Tait's Toothpaste

“Teeth are alive, and given the proper environment, they can regenerate; this is why internal factors that nourish the teeth are so important.”

— Nadine Artemis

Tait's and a Horse Hair Toothbrush 

   Teeth are so important!  Judging by current dentistry practices, not many people know about teeth.  Some people are familiar with the idea that the skin is the window to the liver.  The teeth are an even bigger (figuratively) window to almost your entire body.  Every tooth has a corresponding organ/organ system.  You can tell a lot about a person's health from their teeth.  My two favorite resources for oral information are my dentist, Dr. Mark Breiner with his book Whole Body Dentistry, and Nadine Artemis and her book Holistic Dental Care.  

    I love my teeth.  I’m all about the drinks, but I could never be a liquitarian for an extended period.  I love crunchy.  I love chewy.  My teeth do a lot for me, so I like to return the favor by having a good oral hygiene routine.  Part of my routine, and probably a few other people’s as well, is brushing.

    I’ve used many toothpastes.  I intentionally cycle through different toothpastes.  Every brand/product has something different to offer.  However, that doesn’t mean I don’t have a favorite.  I feel that Tait’s Toothpaste is the best.  Right now I’m using it for my morning brushing.  It tastes great.  My teeth became noticeably whiter when I started using it, and it’s a product I feel good about using.

    This toothpaste is a food.  Unlike conventional toothpaste, you don’t have to call poison control if you swallow it.  I intentionally swallow it!  I don’t want to spit all these great ingredients down the drain!  However, the Earth might thank me if I did.  Tait’s is zeolite based, so anything it traps is inert.  That means everything it catches in my mouth will pass right through me.  I’m thinking that the zeolites will probably also pull things out of my digestive tract on their way out as well.

    So what is it I’m swallowing besides zeolites and coconut oil?  A lot:

• Stoneground Olive Oil
• Birch Xylitol
• Reishi Fruiting Body Extract
• Responsibly Harvested Killer Bee Propolis
• High Altitude Himalayan Shilajit
• Ginger, Thyme, Peppermint, Orange, Clove, Nutmeg, Bay Leaf, Oregano, Licorice, Mountain Savory, Spilanthes and Fennel Spagyrics
• ORMUS

    There are several other high-grade ingredients, but these are the ones that caught my eye.  To some people that may seem excessive.  This is not the toothpaste for those people.  This toothpaste is for anyone who wants to absolute best without compromise.  Not only is this toothpaste great for you, it’s great for keeping master craftsmen employed.  How many people maintain killer bees?  Not many.  How many people know how to create a spagyric, let alone actually go through the process?  Too few.  When you buy this product, you’re supporting the best of the best.  

    It comes in 2 sizes, 50mL and 100mL.  The packaging stands out.  Like I said in my He Shou Wu article, only the best is packaged in Miron Glass, like Tait’s.  Even better, the jar is labeled with glass paint!  Another thing I love about this product, is that it’s locally made in Marina Del Rey.  Right now, I own all the Tait's that exists, so no need to look any further.   If you'd like a chance to win a large jar, check out my instagram, @wcharleton!

Products that Caught my Eye this Winter

I spend more time than I’d like to admit online shopping.  I don’t usually buy stuff, but I like to browser-window shop.  One thing I’d like to do this year, is release my own product.  But until then, the best way for me to share products with you, is to direct you to other brands that I feel carry the same values as my own.  So, here are a few things that have caught my eye this season!  You can click through the photos to the product’s page which will open in a new window, except on the desk.  Click “Field Desk" for that.  

Up top are 100% hemp sheets ($298) by Jungmaven.  I like surrounding myself with natural, minimally processed fibers.  Jungmaven is a great company.  I've been a fan of their t shirts for a while and am happy to see them doing well and expanding.  Once at a dinner I had the pleasure of chatting with, Robert Jungmann, the man behind Jungmaven.  The reason I don't have these sheets, is because they're currently only offered in king and queen sizes.  I have a full.  So I'll wait.  When I went to pull the picture of the sheets, I came across hemp towels ($55).  Even in the picture, it looks so soft.  So I threw it on the list.

I'm not sure how practical this is, but I love the idea of it.  It's a Field Desk ($1850) by Best Made Co! I'm into this because I like writing things down by hand.  I often find it's easier and faster when I'm trying to plan things visually or even just making a list.

As you probably know, I'm into Blundstones.  I've had the same pair since high school.  They are getting old and aren't even waterproof anymore.  Fortunately, or unfortunately, however you want to look at it, shortly after I got my Blunnies, production was moved from Australia to Southeast Asia.  There's nothing inherently wrong with that, but I've heard the quality has gone down.  In the time that I've had my Australian made Blunnies, my dad is has gone through 2 and currently on his 3rd pair of Asian made Blunnies.  These are R. M. Williams' Comfort Craftsman Suede Chelsea Boots ($495).  Another Australian company!  They have an interesting story.  That's part of what draws me to the brand.  To me, they seem like dressier Blundstones.  I'll pull the trigger one of these days.  

