Drinking a lot of red wine can dull your teeth over time.

Flashing a bright, white smile is not only aesthetically appealing but is also a sign of good oral, and general, health, and while I’m sure most of us would rather avoid the dreaded root canal, sometimes we unknowingly eat or drink things that are simply horrible for our teeth.

So which foods can damage those pearly whites? Read on to find out 3 foods to avoid to keep your teeth looking, well, awesomely pearly.

1. Certain Fruits

I know, I was shocked to hear it too. I mean, fruit is an important part of our diets and a natural way to get all the vitamins we need. However too much fruit isn’t so good for your teeth.

Citrus fruits and berries–while chock full of vitamins and antioxidants–are the worst offenders thanks to their acidity levels which can ultimately eat away at your enamel. This is important because without strong enamel, your teeth become susceptible to decay and disease. Not exactly the best look for us ladies.

That doesn’t mean you have to give up your favourite fruits. Instead, try making them into a smoothie and drinking them with a glass straw. That way you cut down your chances of them directly affecting your enamel. Other fruits, like apples, are actually good for your teeth, so next time you’re craving berries or citrus, follow it up with some crunchy apple slices. Both of these methods help minimize damage without having to give up our favourite fruits.

2. Vinegar

It is a kitchen staple yet it can be absolutely terrible for your teeth. While vinegar is delicious in so many of homemade salad dressings and sauces, it is usually best to rinse your mouth out after consuming anything with vinegar in it. Like citrus fruits, the high acidity content in vinegar eats away at the enamel of your teeth which can cause a whole whack of problems. Problems you would probably rather avoid by simply rinsing out your mouth after eating.

This can get tricky, especially if you are out on the town, or even worse, on a hot date, but if you want to protect that sweet smile of yours, you might want to consider excusing yourself and dashing off to the ladies room.

3. Red Wine

I have to admit, I was gutted when I heard about this one. I mean, come on! Red wine? Can’t we ladies catch a break? But alas, it is true. Red wine causes a gradual dulling of your teeth.

Red wine enthusiasts know that after a night of red wine your teeth can look, well, grey and gross, regular red wine consumption can also have this permanent affect on your teeth.

Red wine in moderation can be great for your overall health, as long as you rinse your mouth out after each glass, you should be able to avoid the dreaded–and permanent–red wine smile. Something all of us red wine drinkers can strive for!

So if you want to keep your smile as picture perfect as possible, avoid these 3 foods when necessary, and if you just can’t stay away, at least wash your mouth out or bring a travel toothbrush out with you when you hit the town. It’s not exactly ideal but it’s better than suffering from annoying enamel issues down the road.

Vanessa is a lifestyle blogging babe whose work can be found on websites all over cyberland, including this review on Naturaful, as well various other popular lifestyle brands. The best part about her job? She gets to help her readers live their best lives each and every day.

{Red Wine photo via Shutterstock}

As we prepare to ready our beach, pool and vacation bags for summer months it may be fun to add a few new items.  How about a little something to refresh the skin?

Do you ever feel sticky or in need of a freshen-up midday in warm weather?  Natural toners and facial mists are perfect for perking up the skin and reviving the senses. Organic ingredients and natural essential oils sooth, protect and revitalize skin.

Here are a few of my summertime facial mist favorites:

• Evan Healy Lavender Facial Tonic $23.50 — Soothes, refreshes and lightly moisturizes all at the same time.
• Naturopathica Lavender Honey Balancing Mist $28 — Honey is a natural healer and helps to tone down any summertime irritation.
• ila Hydrolat Toner $56 – This one is a bit more pricey, but carries the signature ila scent.  Divine!
• Tata Harper Hydrating Floral Essence $65 – Again, a higher end mist.  Super soft on skin and smells delicious.  Let’s just say you won’t be sorry on this splurge.

You notice that lavender keeps turning up in these toners and sprays.  Lavender not only smells lovely, it has relaxation and de-stressing properties.  Who can’t use that?

Want to try making your own facial mist?

