Tag: detox

Brush Your Way To Better Skin


A few months ago, I became interested in “dry brushing”. Now that I’m in my 40s (*gads!*) it takes more effort to make my skin look its best. This means eating clean, drinking lots of water, NOT tanning, moisturizing regularly, etc. Dry brushing is purported to promote healthier skin by removing dead skin cells on the surface of the skin, allowing it to breathe and absorb more nutrients. It also stimulates and increases skin cell production, stimulates the lymphatic and circulatory systems, and boosts your immune system. The gentle pressure and brushing sensations are said to have a calming effect; increasing your blood flow reduces stressed areas of the body and stimulates nerve endings in your skin which in turn rejuvenates your nervous system. Last but not least, dry brushing supposedly reduces cellulite by increasing blood circulation to the skin, helping to break down and release toxins that cause cellulite in legs and hips.

This I had to try.

I went on line (amazon.com) and purchased a Yerba Prima Tampico Skin Brush. If you’re going to try dry brushing, you want a natural bristle brush or loofah. Look for bristles that are made from plant fibers. Synthetic bristles can be too harsh and cause irritation. The brush I chose has a removable handle so you can use it in the palm of your hand, or use it with the handle for harder to reach areas like your back.

So how do you do it? It’s best to dry brush when you first wake up in the morning, before you jump in the shower. Here is the recommended dry brushing process:

1. Start with your feet, moving in soft circular movements (always moving towards the heart) first on the bottom of the feet, and then on the top.
2. Work up each leg, one at a time, first the back of the leg (using the same soft circular, always towards the heart, movements) up through the buttock and then the front of the leg. Avoid any delicate skin, like the skin on the insides of the thighs.
3. After you are finished with the lower half, start at the fingertips of one arm; move up the arm (palms of hands, back of hands, forearm, bicep) and towards the heart. Repeat on other arm.
4. Move to the back working your movements towards your stomach, starting and finishing with one side of the back and then the other.
5. When you get to your stomach, start at your lower abdomen and work your way up (make sure to steer clear of delicate areas like the nipples) and end at your chest in an upward stroke.
6. Rinse off and shower as normal.

Skin brushing Tips:
1. Avoid the face! While dry brushing is excellent for exfoliating skin, this body brush will be too rough for the delicate skin on your face.
2. It’s sometimes best to dry brush in the shower (with the water off) since there may be a lot of dead skin brushed off.

How often should you dry brush? For best results dry brush at least two times a week.

I started looking into some of the grand claims of dry brushing. It DOES get rid of dead skin cells, increase circulation (as a brisk walk would) and help the lymphatic system work better, and decrease bloating (as a massage would). However, the grander claims are more suspect. Even if done religiously over time, will dry brushing reduce the appearance of cellulite? Experts like Dr. Carolyn Jacob, a dermatologist in Chicago, feel probably not. Why? Cellulite is a complex problem that involves thin skin and the kind of fibrous bands holding in women’s fat. Dry brushing “won’t change fibrous bands at all,” Dr. Jacob said — a dagger to the hearts of women with cottage-cheese thighs. Twisting the dagger, Dr. Jacob cautioned that avid dry brushers put their skin at risk for inflammation, redness and an eczema-like itchy rash.

So is dry brushing for you? As long as you don’t have any severe skin irritation (acne, rash, eczema, open sore/cut, etc.), I say yes. It is an invigorating way to start the day, and it really does make your skin feel smooth and healthy.

Why Dieting is the Worst Idea Ever



Many of my friends choose to start diets on January 1. There are varying opinions on this philosophy, some saying it’s good to have comradery since everyone else is doing it, others saying it’s not a good idea. But I found this article and thought the author’s perspective was unique. I hope you enjoy it.

BY Amanda Christian
Published on MindBodyGreen January 3, 2013

For a solid decade of my life, I dieted, lost weight, gained it back, tried a new diet, hated myself, became body obsessive and completely lost my intuitive sense of when I was actually hungry. When I finally tried what felt like every diet, and lower self-esteem was the only consistent result, I knew there had to be a better way.

I reached the point where the thought of a diet was more painful than the thought of getting honest with myself. This is when I stopped dieting.

What followed was a journey back to my true self, freedom, and a connection with my inner guide.

Below are some reasons to hop on an inner journey this year instead of another diet:

1. They are not based on your intuition.

Why would you want anyone else to tell you what and when to eat over your own intuitive knowing? Don’t look to anyone else to tell you what is right for you. When you really take note of how you feel after eating certain foods, you will naturally gravitate towards ones that nourish you. Let your intuition shine here.

