Autumnal oil concoction

For the transition from Summer to Autumn, and before I need to turn completely to the spiced yumminess of my Winter Oil Concoction, how about one to ease us in to this frostier time of year?

The cool weather we're experiencing in NYC now means gloves and an easier subway ride for germophobes like me—so nice to not play the balancing game I do to avoid touching anything in the subway during the nasty, muggy hotness of the city from April to September.

I mixed up a batch of this Autumnal Oil last weekend, trying a few new blends together, and applied liberally before heading uptown to meet friends for brunch and a stroll to see one of the gal's new apartment on the Upper West Side. As we walked off our massive (and delicious) meal I kept getting a whiff of something mysterious and toasty, but I chalked it up to the lightly-spiced nip in the air. Imagine my delight when I realized it was actually me!

But before I share, I have to tell you how nice it is to rediscover something charming close to home. I always wrote the UWS of the city off, but meandering around its brick townhouses with honest-to-goodness front "yards" (okay, stoops), with gardens and harvest bounty displays, and peeking through windows to see fireplaces and chandeliers and bannisters wrapping around and around was so foreign and homey and intriguing, all at the same time. And now that I have a friend living on the top floor of one of those townhouses (complete with mahogany wood paneling, window boxes, a skylight and a view over the sidewalks where children are skipping), I'm sure I'll indulge in its neighborhoody goodness a bit more.

Autumnal oil concoction: lovely as an after-shower moisturizer, face wash, perfume, and/or massage oil
+    1 1/2 cups of coconut oil (or your favorite carrier oil)
+  20 drops vanilla for warmth, comfort and fresh-out-of-the-oven coziness
+  15 drops germ-fighting/thieves (lemon, clove, cinnamon, eucalyptus, rosemary) for spicy cleansing
+  10 drops orange for zest and freshness

Melt together and store in a glass container.

P.S. Previous oil concoctions: Winter and Lullaby
P.P.S. My essential oils are all from Plant Therapy—love their quality and value!
P.P.P.S. Why I use coconut oil and how I use it

Postcard from St. Lucia

And...we're back! (With lots of photos to share!)

Our first sunset in St. Lucia at Rendezvous Resort

And...I'm a naughty blogger. Or, at least a less-than-committed one. I tried to be so very mysterious about my whereabouts, and then, spurned on by prevalent Wi-Fi and gorgeous scenery, ended up Instagramming my photos. Mystery solved.

Pretty beach curve at Rendezvous Resort

Remember how I mentioned here that I was interested in exploring the Cocoa Trail of the Caribbean (as written about in the NYT article I linked to)? Oddly enough, the name of the hotel must have stayed with me (how could it not, really), because we did in fact spend part of our time in St. Lucia at Boucan's Hotel Chocolat on the Rabot Estate. It was a bit of a splurge, but, if not now, when?

(Clearly there really is something to writing down your dreams, hopes, ideas, etc., and having them manifest! Nudge, nudge, Sweden!)

But let me backtrack. After R steered me away from Cartagena, the idea of St. Lucia started to grow gradually stronger in my mind. For all the reasons I mentioned before, it seemed like the perfect fit. And, funnily enough, a few agencies ago, I did some work on the tourism brand of the country—so it was such a treat to actually experience St. Lucia after working on its branding!

Glorious morning view at Rendezvous Resort

Once we had agreed on St. Lucia, and found reasonable flights, we had to decide where to stay. Since the country has such gorgeous and varied terrain, we thought of splitting our time between the beach and the jungle/mountains. We've never actually stayed at two places on one island before, so that was a first. We rented a car so we could drive between them and around a bit, and I was freaking out beforehand because R's Italian license has expired and I didn't want to be "forced" to drive the rental (they drive on the other side of the road there). Luckily, they didn't even check, so I was spared dealing with that frightening scenario, which would have been greatly compounded given the whirly-turns of the island's topography.

Rendezvous was our first stop—directly on the beach, colonial style architecture, and a more mature/sophisticated crowd. We decided our time there would be a proper (lazy) detox. No more than 20 minutes a day online, lots of beaching, reading, lazing about and sandy walks as the sun set.

