by Tara Mackey | Blogroll, Fashion, Fitness
January is the best time of year for a fresh start. Perhaps you’d like to be more thoughtful, more gentle or more kind. Maybe, like many of us, your mission is to get healthier or more fit. Whatever your goals, there are a few key elements to success that all of us can build on. These steps (no matter how small) can make any goal much easier to accomplish in the new year.
One of the big issues a lot of people face when sticking to their goals is the pressure they put on themselves. They focus on the resolution they’re setting, instead of the steps it will take to accomplish that goal.
Our goals should always be focused on self-love. This sets the stage for success, no matter what our ultimate objective is. Want to get in shape? I’ve partnered with Maurices this year to show you how to start!
by Tara Mackey | Blogroll, Wellness
It was the middle of winter, and the excruciating pain in my muscles and spine were shooting up into my neck. It hurt so much I was screaming into my pillow. I could not stop crying.
I begged my boyfriend, “Cut my back out.”
He looked at me like I was crazy.
“Cut it out,” I said. “I’m over this.”
I was in the middle of a flare up of my rheumatoid arthritis — a disorder for which I’d been on a prescription cocktail of fentanyl patches, Flexeril, and Celebrex for the last 12 years.
The moment that cutting out my own back seemed like the only way to get to the root of my pain, I knew something really had to change. The pain, exhaustion, daily blackouts, excruciating aches, and emotional toil needed to stop.
I was done masking the pain. I wanted to cure it — naturally, intuitively, and straight at the source.
I knew that a whole medicine cabinet full of ancient herbs, tonics, rituals, and secrets existed in nature thousands of years before modern medicine came along. I also knew that while my thoughts had a huge hand in my depression, pain, and anxiety, so did what I was putting in my body.
I decided to come off my 12-a-day dosage of prescription medication cold turkey (not a method I’d ever recommend to anyone). I replaced it with a more natural approach to healing, one that used food not just as a fuel but as a powerful medicine.
I thought that if I could tap into the healing properties of food and use them to propel my health, everything would shift.
My research was simple, but it changed my life.
Here are four healing herbal remedies that I’ve found can curb pain and promote relaxation. Bonus: most of them are probably already in your kitchen.
I was done masking the pain. I wanted to cure it.
Chamomile has been globally promoted as a relaxation herb for thousands of years. It has anxiolytic properties, meaning that it naturally inhibits anxiety. Chamomile extract is also a powerful pain reliever that can soothe aches at the source by lubricating joints and inhibiting bone loss. It’s also been shown to help ease menstrual cramps.
Plus, you can find chamomile practically everywhere. Speaking as someone who’s sensitive to caffeine, I can attest that it’s the most common caffeine-free tea available today!
Ginger was one of the first herbs I discovered in my healing journey, and luckily I already loved it! Ginger has quite the history of pain relief. It has been commonly used since the dawn of Ayurvedic history and was described as “the beverage of the holiest spirits” by the Ancient Koreans. Today, medical journals have found that a few tablespoons of ginger a day helps ease muscle pain caused by exercise.
Ginger works on a cellular level because it contains anti-inflammatory, anti-ulcer, and antioxidant agents as well as analgesic (inflammation-fighting) properties. Ginger has been shown to reduce cytokines — inflammation-causing substances that are often linked to pain — by breaking down existing inflammation in the joints (naturally)!
I used ginger for the excruciating daily pain of my arthritis and scoliosis. I started by buying raw ginger and putting pieces into a tea catcher, boiling hot water, and drinking it as a tea. You can also buy premade ginger tea or supplemental ginger vitamins.
Used for more than 4,000 years, turmeric boosts more than just your circulation. A member of the ginger family, it’s an effective anti-inflammatory that can help with joint problems and arthritis. It’s been used to treat rheumatoid and osteoarthritis pain straight at the source.
It’s also one of the easiest herbs to incorporate into your daily routine. My joints felt more fluid after just a week of incorporating turmeric into my diet, and it’s now replaced many of the drugs I took for pain and inflammation.
Egyptians worshipped it. Entire literary genres have been written about it. It was even used as currency in previous centuries! While these may not be your very first thoughts about garlic, this powerful plant contains naturally occurring antioxidants that are amazing for fighting discomfort, arthritis, cancer, and heart disease. It’s great for healthy joints and pain management. Simply toss a few cloves of garlic into your tea catcher, boil water, and drink with some honey. You can also put garlic cloves in your bath as aromatherapy.
by Tara Mackey | Blogroll
Staying motivated to work out year-round is hard enough — finding inspiration for exercising in the fall and winter months is an entirely different game. Even fitness fanatics find themselves sliding into excuse mode when chilly weather comes crawling in and lounge chairs are far more inviting places than any gym.
Also, there’s the almighty question: How can we seamlessly transition those workout clothes into functional, casual day wear?
Personally, I love fall in LA in San Diego! While the temperatures definitely drop a bit, it’s warm enough to get away with bare legs yet just cool enough to start wearing sweaters! Or in my case, warm enough to get away with a little leg warmer, cropped boots and a cute t-shirt dress!
