There are many effective ways to support a healthy heart through simple dietary and lifestyle choices. Listen to this encore podcast presentation and learn about the link between inflammation and plant-based nutrition from one of the doctors who former President Bill Clinton credits with regaining his health. Dr. Caldwell B. Esselstyn, Jr. is an internationally known former surgeon, researcher and clinician at the Cleveland Clinic, and author of the book, Prevent and Reverse Heart Disease.

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Dr. Caldwell Esselstyn’s clinical research and book on preventing heart disease is centered around smart eating for a healthy heart:

• Protection against heart disease through plant-based nutrition has been the foundation of his research and clinical practice strategy for over 25 years.
• He has consistently found in patients severely ill with advanced coronary artery disease that the results of using plant-based nutrition are prompt, powerful and enduring.
• The foundation of this plant-based diet includes a wide variety of nutrient-dense foods like vegetables, fruits, legumes and whole grains, while avoiding animal products and processed oils.
• Additionally, he adds 1000 I.U. of vitamin D3 and 1,000 mcg of vitamin B12 daily to ensure adequacy of these nutrients.

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When you’re in our stores, do you make it a point to visit our Whole Body department or do steer clear of all those unfamiliar lotions and potions? It’s true our supplement and body care aisles look pretty different from what you see in conventional supermarkets or drug stores but they are filled with some really cool finds that our buyers carefully select to meet our high standards.

That means the supplements in Whole Body don’t contain things like  artificial colors, flavors, sweeteners and preservatives, unnecessary fillers and hydrogenated fats. Those same high standards are applied to our personal care products, as well. In fact, we encourage our vendor partners to use plant-based and naturally-derived ingredients, pure essential oil fragrances, gentle preservatives and non-petroleum ingredients. And, we do not allow any animal testing for any of our personal care products, ever.  In addition, we’ve created a set of top tier Premium Body Care® standards that raises the bar still further. Look for the products marked with our Premium Body Care seal and get a list of the Premium Body Care products your store carries on their store web page.
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The New Year is a natural time to think about giving the body a much-needed vacation. Tune in to this encore podcast presentation to find out what to expect and avoid on a whole-body cleanse, and the simple ways to make the most of your efforts to reduce the “body burden” in this popular encore presentation. Dr. Gaetano Morello is a licensed naturopathic physician practicing in West Vancouver, British Columbia.

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While cleansing is an everyday function of the body, beginning a detox cleanse offers many benefits:

• There are tens of thousands of toxic chemicals wiggling their way into our lives on a daily basis through the water we drink, the food we eat and the air we breathe.
• Although our body is naturally designed to process and eliminate these toxins, the sheer number creates an overload and accumulation within various body tissues.
• The concept behind cleansing is to reduce the amount of toxins in these tissues by first, reducing exposure and second, improving our body’s ability to get rid of them.
• The end result will lead to overall improvement and well-being.

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Looking for healthy eating resources? At Whole Foods Market®, we have developed Health Starts Here® to help guide wise nutrition choices. Listen in and learn where to focus for the most benefit. Akua Woolbright holds a PhD in Nutritional Sciences and is Whole Foods Market’s Senior Healthy Eating and Wellness Educator.

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Whole Foods Market has developed a simple program to support your health and wellness goals:

• Health Starts Here® uses a commonsense, back-to-basics approach to provide healthy eating education and support.
• Our ultimate goal is to educate people about the benefits of eating real, whole foods (specifically plant foods) in order to live more vibrant, healthy lives.

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From tinsel and glitter to sequins and shimmer, the holidays are a flashy time of year.  For many of us that includes adding some pizzazz to our usual makeup routine. The good news is you can have fun, look glamorous and use natural makeup.  Read on and I’ll show you how I achieve a simple but classic party-perfect look using natural skin care and cosmetics from our Whole Body department.

Skin

I start by swiping a toner soaked cotton pad across my face.  Using a toner is optional, but I find it gently exfoliates skin and helps close pores.  For combination to oily skin, I like Burt’s Bees Garden Tomato Toner.  If your skin is dry you can skip the toner.  Next, apply a light moisturizer like Earth Science Almond-Aloe Moisturizer.  The fragrance-free version is non-greasy and a great option for almost any skin type.  Finally, apply Mineral Fusion face primer all over your face including on your eyelids and under your brows.

After prepping your skin, start your makeup application with your eyes.  Doing this before the rest of your makeup allows you to clean up any loose eyeshadow or smudges without messing up your foundation and concealer. I swear by a good set of makeup brushes for the best coverage, but you can follow these techniques with any applicator you have at home.
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It’s the time of year that we need to take extra good care of our bodies and specifically the immune system. Join us in exploring herbs and nutrients available at Whole Foods Market that may offer support. Malia Curran, MS, MPH is a nutrition consultant, speaker, and mom of two young children.

