No more tampons!

If you're like me, you are tired of purchasing tampons and pads. The chemicals in tampons and pads made me feel 'funny' and left me a little sore. I also didn't like the idea of flushing and throwing away so much garbage into our landfill. There HAD to be a better way! 

Then a fellow hippie chick stepped in. She handed me a brand new menstrual cup. Ummmmm...my first thought was, 'that's so gross'. I decided to give it a try anyway because I was desperate to make a change. At first, I didn't like it. I felt awkward and didn't really understand why it was so messy. After the first few times of figuring it out, I'll NEVER go back to tampons or pads! It actually lessened my cramping and shortened my periods! I'm thinking that is partially due to not having chemicals shoved up there which can't be good for you. 

You've decided to make the switch, now it's time to decide which one is right for you. There are quite a few out there, ranging from $15-$25. If you're pre-childbirth and under a certain age, they recommend a different size than if you've had children, since our bodies tend to change after having children. I've tried 3 different brands. I have a favorite, but they're all much much better than tampons. I rarely have any leaking problems. I had a lot more leaking problems with tampons. 

The Diva Cup is my favorite of the 3 I tried. I have kids and I'm over 30, so I have the size 2 which is meant for people who have had children and/or are over the age of 30. Click here for more information on the Diva Cup and/or to purchase it. The Blossom Menstrual Cup is another great cup, it's a little cheaper than the Diva Cup and it comes in all sorts of colors. Click here for more information and/or to purchase the Blossom Menstrual Cup.

Pros to switching to the cup: 

1. no more "running out" of tampons or pads! 

2. better for the environment

3. saves you a lot of money 

4. no chemicals, better for your body

5. may lessen cramping and bleeding

6. during light times, you can rinse 1-2 times in 24 hours
7. No risk for TSS

Cons to switching to the cup:

1. you may have to find a more private bathroom when you need to rinse it out, some public restrooms aren't setup easily for the process of rinsing out the cup. 

2. it takes a little bit to get used to how often you need to rinse it out

3. first night of your cycle you may leak a bit, the cup is only so big 

Other alternatives are the reusable pads made with different fabrics. I may purchase a few of these for the heavy first day just for overflow. They have some cute ones available for purchase, or if you're handy with the sewing machine, I imagine it would be easy to make your own. Check out these cute bamboo reusable menstrual pads here.

I hope you'll consider switching to a cup as there are so many benefits! I know my menstrual cycle has become less of a bother since changing to the cup. I encourage you to make the switch!
Peace.

Arnica-the natural pain relief herb.

Arnica! What a wonderful herb! Have you heard of it? I'm always surprised by how many people have never heard of it or used it. It's such an amazing herb.
First off, I'm going to share what it looks like. It's in the daisy/sunflower family, scientifically called the Asteraceae or Compositae family. Arnica's scientific name is Arnica montana. It's flowers are yellow-orange resembling the sun's rays surrounding a disk of tubular flowers in the center, much like a sunflower or a daisy. It tends to flower in mid-summer. Here's a picture of the infamous arnica plant. Beautiful, isn't it?

Now that you know what it looks like, let's talk about the benefits! "In Germany, more than 100 drug preparations contain arnica." (Rodale's Illustrated Encyclopedia of Herbs) Arnica is known to relieve pain and reduces inflammation of sprains and bruises. A salve made from arnica helps relax stiff muscles. It is a wonderful natural remedy for people with arthritis, pre/post work out, stiff muscles and bruises. In 1820, arnica was officially added to the U.S. Pharmacopoeia and is listed in the the U.S. Dispensatory. What a wonderful NATURAL remedy we have at our fingertips! 

Now, there are a few ways you can get your hands on some of this awesome, pain relieving herb! You can make a salve yourself by purchasing arnica oil and organic beeswax or soy wax. Add some pain relieving essential oils such as lavender, eucalyptus and cypress and you've got yourself a pretty awesome salve ready to rub on your sore muscles! Stay tuned for a future blog with a recipe and step by step process of making a wonderful salve for you and your family. You can purchase or view arnica oil here. You can even make your own arnica oil by buying dried arnica flowers (or drying your own) and infusing it in olive oil. Dried arnica flowers can be viewed and/or purchased here. You can also purchase an already made arnica salve! I highly recommend Neal's Yard Remedies Organic Arnica Salve. As a Massage Therapist, this has been one of my best sellers for my clients as a take home remedy. It's been wonderful for my clients that are into cross fit, clients that have arthritis, clients that are accident prone and clients with aching feet at the end of their day. It truly is an amazing product! 

