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by Natasha Uspensky, CHHC

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About: Natasha Uspensky, CHHC

Recent Posts by Natasha Uspensky, CHHC

Seasonal August Recipe: Fennel and Apricot Salad

By: Monday, August 15, 2011 Diet and Foods, Healthy Cooking, Recipes , , , Permalink 0
Seasonal August Recipe Fennel and Apricot Salad | The Organic Beauty BlogI walked into my office on Friday to find 2 big bags of delicious, freshly picked, mini apricots in the kitchen.. It was all I could do to keep myself from eating them all day long!  This pink cheeked, sweet and tart little fruit is not only delicious, but is also loaded with health benefits.

Apricots, one of August’s delicious seasonal fruits, are super high in vitamin A, beta-carotene, and lycopene, antioxidant nutrients that protect the body from cancer and heart disease.  They are also rich in fiber, which is necessary for proper digestion and heart health.  Make sure to consume only organic apricots, since those that are conventionally grown are heavily sprayed with pesticides.

Eat apricots raw as a delicious snack or dessert, or try this super yummy, seasonal salad as a delicious, light dinner, or lunch side! 


Seasonal Fennel and Apricot Salad

Serves 4-6 


Ingredients


1 package organic arugula
1 large organic fennel bulb, shaved very thin
1 small red onion, shaved very thin
3-6 apricots (depending on size), thinly sliced
3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
juice of 1 lemon
2 tablespoons chopped fresh thyme
2 tablespoons agave
1/4 teaspoon sea salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/4 cup unsalted pistachios


In a medium bowl, mix together the lemon juice, olive oil, thyme, agave, sea salt and pepper.  Add the shaved fennel and red onion. Let marinate for about an hour.  Just before serving, pit and slice in the apricots and add arugula and pistachios.  Mix and serve!




Recipe adapted from Cookthink.com

Less Stress & More Energy Through Breath!

By: Monday, August 15, 2011 Exercise, Holistic Health, Lifestyle, Wellness , , , , Permalink 0
Less Stress & More Energy Through Breath! 2 | The Organic Beauty BlogDoesn’t it seem like navigating through the world of healthcare and self-care always seems to come at a cost?  Supplements, nourishing organic produce, fitness classes, self-care appointments, it seems like very little of the great things you can do for your body and your health are free.  But there is something that is always there for you and doesn’t cost a penny… your breath!  We all know how important it is to breath right while exercising, but we often times lose sight of the fact that the way we breathe the rest of the time is just as important.  Here are some simple tips and exercises for maximizing your breath to manage stress, calm nerves, energize your body, and experience amazing health benefits!
  • Breath through your nose as much as possible.  Breathing through the nose is much more energizing and oxygenating than breathing through the mouth.  When you’re walking around, doing your thing, make an effort to breathe through your nose as much as possible, focusing on taking long, slow breaths.   Inhaling and exhaling nasally takes much longer tan orally, which gives the oxygen more time to get into the bloodstream.  This slower, deeper breath also has a remarkable effect on brain waves, which reduces stress and anxiety, lowers blood pressure, and can even help with hunger and food cravings!  
  • For relaxation, try the 4-7-8 breathing exercise.  This exercise is an amazing tranquilizer for the nervous system, and is a great tool for lowering stress levels, blood pressure, as well as improving sleep!
    • First, place the tip of the tongue on the ridge just behind your your front teeth.  
    • Secondly, exhale completely through your mouth, totally emptying your lungs of air.   Then, close your mouth and inhale through your nose for a count of 4.  
    • Keeping your mouth closed, hold the air in your lungs for a count of 7. 
    • Next, exhale slowly, for a count of 8, making a whooshing sound (as though you’re saying “shh”).  Make sure you exhale out completely, so your lungs are completely empty of air, and your abdominal muscles are engaged.  This is one cycle of 4-7-8 breath.  Repeat this cycle 3 times for a total of 4 breaths, and you’re done!  Try to complete this exercise twice a day for maximum results.  Use it whenever you feel stressed, overworked, nervous, or when you’re dealing with insomnia.
  • For an energizing boost, try Bellows Breath.  This yogic breathing exercise is wonderful for when you’re tired, low on energy, feel your alertness slipping, or when you just need a late afternoon pick-me-up.  It can be just as effective as a cup of coffee!
    • Inhale and exhale very rapidly through your nose, with each breath being as quick as possible…like a bellows!  
    • Aim for about 3 in and out breath cycles per second, with inhalations and exhalations being equal in length.
    • For the first few tries, complete the exercise for no more than 15 seconds.  But feel free to increase the duration every time you do it, up to a minute in length maximum.
  • Lastly, forget huffing and puffing while exercising.. Instead, try ujjayi breath!  Heavy breathing during exercise puts the body into a highly stressed state of emergency, which is actually counter-productive to the benefits of physical activity.  Maintaining a steady, deep breath takes the strain off the body, allowing us to do more without as much strain.  Ujjayi breath is an ancient yogic breathing technique that was created to cleanse the mind and body, focus thinking, and cause a deep sense of calm and relaxation.
    • Less Stress & More Energy Through Breath! | The Organic Beauty BlogTo learn ujjayi breath, inhale deeply through the mouth.  On the exhale, start to close the back of your throat to slightly constrict the passage of air, as if you are fogging up a pair of glasses.  This should sound like an ocean wave.  
    • Once you are comfortable with this exhale, work on employing that same throat constriction on your inhalation.  Focus on an even, slow inhalation and exhalation in this manner… kind of like Darth Vader.  
    • When you’re ready, close your month, and continue this style of breath exclusively through the nose..  That’s it!  You are employing ujjayi breath.  Try breathing this way when you are stretching, doing yoga, or other forms of light exercise.  Eventually, try to breathe this while doing all forms of exercise.  It definitely takes some getting used to, but focusing on this deep, slow, nasal breathe while the body is being physically stressed makes for a more effective workout that has much less negative impact on the body.  For more information on the benefits of this style of breathe and its benefit for physical activity, check out John Douillard’s amazing book, Body, Mind, and Sport.
Breath is the most vital sources of our life, energy, and health, but, as it is an automatic function, it’s very easy to neglect in terms of conscious use.  When we bring our attention to our breath, we gain access to an incredibly powerful and effective wellness tool that can aid us in so many different aspects of our health.  Best of all, it’s a tool that is free, easy to use, and that we have access to 24 hours a day, regardless of where we are!  Try some of the above techniques consistently for a few weeks, and you will notice dramatic results.. without spending a penny!

