Posted on Leave a comment

Healthy Lifestyle – Stress Defined

 ???????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????Hey Earth’s Enrichers

Hey Earth’s Enrichers, what exactly do you know about stress? On a superficial note, you know stress is uncomfortable, unfavorable, and makes a day seemingly longer than necessary. You know that it can cause tension in the body, which leads to other forms of discomfort like headaches, muscle pains, and even nausea. We already have tools and means of relieving stress but how is stress defined. What is stress? What causes it? What types of stress are there? What are its short-term and long-term effects?  These are things you deserve to know!

What is stress?

Stress is the reaction the body has to being thrown off its homeostasis (balanced) network. It can have mental effects, which affect a person’s ability to function in everyday tasks. It can be a temporary but reoccurring state of the body. It can corrupt a person’s ability to deal with daily issues because the problem solving function is being corrupted by unfavorable distractions. It can also have physical effects on the body. These effects are usually unintentional on your behalf because you are not purposely causing your body pain. For instance, have you ever noticed yourself grinding your teeth or all of a sudden your neck starts to hurt out of the blue. This could be attributed to stress.

What causes stress?

In simplest terms, stress can be caused by stressors.  These could be anything from a certain individual to an accumulation of tiresome or irritating events. Anxiety can also play a big role in causing stress. In response to that stress, the body has what is called a stress response (go figure). These are mental, physical, or behavioral changes that take place because of the stressor.

What types of stress are there?

To be more specific about the type of stressors and what may cause stress, eustress and distress are two different types of stress. Eustress are stressors that are positive and promote improved quality in different aspects of life. Distress is not all that great, this is caused by negative stress.  This can be counterproductive and harmful.

What are short term and long term effects of stress?

Stress can cause short-term and long-term effects on the body. These effects vary on individual health. Some examples of short-term effects are migraines (headaches), backaches, neck aches, mood swings, and hyperventilation. Chronic stress, which is stress that can be detrimental to your health, can have serious long-term effects. These effects could range from heart disease, chronic pain, depression, and even reduction in the body’s resistance to diseases. It could worsen already existing illness as well like MS, blood pressure, and anxiety.

The EE 411: Stress – Looking After Your Environment

Now that you have a deeper understanding of what stress is and its effects, it’s time to apply some solutions to stress situations:

  • Laughter goes a long way- find your favorite comedy, or check out your favorite comical blog. It will help you relax because laughter releases endorphins into the body.
  • Detox- select a nice time of the day and produce a comfortable environment for yourself. For example, if you like long baths, you should take one.  Include in your bath water bath salts. Not only will the bath salts relax and release tension from your body, but the scent that they provide is also good aromatherapy which de-stresses the mind.  If you’re more of an active person, turn on your favorite music and jam. Make space for me time!
  • Re-evaluate your work load making sure you can physically and mentally handle everything you sign up for. If you can’t, it may be time to let some things go for your own benefit.
  • Take some time to do yoga and meditate; it can help you make time to think about the next few steps in your life.

(This post was brought to you by Earth’s Enrichments.  Similar posts can be found by visiting our Blog.  More information about our  company and products (USDA Certified Organic Soaps, Organic Bath Salts, Organic Sugar Scrubs, Organic Body Balms and Organic Lip Balms) can be found on our Website. Thank you Earth’s Enricher!) 


Posted on Leave a comment

Health and Living – Environmental Health

 ????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????Hey Earth’s Enrichers

Ladies and Gentlemen, the six principles of heath are coming to an end. However, this does not mean that you have to forget all that we have shared with you. So here is a quick review of the five principles we have introduced.  The first principle we covered was physical health, which represents the body’s health and refers to anything that benefits your body’s physical fitness, safety, nutrition, and medical responsibility.

The second principle was intellectual health, which represents the mind and keeping it well feed and active. The third was spiritual health, which means having a purpose or deeper meaning in life. The fourth was emotional health, which is the ability to cope with stress and achieve/maintain self-esteem. The fifth was social health, which is the making and conservation of meaningful interpersonal relationships.  Our grand finale, the sixth principle of health, is environmental health.

