The Ultimate Wellness Gift Guide

Show your loved ones how special they and their wellness are with the help of this Wellness Gift Guide! Gifts that will help them feel taken care of, charged, healthy, glowing and ready to take on 2020 with passion!

RAHUA CUSTOMIZABLE DAILY HAIR CARE KIT

Customize your Rahua! Mix and Match our award winning shampoos and conditioners to suit your hair care needs and goals. Powered by plants and potent Rainforest grown oils, all hair types can finally find the perfect combination of shampoo and conditioner to help nourish, strengthen, hydrate, protect and maintain the health of the hair and scalp. Housed in a boxset designed with an Amazonian-inspired illustration.

Adaptogenic Protein™ Vanilla Mushroom Dietary Supplement

A blend of organic brown rice protein with adaptogenic super herbs to help boost focus and mental stamina.

Organic Cotton Thermal Pajama Top

After you're done with the stress of the daily grind, get ready to relax and slip into this organic cotton thermal shirt made in the USA.

Organic Cotton Thermal Pajama Pants

After you're done with the stress of the daily grind, get ready to relax and slip into these thermal pajama pants. The tapered style's lightweight organic cotton will feel extra-soft against your skin.

Honey Berry Mask

The beauty of the Honey Berry Mask: Enzymatic Glow is in its simplicity. With dense superfood ingredients that contain whole fruit acids, enzymes and antioxidants, this Mask is a true multitasker. This nourishing treatment acts as a gentle brightening enzymatic exfoliator, a hydrator that visibly plumps and firms the skin, and an antioxidant-rich feast for an overall healthy glow. It’s no surprise that this all-skin, all-season facial mask has reached cult status. The honey and the fruits in this mask contain an abundance of enzymes, Vitamin C, flavonoids, polyphenols, and B vitamins. This Mask is suitable for all skin types with the exception of extremely sensitive or reactive skin.

Jade Facial Trio Set

A three-piece set featuring a Jade Facial Roller, Gua Sha Sculpty Tool and mini Eye Roller to give your face the workout it needs.

CALIFORNIA BODY OIL

Our California Body Oil is a body serum and moisturizer packed with nutrients and antioxidants to promote radiant skin health. It contains raw, rich plant oils to regenerate the skin, and aromatic essential oils with a special affinity for lymph and circulatory movement. Those attributes mean that this oil helps move waste away from living cells to make room for more vital nourishment. The California Body Oil includes a house made Gem Essence with Rose Quartz and Herkimer Diamond which was created to promote self acceptance and self love. The ingredients in this oil capture the essence of California in every way, focused on seed and raw nut oils grown and pressed in California, along with aromatic essential oils that embody the scents of our dense forests, ocean bluffs, along with vast fruit and floral farmlands.

Lip Whip – Tinted Peppermint

We have a serious crush on the Lip Whip: it’s glossy, minty and thickly hydrating–and it’s totally addictive (in the best way).

Coconut Oil for Pulling

A coconut oil pouch designed for oil pulling on the go. Oil pulling helps reduce plaque and leaves teeth whiter, brighter and detoxified.

Recovery Balm

The Recovery Balm has become a cult favorite in the Laurel Skin line; one that has earned its rightful place in any medicine cabinet. It’s a remedy for practically any skin ailment, from extreme cases of eczema, perioral dermatitis and painful cystic acne, to sensitive allergy-prone skin, to the occasional cut, scrape or rash. This multi-functional balm reduces the appearance of redness, swelling, and irritation while offering up a therapeutic dose of whole plant goodness to jump-start and support the skin’s own healing process. In addition to being a medicine chest heal-all, this Balm is also a favorite anti-inflammatory facial moisturizer for those with reactive skin and considerable health concerns.

Binu Box Set

The Binu Box Set contains one of each of our original 5 soaps and is available exclusively through our site.

