I remember when I was a little girl in China I loved to celebrate New Year, simply because I knew on New Year’s Day I would have a brand new outfit my mother would hand-make for me for that year. On New Year’s Day, I would put on my new outfit and go running around the neighborhood to show off my new dress. It always made me feel beautiful and fresh.

Today my children and I no longer have only one new outfit a year anymore, however making something special for New Year’s Day is still something I try to do for my family & friends to keep that same beautiful and fresh spirit alive.

So, to kick 2012 off to a good start, I am returning to HSN January 22nd – 23rd! I can’t wait to share my brand new collections, brand new herbal innovations and brand new products, including the launch of my new Nutri-Guard 20 Herb Face Cream to help keep you looking beautiful and feeling fresh all year long.

It’s a great ‘wei’ for us all to start the year right and finish it bright. My warmest wishes for you and your loved ones!

Love,
Wei

There is a Chinese belief that when you focus on positive energy, you will start to collect positive energy all around you. In our daily living, the more thankful you are, the happier you will be.

When I sit at my family Thanksgiving dinner table, I have so much to be thankful for, my family, my Wei East team, and you, my friend who’ve made our community. It is all of you who inspire me to live, to love, to help.

Thank you all for being part of my life. May you have a thankful holiday!

Love,
Wei

P.S. – After all of the Thanksgiving festivities, I invite you to join me on Wednesday, November 30th for the HSN Beauty Report – just in time for the holidays! This season, give the gift of nature and beauty to your friends, family and loved ones. Preview all of our new herbal beauty giftables here and I hope to see you all there!

I hope you enjoy reading and utilizing these tips! And most of all, I hope you enjoy your summer!

Love,
Wei

Lifestyle Tips for Summer
• The element Fire is associated with summer season and with heat. According to traditional Chinese medicine and the zodiac, the summer of 2010 will be a VERY dry summer. That means it’s crucial to stay hydrated and to try to sweat as little as possible.
• Sweat is considered to be the “fluid of the heart.” Excessive sweating can scatter our “heart-chi” and can cause symptoms such as being easily annoyed, low spirit, restless, and sleeping difficulties.
• In traditional Chinese Medicine, summer is seen as the apex of our bodies’ energy. We should be our most active in summer, full of life, and able to reach our maximum potential. It’s a time for playing, enjoying nature, and rediscovering your inner child.
• Yang energy (considered the bodies’ most active energy) dominates during this season, so use this energy to its maximum capacity and replenish yourself.

Skincare Tips for Summer
• Hot weather means more humidity and our skin needs less moisture than it does in the winter. Switch to a lighter moisturizer to keep pores clear. It makes the skin less likely to experience blemishes.
• As we spend more time in the sun and sand, it’s best to exfoliate our face (and body) regularly to get a fresh, natural glow and prolong our summer tan.
•If you commonly experience rosacea, be mindful during this summer season. This common skin condition can be aggravated by heat and cause skin to swell, increase redness, and break out in little pimples. If you’re prone to rosacea, keep cool by taking cold showers, misting yourself with a spray bottle, and drinking plenty of cold water. Also, seek refuge in air-conditioning and wear lightweight, loose-fitting clothes. Try our Jujube Age Control Serum as the perfect solution for rosacea-prone skin.

Diet Tips for Summer
• Be sure to eat plenty of “cooling” foods like fruits (especially berries), vegetables, whole grains, seeds and nuts, and a small amount of lean meat, poultry or fish. The best summer diet consists of fresh fruits in the morning and plenty of leafy, green vegetables later in the day. Minimize your intake of dairy, fried and processed foods. Here are some “Do’s and Don’ts” for Summer Recipes.

o Do’s in summer recipes (try to include “cooling” foods during Summer )
mung beans, dark plum, sugar cane, strawberries, mulberries, grapes, coconut milk, lemon, persimmons, water chestnuts, bitter melon, winter melon, sweet potato, cucumber, tomato, Chinese spinach, lotus roots, Chinese wolfberry leaves

o Don’ts in summer recipes (try to avoid these “heating” foods during Summer):
lamb, longan fruit, dried longan, lychee, Chinese chive, onion, kale, Sichuan peppercorns, cinnamon, stir fried peanuts, stir fried cucumber, rice crackers, congee, cold rice

Summer Recipes
Cold Chrysanthemum Tea
This is an ideal drink for hot summer days and an excellent thirst quencher.

