Friday, May 30, 2014

Sugar, Salt AndProbiotics: 10 Homemade Beauty Remedies From Mimi Dakar


Mimi Dakar’s Beverly Hills beauty clinic is hard to miss. Towering over the famous criss-cross of intersections around the Beverly Hilton, the clinic where Mimi Dakar's famous facials are administered has been a celebrity mainstay for years. The oxygen facials are an award season must, her skincare, supplements, and homeopathic treatments are top notch, and facials can be scheduled to take place high atop their rooftop garden. What else would you expect from a top Beverly Hills facialist? Although Mimi Dakar may have a star-studded, Hollywood reputation, what we love most about her practice is Mimi's holistic approach. Growing up in Tel Aviv, Israel, Mimi and her daughter always had a penchant for simple home remedies and beauty solutions, many of them simple solutions passed down for generations. We love gleaning wisdom from the Dakar's wealth of home remedies and thought we'd ask them to share with our readers. From her own personal recipe for a home facial to the strangest way to condition hair, you may be surprised by just how many beauty remedies are already stocked in your own pantry!



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Thursday, May 29, 2014

Grounded: 8 Easy Steps to Start Composting With The Honest Company


We're all for making our homes the healthiest they can be, not only for our families but for the enviroment around us. While composting has been on our to-do list for quite some time, we've always shied away - the task always seemed a little too daunting. Where do we put it? What do we put in it? How do we prevent it from, well, stinking up the entire block? Thankfully, our friends at The Honest Company (Jessica and Christopher were two of our first Guest Editors!) have come to the rescue, with eight simple tips to get your compost pile going. Thank you very mulch... Starting a home composting program is easier than you think. Did you know Americans throw away more than 30 million tons of food waste per year? Many items found in your kitchen can be spared from the trash can. Thanks to our friends at ecoscraps you can start your home composting bin today and help lower this growing statistic. [olists num=1]



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Low To Luxe: 7 Best Fitness Trackers At Every Price Point


We're officially approaching the halfway mark of the year, and we're curious - how are those New Years Resolutions coming along? Maybe you've stuck with your original plans of action, maybe you've veered off-track, maybe your goals, as we hit Month Six of 2014, look completely different than they did in January. Wherever you fall on the spectrum, we truly believe that ramping up your resolutions doesn't need to break the bank. And on the flipside...sometimes a little luxury goes a long way when it comes to motivation! Here are seven of the best fitness trackers to take your goals to a whole new level, at every price point. Which is your fave?



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Wednesday, May 28, 2014

Make Your Own Ricotta: Garden Party Recipes from HeirloomLA


It's no secret that we're obsessed with the eco-considerate caterers behind HeirloomLA. Their inventive spreads are sustainable to the core and, if we've planned to make a cameo at an event, we often end up camping out for hours if Heirloom is there feeding us. This recent celebration of author Judy Kameon and her new book Gardens Are For Living was no exception to the rule. Inside Individual Medley's charming shop, garden-lovers gathered for a first glance at the book featuring Judy's inspired garden designs and bites of Heirloom's lavender shortbread, summer gazpacho and next-level avocado toasts. We asked Tara to dish out these two lovely garden party recipes for our readers and they're far too fun to make alone. Gather a few friends, concoct the cocktails first, then sip away as you try your hand at these homemade ricotta toasts and let us know how it goes. Stay tuned for more from Judy Kameon on recreating the inspired environments in her new book in your own backyard! [olists num=1] [olists num=2]



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Superba Food and Bread: 6 Ways To Take your Toast To The Next Level


The brand new Superba Food and Bread has our number. Sister restaurant to the well-loved and highly-acclaimed Superba Snack Bar just around the corner, Venice's new go-to foodie hang is serving up delicious grain salads, giant kale sandwiches (very Chalkboardy) and pricey, but worth it, fresh hazelnut milk lattes. What we appreciate most about Chef Jason Travi's new bread-tastic offerings are the selections of highly unusual toast combinations. We are toast fanatics and, whether or not you are as well, its likely that you still eat the crumby stuff from time to time: if you're twenty, in a European hostel for sustenance. If you're thirty, then as a this-will-do and out-the-door family breakfast. And if you're forty...then with caviar and creme fraiche. Any way you slice it, we all eat toast and Superba Food and Bread is serving it up in our favorite forms. Here are six inspired ideas from Chef Travi to take your ho-hum bread and butter up to his warm and toasty standards...



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Superfood Spotlight: Bee Propolis


