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Posts Tagged ‘beautiful skin’

Save Your Skin, Carob Pudding and Stevia Giveaway!

Posted in Recent Posts, Recipes, tagged , , , , , , , , , , on January 8, 2010 | 9 Comments »

We have been talking a lot about pH, and how a healthy internal pH (neutral being 7.0 and slightly alkaline being above that) affects the whole body, including the beauty of our skin.  Start at this article to catch up.

However, eating an alkaline diet does not mean sacrificing the treats we love. Here is one recipe that I whipped this morning, while I was looking for the comfort of my childhood favorite– chocolate pudding.

So creamy. I chose raw carob because it is a caffeine free and more alkaline-forming food than cocoa.

Save Your Skin Carob Pudding Recipe: “pH estimate is bolded”

  • Meat of 1 young thai coconut (aprx 1/2 cup)    (slightly alkaline-forming)
  • 1/2 ripe avocado  (moderately alkaline-forming)
  • 5 tbsp of warm water  (N/A)
  • 7 drops of Vanilla NuNaturals NuStevia (you may use more for extra sweetness) (According to the books I am utilizing, it explains that Stevia is (moderately alkaline-forming) but that is brand dependent.  Sugar, on the other hand, is listed as being extremely acid-forming and artificial sweeteners– even worse!!!).  So once again, I vote Stevia!
  • 1 squirt agave nectar (optional)  (N/A –but probably slightly acid-forming)
  • 1 tbsp and 1 tsp carob powder  (slightly alkaline-forming)
  • 1 pinch sea salt (slightly alkaline-forming)

*These pH estimates were taken from the book entitled “Alkalize or Die” by Dr. Theodore A. Baroody.  In the book, Baroody assigns pH values to each food.  Considering it would be hard for us to depict the pH value of our organic/non-organic/etc. avocado, I made it simpler by correlating the given pH numbers assigned by the Dr. to their level of acidity/alkalinity.

The above recipe seems relatively alkaline-forming*.  Wouldn’t you agree?

Being that other chocolate flavored puddings contain artificial ingredients, pasteurized milks and creams, white sugar, and cocoa, which are all very acid-forming… the above Carob pudding wins by a landslide.  Even if you choose to add raw cocoa over the raw carob powder.

“Alkalize or Die” is quite interesting.  I would not walk away from it accepting all of the pH estimates as “absolute,”  but the information is right on, in theory-  and I guarantee that you would notice a difference in your overall health, if you followed his food pH guide.  Another book I use often is entitled “Home Test pH Kit” by Deborah Page Johnson, BFA.  Her book comes with litmus paper which lets you actually test your own pH.  Her findings are very similar to the findings of Dr. Baroody AND! You can see the results of your alkalinity or acidity on the paper. Pretty cool stuff, eh?

In addition, young thai coconuts and avocados are a wonderful source of digestible* fat.  ”Good” fats, like these (that are raw and not processed), are great for the body and skin.  They are extremely nourishing, which is why both ingredients are often present in natural facial creams and face washes.  *Even though this pudding is technically high in fat, when eaten in the right combination (see My Philosophy), you should not have any trouble digesting it.

Do you make any special foods or natural remedies/nourishment for your skin?

This little guy could be yours! Thanks to the amazing folks at NuNaturals!!

Remember!!!!  Don’t forget about the contest that ends on Monday the 11th at Midnight, for your chance to win Vanilla NuStevia by NuNaturals.  See contest rules here!!

What creative recipe would you make if you won?

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pH, Sugar, beautiful skin and Exciting NuStevia contest (giveaway)!

Posted in pH and The Body, tagged , , , , , , on January 7, 2010 | 75 Comments »

The average American consumes over 100 pounds of “white sugar” a year…

This amount does not include the amount of artificial sweeteners (like aspartame, saccharin and acesilfame-K) that are chemically processed and used to sweeten popular diet foods and soda pops. Particularly, sucralose (brand name, Splenda)– is produced by the chlorination of sugar.   Yum, chlorinated sugar. Not quite!

As discussed in the article, pH and The Secret to Beautiful Skin, Beautiful skin starts on the inside.  “Your pH and thus, your diet, is reflected in the health and overall appearance of your skin.”

If you remember from a previous article discussing acid and alkaline forming foods, White Sugar is HIGHLY ACID-FORMING. Even though, society tells us that “diet” and artificial sweeteners are better for dieters, or the “health conscious,” this is far from the case.  In fact, studies have show that these calorie-free alternative may be even more debilitating and just as, if not more, acid-forming than sugar itself.  YIKES!

Remember, we want to eat alkaline forming foods for a healthy body, and thus healthy glowing skin– sugar and artificial sweeteners are not part of this equation.

The good news!  There is an alternative to sugar and artificial sweeteners called Stevia*.  Stevia is a more pH-friendly (in fact, it can be alkaline-forming), non-caloric, “sweetleaf” or herb.  I love cooking with Stevia, and concocting creative beverages and sweet treats with it.  It is my favorite, “not-so-secret” ingredient and you are bound to find it in almost every one of my recipes.

the most amazing vanilla sweetener on the market :)

Delicious!

