Meet Living Beauty Program Director Indyra Flores!

Indyra Flores is the Foundation for Living Beauty’s Program Director! Her role at the foundation is to create and execute all of the amazing holistic wellness programs we offer to women with cancer. We are so grateful for her dedication and the incredible work she does!

Keep reading to hear from her about her job as Program Director for Living Beauty!

Hello Living Beauty Community!

I am the program director here at this amazing organization that supports women with cancer through holistic programming. I am so fortunate to be a part of creating the experiences that make up what Living Beauty is about. My background in psychology, energy work and body work helps me see the healing process as a holistic experience; one that addresses the body, mind and spirit. I also use a trauma-informed approach when creating programs for Living Beauty; keeping in mind the taxing experience of cancer treatment. I believe that ultimately, the healing journey is the path where we remember the connection we have to our Selves. There are so many ways to find that, and I am so grateful for the knowledgeable facilitators that join our Living Beauty family to help guide you there.

I enjoy what I do so much! I love helping people find the tools they need to heal, find the connection with each other and themselves.

I am entering my 10th year here at this wonderful organization. I look forward to serving you for many more!

~Indyra

Announcing Our New Living Beauty Marketplace!

The Foundation for Living Beauty is so excited to announce the official launch of our Living Beauty Marketplace! You can now shop the collection of amazing goodies here and all net proceeds from your purchase go directly to providing holistic wellness programs and support services to women with cancer!

 

The Foundation for Living Beauty aims to educate, uplift and empower women with cancer and cancer survivors. Proceeds from your purchase on our marketplace help to further our mission and reach even more women who need the support we provide. The goal of our marketplace is to feature women-owned brands and provide products that are designed for women with cancer in mind.

 

Our marketplace includes lots of exciting items such as Living Beauty branded clothing, tote bags, hot drink cups,  water bottles and more!

 

 

We also have specially curated items on our marketplace from our sponsors. You can purchase items from Everviolet, a woman-owned lingerie company that creates products specifically designed for women with cancer. You can purchase The Untamed Elemental Oracle Set, a beautiful oracle deck created by artist Tasya van Ree who is a generous supporter of The Foundation for Living Beauty. We also have jewelry from Lee Brevard available for purchase designed by a Living Beauty highlighting the lotus flower that is on our logo!

We are so grateful for your support and happy shopping!

 

You can shop the Living Beauty marketplace and learn more about the brands featured in this post by visiting www.livingbeauty.shop.

 

Board Spotlight: Beauty Expert Holly Moore!

 

We are so excited to highlight Holly Moore who has been a member of The Foundation for Living Beauty Board of Directors since 2018!

Holly Moore is currently the Vice Chair of The Foundation for Living Beauty Board. Her public health background, specifically in relation to women with cancer, and her expertise in the beauty and skincare industry have been an extremely valuable addition to Living Beauty!

As an organization for women with cancer, we know the side effects that certain cancer treatments, like radiation, can have on the skin, including sensitivity, redness and even burns. We also know the potential negative impact that certain chemicals and ingredients can have on our bodies whether we are ingesting them in food or absorbing them through skincare. Holly’s background helps the foundation connect with different skincare and beauty brands that share our understanding of the importance of self-care through beauty products as a form of wellness, and the desire to cater to the unique needs of an immunocompromised population such as women with cancer. Recently, Holly was featured in an online publication in Oprah Daily called “What ‘Clean Beauty’ Means Now.” You can read the article here.

 

Holly at an event with our corporate sponsor Stella McCartney.

 

We asked Holly a few questions about her role with Living Beauty and her amazing contributions to the beauty industry. Keep reading to learn more!

 

What made you want to be a part of the Living Beauty board?

While studying for my Master’s in Public Health in 2011, I took a class on women’s health policy, and I dedicated most of my class research to understanding the socioeconomic impacts of cancer on women in the United States. I was fortunate to have a supportive professor who encouraged me to map the policy landscape of this disease by analyzing what support networks and research groups existed, along with their missions. During this mapping process, I noticed a significant gap in groups that focused on the emotional and social well-being of women going through the experience of cancer. Specifically, organizations that sought to empower through education as a way of uplifting women.