Set contains a full-sized 4oz bar of each of the following:

SHAMAN BLACK CHARCOAL SOAP (detoxifying, purifying)

HAENYEO SEA WOMAN SOAP (remineralizing, invigorating)

BORICHA SOAP (nourishing, conditioning)

HIBISCUS CLAY FACIAL SOAP (gentle, softening)

SESHIN KOREAN SCRUB SOAP (exfoliating, renewing)

Boditonic -Baby

anti-aging, anti-inflammatory, anti-bacterial, with natural uv protection, boditonic is rich in vitamin e, b-complex vitamins, high in omega-6...the list goes on but what really makes boditonic stand out is its versatility in application and the overall health benefits it provides when utilized on a daily basis.

uses include:

-whole body moisturizer -makeup remover -sunburn relief

-under-eye serum -hair defrizz -bathtub companion

-treating rash or irritation -prevent stretch marks ...however you see fit

Dry Skin Brush

A natural-bristle dry brush designed for use all over your body.

GOOPGLOW MORNING SKIN SUPERPOWDER - 5-STICK PACK

Drink your way to glowing skin with a healthy dose of skin-supporting ingredients: grape-seed proanthocyanidins, vitamins C and E, and CoQ10, along with the critical carotenoids lutein and zeaxanthin. A power shot of antioxidants designed to reduce the free radical effects of the sun, pollution, stress, and more, it helps protect against oxidative photo-damage, which can lead to signs of premature aging like dullness, uneven tone, fine lines, and loss of firmness.* Drink as part of your healthy morning ritual: It tastes of oranges and lemon verbena, and looks a little like a sunrise as you mix it with water. The single-dose packets fit easily in a gym bag and travel effortlessly, so you can get the goop glow just about anywhere.

CBD Bath Salts

A packet of bath salts with a combination of natural healing salts, minerals, botanical infusions and cannabinoids.

Boditonic -Original

anti-aging, anti-inflammatory, anti-bacterial, with natural uv protection, boditonic is rich in vitamin e, b-complex vitamins, high in omega-6...the list goes on but what really makes boditonic stand out is its versatility in application and the overall health benefits it provides when utilized on a daily basis.

uses include:

-whole body moisturizer -makeup remover -sunburn relief

-under-eye serum -hair defrizz -bathtub companion

-treating rash or irritation -prevent stretch marks ...however you see fit

INFRARED SAUNA BLANKET V3

Perfect for traveling or at-home use, our Infrared Sauna Blankets detoxify the body, deliver fresh nutrients to muscles and boost metabolic rate—so you burn calories like you’re working out, without working out. As you relax into the soothing, yet stimulating heat, infrared also triggers your brain’s happiness chemicals. The result? A healthy, rejuvenating experience that leaves you feeling euphoric.

Clean Dirt

Just add water to this powder-to-mousse formula that snaps and crackles as Vitamin C magically activates, then brightens and regenerates. Healthy exfoliants deliver micro-dermabrasion results, toxin-free.

slip™ for beauty sleep 'Slipsilk™' Pure Silk Sleep Mask

Slipsilk is a specially-commissioned sleep mask developed and refined over 10 years to provide the ultimate combination of shine, thickness and durability.

BINCHOTAN CHARCOAL STANDARD TOOTHBRUSH

This toothbrush has Binchotan—a special oak charcoal traditionally used in Japan—infused into its bristles for an extra-clean feeling every time you brush.

The Problem Solver

A powerful powder that transforms with water into a decadent mousse, this intensive mask is a tincture for complexion ills. Its soil nutrients, Activated Charcoal and antioxidant-rich spices warm on contact, melting deep into skin to magnetically pull out dirt, oil, and bacteria, calm breakouts, and unearth your most radiant skin.

Glow Advanced Formula Inner Beauty Powder

A bio-fermented superfood blend with antioxidants, minerals, vitamins and probiotics to improve gut health and enhance skin from the inside out.

Hydrating Tonic

If memories of stinging skin pop into your mind upon hearing the word “toner,” this hydrating mist is here to change your mind. Made with naturally-derived, organic, wild-harvested, and non-GMO ingredients, it creates a veil of hydration that soothes skin and sets makeup without an ounce of discomfort.

Cosmic Cocoa Adaptogenic Hot Chocolate

This hot chocolate mix also contains tocos, silver ear mushroom and edible hyaluronic acid, which may help hydrate skin. Adaptogens including ashwagandha, shatavari and reishi may help target the effects of stress.

Nooks + Crannies CBD Soap

A CBD soap power-packed with a premium lineup of beneficial botanicals.