All was going well until Day Two when we came back to our room late and fell into bed without realizing the A/C was turned on (and very high), which means we both woke up with horrifically sore throats that later turned into fevers. Quite a damper on the vacation. We both did our best to not let it slow us down too much, but sadly, I'm only just now getting over this nonsense. I'm not sure if I'm more mad that I was sick while on vacation or that I ended up being sick so long. The whole point of my commitment to improving my wellness every chance I get is to avoid piddly things like this—clearly there's a breakdown somewhere. Sigh.

Morning coffee is for (and with) the birds!  |  Rendezvous Resort

St. Lucian boys racing wild horses down the beach  |  Rendezvous Resort

But, back to the trip: the highlight at Rendezvous was definitely seeing local St. Lucian boys racing wild (at least they seemed wild to me) horses along the beach. There were about 10 or so of them and the thundering of hooves crescendoing and then descendoing as they passed was quite thrilling. Other highlights: taking breakfast on the beach (oh so peaceful), and tea time. That's something I love about visiting resorts on English-influenced islands like St. Lucia, and Antigua (where we spent our first honeymoon). Tea time is so proper and civilized.

We also indulged in a little Hobie Cat-ing, one of my favorite things to do when in the Caribbean. I learned how to wield the little boats ages ago (much before I met R), but he always seems to forget that I know how to captain them. I like to remind him once he's sailed us out of the harbor area and then laid down on the netting for a little nap. Then I scooch down the sides, wind the sail rope around my hands and start feeling around for a breeze while I maneuver the rudder thingy. Nothing better than seeing him pop up in surprise when we've started to zoom over the water.

The thing is, I don't really have any idea at all of what I'm doing. R grew up on a proper island (unlike Manhattan), and also served in the Navy, so he actually knows how to man everything from a canoe for fishing off the coast of Sicily to a sailboat to an actual, you know, military boat. I, on the other hand, approach Hobie Cat sailing as I do everything else: try a little of this, a little of that, and if it doesn't work, try a little of something else. Tweaks and whatnot.

And, it works. I'm pretty good at finding a good wind and steering into it so we can get moving. Also fairly good at steering around other boats and mini land outcroppings. What I'm not so good at, though, is slowing down. Which is why almost every time I take over the captain-ing, everything is lovely for a bit until I pick up way too much wind and the speed (and the fact that HC's tilt to the side when going fast) gets to be too much and I freak out and shove everything over at R.

That's my version of the dreaded "pie/cheese wedge" method of stopping when skiing. I should probably learn how to gradually slow down and stop, versus my throwing-of-the-rope and releasing-of-the-rudder, which creates a crazy fast turn and immediate stop. I should also learn the terminology so I can stop saying rudder thingy and rope thingy.

Maybe next time.

The road from Castries to Soufriere, passing by the Pitons

After three days at Rendezvous we headed down the western coast of the island just past Soufriere to celebrate my birthday. We passed the looming Pitons along the way—which ended up playing a starring role for the rest of the trip.

Hotel Chocolat was our second stop—a modern, chic, eco-lodge—where we had finally detoxed enough (nasty illness aside) to have the energy to do a few (brief) hikes, tours of the cacao groves (the national product I alluded to!), and enough of an appetite to indulge (regularly, overly, abundantly) in the cacao-infused menu at the hotel's on-site restaurant.

But first, we had to actually check-in, which involved walking up to the outdoor restaurant / terrace / reception area, where we were faced with this view:

View from the terrace at Boucan Hotel Chocolat

That's the famed Gros Piton of St. Lucia. It and its sister, the Petit Piton, were up for consideration as the 8th wonder of the world. Beautiful, right? As soon as I shut my mouth, which had dropped open when "surprised" by the sight of it at the top of the stairs, we sat down to check in, accompanied by a  refreshing glass of local rum and coconut water. Yes, we were both ill, but when on vacation, right?

Boucan Hotel Chocolat reception and gift shop all in one!

Cacao, cacao everywhere!

