How to Control Your Seasonal Allergies Symptoms with Diet

I have a love/hate relationship with fall in Maine.

Yes, it is beautiful, the leaves, the cool air, the lacking of tourists and bugs, but with fall comes allergies for me. In fact researchers think nasal allergies affect about 50 million people in the United States. And allergies are increasing. They affect as many as 30% of adults and 40% of children. www.aafa.org/page/allergy-facts

I've always had allergies, it is only until I moved to Maine that they became a major problem in my life. Spring and fall have been dreaded seasons for me since I moved here and until the last few years were debilitating months.

I remember one fall being so sleep deprived because of my allergies and congestion that I couldn't sleep and when I would finally fall asleep I would wake in a panic unable to breathe lying down. All I could do was sleep sitting up with a fan directly on my face. The combination of fear of suffocating in my sleep, the exhaustion and overall stress still horrifies me to this day, as in, I never, ever want to go back to a time like that.

I know so many people who suffer with seasonal allergies and the symptoms are getting worse, not better. I used to be a statistic until I made radical lifestyle changes. Sure I can pop an OTC antihistamine or use my rescue inhaler, but that doesn't feel right for me, in fact, both are last resorts. I haven't had an active rescue inhaler prescription for the last 3+ years and I take Allegra only in a dire situation.

I have changed my approach with my seasonal allergies, as something my body is telling me, but also as a time for me to reset, which actually feels natural and in sync with the changing of the seasons. With these changes, I have been able to have mild to no seasonal allergy symptoms for the last 2 years with seasonal changes in my diet alone. 

I noticed a considerable difference in my seasonal allergy symptoms when I identified my gluten and lactose intolerances and removed those foods from my diet 6 years ago, but now I can mitigate further seasonal aggravations by eliminating nightshades and alcohol as well.

Nightshades contain alkaloids which can aggravate or even mimic seasonal allergy symptoms. Nightshades include potatoes, peppers (all kinds except black pepper), eggplants, tomatoes, tobacco and some more esoteric things like goji berries and some version of blueberries or huckleberries. Unfortunately, fall is also harvest season in our garden and almost everything coming out of the garden is a nightshade. Nightshades allergies are a problem for some even when seasonal allergies aren't being triggered and can look and feel similar to seasonal allergies, year-round. Nightshades cause inflammation and joint pain, specifically lower back pain (dead ringer for me there). The research available on nightshade allergies is abundant when you search Google, so I will let you do your own research, however, this time of year cutting out nightshades for me is a night and day difference when it comes to my allergy symptoms, so perhaps you might consider doing the same.

If I stick to a strict vegan-paleo diet, aka Pegan, coined by Dr. Mark Hyman, with no nightshades or alcohol, that is heavy on veggies, gf whole grains, beans and some animal protein and fruit, I have considerably less allergy symptoms, and I can't recall the last time I took an OTC antihistamine.

Seasonal allergy sufferers are on the rise, unfortunately, and beyond the environmental allergens around us, especially in a heavily wooded place like Maine, there are allergy inducing, inflammation triggering foods we eat every day. If we limit our intake of those foods, especially when the environmental ones are high, you have the power to control your own symptoms. It is actually a really cool revelation to have come to this point where I can see directly the foods I eat, the time of year and how by controlling what I eat in the fall and spring actually allows me the ability to not dread the standard seasonal allergy seasons. I can see fall for all it's colors and beauty instead of dreading it for all the pollen and sneezing it used to make me suffer through.

There is great power in knowing your body well enough and knowing that nourishing it with foods that support and sustain health, rather than aggravate and inflame, is amazing. It is amazing to know that if I wake up in the morning and have a congestion and a sneezing fit, all I have to do is look at what I ate the day before to realize what the culprit was.

The ability to recognize your sensitivities and triggers does not happen over night, nor are you able to associate your seasonal allergy symptoms as being triggers by potatoes or gluten or dairy, without first knowing what it feels like to not have those foods in your system, causing potential inflammation. 