RAHUA LEAVE-IN TREATMENT

Protective and healing, this flexible anti-frizz treatment—perfect whether you style with hot tools or air dry—delivers remarkable shine, shields hair from stress, and prevents breakage and split ends. Crafted using omega-9-rich Rahua oil, it acts as a heat protectant, guards hair from the stress of blowdrying and styling tools and adds definition and separation when air drying.

Herbal Essentials Set

A set featuring Vitruvi's favorite herbal essential oils, including Pacific, Eucalyptus, Rosemary and Peppermint.

Herbivore Botanicals Calm Bath Salts

When one of those days has you feeling kind of toxic, grab a handful of these and head for your nearest tub. Sweetly Ylang Ylang scented – but not cloying or overly herbal – they take the toxins out with soothing Vanilla, absorbing Himalayan Pink Salt crystals and Pink Clay.

Dirty Rose Candle

A candle that warms your home with the floral scent of Dirty Rose.

De-Stress Mind Bath & Shower Oil

A focusing and calming blend of frankincense, petitgrain, wild chamomile and rosemary to help de-stress your mind after a long day.

Charcoal Jelly Ball Cleanser

A one-of-a-kind jelly-textured face cleanser that deep-cleans pores with detoxifying activated black bamboo charcoal.

Cosmic Gold Adaptogenic Golden Milk Dietary Supplement

A calming, cozy turmeric-loaded dietary supplement that can be consumed with hot water or milk.

Anti Aging & Moisturizing Organic Sheet Mask

Here’s your perfect pick-me-up for dry, maturing skin: a single-use sheet mask that delivers youthifying ingredients deep below skin’s surface. Fortified with Vitamin B3, hyaluronic acid, witch hazel and aloe vera, the formulation is delivered with safe “Ecoderma” advanced fabric technology. The result is tighter, smoother, noticeably plumped skin.

2020 WEEKLY Desire Map Planner + Program

Work with The Desire Map Planner to clarify how you want to show up to life—everyday.

More than scheduling and to-do lists—this is a mindful tool for prioritizing your personal wellness and your service in the world. Pleasure, creativity, practicalities.

The WEEKLY Edition helps you see your great plans at a glance. The week is laid out on a two-page spread, so you can plan with a bird’s eye view.

Skin Food Original Ultra-Rich Moisturizer

Feed your skin with intense nourishment from this iconic, do-it-all moisturizing cream (a makeup artist favorite, no less!). Its ultra-rich formula features a full serving of skin-loving ingredients, including essential fatty acids, vitamin E, organic calendula extract, and more plant-based nutrients. It’s no wonder people have been coming back for more since 1926!

Smoke Inhalation From Wildfires: Tips For Helping You and Your Family's Health

For the third fall in a row Northern California has been hit hard with wildfires. There always seems to be a point of time where there is a standstill in knowing what to do, fire is still burning so smoke keeps you and the kiddos indoors, travel is not highly plausible in the area, evacuation centers are overwhelmed with donations and assistance, and so you wait. I always feel compelled in wanting to help in some way, but feel like I come up short with solutions. Until it dawned on me while coming across a few post on social, mother’s sharing their concerns about their little ones being exposed to smoke inhalation, and new studies showing the harmful effects of such exposure , especially to younger children and the elderly . 

As a wife of a husband who is a Fire Capt. in the area, I have personally worried about the issue of smoke inhalation for years, that all fire personnel in particular deal with in relation to the very nature of their work. Now that concern has grown to include our son who like other children in the area has gone through three big fires locally. While I can’t magically snap my fingers, making these fires and their devastation disappear, I feel I can help and share some information that I have researched over the years in how to support, and even help our bodies detox from smoke exposure.

The tips are sensible and practical, like it is best to stay indoors with circulated filtered air. However life semi continues on requiring us to go outdoors, even if that means just letting our son get outside and get some wiggles out. The tips I am sharing are effective ways we can support our bodies during a stressful time, and most items can be found readily and might even be in your cupboards already.

I also want to share my heartfelt gratitude for ALL FIRST RESPONDERS for keeping our communities safe. May everyone return home safely!

