I envy people who love exercise. I unfortunately, do not – and I’ll make an excuse to get out of doing it – usually it plays something to the tune of “I’m sooo busy”. And I am – I work hard, take extra courses, write two columns, a blog, a book, and try to make meals from scratch at home…Though, I’m not too busy to watch Modern Family. But as a holistic practitioner, I know how important exercise is to our longevity, strength and circulation. So I sign up for gym memberships, hire personal trainers and buy packages of yoga classes. And for the first while I’m usually pretty disciplined about it – especially in the summer when the weather invokes activity (and bikini season). But the wintertime is like fitness kryptonite for Kristen. Yes, sub zero temperatures make me so demotivated to leave my heated home that the only way I work out is when I have a trainer come to me. Not only does that spoil my inner brat, but also empties out my bank account quickly.

But I’ve found a great solution: rented fitness equipment! Yes, I have rented a treadmill for my home and have been running everyday since I got it delivered (last Saturday). Hell, both Ben and I fit in a quick job while dinner was in the oven last night. Renting is a great option for those items you can’t commit to (see my post on renting evening gowns). Ben and I considered buying a treadmill, but they run for about $1500 and $600 second-hand off craigslist. This does not really make sense as an investment for people like us who really just want it in the winter and run outside in the summertime.

A rental can cost anywhere from $50 per month to $100. Ours is costing us roughly $75 per month, because we got a top of the line model at great deal from Easy Fitness (who, after calling around was the company that gave me the best customer service). Split between the two of us, its pretty reasonable. And Easy Fitness offers free delivery, unlike other rental companies that charge $100 for this plus set-up – I heart no hidden fees.

One worry of mine is that I would rent and hate the machine I chose (you usually need to sign on for a minimum of one month). What if it was a flimsy machine? Or didn’t work properly? But my treadmill is fantastic, its really substantial and Easy Fitness guaranteed to return my machine if I didn’t like it, taking out any risk factor.

I also love this fitness alternative because I have exercise ADD and the same company we got this treadmill from also rents out elliptical machines, rowers, exercise bikes and vibration plates so I can choose to mix it up. But the biggest advantage for me to rent was that it gives me the freedom of mobility. Ben and I are thinking of moving after we get married, and I have no idea what the space will look like, so renting allows us not to get tied down to an incompatible piece of equipment. And, we get to see what we like and don’t like in a machine by trying it out for months before purchasing (if that’s in our future).

So, if you want a no excuse way to fitness, try renting! Because on a cold winter’s day, home is where the heart (rate) is.

I’m in love with organic Camellia oil! This rich, nurturing oil calms inflammation while comforting and protecting the skin. If camellia oil was a person, I imagine he’d be as dreamy as Joseph Gordon-Levitt or Ryan Gosling…or ahem, my fiance of course.

Because of its soothing and replenishing properties, I am using this oil in my new line: Holistic Vanity Rosacea Care (launching in Pure + Simple stores February 1st). This oil is excellent for rosacea skin types as it promotes wound healing and decreases skin irritation. It is also hypoallergenic, and can be used to nurture even the most reactive complexions.

Camellia oil, also known as “tea oil” as it is the flower that makes up green tea, is actually quite commonly used in Asia for beauty as well as in food preparation. I’ve known about it for quite some time now, as we used to carry it in an organic German skincare brand, and we estheticians at Pure + Simple loved it as we saw first-hand how it nourishes delicate skin and strengthens its protective barrier function. To our dismay, the brand discontinued their camellia product – and I have always planned on introducing something of my own featuring it.

Well, the time has come – and if you are looking for a skin treatment that reduces redness and supports the skin’s nutrition, try using organic camellia oil. The one coming out from Holistic Vanity will also have organic tumeric oil and organic vanilla added to it, making it one of the yummiest products around.

Its Eczema season and we’re flooded as usual with people looking to treat their eczema. And, while I have posted on the various types of eczema with their causes and solutions, I have recently become more intrigued by a more universal root to the skin ailment: our emotions.

