Beauty Benefits of a Super-Citrus Blood Orange Smoothie! (recipe inside)

Orangerie Benefits!

If you've been to the market lately, you've seen plenty of sweet oranges, grapefruits, tangerines and blood oranges…citrus galore!  Change it up and trade out the standard orange with a red flesh of blood orange!   This swap is especially satisfying when we learn of the beauty benefits that come along with this Mediterranean variant.

Superfruit power of vitamin C  stimulates collagen production and anthocyanins, the potent antioxidants found in berries. Both prevent free radicals that cause premature aging and ward off disease-causing inflammation. Paired with cucumber and greens, this smoothie is bursting with nutrients.

Blood Orange Smoothie Directions: Fill blender with…

• 10 oz coconut water

  

• 1 blood orange peeled and seeds removed

• ½ cucumber peeled

• ½ frozen banana

• 2 tsp chia seeds

• handful spinach

• juice from ¼ lemon

Blend ingredients until smooth and enjoy your organic Blood Orange Smoothie.

 Cheers!

Guest Recipe: BY LAURISA TRUEMPER

Winter Rehab: *NEW* Organic Oxygen Rescue Mask (70% Organic + Blueberry + Cranberry Fresh)

 Enjoy our NEW Organic Oxygen Rescue Mask in a Organic Facial, or for your own use at home.  Winter rehab to the rescue!

You may already know that berries are good for you. They’re considered one of the fruits that are particularly high in antioxidants, which can be key in protecting the body.

This antioxidant capability also makes cranberries and blueberries useful in skin care, as they can protect the skin from damaging free radicals that accelerate the appearance of aging. What’s really exciting about fruit seed oil, however, is that it is the only oils we know of so far that has a perfect ratio of omega-3 to omega-6 fatty acids, which means that it absorbs super well into the skin, giving you great hydration. It also means your skin is more likely to absorb the potent antioxidants, Vitamin E, and other nutrients in the oil.

In light of the long and harsh winter we had in Minnesota, we saw the missing link to our Kasia Natural Skin Line and our guests needs for extra MOISTURE!  So - you spoke, we listened ...and we delivered!  

Au-Natural and 70% Organic Get great looking skin in minutes with this fruit-filled mask!

Blueberries and cranberries hyper-oxygenate the skin with antioxidants, active bioflavonoids and vitamins to even texture and add youthful vibrancy.

A fresh fruit pulp and Glycolic and Alpha Lipoic acids slough away dead cells and boost collagen production, leaving skin revived and refreshed.

if you’re seeing dull, dry, sagging, skin, this unique oil is the perfect remedy.

Directions: Apply generously to face and neck. Leave on for 15-30 minutes. Remove with a damp cloth or warm water.

Contact our team today to purchase or book a custom organic facial today!   Schedule@kasiaorganicsalon.com 612.814.7611

STRESS Biologically AGES You: Learn WHY and HOW you can turn it back.

The New Biological Clock: How you can turn it back

Guest Post:  Thea Singer, Telomere Expert

Every stress leaves an indelible scar, and the organism pays for its survival after a stressful situation by becoming a little older.

Telomeres sit on the very tips of our 46 chromosomes, which are the threadlike bodies in the nucleus of cells that carry our genes. Telomeres have been compared to the plastic tips on the end of shoelaces—they protect the chromosome from being damaged. As cells replicate, which many do constantly, the telomeres wear down. In healthy times, the enzyme telomerase comes to the rescue, topping off the fraying ends with dabs of telomere DNA; otherwise the cells would stop replicating and die. But telomerase production slows with age; generally speaking, older people have shorter telomeres than younger ones. So do people living with constant stress, Nobel Prize winner Elizabeth Blackburn and UCSF health psychologist Elissa Epel found.

In the above illustration, the yellowish tips are the telomeres. As you can see, each time the cell divides—one cell becomes two, two become four, and so on—the telomere gets shorter. That's what makes telomeres a marker of biological aging—their length indicates the age of our cells. Research shows that people who perceive themselves as being under chronic stress have shorter telomeres by a shocking 10 years or more. But as my book, STRESS LESS, shows, there are many research-backed interventions you can do yourself to slow or even reverse that aging process.

Margie E. Lachman’s office at Brandeis University, where she is a professor and the chair of the Department of Psychology, is enormous and sunlit. Impressionist oil paintings on loan from the school’s famous Rose Art Museum illuminate the walls, and gifts from students—glass flowers, a model of a Vietnamese “longevity” turtle—rest alongside a blue and yellow tin of Lucy’s Predic-a-Mints, of I Love Lucy fame. Lachman, a cheerful, wholesome-looking woman with rectangular glasses and dark wavy hair swept up in a silver barrette, clearly mixes whimsy with her academic rigor.

