Would you be surprised to learn that spending a small fortune on beauty products is quite unnecessary? All of the ingredients you’ll ever need are in your kitchen or pantry cabinet.
Here are three ways in which you can use natural home beauty remedies in a flash.

Olive Oil: You cook and bake with it; but did you know you can use it in a variety of other ways? Because olive oil is chemical free, it can be used on your skin; as a bath oil, moisturizer, massager, and conditioner. For example: You can apply a mixture of olive oil and lemon juice to your skin before bedtime to reduce wrinkles and, at the same time, moisturize your skin. To strengthen your nails, soak them in warm extra virgin olive oil for five minutes. Massage your sore muscles with a mixture of extra virgin olive oil and rosemary. Apply olive oil to dry hair as an overall conditioner.  It will leave your hair smooth and shiny.

Oatmeal: Wouldn’t you love a facial? Get out the box of oatmeal from your cabinet and begin. This oatmeal facial will not only exfoliate, but moisturize your skin as well.  Here are the steps: Take out a package of instant oatmeal; add a half a cup of water; two tablespoons yogurt; two tablespoons of honey and one egg white. Mix the water and oatmeal, then add the additional ingredients. Apply a thin layer to your face. Leave it on for about 15 minutes or until you feel tightness; then rinse your face with warm water.

Dry Skin Brushing: Here is a technique that will leave you feeling refreshed and rejuvenated. Before taking a shower in the morning, use a brush or sponge and begin the dry skin brushing process to exfoliate dead skin cells, and improve your blood circulation. Here’s how to do it: While standing the shower with the water off, start at your feet and begin brushing in small circles toward the upper part of your body.  Then work your way down the back of your body to complete the process. Do not scrub hard, but apply even and light pressure.  After you have completed this procedure, take a shower.

You don’t have to spend a lot of money to enhance your beauty.  All of the natural remedies are at home and within your grasp.

 

For years, we’ve been told that to lose weight, you should have a low calorie, low fat diet.  Low-fat foods have been proclaimed to help prevent problems from heart disease to cancer.  The truth is: little research can be cited to support these facts.  The key isn’t to eat less fats, it’s to eat good fats.  But how do we know which fats are bad and which are good?  Here’s the skinny on the different types of fats.

Good Fats

Monounsaturated Fats.  These are the best fats for you.  Replacing saturated fats with monounsaturated fats has been shown to lower bad cholesterol without lowering good cholesterol.  You can find these helpful fats in most nuts, canola, olive, and sesame oil, and in avocados.

Polyunstaurated Fats.  These fats are still unsaturated, but not as good for you as monounsaturated fats.  While they have been shown to lower bad cholesterol, they also tend to lower good cholesterol at the same time.  These fats can be found in mayonnaise, walnuts, corn and soybean oil, and in salad dressings.

Omega 3 Fatty Acids.  These are a special type of polyunsaturated fat found in high fat fish and other nuts.  They not only have anti-inflammatory effects; they have also been shown to lower triglyceride levels and help prevent you from dying of a heart attack.
Bad Fats

Trans Fats.  These fats, also known as hydrogenated fats, are man made fats.  These were created to prolong shelf life of some foods. When looking for foods low in trans fat, be sure to check the ingredients list, not just proclamations on the box.  When something says it has “no trans fat” that actually means it has less that .4 grams. 

Saturated Fats.  Even though they are natural fats, saturated fats have been linked to higher levels of bad cholesterol and certain types of cancer.  Foods that contain saturated fat include: high fat meat and poultry, milk products, cheese and some oils.  Check labels; companies are required to tell you how much saturated fat is in a product.

Fats aren’t all bad; they make food taste better, have a better texture, and can help us absorb certain vitamins.  So when you’re trying to cut fat out of your diet, be sure to be selective.  Choosing the right fats will not only help you lose weight, it can prevent certain diseases and cancers.

Weight Watchers Diet Plan

The Weight Watchers Plan includes a lot of variety with no food being off limits.  The benefits of following the Weight Watchers Plan is that you go to group meetings.  Many members feel it is this support and motivation that keeps them focused on their weight loss goals.

The basis of the diet includes counting points on a daily basis.  Each food has a certain amount of allocated points.  Once you join Weight Watchers you will receive a book full of information and all the food points.  You will calculate your daily amount of points allowance based on your weight, height and gender.

You can also earn extra points for physical activity and exercise.  This is good because there is a strong emphasis on activity and exercise on the Weight Watchers Diet plan.

A study published in the April 2003 Journal of the American Medical Association found that dieters who followed a structured Weight Watchers program lost three times as much weight as those who used a variety of other diet methods.  It is worth to note this study was supported by Weight Watchers.

The diet claims to work because no foods are restricted and the decisions of food choices are left in the hands of the dieter, which gives them ultimate control.  As long as you use all your points on a variety of different foods this diet is healthy.  The problems arise when dieters save their points for drinking alcohol or chocolate.  This is okay in moderation and as long as you’re ensuring that you’re eating a wide variety of foods.