The journey is challenging, but you don't have do it alone. I find the power of food and the way it makes us feel, in particular to allergies, seasonal and food related, is fascinating. It is a journey everyone should be willing to explore because knowing you have the ability to make yourself feel better just by the food choices you make in a day is powerful. You aren't relying on a pill to temporarily brain-fog-alright the symptoms away. You can learn that by simply removing a trigger for a short period of time can alleviate a multitude of symptoms that you would otherwise have to sniffle, snort, and wheeze and generally feel like crap through.

To learn more about how to control your seasonal allergy symptoms with diet, contact me at alixhealthcoach@gmail.com or visit eatbelivewell.com.

The Privilege of Choice

I was watching a documentary the other day about food and health, naturally, and while the documentary was illuminating and insightful, the lingering thought I have walked away with is, "Wow, I am privileged."

No, this is not going to be a post about how privileged I am in a "rub-it-in-your-face" sort of a way, but in a the sense that I, we are lucky. Stay with me, for a minute.....

Each year I attend the Camden International Film Festival. It is a phenomenal, small town, here in Maine, documentary film festival with films on a wide variety of topics from film makers all over the world. It is an expansive, emotional, heartfelt and a heartbreaking weekend. Where I learn so much and am exposed to so much in such a condensed time frame, that as soon as the festival is over, my butt is aching, my sciatica is screaming at me from all the sitting, I am exhausted and have gas from all the sitting and irregular eating times – all I can think is I can't wait for next year!! #CamdenIFF2016!! But again, the lingering thought I'm having this year, is "Wow, I am lucky. Wow, I am privileged."

This most recent documentary, Way Beyond Weight, which I watched curled up on my couch with my puppies, eating some delicious, now-forgotten, gluten free treat, was about obesity in children around the world, with a primary focus on South American children. So clearly there is privilege there, due to the socioeconomic difference of them and I, but that is not the privilege I am talking about. 

The privilege I noticed is around choice.

I, we, are privileged because we have a choice. We have the resources and financial capacity to have a choice in what we eat. That alone makes use privileged. The fact that we can have conversations about having a gluten intolerance, or preferring to buy organic whenever possible, or farm fresh eggs and free range, grass-fed meat....Holy crap! We are lucky!!

The fact that these are our conversations, that I have the privilege of writing a blog about food in this way, period dot makes me privileged. The fact that you are reading my blog because you too have a gluten or diary intolerance, or are just interested in learning more about food, makes you privileged in this sense. The fact that there is choice rather than eating only what is available to me is what struck me. So many of the children in the documentary didn't have a choice, because their parents didn't have a choice, due to lack of resources and money and wherewithal. These people were eating what was cheap and what tastes good, which food chemists have nailed down to science. These people are addicted to the sugar and fat and sodium and gluten in the cheap packaged foods that are widely available to them in their remote areas, because fresh vegetables and fruits don't travel well, are expensive and don't last long. They have no choice.

It broke my heart to watch these people suffer with billion dollar backed food scientists tricking their very human instinct to need sugar, fat and salt. And they don't have any external references to learn differently or know more. They barely knew what a carbohydrate was. And food labels with more "healthy" terminology actually were believed to be healthier for them. My heart sank.

So back to my sense of privilege or luck or wherewithal, or whatever you want to call it, the fact that us, as Americans, or maybe not even the typical American, but those of use who consciously choice what we eat, the quality, quantity, the source; the fact that we can reject something because of a food allergy is privileged. 

We are darn lucky to know what we know and have the resources to make these decisions. I am by no means trying to draw a line between "them and us" but there is a line created by government and food conglomerates that are preying on the underprivileged and poor around the world. 

My strong will is no better than any of the children in the documentary when it comes to eating potato chips or candy or soda, I am made of the same DNA. My body when given copious amounts of sugar, fat and salt, only wants more. It is designed that way people! It has nothing to do with strong will, that is a losing battle that food science is banking on, and actually it is down right unfair!

So those of us who know the difference, who have a choice, who make conscious buying choices, it is our responsibility to help others understand the battle we are all up against. Regardless of socioeconomic standing, with these billion dollar food science conglomerates intentionally fooling us and feeding our inner cravings that easily turn into monsters, even for the strongest willed of us. It is science and DNA and their bottom line is money and we are the sufferers.

