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Women Who Shine: Jennifer Hall Taylor

Meet Jennifer Hall Taylor. She embodies the definition of true beauty with her lust for life and passion for helping others. A GoldfadenMD Woman Who Shines is one who is happy, radiant & making positive change in society all while embodying a true likeness for natural beauty regimens & skincare routines. This is Jennifer.

Jennifer029Photo by Mary McHenry Photography

What is your occupation/what inspired you to get started in this field?

I’m a Holistic Health Coach and a Private Chef. I’ve always been interested in the power of food—as preventative medicine, as nourishment, as fuel, as enjoyment, as a means of connection to a place or a group of people, as a creative outlet. We need food. It’s seems so basic at first glance and it should be so easy, but there are all these incredible and often contradictory social and political forces at play that influence how and what and why we feed ourselves. I went through my own difficult time of trying to apply a cookie cutter model to my diet and health and found myself frustrated and defeated and certainly not at my healthiest. Over time I realized that the more I listened to myself, payed attention to my unique experience and responded to what my body was asking for, the better I felt, the happier I felt, and the healthier I was. It was so empowering, to suddenly begin to understand why I might feel a certain way and how to respond gently and effectively. I went back to school to study holistic nutrition, with no real intention of starting a coaching business, and along the way started sharing pieces of information with friends and family, offering advice and support where I could. Before I was finished with school, people were asking me when I was taking clients. By the time I was half way through my work with my first client, I was completely absorbed. It is so gratifying to watch people transform their health through their own actions, and to see how empowered they become in that transformation. A person’s health then becomes a vehicle for the life he or she really wants to lead.

Describe your beauty routine?

It’s pretty minimal. I dry brush from head to toe a few days a week to keep my circulatory and lymphatic systems invigorated and keep my pores clear and skin happy. I use coconut oil for practically everything—makeup remover, moisturizer, mouth wash, monthly hair treatment. I use either a custom-blended face oil from Kristina Holey or Goldfaden Vital Boost as my moisturizer during the day. When I’m feeling sassy I wear red lipstick and I’m a sucker for a good manicure.

What are three things you can’t live without? 

My yoga practice, real, printed-on-paper books, and my clan (blood related and otherwise).

Jennifer040Photo by Mary McHenry Photography

What is the healthiest thing a person can do?

Breathe, laugh, eliminate stress whenever possible, move your body, get outdoors, disconnect from your electronics every once in a while, and laugh. Did I say laugh?

What do you do for fitness?

So many things. I’ve always had a hard time sitting still. These days I am on my yoga mat almost daily which I think of as more of a mental-health practice than a fitness routine. I run, I rock climb, I walk, I hike, I swim, I cycle, I dance in my living room.

What is your favorite part about being a woman?

The deep bonds I have with other women in my life.

What is the best advice you’ve received from a woman?

Try your best & trust your gut.

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What was your favorite thing about Doctors Scrub Advanced?

That it’s made from rubies!!!

Describe beauty?

Confidence. Laugh lines. Evidence of a life well lived.

The next group cleanse begins January 12th! Sign up here if interested.

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Presents for Moms-to-be

I have 5 family members and friends that are pregnant this holiday season! Holiday shopping has never been so exciting but so difficult. Many moms-to-be want to keep their lifestyle as ‘clean’ as possible, meaning natural and organic products are at the top of their wish list. Last week I went searching for the best natural holiday gifts and found some great buys!

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RMS, made famous from their incredible Coconut Oil for face and body, was my first stop to look for natural beautiful makeup. RMS Living Luminizer is a creamy highlighter that comes in pearlescent, pale gold shade and looks gorgeous on any skin tone. Formulated with Rosemary Extract, Vitamin E-rich and virgin Coconut Oil and void of Gluten, GMO, Soy and Nano. Can be worn on the cheekbones, eyes, lips and collar bone for that extra glow. This luminizer gives and overall youthful glow and will make any woman feel beautiful!