Food Focus: Smart Eating for Omnivores

By: Thursday, August 4, 2011 Diet and Foods, Nutrition , , , , Permalink 0

Food Focus Smart Eating for Omnivores | The Organic Beauty BlogAs a nutrition counselor, I know that a plant-based (or even mostly plant-based) diet isn’t for everyone. Try as they might, some people just don’t feel their absolute best without some animal protein in their diets, and that’s ok! But there are definitely some steps you can take to be smarter and healthier when consuming meat. Here are some great rules of thumb to live by in the meat-eating world:

In general, try to make meat a complementary part of your diet, not the primary focus. The most health-supportive, energizing, nutrient-rich, and anti-oxidant foods out there are fruits and vegetables.

  • Always opt for grass-fed or pasture-raised meat. Animals raised in these ways are healthier, happier, and yield much better meat, that is much better for you!
  • Always look for meat that is hormone and antibiotic free. This will reduce your exposure to these harmful, altering drugs and chemicals, and will help to alleviate many hormone-related health problems, as well as resistance to antibiotics (for when you really need them!).
  • When possible, opt for organic meats. If you’re following the tips above, you’re already going to be consuming much healthier meat, but as always, organic is definitely a plus. This will ensure that the animal wasn’t fed foods that are laden with pesticides, fertilizers, and are genetically modified. Most commercially raised meats are fed low quality, GMO corn, and are exposed to other harmful toxins. Keep that out of your meat, and out of your body!
  • Stick to the leaner cuts.  Leaner cuts of meat will have less fat (obviously), which means less cancer-causing toxins in your body, less bad cholesterol in your body and less flab on your mid-section!
  • Go for meat that is low-sodium, nitrite-free, and never processed. This means avoiding foods like lunchmeats, hot dogs, packaged meats, chicken nuggets, or any other meat-based foods that have gone through extensive processing. There are little to no health benefits to these foods, and they actually do more harm than good to the body!
  • Incorporate Meatless Mondays into your week! Going 100% meat-free for just one day a week will do wonders for your health, as well as the environment. And taking the focus off of meat for an entire day’s meals makes you get creative with vegetable-focused cooking, which will improve your cooking, and help you change the way you eat the rest of the week. See more info on the Meatless Monday movement here.