Rest

While I struggle with this one personally, even when emergency events are not happening. Sleep is still one of the most effective ways are bodies restore, decompress, recalibrate and detox. Rest also helps our mental state which effects our physical health.

Water

So when we think of breathing in smoke we naturally think of our lungs being effected, rightfully so. However another bodily system working double time is our detoxifying organs. The major two being our kidneys and liver, which help remove harmful particles we have breathed in from smoke. Yet these toxic particles don’t just stay sequestered in our lungs but slip into our bloodstream and fatty tissues. Water helps flush out the tissues of the liver and kidneys aiding in the removal of filtered toxins, assisting so that these critical organs are not overly bombarded with waste. And this waste can be moved along effectively in the elimination process.

Options to Add to Water:

-Lemon water is additionally helpful to aiding your detoxifying organs and helping to stimulate your gall bladder which is another aid in your livers function. Lemon is incredibly alkalizing to your bodies ph level, antioxidant, high in Vitamin C, and helps kidney function.

-Peppermint aids in helping digestion, anxiety, relieving stress, helps with sleep, and muscle relaxation.

Steam

Steam from a humidifier, shower, bath, sauna, and tea pot can all help in soothing the tissues of the throat, trachea, and lungs that can get irritated when subjected to smoke inhalation and cold, dry air. Steam helps to relax and lubricate airways while also making it easier for mucus to detach itself from membranes. It has also been found that adding Thyme essential oils to steam water has been beneficial for those having trouble with their breathing, as it is -anti microbial -anti viral -anti fungal which all can effect lungs that are susceptible after smoke inhalation.

Tea

Tea is multi functional in its ability to aid and boost our health and how we feel. Sipping on Tea is known for its soothing properties helping soothe throat and upper respiratory tract, keeping us hydrated, supports digestion, reduces inflammation, stress relieving, and positive affects on helping induce sleep.

Tea benefits can be compounded on when adding local honey to you tea. Honey is known in being: -anti inflammatory -anti fungal -phytonutrient powerhouse -anti bacterial -antioxidant rich.

Some of the best Teas to sip on when worried about respiratory health and your bodies detoxifying organ’s functions are:

-Green Tea: helps digestion, high in antioxidants which help remove free radicals from our systems which exposed to when around wild or structure fires.

-Peppermint Tea: (See Above in Water Section)

-Dandelion Tea: detoxifies the liver and kidney, powerhouse of antioxidants, aids with digestion, and elimination

- Yogi Breathe Deep Tea: Found at Target, Amazon and Whole Foods, etc

- Traditional Medicine Breathe Easy Tea: Found at Target, Amazon and Whole Foods, etc

Eat

The kinds of foods you eat during and after being exposed to smoke and fire can help counteract some effects that your body might be having symptoms of. It is best to avoid meat, dairy and foods high in sugar, as they are known to cause more inflammation in the body hindering your body from healing itself as efficiently. Foods that are high in vitamin C help your bodies natural detoxifying systems and boost your immune system, while known to help aid in cell renewal. Antioxidant rich foods are wonderful in helping counter act the free radicals that your body is exposed to.

Antioxidant Rich Foods:

-Berries (Wild Blueberries have highest amount) - Kale -Artichokes -Onions -Beans -Beets -Dark Chocolate -Cherries -Carrots -Red Cabbage - Walnuts -Pecans -Tomatoes -Apples -Spices -Green Tea/Matcha

** A tip the darker the veggie or fruit the more likely they are going to have higher antioxidants

Anti Inflammatory Foods:

-Turmeric - Olives -Ginger -Walnuts -Cherries -Beans -Lentils -Blueberries -Whole Grains -Broccoli -Avocado -Garlic -Olive Oil -Green Tea/Matchs

home

When the outside air is smokey and at unhealthy levels requiring you to stay in your home, and close off outside air from coming in it can be scary to think that your indoor air will also become unhealthy as well. However there are some simple ways to combat this.

-Dust your home using a Damp Cloth. This will help minimize further particles from going airborne.

-Vacuum. Again this will help remove dust, ash, dust mites, etc that can not only make your air quality poorer but can irritate the respiratory system.

-Change Home Air Filter

-Buy an Air Purifier, however do research on the best air filter for your home because NOT all are made equal.