Screen Shot 2014-12-22 at 10.27.10 AMAnother fun gift to focus on is the ‘what the bump needs’.  As the baby grows so does the bump and this can mean stretch marks and dry itchy skin. Help mom to be get a jump on that by gifting her a balm for her belly. Any type of body balm will do but make sure it is free of mineral oil, silicones and sulfates. Organic coconut oil or Shea Butter will do the trick, but I found something even better! Made in Charleston South Carolina and fresh on the market, Mia Chia body balm really blew my mind with its hydration qualities and delicious smell. Chia seed while popular in juices and smoothies is as beneficial when applied topically. Chia Seed contains protein, fiber, calcium, potassium, magnesium, phosphorus and the essential fatty acids omega-3 and omega-6, as well as antioxidants called tocopherols. All those Omegas equal hydrated skin and no stretch marks. Moms to be can feel good about applying this to their growing bellies.

If you really want to get fancy take a look at the website www.Moxxly.com. Specializing in the most innovative breast pumps made by women for women. These pumps are designed to be worn under the shirt so moms don’t have to bare it all while pumping. They are also beautifully designed and easy to assemble while also having digital capacity to link all pumping information i.e. quantity and feeding times into mobile or computer devices.

Other fun ideas are prenatal yoga class gift certificate, cashmere sweater wrap or foot massager. Next year we will be buying for the babies to be!

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Jump Start Your Skin This New Year With These Simple Tips

Now that the New Year is upon us, many of us look back on the past year and take account of the good and the bad, especially when it comes to overall health, including our skincare regimen and needs. In some way or another, we all set out to set New Year’s goals centered around what we’d all like to improve upon for the New Year.

The New Year is the perfect time to make personal commitments that will help improve ourselves, especially our skin! With this in mind, we wanted to outline some of the suggested New Years resolutions that we work towards to consistently keep up with keeping our skin looking its best.

Screen Shot 2014-12-17 at 10.13.52 AMPhoto via Little Plastic Horses

Eat Smart: Given the excess amounts of sweet fixings and the celebratory champagne we all consumed this holiday season, our bodies (especially our skin) is feeling it! Get back on track with your diet and

Drink Water: Dehydration has been shown to cause pre-mature aging especially through the enhancement of fine lines and wrinkles (think raisins!). Make sure you are taking in the recommended amount of 8 glasses of water per day. Health Ambition shares the key health benefits to drinking your daily dosage. 

Stress Free: Stress is a leading indicator for many illnesses and we all should set out each day with a goal to reduces the amount of stress in our lives. There is no magic way of doing so, but if we keep this goal top-of-mind, we can overcome much of the stress that builds up in both our personal and work lives.

Exfoliate Regularly: Ever wonder why all the red carpet celebrities are always glowing? Well, it starts with exfoliation and Dr. Goldfaden is constantly preaching this as he truly believes that a glowing, clear and radiant complexion begins with exfoliation. Plus, there’s no better way to eliminate those unwanted dull and lackluster dead skin cells, dirt and excess makeup.

Stay Hydrated: OILS, OILS, OILS! We love oils because of their versatility since you can use by itself, mix with your favorite moisturizer and even with your foundation. Oils not only work to hydrate, but most offer that glowing and radiant completion that we all lack in the dead of Winter. Plus, given the advancements of the technology being used, many oils offer huge anti-aging benefits as well. We’re loving Goldfaden MD’s newest launch (coming out in February): Fleuressnce. 

Wash Your Makeup Brushes: Bacteria just builds and builds within the brushes bristles and reinfects our makeup which leads to skin irritations and breakouts. It is uber important to regularly clean these brushes, weekly, to keep any bacteria from building and spreading.

Stay Consistent: Topical skincare products take time. We know, you want immediate results, but trust us, be patient and younger-looking and glowing skin will come. It’s important to stay consistent with the recommended application of the products you’re using (AM + PM). Treatment products typically take anywhere between 2-5 weeks to show results.

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