Whether or not to eat meat is a very personal decision that takes many factors into account– your health, your ethical stance, your body type, and your lifestyle. No matter which direction you go in, you can be smarter about everything you put in your body. Those smarter choices will translate into noticeable results for your body and health, as well as the environment!

Organic Mania!

By: Friday, July 29, 2011 Healthy Eating, Holistic Health, Lifestyle, Organic Beauty , , Permalink 0

Organic Mania! | The Organic Beauty Blog

Obviously, we here at The Organic Beauty are super pumped about the recent data that shows a whopping 60% of Americans, across all age groups, prefer organic foods to the conventional options.  An even higher percentage of respondents 35 and under reported the same preference as well!  This is great news!!

As the consumer demand for high quality, organic produce and foods increases, the supply (and therefore the price) decreases substantially.  The primary reason that organic foods are more expensive than conventional varieties is that there are fewer farmers and food manufacturers producing the foods, and significantly fewer subsidies that support organic production.  Organics have, until only very recently, been in the realm of the luxury market; something only the privileged classes could afford (or even gain access to!).. Remember when organic food was #6 on the hilarious blog, Stuff White People Like?  Yeah…

All you faithful OB reader know by now that eating and buying organic is incredibly important for your health, the environment, and even those radiant good looks.  Let’s all keep voting with our wallets, and supporting organic farms in our supermarkets and farmer’s markets, and organic beauty products in stores and online.  The more we show that buying organic is important to us, the more amazing organic products will be available to us and our fellow Organic Beauties and Beaus across the country, who may not already have ready access to pesticide, hormone, antibiotic and carcinogen free foods and products.  Let’s make that 60% into 100% of Americans that say DON’T FEED ME CRAP!

Stay Healthy and Beautiful While Traveling

By: Thursday, July 21, 2011 Exercise, Healthy Beauty, Lifestyle , , , , Permalink 0

 

Stay Healthy and Beautiful While Traveling | The Organic Beauty BlogMost of us do a lot of traveling during the summer months, and whether it’s for work or those long-awaited vacations, travel can wreak utter havoc on our health.  Air travel is dehydrating, and can leave us exhausted for days.  Unfamiliar surroundings can make finding a healthy, organic meal difficult.  Sitting for hours on our chosen form of transportation can cause soreness and swelling.  All this stress on the body can increase the chances of getting sick, but can also cause fluid retention, breakouts, stomach problems, and other unfavorable effects.  But there are some simple steps we can all follow that will help us leave the downside of traveling behind so we can enjoy our well-deserved vacations, and be super productive on our business trips.. With no regrettable after-effects!

Tips for healthy air travel:

  • Make sure to drink lots of water before, during, and after air travel to combat fatigue, swelling, skin dryness, and jet leg.  Aim for a large glass of water for every hour you are in the air.
  • Don’t eat the food!!  Plane food is utter garbage, and is laden with salt, which worsens dehydration, bloating, and fatigue that many people experience while flying.  Instead, make sure to eat a healthy meal before you leave the house, or if you must, grab a salad at the airport.  But avoid anything heavy, greasy, or salty before getting on that plane.  And bring a healthy snack like raw, unsalted nuts, some fruit, or veggie sticks with you on the flight in case you get hungry!
  • With their recycled air, planes are breeding grounds for germs.  Make sure to strengthen your immune system by taking 1000 mg of vitamin C the morning of your flight and when you land.  And make sure you eat lots of nutrient-rich, immune-boosting fruits and veggies before your flight!
  • I know it can be fun, but stay away from alcohol before and during your flight.  If your goal is to arrive looking fresh and great, alcohol will definitely not help, and it adds to the body’s dehydration.  Getting off the plane hoarse, dry, and with circles under your eyes is anything but fabulous.  If you’re a nervous flier, and need a little something to help you relax, take some valerian root to calm your nerves, or some natural melatonin to help you sleep.  Benedryl, or any prescription sleep aids will just result in arriving groggy and out of it.
  • Flying is no fun for your skin either.  Make sure to wear a good, oil-free facial moisturizer with SPF to protect your skin from the super strong UV rays up there, and pack a revitalizing facial spray to perk up your face after the flight (I like L’Occitane Olive Tree Organic Toning Face Mist).  Ladies, avoid caking on the makeup before your flight.  If you must wear something, just a little mineral powder, some mascara, and a moisturizing lip balm should do the trick to get you there in style.  Wearing more than runs you the risk of getting post-flight pimples, clogged pores, oily skin, and looking all melted when you land.  I like to bring a little face wash with me to wash up after the flight, and if necessary, putting on a little more makeup at the airport when I land.

