Confession: I went over my friends house and she was telling me how her hair had been really brittle lately. I know I'd read before that you can put raw egg in your hair as a conditioner to make your hair soft and shiny.  So after shampooing, we cracked two eggs, mixed them around with our fingers to break up the yolks, and let them sit in her hair for a while. Then we rinsed them out. The egg treatment didn't help though. Turns out, her water pressure was low and that's what was causing her brittle hair.

Sept. and Oct. are pomegranate, apple, and pumpkin season in the South. I love to smell these fresh aromas during the season because they remind me of the time of year when we get cooler temperatures and the upcoming holidays.

Aromatherapy works on the premise that scents can be linked to memories, and memories can trigger emotions.  For instance, the smell of candy apples might remind you of going trick-or-treating.  If trick-or-treating is a good memory for you (dressing up in costumes, getting sacks of candy, sharing with friends), then that scent eventually leads to you having happy and upbeat feelings. 

Well, according to Medicinenet.com, the way your house smells can affect your emotions. If your home smells nice, it can bring about a positive effect on your mood. To bring the scents of the season into your home, you could make a table scape of fresh apples, gourds,   and pomegranates.  You could also bake delicious and aromatic treats using apples, pumpkins, pomegranates and such.  I like to burn candles that have pleasant fragrances. The scent from candles is just enough to waft through my home and create a very welcoming and warming environment. If you're wary of burning candles because you have curious pets or children, then you can try  Gold Canyon's pod warmers. They create the same effect, but without the flame and come in seasonal scents including: apple orchard, autumn walk, and cobbler on the porch.  The warmer is about $30 and the pods are about $6 each. 

Here are a few scents and the benefit they are said to have (from Aura Cacia) :

Allspice Berry - The oil has a warm, spicy-sweet aroma. It is used in spicy or masculine scents. It combines well with orange, ginger, patchouli and all of the spice oils including cinnamon, cassia and clove. Aromatherapy benefits: warming, cheering, comforting, nurturing

Cedarwood, Red- Red cedarwood essential oil actually comes from a type of juniper known as Juniperus virginiana, whose common name is eastern red cedar. The balsamic-woody aroma of cedarwood oil evokes a feeling of inner strength and centeredness. It is quite useful in times of emotional stress and anxiety to overcome feelings of powerlessness.

Cinnamon Bark - Also known as Ceylon cinnamon, this is the true cinnamon of world commerce. Its aroma is similar to cassia, or Chinese cinnamon. The aroma of Ceylon cinnamon is preferred to cassia for perfume where it gives a warm, floral-enhancing effect. Cinnamon oil blends well with oriental-woody notes and is often combined with frankincense. It is a skin irritant and should be handled with care. Aromatherapy benefits: comforting, warming.

Nutmeg - Nutmeg oil is distilled from whole, dried nutmegs that have been cut into small particles and pressed to remove the fixed oil, also known as nutmeg butter. The oil has the characteristic aromatic, volatile, oily-spicy fragrance of whole nutmegs. Nutmeg oil is a component in men's fragrances and spicy perfumes. Aromatherapy benefits: rejuvenating, uplifting, energizing.

Peppermint - Peppermint has a powerful, sweet, menthol aroma which, when inhaled undiluted, can make the eyes water and the sinuses tingle. Aromatherapy benefits: vitalizing, refreshing, cooling

We've been working hard on the new Southern Living. As our Editor-In-Chief Eleanor Griffin sums it up:

“We’ve listened to thousands of our readers and we know that the Southern woman is changing. She is embracing the future as much as she values the traditions of the past. She is busier than ever and wants to cultivate her own Southern style in a new, modern way."

The new Southern Living has 15 new franchises. These include features like "Mama's Way, Your Way," which highlights a traditional Southern recipe and a more streamlined version, and "Made By Southern Hands," a roundup of stylish products made in the South.

In Healthy Living we are thrilled to debut "Lighten Up In," in which we spotlight healthy activities to do in great Southern cities.

This month we feature New Orleans. (think: less Bourbon Street and more exploring on foot and eating fresh local seafood). Yes, it can be done.

October's Healthy Living also features a Q&A with Domenica Catelli, chef and author of Mom-a-Licious: Fresh, Fast Family Food For The Hot Mama in You. Domenica shares her secrets to looking and feeling good, including recipes.

Both of these are just the first of many we're excited about.

We're looking forward to continuing to share stories about enjoying all that we love about the South, with an emphasis on taking small steps to health and balance.

As always, we want to hear your ideas about healthy living in the South. Let us know! And thanks for reading.