Here’s my recipe: Steep yourself a cup of green tea and, once cooled, add a couple of drops of lavender essential oil.  Pour into a spray bottle and store in the fridge.  Keeps up to two weeks.  I like to spray on my face, arms and décolleté.

[Image by pfala at Flickr.com, Creative Commons license]

Let’s do something fun today.  You know how a new playlist can rev up your workout?  When I put new songs on my iPod I can not wait to hit the treadmill.

Studies show that listening to music while working out helps you to focus, which sharpens the mind. Rocking out even keeps you going longer and harder.  Rather than thinking about the difficulty of your cardio, you work out to the rhythm of the music.

So let’s share.  What are your favorite tunes to work out to?  Which ones pump up your jam and get your blood flowing?  Leave a comment below letting us know.

Need fresh ideas?  Check out these playlists on Fit Sugar and Women’s Health.

[Image via San Diego Shooter at Flickr.com, Creative Commons license]

Summer is just around the bend and that means more time spent outdoors! We need to be diligent about protecting ourselves from the sun’s rays and that includes incorporating accessories that can help. What better way to do that than with vintage sun protection? Sunglasses, hats, and parasols are a stylish way to give an added layer of protection during your outdoor activities. With so many styles and ways to wear each of these pieces, vintage is the way to go! There is guaranteed to be a style for everyone and every outfit. Here are three favorite pieces of vintage summer sun protection!

Next >> 1950′s Sunglasses

I came across {r}evolution apparel while browsing on twitter last weekend – and instantly needed to know more. Sustainable fashion? West Coast? For women who travel? I was in. I chatted with founders Kristen and Shannon this week you could get to know them, and learn more about what {r}evolution apparel has to offer for women on the go.

FGS: Tell me a little bit about yourselves?

KS: We’re Kristin and Shannon the founders of {r}evolution apparel, a versatile and sustainable clothing line for female travelers. We launched our first piece, the Versalette, in 2011 with the highest-funded fashion campaign in Kickstarter history.
 
FGS: What is the vision behind {r}evolution apparel?

KS: We are a fashion movement for change. Our goal is to spark conversations about fashion and consumption and to get people asking, “Where do my clothes come from?” We believe there are more important things in life than what’s in your closet.
 
FGS: How did it begin?
KS: We are travelers by nature. We were in Central America, taking Spanish classes and researching ideas for a business plan, when we started designing a line of 10 pieces that could be worn over 100 different ways. The ultimate clothing line for versatility and functionality.

FGS: How are you committed to sustainable living and design?
KS: It’s an evolving lifestyle that we try to improve upon each and every day. Neither of us shop — we haven’t bought a new piece of clothing in almost two years. When we do need “new” clothes we go to thrift stores. We’re both vegetarians. We don’t drink bottled water. We recycle. We compost. We try to eat only local foods. We try our best to consume only what we need, and to reuse/recycle when we can.

FGS: What can customers expect from your line that sets you apart?

KS: Our line is not for everyone. But if you’re a woman, looking to downsize your wardrobe, preparing to go on a trip or simply wanting to shop more sustainably, then we think the Versalette (and the rest of the line to come) is a great option. We provide women the opportunity to “do more with less.” Our products are also made entirely in the USA from recycled fabric, organic cotton, and other natural resources. All of our packaging and labeling is also eco-friendly.

FGS: Do you intend to create all your own clothing or will you source from other green designers as well?
KS: We plan to stick with the line of 10 pieces we’ve already designed, but look forward to collaborating on spreading a message of sustainability with other green designers!

FGS: I see you have the Versalette available on your site – can you tell me more about this piece, in particular?
KS: As mentioned, the Versalette is one piece that can be worn over 20 different ways. It’s made in the USA with 100% recycled fabric and is available in four different colors: cherry, charcoal, sage and indigo.

FGS: You are opening an online store soon, what kind of items can we expect?
KS: For now, the Versalette is the only piece we have on sale. We plan to grow our collection very slowly by launching one piece at a time!

FGS: What kinds of material do you work with most commonly?
KS: A knit-blend of 50% recycled cotton scraps (from factory cutting-room floors) and 50% recycled water bottles.

