Your Epidermis Is Showing!

Yes, your epidermis is certainly showing, so why not make it glowing? The last few months I have been working on making my skin radiant, and I'm feeling a great improvement! Unfortunately I still have bad skin days, but they are due to my own negligence. 

I will be talking about acne in this post, but other skin condition sufferers with problems such as eczema and psoriasis can listen up as well. First of all, I'd like to get this out there, what you eat DOES affect your skin. You can tell me until you're blue in the face that what you eat has nothing to do with pimples because it is all hormonal, but I will not (completely) agree with you. Yes, hormone imbalances DO cause acne, I can speak from experience, but the reason we get hormone imbalances in the first place is due to something we are lacking nutritionally. Unfortunately it is not always easy to identify what's up, and it requires much patience and efforts. 

You may not be able to completely cure yourself of acne, but you can definitely help improve your skin through your diet. Your skin is the largest organ in (on) your body, and the largest excretory one. When your liver, kidneys, and bowel get overloaded with toxins, your skin offers a helping hand to help get rid of them by causing acne breakouts. If you suffer with gut issues, consider treating them first. With acne and other skin conditions, you need to start from within, and work your way out.

First of all, ALKALIZE!! Start your day with half a lemon in a glass of water to stimulate your liver and alkalize your system. This will also kick start your digestive system for the day (which will help with detox). Drink lots of alkaline water all day, at least 2L. Eat a whole foods diet, avoiding sugar and refined, prepackaged foods (both very acidic). Avoid all stimulants such as coffee and chocolate. Stay away from toxins such as cigarettes, drugs, and alcohol, as well as un-natural body care and household products. Eat as many veggies and leafy greens as you can to get lots of antioxidants in.

See this link for a list of alkaline and acidic foods: http://www.alkaline-diet-health-tips.com/alkaline-foods/alkaline-food-list 

Okay so enough ranting. The real reason I wanted to post about skin today is that I am in love with some completely, 100% natural DIY beauty care products from your kitchen cupboards, and I want to share them with you! This skin care regime is suitable to anyone and everyone providing you are not allergic to any of the ingredients.

My #1 favourite skin care product is coconut oil! It works miracles and if I had known about this beautiful oil ten years ago, I would have saved myself a lot of money and avoided prescription drugs from the Dr. All you do is splash your face with warm water to open your pores, take a pea-sized amount of coconut oil and rub it all over your face. Rinse lightly with cool water to close the pores and leave just enough on to keep your face moisturized and soft all day. Pat with a towel to dry. This really works!! It's that simple. One product, one ingredient, 100% natural.

A couple of times a week it is good to exfoliate. I use good old fashioned baking soda (alkalizing!) and a bit of water to form a paste. Rub it around your face for a few minutes to get rid of flaky skin. This is a nice, not too abrasive, and completely natural product right out of your pantry. Cheap too!

And lastly for all you who enjoy doing facials, I have a wonderful face mask recipe from a friend that you will love.

1/4 cup ground rolled oats- draws out impurities from your skin
2 tbsp of plain yogurt, Saugeen Counrty is a very healthy brand, the only one I eat now- exfoliates
1 tbsp unpasteurized honey- moisturizes and heals blemishes

Mix all the ingredients together and store leftovers in the fridge to use for the week or enjoy the rest as a snack. Leave the mask on for 15 mins to have amazingly smooth soft skin! Finish with a thin layer of coconut oil to keep the moisture in.

This is what keeps my skin the healthiest. I've never had better skin, and I've been able to stop using harsh, toxic cleansers and treatments to keep pimples away. I hope you give these things a try, and I hope they work for you as they have for me!

Every storm cloud runs out of rain....except in Nanaimo

Today is dull and rainy, as it often is in Nanaimo. Don't get me wrong, I love it here, and it is one of the most beautiful areas of Canada that I have been, but as a result, I'm feeling a little dull myself. Which is a bit of a blow after an amazingly beautiful weekend spent with friends picnicking on the beach, perusing markets and hiking through local parks..... One of my friends was laughing at me as we were collecting shells on the beach, "what's with you today? You're super happy!" and I jokingly replied that I'm like a flower that blossoms in the sunshine. But it wasn't that much of a joke because it had a lot of truth to it! I thrive in the sun, I feel alive and happy and healthy. I guess that's why I dislike winter so much and love to get away to sunny destinations :) 

Why is it that the weather can affect us so much anyways? I think Vitamin D is my favourite vitamin. (I know, who has a favourite vitamin anyways?) But really, its only because of its association with the sun :) My Canadian friends can especially appreciate where I'm coming from. A winter without a get-away is nearly unbearable. Even a week's vacation to Mexico or the likes is enough of that lovely bright yellow thing to get us through the long 6 months of cold, dark days. Really, as my mother often says, winter get-away's should be a tax deduction for us because its saving on health care costs. It actually is. Being in the sun, relaxing, is helping us unwind and de-stress from our crazy lives, and is giving us a big dose of the much needed vitamin D. As a result, we come back healthier (despite a few too many piña coladas) and ready to keep on keeping on until summer arrives. 

