The Autumn of Our Lives

It's a rainy Sunday. Sometimes these are my favourite kinds of days; when nothing's going on, the house is quiet, and really the only acceptable thing to do is find a good chair and curl up with a book and a big mug of something warm to drink. 
September is a time of transition for a lot of people. The haze of summer fades away, and the crispness of fall is already upon us. Friends leave for school, those of us still in Vancouver begin to mill about, zombie-like from the shock of returning to the classroom. Books are seen as the bane of our existence..$500 is something that could be spent elsewhere...
But, in light of the drudgery of our educational duties, I believe fall is the best time to literally turn over a new leaf. It's the best time to re-evaluate your priorities and think about what is really important to you. What's benefiting you right now, and what's only adding carbs of excess to your full plate. Whether it's a favourite junk food that really, you don't need at 9am, or a conversation you've needed to get over with, nows the time to get it done. Take a deep breath. And let it go. 

In the spirit of mentally detoxing our lives, which is also a good step to making sure you're healthy for the bitterness of winter (no one likes to be sick at Christmas! Until which there is only 97 days by the way), I think it's a good time to start detoxing our bodies. A really good way is to simply do something different. It makes our minds get out of autopilot (which about (98% of people are on the majority of the time) and lets our bodies do what has been our saving grace throughout history: adapt. 
This fall, do something different for your body! Try a different yoga class, splurge on a high-quality supplement to help your skin, your tummy, your immune system, or try a apple cider vinegar detox to help cleanse your body from the inside out! I am a proud member of the church of ACV. This stuff can cure anything! Try in it a couple ways, good topically and internally.

The Many Uses of ACV:
- Detoxifying:

In summer months: Add 1/4 cup of ACV to a quart of water. Add ice cubes. Drink this on a hot summer day, especially before working out. Your body will feel very cleansed.

In winter months: 2 TBLS of ACV in a mug filled with hot water 3x day. Are you used to drinking tea or coffee during your long commute to work? Try this instead -- you will feel energized but not adrenalized. Add a few shakes of cayenne pepper if you REALLY want an energy lift!

To detox: 2 TBLSP of organic ACV in a 1 or 2 Liter filtered water bottle (ie Smart Water, Evian, etc). 2 TBLSP = 1/8th cup. You can add more vinegar than this amount, however, make sure you dilute it with plenty of water. Do not add a sweetener. Drink this solution throughout the day. The solution will be cleansing your system and kidneys all day long. That's the point.

(info from:www.earthclinic.com)

- Acne

1 part ACV

3 parts water

dab onto blemishes (start gradually: once at night and morning)

use as a toner after washing your face. Always make sure you rehydrate with a facial oil or moisturizer! Acne is caused by excess sebum, which is your skins natural oils that it produces to hydrate itself. If these oils are depleted or not replaced, your skin will dry out more, and produce MORE oil to try and rehydrate! Aka, more acne! Don't worry, as long as your using 100% vegetable oil, it will not clog your pores. Only use enough to see a shine to your hands, and lightly massage into your face. 

*do NOT put full strength ACV on your face! It is very acidic and could burn you.

- Hair Rinse

Use an old shampoo bottle and fill it with 1/2 tbsp ACV and a cup of cold water. Use as rinse after shampooing to relieve your hair of oil and buildup and to keep your scalp clean! 

(www.care2.com)

- Teeth Stains

Rub your teeth with ACV and rinse to help combat all those extra coffees we now need to get through class!

Hope you're all having a productive, healthy weekend! 

Love,

Whit

images: weheartit.com