Any grown woman I know who still chooses to smoke is completely over the lectures. Smoking is lame. They know it’s lame, and are choosing to continue it anyways. My thoughts: to each their own. If it gets you through your day, and you’re responsible about not allowing it to affect other people, then it’s your call.

 If you're gonna smoke, memorize these health & beauty tips:

Increase Vitamin C: Each cigarette robs your body of about 25mg of Vitamin C. Add a supplement daily, such as emergen-c or isagenix Get More Energy.

Fresh Juice: At least a few times a week, indulge in fresh juice of kale, red pepers, blueberries, cucumber and citrus. It's the same blend I use if I go camping and there's too much woodsmoke, or if I am in a polluted city for awhile. It's a potent blend.

Be aware of high Vitamin A: I did some poking around, and it turns out there's some links between really high Vitamin A intake, smoking and lung cancer. Check your supplements, and plan accordingly. Could be a flawed study. I didn't read more than one, but, I asked my doctor friend who confirmed it. I'll keep digging for this.

One of the symptoms of smoking is major oxidative damage. So increase antioxidants! Internal and external. An extra cup of tea and colorful veggies should be part of every meal, every day.  Crucifereous vegetables, such as broccoli and cabbage, have also shown promise in negating some of the bad stuff about smoking. Our Daily Beauty Tea is a great ally for smokers.

Look for products which contain high antioxidantcontent such as our Daily Body Serum (extremely high!) for your body, and something great for your face. Tea extracts (at least 2%. We use 5-6%), Vitamin C, Resveratrol, Alpha Lipoic Acid are all good antioxidant ingredients. Dema-E has several high-antioxidant serums that are well formulated.

Increase internal oil + supplements. My favorites for skin are a good fish oil or Borage Oil. Non-smokers can take 1-2 a day. Smokers should take 2-4, split between am+pm. Also add: Alpha Lipoic Acid, Vitamin E and spirulina.

Moisturize your face with a rich oil: Smoking decreases your skin's natural lipids. Help replace it. I like Borage or coconut, over a favorite Serum.

Take really deep breaths. One of the ways smoking affects your gorgeousness is that it limits oxygen to your tissues. So increase it. Once or twice a day, take 15 deep breaths through your nose, exhaling through your lips. Not only is this calming, and may even help skip a smoke or two, but it increases oxygen and blood flow.

Don’t use smoking as an excuse not to work-out. 30-45 minutes of cardio, even if it is just walking, will help decrease a lot of the damage caused by inhaling smoke.

Increase internal circulation with dry-brushing and spicy foods. (Again, Daily Beauty Tea’s spiciness is helpful)

Use a peptide laden lip treatment. Ours is awesome. Peptides keep collagen strong. Smoking weakens it. One will help balance the other.

Do yoga poses like headstands and downward dog. Gets blood to your face and hair, and helps mitigate some of the consequences.

A few other tips: Please don’t walk and smoke in busy areas. Sit down. Have your cigarette. Walking and smoking means that everyone else is affected by it. Especially lame at festivals or anytime people are dancing and smoking! I still have a scar on my arm from an irresponsible smoker at a music festival.

There is nothing saying that natural cigarettes are any better for you than regular, but, come on! Have you ever really seen what’s in a Marlboro. Switch brands. Maybe you won’t like it as much, and you won’t smoke as much. That’d be sweet. But, some of the rumors about the chemicals in cigarettes, well, I doubt they are just rumors.

That’s it ladies. Not a lecture. Just helpful tips. Don’t let the guilt of a bad habit stop your from taking positive steps to improve the consequences.

xo, Melissa

Have you been to one? Here in Missoula, we’re fans. There’s one happening every few months, and most ladies I know have a bag or box in their closets for clothes slated for this event.

Here’s the deal:

Most women I know love clothes. But, if you’re anything like me, you get sick of the same things, and want newbies, but don’t always want to, or can’t, buy new stuff. This is where swaps come in. It’s truly awesome. I have a game I play when walking to my car: I add up what my outfit cost me. If it’s under $100 and I look awesome, I win "good-shopper” points (you can rack them up for when you want to buy something really expensive and need an excuse). If I have at least one item on that I didn’t pay for, I double win. If the outfit cost more than $100 I have a look at why, and if I still adore it, then I kind of win . If I realize I paid more than I actually adore it, I lose. I hate losing. (Jewelry, bags and shoes are not part of this equation for the most part.)

