Nothing spooky here.  Hope everyone has a nice and safe holiday.

Just in case anyone is wondering, the bronze sculpture is part of an acorn candle container.

When I first started making soap in 2008, I bought palm oil without knowing much about it’s source.

Palm oil has desirable qualities which include producing a mild and hard bar that lathers well.  From my own experience, I’ve found other good substitutes such as olive oil, rice bran, and coconut oil to be just as nice.

It wasn’t until recently that I knew about the environmental and social implications of using palm oil.

As for the social impact, forests are usually cleared in large tracts of land through burning and clear cutting. This has alienated communities and created tension between locals and the company executing the project.

For the environmental impact, large areas of Indonesian and Malaysian rainforest have been cleared to make way for palm plantations. The spaces used to expand palm plantations are often created by draining and burning peatland, which sends carbon emissions into the atmosphere.

The removing of rainforest is also effecting the orangutan population that dwell in the forest. It is estimated by Borneo Orang Utan Survival Foundation UK that orangutans can disappear in five years. But there is still hope.

Indonesia’s Center for Orang Utan Protection has rescued many baby orangutan orphaned by palm oil companies. As many of the orangutans are seen as pest and are killed off. The center to protect orangutan ask that we use orangutan friendly palm oil (from sustainable palm oil farm) in our food and household products.

This baby orangutan (photo above) seem to be having fun.  Image source.

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There are many interesting medicinal herbs used in ayurveda to help improve our health.  One such herb is Triphala.

It really consist of three herbs.  These are Amalaki, Haritaki and Bhibitaki.  Botanical Names: Terminalia Chebula, Terminalia Bellerica, Emblica Officialis.  Image source.

Haritaki or Harada is bitter tasting and best known for its laxative qualities as well as being an astringent and antispasmodic.  The herbs are considered one of the safest to use as it is non habit-forming and safe for people of all ages.

Amla very high in vitamin C and is sour tasting.  The combination of all these herbs are also good for dealing with indigestion and stomach ulcers.  As it supports healthy digestion and gastro intestinal function.

Other benefits of Triphala include help with detoxifying the liver by removing toxins.  It is purifies the blood and cleanse the colon.

Triphala is also good for improving visions and the eye muscle.  It also very popular in India and taken as food supplements. Some say it may be taken daily as an eyewash as this helps strengthens the vision. Also eliminating redness and soreness in the eye area.

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Ayurveda is a form of traditional medicine practiced in India. It has influenced other medicinal studies as well, such as Chinese medicines.

The Sanskrit word translated into English means “science of life.” Also can be translated as “wisdom or knowledge of life”. The type of medicine used consisted of herbs and spices as well as oils.

Amalaki fruit is used in Ayurvedic medicine.  It is used in making triphala.  High in Vitamin C (20 times more than citrus fruit) is sour and is considered good for inflammation of the stomach and intestines. Image source.

Ayurvedic philosophy emphasize that optimal health can be obtained when our physical, mental, and spiritual state is in harmony. In the west, Ayurveda has become a form of alternative therapy and also considered holistic (mind and body) treatment.

Determining your body type and your dosha is important in Ayurveda medicine. Knowing our dosha is useful because it increases awareness of our natural strengths and challenges. We can find out what health and wellness tips are useful based on our dosha.

The three active doshas are called Vata, Pitta and Kapha. You can take a short quiz at Chopra Center and find out.

It turns out that I am Dosha Vata. This part of Dosha Vata I can agree - “The cold quality of Vata may lead you to feel cold more easily than others around you, have cold hands and feet and crave warmth.”

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One of the cutest animals in the world has to be the Nigalya Ponya (which is the Nepalanese word for “eater of bamboo”).  But they are commonly refer to as Firefox and Red Panda besides the other creative names.  Scientific name: Ailurus fulgens.

Red pandas are native to mountains of Nepal and northern Myanmar (Burma), and central China.

Red Panda have this cute round face with dashes of white markings that give them an interesting expression.  Image source.

They are the size of cats and have ringed tails like raccoons. And like giant pandas, they have an extended wrist bone that functions almost like a thumb and aids with gripping. The red panda has been classified as a relative of the giant panda, and also of the raccoon. It wasn’t until recently considered members of their own unique family - the Ailuridae.

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Root vegetables are great, from the basic Russet potatoes to sweet potatoes. They are also a good addition to curries and soups.  The bad news about conventional potatoes is that they are covered with more pesticide than any other vegetables.

“Russet potatoes are high in starch. Russet are perfect to cook mashed potatoes and also are good for baking.” - Photo from All About Potatoes.

Since finding out about how much pesticides is used to grow potatoes, I will have to think twice before purchasing any from now on.  Or even purchasing potato chips and french fries.  Since a majority of these farmed potatoes are used for this purpose.

Because potatoes are root vegetables, they soak in more chemicals then other produce.  Potatoes also require much more pesticides from beginning to end. As well as frequent weekly sprays to prevent blight. Then herbicides are used to kill tops of plants at the end of the growing season. As this makes it easier to harvest the tubers.

Over 40 toxic pesticides are used on potatoes and most of these pesticides are linked to chronic side effects such as cancer, disruption in endocrine and reproductive system. All these chemicals can’t be good for the environment, imagine what is leaching to our ground water.

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Lately I’ve been on the look out to trying different types of rice, besides the usual brown and white version.

I found Lotus Foods to have a wide selection, from Kalijira rice to Cambodian Mekong Flower Rice.  But I decided to try Bhutanese rice and also China Black Forbidden rice.