Yep, over the holidays I picked up Dr Grossbart’s book “Skin Deep” and he explains the link between our emotions and skin appearance. And before you think it – No, this Harvard lecturer and Psychiatrist is not a new age, crystal lover like me, so its not just crunchy granola sentiments, these are his personal observations from his practice. He says in his book that eczema is caused by emotional turmoil and the repression of our feelings. Dr. Grossbart insists we have to face our emotional issues face on and that a commitment to self-love as well as counseling helps greatly (okay, sounds a little crunchy granola – but I believe it!).

This matches up with what Chi Nei Tsang Master, Khadro has been telling me. I have recently been seeing Khadro for stomach massage, as she works on relieving tension in the abdomen for better digestion as well as stimulating the internal organs through physical manipulation (apparently I have tension and congestion in the liver!). She works a lot with emotions, as we often hold our feelings in our gut and other tissues, leading to organ dysfunction. Khadro insists that every case of eczema she has seen on a client has been coupled with underlying anxiety. But our anxiety isn’t always expressed through worry – she says that anger and a quick temper is also a way of coping and dealing with our anxiety. Hella interesting!

So, if you are suffering from uncomfortable eczema right now, check out my topical and dietary recommendations, but pair this with an examination of your stress levels and anxiety…oh, and a few deep breaths.

I’m so excited to share with you all my first new natural beauty find of the year: coconut vinegar! I discovered this little tincture at a health tradeshow – and it caught my eye because of my love of all things coconut. I use coconut oil in my face oils for its anti-inflammatory and moisturizing properties, in my cooking for its low steaming temperature and cholesterol lowering properties, and coconut sugar as a natural sweetener because its low on the glycemic index. So, while the sales person spent time chatting me up about its benefits and features, I was already converted and snapped it up. And what do I do? Not what any normal person would – try it on salads, or in a veggie stir fry (like it is often used in south Asian cuisine). No, I took the bottle right into the shower to test it out as a hair rinse.

Yes, I’ve used apple cider vinegar many a-time as a hair rinse and it clarifies the scalp so well that you actually get a squeaky clean feeling on your hair and in your follicles. I figured that vinegars are vinegars and that they’d work similarly. So, I applied about a cup and a half of it into dry hair, massaging it into my scalp. Then I worked any excess on my hands into my hair and down its ends. If you try this at home – one note: be careful to tip your head back while doing this. Don’t let it seep into your eyes like I did because Yowyzas! it stings. Then I let it sit as I did all my other washing up before rinsing it out of my hair (not shampooing it out).

Well, my hair felt amazing! First its great for clearing out flakes and build up. This is important for those of you with flakiness or dandruff because while you may think you need less cleaning and more moisture, its can be the opposite You need to keep your scalp as clear as possible so that the bacteria from dandruff that feeds on dead skin cells are kept at bay (trust me, its worked for many of my clients). Secondly its fantastic for softening. Coconut vinegar is packed with minerals from the coconut water or coconut sap it is derived from and contains zinc, iron, manganese, potassium, copper and magnesium. Coconut sap also possesses all nine amino acids and these proteins are a wonderful treatment for our hair.

So if you are looking for a quick and simple head and hair revitalizer, try a coconut vinegar rinse. Its a nice holistic vanity debut for the new year!

Its a new year and we have a slew of new, exciting things happening at Holistic Vanity!

1. The introduction of the new Holistic Vanity Rosacea Care Line!

I have been working on a Holistic Vanity skincare brand for some time now, and it will finally be introduced in February. Come February 1st, it will be available in all of our Pure + Simple stores. This new line is going to focus on healing skin ailments such as rosacea, acne and sun-damage. We are only launching the “Rosacea Care” range in Feb, but there will be more product debuts in the future. Keep your eye open for more info on this new, results-oriented line as I will be blogging more details very soon!

2. A Super-fun Launch Party…Amour de Soi: Celebrating Self-love + Soothing With Holistic Vanity Rosacea Care!

If you know me, I’ll take any excuse to throw a party! And my new line is a perfect reason to celebrate. Yes, February 8th we will be having a launch event for the Holistic Vanity Rosacea Care line…and you’re all invited. It will be at the Bata Shoe Museum and I think its the perfect pre-valentines bash devoted to self-love and self-pampering. I will be doing a seminar on healing rosacea holistically, we will be serving anti-inflammatory hors d’oeurves and having a ton of healthy giveaway prizes and swag!

