The Healing Tree Natural Lip Balm Review

Every winter my skin gets super dry with my hands and lips suffering the worst.  Both my lips and hands sometimes end up cracking and bleeding.  With my hands it's no problem re-applying lotion every few hours (or when I wash them).  My lips are a different story.  Lip balm doesn't seem to do any good, having to apply so much more frequently.  So when the opportunity came along to try The Healing Tree Natural Lip Balm I jumped at the chance.  I received a tube for free in exchange for my honest review.

I noticed right away how smooth The Healing Tree Natural Lip Balm was to apply.  Other lip balms I've had to backtrack over the area to fully cover my lips but that wasn't the case with The Healing Tree!  One passs and you're good to go!  You can immediately see and feel the difference on my lips.

What do you look for in a lip balm?

The Healing Tree Natural Lip Balm is 100% natural, made with Carnauba Wax, Cocoa Butter, Shea Butter, Virgin Coconut Oil, Vitamin E, Castor Oil, Rice Bran Oil, Sunflower Oil, and Olive Oil.  It's non-toxic as well as free of Parabens, Phenol, Mineral Oil, Petroleum Jelly, and Artificial Flavors/Colors. 

To Save Time Let's Just Assume CASSANDRA Is Always Right

I chuckled when I saw this coffee mug review opportunity and HAD to get it.  When I applied I wasn't sure if I was going to use my name or someone else's (as a joke) but ended up going with mine when I was approved.  I received this mug from 5amily for free in exchange for my honest review.

The mug arrived quickly so it had to have been in stock with CASSANDRA on it.  I probably would've had to wait a little longer to get one with CASSI instead.  I was concerned when I opened the box and there wasn't any bubble wrap or stuffing, just the cardboard frame.  Had this shipped by UPS/FedEx instead of USPS it probably would've been shattered!

If I didn't put my name on the mug my other choices were:

• My cousin as a part of her wedding present in December
• My coworker who thinks she's the boss (even when the boss is there)

Who in your life IS or THINKS they are always right and you'd be willing to gift such a mug to them?  Or would you get this for yourself?

Click below to purchase one of these mugs from 5amily

To Save Time Let's Just Assume [NAME] Is Always Right

Zoganic FruitZip Review

Powdered vitamins you can mix into your drink instead of taking another pill? Yes please!  I was happy to receive 3 flavors of Zoganic FruitZip for free in exchange for my honest review.  I shared the trio on Instagram when they arrived.

A post shared by Cassandra Schmigotzki (@longandwindingroadtowellness) on Jul 25, 2017 at 11:16am PDT

The Zoganic FruitZip are all low in sugar, organic, non-GMO, gluten free, dairy free, vegan, and all-natural vitamin powerpacks you can bring with you anywhere.  Another bonus is they're made in the US.  Just one box is full of antioxidants, nutrients, vitamins, probiotics, and energy.  There are 4 different flavor combinations for your everyday needs.

First up for me to try was Coconut + Energy, which I put in my water for one of my Wednesday walks.  This flavor provides natural electrolytes, B vitamins, as well as calcium and magnesium to build stamina.  While I didn't notice anything different it was nice to have a little flavor in my water while I sweated away.

Next I tried the Orange + Immunity mixed in with some hot tea.  When I'm not feeling well I drink a lot more hot tea to knock out the blah feelings.  It would've been nice to have this flavor while we were sick in Germany because it bolsters your natural immunities, boosts energy, and offers a high-end shot of vitamins and minerals.

Finally I had the Multi + Refreshment on a day where my allergies were driving me crazy at work.  This flavor is just a berry flavored multivitamin but it seemed to have done the trick.  My sneezes and runny nose seemed to have slowed after I drank the Zoganic FruitZip.

Of course the flavor I really wanted to try when I saw this opportunity was the one I didn't receive - Pineapple + Digest.  But they said I was lucky because most others only received 1 flavor so I'm taking it as a win!  This flavor helps relieve acid reflux, boosts energy, and heals and balances the digestive tract.

