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Tuesday, October 15, 2013

How to fix Keratosis Pilaris naturally

What do you know about keratosis pilaris? Typified by clusters of small bumps in the skin, usually on the backs of the upper arms, thighs, or bottom, this is a condition that affects as many as 40 percent of adults. The Mayo Clinic has a picture for you; don’t worry, it’s not super gross.
Keratosis pilaris is caused by keratin building up in your hair follicle, forming a plug of keratiny stuff that looks on the surface like mild acne. Nobody seems to know why it happens. Unfortunately, KP can be exacerbated when your skin is dry, so when you treat it like acne by rubbing it with salicylic acid and the like, you can actually make it worse.
Keratosis pilaris is also known as “chicken skin” eww gross right?!
It smells like.... coconuts. One neat thing, coconut oil is solid at room temperature, but liquefies almost immediately with the warmth of your hands. Neat, huh? Also, it seemed to absorb really fast, so you don't feel all slippery like after putting on say baby oil.
But the best part is that it worked on my keratosis pilaris. Mine is just on a small patch on the back of each thigh. After a solid week of use, the KP was almost completely gone. Also I smell vaguely like a cookie all the time. I also have started using it all over as a skin moisturizer, I gotta say I feel extra soft! My hair is loving it too, and it turns out there’s Real Science behind that: Coconut oil, unlike many other oils used in hair care products, can actually penetrate the hair shaft and deliver its protein goodness to your hungry follicles.
This stuff is my total skincare miracle right now. It’s cheap, it comes in an enormous jar, and it works. All of this, and in a pinch, I can eat it? That’s a near-perfect beauty product for me.
TIP: I use the exact brand pictured here. No need to go to a spa or salon for coconut oil, just hit up the grocery store! It's cheaper and the same stuff :)
TIP: For use on skin, I rub it in after a shower instead of applying lotion. For hair, use before a shower and then rinse rinse rinse!

Tuesday, September 24, 2013

How to keep greens from wilting!

Don't you hate when you buy your salad mixes, greens, or herbs and it seems in just a short few days they turn all soggy and yuck?! Eww, ain't nobody got time for that! So here's a tip to keep your greens crispier longer!

Divide your big container of greens into two to four smaller plastic bags. Close the top of each bag lightly with your fist, blow into the bag, and fill it with air (carbon dioxide). Then seal the bag by twisting the top a few times before closing it firmly with a twist tie. Place it in the fridge, and your greens are good to go.

These puffy bags might take up a little bit more room in your fridge, but the loss of space is worth it; your greens will stay bright, crisp, and flavorful, so you can enjoy healthy salads, smoothies, and sandwiches all week long. This tip works for all leafy greens, including herbs; just be sure produce is completely dry before placing them in the plastic bag. Don't worry about wasting plastic bags since these can be washed, air-dried, and reused for next time.
 

For an added tip, toss in a paper towel before you seal it up. That will absorb extra moisture!

 


Friday, August 16, 2013

Grilled Asparagus Salad with Lemon-Parmesan Vinaigrette

Serves: 4

Prep Time: 10 Min

Cook Time: 5 Min

  1. ¼ cup lemon juice

  2. ½ cup grated parmesan cheese, plus more for sprinkling

  3. 1 clove garlic, finely chopped

  4. ½ teaspoon dijon mustard

  5. ¼ cup olive oil Salt and pepper

  6. 2 bunches fresh asparagus, ends trimmed

  7. ½ cup thinly sliced radishes

  8. ½ cup shredded carrots

  9. ½ cup edamame

  10. 8 slices bacon, cooked and crumbled

In a medium bowl, whisk together the lemon juice, cheese, garlic and mustard. Slowly stream in the oil, whisking constantly to combine. Season with salt and pepper. On a heated grill or grill pan, cook the asparagus, turning once, about 3 minutes total. In a large bowl, toss together the radishes, carrots and edamame. Top with the asparagus and bacon. Drizzle with the vinaigrette and sprinkle with parmesan.

NUTRITIONAL INFO 1 SERVING:  CALORIES 206; FAT 11.5 g (sat 5.0 g, mono 4.3 g, poly 1.0 g); PROTEIN 15.9 g; CARBS 11.7 g; FIBER 4.1 g; CHOLEST 22.0 mg; IRON 2.1 mg; SODIUM 503 mg; CALCIUM 257 mg -

Friday, July 19, 2013

Lean Leg Workout

Do this quick workout anywhere! Start at top of the pyramid and work your way down THEN go from bottom up! Repeat as many times as you can!

