a collection of Thieves products in white bottles set on a table with a floral wallpaper background behind htem

Transforming Your Home in Easy Ways

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Transforming Your Home in Easy Ways

By Hillary Lefebvre

Fall is knocking on the door and it’s almost time for leaves falling, sweater weather (hopefully we get them sooner rather than later in So Cal!) and crisp cool days. Several years ago, you would have found me in the candle and soap aisles buying up all the fall scents to make my house smell like pumpkin spice and everything nice. I’ve learned a lot though since then and am here to share, help and empower you to make the best choices for you and your family too.

When I had my first child 10 years ago, I started looking at labels and safeguarding my family from toxins. I read and read and read. Researched about “clean” products and discovered that some name brands who claim to be green because of the way they were marketed aren’t actually clean! Ugh, can’t they just be honest?? But I came to understand that we are the gatekeepers of our homes. No one else! We have to do a little more than believing what’s on the surface. Many products on the shelves today contain a ton of toxic ingredients regardless of how pretty the label is or what they claim to be. And toxic overload accumulated in our bodies over time causing lethargy, inability to focus, sleep trouble, chronic inflammation, unexplained pain, fibromyalgia, skin issues, adult acne, hormone imbalance, hot flashes, stress, anxiety, and fear. If you face any of these issues, it’s time to kick chemicals to the curb.

 

You’ll want to say adios to anything with:

Fragrance (biggest offender! This word is the umbrella for thousands of toxins!)

Sodium Lauryl Sulfate

Laureth

Methylisothiazolinone

Sodium hypochlorite

Ammonium Chloride

Sodium hydroxide

Surfactants

Parabens

Phthalates

PEG’s (polyethylene glycols),

Propylene Glycol

SLS/SLES

 

Easy button – download the Environmental Working Group app to look up products, ingredients and scores!

 

Now for some good news…many companies are doing their best to make products that are actually safe for us! So, after digging some more, I found our favorites! We have now been using Young Living Essential Oils for 7 years now for most of our cleaning products and household necessities. They send us a box that we customize each month with anything we need. So easy! Here is the full breakdown of how we use these products to clean our house.

 

 

We have a diffuser running 24/7 to recreate my favorite seasonal smells and we use Thieves Household Cleaner to clean the entire house! Literally – the whole house. It is infused with essential oils and all plant based. And to answer the question everyone asks…yes, it really works! In fact, here is an amazing video of how well it does.

There are some very easy swaps we can all make in our homes to eliminate a lot of the toxic load our bodies accumulate each and every day!

Here are my top 10 things to ditch and switch:

 

  1. Swap your candles and air fresheners for a diffuser + essential oils (my favorites are from Young Living)
  2. Swap your chemical cleaning supplies with Thieves Cleaner (one bottle for the whole house!)
  3. Swap your dryer sheets for wool dryer balls (grab a pack at Trader Joe’s or on Amazon; look for organic New Zealand wool)
  4. Swap your hand soap and dish soap for my fave Lushious Lemon Hand soap and Thieves Dish Soap
  5. Swap your laundry detergent for Thieves Laundry Detergent
  6. Swap your hand sanitizer for Thieves Hand Sanitizer
  7. Swap your makeup for Savvy Minerals or Beauty Counter
  8. Swap your sunscreen for one free of parabens, phthalates, PEG’s (polyethylene glycols), propylene glycol, and SLS/SLES
  9. Swap your deodorant for something free from fragrance, parabens, triclosan, phthalates, propylene glycol and aluminum
  10. Swap your shampoo/conditioner for ones from fragrance, sulfates, parabens, PEG, Diethanolamine (DEA) and Triethanolamine (TEA), color, Dimethicone, Retinyl Palmitate

 

I know that this may seem overwhelming to read all at once but trust me when I say, baby steps and grace. Choose one at a time or go full throttle and do it all at once. Go at your own pace.

 

You can buy Thieves Cleaner and any of the other products I listed above at wholesale by heading here.

 

Remember, YOU are the gatekeeper of your home! Let’s transform it!

 

xo Hillary Lefebvre

https://thewellandgoodcollective.com/hillary-lefebvre/

 

a glass filled with ice, mint and watermelon set on a cutting board with watermelon slices in the background

Self-Care in the Summer

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Self-Care in the Summer

It is summertime!  The sun is shining, summer flowers are blooming, and we are slowly beginning to emerge from the hibernation created by the pandemic.  Summer is a time of relaxing and restoring our souls.  We often forget to care for ourselves in our efforts to care for others.  So here is your gentle reminder.  If we don’t care for ourselves, we can’t care for the people who depend on us.  Put yourself first and use some of these self-care tips to rejuvenate your body.