So if you are like me, you are privileged to have a choice and subsequently make such choices, continue to do so! Each of us can be our strongest by consciously choosing where we spend our dollar. But also when given the chance to educate, it is our duty to have a better, healthier human race that is not being fooled and ultimately killed by these perpetual toxins in these packaged foods that are deigned to taste that good.

When You Have No Time to Write - Post Pictures

Lupine in our garden

Oli driving the boat

Window gazing

Homegrown peonies and homemade kombucha

My downdog view

 A lovely meal out - local Maine crab salad with avocado and mango, local pea shoots and cukes

Breakfast smoothie pre-blend view

A day off morning view with a cup-o-joe and Boo

Farmer's market lunch: roasted beets, zucchini, portabella mushroom, poached farm fresh egg, Maine Pineland Farms feta and a balsamic reduction

 Organic, homemade almond milk.

Going fishing in the handmade boat (by Mr. here).

Our beautiful-down-the-road-from-our-house-beach walk. Gosh, I love where we live!

There's also been a lot, a lot of work and a lot of diversity of work (exciting new things a-brewing), but no one takes photos of work (well maybe one day ;) )

OMG I Didn't Die!

Last weekend was A's birthday and we decided to head to Portland to celebrate. We always talk about going, yet manage to watch months/years pass by before we make it down there. We manage a beach trip around my birthday at least once a year to Old Orchard, typically only stopping in Whole Foods, right off 295, for our coffees and snacks for the 3 hour ride home.

This time we went to Portland to do Portland proper. We stayed right in town, biting the bullet and paying the extra $100-ish to be within walking distance of everything, and have a water view! Oooo snazzy, right?! A man only turns 36 once!

A and I had not been to Portland in the proper-do-it-up-Portland-way since the food scene really burst. If you do not know, or have not heard (do you live in a cave?) Portland is food heaven. I want enough time, money and a-not-give-a-shit-attitude to get gargantuan fat on all the deliciousness that Portland has to offer. And in all my attempts to hit the best rated places and stay up to date with mutual foodie drooling friends, I always manage to be somewhat behind the newest gotta-go-there-place. Le sigh! If only someone wanted to fund my gluttonous happy growth into obesity. Any takers?

It is probably good we don't live in Portland. All income would go to food and booze. We love trying new food, seeing new restaurants. We love people watching with good cocktails and the options in Portland are endless.

There are my go-to favs that I had not had the chance to take A to yet. Like I said we are normally passing through, so either it is convenience over waiting in line, say at Duckfat (Drool! He STILL doesn't know what he is missing. I have tried to make him stand in the around-the-block-line 3 times now, each time he complains and doesn't want to wait....if ONLY he knew!!! How can anything ever not be worth a wait when it is fried/grilled in duck fat? Duck fat?! And Belgium fries, with sauces you want to slather all over your body and a cold brew...I can't! But apparently A can't wait in line long enough to get to the point of drooling, which inevitably happens when the name is even mentioned. If only he knew! And if only he would wait in the damn line!)

Duckfat deliciousness. Photo courtesy of justaddcheese.com.

So although we didn't make it to Duckfat yet again, we made it our mission to gallivant around, try a drink and a nibble, at the places I wanted to take him to or those that caught our eye along the way. We were fat (in a reasonable, still gluttonous, but not protruding sort of a way. I realize gargantuan doesn't happen in one night (try as I might).) and well boozed by the end of the night. 

Walter's calamari

It was SO much fun. Everything, as always, was amazing. Walter's calamari - oh yeah - "best calamari [he's] ever had!" Zapoteca's habanero watermelon margaritas, die! Salsas, so different and cool. Guac! ::drooly face:: Local 188 is always a great venue, great for people watching, awesome, quirky bartenders, AHmazing drinks (and food, which we didn't have this time). We visited so many other places they're starting to blend together. Mmmmm.