Gorgeous restaurant terrace with the most stunning view

Jungly wilds between the main building and all the lodges

Then we were escorted out to our room, and that's when we realized that those nice folks had upgraded us to a Luxe Lodge—an individual villa bigger than our apartment and with a ridiculously huge terrace with a straight on view of the Pitons. Cue another jaw drop:

Looking up to our lodge

View from our lodge, featuring R's foot

The views from our jungly perch to the island's most iconic feature was surreal. Like, smack you in the face with its massiveness, surreal. Now combine that with the gorgeously dark, teak-like furnishings and creamy, gauzy linens (my favorite combo!) and I was in heaven.

Our terrace, besides having that glorious view, came equipped with a nice little tea/coffee-time corner of our own. First order of business that afternoon was indulging in some. And then a few local friends swung by to join us:

Coffee and chocolate and chocolatey-nut break on our terrace...

...where we were joined by this little cutie

My other favorite part of the Luxe Lodge was the indoor/outdoor shower. I'm a clean person, but even I don't need to take three showers a day...which I definitely did while there. A less-favorite part of the lodge was the antithesis of a favorite part: all that nature during the day is wonderful. At night? Less so. There are these frogs and birds that create a racket as soon as the sun begins to dip. I'm someone that has learned to more or less sleep through the non-stop insanity that is NYC noises at night, but even I had to dutifully shove the complimentary ear plugs in so I could sleep. Actually, I had to put them in much earlier, as the show began at dusk. Still, there was something pretty magical about sleeping with that view at the foot of our bed—we chose to keep the louvered doors open all the time (which also made sleeping with a mask a necessity).

Where I spent a good ten minutes, three times a day. New love of my life: indoor-outdoor showers.

While on that part of the island we took a day trip to Sugar Beach to fit in a little more sand time. There was a little kerfuffle since we were accidentally on the Viceroy's part of the beach (which apparently costs $100 to sit on if you're not a hotel guest—?!?!). We smoothed things over (and then hightailed it out). But before all that, at least we enjoyed this:

Sugar Beach cliffs

Sugar Beach

Sugar Beach cabana

But the rest of the time, aside from that hike and a cacao tour, we spent right here. Relaxing on those chaises and facing the Pitons:

Boucan Hotel Chocolat pool & terrace area (once again, featuring R's foot)

The view from where we sat (and R's knees/book)

Oh, there was also a bit of that cacao-tasting menu I mentioned. Can I tell you how nice it is to sit in a restaurant that not only has the usual sea salt and black pepper grinder, but also a cacao grinder? So very nice. The menu included lovely dishes like gazpacho with cacao nibs, micro-green salad leaves with white chocolate, pan-seared tuna with cacao pesto, risotto with portobello mushrooms and cacao nib oil, a red lentil savoury hot pot with cocoa flatbread, angus prime beef with a dark chocolate port sauce, curried and cacao chicken, and on and on it went. And then came the desserts (followed by a decadent breakfast the next day). Surprisingly, despite the deluge of cacao, we never felt uncomfortably full, just pleasantly satiated. Must be the purity of product?

Pre-birthday dinner cacao spread (cacao balsamic, cacao butter puree, cacao oil and herbs)

Hello cacao grinder, where have you been all my life?

I also did a little extra indulging in cacao while at Hotel Chocolat. I looked into their Cocoa Juvenate Spa before leaving and the massages they offered are done with cacao-infused oils. You could choose from: pure cacao, cacao-peppermint, cacao-rose or (drumroll) cacao-nutmeg-cinnamon. It's like they know me! I obviously had to do a massage with that heavenly-sounding (and smelling) cacao-nutmeg-cinnamon oil. Afterwards I broke into a coconut on our terrace hoping the double whammy of deep tissue massage + hydrating coconut would make me feel better. It did, but it didn't knock out the fever like I hoped it would.

Self-medicating with a freshly-cracked coconut

I've needed a good soaking in nature. Our last trip was decidedly a beachfront extravaganza, but this immersion into jungles and cacao plants and volcanic mountains was truly grounding (earthing!). After inhaling fresh island air, digging my toes into actual grass and moss, hiking through animal habitats, immersing myself into mineral-tastic waters and reveling in pure cacao I actually felt a bit radiant—at least in spurts between feverish spikes.