 

Flash forward seven years; I had the privilege of meeting Nancy Davidson, Executive Director of The Foundation for Living Beauty. When Nancy walked me through the mission and vision for Living Beauty, I couldn’t help but feel that this was the missing organization I had been searching for. I immediately volunteered my time and any resources I could share. Several conversations later, Nancy invited me to join the Board in 2018, and I’ve been honored to support Living Beauty ever since. In 2023, I’m proud to have been appointed Vice Chair of the Board.

 

How has the “clean” beauty industry changed in the past few years since you started The Ingredientist, and what makes you excited about the future of the beauty and skincare industry?

Regarding industry change, the short answer is: it’s complicated! I started in the entrepreneurial and “indie” beauty sector, but I don’t tend to associate with the term “clean” anymore. That’s not to say that I look down on it nor underestimate the power of claiming “clean” as a movement, but as a conscious and science-backed concept, it’s misused and diluted as it’s gone mainstream. I wish that weren’t the case because it ruins the original intention behind “clean” for everyone, which at a minimum, is to signal to consumers that the formulas are vetted against environmental health touchpoints for safety.

 

From a regulatory perspective, there is no universal legal definition of “clean,” so it is entirely up to the brand’s interpretation of the term, which can breed consumer confusion from company to company. From an ethical perspective, the term is sadly often utilized by brands in a marketing act called “greenwashing,” or when “clean” formulation, standards, and sustainability claims are false or misleading.

 

The Ingredientist is a science-driven branding and product development consultancy. I embody the equivalent of a Director of Product Development for multiple brands. When it comes to vetting a new client match, rather than rely on the term “clean” to determine alignment, we go beyond to look at the “business ingredients” of the brand ranging from their mission, vision, supply chain, products, marketing, and education. Across the brand’s “business ingredients,” we look for a commitment to progressive principles, which determine quality, ethical, and sustainability standards.

 

All this is to emphasize why it’s so important to have brands rooted in cosmetic science. I ensure that the science is authentically communicated across the “business ingredients”, in particular when it comes to product positioning, marketing, and education. Founders, executives, chemists, and marketers can speak different languages, so translation across stakeholders becomes a key priority for me to get everyone aligned.

 

I’m most excited about technology in beauty and its implications for ingredient sustainability and skincare solutions for various conditions. Microbiome research is a keen area of interest for me, and I think we will see some serious innovation happening there in the next few years. I’m hopeful for this research mainly for promising solutions related to caring for immunocompromised skin, which can be the case for many people going through the experience of cancer.

 

Can you tell us about your involvement with facial spa, Cheeks + Co., and the inspiration behind the face serum you created called Tidalshift?

Cheeks + Co, a modern facial spa in Pasadena, CA (with more locations coming in 2023 and 2024), is redefining the spa experience by encouraging each client to reclaim “a space for you.”

 

Cheeks + Co is the first public-facing product development partnership for The Ingredientist. So I’m thrilled to talk openly about the immensity of work that went into the branding, product formulation design, and ingredients chosen. Over 16 months leading up to the launch in December 2022, I worked directly with the Founder, Tina Uzzardi, to conceptualize the skincare brand and create a product pipeline that physically embodies the spa’s mission and gives people the tools to further self-care at home through skincare.

 

Before I jump into the product, I want to touch on the inspiration behind the brand. When Tina and I landed on the concept, it was an “aha” moment! We kept returning to what it means in a modern scenario for our skin to face the elements daily, especially in a rapidly changing world as far as climate is concerned. Themes of strength, resilience, adaptability, and momentum were constantly on our minds. Then we zeroed in on the extreme biodiversity of California as a way to illustrate the variety of elements we can weather in quick succession (plus, Tina is a California native). Within two hours in California, you can go from below sea level in a hot, arid desert to freezing conditions at over 6700 ft elevation in the mountains. Tidalshift, the debut product, was realized in understanding how climate fluctuations and environmental stressors affect the skin. #facetheelements is the brand hashtag for that reason. Plus, each product in the line will have assigned geo-coordinates as a fun discovery moment that leads to an iconic place in California that inspired the product creation.