Zapoteca quac

Oh and PS Portland has food trucks now, after last call, more gluttonous gluttony available all hours of the night. But I had one place in mind to fill the late night munchies - Otto's pizza. Drool. Sigh. Let me pause while I wipe my chin. I haven't been to Otto's since I went gluten free 4 years ago and even then, there was a lull between the cutting out of gluten and eating a slice of Otto's. If I had planned better, I would have gorged myself on a whole pie, probably died from suffocation or constipation, or both, but man I would have died happy. 

Otto's pizza is my idea of a perfect slice, to which they serve into the wee hours of the night, after boozy people flood the streets of Portland. It is cracker thin crust, with just enough chew that you gotta pull, the dough is slightly sour, the toppings range from typical to amazeballs. Every slice I have ever had is delicious. We hoofed it up to Otto's just as bars we pushing people out and A ordered 4 slices as I audibly sighed and moaned, bitterly living vicariously through him. I watched as he bit into his slices, cheese squish noises emanating with each bite, a dribble of grease down his chin, crispy pepperoni......I. Was. Dieing. It was torture watching him. All night long I watched him eat things I couldn't. Things I knew how good they tasted, because since the first time I ever tried them, all I wanted to do was take A so he could enjoy in all my food salivating glory. And here we were doing exactly what I wanted to experience with him as I sent death rays into his forehead as he ate my delicious, my lovable, MY amazing Otto's pizza! How. Dare. He. What the F was I thinking??

OOOOhhh AND to top it all off he didn't like the potato, bacon, scallion pizza!!! WHHAAAaa!!?? I don't like you! (I actually think I said that to him.) Sure bacon, garlic mashed potato and scallion pizza sounds weird (I had the same initial thoughts) but no, it is truly amazing! It is all I ever want whenever we pass Otto's. And he didn't like it!! Enough was enough, the torture was killing me and the dagger to my heart that "those ingredients don't belong on a pizza" BS I ripped it out of his hands and took 2 very large, perfectly greasy, potato-y, bacon-y, cheese-yum bites and closed my eyes. It was just as delicious as I had remembered. Only better. It took everything in my mind to not eat the whole damn slice. I was horrified and slightly concerned I might keel over and die right outside Otto's. I took one last bite, knowing full well I was going to be hating myself within the next few hours, if not definitely by morning.


But here is the thing.....I didn't die! I didn't even have breathing problems. Or a lump in my throat. Nor was I constipated in the morning. I ate gluten and I didn't die!?! Holy crap! I don't know if it was the booze that buffered my typical reaction. Or the fact that is was the pizza of the gods. Or all the walking, who the hell knows?? Either way the inevitable doom I anticipated never came.

The famous Otto's bacon, scallion, potato pizza.

That by no means means I started shoveling gluten down my throat left and right (thank god we left Portland the next morning). But I took my non-reaction as a sign from the Otto's pizza gods that I was supposed to eat 3 bites of their pizza, so all would be right in the world again. And also so the potato, bacon, scallion pizza would not be insulted by A's lame "it doesn't belong on pizza" comment! Shhh, Otto's pizza I still love you (queue petting motion). You don't know until you know and apparently A just doesn't get it.

The reality is I didn't die probably because I have not had gluten in 4 years. My villi are happy. My gut is happy. By bowels like me (most of the time) and the experts say every once in a while, when your gut flora and GI tract are super healthy, even for extremely gluten sensitive people, a wee bit of gluten won't hurt you. And by wee I mean probably no more than the 3 bites I had. I cannot tell you how desperately I wanted to eat the whole slice. But even through my boozy haze I knew better and my strong will stuck by me as I put down the slice of amazingness, still glaring at A due to his sheer stupidity. But at least he had Otto's amazing pizza and got to enjoy the glory of Portland food heaven with me in all proper birthday gluttony (even though I secretly resented him most of the night). Love you dear, happy 36th!

Zapoteca watermelon habanero rita. Ole!

Poop Patrol

Our lives are centered around poop. Thinking about poop. Cleaning up poop. Observing the signs of needing to poop. No we are not new parents to a pooping bundle of baby-joy, we are the parents of fur babies, two of them and they poop A LOT!

