Multi-purpose Barrier Balm

I'm having what I hope to be "just" a serious allergy attack today and not a cold, so a quick post...

Since today's sneeze-fest caught me off guard while I was out and about, I was forced to use restaurant napkins and bathroom paper towels instead of much softer tissue.  Suffice it to say, my nose is a wreck!  No picture necessary, you know what I'm talking about...

Fortunately, I have Certified Organic Barrier Balm on hand!

Barrier Balm has many uses

This stuff was designed to protect baby's bum from diaper rash, but it is really so much more.  I personally bought it to help with any chafing and blisters from running.  Turns out, it is just what the doctor ordered when I got home today with a raw nose!

What items to you keep around the house that serve multiple purposes?

Christmas is coming!

WOW!  I blinked and the holidays are upon us!  I've been focusing on spreading the word about Miessence offline and I almost forgot to tell you all about a great product Miessence has especially for the Christmas season: Certified Organic Darling Salt Glow!

Those of us in the USA may think, "Darling Salt Glow, what a 'darling' name for the holidays!" but this product is actually named for an important geographic feature in Miessence's home turf of Australia.  The Murray-Darling Basin contains saline aquifers that have been dormant for thousands of years.  This product is produced using salt harvested from the Murray-Darling Basin, thus reducing massive salinity problems that have arisen over the years.  This problem for Australia's environment and economy cannot be understated, and by purchasing this product you are helping alleviate excess salinity.

So that's the good news...the bad news is that you only have a short time left to order this product, which is in very limited quantities and any others you may plan to give as gifts!  Due to the way the weekends fall this year, you actually need to order by TOMORROW, December 7th, 2012, in order to be guaranteed delivery by Christmas!  Of course, there is the possibility that by ordering later, you'll get your gifts in time, but you know how things go this time of year!  

But there's actually more good news...coming early next year we will see the launch of the Miessence Foundation.  The foundation will focus on environmental causes.  Stay tuned for more details!

A brief note on reading ingredient labels.

Remember this?

While Breyer's was certainly on to something, I do want to point out that simply not being able to pronounce an ingredient is not immediate cause for avoiding it.  Particularly when reading labels for products that contain many herbal ingredients, you're going to be seeing a lot of Latin that you may not understand.  And that's (usually) okay.

Take my favorite Miessence product, the Rejuvenating Skin Conditioner, for example.  If the label didn't list the herbal ingredients by their English names as well, the only things I would understand are Aloe and Aqua.  Many toothpastes and deodorants, both traditional formulations and more natural ones, include sodium bicarbonate, often listed as bicarb (of) soda in Commonwealth countries, but this is just plain old baking soda.  Sometimes a little biology or chemistry is required to understand the labels, and that's okay.

It is VERY important to be an informed consumer.  If you don't know what something is that is in one of your products, whether it is food, skin care, hair care, or anything else, look it up!  We are all busy people, I know, but the Internet has made this SO easy that there's really almost no excuse anymore.  A simple search will give a good sense of whether an ingredient is generally considered safe or not.  It takes about 15 seconds to get an idea, and if you are interested you can spend more time delving into the details.  Consumers becoming informed and knowledgeable is also what leads to businesses pushing for better, safer products. 

And if you aren't sure, ask me!  I can't promise that I will know the answer right away, but I would be honored if you would trust me to look into a specific ingredient for you.  We're all in this together, right?

Hall of Shame: Propylene Glycol

Our lead off Hall of Shame baddie ingredient is one that's going to sort of ease us into it.  I don't want to scare you all off SO badly right off the bat, and propylene glycol is a toxic ingredient that is a little bit "less" toxic than some others.

Propylene glycol is found in SO MANY personal care products.  Most commonly deodorant, but also hair colorants, moisturizers, anti-aging treatments, pharmaceuticals, and artificial smoke/fog, to name a few.  The Environmental Working Groups has over 5500 products listed that include propylene glycol.

