Summer can wreak havoc on color-treated hair, whether you’re a balayaged, beachy blonde, a vibrant redhead, or a rich chestnut brunette. The summer presents the perfect storm of color-fading elements: increased sun exposure, chlorine, salt water, wind, and amplified heat. Incorporating a richly pigmented color-enhancing shampoo can help you push back frequent trips to the salon for color refreshes, saving you both money and time.

There are a few preventative measures that will prolong the life of color by shielding your strands from environmental stressors, from wearing hats with UPF (sunscreen for textiles), keeping your hair conditioned with regular masks and treatments (color binds better to healthy hair), and investing in a good shower filter to remove hard water damage. However, adding a color-dispensing shampoo to your routine will make the most visible and immediate impact.

Some tinted shampoos are so pigmented that the color payoff is actually pretty comparable to the result you’d get after an appointment with your colorist for a color refresh, toner, or glaze — and they’re (presumably) a lot cheaper. There are plenty of color-depositing shampoos to enhance each color of hair — whether natural or color-treated. Silver and purple shampoos will help to brighten light blonde and platinum hair color and combat brass. Redheads on the other hand can especially benefit from a cherry or copper toned shampoo, as red is one of the fastest fading color — and ironically the most difficult to remove. Brunettes can also benefits from a rich chestnuts or mahogany hue to add some dimension to their color. See below for some of the best options for blondes, redheads, and brunettes.

Amazon.

1. Joico Color Infuse Red Shampoo

This red-infused shampoo is ultra pigmented and will deposit a noticeable red-refresh with just one wash. You can leave it on for 10-15 minutes for a more amplified effect, or for 2-5 minutes for a less intense look. This formula is so opaquely-hued that some lighter-haired reviewers even used to it go from blonde to copper using only this shampoo. It’s also sulfate-free and gentle on comprised hair.

Buy: Joico Color Infuse Red Shampoo $9.50

Amazon.

2. Fanola No Yellow Shampoo

As a bottle blonde myself, I’ve interviewed and gotten my highlights done by a vast array of different colorists, and I’ve spotted this top-selling purple shampoo at several of salons over the years. In fact, I know colorists who actually use this shampoo in clients in lieu of an actual toner — it’s that good. As most violet shampoos, this ultra-pigmented brass-buster cancels out yellow and orange tones in blonde hair, making blonde locks brighter and icier.

Buy: Fanola No Yellow Shampoo $12.98

Amazon.

3. John Frieda Brilliant Brunette Visibly Deeper Shampoo

This upgraded version of their original Brilliant Brunette Shampoo is even more intensely tinted with dimensional, brown dies to give your locks a lustrous vibrancy when summer’s elements have left it looking dull. Because it is much more pigmented than the original version, lighter brunettes will notice a darkened effect with a couple uses. You can leave it for an extended period of time (10-15 minutes) for more intense results or rinse immediately for subtle touch-up.

Buy: John Frieda Brilliant Brunette Shampoo

Are
you, like me, spending a lot of time in your kitchen these days, as we all ‘shelter
in place’ and follow social distancing mandates during this very difficult
time?

My
kitchen has become my sanctuary. It is providing me with much needed activity
and purpose and is forcing me to exercise creativity daily as my pantry becomes
more and more empty.

While
beans, lentils, rice, barley, and pasta have become staples for many of us, I
am also trying to stock up somewhat on root vegetables, which have a longer fridge
and shelf life than many of their fresh counterparts.

Keep It Simple

It’s
my belief that always having a few basic ingredients on hand will ensure that
meals never become bland or boring.

For
me, the list includes extra virgin olive oil, garlic, onions, carrots, sweet
potatoes, and a variety of fresh or dried herbs and spices. Any soup or stew
that starts with sautéed onions and garlic as its base is sure to be flavourful.

Root vegetables, also known as tubers
or vegetables that grow underground, have been a staple in many South American
and Asian diets for thousands of years.

In addition to providing essential
nutrients like vitamin A, vitamin C, potassium, magnesium, and dietary
fiber, root vegetables are usually inexpensive and easy to prepare.

Studies suggest that including these
vegetables in our diet, with their numerous antioxidant properties, may help to fight cancer, diabetes,
obesity as well as inflammatory-based disorders like heart disease and
arthritis.

