My new obsession is healthier beauty products. I’m becoming more and more aware of the dangers of the chemical toxins found in so many of my used-to-be favorite brands, and as I march steadily down the path of wellness, I’m continuing to realize that health is a whole package. I can’t go all organic with my veggies, then spray toxic chemicals on my hair and think it’s okay. Nor can I use an all organic moisturizer, then wash it off at night with a harsh cleanser. Of course, it’s not completely all or nothing. I balance my efforts as best I can and every step in the right direction is a positive one.

So back to the cost of wellness. It’s not always cheap, and I certainly don’t have tons of funds to spend on expensive all-natural products. So instead of cutting corners, I do my homework and look for ways cut costs. Yesterday, I spent most of my Sunday switching back and forth between two websites: The Environmental Working Group’s Skin Deep Cosmetic Safety Database, a fabulous website that I’ve mentioned before,

and VitaCost.com, another great website offering cheaper prices on vitamins, supplements, bath and beauty supplies, etc.

After all was said and done I ended up choosing the Aubrey Organics Natural Vegecol line and saved about 20%. This line scores 2/10 on Skin Deep’s hazard scale. I can live with that. I also ordered Badger SPF 30 Sunscreen for 15% less than the retail value. This sunscreen scored a 1/10 on Skin Deep’s sunscreen database. Woohoo!

Three cheers for safe sun protection and the slightly cheaper price of wellness.

What are your favorite natural bath and beauty products?

Everyone has a bad day. The weight of the world, no matter how light, can feel like a mountain, and that added stress can get the best of us. Even if you do everything in your power to live a happy, healthy life, moments of “low” are inevitable. It’s how you deal with those moments that counts.

When days like this pop up, it can take a bit more than a few deep breaths to pull you back to calm. The important thing to remember that you’ve got all the tools you need to turn a tough moment into a forgotten memory. Even if there is still a task at hand, the unnecessary worry it brings can be a thing of the past.

Next time you’re feeling the crunch, try out some of these stress management tools…

• Eat something healthy! I know it seems simple but how many times have you reached for something unhealthy to deal with your stress?  Many people are “emotional eaters” and grabbing a clementine instead of a doughnut when emotions run high will not only “feed the feelings” but will give you important phytonutrients to help fight the diseases often caused by stress. Crappy carbs also mess with our cortisol levels which can make you feel even worse. Remember this line when you’re looking for something to munch…Crappy leads to crabby.

• Stretch out your stress or walk out your worries! Twenty minutes of yoga or a quick walk around the block can really make a difference when the weight of the world is weighing you down. It doesn’t need to be a heavy workout session, just a little bit of movement and a whole lot of deep breathing can bring you back to a place of calm. If you’re at work, get up from your desk and get a few minutes of fresh air. “Go make a copy” or take a water break. When you return to your desk, you’ll feel lighter and refocused.

• Talk it out! What is it about stress that makes us want to be not so nice bitchy to the ones we love. Remember that friends and family want you to be happy and often are happy to help you through your tough time. So, be nice to your loved ones. A warm embrace is more comforting than a cold shoulder! Regardless of whether or not they give advice, talking about your problems can make them seem a whole lot more manageable. If you don’t feel like talking, just hang with someone. You’ll remember that you’re not in this alone!

• Take a break! There’s nothing wrong with leaving your troubles for another day. And if a problem needs immediate attention, letting go of the woes will give you the strength you need to get through it.  Stop, take a minute, and remember that everything is going to be okay. For real!

I’ve been spending so much positive time and energy with my nutrition these days, but I’ve neglected to also focus on fitness. My excuse is that I’ve been too busy and unmotivated.  But while picking and choosing the aspects of health that are most convenient will work for a while, its not the way to wellness. The way I see it, nutrition without fitness is like putting premium gas in a car with bald tires…eventually you’re still going to get a flat.

My biggest challenge with incorporating a healthy exercise regime into my schedule is time. Of course!  I’m sure many of you can relate to that.  With my commute and work and shopping and cooking, then digesting and reading and spending time with my significant other, where can I fit in fitness?  I’ll tell you where…in the morning, before I do anything.  That’s how it works for me. And if I’m diligent and committed, I’m okay. If I give myself even a little bit of slack, I’m bound for laziness.

Waking up earlier than I have to is the key to my success, and the hardest part. I really have to drag myself out of bed in the morning. Not because I can’t do it, just because I don’t want to. My covers are warm and my pillow is soft, much more forgiving than the cold, cruel world. But alas, I am an adult, and my days of sleeping in need to come to an end.  There’s just way too much a.m. daylight that I’m missing.

I made a commitment to myself this week that I would start waking up earlier than absolutely necessary and that today I would re-visit my yoga practice. So, bright and early, 7am, I was up and ready to stretch!

I found a free demo video from Myyogaonline.com. I’m seriously considering buying a year membership to this website. It’s only $9.95 a month. That’s cheaper than a yoga class. This 12 minute video was just what I needed to get started. I continued with another 1/2 hour or so of my own routine and I feel great.

Here are just a few of the benefits I experienced from yoga in the morning:

• reduced muscle stiffness and joint compression that occurred during sleep
• an awakening of the senses and the ability get my mind going without caffeine
• a feeling of calm and rejuvenation.

Take some time to examine the challenges you’re facing in regards to fitness. Are you busy like me? Is it a financial reason? Are you injured? Are you just not sure where to start? I hear a hundred excuses everyday from patients who want to be well but can’t seem to overcome one major obstacle, themselves. You are the only real thing standing in your way. Of course time and money and injury are factors, but those can easily be overcome with a little initiative and creativity.  If you want to grow, you can and you will.  Sure you may need to modify, but you are always capable of trying and with a little effort you can be even more than able. You just have to start with the basics.

For me, it’s yoga, then I’ll advance to running. I may even buy some roller-blades. For you it could start with a walk around the block and some light-weight bicep curls. Before you know it, your new routine will be set and you’ll be cruising along on your own path to wellness.

Namaste

When I have an injury, am feeling depressed, or even just having a really long day, my first instinct is to reach for the chip bag.  The baby Laura inside me says, “Forget this healthy nonsense and love me tenderly.”  The problem with this pathological coddling is that when you’re in a state of injury, fatigue, sadness, etc, your body more than even needs to be nourished with foods and activity that will help it recover.  Chips, and their evil counterparts cookies, are nowhere near the list of foods that make you big and strong.  They may give us some mental satisfaction but for me that’s usually followed by one of the following: guilt, more fatigue, a sour tummy, or, and I’m sad to say this is the most frequent “or”, another chip.

The easy downward spiral of this situation is that if your injury lasts several days or weeks, or your long day at work turns into a month long project, then you could find yourself sitting among a lot of empty chip bags and once the “toe” heals, do you think you’ll be running for the race gates to start day one all over again?  Maybe/hopefully/definitely! you will, but you may not have the same enthusiasm or strength that you started with the last time.

So what is the solution?  “Don’t eat chips!” Eureka! Thanks Dr. Know-it-all.  But seriously, more importantly would be to have more of the good stuff.  If you are taking a whole-food source supplement, double-up. Have a great breathing meditation you’ve been working on?  Add an extra ten minutes.  Don’t have much time to cook a healthy dinner? Throw a bunch of veggies in some broth and have a yummy soup.  It doesn’t have to be extra work.  It just needs to be extra goodness.  And don’t worry about Little “insert your name here.” When you are finally sitting back on the couch with your mind quiet and your tummy full, he or she will be fast asleep and your body will be on it’s way to it’s old healthy self.

Have a Happy, Healthy Day!

Refrigerator principle for this week…

Smile