When you think of the environment, what comes to mind? Pollution? The place in which you live? Let’s put it like this: environmental health is the effect the environment has on you and the effect you have on the environment. That’s right. In this health principle you have a direct responsibility to the planet. Believe it or not, what you do for the environment can directly affect the environment of those around you.

This affect you have on the environment can be a positive one or a negative one. Remember, you do have a choice. For instance, if you have something you’re finished with and it leaves behind trash find the proper way to dispose of it. It may not seem like much but your contribution could lead others to make better decisions as well.

Now, here is where you have to be careful of the environment as a whole. When living in certain places there are certain things about those places that you know aren’t safe. For instance, in some places it is not so healthy to drink the water directly from the faucet. On another note, it may not be healthy to go down that dark deserted alley on your way home.

This vital part of environmental health is knowing your environment. Do research to find out what you can and cannot do. Also, look into where you can find a farmers’ market and organic and healthy products. That way you are not falling into unhealthy eating habits. Find out the safer and open areas to exercise and increase fitness.

This principle of heath requires that you look after your own health and consider other’s health around you. It’s a way to personally have a positive impact on your neighbors and the environment itself. Looking after the environment will help look after you in the long run- you deserve it and your peers deserve it as well!

The EE 411: Looking After Your Environment

  • Recycle
  • Put your trash away the right way (making sure it is all in the garbage can)
  • Clean the gutters
  • Plant Plants
  • Dispose of electronics properly – Did you know that electronics like headphones are supposed to be disposed of in a particular way? They can also be recycled.
  • Conserve energy- unplug the things you are not using.
  • Ride your bike to places you need to go (conserve energy, reduce pollution, and perfect physical activity).
  • Check leaky faucets.

These are simple things you can do yourself that can positively affect your environment. Using organic products can help reduce the amount of chemicals you use. Chemical waste is a big part of the environment. Buying products that are produced with chemical and artificial preservatives is not the best things for you. Look after yourself. Your body is your fortress- so protect it!

Share with Us:  How do you contribute to the environment?

(This post was brought to you by Earth’s Enrichments.  Similar posts can be found by visiting our Blog.  More information about our  company and products (USDA Certified Organic Soaps, Organic Bath Salts, Organic Sugar Scrubs, Organic Body Balms and Organic Lip Balms) can be found on our Website. Thank you Earth’s Enricher!) 


Posted on Leave a comment

Health and Living – Emotional Health

 ????????????Hey Earth’s Enrichers

There are six principles that develop a well-rounded, healthy life. These principles are physical health, intellectual health (mind), spiritual health, emotional health, social health and environmental health. In the past few weeks, we have covered physical, intellectual, and spiritual health. For each one of those principles we have explained what they entail and how they can easily be included into the healthy life that you deserve.

For this week we will be talking about emotional health. Of course, the majority of you are able to guess what this principle means. To elaborate, emotional health has a lot to do with how you feel about yourself and others. It incorporates your ability to maintain and create social and interpersonal relationships.

Analyze this for a second:  what does it take to build a relationship? Or rather, what does it take for you to build a relationship? This should be thought about in a personal way because not everyone is as good at being social as others. It depends on how outgoing you are or how much self-esteem you have. This is why emotional health is important.

Emotional health is the ability to cope with stress and achieve/maintain self-esteem. The main objective is to have emotional stability. For instance, patience (a virtue that can be hard to come by) is achieved when one is able to effectively deal with unforeseen events and not let stressful situations get overwhelming. This means staying calm when things get crazy and coming up with a solution.

The inability to handle day-to-day issues on a sustained basis can be a sign of poor emotional health or (if diagnosed by a professional) a sign of mental health illnesses.  We’re not addressing these more severe instances, but more minor irritations.  Day-to-day issues usually tend to be minor in scale like dealing with traffic, spilling a drink, or even dealing with difficult co-workers. If you deal with situations equivalent to these on a normal basis and all of a sudden they begin to get to you more than usual, perhaps it’s time to come up with a de-stressing hobby.

