DIY Natural, Nourishing Hair Mask

Stress, cold and dry weather can wreak havoc with your hair. Treat yourself, and your locks, to some home spa care made with ingredients you may already have in your kitchen.

Moisturizing Mask

Avocados have nourishing and hydrating properties, which makes this mask perfect for those with dry, brittle or lackluster hair.

Ingredients:

·                 1 small ripe avocado

·                 1 tbsp olive oil or sweet almond oil

·                 1/2 cup milk – preferably whole milk

Directions:

1. Blend the avocado into a very smooth puree – no lumps.

2. Add the oil and mix very well.

3. Add 1/4 cup of milk at first, then more as needed. You don’t want the mask to be runny.

4. Apply the blend to your hair starting from the roots to the very tips.

5. Cover with a shower cap and wait for at least fifteen minutes.

6. Rinse well with warm water.

P.S. - While your hair is up in that shower cap treat yourself to a soak in a warm bath. The steam will help the mask to soak in better and help you relax.

-Nancy Mayne, Wellness Director

The Skinny Factor

There are a few key factors in successful weight loss goals:

• Good bacteria
• Reducing sugar
• Eating healthy fats, protein and living foods
• Increasing fiber

The bacteria that live in your digestive tract can contribute to optimal weight. By balancing the good and bad bacteria, you may achieve your ideal weight.

Simply reducing sugar and eating more fiber, vegetables and protein may help to balance the gut bacteria.

Fiber is an important step in weight loss. Most people don’t get adequate amounts of fiber in their diet. Eating foods high in fiber helps fill you up which in turn helps to control hunger. Hunger is affected by when you eat and the amount of fats, carbohydrates, protein, fiber, and water content. Fibrous foods can take longer to chew, giving your brain time to get the signal that you have had enough to eat. If you choose high-fiber, water-rich foods (vegetable soups, salads, fruits and vegetables), you can eat the same weight of food but feel full on fewer calories.

Women should get at least 25 grams of fiber each day and men 38 grams each day. Fiber is either soluble or insoluble. Soluble fiber dissolves in water, insoluble does not. Both of these types are fiber are found naturally in fruits, vegetables, whole grains, legumes and nuts.

Here are some ways to get more fiber in your diet:

• Eat whole fruits instead of fruit juice.
• Snack on veggies.
• Make vegetables a main course.
• Add a filling vegetable salad instead of a starchy salad as a side dish with meals.
• Enjoy a bowl of vegetable-based broth soup before meals.
• Start the day with a high-fiber cereal topped with fruit and protein.
• Eat more beans.
• Make all your grains whole and limit them to a few servings each day.
• Add nuts and seeds to your weight loss plan, but keep the portions small because they can be high fat.
• Add more fiber.
• Add a protein shake for breakfast or lunch. 

- Mona Claypoole, Director of Marketing & Wellness Support

Staff Picks for January 2015

Hair Care Favorite

Earth Science Hair Masque with olive and avocado oils is perfect for any hair type. With the colder winter days, it is important to remember to maintain those healthy locks. The dry, bitter cold air can be too harsh on hair, especially when wet. So remembering to deep treat those splitting ends will help in the long run.

For someone with oily hair, I struggle terribly with finding a product for my hair that works with my hair type. This product leaves my hair feeling smooth, protects my ends from stripping, and tames fly-aways.

You can use this as an every other day ritual, or like I do, as a treatment 1 to 2 times per week. I often recommend this product to customers and friends who are searching for that awesome hair product to amp up their hair care routine.

-CJ LaRose, Supervisor

Cold and Flu Support

Andrographis is an Indian Ayurvedic herb used for centuries to help with immune boosting, inflammation and respiratory infections. This is one of my personal favorites for the cold and flu season. At the first signs of a cold or cough, just one capsule a day of Nature’s Plus Andrographis seems to help shorten the duration and lessen symptoms. Bronchitis is a thing of the past for our family!

-Mona Claypoole, Director of Marketing and Wellness Support

Too Good to Be True

New to The Healthy Grocer this month is one of the most satisfyingly healthy snacks I have ever encountered! “Hi I’m Skinny Sticks” has a line of whole grain based snack sticks made with all natural ingredients, real vegetables and contain no preservatives, artificial colors or flavors. What more could you ask for? Personally, I would ask if these vegan, non-GMO, too-good-to-be-true snacks were also calorie free. Though they are not calorie free, they are very low in calories and fat with only 120 calories and 6g fat per serving. Victory!

I encourage everyone to treat themselves to one, or all, of the Skinny Stick snacks which come in Sweet Potato, Veggie Tortilla and Sweet Onion flavors. They are crunchy, flavorful and healthy all at the same time. You will not be disappointed!

-Paige Alexander, Assistant Buyer

Happy Juicing

As part of the produce team here at The Healthy Grocer, I’ve learned a lot of different things. One thing that has really stuck with me these past few years is juicing. It’s become a part of my daily routine. I always have customers asking for new ideas for their juice. Recently I have tried something new, the Hamlin orange.

