From Our Friends: March 8, 2013

Welcome to this week’s installment of From Our Friends, our weekly roundup where we highlight some of our favorite posts from the past week and more from our friends and partners around the web. This week’s edition includes articles on choosing the best probiotics, the many uses of coconut oil, 10 winter casserole recipes, how to balance emotions through yoga, 5 tips for a flat stomach and 3 ways to use sharing to reduce waste.

1. By now, everyone has heard of probiotics, the good bacteria that help regulate immune system health. However, due to the growing popularity of probiotics, the market is flooded with products that are not all created equally. Quantity of colony-forming units should be considered when buying a probiotic product. Those taking probiotic supplements or eating probiotic-laced foods should also increase their fiber intake. For more tips, check out Experience Life‘s advice for choosing the best probiotic products and how to maximize their benefits. 

2. What product can help moisturize skin, add extra shine to hair and give a healthy boost to your daily diet? Coconut oil! This amazing oil can be used to soothe chapped lips, aid digestion and to protect cuts and scrapes from dirt! Head over to MightyNest for more about the many uses for coconut oil.

3. Winter’s chilly weather makes many of us crave comfort food. Savory, creamy casserole often satisfy this craving, but are rarely healthy. Now you can try 10 healthy winter casserole recipes thanks to Blisstree. Preheat the oven and get ready to try their recipes for Baby Bella and Kale casserole or Quinoa and Greens pie.

4. Yoga is about the balance between the mind, body and spirit. However, finding this balance can be a challenge. Acknowledging emotions and allowing yoga to help you slow down and release pent up tensions is a great way to bring balance to your life. Visit YogiTimes to further explore how yoga can create emotional balance. 

5. Spring isn’t even officially here, but we can’t help imagining warm summer sun and beautiful beaches. With warmer weather comes bathing suit season, something most us have to prepare for. Not to worry, though. Summer is still a ways away and The Organic Whey has 5 tips to getting a flat stomach that are sure to get you ready in no time. 

6. To share is to care — not just about others, but the environment, too. Sharing is a great way to help reduce the amount of waste produced each year. By reducing the number of cars on the road, reusing others’ discarded items and repurposing objects, the zero-waste lifestyle comes into view. Visit Ecosalon to see how sharing with others can help you reduce your impact on the planet. 

You can follow Spencer on Twitter @SpencerKent

Image: SingChan

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