What is this stuff?  Well, like any other chemical ending in "ol," it is an alcohol, which is an organic compound (a molecule containing carbon, not a large farm with a bunch of compost piles) that contains a "hydroxyl functional group" (an oxygen atom bound to a hydrogen atom, or -OH).  Aren't you glad you skipped organic chemistry?  It is used a humectant, meaning that it draws moisture to itself, and thus whatever surface it is applied to.  It is also known as a "penetration enhancer," and not in a good way!  This is where propylene glycol's safety rating on the Skin Deep Database gets a little confusing...in and of itself, it's really not that bad, so it gets a 3.  But it paves the way for other chemicals to more easily get through your skin's barrier and into your bloodstream.  It's the gateway drug of cosmetic ingredients, if you will.

Propylene glycol isn't going to give you cancer (that we know of).  It's direct safety issues are pretty minimal, and are mostly related to being an irritant, but it can also cause some internal organ problems with your kidneys or liver (the organs that clean and filter your insides).  Some people are allergic to it.  The question arises when wondering what else it is letting into your system. 

There are many scholarly articles online about propylene glycol and its safety.  Unfortunately, most of them are .pdf links and are therefore difficult for me to link you to, but I've gone ahead and done the search for you here.

Oh, one other use of propylene glycol is as a viscosity stabilizer.  It keeps products a constant viscosity at a wide range of temperatures.  This property also comes in handy in it's main non-cosmetic use--a "less toxic" form of antifreeze.  Food for thought.

Non-toxic alternative ingredients to propylene glycol range far and wide.  This is because of the many different uses.  For example, if propylene glycol is used as a solid deodorant base, one might look for a roll-on that does not require a solid base.  If it is used as an emollient, you might see jojoba oil, almond oil, or glycerin instead.  Having said that, the average consumer is probably not likely to know what purpose the inclusion of propylene glycol in a product's formulation serves.  I say, just avoid the stuff entirely and cross it off your list of things to worry about!

Make Buy Skip: Toothpaste

Okay, I'll come right out and say it, so we can get it out of the way: why would "skip" be an option when it comes to toothpaste?  The truth is, toothpaste isn't strictly necessary.  This is NOT to say that brushing isn't necessary!  Please please PLEASE do not stop brushing your teeth!!!  That's just gross.  Seriously.  But you can actually do it without toothpaste, if you're so inclined.

According to my own personal dentist, as well as this article by dental hygienist Vicky Flint, the reasons for using toothpaste are as follows:

1. Flavor/fresh sensation
2. Fluoride (a controversial subject at best)
3. Special needs like whitening or sensitivity.

That's it!  Personally, I like the flavor/freshness enough that it is certainly important to me to include toothpaste as part of my brushing routine, but if none of these three factors are important to you, by all means SKIP the toothpaste (just not the brushing).

Now for the hard part: if you decide you need/want it should you MAKE or BUY your toothpaste?

I will say first that if you have any special dental needs, I suggest that you defer to what your dentist recommends.  I am in no way a dental professional.  I have consulted my own dentist in collecting information for this post and in reaching my own personal decision, and suggest you do the same.

So what are factors to consider when it comes to making or buying?  Well, as always, there is the time factor.  Unless you are running out to the store solely to purchase toothpaste, making your own will certainly involve more time.  Not much time, but it will require time.  Time is money, but money spent is also a factor.  How much does your preferred toothpaste cost, and how much can you get the ingredients to make toothpaste for?  Speaking of ingredients, this is possibly the factor that will lead you to make your own more than any other.  We'll get to that more in a moment...  Flavor plays an important role for me, as it's the reason I don't skip it altogether.  There is an "ease of use" factor.  And finally, I don't know exactly what to call this aspect, but for me, conventional toothpaste actually burns my mouth.  The soft tissues inside my mouth (cheeks, gums, palate, etc) are sensitive enough that regular old Crest and Colgate irritate and burn them.  Perhaps we'll call it the burn factor for lack of a better term?

Are there any other factors that influence your decision that I've forgotten?

How to make your own toothpaste?  How are we to decide whether to make or buy if we don't know what making it entails, right?  The internet is full of recipes for homemade toothpastes, as well as "tooth powders" and other tooth cleaning aids.  The one that I prefer for myself is this one from Crunchy Betty, with some variations.  It's easy, quick, inexpensive, and involves just a few ingredients.  It's also approved by my dentist, and I love that vote of confidence.

The variations that are mine are to use silica in the form of diatomaceous earth in place of baking soda, and xylitol in place of stevia. 

