Tag: HEALTH

JADE, WILLOW, SKYE & VALENTINA

Body Image

Cristina Carlos-Supino

Hi! I’m Jade, and I am a Maine Coon cat. Interesting fact: Maine Coons are one of the largest breeds of domestic cats. That being said, not everyone knows that, and when we have visitors at our home, many of them look at me and say things like “wow he’s huge!”, or,  “oh my, he’s fat!”.

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I just wanted to say that no matter how different you may feel you are from others, and no matter who you are, receiving comments, such as “huge”, “fat”, etc. is hurtful, inappropriate, and unjustifiable. Of course, if medical advice is administered in a polite, controlled way by a physician for health purposes, that’s a different story. But the fact of the matter is that we need to build each other up, understand each other, and work to make the world a more positive place to be.

That being said, I am glad that we are living in a time where body image and body positivity are things that are being adressed more and more, and that the molds we tirelessly try to fit ourselves into are being broken down one by one.

There is beauty in shapes, wrinkles & white hair !!! Never change !!!

-Jade

TRAVELS

Montreal Vegan Festival October 2018

Cristina Carlos-Supino

Hello everyone! I had the pleasure of attending the Montreal Vegan Festival.  I was actually told that attendence has tripled since the event first started 5 years back! From this fact, one can draw the conclusion that more and more individuals are becoming curious about veganism and want to know/understand more about all of the wonderful benefits it has to offer. One can also ascertain that there has been an increase in people leading a plant-based lifestyle, for whom the festival is a great opportunity to see what new products, food items, etc. are currently out there!

Interesting data supporting this idea of an incline in plant-based diets comes from recent research conducted by Dalhousie University as conveyed by an article on ctvnews.ca, which asserts that “there are 2.3 million vegetarians in Canada, up from 900,000 15 years ago. Another 850,000 people consider themselves vegan. Those two numbers add up to 9.4 per cent of the Canadian population”.

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More about the festival now… There were many new and not so new companies (of the beauty, shoe, apparel variety), as well as bakeries, food item producers, etc. selling/displaying their wonderful offerings. I remember 20 years ago there weren’t nearly as many options!

Speaking of bakeries at the festival… special shoutout to Audacieuse Vanille, a Montreal-based bakery from which I bought the BEST pumpkin muffin ever!  And my husband couldn’t resist trying the banana bread with chocolate chips, which he says was divine.

Also, while at the festival, I discovered a new company that I truly believe to be my “coup de coeur,” or my newfound love. I plan on featuring it in an upcoming blog post! I’m not going into further detail right now, as I was only able to order some of their products online, as opposed to purchasing them at the festival (they had their complete line on display, however no stock to sell) and I’m 100% committed to ALWAYS testing items personally before writing about them. Stay tuned for that!

To conclude, in exiting the festival, I was left with this wonderful feeling that a collective interest in protecting animals and the environment is alive and growing here in Canada, which is great news!

Bye for now,

-Cristina

BEAUTY

Essential

Cristina Carlos-Supino

Now that winter is winking at us, it is important to hydrate our skin, hair and nails more frequently, seeing as we are more susceptible to higher levels of dryness due to the heating of our homes, offices, cars, etc.

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You can’t go wrong with an essential oil to combat the frigid, drying conditions of winter. *Caveat: while most essential oil products are free of chemicals, it’s important to always read the label before opting to purchase one. If when doing so you notice terms, such as; fragrance or aroma, it’s best to stay away from the product. Your skin, being the largest organ in your body, will absorb what you put on it via your bloodstream, so be sure to feed it the nutrients it deserves!

That being said, I like to lather my skin, nails and hair (wet or dry) with Argan oil ! Pictured above is the one I use from Cocooning Love, which is a Montreal-based brand that doesn’t use any chemicals, or alcohol in their products, and does not test on animals. If you’re interested, look up their site, as they offer other products, such as all-natural deodorant, toothpaste, and more.

All in all, let’s try to curb our susceptibility to chemicals whenever we can ! There are so many chemicals, toxins, pollutants in our environment already and that we don’t always have control over.  Let’s look at what we can control, which is what we choose to ingest, wear, apply to our skin, etc. and start from there !

-Cristina

 

HEALTH

Find Your Passion (s)

Cristina Carlos-Supino

In today’s times, we all have more duties, responsibilities, chores, and obligations than one can possibly imagine. This is why establishing and nourishing a passion is essential to counterbalancing the volatility, and craziness that is LIFE.

Some of my personal passions include photography and tennis. With regards to photography, I recently put the time aside to develop my photo taking skills and truly dedicate myself to honing the craft. In fact, each and every picture posted on this blog has been taken by me! I often carry my camera with me everywhere I go, as I never know when that special moment will present itself.

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With respect to tennis, whenever I engage in a match, or a practice session, I spend that two hours strategizing and running. In doing so, I always get the reassuring sense that not only am I taking care of my body (my physical health), I’m also expanding my Circle of friends, as I’m constantly meeting up with old partners, or getting to know new ones.

A passion is something that will remain true and present regardless of whatever else is going on. Through exhaustion, sadness, or other, the passion you undertake can bring a smile to yourself, and maybe even others.

Go out there, explore, and try to identify one that peaks your interests, no matter how long it takes. It is the key to establishing longstanding balance in your life !

-Cristina