LEARN SOMETHING
BOOK CORNER
Dr. Don Colbert is a best-selling Christian author and doctor who believes in combining alternative and traditional medical practices to achieve optimum wellness. In THE SEVEN PILLARS OF HEALTH (Siloam Press, 2007) he details a 50-day plan that will put you on the fast track to good health. THE SECRET (Beyond Words, 2006), edited by Rhonda Byrne, culls wise insights from modern-day thinkers that show how thoughts create reality. Oprah's a fan. In fact, she devoted two episodes to the book and DVD. On that same note, THE INTENTION EXPERIMENT (Free Press, 2007), by acclaimed science journalist Lynne McTaggart, offers a practical program that will help you get in touch with your own thoughts and increase the strength of your intentions to achieve change in your life. —C.W.
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Q. What do you do to give back?
We put this question to John Paul Mitchell Systems CEO John Paul DeJoria, who along with Brad Pitt and Nelson Mandela, is a patron of the Mineseeker Foundation. The organization aims to rid the world of land mines in the next 15 years and then, through a campaign it calls "The Sole of Africa," to make sure the cleared land is used to grow crops and feed the local people.
 Maria Gulele and John Paul DeJoria |
"I make this contribution on behalf of hairstylists, in order to help make the world a better place to live," says DeJoria, who has traveled to Mozambique with the foundation and is also sponsoring a prosthetics-donation program to give land mine victims a new life. Maria Gulele, a hairdresser who lost both her legs after stepping on a mine during the civil war in Mozambique in the 1970s, was among the first to receive a new pair of prosthetic legs, and she is now able to walk again.
"We believe in giving back and helping people—it's part of our culture at Paul Mitchell," DeJoria says. "We start teaching it in our schools, and our students love the fact that they are involved with a company that does things to help people throughout the world." mineseeker.com —C.W.
Get Healthy Food Straight From the Farm
Farmer's markets have become a weekly ritual for many people who like their fruits and vegetables fresh-from-the-farm. But there's another way to get flavorful, fresh produce while supporting local, small or organic farmers. Called Community Supported Agriculture (CSA), it connects farmers to local consumers by creating a mutually beneficial relationship where community members agree to purchase a share of a season's harvest from a CSA farm. They become "subscribers" to the CSA, and each week they receive a box of fresh produce, fruit, eggs, milk and flowers, or other various farm goods. Meanwhile, the subscriptions help the farmers cover their operational costs.
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A CSA season typically runs from late spring through early fall, so if you're looking for an easy way to eat fresh and healthy all summer long, you'll want to subscribe now. Visit localharvest.org for a wealth of information on CSA and to find a CSA farm near you. —C.W.
LISTEN
MUSIC YOU'LL LOVE
Call it "opera-lite," but a spate of recordings by groups like Il Divo and Amici Forever are making fans out of millions of Americans who don't know the difference between Puccini and Verdi. IL DIVO is the brainchild of American Idol's Simon Cowell. Tapping into a new appreciation for lyrical voices and classical music, he conducted a worldwide search for classically trained singers to form a band. Now they're touring with Barbra Streisand. AMICI FOREVER is comprised of five opera singers, whose unique blend of contemporary pop and traditional opera are showcased on The Opera Band. Even Luciano Pavarotti sings the praises of ANDREA BOCELLI, who achieved acclaim in 1996 when he sang with English soprano Sarah Brightman. Their rendition of "Con te partiró" ("Time to Say Goodbye") broke sales records. Finally, there's RUSSELL WATSON, an English tenor whose debut album, The Voice, is a mix of operatic arias and pop song covers. I've got all of these CDs in my collection, right alongside Puccini's La Bohème. —M.D.
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Eat for Beauty
Your mother was right: Beauty comes from within. What you eat affects how you look and feel every day. Enter Avancé's "beautrition" philosophy, which encourages eating foods rich in beauty-enhancing nutrients, the same nutrients found in the company's vitamin and mineral supplements and skincare products. Here are some easy ways to incorporate beauty super foods into your daily diet. —L.A.
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Q. What keeps you centered every day?
Pilates, meditation, yoga and hiking are some of the things that help keep me centered. We actually have a yoga studio in the salon, and three days a week we have an instructor who gives classes for my staff and me in the morning, before the salon opens. I also take my two Labrador retrievers, Grace Kelly and Montgomery Clift, hiking every day in Hollywood's Runyan Canyon. It gets me out into the environment and connects me to nature. My dogs are my excuse for doing it, but the truth is, it really helps me.
 Chaz Dean, with Grace |
—Celebrity stylist Chaz Dean is owner of Chaz Dean Studio in Los Angeles, CA, and creator of WEN Cleansing Conditioners and products.
Yummy Organic Blueberry Muffins
Skana: The Spa at Turning Stone near Syracuse, NY, shared this recipe with us. These delicious blueberry muffins are served at the spa café and have only 150 calories. What's more, they've got just one gram of fat but are full of flavor. Bon appétit! —M.D.
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INGREDIENTS
- 1 cup organic blueberries
- 1½ cups rolled oats
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1¼ cups whole-wheat flour
- 1 cup applesauce
- 4 egg whites
- ¾ cup honey
- ½ cup plain or vanilla nonfat yogurt
Blend oats in a food processor until they reach flour consistency. Sift baking powder, baking soda and cinnamon with oat flour and whole-wheat flour. Make a well in the center and add applesauce, egg whites, honey and yogurt. Mix gently and fold in berries. Fill prepared muffin pan two-thirds full with the batter and bake at 350° for 15–20 minutes.
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RUB A DUB DUB
Relax and refresh with ACCA KAPPA's all-natural soaps, available in 15 luxurious scents, including avocado, fig, gardenia, hibiscus, hyacinth, lavender, lily of the valley, magnolia, mimosa, pear, rose, vanilla orchid, wisteria, white moss and sandalwood. The triple cold-milled soaps are formulated with rich, vegetable-based ingredients, and each bar is creamy and long-lasting. accakappa.com —M.D.
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