04/25/2012 In Book Reviews by bien-être

William Duffy wrote a book in 1986 that will make you want to reject refined sugar for the rest of your life. In Sugar Blues, Duffy explains the history of sugar and why it’s so freaking addictive. He recounts his personal health battles attributed to sugar intake, and reports on several research studies that just might shock you. Sugar really had ZERO nutritional value. We love it because it’s sweet – but it may be tricking our taste buds.

As humans, our taste buds are set on sweet. Sweet in nature usually equals dense amounts of energy in foods. If we were all hunter gatherers fighting tigers before bedtime, we would need this energy. The funny thing is…in nature, sugar is incorporated in foods that also have protein or fiber so that our bodies can handle it. Science has allowed us to extrapolate sugar and make it into a, well, super sugar (hello high fructose corn syrup.) In the mid 20th century we also declared war on anything unrefined and went to great lengths to make sure all our food was white: rice, flour, sugar, margarine…and the result was – disease! Did we win this war on food? Nope.

Duffy brings to light the results of ingesting too much sugar, and will have you cleaning out your pantry even before you finish the book. It’s an easy read, and since so many of my clients suffer from skin conditions caused or made worse by sugar intake – it’s worth a post! Get the book here.

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11/09/2011 In Book Reviews by bien-être

We picked up this terrific skincare book at the latest skincare and spa conference in Long Beach. Dr. Ben Johnson, formulator and owner of Osmosis Pur Medical Skincare, is a leading expert in non-invasive skincare technology.

As a medical doctor, he is able to combine medical and technological advances with his passion for gentle and effective ingredients that cause no harm. Speaking of that, isnt it a mandatory vow each medical school graduate must make to “first, cause no harm?”It’s refreshing to see not only a doctor, but a skincare formulator practice this motto passionaltely.

We had the opportunity to sit in on a lecture Dr. Johnson was conducting on new stem cell growth factor and zinc finger technology and what they mean for skin conditions like acne, hyperpigmentation, rosacea and aging. Transform Your Skin Naturally is a wonderful book for anyone wanting a better understanding of how their skin functions on a healthy level, what happens when skincare becomes too invasive and controlling, and how to achieve the best results for their skin using gentle, smart skincare.

A copy of this book is in our spa library at our skincare studio in Solana Beach, but its also available on Amazon for a great price – check it out!

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10/28/2011 In Book Reviews by bien-être

We love a good magazine, and openly confess to flipping through the gossip, health and food glossies at the grocery store checkout more often than not. So when it became time to update our magazine subscriptions for the spa, we wanted to see if any new publications would peak our interest…and boy were we impressed! Here are some our current favorites, each with a nice combination of healthy inspiration for clean and green living, recipe ideas, self improvement, and current issues. Some of these magazines also offer a PDF subscription option – for those of you who want to be even more green!

Sunset Magazine – This magazine focuses on all things West Coast. From recipes and gardening tips to road trip ideas and boutique hotel reviews, this magazine is a constant source of inspiration to get out and fully experience living on the West Coast.

Eating Well – Great for meal ideas and nutrition information for those of us wanting to clean up our diets, eat more whole foods and get creative with ingredients that would otherwise make us a little uncomfortable (kale, tempeh, etc.)

Yoga International – For those who love yoga or are currently wanting to add yoga into their workout routines, this magazine explains poses, provides tips for your practice (no matter what level) and adds in helpful information on herbs, meditation, food, and more!

Experience Life – This magazine does a great job of blending inner and outer beauty and health inspiration. It provides a refreshing twist to your typical Men’s and Women’s Health Magazines.

Vegetarian Times – Are you a vegetarian and stuck in the rut of making the same dishes over and over? For us it was stir fry, tacos and salads…Vegetarian times has some great ideas for introducing easy meat-free meals to mix up the normal routine.

Natural Health – The title pretty much sums it up for this magazine, Natural. Health. A great mix of articles, how-to’s and bulleted information on ingredients, household cleaners, etc.

Whole Living – Similar voice as Prevention Magazine, but covers a wide range of healthy living topics. This magazine is a bit more mainstream so more advertisements are expected, but the articles are in depth and provide new information and ideas.

Well Being Journal – A truly great resource for bringing well-being into your everyday life. The sources are highly respected and the articles are in-depth with up-to-date education on current health and wellness issues.

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05/06/2011 In Book Reviews, Spa Community by bien-être

I was invited by a dear client to attend a special book event on The Bond: Our Kinship with Animals, Our Call to Defend Them. This book, written by Humane Society President Wayne Pacelle discusses the disconnect from our beloved pets and the thousands of helpless animals across the country that don’t sleep at our feet. We love our dogs, cats, birds and other unofficial family members, but do we connect this care to the food and product choices we make everyday? This is especially important as animal rights issues are being brought to light with our farming practices and in the wake of movies like The Cove, TV shows like “Whale Wars,” and the Michael Vick scandal.

The event wasn’t about pulling on heart strings or showing horrific footage of animal abuse, it was more about steps we can each take every day that amount to small victories for better animal care.

My favorite quote from the evening was “It’s not as much about animal rights as it is about human responsibility.”

So, in honor or our furry friends, I wanted to share with you two lists that I found really useful in making product choices. One is a list of all the companies that STILL conduct animal testing. The second, a list of companies who do not test on animals. Download both lists here in Word or PDF format

Surprisingly, some of the major brands that still conduct animal testing are Procter and Gamble, L’oreal and Johnson and Johnson. That is huge! Why? Because these three companies account for hundreds of brands if not more.

Aveeno, Clorox, Band-aid, Arm & Hammer, Crest, many perfume labels, Clariol, Garnier, Febreeze, Glade, Olay, Lancome, Max Factor, Oral-B, Fresh Step…even products like Clorox Green Works!!

The list is overwhelming, to say the least. I recently went to the drugstore to buy a few household items and found that several of our regular products were on the naughty list. I made a silent promise to replace each of them with gentler alternatives. This is what Wayne would call a victory for animals.

Some companies that take a stand against animal testing are:

Aromabella, Sanitas Skincare, DNA Skin, Jadience, Zensuals, Malie Organics, Aramis, Bare Escentuals, Bonnie Bell, Boscia, Biotone, Bumble and Bumble, CO Bigelow, Burt’s Bees, California Baby, Kiss My Face, Jane Iredale, OPI, No-Ad, L’Occitane, Seventh Generation, Method Cleaning Products, Jason, Dr. Brauner’s, Planet, Inc., and sooo many more!

Other good news: By 2013, European countries will be enforcing a ban on all animal testing!! Hopefully this will inspire you to change out one or two brands in your own bathroom or kitchen cabinet.

Other Sources:

http://www.bornfreeusa.org/articles.php?p=502&more=1

http://ec.europa.eu/consumers/sectors/cosmetics/animal-testing/index_en.htm

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04/13/2009 In Book Reviews by bien-être

One doesn’t usually think of vegan when the word triathlete is mentioned, but the author of this book happens to be both and wants to prove that a diet rich in animal protein is necessary or even ideal in some cases. Brendan writes that the muscles need to be exercised (or stressed) and then rested and properly fed. When it comes to the menu: he varies from the traditional food pyramid. Beans, nuts and tofu all contain protein, but did you know that protein is also found in broccoli, spinach, and hemp? The human body needs protein to function at its best…but how much…and from what sources?? Read this book to find out more – and be inspired by a truly thriving athlete!

Buy this book here.

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