I grew up using mainstream brands of toothpaste and mouthwash, so when I recently started to try out different brands of organic toothpastes made with natural ingredients I was generally disappointed with the flavour and textures of the products available. I few weeks ago, I began using Jason Natural Sea Fresh Toothpaste (fluoride free) and Jason Natural Sea Fresh Mouthwash and I was pleasantly surprised, so much so that I no longer miss the mainstream brands which, I should note, contain tons of chemicals. These two products are made with biologically active blue-green algae, sea salts and minerals which, according to the company, “help heal, detoxify, and strengthen gums and teeth.” I’m starting to love Jason Natural, everything from their toothpastes to their body washes and moisturizers. The company has been around since 1959 and uses natural ingredients in all of their products. Their products are not tested on animals, and they generally avoid using artificial colours or fragrances in their products.

Over the last ten years there has been a proliferation of ‘healthy’ snack options available at local grocery and health food stores. I remember as a teenager reaching for nutrigrain bars and other cereal bars, assuming they were healthier alternatives to cookies and other sweets. I was surprised when I finally read the ingredient label and found that many of these so-called ‘nutritional’ bars – though they may be low in fat – are actually loaded with sugar and sodium. Most of these cereal bars contain corn syrup and a whole slew of ingredients I can’t even pronounce. When I started to look for healthier alternatives, I was really disappointed with the taste of the healthier bars – that is, until I discovered Kind Bars. I’ve tried the Macadamia & Apricot as well as the Fruit & Nut Delight, and they both taste amazing! Really, I’ve never tasted a more delicious snack bar. And what I love most about Kind Bars is that they are actually nutritious. They are rich in fibre and vitamins. The Macadamia & Apricot contains omega-3’s, antioxidants, beta carotene, and potassium. The Fruit & Nut is a good source of protein, fibre, and contains only 180 calories. Kind Bars taste amazing and contain nutritional ingredients that you can actually pronounce.

At hpn.to we love supporting Canadian companies, especially those who are devoted to using natural and organic ingredients in their products. One of our favourites is SBT Seabuckthorn, a British Columbian company that uses the Seabuckthorn plant in their health and beauty products. They offer a wide range of products including cleansing bars, teas, anti-aging creams, acne treatments, shampoos, conditioners, and oils. According to the company, their SBT anti-aging skin cream was voted the #1 anti-wrinkle cream for 2005. The SBT Berry Cream, an hpn.to customer favourite, is rich in omega 7 and contains up to 41 carotenoids to hydrate your skin. The SBT day and night creams are great for normal skin and are both rich in SBT seed oil and anti-oxidants. The SBT oils are made from the seed and fruit of the seabuckthorn berry and are excellent sources of vitamin E, beta carotene and other nutrients. The oils are to be used topically and work great as moisturizers. I personally love the SBT Seabuckthorn skin slaves.

To all our wonderful hpn.to customers, let us know what you think about SBT or any product for that matter. Simply write a review of a product you’ve purchased from hpn.to on the product page. One lucky hpn.to customer will win an hpn.to gift certificate. Hurry up and comment! The winner of the draw will be announced November 30.

Enjoy great savings on the products you love.

Hurry, sale ends September 25th!

Fibre is found in many types of foods, including different types of fruits, vegetables and whole grains. Another excellent source of fibre is Psyllium, which comes from a plant grown in parts of Europe and Asia. It has a high mucilage content, which – when combined with liquid – acts as a bulking agent to stimulate bowel movements and support gastrointestinal health. I like to use Now Foods’ Organic Whole Psyllium Husks. Now Foods recommends that you add 1-2 tablespoons of Psyllium to a 12 oz glass of water or juice, mix rigorously, and consume immediately. I prefer to consume Psyllium as part of my morning fruit smoothie. Here is my recipe:

-1 cup of milk
-about a handful of berries (I like raspberries, but feel free to use any fruit you like)
-a splash of orange juice (apple and cranberry would also work really well)
-1 tablespoon of Now Foods Whole Psyllium
-half a banana
-some ice

Mix all ingredients together in a blender. Add more milk or juice depending on how you would like the consistency. Serve in a pretty glass and drink it out of straw!
You can play with the recipe and experiment with different types of fruits and juices. Be sure to drink plenty of water throughout the day.

Natural oils, such as olive oil, jojoba oil, and castor oil offer wonderful beauty benefits. Speaking from personal experience, these oils are great to use as moisturizers and cleansers.

Being Greek I love olive oil in my food, but it can also be used on your skin and hair. My scalp gets terribly dry in the winter time, and I found that olive oil in particular works really well for moisturizing my scalp and softening my hair. A couple of times a month I will apply a couple of tablespoons of olive oil on my head and massage it into my scalp. I do this before bed, and I will leave the olive oil on overnight. I usually wear a shower cap or just lay an old towel over my pillow to prevent my sheets from getting soaked. In the morning I wash and shampoo the oil out.