Now, sometimes emotional stability can be hard to maintain; after a while things that are deemed trivial could get on your nerves especially when you have more pressing issues to attend. If that begins to happen, try new means of relaxation. For instance, if you often do not take relaxing bubble baths, perhaps now may be a time to start. Or you could even start joining a fitness club to work out the stress. Burning energy is a great way to deal with stress and relaxing in a nice refreshing bath can help you detox.

Venting or expressing one’s emotions can also be a good way to balance your emotional health. This can be done verbally or can be written down. If something is bothering you, it’s okay to calmly talk to that individual about it. If you cannot talk to that individual, try coming home and discussing it with your loved ones or people you trust. Another way to deal with it is with an “angry letter.” This is something your write but you don’t send. It helps you vent in a way that doesn’t hurt someone else’s feelings and is best kept in a private place like a journal.

It’s important to not let your emotions get the best of you. If you are able to control them and maintain a calm demeanor when things go wrong, then you are at optimal emotional health. Everyone gets mad and makes mistakes’, we are all human. So when we do get mad, it’s best to find healthy ways to release those emotions. Doing this helps you build better relationships and better deal with your environment.

The EE 411: Stress Relievers and Emotional Cleansers 

Here are a few tips for stress relief:

  1. Counting to ten
  2. Taking deep breaths
  3. Keeping a Journal
  4. Venting in a healthy way
  5. Kick boxing or any physical activity like running
  6. Painting
  7. Playing or listening to Music
  8. Hanging out with friends or family
  9. Forgiveness (sometimes it’s easier to move on)
  10. Relaxing bath (Calming Spa Seaweed bath salts would be perfect for this! You can detox your mind, body, and soul)
  11. Meditating is basically good for everything

Emotional Cleansers:

  1. Treat yourself: have your favorite treat (dessert, food or even treat yourself by shopping). It’s okay to treat yourself to get your mind off it, just don’t overdo it.
  2. Reach out to someone and tell them how you feel whether it’s a friend, loved one, or a professional.
  3. Laughing is good for the soul.  If you have had a bad day, turn on your favorite comedy and cheer yourself up.
  4. Forgiveness: try to let things go and move on. Consider how things could have been done differently and do it better next time.
  5. Have an intense music session. If you must, sing to the top of your lungs, play air guitar, and dance your troubles away. You will soon be too exhausted to remember them anyway.

Share with Us: How do you deal with your emotions? What sort of outlets do you have?

(This post was brought to you by Earth’s Enrichments.  Similar posts can be found by visiting our Blog.  More information about our  company and products (USDA Certified Organic Soaps, Organic Bath Salts, Organic Sugar Scrubs, Organic Body Balms and Organic Lip Balms) can be found on our Website. Thank you Earth’s Enricher!) 


Posted on Leave a comment

Health and Living – Spirituality

 ???????????????????????Hey Earth’s Enrichers

When you think of spirituality, what exactly comes to mind? Spirituality is very important for human health. Spirituality is the foundation of fundamentals that create the basis of human purpose. This means spirituality gives an individual a feeling of purpose, a sense of meaning in their lives.

With religion, spirituality is defined in many different ways. In health, it has more of a universal definition. Spiritual health simply wishes you to answer this question: do you feel you have a purpose or greater meaning in life? Spiritual health is less linked to a deity and more linked to the idea of building your confidence and improving your inner (mental) health. In other words, do you feel you are connected to this world for a reason?

Look at your life, accomplishments, and future goals. Discover your next move in life and how you can better reach your goals.

Take long walks and get in touch with yourself, reflect on what has happened in your life both good and bad. When was the last time you took time out of your busy day and cherished your good ol’ memories? To live in the past isn’t healthy, but to reminisce every now and again is perfectly fine.