Stay Healthy and Beautiful While Traveling 2| The Organic Beauty BlogTips for when you arrive:

  • Try to do some stretching (or even hit the gym at your hotel if you feel up to it!) shortly after you arrive.  This will do a lot to combat post-flight stiffness, swelling, not to mention fatigue.
  • Do some research before you leave about some healthy food options near where you’ll be staying, and locate them when you get in.  We often arrive at our destinations famished, and it’s really easy to make terrible food choices in the interest of convenience when we’re stressed and tired.  But that’s exactly the time when a healthy, nutritious meal is most important!
  • Once you’re all settled, purchase some healthy snacks, bottled water, and maybe some breakfast items to keep in your hotel room (that little fridge isn’t just for overpriced candy bars!).  This will help keep you away from those hotel buffets and continental breakfasts that are responsible for so much of travel-related weight gain.  Fruit, some whole grain crackers and hummus, nuts, and Larabars are all great options to have around.  If you’re going to be in a location where purchasing specific items you like will be difficult, just bring them from home!
  • If your hotel room has a kitchen, try to incorporate some home (or hotel-) cooked meals into your travel schedule, especially if there aren’t a lot of healthy restaurant options around you.  And even when eating out at the most dubious of restaurants, you can still make healthier choices!  A soup or salad is always a good idea, and almost all restaurants will have at least one or two vegetarian options available, which are definitely preferable to the sketchy, high-fat meat dishes you’ll find at that greasy spoon or chain restaurant.
  • Lastly, try to keep up some semblance of your normal routine while you’re traveling.  Go to bed around the same time (accounting for time differences, of course), eat around the same time you are used to, and definitely maintain your exercise routine!  This will keep you from getting sick, putting on travel weight, and throwing your body out of balance.  Indulging in treats you wouldn’t normally eat, and getting a little lax with working out can be a fun part of de-stressing and letting go while on vacation, bit it’s important not to overdo it.  Spending the three weeks after you get back undoing all damage you did to your body while traveling isn’t really worth that one week of blissful abandon, is it?
 Photo via Pinterest

Thinking about going raw?

By: Friday, July 15, 2011 Diet and Foods, Nutrition, Organic Beauty, Recipes , , , , Permalink 0

Thinking about going raw? | The Organic Beauty BlogSummer is the absolute perfect time to be incorporating more raw foods into your diet.  Raw foods are alkalizing, cooling, cleansing (not to mention slimming!), nutrient-dense, and have the perfect carbohydrate balance for a high-energy summer.   Try making fresh green juices, salads, fruit, raw nuts and seeds, and sprouted raw grains a bigger focus in your summer eating, and you will be amazed at how much more energized, light, and happy you will feel.

Summer is also the ideal time to transition into a 100% raw food diet, if you have ever considered going that route.  Although a completely raw foods diet is a little too hardcore for me, I totally respect the determination and willpower necessary to make it happen (and definitely envy the boundless energy, amazing skin, and teeny tiny waistlines of those who go totally raw).  But going raw doesn’t have to be an all or nothing endeavor!  I myself love doing occasional raw food cleanses, and going raw for just a couple of days can do a lot of amazing good for your body.  Even having a raw breakfast and dinner, and a normal, healthy, cooked lunch can be an amazingly cleansing detox for 3-5 days!

Making the transition to a raw foods diet can be a grueling process if you don’t have access to the right resources to aid you.  Here in New York, we’re lucky enough to have tons of options (like my beloved Pure Food and Wine) for experiencing raw foods, but you don’t need to live in the big city to enjoy the benefits of a raw, or occasionally raw diet.  The Institute for Integrative Nutrition (my alma mater) recently posted a really great list of raw foods resources on their blog, with great recipes, books, films, products and kitchen tools that form the Ultimate Raw Food Resource.  Check it out for some great ideas!

