Did you know that spending just 10-20 minutes a day - outside, a few times a week - whether it be a park, a walk around the neighborhood, a trip to the local lake or  just sitting in a wooded area-can increase your mental and physical well being? The sounds of nature like hearing birds or squirrels, breathing in fresh air, listening to the wind blowing through the trees and feeling a cool breeze on your face can be rejuvenating and help you feel refreshed. I'm sure we've all felt this way before after spending time outside, but there are other health benefits that may surprise you.  

Purchasing skin care products at big merchant stores can be expensive, not to mention the harsh chemicals used in their products.  Here I'm going to share with you seven of the best home remedies, I have personally used, that can be made with just a few items from your kitchen.

So here we go, first, I'll mention coconut water!   This is nature's sports drink and besides the hydration factor that it provides, it is loaded with potassium! Potassium is a vital electrolyte for the functioning of all your cells. It helps control the amount of water you retain and keeps your blood at a healthy pH level.  It is known as a super mineral that can enhance the moisture and feel of your skin.  I pick up five cartons and try to drink one liter a day through the week. 



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Cabbage soup may be one of the best foods to keep you healthy through the long winter months. I make a powerhouse cabbage soup, loaded with nutrients from every ingredient.  This soup is healing and will get right to work on healing your gut and your health!

Cabbage is a wonder food that will help detox your body in more than one way. Because it is rich in sulfur, it helps aid the liver in breaking down toxins.  Then it's diuretic properties help rid the body of excess water, flushing the broken down toxins out of your system!  Cabbage also has an abundance of nutrients including vitamin C, K, B1, B3 (niacin), B6, protein, fiber, magnesium, calcium, potassium, selenium and iron. All of these nutrients are released into the broth as the soup is simmering, so drinking the broth is very important. 

​These days I'm sure most of us know that eating healthy is essential to staying well.  You can tell who eats the hamburgers in life and who eats the fruits and salads. People who eat the hamburgers and fries are sluggish, tired, have trouble focusing and can be easily irritated. Environmental toxins in combination with the toxins found in the foods we eat, produces a pretty heavy load of poison. When you weigh down your body with toxins, they don't just leave your body.  A lot of the toxins absorb into the central nervous system, which in turn puts a strain on the digestive system. The livers function is to remove toxins from the body, but if your liver is overtaxed, it will take most of your energy to try to rid your body of said toxins.  And, my friend, this will leave YOU fatigued and energy-less. (In other posts, I will share great ways to detox your body of these toxins, along with parasites. Hold tight..).
 

Minerals are the building blocks of our bodies. Without minerals, our bodies would become poisoned quite quickly. Minerals allow our bodies to communicate and function properly, ridding the body of toxic buildup. Many experts say that mineral deficiency is the root of all disease and that 90% of Americans suffer from a mineral deficiency.

​This could be the direct karma of using so many pesticides on our crops. Our soil used to be rich with trace minerals, providing an abundance of minerals through our vegetables and fruits. But now with the overuse of pesticides, our soil has become depleted of minerals. This is something that is still not taught in Med schools, so most doctors will tell you that if you are eating a healthy diet you don't need to supplement.  But this simply is not true.  From the experts: 90% of Americans are mineral deficient!

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How many of you have spent hundreds of dollars on skin care products that were so-so? The beautiful reality is that a few simple ingredients from your kitchen, or the store, could give you the gorgeous, youthful skin that all the other products promise. And, for much less money. 

*Please note that I wear makeup, like most women, and typically use a makeup remover/eye makeup remover before starting this skin care regime. You want to avoid the eye area when washing with this formula, so removing eye makeup beforehand is advised.

First, for the face wash, I typically use a mason jar to store my mixture in. Take 4-5 tablespoons of honey, add the juice of half a small lemon and add 2 teaspoons of Epsom salts. Mix the ingredients well together.  Wet face with warm water and take a small amount of the face wash and rub it gently onto your skin in circular motions, avoiding the eyes.  Rinse with warm water and pat dry.

Secondly, you can either use aloe vera leaf or apple cider vinegar as your toner.  You slice open the aloe leaf and rub the inner gel all over your face.  Or put some ACV on a cotton ball and gently apply to your skin in circular motions.  If you have sensitive skin just stick with the aloe, or dilute the ACV with water. 