When juicing, I love to add oranges. The Hamlin orange has a wonderful amount of juice and great flavor. It’s perfect to add to green juice, to give you that added Vitamin C or just to help mask those strong green flavors.

It’s definitely something I will keep around for my juicing routine and I recommend trying for any type of juice.

Also, remember, when juicing it’s best to let your citrus reach room temperature to get the most amount of juice!  Happy juicing!

-Kendle Zufall, Produce Manager

Delicious Deli Cookies

After the parties and hubbub of the holiday season, there’s nothing nicer than to slow down, take it easy and enjoy curling up at home with a steaming mug of hot cocoa and a tasty cookie. One of my favorites, our Peanut Butter Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies, would play an excellent role in such a cozy scenario. These cookies are made without dairy (they do have eggs, so unfortunately they aren’t vegan) and also use gluten-free rolled oats and fresh-ground peanut butter made here in our store. Deliciously dense and chewy, they’re reminiscent of classic winter comfort food and are perfect for dunking. They also keep well in a sealed container and stay fresh-tasting for days. Give yourself the gift of a peanut-buttery, chocolate moment!

-Victoria Brobst, Baker

Resolution Fitness

Here are some exercises you can do just about anywhere, with little to no equipment. As long as you push yourself and move quickly from exercise to exercise, you’ll be able to get through some productive workouts in short periods of time right in your home.

Push ups - An upper body exercise working the chest, shoulders, arms and core. You can place your hands close together or wide apart.

Side-ups - Helps to strengthen the oblique muscle. Lie down on your side and engage your oblique muscle by raising your legs while lunging your free elbow toward them simultaneously.

Squats - Stand with feet wider than hip-width apart, toes pointing outward. With hands on your hips, squat down until your buttocks is parallel to your knees. Return to standing position.

Single leg squat - Lift the whole weight of your body with only one leg and enter into a squat position. This will require some balance.

Walking lunges - Stand with your feet about 6 inches apart, toes pointed forward. Inhale and step forward with one leg and lower your body to 90 degrees at both knees. Your weight on your heels and your knees should not cross the plane of your toes.

Burpees - A great exercise to work your lower body, your upper body and your heart. Begin in a standing position then drop into a squat position with your hands on the ground. Kick your feet back while keeping your arms extended and do a push up. Immediately return your feet to the squat position and jump up from the squat position.

Triceps - Sitting on a chair, place hands on seat beside your hips, fingers facing forward and feet flat on the floor. Lift buttocks off sitting area keeping arms straight. Next bend your elbows and lower yourself toward the ground, keeping your body close to the chair then push yourself back up to the sitting position.

Sit ups - Lie down on the floor placing your feet either under something that will not move. Place your hands behind your head and lock them together by clasping your fingers. Elevate your upper body so that it creates an imaginary V-shape with your thighs.

Arm circles - Stand with feet shoulder width apart with arms extended straight out to sides at shoulder height. Keeping shoulders down, do 20 small backward circles and switch directions and do 20 forward circles.

 

   Bicycle crunches - Lie on your back, hands behind ears, legs extended. Exhale and crunch up, twisting your body so the left elbow reaches towards your right knee. Inhale as you transition and switch sides and legs.

The New Year is about finding the opportunity to work out and change habits to accommodate fitness and a busy schedule. Any type of fitness program can be helpful and can be completed in as little as fifteen minutes, no matter where you are.

Mona Claypoole - Director of Marketing

The 2015 Flu Season

The flu is a very contagious virus that is more prevalent in the winter and early spring. The flu spreads throughout the respiratory tract and attacks the body. A cold is also a viral infection of the respiratory tract with symptoms similar to the flu.

Cold and flu symptoms can include congestion, sore throat, sneezing, coughing, headache and chest discomfort. However, the symptoms of the flu can also include high fever for several days, body aches, fatigue and weakness. Extreme flu cases can lead to pneumonia and other complications. The “stomach flu” is gastroenteritis, with symptoms such as abdominal cramps, nausea, vomiting and diarrhea.

Flu is spread through respiratory secretions when you inhale droplets in the air that contain the flu virus, make direct contact through sharing drinks or utensils, or handle items contaminated by an infected person. The flu virus on your skin can infect you when you touch or rub your eyes, nose or mouth. That's why frequent and thorough hand washing is a key way to prevent or limit the spread of flu.

Flu symptoms start to develop from one to four days after infection with the virus. Anyone can get the flu, but the very young and elderly are more likely to have complications from the flu.

The viruses that can cause colds and flu can hide in your house. Cleaning toys, door handles, TV remotes, bath surfaces and telephone receivers can help prevent the spread of the flu.

There are homeopathic medicines, herbal blends and additional natural remedies available that may help to reduce the duration and severity of colds and common flu symptoms such as fever, aches and cough.

·        Oscillococcinum is a non drowsy homeopathic formula safe for ages 2 and up.

·        Sambucus FluCare is a multi-symptom flu relief that naturally alleviates fever, cough, congestion and sore throat.

·        Hyland’s Defend is a homeopathic syrup helps with the safe and effective relief of runny nose, nasal congestion, body aches, headache, sore throat and fatigue.

·        Boiron homeopathic Influenzinum 30C can lessen flu-like symptoms.