CONTEST (and free giveaway):

I have tried many brands of Stevia and have been loyal to NuNaturals amazing NuStevia products for years (they are hands down the best tasting stevia products on the market). Guess what!? The amazing folks at NuNaturals brand have very generously offered to award four (4) of my readers: one (1) Free box of their NuStevia™ 50 packet boxes, plus one(1) Free bottle of their NEW Alcohol Free Vanilla Stevia Liquid, 2 oz. Size ($21 value). How fun!! I am sure that you will absolutely love their products and they have no funny aftertaste like other Stevia products I have tasted.

Contest Criteria: It’s easy!

1.  Leave a comment with a creative or favorite recipe that you would like to make with your very own NuStevia products.  It can be an experimental recipe!  The Vanilla Liquid stevia is my personal favorite!

2.  The contest starts now, and will end at Midnight on Monday the 11th. I will choose my four (4) favorite recipes on Tuesday morning!  I will contact you first and then NuNaturals will send your prize directly to you!

Check out some of my recipes where I use stevia…  this Sweet Guacamole has been a hit.

even guests who swore they hated avocado loved this one!

SO… the challenge is on!  What would you make?

*Update:  I feel I must point out, while Stevia is a better choice than sugar and artificial sweeteners, in addition to being acceptable for diabetics, I do think the closer we can get to enjoying “basic” foods, supplied entirely by nature, is always better (i.e. using sweeteners like agave, dates and raw honey)… That being said, I do still use Vanilla NuStevia myself, and  use powdered NuStevia when cooking and in creating recipes for family and friends.  I recommend NuNaturals powdered NuStevia to everyone  using sugar and for those individuals looking for a “calorie-free” alternative to artificial sweeteners.  Powdered NuStevia includes maltodextrin, a food grade carbohydrate derived from grain.  I have found it to be easily digestible, in using it over the years.

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Detox the liver, Discover Beautiful Skin

Posted in Recent Posts, tagged , , , , , on January 5, 2010 | 2 Comments »

Detoxifying Herbs Part #1

Beautiful skin starts from within and radiates outward.

As I have discussed in the article entitled, pH and the Secret to Beautiful Skin, the skin is the body’s largest organ.  It is also the way in which the liver and kidneys remove toxins from our body.  Better through the skin than suffer from liver damage, yes?

The best thing we can do for our body and skin, is– of course, to enjoy a healthy diet (see My Philosophy) and not drink.  I come from a family of foodies, and thus have grown up around wine.  I am not ashamed to admit that, at twenty-three, I have grown to appreciate fine wine.

That being said.  Liquor (of all shapes and sizes) hurts the liver (amongst other things) and the thus, the liver undoubtedly has to work overtime to a) stay healthy and b) remove the toxins from the body.

Natural Herbs can be wonderful to help aid the liver in the removal of toxins by strengthening the liver’s cells.  Strong cells means stronger liver.  It is not a cure or replacement for not drinking.

milk thistle.

Two of the herbs I will briefly mention today, are Milk Thistle and Dandelion.

Milk Thistle is one of my favorite “detoxifying” herbs.  It offers protection to the liver by protecting the liver cells from toxic damage.

Dandelion (and no, I am not talking about those little guys that pop up in your front lawn) helps to detoxify the liver by aiding it in its ability to increase bile flow.  Bile is one of the ways the liver works to eliminate toxins.

There are many brands out there.  I have always liked Nature’s Way.

Dandelion.

Milk Thistle.

Have you ever used a supplement to improve your health?  If so… what?

Disclaimer:  Always talk to your doctor before supplementing or changing anything in your diet.

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pH and the Secret to Beautiful Skin

Posted in Beautiful SKIN, pH and The Body, tagged , , , , , , , , on January 3, 2010 | 6 Comments »

The skin is our body’s largest organ. The skin has many responsibilities.  One of them is to act as a backup organ for the liver and kidneys.

Freshly pressed cucumber juice is a wonderfully nourishing drink for your skin.  If you can, juice an organic cucumber with ginger and lemon, in the AM.

After a night of overindulgence, have you ever woken up to find that you:

  • Feel and look “puffy“?
  • Have a new blemish?
  • Are sporting dark raccoon eyes? (And not from your makeup…)
  • You are not smelling like a bed of roses?

Beautiful skin starts on the inside.

Your pH and thus, your diet, is reflected in the health and overall appearance of your skin. When the toxic load, and/or acid buildup, is too much for the kidneys and liver to manage, it looks to the skin to get rid it of the toxins.

Problem skin is your body’s way of warning you that something is not right…

Why does it do this?  Without jumping into a lengthy discussion about the body’s organs, imagine that your body has a special team working overtime to rid the body of toxins (acid buildup, from your night out, or a poor diet, etc).  The captains of this “toxin removal team” are the kidneys and liver.  The goal of this team is to get rid of the acid buildup before it can affect the vital organs, including themselves (i.e. heart, brain, pancreas, lungs, liver, kidneys).  When their is too much acid buildup for the kidneys and liver, they will send the toxins to the skin– hence your breakout and dark circles, instead of letting it affect the more vital organs.  I.e.  It is your body’s defense mechanism because what is worse: Acne or Kidney Failure?

Stayed tuned to as I uncover more secrets to beautiful skin…

What is your go-to skin care regimen, to prevent and treat, moody skin?

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