 

Tidalshift, inspired by McWay Falls in Big Sur, is an ocean-blue, skin-strengthening serum that provides foundational benefits for all. It works by helping to fortify the skin barrier function and delivering an intense protective panel of antioxidants that help to safeguard against stressors. Tidalshift replenishes the dermal reservoir with ceramides, amino acids, phytonutrients, and essential fatty acids. Lastly, it replaces three types of serums (hydrating, antioxidant, and brightening) by combining them into one incredible super-serum through advanced formulation. Tidalshift is designed for the momentum of modern life and having the skin strength to weather it. It’s got a beautiful, uplifting scent called “Lavender by the ocean.”

 

We are so grateful for Holly and her commitment to Living Beauty! You can learn more about her work by visiting www.theingredientist.com.

Thrive Causemetics Named a New Product After Our Original Living Beauty Joni!

The Founder of The Foundation for Living Beauty, Amie Satchu, and her mom Joni.

 

Thrive Causemetics has launched a product named after our Original Living Beauty, Joni!

We are so incredibly excited to announce that Thrive Causemetics has launched a new shade of their Infinite Waterproof Eyeshadow Stick and named it after Joni, our original Living Beauty and the beautiful mom of our founder Amie Satchu! Amie was inspired to start The Foundation for Living Beauty as a way to help Joni on her journey with Multiple Myeloma. The Foundation was created to give women with cancer access to free wellness and support services that would improve their quality of life after a cancer diagnosis.

 

Thrive Infinite Waterproof Eyeshadow Stick in the shade Joni, a beautiful shimmery blue.

 

Thrive Causemetics was founded by CEO Karissa Bodnar and is a brand that is passionate about empowering communities. Through their Bigger Than Beauty™ program, Thrive partners with nonprofits and for every product purchased, they donate to help communities thrive. They are a generous supporter of the Foundation for Living Beauty providing free products to our Living Beauties, helping to improve the quality of life of hundreds of women with cancer!

We are so excited to be able to honor our guiding light, Joni, in this way!

 

 

In 2005, Amie Satchu honored her mother Joni’s journey with Multiple Myeloma by creating the Foundation for Living Beauty. The “Original Living Beauty” Joni was the kind of person whose spirit radiated love and acceptance. She made everyone feel like she was your best friend. With her mother as the driving force, The Foundation for Living Beauty was born and Amie’s mission to provide emotional and physical support to women with cancer became her central focus and passion.

Although the Foundation’s original intent was to focus on “look good, feel good” events, it rapidly became much more, meeting the complex emotional and physical needs of women cancer patients, called “Living Beauties.” Living Beauty was born out of a need to find community and holistic wellness programs that weren’t available at the time. What started out as a small sisterhood that created healing energy for one another, has since grown and transformed into over 150 wellness events a year, serving over 1200 women. The essence of our programs has remained to this day: that the power of community and addressing the mind, body and spirit are an essential part of the healing journey.

Through Joni’s personal journey, a social worker herself, the organization has learned the value and importance of creating a strong support system for the women it serves and understands how that support can impact their quality of life and health outcomes.

Joni’s graceful and vibrant spirit transcends time. Her legacy lives on in the magic that is The Foundation for Living Beauty. We are honored to celebrate her and each and every Living Beauty!

 

Living Beauty Founder Amie testing out the new product!

 

When asked about Joni, Amie shared the love, light and legacy that her mom left with The Foundation for Living Beauty.

“Those who have met my mother know what kind of outrageously beautiful soul she is. Through her 8-year cancer journey, she inspired us all by transforming her pain and suffering into hope. She inspired a community of women to let light filter in through the cracks of the darkness of a cancer diagnosis.

The Foundation for Living Beauty took shape by responding to her need and longing for quality of life in the physically and emotionally exhausting cancer journey. With the advancement of cancer treatments, more women are left struggling to understand how to live with the taxing effects long term. I have great pride that my mother’s legacy is the guiding light that allows Living Beauty to educate, uplift and inspire these women to thrive and heal along their cancer journey. It is also this guiding light that leads our Living Beauties out of the emotional isolation of cancer and into each other’s supportive and nurturing arms.

