Know THIS About Sunscreen

The ocean is my favorite place in the entire world. Being a crab, water in general is my go to place. There are so many threats to the worlds water and it’s creatures, it’s difficult to support them all, but I will continue to try.

This weekend I picked up a copy of  Natural Grocers Good 4u Magazine and learned something new. Because I am always leery of people trying to sell their own products, I asked and researched around, and confirmed the information.

We all know that the sun is a dangerous place to hang out in. Before you leave town with your family, you’d better invest in enough sunscreen to slather the entire family for weeks! These products contain some chemicals that are known to be a threat to the coral reefs that are teeming with marine animals like sea sponges, turtles, sharks, crabs, lobsters, seahorses, and fish. Corals are in fact animals. They protect our coastlines from the force of tropical storms. In addition, corals are vibrant in color.  Coral reefs make up a tiny fraction of the ocean, but support ¼ of all marine life.

The coral reefs are threatened by global warming, harmful fishing practices and pollution, but everyone can contribute starting now.

When shopping for sunscreen, look for ingrediants like oxybenzone (also known as  benzophenone-3) that has been shown to cause deformities in coral larvae, trigger viral infections in coral, and lead to DNA damage. This chemical can be damaging even in small amounts. Sea water samples taken in a study showed exceptionally large amounts of oxybenzone in Hawaii and the Carribean in areas with large numbers of tourists, and researchers observed more severe damage to reefs in these areas compared to more isolated reefs.

In addition to the damage to the reefs, oxybenzone is absorbed to the skin and acts as an endocrine disruptor, altering reproductive and hormone function. This is not stuff to be putting on your children. A study conducted by the Centers For Disease Control tested 2,500 Americans age 6 and up, and found that 97% had oxybenzone in their urine.

There are many mineral based sunscreens that serve to completely block the sun from your skin like zinc oxide and titanium dioxide.

Click on the link to read an extensive article regarding research done by the Environmental Working Group for details about research and products.

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Sugar Is Not Our Friend

In my lifestyle changes over the past few years I’ve been able to lose 40 pounds in additional to keeping it off … until now. I’m up 3 pounds, and know exactly why. I think that constant monitoring of what I eat every day, and how many calories that I burn has made me acutely aware of what it takes for me to be healthy.

First of all, I use the app called “Lose It.” This app keeps track of how many calories that I eat, 

and how many that I actually need. When I saw my doctor recently he gave me a calorie count 

for someone my age and weight and it wasn't close to what I have experienced and calculated for myself.

Here is what I have discovered; I went for an entire year without eating sugar products. This is just treats, not products that contain hidden sugar (checkout Dr. Mark Hymans article about High Fructose Corn Syrup). During that year, I ate no treats or sugar products, but I did eat things like scalloped potatoes with cheese, corn on the cob, and whole grain toast with my own fruit preserves.

I weighed myself each day during this year and found that 1,500 calories a day is exactly what it takes to maintain a lean, healthy lifestyle. If I ate less, I lost. If I ate more, I gained. I ate no processed food, and specifically no processed sugars.

Recently, Al and I have started eating a little carrot cake. It started with a Birthday, and then we started having dessert a few days a week. My weekly calorie intake still stayed within my 1,500 calorie a day range, but my pants started feeling a 

little tighter … 3 pounds gained. There is no explanation for this besides SUGAR, SUGAR, 

SUGAR and how my body metabolizes it.

I saw an obese woman on TV the other day (I mean, 500 pounds of obesity). She and her 

husband both claimed that she ate less than 2,000 calories of food each day and her continuous weight gain was a mystery. Then came the truth.  She drinks more than 3 liters of soda drinks a 

day. SUGAR!

I know that many experts claim that calories-in, calories-out are the bottom line but an expert 

in my own daily monitor, I’ll tell you that processed sugar is more offensive to your body than 

pure plant food. I believe that by replacing healthy food calories with sugar calories, your body 

will respond differently.

We are off of the carrot cake binge now and psyched to be at the onset of fruit season here in Colorado. It is a constant balancing act.!  Being a foodie, I crave, I fall off the wagon, and thank 

God that I find my way back. I encourage my clients to find a delicious snack to satisfy that 

munchie urge. 

Try making your own gorp with whatever you want. I like sunflower seeds and raisins. It's sweet 

and crunchy, and because it requires so much chewing, I put it down before I've eaten too much! 

Best wishes to everybody out there that working on your own personal wellness lifestyle. 

I support you!

Blueberry Season Starts Now. Eat More Blueberries.

It's the only blue food. Blueberries are one of the most popular superfoods. Loaded with antioxidants, blueberries are known to help fight cancer, amp up weight loss, boost brain health, alleviate inflammation, support digestion, and promote heart health. Blueberries are also loaded with fiber which is what aids in some of the great benefits listed above. Blueberries can be successfully frozen which is a great reason to buy or pick them early and set them aside for future use.

The compounds in blueberries called anthocyanins shield the skin against harmful free radicals that can damage the collagen that keeps it firm. In addition to that, blueberries are loaded with Vitamin C, another antioxidant crucial to collagen production. EAT MORE BLUEBERRIES THIS SUMMER

Facelift Massage Focus Group

We had a great time! Last Saturday a group of my therapist friends were kind enough to take their

Saturday to take my Facial Massage Class as well as comment and suggest.

I am so excited to be back to teaching about physiology and massage! I started the day by providing an organic breakfast for everybody while the others got to know each other. We each shared experiences about our massage and beauty practices, and learned something new from each participant.

While practicing the techniques on each other, four out of six students fell asleep during their practice treatments! We all learned that our treatments would be much more satisfying if we, the therapists would allow ourselves to slow down and silent our own thoughts while working.

It was a nice cool day which allowed for us to work outside under the trees, and i'm ready to share this deeply relaxing and beneficial face and head treatment to the world!

The June 23 session is full, so please look at the August 25 session if you're interested. In 2019, our classes will move to Nevada and California. I hope to meet you soon!