Love organic coconut oil as much as I do? You can get a full massage with the delicious stuff at Advanced Bodywork and Massage. There, holistic health and fitness practitioner Paula McGinness uses only pure, organic coconut oil for her intense, hands-on work — making for a rich, sweet-scented, and soothing experience.

Lately, I’ve been having some extra back pain — thanks to too much time in front of the computer and not enough yoga. So when I read Paula’s extensive and impressive bio, I jumped at the chance to try a postural assessment and eco-friendly massage for review. Paula’s no regular masseuse. Yes, she’s certified in shiatsu from the Tao Healing Arts Center and Swedish massage therapy from the Institute of Psycho-Structural Balancing — but she’s also certified in the more woo-woo sounding neurostructural bodywork from the Kali Institute for Massage and Somatic Therapies, where she also picked up Rolfing and Hellerwork to integrate into her massages.

That means that a massage with Paula is no regular massage. Yes, there’s the usual relaxing kneading, but Paula’s bodywork’s a lot more intense. She bent, stretched, and twisted my body to relieve tensions, instructed me to breathe into her deep, Rolfing-esque prodding, pinched skin and muscles into relaxation — and even cracked some bones! The deep, interactive session ended with a luxurious scalp massage — which had the extra bonus of moisturizing my hair with coconut oil.

Before the massage though, I got a postural assessment — which basically let me see the small habits that are causing my back pain. Paula snapped photos of my posture (above’s one), and even took a little video of me walking — then explained what I’m doing wrong. Apparently, my right hip is really tight, which is contributing the pain in my back — and perhaps even my left knee. Paula made suggestions to stop practices that could be contributing to the pain — and since she knew I did yoga, encouraged me to spend more time in pigeon and warrior poses. I left with instructions to visit her friend and fitness coach Kurt Elder’s website, which has at-home stretches and exercises for pain relief. I’ve since been doing these seven stretches for desk workers every day!

Paula works with many of her clients long-term, who seek her out to relieve pain sans drugs — so they can again enjoy doing sports and other activities that they thought (or were told by doctors) were no longer possible. I plan to become a long-term client. In the meantime, I’m taking very seriously Paula’s advice to learn to relieve my own pain at home — I’m already sitting up straighter, being more careful about my posture — and feeling extra motivated to kick my yoga practice into high gear again, since the seven stretches I’m doing are basically all included in any good yoga class.

Want Advanced Bodywork and Massage to massage away your pain? Neuro-Structural Bodywork starts at $50 per half hour ($40 for a basic massage).

Advanced Bodywork and Massage. Culver City. 310.403.1608. paulam09@msn.com. Call or email for appointment and address.

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Can you be a healthy organic foodie — and enjoy delicious chocolates too? Yes, if you ask Nichole Dandrea, a nutritionist and yoga instructor behind the organic, fair trade, and vegan Nicobella chocolate truffles and Munch treats. I caught up with the health-conscious chocolate lover at the Women of the Green Generation conference, and she shared how you can mix a lean green business with chocolatey pleasures.

When I think nutritionist, I don’t usually think decadent chocolatier. But you’ve combined the two roles — Can rich chocolate snacks really be healthy?

Yes! I’ve always been a lover of dark chocolate and was beyond excited when they started releasing studies several years ago, highlighting all of the benefits of dark chocolate. Once there was evidence I thought, wouldn’t it be great to use dark chocolate as a vehicle to deliver other healthy foods? That’s how the truffles were born. Starting with 70% dark chocolate, we substitute oat milk and coconut oil for the cream, then infuse wholesome ingredients such as blueberries, green tea, and pumpkin. They are rich and decadent but not too sweet, making them a high antioxidant, healthy treat.

Your chocolate treats are about the greenest in the market — organic and fair trade certified, and packed full of antioxidant rich ingredients — and even packaged with all FSC-certified paper. Was it tough to make the truffles as environmentally friendly as you did? Or are greener ingredients and packaging easier to find now?