Here are the common gripes against Clothes Swaps, and the total shut-down:

• “I’m a different size than everyone. Nothing will fit me”: I’m 6’0 tall. I look pretty small, but I wear a bigger size. Some of my favorite swap scores come from Amy, who is way shorter and tiny. Just because something isn’t your size, doesn’t mean it won’t work somehow. I adore way too big tops with skinny jeans. And a few of my friends like my pants for wearing cuffed up and cute. It’s all about styling ladies.
• “I’m not comfortable getting naked in front of people”: First off, you’re a woman. So are we. Work through this one. Secondly, you don’t actually get naked. Wear a fitted tank and boyshorts. This way, you're never that exposed. And, when the pile starts getting attacked, you won’t care what your neighbor has on. You’re too busy paying attention to the scores!
• “ I don’t have anything anyone will like”: B.S. How do you know? As long as your entire closet isn’t Old Navy Circa 1999, chances are someone will adore something you’re over. Also, see answer #1. Styling, baby. You might have an old rocker T that you think is lame. I would cut the neck off that thing so quick, tie up the back, wear a pair of chain earrings, hot shoes and extra eyeliner and call it an  outfit. (I now have an old Beatles, Pink Floyd and ACDC shirt that I’ve done this with and love)
• "How embarrasing. I don't want to wear used clothes": umm, get over that one! Being a frugal, quality shopper is a total cool girl thing. Save your pennies for things you really, really love. Your friends probably wash their clothes really well.

Ok, Rules of Engagement:

Someone hosts. It’s a big job. Set up a Facebook event, or just spread the word. Decide ahead of time if invitees are allowed to invite others. It’s alright to get a little finicky. More than 10 is good. More than 25 is too much. Set event up for about 2 weeks down the road, to give people time. Send out 1 reminder half-way through.

Start your bags! It’s alright if stuff needs a little fixing. But if it’s nasty, or actually belongs in the rag pile, don’t bring it. It's better to bring 10 decent items, than 30 crappy ones. Bring your items in a bag, along with an appetizer and/or bottle of wine. I also bring a thermos of brewed BijaBody tea.

Show up if you say you're going to. Give hostess your bag. (Hostess, see next step). Go away from pile. No looking ahead of time. Go hang out, chit-chat and wait for guests to show up. We usually start 15 minutes after event time. Don’t be late. It’s lame. These are usually week-day things, and people have kiddos to get home to.

Set-up a babysitter with other mamas. Non-moms aren't that comfortable trying stuff one with kids around. Give us non-moms a bone with this one. We adore your kids, love being auntie-figures, but some situatins just aren't for kids. Make sure BF or Hubby does not come home. Tell him it's cool to go have beers with the boys, but he has to take the kids.

Hostess, pile all clothes together, literally in one big pile in your living room. Bring out a couple full length mirrors, and set up “try-on” zones. Some people will want total privacy, some just want a corner in an adjacent room, some will go for it right there and then. Place a sheet over the pile to hide the goodies. I usually line shoes and jewelry (or purses or anything else) around the edges. We’ve gotten into bringing extras like home decor and such. It’s your call. I’ve also been to a couple that are really organized. No piles. Things are hung up. Again, your call. I kind of like the chaos of a pile.

Go Time: Bring ladies into room. Pull Sheet and go. Start Rummaging! The trick is to get a pile going of items you want to try on. When your pile looks healthy, go into try on mode. There’s some basics here:

If someone grabs something you like, you can ask them for it if they don’t like it. If you see something that you think someone might rock, throw it to them. They’ll have your back on the next round. Keep rummaging, trying on, rummaging, playing. Someone has to try on the Mary Kay Pink Business Suit for fun.

At the end, a few people will still be picking through remains (this is when I’ve made some of my best scores). Help the hostess pile all remaining items into bags. She’ll be responsible for taking them to a thrift store (part of hostess duty). Help wash dishes. Finish your wine. Help clean up. And go home. With scores. That you didn’t buy (which means you can go to your local shops and buy BijaBody or something you love!)

Get one going. We’ve got one planned for tomorrow, and I’ve got a sweet box ready for it! Would love to hear your stories about Swaps.

xo, Melissa

I drink tea year-round, although I know most people reserve tea drinking for colder months. That’s alright. Right now is a great time of year to make sure your tea station is set up, to ensure easy, graceful tea making for the colder months to come.

{My Tea Station}

It’s also a great time of year to re-incorporate tea into your world to make up for a summer spent enjoying cocktails, BBQs and late nights with friends. Real tea, as in loose-leaf, organic tea, has amazing healing benefits for your digestion and liver, which can help negate some of the less than ideal consequences of above mentioned activities! Other reason to start drinking tea right now? AVOID Cooties! Seriously. A few cups of our Beauty Tea Blends daily can decrease occurence and/or severity of common colds ands viruses. Proven. Keep your pretty self healthy.