2. They are often used as punishments for what you have eaten .

Food is not supposed to be stressful. Telling yourself you will start to eat “healthy” on January 1st implies an all-or-nothing mentality. There is no such thing as “good” eating days and “bad” eating days; it’s just food.

Since when did food have the power to dictate a good or bad day? You are giving that slice of cake all the meaning it has for you. No matter what you eat, make a firm decision that you will not punish yourself for it.

3. They are often very complicated .

Who really wants to count calories or weigh out portions? Eating is simple; eat what your body wants when you are hungry, and stop when you are satisfied. When you want to eat when you are not hungry, chances are there is a feeling or thought to look at and release instead.

I spent years using food to suppress my feelings, but what I have realized is that to feel them instead is not nearly as scary as we tell ourselves it will be.

4. They breed feelings of deprivation, which frequently leads to overeating .

And then the overeating leads right into some serious self-loathing and feelings of failure. All the sudden you find yourself back at #2 above. The good news is this is just a mental pattern you can change! You are innocent, beautiful and deserving of peace and happiness no matter what you do, say, eat or think.

Do not listen to the voice that tells you otherwise. Tell yourself often that you deserve happiness and love. You don’t even have to believe it. Just repeat it, but with enough repetition, eventually you will believe it.

5. Constantly doing things you don’t enjoy causes stress .

Planning out what and how much you are going to eat everyday can be stressful. I used to feel like I was in a food prison. I was scared to do anything out of my routine in case I would not be able to stay on my diet.

I often skipped social activities with my friends because I didn’t want to be tempted. This is not love; this is fear.

The truth is, you are not your body, you just have one. The body is a limit and you are limitless. Don’t wait for the promise of a diet to compel you towards change. The outer is a result of your thoughts. Set the intention to change your mind, and the body will follow. We give diets and food all the power they have for us, so this year, lets practice taking it back.

Dive into your thought system and look at the web of illusions you tell yourself about yourself. This is when our inner guides come forward and show us how to release these beliefs.

Just be willing, and the resources that you need will come to you. It might seem uncomfortable at first, but trust me; the freedom on the other side is more than a diet will ever offer you.

Day 15 of the Lemon Water Chocolate Diet



It started out as all diets do: good intentions and a lot of drive. But five days at a trade show last week made that all come to a screeching halt. Not that I didn’t try. I even brought Fiji water, 6 lemons and Endangered Species Chocolate WITH me to the show. Still, I fell off the wagon. Didn’t even make it through the first day. Trade shows do that to me.

Now I’m home and determined to jump back into my plan. I even have lemons at work, so no excuses. Have I even discovered anything so far from my weird diet experiment? Actually, I have. Drinking lemon water first thing in the morning isn’t as bad as I thought it would be. It’s kind of refreshing. And I really think it influences me to make better food choices throughout the day. I’m not sure why, and I’m pretty sure it’s a psychological affect. Perhaps forcing myself to do something ‘healthy’ first thing in the morning gets me in the mindset to keep making healthy choices throughout the day. Time will tell if this trend continues.

The chocolate also has an interested affect. It eliminates the craving for junk food in the evening. While those around me are snacking on ice cream, cookies and cake, I can eat an ounce of chocolate and not feel deprived. I thought I would eat the chocolate and THEN want the cookies and ice cream, but that’s not the case. The chocolate fulfills the need for ‘something bad’ (even though it’s actually good for you) and keeps me from actually wanting the other junk food. Not sure if this one is psychological or an actual physical reaction. But I’d tell anyone wanting to control their diet, especially when it comes to snacking in the evening, give this a try.

Have I lost weight? Honestly I’m afraid to even weigh myself after that trade show. Give me a week, and I’ll check. Not that I’ll share those numbers (only my cats and I know my weight, and I even try to hide it from them). But I will tell you if it went up or down.

The Lemon/Chocolate Experiment: Day 1



I started my “Lemon Chocolate Experiment” a little more than 24 hours ago. So far, so good. I even noticed some ‘results’, be they psychological or not.

First let me clarify what I am doing and why. Every morning upon waking, I drink a cup of warm water with the juice of ¼ lemon. I don’t consume anything else for at least half an hour. Then later in the day or evening, I consume 1 oz. of organic dark chocolate. Why am I doing this? I’m constantly seeing articles about new health fads: the quinoa diet, the coconut oil diet, etc. Two that consistently pop up are the lemon water thing and the dark chocolate. I’ve researched both, and both seem to have some legit scientific backing.