Organic Beauty Raw Watermelon Gazpacho
I’ve been seeing watermelon gazpachos popping up on menus all over NYC, and wanted to share my own version. This super yummy twist on popular, chilled soup is one of my favorite refreshing summer dishes… perfect for the 90+ degree weather!

Ingredients:

Thinking about going raw? 2 | The Organic Beauty Blog8 cups seedless watermelon, chopped
1 local cucumber, peeled and chopped
1/5 of an organic red or yellow bell pepper, chopped
2 tbsp minced shallot
1 organic jalapeno pepper, diced
1/2 avocado, chopped
1/4 cup fresh basil
2 tbsp organic extra virgin olive oil
3 tbsp organic rice wine vinegar
3/4 tsp sea salt (or to taste)

Combine all ingredients except the avocado in a large mixing bowl.  Blend about 3 cups of the mixture at a time, and pour into a separate bowl.  When all of the soup is completely blended, chill for at least 10-15 minutes, then serve, garnished with a handful of chopped avocado and sprouts.  If serving as an appetizer or amuse bouche, use glasses, if as an entree, the soup looks gorgeous in a white bowl.

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The Sephora of the Organic Beauty World

By: Wednesday, July 13, 2011 Healthy Beauty, Organic Beauty , , , , Permalink 0

Ok… This is a little embarrassing.  I literally JUST stumbled upon a site that is going to change my life!  (And hopefully the lives of my lovely readers)  It’s no secret that there is a huge shortage of quality online stores that carry a wide variety of all-natural and organic beauty products that have been carefully edited to exclude harmful ingredients.  Enter:  Spirit Beauty Lounge!  Kind of like a Sephora for Organic Beauties, they carry a wide range of organic and/or natural products that adhere to a strict list of do’s and don’ts (including NO harmful chemicals, no animal testing, recyclable and/or biodegradable packaging, and actual potency of the product), and they carry some of my favorite brands!  Check out great beauty gear by SkinnySkinny, RMS Beauty, Priti, and Pangea Organics.

Just from my initial, super excited sweep of the site, here are some of my top picks:


RMS Beauty Lip2Cheek has been one of my favorite products since I got one in a gift bag from the release party for Pure Food & Wine’s latest cookbook.  It comes in a great palette of colors that look great on lips AND cheeks, and the ingredients are organic and super potent.

RMS also makes this amazing and versatile Raw Coconut Butter, which serves as a great moisturizer for face and body, a super nourishingleave-in product for hair (great for dry ends!), and an easy makeup remover.  Coconut oil is deeply moisturizing, and has anti-aging, anti-bacterial and anti-oxidant properties.

In addition to all of their awesome, non-toxic nail polishes, in all the best seasonal colors, this Soy Nail Polish Remover by Priti is an absolute must-have.  It is totally green, with no formaldehyde

Intelligent Nutrients Organic Volumizing Spray is another great, organic, multi-functional beauty bad-ass.  It embodiesthe hair with tons of volume, activates curls, and is great to use between showers as a water-free hair refreshing tonic! Plus it won awards from everyone that matters, like Elle Mag and Fig+Sage.  A+

Affordable Organic Makeup!

By: Friday, July 8, 2011 Healthy Beauty, Organic Beauty, Product Reviews , , Permalink 0

Affordable Organic Makeup! | The Organic Beauty Blog

Organic wear 100% Natural Origin Pressed Powder

$13.95

This is for all you readers out there that living the organic life is prohibitively expensive… It’s just not true!  There are SO many all- (or mostly-) natural and organic beauty products out there that are available at your local pharmacy and won’t break the bank.  All it takes is reading your ingredients!  One of my latest faves is the Organic Wear line by Physician’s Formula, which I stocked up on the other day when a bunch of my makeup products ran out once, and I couldn’t wait long enough to order my stand-bys online.  I had used their pressed powder and Jumbo Lash mascara before and was impressed by the quality of the products, and the more or less decent ingredient list (the powder does contain mica, but in a pressed powder that is not inhaled, it is much less dangerous).  The entire line is free from harsh chemicals, parabens, GMOs, and synthetic preservatives, which, along with being 100% natural origin and anywhere between 15-45% certified organic, already puts them miles ahead of any other products sold at conventional stores.  And they are totally affordable!

