Natalie Webster
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 A Hawaiian Living Life Perfectly
​Imperfect in the Midwest

Making Skincare and Myself a Priority with Beauty Ecology Organic Salon

10/7/2017

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You have often heard the phrase hindsight is 20/20. Simply it means: It’s easier to know what the right thing to do is after something has already happened. When it comes to making changes in our health, we often do so after something happens, which prompts us to take action and make change.
 
We are often so focused on getting through the day, making sure the kids get to where they need to be, that jobs get done, and relationships are nurtured. The list goes on and on. What we sometimes loose sight of is that there are simple steps we can take today to protect our health tomorrow.


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Permanent Make-up Eyebrows? Yes Please!

9/7/2017

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​Featured in South Lake Neighbors Magazine September 2017
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There comes a time in our life when we feel the need to simplify things. Whether that is downsizing your home and belongings, becoming more organized, or saying no to more activities, simplicity holds appeal especially latter in life.
 
This is where I found myself when it came to my daily routine when leaving the house, specifically my make-up. I don’t wear that much make-up, but I was spending a large amount of time on my eyebrows.
 
My genetics don’t allow for thick beautiful eyebrows. I needed to draw my eyebrows in, as have most of the women in my family going back a few generations. We aren’t sure if it is due to the autoimmune issues that plague many of us or just a hereditary lack of eyebrows.
 
This summer I found myself growing tired of jumping into Lake Minnetonka with eyebrows and emerging without them because make-up tends to come off in the water.
 
I found out that Kay Holtz of Wayzata Nail Salon and Day Spa provided permanent make-up services, including eyebrows. They use a process called mircroblading and shading to create eyebrows specifically designed for your face.
 
Learning that I could swim, wake up and shower yet still have eyebrows was all I needed to know to book the appointment. The whole procedure took about two and a half hours and the results were immediate.
 
After two weeks your eyebrows shrink by 25% and lighten a little, which is when you achieve the final result. The procedure is similar to getting a tattoo, but not as deep. Results last 18 months to 5 years depending on the type of procedure you go with and the cost is $300 to $750.
 
Holtz works with you to determine what be best style, color and arch is best for you. You follow up with a touch-up appointment 5-6 weeks latter. There are specific instructions to follow before the procedure, so you will want to schedule a consultation first.
 
This is by far one of the best things I’ve ever done for myself. It takes me almost no time to get myself put together and out the door and I wake-up looking bright and refreshed. I only wished I had discovered this sooner!

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Why I've Decided To Break Up With Wine

8/8/2017

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Featured in the Lakeshore Weekly News

​It wasn’t until I was about 40 years old that I started to drink alcohol regularly. For the last six years I’ve enjoyed white wines or vodka sodas, which were my go-to drink choices.
Enjoying a glass or two or three of wine with friends, or my guy, during a beautiful meal or a lively conversation was one of my favorite things to do. I love everything about wine. How it’s made, how it tastes, how it smells.

There is just one big problem. I have two autoimmune diseases. One is called Grave’s disease, the other is Hashimoto’s. When my immune system jumps into action to fight an illness or combat stress, my autoimmune diseases create antibodies that attack my healthy thyroid, causing a host of issues. It is slowly killing my thyroid.

I’ve been dealing with the Grave’s disease for about 19 years. I was diagnosed with the Hashimoto’s a couple of years ago. Today there is no cure for an autoimmune disease. Traditional medical doctors can only treat symptoms.

I’ve learned to live with or manage most of my symptoms when my disease is acting up. Most people who know me have no idea. I pride myself on living as normal a life as possible. I’m able to do this because I manage my time, learned how to say no, rest when I need to and I don’t take on more than I can chew, most of the time.

Often I’m dealing with: Extreme fatigue, sometimes so bad that walking up the stairs is a feat, a rapid heartbeat which is puts way more wear and tear on my heart than need be, muscle and joint pain, puffy face, sensitivity to cold, memory loss. Thankfully, my friends and family are used to me repeating myself and forgetting their names as well as unexplained weight gain. I keep clothes in three different sizes, and my least favorite symptom is hair loss!

When you have an autoimmune disease such as lupus, multiple sclerosis, rheumatoid arthritis, chrohn’s disease to name a few, anything that causes inflammation is the worst thing for you as inflammation is the partner in crime of an autoimmune disease.

Alcohol is incredibly inflammatory. I’ve been able to minimize the symptoms of my autoimmune disease by changing my diet to one that is an anti-inflammatory diet in nature. For me, that is eating paleo.

Minimizing stress, getting outside, getting good sleep and exercise are also other ways to minimize autoimmune disease symptoms. Plus, those are smart things to do for anyone.
Even doing all of the above, my hair started to fall out recently. I have a few bald spots. Bald spots, people! You can’t see them the way I wear my hair, but they are there.

During a visit to my doctor’s office we talked about how important it was that I be on an anti-inflammatory diet, which I was, except for my wine and vodka consumption. I needed to stop drinking alcohol because of the inflammation affects. So I did.

My 6-year love affair with wine and vodka ended. I’m not going to lie, I was bummed out! I’m with an amazing man who also quit drinking alcohol with me in solidarity and support. We’ve come to realize that for us the benefits of not drinking alcohol greatly outweigh our desire to drink it.

Quitting was not easy, and I don’t expect it to be without a few road bumps. After a few months I could have a glass of wine once in a while. The thing is, I’m not a once-in-a-while drinker, so my partner and I have decided that we are just done drinking alcohol.

I also started a hair thickening treatment that is non-toxic and chemical free, which I found at Beauty Ecology Organic Salon in Wayzata. My bald spots now have sprouts of hair growing.
Since I quit alcohol, I’ve been able to string together several days of being symptom-free. My skin looks amazing, and I’m sleeping better than I have in years. I still love wine, but I love myself more, not to mention having hair.
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I’m still enjoying beautiful meals and lively conversations, just with sparkling water instead of wine.
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    My adventures in living life perfectly imperfect are featured in the Sun Sailor, The Lakeshore Weekly News and South Lake Neighbors Magazine.


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