As the holidays approach and you’re thinking of gifts for your loved ones and friends, I have put together a wellness gift basket filled with ideas to help keep you healthy and well during the coming year.

Holiday pampering is all about treating yourself to things that make you feel good, so why not choose the kind of things that enhance your wellbeing?

Here are my favorite wellness gift ideas this holiday season. …read more of Holiday Gift Ideas for Health and Wellness here

Even though we may begin the day with a charge of energy, around two or three o’clock in the afternoon we may feel as though we are running out of steam.

Mid-afternoon is often a time when we feel like we need a little boost of energy to get us through the rest of the day.

Instead of reaching for a candy bar or salty snack, Ayurveda has a better solution. One that is not only good for you, but delicious as well!

Almond Energy is an energizing herbal almond beverage mix made from an original ayurvedic recipe in an easy to use blend of blanched almonds, rare herbs and raw sugar.  I like to call it my ayurvedic protein powder! …read more of Boost Your Energy the Ayurveda Way! here

According to Ayurveda, there are three equally important aspects to mental performance.

The first is ‘dhi’, learning and comprehension, governed by Vata dosha,  the second is ‘dhriti’, processing and retention of knowledge, the realm of Pitta dosha and ‘smriti’, memory or recall controlled by Kapha dosha.

For the best mental performance and realization each of these factors needs to be at its peak and more importantly, the coordination among the three factors needs to be optimal.

Ayurveda recommends we pay attention to the fundamental pillars of good health, diet, sleep and lifestyle to achieve this state of mental wholeness and balance.

Tips to help boost brainpower

1. Eat pure, ‘intelligent’ foods
Ayurveda says it is very important to eat foods that are natural and pure for the full benefit to be absorbed.

When foods are as close to their natural state as possible, they deliver the most potent nutrition. Foods that have been genetically altered, processed or refined have much of their natural intelligence stripped from them. …read more of 6 Ayurvedic Tips to Boost Brain Health here

Vegan Fashion.  What is it, exactly?  The vegan lifestyle is inherently cruelty-free and posits that no animal is exploited in the production of any item, be it food, clothing, accessories, personal care products or furniture.

Compassion for animals is the basis for the ethical choices that vegans make and compassion in fashion is a logical extension. Living the vegan lifestyle is also the environmental choice because excluding animal products is a very effective way to reduce your carbon footprint.

Going vegan has become very trendy and it seems every day another star athlete or well-known celebrity makes the decision to kick animal products from their menu.

There are, however consumer items in all areas of life that exploit animals one way or another and while most begin by choosing the plant-based diet, eventually other areas of lifestyle come under scrutiny.

For clothing to be considered vegan, materials like wool, leather and even silk are not acceptable. Does that mean vegans cannot be fashionable?  Not at all!  Vegan fashion is not an oxymoron. …read more of Eco-Fashion: Look Good, Feel Good, Do Good! here

Cleaning the house can certainly be a chore, but it shouldn’t expose you to health risks and foul the earth.

The issues associated with toxic chemicals found in household cleaning products that line store shelves across America are a concern to health conscious consumers.

A recent Product Report from the Organic Consumer’s Association stated that the chemicals in many cleaners that foam, bleach and disinfect to make our dishes, bathtubs and countertops gleaming and germ-free, also contribute to indoor air pollution.

Fragrances added to many cleaners may cause acute reactions such as respiratory symptoms, allergy and asthma, headaches, sneezing and eye irritation.

Oftentimes common household cleaners contain substances that are poisonous if ingested and/or harmful if inhaled or touched and many are among the most toxic products of any found in the home. …read more of Tea Tree Oil: Effective Alternative to Hazardous Household Cleaners? here