Lachman specializes in the area of life span development, including the sense of control we feel we have (or don’t have) in adulthood and old age. She was one of the original investigators on the massive study Midlife in the United States (MIDUS I), launched in 1995 to explore the health and well-being of more than seven thousand Americans, and she continues as an investigator on the study’s ten-year follow-up, MIDUS II.

I’m talking with Lachman to try to understand why we baby-boomer women may be the most stressed-out beings on the planet. “Stress is highest in young adulthood and midlife,” Lachman writes in the scientific paper that brought me here. These adults, she continues, “experienced more frequent overload stressors, especially involving children and financial risk.”

Why might that be? For starters, midlife in general presents unprecedented challenges, say social scientists, leaving us more vulnerable to day-to-day stressors from the get-go. It’s at midlife that we become aware of our mortality. Our bodies are no longer under our control the way they once were: no more reversing Friday night’s chocolate-cake binge with one day of Boca burgers and egg whites. Our health—and that of our partners—is increasingly precarious. “We find that a lot of people, as they get older, think that aging is just this inevitable, irreversible process of decline,” Lachman tells me, noting that such thinking can work against us. Lachman knows whereof she speaks: She’s a baby boomer herself—one of the forty-two million women between the ages of forty and fifty-nine living in the United States, according to U.S. Census Bureau data from 2005. It’s a group that comprises more than fourteen percent of the total American population. “The beliefs that people hold regarding aging really do have an impact in terms of how they behave and how they react and what the actual outcomes are,” she says. “People who feel that they are not in control of aging actually look different from people who feel that they are.”

No control. It lies at the heart of everything stressful, to a greater or lesser degree. The economy is in terrible shape. We (and our graying mates) are losing our jobs—maybe even struggling to hold on to our homes. We are caring for growing children with one hand and aging parents with the other, while also trying to save for those kids’ college and our own retirement. A survey from the Pew Research Center on the “Sandwich Generation” presents the stark stats: A quarter of women—particularly those between the ages of thirty and fifty—reported caring for a parent or other older relative. A whopping fifty-four percent of those in such a caregiving role said it caused them “at least some stress,” and twenty percent of that group said they were under “a lot of stress.”

Also adding to the burden is the fact that most of us work outside the home for economic reasons, even as we continue to do the lion’s share of housekeeping and child care (we’re expected to bring home the bacon and fry it up in a pan, to paraphrase the old Enjoli perfume ad). Compounding the pressure is that our workplaces are often unsupportive of our multiple roles. If we work on our own as consultants, as more and more of us do as companies shrink, we also have to deal with the loss of work camaraderie and hours of social isolation. (And no, Facebook, virtual office that it can be, does not replace that chat by the watercooler.)

And unlike other generations, we cut ourselves little slack. Boomer women essentially invented the Superwoman syndrome—we would do it all, for everyone, and do it well. Now, at midlife, we’re taking stock, questioning whether we’ve achieved what we could or “should” have—and invariably beating ourselves up for falling short. Baby-boomer women “even made parenting a competitive sport,” notes Cornell University’s Elaine Wethington, a medical sociologist specializing in stress and midlife, in an article in the university’s publication Human Ecology. “It wasn’t enough to have and raise children. They had to have perfect children.”

Such demands can have a steep price: One of Wethington’s recent studies shows that a quarter of American women have had at least one episode of depression—a rate twice that of men.

It’s not just the major stressors that do us in—job loss, death of loved ones, long-term debt. The daily hassles—family fights, traffic, work deadlines—take their toll, too, piling up like bumper-to-bumper cars on a weak bridge. David M. Almeida, Ph.D., a developmental psychologist at Pennsylvania State University, has subjects in his studies fill out daily stress diaries over various periods of time so he can assess how overloads occur. In a weeklong study, he and colleague Melanie C. Horn, Ph.D., found that young adults and those at midlife reported more days with stressors, more days with multiple stressors, and more frequent “overload stressors” than older folks did. More support for Lachman’s contention. I wasn’t surprised.

“It’s at midlife when we are pulled in many directions in terms of being responsible for others, from our own children to our aging parents,” says Almeida. “It’s also a time when we’re more likely to be in management positions at work. All of these things expose us to more ‘danger’ events, the most prevalent types of stressors.” Danger events, he explains, are those that lead us to worry about the future—for example, hearing that the company’s revenues are down just when your son goes off to college, or that your mother, two hundred miles away in New Jersey, has been taken to the emergency room by ambulance. “We’re in the driver’s seat, which supposedly would give us more control,” he says. “But we also have more responsibility.”

