There are very few government restrictions on what ingredients can go into your makeup, shampoo, and other beauty products. As a result, some pretty dangerous stuff ends up next to your skin every day. Skin Deep can help – it’s an online safety guide to cosmetics and personal care products.

The site is easy to use – type a product, company, or ingredient into the search field and you’ll get a list of matching entries. The safety rankings are numbered and color-coded. You can click on an entry to see details – don’t forget to scroll down.

There’s a lot of info on this site. Not all of it is fun to read – we’re going to have to reconsider some of our favorite products after seeing them associated with health risks we’re not willing to take for beauty. We’re still a little sad about that. But we know we’ll be happier in the long run.

Skin Deep is a product of the Environmental Working Group, which has an email list. It’s a good way to stay informed about all kinds of environmental toxins.

While checking out your image in the mirror today, take a good look at your teeth.

Are they as white as they should be? Look healthier with a bright smile. If your teeth could use a little brightening, call your dentist and make an appointment to have your teeth whitened. There are many different products and techniques available, so find one that works best for you.

There’s no exercise more convenient than walking. No special equipment is required beyond good shoes. There are no membership fees. And almost everyone can walk – you can choose your pace and your distance to match your ability.

Try not to walk hunched over. Think of a helium balloon holding up your head and shoulders, and helping you move forward.

Don’t look at the ground – look out above the horizon. Looking down drags your posture down, but looking above the horizon keeps your body at the best angle for walking.

If you swing your arms, you’ll get a better workout. Try nordic walking (walking with poles – they look kind of like ski poles) to tone your upper arms and shoulders. Or just bend your elbows while moving your arms to increase your speed automatically.

Photo by Ollzha

No matter what your faith or religious beliefs are, this is a good day to reflect on the bigger picture.

Sit back and appreciate everything around you. It’s mind-boggling to think about all the beauty that exists in the world.

Spend time enjoying nature.
Spend time enjoying people.
Count your blessings.

In case you need a little bit of background music to keep you moving through your “fill in the cracks” weekend – this one should get you going.

No excuses. Finish what you start.

You know all that stuff you think you’re going to do? Or to remember?

It’s time.

This weekend, live in the cracks. Catch the debris. It’s time for damage control.

Finish what you start.
Clean up the messes. And the clutter.
Pay the bills.
Shop for – and mail – the birthday cards.
Sync your address books and calendars (even if they’re hardcopy – make them the same!).
Return the library books.
Weed the garden.
Clean the fridge.
Clean your inbox.
Wash the car.

Whatever it is…

You know what you’ve been doing half-way. Get it done this weekend.
You know what you’ve been ignoring. Face it head on.
You know what you’ve been putting off. JFDI – just finally do it.

Flax seeds are the richest commonly available seed source of alpha-linolenic acid (omega-3′s). Alpha-linolenic acid is one of the essential fatty acids – “essential” because they cannot be produced within the body and must be acquired through diet. Most oils and their corresponding seeds contain more omega-6′s, so it’s good to work on getting more omega-3′s to achieve an optimum balance.

If you are trying to restore the balance between omega-6 and omega-3 essential fatty acids in your diet, you may want to eat a tablespoon or two of flax seeds every day. Some experts recommend eating whole flax seed rather than flax seed oil because you get the whole package: the protein, fiber, minerals and phytochemicals along with the omega-3′s.

20 grams of flax seed (2 Tablespoons) yields about:
7 grams of fat (60% omega-3 polyunsaturated, 18% monounsaturated, 10% saturated)
5 grams of protein
5 grams of fiber (3 grams insoluble, 2 grams soluble)
1 gram of minerals
2 grams of water

Flax seeds are also the best source of the phytochemical lignan (not to be confused with lignins, a type of fiber). Flax contains 100 times the concentration of lignan as wheat bran, the next best source. This phytochemical is believed to have anti-bacterial, anti-fungal, anti-viral and anti-cancer properties

Unless you do something to break the hard outer coating of the flax seeds, they may pass through your body undigested. Whirl them in a blender for a few seconds to break them into rough pieces, or mash them with a mortar and pestle. Or you can grind them into a meal with a coffee mill or spice grinder. You can also buy flax meal already ground – although it may go rancid more quickly than the whole seed.