Get a little sun.  Most of us are short on vitamin D, which helps protect our bones and immune system, and protects us against cancer cell growth.  Ten minutes in the sun each day can help boost your vitamin D to healthier levels.  Foods like salmon, mushrooms, orange juice and oatmeal are also high in Vitamin D.

But not too much sun!  Sunburn can cause skin cancer.  If you are going to spend time in the sun, there are lots of healthy sunscreen products available, like Sun Guardian from Odacite, and Sunproof Intensive lip balm from Thrive Causemetics.  If you do get a little too much sun, you can soothe your skin with Skin Food from Weleda.

Let’s go barefoot!  Our bodies absorb radiation from many sources each day.  Health experts tell us that ten minutes barefoot outdoors every day helps ground our bodies and has a number of health benefits, as well as reducing stress, helping with depression and aiding in sleep.  The best place to walk?  The beach.  You can get your ten minutes of vitamin D and help your body at the same time!

Water, water, water.  Water helps hydrate your body during a season when dehydration is more prevalent.  For a different refreshment, infuse your water with fresh fruits, cucumbers or mint.  Lots of bottles have marks on the side to help remind you to keep drinking.  The health benefits of water?  Increased hydration equals better brain function, more energy, more youthful skin and aids in weight loss.  So set that diet soda aside and have a fruit-flavored water instead!

Eat more fruit!  So many of the summer fruits are healthy and delicious.  Some of the summer fruits to enjoy include blackberries, cherries, strawberries, watermelon, raspberries and peaches.  Enjoy them in a salad, in your infuser or on their own!  Most markets and farmer’s markets offer organic fruits.

Rest and relaxation.  We all work hard.  Summer is a time for relaxation and restoration.  Take a day off and go to the beach, or the park.  Read that book you have been putting aside.  Pamper yourself.

Celebrate your life.  Take a few minutes in the morning to write down the things for which you are grateful.  Take a yoga class.  Try meditating outside, in nature.  Listen to music.  Hang out with a friend.  Remember that you are the most important, and that caring for yourself enables you to care for others.  You can also serve as a role model for self-care and its importance to our health and wellbeing.

the moon in a blue sky with puffy clouds

Co-creating: Learn How To Work with the Energy of the Moon 

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Co-creating: Learn How To Work with the Energy of the Moon 

By Reina Alejandra Prado Saldivar

I have been a follower of the moon cycles since I was in college. It began when I was in a Chicano studies course reading the work of Gloria Anzaldúa. She wrote about Coyolxauqui, the Aztec moon goddess, daughter of Coatlicue, and sister to Huitzilopochtli. Many Chicana scholars write of Coyolxauqui because she reflects how we feel being split into many parts searching for our wholeness. My connection to the moon has deepened since aligning with all its phases to best co-create with nature and the Universe.

During the early years of establishing my holistic energy business, I created more intentional rituals with each moon phase. I now share a moon reading with an audio recording in my monthly newsletter that includes a tarot card for each moon phase explaining the theme of each card as it corresponds with the moon phase. An outcome of this practice is that it has helped me be more attentive to my energy shifts during the moon cycle.

The moon phases can impact our physical well-being, even one’s menstrual cycle. For folks who menstruate, it is a thought that to have one’s cycle coincide with the New Moon is that both one’s physical and emotional bodies are in greater balance. By the time the full moon arrives, one will be ovulating. Following these rhythms is ideal for those who wish to get pregnant. In many indigenous cultures, when folks are menstruating, they cannot participate in the ceremony as they are in the seat of their power.

The moon phases can give us some insight into our emotional well-being too. As the moon moves into a different sign about every two days or so, it’s helpful to pay attention to these details. I use a moon tracker to know what sign the moon is currently in and accurately write the new moon’s time and full moon arrival. I also notice if my mood is different when the moon is in the earth, air, fire, or water sign. This information helps me track my energy. I often focus my yoga practice with this insight to develop a different flow for that day’s asana sequence.

Another aspect of the moon and astrology is that it can help us tune into our emotional state of mind. Steven Forrest’s book The Inner Sky suggests that the moon can help us explore our feelings and the kinds of most essential experiences to one’s happiness. He invites us to “know what unconscious emotional needs motivate your behavior”? Also, to note when “moodiness and irrationality overtake you, how are they expressed”? (107).

Other great books on co-creating with the moon, such as Sarah Faith Gottesdiener The Moon Book: Lunar Magic to Change Your Life, incorporates ritual and astrology. Her focus is to help us understand how the moon is “a source of ancestral wisdom” and when “nourishing our moon is to acknowledge all of these spaces we hold and try to give them what they need” (81). In the upcoming workshop Whole as the Moon that I will facilitate on July 21, I share some practices to connect with the moon energy and work with plant and crystal allies to support our overall well-being.