For the third and final step, we have nature's youthful skin serum, Coconut Oil.  And no, this does not mean you have to walk around or go to bed with a super oily face. With coconut oil, it doesn't take much! I use coconut oil as a daytime moisturizer!  I apply a very small amount so that I'm not greasy. But at night, you can apply a little bit more, allowing it to absorb into your skin before bed.  Prior to washing your face, you can use coconut oil to remove any eye makeup you are wearing. Coconut oil also conditions your eye lashes, making them feel healthy and thicker. 

You can use the Manuka honey as a moisturizer too! Gently rub a small amount in circular motions onto your face. Allow the honey to be absorbed into the skin. This is a fabulous over night moisturizer and is one I prefer to use a couple times a week. It makes my skin feel so, so soft and knowing all the nutrients that it is infusing into my skin makes it even that much better!

With the face wash, you can make as little or as much as you would like. Store in a jar in your bathroom, with a spoon to scoop a little bit out at a time to use. 

Epsom Salts- These crystallized salts exfoliate the skin, leaving it softer and smoother. They help moisturize the skin, while the minerals increase your skins magnesium levels.

Manuka Honey-  This honey is antimicrobial, antibacterial and anti-inflammatory.  It contains amino acids that slough away dead skin cells, balancing the skin's pH.   It also oxygenates pores to draw out bacteria, improving acne prone skin. Dry skin is healed quickly with this power moisturizer.  Add in all the vitamins and minerals (over 80) and you have a youthful-face salve that's potent and healing. 

Lemons- Rich in vitamin C and citric acid, lemons can lighten and brighten your skin if used continuously.  They are also antibacterial and can aid in healing acne prone skin. 

Aloe Vera-A systematic review for burn healing, performed in South-East Asia, found that Aloe Vera speeds up skin cell reproduction by as much as eight times and penetrates the epidermis (the outer layer of skin) four times faster than water!  The skin healing properties of Aloe Vera are beyond most other plants. When you rub fresh gel from the inner leaf into your skin, you are rubbing enzymes, amino acids, vitamins A,C,E, B1, B2, B3 (niacin), B6 and B12 into your skin. You are also laying on the minerals, which include calcium, magnesium, zinc, chromium, selenium, iron, potassium and manganese.  All of which are essential for skin health and elasticity. 

Apple Cider Vinegar-ACV contains high amounts of alpha hydroxy acids, which remove dead skin cells from the surface of your skin.  It helps balance the skins pH and can help oily or acne prone areas of the skin.  

Coconut Oil-Coconut oil contains proteins, vitamins and essential fatty acids. The proteins help repair skin cells, while the saturated fat helps retain the moisture content of your skin, helping it appear and feel smooth. The essential fatty acids, capric-caprylic-lauric acids, have strong antimicrobial properties. The high vitamin E content helps prevent premature aging and helps reduce the appearance of wrinkles. 

All of these natural skin care remedies can really help clear up and even out skin tone, along with aiding in the repair of your skin cells.  If you have sensitive skin, or any known allergies to any of the ingredients above, please avoid using them.  Otherwise, enjoy the benefits of these wonder healers!

Resources:  https://www.mskcc.org/cancer-care/integrative-medicine/herbs/manuka-honey
                     https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/17499928
                      https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/15725565
                      https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/16373990
                     http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0308814606009356

​Often times people question if working out in the morning or in the evening is better.  Fitting in a workout, period, is great!  But there are some benefits to working out early in the day that may make you start waking up earlier.

Habit Forming
1. Working out first thing in the morning, before your workday begins, will often be more habit forming. Working out later in the day has a higher probability of having something else come up that could hamper your plans. When you wake up first thing and squeeze in a workout before the rest of the world comes calling on you, you will already feel accomplished. You've gotten your workout out of the way and can focus on the rest of the days activities without feeling guilty for not exercising. 

Releases Happy Hormones
2. Morning workouts release your body's "feel good" endorphins, as well as the hormones serotonin, adrenaline and dopamine.  They all work together to give you a positive feeling and naturally boost your mood.  This is why exercise is recommended for people with depression. And who wouldn't want a nice little dose of happiness to start off their day?

Builds Muscles More Efficiently
3. Through the night your body increases it's production of testosterone.  Thus when you wake up first thing in the morning is when your testosterone levels are the highest. Testosterone is the hormone that promotes muscle growth, so morning workouts can help you build muscle more efficiently. 

