I was just at the Natural Products West Show down in Anaheim. I actually went to work for dear friends, Eve and Tom Neuhaus, owners of Sweet Earth Chocolates - a local, organic, fair trade artisan chocolate company. Should you ever need excellent custom recipes or custom packaging for short runs these are the people to contact (www.sweetearthchocolates.com). If you ever thought chocolate was not HUGE just watch health nuts grab it vegan, sugar free or NOT. I spent five hours solid cutting samples to keep the mini confection cups full for those culinary delight seekers.
So, Thursday I helped them in the new comers tent then Friday I attended the show. It was huge, exciting and very noisy. The vast majority of the booths were natural food of one sort or other with smaller sections for natural body care. Mostly the big natural retail companies were exhibiting - Weleda, Kiss My Face along with a few great small specialty businesses. We all loved Volcanic Minerals Inc, a northern California company that has great mineral water to drink or use with custom aromas as a spritz and GREAT live mud. I found the best natural beeswax products - www.BeeRescued.com. It worked like a miracle on the eczema I get when I over extend. Mountain Rose Herbals, the source of many of our organic oils had a beautiful and very classy booth. I discovered the owners are English like me. Then the most unusual find, an Icelandic company with the most beautiful Neti pots and Prana Mats. An organic mat with multiple eco-plastic lotus flower massagers to be like a modern day bed of nails. Really extraordinary. See www.advaitalifestyle.com.
The main message seemed to be "Beauty from Within". Not surprising with so many food exhibits, but refreshing. Ayurveda has always called the skin the cream of rasa, meaning the product of our blood quality, which is directly related to what we eat and how well we digest. So once again these ancient teachings are being recognised as truth. The main new foods for the skin were super juice drinks of various sorts. I got the chance to try purple carrot juice - which tasted like pomegranate, fig juice - very like prune juice, both from Smart Juice and sea buckthorn juice - a delicious orangey, tropical flavor made from yellow berries grown in baron parts of the Himalaya. Please check out www.sibubeauty.com. We know it as a skin care ingredient, now you can drink it AND it is delightful. It goes straight to the top of my Spa Treats list.
Friday, March 19, 2010
Monday, March 1, 2010
Natural Hormones
I like many of my friends are at that stage in life when we are experiencing the wonders of peri and full on menopause. Though very hard for some it has been known to be completely plain sailing for others.
As questions come up about hormone replacement natural or otherwise I wanted to link readers with a very useful piece I just discovered on the web. It is on a wonderful site called Women to Women. I must have signed up at some point as I get their emails. Check out this article. www.womentowomen.com/menopause/ayurvedictreatmentformenopause.aspx
As questions come up about hormone replacement natural or otherwise I wanted to link readers with a very useful piece I just discovered on the web. It is on a wonderful site called Women to Women. I must have signed up at some point as I get their emails. Check out this article. www.womentowomen.com/menopause/ayurvedictreatmentformenopause.aspx
Ayurvedic Approach to Acne
A number of clients have asked what to do about skin breakouts or even severe acne so I wanted to take this chance to offer all the advise I have given over the years in one place. Basically, we suggest our pitta face oil and using the rose ubtan as a gentle cleanser. Neither should cause further congestion or breakouts. Be gentle on your skin and take things step by step. Diamond Way Ayurveda skin products are generally soothing but are not designed for major skin problems. We refer clients to friends in the Ayurveda community for that specialty. For those with deeper problems we suggest the following information and products with contact information.........