The supposed benefits of the lemon water include: weight loss, improved digestion, boosts immune system, balances pH (reduces acidity in your body), clears your skin, acts as a diuretic, relieves respiratory problems, freshens breath, reduces stress, helps kick the coffee habit, hydrates the lymph system, boosts energy, flushes toxins from your liver and kidneys, suppresses appetite, reduces cellulite (because it increases blood flow to the skin and helps your body flush out waste), boosts your body’s ability to metabolize fat, and lowers your risk for heart disease, strokes, cataracts and gout because of the high amount of vitamin C. With all those claims, how could you NOT want to try it?!

I started out with ¼ lemon in one cup of water. I think by the weekend I will up it to ½ a lemon since it’s not as sour tasting as I thought it would be. And right now, I’m only doing it in the morning. The recommendation is if you weigh less than 150 pounds, squeeze the juice of one half a lemon (one ounce) into a glass of purified water and drink this mixture twice a day (one whole lemon a day.) If you weigh over 150 pounds, squeeze the juice out of an entire lemon (two ounces) into a glass of purified water and drink this mixture twice a day (two whole lemons a day.) The lemon juice can be diluted more according to taste.

I actually find that I’m looking forward to my lemon water when I wake up. It’s refreshing, and makes me feel like I’m doing something good for my body. I’ve found that I make better food choices during the day. I’m sure this is all psychological. And hey, it’s only been a little over a day.

On to the chocolate. There are many more articles out there about the benefits of eating dark chocolate. And the claims are just as numerous. They include weight loss, improved heart health, improved cognitive function, helps control blood sugar, has antioxidants (even more than the ‘superfruits’ acai, pomegranate, cranberry, and blueberry) which help fight free radicals, contains theobromine which helps harden tooth enamel, has anti-inflammatory properties, lowers cholesterol, stimulates endorphin production, contains serotonin, which acts as an anti-depressant and even has cancer fighting abilities. Like I needed an excuse to eat chocolate in the first place?! BUT it must be noted that none of this applies to milk chocolate, white chocolate or even some of the lame dark chocolate. These claims apply only to dark chocolate with high cacao (65% or greater) and low sugar levels.

But what about the fat in chocolate? Some of the fats in chocolate do not impact your cholesterol. The fats in chocolate are 1/3 oleic acid, 1/3 stearic acid and 1/3 palmitic acid:

•Oleic Acid is a healthy monounsaturated fat that is also found in olive oil.
•Stearic Acid is a saturated fat but one which research is shows has a neutral effect on cholesterol.
•Palmitic Acid is also a saturated fat, one which raises cholesterol and heart disease risk.

That means only 1/3 of the fat in dark chocolate is ‘bad’ for you.

I chose Endangered Species Chocolate for my experiment. I chose this brand because I like their ingredients (low sugar, high cacao content), it’s reasonably priced, part of the line is organic, they donate to animal causes/conservation efforts, oh and it tastes good. I decided for this experiment I would eat 1 oz a day. It was hard to find a recommendation for how much to eat a day, but 1 oz seemed reasonable. The big ESC bars are 3 oz, so this made it easy for me to divide it into thirds. The nutrition content for 1 oz. breaks down as follows:

Calories: 140 Total Fat: 12 (saturated 7.3, trans 0) Cholesterol: 0 Sodium: 0
Total Carbs: 14 (dietary fiber 3.3, sugars 8 ) Protein: 1

This is not something that was gonna kill my diet. The first day I made the mistake of leaving the chocolate bar on my desk all day. There it was. Staring at me. Saying “eat me!!”. Or maybe that was the PMS talking (sorry, TMI). I finally put it into my work bag and didn’t think about it again until later that night. My boyfriend HAS to eat some kind of dessert every night. And he never gains weight. It’s so frustrating. So last night as he was looking to devour a quarter of a chocolate cake with peanut butter icing, I grabbed my chocolate bar and started gnawing on it. I’m a fan of dark chocolate to begin with, so the slight bitterness is okay with me. The fact that it doesn’t have a lot of sugar, oils or other gooey junk that instantly melts in your mouth means it takes longer to chew….longer to savour. You spend more time eating an ounce of dark chocolate than you would popping three Hershey’s Kisses into your mouth. It’s an experience. I finished my last delicious bite just as he was finishing his last bite of the giant cake wedge. And I felt satisfied. I didn’t feel slighted or cheated because I didn’t have the cake. I felt GOOD. I had eaten my dessert, enjoyed it, and didn’t feel bloated or guilty. I could get used to this! In summary, the dark chocolate made me avoid making a poor food choice, gave me an enjoyable dessert experience, and had a positive impact on my mood. To me, it was a win-win.

