I have always struggled with anxiety and feeling overwhelmed. When I began paying more attention to my body and how it reacts to certain food, I noticed I would feel more anxious (or hangry) when I hadn’t eaten in a while.

Hypoglycemia – a fancy name for low blood sugar level. Hypoglycemia occurs when:
o   Your body's sugar (glucose) is used up too quickly
o   Glucose is released into the bloodstream too slowly
o   Too much insulin is released into the bloodstream

Although it is most common in people with diabetes, it can happen for healthy people from time to time as well, especially when there is big fluctuation in blood sugar level, or if a person hasn’t eaten for a long period of time.

Skipping meals, not eating enough during meal time, genetic tendency for low blood sugar and not compensating by adding extra meals or snacks can all contribute to hypoglycemia.

There are a few ways to alleviate mood issues caused by hypoglycemia:
§ Eat meals that are low in glycemic load: substitute refined grains with whole grains, include a generous amount of vegetables, and a moderate amount of protein and good fats which can slow down the absorption of carbs.
§ To keep blood sugar level even, experiment with having 5 – 6 small meals or snacks a day, instead of 3 big meals.
§ Avoid as much as possible processed foods, and anything that contains sugar and refined carbohydrates.

If you need extra help with balancing blood sugar level, there are a few things that you can take to supplement your nutritional intake.

The basics are:
§ Good quality, whole food based multivitamin to deal with backlog of deficiencies
§ A protein shake with a clean plant based protein powder
§ Essential fatty acid – fish oil supplement, omega 3

If you are tired of feeling anxious or stressed and want to take a more natural approach to feeling calm, book an appointment me.

Happy 2018 Everyone!!! I love the tradition of creating New Year’s resolutions because it’s another push for us to work on ourselves in order to grow! I know that we can start fresh any day of the year, but there is something about the buzz of everyone’s enthusiasm that I can’t resist.

I just can’t help but reflect and start planning on the first day of January. Most people have the day off to relax, which is perfect for quieting the mind and beginning to visualize the coming year.

Last night (or should I say ‘last year’?), I was filled with anxiety trying to come up with the best New Year’s resolution. I wanted it to be perfect.

The perfect resolution for me is one that is inspiring in a way that gets me excited and motivated to practice on a regular basis. It needs to be something that I feel confident I can achieve; I have to believe that it is possible to reach. I came up with several common goals that I’m sure many other people would like for themselves as well, goals that would point me in the direction of increased health, wellness and overall happiness. I thought about just focusing on eating healthier foods, but I also wanted to increase my physical activity. I knew I needed to drink more water, but that’s something I have been trying to do for months and am clearly uninspired by that goal. I thought about focusing on my mental health by thinking more positively or practicing self-care. These goals are important to all of us, so how could I choose just one?

The anxiety came about when I felt the pressure of coming up with one perfect resolution before midnight when I had so many things I wanted to change in my life. As midnight crept closer, I did something that I think subconsciously began the New Year/ New Me without even realizing it. I decided that it was okay if I didn’t come up with something by midnight, that I’d have lots of time to think about it the next day or coming week. This was a revelation in itself, as I shifted my self-criticism and worry into telling myself that it was totally okay and letting it go.
I am so glad that I allowed myself to peacefully focus on it today (January 1st) because it gave me time to decide on something that really works for me. Ultimately I want to be happier. Some people describe the way they feel as vibration; with feeling good being a higher vibration than feeling down. Many people (along with myself) believe that one’s vibrational frequency attracts things and situations of equal vibration. This means that positive vibrations or thoughts attracts positive experiences while negative vibes attract negative experiences. With this understanding, the answer is simply to increase your vibration!

I became excited when I decided on my New Year’s resolution because it is truly what I want more than anything and it covers pretty much all of the goals I had thought about. I decided that my New Year’s resolution would be to Increase my Vibration. My plan is to do something each day to increase my vibes. This might seem a little broad and unstructured, but I left it open to allow flexibility and the option to practice a little bit of all of my health and wellness goals, because ultimately each goal will bring me increased happiness.

I made a list of all of the things I know will boost my mood and vibration, so that I can refer to it each day and decide what I can do.

