The best beauty tools often come from nature! Using aloe vera as a skin care treatment has many benefits. It’s long been used to help relieve and heal sunburn by acting as a protective layer and replenishing moisture. Its antioxidant and nutritional properties are excellent for healing purposes. These attributes also make it a great everyday moisturizer, especially for those with oily skin. Men can use aloe vera after shaving to treat small cuts and soothe facial skin. Aloe vera’s ability to reduce inflammation is also useful to treat acne and signs of aging, as well as stretch marks.
Smell The Roses!
Spring is in the air! Wouldn’t it be great if you could smell it? Studies show that smokers lose some of their ability to smell. That can make life a lot less pleasurable. If you lose your sense of smell, you can’t appreciate the scent of spring flowers or freshly mowed lawn. Eating becomes a lot less rewarding too, since aroma contributes a great deal to the flavor of food. Life could even become more dangerous, since you may be less able to detect the odor of a gas leak or a house fire. There is some good news, however: Quit smoking and your sense of smell quickly returns.
Healthy Cake Batter Energy Bites
These fun energy bites the perfect snack for after school!
Ingredients: 1/2 c unsweetened shredded coconut, 1 c pitted dates, 1/4 c sunflower seeds, pinch sea salt, 2 tsp maple syrup, 1 scoop vanilla whey protein, 2-1/2 tbsp rainbow sprinkles.
Directions: Process coconut in food processor for 5 minutes, scraping down sides. Add dates, process until crumbly. Add sunflower seeds, sea salt, maple syrup and whey protein. Process until ball is formed.
Add in sprinkles and pulse to combine. Roll into 18 balls and store in airtight container in refrigerator for up to a week or freeze for longer storage. ENJOY!
The Power of Touch
There are approximately 5 million touch receptors in your skin and 3000 on the tip of your finger. Whenever we get touched or when we receive a massage, our body releases endorphins that are natural pain-killers. Massage not only helps us relax, but it also gives our immune system a boost! Receiving a 45-minute massage has been found to increase the number of white blood cells that help defend the body from disease. Do you suffer from sleep problems? 60 minutes of massage have the same effect on your body as 7 to 8 hours of good sleep. The antidote to a stressful day or health ailments could lie right at our fingertips.
Planning on Setting Fitness Goals?
As springtime approaches, many people have good intentions of improving their health & fitness. Goal setting can be a useful tool to help keep you accountable and increase the likelihood of meeting your goals. However, it’s important to set goals that focus on behaviours (such as walking for 20 minutes each day or including a serving of vegetables with each meal) rather than outcomes (such as losing 10 pounds or attaining a certain clothing size). This way you won’t be wasting your energy on factors outside of your control and actually be focusing on the things you can. Happy goal setting!
Wellness Tea of the Month
Irish Breakfast.
Our magnificent Irish Breakfast is a stout, robust blend of Kenya and Assam teas that have superb colour and are very full bodied. This low-calorie, refreshing tea is excellent in the early morning or afternoon and pairs well with milk and sweetener. It also contains minerals such as calcium, zinc and magnesium, which are especially great for antioxidant activity and oral hygiene. Research studies have linked black tea consumption with reduced stress, and reduced risk of cancer and heart disease. It also helps fight cell damage, increases immunity and energy, and improves your mood. A tea packed full of surprises!
Book Club: The Art of Choosing You
Judging ourselves and others can feel empowering, as if we are sorting out the world and freeing ourselves from the constraints of the people and situations that fail to measure up to whatever external standard we are using. However, this book argues that judgment is a trap, putting us on a hamster wheel as we continually strive to meet an arbitrary set of expectations rather than being true to ourselves. Drawing deeply on the author’s struggle to follow her own unique path through life, this book empowers readers to abandon judgment and allow themselves to pursue a life that transcends the short-sighted and self-serving expectations that our society imposes upon them.
Seniors and Stress
Chronic stress is harmful to people of all ages, but its impact on older adults can be particularly severe, increasing the risk of age-related diseases, hastening cognitive decline, and even triggering falls. Stressors that are common amongst the elderly include loss of control, personal loss, declining health, financial worries, personal safety, and loss of independence. To reduce stress, get regular exercise, eat balanced meals to ensure the mind and body are properly fueled, and ask for help. Talking with a trusted family member, friend, or healthcare professional, at the very least, releases pent-up stress and may even lead to a solution.
Natural Product Spotlight
VoxxTherapy is a premium knee support that also delivers all the benefits of VoxxLife HPT Human Performance Technology. VoxxTherapy is effective in managing knee pain caused by any activity that puts pressure on your knee, and can assist in reducing inflammation and stiffness, while also providing a heating effect that supports muscle recovery. Voxx HPT is a proprietary pattern of neuro-receptor activation points, called neuro-points. Users of Voxx HPT see increased overall muscular strength, better balance, and improved flexibility and stamina. VoxxTherapy works well for all athletes, as well as anyone who needs additional support, including those with previous injuries.
Body Mind Detox
The world is full of toxins. For the time being, there’s no changing that. What you can change however, is how you protect yourself from these toxins. Manage your own waste and toxic emotions by detoxing. A fast way to jumpstart healthy change. Detox cleanses, nourishes, and restores our core organs of detoxification and elimination; the liver and colon, kidney and bladder. Including the emotions, they regulate; anger, depression, anxiety and compulsiveness. Cleansing these organs takes stress off our heart, helps our body maintain healthy cholesterol and blood sugar, clears our head and strengthens immunity.
Healing Your Gut
Numerous studies have demonstrated links between gut health and the immune system, brain health, autoimmune diseases, endocrine disorders, skin conditions, and cancer. Many facets of modern life such as high stress levels, too little sleep, eating processed and high-sugar foods, and taking antibiotics can all damage our gut microbiome. When it comes to maintaining your microbiome, nothing is more important than what you eat and drink. The internal environment of your gut is directly dictated by what you put in your mouth. Probiotics, fermented foods, natural fats, greens, fruits, and insoluble fiber-rich foods help restore your microbiome and gut-brain signaling.