Examples of common root vegetables are:
potatoes, beets, parsnips, carrots, celeriac, sweet potatoes, fennel, Jerusalem
artichokes, jicama, yams, radishes, and turnips. Turmeric, garlic, and ginger
are also root veggies, even though we think of them more as spices.

The Potato in My Bed

I love roasted vegetables – so easy
to prepare, so flavourful, and so nutritious. Nothing is easier than using
leftover roasted vegetables and pureeing them into a soup.

Soup has always been the ultimate
comfort food for me, especially in winter. My TCM acupuncturist, who was a
medical doctor in China, strongly advocates including numerous root vegetables
in our diets, especially in winter, as they are ‘warming’ foods.

Because I suffer from rheumatoid
arthritis and low thyroid hormone, I am always cold. She has even encouraged me
to take a potato to bed with me, emphasizing that the earth’s warmth of this
tuber would be released in my bed. I can’t say that I have tried this yet!

Below is one of my favorite go-to
recipes for immune-boosting, vegan, gluten-free, yummy roasted vegetable soup. I
used butternut squash, but you can also use parsnips, sweet potatoes, yams,
Yukon potatoes, or any other root vegetable that you fancy. Change up the
ingredients and make it often!

Roasted Vegetables

In a large roasting pan, add:

• One butternut squash, halved and with the seeds scooped out
  (or any combination of parsnips, sweet potatoes, Yukon potatoes, yams)
• 3 large carrots, peeled and quartered
• 3 medium onions, peeled and quartered
• Many cloves of garlic, peeled and smashed

Drizzle the veggies liberally with
olive oil and add your favourite herbs and spices – smoked paprika, lemon and
pepper seasoning, garlic powder, rosemary and sea salt, etc. Add ¼ inch of
water to your roasting pan. Cover and roast the vegetables in a 375-degree F oven
for 75 to 90 minutes.

The aromas that fill your kitchen are
going to make you salivate! So, have a plateful of these veggies when they are
done, before you puree them into a soup.

The soup

After the veggies have cooled scoop out
the flesh of the butternut squash into a large stock pot. Add the other
veggies, mash them manually, and then add at least 2/3 litre of low sodium
vegetable broth.

With an immersion blender, puree the
veggies into a soup. Now is the time to add your favourite spices – ground
ginger, a little cumin and mild curry powder, turmeric, salt, and pepper. I
also added some ginger lemon sriracha spice blend – to give it a little ‘kick’.

The sweetness of the squash combined
with the savoury spices will leave a lingering taste sensation on your palate!

Bittersweet

I made this soup again yesterday, and
when I finally sat down to savour and enjoy it, my only regret was that I
couldn’t share it with friends around my dinner table, given our current social
distancing recommendations.

Instead, I solemnly enjoyed this meal alone and before eating it, gave thanks to God and prayed that this daunting global pandemic would soon come to an end. Stay well and stay safe, everyone.

How have mealtimes changed for you during this unprecedented time of self-isolation and social distancing? Are you enjoying cooking, or do you see it as a simple necessity? What suggestions do you have to keep meals simple yet nutritious? Please share a recipe in the comments

Lala Kent’s Cream Leopard Blanket on Randall Emmett’s Instagram

Vanderpump Rules Season 8 Instagram Decor

Lala Kent and Randall Emmett know how to be cozy at home during the crazy COVID-19 pandemic. Randall celebrated his birthday (which, by the way, is the same date as Lauren Sebastian’s birthday!) with Lala and her cream leopard blanket in isolation at home. He took to Instagram to express his gratitude for his, his family’s, and his friend’s health during this life changing period of our lives – I’m sure Randall would agree, that is the best birthday gift anyone could ask for right now. And, of course, Lala’s cream leopard blanket, which absolutely should and does make the essential needs list.

Until next time,

Chelsie

Click Here To Shop LaLa’s Cream Leopard Blanket

Photo: @RandallEmmettFilms

Originally posted at: Lala Kent’s Cream Leopard Blanket

The cliché “health is wealth” mantra is timeless and now, more important than ever. Immune system supplements are flying off shelves and everyone (including myself) wants to do everything in their power to avoid illness and seasonal issues like allergies and the flu. But not so fast. Straight-forward as it may appear, it’s vitally important to remember that supplements made specifically for supporting your immune system aren’t a magic bullet cure for anything, though taking one certainly isn’t a bad idea either.