Such repeated stress frazzles us. It makes us snap at our partners and kids—even growl at the dog. It keeps us awake at night and clouds our professional judgment. We’ve known for years that it puts us at greater risk for any number of diseases. What we didn’t know until now is that it actually physically ages us, all the way down to the DNA in our cells.

It was through such stressed women—they were caring for their chronically ill children—that2009 Nobel Prize-winning cell biologist Elizabeth H. Blackburn, Ph.D., and health psychologist Elissa S. Epel, Ph.D., both at the University of California, San Francisco, made the groundbreaking discovery from which this book sprang: that chronic stress literally gnaws at our DNA—its tips, or telomeres, to be precise—speeding up the rate at which our cells age by an alarming ten years or more.

The implications are clear: For us midlifers, stress has become the new biological clock.

Yet, as the research in this book will also show, there’s good news to go along with that shocking discovery—ways that we can slow, and even turn back, that relentless timepiece. For the Epel and Blackburn findings also reveal that what matters in cell aging is the level of perceived stress, which means that the antidote lies, significantly, in our own hands—or, more precisely, in our minds and our behaviors.

Of course, no scientist would ever suggest that we eliminate stress, whether psychological or biological. Indeed, as stress guru Bruce S. McEwen, Ph.D., puts it, if we got rid of stress, “we’d be dead.” Director of the neuroendocrinology laboratory at the Rockefeller University, in New York City, McEwen has been a leader in the study of stress for decadess, training generations of young scientists who make up a veritable who’s who of stress researchers.

Temporary, or acute, stress, in fact, can be very good for us. Exercise is a prime example. Researchers such as Gordon J. Lithgow, Ph.D., at California’s Buck Institute for Age Research, have shown that acute stress can even extend lifespan. Lithgow, a lanky, enthusiastic man with a broad forehead and inquisitive eyes, studies stress and aging in that most elemental of beings, single-celled worms (C. elegans). He’s shown that acute stressors—say, increased temperature for several hours—enable the worms to live up to thirty percent longer than their nonheated peers. How so? The added heat perturbs the homeostasis, or internal constancy, of the worm’s single cell. The cell in response kicks out what are called heat shock proteins, which, in a process called hormesis, causes the cell to metaphorically thicken its skin, making it better able to withstand future insults that could contribute to its demise. (We have homeostatic systems, too, as you may recall from high school biology. An example is body temperature: We operate at full throttle only when it’s near that constant 98.6 degrees Fahrenheit.)

Why do we care about stress in, of all things, worms? Scientists in search of so-called longevity genes—such as the University of Michigan’s Richard A. Miller, Ph.D.; the University of Washington’s Matt R. Kaeberlein, Ph.D.; and Harvard’s David A. Sinclair, Ph.D. — rely heavily on the fact that many cellular responses to stress are conserved throughout evolution. Worms may not be us, but the mechanistic lessons from worms may, they believe, apply to us.

Distinctions also split psychosocial stress—the heart-quickening, stomach-tensing kind we automatically associate with the word stress. Many scientists break psychosocial stress into two categories, and limn how our bodies and brains respond differently to each. There’s challenge stress (good for you), which refers to situations we find demanding but for which we have the resources to cope. Waiting in Whistler at the top of the mountain to slalom to Olympic gold—that’s challenge stress, as is (yes!) sex (see Chapter 3). In contrast, threat stress (very bad) refers to situations that are overwhelming, in which we feel helpless in the face of the onslaught. Caring for a chronically ill child, as the subjects in Blackburn and Epel’s research were doing, qualifies as threat stress.

Stanford University neurobiologist Robert M. Sapolsky, Ph.D., another giant in the stress-research world and author of the acclaimed Why Zebras Don’t Get Ulcers, elaborates. “Our goal isn’t to have a life with no stress—anyone ranging from a development psychologist to a gerontologist knows that,” he wrote in an e-mail before our first meeting. “The idea is to have the right amount of stress. So what’s the right amount? Generally, it’s for challenges/stressors that are moderate in severity and transient in duration. And what does that define? Stimulation. ‘Moderate in severity’—it’s not for nothing that three-minute roller-coaster rides aren’t so severe that they rip your internal organs loose. ‘Transient’—it’s not for nothing that roller-coaster rides aren’t three weeks long. Another way of framing what good stress is: circumstances where you voluntarily relinquish a degree of control and predictability in a setting that overall is benevolent. You’re willing to let yourself be utterly out of control as to when the scary thing happens on the movie screen—because you know that the murderer is going to stay on the screen.”