No one warned us about the amount of poop two dogs produce. I guess we could have intuited by the amount of food they eat, but I had no idea how quickly two dogs would go through a 30lb bag of dog food! They say, "Oh two is no more than one." "Two is just the same amount of work as one." Liars! I swear they say the same thing about children. But two dogs is not the same as one, anymore than two children is the same as one. 

It's out there, I said it, if dogs are any indication of children, 2 ≠ 1, period, dot!

It is twice the amount of food, twice the amount of water, twice the amount of attention, twice the amount of poop, twice the amount of poop scooping and twice the amount of time spent making sure both dogs poop when they are supposed to before you have to go back to work. Not. The. Same.

Nub-tails and lots-o-toys - rough life! ;)

I know our dog's pooping schedule as well as mine and I spend a most of my day concerned with their poop. And yes I do pay that much attention to my dog's buttholes! Don't judge. They have nub-tails (which are the cutest, I can't imagine having a dog with a tail!), the butthole is prominent and obvious, especially when it is puckering out or winking at you (both of which, we have the joy of seeing on a semi-regular basis). You notice! Actually it is hard to not notice. (When we saw that video of a dog barking and his butthole opening and closing synchronized with his barking, circulating around, we laughed not because it was funny, which it was, but because of the all-to-familiar vision - we just never thought to video it and make it go viral).

 These are what you call nub-tails! 

And see the opportunity for butthole observation?? 

You can't not look!

We are very conscious of never leaving them too long between potty breaks. Neither have ever had an accident in the house and we never force them to go longer than we could go. We just feel awful to do that. To this end we are hyper aware of their schedule. They poop in the morning when we all get up, they poop at lunch time, sometimes around or before dinner time, and normally before bed. That is a shit-ton of shit.

It never occurred to me that they might NOT need to poop at the same time?? What a crazy idea, right?! Why in God's name I thought two dog buttholes would be synchronized is ridiculous I know. You know what though, they are actually pretty much on the same scheduled. Phew! They both go on the occasional poop protest especially when it is cold or wet out. But they pretty much have the same scheduled, which is nice. However, when they don't, it ALWAYS is when they know we are leaving. One will dilly-dally, but eventually poop, while the other one walks around, walks around, gets distracted by a bug, or a noise, or a rain drop, or the wind, as the pucker in the butthole protrudes further and further out, to the point you are pretty convinced you just saw the poop. It becomes a game of "I don't need to poop, even though you can see my poop."

When we first got Oli he would immediately whimper at the door, run out do his business, run back in. For whatever reason he has picked up Addi's wonderful habit of holding his poop to enjoy all the curious splendors of the world, where the point of protrusion is inevitable. And for you non-dog owners, with puckering buttholes comes stinky-ass dog farts, which are nostril burning, eye watering and frequent, especially when said dog needs to poop and has been playing the I-don't-need-to-poop-game for longer than is funny anymore.

Oli's squishy face in his fav place on the back of the couch.

We joke about the poop game, but then secretly wonder if it is dog mind-poop-control over their humans; which, if is the case, our dogs have mastered it! Although they typically poop when they are supposed to and pretty much on command (because we are so hyper-aware of their schedule) they seem to get a twisted, albeit uncomfortable, pleasure of holding their poop if the conditions do not meet their standards. Full fledged poop protest that we cannot create a soothing zen-spa like poop sanctuary. Bad humans, bad humans.

Addi has a knee injury right now, which we are babying and forcing her to be still (you try to tell a hyper active dog to not run and play and jump, IN SPRING, yeah right! I laughed at the vet when he told us to force her to stay indoors, but we are trying). Typically at lunch time I let them out in the fenced yard to run, and sniff, and play, and pee and poop. Right now they have to go out separately to avoid any chance of running and playing. I don't know about you, but rationalizing with two very rambunctious dogs that they cannot play or run or even go outside together is pointless. Our back door pretty much is a revolving door of "oh please, oh please let me out side," but as the other one comes in, the pleading one, immediately wants in too. 