I use diatomaceous earth instead of baking soda primarily because I have a greywater system where the water drains from my bathroom sink straight to the garden, and so I can't put anything with chemicals or sodium down the drain.  This is actually why I make my own toothpaste to begin with, as any traditional toothpaste has too many chemicals, and all natural toothpastes I've found include baking soda.  I also only use half as much as the recipe calls for, because in the original form my dentist felt it was too abrasive and would damage my enamel.  Diatomaceous earth has many other useful properties around the house--it can be used as a flea powder and added as a supplement to food (that's a subject for a different kind of blog).  Amazon is a good resource, and you should ALWAYS look for "food grade" if it is going into your mouth.

I use xylitol because it has strong benefits for teeth and is natural.  It's also not super expensive--I got mine from Amazon for a decent price.  It adds a nice sweet flavor to your toothpaste, though strictly speaking it's not necessary.  Just keep in mind that xylitol is HIGHLY toxic to dogs.  You thought chocolate was toxic?  Chocolate ain't got nothin on xylitol.  If you have a dog, keep it out of their reach and promptly clean up any spills.

I do choose to go for the optional gycerin, as I think it adds something to the texture, as well as some sweetness.   You kind find this on Amazon or from any grocery or drug store with a natural skin care section.

This toothpaste tastes great and works well.  At my last checkup, my dentist complimented me on my dental hygiene--woohoo!  You can change up the flavor however you like with various essential oils.  The drawback to it is that...how do I put this nicely?...it looks like mud!  It probably wouldn't look like mud if I used baking soda instead of diatomaceous earth, but since DE is a component of dirt, mud it is.  It is also susceptible to fluctuations in temperature.  Coconut oil has a melting point of 76 degrees, so if you don't have a temperature controlled environment, some days your toothpaste may be rock solid and others it may be a goopy mess.   As a result, getting it onto the toothbrush can be a little bit of a pain in the butt.

You'll notice that there's no source of fluoride in here.  I actually don't have an opinion yet on topical fluoride (fluoridated water seems more clear cut to me), but I figure since I have fairly strong teeth anyway (only one cavity in my life!), I'm okay to risk going without until I know more.  I do highly encourage you to do your homework as to what ingredients are in the toothpaste you're currently using.  Consult the Skin Deep Database if you are looking for more information about a particular ingredient.

That's the toothpaste I use at home.  However, because it's kind of a pain to deal with, I bring a tube of actual toothpaste with me when I travel and don't need to worry about sodium down the drain.  I would much rather use a pre-made toothpaste with ingredients I understand than go through the hassle of using my own (making it is easy, it's the using it that can be annoying).  I choose Miessence toothpaste in the mint flavor; again, I look for the fresh feeling from my toothpaste so it's mint all the way, but lemon and anise are also options.  It is a little bit salty from the inclusion of both baking soda and sea salt, and I've found that the saltiness has grown on me and I feel like it helps my mouth feel soothed rather than irritated like conventional toothpastes.

All natural mint toothpaste

What's your take on it?  Do you make, buy, or skip the toothpaste, and why?

Hall of Shame and the Skin Deep Database

By now, you've hopefully seen my Ingredient Spotlight series, where I highlight an ingredient found in Miessence products.

Today, I introduce you to the ingredient Hall of Shame, where we'll discuss various "baddies," ingredients you WON'T find in Miessence products.  These products, or lack thereof, are really what differentiates these wonderful products from others you may be using.

A jumping-off point I'll be using when discussing these baddies is the Environmental Working Group's Skin Deep Database.  While not perfect, this searchable database provides the average consumer with a huge repository of information about specific ingredients and the products they use, allowing people without advanced degrees in chemistry (what, you don't have one either?) to really understand what they're putting on their skin.

You might also catch some overlap with my "Make Buy Skip" series, as a huge factor in NOT buying a product has to do with junky Hall of Shame ingredients.

Some of the ingredients we'll tackle first:
Propylene Glycol (found in most commercial deodorants; also: antifreeze)
Sodium Lauryl/Laureth Sulfate (found in most commercial shampoos and soaps)
Silicone derivatives (found in most commercial hair conditioners and moisturizers)
Fragrance (oh the mystery!)

I hope you'll join me next week when we hit up propylene glycol first!

Ingredient Spotlight: Rose

"Amber Flush" hybrid rose  Source: Wikipedia

Everything's coming up roses!