McEwen, for his part, refines the psychosocial stress categories even further. Challenge stress, he says, encompasses both positive stress, in which you have good self-esteem and relish the chance to rise to the challenge, and tolerable stress, in which “something bad happens, but you have good social support and self-esteem, so you have the tools—economic, personal, and so on—to weather the storm.” Finally, there is toxic stress. “That’s the really bad stuff, where you don’t have adequate resources,” he explains. “Maybe you’re poor, maybe you don’t have good social support, maybe you’ve been abused as a child.” These are the folks who may not be able to rebound, and for whom pathology—major depression, for example—may develop. Blackburn and Epel’s caregivers with the shortest telomeres fit there.

Where do you fall on that stress spectrum? To help you find out, I’ve provided a targeted test at the start of each chapter in this book; use the tests together to develop your own stress profile. Questions they’ll help you answer include: What is my personal stress level? Which behaviors of mine increase my stress level and which ones reduce it? How should I change my lifestyle to bring about the latter so I can slow the aging process? These are not cobbled-together pseudoscientific scales but the actual tests used in scientific studies on stress and the behaviors that inform stress: diet, exercise, psychological outlook, social support, sleep, and more. Indeed, many of them come directly from the studies cited in these pages.

The discussions following the tests delve deep into Blackburn and Epel’s groundbreaking research on stress and aging, as well as that of dozens of other scientists whose hours spent bent over pipettes and petri dishes, crunching numbers from intricate surveys, and analyzing the behavior and brain changes of subjects from rats to people provide crucial new insights into our understanding of stress and how it ages us. They also explore the latest science showing how to manage our stress so we can slow the aging process.

Driving this approach is my own understanding of the mind-set of so many midlife women like me: The how-tos of combating stress are not enough—and not only because we are, constitutionally, it seems, dedicated to understanding the why of things, avidly researching our own health concerns both online and in print. It’s also because, for us, meaning begets action. We act not blindly but with definite intention based on reliable, concrete information we’ve dug up ourselves. We are knowledge seekers. Our old mantra, “Don’t trust anyone over thirty,” has become “Don’t trust the experts alone to tell us what we need to know.”

And so, be prepared to take a collaborative journey inside your body and brain to learn what makes your stressed self tick—and how you personally can slow that clock. The study of how stress contributes to our cells’ aging—which Blackburn and Epel opened the door to—is incredibly new. But be assured: By the time you finish this book, you, too, will be comfortably batting around the word telomere at cocktail parties and the gym, and making the lifestyle choices, based on rigorous science, that speak specifically to you. My intent is not to lay out an ironclad program for you to rigorously follow, but rather to let you, the intelligent and informed reader, pick and choose your strategies for reducing stress. After all, lack of control and unpredictability induce stress. What all of us need, now more than ever, is to trust our own good minds to make our own wise choices.

As Margie Lachman told me: “You can’t stop aging, but you can slow or compensate for it—you can prevent certain changes, or at least minimize them.” That’s what control is about. And control over stress and aging is what this book will teach you, on your own terms.

HAIR LOSS AMONG WOMEN IS ON THE INCREASE

Hair loss is common and growing in younger women.   Changes in lifestyle, increased exercise or weight loss, malabsorption, the way we style our hair and also use of birth control pills could be factors.

Lifestyle

Stress typically will increase testosterone levels and trigger and/or worsen hair loss and hair thinning in genetically pre-disposed. Our demanding lifestyles are stressful – and one could argue that this past decade has been an onslaught of failing economies, unemployment and increasingly competitive work environments.  I'll speak for myself, many of us do not take the time we need to relax.

Another fact is that stress can cause or trigger flare-ups of dandruff – and dandruff has been proven to worsen hair loss in some instances.

Oral Contraceptives

Oral contraceptives are being used more widely– and also among younger women. While certain birth control pills have the ability to help slow or stop hair loss and thinning, others can cause it.  The latter contains androgens (male hormones), which can trigger hair loss in women with follicle sensitivity.

Diet

Unhealthy and restrictive dieting regimes are, unfortunately, still popular and fashionable – and with every year a new fad crops up; from juice fasts and ’miracle’ shakes, to no-carb or no protein meal plans.  Being low or over weight  can certainly cause hair loss. Note, you can be either of these to be malnourished.

Hair cells are the second fastest growing cells in the body, yet they are not cells needed for survival.

Hair Extensions

Hair extensions are now more popular than ever. Our hair experts use the best on the market that are "tape extensions" and non damaging to the hair.

Average Life-Span

Hair loss may also be on the rise simply because people are living longer. Hair thinning is more common in all individuals as they age, and in women is especially more common after menopause due to falling oestrogen levels. Certain medical conditions and poor health also tend to be more in older age groups – and general health plays an important role in the maintenance of hair growth.