Lotus Foods Bhutanese Rice is “an ancient colored-bran short-grain rice grown 8,000 feet in the Himalayan Kingdom of Bhutan. Irrigated with 1,000 year old glacier water rich in trace minerals.”

I really like this Bhutan red rice. It has a nutty taste, soft texture and reddish brown color.  It’s almost like the cousin of the brown rice, but tastier. Because it is a short grain rice, I prefer to eat it as dessert.  I’ve drizzled with honey and also tried eating it mixed with steamed kobacha (Japanese pumpkin).  The combination really brings out the nutty taste of both and not too sweet.

More about Lotus Foods: “Lotus Foods was founded with the intent and vision to support sustainable global agriculture by promoting production of traditional heirloom rice varieties, many of which may otherwise have become extinct, while enabling the small family rice farmer to earn an honorable living. Lotus Foods is the only US-based company with the unique vision and commitment to seek out small family rice farmers in developing countries and provide them a means of economic support through access to a global and sustainable marketplace economy. ”

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Anthropologie has some of the prettiest selection of dresses amongst other things.  Here are some of my autumn favorites.

Cascading Foliage Dress by Anna Sui for Anthropologie.  Retail $218.  The color and subtle floral pattern is a nice transition from summer to fall.  And the style is simple, yet interesting enough by looking at the pleats.

Stone Garden Necklace also from Anthropologie. Retail $178. “Glowing gems and lambent minerals are hand-cut and carefully assembled into an eye-popping array of clustered blossoms.” Has a very crafty feel to it too.

Plum Orchard Blouse by Bayla Jane. Retail $128. It’s a creamy silk blouse that “ripens from bud to blossom.” A simple design with soft floral prints. I think this blouse would drape nicely and feel comfortable too. Definitely more of a spring and summer blouse.

Bend-And-Bow Bag by Jonathan Liberty.  Retail $168.  “A versatile leather hobo, shaped with sinuous curves and detailed with subtle topstitching. Wear it long and casual across the body or double up the strap for a shoulder bag effect.”  I like the simple utilitarian design and monochrome gray leather.

I won’t be making any of these purchases anytime soon.  Maybe if it goes on sale!  But it is fun to do some window shopping.

I first learned about rose hip oil from Aubrey Hampton’s book, Natural Organic Hair and Skin Care: Including A to Z Guide to Natural and Synthetic Chemicals in Cosmetics. The type of rose hip oil used in skincare comes from Rosa Mosqueta.  It is the wild rose found growing high in the Andes of Chile.

Common rosehip in autumn, which is very high in Vitamin C.  I have tried eating some of these and they are a bit tart.  Photo by Howard Vaughan, BBC Essex.

Rose Hip Seed Oil is used as a cosmetic oil and provides a good source of essential fatty acids for the skin. Which is helpful in healing burns, stretch marks, and scar. Rose hip oil contains a high amount of vitamin C, vitamin E and vitamin A. These help increase collagen and elastin levels which assist with cell regeneration. In other words, a great way towards having nice and smooth skin.

I’ve used Aubrey’s brand of organic Rosa Masqueta oil and thought it was nice. The oil is golden yellow and has no strange smell (unlike carrot seed oil). In the past, I have mainly used it for dry facial skin and scalps with much success. I don’t think I used it often enough as the small bottle lasted me at least a couple of years.

So when it came time to try another rose hip oil, I decided to go with the NOW brand because you get more at a great price. From $4 per ounce compare to Aubrey’s 0.36 oz for $12. The only thing I’m wondering about is that it’s clear (no color, unlike Aubrey’s golden yellow version). So I don’t know if it’s extracted differently. But at least there is no odd smell. I love that it sinks right into my skin.  And there has been no adverse reaction since I’ve used it. Shea Butter Ultra Rich Eye Balm, 0.5 oz at $32.  Image source.   After seeing this expensive eye balm from L’Occitane, I was inspired to make my own eye balm.

I’ve notice some fine lines around my eyes lately, but it’s really not noticeable from afar. It is known that Shea Butter offer superior moisturizing qualities while they protect and hydrate.  On top of the shea butter, I also used other all natural ingredients made with no preservatives or parabens.  Adding rose hip oil would only make sense as it is also a great ingredient in anti-aging products.

My ingredients include: Avocado Oil, Shea Butter, Pure Beeswax and 35 drops of Rose hip oil. The color is a nice pale yellow due to the beeswax and smells nice too.  I made 1 oz that should be good for 3 months.

I just apply it under my eyes before bedtime. I think it goes on fine and feels very moisturizing.  So I’m using this balm as extra care for the delicate skin under the eyes.

I grabbed some of these coffee flavor soy drink at Whole Foods for about $1.50 each. They are from ZenSoy, a family of dairy producers from New York.

It was something about saving the cute pandas and the list of good ingredients that lured me to make a purchase.

Since I am a fan of soymilk, I would say this drink is nice and creamy.  But the coffee flavor is a bit off.  I do have to give them credit for coming up with something this neat.

Nutrition and Health benefits of Soy:

Soybeans contain significant amounts of isoflavones.  These isoflavones, or plant estrogens, show substantial health benefits in helping to lower cholesterol.  Isoflavones also fight osteoporosis, reduce the risk of coronary heart disease and a variety of cancers, lessen menopausal symptoms and improve breast, endometrial, colon and prostate health.  - Info from ZenSoy.

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