Did you know that one in three bites of food is made possible by pollinators like bees, butterflies and hummingbirds? Whole Foods Market and The Xerces Society are partnering up to share news of pollinator population decline and their huge impact on our foods.
Take a look at this cute video they put together to show the importance of pollinators to our society…
A ritual I do every single morning consists of vitamins, oils and tea to enrich my dehydrated skin and hungry body early in the day, while I sip a fresh, home-made smoothie. This keeps me nourished and motivated while I make food and catch up on e-mails. This last week I spent on the road, driving up to San Francisco and back down to San Diego in less than a week. Between meetings, friendships, working remotely, travel, switching sleeping spots and catching up on e-mails, wellness fought hard to take a front seat. And while I did manage to take my vitamins, drink my teas, ingest my tinctures and do my little rituals, doing it in my own space again means so, so much to me!
Currently morning vitamins include True Svatsthya’s (follow @truesvasthya for more info!) Phythoceramides, which have gotten a lot of press lately after Dr. Oz said on his show that they could “take ten years off your life in four weeks!” I’ve been very eager to try them, as customer testimonials boast plumper, more hydrated and rejuvenated skin. I noticed results in about four days – most noticeably I’ve needed to hydrate my sun-loving skin way less, saving me on product. And makeup which used to get “stuck” on wrinkles and bumps now seems to glide right on and look dewey.
Life EqualsVitamin D and Omega 3’s ( follow @lifeequals for more info & get 10% off your first time purchase with coupon code ORGANICLIFE or 75% off with coupon code ORGANICLIFE75 for monthly vitamins) for my skin and mood in the morning have been killer, and were much needed on my shocking trip to Northern California, where sunshine peeks out with reservation a few times a day, a lot like it does on the East Coast, especially in January. A far cry from the 75 and sunny I’m used to in LA and SD!
Life Equals Vitamin D has been coined “ the sunshine vitamin”. It can affect more than 2,000 cells in the body. Vitamin D fights heart disease, the flu and symptoms of MS. It does wonders for my mood and helps my body absorb sunshine while fighting free radicals.
Life Equal’s Omega-3’s help as a natural anti-depressant, as well as helping my rheumatoid arthritis, stiffness and joint pain in the cold. Omega’s are essential for overall health, including heart health, cholesterol, and concentration. It can maximize your learning potential, aiding in helping disorders like ADHD, Chron’s Disease, Parkinsons, Alzheimers and general brain function.
I also take MSM + Sulfur for my joints and bones. MSM (methylsulfonylmethane) is a naturally occurring sulfur compound found in all vertebrates, including humans. MSM is already well-known for its joint health benefits, but it may be important for a whole host of other reasons as well. Sulfur plays a critical role in detoxification, and also in inflammatory conditions. For detoxification, sulfur is part of one of the most important antioxidants that your body produces: glutathione. Without sulfur, glutathione cannot work. It also reduces pain and swelling, improves circulation and improves cell vitality by breaking up unhealthy calcium deposits, which are the root cause of many degenerative diseases.
Buddha Teas (Follow @buddhateas & receive 20% off your Buddha Teas order with coupon code ORGANICLIFE at buddhateas.com) are local to my hometown in San Diego and they’re amazing! They sent me over some Chakra based teas that I have at night, but this Pure Mind tea is incredible for super early in the morning!
Pure Mind tea is great for both relaxing from stress and enhancing concentration. This awesome elixir of holy basil, rosemary, oregano, sage leaf myrtle, gotu kola, and spearmint is completely organic and tastes delicious!
I will add my spirits, and tinctures to this, like Sleeping Monk’s Mind Sharpener, which is a reishi-mushroom based tincture that helps concentration and focus ( follow @sleepingmonks to find out more!) as well as eliminates threats of many common degerative mind diseases. Loaded with powerful ginseng root (which calms, concentrates and strengthens the body), polygala root (amazing for nervous tension, memory, nerve growth), and sweetflag rhizome (relieves confusion and depression, aids in digestion, increases circulation to the brain) Sleeping Monk’s formula’s are super powerful! I add a dropper full to my tea in the morning along with some Manukah Honey for a powerful and delicious blend.
Wedderspoon’s Manuka Honey is the best of the best. I’d like to take this moment to correct a previous post I made on Manuka Honey, as the good people of Wedderspoon have given me some updated information. Though many people believe it, UMF is an inaccurate way to test quality and potency of manuka. Through a robust marketing campaign, UMF has convinced the public of this however, UMF (Unique Manuka Factor) is a company that trademarks Manuka honey and is not an official standard in any way for determining potency of Manuka. In fact, UMF sets the stage for manipulating the honey, since the testing method involves heating, which also automatically alters the contents of the honey and could affect the valuable enzymes found in manuka honey.
Wedderspoon eliminates this problem by providing raw, organic, GMO free, unheated manuka honey. It’s amazing for everything from tea, to a drizzle on a fruit salad, to DIY face masks! (Follow them on @wedderspoonusa to find out more!)
Along with my tea, I take Thayer’s Natural’s throat drops (Follow @thayersnaturals to learn more!) These natural throat drops are how I keep my voice in tip top shape! Thayer’s have been around for over a century, making natural products since 1869! Made from the inner bark of the Slippery Elm tree (ulmus fulva), these dependable demulcents soothe the tissues of the mouth and throat and restore the voice without the dulling effects of menthol. Try them – you’ll soon be singing Thayer’s praises!