Contact our team today for a consultation - great color or cut suggestions - or women's health questions pertaining to sudden or long-standing hair loss.  

References: Kingsley Hair Center

FREE 1 Day Super Green Detox (Guest Post: Young and Raw)

Experiencing sugar cravings, fatigue or an unwanted sloth-like feeling? This one day detox plan was designed to support all of your elimination organs, with a special emphases on liver supporting foods.

Your liver is responsible for doing a large portion of the work when it comes to detoxing your body. By eating foods that help it do its job, you will be facilitating healthy and effective toxin removal.

It is important to rest and nourish yourself while you are detoxing, even if it is just for one day. Take extra time to sleep, read, meditate, do restorative yoga, take a bath or any other activities that feel like nourishment for you. The more you rest and allow your body to heal, the more effective this little detox will be.

Super Green Detox Menu:

Upon Rising: Lemon Basil Vitamin Water Breakfast: Super Greens Smoothie Lunch: Love Your Liver Green Salad Snack: Clean and Green Juice Dinner: Lentil and Cauliflower Detox Soup Before Bed: Herbal Tea

Super Green Detox Recipes:

Lemon Basil Vitamin Water

• 1 litre fresh water
• 1 lemon, sliced
• 5 basil leaves
• pinch Himalayan salt

Instructions: Place your lemon slices, basil leaves and Himalayan salt in your water and allow to sit for 1-12 hours. It can be nice to make this the night before your cleanse to have waiting for you in the fridge when you wake up. The longer you let it sit, the more potent the drink will be.

Why It Works:

• Water: will help to re-hydrate your system after being dehydrated over night.
• Lemon: will kickstart the activity of your liver as well as help to stimulate the emptying of your colon.
• Basil: is a powerful anti-inflammatory herb that will work to help cool and soothe your system which is very important for cleansing and detoxifying.
• Himalayan salt: has all 84 essential trace minerals the body needs to thrive, and it will help to alkalize your body.

Green Super Smoothie

• 1 cup fresh or frozen blueberries
• 1 cup red leaf lettuce
• 2 ribs celery
• 1/3 cup parsley
• 1/3 cup cilantro
• 1 lemon, peeled
• 1 inch piece ginger
• 1 cup water

Instructions: Place all ingredients in a high-speed blender and blend until smooth.

Why It Works:

• Berries: will provide essential antioxidants that are crucial to help protect your liver during detox. They are also rich in fibre which will help to cleanse your colon.
• Red Leaf Lettuce: is a slightly bitter green which will stimulate bile production helping to cleanse and clear the liver and gallbladder.
• Celery: will alkalize your system and provide your body with alkaline minerals.
• Parsley: is going to be supporting your kidneys.
• Cilantro: will help to pull heavy metals from your system.
• Lemon: will boost your liver function and the ginger will help to cleanse and clear your whole digestive tract.

Love Your Liver Green Salad

• 2 cups arugula
• 1 cup romaine lettuce
• 1 small beet, grated
• 1 large avocado, pit removed and sliced
• 1 lime, juiced
• option to add oil free balsamic and 2 tbsp. sauerkraut if you wish

Instructions: Place all ingredients in a bowl, toss and enjoy!

Why It Works:

• Arugula and romaine lettuce: will both alkalize your system, help to cleanse and clear your colon as well as providing that bitter taste to help stimulate your liver and gallbladder.
• Beet: is rich in beta-carotene and bioflavonoids, which are essential nutrients for liver detox.
• Avocado: is a precursor for glutathione, which is used in phase two liver detox. It is also rich in other amino acids which are all needed for effective liver detoxification.
• Lime: acts much like lemon in its liver cleansing action.

Clean and Green Juice

• 1/2 green apple
• 3 ribs celery
• 1/2 field cucumber
• 1/3 cup cilantro
• 1/3 cup parsley
• 1 lemon, peeled
• 1 inch piece ginger

Instructions: Run all ingredients through a juicer and enjoy!

Why It Works:

• Apples: are rich in b vitamins which help to support the digestive system and the metabolism.
• Celery: is rich in trace minerals which help to dilate blood vessels, supporting the transportation of wastes from your cells to your liver for removal.
• Cucumber: Cucumber is a super high water content fruit that will help to flush toxins from your system.
• Cilantro: will pull mercury from your body, which is a known neurotoxin
• Parsley: this awesome herb is a bitter green, meaning it will boost bile flow and help cleanse the liver
• Lemon: rich in vitamin C, this fruit will help your body fight any infection it may be dealing with.
• Ginger: is a powerful antibacterial food helping to defend your body from pathogens.

