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- Organic Certification 101
- At Home with David Sears
- my bath keeps me happy
- Organic Spa Magazine March/April Bonus Edit
- The Best Little Black Dresses
- Organic Spa Magazine July 2010 Bonus Edit
- Their story-buy a bag, change a village
- Warm and Fuzzy
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Spa Wisdom Tips
Bring the organic spa experience to your home and life with these wise tips to help you live a healthier, greener lifestyle.
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Replace Food Cravings with Exercise
Whenever you feel the urge to binge, replace the craving with an activity you enjoy. Simply jot down a list of things you like to do that make you feel good, and keep it posted in a handy spot where you're most likely to notice it. Some of those activities could be scheduling workouts with a friend, doing yoga in your living room, or taking a quick walk around the block.
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Walk Your Way for Health
Power walking not only challenges your cardio workouts, it slims and tones your whole body, as well. Walking has been proven to lower the risk of heart disease, obesity, diabetes, high blood pressure, and some cancers. To bump up your walk, grab some walking poles—you’ll burn 40 percent more calories than a traditional walk.
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Skip the Mint
What’s the best organic approach to fresh breath? Try chewing on fennel seeds, parsley, natural mints, or use a natural breath spray, advises Mary Beth Janssen, our organic beauty expert. Products containing cinnamon, Echinacea, tea tree oil, and peppermint control bacteria while freshening the breath. So make sure you include some of these ingredients into your everyday life and you will be ahead of the rest with naturally fresh breath.
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Forgiveness Heals
Anger and hurt place obstacles on our path towards health and wellness. Forgiveness can heal our sorrows and wounds and set us free from the past so that we can live fully, with purpose, in the present, says Dr. Edward Taub, our advisory board member and author of Stress Management in Today’s World. Only our ego wants us to hold onto negative emotions, such as anger and hurt, so it’s important to adopt the philosophy that it’s more important for us to be happy than for our ego to be right.
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Stop… Breathe… Meditate
Sit in the presence of peace to strengthen the body and mind against the punishment of stress, advises Dr. Edward Taub, our advisory board member and author of Stress Management in Today’s World. Find a quiet place to sit up with good posture; uncross your arms and legs and rest your hands in your lap. Close your eyes and take long, slow, even breaths. Relax the muscles of your face. Then relax the muscles of your shoulders, arms, and hands. Then relax your chest, abdomen, and back. Then your thighs, feet, and toes. Imagine a warm, healing white light filling your heart and radiating outward to fill your body with white light. Silently say to yourself, “I have strength, I have strength, I have strength."
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Natural Carpet Cleanser
Here’s an easy way to breathe new life into your carpets: Combine 2 cups of baking soda and 10 drops of your favorite essential oil (we like lemon for its uplifting aroma) in a clean shaker container. Simply shake well, then lightly sprinkle over your carpet. Allow to sit for 30 minutes before vacuuming.
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Stop Stressing
It may be hard to remember, but some stress is actually good stress. Why not focus on embracing the challenges that come your way—acknowledge that stress can make you wiser and stronger. Feeling challenged and stimulated can help us grow and learn more. So use your stress to your advantage—then, let it go.
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Berry Power
Sea buckthorn berry is one of the hottest ingredients on the market right now. It’s not only rich in essential fatty acids like omega 3, 6, and 7 and vitamins C and E, but in proanthocyanidin, an amazingly powerful antioxidant that protects against free-radical attacks. The potent leaves and berries of this little plant have nourishing, revitalizing, and rejuvenative properties that have been used by different cultures for centuries. Look for it in personal care and food products to help promote both inner and outer beauty.
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Boost Your Immunity
Try the gentle Asian art form of tai chi. It boosts flexibility and strength while slowing the heart rate and enhancing inner calm. Long touted to reduce stress and improve high blood pressure, new research now shows it may be even more beneficial. The study showed that when coupled with vaccines, tai chi increased immune response by nearly 100 percent. There was a significant relationship between performing tai chi regularly with managing diabetes, chronic fatigue, asthma, and arthritis. Why not check out a class in your neighborhood today.
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Stay Motivated
Do you have a hard time staying motivated when it comes to working out? If so, remember this: Make a point of working out with others. Even if you only take one class a week, the importance of being around people shouldn’t be underestimated. And you don’t need to belong to a fitness club—simply walk or jog in a park or around a lake. Just greeting or smiling at others is both uplifting and motivating.