-Add House Plants. House plants are a natural ways to add a decorative feature while being functional at purifying your home air here is a link to NASA’s top rated air purifying plants

yoga

Light exercise is great for the bodies different systems, especially during physical, mental and emotionally stressful time periods. The lymphatic system which runs the length of your body is part of how your body removes everyday toxins. Yet your Lymphatic system has no built in pump to move it along, so the lymph system needs movement to help it drain and flow this can be from massage, walking, lymph drainage therapy and exercise.

During and directly after exposure to smoke it is not ideal to exercise heavily as your body is most likely “stressed’ by working harder internally and by your emotional and mental state. Heavy exercise could exacerbate respiratory conditions. Yet movement you find in yoga ie. twist, stretches and light cardio assist the body in its natural elimination processes.

Another benefit of yoga is a bit more tricky, have you ever noticed when you are in balancing poses like Warrior 3 or Crow Pose you are concentrating so hard on your body in the pose that for a moment your mind isn’t worrying about the stresses that lie beyond your yoga mat. Your mental health is important, and I have found yoga and exercise in general a great way to help in relieving some of that stress.

Essential Oils: Quick and Easy Ways To Add Them To Your Daily Routine

My daily routine and the daily products I use have to be a quick process, with most of my day spent on the go. As I am sure many of you can relate. A great product I wanted to share because of the wide varieties of uses with great impact are essential oils. I use various types of oils that vary in the countless ways they can be used, from helping me to focus on a project that might be a little tedious (like writing ha), to helping me gain ease when feeling some anxiety creeping up, or if my allergies are kicking my ass, again essential oils come into use. I know some of you reading this you might be familiar with essential oils, but if your like me I love to hear from people about their techniques in using products, specifically if their processes are simple yet beneficial, like the applications I wanted to share with you are.

Essential Oils can be utilized for in home cleaning sprays, in baths to help with sore muscles or stuffy noses, hand sanitizers, flavoring in soups (lemongrass my favorite) and skincare. So the fact that essential oils are extracted from plants, herbs, flowers and fruits their oils offer us powerful and amazingly potent plant power. This concentration of plant power has so many various benefits and their effectiveness are backed by science (https://draxe.com/essential-oil-uses-benefits/) and centuries worth of techniques from a wide tradition of medical modalities and religious practices. 

My appreciation has grown for essential oils as I have learned new uses for them and how easy they are to incorporate into my everyday routine. This appreciation goes a bit further then just their use but also their ability to trigger bodily responses even by just simply smelling. Take an oil like Lavender which increases inclinations to slow down and  triggers a response to your nervous system to relax and just taking a few deep breaths no matter what I am doing makes me feel more at ease. Yet Lavender is also high in antioxidants so topical use on skin is known to soothe skin especially skin that might be suffering from bug bites, minor burns, and acne. I will link all the Oils I use at the end.

Here are some of the ways I use essential oils on the daily:

Meditation

I practice meditation daily in the mornings. Some days I am sure you can relate either I have a full to do list, or my mind is extra busy and all over the place. I use essential oils to help trigger myself to be more present. I love to use lavender or a mental clarity blend which also has lavender in it. I dab it on the base of my palms and rub my hands together to warm and activate the oil further, then cup my eyes making the base of my palms at nose level and taking a few deep breaths. This practice lets me sink into meditation more immediately and deeper. And if my son makes an appearance he also likes to take a few whiffs of the oil. This method of using essential oils for calming is also great before bed.

Skin

So yes winter did find us here in California, and boy has my skin been having a tantrum over it. One way I like to help soothe my skin is a skin mist.  I make it with 10 drops of Chamomile Oil and only around 5 drops or so of Lavender. I keep my reused bottle in the fridge which adds another layer of comfort to my skin with the cooler temp. In the summer time I will switch up the mixture by adding Lemongrass Oil instead of Lavender. Lemongrass oil I love the refreshing vibrant scent but it is potent add around 3 drop of it and your set its that powerful in how potent the scent is.

Facial Mist

1 Cup of Purified Water

2 Organic Green Tea Bags

10 Drops of Chamomile essential oil

Direction: Brew the two tea bags in 1 cup of water let cool, remove tea bags, then add essential oil than add all liquid to preferably a glass bottle.