How fucking sick is this hat ($119)?!  Don't get your hopes up, it's sold out.  Unless you've got a big head.  I think there were larges left, but not smalls.  It's a night lightweight felt, in a deep green.  It comes in other colors, but I love the green.  It's just so simple.  It's a collaboration piece between TOPO Designs and Westerlind.  If you're not familiar with TOPO, it's worth checking them out.  They offer some really well made, well designed products meant to withstand use and abuse.

I haven't used a CBD tincture since I lived in LA.  I don't have a good excuse.  There are a myriad of health benefits, some out there going as far as saying the nutrients are necessary for proper functioning of the body.  It's time for me to re-introduce myself.  I really trust Omica Organics.  This CBD oil is CO2 extracted and mixed with raw hempseed oil, honey as well as a few herbs ($83.95).  I use plenty of their products.  They offer the best shilajit I can find.

I want a dash cam.  This one by Waylens ($499.95) is exactly what I would make if I were to create my own.  There's a piece that plugs into the OBD, and overlays your cars data on the video recording.  You can then send the whole video directly to your phone.  I knew that's what I wanted in a dash cam, so I googled something like "dash cam car data overlay" and found Waylens, which it turns out is based in Boston, like 1,000 feet from my apartment!

I first saw this Shinola power strip in their Prudential store.  It feels so sturdy, and it's my favorite color.  And there aren't enough plugs in my apartment because there are so many devices to charge.  To me, this is one of those things you'll pass down to your grandkids and it'll still work.

Well, I hope you like what you've read!  When I get my hands on these things, I'll be sure to submit reviews.

 Let me know what you guys think!  I’d love it if you subscribed and dropped a comment!  But make sure you don’t subscribe to the comment thread.  A few people have done that, I assume by mistake.

Tait's Toothpaste! (video)

I filmed a quick video about Tait's Toothpaste.  Here it is!

Luxury as Time

“Most of us have no sympathy with the rich idler who spends his life in pleasure without ever doing any work. But even he fulfills a function in the life of the social organism. He sets an example of luxury that awakens in the multitude a consciousness of new needs and gives industry the incentive to fulfill them.”

— Ludwig von Miss

Rolex Air King, looks good for having logged over 2500 days of wear!

   Time is the only real luxury. When I buy an item or an experience, I'm essentially paying for time. Whether it be time spent learning or perfecting a craft, or the time it took to manufacture the item or the time to grow or make the components. Green bell peppers are cheaper than red, because they aren't ripe and there's a faster turnover. I don't eat green bell peppers, they aren't ripe!  I could make an amazing hand crafted watch. But I would have to learn how to mine, mold metal, and take several lessons in horology. I don't want to do that, but I still want a quality watch. So I outsource.  I trade my time to someone else for, in most cases, money.  Then I trade the money I received to someone else for their time. That can be applied to nearly every purchase I make. As I grow and learn, I invest time in my life and perfect better the things I put my attention to, making my time more valuable. And as I grow I have less time, also increasing its value. Baby cashmere has a greater value because it can only be collected once in a goat's lifetime, and is only a limited supply. With no time, there is no luxury.  I think there's an unlimited amount of money (according to the Federal Reserve there is), so it's in my favor to look to others who have put in the time to understand the things I have yet to understand.  

    Unless you're Eckhart Tolle, which would mean, according to the transitive property, that luxury is an illusion.  I have to agree with him, luxury is just as illusory as time.  Being present in the moment is the ultimate luxury, supersedes time, and can't be bought.  Luxury is not about having stuff, it's about having time.  When you're totally in the moment, there is no time.  When I'm doing something I love, and am totally in the flow, I can accomplish so much in so little time, or totally get lost in the day and feel like it passed in the blink of an eye.  But if you're having fun it doesn't matter, there's no better way to spend time than doing things you enjoy.

   Back to materialism for a second, because I want to connect my watch to luxury and to time.  It was a gift for my 18th birthday.  And you know what they say about gifts, turning down a gift is denying yourself love.  I've worn it every day since I got it, except that one time the pin fell out of the band.  That means it's spent 2,529 days on my wrist.  I swim with it, I shower with it, I change my oil with it, rock climb.  And it's still going strong!  I have only spent one day without it.  To me, that's a form of luxury.  It's able to withstand the test of time, and 20w50.  It also serves as a representation of my parents, the gift givers.  I look at it, and am reminded about all that they've done for me.