What you need to know: We are pretty much in love with anything and everything created by bees. From Manuka and raw honey to bee pollen and royal jelly, each has profound health benefits - which is why we have recently added bee propolis to our superfood hit list. Propolis is made by bees from beeswax and other secretions, and is mixed with tree resins to be used as a sealant for the beehive. Much like a coat of armor, it protects the hive from infection due to its potent antibiotic, antiviral, and antifungal properties. It functions in a very similar manner when it comes to humans, stimulating the thymus gland (the master of the immune system) and enhancing resistance against infection of all kinds. In particular, propolis can be effective for respiratory issues such as a sore throat and cough, as well as oral issues such as canker sores and dental pain. Why you should try it: Propolis is the bee's knees: rich in bioflavonoids, amino acids, as well as a good source of trace minerals, B vitamins, vitamin C, vitamin E and beta-carotene. It has a wide range of healing properties, with research showing promise in its ability to increase recovery time and accelerate new cell growth. It is used as a topical healing agent for burns, minor wounds, infections- even skin cancers and melanomas. Propolis may even be effective in lowering high blood pressure, reducing arteriosclerosis and lowering the risk for heart disease. One other interesting use of propolis? It is commonly used among holistic practitioners for its ability to successfully clear stubborn acne - even the cystic variety. Let's get together: Propolis is not something that can be eaten straight, but can easily be consumed in supplement form. It can be added to your choice of liquid when taking a tincture, or is available as a lozenge or capsule. The lozenges are best used for immediate relief from issues of the oral cavity or throat, while the tincture or capsules are better used for internal benefit or conditions of the skin. Our favorite supplement is Propolis Complex by Premier Research Labs.



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Tuesday, May 27, 2014

Health at all Costs: The 3 Best Green Juices And Powders at Every Price


Across the board, both Eastern and Western practitioners agree that one of the single most important things you can do for your health is to increase your greens intake. The more the variety, the better. From lettuce and kale, to broccoli and Brussels sprouts, even the more exotic chlorella and wheatgrass, greens are some of the most nutrient-dense foods on the planet. Bursting with foundation-building vitamins and minerals, and anti-aging, disease-fighting antioxidants, it is no wonder greens are renown for their medicinal capabilities. Research is beginning to uncover that greens help the body to detoxify - clearing harmful toxins including heavy metals, chemicals and xeno-estrogens from the system. Greens help to build strong bones, teeth, hair, and nails, nourish and cleanse the blood, brighten the skin, and keep an alkaline pH, all the while maintaining a resilient immune system. Due to their far-reaching benefits, we love to use greens as our multivitamin - the bonus points in our daily diet, ensuring that we get all the nutrients we need for the day. No matter how the rest of the day goes - an extra large coffee to meet a deadline, a celebratory piece of birthday cake or an after dinner cocktail - greens in the morning mean we still feel good, and our health remains somewhat in tact. Pick from our top three favorites, each featuring an array of nutrient-dense greens, and maximize your greens potential! TCM Note: While incorporating leafy greens into every meal is the best place to begin, we also suggest supplementing with a greens powder or greens juice. Taking greens in powder or juice form allows you to consume much higher levels of nutrients that otherwise would be near to impossible to consume in food form. So unless you can manage to eat a head of kale, a head of broccoli, a bunch of wheatgrass and a side of blue-green algae all in one day, consider one of our top picks from below.

High: Greens 1 by Pressed Juicery Nothing goes down easier that a bottle of fresh-pressed green juice. That is why Greens 1 from Pressed Juicery is always going to be our daily staple. Featuring some of our favorite greens - kale, spinach, and romaine, this juice amps up its nourishing and cleansing properties with the addition of parsley, cucumber, and celery. The added bonus is that this particular green juice contains all of the live enzymes present in vegetables, which increase its ability to detoxify, energize and hydrate. Liquid chlorophyll is how we see it! If you want to learn more about how to make green juice at home, or the health benefits of juicing, pre-order JUICE, the new juicing how-to book by the Pressed Juicery founders!

Midpoint: Green SuperFood Powder by Amazing Grass Raw Reserve


A complete blend of algaes, cereal grasses, sea vegetables and a few other functional foods, there is hardly anything left out of the Amazing Grass Greens Superfood blend. Homegrown and developed on a family farm in the middle of Kansas, many of the ingredients are tended to and harvested with the utmost attention and care. What that leaves us with is some of the most nutrient dense cereal grasses on the face of the Earth. In order to amplify the benefits of this greens blend, the nutrient powerhouses spirulina, chlorella and sea vegetables are also included. Algae and sea vegetables are powerful detoxifiers and blood cleansers, which is vital for maintaining optimal health. Each ingredient in Raw Reserve is completely raw, vegan and of the highest quality. Plus, each serving contains over 25 billion live probiotics at the time of bottling, making it beneficial for digestion, mood and immunity. Raw Reserve is one of our favorite ways to drink our greens, especially when added into one of our go-to Tropical Green Smoothie recipes.

Low: Ormus SuperGreens by Sunwarrior An incredibly unique formula, Sunwarrior Ormus Supergreens includes potent nutrition from alfalfa, barley grass, wheat grass, spinach, oat grass, parsley, moringa, and ginger. These supergreens are grown in pristine, ancient volcanic valleys. The fertile, mineral-rich volcanic soil nurtures these organic greens, enriching them with trace minerals, which is what makes this greens powder so therapeutic. Trace minerals are oftentimes missing in our diet, and they are the very thing that makes us feel energized, hydrated and alert. This greens blend uses a patented cold-drying process that protects the heat-sensitive bioactive components and phytonutrients. This is unique in that it leaves us with a superior green superfood powder that is alive, and raw. This process conserves the delicate balance of essential oils, enzymes, vitamins, and minerals, so that your body can easily absorb and utilize them. The best part is that this greens formula comes in a delicious peppermint flavor, making it a happy addition to a cold glass of water or superfood smoothie.



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