Organic wear 100% Natural Origin Mascara

$9.95

On my last trip, I purchased the bronzer, the regular mascara (I found the Jumbo Lash to be a little too clumpy, but the regular version is great), and the eyeliner, all of which I was super happy with.  In a pinch, even the regular Physician’s Formula line is still a decent choice, in the absence of other options, with no parabens, and a lot less toxic chemicals than most conventional makeup lines.


I totally realize we all can’t afford the fancy 100% organic and natural beauty products out there, but as the beauty industry catches on to the huge demand for more natural and safe products, we have so many more options available to us beyond the more mainstream Revlons and Clairols of the world.  Every purchase we make, regardless of our budget, is a statement.  Do we want to support companies that test on animals and continue to use toxic, carcinogenic chemicals and sub-par ingredients just because they are legal?  Or do we want to make it clear to the beauty industry that we have smartened up, and we won’t settle for products that are harmful to our bodies, animals, or the environment?  Even on a tight budget, I think the choice is clear!

Everyday Products That Can Cause Cancer

By: Tuesday, June 21, 2011 Healthy Home, Organic Beauty, Wellness , , , Permalink 0

Everyday Products That Can Cause Cancer | The Organic Beauty BlogNot to be alarmist, but I really do believe that making informed decisions about what we put in and on our bodies is the first step to preventing disease and extending our life spans significantly. A leading cancer institute recently released a list of common foods and products that have been linked to cancer.  Though it is really important to be aware of this these risks, it is also valuable to point out that genetics, environmental factors, and exposure to other toxins and carcinogens greatly effect the degree to which certain foods/products will effect you.  For example, someone who eats a clean, organic diet, and uses organic cleaning and grooming products (like all of us Organic Beauties!) may be less effected by the regular consumption of coffee than someone who is on the Standard American Diet and uses conventional, toxic products on their body and in their home.  If any of the following products figure prominently in your diet and lifestyle, it might be time to rethink your habits!

  • ALCOHOL:  Regular consumption of alcohol has been linked 3.5% of cancer deaths worldwide.  Alcohol increases risk of breast and ovarian cancer, colon cancer, mouth, esophagus, pharynx and larynx cancers, as well as liver and stomach cancers.  Women especially should limit their alcohol consumption to 1 drink per day (men up to two).
  • COFFEE:  Coffee has recently been labeled a class 2B carcinogen (along with chloroform, DDT, and gasoline exhaust), but the research around coffee consumption (who should and should not drink it, and how much is safe) is still relatively inconclusive. A recent study found that coffee decreased risk of prostate cancer in men who consume 6 cups or more per day.  At the same time, other studies have found that drinking 2 or more cups a day increases risk of bladder and lung cancers.  Coffee has also been linked to a host of other health problems.  Unless directed otherwise, try to limit coffee consumption to a cup a day..  Green tea and yerba mate are great alternatives to get that caffeine fix, and have a lot of beneficial properties as well!
  • ANTIPERSPIRANT:  Aluminum, a known carcinogen, is the main ingredient in antiperspirants, which block your pores and inhibits the release of toxins from your body.  Both the aluminum and this blockage causes an increase in toxicity of the lymphatic system, which can cause a whole host of problems, including breast cancer, lymphoma, prostate cancer, as well as other diseases like Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s.  For non-toxic alternatives to antiperspirant, see my article “Smell Like a Rose, With No Lasting Side Effects!”
  • BODY WASH AND BUBBLE BATH:  Almost ALL conventional beauty products contain sodium lauryl sulfate, which has been linked to many different forms of cancer and a whole mess of other complications.  Parabens feature pretty prominently in these products as well. Children and babies are especially susceptible to this chemical, which is very common in most bubble baths and children’s soaps.  For yourself, and definitely for your children, start reading your ingredients and consider switching to a natural or organic product.  (Click here to read more about revolutionizing your beauty routine).
  • TALCUM POWDER:  You can find talc in makeup, powders, and baby powder (where it’s especially dangerous for the same reasons you read above).  Exposure to talc (which has similar properties to asbestos) significantly increases risk of ovarian and lung cancers.  Try using corn starch-based baby powders and organic mineral makeup instead!
  • CELLULAR PHONES:  We’ve been hearing debate on this topic pretty much since the introduction of cell phones into our culture.  Earlier this year, the World Health Organization (WHO) released a statement stating that radio frequency electromagnetic fields, including cell phones, are “possibly carcinogenic” to people (a class 2B carcinogenic classification), and could increase risk of developing brain tumors and acoustic neuromas.   CDMA phones (by Verizon and Sprint) are generally a bit safer than GSM phones (by AT&T and T-Mobile), due to the fact that they emit a steady stream of medium range radiation, as opposed to the pulsating radiation of the latter class of phone.  The safest route is to use headphones…NOT Bluetooth devices!  And never keep your phone in your pocket, close to your chest or reproductive organs.