 

Corn and Sweet Potato Soup

Ingredients:

1 tablespoon olive oil
1 onion, finely diced
2 garlic cloves, crushed
7 ½ cups of vegetable stock
2 teaspoons ground cumin
1 medium sweet potato diced
1 lb corn kernels (fresh or frozen)
Salt and ground black pepper
Lime wedges to serve

Instructions:

Heat the oil in a large soup pan and gently fry the onion until soft (approximately 5 minutes).  Add the garlic and gently fry for another 2 minutes.  Add 1/14 cups of vegetable stock to the pan.  Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer for 10 minutes.  Add the cumin and diced sweet potato and simmer a further 10 minutes.  Season to taste and add the corn and remaining stock.  Simmer approximately 10 minutes. 

Remove soup from heat and let cool slightly.  Transfer half of the soup to a blender or food processor and blend until smooth.  Stir the smooth soup into the pan and mix together with the chunky remaining soup and gently stir together.

*Serve into warm bowls with lime wedges on the side.

Among the many household chores, bathrooms always fall to the bottom of the list.  Why? It’s a yucky job, but someone has to do it.  Here are some quick bathroom cleaning tips that you can incorporate into your daily routine.  More importantly, your family can help make it even easier for you.

* Take all of the trash out of the bathroom and put it in the garbage can.
* Put all of the dirty clothes in the hamper
* Use disinfectant to clean the sink, tub and counter.
* Use a bathroom cleanser and your shower spray to clean the tile inside the shower stall.
* Scrub the inside and outside of the toilet bowl with cleaner and brush.
* Clean the outside of the toilet bowl with disinfectant.
* Use glass spray to clean the mirrors.
* Sweep then mop the floor.

You’re done!  Great job!  Now let’s discuss how you can keep your bathroom at this level of cleanliness.   After each shower, wash down the tiles with the shower hose, and use the disinfectant to clean the tub, sink, toilet bowl and counter.  Ask your spouse to do the same, as well as your older children, if applicable.  Ensure that the pail in the bathroom is lined with a plastic bag.  This will make it easier for you to remove the trash.

Keep the cabinet under the sink tidy.  Arrange the items so that you can easily retrieve them.  Add hooks for your hair dryer, and any other appliance used.  Buy a plastic box in your local dollar store, and put all of the small items in it such as, curlers, pins, hair ties, and do the same for other items you may keep in there. Line the cabinet with Con-Tac to enable you to simply wash it down when necessary. 

Bathroom cleaning doesn’t have to be a chore; it can be as quick and easy as taking a shower!

 

Everything you put into your body will be reflected in your skin.  If you have a diet high in fat, processed foods and little fruit and vegetables your skin will surely reflect that.  In our teens, and 20s we’re able to get away with a lot but once we hit 30 and beyond our skin isn’t so forgiving anymore. 

Here are a few must have foods to incorporate into your daily diet.

Green tea – Not only is this drink loaded with health benefits, it will also help the look of your skin by reducing inflammation and fighting free radicals that cause skin damage.  So drink up.

Water – You probably already know this one but we need approximately 8 glasses of clear water a day (no sodas, soups or other drinks are included in this quota).  For maximum benefits clear water is best.  It helps purify your body and eliminates toxins.

Selenium – This powerhouse nutrient is found in foods such as turkey, brazil nuts, tuna and whole grain breads.  Include at least one of these foods in your daily diet.

Fatty Acids – These are found in oils such as walnut and flaxseed.  Oily fish such as salmon, tuna and mackerel are also rich in essential fatty acids.

Dairy – Low fat dairy products are high in Vitamin A which is beneficial to the skin.  Low fat yogurt is also good for the digestive system which in turn helps skin health.

Fruits and Vegetables – A variety of fruits and vegetables are good for overall healthy skin but there are some foods in particular which are very high in powerful antioxidants and promote good skin health.  Berries, such as blueberries, strawberries and blackberries are great for fighting against free radicals which can cause skin cell damage.  Vegetables that are brightly colored such as red peppers, yellow peppers and sweet potatoes are also great skin foods.

Now that you know what to eat there are some things that should be left out altogether if you want to look young longer:

White Flour Foods – White bread, rice, pasta and sugar are less nutritious than the whole grain types and will cause inflammation in the skin which can lead to aging.  Try cutting these items from your diet for two weeks and look in the mirror.  Your skin should look less inflamed and fine lines will be less apparent.

Alcohol – dehydrates the skin and speeds the aging process, try to only have it in moderation.  A little red wine may have some health benefits whereas beer does not.

Smoking – This will age you, cutback or better yet cut it out altogether.  Your skin and lungs will thank you for it.

Processed Foods – Processed foods are loaded with sugar and additives, these wreck havoc on the skin and are best left out of your diet altogether.  Sodas and other sugary drinks are not only bad for your health but can also rob your skin of essential nutrients.  They’re also not good for your waistline and have been known to cause cellulite (even the diet variety). 

For truly glowing, young skin a balanced diet rich in whole grains, fruits, vegetables and essential oils is best.