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Happy Solstice-Increase Your Summer Vitality

Summer Vitality

Ahhh summer…arguably the best season in Alaska when the days are long and people are on the go! Here are some ways to increase and preserve your energy during this season of fire.

Eat lighter

Now is the time for salads, not French fries. Summer is the time to eat lighter foods that are in season and easier to digest.

Eat raw

Raw foods cool and clear heat. If you have a relatively strong digestion and are not having issues such as gas and bloating, add some raw into your diet.

Hydrate

Drink more water. Stay hydrated. WHY???? Our bodies function better on a cellular level when they are hydrated.

Note: Drinking fluids at room temperature (or slightly cooled) is in your body’s best interest.

Drink Coconut Water

The primary nutrient in coconut water is potassium, enough to make it a high electrolyte beverage. The electrolyte potassium, specifically, can help counteract some of the negative effects of a high sodium processed diet. Coconut water also contains a small amount of sodium and 10% of your daily calcium and magnesium needs.

 Eat Cucumber and Watermelon

Cucumber: Cooling and rehydrating cucumbers have one of the highest water content, which means they offer valuable vitamins and minerals. Cucumbers are a natural diuretic food that support the digestive tract, including helping to cleanse the liver, by removing accumulated toxins and waste materials from the blood and gut.

Watermelon: Watermelon is made up of mostly water, with about 91% of the fruit being H2O. While it may seem counter-intuitive, eating fruits and vegetables with a high-water content helps the body to detox and rid itself of excess water and fluids, relieving uncomfortable bloating and swelling. Watermelon also contains a high amount of lycopene, a carotenoid that is currently of great interest to researchers because of its known antioxidant capacity and various potential health benefits.

Following these tips can help your body feel lighter and buoyant. For ideas, here is a delicious recipe for when you need a refreshing and tasty drink on a hot day. If you have any questions or need any guidance on your health journey, reach out to me anytime, ssrestorewellness@gmail.com! Happy solstice!!

Scrub Your Way To Health

Homemade Body Scrub Recipe

Body scrubs are simple to create and can be customizable to your personal tastes! All you need are three basic ingredients! Exfoliant + oil + fragrance = best scrub you will ever find.

Choose an Exfoliant:

Salt can be used to relax your muscles. Sea salt contains a wide variety of trace elements and minerals. Epsom salt is high in magnesium sulfate and works well too! If your chosen salt is too coarse, grind it to your desired texture.

Sugar (brown or white) will feel gentler on your skin than salt. Brown sugar is a tad more fragrant which is a nice in addition to fragrance in scrubs.

Ground coffee tightens the skin. Caffeine restricts blood vessels, which reduces swelling and inflammation.

Oatmeal can be used to soften and hydrate your skin. It gently exfoliates while soothing and moisturizing.

Choose an Oil:

Olive Oil/Coconut oil are big favorites due to their availability and effectiveness.

Here are some other suggestions that all have a shelf life of about 12 months:

Sunflower oil is an affordable, lightly odorous oil with a thin consistency.

Sweet Almond Oil has a sweet, nutty smell and absorbs fairly quickly with a medium consistency.

Grape Seed Oil also has a sweet odor but has a thinner consistency that leaves a film on the skin.

Hazelnut Oil is also thin and leaves a film on the skin (similar to grapeseed oil).

Kukui (Candle Nut) Oil has a nutty odor that absorbs well with a thin consistency.

Macadamia Nut Oil is very thick and oily making it an excellent option for very dry skin.

Choose a Fragrance for your skin type using pure essential oils. Feel free to make your own fragrance blend as well. 

Normal: 10 drops lavender, 6 geranium, 4 ylang-ylang
Oily: 8 drops sandalwood, 6 lemon, 6 lavender
Dry: 8 drops sandalwood, 6 geranium, 6 rose
Sensitive: 6 drops chamomile, 4 rose, 2 neroli
Dehydrated: 10 drops rose, 8 sandalwood, 2 patchoulli
Mature: 8 drops neroli, 6 frankincense, 6 ylang-ylang
Acne: 10 drops lemon, 10 cypress, 5 lavender
Broken capillaries: 8 drops rose, 6 chamomile, 6 cypress

 

My Go-To Morning Wake Up Scrub

1/4 cup grapeseed oil
2 tbsp. peppermint essential oil
1/2 cup sugar

In a glass or ceramic bowl, add essential oil to sugar and stir thoroughly. Add grapeseed oil gradually, stirring continuously. Stop when the scrub reaches the consistence of moist sand.

Experiment with different combinations to make a scrub that suits you best! By exfoliating in, you are stimulating your lymphatic system and increasing your body’s ability to detoxify.

Thanks to Homemade Gifts Made Easy for additional info.

Series: Cleaning Out Toxins – Part 3

Part 3 – The Benefits of Hydrotherapy and Dry Skin Brushing

In Part 1 of my series, Using Food as Medicine, I explored a variety of foods that naturally cleanse your body. Part 2 investigated common harmful chemicals that are found in many products used on a daily basis. Continuing on to Part 3, this blog examines the detoxifying benefits of hydrotherapy and dry skin brushing.

 What is hydrotherapy? Continue reading “Series: Cleaning Out Toxins – Part 3” →

Recipe: Homemade Hand Sanitizer

Homemade Hand Sanitizer

In Part 2 of my blog series, Cleaning Out Toxins, I discussed how we are surrounded by toxins on a daily basis. Reducing our exposure to these toxins is the first step in living a cleaner and healthier lifestyle.  Antibacterial soaps and hand sanitizers are something that many people use on a daily basis, however many commercially available products contain a myriad of potentially harmful chemicals.  In September of 2016, the FDA banned 19 of these potentially harmful antibacterial additives.

Here is a recipe for Homemade Hand Sanitizer using the antibacterial, antifungal and antiviral properties of tea tree oil, astringent properties of witch hazel and the soothing quality of aloe vera gel.  Use this product and know you are cutting down on your toxic load! Continue reading “Recipe: Homemade Hand Sanitizer” →

Series: Cleaning Out Toxins – Part 2

Part 2 – Identifying Environmental Toxins

In Part 1 of my series, Using Food as Medicine, I explored a variety of foods that naturally cleanse your body. Part 2 will investigate common harmful chemicals that are found in many products used on a daily basis. I will also provide some cleaning solutions that are effective and not damaging to your body.

Environmental Toxins

Environmental Toxins can be extremely difficult to avoid in the world we live in today. Consider all the products you use or come into contact with daily. Realize this daily contact can really crank up your overall toxin load. These toxins can be damaging to us because they can disrupt our endocrine systems, which regulate many of the body’s biological processes from conception through old age. Continue reading “Series: Cleaning Out Toxins – Part 2” →