Schedule

Home  

Essential Oils have such an instant impact to your senses and are a way to change the mood feeling of a room/home. To our diffuser in the morning time a more vibrant scent like citrus based scents add an uplifting boost I often add lemon, orange, lemon grass or even tea tree. The citrus scented oils make especially early mornings more doable in the way the scents  help to naturally offer your senses a kick of zest that are nice especially on early winters morning when it is chilly and dark out. The essential oils to me also just make the house feel cleaner by having a fresh scent filling the room. I like a little warmer scents in my bedroom such as Jasmine, Ylang Ylang and switching up the oil at night time with a more calming scent. I use diffusers around the house I find diffuser easy to use and maintain.

Another way I create with the oils to make beautiful scents is by diluting the oil with water to make a room spray. Again super easy to make but I can change the scent quickly depending on what I am liking at the time. These sprays are just another way I like to make our house feel fresh especially during the winter when you are likely to be more enclosed in your house or if you have pets for roommates. One other tip I have only done only a couple of times is spray our bed and pillows with a more relaxing scented spray before bed. I know bedtime pillow sprays are totally in right now but by  the time I am finally able to get to bed I just pass out, or don’t have the capacity to even think about any spray haha. However I will turn on the diffuser and add additional relaxing sleep time oils in it. However I do have a simple pillow/sheet spray that you can use like I said I always forget about the spray when it does come down to me going to bed but those handful of times I did remember I found the scent to be very relaxing.

Pillow Mist

1/4 cup distilled water

3 tablespoons witch hazel

20 drops lavender essential oil

15 drops frankincense essential oil

Room Spray

• 1/2 cup water 

• 2 tablespoons Vanilla Extract

• 10 drops Lavender essential oil

• 5 drops Chamomile essential oil

Cleaning

So another way essential oils keep our house fresh is by helping me clean it. And I must say that one way I pick cleaners is by their smell and yes it takes me awhile to shop because I do have to smell everything thankfully my son is totally a professional smeller like his mom. My husband however….. I digress. So I like to make a couple of my own concoctions that work really well and I can simply change the scent whenever. 

Cleaning Scrub

2 cups of Baking Soda

10 Tea Tree essential oil

10 of your Favorite essential oil

Cleaning Spray

1 cup of Water

1/2 cup of White Vinegar

15 drops of Tea Tree Oil

20 drops of Eucalyptus Oil or your favorite oil

I am continually adding oils to my collection, as I learn about new uses. For example last week while our family was battling a cold, so I used Tea Tree oil with water as hand sanitizer. I get most of my oils from my naturopathic doctor, and the oils she uses are of such high quality and I love them and will be linking them below. I found a wonderful essential oil blend on my last visit to her office ( I get B-12 shots) that is made to clear your sinuses and had a few ways to use it ie q-tip up your nostrils, rub on the chest and for my son I added several drops to his bath. 

So here are some of my oils that I have on hand:

Chamolmile (http://pranarom.us/products/essential-oils/chamomile-german/)

Eucalyptus Globulus (http://pranarom.us/products/essential-oils/eucalyptus-globulus/

Lavender (I dont know what they do but this is the best ever lavender scent I have ever smelled)  http://pranarom.us/products/essential-oils/lavender-angustifolia/

Frankincense http://pranarom.us/products/essential-oils/frankincense/

Orange, Sweet http://pranarom.us/products/essential-oils/orange-sweet/

Lemon Verbena http://pranarom.us/products/essential-oils/lemon-verbena/

Lemongrass http://pranarom.us/products/essential-oils/lemongrass/

Tea Tree http://pranarom.us/products/essential-oils/tea-tree/

Ylang Ylang Complete http://pranarom.us/products/essential-oils/ylang-ylang/

Thyme ct Linalol http://pranarom.us/products/essential-oils/thyme-linalol/

Peppermint http://pranarom.us/products/essential-oils/peppermint/

Lemon http://pranarom.us/products/essential-oils/lemon/

Geranium, Rose http://pranarom.us/products/essential-oils/geranium-rose/

Mental Clarity http://pranarom.us/products/wellness-blends/mental-clarity/

Stress Recovery http://pranarom.us/products/wellness-blends/stress-recovery/

Sinus Formula http://pranarom.us/products/wellness-blends/sinus-formula/ 

So these essential oils are all the same brand this is not sponsored like I said previously I just buy the oils from my naturopathic doctor who sells this brand but I must say I do like the brand for their quality and easy use. Please comment below and leave some of your favorite essential oils and your favorite concoctions! And would love to hear feedback on if you tried any of these recipes.