• Drink more water. Since our bodies are made up primarily of water, it would make sense that our vibrations are highest when our bodies are replenished of this healing solution. Water cleanses out toxins and hydrates each cell in our bodies.
• Eat whole live foods. Since other living things also vibrate at certain frequencies, consuming that energy in its natural state, improves our vibrations. Eating nutrient dense foods gives us increased energy and provides our body with the building blocks to function properly, including brain function and therefore mood balancing.
• Practice therapeutic movement. For example, walking, yoga, running, climbing etc. Mindful exercise increases energy, boosts endorphins providing uplifting effects as well as enhancing lymphatic drainage which helps cleanse the body.
• Allow for good quality sleep. This means resting when you feel tired. It means ensuring a deep and restful sleep that lasts 7-9 hours. We can achieve this by reducing our exposure to electronic screens right before bed, and by creating a completely dark environment with no light or sound interruptions. Supplementing with magnesium and/or spraying lavender on your pillow can help the mind relax, allowing you to fall asleep easily.
• Organize my home/space. Decluttering and tidying our living space is important since a clean and organized room helps us feel more comfortable and relaxed.
• Meditate. This is something I know is beneficial, but have yet to practice on a regular basis. Even just meditating for one minute can bring contentment into your day. What I love about the idea of meditation is that it is also unstructured with room for personalization. We can follow a guided meditation designed to focus on a specific area in need (such as dealing with nervousness, helping with falling asleep, or even visualizing a positive experience) all of which increases our vibration.
• Laugh. For you, this may mean giggling with a funny friend or reading a joke. For me, I know that watching Ellen DeGeneres will make me laugh and with technology these days, it’s easy to access that quick laughter fix anytime I need it. Laughter boosts your immune system and (obviously) your vibration.
• Repeat positive affirmations. Positive affirmations are positive statements about yourself or your life. Even if you believe in something negative like that you are unattractive, for example, by repeating a positive statement about your appearance like “I am beautiful!” will eventually change your view overtime and thus boost your mood each time you think it or say it.
• Express gratitude. Even when you are feeling down, if you force yourself to come up with a few things that you are grateful for, you can’t help but feel a little better in that moment because you are recognizing the good things that you have going on in your life, right now! Go ahead, try it and see for yourself.
• Visualize. I am referring to the practice of picturing positive things happening to you. See in your mind what you want to come into your life and feel the emotions you know you will feel when it does happen. Visualize yourself happy, excited and at peace. Are you feeling it? Then your vibration just jumped a few notches!
• Spend the majority of my time around positive people. I’ve heard that we are each the sum of the 7 people we spend the most time with. Think about a time you visited with someone who complained through most of the conversation and kept having a negative spin on every subject. Wasn’t that draining? Your vibration likely dropped significantly, matching closely to theirs. So, of the 7 people you spend most of your time with, what if the majority of them were negative? Likely, you would develop a negative attitude as well. But what about that really uplifting friend that always encourages you and you leave that visit feeling more empowered than you did when you entered it. That empowering feeling is increased vibration. Now, imagine if you spent the majority of your time with people like that. Think about how inspired and excited you would become. Think about what you could accomplish. If you know you need to make changes within your close circle, this might mean letting go of those that often bring you down and offer more time to those who lift you up.
• Replace negative comments with positive ones. The thoughts we think and the words we speak affect how we feel and thus our vibration. A negative statement brings ourselves and those around us to a slightly lower vibration. Yet a positive comment increases our vibration. Sometimes our thoughts and speech flow out so quickly that it’s hard to change the habit of complaining. I plan on paying attention to the things I say and when I complain, I will actively follow it with a positive statement. Eventually, this will begin the habit of thinking of the positive things in my life more easily, making myself feel better and becoming a positive person for others to spend time with.

I became so excited about my New Year’s resolution that I decided to write a blog post about it every day in the month of January. Since I plan on doing something simple to increase my vibration every day, I thought that by sharing it with all of you, I would be motivated and can be accountable to someone. I hope that by sharing my ideas, I can inspire you to add an uplifting practice to your life.

I’d love to hear your ideas and inspirations. Please let me know how you plan on growing this year. I hope 2018 is your best year yet!

Hey guys! Today I want to tell you how you can make your own natural dry shampoo using ingredients from your kitchen!
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I have naturally oily hair. I pretty much can’t go longer than 24 hours without washing my hair or it starts looking greasy and flat. I know that it’s not healthy to wash your hair everyday, but I don’t feel confident when my hair starts to look like that. So, when I first heard about dry shampoo, I was ecstatic!


I used the popular dry shampoo that comes in an aerosol can for years….. And loved it! Until I started becoming more health conscious and began wondering what my body was absorbing through my scalp and what I was breathing in every time I sprayed my hair. (Plus, one small can is quite expensive if you think about how (not very) long it lasts).