Castor oil has been really effective in treating my acne. Though it hasn’t completely eliminated my acne, I have noticed a significant improvement in my complexion, much to my relief. A few days a week I will wash my face with warm water, and then just apply a dab of castor oil. A little seems to go a long way! I just slowly massage it into my skin and go to bed. It does have a bit of an odour and it does feel a bit sticky until it has dried completely. But overall I’ve been quite happy with the results.

Jojoba oil (pictured at the top) is another one of my beauty tricks. It works really well as a moisturizer, it’s not sticky or smelly like castor oil, and it can be used in many different ways. I apply a little jojoba oil to a cotton pad and use that as a make-up remover. I also use it as a moisturizer, especially on my feet and elbows.

Which natural oils do you use and why? Let us know by replying to this post!

Some of my fondest childhood memories are of the sultry summer days spent riding through my neighbourhood on my hot pink banana-seat bicycle. We lived in secluded court which conveniently doubled as racetrack for our heart-pounding neighbourhood bicycle races. My family had a basketball net on our driveway and I spent countless hours watching my older brothers play, pleading with them to let me join in. Occasionally I was invited to play a game of 21, but often lost by a huge margin! Still, I was happy to be included and to learn a new sport. Summers also meant swimming lessons at the local pool and informal skateboarding lessons with my oldest brother. I could never manage to stand upright on a moving skateboard, so I finally decided to sit on the board and use my feet to propel me forward. It wasn’t pretty but it worked!

My parents were immigrants who worked long days and did not have a lot of money, but as kids we never felt deprived. We had a blast every summer, doing simple things like riding our bikes, running through the sprinklers, picking strawberries at a nearby farm, and just hanging out with other neighbourhood kids at the park. As we got older we spent our summers at Canada’s wonderland, and Niagara Falls, and always finished off the summer at the CNE. Loved those summers!

I’ve been doing a bit of reading lately on beauty and beauty culture, particularly in North America. It is really interesting to consider the dramatic shift that has taken place in how we understand and view beauty. What North Americans considered beautiful in the 1920s, shares little resemblance to the standard of beauty today. The beauty industry itself (i.e., cosmetics and other related industries) has also undergone a huge shift from homemade kitchen remedies to multi-billion dollar corporations. Beginning in the late 18th and 19th centuries, more and more women began experimenting with homemade concoctions. Etiquette books provided encyclopedias of cosmetic recipes. By the 19th century, the western model of the ideal beauty was marked by “pale skin and blushing cheeks.” According to Kathy Peiss’ fascinating book, Hope in a Jar: The Making of America’s Beauty Culture, the conceptualization of beauty was very much connected to ideas about race. It is an interesting contrast if you consider that years ago, many women commonly used skin whiteners to lighten their complexions, while today women flock to tanning beds and use bronzers to achieve an olive, sun-kissed complexion. Today, the market on cosmetics and other beautifying commodities has just skyrocketed. All of these cosmetic companies essentially offer the same promise: Beauty in a Jar. As a woman who does wear make-up, I don’t think this means that women are victims of a corporation machine. But I think it is reflective of our culture: a culture that does place much emphasis on beauty.

At High Park Nutrition we are proud to offer a variety of healthy food options including an assortment of Quinoa products, including cereals, soaps, pastas, burgers, and flour.

Native to South America, Quinoa (pronounced Keen-wah) is sometimes mistaken as a grain although it is more closely related to species such as beets, spinach and tumbleweeds. Quinoa has often been called a superfood and for good reason: Quinoa is high in protein and contains all nine essential amino acids. It is also a terrific source of magnesium, fiber iron, copper, and phosphorus. It is gluten-free which makes it a great choice for those who are allergic to gluten and those suffering from celiac disease. Because it is also high in protein it is great for vegans and just about anyone who wants to eat healthy.

Quinoa can be incorporated in breakfasts, salads, dinners, and even deserts.

I love to give homemade gift-baskets so this year I decided to bake some vanilla cupcakes as a Mother’s Day gift for my mom and my mother-in-law. I bought these lovely plates at Homesense for $5 each and made a batch of vanilla cupcakes with pink buttercream icing. I had recently been given a set of Wilton piping tips as a birthday gift from my amazing friend and was anxious to try them out. I think I did a decent job of piping. Next time though I’ll be more careful when scooping the batter into the cupcake liners so it doesn’t look as messy. I’m dying to take a cake decorating class, but in the meantime the video tutorials on youtube will have to do. I wrapped the plate with some cellophane and tied it up with a ribbon. Nice, eh!!