Strawberries!

It has come to my attention that Strawberries are more potent and useful than I originally thought!

Did you know that Strawberries have healing and drying properties? Well I didn't! It contains a very gentle exfoliating acid which can be used on your skin to get rid of dead-skin that may build-up - sounds grosse I know but very real on any face!

I also once read years ago in a women's magazine an article about Catherine Zeta-Jones allegedly rubbing strawberries on her teeth as a whitener. Turns out this is not a whole of rubbish and that strawberries do contain a bleaching property also which if used daily can help us all get rid of the fearful coffee stains!

Here in New Zealand strawberries are currently in season and you can pick them up so cheap from the supermarket or fruit store - So go spend a dollar or so and try this easy method - eating a few strawberries daily will also do you justice and is also an easy way to make sure you have your fruit intake!

So here I share with you 2 recipes; one a simple face wash for oily-normal skin and an easy strawbug-bleach-brush!

Strawberry cleanser:

This is not to be stored and just made as needed :) I have used Lemon essential oil as it contains acidic properties that help to eliminate oily conditions of the face and leave it feeling so fresh and so clean clean! Lemon also contains a mild bleach which if used regularly can help to even skin tone.


Ingredients
4-5 strawberries (make sure these are super ripe and easy to mash!)
1-2 drops of lemon essential oil

Method
Mash the strawberries in a small bowl
Strain through a small sieve or coffee filter
Taking just the liquid remaining add the lemon essence
Apply to the face and neck with a cotton pad and massage into skin
Rinse and pat-dry your skin - NEVER dry your skin vigorously as this is very delicate and can be damaged easily!

Strawbug-bleach-brush:

Ingredients
Strawberries

Method
You can work this recipe simultaneously with the cleanser and use the juicy pulp left over
Put some on your toothbrush and brush gently into teeth for 2 minutes
Rinse your mouth well

Let me know if you try these and have any feedback - I tried both for the first time today and really enjoyed them both. I found the Strawbug-bleach-brush a little strange to start off with but if it whitens my teeth and it is that cost effective I really have no complaints!

Happy cleansing!

Megan X

Beauty update - Turmeric & Coffee face mask

First of all I would like to warn all fair skinned women out there to probably not try this mask - As excellent as it is this mask because is has no oil base can stain your skin! I will be adding a special coffe & chocolate mask to the blog next week which can be used by you whiteys (me included).

Thank goodness you have me to try out these recipes and risk looking like I have cancer of the liver!

Anyway once again I am using Turmeric as my base ingredient - This time I made a heap of paste by combining 2 cups of water to half a cup of turmeric and boiled it on a medium heat. I gave some more to my Dad to try as he has told me he is seeing significant improvements in his skin tone and inflammation since trying my witch craft. I also have noticed a significant evening in skin tone and my cheeks are much less red - The ways of Turmeric, I love this spice!

So the Turmeric & Coffee mask is to be used no more than once a week as the coffee works as a strong exfoliant.

All I did was follow the recipe for making the paste above and add about 1/2 cup of paste to 1/2 cup of used ground coffee. I mixed this all together and applied to my skin. Leave this on for 10-15 minutes until the paste is dried and then proceed to remove with a hot face cloth. If you do try this and experience some staining then all you need to do is apply a little bit of coconut oil to your face and remove the staining gently with a cotton pad.

While I may not be running to try this mask again soon I can confirm that I am no longer yellow and it has been 5 hours since I applied the mask - Thank goodness I work from home!

Blogged by: Megan

Intermittent Fasting - The new anorexia?

My brother (Ian) visited us a couple of months back from China and introduced me to a new concept known as 'Intermittent Fasting'. My family are religious and fast for 19 days every year as a part of their spiritual devotion, and as a teenager I tried to join them in this a couple of times but normally didn't make it to lunch time without having a sneaky poke in the fridge and pulling out a few left-overs.

Ian as of recent years has become a bit of a guru in the exercise & healthy lifestyle department and he is the culprit who started my family off on this paleo-primal diet! Needless to say we were all open ears when he started talking about this new fasting program he was using.

I think the first thing to know is that this may not work for everyone, and before you can consider fasting you should first make sure you are eating the right foods at regular intervals. If done properly fasting has some real major benefits for your body.