Lentil and Cauliflower Detox Soup:

• 1/2 cup dried lentils
• 1/2 head cauliflower, chopped
• half-inch piece fresh turmeric root, minced fine (or use 1/4 tsp dried)
• 2 cups water
• 1 tsp cumin powder
• 1 tsp paprika
• 1/2 tsp onion powder
• 1/2 tsp garlic powder or 1 garlic clove
• 1 tbsp apple cider vinegar

Instructions: Place your lentils, cauliflower, turmeric root water and spices in a pot and bring to a boil. Allow to cook for 15-20 minutes or until your lentils are tender. Remove from the heat. Add your apple cider vinegar.  Enjoy!

Why It Works:

• Lentils: will provide your body will the needed amino acids so that it can detox properly.
• Cauliflower: is a cruciferous vegetable which means it is rich in sulfur compounds.  These compounds are amazing for protecting the body from cancer as well as aiding in efficient liver detox.
• Turmeric root: contains a compound called curcumin which helps to slow down phase one liver detox, and stimulate phase two. This is a good thing because for most people phase two liver detox can be sluggish and this can lead to poor detoxification.
• The apple cider vinegar: will help to cleanse your whole system including your liver, gallbladder and digestive system.

Herbal Tea - Your choice:

• Chamomile
• Liquorice
• Lavender
• Passion Flower
• Valerian Root
• Lemon Balm

Instructions: Steep your tea in 1 cup of hot water and sip slowly before bed.

Why It Works: All of the above herbs have individual health benefits, though the one thing they all have in common is they are nourishing and replenishing to the adrenals and promote calm and relaxation. The reason we recommend them is because they are all calming and soothing for the nervous system and will help you to fall asleep and rest well.

Shopping lists:

Veggies

• 2 cups arugula
• 1 avocado
• 1 small beet
• 1 head cauliflower
• 5 ribs celery
• 1 field cucumber
• 1 cup red leaf lettuce
• 1 cup romaine lettuce

Fruits

• 1 green apple
• 1 cup fresh or frozen blueberries
• 3 lemon
• 1 lime

Fresh Herbs

• 5 basil leaves
• 1 bunch cilantro
• 2 inch piece ginger
• 1 bunch parsley
• 1 inch piece fresh turmeric root (or use 1/4 tsp dried)

Dried Herbs

• 1 tsp cumin powder
• 1 tsp paprika
• 1/2 tsp onion powder
• 1/2 tsp garlic powder

Nuts/Seeds/Legumes

• 1/2 cup dried lentils

Grocery

• 1 tbsp apple cider vinegar
• pinch Himalayan salt
• Herbal tea of choice

Guest Post:  Ali Washington Holistic Nutritionist

 Ali is the Resident Holistic Nutritionist for Young and Raw. She came to the natural health field when she was 14, as a way of healing chronic stomach aches, skin issues, weight problems and hormonal imbalances. Years of doctors visits, specialist appointments and conventional medicine had never yielded results, so she tried looking for a natural solution. Going vegan in 2007, and 100% raw shortly after that, she was able to heal her body, and was inspired to share what had helped her so much with others.

The Anti-Aging Hair Diet

Hair not only loses color as you age it can also lose thickness and become dry and brittle.   Eating a diet full of antioxidant vitamins, minerals, healthy proteins and oils can help slow the aging process by repairing damage and helping you grow stronger strands.

We’ve compiled a list of healthy foods with vitamins and nutrients your hair needs. Consume them regularly to keep your hair vibrant.

Dark Green Vegetables – Choose dark green leafy veggies like spinach and kale. Greens are packed with antioxidants including A, C, and E, folate and calcium. They also contain iron, key for healthy blood, and circulation.  Good circulation in the scalp is one of the keys to keeping precious hairs. Try them raw in a salad or blended into a green smoothie.

Carrots - Take a cue from Bugs Bunny and eat LOTS of carrots as they are brilliant for building healthy skin and hair. Packed with carotene which turns into vitamin A for cell repair. They are also a good source of potassium, vitamins C & B6, copper, folic acid, thiamine, magnesium, and fiber. That means they heal, act as a diuretic (aka get rid of bloating), and remineralize the body. The perfect food for hair, eyes, and skin.

Lentils - These little protein, biotin, and iron-filled superstars help build long and strong strands.  They are also loaded with cholesterol-lowering fiber, and make a delicious soup during these cold winter months.

Coconut Oil - If you need an oil or fat for any dish, we recommend coconut oil. It’s good for your insides and outsides! You can use it as a skin moisturizer or a hair mask as well. Rich in

Vitamin E and other critical antioxidants this multipurpose oil is all about repair.