Purchase it here!

You'll surely fall in love with arnica and it's many benefits. Be sure to subscribe to my blog as I'll be posting more about herbs and recipes you can make with them! 

Peace.

Why Vegan?

I've been asked quite often why I decided to go Vegan? I always struggle with this because I don't want to make people feel bad or awkward when I tell them. Do they really want to know?
I decided to go Vegan mainly for cruelty reasons. I don't like the way we treat animals before we kill them to eat them, infact, I don't want to kill animals at all. I LOVE animals. We have a cat, a dog, a guinea pig and 2 chickens. I would have more if I could!  I also HATE the way we treat our dairy cows and chickens for eggs. The only way to describe it is torture.
I never know how much detail to go into with this response without being gruesome. I encourage you to do research and watch documentaries. I'm including the titles of a few documentaries below I would encourage you to watch IF you're interested in learning more about WHY. I don't like to shove it down people's throats, however, it is important to spread the knowledge so you know what is going on behind "closed doors".

1) Earthlings (2005) This documentary is narrated by Joaquin Phoenix, who is a known celebrity vegan. It is about the pathetic treatment of animals. The film uses hidden cameras to bring you shocking footage of what goes on behind closed walls of the meat industry.  Earthlings.com
2) Vegucated (2011) Vegucated is a documentary about 3 vegetarian guys who go vegan for 6 weeks, during their vegan journey, they uncover the dark side of animal agriculture.  GetVegucated.com
3) Forks Over Knives (2011) Forks Over Knives is a documentary more about the health reasons behind going vegan. It establishes a strong correlation between degenerative diseases and meat-based diet with some statistical proof. ForksOverKnives.com
4) Cowspiracy: The Sustainability Secret (2014) This is a documentary that was crowdfunded that analyzes the policies of various organizations in the light of environmental impact of animal agriculture. Cowspiracy.com

There are many more awesome documentaries out there, these are just the top ones that popped in my head that I've personally seen and would recommend.

Besides cruelty purposes, I've also noticed a change in my health. My gut feels much better. I think I can attribute that mostly to cutting out dairy. Dairy products have negative effects on a lot of people, and there are so many delicious alternatives! Soy milk, almond milk, hemp milk, cashew milk, coconut milk, rice milk.... I've gotten many compliments on my skin since changing my diet too, which again, I feel like I can attribute to cutting out dairy. "You'll want to wear less makeup. No more spackling on the concealer: milk may be an acne trigger, so going dairy-free could also help you become zit-free. According to research from Dartmout Medical School, milk contains testosterone-like hormones, which may stimulate oil glands in the skin and contribute to breakouts." (http://www.prevention.com/health/what-happens-when-you-stop-eating-dairy)

I could literally go on and on about the benefits of becoming vegan...maybe I'll come back to this subject again when I have more time.

Being vegan has never been so easy. There are so many awesome alternatives now that it is easier than it ever has been before. I encourage you all to try it for 1 month and see how easy it can be and how amazing you feel! January is Veganuary which is a great time to try it out! www.veganuary.com

Peace. 

Nice to meet you!

Thanks for hanging out! Nice to meet you! I'm Kristen. I have 2 awesome boys and I'm married to a fantastic guy. I am a California Certified Massage Therapist, Licensed Holisitic Esthetician, Licensed Aromatherapist and a small business owner of a wellness spa in Northern California called The Olive Branch Wellness Spa (www.olivebranchspa.massagetherapy.com). I also retail a great organic skin care line out of my wellness spa called Neal's Yard Remedies Organic (us.nyrorganic.com/shop/olivebranchspa). I've been known to make some pretty rockin' bath bombs and other herbal remedies, and I plan to make more in the next year!
My next endeavor will be Certified Herbalist which I'm pretty stoked about starting up. I am a vegan, animal loving, tree hugging hippie chick, hence my awesome name "NorCal Hippie Chick". I'll be blogging about all things Vegan, herbal, aromatherapy, skin care, massage, wellness, yoga, gardening and more! Subscribe to my blog to find out more!
Peace.