    Every once in a while I'm questioned why I would want metal strapped around my wrist.  Believe it or not, it's not because I want to know what time it is.  If I wanted to know the time, I would not look at a Rolex (that picture was actually taken at 6:12).  I think generally those that ask, think that it harnesses energy on my wrist that I might not want.  One woman said how she can't wear her watch because it makes her feel terrible.  I'm thinking, why do you have such a negative association with your watch?  I have more say than my watch, and I say it only harnesses the things I want!  While it may look like a piece of 904L stainless steel strapped to my wrist, it's much more than that.  It's filled with gold nuts (maybe even sprouted?), and gemstones like rubies, sapphires and diamonds.  They are not there to make the watch expensive, they're there because they serve a purpose.  They are more durable than metal, and significantly reduce friction, increasing the lifespan.  So sitting on my wrist is hundreds of years of watch development, using traditional and modern technologies, made with the best ingredients.   I know people that carry crystals in their pocket.  I carry them on my wrist.

Thank you for reading!

My Summer Essentials

“Of all the wonders of nature, a tree in summer is perhaps the most remarkable; with the possible exception of a moose singing ‘Embraceable You’ in spats.”

— Woody Allen

    I love summer, because I love going to the beach.  When I think of summer, I think of rawer foods, juice, berries, eating outside, going to the beach.  I am a sun worshipper.  The beach is my territory.  There’s nothing better than getting some rays grounded in the ocean, breathing salty air.  A good spring cleaning is necessary for a good summer.  Spring is the perfect time to let go of winter, and prepare for a great, expansive summer.

Here is a list of some of my summer essentials:

• Juices and Berries
• The Perfect pair of Sandals, Shorts and a  Long Sleeve Shirt
• The Perfect Playlist
• The Best Speakers to play your Perfect Playlist
• A Land Rover
• The Perfect Lemonade

    I like to prepare for summer with juice.  I find juice to be very cooling, and really cut it back in winter.  Now that summer’s quickly approaching, I’ve been adding more green juices.  It’s been slightly chilly recently, but I know it’s going to be beach weather soon so I’m incorporating more colored juices like carrot and beet.  Eating more colors, I believe, helps protect you from burning.*        *not approved by the FDA, or whatever.

    I’m a huge advocate of the sun.  Nothing makes me feel better than spending a few hours basking in the sun.  I think we can definitely affect how sensitive we are to the sun through our lifestyle.  Taking care of our skin and eating to nourish it are key.  It’s our largest organ, and largest organ of elimination!  And if you’re a Bruce Lipton fan, you’ll know that the intelligence of the cell lies in the membrane.  I’m just as careful of what I put on my body as in my body.  If I need some protection, I put on a shirt.

    Once summer arrives, I love to indulge in berries.  Berries are my favorite fruit.  One thing to note about berries, it’s good to eat them with a fat, and really important they are well chewed.  Try to break up the seeds.  If you put them in a smoothie, blend to grind up the seeds, and chew it before you swallow it.  This prepares your body to receive food.  I generally use frozen fruit for convenience, but don’t like cold food, so blending for longer also helps warm it up a little.  Berries are also a good source of nutrition!  Full of colors, fibers.  Did you know strawberries are the only fruit with their seeds on the outside?  It’s a very unique fiber that glues them on, that’s great for your intestinal tract!

    My summer wardrobe is dictated by what I find comfortable.  Earth runners are my primary footwear.  I’m hesitant to call them shoes, but I wear them beyond the point that sandals are appropriate.  I’m on my second pair.  Earth runners are barefoot running sandals (as the name insinuates), that electrically ground you to the earth.  There are several different options when choosing them.  I feel like I’m getting custom sandals when I order them.  If you want to look further into it, here is their website.

    The first pair I got just prior to spending a month at The Tree of Life with Dr. Gabriel Cousens, in Patagonia, AZ.  They were perfect!  They were the only shoes I brought with me and wore them hiking, walking, “cooking” for 30 consecutive days.  I decided to upgrade to ones with conductive slip-on laces.  Mine also have copper inserts that ground my feet at specific acupoints.  I don’t even feel like I have shoes on, and they’re so flexible, walking on a tactile warning strip is like a free foot massage.

    Grounding can also help you avoid burning in the sun.  When you’re grounded, your body acquires the electrical potential of the earth, which provides many benefits.  It’s a source of negatively charged electrons (anti-oxidants), has an anti-inflammatory effect and entrains your body with the Schumann Resonances.  The Schumann resonances are a result of the difference in charge and distance between the earth and the ionosphere (another reason to discontinue H.A.A.R.P.).  Think of the earth and the ionosphere creating a battery, with us in the middle.  Since neither the earth nor the ionosphere are perfect spheres, there is variation, but it's generally around 7.83Hz.