This principle also focuses on establishing personal values. These personal values should help you with your emotional health, physical, and social life. These values can range from philosophical—do unto others, as you would have them do unto you—to physical like practicing fitness to counteract daily stress that could affect your social life.

Spiritual health encourages you to think out of the box by thinking inside of the box. Its purpose is to inspire you to look inside yourself and discover who you are, what makes you a better person and what makes you happy.

It encourages you to challenge yourself and the only way to do that is to know who you are (to know your limits). It stimulates you to enjoy yourself and love yourself. So, take the time out of your day to enjoy life and enjoy being alive. This is something you definitely deserve!

The EE 411: A Better Way To Get In Touch

One major aspect of spiritual health is the ability to get in touch with yourself, to basically understand your ultimate purpose in life. This simply means being able to experience love, pain, peace, joy, grief, and responsibility and admiration for all living beings.

Of course you have felt all of these and they are everyday aspects of life. They cannot be avoided because these feelings are a part of life. However, optimal spiritual health helps you navigate these emotions.

Meditation is a great way to achieve spiritual health.  Just in case you don’t know what meditation is, it is basically a time where you are quiet and you can deeply reflect.  The classic way to meditate is to find a quiet place to isolate yourself with the option of calming music to guide you.  This way you are undisturbed and are free to roam your thoughts as you please. Meditation does not have to be limited to sitting in isolation and it works best when you relax.  It can be done in any environment and doing any activity.  A leisurely stroll through a park or simply walking your dog could be a great time to reflect and admire the planet you live on.

We say a great way to relax and think about your day and reflect is in an awesome, warm, soothing bath. This allows you to slowly drift into long musing without disturbance. We recommend Lavender of the Valley to help you relax. Perhaps, a little soak in our bath salts to create a soothing aromatherapy, which is great for relaxing. Treat yourself and help balance your spiritual health.

Share with Us: What are ways that you get in touch with yourself?

(This post was brought to you by Earth’s Enrichments.  Similar posts can be found by visiting our Blog.  More information about our  company and products (USDA Certified Organic Soaps, Organic Bath Salts, Organic Sugar Scrubs, Organic Body Balms and Organic Lip Balms) can be found on our Website. Thank you Earth’s Enricher!) 


Posted on Leave a comment

Health and Living – Intellectual Health

 silhouette of a man's head with a glowing light bulb, and gears.Hey Earth’s Enrichers

There are six principles that develop a well-rounded, healthy life. These principles are physical health, intellectual health (mind), spiritual health, emotional health, social health and environmental health. In the next few weeks, we will feature each one of these principles and explain what exactly they entail and how they can easily be included into the healthy life that you deserve.

This week we will focus on intellectual health, which represents the mind’s health. A mind is a terrible thing to waste, that’s why your intellect is another important factor of your health. Your brain is a muscle that requires exercise just like any other muscle in the body. If you work out often, you understand that if you want your toned muscles to stick around you must continue to exercise and keep up with your diet/fitness plan. The same goes for the brain.

The brain likes to be challenged and engaged. The mere process of receiving new information  challenges the brain and increases its capacity to grow.  Be sure to input beneficial information, you know what they say “garbage in, garbage out.”   Balance the information you receive on a daily basis.  Yes, definitely watch the news and stay informed, but make a point to also expose your brain to positive information too.  Listen to stories that have happy endings.  Stay tuned in for the news segment that highlights triumph and inspiration. Then unplug the television altogether.  Too much television can actually affect the health of your prefrontal cortex.

Instead pick up a good book. For those of you who have been out of school for a while, what do you do to keep your brain active? Just like when children are out of school for the summer, assign yourself some “summer” reading.

Everyone is always online,  but when connected to the web, challenge yourself to practice media literacy.  It may not be enough to just “Google it”. Challenge yourself and your brain to discover whether the information is accurate and constructive.  Cross reference your findings,  be skeptical and discover other answers for yourself.  Practicing media literacy will increase your knowledge base and sharpen your intellectual health for certain.