Avocados - Do you need anot

her reason to eat avocados besides they’redelicious? New studies show that avocado oil seems to assist with the absorption of carotenoid antioxidants like beta-carotene (see carrots).

Greek Yogurt - It’s high in hair-building protein, vitamin B5 and vitamin D. Emerging research links vitamin D and hair follicle health.

Make sure to consume 6 to 7 servings a day of these hair nutrient superstars and you can help slow the aging process from the inside out.

Contact the Kasia for your custom plan on how to Age-Less from the inside - out!

Guest Post:  HairColor4Women

 

Your Top 10 Detox Foods

Help flush toxins from your liver, cleanse your bloodstream and clear up your complexion with these healthy foods and cleansing herbs. 

Regular cellular detoxification causes the most amazing chemical reactions that can boost your energy level sky high. Detox food plans and modern-day juice cleanses are grounded on the premise that eliminating “toxins” and particular foods (usually meat or processed products)—even for a while—will rid your system of substances that slow your metabolism and cause acne breakouts, inflammation and bloating.

“The way we eat influences how we sleep, how we think and process, as well as how we manage our stress,” says neurologist David Perlmutter, MD, FACN, President of the Perlmutter Health Center in Naples, FL, and author of Grain Brain (Little Brown and Company, 2013). In fact, according to Dr. Perlmutter, what we eat—or sometimes, more importantly, what we don’t eat—impacts every aspect of our health and digestion.

Here are our top 10 suggestions for cleaning up your act:

1. Eat healthy fruits and vegetables

If it doesn’t grow on a tree or if it’s not available at a local farmers market, don’t include it in any detox plans. Your body and mind require calories to sustain optimal functioning and focus, says expert Kris Carr, author of Crazy Sexy Kitchen (Morris Publishing, 2012). “Humans are at the top of the food chain and more likely to be exposed to an accumulation of toxic substances in the food supply,” says Carr. Pesticides and herbicides, for example, are sprayed on grains that are then fed to farm animals. Toxins are stored in fatty tissue of animals, and then we devour those proteins. The detox message? Eat fewer (if any) animal products but nibble, nonetheless, on organic fruits and unlimited vegetables as you cleanse.

2. Quash alcohol calories

Beat bloating by avoiding alcohol calories if you can. Since the body cannot store or remove alcohol efficiently, it is synthesized, then stored, in your liver. During a thorough detox, teetotalers provide their detox organs a big break, especially the hard-working liver and kidneys. “Humans are exposed to heavy metals, herbicides and insecticides and 80,000 other nefarious industrial chemicals and preservatives every day,” says Carr. The last thing to do is clog your system with excessive alcohol.

3. Drink quarts of water

Nothing helps flush your skin, blood and organs better than pure water, say our experts. Aim for a minimum of eight to 10 glasses per day, to stay hydrated and aid digestion. “The detoxification process is intricate and when circulating antioxidants latch onto toxins in your bloodstream, they neutralize their oxidizing capacity and escort them to the liver,” explains Dr. Perlmutter. Liver cells then perform a detoxification process, whereby chemical reactions in the liver neutralize and eliminate toxins via urine, feces and perspiration.

4. Consume kombucha

Drink six to 12 ounces of tangy, tasty kombucha tea daily to depollute the liver and blood, and settle your belly with helpful gut bacteria that delivers medicinal spirits, says Jessica Childs, author of Kombucha (Penguin Group, 2013). Childs, who holds a degree in molecular biology, says, “Cells are constantly forming toxins as normal byproducts of your metabolism, which boosts the immune system and help restore healthy bacteria into your gastrointestinal tract.” Keeping that tract clean daily with a tangy detox tea does the job.

5. Try powerful turmeric and curcumin

The medicinal potency of the antioxidant turmeric lies in the active ingredient curcumin, the anti-inflammatory compound that may minimize cellular inflammation and promote wound healing. In “Anticancer Potentials of Curcumin: Preclinical and Clinical Studies,” a study published in Anticancer Research, turmeric was found to help soothe symptoms of cystic fibrosis, hemorrhoids, gastric ulcer, colon cancer, breast cancer, liver diseases and arthritis.

6. Detox with dandelion root

Native Americans boiled dandelion leaves in water and drank it to treat kidney disease, skin problems and heartburn. In Traditional Chinese Medicine, roasted dandelion is tapped to treat stomach problems, appendicitis and inflammation. The root helps to break down dietary fats during digestion, and carry away waste to promote optimal liver function. Preliminary studies at the University of Maryland Medical Center suggest that dandelion may also normalize blood sugar levels, lower total cholesterol and triglycerides, and raise the “good” HDL cholesterol in diabetic mice.

