To all those who ever doubted the healing power of chocolate: Behold Dagoba’s new collection of elixirs, chocolatey-sweet liquid extracts infused with herbs like elderberry and damiana and yerba mate. Packaged in little glass bottles straight from the apothecary, each tincture blends cacao with a special herbal formula created to achieve a certain health effect (e.g., higher energy or an antioxidant boost).

My favorite: the Clarity elixir, featuring gotu kola, ginkgo biloba, hawthorn berry, and ginger root. Taken a few drops at a time, the blend brings on a calming sensation similar to a shot of Rescue Remedy. And the cacao-rich flavor seems to cure chocolate cravings as well.

And when you’re in need of a more substantial hit of healing chocolate, break off a piece of the new bars from Dagoba’s Apothecary line. The Antioxidant bars get their super powers from organic goji berries and cherries and blueberries, while the Clarity bars are laced with fantastic chunks of organic crystallized ginger (plus more of the gotu kola, ginkgo, and hawthorn berry found in the liquid extract).

With the 4-bar and elixir set, you get two ounces of tincture and a bunch of bars all tied together in a lovely silk bag. Might make a yummy Mother’s Day gift, especially for eco-savvy moms: In addition to sustainably sourcing all its cacao, Dagoba buys renewable energy credits to offset 100 percent of the energy use at its facility.

Here’s why organic-cotton jeans are better than those made with conventional cotton: Organic cotton’s grown without the use of pesticides, herbicides, or synthetic fertilizers - in fact, according to the Cleaner Cotton Campaign, it takes 3/4 pounds of chemical fertilizers and pesticides to produce the cotton for just one conventional pair of jeans. And by supporting organic farmers, you’re helping to cut back on the number of toxic chemicals going into the environment - and the products you consume everyday.

And here’s why you should get yourself a pair of organic jeans right now: Loomstate, the sustainable fashion pioneers adored by a whole slew of ecostylish ThisNexters (like barbrahorowitz and philipsitbon and sungodess) are currently on sale at online green boutique Beklina. For just $98 - marked down from $160 - you can score some Loomstate Flux organic skinny jeans. It’s the perfect way to ease into ecofashion, and more than likely to leave you converted for life.

(via Beklina)

As if we didn’t already worship Stella McCartney enough, she’s gone and created a skincare line that’s destined to help push organic further into the mainstream. Loved by ThisNexters like stylewriter, Care offers luxury beauty products made without petrochemicals, endangered plant species, or silicone. Says deydolma in commending Care: “It not just ‘green washing’ like we are seeing so many business out there do these days - but it is authentic and certified. And - she does not have a gazillion products for us to buy and use - she knows that skin care should be quick and painless.”

While I’m wishing for the Calming+Soothing Elixir (a moisturizer made with “skin-cushioning” chamomile, arnica, and licorice), John and Rose have already been lured by the Gentle Cleansing Milk (“a very good cleanser that removes makeup without being abrasive and is very soft and gentle on the skin”).

And for those not ready to make a full-on commitment to Care, there’s the oh-so-darling Discovery Set: Featuring trial-sized versions of the 5 Benefits Moisturising Cream, Calming+Soothing Elixir, Radiance+Youth Elixir, and Nourishing Elixir, the kit is the perfect intro to luxury organic.

Sometimes the winter air gets so rough that only really hardcore stuff like Carmex can keep our lips from getting so dry and chapped. But with sweet spring in the air, we can make our mouths all lovely and kissy again with a gentler - and much more fun - product like Alba Botanica Clear Lip Gloss. Coming very soon to a Whole Foods near you, the coconut, pineapple and passion fruit flavors are made from deelish fruit extracts and organic emollients - and contain no artificial colors, petrolatum, or parabens.

Till those tropical delights arrive, you can shine up your lips with Alba’s TerraTints Lip Balm (“Great in the summer on the beach, great in the winter cold,” according to revolutionarygirl) or Passion Fruit Nectar Lip Balm (which is “decadent as a day on the beach with a delicious tropical cocktail,” says saltimbanca).

According to some weird ad that keeps popping up on MySpace, “boyfriend season” is right around the corner. We’re not entirely sure what that means, but hoping it involves things like shared milkshakes and trips to the movies where someone else pays for your ticket and bonbons.

And when it comes time for the kissy parts, let’s not have this season’s boyfriend covertly spritz a few shots of Binaca beforehand. (We’re pretty sure guys only do that on shows like Three’s Company anyway.) One of the newest products from the always top-notch Herb Pharm, Breath Tonic blends together organic oils of peppermint and cinnamon and ginger and clove to knock out germs. So much more effective than masking unfresh breath with a Certs or something, the organic oils leave your mouth all clean and minty and perfectly makeout-ready.

Like any hardcore ice-cream lover, I like to keep up the brainfreeze all year long. But when spring hits it’s time to kick up the consumption just a bit, and I’m quite sure the best way to accomplish that this season is with Green & Black’s White Chocolate Strawberry Organic Ice Cream. A new product from the same fair-trade chocolate purveyors who graciously keep us in dark chocolate with ginger bars and other such divine things, the lovely stuff is made from organic cream and cocoa beans grown without the use of gross chemicals and pesticides. It’s also one of the richest and dreamiest ice creams I’ve had in a really long time, while the line’s straight-up chocolate variety is likely to bring any serious chocoholic to complete ecstasy.

The world of anti-aging remedies reaches far beyond the realm of those luxe lotions and potions. To age gracefully and gorgeously, look to foods rich in vitamins, antioxidants, and omega-3 fatty acids. Here, five of the best ways to turn back the clock naturally.

1. Avocados are rich in vitamin E, said to keep your skin smooth and supple. To grow your own green fruit, pick up the Little Cado Dwarf Avocado Tree that Dava Guthmiller fancies as “a fabulous idea.” Shipped as a potted five gallon tree, the Little Cado grows to about 8 to 10 feet tall. And since avocados are a solid source of monounsaturated fat, you’ll also help keep your heart healthy.

2. Blueberries are loaded with antioxidants, a powerful anti-aging agent. Get your fill by guzzling POM Wonderful’s Pomegranate Blueberry blend, picked by thedelicious and gordon. “POM Wonderful mixes powerhouse pomegranate juice with sweet, mellowing blueberries to create a double whammy of antioxidants,” says the former, who notes that the tartness of straight-up pomegranate juice “makes you pucker like it’s your last kiss on earth.”

3. In addition to offering anti-cancer benefits, garlic guards against heart disease by reducing cholesterol levels and thinning the blood. The herb itself is your best source of garlicky goodness, but Huy Fong Chili Garlic Sauce can also help promote healthy aging - and keep those pesky vampires away. Hanaban regards the sauce as a “Vietnamese food staple,” while cvg notes that it’s “great stuff with rice and chicken.”

...continued: anti-aging eats