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The immune system is a powerful defense team nourished by specific nutrients found in food or supplement form:

• Garlic and ginger both contain compounds that can help optimize the body’s immune system.
• Vitamin C is integral for white blood cell production and healthy inflammation response in the body. Whole Foods™ brand Vitamin C 1000mg is a “sustained release” formula.
• A high-quality medicinal mushroom complex that includes shiitake, reishi, maitake and cordyceps contain polysaccharide compounds that can stimulate the body’s immune system.
• Probiotics, found in fermented foods and supplement form, can aid the body in maintaining healthy levels of beneficial bacteria in the gut that are very important for immune system function.

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Homeopathic remedies have a long history of use worldwide, but can they really help at this time of year? And are they okay to use with immune-supportive formulas? Tune in to this encore interview for the answers and some expert recommendations. Dr. Christophe Merville is the Director of Education and Pharmacy Development for Boiron USA.

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Homeopathy has a long history of use all over the world:

• Homeopathy comes from the Greek words homeo meaning “similar” and pathos meaning “suffering.”  It was first used by Dr. Samuel Hahnemann in 1796.
• Homeopathic medicines are therapeutically active micro-doses of mineral, botanical, and biological substances.  Similar to other over-the-counter medicines, homeopathic medicines can treat acute health conditions such as allergies, coughs, colds and flu symptoms.
• Homeopathic medicines are regulated as drugs by the FDA and are made according to the specifications of the Homeopathic Pharmacopoeia of the United States (HPUS), which lists approximately 1,280 medicines.

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Kristen Arnett is an internationally renowned, celebrity makeup artist focused on enhancing beauty without the need for harmful chemicals. Kristen is also the Founder & Editor-in-Chief of GreenBeautyTeam.com, a site offering natural and organic beauty advice.

Running out of shampoo, toothpaste or another beloved beauty product has happened to the best of us. Here are 10 ways to use items from your kitchen when you’re in a pinch so you can get out the door looking and smelling your best.

Apple Cider Vinegar

Shampoo: You won’t get a head full of sudsy lather, but rinsing hair with apple cider vinegar is a fantastic way to remove odor, product build up and dirt.

Avocado

Moisturizing Mask: For dry skin, especially in the wintertime, mashing up some fresh avocado and applying to the face is a time-tested way to nourish and hydrate dry skin. After 10 minutes, simply tissue off the avocado to leave behind the nutritive oils for a radiant looking face.

Baking soda

Toothpaste: It may not taste minty fresh, but baking soda on a toothbrush mixed with water (and a drop of tea tree oil if you have it on hand) will leave your mouth clean, odor free and help whiten teeth.

Deodorant: Mix a dash of baking soda in with a dash of cornstarch and you have yourself an effective, safe deodorant.

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We’ve all heard or seen stories about young girls sneaking into the bathroom and putting on their mother’s lipstick. For many of us, lipstick was the first cosmetic we experimented with. As we grow up, we go from borrowing Mom’s stuff to making our own choices about which cosmetics to use. We also grow into being able to research and educate ourselves about what we want to put on our bodies.

Lipstick is frequently mentioned when talking about dangerous cosmetics. While all cosmetics can be absorbed into the skin, lipstick sits on your lips. Do you ever think about what happened to your lipstick as you’re reapplying it after a meal? Some of it may come off on your cup or fork but much of it is ingested along with your food.

Knowing that the ingredients in your lipstick will end up inside your body, it makes sense to pay close attention to what’s in the products you choose. That’s why I recommend seeking out the product lines in our stores that carry our Premium Body Care symbol. These are the most exceptional personal care products available. They meet the strictest standards for quality sourcing, environmental impact, results and safety.

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Ever wonder what your immune system is actually made of? Learn how the body responds to foreign invaders and what you can do both internally and externally to support winter wellness in this revealing encore presentation. Nancy Angelini is National Science Educator for Source Naturals and Planetary Herbals, with more than 15 years (and 1500 lectures!) in the natural products industry.

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The immune system runs all throughout the body and includes various organs and glands that work together to keep the body balanced:

• The immune system is a network of cells that defends the body from foreign invaders.  It includes protective barriers such as the skin and all mucus membranes, which are used as transport vehicles by the body to rid it of any foreign materials.
• The immune system begins in the bone marrow where stem cells are formed and from there, all red and white blood cells.
• The spleen is important because it brings blood into contact with white blood cells called lymphocytes. Any foreign invader will activate the lymphocytes by their presence.
• The thymus gland is where T-lymphocytes are proliferated and is also a part of signaling and orchestrating immune defenses.  It is likened to a crossing guard at an intersection and cross-walk.
• Lymph nodes are found distributed around the body to filter and destroy bacteria.

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