A rose by any other name would smell as sweet.

Stop and smell the roses...

Roses are almost mythical in their sensuality, fragrance, symbolism, and romance.  These characteristics are well deserved and earn roses a place in many Miessence products.

Some fun facts about roses...

Most roses that we in the States are familiar with are hybrid roses, not bred before 1867.  These roses were bred for their beautiful flowers, and roses from varieties known pre-1867 are known as "old" roses, heritage roses, antique roses, and various other names indicating age.  One particular type of old rose is the Damask rose.

Damask Roses  Source: Wikipedia

Damask roses tend to be a little rangier, but more than make up for it with their strongly scented flowers.  These are the flowers that are used to make rose essential oil.

So we know roses are fragrant, but did you know they've been used to unite a divided people?  The
war of the roses wasn't just an interesting movie, but also a series of wars fought over the throne of England?  The house of Lancaster was represented by the red rose, the house of York by the white, and they fought for the throne in spurts between 1455 and 1485.  Eventually, Henry Tudor won it for the Lancasters when he defeated King Richard III and married Elizabeth of York, and the Tudor Rose was created, blending the two houses.

Not an egg in the middle: the Tudor Rose  Source: Wikipedia

Nobody has ever managed to actually breed a Tudor Rose, but nonetheless the rose's place in history is cemented as a symbol of peace and unity.

So we know about the rose's epic fragrance and visual beauty. but what about the taste?  Yes, taste!  Those of you unfamiliar with Middle Eastern cuisine might not know that roses feature prominently.  Persian desserts are often flavored with rose water, and spice shops around the Middle East traditionally offer their own proprietary blend of herbs and spices known as Ras el hanout, which often includes rosebuds.

Not to be outdone, Mexican cuisine also has a delicacy called Quail in Rose Petal Sauce, featured in Laura Esquivel's Como Agua Para Chocolate (Like Water For Chocolate) and the film of the same name.  In this story, the roses contain all of Tita's forbidden passion for Pedro, and everyone at the table (including her mother!) is, shall we say, overcome.  The end result was Tita's sister Gertrudis catching the ranch shower on fire from her heat, being rescued by a revolutionary soldier, and going on to become an officer in the army herself.  I can't promise the same results, but you can sure try by making it yourself!

Quail in Rose Petal Sauce  Source: Cooking with the Movies

So we have sight, smell, taste...how about touch?  Roses have a multitude of benefits for the skin (why we're talking about it in the first place!), including offering soothing relief to sunburn, and being good for both dry and oily skin.  Rose oil is very nourishing and moisturizing for dry skin, while having a mild astringent quality to tone oily skin.  The antibacterial properties of roses also make it an effective treatment for acne.

WOW!  What can't this beautiful flower do?

Just some of the gorgeous Miessence products that contain roses in some form or another...

Nourishing Hand Cream

Rejuvenessence Facial Serum for tired, stressed, or aging skin

Translucent Powder to set your makeup

All the Miessence foundations

Rejuvenating Moisturizer

Rejuvenating Skin Conditioner (my favorite product!)

And the obvious choice: Rose Monsoon Hydrating Mist

So that's all for now!  I hope you learned something new about roses and are excited to try one of these lovely rosy products!

Life's an adventure...when you work from home!

Lately I've felt a need for adventure in my life.  This primarily takes the form of daydreaming about amazing places to move to and begin a new life, even though I already live in a pretty awesome place--I'm writing this post from an estuary overlook near Jack London Square, with an absolutely stellar view of the Bay right in front of me, and it is 75 degrees and sunny; basically perfect.  But that doesn't seem to matter much.  When the soul seeks adventure, sitting still in a beautiful spot doesn't get you there.  So I dream.  I've pinned a map of Costa Rica to my wall.  I've annoyed my friends and family with imaginary house-hunting in various locales.  I've plotted how I'm going to save enough money to make a big move.

Sunset at Jack London Square

But honestly, this new venture IS an adventure!  I haven't been at it for very long, but I am already finding it incredibly rewarding.  Connecting with all of you, sharing amazing products, feeling like I'm making a difference, learning some new skills, using old skills and/or those learned during business school.  It's fun!