Your immune system, aka the part of your body that helps prevent disease and illness, is composed of many, many cells and chemicals that work together toward one common goal. The upside of attempting to bolster this singular system is that there is actually more than one way to do it. Outside of the always-recommended healthy eating/drinking and daily exercise guidelines are supplements with the potential to give your body an extra layer of security against the bad stuff. Of course, it’s best to consult with a physician before starting one (especially if you have a health condition or take prescribed medication), but there are some options that are generally okay for most of us to try.

As someone who swears by daily supplements but definitely isn’t a doctor, I knew getting the 411 on immune system boosters from Dr. Josh Axe, D.N.M., C.N.S., D.C was a smart move. The best-selling author just so happens to be the founder of Ancient Nutrition and DrAxe.com, two very popular destinations that thankfully still have plenty of immune boosters in stock. Keep scrolling for his top-recommended options and why you need each one.

‘Survivable’ Probiotics That Can Take The Heat

Ancient Nutrition.

“Immune health is tied to gut health — there are no two ways about it. Today, we know your gut houses between 70 percent and 80 percent of the cells that make up your immune system, which is why I believe maintaining the integrity of the gut is a crucial, and often underappreciated, form of supporting your immune system health. And this is nothing new. There’s a reason cultures all around the world relied on probiotic-rich, fermented foods like kefir, sauerkraut, kimchi, yogurt and apple cider vinegar over the centuries. In general, probiotics possess the capacity to support healthy immune system function and more.

Choosing ‘survivable’ probiotic strains, though, is key in my viewpoint, because these strains are known to survive higher temperatures and a harsh environment (i.e., stomach acid). So while you may think you need to choose probiotics that require refrigeration, that isn’t necessarily true. Our bodies generally run at 98.6 degrees Fahrenheit, so we selected hardy, no-fridge-required probiotic strains for Ancient Probiotics-Immune so they can make it to your digestive tract.”

Vitamin C

NutriFlair.

Buy: NutriFlair Vitamin C Supplements $19.99

“How many times growing up did your mother remind you to get enough vitamin C? Kiwi fruit, spinach, strawberries, oranges, and black currants serve as rich natural sources, but for times when you need more, we created a body-ready capsule version.” (Editor note: Alternative above until Dr. Axe’s recommendation is back in stock.)

An Immune-Focused Multi

Ancient Nutrition.

“One-third of Americans take multivitamins to help fill nutritional gaps, but how those vitamins are created varies greatly. Some contain filler ingredients, food dyes, artificial sweeteners, GMOs and even synthetic nutrients. These ingredients are often cheaper than sourcing the real thing, but I believe in feeding the body with what it knows and recognizes: whole food sources. That’s why our multivitamin helps you build a foundation with food-based ingredients and no fillers or synthetic ingredients, ever.”

Vitamin D3

Solgar.

“Vitamin D is involved with healthy immune system function, and our immune cells actually contain receptors for this vitamin. We can get vitamin D from foods like wild-caught salmon, beef liver and egg yolks, and our bodies naturally manufacture vitamin D, which is actually a hormone, with sun exposure.

But according to National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey statistics, we’re falling short. More than 90 percent of people with darker skin pigments living in the United States now suffer from vitamin D insufficiency, while 75 percent of the white population is deficient. Of course, this is one statistic, but the bottom line is that we are often coming up short on vitamin D.”

‘Body-Ready’ Zinc

Ancient Nutrition.

“An essential trace mineral involved in hundreds of enzymatic functions in the body — including supporting healthy immune system functions — zinc plays a crucial role in overall wellness. Generally speaking, zinc catalyzes nearly 100 enzymes and is essential for proper protein synthesis in the human body. Zinc supports immune system health in its own right and also relies on vitamin C to maximize its role in the human body.

As humans, we need to take in zinc each day because our body doesn’t manufacture it. Zinc-rich foods, including pumpkin seeds, lentils, chickpeas and cocoa powder, can help us get the zinc we need, although animal sources like grass-fed beef or kefir are often more bioavailable in the body. If supplementing is what you’re looking for to hit your zinc goals, I recommend my supplement below because it pairs organic vitamin C with zinc to support zinc’s potential.”

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