Omega-3′s are the least stable of the fatty acids, so the oil turns rancid quickly if it is exposed to heat, light or air. Grind the seeds shortly before you eat them, and store any surplus in the refrigerator or freezer. Flax oil should also be stored in the refrigerator, with the cap tightly closed. Do not buy flax oil from a shelf, only from a refrigerator.

Sprinkle your seeds on cereal or salads, into smoothies, or on just about any other food. They have very little flavor and just a bit of crunch. If they taste unpleasant, they’re rancid and you need a new batch.

A caution: you should not eat more than three or four tablespoons of raw flax seeds a day (we think one or two is plenty.) They contain cyanogen which is harmless in small amounts, but in large amounts can act to keep your thyroid from taking up enough iodine. Cyanogen is rendered inactive by cooking. But the omega-3′s are compromised, too.

Add 1-2 Tablespoons of ground flax seeds to your daily healthy diet of vegetables, fruits, beans, whole grains and other seeds.

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Our recipe today supports vegan baking. Ground flax, when combined with water, makes a flax slurry. This is sometimes called flax eggs, and it can often be used in place of eggs. It has the consistency of egg whites.

Flax Eggs
egg replacer for vegan baking

1/3 cup flax seeds
1/4 cup water

Grind flax seeds in spice grinder. Transfer to blender or food processor. Turn processor/blender on, and slowly add the water. Blend till mixed well and consistency of a milkshake. Store in fridge in well sealed container. Use 3 Tablespoons for every egg in baking recipes. Will keep for 2-3 days in the fridge.

Photo by Kermo Perkele

Viva la vegan!
Viva la difference!

Try something new in July! Take the ALL NEW online class Viva La Vegan!

Vegan eating means no animal products at all – or, as vegans sometimes say “nothing with a face or a mother.” So there will be no dairy and no red meat – as usual with the Total Health Makeover®. There will also be no poultry or fish, and no eggs.

Are you willing to try something new and different?
Are you looking for new delicious recipes?
Are you interested in a personal challenge?

This class will NOT be a hard-sell for turning you into a card-carrying, alfalfa-burping, militant vegan. Mother-daughter coaches JanB and Vegan Kyra simply want to share their lifestyles with you, and give you some food for thought and food for your tummy.

The recipes they will share all fit Marilu’s Total Health Makeover® guidelines. The food is healthy, mostly quite easy and quick to prepare, and most importantly, delicious! Too many people assume that vegan food is bland and boring, that only old hippies eat vegan, and that there must be almost nothing in the cupboard. Nothing could be further from the truth!

This class will be great fun, enabling you to sample the vegan life without any kind of commitment.

Come on, what do you have to lose?

Class runs Monday through Friday for two weeks – July 6-10 and July 13-17. Sign up now – the class email will come to your inbox on Monday, July 6!

Lots of recipes will be provided. Vegan Kyra is a wife and mother with a full-time job. JanB, Kyra’s mom and a coach in our cooking forum, is a former restaurant owner. They know and love good food. If you’re looking for a new way to eat healthy, why not try this class? Sign up here.

Viva la vegan!
Viva la difference!

The Cornell University Food and Brand Lab found that people who eat off of typical 12-inch plates regularly consume 27% more at meals than those who eat off of smaller 10-inch plates.

The bigger your plate is, the more you eat.

That’s because the bigger your plate is, the more food you have to put on it to make it “look right.” You know exactly what we mean. And once the food is on your plate, it’s as good as in your mouth. And then it’s on your hips. And you can’t figure out what to change – after all, you’re eating food that’s good for you!

So what would happen if you used smaller plates? You’d eat less, of course. But you certainly wouldn’t be hungry. If your dishes came with luncheon plates (between a salad plate and a dinner plate), use those exclusively. Or buy some new 10-inch plates. That’s plenty of room for the food you need.

Photo by Steve Woods

Remember – you have the right to bare arms!

So tone up your shoulders and arms, and still get fit all over.

• SWIMMING! Get cool in the pool while you sculpt your arms doing those laps.
• ROCK CLIMBING! Reaching up to get the next hold, then using your arms to help pull yourself up is an excellent way to get rid of bingo arm.
• KICKBOXING! Punches and jabs and uppercuts, oh my! Work out your aggression and develop your muscles.
• CANOEING! and KAYAKING! Family fun, time outside, going places – and you’re dependent on your arms and shoulders to get you to your destination.
• WALKING WITH POLES! Add to your calorie burn by including your arms. Look for Nordic walking or pole walking groups.