View the Launch Party invite and rsvp HERE.

3. A fresh Website Make-over

Its time this website tried a new look on for size. Coinciding with the Holistic Vanity product launch and party, my blogsite will also be getting some renewal up. Look out for this updated revamp – it’ll be more refreshed than my skin after a sea-salt microdermabrasion.

- Kristen xo

I ended 2011 with a post on bloating and gut health and ringing in 2012 with one on curing constipation. Yes yes yes y’all, bowel health is imperative for beautiful skin, and this was emphasized when I saw a long-time client this week who formerly had majorly congested skin with a clear, glowing complexion (squeal!). She had only been eliminating twice a week and we had her taking some gentle laxative so she started to do so a minimum of once per day. Clarifying the G.I tract really helps clarify the skin. I know, It may sound unorthodox, but as a holistic esthetician, the frequency of bowel movements is usually one of my first inquiries for anyone I see with acne-prone or dehydrated skin – and according to Ayurveda, we should be doing so once to twice a day.

Its so important that we eliminate waste from our bodies so we don’t start pouring out toxins through our skin (which happens to be our largest organ of detoxification), causing clogged pores and blemishes. But its also essential for hydrated skin. When we are constipated, the dry stool sits in the intestines and absorbs the body’s precious water. Conversely, dehydration also leads to constipation as a dry system will make our wastes dry and difficult to move as well… oh how interconnected we are!

So, for my first real tip of the new year, I am outlining my fav bowel moving remedies. Remember, there are no universal cures and we should always tailor what we eat and take to our specific constitution – but here are a few I find have worked for many of my clients. See a natural health practitioner for more information on whats best for you!

Aloe Vera Juice – Aloe juice is a wonderful calming ingredient and also a gentle laxative. You can drink a quarter cup of this diluted in water everyday in short spurts for soothing detoxification. This is excellent for Pitta’s and those of us prone to inflammation, and I particularly like it because it is not dehydrating (like some fibre based laxatives are). Its also good for other cleansing such as that of the liver and blood.

Castor Oil – This is an intense laxative!..and its really hard to get down (gag!). See my post on my own castor oil experience. But its very effective and good for those of us who need immediate, powerful relief. This is only to be done a maximum of once per month in servings of 1-2 tablespoons. Castor oil cleanses are also effective for reducing excess Vata in our bodies and help lubricate our intestines.

Soaked Prunes – Tried and true, we all have heard about prunes as a bowel cleanser and there’s something about longstanding remedies. What I like about prunes is that its a simple fruit that is pretty easy for most of us to find and also safe to take. I would soak them in water so they are less dry, making them even better for dehydrated individuals.

Psyllium- Psyllium seed husks are a laxative that really helps to move and scrape waste off the intestinal walls. This laxative is best for someone who is kapha and has slow moving bowels, but is still very hydrated. We can take this by simply mixing a spoon in water (I’ve added a spoon of EFAs to it too….not the yummiest concoction), or by sprinkling it on oatmeal or other foods. Either way, this is an effective cleansing agent that helps through its high fibre content.

I apologize for the tacky post title, but I wanted to grab your attention as I think this scandal deserves as much buzz as possible. French manufacturer, PIP’s, breast implants have been found to contain fuel additives, and its developed into an issue of womens’ health, government regulation, and of course, female body image. As a person who doesn’t use skincare with parabens, the idea of keeping a foreign object in my chest is pretty daunting. But whether I think that breast implants are bad for our bodies or not, the larger issue is a lack of government regulation. Beauty care is a highly unregulated industry, and I’ve seen its lack of transparency first-hand. And while I am talking about ingredient labels on skincare products, take a look at the Guardian link above to read about the status on cosmetic procedures. Shiver. And, many beauty professionals are saying that the status of Botox will be the next exposed cosmetic scandal. Injectables are classified as a medicine, but you don’t need to be a doctor to administer it.

But lets get back to the story at hand. This scandal has become a global issue as women around the world are recipients of these dangerous implants. While it is said that over 50,000 have received them in surgery, 250 British Women are suing PIP over half of them experienced ruptures and eight cases of cancer were found. But the questions being raised do not stop there; who will be paying for their removal has also become a hot topic. In Venezuela, the government has announced that it will be publicly paid for, while 50 Argentinian women have said they will sue their plastic surgeons if they do not perform reverse surgery for free. I can only imagine what a nightmare it would be to have to carry around something potentially fatal in your body because you could not afford to have them taken out.

