It’s no secret that coffee is one controversial little beverage. About 98% of my clients come to me with a pretty serious coffee habit, and of those over 3/4 are bona-fied addicted.
So what’s the big deal, you ask? Coffee never killed anyone, right?
Well, let’s clear a few things up.
The Sea of Galilee has long had a reputation for benefits to beauty, health, and even spirit. The volcanic thermal springs and mineral rich waters from this mythical body of water and it’s surroundings make for an intensely healing base for an amazing line of natural skincare products, especially when combined with raw, plant-based ingredients. This is Lavido, and I have been falling more and more in love with this line every day that I’ve used it!
Starting with the Gentle Exfoliator Cream, with cold-pressed pomegranate seed oil, lemon, and macadamia nut, which smells heavenly, and delivers beautiful exfoliation paired with deep hydration, renewal and brightening. Followed by the Alert Eye Cream, with plant-based hyaluronic acid, cold-pressed avocado oil, and citrus oils that keeps eyes looking younger, more awake, and totally de-puffed in a light, creamy formula. And, of course, my favorite, the Invigorating Facial Serum, with cold-pressed evening primrose oil, frankincense and rose hip that prevents aging, deeply hydrates skin, and I kid you not, smells like aromatherapy heaven.
Not only are these beautiful products clinically proven to work wonders on your skin, they’re also lovingly concocted with the utmost attention to detail. Every ingredient is chosen for maximum benefit (and of course, the crucial olfactory element). My skincare routine has taken on a heavenly spa-like feel with these luxurious beauties. I can’t wait to try out the whole line!
Lately, it seems like everyone is getting the sick, and for some of you, that might mean a whole month of chronic sniffles as the weather cools. We may just assume that this is a normal seasonal side effect, but I’m here to tell you that it’s not!
Seasonal sniffles do not need to happen, and if you find that you’re falling victim to them like clockwork, it may be a sign of some greater imbalances in your system.
Compromised immunity can come from a lot of unexpected places — food sensitivities, stress, not eating for your body type, not staying warm enough, and of course, nutritional deficiencies.
With a few key upgrades to your eating and lifestyle, you can stay totally healthy and cold-free this season, and save those sick days for playing hooky and going to the spa or taking an impromptu day trip.
Ok yes. I may have gone a little bit gourd-crazy. I had like 5 of those festive puppies sitting around in my kitchen, and decided that Sunday night was the perfect time to put them all to good use! I roasted up a sugar pumpkin (used in this recipe), a delicata squash, an acorn squash, and another squash of unknown origin (thanks CSA!) for a whole week’s worth of yummy soup and healthy lunches.
But this bread takes the cake (so to speak!). Made with fresh organic pumpkin (none of that canned crap!), it makes for a delicious breakfast and has the consistency of a perfect pumpkin pie. Plus it’s gluten-free and has no white sugar!
Cut a sugar pumpkin in half, remove the seeds (wash and save them for roasting!), and roast at 350 degrees for 45 minutes. Let cool, then puree in food processor until smooth (it should have the consistency of apple sauce). If puree is a little dry, add water to reach desired consistency.
Makes 2 loaves
1.5 cups fresh pumpkin puree
2 cups coconut flour
1.5 cups gluten-free flour
2 tsp. baking soda
1 cup coconut palm sugar
1 tsp salt
2 tsp. cinnamon
2 tsp. nutmeg
1/2 tsp. allspice
1/2 cup water
1/2 cup almond milk (or more, to reach batter-like consistency)
4 eggs, beaten
1 cup virgin coconut oil, melted
1 cup chopped raw walnuts
1/2 cup organic raisins or dried cranberries (optional)
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a large mixing bowl, stir together flours, palm sugar, baking soda, salt and spices. Add eggs, water, almond milk, oil, and pumpkin. Stir until smooth. Add walnuts and raisins (if using). Pour into two oiled loaf pans. (I actually had a little extra, which I poured into a muffin tin.) Bake for 1 hour, or until a knife stuck in the middle comes out clean. Cool for 10 minutes. Enjoy!
