A friend and I stand in a cramped bathroom, rifling through a giant cosmetics case. We’re nineteen at the time, and it’s the same ritual before any night out…first deciding we’ll do the natural I’m too cool to worry about how I look look, then getting into the bathroom, applying approximately 42 products and emerging as brightly painted characters. Note: the downside of wearing little or no makeup during the day–you’re vulnerable to perpetually overcompensating at night.
“This looks too matte, I think I need a cream eye shadow…”
Her eyes widen…she dives into the case and pulls out an excessively shimmery YSL lipstick. “Just use this as an eye shadow!”
“Lipstick on my eye? Is that okay to put onto bare skin though?”
“Ummmm…what’s the difference between your lips and any other part of your skin?”
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Tea is pretty much perfect. Here’s why…
There are countless varieties of tea, so it’s guaranteed you’ll find one to delight your unique palate. All tea actually comes from the same plant, called Camellia Sinensis. After harvesting the plant, its leaves begin to wilt and oxidize.
Black tea comes from leaves that are fully oxidized, wilted, and bruised.
Green tea comes from leaves that are not wilted or oxidized.
Oolong tea comes from leaves that are somewhat wilted, bruised, and only partially oxidized.
White tea comes from young leaves and buds that have minimal oxidation.
Some benefits of Tea
The polyphenols in green tea as well as the theaflavins and thearubigins in black tea act as antioxidants in the body, fighting free-radicals and protecting against DNA damage.
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Did you know your skin’s appearance reflects the health of your gut and digestive system? If it’s looking lackluster and you seem to be doing everything right (i.e. eating a vitamin-rich diet, sleeping at least 6-8 hours per night, properly cleansing and moisturizing, drinking plenty of water, and protecting it from sun damage), a leaky gut might be the cause…
Your gut allows for vitamin absorption and healthy intestinal functioning, both of which slow down with age. Its ability to absorb nutrients depends on the amount of “good bacteria” it contains. Known as flora, this intestinal bacteria is incredibly important to your body’s ability to function efficiently. Diet and lifestyle can weaken the gut and deplete millions of healthy bacteria the body needs.
Beneficial intestinal flora and the gut are the MAJOR center of immune support for the body.
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“First off, I have my parents to thank for pointing me in the right direction. My family vacations often involved spending the week on a small Caribbean island, eating nothing but raw foods and watermelon. My father was (and still is) a part-time practitioner of Natural Hygiene – concerned with proper food combining, acid & alkaline and the consumption of mainly raw fruits, vegetables, nuts seeds and sprouts. And then there is the other 50 weeks of the year when he practices the Standard American Diet. And so it goes, the ideal vs. the reality. But if I’ve learned anything from my own study and practice of Macrobiotics, it’s that there is not one clear path; there is not one “right way”, no “ideal diet”. Everything changes. Always.
Flexibility is key. Life is a long and winding road over an ever-changing terrain.. and you gotta pack the right shoes…”
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aaaahh, the skin routine!–the foundation of skin health. A good skin routine can feel more like meditation than chore. It’s a twice daily ritual where we clean, massage, and refresh the skin.
Let’s go through the ritual for removing makeup, cleansing, nourishing, and moisturizing the skin–the Ayurvedic way…
Makeup Removal
In order to cleanse your skin thoroughly, it’s always best to remove all makeup beforehand.
Removing Makeup:
massage the skin gently with pure vegetable oil.
Dry Skin: sesame oil
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If you read my previous post on grocery shopping, you know why it is important to buy locally-grown produce. Local produce is more nutrient-dense, thus better for your body. This is also why it is important to support local farmers and farmland.
In the United States, it is reported that 91% of fruit and 78% of vegetables come from farms closest to cities and urban environments. These farms are directly in the path of land development and are at risk.
Did you know…
We lose over an acre of farmland every minute in the United States!
In the 25 years from 1982-2007, we have converted over 41 million acres of rural land to developed land. Here in California, we lost 616,000 acres of rural land to development.
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