What We're Reading This Month

For 2010, our goal is to read several books on skin care, natural beauty, health and wellness, and summarize the main points of the books as well as our thoughts and experience regarding the book's subject.

I got inspired the other morning listening to Daphne Oz (Dr. Oz's daughter) talk about kids going off to college and how to stay healthy and eat smart while you are away. I really found her book, The Dorm Room Diet, to be good for anyone so this was the direction I decided to take for August. This would make a great gift for someone who is heading out on their own for the first time.

Although her book says this is a diet, it's really a lifestyle change. She is teaching you how to make better decisions and I like that it's not about deprivation, it's about making the best choice.

Other Recommended Reading

Hopefully you got your garden planted in April and are starting to see the rewards of your hard work. So to help you figure out what the heck to do with all this beautiful food you are harvesting I thought I would review The World's Healthiest Foods.

This is a must-have book - I think the recipes in here are awesome - most of them take no more than 7 minutes to cook and have 5 ingredients or less, so you really need to have all items prepped before you start cooking. It is also a great source to tell you how to buy, prepare and store foods and their nutritional value. The recipes are made to serve 2 so you don't have to worry about a lot of leftovers. There is really so much info in here it is crazy. I am just going to pick out a few things that I thought were very helpful and informative.

I have cooked several recipes from here and everything I have made has tasted really good and was super easy. The book is laid out in a very easy to follow format and the recipes are indexed several different ways so you can find what you are looking for very easily. As I have been making the recipes I make notes in my book so I remember what I liked and what I have changed. There are also great eating plans to help you get started.

I hope you enjoy the tiny portion of the info and recipes I fit in my June 2010 newsletter. Invest in your health and purchase this book and USE IT. You will be glad you did.

April is one of my favorite months to write a newsletter because Earth Day is April 22nd, 2010. So in April I read The Big Green Purse. I read this last year and then pulled it out again this year to start making my own cleaners and just reminding myself of things to look for when I shop.

There is so much information in this book that it's hard to pull out the best bits, but check out some of the great info we included in our April 2010 newsletter.

The Clear Skin Diet by Alan C. Logan and Valori Treloar.

Although the main focus of this book is problematic skin, the action plan is brilliant for any skin type or condition. The authors cover plans for sleep, relaxation, and exercise, in addition to diet. They cover foods that contribute to acne as well as those that heal your skin from the inside out.

The tips and plans in this book are great, but remember you do not have to jump right into any new program. Take it slow, pick 1 or 2 things that you want to really commit to and focus on those for 3 months to make them a habit.

Crush It! Why Now is the Time to Cash in on Your Passion by Gary Vaynerchuk.

Everything has changed. The social media revolution has irreversibly changed the way we live our lives and conduct our business. There are billions of dollars in advertising moving online, waiting to be claimed by whoever can build the best content and communities. Despite this change, most people keep working at jobs that don’t make them happy and businesses continue to ignore the major marketing and public relations benefits that can be found online.

In Crush It!, Gary Vaynerchuk shows how anyone can build a career around what they’re passionate about.