 
Shop {r}evolution apparel.

Say hello to Kristen and Shannon on twitter.

]]> http://feelgoodstyle.com/2012/05/15/q-and-a-with-kristen-and-shannon-founders-of-revolution-apparel/feed/ 0 http://feelgoodstyle.com/2012/05/15/q-and-a-with-kristen-and-shannon-founders-of-revolution-apparel/ http://feeds.importantmedia.org/~r/IM-feelgoodstyle/~3/ltc5lPdJ23Q/ http://feelgoodstyle.com/2012/05/14/reclaimed-fashion-slip-dresse/#comments Mon, 14 May 2012 11:00:37 +0000 Becky Striepe http://feelgoodstyle.com/?p=8840

Designer Joan Vorderbruggen is a multi-talented lady. When she’s not creating beautiful shop window displays from reclaimed materials, she’s sewing up stunning dresses out of vintage slips.

I first spotted Joan’s dresses when she shared a link on our sister site Crafting a Green World’s Facebook page. She lovingly hand-crafts each of her handmade dresses–sold under the brand name Lollycopter–using sewing and hand-dyeing techniques to transform thrift store finds into fashion. Joan was kind enough to do a Q&A with me about her work and what inspires her.

Feelgood Style: What inspires your upcycled slip dress collections?

Joan Vorderbruggen: My grandmother taught me the wonders of upcycling at a young age. She used to transform bread bags the family would collect into these amazing kitchen rugs and she was always so mindful of not wasting anything. I always admired her hard work teamed with such creativity and followed her example by finding ways to reuse found items, especially with my style of dress, which was truly the biggest form of creative expression for me growing up. That teamed with a very humble upbringing made upcycling this fabulously exciting game for me, so to speak, so that my focus wasn’t about what I didn’t have, but about what I could potentially do with what I did have.

In regards to my dress designs, vintage slips were once a staple garment in a woman’s wardrobe. Since falling out of fashion, I found that there were endless amounts of these lacy, silky, lovely garments hanging dormant on thrift store racks, some of them so intricately detailed with gorgeous lace patterns and appliqués. I developed a bit of a fetish, truly. I found myself sort of nursing many of them back to life, often having to mend frayed lace and ripped seams. It wasn’t until I began experimenting with dying techniques that they really took on a canvas like quality for me. I love imagining the woman who wore the slip as a functional garment beneath a pretty vintage dress decades upon decades ago, and the new life it’s given when I take it on and transform it into something a pretty lady will be excited to wear once more.

FGS: Who is your crafty hero?

JV: Marisa Lynch of New Dress a Day fame is incredibly inspirational to me. There are countless designers that I absolutely adore that create wondrous and massively involved garments from upcycled materials, but Marisa stands apart in the way she totally pushes herself to work at it every day with clothing she fully intends to wear and is madly talented at transforming a garish dress into a flattering, stylish garment in a flash! Her enthusiasm, commitment, and blogging savvy has invited and encouraged so many to go ahead and attempt an upcycling project. She makes it seem so fun and totally do-able to people who may have been sheepish to try it themselves.

FGS: Who in the fashion industry do you look up to?

JV: I really appreciate how much attention Stella McCartney has generated regarding ethical practices in her designs. She is so high profile and makes it seem like a simple task that reaps fabulous results which sets a real precedent.

FGS: Why is using upcycled materials important to you?

JV: It pushes me to be more creative, and it’s just something I have always done. Now more than ever I feel we could ALL benefit from looking for what we want within what we already have. I mean, that’s a philosophy that transcends fashion in so many wonderful ways.

FGS: Where can folks find your clothing?

JV: I have a few garments listed on Etsy, I stock garments locally at a vintage store in my neighborhood, Lost and Found, and I am able to create custom garments. You can see examples of my dress designs on my website, Lollycopter.com.