So, when I discovered an easy (and inexpensive) way to make my own dry shampoo powder, I was even more ecstatic and still am!


I’m going to teach you how to make dry shampoo powder that matches your hair colour perfectly; whether you have brown, blonde, red (or grey) hair.


Let’s start with the base ingredient. You can either use arrowroot flour or cornstarch. They both do a great job at absorbing oil.


Cornstarch is more commonly found in the kitchen. However, a high percentage of conventional corn is grown using genetically modified seed as well as harmful pesticides. The chemical extraction process to make cornstarch can also be harsh. So, I would suggest that you use organic cornstarch if possible.


I like to use arrowroot flour because the extraction process is less intense and arrowroot flour is typically not genetically engineered.


Now that you have you base ingredient for absorbing the oils, you can start adding colour to your dry shampoo based on your own hair colour. I won’t be giving you specific measurements because everyone has their own beautiful hue of colour. Feel free to play around with the following ingredients until your dry shampoo blends in unnoticeably.


If you’re a brunette, add cocoa powder so that the white base doesn’t show up in your dark hair. The darker your hair, the more cocoa powder.


If you are a blonde like me, you only need a little bit of cocoa powder to add some colour to your base since your hair is lighter and the powder will be less noticeable.


If you are rockin’ the red, try adding any or a combination of the following: cinnamon, nutmeg, beetroot powder, or sweet paprika with a little bit of cocoa powder depending on the reddish tones in your hair.


And if you happen to be a silver fox, all you need is the base ingredientand you’re set!
Store your new concoction in a glass jar with a lid. As long as it stays dry, it can last for several months.


An alternative way to store it is in an old spice shaker. It’s really convenient, especially for travelling or if you are always on the run.


To apply it, get an old makeup brush or kabuki brush.


Start by making a part right beside your ear going from your face to the back of your head. Pick up a small amount of powder onto your brush. Tap the brush so any excess powder falls off. Then, dab the powder along the part you just made.


Now, create another part about one inch away from the first one and apply your powder. Continue this process until you’ve have reached your opposite ear.


I like to add powder to my hair above my forehead as well as to the hair at the back of my neck.
Next, use your fingers to massage the powder into your roots. And finally, use your hair brush to remove any excess powder leaving your hair looking naturally clean.


There you have it, your hair is now soft, clean – looking, and voluminous! Have fun with it and good luck! 

My name is Jasmine. And this is my very first blog post, ever! Thanks for dropping by and taking the time to read it! I’d like to use this opportunity to tell you a little bit about myself and what I intend on sharing with you on my site.


I am a country girl. I feel very lucky to have grown up on a beautiful farm in Southwestern Ontario, Canada. I studied Environmental Biology at the University of Guelph, focusing on Organic Agriculture. I am currently studying to become a Holistic Nutritionist at the Canadian School of Natural Nutrition. I have always found joy in creating things; crafts and Do It Yourself projects. And in the last few years, I’ve become more interested in health and nutrition.


My favourite pastime is researching healthy, natural and peaceful ways of living. You’ll find my Pinterest boards plastered with meditation and yoga inspiration, lessons in natural nutrition, and recipes for natural and chemical free beauty and household products.


My hobby is making those pins come to life! Experimenting with the vast array of recipes that I come across excites me. I like the idea of being able to make my own products and I love knowing that when I use them, I’m allowing beneficial nutrients to enter my body instead of harsh chemicals.


I love the idea of sharing my finds with you and expressing what I’m passionate about. In this blog, I want to share with you the great recipes that I’ve come across as well as the ones that I’ve tweaked to suit my liking. I hope to share a few of my lifestyle choices that are focused on natural health and well-being.


However, the most important reason that I decided to start this blog is to learn and improve. I believe that I am on the first step towards a completely healthy and happy life. Making healthy choices is still on the back burner for me. I know that I have a lot to learn and I want to find the motivation to push forward and change my whole lifestyle for the better. That’s where you and this blog come in. I’ve decided to connect with you and everyone in the natural health community to find inspiration, to learn new ways of living and loving life, and to be motivated by the commitment I am making to you that I will regularly provide you with what I have discovered on my journey, perhaps inspiring you even a little along the way.
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Thank you for being that inspiration and motivation that I need.