Let’s see what happens over the next 29 days…..

Summer – Sexy & Smoothies

Smoothie
Smoothie

Summer means shorts, bikinis and generally showing more skin. I’m overly conscious about my weight all year, but it’s less practical to cover up with an oversized sweatshirt in the summer. So this time of year I really try to watch what I eat and improve my diet (ironically as I write this, an employee comes in and puts a chocolate cupcake on my desk….*sigh*). Smoothies are a great way to get more fruits and vegetables into your diet. Protein smoothies derived from natural sources are an excellent component of wholesome eating.

Fruit and veggie smoothies are easy. You can pretty much throw any appealing combination of them into a blender with some ice and you have an instant tasty treat. Fruits are a natural source of energy. They also provide vitamins, antioxidants, and minerals. The antioxidants in fresh fruits help combat pollutants and harmful substances in the body. Adding fruits to your drinks and smoothies is a great way to boost your energy levels and help your body get rid of toxins. Fruits are also rich in many vitamins such as C, E, A and B-complex.

I personally find that protein smoothies sustain me longer and can make a healthy meal substitute. Protein sources can be any kind of nut butter (all natural – no added hydrogenated oils or sugar), whey protein, tofu, tahini (especially for folks on a raw diet) and yogurt.

And try adding wheat germ or ground flax seed to your smoothies. They contain essential fatty acids that are good for the heart. They also provide dietary fiber to help the body flush out toxins and prevent colon cancer and digestive problems. Vitamin E in wheat germ and flax seed nourishes and rejuvenates the skin. Healthy omega-3 fatty acids in these foods help lower blood pressure and cholesterol levels.

If you feel the need to splurge, you can make a dessert smoothie without sabotaging your diet. A base of either ice cream or sherbet can make a smoothie go from delicious to decadent.

Melissa’s Favorite Smoothie – I usually make this for breakfast and it keeps me feeling full all morning
1 ripe banana
1 T. natural peanut butter
1 c. milk
1 scoop protein powder (optional)
4 ice cubes

Shove it all in a blender and blend until smooth. If you need a chocolate fix, add a squirt of Hershey’s syrup before blending.
The Wrinkle Fighter – This berry-based beautifier will get a thumbs-up from your dermatologist for its skin-smoothing combo: anti-aging vitamin E from wheat germ, sun-damage- fighting omega-3 fatty acids from flax seed, and vitamin C from berries. Vitamin C is essential for making collagen, tissue that literally holds your skin together and reduces the appearance of fine lines. Plus, the oleic acid (a type of monounsaturated fat) in avocado has been linked to reducing wrinkles. (courtesy of Women’s Health)

1 c blueberries
1 c pitted cherries
1/2 c strawberries, hulled
1/4 avocado, peeled and pitted
2 Tbsp wheat germ
2 Tbsp ground flax seed
1/2 c plain low-fat yogurt
1 c ice

Makes 3 servings. Per serving: 153 cal, 5.6 g fat(1 g sat), 23 g carbs, 35 mg sodium, 5 g fiber, 6 g protein

The Immunity Builder – Loaded with boosters like beta-carotene and vitamin C from mango, cantaloupe, and pineapple, this smoothie primes your infection-fighting army for action. Vitamin C increases the production of white blood cells and antibodies. Finally, the duo of almonds and almond milk delivers plenty of defense-fortifying zinc. (courtesy of Women’s Health)

1 c peeled, pitted, cubed mango
1 c chopped cantaloupe
1/2 c cubed pineapple, fresh or canned
1/3 c ground almonds
1/2 c unsweetened almond milk
1 c ice

Garnish with sliced almonds after blending.

Makes 3 servings. Per serving: 150 cal, 6.8 g fat (0.5 g sat), 22 g carbs, 41 mg sodium, 4 g fiber, 4 g protein

Detox Smoothie – This recipe is definite to cleanse your liver and flush out the toxins in the bowel and bladder, leaving you feeling rejuvenated.

1 cup papaya (not too ripe) cubed
1 cup watermelon, deseed and cubed
1/2 cup beetroot juice
1 tablespoon of spirulina

Add all ingredients to blender and blend until smooth.

Adult Indulgence Smoothie – Banana Colada (sometimes you just want a fun smoothie)

2 ripe bananas, mashed
4 fluid ounces cream of coconut
6 fluid ounces rum
4 fluid ounces banana liqueur
3 cups crushed ice

In a blender, combine bananas, cream of coconut, rum, banana liqueur and ice. Blend until smooth. Pour into glasses and serve.