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The Acquired Taste of Healthy Foods
This week I was told twice that my last name is the exact same name as someone’s favorite drink: Buchanan. I had to google it to find out that it is scotch whiskey. Alcohol is a funny thing– it takes years to acquire the taste for many, and mixed drinks are truly an art form. People boast of the best ones by saying “you can’t even taste the alcohol!” When enjoying the finest of drinks, you will see some of the liquor connoisseurs take their time, maybe take a whiff, and savor each sip as they note hints of flower, fruit, wood, and smokiness. Don’t be fooled– when someone describes…
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20 Ways to Relax
Lately I have really been into candles. I like different scents ranging from fresh linen, to citrus, to soothing lavender. There was a time when any candle gifted to me would just collect dust. I’ve really been missing out! It got me thinking, what else do I usually do to relax and unwind? Here are my top 20 ways to find peace and relaxation. What are yours? Take a bubble bath. Do yoga. Read a book. Call a close friend. Write a nice hand-written note to a loved one. Clean something. Watch a children’s movie or a cartoon. Journal. Cook. Sing! Dance! Do a deep stretch session. Do arts…
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7 Reasons Your Skin Is Breaking Out!
7 Reasons Your Skin Is Breaking Out I used to spend so much money on products to clear my skin, lighten dark spots, and tame acne. Little did I know, some of the habits I had were contributing to m unhappy skin. Here are 7 things I’ve done to achieve clearer skin! 1. Dirty makeup brushes. Oh my gosh, healthy bunnies! This one is major. I’m ashamed to say when I first started buying good quality makeup brushes, I didn’t wash them. At all. I didn’t really know any better! Now that I do, I wash them once a week with a gentle yet effective cleanser. I don’t…
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Appetite for Health
Sometimes being a picky eater or being stuck in the rut of habit gets in the way of optimal health. Processed foods are created to be immediately pleasing to the tongue, but often lack the necessary nutrition to fight disease and promote wellness. If you read the package, many products boast of being low fat or low calorie. We’ve got to do further research. So many of the foods marketed to us lead to inflammation throughout our bodies– especially in the gut. Sometimes you have to eat the vegetables you don’t like, drink the water you don’t want to drink, and sleep when you would rather be awake. New habits…
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Volunteering at the San Francisco Food Bank
I’ve been looking forward to this weekend for weeks: it was a few months ago that I went online and signed up to volunteer at one of the San Francisco food banks. As much as I talk about eating right and living right, I am fully aware of the challenges many have due to their financial situation. For some people, it’s just important to get sustenance. I showed up with seven other friends to volunteer at this gigantic warehouse. I am told they distribute food to over 450 locations in San Francisco including places like the YMCA! Amazing. My group was on orange duty and we were in charge of…
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Biking in Wine Country
This weekend I had the most amazing time in Wine Country. I enjoyed a joint birthday celebration with a friend, and there were 9 people all together. First we gathered for a picnic in the park around 11:00 am where we had vegetable pasta salad, hummus, fresh fruit and veggies, and donut muffins. Around noon, the whole group met at a local bike shop and picked up bikes, helmets, and maps. Our first stop was 2 or 3 miles away. The place was a winery set on a beautiful sprawling background of a great variety of wines. Some tasted wine, some nibbled on small bites, but everyone enjoyed good conversation.…
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The Benefits of Water
This past Thursday I treated myself to a massage as a birthday gift to me. 🙂 I felt great after the massage except one thing – I forgot massages can be severely dehydrating and I was in a rush after that and really did not do a good job of drinking enough water. You may know from previous posts of mine that once you are dehydrated it can take a couple of days for the body to recover. Since I’m going through this current discomfort, wanted to share with you all of the benefits of water. The video is less than one minute and you may find some new benefits…
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Foods to Eat for Healthy Hair
The last video of the healthy hair series is by far the most important. What you put in your body as fuel is more significant than any number of shampoos or techniques to grow longer, healthier hair. Here is a video with my top nutrients for healthier and stronger hair as well as a delicious salad! Salad Ingredients (Serves 2) 1 tangelo (or orange), sectioned and peeled 2-3 cups shredded leafy greens 1 bell pepper, julienned 5-6 basil leaves, cut into ribbons 1/4 cup cilantro, roughly chopped 1/4 cup pecan halves, roughly chopped 1/2 avocado, sliced Dressing 1 tbsp olive oil 1 tbsp balsamic vinegar 1/2 lemon sea salt to…
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The Myth: No Sugar Added
When I hit the supermarket for groceries, I often experience an internal conflict because I have to decide what is affordable, but healthy. The packaging the food comes in is not to inform me and help me decide on food, but instead it is masterfully designed as a marketing tool to get me to buy. I’m always having to keep in mind that I am the only one concerned with my personal health. If you read labels like I do, you’ll often see packages that say “sugar-free” or “no sugar added”. It’s a clever little trick that companies do, but the problem is it doesn’t tell us what we need…
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The Master Cleanse Green Smoothie
This morning I woke with the intent to drink my variation of the Master Cleanse– I do warm water, the juice of half a lemon, and two dashes of cayenne. Basically, I leave out the maple syrup. An hour later, I go and enjoy breakfast. The cleansing properties of the lemon, cayenne, and warm water are often enough to help me feel energized, and give myself a little reboot if I ate anything I shouldn’t have. I decided to convert this into a green smoothie, and I’m sharing because it was absolutely delicious! It’s always awesome when you choose function over flavor, but end up with good flavor anyway. Â Imagine…