Greener ingredients are definitely much more available compared to when we first started experimenting with the truffles in our kitchen about four years ago. But organic and Fair Trade certifications are costly to our suppliers and to our manufacturer (Theo Chocolate), making the product a little pricier than non-organic and Fair Trade chocolate. However we truly believe in eating organic and supporting the farmers, therefore want to stay true to our values.

FSC certified material is very accessible now and using FSC certified material seems to be a standard with many green companies. This is comforting knowing that companies are supporting the environment and consumers are becoming more aware of the benefits of FSC certification.

For the health-conscious chocoholic who wants to eat a little chocolate every day — How many truffles are okay to indulge in on a daily basis? Which truffle is your personal favorite? (more…)

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>> Get safe sunscreen for the summer. Environmental Working Group’s released its latest annual sunscreen guide — along with a list of 9 surprising truths about sunscreens, which includes this: “The common sunscreen ingredient vitamin A may speed the development of cancer.” Read it to find out more — and to find best-in-class sunscreens for your skin.

Earlier:
>> Sunumbra: A Safer sunscreen that won’t leave you looking pale
>> Elemental Herbs Sunscreen Sport: Safe sun protection for the pinkish
>> California Baby: Safe, effective, and pricy sunscreen
>> DIY sunscreen: Not a cool green idea

>> When bikes and cars collide, who’s more likely to be at fault? NPR’s Shots blog looks at the question, but no clear answer emerges: “The federal government, for one, doesn’t know. ‘Fault is difficult to determine,’ a spokeswoman for the Federal Highway Administration tells Shots. Her office has never produced national data answering this question.”

>> A long-distance commute increases the likelihood a marriage will end in divorce. Another study makes a case for living near work and traveling green. Earlier: How to decide to be happier.

Photo via California Baby

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You’d think a reusable bottle that costs more than $30 would be a tough sell. After all, BPA-free Nalgene bottles cost just $10 or so, while 1-liter aluminum SIGG bottles cost about $25.

But stainless steel reusable bottle company Klean Kanteen’s Reflect bottles have all sold out — despite the $32.95 price tag, not including shipping!

The popularity of these rather pricy bottles isn’t exactly surprising to the eco-set. Klean Kanteen’s long been popular with environmentalists who care about more than just the bottom line. The health-conscious pick stainless steel bottles because these bottles don’t have the potential for chemical leaching that reusable plastic bottles do (yes, even BPA-free bottles!) and don’t require an extra lining as aluminum bottles do (remember that SIGG controversy with BPA?). And the seriously green-minded like the fact that Klean Kanteen’s thicker stainless steel bottles are made to last a lifetime — and are totally recyclable.

Add in the fact that Klean Kanteen’s Reflect bottles actually took the company’s eco-simplicity to a new level, and you can start to see why they got so popular! The Reflect is entirely plastic free — and paint free too. The bottle part is made entirely of one material: stainless steel. The cap’s mostly stainless steel, but has a ring of food-grade silicone near the top to keep the bottle water-tight — and sports a stylish bamboo top. All the design elements are simply etched into the stainless steel or bamboo, so there are no paints — or more to the point, no weird chemicals and dyes used in paints — to taint your water supply.

Wondering why I’m teasing you by writing about an uber-green reusable bottle you might want — but is all sold out? Rest assured I’ve got a solution for you — beyond waiting until June, when Klean Kanteen plans to have more to sell. Simply hop over to eco-fashion company Nau’s online store. There, you can get a Klean Kanteen Reflect etched with Nau’s stylish logo for $38 — shipping included.

I got one of these Nau bottles to review — and have to say I’m loving it so far. Yes, it’s a tad heavier than most reusable plastic bottles — but it’s not going to weigh you down too much. The one slightly annoying factor is the loud, steel-against-steel clanging and creaking of the screwtop lid when opening or closing the bottle — noises loud enough to jolt you out of your peaceful revelry at a lookout spot on a pretty hike. That’s a small price to pay, though, for a sleek and stylish durable eco-friendly bottle that’ll never leach chemicals into your body.

