  Happy Monday SW Readers. I know, it's icy cold out there!! Hail to that sun though (and amazing skincare products to keep our skin breathing health, beauty & hydration). My goal today is to have a thoughtful conversation about skincare with all of you. I am going to be reviewing the above product, Restorative Face Serum by Soapwalla in such a way that encourages all of you to consider how important your skincare routine is, in relation to your overall health. It actually matters. And how this is an area of health that is as important as all the rest. One can get lost in the world of health & wellness. I understand because it's rather overwhelming when you are learning to make more informed choices for your body. There is so much conflicting information available about what is healthy. We live 'in a time' where physicians are tweeting advice, knowledge is at our fingertips and a flood of technical clinical data can flood our inbox daily....if we want to subscribe. It's a lot so, let's break this down some. Skincare. We all know that our skin is our largest organ of the body AND it's the organ that we can actually 'see' visually daily. We are able to monitor the texture, feeling & appearance of our skin. Our skin is talking to us and serving as a canvas for telling a story of our diets, skincare product choices, stress levels...even how we love (but the latter my friends is another post). Firstly, food matters as what we eat 'shows up' through our skin. So, let's chat briefly about the folks who are complaining about their skin: According to DoctorYourself.com 'Over consumption of cooked, processed foods in general seems to predispose a body for complaints like this. I even had a dog with dandruff...until I stopped giving him dry skim milk plus cream plus milk on top of all the dog food he could eat. When the dog's diet was cut in half, following a four-day cleansing fast, the dandruff was gone and never returned until the animal was overfed again.Simple, proper diet eliminates so many complaints. Whole foods, raw or lightly-cooked vegetables, grains and fruits, no meat and no chemically-doctored food will go a very long way to improving your skin in a short time. Here is the rub....you can have the most amazing diet in the world and if you are lathering your face and body with toxicity via product choices, you are essentially inviting a health 'war' into your world. It's not a wise decision. I urge you to make healthy choices each day because they are crucial to living a healthy life...and I am glad my readers are connecting the dots. Your skin is a living, breathing, body-cleaning organ. If you stop it up, you're in trouble. In the James Bond story Goldfinger people were spray-painted gold. Remember that they supposedly died? Your skin must be free from pore-clogging coatings. Why make the skin have to now excrete these added toxins on top of the old ones? It's like shaking the dirt out of your rugs... in the middle of the living room.  In my research and wellness advocacy, I know that I will only use skincare products that are consciously produced meaning no animal testing, additive free, 100% organic & made with the top food grade-ingredients. The products must be 100% fully natural and I am aware - so should you be - that 'natural' is an incredibly deceiving on labels. Natural should mean purity via all ingredients so, as a consumer, you need to pay attention to the list of ingredients when you see that 'buzz word'. I also pay attention to the Eco-sustainability of the product packaging as feeding health into our environment matters as well. This seems like a lot of work and prepping just to get some moisture into your skin. I admit, it does. I also say IT MATTERS. IT REALLY MATTERS. And aren't you worth caring for? With the intensity of false advertising, marketing illusionists and media giants with gigantic financial pockets.....one must rise up to meet them as a highly informed consumer. Enter in Soapwalla Kitchen. You can read about how I first learned of Soapwalla Kitchen here: http://www.snapshotsofwellness.com/1/post/2014/10/deodorant-cream-by-soapwalla.html. Soapwalla Kitchen falls into every single category of healthy organic & consciously made skincare that I personally consider when choosing what to place on my skin. Soapwalla Kitchen products are aligned with my values about every aspect of skincare which is said perfectly by Soapwalla's Chef, Rachel Winard... “Our skin is our largest organ and in order for it to function at its best we must feed it with truly wholesome ingredients. My philosophy: If I refuse to put something in my body, I don’t want to put it on my body either.” Rachel Winard's story of how Soapwalla Kitchen came to fruition fascinates me actually. Feel free to go to the Soapwalla site to read about her here. To share further why Soapwalla Kitchen's products align with Snapshots of Wellness philosophy and values surrounding wellness & health:
And finally to the product, Soapwalla's Restorative Facial Serum. It is a custom combination of rosehip seed oil and carrot seed oils (rich in Vitamin A, essential fatty acids, linoleic and linolenic acids), Vitamin E, Evening Primrose oil (a wonderful source of gamma linoleic acid with powerful anti-inflammatory and anti-oxidant properties) and apricot kernel and sea buckthorn oils. I so love how the serum feels on my face - instantly hydrating, smooth & my skin radiates health. The smell is divine (truly) and I'm given a natural earthy spa experience in a bottle. I've been complimented on my skin tone & texture repeatedly and I continually give the credit to Soapwalla's Restorative Facial Serum. Just an amazingly healthy line of pure ingredient products. I have to say this and my readers know that I speak from a passionately authentic place. I am blown away by Soapwalla Kitchen. And no, this is not a paid product review or endorsement rather, I am just genuinely taken by the level of high quality in these products. So Rachel, thank you for creating health in a bottle. We (I) very much appreciate you & all you are doing to create products that will aid in nourishing & healing our skin. So grateful.  Please let me know what your thoughts are should you decide to dose your body with Soapwalla products. Snapshots of Wellness provides a firm & resolute promise that you will love them as much as I do.
