Children are masters of the carefree, and this is what they teach us about busting stress…

If you’re anything like me, you probably go through phases from time to time. When I say “phases,” I mean periods of time where you crave greasy and/or sugary junk food, and cringe at the thought of eating something even remotely healthy. It’s okay; it means we’re human.

Understanding one’s dosha can help to maximize the benefit of a workout routine. In Ayurveda, or the science of life, doshas are the culmination of three energies believed to govern the body and mind. Doshas are derived from the elements. Vata dosha is composed of air and ether, Pitta of fire and water, and Kapha of earth and water. Doshas can change over time, as they account for one’s current constitution.

I have a confession to make: I am a 230-hour certified yoga teacher, and yet I still use online yoga videos at home. I know this sounds ridiculous (can’t I do yoga on my own?), but there is something so soothing and relaxing about having someone guide you through a practice. Yoga videos have vastly improved since the days of workout tapes and DVDs, and many high-quality videos and sequences are available for very little, if not for free!

Did you know that the use of medicinal clay dates back to prehistoric times? The use of clay is making a comeback when it comes to cosmetics and medicine, and for good reason!

The Science Behind The Clay

Companies saw a 171 percent increase in fitness tracker sales from 2014 to 2015, according to the International Data Corporation, and hoped that those numbers would continue to skyrocket in 2016. Instead, bad press and negative reports quickly turned this fad into one that might leave as quickly as Livestrong Bracelets or Gangnam Style did. Or do these devices still have a chance?

A native of India, organic sesame seed is rich in vitamins and minerals and has been used as a healing herb for millennia. The plant is a tall annual of the Pedaliaceae family growing up to five feet and bearing pink-white foxglove-like flowers. The pods contain white, brown or black seeds arranged in vertical rows. The plant flourishes in well-drained sandy soil in a tropical climate and can be found throughout Asia and Africa. Though not used as extensively in Europe, the plant found its way to America with the slave traders and has been cultivated in the Carolinas.

What is this force that moves nature? That brings life to a wave? If you have a smart scientific explanation I’m afraid that won't suffice. The force I’m talking about that comes crashing through this wave arrives from way before – it is greater than the phenomena of a wave. This is the idea of the force that comes from before the ocean became the ocean. It is the force that aligned the laws of physics into their obvious place of beingness from seeming nothing -- the force that animates matter, creates galaxies and explodes big bangs.

What I thought was lactose intolerance turned out to be intolerance to pasteurized milk…

Louis Pasteur may have started out on the right track in his bid to make raw milk a safe and microbe-free drink that people could enjoy, without the fear of food poisoning, or worse, bovine-borne diseases. Enter pasteurization – a technique that kills all the harmful bacteria that is passed from the bovine to the milk. But is pasteurization really making the milk better? Or is it throwing the baby out with the bathwater by killing all the goodness of milk too? Case in question: me.

Crawfish were not a staple in my house growing up. In fact, my only introduction to the tiny, red spiny creatures was trying to lure them out of the park stream with my brothers. For us, it was a lesson in catch and release. It never would have occurred to me to eat the little guys. And while I must state I am vegetarian, I am interested in cultural cuisine and am willing to try anything once. So when my better half recommended we attend a Crawfish Festival, I was intrigued. Music, dancing, and 10,000 pounds of crawfish, why not?