DIY body butter

Remember my post about eliminating?  I'm talking toxins here :)

Beauty products are at the top of the list as far as toxic exposure to your body.  I used to think of my skin as armor essentially.  But no, anything that goes on your skin get absorbed directly into your blood stream and bypasses your liver altogether!  Which is why your toxin exposure from beauty products is even more concerning than the ones from the foods you eat. 

Hey beauty products,, you've been warned!  You are first on my list to attack and reclaim health for my body.  Today I thought I'd share a great DIY and all natural (organic even) alternative to body lotion.

Behold the body butter.

It could not be easier and only consists of two ingredients...

 * 1 cup coconut oil (organic if you can)
 * 10-12 drops essential oil of your choice

That's it.  Easy right?  Put the coconut oil in a bowl, add your drops of essential oil (I used eucalyptus for a little pick me up), and mix on high for 6-7 minutes.  Whipping the coconut oil helps to give it a much smoother buttery texture.  The essential oil adds some lovely fragrance and depending on the one you pick can have additional health benefits as well!  Win-win.  Then get yourself a pretty little air-tight jar to keep it in.  I think this sweet mason jar works well don't you? 

Let me know if you give it a try, I'd love to hear your thoughts! 

Nurturing yourself | You are what you eat

There's no way around it.  You simply are what you eat.

Our bodies are wonderfully complex packages filled with intricate systems and delicate balances.

  How can we expect it to function 

optimally if we are not nourishing it properly?!

This is not about weight, though you will undoubtedly see some benefits there too.

It's about feeling your best.  Odds are you're probably not even aware of not feeling well 

until you start to experience what "feeling well" is really like.

It's about being your best.  The best example you can be for others.

Hello, my name is Krista and I am a sugar addict.  

That's right, bring on the chocolates and every cookie variety under the sun.  

Don't even get me started on icing.  I'll slather it on anything.
For a while now eating sugar has been giving me major headaches.  

Do you think I listened to my body?

Well, not until recently and even now it is still a struggle that I don't always win.

What's your vice?
Maybe you don't feel like you really have one. 

 But consider this.  

We are fearfully and wonderfully made by the ultimate Creator.  

Don't you think He would provide us with the perfect nutrients to care for ourselves?

I believe that everyone's nutritional needs are unique to them but
there's no doubt there are all natural foods out there that can support them all.

 I certainly still struggle with eating healthy but I have been able to incorporate
so much more fruits and vegetables into my diet.
And I have decreased the amount of sugar and processed foods that I consume.
My complexion has improved, my weight has improved,
and my general feeling of health has improved.
It's all part of nurturing myself and striving to be the best I
can be inside and out.

I don't strictly follow any particular diet/eating plan out there.
I've simply been experimenting with new natural foods and finding out what works for me
and I strongly encourage you to do the same.

I've looked into clean eating, organic eating, sugarless eating, paleo eating,
and gluten free eating.  There's a little something from all of these that can
be taken away and applied to your own eating habits.

Below are some great links that have helped me and I hope will help you too.

1. Eight Steps to stop feeling like crap
2. Living lifestyle
3. Snack idea to cut out processed foods
4. Detox your body
5. What is clean eating?
(for some reason it will not let me link this one for you,
please copy and paste in browser to view
http://www.thegraciouspantry.com/what-is-clean-eating/)

I'm getting more into organically grown produce, we don't realize what
the toxins on our produce are doing to our bodies.
Here's a quick cheat sheet on what is best to by organically grown.

Mostly I just want to encourage people to think twice about what they
are putting into their bodies.  It's not as hard as you think to make changes.
Yes it takes a little prior planning at first but you've conquered
harder things right? :)

Happy and healthy eating friends!