How to Detox Your Body Every Day

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How to Detox Your Body Every Day
By Harvey Slater, Holistic Nutritionist & Wellness Coach

Have you thought about doing a detox but don’t know where to start? The word detox is flying around quite loosely these days. People are talking about it a lot! The word “detox” gets almost 30,000 internet searches a month! Many of us come to think that “doing a detox” is some kind of big thing that we have to endure for a week or a month. There are certainly many detox methods out there that would require this kind of mindset. But what if I told you that our bodies were already designed to be in a perpetual state of healthy detox, and all you have to do is make some choices each day to support your body to do what it was naturally designed to do? Sounds too good to be true, right? It’s not! You and anyone can learn how to detox your body in your everyday life just by employing these simple habits, principles, and more.

8 Simple Practices to Support Your Body’s Natural Ability to Detox

  1. Stay Hydrated

A healthy body is considered to be made up of more than 50% water. When we are dehydrated our organs literally shrink from dehydration, and the toxins in our bodies become more concentrated. Hydration allows our body to function better and flush the toxins out instead of hanging on to them. Here is an article from the Mayo Clinic on how much water you should be drinking per day for your body and weight. Creating a simple habit of drinking more water can make a huge difference in how your body functions and how you feel.

  1. Drink Lemon Water in the Morning

Drink a glass of room temperature lemon water or hot water with lemon first thing in the morning.  The lemon alkalizes your pH and stimulates your digestion and liver cleansing function.

  1. Have a Plant-Based Smoothie for Breakfast

The traditional American breakfast is not what it’s cracked up to be when it comes to high quality, efficient nutrition. When you eat eggs, bacon, bagels, and cream cheese for breakfast, you are actually going backwards and bogging your body down from its ability to naturally detoxify. By starting your day with clean, plant-based, easy to digest food, you are giving yourself a morning cleansing boost. Use raw fruits and vegetables, a good, whole-food plant-based protein powder, and plant-based milk like almond, hemp, or coconut milk. You can also find raw greens and other “super-foods” in concentrated powders.

  1. Eat Raw Plants During Daylight

There isn’t some time of day mystic plant energy behind this. It is just a rule of thumb that I use to try to remember to eat raw, plant-based, cleansing foods throughout my workday. In his book, The Food Prescription For Better Health, Dr. Baxter D. Montgomery MD articulates the healing and cleansing benefits of eating plant foods in their raw state or as minimally processed as possible. This can be easily achieved because salad is already the main staple for most people’s lunch menus. Just take it a step further and try having some fun and exploring other ways to enjoy raw vegetables, fruits, sprouted legumes, nuts, and seeds.

  1. Try to Avoid or Reduce ‘The 3 A’s”: Addictive, Acidic, & Allergenic Foods

Some of the top contenders on this list are: Alcohol, coffee, refined sugar, commercial dairy products, highly processed gluten, to name a few. I know, I know! When we start getting into the territory of giving up the foods that we love it changes the entire context of this article from “simple daily habits” to “oh no I can never eat a doughnut again!” For the purpose of this article, just consider cutting back on one or two things here and there and see how much of a difference it makes for you.

  1. Eat Whole, Organic Foods

This is one place where you should definitely splurge at the grocery store. Here is my question: If the objective is to support your body’s natural ability to detoxify on a regular basis, why would you put environmental toxins like pesticides, hormones, and other harmful chemicals into your body? The further along society gets in this discussion, the more compelling the argument for an organic diet becomes.

  1. Drink a Detox Tea

We have a lot of bad daily drinking habits available to us, including but not limited to coffee, alcoholic beverages, soft drinks, so why not make a daily habit of giving your liver and kidneys some daily, healthy, hydrating support? You can find a high quality, safe detox tea at your favorite healthy food market.

  1. Establish Sustainable Healthy Habits!

Our bodies are living organisms on a homeostatic continuum. The more healthful, supportive, and nourishing an environment you create for your body, the more easily it can maintain optimal health and wellness, and do its “detox, heal and thrive” thing! By mastering basic healthy lifestyle habits, you can move toward a life of health and vibrance, and away from a life of constantly battling autotoxemia and illness.

I offer a virtual coaching program (for a fee) that can teach you these skills and show you the pathway to mastering your own health and wellness! The program is called “Habitude.” Habitude is defined as: “A habitual tendency or way of behaving.” And that is the foundation of the program. We’ll spend one year, 25 tele-health support sessions, and all the support you need on my virtual “Healthie” nutrition coaching app, mastering a curriculum of healthy living skills that will support you to take the best care of your body possible.

