?
Learn more in this informative video.

Another IGOZEN Miracle! Matthey Payne from CA Weighs In By Customer Storie

Here's a down and dirty story from customer Matthew Payne in California. We expect to hear more and more stories about different ways to use iGOZEN (hey, it's a limitless product!). Thanks, Matthew!

This one is for the boys! (And the girls) It’s for anyone who hates having that haze on the inside of their car windshield. I’ve tried Windex, and a host of automobile window products like Invisible Glass which clean the window but leave a residue which creates a horrible glare in the sunlight. Well, the other day I was frustrated again while trying to get my windshield clean and thought I should try our new IGOZEN. Low and behold it worked! A clean windshield and no haze!

Understand, if your windshield was as grimy as mine it’s going to take some elbow grease and a few applications, but your windshield will be truly clean. Apply the IGOZEN with one cloth and then wipe with a clean dry cloth. It also worked wonders on the headlamps and removed all kinds of grime (my cloth was brown afterwards) that didn’t come clean with my regular car wash.

So not only is that annoying haze gone, but the added safety of a clean windshield and clean headlamps which now shine brighter and farther is a real bonus. Yes, IGOZEN is a great house cleaner, but I’m having fun exploring other applications as well. Thanks again IGOZEN, it’s a miracle!

Matthew Payne
California
 

Got a down and dirty story yourself? Send it on in! You'll benefit both current and future users of iGOZEN and score some additional product for your effort at no charge.

The Quest of the Best Organic Cleaning Products-7th Generation By Tara Pelton

Jessica Beam from "Moms for a Healthier Home" continues her research for the best organic cleaning product ...

 The next product I have been researching is 7th Generation.  This product is also available in most department and grocery stores.

 On their site they say: “Seventh Generation is the nation’s leading brand of household and personal care products that help protect human health and the environment” (www.seventhgeneration.com) Right from the beginning, I beg to differ.  

 Although their cause and what they are aiming to do (to “nurture the health of beings for the next 7 generations”) is great, in my household, they are not the leading brand. For starters, let’s talk about pricing.  Their pricing ranges from $2.99 to $21.99.  They carry cleaners, washes, detergents, free and clear products, diapers, pads, tampons, wipes and trash bags.  At this point, I have to say that an individual who buys this brand will be spending a lot of money.  I think that having trash bags and pads made all natural is great BUT on top of that if you need a product that is unscented (which are always more expensive for some reason) now you have to buy that, on top of everything else as well as a separate cleaner for your shower, tub and tile, and glass surfaces.  We are a generation that is suffering economically.  We are utilizing every possible way to save a buck and if we can save money while not compromising our health that would be wonderful. In their case, they are not seeing this situation.

I wanted to tackle cleaning the bathroom this weekend because I was having a party so I bought their tub and tile cleaner.  I didn’t think it did that good of a job cleaning.  I did like the little scent that was in their product but my mother in law is sensitive to perfume.  Due to me finding the product not cleaning that great, I had to use more to keep cleaning away the soap scum which in turn created what was a light scent to a strong scent which did not do her well.  For the tub and tile, they do not carry unscented.  Their glass and surface cleaner as well as their all purpose are unscented but I ask myself, if their all purpose cleaner was really “all purpose” why make other cleaners targeting specific areas of the house? 

My grade rating of this was a C because of the product’s lacking of ability to really clean and because of their specific cleaners not being available in “clean and clear.”

Living a Balanced Life & Health By Jannifer Ju

When I hear the phrase, "living a balanced life" I think of eating a variety of healthy foods, eliminating toxic habits like smoking or drinking alcohol, exercising-- you know, the usual. When a dear friend had a brush with death, his experience brought new meaning to the phrase, "living a balanced life."

My friend Michael had developed extremely poor habits over the years. When I first met him twenty-some years ago, he was a fit and active theater director. Over time Michael grew complacent, stopped doing what he loved, and eventually became lonely. Year by year he drifted further from the fulfilling life he had led.  It got so bad that he stayed in his home working online, smoked constantly, never exercised and became obese.

Then last year Michael made a resolution to get in back shape. It was tough at first, but he managed to quit smoking. He cut out fatty foods and made a sincere effort to lose weight; he started buying organic, shopping at the co-op and even tried some vegetarian dishes!

After six weeks he had lost thirty pounds, was able to walk a mile or more, and was breathing more easily due to having given up smoking. His energy improved, and he even began talking about doing some theater again.

Then on Valentine's Day, Michael suffered an aortic rupture that landed him in open heart surgery. Miraculously, he survived it, but suffered a stroke while unconscious. After five weeks in a coma, Michael woke up.  At first he had difficulty speaking and couldn't feed himself, but in a short time he was finding words, remembering faces, and walking with assistance. Before long he was able to move home again.

Michael lost considerable weight in the hospital and looks great, but more importantly, he has a renewed life force and positive outlook. He's writing about his experiences and planning future performance work. Recently, over  a cup of tea, I asked Michael if he had regrets about the way he had been living before the hospitalization.

 "I don't regret eating fried chicken or smoking if that's what you mean, but what I do regret is letting my creative spark go out." Grinning as he pushed his cane aside, he hobbled across the kitchen spilling tea with each difficult step, "See! I'm living a balanced life again."  We laughed together at the irony. It got me thinking about how important our passions are to living a balanced life. Perhaps the true key to health lies in following our individual dreams. When we do, we gain the inner strength to take care of ourselves both body and soul, and that is truly living a balanced life!