Tuesday, June 25, 2013

10 Reasons to Drink Water

In this tip, I'm going to address why we should drink water. You know, water, "like in the toilet." This line, borrowed from the film Idiocracy, isn't so far from the way many people think about drinking plain water. In the comedy, the world's drinking water is replaced by Brawndo, a Gatorade-like electrolyte drink. We will deconstruct Gatorade at a later date, but today, I want you to understand why this is not an option. You can hydrate yourself with other liquids, but every time you do, you're chipping away at the chances of following a nutritional diet. It's likely that the only reason you think you need to drink water is to stay "hydrated," but you might not truly understand what this means. Let's delve into the meaning behind hydration and just why you need to drink so much plain, "boring" water.

1.Your body is made up primarily of water.
When you're properly hydrated, about two-thirds of your body is water—muscle tissue is even higher, at around 70 percent, while fat is less. Muscle powers your body and fat protects it. Put two and two together, and you may infer that water is vital to the things that make your body do stuff. When you don't drink enough water, your body declines into a state we call dehydration. Get too dehydrated, and your body will not function properly, which isn't too surprising when your body's low on such a vital nutrient. (Your body can be as much as up to 65 percent water!)

2. You don't need to drink 65 percent of your weight in water each day.
This is because, one, if you lost all the water in your body, you'd be dead, and two, that water makes up most of all the living things on our planet. Since we eat living—or recently alive—things, we get some water from the things we eat. When we cook things, they lose their water. This means that the more raw whole foods you eat, the less water you need to drink. Fruits and veggies lead the group of water-rich foods and contain around 95 percent water. If you eat a lot of plants, you can drink less water. But if you don't . . .

3. There is more to hydration than just your water levels.
Chemicals in your body react with water so that you can function. We lose water in the form of sweat, and sweat is made up of water and body "salts," which are mainly sodium, chloride, and potassium, but they also include magnesium, calcium, and so on. These are called electrolytes and, basically, are the reason that salt is such a vital component in your diet. Salt is a mixture of sodium and chloride, but generally, we use the term "salts" in reference to electrolytes. Too much salt is bad and too little is bad. Both can kill you. This is why, like water, the amount you consume should be directly related to the workload your body is put under. More P90X® or ChaLEAN Extreme® equals more sweat, meaning that you need more water and more salt.

4. What about water weight? Some people are afraid to drink a lot of water because they're afraid of gaining "water weight." This is the opposite of what you should do. Water weight is a term for your body holding on to excess water because it's not getting enough. The best way to get rid of water weight is to drink more water. It works two ways. If you don't drink enough water or if you eat too much salt in your diet, your body hoards water. This water/salt relationship is referred to as your electrolyte balance.

Generally, there's an easy way to tell if you need more water or salt; because most people drink too little water and eat far too much salt—especially those who eat in restaurants. So when you aren't exercising, you almost never need more salt. When you are exercising, getting enough salt becomes an issue. Endurance athletes are ever aware of the need to have enough salt to avoid a condition called hyponatremia, a condition that results when you've had too much water and not enough salt, basically just dehydration from a different angle. Those who don't exercise outdoors excessively almost never have to worry about this condition.

5. So what does water do for you?
You'll often hear claims that water helps chemical reactions, regulates your body temperature, and lubricates your joints, eyes, and spinal cord. Sure, it does all of this stuff. In fact, since you're mostly made up of water, a case can be made that it does almost everything. So why split hairs? Your body doesn't work, at all, without being fed a lot of water. You can live days, weeks, and, sometimes, even months without food. But you can't live even a few days without water.

6.Itchy skin. Dry skin. Constipation. Sneezing. Dry cough, headaches, nosebleeds, and acne.
These are common ailments related to drinking too little water. Since water regulates your body's functions, it makes sense that minor glitches in bodily functions may be related to not drinking enough water. And this is just a partial list of common ailments. Many symptoms blamed on allergies are probably due to living in a dehydrated state. When you are properly hydrated, your body can better defend itself.

7. The above symptoms may be worse in the winter.
Water is required just to breathe, and you lose water through your mouth and lungs. During winter, when the air is dry, more water is required. Add forced heat in the air—like from home heating systems and fires—and the situation is exacerbated. This means that you need to drink extra water in the winter when it's cold, even though you are probably less thirsty.

8. Water and your immune system.
During winter, lack of water will dry out the mucous membranes of your lungs, gut, and sinus passages and lessen your resistance to disease. These barriers protect your body against bacteria, viruses, and pollutants when you're fully hydrated and intact. Allowing them to dry out could be the leading cause of the common cold and allergic symptoms, not to mention things like constipation, sinusitis, irritable bowel syndrome, and long-term diseases like hemorrhoids and colon cancer.

