Start a Cleaner Life This Summer
Summer is here, and the slower, more relaxed pace of life in June means it’s a good time to focus on how you live. Start making clean choices now to create a healthier, natural lifestyle — this newsletter is full of helpful hints and tips!
Exercise of the Month: Meditation
There’s been a lot of buzz about meditation lately. But the truth is, there’s something to that buzz. There are so many benefits to meditation, and if you haven’t given it a try yet, this summer is a great opportunity to explore all meditation can do for you.
Meditation can have a variety of positive impacts. It can reduce stress, control anxiety, promote emotional health, enhance self-awareness and lengthen your attention span. Meditation also may be able to reduce age-related memory loss, generate kindness, help fight addictions, improve sleep, help control pain and decrease blood pressure. Plus, meditation can be done anywhere — your house, car, office and more. You can learn more about all of the many benefits of meditation here.
To get started with meditation, consider downloading an app. Headspace is one of the most popular meditation apps out there, but you can also experiment with other options and see which one you like best.
Happy meditating! Om…
What Foods are Clean — and Which Ones are Dirty
Have you heard of the Dirty Dozen? The nonprofit Environmental Working Group puts out a list of the fruits and vegetables with the greatest amount of pesticide residue. These are foods you might want to consider buying organic to protect yourself and your family from pesticides. Now’s the time to take a look at your grocery or market list and see if you want to make any organic substitutions. Here’s what’s on the 2019 Dirty Dozen list:
- Strawberries
- Spinach
- Kale
- Nectarines
- Apples
- Grapes
- Peaches
- Cherries
- Pears
- Tomatoes
- Celery
- Potatoes
The Environmental Working Group also puts out a Clean Fifteen list of the fruits and vegetables with the least amount of pesticide residue. Here’s what’s on the 2019 list:
- Avocados
- Sweet corn
- Pineapples
- Sweet peas, frozen
- Onions
- Papayas
- Eggplants
- Asparagus
- Kiwis
- Cabbages
- Cauliflower
- Cantaloupes
- Broccoli
- Mushrooms
- Honeydew melons
If you’re interested in learning more about other clean products and healthier alternatives, the Environmental Working Group releases information about a variety of items, from cosmetics to cleaning products.
Say Goodbye to Bugs the Natural Way
No one likes bug bites, but covering your body with the harmful ingredients that are in many common bug sprays isn’t a good option either. Some insect repellents contain toxic chemicals like DEET, permethrin and cyfluthrin. These chemicals can not only hurt you, they can also cause damage to animals and the environment.
For a natural alternative, use doTERRA TerraShield Outdoor Blend. It contains essential oils and other plant oils that offer natural protection, including Ylang Ylang, Cedarwood, Catnip, Lemon Eucalyptus, Litsea, Arborvitae, Nootka and Vanilla Bean Absolute. Make the change to TerraShield and protect yourself and your family.
A Clean, Beautiful You
Living a more natural, healthy life should also include the items in your makeup bag. Beauty products can contain harmful ingredients, so it’s important to use safe brands like Beautycounter that offer clean beauty items. The company’s mission is a powerful one: to get safer products into the hands of everyone.
Beautycounter has high standards, banning over 1,500 questionable ingredients from its products. Did you know that the European Union bans over 1,400 ingredients, Canada bans 600 and the United States only bans 30? Plus, nothing has been added to that list in over 80 years!
Unfortunately, some of the chemicals found in our everyday products have been linked to cancer, hormone disruption and infertility. Are you curious about how the cosmetics you’re using now stack up? Search for them on the Environmental Working Group’s Cosmetics Database.
If you’re disappointed in what you learn, consider switching to Beautycounter products. To give you a sampling of what the brand has to offer, check out these three bestsellers:
No. 1 Brightening Facial Oil — A daily radiance boost that awakens and replenishes skin
Cleansing Balm — A nourishing daily cleanser, melting makeup remover and a replenishing overnight mask all in one
Overnight Resurfacing Peel — A leave-on peel that improves skin texture and minimizes the appearance of pores, fine lines and dark spots
BeFitSRQ is hosting a pop-up shop with Beautycounter on June 20th from 11am - 1pm, click here for more details. You’ll be able to shop and learn more about what it means to use clean beauty products. More event details to come, so stay tuned!
The Power of Lasers
Did you know laser therapy can help reduce pain and inflammation? It’s true. If you’re curious about deep tissue laser therapy and what it’s like to receive a treatment, here’s a quick primer on the top five things to know:
- Laser therapy treats pain without side effects.
- Laser therapy can help both acute and chronic conditions.
- Laser therapy treatments can be customized for different situations and areas of the body.
- Laser therapy treatments can feel good and provide a soothing warmth.
- Laser therapy treatments are fast — usually 5 to 10 minutes.
Want to learn more? Read this article that delves deeper into key information about deep tissue laser therapy. And at your next visit to the BeFitSRQ studio, ask about how laser therapy could help you.
Here’s to a Joyful June
Just because things start to slow down in the summer doesn’t mean there’s not lots to do in Sarasota in June! Here’s what I’m looking forward to:
The Ringling Museum is hosting a photography exhibition called Fourth Quarter: Senior Athletes, Their Indomitable Spirit. It’s running now through July 21. The show includes work by photojournalist David Burnett, who has spent two years photographing senior-aged athletes.
The Sarasota Music Festival offers a chance to experience the beauty of classical music over the course of three weeks. The Sarasota Orchestra is holding concerts from June 1 to 22. Enjoy Artist Showcases, Friday Festivals, Saturday Symphonies and Rising Stars.
It’s time to head to the beach again for the Kids Summer Beach Runs. They start back up in June on Siesta Key, so mark your calendar for Tuesday nights. Take in the sugary sands of Siesta and get in a little physical activity with the family at the same time.
The Great Father’s Day Race 5K Run/Walk Sarasota is another great opportunity to get active. On June 15, head out to Siesta Key Beach again for this chance to celebrate dads and enjoy a fun Saturday at the same time.
See you on the sand!