{adapted from my post on One Minute News]

Nip Seasonal Allergies in the Bud

By: Friday, June 3, 2011 Diet and Foods, Healthy Home, Holistic Health, Lifestyle, Wellness , , , , Permalink 0

Seasonal Allergies | The Organic Beauty Blog

After a blissfully allergy-free spring, I walked out of the house yesterday morning and instantly started sneezing and sniffling.  I check the allergy report for Brooklyn and saw that the pollen level was labeled as high.. which definitely explained why so many other people on the train and in my office seemed to be suffering from similar symptoms.

Seasonal allergies affect nearly 40 million Americans, which becomes really apparent this time of year. There are over-the-counter medications, of course, but many people experience side effects (dry mouth and throat, fatigue, headaches, hoarseness, feeling jittery or spacey) that can be as bad as the allergies themselves.  And long term use of prescription allergy medication is responsible for a whole host of unpleasant effects like high blood pressure, glaucoma, osteoporosis, and stunted or delayed growth in children.  Luckily, there are steps we can take to treat the symptoms naturally, or prevent seasonal allergies altogether!

Neti pots are by far the most effective weapon against seasonal allergies, and can be used as both a preventative measure and as treatment.  Basically, netis are traditional ayurvedic tools that look like little tea pots (traditionally ceramic, though commercial, store-bought netis are plastic) with a special spout small enough to fit in your nostril.  When filled with lukewarm water and a powdered saline solution, the liquid irrigates and cleanses the nasal passages, and also thins the mucus built up in there, flushing it out of your nose.  If you are prone to seasonal allergies, start using a neti pot daily a little before your symptoms would typically start.  Regular use will strengthen your nasal cilia, improving their ability to remove allergens, bacteria, and other irritants from your nose before they start causing problems.  If you’re already experiencing symptoms, you can start using your neti morning and night to flush out allergens and ease congestion.

Apple Cider Vinegar is a magic cure-all that I’ve written about before (see: The Magic of Apple Cider Vinegar), and healing the symptoms of seasonal allergies is just one of its many benefits.  When I got to work, sniffling and sneezing yesterday, I instantly poured myself a glass of water with a tablespoon of organic, raw, unfiltered apple cider vinegar, and I kid you not, an hour later, I was totally fine.  And the effects lasted for the entire day!  I started my day off today with the same formula before I even left the house, and had absolutely no sign of allergies.. even though the pollen count was even higher today!

If you’re lucky enough to have access to local honey (like, seriously, from-within-a few-miles local is best), that can be a huge boost to your allergy fighting powers.  Regularly consuming local honey (and chewing on the honey combs too) helps to desensitize your immune system to the pollen in your area, effectively rendering it harmless to your body!  Eat 2 tablespoons of local honey (raw and organic, whenever possible) every day starting two months before allergy season, and you’ll notice a big difference!

Lastly, the right supplements can help your system fight off seasonal allergies.  Studies have found that high levels of vitamin C (around 2000 mg a day) significantly helps those prone to allergies avoid symptoms, due to its anti-inflammatory and anti-oxidant qualities.  Omega 3 fatty acids (which are another general cure-all) have also been found to decrease inflammation and symptoms of seasonal allergies.  Eating lots of foods like salmon (wild-caught) and walnuts, and/or supplementing with a high quality fish oil (around 2g a day) will help with allergies as well as a host of other health benefits.

So next time you start sneezing and sniffling, don’t reach straight for the OTC medications or sprays.. Try some natural solutions first that will boost your overall immunity and health, without any long or short term side effects!