To help it all go down, I apply 21 Drops Digestion onto my pulse points and inhale deeply. 21 Drops makes extremely affordable and natural essential oil blends for different ailments, like pain, nervousness, insomnia and digestion. A blend of cardamon, ginger and chamomile helps my meals go down easier and reduces the “morning sweats” that I get from nausea associated with pain and stomach problems I incurred during pharmaceutical withdrawal.
Finally, I apply Laurel’s Skin’s new natural and organic one drop wonder eye serum. While in San Francisco, I stopped by Laurel Skin HQ for an inspiring chat with the lovely Laurel & her amazing team! She was kind enough to gift me her magical new eye serum, releasing in March! It is truly a ONE drop WONDER! I was so surprised that the instructions said to use ONE drop! ? So I did! One heavenly drop is enough to cover under both my eyes with a little left over!
Deeply nourishing jojoba, borage, rosehip, pomegranate & almond seed oils go straight to work hydrating skin. It smells divine, with Laurel’s signature earthy scent, mixed with deep and pleasant tones of rose and berries. I can’t stop sniffing the ‘tester’ part of my hand. I can’t thank Laurel enough for this gorgeous beauty! This serum is perfect for travel, so I’ve found my holy grail! ( Follow @laurelskin to learn more about her awesome whole plant based organic line.)
Thanks for reading all about my morning routine this week. These kinds of posts are super fun to do and there will be more to come!
Colony collapse disorder (CCD) is a phenomenon in which worker bees from a beehive or European Honey Bee Colony abruptly disappear. For instance, in some countries, like the UK, some bumblebee species have already gone extinct. Colony collapse is significant economically because many agricultural crops worldwide are pollinated by European honey bees. Shortages of bees in the US have increased the cost to farmers renting them for pollination services by up to 20%.
Losses were reported in migratory operations wintering in California, Florida, Oklahoma, and Texas. In late February, some larger non-migratory beekeepers in the mid-Atlantic and Pacific Northwest regions also reported significant losses of more than 50%. Colony losses also were reported in five Canadian provinces, several European countries, and countries in South and Central America and Asia. In 2010, the USDA reported that data on overall honey bee losses for 2010 indicated an estimated 34% loss.
So how can we help our buzzing friends? There are definitely some companies, causes and amazing creatures out there doing their part to Save the Bees!
Waxelene has become extremely proactive about their bee-causes, including donating part of their profits of Waxelene (which is both extremely effective and extremely inexpensive – starting at $4.99 for a tube) to help Save The Bees.
I am really excited to be working with this company and Representing them here in LA! If anyone wants a free sample, come on over! I have plenty! 🙂 Waxelene is just incredible, works wonders, and is unprecedented in what they represent as a healthy alternative for better skin!
Positive Ions: Microscopically, any ‘thing’ floating in the air is doing so because it has become ‘positively charged’. This includes everything from dust and pollen to toxic residues and emissions coming from household furnishings, rugs, construction materials, including viruses, bacteria and germs. Even odors like food smells from cooking, household pets, mold and mildew, all remain ‘smelly’ because they are ‘positively charged’, and suspended in the air and thus, are readily inhaled by us. These toxins become positively charged by static electricity, and can get trapped in recycled air produced by the heating systems we all use, as well as computers, refrigerators, etc.
Beeswax contains negative ions, which actually clean your air of odors, pollens, smoke, dust, dust mites, viruses and other allergens and hazards – the only known fuel to do so. Beeswax candles leave your air fresher and cleaner – they are a true air purifier. They are the only candle for anyone with chemical sensitivities or allergies.
Believe it or not, most commercial candles are made of poisonous chemicals.
Paraffin, most common in store bought candles, is petroleum industry waste that is bleached (adding dioxin and other poisonous chemicals) and texturized with acrolyn. Stearic acid, a byproduct of the meatpacking slaughterhouses, is added as a hardener. Often candles are highly scented with artificial, synthetic oils and marketed to “freshen” our precious air.
Beeswax is very different: all natural, non-toxic, non-polluting, non-allergenic, and with a delicious honey-sweet aroma. A perfect, renewable resource, beeswax is made by the female worker bee for honeycomb, which safely contains their honey and the Queen’s baby bees.
To produce one pound of beeswax, the worker bees eat about ten pounds of honey, fly 150,000 miles, and visit 33 million flower blossoms, making Beeswax really precious stuff!
All that said, I adore my Beeswax Candles from The Busy Bee! They smell wonderful, are long lasting, give off a beautiful light and improve my sleep and allergies!
Carefully Select Your Honey
Spend Cash – Cast a Vote! Carefully selecting your honey is a key way to send a message to your Retailer about Saving The Bees! Local honey from sustainable keepers who ensure their bees are treated well, local, organic farmers who provide the right native habitat for their bees is the best Honey to purchase! Williams Honey Farm is my favorite!
You’d be surprised how many edible organic plants you can grow to eat in a small space! In just my a 15 foot by 5 foot plot, I have about 20 different herbs, veggies and fruits growing, and my bees LOVE them! They also love my Wildflowers, which are the easiest thing you can plant to attract bees! While it’s very hard to come up with a simple solution to this very real phenomena, creating an organic environment and using pesticide-free nutrition methods in your garden makes for a bee-friendly home and environment.
If you cannot grow your own, then try to select as much organic produce as you can when you are buying your shopping. If you buy at least some organic produce, your purchases, along with those of others, will send a signal to retailers, which will ultimately send a signal to farmers. Purchase not just honey, but as much of your groceries as possible from local producers who are using all natural methods and practices. Encourage your friends, family and neighbors to follow these simple steps to support foraging honeybees across your local community.
Hi, I'm Tara! A bestselling self-help author, singer and speaker. The Organic Life is a place where I share my healthy life hacks - so we can all become our best selves!