Pitons at daybreak, as seen from our terrace

Hike near some potent sulfur springs

We know that we sleep better on vacation–but it's not just because we're relaxed and far away from demands, although that helps. On vacation, especially a beach one, you're barefoot. Your body is connecting with the earth and grounding the electrons within you. You're swimming for good chunks of the day, getting natural doses of healing minerals like magnesium. You're frolicking on the beach, playing and moving uninhibitedly, dousing yourself with Vitamin D. No wonder we sleep deeply and soundly (with ear plugs) and wake up with the sun and birdsong naturally (if not wearing an eye mask or ear plugs).

I wonder if I could swing a trip back now that I'm feeling better?

Although, I have to say, New York is pretty amazing right now. Crisp 55-60F weather, clear strong sunlight, light breeze. Everyone's got their tights on and belted sweaters and I even saw a few boots today. No heavy coats and gloves just yet, just the first plummy, autumnal layers are being applied. We welcomed fall our own way at home yesterday with a roasted butternut squash (alongside green beans in garlicky olive oil with crushed red pepper and...a shared steak. No dessert though!).

If this weather carries on, though, I don't mind sticking around for a bit at all.

PS. If you're curious about our path around the island:

Lavender-Peppermint muscle relaxing & boo-boo balm

I can hardly believe it's September already—my favorite month of the year! The air's getting crisper, I'll need to refresh our tea selection soon and long weekend rambles are about to get ever so much more comfortable.

We've had a good summer, though. Yes, the usual citizenship shenanigans were definitely the lowlight, but in the midst of all that, so much to be grateful for. We kicked off the season with a bang on the Riviera Maya, had our fill of lazy weekends, Mexican fiestas, after-work picnics, and woolly knitting sessions. And while I concentrated on rediscovering cocktail culture, R decided to concentrate on some-might-say worthier pastimes, like taking up mixed martial arts again.

When he lived in Stockholm in his 20s he trained with one of the founding families of jiu-jitsu, but when he went back to Sicily and then came here, he couldn't find anyone that taught the same style that he grew up with. I found that a little suspect, especially when he moved to New York, but he doggedly went up and down and across the isle of Manhattan (and even into Brooklyn) to try out all the ones he found and pronounced them all not quite right.

Then this spring we noticed lots of construction on a corner a few blocks from us. There's always something going on, especially downtown, but wouldn't you know, a brand new gym specializing in Brazilian jiu-jitsu opened up two minutes away from our apartment.

R signed up for a membership as soon as we returned from Mexico and has been going by after work a few times a week since then. Afterwards he's completely tuckered out, but with that post-boxing, post-sauna soak blissed out look on his face that makes me so happy. You know I'm all set with my own DIY training, so I always felt sad that he hadn't found the right niche for himself. But now he's coming home with nicked knuckles and hardcore hand wraps and enjoying himself silly.

Until I walked in one night recently and saw him sitting in the corner of the couch with his gym gear on (so already I was freaking out at the thought of sweaty clothes on cream couch), but when my eyes adjusted to the dark I saw he had his foot propped up on our blanket-stacked footstool with a dishcloth-wrapped bag of ice on top. He was sporting a forlorn look on his face and he said to me in a 6-year old voice, "I hurt my foot".

I immediately switched from annoyed hausfrau into Florence Nightingale, bent to look and yep, his left foot was swollen and a not-so-pretty color. Nothing was broken or sprained, but through some combination of someone holding a bag wrong and the wrong angle of his kick, there was a mighty nasty bruise getting purplier as I stood and stared.

He asked if we had any Bengay. We don't, but I had something better.

Citrusy tweaks for you & your kitchen (+ a seafood tip!)

We tend to use lots of lemons and limes in the summer for slicing over fish before popping it in the oven and squeezing over avocado salads (or, to mix up a good Margarita). But rather than tossing those spent halves away, I keep a little crystal dish in the fridge to collect my used citrus bits and every few days I recycle them in the bathroom or kitchen. (Yes, crystal, because doing the mundane is so much easier—and fun!—if you do it with pretty things. Fact.)

Interested in how?