 I have not shared a 'Musings' blog in quite some time. For anyone new to Snapshots of Wellness, my 'Musings' blogs are simply any personal update or reflection of mine on topics that typically my readers request. I thought Valentine's Day weekend would be an ideal time to share. First & foremost, the blog layout - as most of you know - is being revamped into a wellness 'website' vs. a blog. The amount of work going into the design is plenty so, bear with the 'Daily' tab for awhile longer. Thank you for coming back during the transition. Secondly, if you have yet to make Valentine's Day plans this weekend, you are still in luck! Head over to Sosh (the best app) & get a plan together. And if you cannot get a reservation, don't forget you can always order in or cook up something fabulous. Thirdly (I am going to stop counting - haha), I just want to tell all of the ladies out there not to stress this weekend. I know Valentine's Day can be overrated for some, hated/loved by others and there are quite a few that feel quite sad b/c they are 'alone'. And my response is this: As the Jamaicans always say 'Breathe easy'. I have learned to really genuinely appreciate wherever I am in life. Just be exactly where you are. If you have absolutely no plans, revel in that by bundling under covers, watching your favorite movies, calling a friend, heading out for a day of whatever it is that you love to do, etc. And if you have a date, enjoy the experience without the 'worry' of what to wear, how you look, etc. Just be in the moment. I always think the most beautiful people are those with not only the sweetest hearts but those that don't really fuss over their looks/style. Are you with me? I hope so. And briefly on the topic of love. I have been spending a great deal of time reflecting on Godly love as of late. Our Pastor at my church gave a sermon about love and it's still stirring my heart. I realize how many other emotions we are pouring into ourselves and others....frustration, anger, jealousy, envy, dissatisfaction with our bodies-jobs-spouses, longing, fear, nervousness.....and love is buried underneath it all. It's so ironic in the dating world (even marriage) how instead of loving on one another, we play it cool, act indifferent & hold back. It's so 'off' and just so wrong. Please put love at the forefront of your heart and let it fill you up. Show love - be love - express love! Make loving others and yourself your number one priority. And if any of you want to talk about the sermon, please reach out to me and we can chat about Godly love (which is the absolute best love in the world). Next week, we will be talking about skincare, plant based recipes, the last of winter wellness and some of my absolute favorite products that I promise you will adore. Enjoy the weekend!  {The following article is one I recently wrote for MindBodyGreen.com)
When I was diagnosed with POTS Syndrome back in 2010, a friend of mine told me I "needed to be the CEO of my own health." And she was absolutely right. Becoming the CEO of your health is taking responsibility for every aspect of your healing journey physically, emotionally, mentally and spiritually. It may seem daunting in the beginning, but it soon becomes incredibly empowering and for me, it became a valuable lesson in self-love. If you have any ailment albeit acute or chronic, follow these five steps to get your body and mind back to balance. 1. Get educated. Gain a thorough understanding of your body and whatever it is that's invading it. Educating yourself on your illness through reputable sources and professionals you trust will give you the best understanding of the necessary steps in the healing process. When it comes time to choose a doctor, walk into the office armed with knowledge so you're able to participate in the conversation via a team approach rather than handing decisions about your body over to a doctor. 2. Get organized. While recovering, I relied heavily on an organizational binder that chronologically tracked lab results, physician notes, personal writings on how I felt, ultrasounds, MRIs, tests, etc. When you have your binder, it can be an effective tool to present as you travel from specialist to specialist. Keeping track of your results and anything else related to your illness also helps your physician avoid redundant testing and procedures. Walking in educating and organized saves so much time, leaving the majority of any appointment to focus on treatment options. 3. Change your language. Since you're the CEO of your own health, you'll be strategizing along with one or more physicians of how exactly you'll go about healing so you need to be prepared to speak knowledgeably. One of the first things I removed from my vocabulary was "chronic." I simply didn't care for the word because it means constantly reoccurring, but I was in the process of healing. Change your verbiage to mirror your end goal of glowing, vibrant health. When you truly take charge of your health and treat the process as if you're running a company, you quickly realize you had this inner healing power all along. 4. Rethink your medical team if necessary. Did you know you can fire a doctor? You are the person in charge of your health, not your doctor. If a physician is simply treating symptoms with medications and you're unsettled by that, you can get rid of him or her. Search for a health professional or team that's going to actively work with you to get to the core of your illness, that's dedicating to curing you with more than just prescriptions. I must have met with 30+ physicians and while it was taxing, I realized I deserved to honor my body and healing process by creating my own physician dream team with one goal in mind: heal Kelly alongside. 5. Listen to your body. While it's important to listen to the medical experts involved in your care, it's most important to listen to your body. How does it feel? Is your functionality increasing? How does food make you feel? We're often so tuned in with experts in various fields that we lose touch with the most important expert of this whole process, our own bodies. And your body is speaking to you every step of the way. The healing process can turn into a healing trans-formative journey when you realize that you are in control! I'd love to hear how your own ideas for how to become the CEO of your health! Photo Credit: Stocksy 
Happy Tuesday SW Readers! About once a month, I want to introduce all of you to people that are just absolutely killing it in the wellness world - Wellness Experts who are practicing what they preach - and the health experts who exude confidence in their respective fields! And they happen to have vast knowledge about every single aspect of wellness. I've researched so many and I will only share those that are absolutely authentic with 100% integrity. And they are insanely successful at what they do! These are the folks that SW Readers should be learning from along side of me! My introductions will be brief with intention to encourage you to go explore their blog/site yourself.
With that being said, I want to introduce all of you to someone you most likely have already heard of, Tara Stiles. Please head to Tara's website to learn all that she is contributing to the wellness world which is phenomenal. Tara Stiles has caught my attention due to her amazing book, 'Make Your Own Rules Diet', which encompasses what I am practicing in my own wellness journey which is doing intuitively what is best for my body. Tara's book outlines the following:
Tara has also caught my attention due to the fact that she has stayed true to herself through a sea of criticism along the way. She had a vision - followed it - lives it out- and handles her critics like an absolute pro! Head over and learn more about what Tara has to offer all of you! |
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Created and curated by Kelly, Snapshots of Wellness encourages all of you to cultivate your 'joie de vivre': Compassion for Animals via food, style & lifestyle. 
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