You can get really fancy with your tea station, but there’s a few basics. Go-tos.

Stainless Steel Electric Tea Kettle: This is such a key piece of equipment. I have one in my kitchen and in my office. When I travel, I actually take one with me. It’s hard to get really hot tea water, and tepid water does not make for a great cup of tea. An electric tea kettle boils water faster than stove-top, uses less energy, and you don’t have to worry about forgetting it on (which I have a propensity to do!). Target has nice ones, and you can find them in thrift stores easily. They’re also great for making a cup of Miso Soup when you need a salty, healthy treat.

Tea Tumbler: loose-leaf tea shouldn’t be difficult. Having a great tea tumbler that you can take with you and add hot water throughout the day, steeping the same tea leaves, is the trick. Our Fair-Trade Glass ones are my favorite, but they are glass. You have to be careful with them. Timolino makes a stainless steel one which I also like, although I prefer the taste of tea in glass, and it’s worth the extra care, I think.

A Tea Pot with basket: This is for when friends come over, or you want a fancier tea drinking experience. There’s lots to choose from. The one we retail is a small pot, perfect for 2 cups of tea, and lovely. But the choices are endless! Pick something you adore. I also like Timolino’s Stainless Steel tea pot, which keeps tea hot for a long time. This is what I use for tea demos. But, they're pricey. Worthy, but expensive.

Tea! My Tea drawer suggestions: Obviously our Beauty Tea Blends are my top choice for daily, gorgeousness enhancing tea drinking. I think of them as beauty tonics. Enjoy a couple of cups throughout the day for health+beauty benefits.

Also check out your local tea shop, and stock up on a few other faves. I adore milk oolongs as a treat, and I also really like Rishi’s White Peach Tea. Tipu’s, another Misosula, Mt company, makes a great chai which is spicier and less sweet than common chais. Definitely check them out if you’re a chai fan. Keep an eye out on Teaspoons & Petals and sororiTEA sisters blog for other tea suggestions, and if you become a real tea dork (in the most loving way) join Steepster, a facebook like social network for tea drinkers. If you do join, throw BijaBody a shout out!

A favorite ceramic mug, and a basket! Not one of those ball or heart shaped annoying things. Check out PotsbyAmy.com for my favorite mugs.

Enjoy your cuppa. Tea yourself right.

xo, Melissa

Teenage Acne

Several of my clients have teenagers who are starting to grapple with teenage acne. First and foremost, I’ll say it sucks. I’m sorry if you go through it. I’ll give the bright side to this at the bottom of the post.

Usually, teenage acne is your run of the mill pimple, whiteheads, blackheads and maybe a couple cysts here and there. It’s a crappy thing to deal with, but know that the scarring you’ll get if you pick at it is way, way harder to deal with down the road. Scars are tough. Your skin is going through crazy changes right now. It gets better. I promise.

Here’s the prescription I have for most of my teenage clients:

AM: Wash your face with simple cleanser. You’re in high school. Let your mom buy the fancy products. For the morning cleanse, I recommend Yes to Tomatoes Cleanser (target), PCA Phaze 1 (professional), or using honey and a washcloth. The honey sounds odd, but it works better than most cleansers to heal and nourish your skin.

Tone with witch hazel. Moisturize with either Yes to Tomatoes (Target) or RobinsnestOrganics.com. Something really simple, and free of acids for daytime. This will help prevent hyper-pigmentation down the road. If you try to avoid oil, your skin will end up oilier. real botanical oils do not clog your pores. Synthetic oils, like petroleum, do. Your skin needs real oil to balance itself.

Make-up: I adore Mineral Fusion’s Tinted Moisturizer or Physician’s Formula Tinted Moisturizer (the one in the orange bottle), and AlimaPure’s powder. Avoid cheap powders and make-up. They can add to break-outs. Physican's Formula is your best drugstore bet. Wash your make-up brushes at least once every couple of weeks.

PM: This is when you should use acids and treatments. I may get some crap from other estheticians, but I like Proactiv’s Acne line for teenagers. I just don’t think it should be used during the day, or twice a day the way they recommend. Too much. And too much interaction with sun. The doctors who created Proactiv haven’t done much to impress me since. Their anti-aging face care is filled with really crappy ingredients, and is way over-priced for quality. But the acne line remains one of the best. I like to alternate the cleanser with St. Ives Medicated Scrub. That product remains one of my all-time favorite face scrubs for dealing with acne. Wash your face, use a benzoyl peroxide treatment on “underground, cystic” break-outs, and a salicylic spot treatment on surface whiteheads. You can opt for a light layer on your whole face, but only do this until your break-outs are under control. Afterwards, do a layer on your whole face sparingly, and stick with mostly spot-treating.