That brings me to one of my favourite topics: stress. Stress is a HUGE factor in our health. More than most realize. When we're stressed, our "fight or flight" response kicks in. This means that more blood is pumped to certain organs, over-working them. So where does that extra blood come from? Well, let's say a grizzly is chasing you. Do you really need to digest that banana you just ate, or do you need to run for your life? You need to run! So the blood flow to your digestive system slows right down and increases in your muscles and heart allowing you to run faster and further. When we are under constant stress, our body systems aren't getting the proper blood and nutrient supply they need, so our digestive system slows and suffers, (this is just an example, any system(s) may suffer), thus making us have all sorts of problems. Solution? We need to minimize our stress and cope with the rest in healthy ways such as getting outside in the sunshine and fresh air, exercising, journaling, talking it out, whatever works for you!

Okay, I realize I am a bit off topic from where I started, but my point was, I love the sun, and we should all take advantage of it when its out. It's a great source of vitamin D, and nature's feel-good gift to us!

Super-foods

There are hundreds of super-foods out there, we've all heard the term. What is a super-food exactly? I just think of it as a food that has a lot of extra special things about it.

My favourites are:

Lemons- high in Vitamin C and antioxidants, and alkalizes your body! I juice half of one every morning into a glass of water and drink that before I have anything else. This is the healthiest way you can start up you body with each day to get everything flushed out, clean, and ready for food to come.

Hemp- hemp seeds are one of the few vegetarian sources of a complete protein.The type of protein in hemp is similar to the protein in our bodies which makes it much easier for your body to digest and absorb than other types of proteins. Not only that, it is high in fiber and contains a good amount of omega 3 and 6 essential fatty acids. It also has heaps of vitamins and minerals too. 

Chia- another favourite seed of mine! Similar to hemp, it's full of protein, fiber, and omegas. Actually, chia is also a complete protein. It has 8x more omega 3 than salmon, 4x the antioxidants than blueberries, 5x more calcium than milk, 7x more Vitamin C than oranges, 3x more iron than spinach, 2x more potassium than a banana... must I go on? One tip with chia, it is best to grind or soak the seed to get the all benefits. 

Quinoa- yet another complete vegetarian protein source. Quinoa is a South American grain (technically a seed) full of essential amino acids, dense with vitamins and minerals such as magnesium and calcium, fiber, and again our omegas. Quinoa has anti-inflammatory affects and helps regulate blood sugar. Plus it is gluten-free for anyone who is intolerant! What I also love about quinoa is that you can have it for breakfast, lunch, or dinner, as cereal, in salads, or as a grain like rice. You can even eat quinoa raw in its sprouted form!

Kombucha- This is a traditionally fermented drink that is becoming quite popular; I make it myself, but you can buy it in stores as well. (Kombucha is a bit controversial but I will tell you the rundown anyways and you can decide on your own what to think) Basically how it is made is with regular tea and white sugar, with a SCOBY (symbiotic colony of bacteria and yeast...gross? Kind of, but you get use to it and you don't eat that part!). The SCOBY feeds off the sugar and tea over a week or so and metabolize the most of the sugar (if not all) leaving you with a carbonated drink of fermented tea. The carbonation is part of the natural process unlike pop, which is made by carbon dioxide under high pressure. So why is this strange (but tasty) concoction good for you? 

To name a few reasons:
1. It's filled with probiotics- healthy bacteria that feed off unhealthy bacteria in your body which helps improve digestion
2. It alkalizes your body
3. Detoxes your liver and increases metabolism
4. May reduce kidney stones
5. May prevent cancer
6. Prevents grey hair (who knew?)

The list goes on. If you want to know more, ask me or go to http://www.kombuchakamp.com/health-benefits-of-kombucha I did mention that kombucha is a controversial drink, so I am providing you with another link that gives some myth busters about it. Personally, I'm still not completely convinced, but I do drink it and think it's a great refreshing drink with some good health benefits, but may not be all what people make it out to be. http://www.phoenixhelix.com/2013/03/25/kombucha-myths-vs-truths/

6 Human Needs

There are six needs that we as individuals have. The most fulfilled people are meeting as many as possible, especially the needs of the spirit.

Needs of Personality:

·         Certainty

o   Being assured that particular things will happen. For example, we can be certain that the sun will come up day after day. These are things that we don’t wonder if they will happen, we just know they will. We don’t need to worry whether they will or not.

·         Uncertainty

o   There are other things in life that we are glad are not certain. If we all knew who we were going to marry, or when we were going to die, we would be constantly trying to change things to make them happen sooner, later, or differently. If these things that are meant to be uncertain in our lives became certainties, we would have even more stress added on top of what is already there.