An update + 2013 in pictures: July

If you've found me via the sweet Amanda of Pickles & Honey—hi! Thanks for popping over—I hope you'll stay a while! And in case you haven't seen it yet, Part 2 of my little 3-part "Gentler Day" series is now up over at Pickles & Honey. If you're interested in a few tips on creating a kinder, gentler work day for yourself, head on over:

Gentler Days: Tips for a Gentler Work Day

Missed Part 1? It's right over here: Gentler Days: Tips for a Gentler Morning.
Coming up soon: Tips for a Gentler Evening/Night!

+ + +

Click below to catch up on July!

(P.S. If you're reading this via Feedly, you're only going to see half the images—my format isn't playing nicely with the new reader, sorry!)

{ A Dixie 4th  |  July 7, 2013 }

{ Gasoline Alley mornings  |  July 9, 2013 }

{ Swedish Consulate drive-by  |  July 11, 2013 }

{ Feasting at Eleven Madison Park |  July 15, 2013 }

{ Almond detritus  |  July 21, 2013 }

{ Almost an American |  July 23, 2013 }

{ Stirred, not shaken  |  July 25, 2013 }

{ Lots-o-knit napkins |  July 27, 2013 }

{ Rituals  |  July 28, 2013 }

{ Goan voodoo + spirits |  July 30, 2013 }

Somewhere else this week...

{ Grab a cup of coffee and head on over!  }

Y'all, I am so, so excited to let you know that the lovely Amanda of Pickles & Honey invited me to share some of my tweaks for a gentler day over on her blog—which if you've never been by before, is chock full of good food (she's a whole foods, vegan recipe developer extraordinaire!), cute dogs (um, are you aware that Puggles exist? And that they're adorable?!), and sweet writing about how she's also finding ways to make each of her days better, happier and fuller.

If you're interested in a few more of the types of tips I've shared here before, please click over for some new ones in the first of a 3-part series:

Gentler Days: Tips for a Gentler Morning

Coming up soon, Tips for a Gentler Work Day and Tips for a Gentler Evening/Night!


[ Updated Friday August 2nd: Tips for a Gentler Work Day is now up!  ]

[ Updated Tuesday August 6th: Tips for a Gentler Evening & Night is now up!  ]

Growing up Goan: homemade remedies & medicinal mixology

{  Typical Goan lunch @ my Mom's: Leg of vinegary-roasted lamb, mango salad and saffron rice  }

In my haste and excitement to share my rectified state-of-lush-ness, I completely forgot to actually tell you why some cocktails deserve to be treated (and enjoyed) like natural medicine. Eat your vegetables, yes, but drink your herbs and vitamins, too!

But first, a bit about how I grew up:

I'm a first-generation American born to immigrant parents that met at a party in Manhattan—oddly enough, they're actually from the same area (although perhaps not so odd, since the party was related to their common heritage). Like most children born in the 80's to foreigners, my parents were pretty determined to bring us up as American as possible, meaning that we were not spoken to in their common dialect (which upsets me to no end today), and we enjoyed a variety of foods (although non were typically "American", apart from the damn good burgers my parents grilled out on our deck. I didn't have peanut butter or macaroni and cheese until college!).

Probably 70% of what we ate at home was definitely Goan, or Goan-influenced, which really isn't so far from basic Mediterranean fare (Goan food, and  Goan dialects, are a hybrid of Portuguese and Indian). Actually, a lot of the flavors that are sprinkled throughout Goan food is really similar to Sicilian—both being influenced by water, Arabs, and tropical climates, so: lots of small-scale fish, almonds, pistachios and vinegar-pickled/cured vegetables and meat. Goan cuisine then veers stiffly away because it's heavy in pork and coconut, which of course aren't as common in Sicilian food.

The remaining 30% of our diet was greatly influenced by our extended family, travels, and the fact that my parents are both great cooks that like to experiment—so a few German dishes here, a couple of Southern Italian meals there, some flamboyant French dessert way back over there, etc.

Other than the majority of what we ate, the other thing that my parents were insistent on incorporating into our childhoods (whether for the sake of preservation or because their way just made more sense...or because we grew up without health insurance), was natural home remedies.