    A long sleeve white linen shirt is my go-to sunblock.  I’m not an advocate of sunscreens.  I’m not an advocate of burning either.  Getting some sun is important.  I feed off the sun, nothing makes me feel better.  Getting just 15 minutes of unprotected sun will supply you with sufficient vitamin D for the day.  One thing I think is important to note:  Vitamin D is produced and left on the surface of the skin to be absorbed.  Don’t take a shower after you go to the beach!  Not right away.  Wait as long as you can.  I know, you’re going to say, "but that’s gross."  Well whats worse, washing off all the vitamin D, or throwing on some strong essential oils.  Back to the shirt, white reflects the most light so you won’t get warm.  Linen is a breathable, comfortable, natural fiber.

     As I’m typing this, I think I should mention sunglasses.  I wear glasses sometimes, sunglasses too.  Most lenses, clear or not, block UV light.  Sunglasses have the potential to be more harmful, blocking UV and visible light.  It’s important to get some sun in your eyes.  People talk about sun gazing for a reason.  Tanning actually begins with the eyes.  When UV light enters through your eye, it stimulates the pituitary gland to produce melanocyte stimulating hormone, which does what it sounds like.  Your skin also reacts, but significantly slower.  So, when you’re in the sun wearing sunglasses, your body takes much longer to pigment the skin with melanin, increasing chances of burning.  I recently came across some information arguing that the bacteria on your skin affects your sensitivity.  I don’t know enough to comment, but that makes sense to me.

    There are always certain songs I associate with summer.  I have a few pretty regular summer activities with friends I only see on occasion, so I usually remember the songs they introduced me to, or that we played repeatedly, and those usually go on the playlist.  There are others that just have a summery feel, a je ne sais quoi.  I’m still working on my summer playlist, but this is it so far:

• Move On Up (Extended Version) - Curtis Mayfield
• Sugar - Maroon 5
• Soulful Strut - Young Holt Unlimited
• Eminence Front - The Who
• Semi-Charmed Life - Third Eye Blind
• Peg - Steely Dan
• Ghost Town - Adam Lambert    
• Hollywood - RAC

    I wouldn’t call myself an audiophile, but I like good sound.  I’m usually pretty brand loyal to Bang and Olufsen.  While it’s usually a bitch to deal with the store, and maintenance is required, it’s worth it for the supreme audio/visual experience.  The A3?  Genius, I don’t know why the discontinued it.  I’m currently on the Beoplay A2 wireless bluetooth speaker.  “Rays,” I know, but it’s a trade off.  Ground yourself.  The sound is spectacular.  It’s got a pretty good range, 55Hz to 20,000Hz.  On the other hand, Bose dose not disclose the range of it’s most popular bluetooth speaker, the SoundLink Mini.  I couldn’t find the wattage, but I’m guessing it’s up there.  Battery life is a supposed 24 hours play time.  I haven’t counted, but it seems great.  You can also plug audio or USB right in.  You can charge off the USB port, which is nice.  And I got this sweet shoulder strap for it.  Charles Eames once (or maybe twice) said, “The details are not the details.  They are the design.”

    I say a Land Rover is an essential summer and beach component because, how else are you going to drive on the beach?  It’s so much fun.  I love driving out as far away as we can get and setting up camp for the day.  Feels just like a safari, but by the ocean.

1985 Land Rover 110, Cape Poge, Chappaquiddick

    One thing a beach campsite requires is lemonade.  I love lemonade.  My usual is a squeezed lemon, a little grade b maple syrup and water, spring or distilled.  In summer I like to get a little fancier.  The best lemonade requires pressed lemon juice, with the rind.  There is nothing like it.  Living in California, I don’t have my Norwalk so I’ve been using option two.  Squeeze a lemon into distilled water, and then drop the rind in and let it sit for a few hours, even overnight.  The distilled water will draw the oils form the peel.  Then I like to add a little MSM.  It pairs well with citrus.  Surthrival Schizandra Berry Concentrate is the best schizandra I’ve had, and adds a little zing to the lemonade.  And turns it into pink lemonade.

    For every 12 ounces of water:

• 1/2 - 1 Organic Lemon, depending on the size/tartness factor you’re looking for
• 1/2 tablespoon Grade B Maple Syrup*
• 1/4-1/2 teaspoon non-petroleum derived MSM powder
• 1/2 teaspoon Schizandra Concentrate

This 2000mL Erlenmeyer Flask is great for vortexing and serving!

*You can cut down on the number of ingredients by swapping out water and maple syrup for maple sap.

    Schizandra is one of the top tonic herbs in Traditional Chinese Medicine.  There are countless reasons why someone might be interested in taking schizandra, it's great for the liver, is known as a beautifying tonic and in Chinese translates to "five flavors."  Here’s a video of Brandon Gilbert describing the benefits of schizandra, he's more qualified than I am.  Lucidera, the company that supplies Surthrival, was founded by Brandon.

    If you made it this far, I hope you enjoyed it!