Blog Posts by Healing Lifestyles and Spas

By Melissa Williams
I'm a summer salad kind of gal. When the weather is warm, nothing beats a refreshing salad filled with farm-fresh greens and veggies!


But when the weather cools I, like many of you I am sure, tend to turn toward warmer lunches. It's called seasonal eating.

Fortunately, you don't have to skip salads when the weather cools. You just have to rethink your vision of what a salad is, and remind yourself that lunch is the perfect time of day to up your ante of fresh veggies and fruits, helping you get to the recommended eight+ servings each day.

Count your tally when you get to lunchtime. How many servings have you had thus far? Unfortunately the answer is usually 1 or maybe 2 but that's it.

First tip: Greens are still fresh in the fall, just look toward bitter and darker leafy greens, including arugula, spinach, and kale. A combination of these three gives you a healthy serving of iron, vitamin A and vitamin C.

Pre-wash on Sunday and you're set for at least the

By Laurel House
Instead of habit-forming prescription meds, food has similar abilities to fight off a funk, without causing havoc on your body or the planet


In a funk? Forget about pills. Mend your mood the eco way - with food!

More than singing fat and firing up the metabolism, certain foods have the ability to alter your outlook without the side-effects and internal havoc caused by chemically-concocted meds-a good thing for not only your body, but the planet too.

Studies have shown that ground water, the same water that comes out of the tap, is contaminated by a chemical cocktail consisting of birth control and anti-psychotics. Say what?!

Sure, it's a minuscule amount, but even in extremely small doses do you really want to ingest them on a daily basis?

What is the cause for this tainted water? When we urinate, we rid our bodies of toxins- which includes medications which then get worked back into the water supply system. Pretty gross!

Next time you feel out of sorts, consider

By Melissa Williams

Stress is harmful for your health, but did you know that long-term periods of stress can cause everything from weight gain to heart problems? Here are a few health issues associated with stress, and what you can do about it:

1. Weakened immunity.
   As soon as the stress lets up, you suddenly find yourself with a cold or the flu. Not much of a surprise. Stress weakens the body, including the immune system, making you more susceptible to everything little germ floating in the air. Worse, when you're stressed it is more likely that simple little cold turns into something much less manageable, like bronchitis or pneumonia.
   
   ** Take a wellness herbal tonic during stressful times and be sure to add more darky leafy greens and vitamin C to your daily diet.
   
   
2. Inflammation.
   Inflammation has been on the minds of many doctors over the last decade and recent research shows that constant stress causes the body to have low-level

By Shannon Kaiser

After just 7 days, my skin is clearer, I sleep like a rock star at night, my relationships are more sincere, I am more productive at work and I have lost 5 lbs.

If you need a health jump-start consider this 7-day makeover plan:

Ditch Sugar

Sugar literally sucks the life out of us. The more we eat, the more we crave. I kicked all sugar to the curb, and would your believe I have more energy, I feel cleaner and I am less irritable. Instead of sugar filled coffee drinks and sweet snacks I switched to green tea and fruit. Yum.

Stop Mindless Eating

I had no idea how much I was overeating until I looked at all my receipts from junk food and in between meal snacks. When I would get a frustrating phone call at work, I would turn to the fridge and pop something in my mouth. My emotional eating was hurting my health and waistline. This thoughtless grazing can add up. I implemented a grazing menu for myself so I can graze thoughtfully on things like

By Melissa Williams

It is so easy to complain about such issues as heartburn or headaches and not realize their root cause. But if we don't learn what causes these somewhat painful and certainly annoying behaviors, we never learn how to stop them. Here are a few signs and what you can do.

• As any pregnant woman will tell you, leg cramps are more than a minor inconvenience. They cause debilitating pain that can result in a sore muscle for days.
  
  What is your body trying to tell you? You're electrolytes are off balance, and you might be dehydrated. You also might not have enough calcium and magnesium in your blood. Check your mineral supplements and hydrate.
  
  
• Eye twitches are distracting and can sometimes last for hours.
  
  What is your body trying to tell you? Lay off the caffeine. Too much caffeine, too much stress, and too little sleep can all result in muscle spasms. And who knows, perhaps the faces we make when we're under stress are part of the equation

by Katie Karlson
Once you've checked each item off your summer bucket list, scope out these perfect ways to kick off fall...

Go apple-picking.
Fall is the best time for fresh, crunchy apples. (If you're feeling indulgent, pick up caramel apples or doughnuts while you're there... but enjoy in moderation!)

Love the leaves.
Go for a walk in the woods or park one or two afternoons a week every week till all the leaves are gone. Soak up the solitude as you watch the leaves turn brilliant shades of yellow, orange and red. Rake together a colorful leafy mound and jump in!

Warm up with chili.
Try this tasty, healthy recipe for a vegetarian chili tostada and savor the flavors of fall.

Primp with pumpkin.
Give yourself a revitalizing at-home pumpkin facial or pick up one of our fave pumpkin skin products!

Get your outdoor fireplace in tact.
It's perfect weather for an outdoor fire and s'mores!

For more tips and articles like this, visit

By Laurel House, Quickie Chick

1. Smiling Lifts Your Spirits! Even if you're not feeling it... smile. The simple act of smiling, especially when you smile at someone else and they reflect that smile back at you, can trick your body and mind into thinking that you are actually happy.
   
   
2. Smiling is a Stress Reliever! Physically, you are releasing your jaw muscles which tend to be tightened in times of stress. The jaw muscles attach to the neck muscles which, when tightened, can lead to headaches. You also LOOK less stressed since you minimize those frown lines on your forehead. I'll take smile lines any day!
   
   
3. Smiling Boosts the Immune System! When you smile, your body naturally relaxes. When you are relaxed, your immune system is able to function optimally, helping fight off colds and flu.
   
   
4. Smiling Lowers Blood Pressure! When you relax your mind and your face by smiling, you actually lower your blood pressure. Sit and enjoy the view, pet your pup, or

By Melissa Williams

Learning to cook allergy-wise can be a steep learning curve, depending upon the allergies you're contending with. I'm learning what I can bring to my daughter's peanut-free school for her vegetarian lunches (yep PB&J is out)... yet something that doesn't have to be refrigerated. If you're looking to increase your knowledge of allergen-free cooking, check out our favorite cookbooks here.

Here are a few tips for living allergen-free.

1. This one I pack for my daughter's peanut-free school. Nut-free trail mix. Mix banana chips, raisins, craisins, pumpkin seeds, coconut flakes, dried apricots, and maybe some chocolate chips.
   
   
2. Roll-ups. Buy pre-made wheat-free tortillas (look for soy on the lable), spread hummus, loads of veggies and turkey on top. You can also do a Cream Cheese & Jelly wrap the same way, if dairy isn't a concern.
   
   
3. If you're cooking dairy, egg, and wheat-free at home, a good cookbook is a must. See above, but we also have heard