Related Links:

Video Tour of Southern Living's New Look

Turns out her insight about the potential of online connection was right.

Today Rachael, who lives in Naples, Florida, is in-demand as a consultant, building websites and working with businesses to design and manage their websites, as well as raising her 21-month old daughter Leila.

She's also one of the founding editors of BlueSuitMom, a website devoted to work/life balance issues. For her dedication to helping working moms we are naming her our Southern Living Mama Blogger of the Week.

Rachael helped found BlueSuitMom in 2000, long before she was a mom. “BlueSuitMom has always been my passion. It was my first baby,” she says. The website features stories about parenting, career, and health, among other things that busy moms talk about.

Readers are encouraged to submit questions to BlueSuitMom's team of experts, a team that includes a career coach, child educators, and professional organizers.

We like this post Rachael did about her the "BlueSuitMom's Working Mom Top 10 Must Haves." Another great post is her book reviewof  "Life's Work: Confessions of An Unbalanced Mom" by Lisa Belkin. An excerpt from Rachael's review:

"This might have been the most powerful message I've read in a book -- ever. Because today I vow that this will change my life. From now on, I'm not going to stay awake until 3 a.m. stressing out about why I'm not good enough. Why do I have to spend countless hours worrying that it isn't good enough."

 

We love that attitude. Keep up the good work Rachael!

 

Related Links:

 

Southern Living Mama Blogger Of The Week: Mama Law

 

Southern Living Mama Blogger Of The Week: The Wii Mommies Cool Guide To Fitness

 

Southern Living: Healthy Weeknight Meals

Confession: If my cuticles are dry and I don't have hand lotion available, I'll use a dab of my lip gloss to moisturize.  It does the trick.

What does the Southeastern Football Conference have to do with keeping your lips healthy?  There's a new lip balm out from a company called Twist and Pout that represents several of the Southern teams.  The lip balm inside each team-themed ball is SPF 20. So, you can enjoy being outdoors at the game without worrying about your lips getting chapped. (I know what you're thinking: "Who thinks about their lips while cheering their head off at a SEC football game?"  Well, as the months get colder, you'll be glad you're packing these spirited lip lubes.)

My favorite part of the balms is that they can be ordered with a handy clip, so you can hook it onto your jeans belt loop (no more lip-balm bulge in your pockets!).

I'm representing a few of the teams they have available below. Who's your favorite team in the SEC?  And, how do you keep your skin in check at outdoor events during fall and winter?

It's Friday afternoon, so grocery stores in the South are packed with people buying food to go with their football watching.

Regardless of your team, who doesn't love a tailgate? This season Live Healthy will bring you some of our favorite recipes and tips for tailgating -- healthy style.

Today we bring you a slide show from Health Magazine packed with delicious recipes:

A Healthy Take on Your Tailgate.

Pictured here is the white bean and bacon dip with rosemary pita chips. What a surprise and departure from plain old chips and dip, right?

Stay tuned for more tailgate tips as the season continues, and please let us know about your tailgate traditions!

Southern Living: Game Day Drink Recipes

Southern Living: Tailgate Cooler Packing Tips

Confession: I have very oily skin. So, at night I've been sleeping on a cotton towel (I just drape it over my pillow) and it's been working beautifully to keep my skin from becoming excessively oily at night.

I went overboard with the carbs this month.  Between the fresh buttered biscuits I made in the mornings (sweetened with a light drizzle of syrup, of course), the cheese straws I snacked on at parties, and the crispy coating on my Southern fried chicken wingettes at lunch, I sort of lost track of how many carbohydrates I was consuming.Sometimes it's not so much that we don't know to eat well, it's that we eat more of something than we expected and not enough of another because we weren't paying attention.

I once went to Weight Watchers for a six-week study, not to lose weight, but partially to learn how to keep sight of the types of foods I was eating. Their "points" system allows you to see how many of each food group you're getting in during your daily intake. Was I getting in my 5-a-day of fruit and veggie servings?  Was I drinking more sweet tea than glasses of water? The system worked well, and helped me be accountable to myself for the choices I made, while also allowing me to visibly see those choices in front of me (so I'd eat consciously). 