]]> http://feelgoodstyle.com/2012/05/14/reclaimed-fashion-slip-dresse/feed/ 0 http://feelgoodstyle.com/2012/05/14/reclaimed-fashion-slip-dresse/ http://feeds.importantmedia.org/~r/IM-feelgoodstyle/~3/U3QgRO2VlQM/ http://feelgoodstyle.com/2012/05/12/natural-acne-cures/#comments Sat, 12 May 2012 08:00:44 +0000 Becky Striepe http://feelgoodstyle.com/?p=8861

A simple tomato scrub can work as a natural acne cure!

For folks struggling with acne, it might seem like chemical-laden, store-bought remedies are the only solution, but there are quite a few natural acne cures that are right in your kitchen.

From honey to mint to tomatoes (check out this DIY tomato scrub!), you can raid your fridge and pantry to cook up all sorts of simple, DIY natural acne treatments without all of the harsh chemicals in store-bought or prescription remedies. Not only are homemade acne cures healthier for your body, they can save a bundle! Between visiting the dermatologist and paying for all of those expensive medications, treating acne with conventional medicine is pretty pricey.

My pal David over at The Good Human shares a great list of natural acne cures along with some lifestyle chances that can help you beat acne naturally. Head over to The Good Human for all the deets!

{Image Credit: Natural Acne Cures image via Shutterstock}

How grateful are you for the things in your life: your health, relationships, air that you breathe?  It is easy to take these everyday–yet hugely important–things for granted.  Even easier to take the littler things for granted.

I just finished reading The Magic by Rhonda Byrne, follow up to her super popular The Secret.  Have your read it?

In this latest read in getting what you want from life, the focus is all on gratitude and how to have more of it.  At first some of the exercises seemed a little cheesy, but I decided to stick with it.  After all, what could it hurt?

Taking Stock of Gratitude

The very first exercise is to write down a list of 10 things that you are grateful for and why.  Like, “I am grateful for my home because it provides my family with a safe and loving place to live”.

Byrne stresses that the degree to which you feel the gratitude is of the utmost importance.  Each exercise in the book is meant to simply bring more awareness to the things you are grateful for, or would like to bring more of into your life, and broaden your feeling of gratitude.

It is pretty amazing how feeling grateful changes your attitude and even how you feel physically.  As the saying goes, “like begets like”.  If you think about something enough you essentially will it into existence.  Maybe not magical in the story book sense, but it definitely gets your mind and body moving in the right direction for your desired outcome.

The Magic has instilled some healthy patterns into my life.  In the morning first thing when I wake up I automatically start listing the things that I am grateful for when my feet hit the floor.  Sometimes before I am even out of bed.  A pretty nice way to start the day.

Have you read The Magic or similar titles?  What are your thoughts on gratitude?

[Image via -Alina- at Flickr.com, Creative Commons license]

I have said it before, the month of May is the second busiest month of the year, beat out only by December.  May is exciting, filled with end of school year events and plans for summer, but crazy and stressful none-the-less.

Do you feel this way too?  I’ve talked with lots of other women who are also teetering on the brink of stability this month.  Feeling over scheduled, stressed and just plain worn out seem to go with the territory year after year.  And knowing that it is coming does not seem to lessen the toll.

If you are like me you run around all day long getting things done, are exhausted by 7 p.m. and still can’t fall asleep at night because you are too busy planning the layout of the next day.  Sure, once June hits things ease up a bit but what are we to do now?

This article from GOOD was in my Twitter favorites and when I came across it this morning thought, “boy, could I use this right now!”.  A handy three part post on de-stressing, The GOOD Guide to Relaxing covers everything from improving sleep habits to breathing techniques.

Read it, keep it handy and…have a great May!

[Image via PernilleH at Flickr.com, Creative Commons license]

Colored jeans seem to have taken over the shelves! From pastels to bright jewel tones, colored denim is a great way to add a punch to your spring/summer wardrobe in an unexpected way.

Staying true to your eco-friendly buying habits while staying on trend can be tough but luckily there are some great eco options. Recycled materials, natural dying processes, and sustainability are some of the ways that these companies set themselves apart from the rest of the fashion world!  Here are 4 of my favorite colored jeans in an array of beautiful colors just in time for summer.

Next >> Coral Skinnies