Once a week: Clay mask (bulk clay mixed with tea) followed by a honey mask. There it is again, honey. Real, raw honey is a wonder skin ingredient. I can’t say enough good things about it. It’ll do wonders for preventing scars and nourishing skin back to balance.

Athletes: If at all possible, remove all make-up before sweating a bunch. Or, at least, right afterwards. Keep some simple cleansing cloths in your bag (TJ MAXX regularly has BLUM), or shower as soon as you get home. If you need sunscreen, stick with mineral sunscreen, rather than synthetic.

Other considerations:

AVOID SUGAR. Sugar will definitely add to your breakouts. I swear. Clean up your diet.
WASH YOUR PILLOWCASE: At least once a week
GET AN ESTHETICIAN: One of the most powerful allies against acne is professional extractions. This will help you not to pick, and having an esthetician on your side will provide so much more help along the way.

The upside: I had horrific cystic acne as a young adult. Horrific, painful, God-awful. The upside? Every healthy habit I have started as an attempt to fix my skin. It also helped concrete my sense of self, so that I could feel attractive, or at least have it not matter as much, even when I had an awful break-out. It taught me compassion for people with true disfiguring issues. And it put me on the path to my life’s work.

DON’T PICK. When you need to do an extraction, do it right. Read this post. Better yet, call your esthetician.
DON’T EXPECT A DERMATOLOGIST TO BE YOUR SAVIOR: Derms are great for a lot of things. Run-of-the-mill acne? Not so much. They don’t ask dietary questions. They’re not going to do an hour of extractions for under $70. And they don’t have a magic potion. No one does. But there’s lots of tools. An esthetician is way, way more helpful than a derm in this case.

Cheer up, take care of yourself, and wear a really cute outfit. Your smile is way, way more powerful than a crappy break-out!

xo, Melissa

#rawtuesday is a little thing that's starting out. Having one full day, or even a partial day, where your food choices are raw, even primarily raw, is not only a great health choice, but a powerful environmental choice. Why not Tuesday? You could get fancy with #rawtuesday, or just eat primarily salads and chickpeas and great, fresh juices. Up to you. But it'd be lovely if you decided to join us. No pressure. My morning cup of coffee with half&half is non-negotiable. The rest of the day, I find it pretty easy to stcik with about 80%-90% raw. Fully raw doesn't work with my system. It might for you. Steamed veggies and me have a love affair. And, of course, tea isn't considered raw. Although I cold-brew most of the summer, so maybe this way it is? Don't know. Doesn't matter. I drink tea all day long.

If you have an easy favorite recipe, send it to me. I'll put it up here for others.

One of my all time favorite raw recipes, requested often when I'm invited to dinner parties in the summer. Cannot remember the name of the book I was inspired by many, many years ago, when I was a full, 100% raw foodist for a couple of years, but I'd love the author to know know I've loved this, and altered it a gazillion times since. In the book, it was called "Orgasm Soup" since Onion is purported to increase women's sexual sensations.  I just really love the soup, and can't say it's affected certain factors of my life into Samantha like levels (SATC), but it's delish.

Recipe below feeds 2-3 if there are other items.

Tomato Coconut Gazpacho

1 Medium Sweet White onion, finely chopped or sliced thinly, depending on your preference.

Several Cups Miso Soup, prepared with lukewarm water (just add miso to bowl, top with water and start smashing. It'll take awhile for it to dissolve). You'll need enough to cover ingredients.

3 Ripe, Real tomatoes. Finley chopped. Those super genetically modified ones won't taste good. This is the time of year for this soup! You could use any tomato you'd like, including mixtures.

2 cups coconut flakes (no sugar added!)

Few sprigs herbs of your choice.

1. Cover the chopped onion with warm water for 15-20  minutes to remove the bitterness, and bring out the flavor. I really like Vidalia onions for this recipe, but any white/yellow onion will do. You could probably use Red. I never have. I prefer red onion as a garnish.

2. Drain and rinse onion, add to bowl of Miso with the tomato and coconut. Start smashing. You could vitamix this, or just mash away, depending on consistency you like. I like both ways. Let mixturesit in fridge for 15-20 minutes before serving.

3. Serve into bowls, add a dash of herbs and sprinkle some fresh black pepper or red pepper flakes (my favorite). Enjoy! Goes just as well with raw crackers as with a great burger.

Favorite Additions:

Dash of Turmeric

Chopped Arugula

Drizzle of a thick, aged balsamic vinegar.

xo, Melissa