Mommy, thank you for the gift you have left us. Your spirit will always shine on as our eternal Living Beauty.”

–Amie Satchu

You can purchase the Infinite Waterproof Eyeshadow Stick™ in the shade Joni here!

You can learn more about how to support The Foundation for Living Beauty and the vital work we do to support women with cancer here.

 

Being There for an Urgent Need – The Cassandra Fund

Living Beauty Cassandra

The Cassandra Fund is a donor-supported fund at The Foundation for Living Beauty used to support women with cancer when they are in a difficult spot.

We know that there are many difficulties that can arise when a woman is dealing with cancer. Even with the best health insurance, sometimes it becomes challenging to simply put food on the table, be able to get to an appointment or be able to cover the mortgage. When the difficulty of having cancer is exasperated with an urgent need just to survive, The Cassandra Fund, named after a former Living Beauty, is there to support.

We’ve been talking about this fund both in and out of our organization recently, mainly because the number of urgencies we’re being presented with for women with cancer seems nonstop at the moment.

We have been fortunate to help a number of women with critical needs and one of those women is Susan.  When Susan was in treatment for advanced colon cancer, she was living in a shelter with her elementary school-age daughter.  The Cassandra Fund was able to provide critical treatment medications to Susan and clothing and shoes for her daughter so she could attend school.  The fund has also provided Susan with groceries, and during the holidays has supported her family through the Holiday Angels program.  The Cassandra Fund helped Susan when she needed it most.

That’s the purpose of The Cassandra Fund.

The impact of the fund is to make life just a tad bit easier for women like Susan by covering the cost of an urgent need, up to $500.00.

We are grateful to all of you who actively support this fund. Without your donations to it, we’d be unable to be a resource when times get even more difficult. Donate to the Cassandra Fund here.

Meet Rebecca Little the Photographer Behind “Beauty is. . .”!

Rebecca Little photographing Living Beauty Anita in Jewelry from G.H. Wilke & Co. Jewelers

 

Rebecca Little is a Pasadena-based photographer specializing in photographing women and making them look and feel beautiful in front of the camera! Rebecca has been a long time supporter of The Foundation for Living Beauty. She has donated her time not only taking photos at our fundraising events and programs but also photographing our Living Beauties at Day of Living Beauty, an event focused on giving women with cancer the opportunity to be pampered by having their hair and makeup done and beautiful professional portraits taken. Rebecca donated her time and talent to Living Beauty yet again in support of our “Beauty is . . .” campaign showcasing the stunning jewelry by G.H. Wilke & Co. Jewelers and modeled by our Living Beauties. Keep reading to find out more about Rebecca’s experience working on the campaign!

 

Rebecca Little, Photographer for “Beauty is. . .”

FFLB: How were you first introduced to Living Beauty and what drew you to our mission?

Rebecca: I met Nancy when she joined the Pasadena Chamber and that was more than a few years ago. She was doing what she does best and spreading the word about the foundation and the good work they do.

The Foundation’s mission is much needed. They help so many women and offer advice, camaraderie, and a range of free programs. I’ve heard directly from the Living Beauties how much they value the support they’re given. To be with other women going through the cancer journey and be able to share and commiserate is invaluable.

 

FFLB: What was it like working with Living Beauties as models for the photographs?

Rebecca: The women were so fun to work with! They were thrilled to be modeling the amazing jewelry and getting their portraits taken. They would hang out after their photoshoot to catch up with their friends as they arrived for their sessions. The mood was upbeat and it was a beautiful day.

 

FFLB: How do you think modeling this jewelry and having their photos taken impacted the Living Beauties who participated?

Rebecca: First, it’s a thrill to wear this gorgeous jewelry. Each piece Tracy brought out was more beautiful than the next. You feel so glamorous and pretty, and the ladies were all oohing and aahing over what they got to wear. Then to see yourself represented authentically and beautifully in a portrait can be such an esteem booster, especially if you’re not feeling your best or you’ve had multiple surgeries. It was important to me to bring out the best in each woman and make her feel beautiful.

