Masked

No clue where I found these, but they are great, here is another recipe for a home made mask, this one is for the eyes. Again, check for allergic reaction before you apply anything to your face. Since the eye area is sensitive, this might be a great mask to try with a friend.

2tsp. peeled, grated organic cucumber
1tsp. powdered milk

Mix into a paste, apply to closed eyes on the entire area, leave on for 10 minutes and rinse with warm water.

Masked

Oily Skin All Purpose Mask:
The recipe is a variation on the avocado mask specifically for dry skin. As always check and make sure you have no allergic reactions to any of the ingredients before applying mask to your face.

1/2 tsp. fresh lemon juice
1 tsp. dry black tea
1 tsp. clover honey
1 egg white
1/2 cup fresh strawberries
2oz. row acorn squash or pumpkin


Mash all ingredients, apply to face for 10-15 minutes, rinse off with warm water, pat dry.

Vdara

Just came back home from an amazing bachelorette weekend in the fabulous Las Vegas; we stayed at a new hotel spa: Vdara.  Highly recommend it for a relaxing sleep after a long night of the rowdy Vegas venues.

Get Your Spice Girls!

As far as food is concerned there is nothing worse than a bland dinner at the end of a long day, but  cooking while tired [and hungry] can be just as thrilling, the remedy: stocking up on spice-mixes to quickly flavor your meals, you can pick them up at any supermarket. My fave: Jamaican Curry Mix, Masala Mix, Wasabi Powder and Steak Seasoning. Throwing together a few ingredients of your choice and seasoning the hell out of it with the mixes results in a quick, scrumptious meal. So for those days when you want to eat well at home and skip the takeout menu try some quick stir-fry recipes:

Combine chopped veggies and boiled noodles in a wok, on medium heat.  Add a generous mix of seasoning, mix well and serve.

I use frozen pre-chopped veggies [zero prep work] and wheat pasta noodles, I boil those while I'm setting the table. Fastest meal I cooked took 5 minutes!

A Healthy Lunch That Satisfies the Naughty Side

There is too much bread and carbs in our lives, because they taste soooo good, but they are soooo bad in large quantities. Today I altered a basic recipe into a healthier one. So... My Cheese Tortellini & Broccoli Alfredo. Serves two.
1 serving of cheese tortellini
2 cups of fresh broccoli
1/2 serving of alfredo sauce
pinch or two of sea salt

Follow the serving size portions on your packaging

Boil the tortellini as usual, chop the broccoli into quarter coin size and steam for 2 minutes. Heat the sauce on low for 2 minutes in a wide pan, combine all ingredients in the pan used to heat up the sauce, stir for another minute until everything is evenly coated, add sea salt and serve.

The split between the servings makes all the difference in the amount of calories and carbs your take in while satisfying that craving for all things fattening. The tortellini and broccoli are just slightly coated with the sauce but still have that same great taste.

Girly Girl Nutrition

Looking our best is not just up to the contents of our closets, it predominately based on the contents of our refrigerators and pantry closets. Majority of women find themselves deficient of iron, calcium, magnesium, vitamin D, C and B-complex as well as essential fatty acids. Blood work is the key to finding out what your body is missing, but a simple evaluation of your diet can steer you in the right direction. Below is a list of foods that provide the needed nutrients to the femme body.

Iron:
whole grains, beans, seeds, nuts, raisins, wheat germ, dried apricots, egg yolks, oysters, red meat [raised with no antibiotics], vegetables and fortified cereals.

Calcium:
almonds, dark greens, dairy

Magnesium:
beans, nuts, whole grains, vegetables

Vitamin D*:
cod liver oil, fish oil, salmon, sardines, egg yolks, beef liver
* "it is difficult to ingest sufficient amounts of vitamin D from food sources alone"

Vitamin B*:
dark leafy greens, whole grains, nuts, seeds
* vitamin B can be depleted by stress

Vitamin C:
broccoli, peppers, citrus, strawberries, tomatoes

Essential Fatty Acids:
fish, walnuts, flaxseeds, dark leafy greens, omega3s and omega6s


source: Women's Health - Whole Body May 2010 Whole Foods Market, IP, L.P

Sun Worship

A friend sent this survey to me, when you have a spare moment, check it out.  As for the self-tanners, there is a rumor that they are just as bad for your skin, so use sparingly till further studies are done.

Grilling Is Good For You

While browsing for a new grill, I visited Weber.com, home of the famous red UFO-like grill.  Found some swagger: free guides, recipes and booklets to download.  Enjoy!

Steak Bootcamp


A rather almost insulting, but still full of good info: Girls Guide to Grilling

Grilling is Good for You!

