Monthly Archives: September 2011

Product Review: Weleda Relaxing Lavender Bath Milk

Posted on September 30, 2011 by | 4 Comments

Weleda Aromatherapy Relaxing Lavender Bath Milk Bottle and BoxAs promised, today we’re bringing you a review of the aptly named Weleda Relaxing Lavender Bath Milk. Annette (of Wellness WA fame) tried it and loved it. She’s telling us all about it below…

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Lavender: the multi-purpose essential oil

Posted on September 29, 2011 by | 4 Comments

Franz Eugen Koehler - Lavender Botanical ChartLavender oil is best known for its calming and relaxing effect. Although it does a brilliant job at helping us relax and unwind (and even reduce anxiety if we are inclined to fidget), it’s somewhat short-changing this amazing oil not to mention its other powers.

The benefits of lavender are many and include analgesic, antiseptic, anti-inflammatory, anxiolytic and decongestant properties (amongst others) – it is truly an all-purpose oil that should be a staple in every home. It can be used for pain relief, to treat small burns and insect bites, it works a charm as a mosquito repellent, it’s especially wonderful as a treatment for dry, sensitive or oily skin, it can soothe bronchial cough and improve sleep quality. Not bad!

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Chia seeds: our new Wellbeing Wednesday Challenge

Posted on September 29, 2011 by | 8 Comments

Jar of Black and White Chia SeedsWhen we packed up and moved office last month, we found this little jar tucked away at the back of a cupboard in the Echolife kitchen. It had not seen the light (as in, been taken out of the cupboard) or been used for a good year, if not two. Why the neglect?

Although chia seeds have a bit of a reputation as one of the health foods you’re supposed to be eating, we just didn’t think about eating them. In fact, didn’t know how to eat them apart from soaking them in water and watching them slowly acquire a gelatinous consistency – while we slowly acquired more and more reservations about eating that jelly with seeds floating in it.

Since our recent foray into green smoothies (which we also had reservations about) was such a success, we decided yesterday it was Chia’s turn to get demystified and re-enter our eating radar. So our Wellbeing Challenge for this week is to eat chia seeds – every day.

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Avoiding chemical additives in skin care products

Posted on September 28, 2011 by | Leave a comment

If you are one of the million + viewers of The Story of Cosmetics, you no doubt were a little disconcerted to find out so many synthetic and chemical additives make their way into common skin care products.

Some of the worst offenders are preservatives like parabens or formaldehyde derivatives – they prolong the shelf life of products but can accumulate in our bodies and reach potentially harmful levels. Other ingredients such as mineral oil, petrolatum and fillers don’t in fact hydrate the skin all that much – but act more like cling film that clogs pores and can lead to breakouts or irritation. Not to mention harsh surfactants disrupt skin’s pH and strip its protective acid mantle…

So what can we do to reduce the 100 or more different synthetic chemicals in our daily skin care routine?

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The Wellbeing Wednesday Challenge: update on our green smoothie consumption

Posted on September 27, 2011 by | 1 Comment

Green Spinach Smoothie with Spinach LeafIt turns out our initial reservation (fear) when it came to green smoothies was unfounded and uncalled for. Not only have we kept our word and met our Wellbeing Wednesday Challenge goal of drinking three in a week, we’ve actually gone above and beyond and our total tally comes in at… five!

Along the way during the week we’ve also ticked the Group Challenge of eating three fresh salads. This abundance of green veggies and fresh, raw food is doing us a world of good – so if you need any convincing to become a green smoothie drinker, read on to see what you can look forward to. And we’ve included a few recipes as well to get you started.

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Air purifier buying guide

Posted on September 23, 2011 by | Leave a comment

Dandelion Blowing In WindSo you’re looking for an air purifier – you want cleaner and fresher indoor air, but you’re not sure what you need. We’re here to help! Let’s look at the most common types of air purifiers and hopefully you’ll find out which one is best for you.

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Olive oil for the skin

Posted on September 22, 2011 by | Leave a comment

Olives on branchWe are big fans of olive oil and going by the amount we consume daily, we should be virtually free of bad cholesterol and enjoy a long cardiovascular disease-free life. And another reason our bottle of olive oil never lasts long is because we sneak it in some of our weekly skin pampering as well…

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The Green Smoothie Wellbeing Wednesday Challenge

Posted on September 20, 2011 by | 3 Comments

Green Smoothie with Celery Stick and Radish SliceLast week over at the Belle Lumière, Jessica declared open a weekly ‘Wellbeing Wednesday Challenge‘. Which got us thinking: we’re very interested in improving our health the all natural way, so how could we partake in this wellbeing feast?

First we needed a health and wellness related goal – then, we should be posting it for the world to see… Feelings of accountability and responsibility will ensue, and we will hold up to our goal and ultimately succeed. At least that’s the plan.

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Twice as sweet: a sugar and honey facial scrub

Posted on September 19, 2011 by | 3 Comments

Brown Sugar Pile with scoopIn our weekly quest to try something new to exfoliate, we came up with an incredibly simple sugar scrub which also doubles as a face wash – it’s natural, it’s easy, it saves time and it leaves skin feeling squeaky clean and oh so soft. If you want to try our sugar and honey skin scrub, here’s how to do it… We’re even going to throw in some ideas if you want to tailor the recipe to perfection for your own skin type.

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Superfoods spotlight

Posted on September 15, 2011 by | 1 Comment

Poster of fruit and vegetablesOur mothers say to eat a little bit of everything in moderation – but let’s play favourites for a minute and talk about some foods that are so stupendous for our health, they deserve to be eaten more often.

Garlic: we’re not suggesting eating a raw clove – but do grate it into sauces, casseroles, or infuse olive oil with it. The more garlic you eat, the more healthy you are likely to feel – garlic is a natural antiviral and antimicrobial so eating it or taking a garlic supplement is a great way to maintain your health.

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