START YOUR DAY WITH PASSION
One Man’s Adventure Planning His Own Natural Burial
Old Arctic Inuit hunters could supposedly sit for days, harpoon poised and ready to strike, just staring at a hole on an otherwise desolate sheet of windswept ice, waiting for a seal to surface and steal a breath of air. Enduring frosty cold and, presumably, mind-numbing boredom, the hungry hunter, clad in his mukluks and furry caribou coat, would peer endlessly at his ice hole and enter an alert yet hypnotic state of blissful and cleansing awareness.
You’re in the frozen food section, facing one of those tough decisions: Coconut Bliss Dark Chocolate?
Starbuck’s Mocha Chip? Or perhaps something from Häagen-Dazs? Then suddenly you stop, take the four or five dollars out of your wallet, and put it in a special place to donate to those who are truly hungry.
How does that feel? Try it! You may find the experience even more satisfying than eating the dessert.
Wine lovers will certainly recognize terroir as the enigmatic French term for soil, topography, climate, and other natural (and supernatural) traits of a particular vineyard. In fact, many farmers and food lovers believe that you can gout du terroir, or taste the earth; that the place imbues wine and food with unique flavors. Regional cuisines derive from the recognition that certain crops prosper in local climates with specific soils and topography.
In periods of drought, mildew-causing humidity, and other adverse growing conditions, the pinot noir vines at Robert Sinskey Vineyards in California’s Napa Valley undergo a subtle cellular shift with potentially huge implications for human longevity. Under stress, the grapes release molecules called polyphenols to activate their own defense mechanism, and these plant-based molecules will then trigger the same response in human genes. Early studies show that laboratory animals live up to 50 percent longer when fed high doses of polyphenols, such as resveratrol.
Pick your own herbs right out of your garden, or purchase them at your local co-op or grocery store and start experimenting! There are numerous ways to enjoy the healing power of herbs in your everyday health and beauty rituals. We’ve gathered a handful of easy at-home recipes from the pros to inspire you, beginning with these four wonderful bath recipes created by Trisha Shirey, director of Flora and Fauna at Lake Austin Spa.
When Upton Sinclair wrote "The Jungle" in 1906, readers were exposed to the horrible abuse of those who worked in the meat-packing industry. Now, it seems that we’re increasingly turning our attention to the other major component of the industry: the animals themselves.
Food is the force that sustains us and the starch that binds a community — all life shares in the sacrament of being. Humans have known this for millennia, yet we seem to have lost touch with this simple truth. Why have we given away the power to sustain our own lives? Why is the vast majority of our food supply controlled by multi-national corporations, most of which are dependent upon industrial fertilizers and pesticides?
Over the weekend, I broke down and finally purchased a juicer—after eyeing one on Amazon for almost two months—and was immediately impressed by the solid heft of the new machine hulking on my countertop. I’ve always liked to eat colorful vegetables and gorgeous greens, and this addition to my kitchen promised fresh new flavor profiles.
“We are all vibrant beings,” says Mary Bemis, editor of Organic Spa magazine. “And the real beauty behind biodynamic skin care products is that they are the most vibrant, the most alive. Biodynamic and organic products represent the healthiest way to feed your skin. Using them honors your body, the farmers who grow them, and the earth itself.” Here are a few of the healthiest commercial skin care products now on the market.