Which of the 4 flavors of Zoganic FruitZip sounds like something you could use in your life?  Try a box RISK FREE with a 100% Satisfaction Guarantee.  You can even save 50% off your order using the code HEALTH2017!

Follow DrinkZoganic on Instagram for more ways to incorporate Zoganic FruitZip into your daily drinks.

Good Morning Snore Solution Product Review

When 3 sleep studies show the only issue you have is snoring you're on the lookout for a solution.  So of course I jumped at the opportunity to try out the Good Morning Snore Solution.  I received one appliance and storage case for free in exchange for my honest review.

Putting on the Appliance

"Snoring is frequently caused when the muscles in the back of the throat relax during sleeping and block the airway flow through the mouth.  The Good Morning Snore Solution alleviates snoring by pulling the tongue forward in the mouth and maintaining an open airway."

This explanation of the cause of snoring makes an oral appliance sound more effective than a nasal one. The Good Morning Snore Solution definitely keeps your tongue forward.

The wide part of the appliance goes in between your teeth and lips.  I have no problem getting it into position.  I have to squeeze the bulb and suck the air out several times because I almost immediately start a saliva build up during this step.  It's like my glands know something weird's going on.  Once I feel the saliva has sufficiently decreased I insert the tip of my tongue into the bulb.  This part is not one bit comfortable.  My tongue feels like it's super wide and getting mashed by my teeth.

The Good Morning Snore Solution makes me think of a pacifier with the bulb in reverse.  When sucking out the air it feels like I'm practicing for a pacifier.  It's a weird feeling.

Removing the Appliance

Removing the Good Morning Snore Solution is even more awkward than putting it on.  You gently squeeze the bulb and remove your tongue.  Every time my tongue feels a little sore from being locked into position and my mouth is super dry.  They say these side effects improve and go away over time but how long do you have to wait?

So Does it Work?

I kept waiting for Benny to say something other than laughing at the way I looked wearing the appliance.  So I had no idea whether or not the Good Morning Snore Solution was working.  I finally had to break down and ask him point blank if he heard me snoring when he came in the room (or even outside the door because you know snoring can get pretty loud).  Benny said that he has NOT heard me snoring since I started wearing the appliance.

That's what I say about using the Good Morning Snore Solution.  If I'm really not snoring wearing the appliance then I can deal with the uncomfortable part of it.

Who should NOT use this?

If you have any of these conditions they say you shouldn't use the Good Morning Snore Solution:

• Severe Sleep Apnea (Severe only as it's a registered treatment for mild to moderate apnea.)
• Severe Respiratory Disorders
• Periodontal Disease
• Under 18 (not sure why on this one)
• Have orthodontic or other oral devices - consult with your dentist first
• Blocked nasal passages (because you'll have to be breathing through your nose)

So if you're not experiencing any of the above go ahead and give the Good Morning Snore Solution a try.  Get comfortable being uncomfortable as it actually appears to stop snoring!  Visit their website to see the purchase options...

Good Morning Snore Solution - Because Good Nights Equal Good Mornings.

A post shared by Cassandra Schmigotzki (@longandwindingroadtowellness) on May 5, 2017 at 7:32pm PDT

Meal Planning with Platejoy

~SPONSORED POST~

Eating healthy can take a lot of time.  You scour Pinterest, other online recipe sources, or cookbooks, hunting for something different to make for dinner.  Which healthy meals can you make with items you have on hand or can grab on your next shopping trip?  What will be something that your whole family would enjoy and not go to waste?  It can be difficult to sort through the recipes to make sure they match your goals and don't contain ingredients you don't like or can't eat.

I've been experimenting with this new service called PlateJoy that makes that whole process take 5 minutes not 5 hours every week. They create personalized meal plans and grocery lists to help make healthy eating easier, taking your preferences into account.

The recipes I've tried so far I've enjoyed. It's great that the software remembers what you've said that you have in your fridge when creating your shopping list, which helps to reduce food waste, so you're also getting the most bang for your buck. They also show nutritional information for all meals to make it easier to track your progress.