EFT Tapping For Cravings: A Simple + Effective Practice To Try On Yourself

EFT TAPPING is a unique therapy for letting go of heavy emotional baggage. When we lighten our emotional load, we actually give our bodies the opportunity to better deal with other chronic issues that need working out. Integrative nutritionist, Jennie Miremadi, uses EFT tapping for cravings — curbing them and keeping them under control — and she’s sharing a simple guide to trying it yourself.

We love this simple personal practice, especially as we launch into a season saturated with excess and temptation. Discover the basics of EFT tapping here, and learn all about EFT tapping for cravings just ahead…

The EFT + Craving Connection

If you struggle with food cravings, EFT is an incredibly powerful tool that may be able to help. I’ve written about the practice of EFT previously, but here’s a brief recap: In EFT, which stands for Emotional Freedom Techniques (often called tapping), you use your fingertips to tap on specific points on your face and body. These points are identified in traditional Chinese acupuncture that land on energy pathways (called meridians) that run throughout your body.

When you use EFT directly on your cravings, you connect with your craving for a particular food while tapping on the meridian points — the simultaneous tapping while thinking about the craving makes it possible to release or lessen the intensity of the craving. This way you look at the food with a much lower craving, or without experiencing any cravings at all. Pretty amazing, right?

Focus On Real Food

I’m going to show you step-by-step how to start using EFT on your cravings, but before I do, keep in mind that what you put in your body is a key component to combat cravings. Meals that are loaded with sugar and refined carbs (even if organic, gluten-free and vegan) spike your blood sugar and trigger cravings for more sugar and refined carbs. So, you’re likely to get stuck in a vicious cycle of constantly craving unhealthy food. Instead, eat a nutrient dense, anti-inflammatory diet made up of real, whole foods. Be sure to include protein, healthy fats and fiber-rich carbs at every meal. Also, drink plenty of water. In doing so you may be able to eliminate food cravings altogether.

Tap Directly On Your Cravings

If you implement dietary changes and are still craving food that doesn’t serve your health and nutrition goals, that’s when I recommend using EFT to target cravings.  Here’s how to do it:

Grab a particular food that you’re craving — and if you don’t actually have the food available at the moment try using a photo of the food instead. As you look at the food, notice what you love about it: Is it the smell? The taste? The texture? Now, rate how much you crave the food on a scale of 0 to 10 (use 10 as the highest or most craving and 0 as no craving at all). Then, take the tips of your index and middle finger (or all four of your fingers) and start tapping on the karate chop meridian point (identified in the photo). Say this setup phrase three times: Even though I have a strong craving for … (fill in with your food choice, such asa grilled cheese sandwich) because I love (fill in why you love it, such as the gooey cheese that oozes out with every bite), I deeply and completely accept myself.

Then, using the tips of your index and middle finger, move to tapping on each of the other meridian points (identified in the photo) about seven times, starting with the eyebrow meridian point, then moving to the side of eye, under eye, under nose, chin and collarbone points. Switch to using all four fingers for the underarm point, and end by tapping with all four fingers on the top of head point. While you’re tapping on each meridian point, focus on the craving and use a phrase to remind yourself of your favorite part of the food (gooey cheese).

Repeat the entire sequence a minimum of three times, retest how much you crave the food on a scale of 0 to 10. If your craving isn’t yet at a 0, keep going with rounds of tapping. Before you start tapping again, connect with your craving for the food. Notice if what you love most about the food has changed to a different feature of the food (instead of gooey cheese, it’s the warm and buttery bread). If it has, focus on whatever part of the food you now desire most.