But as this blog focuses on an alternative view of beauty, promoting a gentler approach for women and men. And I’m going to assume that Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez agrees with me, as he has since criticized the popularity of breast implants saying that women should not be made to feel that large breasts are more attractive. I completely agree (but tell that to the 14 billion dollar porn industry…oh, and those creepy social networking sites where men can sponsor breast implants).

In the meantime, as a gal with small boobs, I think I’ll stick with Shatavari Ghee for a more enhanced bust line.

So, we’re in the last stretch of the holidays – and if you are like me, you’ve been stuffing your face with all sorts of bad things you shouldn’t be eating (will power, resolution 2012?). But as New Year’s Eve approaches, I’ve somehow got to feel good squeezing into an all-sequins mini dress so I need to sort out my digestion stat. Now, I’m not talking about losing weight. Hell, I think its natural to put on a little winter weight to protect us against this painstaking weather, but I do think its mighty important to prevent bloating and imbalance in the digestive system if we’re going to feel light, energetic and attractive.

Well, this year, I’m thanking Santa for the Holistic VaniTEA Clarifying Tea. No, actually, I need to thank Santa for the traditional Ayurvedic blend that I used in this tea that has been cleansing and supporting the digestive system for centuries. I brought out this Clarifying Tea to help treat break outs and skin impurities from the inside out, but it also is excellent for bloating and constipation. Actually, blogger Alannah Davey reviewed this tea a while ago and said it really helped her get out of her food coma.

The Clarifying Tea is made up of fennel, cumin and coriander seeds to gently remove waste from our tissues and G.I tract, and I also added turmeric (a personal fav) for its wonderful anti-inflammatory and anti-bacterial properties. I, myself ate way too much at the family holiday dinner and also dabbled in eating desserts that probably had a touch of dairy in them. Somehow, our health-conscious family ended up bringing twice as many desserts as there were people. And they were all so sweet that my mother said she got a sugar headache from the fruit cake.

Result? An over-worked digestive system that produced excess Vata (air) and bloating. But after one cupful of this tea, my belly ache was gone and bloating went down. And now, after days of eating as the Romans did, I think I’m going to head into 2012 with a mug of the Clarifying Tea in hand. So, if you’ve had a similar experience to me and need to move on from Christmas gluttony into New Year’s Eve glam, try this herbal tea blend for a flatter belly and more comfortable digestive system. For now, I’m going to make a low glycemic diet a pending resolution.

During the holidays it seems that we’ll find any excuse to lock lips: mistletoe, end of the year countdowns…we find it so irresistible to kiss and canoodle this time of year that we build it into our traditions and rituals.

But unfortunately, this is also during the driest, most depleting, harsh and cold weather, which leaves our lips dry, flaky and chapped. Luckily, there are some wonderful products that resolve our winter skin woes. Here are three all-natural lip treatments to aid the most dehydrated pouts.

Collagen and Elastin Concentrated Lip Serum

A Lip serum is a wonderful beauty innovation that is light in texture, enabling restorative ingredients to permeate deeply into our delicate lip skin tissue. Serums are water-based so they help increase hydration, prevent flakes and lip wrinkles. You can use lip serums in combination with more oil-based lip products such as balms and oils. Use your serum to inject more water into your kisser, then sealing this into the skin with an oil-rich barrier. The Pure + Simple Collagen Elastin Eye + Lip Concentrate is one of my personal favs because it is in a base of aloe, making it soothing for sensitive, eczema-affected lips as well as contains anti-aging cosmeceutical ingredients of collagen, elastin and hyaluronic acid.

Lip Plumping Balm

We all need our tried and true lip balms during the cold, winter season. Balms are protective against the elements and help prevent cracks and splits as well as keep our lips supple. Stay armed with a balm when trying to stay mistletoe-ready. At Pure + Simple, we have a ton of different lip balms and flavors, but I like the orange cinnamon because it has a slight plumping effect due to the stimulating properties of these essential oils.