If you’d like to explore this further, I’d love to invite you to a complimentary phone consultation. Schedule your consultation right here!

Meanwhile, enjoy your new healthy insights!

If you enjoyed reading about how to support your body’s natural detox functionality, you might enjoy my website at harveyslater.com

*Harvey also presented a workshop on how to support our own detox functions. To view the recording, visit https://vimeo.com/474879301.

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Basic Tips to Improve Your 5 Detox Organs

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Basic Tips to Improve Your 5 Detox Organs

By Jovanka Ciares

Your amazing body has natural built-in mechanisms for eliminating detoxing and self-healing. While your body is capable of eliminating the toxic substances that get in through or are generated through food, water, and other sources, that process can become overwhelmed by the sheer amount of pathogens and eventually work less efficiently. When that happens, your body starts to store these potentially dangerous substances, eventually damaging connective tissues, hormonal production, and vital organs.

In the past 2 decades, the practice of detoxing has become more and more popular as people look for natural alternatives to reduce their toxic load. We started incorporating ancient detoxing practices like Ayurvedic Panchakarma, oil pulling, sweat lodges, and herbal wraps/baths in combination with elimination diets in an effort to support. These practices may also require an added investment of time and resources to complete them. However, there are other ways in which you can support your natural detox organs without making significant changes in your lifestyle and keeping your monthly food budget almost intact.

There are five primary organs in your body responsible for processing most of the toxins in your body: the gut, liver, lungs, kidney, and skin. In my experience making these basic changes listed below can help each of these organs process toxins and work optimally for you:

The Gut: We know the gut covers multiple organs, from mouth to anus, and as the 2nd largest elimination organ, it is critical that it works efficiently.

Eating more fiber is one of the easiest mechanisms to “brush” toxins out of your gut.

More than botanicals, probiotics can help absorb heavy metals and remove carcinogens from the gut.

The Liver: The liver is often seen as the primary detoxing organ, and for a good reason. It is responsible for filtering out toxins from your blood and eliminating toxins that may arise during the digestion process.

The best way to support the liver is with herbal remedies and supplements like gentle dandelion, milk thistle, and turmeric, this last one added to your meals.

The Kidneys: Your kidneys help to maintain the delicate pH balance in your body and are responsible for filtering out toxins from the blood and eliminating them in the form of urine.

Eating water-based veggies like cucumber, summer squash, leafy greens, and bell peppers can help reduce acid load and help the kidneys properly detoxify.

Stinging nettles is the quintessential herbal

The Lungs: Put simply, the lungs are in charge of filtering out all the pollutants that you inhale every time you take a breath and bring cleaner oxygen to your heart and body

Using essential oils that protect and clean the soft tissues around your respiratory system is a great alternative. Embrace rosemary essential oil as a stimulant, eucalyptus as protectant or astragalus to cleanse, protect and calm.

The Skin: Your largest detox organ, every inch of it helps push toxins out of the body. Because it’s also so large, it is also responsible for a lot of what gets inside your body.

Sweating is a great way to help push out toxins through the skin. Veggies like carrots, and other yellow and orange fruits and vegetables are a great place to start. Tomatoes and berries are great to protect and keep your skin healthy and beautiful.

Botanical oils used in the skin can have an amazing effect on your ability to push toxins. Include calendula and jojoba oil in your skin beauty regimen.

As we continue our October program theme of “Releasing, Cleansing and Detoxing Naturally”, we want to remind you that detoxing does not need to be intimidating and depleting. Instead, we want you to remember that our bodies are built for detoxing and we have the natural resources available in a variety of foods and herbs that help our organs and body systems do so in healthy ways!

The Foundation for Living Beauty is thankful for the wealth of information that integrative herbalist and wellness expert, Jovanka Ciares shares with us! For access to more information and to learn more about Jovanka’s practice, visit https://www.jovankaciares.com/.

To watch the full recording of Jovanka’s “Natural Detoxing with Herbal Medicine” workshop, click here!

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Mindful and Proactive during Breast Cancer Awareness Month!

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The Foundation for Living Beauty provides wellness support to women with any type of cancer and at any stage in their journey. October is breast cancer awareness month and as we work to support our “Living Beauties”, we would like to remind you that early detection and self-checking is an important part of preventing breast cancer. Living Beauty Board Member and Breast Wellness Expert, Brenda Smith shares 3 tips on how to take time and be mindful of being proactive in prevention.

Three important things to empower yourself:

1 – Take your Vit. D. Not only is it crucial for maintaining a healthy immune system but studies have shown that breast cancer cells do not thrive in a Vit. D rich environment. Take your blood levels as close to 50ng/ml as possible. D3 with K2 is the best combination for breast tissue as well as bone health.

