MAYONNAISE. You either love it or you hate it. Or, you’re like me and think it’s yucky in theory, but when it’s disguised in a sushi roll or in salad dressing, you can’t get enough.

Well, no matter if it’s disguised or not, the truth is mayo has a bad rap. A really bad rap. I’d like to dispel a common myth and tell you this: Mayo is NOT that bad for you. Sure, it’s high in fat, but let’s take a look at the ingredients: Whole eggs, soybean oil, vinegar, lemon, and some salt, sugar and other flavorings — an emulsion of mostly good fats and natural ingredients. The only time you get into high fructose corn syrup and other questionable additives is when it’s the “reduced fat” kind, which is almost always the worse-for-you kind, of any food. The problem with mayo lies in the fact that a lot people glob on 4 or 5 spoonfuls of it, and the fat (10 grams per 1 TBSP serving) adds up quickly. Also, the eggs used are most definitely not free-range. But, if you’re not concerned with the farming and you use the condiment modestly, don’t stop now.

Whether you’re a mayo lover and are looking for something with NO preservatives or additives whatsoever, you’re a mayo hater and really would like to find an alternative that you enjoy, or you live a vegan lifestyle, today’s Spa Foodie recipe is for you. Try this healthy recipe for Vegan Mayo, provided by Maggie Talisman of Dishes .

EASY VEGAN MAYO RECIPE

Ingredients:

1 cup – soymilk
2 ½ cups – canola oil
1 tablespoon – tomato paste
1 ½ tablespoon - cider vinegar
½ teaspoon – dry mustard (or ½ tablespoon prepared mustard)
1 tablespoom – agave nectar
½ tablespoon – hot sauce (optional)
¼ teaspoon - chopped garlic
1 tablespoon - salt
1 teaspoon - pepper

Instructions:

1. Place the soy milk in a blender, and with the blender still running, slowly drizzle in the oil.
2. Continue adding the oil until it is all absorbed.
3. Transfer to a large bowl, and whisk in the vinegar, mustard, tomato paste, agave nectar, hot sauce, salt and pepper.
4. The mayo will keep in the refrigerator, covered, for up to a week.

Voilà!

Not only is this a healthy alternative to Hellmann’s, this recipe can also be used as a natural substitute to chemically-saturated conditioner for soft, silky hair!

See one of our past Spa Foodie features, another recipe for a mayo hair treatment.

(Photo exaggerated - unfortunately we cannot guarantee any mayonnaise will do this to your hair)

The New York Times has started a war. The most peaceful, zen-like war to ever transpire, but still.

As an avid yet fairly casual yogi, I was caught way off guard after reading their recent viral “sensation” entitled: “How Yoga Can Wreck Your Body.” Every Monday I do my down dogging at Yoga To The People on St Marks in NYC, and last night I checked out “Hippie Yoga” at Crunch Gym, focusing on stretching and strengthening the hips, which I’ll be doing a blog post on soon. Now, this Times story reveals that some over-yogi’d instructor degenerated her hips so much that she had to have a hip replacement. Seriously?

Yogis new and guru’d across the Internet have soared to the defense of their beloved practice. Why not publish “How Running Can Wreck Your Knees?” or “How Moving A Refrigerator Can Crush Your Toes, Break Your Back, and Rip Your Rotator Cuff?” (Thanks Paul Raeburn.) This seems to be a pattern in our society – anything that sounds good has to be bad. Antibacterial gel can make you immune to antibiotics, tuna is healthy but too much will poison you with mercury, and sunscreen is bad for you! The truth is, there’s no fail-safe sport, activity or product on the planet. However, in this 5 page article, William J. Broad decided to collect every example of negative yoga experiences (fishing back to random incidents from nearly half a century) and jolt the 20 million Americans who have turned to yoga for fitness, mind/body renewal, and inner peace.

The ridiculous mocking photo with flannel and clown flowers is only half excusable because it’s the cast of Godspell. If those were just any old models, forget it! Many people in the yoga community look to the spirituality of yoga in an almost religious sense. If there are health risks associated with it, let’s keep that separate from the aptitude of the people who practice it.

The Times article certainly makes a lot of sense and is rooted in medical truths. Standing on your head for long periods of time for many years, what did you think was going to happen? The article should be taken seriously and remind you to take caution should you notice any strenuous moves, in yoga or any sport or workout you pursue. But do not let it discourage you from enjoying your yoga practice and reaping the many benefits of it. I, for one, look forward to continuing my Monday routine without hesitation.