7. Make mine a multi

Take a daily multi-vitamin with fiber to compensate for the lack of potential calories on any detox plan, and to make sure your digestive system is breaking down calories efficiently while you limit the alcohol, caffeine and excessive calories.  “Multi packs [vitamins] should contain vital B vitamins or you may supplement with niacin, riboflavin and thiamine,” says Childs. Vitamin B is essential to a healthy metabolism, cell maintenance and the efficient breakdown of fats, proteins and carbohydrates, says Childs.

8. Consume common herbs and spices

Herbs are the leafy, green part of plants (think mint and parsley), and spices come from the dried seeds, fruit, root and bark. While you may add either to foods or brew them into healthful teas, cumin and cinnamon are increasingly revered not only for their culinary properties, but also for their detox benefits and a biological ability to induce cellular changes and immune function, according to research from the National Institutes of Health (NIH). Potentially purifying herbs and spices include burdock root, chicory and stinging nettle.

9. Chew on chia

Chia is a highly nutritious seed from the desert plant, Salvia Hispanica. A vital dietary supplement to ancient Aztecs and Mayans, the chia seed is rich in omega-3 fatty acids and easy to incorporate into a detox. Chock-full of soluble fiber to streamline digestion, according to Dr. Andrew Weil, chia seeds are overflowing with antioxidants, calcium, magnesium, copper, iron and zinc. Dr. Weil touts the benefits: “Sprinkle the detoxing seeds whole or ground on cereal, in yogurt or on salads. Seek out organic versions and experiment,” he says.

10. Gobble up Brassica groups

Broccoli, cauliflower and Brussels sprouts all contain glucosinolates, common sulphur-containing compounds that protect the liver from damage and improve its detoxing abilities. How? The humble, stinky Brassicaceae family—including cabbage and kohlrabi—contains isothiocyanates and indoles, nutrients that help your digestive organs equalize carcinogenic substances, according to the NIH.

All in all, feed your body the foods and nutrients it craves during a detox, and help self-cleanse your organs and blood circulation. It will do your body good.

Guest Post: Organic Spa Magazine

Photography by Robin Jolin.

New Year's Resolution ~ Tame Acne

As if an ugly blemish isn't bad enough, it can often leave it's reminder hanging around for weeks or months.  Luckily, you can speed up the healing  process and get your acne under control.

TO AVOID:  ANYTHING THAT INFLAMES OR DEHYDRATES THE SKIN

Many products function as drying agents designed to strip away oil. Skincare products that dehydrate in order to reduce oil succeed only temporarily.  As soon as the body senses the imbalance, the skin produces MORE oil in an attempt to protect the skin. Dehydration leads to fragile skin and a weaker barrier against dirt and debris, which can worsen acne in many cases.

INFORMED BEAUTY SOLUTIONS:

Renew AHA + Vitamin C Exfoliating Cleanser

Resurface + Cleanse:

• Contains 5% Alpha-hydroxy Acid (AHA) to gently exfoliate

• Soap-free formula

• Citrus extracts and multi-fruit acids refine and brighten

• Willow Bark: (nature’s salicylic acid) has anti-inflammatory, anti-bacterial elements

• Also doubles as a pore-refining antioxidant mask

Glow:

• Algae Extract: a regenerative sea mineral that provides a radiant glow

• Red Tea: a high-powered antioxidant that combats free radical damage and accelerated aging

• Gotu Kola: reduces redness, inflammation and promotes healing

• Neem: anti-aging botanical that reduces inflammation and offers cellular protection

Moisturize:

• Aloe: soothes and hydrates delicate skin

• Green Tea: provides anti-oxidant protection

• Apricot Oil and Shea Butter moisturize and soften

SoPure Clarifying Mask Key Benefits

Brighter:

• Grape seed extract and Vitamins E and C help reduce pigmentation and discoloration and promote healing.

Clearer:

• Beyond the dual exfoliate system of jojoba beads and Larch extract, Linden and Calendula oil help calm inflammation and breakouts.

Hydrated:

• Algae extract, Shea butter, Oat extract and Squalane balance the skin’s moisture levels and adds suppleness while increasing surface hydration.

INCREASE SKIN HEALTH:

ASSESS YOUR DIET:

• Increase you fiber intake to encourage your body to eliminate toxins through the bowels.

• Buy organic foods if possible.  Too many of the added growth hormones in our meat and dairy end up in our systems and the body responds with hormone shifts.  As a result, candida (yeast) populations in the body get out of whack which in turn, can contribute to acne.

• Reduce your intake of sugar, hydrogenated oils, sodium and synthetic flavorings where possible.  Inflammation, even internally, stimulates oil production and leads to acne.

Contact our Kasia Skin Expert Today!