2 – Do your self-breast exams regularly. Many women find their cancers even after clean mammograms. You know your body better than anyone. Becoming familiar with your normal density can make you more aware of changes. Keep in mind that cancer does not come and go so there’s no need to worry about lumps caused by hormonal fluctuations. While the majority of breast cancer diagnoses in the United States are in women over 50, eleven percent of new breast cancer diagnoses are in women under the age of 45. Women of all ages should incorporate checking their own breasts into their self-care routine! As you wind down for the evening and take some much-needed time for yourself, take a few seconds to perform a self-check to put your mind even more at ease knowing you are connecting with your body

3 – Especially in this time of Covid-19, release negativity and receive gratitude. We know there is a correlation between our emotions and our health. Breast tissue is susceptible to stuck emotions. As we are challenged in this moment in history, find ways to release your frustrations and anger. Get out in nature, if possible. Spend time with safe friends who are good listeners, journal, scream into a pillow! Get all the anxiety out of your body so you can relax and reduce stress hormones. Then find movement that you enjoy. Dance, walk, exercise doing something you like, and most of all, laugh. In spite of it all, we have so much to be grateful for.

For more information about The Foundation for Living Beauty, visit our website at livingbeauty.org.

 

Board Member Blog Spotlight – Brenda Smith

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The following blog post was written by The Foundation for Living Beauty Board Member, Brenda Smith. Brenda B. Smith is an L.Ac. Licensed Acupuncturist, applied Clinical Nutritionist specializing in Women’s Health and Stress Management and has been in private practice for 19 years in Pasadena.  She wrote this blog for her audience, but the information was so great, that we asked her if we can share it with our audience as well! Read below for Brenda’s post.

So much has happened since I last reached out to you

I have been busy doing several things.

First, I have been on calls and webinars with my colleagues as we try to make sense of all the information that is coming out. I can honestly tell you that I am still not 100% sure of what to think about it all but I can also say with confidence that this is not the time to be consumed by fear. 

I understand that containment is important however, the fact remains that the recovery rate from contracting the virus is still 95-97% and the at-risk population is still older and compromised.

We also know that it is highly contagious and that is what we are trying to control. But understand that this is less about keeping people from catching it. Easily 50% of us will at some point. It’s more about not overwhelming our hospitals because we are unprepared, as a nation, to handle the volume. 

That said, the same rules apply – wash your hands and keep a distance. 

What we are learning in the acupuncture and herbal community is that the virus starts as an irritant in the throat and lungs then continues to move down into the bowels. (Some of the tests being developed are checking for the virus in the stool. These would be home test kits.) The stop in the stomach and digestion creates the fluid that moves up into the lungs. That fluid is what causes the shortness of breath. From our perspective, acupuncture treatment focuses on the lungs and the large intestine, strengthening the immune system, and making sure the stomach and digestive process is moving smoothly. 

The idea that drinking water and flushing it down into your stomach for stomach acid to kill it is not consistent with the bowel issues. Nor is there any evidence that stomach acid can kill a virus. I’m sure many for you have had the “Stomach Flu”. Sounds great but makes no sense. 

That said, we do know that it is vulnerable to heat so drinking warm or hot fluids is preferred to cold ones. It may or may not kill it but it may weaken it. 

I recommend ginger tea. Ginger is hot and spicy and is beneficial for lung health. Too much may upset your stomach, so don’t overdo it. 

From the viral perspective it turns out that the virus itself is not the issue. It produces proteins that are foreign to our bodies and our immune system overreacts causing severe inflammation. Since it enters through the lungs, that’s where the fluid builds up. 

From a nutritional perspective the question has been asked why children don’t seem to be affected. I found the answer to be very interesting. Children naturally have higher levels of melatonin. For years, studies have shown that melatonin reduces lung injury and inflammation. The older we get, the less melatonin we naturally produce. This is another reason why getting rest and proper sleep is so important to overall health. 

Yes, melatonin supplementation is helpful. 3mg or less is fine. 

I hope that you are keeping up with your vitamin D. Notice how the recommendation is that we get outside and get some sunlight. They are emphasizing the importance of vitamin D without actually saying it. Getting outside for 20 minutes is the best but additional vitamin D can’t hurt.  Also, Vitamin C to tolerance. The hospitals in New York are using IV Vit. C and patients are recovering faster. 

