I’m a musician and work in the service industry which means my body takes an absolute beating some weeks. It’s easy to get sucked into a certain lifestyle when you are both of these things. Who doesn’t like beers at a show or cocktails after a long Friday night shift? It’s social and lets face it, a lot of fun most nights.

The last few months I’ve made more of an effort to take better care of myself. No I didn’t quit drinking or find God or anything. I just realized that I’m starting to put some miles on this body of mine and I would like to thank it kindly for getting me this far. Here are a couple ways I’ve been doing that.

EXERCISE
First things first, I have rebelled against yoga for many many years. I’m not much for spirituality so I never got the meditation aspect. I’m also high strung as all hell and usually over caffeinated so trying to focus on holding poses for long periods of time wasn’t exactly an interest of mine.

Then I realized that that was part of the problem. I couldn’t get out of my own brain. Long story short, I’ve found yoga classes I can connect with and allow me to push my high strung self mentally and physically. Check this shit out.

If you think yoga isn’t hard, take a power yoga class at Black Swan Yoga. Swear to gawd.

SUPPLEMENTS
I have a friend who recently started working at the People’s Pharmacy in Austin. It is an actual pharmacy but specializes in holistic and natural remedies. If you’ve never really taken supplements, consult someone who knows what they’re talking about. Don’t be dumb.

Anyway, I started taking Milk Thistle a few times a week for liver health. The herb has been used for a bajillion years and is thought to help liver cell regrowth and protects new cells from further damage (from boozin’ it up).

helpful hint: Make sure and take it with food and plenty of water. Otherwise you may shit yourself or throw up in the morning. No joke.

Another supplement I’ve come to enjoy – Coconut oil. Just google the benefits. It’s insane. I’ve been putting a little in my smoothies in the morning. Just don’t over do it because it will probably make you break out. Super high in vitamin E.

SKIN
I have had epic battles with my skin. I’ve salicylic acid-ed, I’ve exfoliated, I’ve boycotted exfoliating, I’ve over washed, I’ve under washed, I’ve picked and popped. FINALLY, I think I’ve figured out a decent routine.

The first thing I had to reteach myself was that over drying your face will not make your zits go away. And most of the time, it will make them worse. I use Cerave in the AM and before I go to bed. I really only use an exfoliator when I’m super gross.

I generally follow up my face scrub with some Witch Hazel or Tea Tree Oil. Tea Tree Oil is nature’s f*ck you to bacteria. It’s antibacterial, antifungal, antiviral, and antiseptic. Anti bad stuff.

My last tip is to try some Jojoba Oil at night before bedtime. It’s an awesome little boost to your moisturizing routine but it smells a little weird so I wouldn’t recommend day wear.

None of this stuff is particularly cheap. But it’s your body and you only get one. So be nice to it every once in a while why don’t you. Drink water. Wear sunscreen. Etc.

Sara