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Get Sacred Locks

Oct 13th, 2008 | By Health Snob | Category: Conscious Beauty
Rating 3.00 out of 5

Get Sacred LocksI only manage to find time to get a haircut about every six months, but I do work with stylists who manage to cut my hair in a way that I do not need to return too often. Whether you spend $10 or $100 on a great haircut, a key to great hair is the products you use. This is why I love Louise Galvin’s Sacred Locks Collection for Fine Hair. The reason I love this internationally renowned creator of hair and body products is that she focuses on pure, natural, and organic ingredients. It took three years to develop her products. She has no employees and runs her business alone, which means emailing people, organizing the website, and making the formulas with the chemists. Talk about multi-tasking! Her company is based in London, and all orders are shipped from there.

The shampoo for fine hair volumizes your hair without the build up. It contains natural citrus oils that are free from sulphates and other proteins that can lead to greasy roots. 250ml for $34.

The conditioner uses vegetable proteins that add moisture and shine. Although light, it provides an intensive treatment to the hair without weighing it down. It is an amazing product to use during the dry summer days ahead. 250ml for $37.

There is also another collection for curly hair and mothers to be, which offers, according to Galvin, the purest of the pure of ingredients.

Visit her website to get your sacred locks.

Origins Online (ELC)

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Stressed? Start Moving

Oct 8th, 2008 | By Health Snob | Category: Sustainable Living
Rating 3.00 out of 5

keepmoving4 Stressed? Start Moving

We talked about finding balance in our day-to-day lives, but what about managing stressful days? We need stress, so there is no point in wishing it away. Stress is a huge factor to getting things done. From deadlines to going to work to finishing up papers, our bodies require that extra energy that stress releases to execute and complete our tasks. But what do we do if the stress is too overwhelming?

Stress causes the body to go into an adrenaline rush, that flight or fight mode that is innately in all of us. It was what made cavemen run from the dinosaurs. Today, we don’t stress about risk of death, but we stress about bills, our jobs, our futures, things that spike up our adrenaline but do not allow us a release for that energy. This gets our heart rate up, our blood pressure rising, and our skin to heat up. Too much stress will lead to long term health effects, such as hypertension and increased risk of stroke.

The best method to reduce your stress levels when stressed is to start moving. Your body is fueled and ready to go, and sitting at your desk trying to work out that program will not do your health good. Some great ways to relieve stress include:

Taking a walk or walking your pet-Something about the great outdoors and smelling the fresh air just helps relieve some of the psychological pressure that we built up.

House Cleaning-The British Journal of Sports Medicine published an article last month stated that working around the house or garden for about 20 minutes one to three times a week reduced the odds of psychological distress by 24%.

Exercising The benefits include a reduction in risks for stress, diabetes, and heart attack. So take that step!

So when life just sucks, go exercise. I would say go to the mall and do some retail therapy, but only if you are positively sure you will pay off that credit card in full. What do you do to manage your stress?

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The Vitamins You Need

Oct 7th, 2008 | By Health Snob | Category: Sustainable Living
Rating 3.00 out of 5

vitamins4 The Vitamins You NeedIf it were a perfect world, you and I would be eating about 9 different fruits and veggies a day, exercise often, and love it.  However, the world is not perfect, and neither are the humans living in it.  Fruit and veggies can be delicious, but sometimes putting the time and effort to prepare or purchase such a variety can be a task few can achieve and maintain.  Here are some vital nutrients we need, where to find them, and the alternative: a multivitamin.

Calcium Every woman is at risk for developing osteoporosis and we need at least 1,000 milligrams a day.  You can find calcium in milk, yogurt, cheese and canned salmon.

Vitamin D This vitamin helps calcium get absorbed into your body to maintain bone strength as well as promoting your immune system.  You need at least 400 International Units a day and can be found in fortified milk, cod liver oil, salmon, and swiss cheese.

Folic Acid You need this especially when you are preparing for a child or are pregnant already.  Studies have shown that a lack of folic acid can be linked to developmental problems for your child.  You need 400 micrograms a day and you can find these in leafy greens and legumes.

Iron Essential to your body for transportation of oxygen throughout your body, muscle maintenance, and prevention of anemia, you need 18 milligrams a day.  Iron is usually found in lean beef, spinach, shrimp and, yummy, liver.

These are only a few vitamins you need.  So unless you eat a lot of fruit, nuts, veggies and drink milk daily, then perhaps an “insurance” plan would be a multivitamin.  You don’t lost much from taking one a day and it will give you all the essential nutrients you need for a healthy life.  However, you still need to eat healthy and exercise, as well as avoid smoking and excessive drinking.  What a multivitamin does is give you the vitamins you may have missed that day, not a day pass to indulge in chocolate all day.  You can find some great multivitamins at your local food store.  Ultimately, it is being aware of what your body needs and making the conscious effort to treat it as your temple.

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Relieve Knee Pain From High Heel Overuse

Oct 1st, 2008 | By Health Snob | Category: Conscious Beauty
Rating 3.00 out of 5

kneemassage4 Relieve Knee Pain From High Heel OveruseWe all love to wear high heels, but wearing them for too long will cause eventual pain, especially in the knees. You can do them in the shower or right before bed time. Your knee is associated with various muscles, ligaments and tendons that create an intricate structure that can easily be stressed. From running to constant bending, the knee gets the brunt of a lot of our movements. Adding high heels only make it more vulnerable to injury and strain. There are four simple massages that you can do easily every day to relieve the pain. Try to do each massage for at least 30 seconds.

The first are to massage is right below your patella bone in your knee. Rub the area right under the patella in a horizontal fashion with the pad of your finger. Apply strong pressure so you can feel the tendon being massaged. The second area is to the outer knee below the patella. Massage that area in short vertical strokes, very similar to the first massage.

The last two massages require larger movements. Always move distal to proximal. To massage these muscles, use the bony part of your wrist to apply the pressure. Start at the bottom of your leg right above your ankle. Apply firm pressure along the muscle. Move the pressure upwards toward the outer side of your knee. Repeat.


The fourth massage is at your thigh. Continue to use your wrist as the method of applying pressure. Start above the knee near the outside of the thigh. While applying firm pressure, move upwards at the outer thigh, along the muscle, towards the outer pelvis of your leg. Repeat.

With these four basic movements, you can immediately feel tension relief throughout your leg. Also remember to alternate heel heights of your shoes so you do not over strain your feet, ankles and knees. Regular exercise also strengthens your muscles. For more information, you can also check out our other article on how to wear high heels without tears.