9. Water and fat loss.
We haven't yet discussed the importance of fat mobilization for energy and its relation to weight loss and effective exercise because, well, that sounds complicated. Anyway, water is the main component of this action. A well-hydrated body has higher levels of oxygen in the bloodstream, translating into an increased ability to burn fat as fuel. The more efficiently you burn fat as fuel, the more effectively you exercise, leading to a better overall body composition.

10. How much water?
It's said you need about 8 glasses of water a day. However, this will vary due to your activity level and environmental conditions. As a general rule, add a couple of glasses during the hot days of summer and the dry, cold nights of winter. During exercise, you may lose a quart an hour or more. While all liquids provide water, sugar, diuretics (caffeine, etc.), and carbonation reduce the hydration effect. Combining all three, as in soda, can reduce the hydration efficiency of the liquid to almost nil.

Thursday, March 7, 2013

Benefits of dry brushing

I love to dry brush! What is that you say?! 
The dry brushing procedure takes care of the detoxification of your skin. It is a means of stimulating a number of organs in your body to detoxify due to the fact that it gives a tender interior massage. The many advantages of dry brushing include: eliminating cellulite; cleansing the lymphatic structure; eliminating dead skin coatings; making the immune system stronger; stimulating the hormone and oil producing glands; tightening the skin to prevent untimely aging; making the quality of your muscles better; stimulating circulation; enhancing the performance of the nervous system; aids digestion and most of all, it is considered as the simplest and cheapest way of rejuvenating your skin.

How to Get Started With Your Skin Brushing Regimen

1. Purchase a natural, NOT a synthetic, bristle brush. (vegetable bristle)
2. Purchase a brush with a long handle, so that you are able to reach all areas of your body. Best-case scenario would be one that had a removable head with a strap for your hand.

3. Skin brushing should be performed once a day, preferably first thing in the morning. If you are feeling ill, please do it twice a day until you feel better.

4. Skin brushing should be performed prior to your bath or shower and your body dry and naked.
 
5. Begin brushing your skin in long sweeping strokes starting from the bottom of your feet upwards, and from the hands towards the shoulders, and on the torso in an upward direction. Always brush towards the heart. Try and brush several times in each area, over-lapping as you go.
6. Avoid sensitive areas and anywhere the skin is broken.
7. After brushing your skin, rinse off in the shower. Paavo Airola, author of Swedish Beauty Secrets, recommends alternating temperatures in the shower from hot to cold. This will further invigorate the skin and stimulate blood circulation, bring more blood to the outer layers of the skin.

8. After getting out of the shower, dry off vigorously and massage your skin with pure plant oil, such as almond, jojoba, sesame or coconut. We like to use a small amount of Euro Organic Oil which is a blend of sunflower, almond, apricot, avocado, and jojoba oils.
 
9. Don’t forget to clean your skin brush using soap and water once a week. After rinsing, dry your skin brush in an open, sunny spot to prevent mildew.
10. For a thorough lymphatic cleansing, perform skin brushing daily for a minimum of three months.

***Caution: Do not brush on or over skin rashes, wounds, cuts, infections, poison oak or poison ivy.

 

 


Tuesday, February 26, 2013

Grilled Pineapple Turkey Burgers

GRILLED PINEAPPLE TURKEY BURGERS
Ingredients:
20-oz package extra lean ground turkey
2 TB liquid aminos (such as Bragg)
¼ cup red bell pepper, chopped
¼ cup red onion, chopped
¼ tsp ground black pepper
1 tsp thyme seasoning
4 pineapple slices, approx 1/2 inch thick
How to Prepare
1. Preheat the grill to medium-high.
2. Combine ground turkey, liquid aminos, pepper, onion, black pepper, and thyme in large bowl and mix thoroughly until all ingredients are well distributed.
3. Divide turkey mixture into 4 equal portions and form into burger patties.
4. Put on a plate; grab the 4 pineapple slices and head to the grill.
5. Place the burgers and the pineapple slices on the grill (the pineapple will cook for the same amount of time as the burgers to soften up and get that yummy smoky flavor).
6. After approximately 8 minutes, flip the burgers and the pineapple slices (the underside should be nice and brown).
7. After approximately 4 minutes, place one pineapple slice onto the top of each burger.
8. Cook for an additional 3-5 minutes, or until burgers are cooked thoroughly and no longer pink in the center.
9. Turn off the grill. Using a long spatula, carefully remove the burgers from the grill (don’t lose those pineapples!) and onto a plate.
10. Eat ‘em up! Yum!! Enjoy
NUTRITION DATA
Per burger (makes 4 burgers): 185 calories, 33 grams protein, 9 grams carbohydrates, 2 grams fat.
 
