Archive - March 27, 2016

Lifestyle

Benefits of Oil Pulling

by Nicole Sparks

How does anyone know what is real or just trendy when every week there is a new diet and natural health remedy sweeping the web. It is often hard to decide which are worth your time. Threading, going organic, gluten free, drinking apple cider vinegar, oil pulling…which of these health crazes are actually helping to benefit your body? One of late popularity is oil pulling. Oil pulling is the act of using oil—coconut, sesame, olive oil—(just to name a few) and swishing it around your mouth for at least 10-20 minutes, as you would do with a mouthwash. Seems easy enough? But where did this idea come from? Before there were fluoride based mouth washes, ancient cultures such as the Ayurveda Indians, used oil pulling as a remedy for fighting plaque, bad breath, tooth decay, various gum related...

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Lifestyle

Natural Remedies to Repair Damaged Hair

by Nicole Sparks

Adios #dyed #fried #bleached #tangled #frizzy #oily Ever gone to the drug store for 1 thing and walked out with an $87 bill? And then arrived home to realize you already own a similar shade of that nail polish you insisted on buying? One quick stroll down the hair aisle and the shopping basket somehow fills with all the oils, mousses, and sprays that we believe we absolutely need to solve our (hair) problems. Shopaholic tendencies aside, the amount of money we spend on beauty products can add up quickly, and in using all these products we inadvertently expose our bodies to a long list of chemicals. But there’s good news: the same natural ingredients that are so beneficial to our bodies are deliciously nutritious for our hair. You likely have some of these ingredients on hand, and if not...

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Fashion

Leggings Are Not Pants, No Matter How Badly You Want Them to Be

by Erin Gillespie

We know, we know….they’re comfortable. They’re easy to put on. You can go to and from the gym and back without having to change. There are a lot of positive attributes to the ubiquitous legging, but the ability to double as a pair of pants (thats trousers to those of you living in the UK, not pants as in underpants) does not fall under the list of positive legging attributes. But lets qualify our position a bit, shall we? It’s not that we think that the legging is strictly verboten per se, it’s more a matter of how one chooses to style this, the most maligned of all fashion pieces…okay, the most maligned next to the scrunchie. And maybe parachute pants…but that’s for another article. While it’s certain that there are some women that can carry off...

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Fashion

Printspeak: What Your Spring Print Picks Say About You

by Erin Gillespie

With spring on the horizon, you can’t help but go a little bit bonkers with wanting to cast-off your layers-upon-layers of dark, heavy woollens and breathe some life into your wardrobe. One of the tried-and-true ways of doing this is with color and print. Every spring fashion season, designers come at us with such a riot of color and pattern that there is surely something for everyone in the mix. We all have our favorites. Whether you’re a tartan girl, favor a ditsy floral print, or wouldn’t dream of anything other than a nautical stripe, your spring print choices tell the world a lot about you as a person. Want to know what they’re saying? I can help. I’ve been honing my fashion divination skills (by which I mean I’ve scoured the dark recesses of the...

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Lifestyle

10 Superfoods You Haven’t Tried Yet

by Nicole Sparks

Before we delve in, let’s clarify what exactly constitutes a superfood. As consumers, we are bombarded with this word. We see it splashed on magazine covers and labels of expensive granola mixes. All we need to know is that a superfood is any natural food rich in antioxidants, nutrients, and a variety of compounds considered to be especially beneficial to your health. Quinoa, kale, avocados, and chia seeds are household names when it comes to superfoods. But it’s time to explore and reap the benefits of some of the lesser-known superfoods that pack just as much, if not more, nutritional punch! Psyllium Husk (a.k.a. the main ingredient in Metamucil): For all the gluten-free and vegan bakers out there, rejoice! Not only does psyllium husk pack a whopping 80g of fiber per 100g serving, but...

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