Ultra-nourishing Pomegranate Lip Oil

I love oil for all skin ailments in need of healing. They add immediate relief to flakes that are already there, moistening and smoothing out the lip area as well as act as an intensive moisture barrier. I especially love lip oils during the holiday season as they give a lovely shine to the lips, giving you an even more radiant smile. The Pure + Simple Nourishing Vanilla Pomegranate Lip Oil is a very rich and heavy oil in particular, and can also be used over top of lip sticks, stains and colors for an unbelievable high-gloss look (aka. lip slick). This oil is a top seller for us during the colder months and many people have told us that its the only thing that helps temper their lip eczema, sores and inflammation. This is what I’ll be applying right before count down this year. Wink.

Dairy-free maple butter-filled truffle

Truffles: All said and done

The holidays are made for indulging in delicious treats. But while I just saw a commercial for Pot of Gold boxed chocolates, I want to give y’all a healthier option (I bet those chocolates are also full of paraffin..bleh).

So, today I am going to present my case for vegan, dairy-free chocolate nibbles that are guilt-free. Okay, maybe just less guilty. They aren’t sweetener-free, but they use whole ingredients, and I say if you’re going to indulge, do it with high quality stuff instead of junk.

Exhibit A: Maple butter filled chocolate truffles
Exhibit B: Cocoa dusted almonds

But an exercise in alternative treats has its risks. I will say that after spending two hours last night making them, my habit of adjusting recipes resulted in a bit of a hot mess. While they turned out deeeee-lish, they weren’t as aesthetically pleasing as the recipe I was supposed to follow. Ah well, kitchen casualties all for a good cause.

Maple butter filled chocolate truffles
I got both these great recipes from the I Heart Wellness Blog – but while she calls them Fleur de Sel Maple Truffles, I didn’t want to add salt. This recipe is super easy and turned out pretty well. I only eye balled the recipe then did it by intuition and it still came out great, so I’m pretty proud. But next time I will be using mini paper liners because getting them out of the baking tin caused some of them to break a bit.

Ingredients:
1 cup vegan dark chocolate chips (got mine at Whole Foods)
Organic Maple Butter (also from Whole Foods…couldn’t find it anywhere else)

1. Melt the chocolate chips.
2. Pour half of the chocolate evenly into a mini muffin baking pan (my pan holds 12 portions).
3. Bang on the counter to flatten chocolate blobs out. Put this in the freezer for 5 mins.
4. Add a dab of maple butter to each truffle and place in freezer….this is when I remelted my chocolate again. You can also only melt half the chocolate in step 1 then do the second half now. Its probably a better idea so your chocolate doesn’t get lumpy.

5. Pour the other half over each portion.
6. Place in freezer again….et voila!

Cocoa dusted almonds

I made some adjustments to this recipe. Instead of using raw almonds with their skin on, I used blanched almonds. This is because I wanted to roast them a bit…I always associate roasted nuts with the holidays, so thought I’d give it a whirl. The problem is that the heat made the cocoa stick onto the nuts unevenly and melted in an odd way. So, my almonds are less attractive than the I Heart Wellness ones that don’t involve any cooking. They look a little like chocolate mud almonds, but they are very, very tasty!

Chocolate dusted roasted almonds

Ingredients:
1.5 cups of blanched almonds
2 tblspoons of coconut oil
3 tblspoons of organic cocoa powder – no sugar/ unsweetened (mine was from the camino brand…I use it all the time for tofu chocolate pudding, vegan hot chocolate etc…good investment)
4 tblspoons of coconut sugar – its low glycemic!
1 tsp spoon of cinnamon

1. Put the almonds on a baking sheet and brush with the coconut oil. If you get proper coconut oil, you’ll need to melt it a bit to de-solidify it…took me a minute on low heat.
2. Put in the oven at 350 degrees for 10-15 minutes (watch them brown and take them out when they are as toasted as you like. While this is cooking, prep the powder.
3. Place all other powder ingredients in a blender or food processor to make the sugar particles fine.
4. Let the almonds cool (I placed in the freezer), then dust over the cocoa powder mixture…and tah-dah!

Now I’m stock for the holidays with my own indulgences – no more chocolate envy for me!