Have a high fever? No Tylenol for us. Instead we applied an onion compress (and of course cancelled any subsequent social engagements, because that pungent odor tends to linger in hair, especially long hair like mine). Stomach cramps or a chill? Cupping performed on the floor of our den (although I eloquently referred to it as "fire on my belly!", and only in the last 10 years did I realize this was an actual medical "procedure" performed throughout the world). Chest congestion? No Dayquil for us, but a Vicks application before bed and an Egg Flip on an empty stomach.

Turmeric & ginger chocolate tummy tamer

{  Turmeric & ginger chocolate tummy tamer  }

Feeling achy? Crampy? Tired, but can't fall asleep? Maybe a cup of this little guy can help.

I woke up 4.5 hours before work today because I felt so horrible. After hobbling around doubled over in pain I finally decided to take a very hot shower (targeting the spray at my midsection), and then to curl up on the couch with a mug of this hopeful-healer. I feel a wee bit better, so thought I'd share with y'all.

Stir the following together in a little saucepan until its nice and blended and frothy and simmering gently:

+  1 cup of your preferred milk (I used Ronnybrook's Creamline)
+  1 tablespoon of chocolate (I used Navitas raw, organic cacao)
+  2 teaspoons of chicory (completely optional, I happened to have a smidgen of Dandy Blend left)
+  1 teaspoon of turmeric
+  1/2 a teaspoon of ginger
+  1/2 a teaspoon of cinnamon

Chocolate has actual health benefits, but I used it this morning just to make me happy. Who doesn't want chocolate on a Monday morning? The real helpers are the other anti-oxidants: turmeric (an anti-inflammatory and natural painkiller), ginger (another anti-inflammatory, as well as an anti-nausea and muscle relaxer) and cinnamon (which, like the others, warms the body—a good thing when you have bad cramps, even if it's hot and humid outside!).

Tonics and potions

{ Not exactly the potion I had in mind, but this works, too!  |  February 2013 }

As promised, a little peek at the nutritional extras I've been experimenting with lately:

Nordic Naturals Ultimate Omega-D3

Natural Vitality Natural Calm

Bio-Kult Probiotic

Bernard Jensen Bovine Gelatin

+ Nordic Naturals Ultimate Omega-D3  for reducing inflammation, a boost in building strong bones, and a little help regulating immune systems & mood / circadian rhythms.

I read good things about this company and the combination of Omega-3's + Vitamin D (necessary during our never-ending winter!) was a nice little dose of efficiency that I couldn't resist. While it's getting much easier to find good meat from local, sustainable, and gentle farms, fish still gives me problems. Either it's super expensive (which good meat can be, too), or, reports on the health of the fishery are conflicting. So while I am making more of an effort to scope out good fish, in the meantime, taking two of these a day cover me when I don't get enough. I mentioned before that I had noticed a little boost in energy when I first tried it, but as far as I can tell, no other clear effects (some women notice stronger hair and nails, which I haven't...although, my hair and nails are pretty strong already so who knows). Bonus: I was always afraid of taking fish oil because of the dreaded "fish burps" (eww!), but I haven't experienced any of that yuckiness with these at all!


+ Natural Vitality Natural Calm  for a direct boost of magnesium, which is an antidote to stress, improves sleep, promotes bowel movements, relaxes muscles, improves bone density, lowers risk of coronary heart diseases, regulates blood pressure and treats migraines/insomnia/depression.

Most people don’t get enough magnesium because the amount the body needs is greater than most think and many magnesium capsules and tablets are not completely absorbed. This powder, however, is pure, highly absorbable magnesium carbonate with citric acid—which creates ionic magnesium citrate, a nutrient that helps your muscles and nerves function properly, keeps your heart rhythm steady, supports a healthy immune system and keeps your bones strong. All of which means, if you want to sleep better and be less crochety (hi!), this seems like a good supplement. I've noticed a slight change in my sleep (a little deeper) and maybe in my mood (although I'm also making a conscious effort to keep work stress and personal stress compartmentalized), so I can't say with 100% certainty that the latter is thanks to this powder. But, I definitely know that a few spoons of this powder in water twice a day helps keep things moving (awkward...).


