Dare You To...

Here's a dare I've taken on that people have noticed.  I've gotten compliments on my glowing skin, and some have asked me what I'm up to.  If you want to stop worrying about what's on your face and finally have glowing, balanced skin, then this post is for you.

Just as I got rid of the unpronounceable ingredients in my body lotion, I wanted to avoid the artificial cleansers in my face wash, too.  What good does it do to use coconut oil to moisturize my face, if I'm still washing it with strange chemicals twice a day?

Well, I'd heard of "oil cleansing" before, and you may have, too.  There's a website dedicated to it (The Oil Cleansing Method.com, and it's outlined extensively with various options in The Skintervention Guide by Liz Wolfe.  THere's also a helpful tutorial on Mommypotamous.

It may seem counterintuitive, but using oil topically actually helps balance your skin.  It's nourishing, cleansing, and moisturizing.  It helps …

A quick set of interesting reads for you to check out!
Ericka guests posts on Miz Fit Online to spread the word:
You Don't Have To Be Hardcore to Do CrossFit.
Her experiences resonated with my own.
Definitely check this one out if you're timid but interested.

Technology: the good, the bad, and ways to disconnect. Get Lindsay's take here.
Alec talks walking and proper walking apparel on PopFitLife.

Need another reason to go for virgin coconut oil?   The Healthy Home Economist recounts the way it  halted one man's severe dementia in just 35 days.  
Danielle has tips for supplementing your income 
by selling your stuff.

Spry Living gives 6 Reasons Cholesterol May Not Matter Anymore.   Seriously, this perspective is gaining ground.  Take a look.
Want to learn more?  Say... everything you need to know about cholesterol?
Jimmy Moore just releasedCholesterol Clarity: 
What The HDL Is Wrong With My Numbers?
If you're concerned with your cholesterol or simply want to learn what…

On Tuesday, I talked about why you should cook with coconut oil.  If you missed that post, make sure to check it out and learn about which oils are safe to use in high heat.


Lucky for you, Tropical Traditions  is going to help you get started!  In the last post, I recommended Tropical Traditions as a trusted brand of high-quality coconut oil, and upon my own request, they're offering one lucky reader a jar of this:


Win 1 quart of Gold Label Virgin Coconut Oil!
From Tropical Traditions: Tropical Traditions is America’s source for coconut oil. Their Gold Label Virgin Coconut Oil is hand crafted in small batches by family producers, and it is the highest quality coconut oil they offer. You can read more about how virgin coconut oil is different from other coconut oils on their website: What is Virgin Coconut Oil?
You can also watch the video they produced about Gold Label Virgin Coconut Oil:
Tropical Traditions also carries other varieties of affordable high quality coconut oil. Visit the…

I've already told you about my newfound use of coconut oil as a moisturizer, and there are loads of other beauty uses for it (like these recommended by Dr. Korson).  But today, I want to talk about cooking with it.

Did you know that every fat and oil has a smoke point--the temperature at which it begins to break down and increase toxic compounds?!  Thisrancid oil is no longer safe for consumption!  A year ago, I'd had no idea.  I had already taken canola oil out of my diet (see Balanced Bites to learn why), but I was still using olive oil for just about everything.  But was I burning my oil?

In learning more about paleo and food quality, I started learning more about cooking oils and their smoke points.  The smoke point determines which fats and oils are safe to use for cooking at various temperatures.  While I was still exclusively using olive oil, I learned that the smoke point of extra virgin olive oil is typically around 325-375 degrees.  It seems that olive oil smoke poin…

Go find your lotion.  Face lotion, body lotion... whatever it is that you apply on a regular basis, take it out.  Turn it over.  Look at the ingredient list.  Count the number of ingredients you recognize.  How many words do you understand?  How many words can you pronounce?  How many of the listed items do you think came from nature?



How many do you want seeping into the largest organ of your body: your skin?

If you're cool with rubbing all that garbage into your body, that's your choice.  To each, his own. Personally, I'd rather ditch the man-made chemicals for something nature made, something my skin might recognize as naturally moisturizing.  I also don't want something that will actually dry out my skin and make me become addicted to the lotion.  But, again, that's just me.  If you feel similarly or simply want to try another, more natural approach to moisturizing, read on!


Today's dare: Swap your daily lotion for coconut oil.  

I was a little skeptical at…