A photo posted by Cassandra Schmigotzki (@longandwindingroadtowellness) on Sep 2, 2016 at 5:38pm PDT

PlateJoy's Skillet Cilantro & Lime Fish Tacos Recipe

Ingredients

• 1 ½ yellow onions
• ¼ cup chopped cilantro
• 1 ½ jalapeno peppers
• 3 tomatoes
• 2 ⅓ limes
• 2 ¼ lbs tilapia fillet
• ⅓ cup olive oil
• 2 tbsp minced garlic
• 12 corn tortillas
• 1 ½ avocados
• 12 cups mixed greens 

Instructions

1. Slice onion, and finely chop cilantro and jalapeno pepper (remove seeds and membranes). Dice tomato. Squeeze lime juice. Pat tilapia dry and slice into strips. Whisk together half lime juice and half olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Set dressing aside.
2. In a nonstick skillet, heat remaining olive oil and sauté onion until translucent, about 3 min. Add garlic and jalapeno pepper and cook 30 seconds more.
3. Add tilapia and cook over medium-high heat 5 minutes, or until opaque, taking care not to break up the pieces. Season with salt and pepper to taste, then gently stir in cilantro, tomato and remaining lime juice. Cook 2 to 3 minutes more until tomato has softened.
4. Heat corn tortillas in dry skillet for few minutes per side, or cover with damp paper towel and microwave for 30 to 45 seconds. until pliable.
5. Spoon filling into tacos and top with sliced avocado and more cilantro. Toss mixed greens with dressing and serve on the side.

 How Much Should We Eat?

What I Did

You know me, I never do recipes 100% as they're listed; I'm always tweaking things.

• 1 ½ yellow onions
• ¼ cup chopped cilantro ---> mix of parsley, oregano, & basil
• 1 ½ jalapeno peppers  ---> bell peppers
• 3 tomatoes
• 2 ⅓ limes ---> bottled lime juice
• 2 ¼ lbs tilapia fillet ---> used 800-something grams
• ⅓ cup olive oil
• 2 tbsp minced garlic
• 12 corn tortillas
• 1 ½ avocados ---> zucchini
• 12 cups mixed greens ---> skipped since they were out at Kroger

Austin didn't even want to try a bite so I had to adjust the tilapia for one less person.  Besides, when I calculated the amount of fish (2.25 lbs is over 1020 g), I didn't have enough.  I used all but one fillet from the bag of frozen tilapia from Aldi's so my fingers were numb by the time I finished cutting it into strips.  The skillet was almost overflowing so I have no idea how I could've cooked the full amount!  I tossed in the zucchini to cook with everything else.

Benny ate his two tacos but he didn't enjoy them.  I think he said something about it not having enough flavor.  That I found odd with me not tasting much I rather enjoyed the flavor.  I'd love to make this again, of course it would have to be for someone else.  The leftovers I brought to work later in the week with rice for lunch.

I plan to continue to check out the weekly recipes to see if anything pops up that I think at least Benny would be willing to eat. I like that I can go in there if an ingredient pops up that I don't want to eat (like Brussels sprouts) I can remove it from my recipe queue and get a new set of meals.  I haven't seen this option in other meal planning software I've played with.

Save $10 off the plan you choose by visiting www.platejoy.com and entering the code LAWRTWBNM.

Measure What Matters With LVL

Hey weekend warriors, let's talk about a new way to make sure that you're drinking enough water!

~SPONSORED POST~

Wednesday pre-ordering began for the LVL (pronounced "level") - a new activity monitor from BSX Technologies measuring your heart rate, sleep, and hydration (the only product to do so) in real time.  So now we have a new stat to check and track to see reasons why we're feeling good or bad throughout the day.

The Technical Side

Unlike other wearable tech LVL uses near-infrared light (NIRS) to monitor your body.  This red light is the same as they use in hospitals because it's more accurate and can measure more.  Other wearable tech uses green light because it's both cheaper and enables the product to be put on the market faster than red light.