A huge thank you to Rebecca for donating her time to this campaign in support of The Foundation for Living Beauty and women with cancer! You can check out Rebecca’s website and portfolio here. To read more about the campaign and Traci Wilke from G.H. Wilke & Co. Jewelers click here.

 

 

 

Living Beauty x G.H. Wilke & Co. Jewelers

The Foundation fo Living Beauty is excited to Introduce “Beauty is . . .”, a collaboration between G.H. Wilke & Co. Jewelers and Goldsmiths and Living Beauty! G.H. Wilke & Co. Jewelers is an amazing company located in San Gabriel co-owned by the fabulous Tracy Wilke.

Tracy and The Foundation for Living Beauty teamed up to feature Living Beauties as models for G.H. Wilke and Co.’s jewelry! Over the next few weeks we will be sharing on our social media beautiful photos taken by photographer Rebecca Little of our women wearing the stunning jewelry. Rebecca, a long-time Living Beauty supporter, specializes in photographing women and making them look and feel beautiful in front of the camera. These images evoke the true beauty and strength of women and each image will include a quote about what beauty means to each Living Beauty.

All of the jewelry featured is one of a kind and a portion of jewelry sales from now until Mother’s Day will be donated to The Foundation for Living Beauty in support of our mission to educate, uplift and empower women with cancer!

We spoke with Tracy Wilke about the beautiful jewelry and what inspired her to partner with Living Beauty to showcase it!

 

Tracy Wilke, Co-Owner of G.H. Wilke & Co. Jewelers and Goldsmiths

 

FFLB: How were you first introduced to Living Beauty and what drew you to our mission?

Tracy: I found out about the Foundation for Living Beauty through an introduction by Joan de Souza to Nancy Davidson. Nancy was engaging and so fervent in her goals for the organization to help women in ways that truly addressed deep needs. Nancy and I met for coffee and I felt strongly that I should find a way to help and partner with her.

 

FFLB: What was the inspiration behind partnering with Living Beauty to showcase your beautiful jewelry?

Tracy: We all know women with a cancer experience.  Two of the most frequent points I hear are the intense loneliness of the diagnosis and the shock and terror at receiving it. The immune system needs to be bolstered and part of that is a mental attitude. Living Beauty envelopes the women with resources, encouragement, a safe and understanding place to vent, peer to peer advice, experiences and products that make them feel normal and positive.

Something I’ve seen for the many years I’ve been in jewelry is that women are self-conscious about their nails, their hair, their clothes and their general style. When I put beautiful jewelry on them they explode with excitement and joy. I thought it would bring joy to these ladies as well.

 

FFLB: How do you think modeling this jewelry and having their photos taken impacted the Living Beauties who participated?

Tracy: Jewelry is transformative. People self-purchase or give jewelry as a connection – whether to the past,  the present or the future. The women were all thrilled to be wearing beautiful jewelry and some didn’t want to take it off. I was hoping that for at least a little time, the photoshoot would provide them a thrill of self-expression and documentation of that experience (the pictures). I think they went away feeling more aware of their own unique beauty.

 

FFLB: How did you decide what pieces would be featured in the campaign and could you tell us more details about the pieces of jewelry being featured?

Tracy: I asked Nancy to send me photos of the ladies and I spent quite a bit of time going through my jewelry to find pieces that seemed to highlight their essence. I looked at hair and clothing styles to try and determine what to bring out in each woman. It’s what I do here at the store – try to showcase the individual’s personality through the jewelry they wear.

 

To check out the entire collection of jewelry visit this link. To read more about Rebecca Little’s experience photographing our Living Beauties click here!

How to Detox Your Body Every Day

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.

two women seated at a table while one is drinking coffee with a laptop, tissue, and clipboard in front of them

Basic Tips to Improve Your 5 Detox Organs

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!

a woman in a blue sweater wearing a scarf on her head standing by a table set with a suitcase of products

Mindful and Proactive during Breast Cancer Awareness Month!

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.