What does all this information input matter, if you are not having fun?  Have you tried out some logic games?    Intellectual exercises can be a blast Once you are at your desk for lunch, try  beating a Sudoku puzzle while you eat. Logic games are a perfect way to challenge yourself. It helps your mind expand the way it thinks and creates better problem solving skills. They make all sorts of logic games that can be played with your friends and family. Also, joining clubs or taking a few classes could help you maintain your intellectual capacity and boost your social life. 🙂

If you can’t join a class, all you really have to do to boost and enhance your intellectual health is participate in intellectual conversation. Keep up with current events, and when you do, discuss them with others and expand your point of view. When you’re on your way home listen to radio stations like NPR or simply listen to your favorite audio book. Friendly debate, reading online, and picking a book series that you like to follow are all simple, fun, and easy ways to increase your intellectual health. Have fun and enjoy yourself! You deserve it!! 

The EE 411: 

What is Intellectual Health?

  • Keeping your mind active
  • Maintaining your intellect

How to keep up and maintain intellectual health?

  • Logic games (board games or apps)
  • Keeping up with current events
  • Friendly debates
  • Taking up a class
  • Joining a club like maybe a book or film club
  • Reading or audiobooks
  • Even drawing and sketching

When engaging in intellectual activity there are a few fun facts that aid in brain stimulation:

  • Many aroma therapists  believe that lemongrass works to stimulate the left brain.  That’s not necessarily what Earth’s Enrichments had in mind when we developed our Lemon Fresh Shea   Body Balm, Sugar Scrub and Bath Salts, but great.  It is certainly worth a try.  Fruity scents are usually great at revitalization and stimulation.
  • Maintaining your brain activity, exercising, proper nutrition, a healthy social life, appropriate sleep, and proper maintenance of stress can reduce the risk of Alzheimer’s and Dementia.
  • Brain Foods:

o   Blueberries (Berries in general)

o   Salmon (sardines, oily fish)

o   Nuts and seeds (almonds, flax seeds, peanuts, sunflower seeds, cashews, walnuts, etc.)

o   Avocados

o   Whole grains

o   Coffee, brewed tea, pomegranate Juice, and water

o   Dark Chocolate

o   Olive oil

o   Spinach, broccoli, tomatoes, and beets

o   Garlic, sage

To help stimulate your senses and to help prepare for your day you might want to try our Fresh Ground Java, Lemon Fresh Shea (body balm too), Chai La Tea, or Honey Granola body bars. It could be the extra boost you need in the morning or evening.

Share with Us: What are your favorite logic games?

(This post was brought to you by Earth’s Enrichments.  Similar posts can be found by visiting our Blog.  More information about our  company and products (USDA Certified Organic Soaps, Organic Bath Salts, Organic Sugar Scrubs, Organic Body Balms and Organic Lip Balms) can be found on our Website. Thank you Earth’s Enricher!) 


Posted on Leave a comment

Health and Living – Physical Health

 Active Fitness Word Cloud CollageHey Earth’s Enrichers

Did you know there are basic principles to  healthy living? These  six principles  develop a well-rounded, healthy life. These  principles are physical health, intellectual health (mind), spiritual health, emotional health, social health and environmental health. In the next few weeks, we will feature each one of these principles and explain what exactly they entail and how they can easily be included into the healthy life that you deserve.

This week we will focus on physical health, which represents the body’s health. This principle refers to anything that benefits your body’s physical fitness, safety, nutrition, and medical responsibility.

As a part of physical health, physical fitness such as exercising and activity promotes the idea of keeping your body functioning the way it should whether it’s increasing flexibility, tracking  your calories, or staying active. This also means maintaining your physical health. It is important to pay attention to your body and understand its physical limits.

Try to practice safe fitness and try not to put your body in awkward positions. For instance, when  with exercising, try machines and workouts that support your body’s needs. If your balance isn’t that great, perhaps running up and down stairs isn’t the best option for you; instead, try an elliptical or stair climber. If your knees are a weak point, try to refrain from workouts that hyperextend them or require sudden twists or movements. Trust us, the last thing you want is to blow out a knee. So, be safe and smart about your fitness.