BSX Technologies used a patented multi-wavelength NIRS technology for LVL to go deeper and measure more parameters at once compared to the traditional green light technology.  Their fancy algorithms predicts and identifies your current health and fitness state from anywhere on your body.

All About That Hydration

A photo posted by Cassandra Schmigotzki (@longandwindingroadtowellness) on Sep 7, 2016 at 11:23am PDT

Hydration is a fickle beast because frankly we suck at judging how much we should be drinking.  Studies have shown hydrating solely upon feeling thirsty results in only 30-70% consumption compared to match how much we lose from sweating.  Just 1-2% dehydration could lead to a 5.8% decrease in performance.  This kind of decrease results in poor skills testing similar to those at the legal limit for blood alcohol!

Being dehydrated also affects recovery.  If you're not drinking enough you don't sleep well, you're moody, your memory slips, and more.  Your body also gets confused between hunger and thirst, leading you to overeat.

SHOCKING FACT:  75% of Americans are in a chronic state of dehydration!

The good news is we CAN overcome dehydration, after all being properly hydrated has saved more lives than antibiotics.  Using science and cutting edge technology to track more physiological data it's possible to provide real time stats that'll help us perform better.

Who is Behind LVL?

BSX Technologies was started in 2012 down in the heart of Austin, TX, by Dustin Freckleton, MD, and Nithin Rajan.  Shortly before his 25th birthday Dustin suffered a stroke due to severe dehydration.  He was completely paralyzed on his left side and it took months for him to learn to walk again.  Once he finished medical school Dustin walked away from his career and started BSX.  He is dedicated to developing smarter tech to have better real time stats to keep everyone healthy.

In 2014 BSX developed and shipped the first wearable lactate threshold sensor (BSXInsight) that's now used by everyday athletes, pros, and Olympians worldwide who want to train with professional grade data.  This sensor identifies your optimal training zones, measuring your fitness capacity.  The technology has been independently validated by several academic and research institutions.  BSXInsight uses the same NIRS tech as LVL.

How & Where Do I Get LVL?

This first batch of LVL is scheduled to begin shipping next summer.  They are available for pre-orders at a discounted price for a limited time.

Let's all get LVL'd up and really Measure What Matters!

All LVL product images are courtesy of BSX Technologies in conjunction with this sponsored post.

Protecting Myself from the Gunk in My Tap Water

I drink water all day every day, more so in the summer while it's hot than the winter when it's cold.  At work we have water service so I know it's been filtered.  Our tap water at home is another story.  There is always calcium deposits at the bottom of my glass that kinds of turns me off of drinking the water, but what else would I drink?  My only other choices are tea (using that same water) or almond milk.

Because of this I was excited to be offered the opportunity to check out Water Liberty's Adya Clarity for free in exchange for my honest review.  These drops are clinically proven to reduce the heavy metals in your body and are tested by an EPA certified lab to reduce up to 99% of toxins in your water.  This is what piqued my interest.



When asked other healthy living bloggers whether or not they'd used Adya Clarity or a similar product the only response I received was about a negative article from a few years ago.  I asked Water Liberty for their response and I was sent the link to their blog post debunking that article and similar ones that have been floating around.

Adya Clarity blends ionic sulfate minerals to purify water without use of toxic chemicals.  Just letting a glass sit for a few hours you can see the difference.

1 is a glass of tap water treated with Adya Clarity (sitting on top of my phone to see the bottom of the glass better).  2 is plain tap water in the cup I use throughout the week.  3 is a glass of water from the bottle service we have at work.  When our water's treated there's still some sediment but it's much less than I normally see (and also pale yellow instead of white).  This shows much promise that Adya Clarity could make our water go from 2 to 3 so I don't feel so weird drinking it!

I also noticed a slight taste difference with the Adya Clarity.  It's hard to describe but maybe you could say Adya Clarity makes your water sweeter.

I plan to continue to use this bottle of Adya Clarity to see what other changes I notice drinking cleaner water outside my work.  Be sure to visit Water Liberty's website to check out Adya Clarity for yourself along with the other sizes and options available.

This post was sponsored by Water Liberty.