That's not to say it's for everybody.  I happen to have a day job that, although full time, leaves me with enough energy and brain power at the end of the day that I can still be functional on my own time.  It IS work.  There is much to be done, and it's not going to build itself.  Even so, I've found that developing this business is much more adaptable than similar opportunities.  ONEgroup (the parent company of Miessence) is very supportive of representatives building a business entirely on the Internet, which means that folks like me who may have time, but only outside of normal business hours, can still build a business to provide additional income.  There is no requirement or expectation that you hold house parties and harass every single person in your address book to buy something or become representatives themselves.  Not that there's anything wrong with that, if you find that to be your strength and you have the time and resources for it.

It has also been amazingly fun to network with other Miessence representatives.  This group is so helpful and open when it comes to sharing best practices, asking/answering questions, and just being all around supportive.

I'm mentioning all this by way of introduction to my new series about working from home.  Whether you're interested in becoming a Miessence representative or not, I hope you'll find the discussion helpful to you in some way, and come along to join me for this adventure!

Rose Monsoon Product Mention

Another product mention!  Check out this article that features Rose Monsoon Hydrating Mist.


http://www.bodyandsoul.com.au/beauty+indulgence/features+reviews/beauty+travel+essentials,19237

BFA Nanoparticle article

Wondering about nanoparticles in physical sunscreens? (Those are the ones made with titanium and/or zinc oxide) Here's info from the Biological Farmers of Australia...with a Reflect mention at the end!  Might have to come back to address this topic more at a future date, but for now...enjoy!


 http://www.bfa.com.au/IndustryResources/BFAPublications/OrganicAdvantage/OrganicAdvantageArchives2012/mid/777/newsid777/197.aspx

Ingredient Spotlight: Aloe Vera

Welcome to a new series spotlighting ingredients you might find in natural organic personal care products!  It's a pretty straightforward concept so let's jump right in, shall we?

I became familiar with the healing properties of aloe vera at a very young age, and that was not a good thing.  I possessed the unholy trifecta of fair skin (with red hair, no less), a residence in sunny Southern California, and an absolute hatred of sunblock.  My parents bought aloe vera gel in large quantities.  The thick green stuff provided such relief even while leaving the skin feel so sticky that you dare not actually touch anything, including clothing.  Then we discovered the thick blue stuff, which was the thick green stuff but with lidocaine for extra painkilling power, and without any pesky questions about the color change--what color do you add to green to get blue when supposedly blue is composed of green and yellow?

What I'm getting at here is that the stuff we normally think of as aloe vera, if it doesn't come straight from the plant, is really hardly aloe vera at all.

Check out this ingredient list of a national chain's store-brand aloe vera gel (the green version): Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice , Water , SD Alcohol 40 , Glycerin , Polysorbate 20 , Carbomer , Triethanolamine , Methylparaben , Benzophenone-4 , Imidazolidinyl Urea , Fragrance , Yellow 5 , Blue 1

Yeesh!  What IS all that??  You know, nevermind...you probably don't want to know.

But we got here from a good idea: aloe barbadensis leaf juice aka aloe vera juice is seriously good stuff!  It forms the basis of many Miessence products, and with good reason.

Aloe is also amazingly easy to come by.  The plants themselves grow like mad with enough sunshine and neglect (i.e. not overwatering), and kindly regenerate when you break off a limb to rub the oozing juice on your stinging, painful skin.  It also has beautiful flowers.

Aloe Vera Plant w/  Flower Detail Source: Wikipedia

Real, actual, pure aloe vera juice can be found easily at most stores that stock even remotely natural body care products.  It is quite a bit more expensive, at about $6 for a small bottle of the real deal vs. maybe $1.50 for 2-3 times as much goopy gel stuff, but it's hardly going to break the bank.  It's also not likely to make you feel like you need to walk around naked for reasons other than it being hot!

Aloe's skin healing properties were known to ancients ranging from Cleopatra to Marco Polo to Christopher Columbus.  It is antimicrobial and anti-inflammatory, with additional healing properties gained from vitamins C and E.

Aloe is also used internally in many parts of the world, as a digestive aid and flavoring.  (Note: please don't do this with the gel)  Sometimes it is treated as a vegetable and added to curries.  Many Japanese beverages include aloe, often as the primary flavor.