Here are some general guidelines to follow to keep your yoga practice safe:

• A good yoga instructor will not “push” you like a personal trainer does. He or she will make it very clear throughout your practice that you should be doing what feels good for you at that moment. If you find yourself in a class with a pushy instructor, leave.
• If you have a particular joint problem or have had an injury, check with a physical therapist before practicing yoga regularly. Some look at yoga as therapy to heal injuries, but should always be at a doctor’s advisement.
• If you are new to yoga, invest in a few very intimate classes or one-on-one instruction to make sure you get off to a good start doing the positions correctly. If you do start with a larger class, sit up front and be sure to tell the instructor that you are new and are looking for any and all guidance they can provide.
• Be mindful of any pain or discomfort you may feel. Yoga is about balance and strength of mind as well as body, and that includes acknowledging what your body can handle. If something feels funny or awkward, take yourself a Child’s Pose.

Namaste!

We all want to do our little part to help the planet. Bring our own bags to the grocery store, buy organic products, recycle. But for those of us who want to go beyond those small acts – we would buy a hybrid car. Well, new information reveals that you may be doing more harm than good. Many of the hybrid cars on the market, Prius, Honda Insight and Ford Focus, all use a “rare earth” mineral known as Neodymium (or Nd). The Prius is the largest user of rare earth minerals of any object in the world.

Mineral doesn’t sound so bad, right? Well, minerals are found in the ground, and how do we get things out of the ground? Mining. Remember off shore drilling? These mining practices are causing major environmental damage and leaking radioactive waste. China, the largest producer, is limiting how much it supplies because it is concerned about the damage it is causing, unlike the rest of the world.

Rare earth minerals are used in batteries of hybrid cars,  magnets in wind turbines and even in your smart phones and iPads. This mineral is in high demand which will cause producers to go dangerous lengths to find it. Japan claims that they found a rich source off the Hawaii coast.

Why should you be concerned? The radioactive leaking has reportedly increased cancer cases in the surrounding areas and exposure to Neodymium dust cannot only cause skin irritation but repeated exposure can cause respiratory problems including asthma and lung inflammation.

Yes, it’s another tricky environmental catch 22 – will we ever be able to get it right? We need to find a more environmentally friendly way to create these products, especially when they claim to help our planet. But the question remains: how?

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After two weeks, I have to say this Spa Week Daily Challenge was a bit more tricky then I had originally envisioned. First you think, okay, no big deal – I only ever use artificial sweeteners in my morning coffee so this will be easy. I will just swap out a pink or a blue packet for a real-sugar, white packet – no big deal, right? Wrong! Once I was turned on to the notion of looking for fake sugar to avoid, I realized just how often I actually do use artificial sweeteners: a packet in my morning oatmeal, I often toss in a few in my home-brewed iced-tea pitcher, over a bowl of fresh blueberries or strawberries, on my Cheerios… I use fake sugar way more then I realized. THEN, on top of all that, you have to become a detective and check the labels of your favorite foods and snacks for hidden artificial sweeteners in foods like gum, granola bars and even 100% fruit juice! Sometimes it’s hard to find the bad stuff when it’s masked as good stuff! On the plus side, once I became more aware of  the fake sugar I was using and where it was hiding, I started to see that avoiding those foods had a positive trend on my eating and sleep habits. I slept a little better every night and was able to fall asleep a little easier, too.  Keri Glassman is seriously on to something here.

We are so happy to see that so many of you took the pledge to ditch sugar on Facebook and how many of you told us that you had given up on the stuff years ago! Overall, we were really happy that everyone enjoyed the challenge and had such great, feel-good results!  So with that being said, I’d like to announce the 2 winners of the $50 Spa Week Gift Cards who took part in the Ditch Artificial Sugar Facebook Event. Drum roll please…

Lisa V: “No splenda will be rough..but worth it. Count this as my RSVP to live healthier! :) ”

Tonya R: ” Will do this and hopefully continue after the challenge is over. Thanks for the motivation! ”

Congratulations you two, thank you so much for sharing your thoughts, and please contact stephanie at spaweekmedia dot com to redeem your prize!

Welcome to Spa Week Daily Challenge #4! During Spa Week we gave you a little break. We let you sit back and relax and let the health flow to you via massages and holistic healing, but now we’re back with a challenge to kick your health into shape… in the sweetest way possible. Our Panel of Experts (at right) is growing, and this week we’re proud to partner with certified nutrition expert, author and TV personality everywhere from Good Morning America to Dr. Oz, a vanguard of the whole living lifestyle through her brand Nutritious Life, Keri Glassman.

Are you ready for CHALLENGE #4?

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