Do you have a creative spark that would balance your life if it were re-ignited?

Quest for the Best Organic Cleaner for a Healthier Home - Review By Tara Pelton

Jessica Beam, of "Moms for a Healthier Home" continues her research for the best organic cleaning products....

This weekend, I continued on my journey to maintain a healthy home.  The next organic product I tested was Caldrea cleaners.  This product I obtained from a friend who purchased this online awhile ago.  I proceeded to research.

I concluded this line has an abundance of different products from laundry, to baby, to countertop cleaner, to dish soap.  I do love the variety BUT again, being the lowest priced item seems to be $7 and change, buying all these different items will definitely put a huge dent on anyone’s bank account.  They do have an all purpose cleaner which I again reiterate, if it TRULY is all purpose, then why is there a plethora of different products targeting different areas of the house?!

Besides this item being expensive, none of it is scent-free, which poses a big problem for those that are sensitive to strong smelling perfume or who have allergies.  This does eliminate the need for an air freshener in the house but as I mentioned above, Caldrea definitely does not target the crowd of sensitive or allergy-suffering consumers.  I would also like to add that on their site they mentioned is “a pleasant change of pace from the strong chemicals and fragrances of ordinary cleaning products” which is interesting since their line is all about aromatherapy and aromatherapy is strongly scented.  While there is no trace of chemical smell it is still very much fragrant regardless of whether it is of a lavender pine or Clorox lemon scent.

The item I used was the countertop cleaner ($9!).  While it claims to be “beautifully clean and elegantly green” I did not enjoy the product because being that it was so strongly scented, I was afraid of the smell getting on to whatever food I placed on the countertop. I do enjoy the scent but again, living in a house where I do have people that are sensitive and need free and clear products, this was not meant for my household regardless of the product being earth friendly. So while it might have rid me of the toxins that were on my countertops, the price and the inconvenience of the scent definitely brought this product’s grade down to a C-.

Green House Cleaning - Where to Start By Jannifer Ju

Many common (and popular) household cleaning products are bad for the health of those use them and bad for the health of those who live in the homes where they are used. That is not all, however, as they are also often bad for the environment. The problem is that many people have no idea how to keep a home clean without using the same toxic chemicals their parents used, etc. This is especially true of those who have only recently become aware of environmental issues and the dangers associated with everyday household cleaners.

Health Issues Associated with Using Toxic Household Cleaners

Some household chemicals, like window-cleaners that contain ammonia (as many do), can trigger respiratory conditions. In other other cases, cleaners (such as those used in bathtubs)  can irritate skin or aggravate allergies. Dishwashing detergents, which should be the safest cleaning products of all, can cause mouth-burns if they contain phosphates.

Green Cleaning tips for the Environmentally Conscious Householder

If a householder wants to keep their living space clean, but also wants to be healthy and to show respect for the environment, what are their options?

One option is that they can go the homemade route, using toxin free formulas that have worked for generations. These include making an all-purpose cleaner with ingredients such as baking soda, borax and vinegar. There are recipes for wholesome, natural, and time-tested  cleaning products, these can be found in a variety of books and on a variety of websites, all containing green cleaning tips.

For those with busy lifestyles or who prefer to purchase ready-made products, there is the option of using a line of green household products such as the ones developed specifically for that purpose by iGOZEN. Our calcium-based products are all natural, organic and completely safe. Try a sample today via our Facebook Page for access to our coupon code.

iGOZEN Simply Clean - for those you love By Tara Pelton

We are reminded that we are here

in this awakened state

 to live within this moment of now. 

Every action, no matter how small,

is an opportunity to be in a sense of wonder and awe

at the magnificence of this opportunity. 

Enjoy iGOZEN™ Simply Clean micro fine organic cleaning 

* fruit and vegetable washes

* odorless organic everyday cleaner for all purposes

Enjoy peace of mind when you are cleaning and caring for your family with iGOZEN.

How iGOZEN Organic Cleaning Helps the Environment By Tara Pelton

iGOZEN micro fine cleaning & washing powders consist of organic calcium from purified seashells made into a micro fine powder using a patented process.  The blend of seashells used for vegetable washes gently cleans the fruits and vegetables removing pesticides and toxins.  

 

The meat wash is made of a special blend of sea shells, enabling the wash to penetrate and alkalize harmful bacteria present in meat such as e-coli and salmonella. The Fish/Meat wash also neutralizes the harmful effects of antibiotics in meat and fish. These food washes are scientifically tested and proven to remove e-coli and salmonella and the most common pesticides.

 

iGOZEN Everyday Cleaner is a specific formula using microfine ground sea shells and salt to produce a gentle yet powerful solution that, when sprayed on dirt, grime or caked on food, will neutralize and disintegrate the unwanted substances and neutralize the harmful bacteria and toxins. Unlike any other cleaner, iGOZEN Is pure, odorless and completely safe to use near foods (perfect to keep your refrigerator, appliances and countertops clean everyday).

 

Because iGOZEN is an organic source of natural calcium from sea shells, it is safe for people and pets.  It's also healthy for our environment; the oceans and waterways are actually benefited by use of iGOZEN products. 

 

Did you know that oceanographers led by W.K. Dewar of Florida State University have discovered that the swimming action of fish and other marine organisms may  play a critical role in driving ocean currents, thus our climate and weather conditions globally?

 

Switching from unhealthy and toxic cleaners to iGOZEN helps protect our waters and the creatures in our waters, whose ecosystem is more important than previously understood.

 

Let's help the environment by using iGOZEN.