My friend and colleague Dr. Dennis Buckley has IV Therapy available in his office, which is near Lake and Washington. It is an IV drip Meyers Cocktail with glutathione. It’s a wonderful treatment to boost the immune system especially for those with chronic health issues. Give him a call, if you are interested and let him know I referred you. The number is (626) 798-7805 

I closed last week because I needed time to sort things out and get a better understanding of how to respond to all this. Some of my colleagues are open and seeing patients, others are not. The good news is that we are considered essential as healthcare providers so it is up to us to make the decision. I will be available to those who feel the need for treatment as long as you have been self-quarantined and feel well. I will open the calendar slowly as things unfold since everything is subject to change at any moment.

In the meantime, be strong and don’t panic. You have heard me say time and time again that stress lowers the immune system. 

Know that I am thinking of you all and praying for your safety. 

Brenda

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Empowering Ourselves During Uncertain Times

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For the past 15 years, The Foundation for Living Beauty has provided programs that are built to address the mind, body, and spirit. Although our programs are specifically for women with cancer, the tools and education that you gain can be applied to any situation. Our goal is to provide you with as many resources that can benefit you throughout your journey and we want to continue to create connection and community especially during this time of social distancing.

Last week we had our first online meditation with facilitator Kristin Dwan and in preparation for her meditation we collected responses to help shape and facilitate the group based on your needs. In the responses that we’ve received, some ladies have shared that during this time of uncertainty, they are feeling anxious, overwhelmed and uneased. These emotions may be familiar to you as it relates to your cancer diagnosis. Together we are working to find the light in a very difficult and dark situation, and instead of allowing it to distance us completely, we are working to connect even more and be even stronger.

Below we’ve listed some resources that can transform your feelings of unease and uncertainty to empowerment.

Something for the MIND

The CALM app, is offering free resources during this time, including meditations, mindfulness resources and more.

Another way to start your meditation practice would be to go outside…Listen to the birds, and see how many different ones you can hear. Take off your shoes and stand on the earth (another plus is that the gravitational pull from the earth neutralizes some of the radiation in your body). Smell the flowers and the grass.  Find shapes in the clouds.  Sit quietly and listen to the universe talking to you. These are great tools for meditating when your mind is racing with other things.

Something for the BODY

Many of you have experienced the soothing calm of essential oils at our retreats.  Now is a good time to pull out those oils, including lavender, chamomile and more.  Here is a link to a great article about anxiety-reducing and soothing oils, and features info from our wonderful facilitator Hope Gillerman!

Try to take 10 – 15 minutes each sunny day and sit outside in the sunshine. A vitamin D deficiency causes anxiety in many women. Most women are already vitamin D deficient.  Staying indoors now contributes to that deficiency.  Ten minutes will boost your vitamin D intake!

Something for the SPIRIT

Our talented facilitator Chris Causey is posting free guided meditations on Facebook.  We encourage you to follow him here and take time to experience his calming presence.

Something for COMMUNITY

Now that we are practicing social distancing, it is even more important that we maintain emotional connections with those we care about and be sure to not isolate ourselves completely.  Check out this great article about staying emotionally connected during this challenging time. 

And as always, you can connect with your Living Beauty sisters! Log into our weekly zoom open chat and connect with other Living Beauties.  Keep a lookout for our emails with the link to join.

Question of the week:  What are you doing during this time to lower your anxiety?  Please share your tips for calm!

We’re sending much love and virtual hugs to you, today, and every day!

Nancy, Indyra, Ariana, and Mariella

More Resources –

Yoga 4 Cancer – Tari is offering a FREE yoga class every Monday at 11 am PST (2pm EST). Click here you register.
Tari is also offering on-demand classes that are available 24/7 also free of charge. Click here to view her library of classes.

Healing Breath Yoga – Sharon Holly is also offering donation-based virtual yoga classes. Contact Sharon for her weekly schedule.

Healing Studio Online – Facilitator Pierre Etienne and his colleagues are offering weekly group sessions on topics such as, “Practicing Wellness in Times of Crisis”, “Reduce and Manage Stress” and “Empowering Our Best Selves”. To get information on how to register, please email Pierre at [email protected].

Insight LA – is offering free online meditations in Spanish every Wednesday at 9 am PST. Please contact the Living Beauty office for the conference dial-in number.

Canplan – is offering a free digital download of their cancer planner starter kit. This is an organizational tool to help with your cancer journey and track your health journey overall.

YSC – The Young Survivors Coalition is also hosting virtual support for cancer survivors, along with other educational materials and blogs. Check out the links to learn more!

Cancer and Careers – Cancer and Careers has a ton of online resources that can be accessed. From ongoing webinars to their video archive and their free publications and blogs. They are also offering virtual support from career coaches and resume reviews.

Mind Over Money – Rita is offering free online support services, including her Money 101 workshop. Check out her website for more information.