The Good, The Bad and The Ugly Fats

The human body needs fat to function properly, what the human body doesn't need its the trans fat and the saturated fat.  How can you tell them apart from the monounsaturated and poly saturated fats? Here's a quick list:

Monounsaturated Fats: The Highly Beneficial
Avocados
Nuts: Almonds, cashews, hazelnuts, macadamia, pecans, peanuts and pistachios
Olives
Olive Oil
Peanut Oil
Sesame Seeds

Polyunsaturated Fats: The Good
Pumpkin Seeds
Sunflower Seeds
Corn Oil
Cottonseed Oil
Soybean Oil
Canola Oil
Fish: Anchovies, herring, mackerel, salmon, sardines and tuna
Flax seeds
Walnuts

Saturated Fats: The Bad
Bacon Grease
Butter
Coconut Oil
Palm Kernel Oil
Full-fat Dairy: Cream cheese, half & half, and ice cream
Meat and Poultry

Trans Fat: The Disgusting
Margarine
Nondairy Creamer
Partially Hydrogenated Vegetable Oils
Shortening
Fried Foods: Fries, doughnuts etc...

Food Revolution

Jamie Oliver is a breath of fresh air in the food culture, I write this as I chow down on a toaster oven pizza, ewww! What am I thinking? It is a vice I have to battle, but aside from the frozen-pizza-for-one, the remainder of my diet is excellent. I am a vegetarian, like a real one, most of the food I eat is raw veggies, sea weeds, bread so full of grains that it falls apart, cashews, almonds etc... Once in a while I have to have some dark chocolate and dismally, my childhood addiction - the plain, all cheese, Brooklyn style pizza.

It took me a while to get to this point, I had to educate myself on the level of poisons dumped into the food we eat daily. I ate school lunch everyday for 8 or 9 years; when I think about that I still get sick, that food is disgusting, and I had no clue. No one told me and I didn't ask.

Among the small army of my favorite chefs, health gurus and their books is Jamie Oliver.
Besides having superb vegetarian recipes, Jamie has a higher calling and that is to pass on the delicious, nutritious and healthy way of life.

Listen to Jamies TED talk then check out his petition and what it's all about and if you have some time left, pick a recipe for tonight's dinner. Bon Appétit!

Nutrition

Some basic facts:

- The caloric yield of carbohydrates is 4 calories per gram.
- Fats found in dairy and meat yield 9 calories per gram.
- Complete proteins: eggs and white or red meat [4 calories per gram]
- Incomplete proteins: beans [4 calories per gram]

- 1lbs of human fat = 3500 calories



source: BCC HWD

Face Mask

I learned this one, aw... about 12 years ago. It's for tightening pores. The recipe is:
1 egg yolk
1 teaspoon lemon [fresh squeezed]
3 drops of vitamin E oil

Mix together and apply to face, carefully avoiding the eyes. Keep on for 10 minutes, rinse with warm water.

Good Read...

Sophie Uliano has an 8 "simple step" solution to living your fabulous life a little... greener. Gorgeously Green is an easy read full of great advice about everyday living. Check it out!

Whiter Teeth

Twitter is fantastic for great info, here is an article by Karina Timmel from Health.com:

"The secret to this inexpensive home whitening method is malic acid, which acts as an astringent to remove surface discoloration. Combined with baking soda, strawberries become a natural tooth-cleanser, buffing away stains from coffee, red wine, and dark sodas. While it’s no replacement for a bleaching treatment at your dentist’s office, “this is a fast, cheap way to brighten your smile,” says Adina Carrel, DMD, a dentist in private practice at Manhattan Dental Arts in New York. “Be careful not to use this too often, though, as the acid could damage the enamel on your teeth.”

You need:
1 ripe strawberry
1/2 teaspoon baking soda

Directions: Crush the strawberry to a pulp, then mix with the baking soda until blended. Use a soft toothbrush to spread the mixture onto your teeth. Leave on for 5 minutes, then brush thoroughly with toothpaste to remove the berry–baking soda mix. Rinse. (A little floss will help get rid of any strawberry seeds.) Carrel says you can apply once a week."

Workout Pick and Choose

Women's Health magazine has an interactive custom workout page. Check it out!

Cucumber Madness!

According to a tweet by Good Health magazine, and i quote "Cucumbers contains silica, which improves the complexion & health of the skin. Plus, they're a good source of fiber, potassium, & magnesium."

For a simple but oh! so healthy salad, mix diced or sliced cucumbers with green seaweed, add some almond flakes and tah-dah! Bowl of delicious nutrition... effortlessly.

Radon

This is a very important thing to ask your landlord about [if you are renting] or if you own your home, take the appropriate steps to test your home. Radon is a radioactive gas that has no odor, taste or color and it is harmful. The website below provides important information about radon and how to protect yourself and your family.

http://www.epa.gov/radon/pubs/citguide.html