·         Significance

o   Knowing that we are fulfilling an important place in this world and in other people’s lives brings us a sense of satisfaction. People who feel insignificant often become sad, depressed and lonely.

·         Love/connection

o   Loving and feeling loved is vital. It is known that babies who are nurtured and cuddled and are closely connected with their mothers are healthy and thriving. This does not change as we grow older. Our relationships change, we make friends, we fall in love. The more we love and are loved, and connect with others, the happier and more fulfilled we generally are.

Needs of the Spirit:

·         Growth

o   If we did not grow and expand our lives, we would have no sense of achievement. We would not change; we would not learn new things. Our lives would be boring, and non-productive, with nothing to look forward to.

·         Contribution

o   Selfishness brings no joy. We need to contribute in some way to feel fulfilled. Whether this is in your faith, family, friends, community, or career, we all need to give. It is better to give than to receive, it truly gives us a sense of satisfaction.

Good Intentions vs. Positive Habits

Have you ever suddenly felt so motivated to do something that ideas and plans kept popping into your head one after the other, so much so that you could hardly wait for the next day to come for you to start? And then, the next day arrives. You roll over in bed, see the list you so excitedly formed the night before and think, really? Did I actually write this? And then you turn over and go back to sleep... 

We all have good intentions. Everyday I intend to be productive, organize life, eat healthy, exercise, the whole 9 yards, but what it actually comes down to a lot of the time is good intentions. You might have guessed by now that I'm having one of those motivational nights. You're right, and I don't want tomorrow to become another, was I crazy? kind of day. 

I read a quote today that I keep repeating over and over in my head that I want to remember each and every day. 

"Motivation is what gets you started, habit is what keeps you going." 

I love this. It's easy to start something, but to finish is a completely different story. Habits are often viewed as negative things, but we can form positive habits that set us up for life. They say it takes 21 days to make something a habit. I don't know how true that is, but what I do know is that 21 days is nothing in the big picture. Let's say this 21 day fact thing is true. 3 weeks. That means that after 3 weeks of putting great effort into something, the other 49 weeks of the year you can do that same task effortlessly. It's not so intimidating to think of it that way. It's completely doable. The satisfaction of getting to the point where if you don't do that certain thing means your day just isn't right, is such an amazing feeling to have. It's a wonderful achievement, and even if you're the only one who knows you did it, that's okay! 

What do you want to achieve? What's stopping you from starting? Here's to 21 days of perseverance!

My First Ever Blog Post!

This week I've started making changes in my life. One, is the extinction of my Facebook account. With that big step taken (yes, it was a big step) I've decided to continue making positive movements forward each day. Today I chose to start a blog. To compensate for loosing Facebook? Perhaps. But truthfully, I just want a little practice blogging for when I start my dream career as a Holistic Nutritionist. And maybe a little exposure to those who may want me as their personal natural nutritionist one day. :D

Lately I've been on a bit of a role in the kitchen. Trying new recipes for breakfast, lunch, and supper/dinner/tea (whatever you want to call it). It probably won't last, but it's been fun, and since I am still jobless after living in Nanaimo for 3 months, I've got to keep busy and be productive somehow. My favourite so far has got to be...actually I can't really decide because I've LOVED them all. I've  made Sweet Potato Cauliflower Soup, Thai Coconut Curry Soup, Raw Pad Thai, Spinach Lentil Beet Salad, and heaps, heaps more. If you want the recipes (which I know you do even if you don't) they're on my Pinterest page for you to check out. http://pinterest.com/tie125/tested-tried-satisfied/ That being said, I'm sitting here writing at quarter after six, and do not feel like cooking. Maybe it's because I used up all my fancy ingredients and only have boring ones left to come up with something worth eating. 

Something that has been causing me to crinkle my nose at lately is plastic water bottles. You know, Dasani, Aquafina, all them. Not the awesome Costco Contigo ones everyone sports these days. I love mine and am never seen without it. (Thanks to mama for replacing the one I dropped from my hostel bunk-bed in Australia) So why, you ask? Well I don't really need to explain if you just watch this video http://www.storyofstuff.org/movies-all/story-of-bottled-water/ Twice this month I had to drink bottled water because the campground I was staying at had no place to fill my side-kick Contigo. I felt horrible. Like a horrible, horrible person. I know it's a bit over-the-top, but I really felt guilty! All I could picture was the mountain of plastic residing in India, and I couldn't get those feelings to settle down. No, I'm not a tree-hugging hippie (although it's been mentioned that I am a bit of a hippie on the inside), but really, we live in North America, and have access to clean water everywhere. (Except Coeur d'Alene campgrounds.) Anyways, I'm sure we all have a reusable water bottle or two kicking around the house, so pretty please, use it!