Addi as a puppy. Look at the nub-tail, awwww!

They no longer can pee on each other's pee. They can no longer poop together and that adds a WHOLE new level of poop protest. God forbid the neighbor's dog is outside, or the wind picks up, or a bumblebee flies by, because then the whole poop-brigade-game continues of pleading to go in or out, farting as they run up or down the outside stairs, butthole winking, protruding and awaiting for the inevitable turd that has been held way too long.

It makes you wonder who is the master here, the mind-poop-control masters or the poop-scooper-humans? Dogs 1, humans 0.

Our babies!

Another Snow Storm - Wah! (whining font here)

ENOUGH WITH THE SNOW!!

Enough with the bite-ass-cold wind chill! Enough with the blizzards! Enough with the snow drifts! Enough with winter!!!

I am SO over winter right now!

Cuddle-bugs trying
to stay warm

Granted I knew early on when I moved to Maine that this is typical come mid-February, everyone goes a little stir crazy. Ever heard of cabin fever? Well it is real! The weather is relentless. We are fricking cold. There is white stuff for days, and miles, and coming through the windows and doors. There comes a point where you want to take off all the layers, feel warmth on your skin, but nope that's not happening for many more months, and we all know it and we all get a little grumpy because of it....grumble, grumble.

Even the dogs are going crazy. The snow is so plentiful and deep, they have no where to run and play. Not to mention how cold it is. They go on poop and pee strikes refusing to go outside in the 40 mph winds, only to come in seconds later completely white covered in snow, most likely not having done their business. I mean who can blame them!? I certainly don't want to be outside for any longer than absolutely necessary. I can't even imagine having to drop trow and tinkle. I don't even like to pee when the toilet seat is cold. Poor puppies.

Even the dogs are going crazy! Listen to them making velociraptor noises into each other's mouths, haha!

I am so over it. And yes, I know, I am the one who chose to live here, I am the Southern CA girl who, for-god-knows-what-reason, moved to Maine (to freeze apparently!), blahedy blah. Four seasons is fun and all, but yeah not so much when all you want to do is ball up under the blanket and stay warm and eat - oh wait I think they call that hibernating. I get it! And that's all I want to do. Hibernate.

It is really hard to focus on health and wellness when you don't want to take your warmest jammies off all day, and all you want to do is eat yummy warm, gooey foods, and cuddle and watch movies all day. Sure I can pull my big girl panties on and buck up and workout and write and drink my green juice - and I do - but there is a force much stronger than any good intentioned strong will can stand up to and that is a full fledged Maine winter.

Look at the
shape of these snow flakes!

So what's a girl to do....continue to buck up and stick it out until spring? Yeah, I don't think so. Try as you might not to gain some extra winter padding (you gotta stay warm somehow), be super focused and write and create (there is only so much writing and creating you can do when you are frozen), or do what I have found to be the only solution - run. Plan a trip to sunny SoCal and bid the winter adieu (at least for a week or so!). Booking tickets now!

It sure can be pretty though - shhh, I didn't say that out loud.

Lizard Skin

Winters in Maine are long, cold, dark and seemingly never-ending, and with that comes, what I call “lizard skin.” There are always ads in magazines that address “winter skin,” which never really resonated with me until this winter. Having been in Maine for almost 7 years now, I have gotten used to winter, the slowness, the staying inside, the introspection, the cabin fever hitting inevitably in February where every part of your mind and body is screaming to get out and get naked, ie venture to warmer climates. But lizard winter skin is a new phenomenon that I never really been bothered by until this winter.

Having grown up in sunny San Diego, my skin was always well tanned, clear and I wore little makeup and relied very little on face care products. At the age of 10 I, was introduced to Clarins beauty products. They have always been a staple in my medicine cabinet and as a teenager in CA I relied on their toner to cleanse, a little bronzer and mascara; as I have aged and since moved to frigid, sunless climates, my Clarins medicine cabinet needs one all to itself.

