3 things you can add to your drink list!

Green tea
Is packed with antioxidants and has an inflammatory effect, so it can help soothe acne and eczema conditions. It is also shown to give you added protection against UV ray damage, sunburn and sun damage, including toughness, sun spots and skin cancer. I love iced green tea, it taste delicious and does the same job!

Red wine

 I use to hate wine, but I never knew it could give you one amazing sleep as well as increase good cholesterol by 16% as well as lower you bad cholesterol. More so carbnet sauvignon, pinot noir and merlot to be exact are loaded with antioxidants called flavonoids. However, like white wine or champagne it is fermented and if you have eczema, hives or psoriasis you should try avoiding it.

Freshly squeezed juice

Now, I often wondered why this isn't put up on the shelves rather than all those heart attack-sugar filled drinks. It must have something to do with the money they make... Who are we kidding? It has everything to do with that. When we eat fruits and vegetables your getting a  ton of antioxidants (especially with raw veggies) and the pulp left over that your body can't digest is what we call fibre, which as you know will have you sitting on the toilet for a minute, but it’s in turn great for you colon! Juicing is the perfect way to get all these fruits and vegetables in without the hassle or becoming full.

The importance of Water

Water is of course the best thing that you can supply your body with. When your skin becomes dehydrated it is actually prone to look dry and wrinkly and rashes begin to become more pronounced. But, let’s face it, ordinary water can become a little dull, in comparison to all those sugar filled drinks. So, why would we actually want to pick up the water bottle when we can pick up a juice box or a can of pop?

 I'll tell you why! Water is actually the best known beauty tool ever; it should actually be sold in Sephora if you ask me. Water actually, "regulates your body’s temperature, carries glucose, oxygen and nutrient; cushions joints and removes waste from the body" (Green Beauty Guide, 2009). Not drinking enough water can actually slow down your bowel movements (you should be going at least 3 times a day), and is linked to colon and bladder cancer. In fact, if you’re always tired or have problem with your memory, (Altieri et al. 2003; Manz, Wentz 2005) now you know why. If that's not enough to win you over not drinking enough water is also shown to intensify the symptoms of diabetes and has show to raise blood pressure.

So, now that you've come over to the good side, what counts as your daily intake of water? Water being first followed by , fruit juices, milk, soy beverages, soft drinks, tea and even coffee helps keeps you hydrated. But, water outranks all of those things because it does not contain sugars, calories, sodium, but water CAN provide you with some calcium, magnesium and fluoride.

Still, research has shown, you are required to drink at least 8 cups. 2 cups when waking up, 1 cup 30 minutes before each meal and 1 cup 30 minutes after each meal. 1 cup at bedtime. (based on 3 meals a day schedule).

So get to it and fill that glass with water, you'll thank yourself in the long run!

Got Milk? Maybe that's why you Got zits!

Got Milk? Maybe that’s why you Got blemishes.

So, while I’m here eating my breakfast cereal with my organic cow’s milk, I’m going to tell you how milk may very well be the culprit of giving you acne. I swear I’m not trying to be a hypocrite; it’s just taking me some leisure time to finally come off of the cow and onto the almonds- almond milk that is.

Now what’s so wrong about drinking milk? I mean we have been drinking it since… ‘Land before time’? (90’s babies should know this). Except for the fact that we are the only species that drink milk from another animal, way after infancy, we’re pretty much normal. Nonetheless drinking milk might just be the reason we have unexplained breakouts.

Point #1:  Milk is full of cow hormones

Cow’s milk (even organic) is full of cow’s hormones and growth factors both of which survive pasteurization and homogenization. That means every time that we drink milk or eat any kind of dairy products we are ingesting and our bodies are absorbing the cows hormones which remain active in our bloodstream, which affect our skin and cause acne.  Ewww…

So what can you do?

Well, you can try and avoid full-fat milk and dairy products. I think this one will be the hardest for me to adapt too. If you know nothing about me, you know now that I loooove cheese. Did I tell you I love cheese?

Rule #1: Skip out on the full- fat milk and dairy products including:

Instant breakfast drinks, sherbet, yogurt, cheese, cottage cheese, cream cheese (noo!), and ice cream.

What if you can’t give it up?

If you find it extremely hard to give up the cow, you can drink unsweetened soy milk, almond milk and start using soy cheese. Try swapping out butter for non- dairy, trans- fat-free margarine. And if that’s too hard try at the very least, non-fat, skim, and organic milk and dairy products. Although, this will still increase androgens in your body, which will stimulate your oil glands.

Rule #2: Beware of hidden dairy products.

For example, processed luncheon meats are a common surprise dairy product as well as granola bars. Be sure to read the labels to avoid milk solids. Oh and be sure to stray away from ingredients that’s contain whey and casein.

Rule #3: Get your calcium elsewhere! We already know milk and dairy products are great intake for calcium, but it’s not the only way! In the next post I’ll show you what you can eat and drink to make sure you’re not missing out on an important nutrient to your health.

Banana, Berries & Spinach smoothie!