Lyft – the LyftUp program is here to help people who need access to reliable and affordable transportation.

Food Resources – in Pasadena and in Los Angeles.

Meditation Apps – Calm and Flow.is are both free meditation apps that are available.

Breath Exercises to Strengthening Lungs – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qViH3a4S-Uk&feature=youtu.be

Grocery Store Deliveries – although there may be a fee associated with the delivery, we wanted to share these grocery stores that are delivering in order to avoid going physically!

https://www.ralphs.com/i/ways-to-shop/delivery
https://www.vons.com/shop/lp/grocery-pickup.html
https://www.wholefoodsmarket.com/grocery-delivery-and-pickup
https://www.instacart.com/stater-bros
https://delivery.sprouts.com/ *first delivery is free!

Critical Delivery Service – the Workforce Development, Aging, and Community Services Department is offering temporary delivery services of groceries, household items and vital necessities for those who cannot leave their homes. Deliveries can be made 24/7. Call (888) 863-7411 to request services.

How to Make Your Own Face Mask – http://blog.japanesecreations.com/no-sew-face-mask-with-handkerchief-and-hair-tie

If you know of any other resources that can be helpful during this time, please email [email protected].

Also, we are continuing to offer weekly virtual programs. Please be sure to look out for our weekly emails or check out our calendar of events page to stay up to date!

How to Prevent Cancer

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How To Prevent Cancer
A blog post for The Foundation for Living Beauty by Jovanka Ciares

 

If anyone had an infallible answer to the question posed in the title of this article, they would be the most powerful human on earth. Cancer touches each and every one of us. You may have struggled with it yourself, may know someone who is or sadly and seemingly inevitably, love someone who will struggle with this disease in your lifetime.

While we are all vulnerable to the disease, living with pollutants, toxins and other substances known as carcinogens inside our bodies, we need never be passive witnesses to the development of cancer or any other life-threatening disease.

First, cancer does not occur overnight. By the time your doctor finds a tumor, those cancerous cells are years old, evolving deep inside of you and struggling to survive and reproduce as your body’s immunity fights to get rid of them. Secondly, and perhaps more importantly, your body has an uncanny ability to fight the nastiest of organisms and maintain homeostatic (i.e. internal stability, balance and finally, health).

So, is it possible to prevent cancer, a disease that often takes years to manifest? I believe we can. But you can’t wait one more day; you must start today making changes in your diet and lifestyle that will give you a better chance at preventing these cells from multiplying, turning into cancer and robbing you of many great years. My initial guidelines include:

  • Become a student of your own body: never again should you rely solely on doctors to confirm your state of health. Listen to the cues your body is giving you and use your intuition to look for alternative practices to help you stay stronger, full of energy and health.
  • Start consuming a diet that is 100% whole foods with an 80/20 ratio of plan foods (vegetables, legumes, whole grains) versus animal flesh (meat, fish, dairy, eggs). The goal is to eventually move to a 100% plant-based diet, as the only diet shown to reduce cancer risk across all populations.
  • Learn what nutrients are better at preventing cancer and start incorporating them into your diet. In my work as a Clinical Herbalist, I’m often asked which nutrients or plants have anti-cancerous properties. The answer is always: A lot of them! Too many to mention here but not hard to find with a simple Google search. This shows you that you can find multiple options that you personally love and can enjoy each and every day.

  • Learn about alternative treatments like herbalism, Ayurveda and Chinese medicine as a way to complement your diet, supplement and assist in the healing process. Plants as medicine have been used for over 6,500 years by all cultures around the world and today, they are becoming more mainstream to help you in ways that Western medicine cannot: in the prevention of cancer and other life-threatening diseases.
  • Work to eliminate from your life all relationships or circumstances that cause you high levels of stress, anxiety or unhappiness. Research suggests that chronic stress can make cancerous cells spread faster. Stress hormones can also compromise your immunity, potentially leading to the development of the disease.
  • Embrace regular detox practices like juicing, fasting, sweating or colonics to help reduce the amount of toxins, pollutants, and carcinogens in your system.

While we may never be able to stop the development of diseases like cancer, wouldn’t it be incredible if we can slow it down a few long decades? That’s a bargain I’m happily willing to take.

To learn more about Jovanka, please visit:

http://jovankaciares.com

http://youtube.com/user/jovankaciares

http://instagram.com/jovankaciares

or contact Jovanka for an herbal medicine/nutrition assessment session: [email protected]

The recommendations above are based on the author’s research and findings and do not guarantee the prevention of cancer.

If you liked this post check out this one about foods that prevent cancer!

If you would like to support The Foundation for Living Beauty and help provide vital wellness and support services free if charge to women with cancer you can become a monthly donor!