+ Bio-Kult Probiotic  for 14 strains of beneficial bacteria that help reverse the effects of poor diet, antibiotics, foreign travel, stress, aging and digestion issues.

I decided to try probiotics to see if they'd help with tummy problems when some gluten or more sugar than usual creeps onto my plate. I haven't really seen any huge effects, although Mexico was the first time in as long as I can remember that I haven't had my digestion basically shut down while traveling, so that's an improvement.


+ Bernard Jensen Gelatin  to support skin, hair and nail growth, keep joints lubricated, tighten loose skin, improve digestion, boost protein intake and build muscle.

I've been making more and more soup lately, reserving meaty bones from our dinners to throw in for an extra boost of gelatin and collagen, but I figured taking some direct gelatin wouldn't hurt either. I especially liked the idea of better skin, hair, and nail growth (specifically the skin bit), better digestion and help building muscle. So far, haven't really noticed any changes, though. To be fair, I also don't take this daily.

+ + +

There hasn't been any spectacular life-changing differences as a result of these guys, but there have been a few small improvements. I've also only been on this little "regimen" of mine for about 6 weeks, so I'm not ready to write anything off just yet. Maybe in another month or so I'll be able to make a decision about continuing or not.

Playing with pauses

{ A little Versace place-setting action at The Plaza Hotel  |  NYC  |  April 2013 }

I've been doing a little experimenting with Intermittent Fasting (IF) recently. May sound a bit nutso at first, but I did lots (and lots) of reading on the science behind it and the biologic and physical benefits that may come from it before I gave it a try. IF is the idea of giving your body a break from routine ("conformist") eating for a set period of time. The only "rule" you introduce into your daily life is choosing when to eat. If you already eat a clean diet, great, if not, well that's still okay—the only change you make is the times of day when you enjoy a meal.

[ This may seem faddish, but if you think about it, regular fasting is a way of life for many diverse religious groups (Catholics at Lent, Muslims during Ramadan, etc.), so it's not really a new idea. ]

There are tons of ways to do this, and naturally, many have created brands around their philosophies, e.g.,:

+ The Fast Diet / 5:2 Intermittent Fasting: Eating normally 5 days of the week and much less (i.e., 500 calories) 2 days of the week. This has taken off in the UK.

+ Eat Stop Eat: Eating normally apart from one or two 24-hour fasts each week. Doing this means you still eat every day, but the day you're fasting you don't have two meals, just one, i.e., you have dinner on Tuesday night at 7PM and then give your body a break until you have dinner on Wednesday at the same time. I like this premise because it means you don't go to bed on an empty stomach, which sounds like a whole lot of not-fun-at-all to me.

+ Leangains / 16:8: Geared toward athletic, muscle-building individuals and proposes 16-hour fasting windows and 8-hour eating windows every 24 hours. Followers also plan their workouts at the very end of their fasting window to break the fast with a feast right after intense physical exertion (the program also recommends specific ratios of macronutrients depending on your windows and workouts—it's a lot more involved than other "brands"!).  Most adherents eat their day's meals between 12PM and 8PM so this really just works out to not eating breakfast (or a different meal, depending on your "feasting" window).

+ Fast 5: Similar to Leangains, but they promote 19 hours of fasting and 5 hours of eating.

+ And then there are just people that listen to their bodies and eat intuitively, when they're hungry.

Lullaby oil concoction

{ via }

Even though the weather is warming up, I'm still hanging on to my spicy-scented winter oil concoction, although recently I've been doing it up with equal parts of coconut oil and raw cacao butter, which makes for a soufflè-like spread that goes on like whipped goodness and smells like yeasty, freshly-baked bread. The smell is seriously intoxicating.

But, I did mix up a new blend that I keep on my nightstand and smooth on before climbing into bed to moisturize my arms and neck and, theoretically, lull me to sleep:

+ 1/2 cup of coconut oil (or your favorite carrier oil)
+    5 drops of orange oil for cleansing and freshness
+    8 drops of lavender oil for relaxation and calmness
+  12 drops of vanilla oil for warmth, comfort and coziness

Slather on a bit and slip between the sheets!

P.S. My Winter oil concoction!
P.P.S. My oils are all from Plant Therapy—love their quality and value!