There is even some preliminary research showing that aloe may be an effective treatment for diabetes!

With all of this going for it, is it any wonder it plays a starring role in so many Miessence products?

The facial moisturizers might make sense to you as items containing aloe, but that's not the only category where you'll find it!  Here are some other products that may surprise you as containing this amazing ingredient.

Shape Styling Gel-Medium Body and Hold for Most Hair Types

Mint Toothpaste (also available in Lemon and Anise)

All our liquid Translucent Foundations

Ancient Spice Roll-On Deodorant (also available in Tahitian Breeze and Aroma Free)

Sunflower Body Wash

There are others, too!  I'm going to leave it at this list because otherwise this post would be about a mile long, and I'm sure we all have other things to do.  As always, please don't hesitate to ask me any questions you may have about Miessence products and I will do my darnedest to answer them!

New Series: Make Buy Skip

If you want something done right, you just have to do it yourself.

I don't really believe that one bit.

There are times where it makes sense to Make a product yourself, and others when it makes sense to Buy a product.  And in the true sense of reduce, reuse, recycle, sometimes it's best to just Skip it altogether!


Take a sweater, for example.  Do you know how to make a sweater?  Do you have the time to make a sweater?  Do you have the money to buy a sweater?  Or the materials to make a sweater?  Do you live in a warm climate where sweaters, even really cute and fashionable ones, are just plain unncessary?

If you know how to Make these, I will Buy them from you.

The best choice for Making, Buying, or Skipping won't be the same for every person, every item, or every situation.

But seriously, Skip these.

I'm here to help!  This is the first in a new series intended to help you ask the questions that will lead you to determine whether you should Make, Buy, or Skip when it comes to personal/home care and whole superfood supplements.

In future posts in this series I will address these questions as pertain to specific items such as deodorant, toothpaste, and shampoo, but here I want to address something that will pop up quite often.  A question that can throw the whole equation off.

Are you giving the item as a gift?

I initially stumbled upon the Miessence business opportunity when I was trying to develop my own range of homemade body balms.  It wasn't working in terms of coming up with anything sellable, what with the expenses of packaging development, labeling restrictions, small scale supply shipping costs, etc., but it did give me some good ideas for things I could spiffy up without worrying about cost effectiveness, and give as gifts.  While a certain amount of craftiness may be required (Martha Stewart, I am not), I am generally of the opinion that it's usually better to Make when it comes to gift-giving.  My friends and family may disagree--refer to the Great Scarf Christmas of 2006--and that's why it's a general rule rather than a hard and fast one.

Bacon Jam is probably on the Skip list, even when it is a Martha Stewart recipe.

And if your homemade personal care gifts wind up looking more like mud than toothpaste (more on that later), well I can help you with that too.

August Lifestyle Membership Promotion

Miessence offers a regular discount of 20% to Lifestyle Members.  Lifestyle Membership is gained by a single purchase of $150, and maintained by purchasing at least once a year thereafter.  That's 20% off, for life!

August brings us a great promotion where a new Lifestyle Membership only requires a $100 purchase, and you'll get a $20 voucher for your next order, on top of your 20% savings.  That's $70 off!

If you are already a Lifestyle Member, a $100 purchase in August will get you that same $20 voucher along with your normal 20% savings.

Take a look at the products in the shop and use promo code "lifestyle" at checkout to get this deal!

Lemon Blueberry Superfood Smoothie

I've started incorporating fruit back into my diet!  Woohoo!  Since I'm still avoiding my typical breakfast of oatmeal, I figured out another smoothie.  Most smoothie recipes I seem to find involve a banana.  Bananas are great!  I love bananas!  But I'm just not ready for the high sugar content yet, and blueberries were on sale at Trader Joe's (2lbs for $6.99!), so this one was born.

It's the same base as my fruit free smoothie, starting with homemade kefir and kombucha, and a splash of vanilla.  I also kept the cocoa and the green part, adding a tsp of Miessence Deep Green as well as 2 cups of leafy greens (this time I went with a cup of spinach and a cup of "I Love Baby Kale" mix).

I think an important part of this smoothie was the half a lemon.  Not just the JUICE of half a lemon, but I actually scooped out the whole thing.  I saw this in Fat, Sick, and Nearly Dead, which is a great documentary you should definitely watch, and it intrigued me, so I gave it a "whirl" here (sorry, bad blender joke).  The lemon flavor is definitely stronger than if I'd just added the juice, but not overpowering, plus there's a dash of fiber in there.