No matter where you live, here are some styles to get you going:
I hope that helped! How do you feel about this fall transition? Any less motivated to hit the gym?
Let me know in the comments!
With Love,
Tara
by Tara Mackey | Blogroll, Wellness
This has been one of the best (and craziest) months of my life! I finally got to hold my book, I had the first surgery of my life, The Organic Life is officially incorporated, I’ve been exploring California and planning a lot of future trips, a new, beautiful office magically appeared into existence for me and I manifested a brand new dream house by the beach!!
I’ve also been working my butt off like crazy to make this all happen seamlessly. And I’ve actually stayed extremely sane throughout it all. In fact, I found my dream house in just TWO DAYS. So how did I stay grounded this month through all of these huge, mega changes? I’d love to share some of the healthy things I’ve been loving lately to keep the peace in my life. 🙂
- I just placed a big ol’ order at Adidas because I am loving their fall stuff! This stylish long sleeve shirt and running pants will get worn like crazy, I can already tell! Plus, their new miAdidas customization option has me so stoked! Design my own Adidas? Yes, please! A lot of people may know that I adore Adidas specifically because of their commitment to sustainability. Oh, you didn’t know? Yeah. They’re pretty hip. 😉 These will be a great addition to my fitness wardrobe since I am about to start shooting for the 14 Day Fitness Plan follow up!
- Beauty Dust by Moon Juice has made it’s way into every smoothie, tonic and meal I’ve made for the last month – to amazing results! Goodbye dark circles, adios dehydrated, tired skin! This ancient empiric formula expands beauty through calming the nerves, increasing collagen and silica production, toning and firming tissue, and both hydrating and fortifying skin, hair, nails and cell membranes from the inside out.
- Plus, Doolish is the perfect compliment to the Under the Sea lipstick, which I’ve been rocking each and every day. Incredible for brightening up any complexion and it keeps lips hydrated all day long. Perfectly organic, natural and 100% safe for you!
- Skora Natural Body Scrub has been a god-send lately. This incredibly relaxing blend of lavender scented healing salts are a great addition to any warm bath. Just add a handful, slip in and let go!
- Hope Gillerman. I can barely write it without taking a deep, soulful sigh. The lavender and sandalwood based stress remedy solves all woes – just apply to pressure points. All products are made with the highest quality, unaltered organic and wildcrafted essential oils sourced from all over the world to create aromatic blends that stimulate the body’s natural healing process. The ancient practice of Chinese Medicine is based on the concept that optimal health requires balanced and flowing Qi – our innate life force and vitality. Healing with essential oils has been part of this profound treatment paradigm for more than 1,000 years.
- Josh Rosebrook was kind enough to send me his new Herbal Infusion Oil and (like everything else Josh makes) I am obsessed! So, so obsessed. Each of Josh’s products is supremely effective and pure, crafted with a maximum of botanical extracts and active ingredients. Josh Rosebrook consistently receive “zero toxicity” results – a rare designation that reflects the brand’s unwavering commitment of guaranteeing absolute purity. This new beautiful all-in-one herbal oil cleanser, makeup remover and facial treatment is perfect for all skin types. Rich plant oils and active herbal infusions create potent synergy to effectively cleanse and detoxify. Yummy yum.
- I don’t know how the heck it took me so long to find Rare El’ements, because they are amazing! They finally feel just like regular shampoo and conditioner but with an organic, high performance and totally safe ingredients – like Macadamia oil, Murumuru butter, Abyssinian and Marula oil, you can bet that your hair will look absolutely voluminous after use! My hair has never been healthier. I recommend these products to all!
- Lurk has been keeping me sane all month! Just a few dabs to my décolletage in the morning and a few in the afternoon, since this scent lasts all day. An intoxicating infusion that is densely layered yet never heavy. No water, alcohol, chemical preservatives, stabilizers or additives are used in this perfume oil concentrate. Lovely.
Hope that helped you to get some ideas of how to stay sane during this time, which is crazy for so many (I mean, how many new moons and mercury retrogrades are we going to have this year, exactly?) Share it with me with the #organiclifeblog hashtag!
with love,
Tara
by Tara Mackey | Blogroll, Collaborations, Food
I am so stoked to share that my collaboration with The Tasteful Pantry has come to life in The California Box!
Bring a little California home to you! The Tasteful Pantry is an LA-based business that offers customers an opportunity to indulge in a way that fits their ‘free-from’ and health-conscious lifestyles. It was great to be a part of creating a safe, healthy alternative to snacking for you to bring home. And it was super cool to watch all of our hard work come to life in this box! Our mission is to transform the tedious process of shopping for ‘free-from’ snacks & sweets into a convenient and delightful surprise box!
I think my favorite from the box were Moon Juice Activated Turmeric Coconut & Lime Pepitas (yummmm!) and Dang Coconut Chips.
These boxes were created with your needs in mind. Enjoy a guilt free, delicious, healthy meal on the go! I really can’t tell you how much fun this has been to help create and design this box. Seeing it come to life has been thrilling! Thank you so much again for your support and love with our healthy box! It means the World to me!
with love,
Tara