·        NatraBio Cold & Sinus homeopathic nasal spray is non-addictive and helps with congested nasal passages, sinus pressure, headache, sneezing and runny nose.

·        Boiron Chestal Honey homeopathic cough syrup relieves dry cough and chest congestion for ages 2 and up.

·        A Nasopure Nasal Wash system can help with maintaining nasal and respiratory health related to colds.

·        Organic Sambucus Lozenges with elderberry, vitamin c and zinc are herbal and nutritional formulas that may help to boost immunity and soothe the throat.

Mona Claypoole, Director of Marketing and Wellness Support

Success with New Year's Resolutions

“New Year’s Resolutions” are three words synonymous with tradition. A new year is like resetting the clock. As we take down last year’s calendar and put up a new one, we have a sense of hope that we can finally accomplish something on our long list of self-improvement. The butterflies turn into excitement along with a passion driving us, telling us This is the year!

Let’s be honest, though. We love planning for what we want to accomplish, but often our follow through is not the best. According to Static Brain (reporting data from the University of Scranton. Journal of Clinical Psychology), almost half of Americans make New Year’s resolutions, but only 8 percent actually accomplish them. Feeling depressed yet? Don’t!

This study also notes that people who make resolutions are ten times more likely to accomplish their goals than those who don’t. Perhaps it’s the power of attraction as discussed often by self-help gurus like Oprah or Rhonda Byrne’s 2006 book, The Secret. Our thoughts influence our reality. Perhaps it’s also a bit of good planning.

Among the top five resolutions made are weight loss and staying fit and healthy. After indulging in a bountiful Thanksgiving and a multitude of holidays and holiday parties during December, our body feels sluggish, the scale shows a few more pounds and our clothes are a little too snug. Gyms and yoga studios pick up a tremendous number of new clients, along with those who had avoided the gym since the summer. But when we add a new routine suddenly into our schedule, like going to the gym three times a week and switching over to salads for every lunch and dinner, our body and mind decide to go strike after only a few short weeks.

Old information told us we could develop a new habit in just twenty one days. New research shows it may take anywhere from sixty six to two hundred fifty four days according to a 2010 UK study, led by University College London. How do we keep our body and mind actively participating in our new goal? Here are some tips for you:

• Replace instead of ditching. Instead of clearing out your cupboard and refrigerator, slowly replace foods with healthier options when you run out. (Instead of high calorie, high sodium popcorn, switch to a zero calorie, Non-GMO popcorn. Replace white bread with twelve grain bread. Opt for coconut water or carbonated water instead of soda.)
• Brown Bag it and just cook. Reducing the number of times you go out to eat or can help save money and your health. While many restaurants can accommodate healthier options, when we see our old favorite on the menu or a quick way to eat, we can’t resist. Plan an extra thirty to sixty minutes in the evening to prepare dinner and your lunch for the next day.
• Take it slowly. Don’t convert over all meals to salads and new dishes. Instead, learn to make a new dish each week. Preparing new foods slowly over the course of time will create a great resource for future meals.
• If it’s cold, it’s got to go. The ideal time to incorporate cold foods (raw, salads, etc.) is during the transition to springtime. With the cool weather of winter, our bodies naturally try to keep heat in. Staying with the flow of Mother Nature can actually help our bodies feel better and stay healthier.
• Instead of replacing entire meals with healthier foods, start with replacing snacks. A slow incorporation of healthier versions of snacks will prompt your body to create healthier foods leading to a natural changeover. According to health.com, the intake of daily calories has increased over one third in the past thirty years. Research is pointing to snacking as the culprit. So, next time you reach for that bag of chips or chocolate bar, try opting for apple slices or banana instead.
• When it comes to exercise, follow your interest. Many times people think running on the treadmill is the only way to loose weight. Give yourself the jump on successful weight loss and a toned body by doing an activity you like. Follow that interest in pilate's, walking, archery, yoga, dance lessons and more. Incorporate your favorite exercise activity into your schedule 2-3 times a week for optimal success.
• Be adventurous! You don’t need to go to an exotic country. Simply sample tastes from around the world. Trying new spices, fruits and vegetables can open up a new world of flavor, meal ideas and bring back the excitement of cooking.
• Have a cheerleader. Pick a friend or colleague to support you. The ideal person should have their own resolutions. Having someone to celebrate milestones, hold you accountable and be your biggest fan when you need motivation, can help you stay the course.
• Get your head in the game. What may be the most overlooked tool in success is buying into what you want to accomplish. Visualization techniques help create reality. Close your eyes and imagine how you look and act after achieving your goals. Another tool is to create a life map. Take words and images from magazines or print from online searches, paste onto card stock or poster board and put in a place you can see everyday. You can also write a personal mantra or hang an inspirational quote in the bathroom or bedroom where you can see daily, reminding you of how you can do it!

Remember, don’t throw out the baby with the bath water. Slow replacements can help with long term success. Your thoughts are more powerful than you can imagine. Enjoy discovering new flavors and take the time to take care of you. Be the captain of your own destiny and have fun with your resolutions.

- Susan Kiskis, General Manager