Hey everyone! I want to show you how I make my own facial toner using Apple Cider Vinegar. This is one of the first natural beauty products that I ever made. I still make this often and use it every day! I absolutely love it!  I think you will find that this recipe is super easy.  It only has 3 ingredients!
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If you are more of a visual learner, check out my YouTube video tutorial here: DIY NATURAL TONER USING APPLE CIDER VINEGAR. 

Ingredients:

• Raw, Organic, Unfiltered Apple Cider Vinegar
• Distilled or Filtered Water
• Tea Tree Essential Oil  (optional)
• Small glass bottle
• Cotton Balls

Directions:

• Start with your Apple Cider Vinegar. (begin with a small amount at first, to see how your skin reacts with this new toner.
• Next, fill the remainder of the bottle with water.
• If you are including an essential oil, now is the time to add about 5 drops.
• Then, put the cap on your bottle and mix the ingredients by shaking it.

Dry Skin: 1 part vinegar, 3 parts water
Oily Skin: 1 part vinegar, 2 parts water
Very Oily Skin: 1 part vinegar, 1 part water

The first ingredient is obviously Apple Cider Vinegar. You can find in at your local health food store or in the natural section of your grocery store. Make sure your apple cider vinegar is Raw, Organic, and Unfiltered to get the full benefits. It’s okay if the mother is in it; the mother is the string-like solid in the vinegar, making it more therapeutic. It does not affect the composition or application of the toner.

The reason I love using Apple Cider Vinegar in my daily toner is for all of the wonderful benefits it provides for my skin. Apple Cider Vinegar has anti-bacterial properties which are important in treating breakouts and acne. It has anti-inflammatory properties, which calms the skin and reduces redness. It cleans out and helps reduce the size of your pores, keeping unwanted dirt and toxins from entering. It is also rich in Alpha Hydroxy Acids. These special acids act as a gentle exfoliant by dissolving dead skin cells, leaving your skin soft and smooth. They also improve the appearance of acne scars and they lighten sun spots. Alpha Hydroxy Acids also promote firmness by increasing the thickness of deeper layers of the skin.

And possibly the most important benefit of Apple Cider Vinegar for the skin is that it balances the natural pH level of the skin’s acid mantle. Our acid mantle is a combination of sebum, enzymes, perspiration and beneficial bacteria; which acts as a barrier that protects our skin from environmental damage, dehydration, and foreign bacteria. Our acid mantle’s pH level can range anywhere between 4.5 and 6. Often, the cleansers that we use on our skin have a much higher pH. This causes an imbalance and disrupts the effectiveness of our protective barrier, which can result in damage and breakouts. The acids in Apple Cider Vinegar bring that high disruptive pH level back towards our natural levels.

The normal pH level of Apple Cider Vinegar ranges from 2.8 to 4.5. This means you will want to dilute the Apple Cider Vinegar to a gentler pH level that closely resembles that of your skin’s pH level. For this, you will need distilled or filtered water (second ingredient).

The third ingredient is optional. You can add your favourite essential oil for what you feel your skin needs the most. I like to use tea tree oil as it also has anti-bacterial properties. Be sure to follow the proper directions for the specific oil you are choosing.

Finally, you will need a small glass bottle with a cap to hold your toner. You will also need cotton balls (preferably organic) for applying it to your face.

Okay, let’s make the toner.

• Start with your Apple Cider Vinegar. (begin with a small amount at first, to see how your skin reacts with this new toner.
• Next, fill the remainder of the bottle with water.
• If you are including an essential oil, now is the time to add about 5 drops.
• Then, put the cap on your bottle and mix the ingredients by shaking it.

Apply your new toner after you have cleansed your face:

• Dab a small amount onto a cotton ball
• And apply all over your face and neck, avoiding the area around your eyes.
• Once you have applied it all over, let your face dry and then apply your moisturizer.

This toner can be used for all skin types:
If you have dry skin, dilute the apple cider vinegar in more water, perhaps using 1 part vinegar with 3 parts water.
If you tend to have oily skin, try 1 part vinegar with 2 parts water
or
you can even try equal parts vinegar and water if you feel you have quite oily skin.

Every single person’s skin is different and you know your skin better than anyone. So try a dilution that you think will work best for your skin type. Apply it, first, on a small area under your chin. If you feel it is too strong (maybe you are noticing redness, or feeling a stinging sensation), dilute it more. If you aren’t noticing a difference after a several days of using it, try adding a bit more vinegar until you’ve found a perfect match.
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Good Luck with making your new toner and comment below to let me know how it goes!