 
 

Monday, February 11, 2013

4 healthy crock pot recipes for breakfast!

Honey-Blueberry 8-Grain cereal

Honey-Blueberry 8-Grain Hot Cereal
Ingredients
  • 4 cups skim milk blended with 3 cups water
  • 2 cups 8-grain hot cereal blend (such as Bob’s Red Mill)
  • 2 cups blueberries
  • 1 teaspoon ground ginger
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1/2 cup walnuts
  • 1/2 cup honey
  • 8 thin slices unsalted butter (about 2 tbsp total)

Directions

1. Coat slow-cooker bowl with nonstick cooking spray. Combine milk and water with cereal in prepared slow cooker bowl. Stir in 1/2 cup of the blueberries, the ginger and 3/4 tsp of the salt. Cover and slow cook on LOW for 9 hours

2. In the morning, toast walnuts in a skillet over medium heat, 5 minutes. Stir remaining 1 1/2 cups blueberries, remaining 1/4 tsp salt and the honey into cereal mixture.

3. Spoon half of the cereal into bowls; top each serving with a thin slice of butter and some of the walnuts. Serve warm; save remainder for another day.



Slow-Cooker Oatmeal-Banana Maple Parfaits

Slow-Cooker Oatmeal-Banana Maple Parfaits
Ingredients
  • 1/2 cup half-and-half
  • 1 1/2 cups steel-cut oats
  • 3/4 teaspoon salt
  • 7 tablespoons maple syrup, plus more for drizzling
  • 1 cup part-skim ricotta cheese
  • 2 ripe bananas
  • 1/8 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice

Directions

1. Pour 3 cups water into slow-cooker insert. Place a slow-cooker liner into slow cooker (on top of water). Combine half-and-half, 5 1/2 cups water, the oats and salt into slow cooker liner.
2. Cover and slow cook on LOW for 8 hours. Uncover and stir in 6 tbsp of the maple syrup. Blend ricotta and remaining 1 tbsp maple syrup.
3. Begin layering: Spoon 1/2 cup oatmeal into 6 cups or bowls. Top each with a heaping tbsp ricotta mixture. Peel and slice bananas. Spread about 4 banana slices onto each serving. Repeat layering with oatmeal, ricotta and banana slices. Drizzle each serving with a little maple syrup and sprinkle with pumpkin pie spice.

Apple-Cinnamon Wheat Berries

Apple-Cinnamon Wheat Berries
Ingredients
  • 4 cups unsweetened vanilla almond milk
  • 1 1/2 cups wheat berries
  • 1 cup apple juice or water
  • 3 Idared, Braeburn or Gala apples, peeled, cored and cut into 1-inch pieces
  • 1/3 cup old-fashioned oats
  • 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 1/2 cup packed dark brown sugar
  • 1/4 cup sliced almonds
  • 6 tablespoons sweetened dried cranberries

Directions

1. Coat a 4- to 5-1/2-quart slow-cooker insert with nonstick cooking spray. Combine almond milk, wheat berries, juice, apples, oats, cinnamon and salt in prepared slow cooker.
2. Cover and slow cook on LOW for 9 hours. Uncover and stir in brown sugar. Spoon into bowls and top with sliced almonds and cranberries. Serve warm.

Potato and Turkey Bacon Quiche

Potato and Turkey Bacon Quiche
Ingredients
  • 1 6 ounce package turkey bacon (such as Butterball Thin & Crispy), diced
  • 1 15 ounce package Alexia Oven Reds olive oil, Parmesan and garlic frozen potato wedges, cut into bite-size pieces
  • 1 sweet red pepper, cored and diced
  • 1/2 Vidalia onion, chopped
  • 6 ounces 50% reduced-fat cheddar cheese, shredded
  • 6 large eggs
  • 1 1/2 cups skim milk
  • 2 tablespoons minced chives, plus more for garnish
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
  • 1 cup Bisquick HeartSmart

Directions

1. Coat programmable slow-cooker insert with nonstick cooking spray. Cook turkey bacon in a nonstick skillet over medium heat until just crisp, 9 minutes.
2. In a large bowl, toss together potato wedges, turkey bacon, red pepper, onion and 1 cup of the cheese. In a medium bowl, whisk eggs, milk, chives, salt and pepper. Whisk in Bisquick.
3. Pour potato mixture into slow cooker. Add egg mixture and top with remaining cheese. Cover and slow cook on LOW for 5 1/2 to 6 hours (machine will switch to WARM after cooking). Cut into wedges and serve.

*recipes from www.FamilyCircle.com*