February is a busy month for Californians.  We’ve got Valentine’s Day (our annual Hallmark Holiday), Presidents Day, and let’s not forget…”and the winner is” … Yes, you guessed it…The Oscars! If you don’t live in California it’s just another Sunday.  But here it’s Everything…
So, I asked CJ Cassaday, hair stylist to many industry professionals at gavert/atelier, “what do you tell your clients when they ask for your advice on how to get their hair, health & mind ready.” And here is what CJ had to say:
” They always tell me what they’ll be wearing and that they are nervous it …read more

It’s a new year, and what better time to make a few changes, and be open to a new and improved you! Sometimes the simplest tips or suggestions can make the biggest difference in someone’s life.  Not in any particular order but all good to know.

My first, which some of you may not like, is tossing your diet books and just eating a little healthier. Eating lots of multicolored foods that were recently alive like vegetables or fruits is a good start. So good for you, with many long term benefits.
Love your teeth? If so then you’ll want to rinse …read more

With summer winding down, I am starting to get back into my daily walking routine. It will be much easier once the kiddos are back at school, but for now, I have set a time, 7PM to walk go on a rigorous walk.
Did you know that walking really is the easiest exercise? Walking can be done at just about anytime and anywhere. You can walk outdoors on the sidewalk, at a track, on a treadmill, at the mall. Or you can even walk in place, getting that heart pumping!
With a good pair of shoes that have heel support, walking …read more

Yoga has been around for centuries, and is becoming sort of a phenomenon as of late. I actually just signed up for a session of Yoga classes. I am really looking forward to it.
I was equally thrilled when I saw this recent article on Yahoo! from HealthDay News:
Yoga’s postures, controlled breathing and meditation may work together to help ease brains plagued by anxiety or depression, a new study shows.
Brain scans of yoga practitioners showed a healthy boost in levels of the neurotransmitter gamma-aminobutyric (GABA) immediately after a one-hour yoga session. Low brain levels of GABA are associated with anxiety and …read more

I am in a full on major exercise kick these days. I do a bit of stretching, light weights, and stomach crunches, but my main focus is walking. Oh – I like the walking. I am up to just over 5 miles a day, which I break up into two separate walking expeditions.
The first walk I take is in the morning, and that walk is just over 2 miles. It is a nice easy walk, with only one hill up in the beginning, and another one at the end – which is sometimes a killer, depending how I am balancing …read more

You are 50. Now what? Mid-life crisis? Heck no! It is time to start enjoying your beautiful life you have.
One of the most important things for those in their 50’s to do is to incorporate exercise into your daily routine.
By exercising, you should be able to keep your blood sugar levels in good control, preventing diabetes and positively affecting your blood pressure and heart rate. Exercise is also very important for healthy bones – osteoporosis prevention, possibly.
An easy thing to do is to incorporate weight bearing/resistance exercises to strengthen your bones. Resistance exercise to help build your bone means that …read more

There have been many exercise studies over the years, with almost every single one pointing out how exercise is good for us. But did you know that by exercising as little as 1 hour and 15 minutes a week, you can cut down on the pain you may develop later in the years due to arthritis?
Why the pain being alleviated is where in the question lies. Some believe that is because the joints are being worked out and have less of a chance to become arthritic. While others believe that by simply exercising, you are losing weight in places that …read more

I am having a ball exercising these days. I finally got around to picking up one of the popular exercise balls, as I have been suffering from a bit of lower back pain (could it be from all the snow shoveling lately?) recently.
By rolling around on it in certain ways, it should help alleviate some of my back pain by strengthening the core back muscles. I have found that one of the easiest ways to use it is by simply sitting on the ball while I am writing away here on the computer. Yes, by simply sitting on it. By …read more

Dan Buettner refers to them as Blue Zones — geographical locations people reside that appear to give them an advantage when it comes to living longer, active, healthier lives. Buettner has been traveling the globe in search of these locations in order to learn the secrets of longevity from the residents who live there. In his quest thus far, the writer and avid adventurer has traveled to Costa Rica, Sardinia, Okinawa and Loma Linda, California.
In profiling the residents, Buettner states he has discovered both unique and common characteristics of people who not only live much longer than most of us, …read more

Sore shoulders. Achy hips. Throbbing knees. Lower back pain. Creaky bones. Regardless of how many birthday candles we have blown out in our lifetime, the mind will continue to tell us we are still 30 years old, that we can bounce out of bed and move throughout the day without limitation. Our physical body does not always agree, and the little aches and pains seem a reminder that the year of 30 candles, or 40 candles, has come and gone. But, are the aches and pains of aging a way of life we need to accept as we get older?
Not …read more