Trying to summarise in my own words I understand that we believe that we need to eat way more than what our body actually needs. When we consume food our bodies start to produce new cells, and that by fasting this allows our body to slow down on the new cell production and actually repair damaged cells within your body already.

P.S I do not know this person but thought it was a pretty significant body change?

Intermittent fasting acts to turn on certain genetic repair mechanisms that enhance cellular rejuvenation. This adaptation appears to allow certain cells to have a longer lifespan during times of famine. It is energetically less expensive to repair a cell than it is to divide and create new cells. This has a positive effect at shutting down cancer cell formation and proliferation.
Intermittent fasting is one of the most powerful modalities for reducing inflammation, boosting immunity and enhancing tissue healing. This is one of the reasons why many people feel nauseated when they have infections. This innate mechanism is the body's way of influencing us to fast so it can produce the right environment to boost natural immunity.

Learn more: http://www.naturalnews.com/034277_fasting_longevity.html#ixzz2EDlLoyBZ

In my household my Dad is actively trying this, and for a 50 something year old man who does not like exercise he is in the best looking shape I have seen him for years. I believe that we have some lucky genes in my family and this way of eating suits us perfectly.

I have also started to fast 2 days a week - On these days I will not eat breakfast however will normally eat a boiled egg at lunch and a small portion of whatever is being cooked for dinner. Throughout the day I will keep well hydrated and also have a sneaky coffee or two or three....

Last night I met up with an old friend of mine (Sonne) who is majorly into the exercise & health world and he too supported the intermittent fasting idea and practices it. So it must be good for you right?

Blogged by: Megan

Treatment for Rosacea

 
Recently a middle aged man in my life (daddy-dearest) asked me to do some research on Rosacea and the treatment of this skin disorder through natural remedies. He does not necessarily have Rosacea himself but does experience some redness and dryness in his upper cheeks, like myself, so I set about some research on the web and created a face-paste (similar to my Tumeric face mask) as well as a night cream.

Symptoms and signs of rosacea include:

• Areas of redness on your face
• Small red bumps or pustules on your nose, cheeks, forehead, and/or chin
• Small blood vessels on your nose and/or cheeks (called telangiectasia)
• Tendency to flush or blush

Resource: http://altmedicine.about.com

Worsening Symptoms of Rosacea:

• Sun Exposure
• Stress
• Hot weather
• Drinking alcohol
• Spicy foods
• Exercise
• Wind
• Hot baths
• Hot drinks
• Cold weather 

Resource: http://dermatology.about.com

Below I would like to share with you the two quick recipes I cooked up :)

1. Tumeric face paste - Helps to reduce redness and soothes skin

To be applied daily to problem areas, left on for 10-15 minutes then washed off with a hot face cloth.

1. Put 1/2 cup of water to boil
2. Once boiling sift 1/8 cup of Tumeric to boiling water
3. Constantly stir till a thick paste is formed (Can take around 5-10 minutes)
4. Then add 1 Tbsp of Virgin Coconut Oil and mix through
5. Sift through 1 tsp of Rice flour to thicken

NB: Remembering to constantly stir is the key here!

Why Tumeric is useful in treating Rosacea:

Although the exact reason behind onset of Rosacea is not yet known, doctors claim that inflation of facial blood vessels initiates the unusual redness of skin. The pimples are caused due to clogged skin pores and bacterial infection. Anti-inflammatory and antibacterial qualities of turmeric fight these skin problems and regular use of it checks the relapse of the skin disease. Hence, use of turmeric is a safe and handy method for controlling rosacea.

Resource:http://www.ifood.tv

2. Coco Butter & Jojoba skin protector - creates a protective barrier on the skin to keep moisture in
To be applied daily before going to bed

1. Put 100g Cocoa Butter and 50g Beeswax pellets into a double boiler
2. Stir until both ingredients have compeltely melted.
3. Stir through gently 100 ml of Jojoba Oil
4. Pour into glass jar and leave lid off till completely cooled