Learn more about Living Beauty here!

a cup of tea with a heart shaped item inside of it surrounded by tea leaves

Share Love with Teamotions

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“Teach a woman how to put her heart first and she will change the world.”

— Rachel and Crystal Tenpenny, co-founders of Teamotions

 

This World Cancer Day, Rachel and Crystal Tenpenny of Teamotions sat down with us to share their story and their company’s philosophies on comforting and empowering women through tea. Keep reading for a glimpse into their story, and to learn how they are generously supporting The Foundation for Living Beauty through an exclusive tea bundle. 

Can you share a little bit about your company’s story/journey?

Long before Crystal and I started Teamotions, we were sisters. In 2008, my baby daughters died a few weeks after they were born. In the months following, Crystal and I spent as much time together as we could navigating this unexpected and heartbreaking tragedy. I sought help, scoured the internet, attended grief groups, and read books, but at the end of the day, it just wasn’t enough. We were both feeling the frustration of needing more but not knowing what more was.

I always had a cup of tea in my hand no matter where I was or what I was doing. One morning, I was having a particularly hard time, so Crystal wedged herself next to me in the big brown armchair I often sat in and said, “I wish there was something I could put in your tea to make you feel better.” At that moment we both looked at each other and knew we had to create a tea that could make people feel better!

Without hesitation, we began our research. We read books, made phone calls, consulted with doctors, naturopaths, and herbalists. We attended expos to learn as much as we could about the tea industry, wellness, emotional health and healing, and, of course, launching a business. We quickly discovered that a product like ours didn’t exist. There were teas for tummy aches and sore throats, for sleep and energy, but no teas for emotional needs.
And that is when Teamotions was born. It took us a year and a half to formulate our blends, making sure every ingredient was purposeful, every blend was beautiful, and every sip was therapeutic and delicious. Teamotions line of teas is the first (and only) line of teas specifically for emotional well-being and healing.

Teamotions teas are the foundation I built my healing on. I still drink them, and so does Crystal, every day in fact. They have helped both of us take better care of our hearts in every season of our lives. We hope our story inspires you to use Teamotions teas to take better care of your heart too and cultivate emotional well-being with every sip.
How can tea help heal spiritually and physically during a cancer journey?

Cancer is a difficult journey for so many reasons. Every cancer journey is different and so many factors are simply not in control of the cancer patient. It can leave patients feeling helpless, frustrated, and overwhelmed. Facing cancer treatment can be more tolerable emotionally when patients empower themselves to be proactive with activities and choices they can control instead of only focusing on what they cannot control. Choosing a tea ritual carves out a time every single day to actually do something that comforts the body and soul, carves out time to check-in emotionally, and nourishes the body with the adaptogen herbs Teamotions includes in every signature blend. Every cup of Teamotions tea is an outward expression of an inward commitment to essential self-care through every stage of a cancer journey and beyond.

What were some of the special aspects of the Healing Tea Ritual?

Cultivating a Healing Tea Ritual with Teamotions teas offers two important benefits. The first benefit is the physiological effect of the adaptogen herbs – safe and effective herbs that restore balance, increase inner strength, and improve your body’s resistance to stress on a physical level. The second benefit is the effect habitual teatime has on brain neurology. A tea ritual helps your brain shift from Beta waves to Alpha waves. Beta waves help you make decisions needed for survival and short term needs but Alpha waves make it possible for you to comprehend more philosophical concepts like hope, dreams, goals, purpose, and intention. It is these kinds of concepts that help us persevere in the midst of hard seasons and motivate us to transcend merely surviving. Each cup of Teamotions tea becomes a powerful tool for healing.

How did you see Living Beauties heal/reflect/grow during the Ritual? What were their reactions?

Living Beauties were soothed, inspired, and grounded by Teamotions Tea Ritual. It was their time to check in with themselves, honor their unselfish need for self-care, and recognize the importance of ritual emotionally and physically.

What teas would you recommend in particular to help with inflammation?

For inflammation, I’d recommend Have Hope. It’s a caffeine free peppermint tea with St. John’s Wort, holy basil, and oat straw. The oat straw in this blend especially helps with inflammation because it is high in minerals. Minerals help restore PH balance in the body and correct PH fights inflammation in the body.
What teas would you recommend for emotional / spiritual calm?

For inner peace, I’d recommend Seek Peace, a coconut rooibos chai with liver support herbs dandelion root and milk thistle. The purpose of this tea is to help release pent up and stuffed down emotions by supporting the liver and improving circulation in the body to move stagnant feeling out and emotional peace in.

 

Shop the Teamotions Living Beauty bundle, and 35% of sales will be donated to The Foundation for Living Beauty.