Ayurvedic Theory
Ayurveda teaches that a major cause of breakouts on the skin is due to our blood becoming overloaded with toxins from incomplete digestion and elimination. Skin is called the cream of rasa (the fluid in which the red blood cells are suspended). Toxins float to the top and pore out the sin when they are not able to pass out through the channel of normal elimination. So it then only makes sense to pay heed to what you eat, how you eat and think about taking some herbs that help digestion and gentle detoxification. In terms of diet many of the foods that elevate the pitta dosha can be a problem for those with skin problems. These include chocolate, coffee, anything with caffeine in it, white sugar, hot spices, red meats and shell fish, as well as heavier fats and nut butters. Try to eat plenty of fruits and vegetables especially greens and whole grains. Raw foods could be a path to consider as a stronger cleansing start or a polarity diet. Try to sit and eat calmly, eat at regualr times and with people that make you feel happy. Also take time to go to the bathroom. For reliable herbal support check out www.banyanbotanicals.com. If you hit acne on their search tool you will find three herbal formulas. I suggest you start with trying "Blood Cleanse". Triphala which is not on this page is a good addition too. We like the triphala formular produced by Michael Tierra check www.planetaryherbals.com to source that. Diamond Way Ayurveda will have a triphala Tincture once again in the near future. All these herbal formulas are non habit forming and fine to be taken on going. Be sure to check contraindications on the websites by clicking on the picture of the product.
Skin Care
Of course most people think of something topical. Here the action is two fold, cleanse and sooth. There are also herbal formulars that work directly on the skin. Sarada has a pimple formula that has been one of their star products for years. It is available through Banyan Botanicals too on the same page as the blood cleanser but you can find more information on their website www.saradausa.com.
Some people find unrefined coconut oil to be very soothing after a herbal skin wash. A little goes a long, long way. One of the cheapest and best sources is www.mountainroseherbs.com. Our Pitta face oil also is great for soothing too. One of the simplest remedies I've witnessed being effective is white vinegar. Just dab it on with clean cotton pad night and morning. My guess is it changes the pH of the skin and makes it an unfriendly environment for bacteria that flourish in the toxins being excreted on the skin.
I would love to hear from anyone that tries any of these approaches so do please call 805 543 9291 or blog and let us know what works for you.
Ayurvedic Theory
Ayurveda teaches that a major cause of breakouts on the skin is due to our blood becoming overloaded with toxins from incomplete digestion and elimination. Skin is called the cream of rasa (the fluid in which the red blood cells are suspended). Toxins float to the top and pore out the sin when they are not able to pass out through the channel of normal elimination. So it then only makes sense to pay heed to what you eat, how you eat and think about taking some herbs that help digestion and gentle detoxification. In terms of diet many of the foods that elevate the pitta dosha can be a problem for those with skin problems. These include chocolate, coffee, anything with caffeine in it, white sugar, hot spices, red meats and shell fish, as well as heavier fats and nut butters. Try to eat plenty of fruits and vegetables especially greens and whole grains. Raw foods could be a path to consider as a stronger cleansing start or a polarity diet. Try to sit and eat calmly, eat at regualr times and with people that make you feel happy. Also take time to go to the bathroom. For reliable herbal support check out www.banyanbotanicals.com. If you hit acne on their search tool you will find three herbal formulas. I suggest you start with trying "Blood Cleanse". Triphala which is not on this page is a good addition too. We like the triphala formular produced by Michael Tierra check www.planetaryherbals.com to source that. Diamond Way Ayurveda will have a triphala Tincture once again in the near future. All these herbal formulas are non habit forming and fine to be taken on going. Be sure to check contraindications on the websites by clicking on the picture of the product.
Skin Care
Of course most people think of something topical. Here the action is two fold, cleanse and sooth. There are also herbal formulars that work directly on the skin. Sarada has a pimple formula that has been one of their star products for years. It is available through Banyan Botanicals too on the same page as the blood cleanser but you can find more information on their website www.saradausa.com.
Some people find unrefined coconut oil to be very soothing after a herbal skin wash. A little goes a long, long way. One of the cheapest and best sources is www.mountainroseherbs.com. Our Pitta face oil also is great for soothing too. One of the simplest remedies I've witnessed being effective is white vinegar. Just dab it on with clean cotton pad night and morning. My guess is it changes the pH of the skin and makes it an unfriendly environment for bacteria that flourish in the toxins being excreted on the skin.
I would love to hear from anyone that tries any of these approaches so do please call 805 543 9291 or blog and let us know what works for you.
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