Have More Energy Throughout The Day
4. You will feel more energized and focused the rest of the day!  Here's the thing, waking up isn't fun and it's hard to get moving some times.  You may think you don't have the energy to workout, but the reality is working out will boost your energy! It will wake you up and make you more productive. 

Get Better Sleep At Night
5. You will get longer, deeper and higher-quality sleep at night.  Exercising raises your core body temperature.  This signals the body clock that it's time to be awake. As the evening progresses and your core body temperature drops, this signals the body that it's time for bed and helps facilitate sleepiness. 

Enhance Your Creativity
6. It enhances your creativity. There is a large anecdotal literature suggesting that creative people sometimes use bodily movement to help overcome “blocks". And several studies, like the one above, have shown positive links between exercise and boosted creativity.

Improves Brain Function
7. It improves cognitive function and empacts brain structure.  It essentially gives your brain a boost. Couldn't we all use a little brain boost before our workday?  This is thought to be because of increased blood flow to the brain and surges of growth hormones.  Exercise also stimulates the birth of new neurons. 

Protects Against Diabetes
8. It can help protect against Type 2 Diabetes. Exercise first thing in the morning on an empty stomach has been shown to protect against glucose intolerance and insulin resistance.  

Boosts Your Memory
9. Exercise has been shown to boost memory.  This is particularly great for students, as schooling success is highly dependent on retaining information. The hippocampus, the part of the brain that controls learning and memory, responds to aerobic exercise in a very positive way!  Hitting the gym before hitting the classes could help improve your grades and functionality at work. 

Makes You Crave Healthier Food
​10. An increased desire for healthy foods.  Studies have shown that groups of people who exercise are least likely to grab the junk food. Instead, they opted for healtheir food choices than the group of people who moved the least throughout the day. Exercise in the morning can help your diet stay on track.
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To wake up and workout is to create a great day from the start. It's creating a discipline you can be proud of and self-care that will build your confidence.  With all the positive effects a morning routine has on your body and brain, switching up what time you workout could potentially make quite a positive impact on the quality of your health and life!

Great news!  Avocados have long been loved by southern folk for dressing up their tacos and making guacamole, but there are several ways to eat an avocado!  And in even more great news avocados have been found to help the absorption of other nutrients from the food you are eating with it!  

Studies have shown that eating about half an avocado, in combination with a spinach, carrot and lettuce salad, increased the absorption of alpha-carotene by 8.3 times, beta-carotene by 13.6 times and lutein by 4.3 times, as compared to just eating the salad alone!

The essential fatty acids found in avocados significantly increased the absorption of fat-soluble, carotenoid phytonutrients from other vegetables.  Avocados themselves are loaded with Vitamin K, Folate, Iron, Copper, Manganese, Magnesium, Zinc, Phosphorous, Vitamin A, B1 (Thiamine), B2 (Riboflavin) and B3 (Niacin).  So, as you can see, just a little homemade organic salsa and homemade guacamole creates a nutrition powerhouse that you can feed your family throughout the day! 
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Health Benefits Of Eating Avocados

• Provides essential minerals for strong teeth and bones
• Protects liver from disease
• High in fiber
• Great for skin health
• Protects joints and tendons, helping soothe arthritis
• Wound healing properties
• Prevents Vitamin K deficiency
• Protects eyesight
• Beneficial to pregnant women and fetus
• Contains more potassium than bananas
• Helps aid weight loss
• Fatty acids help heal brain tissue and rebuild cells
• Mood boosting properties
• Beneficial for diabetes patients

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Different Ways To Enjoy An Avocado

• Ripe avocado drizzled with balsalmic vinegar, lemon juice & lemon pepper
• Homemade, organic guacamole
• Avocado fries (oh yea!)
• Avocado smoothie
• Guacamole soup
• Homemade, vegan chocolate mousse (double oh yea!)
• Avocado toast

There are several recipes out there.  You can doctor up an avocado in so many ways, just be creative and get them in your belly as much as possible.  Avocados provide health building nutrients and then some.  Ripe avocados will be firm, but slightly soft when squeezed. Too soft and it will be brown.  To hard and you will need to wait a day or two to eat. So if you are looking to make an appetizer today, make sure they are ripe and usable. Bon apetit! To your health!


Sources:
1. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3664913/
2. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/15538079
3.https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/17313704
4. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/20978772
5. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/9433873



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