Ingredients:
60 – 80 White Chrysanthemum Flowers
3 teaspoon of Jasmine Yinhao Green Tea
Rock sugar or honey
4 liters of water

Instructions:
1. Wash the chrysanthemum.
2. Put chrysanthemum and tea into a cooking pot.
3. Pour in 4 liters of water and bring it to boiling.
4. Reduce heat and continue to cook for 20 minutes.
5. Put in rock sugar or honey.
6. Remove pot from the heat and allow it to cool till room temperature.
7. Strain the tea and put into refrigerator.
8. Serve the tea chilled and enjoy!

Bitter Melon Drink
To help prevent summer acne and breakouts – Bitter Melon can be found at any Asian supermarket or grocery store.

Ingredients:
1 to 1 1/2 bitter melon (depending on how bitter you like your drink to be)
3–4 sticks of celery
1 apple
1 green pepper
2 carrots

Instructions:
1. Peel off the skin of the apple and carrots.
2. Cut all the veggies into long, thin sticks.
3. Leave veggies in water for 4–5 hours so that they will be clean, and soaked with water.
4. For the best effects, put the veggies into the fridge for 2–3 hours before juicing them.
5. Juice the veggies with electric juicer. The amount of veggies mentioned above could give
2 big mugs of juice. Stir before drinking for better taste.

Wishing you all a beautiful and joyous Mother’s Day weekend!
Love,
Wei

Life Style

• In Traditional Chinese Medicine philosophy, Spring is a season for recognizing life as a beautiful pathway filled with new opportunities. This time of year the Yin energy in nature decreases as the Yang energy increases. Mother Nature is waking up from the cold winter, so the general direction of life’s energy is upward. The same is true with our bodies in Spring. There is more energy flow outward.

• Springtime facilitates the transportation of Chi (life energy). We need to replenish all of our body systems for maximum health in Springtime. Women especially need to maintain our energy. Ways to achieve this is get to sleep earlier and wake-up earlier. Try starting the day with refreshing exercise to increase the body’s energy. Exercise is also important for women during spring. Light exercises that allow your body to perspire are a great way to detox the body.

• Did you know that the Chinese refer to a woman’s midlife transition (menopause) as her “Second Spring”? It is very important for women going through this change in life to protect and increase their energy.

• For women, being in touch with nature during Spring is very important. Try gardening or other outdoor activities to bring you back in touch with nature. Enjoying nature is a great way to lift our spirits and be happy.

Skincare Tips

• Spring is the time to “Let It Out” (both literally and figuratively). It is a time to release any poor energy from both your skin and your life.

• For skin, keeping your face clean is very important. Open your pores using good cleansing and exfoliating products or try a hot steam bath to help release any impurities and encourage the flow of good energy. To stimulate the energy in your face, instead of rubbing your skin, try gently patting the skin on your face regularly.

• With the Spring renewal process it is important to shed your “Winter” skin. Just like a snake must shed its outer shell, it is very important that we too, shed the dry, rough, flaky skin of Winter. Exfoliating regularly helps to re-energize and rejuvenate the skin to reveal younger, healthier skin.

Diet

• In traditional Chinese medicine diet and food intake is based on the principle that humans are a part of nature. One way to align with nature is eating according to seasons, because just like the natural world fluctuates with seasonal changes, so do we. Spring is the time for growth and renewal. As it relates to diet, TCM suggests we should consume foods that help for easy transition into this season such as:

- Leafy green vegetables (spinach, kale, mustard greens, bok choi)
- Young plants (soy, chives, asparagus, peas)
- Sprouted beans and grains (mung bean sprouts, wheat grass)
- Flavorful herbs (mint, bitter melon)
- Light teas (mint, green, chrysanthemum, rosebud)

• Mint is an especially helpful herb for women during Spring. Its aromatherapuetic qualities help to lift your mood and brighten your spirit. Try drinking mint teas, or incorporating mint into your meals as often as possible.

As always, I love to hear from you. If you have any questions or feedback, please share it below!