Swap out the peanut butter for coconut oil, and bam! It is VERY important to melt the coconut oil first, and add it as your last ingredient in a steady stream so that it forms an emulsion and doesn't clump up.  Coconut oil will solidify below 76 degrees Fahrenheit, which your smoothie should be!

I drank it up too fast for a photo, but will definitely take one next time!

Ingredients

Kefir, 1 cup
Kombucha (plain), 1/4 cup
Vanilla Extract, 1 tsp
Cinnamon, ground, 1 tsp
Blueberries, fresh, 1 cup
Insides of 1/2 a lemon (just scoop it out with a spoon)
Your choice of green superfood powder (I use Miessence Deep Green), 1 serving
Cocoa, dry powder, unsweetened, 1 tbsp
Leafy greens like baby spinach/kale, 2 cups
Ice cubes, 4-6 (optional)
Coconut Oil, melted, 1 tbsp

 

Directions

Put all ingredients except for ice cubes and coconut oil into blender and mix until greens are well incorporated. If you want a thicker, more milkshake-like smoothie, add ice and blend to your desired consistency. While blender is on, add melted coconut oil in a slow steady stream and blend for another 5 seconds or so.

Nutritional Info

• Servings Per Recipe: 1
• Amount Per Serving
• Calories: 379.0

• Total Fat: 17.2 g
• Cholesterol: 10.0 mg
• Sodium: 225.7 mg
• Total Carbs: 41.3 g
• Dietary Fiber: 8.8 g
• Protein: 19.0 g

"The Optimal Diet for Pregnant and Nursing Mothers"

I'm not a mom, let alone a nursing mom, but I found this article interesting nonetheless.  Thoughts?

http://nourishingourchildren.wordpress.com/2012/08/03/the-optimal-diet-for-pregnant-and-nursing-mothers/

Probiotics!

I want to talk to you about bacteria.

In my quest to learn more about nutrition, one of the earliest things I learned (aside from the obvious "eat more fruits and veggies") was that I felt a lot better when I ate yogurt on a regular basis.  Here in the Bay Area we are fortunate enough to have a wonderful dairy called Straus Family Creamery in Marin County that makes the absolute BEST yogurt I've ever tasted in my life.

I am very fortunate to not have any real signs of dis-ease.  I have some mild lactose intolerance, and carry a few extra pounds, but otherwise I've always been pretty healthy.  No food allergies.  No digestion issues.  No sleep problems.  Even so, I started to notice the difference I felt in my own well-being was marked with regular yogurt consumption.  I started looking into why this was so, and began learning more and more about probiotics.

According to medicinenet.com:

Our digestive system normally has what we would call "good" bacteria and "bad" bacteria. Maintaining the correct balance between the "good" bacteria and the "bad" bacteria is necessary for optimal health. Things like medications, diet, diseases, and your environment can upset that balance.

Probiotics are these "good" bacteria, and they are crucial for correcting the gut balance upset by factors listed above.  "Optimal health" means improved brain function, digestion, immunity, sexual health, etc.  Basically, almost any indicator of health can be improved by the consumption of probiotics, and the good news is that they are easy to come by.

Yogurt, especially REAL yogurt like what Straus produces, without any fillers, thickeners or preservatives, is chock full of beneficial bacteria from 4 different strains (most commercial yogurts only have one or two).  This is great, but there's something even better!  There is a mysterious substance called kefir that actually has more like 10 (or more) different strains of beneficial bacteria to improve your gut health.  It can be found commercially in health food stores and some specialty chains such as Whole Foods, with the most common brand being Lifeway.  It can also be made at home at a fraction of the cost, and is so simple--much simpler than yogurt.  We'll talk more about that in a future post.

Probiotics don't need to come from dairy.  Kombucha has its own types of beneficial bacteria and yeasts, and lacto-fermented vegetables (try Bubbies!) also have huge amounts of the good bugs.

In addition to the bacteria we've already talked about, probiotics also have much higher quantities of vitamins like vitamins C and the B-complex than the cultured/fermented products had in their original state!