In a marketplace now getting flooded with amazing natural and organic beauty products, men often get the short end of the stick. The ingredient-conscious man is relegated either to using flowery, feminine products or spending tons of time seeking out one of the few high-quality natural men’s product lines out there. Well, Brickell Men’s Products is here to change that.
Ayurveda is the single most complete and comprehensive holistic approach to health and wellness, which allows us to live, eat, and move in harmony with our own unique bodies, the seasons, and our environment. Though I am not a fan of diets or one-size-fits-all approaches, I have definitely found that Ayurveda gives us some amazing guiding principles for living the healthiest and happiest life possible, while still taking into account the vastly different experiences we have from one body to the next.
Each season has a characteristic predominant dosha, which means that if you share that dosha, you can experience a destabilizing effect if you’re not taking steps to actively balance your body. This can cause compromised immunity (leading to colds and flus), feeling scattered or ungrounded, feeling more emotional or stressed, and even experiencing digestive issues, inflammation, breakouts and other skin issues.
The last few months have been a non-stop whirlwind of travel. When you’re on the road more than you’re not, it can be really destabilizing to your healthy routine. But with a bit of planning ahead, you can make your trips super healthy, while not sacrificing the fun!
Here are my 6 steps to turning your travel into your healthiest experiences!
I’m feeling the fall vibes today, with an overcast sky and crisp 60 degree air here in Brooklyn… and nothing says fall like apples and cinnamon. This yummy smoothie tastes like apple pie in a glass, with the healthy addition of greens to make it a total nutritional super-breakfast.
Enjoy!
1 organic apple, peeled, cored, and cut into 1/2 inch pieces
1 tsp raw honey (or Active Bee Power Royal Jelly/Raw Honey/Bee Propolis)
1 cup organic greens of choice (or use 1 full scoop of green powder)
1/4 tsp cinnamon
1/3 cup organic rolled oats, uncooked
1 tbsp raw virgin coconut oil
1 cup almond milk (here’s my easy homemade recipe!)
(Optional) Hemp Protein Powder
Blend until totally smooth. Top with a sprinkle of cinnamon.
My mantra when it comes to skincare is: If you can’t eat it, don’t put it on your face.
Now, obviously I can’t stay true to this all of the time (sometimes a pimple requires a bit stronger action), and I’m certainly not advocating eating your face wash. But making sure that everything you put on your skin is natural, and preferably organic, leads to not just radiant, glowing skin, but a healthy and balanced body.
I’m happy to say that at this point, about 90% of my skincare routine is pretty much good enough to eat! And a lot of that is thanks to the amazing natural beauty line, Botanic Organic. I’ve been using their line of all natural, unrefined products for a few months now, and I have to say, I’m obsessed. Best of all, the whole line is totally affordable, so you don’t have to pay and arm and a leg for high quality, natural products!
As the weather cools and our summer tans inevitably fade, it’s time to step things up a bit when it comes to makeup. But wearing a bit more does NOT mean slathering our skin with toxic and pore-clogging chemicals.
I’ve made it my mission to find the most effective natural makeup out there, and I’m super excited to share my favorites with you guys! These natural beauties boast some awesome ingredients, without the dangerous chemicals you’ll find in most drugstore brands…and without ever sacrificing results!
All of the selections below are formulated without:
It’s important to note that not all products from the suggested natural makeup lines below are created equal. Just because they make a good lipgloss, doesn’t mean that their mascara is chemical-free. As always, make sure to read your ingredients, with a particularly keen eye towards the big bad additives listed above. If you’re ever in doubt, enter the product into the EWG Skin Deep Database to see it’s safety score. All of the products listed below rate under 2 on a 10 point scale (0 being the safest).
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I'm Natasha Uspensky, holistic nutritionist, Ayurvedic practitioner and healthy lifestyle expert. I created The Organic Beauty to be your resource to celebrate and learn about everything from healthy eating and living for your whole family, to natural beauty and sustainable style. I hope to inspire you to live beautifully and healthfully, in a life you love!
Click here to learn more about me!
xoxox