Modify your setup phrase to note that there is still part of the craving remaining by saying: Even though my craving for x is not yet gone, and I still want x because I love the taste of (fill it in with the aspect of the food you currently desire most, such as the warm and buttery bread), I deeply and completely accept myself. Then do another three rounds of tapping on the other meridian points, adjusting your reminder phrase to remind you of the part of the food you currently desire most (warm and buttery bread). Ideally you’ll keep tapping until you reach a 0, but generally if you can get the craving to a 3 or lower you’ll be in a place where you could take the food or leave it, making the decision not to eat the food a whole lot easier.

When There’s Resistance

If, after doing several rounds of tapping, you find that your craving isn’t budging, you can attempt to tap on your resistance to let go of the craving. Change your setup phrase to note this resistance, stating: Even though I have no desire to stop eating x because (fill it in with your reason), I deeply and completely accept myself. Then do rounds of tapping, focusing on the reasons why you don’t want to let go of the food you crave.

Time Your Tapping

Tapping directly on your cravings can help in the moment when faced with a food craving that you’re struggling to not eat. By reducing your desire to eat it, you make it easier for yourself to walk away from it. But, if you’re like many people who struggle with cravings, there’s often a time after you have a craving when you’re likely to eat the food no matter what. The only way to reap the benefits of using EFT to reduce cravings is to start using it before you get to your no turning back time.

If you’re trying to figure out when your no turning back time is, here’s a hint: It’s often when you’ve switched from thinking about the food to acting on eating. For example, it might be when you’ve picked up the phone to order a pizza. Or, once you’ve popped that frozen enchilada in the oven. Or, maybe it’s when you’ve have the box of the mac and cheese in your hand. Try to determine when your no turning back time is, and the next time you have a craving practice using EFT before you reach it.

Digging Deeper For Cravings

Occasionally you may be able to eliminate a craving permanently by tapping directly on the craving itself. But many times cravings occur because a person is experiencing a negative emotion that they’re trying to suppress with food. If your cravings are being triggered by emotions, you’ll likely have to keep tapping on the craving every time it arises until you figure out what’s triggering it.

Of course, having the ability to use EFT in the moment is empowering. It gives you an actionable tool to reduce your cravings — but ideally you’ll need to start digging deeper to figure out why your craving keeps appearing. You can then use EFT to reduce or release the underlying emotional trigger for your craving. In other words, in addition to using EFT directly on your cravings, you can also use it to decrease or clear the intensity of negative emotions that are at the root of your cravings. When you use EFT in this way, you make it possible for EFT to have a more lasting effect on cravings because you’re targeting the root cause.

If you’d like to dig deeper into the emotions behind your cravings, ask yourself these questions when a craving arises:

+ What emotions come up when I think about craving this food? Why am I having these emotions? Are they connected to any specific events?

+ Did an upsetting event happen prior to this craving?

+ If an upsetting event did happen prior to this craving, does that event remind me of similar upsetting events from my past?

+ Is this a food I’ve craved before? If so, is there a pattern to when I’m craving it? And, if so, is there an event that I can remember when I first started craving it?

+ Does this food remind me of anything or anyone from my past? If it does, why is that upsetting to me?

+ Are there any beliefs about myself that come up when I think about craving this food? If so, are there any events in my life that gave rise to or support that belief?

Create a list of all the specific* events that come to mind when you answer each of these questions. Then use EFT to decrease or clear the intensity of negative emotions connected to the specific events you’re able to identify. Doing this makes it possible to think about the same previously upsetting event(s) that triggered your cravings with a much lower emotional charge, or without experiencing any negative emotion at all. You’re likely to find that when you clear the trigger(s) for your cravings, the craving itself disappears.

*You can read why specific events matter here. And, review the EFT Basic Recipe detailing how to use EFT to reduce or release negative emotions connected to specific events.

Find Support

Getting to the root of your cravings not only takes time, it can be challenging to do on your own. So, if you try digging deeper but find yourself struggling to identify the events, emotions and beliefs triggering your cravings, or you’ve identified them but you’re having trouble working through them yourself, consider reaching out to a certified EFT practitioner to help guide you through the process.

And, most importantly, if you’ve suffered through any kind of serious trauma or are the victim of a crime, please do not use EFT on your own to work through these events (even if they’re triggering cravings for food). Please seek the help of a trained professional who will guide and support you.