I'll be talking more about my experience with various types of fermentation, as well as the various kinds of commercial probiotics, but I wanted to give a very brief introduction so you don't think I'm entirely crazy!

If a smoothie doesn't have any fruit, is it still a smoothie?

With age often come pounds!  Well, in my case, the pounds came onto my skinny high schooler frame in college, and I've been battling them ever sense.  I'm not much of a proponent of specific dieting plans.  Having said that, several years ago, before I knew much about nutrition, I lost about 20 pounds following the South Beach Diet.  Knowing what I know now, it wasn't such a bad "plan!"  The idea was basically to avoid highly processed starches, which is sound nutritional advice.  The weight creeped back on, and I lost most of it about a year ago by simply cutting out sugar and white carbs other than potatoes, which are a whole food and should not be villainized.

But like many dieters (ugh I hate that word!), I've stalled.  So I'm re-embarking on South Beach, dreaded almost-carb-free Phase 1 and all.  I have to say, with my generally lower-sugar eating habits these days, it is so much easier!  When I cut out fruit and starch in 2004, I was light headed, woozy, cranky, and lots of other bad things.  This time, I feel great!

So what to eat?  My "normal" breakfast is oatmeal, but that's temporarily out.  I'm also fairly lazy in the breakfast arena, at least on work days, so I need something quick and simple.  Enter the smoothie.

But don't smoothies have fruit??  Not this one!  I've been hearing a lot about "Green Monster"-type smoothies, but those usually involve a banana or some other fruit.  So I endeavored to create one that doesn't have fruit but still has enough sweetness to be palatable.

My version is kefir based (probiotics!), with a touch of vanilla extract and kombucha for the idea of sweetness (and more probiotics!).  I also add some cinnamon, cocoa powder, and peanut butter for good fats.  Then comes the greens!  I include a serving of Deep Green superfood, and a couple handfuls of spinach or whatever other leafy green I have on hand.  Flip on the blender to break the spinach down, then add ice to create some bulk and texture, and voila!  A totally palatable, fruit-free green smoothie!

I'm going to spare you a photo--it's not pretty!  Between the greens and the peanut butter...yeah.  But it works and is quite filling!

My next plan: same idea, but with Berry Radical (once it's not sold out anymore...), and switching the peanut butter for coconut oil.  Stay tuned to how that works--I've yet to be able to add coconut oil to anything cold without it clumping!

Edited to add nutritional info:

• Servings Per Recipe: 1
• Amount Per Serving
• Calories: 281.4

• Total Fat: 12.7 g
• Cholesterol: 10.0 mg
• Sodium: 314.4 mg
• Total Carbs: 23.5 g
• Dietary Fiber: 6.9 g
• Protein: 24.0 g

Introducing Red Porch Co. and Miessence Certified Organic Products

I've been working on developing my own body balms and lotions and such, made from organic, food grade ingredients. Well, it was a major flop! I just don't have the money or chemistry know-how to undergo the product development. The good news is that I have found a company that has already done all that work for me, and manufactures products that I feel proud to attach my name to. Please "like" Red Porch Co. on Facebook to get all the information about Miessence and organic skin care products that are so pure you could eat them.  You can also visit my Miessence page here for product descriptions and ordering info.  As time goes by, I'll be highlighting various products here and providing more information about how they fit into my life.

This blog will continue to highlight ideas, recipes, and products to support a "nourishing" life.  I feel strongly that Miessence products fit in superbly with this lifestyle!

Transitions

Well, it's been a minute, hasn't it?  Much has happened since my last post.  I've moved.  Twice.  I've gotten a dog.  I've been laid off.  I've finished my MBA.  I've found my dream job, only to have it break my heart.  I've also made some discoveries along the way of what it means to ME to have a nourished life, and in the spirit of friendship and goodwill, I'd like to share them with you.

Examples:
3 cheers for cultured foods!  We will soon be discussing such wonders as kombucha, kefir, cultured vegetables, and homemade sodas!

Backyard chickens.  You might not think this results in adventures and entertainment, but you would be wrong.

Life lessons as taught by an adorable and sweet-natured though very poorly behaved dog.

Homemade skin care to avoid all the nasty stuff found in most commercial products, and what happens when you take them to warm climates.

So come on in, put up your feet, have a cup of tea, and let's chat.