When I recently heard about Count Me Healthy jewelry, I thought it would be the perfect solution for someone like me, who could use a little help monitoring their daily intake. The Memphis, TN company's owner, Chelsea Gossett (pictured left...isn't she beautiful?!), came up with a fashion accessory that keeps health in mind--literally.It's a silver bracelet that has slide-able beads, for counting. You can start with all the beads on one side, and move one over for each time you eat or do something you're trying to keep track of, so you keep a mental and visible tally. For instance, pop in a serving of cheese straws, slide a bead over. Scarf down that buttered biscuit with syrup, slide two beads over.  Whatever you limit is (say you only want to consume 4 beads worth of carbs a day), you'll be abe to track your progress right on your arm.

I'm a glamor girl at heart, so it's nice to see something that's healthy and fashionable at the same time.    I'm wearing the bracelet now (that's me, on right, wearing it at the office) to keep track of the carbs I'm consuming each day. So far, I've had a biscuit and a cup of sweetened coffee, so I'll slide over two beads. I'll be sure to report back in with you.

If you or your coworkers are tuned in to the latest crazy headlines, like me, you probably read this shocker, FDA says residue is frog or toad, about a can of diet soda.  A man had a gross surprise instead of a refreshing sip when he popped the top on his drink on a beach in Florida.  But the standard ingredients in an untainted can make you wonder about reaching for that soda.

I can't pinpoint the exact day, but sometime during high school I realized soda had fallen out of my diet.  I gravitated  to water and 100% juice, simply losing my craving for super sweet drinks.  I feel more refreshed and have more consistent energy after an icy glass of water than an occasional soda.   

I'd rather play it safe and keep myself hydrated with more natural drinks.  It's easy since they are likely already in your home and ready to keep up with your busy schedule.  My full water bottle is glued to my side to remind me to sip throughout my day.  When it feels heavy I know I need to up my intake.

If you're craving something with a bit more oomph,  I can't resist a cup of green tea packed with antioxidants to boost metabolism and just enough caffeine to perk me up.  As a special treat I'll flavor my water or splurge on a carbonated version.  The bubbles tickle my taste-buds and bring a smile to my face.

How do you stay hydrated during these waning warm days of summer?

Tailgating Menus

Drink Your Fruits

Mayo Clinic's drink recommendations

How many times do you watch kids run and think, "Wow, I wish I had and ounce of that energy?" They seem to run everywhere (at least mine does) -- at home, at school, in the airport (slow down!). Turns out that running for the sake of running can provide multiple health benefits to kids.

According to this recent story from Health Magazine by Amanda MacMillan, more kids are getting involved with organized running. From the story:

I never really thought about that before. Sure, we think of children running as part of organized sports like soccer and basketball, but it makes sense that running as a sport of its own offers its own perks for children. Plus running with your kids is a great way to spend family time -- even if you slow down from your usual clip.

With the weather still warm in the South, this could be the perfect time to get your family involved if your children are interested.

According to the story, "Active.com, an online source for races around the country, lists more than 230 running events for kids and more than 30 for families in the month of September alone."

The Active.com list provides all sorts of family running opportunities, like the September 27  Kudzu Clipper 5K & Family Fun Run  in Atlanta,Georgia (proceeds benefit an organization that sends kids with diabetes to summer camp) and the October 3 Harvest Fest 5K & Family Fun Run in Georgetown, Texas (proceeds support a Senior Nutrition Program and Meals on Wheels).  

Here's some tips from Health to keep you and your family safe when running:

•  running every day probably isn’t the best way to train. For young, developing bodies, encouraging activities that work different muscle groups—whether it’s playing softball or basketball, bike riding, or swimming once or twice a week—is important as well.

• parents also should watch for signs of exhaustion and dehydration, especially during hot summer months, and should always take a child’s pain seriously: Stress fractures and overuse injuries can occur, and ignoring them will only make them worse.

• The most important thing is letting kids set their own pace and giving them the support they need, rather than expecting them to adhere to an adult’s training schedule, Goodrow says.

Sounds like fun. My son isn't old enough to run with me yet, but when he is you'll see us both on the trail.

Let us know: what physical activities are you and your family engaging in during these warm end of summer Southern days?

CoolRunning.com -- Races, Training Information, News

Live Healthy: Fall Fitness -- Running For The Rest of Us

MyRecipes.Com -- Kid Approved Family Fun Meals

Big changes are coming to Southern Living next month with the look of our October issue. Check out this link for a sneak peek at some of the new things we have in store: Our New Look

The link also contains a video featuring Southern Living Editors sharing some highlights of what you'll see, including some brand new columns, like "Done In A Day," which features home projects that can be done on a weekend day, "Great Southern Drives," brought to you by our travel experts, and a complete recipe index

As for Healthy Living, we have some some new features to unveil too ... stay tuned.

We can't wait to share our new look with you!