Clarins is a relatively expensive, but well-worth-it all-natural beauty care line made in France (maybe this answers the proverbial question of how and why French women are so lovely). Succumbing to lizard skin this winter, I have now mastered a skin care regime that reduces the lizardness and makes winter more manageable.

Skin care starts on the inside. You are what you eat, and eating well shows in your skin. Regular juicing, lots of fresh veggies and fruits, increased Vitamin D and Omega 3s, probiotics, especially goat milk kefir (mmm), a gluten free/lactose free diet and lots of water and green teas, is really the starting point of clear skin, at least for me. The image left shows what a skin issue on areas of your face mean. If you keep breaking out in the same area, it is your body's way of telling you something is not working well inside. This is also true with sleeping patterns, if you notice that you are continually waking the same time every night, your body is telling you something, in Traditional Chinese Medicine, a Chinese “meridian clock” is used to show the times of day when each organ system is most active. All these play into your healthy skin. If your intake is clean, then you are only dealing with environmental issues like wind, cold and skin not being able to breathe because we are so bundled up in the winter.

Not sponosored, just my preference

My regime consists of weekly facials with Clarins Gentle Peeling, moisturizing with their incredible face treatment oils: Ordchidee Bleue for really dry skin and Lotus oil for spot treatment. As much as I would love to purchase Clarins daily moisturizer it is just too expensive to justify my daily use, especially because I want to slather it over my entire body. I have used Olay for years, but am actively seeking an all-natural moisturizer and have yet to find a great candidate. (Any suggestions greatly appreciated) I use Clarins One-Step Facial toner/cleanser to lessen any unnecessary water on my face. The Beauty Flash Balm helps brighten skin and acts as a primer for makeup and lastly the Vital Light Serum helps with residual dark spots and fine lines. For my body I use a natural, sugar scrub with essential oils. I warm my skin up in the shower then turn off the water and rub the sugar scrub in slow circular motions, shoulders to toes. I then turn the water on and rinse. Ideally I would bathe more than shower, but currently we don’t have a bathtub. Lastly, I barely dry off and moisturize with c. Booth Honey Almond Body Butter for really dry days and Archipelago Botanicals Oat Milk Lotion for normal days.

Having identified how to beat lizard skin in the dead of a Maine winter really makes the cabin fever less painful, or at least seemingly more manageable with clear, happy, moisturized skin.

Native snow bunnies, any tricks of the trade and experience being in the dark, cold, drying, seemingly endless winters?

The Beauty of Maine

There is a natural beauty of Maine that is impossible to capture on film, be it photographs or video. There is great inspiration that comes from what Maine exudes, which may explain the many artists that flock to the area to express themselves through their medium, using Maine as inspiration.

This winter we had some of the most incredible days I have seen since I moved here. We had an ice storm that challenged the renowned ice storm of 1997. Sheets of ice coated everything, from power lines, tree branches, roads, walkways, cars and more. There was an inch diameter around tree limbs and the remaining apples left over from harvest at the tippy top of trees. The ice was so heavy trees would creak and crack under the pressure and weight, if you stood still listening you could hear the eerie symphony of frozen trees creaking and swaying in the breeze, occasionally you could hear a crash and fall in the distance. Power lines snapped under the weight causing power outages for days, for some. 

But there was a tremendous level of beauty; beauty in the stillness, the silence and this glistening awe of everything being covered in crystals. I have forever been perplexed by holiday ornaments being coated in glitter and sparkly crystals, never understand the fake bling, beyond being festive. This ice storm made the connection for me. The ice coated everything, making everything glisten and sparkle in the sun. The sun would bounce between the ice covered tree branches, sparkling, twinkling and blinding with its sparkle. I finally saw the natural form of glittery holiday ornaments. While the ice caused great strife for many it was extraordinarily beautiful.

Attempting to catch the beauty that this winter brought in weather, massive amounts of snow and ice, subzero temperatures with days crystal clear blue skies, the cotton candy colored sunsets after a recent snowstorm, photographs attempt to show the beauty of Maine, some artists are able to capture a glimpse of that essence of beauty, but really there is no way to really see Maine except for being here.