About the ingredients

Beeswax. Beeswax acts as a humectant and is found in numerous body and lip balms. It helps lock in moisture in the skin and provides protective coating from the environment, making it a great alternative to petroleum jelly. It also has anti-inflammatory and anti-bacterial properties and is often used with other skin care ingredients to treat eczema and psoriasis.
Cocoa butter. Cocoa butter is a centuries-old treatment for dry skin. It is considered an occlusive that provides a coating on the skin, creating a protective barrier and slowing the natural escape of moisture from the skin. It also helps relieve irritation and inflammation of the skin and therefore is good for conditions like eczema. Cocoa butter is often used to fade scars and stretch marks.
Jojoba oil. Jojoba oil, which is similar to human sebum, acts as a humectant and creates a protective coating over the skin to help keep moisture in. It is used quite often in aromatherapy because it doesn’t go rancid like vegetable oils. It also doesn’t clog pores and is not greasy. Jojoba oil contains vitamin E, an antioxidant that protects against free radical damage, a cause of premature skin aging. It helps improve skin elasticity and has been used for skin disorders like eczema, psoriasis, and  Rosacea.

Resource: http://multiculturalbeauty.about.com

Addicted to Sweatcamp!

I used to think of the concept of Bootcamp as ex-army buffs screaming at you as you trudge through tires, belly crawl under nets, drag weighted objects through swamps all while the rain is pouring down and chilling you to the core. However after finally accepting I had put on a little extra padding than I would have liked to over the winter, and the gym just not cutting it anymore, I decided to give it a go. Needless to say I was definitely nervous turning up to my first session of Sweatcamp where I discovered the reality was a lot less scary. Now three months in, and 5kgs lighter, I am hooked!

Every Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday I head along to our “sweaty sessions” where our trainer Anna puts us through a variety of different exercises each time that challenges yet another part of our body. One week we even played Cardio Monopoly!

This variety along with sound nutritional advice, support of your fellow campers, Anna's constant positivity, fortnightly fitness tests and even motivational updates on their Facebook page has made Sweatcamp such an enjoyable and awesome experience. Best of all I am getting results! Added benefits I have noticed include sleeping so much more easily, increased energy, better balance and of course meeting a great group of people. I have also ditched the hungover visits to the golden arches and dipping my hand into the always full lolly jar at work, talk about will power!

Enjoying a mini treat after a particularly sweaty cardio session!

If you want to find out more about Sweatcamp NZ, visit their website: www.sweatcamp.co.nz and remember to never let your fears stop you from trying something new!

Tumeric - My new Super Spice!

 So the last few days I have been experiencing dry skin on my upper cheeks and there is nothing that frustrates me more than having issues with my skin. So I did a bit of research on home remedies especially face masks and came across many articles that suggested Tumeric as a cure for not only dry skin but also (apparently) quote 'helps the treatment of acne blemishes, blackheads, dark spots and hyperpigmentation and other skin conditions like eczema and psoriasis. It helps heal and prevent dry skin, and to slow the skin aging process, and is used to diminish wrinkles, keep skin supple and improve skin’s elasticity. Tumeric is also being used as an ingredient in sunscreens. It is used daily by East Indian women as a facial cleanser and exfoliant.' http://multiculturalbeauty.about.com.

I am convinced immediately! PLUS my latest fad in cooking is highly South East Asian inspired (my 'boss' is from Pakistan and this influences me everyday more), so I love the fact that I can bring this spice into other areas of my life LOL. Apparently Thandie Newton places a sprinkle of Tumeric in her daily moisturiser and works a treat for her! SO I ignored all the warnings for white woman trying these face masks may cause yellow staining to skin HAHA and produced the following:

Tumeric face mask for dry skin & colour lift:

1 Tbsp of Rice flour (because I have become a normal flour snob as of late)
1/4 tsp of Tumeric powder
2 Tbsp of Coconut Oil

Method:

1. Mix flour and Tumeric together
2. Chuck in the Coconut Oil, which at first is hard so you need to mix this well till it creates a thick paste.
3. Apply to the skin CAREFULLY! The paste may crumble a bit so make sure you are doing it in a suitable place ie. not infront of the mirror in the garage with a white carpet underneath = yellow stains hmm NOT GOOD!
4. Leave on for 15 minutes and then wash off with a DARK coloured hot face cloth.

NB: Excuse the rank photo but this is just after taking the mask off and with no make up ;)

FEELING GOOD?

Blogged by: Megan