Plus, Klean Kanteen’s a member of 1% For the Planet, while Nau donates 2 percent of whatever you spend at their store to an eco-friendly nonprofit partner you can choose when you check out. That means at least 3 percent of what you spend will end up going to eco-charities — which takes a little sting out of the $38 price tag.

What’s the most you would pay for a reusable water bottle?

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Locavores and adventurous foodies have long been looking forward to the Artisanal LA Spring Show 2011, a showcase of nearly 100 of the best local, sustainable, and handmade edibles in L.A. happening Sat., April 16 and Sun., April 17. I got a sneak peak of the tasty weekend at a preview event earlier this evening — and have to say the decadent show floor was tough to cruise while on a cleanse!

We’re talking dense cakes bolstered by bacon bits, rich pies in every cute size and shape, and cookies studded with dark and milk chocolate chips, peanut butter cups, honey roasted peanuts, pretzels and marshmallows — all in one cookie!

But I still found some delicious healthy treats at Artisanal LA. Want indulgence minus the guilt? Stop by these 10 booths and talks:

1. Curasé. Try a sample of these raw organic, and fair trade chocolates — sweetened with agave and enhanced with herbal remedies.

2. Raw food chef Ani Phyo‘s talk. My friend Ani has a new book, “Ani’s Raw Food Asia,” coming out next month — but Artisanal LA fans will have a chance to buy a book early and get it signed after Ani’s talk at 3 pm on Saturday. Earlier: Book review: Ani’s Raw Food Essentials — Cool dishes for dehydrator fans.

3. Sugarbird Sweets & Teas. The scones at this cute booth look quite indulgent, but the flavorful organic artisanal rooibos teas are healthy and full of unexpected flavors.

4. Out of the Box Collective. This organic, local produce and groceries delivery service will launch later this month for customers on the westside. The customizable delivery boxes will include everything from local veggies to locally-made tasty delights to organic dairy.

5. Truly Raw Gourmet. Though missing in action during preview night, Kippy of Truly Raw Gourmet assures me she’ll be at the show tomorrow, dishing out creamy organic, raw sorbet sweetened with local, seasonal fruits and local honey. Earlier: Truly Raw Gourmet: Decadent sorbets made fresh, organic, and local.

6. Fancifull. This fancy food store offers lots of different samples — including zesty raw Lemon & Coconut Piccolinos made with organic unsweetened coconut and organic blue agave by Raw Decadence.

7. Bangers & Smashed. This artisanal mashed potatoes company makes a vegan Moroccan Spiced Squash mashed potato that’s a rich mix of sweet potato, winter squash, and deep spices. I’d like the yummy mash even better if it were organic, but the company says the ingredients are “all natural” and sourced locally whenever possible.

8. LA Food Swap talk. Wish Artisanal LA happened every month — and came with more free food? Then go hear Emily Ho of the LA Food Swap talk about organizing a community food swap at 2 pm on Sunday. I signed up for the swap when I heard about it at GOOD LA — Hope to see you at the next swap!

9. Global Gardens. Get a taste of California-grown extra virgin organic olive oil — that was crushed with meyer lemons! This Santa Barbara company also offers other organic olive oils and balsamic vinegars.

10. Slow Food Los Angeles. If you’re not yet signed up for this nonprofit’s email list, get on it at the show. You’ll not only hear about yummy and tasty eco-foodie events happening around L.A., but also find out how you can get involved in local and national food politics so good food becomes the norm. Earlier: 12 Signs of a sustainable food revolution in Los Angeles.

Though most booths feature smalltime local vendors, Artisanal LA also has some bigger brands at the show. Numi Organic Tea and Honest Tea are both both giving out organic teas, while the GreenBar Collective and VeeV tables serve up harder eco-drinks. There will also be giveaways, DJs, and bike parking! Tickets for each day cost $10 online, or $15 at the door. Enjoy the show!

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