I totally made this smoothie recipe up and it is super easy to follow.This will give you a super antioxidant & iron boost. The spinach is a rich source of iron, vitamin A, vitamin C, vitamin E, vitamin K, magnesium, and several vital antioxidants and you can barley taste it. Another good thing about this is your child will never know, I tried it with my 1 year old son (using water instead of milk) and he loved it! All you'll need is:

1 or 2 bananas
6-8 strawberries
6-8 blackberries
A handful of  blueberries
4 leaves of  spinach
5 cubes of ice
1 cup almond milk (optional- can use water or cow's milk)

Blend well on high in your blender and serve. You can drink this instead of making breakfast in the morning if your in a rush. Enjoy!

Chicken-Veggi Chili

Hey everyone! So I’ve been doing well with my eating habits. Except for Saturday night… We’ll talk about that another day. Anyways, I wanted to show you what I’ve been eating and drinking. This recipe has a lot of nutrient full foods and is great for you overall body, skin & hair.


In the middle of the week, last week I decided to follow a Vegetarian Chili recipe (which I added chicken too) which tasted amazing. My husband even said so, so I know this was a winner. It didn’t make me full, but content and I love that feeling (especially when I don’t have to pull down the zipper of my jeans). Something things I did omit, because I didn’t have, so put a spin on things and see how it turns out! Tell me how it goes. Here is the recipe:

3 to 4 tablespoons vegetable oil (used Olive Oil)

½ carton minced meat

1 medium sized onion, diced

3 medium sized carrots (used 2)

3 cloves garlic, finely chopped

1 yellow and 1 red bell pepper, chopped (used green and red)

¾ cup celery, chopped

2 teaspoons chipotle powder or ½ teaspoon chili powder (did not use any)

1 lb. white mushroom, cut in half (did not use any)

14 oz. (400g) can organic diced tomatoes in juice (used 2 fresh tomatoes and diced)

14oz. can organic kidney beans, drained

2 cups sweet corn

3 tablespoons coarsely chopped cilantro

2 tablespoons fresh mint (did not use)

¼ teaspoon salt

2 tablespoons toasted cumin seeds

Instructions:

1. Halfway cook minced chicken then add and sauté onions, carrots and garlic in olive oil in a stainless steel or cast iron saucepan until tender. Finish thoroughly cooking minced chicken.

    2. Stir in yellow and red peppers, celery, and chipotle powder. Cook until tender. Time : 6 minutes

    3. Stir in the mushrooms, and cook for an additional 4 minutes, stir in the tomatoes, kidney beans, and corn. Add cilantro, mint and salt and stir thoroughly. Bring to a boil, and then reduce heat to medium.

    4. Cover and simmer for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Essential Fatty Acids

I spoke to you about foods that will bring on acne, but what about the foods that will keep them away? It is said that defects in the body’s metabolism of Essential Fatty Acids may play a big role in acne. Linoleic acid, Alpha-Linoleic acid and Omega-3’s can help that. Adding these essential fatty acids will also help you maintain a soft and supple complexion and prevent the appearance of wrinkling and rashes.

Linoleic acid

ü  Needed to suppress inflammatory effects of the white blood cells involved in acne

ü  Found in all vegetable oils and meats

ü  Your body cannot produce it on its own

ü  You must supply it orally-by your diet (*food)

ü  Including 1-2 tablespoons per day of linoleic acid can greatly lower your chances of breakouts

ü  Eat: flaxseed, walnuts, canola oils, soybeans.

ü  Eat foods fortified from flaxseed: soy beverages, fruit juices, yogurt and omega-3 eggs

*To get this all-in-one try adding “Udo’s Choice oil blend” to your diet.

Alpha-Linoleic Acid

ü  Effective in preventing dryness and irritation in the skin

ü  Eat: soybeans, tofu, flaxseed, canola oil, olive oils and walnuts

Omega-3s

ü  Can reduce blood pressure and cholesterol

ü  Reduce the risk of blood clots and strokes

ü  Acts as an anti-inflammatory

ü  Reduce the redness and burning associated with UV exposure

ü  Lowers risk of certain types of skin cancers

ü  Eat: Salmon, Sardines,  anchovies, flaxseed/flaxseed oil, walnuts, and almonds

Before you reach for that burger, grab the pizza!

I just recently took into account that tomatoes are extremely good for you. Tomatoes are very high in lycopene and probably have a lot more than any other fruits or vegetables. Lycopene are effective in preventing sunburns and UV radiation damage (which you know can cause skin cancer) in the skin. Eating a little as 20g a day can reduce risk of sunburn by as much as 33 percent (Feed your face, 2008).

If you’re not that much of a fan of tomatoes, you can also get your lycopene in by having:

·         1 slice of pizza (with marinara or red sauce)

·         6 tablespoons of salsa

·         ½ cup of V8 juice

      *(Feed your face, 2008)

Tomatoes are actually four times easier for the body to absorb through your intestines when they are cooked and you’re probably going to need to pair your bowl of tomatoes or plate of pizza with a fat soluble. So, try pairing it with a drizzle of olive oil (mmm…) or have an avocado sprinkled with kosher salt (shh… I know. But it taste so good!)