This principle also encompasses the ability to take care of the outer most properties of your physical health—this means your skin. Your skin is your most important source of protection for your body. It repels germs and other radicals from just entering your body. It comes in contact with tons of bacteria and possible dangers every minute of every hour and it needs your help to continue its job. Properly keeping your skin healthy and clean with natural and organic means protects it. This means keeping it clean, moisturized, and exfoliated. The better your skin feels, the better you feel.

Another aspect of this principle is nutrition—what you put into your body. You can’t keep up with your outer most physical health (muscles, joints, and skin) without taking care of your inner physical health (vitamins and nutrients). This means your body’s diet is necessary to balancing out your physical health. For instance, food and water are necessary when working out your body. The water keeps your body hydrated and keeps your muscles from cramping too much during exercise. Food, such as proteins like in chicken, gives your body energy and helps replace the fuel in your body lost after working out.   . 

Thus, it is important to keep your body properly hydrated and fed but this doesn’t mean put any ol’ thing in your body. Also try to include as many healthy fruits and vegetables as you can.  Try limiting  consumption of processed foods. Work out a healthy and affordable diet to increase your inner fitness. In order to do this you may need to know a few things about your medical health and/or consult a professional (nutritionist).

Knowing what you’re lacking in your nutrition can help you build a better plan. Also, it is important to consider what foods are good for boosting your immune system and are great for certain conditions and diseases you may have like obesity or diabetes. This is a part of your medical responsibility. Knowing that these conditions exist and could be a part of your everyday life, it would be beneficial to incorporate what you need to keep yourself healthy.  

We know that there are other factors that affect our ability to eat properly and exercise. These factors are time, money, and personal taste. However, with proper researching and planning, a healthy, timely, and affordable diet and fitness plan may be achieved.

The EE 411: 

Do you all know the difference between physical activity and exercise?

We will give you a hint, physical activity is what you do every single day. Have you figured it out yet? It’s as simple as walking through the parking lot to get to your car, or walking to the bus or metro. Another example of physical activity could be taking the stairs, instead of the elevator.

Physical activity is the basic movements your body makes on an average day. This would even include biking or walking to work instead of driving. This is equivalent to walking casually around the mall. The important part of this is that your body should get some physical activity every day. If you find, you’re sitting still the majority of the day, get up and do something!

If you’re sitting all day at a desk, stand up for a little bit and type. You might even want to stretch a little. However, this is where we move into the meaning of exercise. Exercise is an intentional workout that usually has an end goal or outcome. Folks usually tend to work out to relieve themselves of stress, lose weight, tone their bodies, etc.

Yoga is a great example of exercise! It’s an intentional flexibility and muscle endurance/strength work out. The end result is to either become one with your body or increase your core strength and range of motion. Jogging is an intentional workout, the end goal is endurance and cardio. It may also be used to regulate and maintain your body.

Either way, incorporating more physical activity in your everyday life  is crucial to healthy living, especially if you . If y don’t necessarily have the time to work out every day. Don’t be afraid to put aside some time to work out, you and your body deserve it.  Maybe even join a fitness class or a gym. You could bring your friends along or meet new people. It’s a great way to socialize.

When you have finished your workout, reward yourself! Break out the Lavender of the Valley, Calming Spa Seaweed, or Lemon fresh Shea baths salts and draw yourself a bath. This is a perfect way to look after your skin and relax your muscles—trust us, you deserve it. ^-^

Share with Us: What is your favorite type of physical activity? 

(This post was brought to you by Earth’s Enrichments.  Similar posts can be found by visiting our Blog.  More information about our  company and products (USDA Certified Organic Soaps, Organic Bath Salts, Organic Sugar Scrubs, Organic Body Balms and Organic Lip Balms) can be found on our Website. Thank you Earth’s Enricher!)