Hello there- Let me introduce myself as the new member of the team at Angela's Pure Salon and Spa. My name is Jean Olsen and I have been a licensed massage therapist in Florida since 1995- (MA 0018257)-  Yes, almost 30 years!  During my years as a therapist, I have learned many skills and modalities that support my profession, but I pride myself on my skills as a certified neuromuscular therapist (pain release) along with training in post sports, reflexology, trigger points, aromatherapy and headache relief. Learning to really listen to others in a nonjudgmental, caring and ethical manner comes naturally to me from my training with my BA from Eckerd College and 9 years spent as a counselor at Glen Oaks Crisis Center. I am also a certified EFT practitioner which is basically tapping on meridian points to release pain and certain emotions from the body.  When I wrote my book "101 Creative Coconut Oil Uses" I included my mission statement that pretty much explains who I am- "Teaching people to help themselves has always been my passion." Schedule an appointment with me here at the salon and let's see how I can help YOU!

Many consider dandelions persistent weeds, but they are magic at your fingertips!

Dandelions have numerous benefits. They contain nutrients vital to living your healthiest life, such as Vitamin A, Vitamin C, Vitamin K, calcium, iron, and potassium. These small but mighty plants are a beautiful example of a natural immune booster! Rather than eradicating dandelions from your lawn, try consuming them! They are also detoxifiers for your body. Dandelions help flush toxins, aid your kidneys in functioning more efficiently, and are great digestive enzymes.

Due to their precious medical nature, dandelions have been used in medicine for thousands of years, including Chinese traditional medicine. They were even purposely brought over on the Mayflower because of all their fantastic bodily benefits.

Dandelions are proven to reduce inflammation, low cholesterol, and keep blood sugar in check; who wouldn't like all of those things?! Not only do dandelions offer all of these beautiful qualities, but you also can use each part of them. Mountsinai.org states that each area of a dandelion offers a different benefit: "Dandelion leaves act as a diuretic, increasing the amount of urine your body makes. The leaves are used to stimulate the appetite and help digestion. Dandelion flower has antioxidant properties. Dandelion may also help improve the immune system. Herbalists use dandelion root to detoxify the liver and gallbladder, and dandelion leaves to help kidney function."

Dandelions are versatile healers right outside your doorstep for free! Instead of removing them or spraying them with harmful pesticides, consider picking a few up and seeing the benefits for yourself. The Earth provides so many incredible ways to incorporate nature into our health. Dandelions are the perfect opportunity for you to experience this magical phenomenon for yourself!

What do you look for when buying diapers? Are you focused on the ingredients, the fit, how absorbent they are or the price point; or maybe all four of these! I can’t even tell you how many times I have read posts of parents who are on the hunt for diapers that wont leak, but in reality a diaper can only hold so much before they just need to be replaced with a new one!

I have always been interested in ingredients in products, especially products we put on our little babies. I would drive myself crazy trying to find products I can truly trust to put on my baby’s skin, and sadly I still haven’t found much. There are so many harmful ingredients in almost everything, down to our children’s diapers. This I found very stressful since this is on their skin 24/7. I knew I wasn’t comfortable putting harmful ingredients on my delicate baby, especially knowing what it could cause down the road. Aside from this, diapers are the third largest consumer item in landfills, which is about 30% of non biodegradable waste . Have you ever wondered what is in your child’s diapers that absorbs the pee? This is the Sodium Polyacrylate, which is in almost all disposable diapers and turns the liquid into a gel. Another red flag for me was the strip that turns a different color letting you know that your baby has peed! So many people see this as a “cool” feature, but in reality this is just another toxic chemical added to our baby products that is touching their skin all day long.

Click the link to see the full blog https://theartofnaturalmotherhood.com/why-you-should-be-using-cloth-diapers-instead-of-conventional-throwaways/

You are promised volume and shine, but what is left out is the harmful ingredients hidden in your everyday personal care products.

According to a report form the Center of Environmental Health, dozens of shampoo, soap, and other personal care products contain cocamide diethanolamine, otherwise known as cocamide DEA. This ingredient blocks absorption of a nutrient called choline, this is an essential nutrient for brain development and peripheral nerve function. Deficiencies of this nutrient can lead to peripheral nerve damage, metabolic syndrome, insulin resistance, and hypertension.

Anther common chemical compound in shampoos is straight-chain alkyl benzene sulfonates. This ingredient is responsible for headaches, nausea, dizziness, drowsiness, confusion, and worst of all leukemia and other types of cancer. One more ingredient most conventional shampoos contain is 1,4-dioxane, a highly toxic carcinogen that causes cancer and kidney, respiratory, neurological toxicity, and does not readily biodegrade in the environment.

Most large companies such as Suave, Pantene, and Aussie use chemicals that have been linked to cancer, nerve damage, and immunotoxicity, and allergies.

Below is a list of some ingredients to watch out for in your product: