Tag Archives: avocado

K is for Kitchen Kosmetics – Kool off with a Kuke

Posted on June 7, 2012 | Leave a comment

 

Having beautiful skin and luxurious hair is something all of us naturally beautiful women would love, and looking beautiful and feeling healthy shouldn’t depend on how much money you have (or don’t have!).  Sure, you can spend $150 on the latest face cream from a luxury spa (I am a former Spa Director after all!), but you can also spend $2 using what you probably have in your refrigerator now!

If you’re like me, you’ve always got avocados in the frig (who doesn’t love a good guacamole?).  Avocado oil is packed with Vitamin E, an antioxidant that protects your skin from damage caused by free radicals and too much sun.  Avocados are rich moisturizers that can be applied directly to your face for smooth-as-silk skin.   You can even eat the inside of the avocado and use the avocado’s skin to spread the remainder on your face!

If you’re not using coconut oil, you should be.  It’s the only oil that can withstand high levels of heat, plus it’s full of benefits for your hair, skin and nails.  Coconut oil makes a great conditioner for your hair and will control dandruff.  Coconut oil is antimicrobial, anti-fungal and anti-inflammatory so it will go to work on acne and prevent further blemishes.  It’s perfect for an inexpensive lip balm to keep your lips plump and your smile beautiful.

Cucumbers have always been the go-to product to relieve tired, puffy eyes.  Just put two slices on your eyes, lie back and in a few minutes, you’ll look like you’ve had a refreshing night’s sleep.  The coolness of cucumbers can reduce inflammation and rashes all over your body.  For those of you with sensitive skin, reach for a cucumber to give yourself a quick pick-me-up when you and your skin are feeling sluggish and droopy.

Yogurt is an all-purpose beauty regimen in a cup.  Eat it  when you need a protein boost and put it on your face or hair for the same reason.  Yogurt’s packed full of beauty benefits.  It can moisturize, reduce discoloration, prevent premature aging, relieve sunburn, and fight acne.

Bananas, honey, eggs, olive oil – These are more foods you probably have in your kitchen right now that can help you be healthy on the inside and look beautiful on the outside.  Any and all of these ingredients can be used alone to rejuvenate your skin and hair.  Here are two recipes you can whip up using these “kitchen cosmetics.”

YOGURT HONEY BANANA FACE MASK FOR DRY SKIN

1 banana

1 tsp. honey (preferably organic)

2 tsp. yogurt

Mash up the banana with the rest of the ingredients, forming a thick paste.  Spread the mixture evenly all over your face and neck (avoiding the sensitive eye area).  Leave on for 10 -15 minutes.  Rinse off with warm water.

AVOCADO COCONUT OIL MOISTURIZER

Avocado Coconut Oil Moisturizer –

1/4 ripe avocado

1 tsp. lemon juice (another great kitchen beauty product!)

1/2 plain yogurt

1 tsp. coconut oil

Combine all of the ingredients into a very smooth paste (you can use a blender).  Take a teaspoon of the mixture and apply it to your face using upward circular motion.  Store the leftover product in a clean glass jar in the refrigerator.

 

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A is for Avocado – Awesome Aid for Natural Health

Posted on January 28, 2012 | 1 Comment

Avocados for your Natural Health

Guacamole, look out!  Avocados have so many other uses we might never get to dip our chip in.  (But do – cause it tastes really good!)

Avocados are full of fat and that’s a very good thing! While it’s true that avocado is a high-fat food (with about 85% of its calories coming from fat), the fat contained in avocado has many excellent health and anti-aging benefits.  Avocados have phytosterols (a part of a plant called plant sterols that actually lower your cholesterol)  and polyhydroxylated fatty alcohols (PFAs) which help t0 keep inflammation under control and reduce the incidence and pain of diseases like arthritis.

Avocados have one more kind of mono-unsaturated fat called oleic acid which helps lower the risk of cardiovascular disease and can inhibit the growth of cancerous cells without damaging the healthy cells. The oleic acid in avocados is especially effective in preventing breast cancer and reducing the effects of prostate cancer as well.

Avocados are full of vitamins like A, C, and E as well as nutrients like potassium.  Because they contain 30% more potassium than banana, avocados are useful in regulating blood pressure and prevents circulatory diseases. They also contain folate, monosaturated fats and antioxidants

We love our antioxidants for anti-aging and the beautiful avocado can prevent aging symptoms.  The glutathione in avocado boosts immune systems, slows the aging process, and encourages a healthy nervous system which cuts down on stress, and less stress means less wrinkles!

Avocados have nutrients and enzymes that soothe  the inflamed mucous lining in the stomach and small intestines which can help people who suffer from digestive diseases like Irritable Bowel Syndrome.

We used to think that only red plants had carotenoids, but now we know that most dark and rich-colored plants contain them.  Avocado has the carotenoid lutein.  Lutein keeps the eyes safe from oxidative stress, macular degeneration, and cataracts – more symptoms of aging that are reduced by caring for your natural health.

And let’s not forget how delicious avocados are.  Here’s a simple recipe from www.simplyrecipes.comfor that wonderful guacamole!

Guacamole is full of Natural Health benefits and delicious!

Perfect Guacamole Recipe

Ingredients

  • 2 ripe avocados
  • 1/2 red onion, minced (about 1/2 cup)
  • 1-2 serrano chiles, stems and seeds removed, minced
  • 2 tablespoons cilantro leaves, finely chopped
  • 1 tablespoon of fresh lime or lemon juice
  • 1/2 teaspoon coarse salt
  • A dash of freshly grated black pepper
  • 1/2 ripe tomato, seeds and pulp removed, chopped

Garnish with red radishes or jicama. Serve with tortilla chips.

 

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A is for Avocado – All About Hair

Posted on August 21, 2011 | 4 Comments

I just took a bath (with lovely lavender essential oils for scent) and put yogurt and papaya on my hair and avocado and honey on my face.  I leaned back and placed two slices of cucumbers on my eyes!  It was a luscious feeling, kind of like being a fruit salad must feel!  But unlike

a fruit salad, the benefits of putting all these delectable ingredients on my face and hair is that I feel fabulous and soft and moisturized, and my hair feels soft and it’s not frizzy and it doesn’t feel like straw

anymore.

Since A is for Avocado, here are some nourishing, smoothing, and shining masks to take out of your refrigerator and put on your hair!

Homemade mask  for dry hair

Avocado for Naturally Beautiful Hair

Ingredients
- 1 avocado – ripe and mashed

- 2 TBL. Extra virgin olive oil
- I TBL. lemon juice.

Mix all of the ingredients up well and spread evenly through hair that is a bit damp.  Cover with a shower cap and wrap a towel over it.  Let sit for 15-20 minutes and rinse with warm water.  Shampoo as usual.

 

Homemade Mask for Moisturizing, nourishing & fortifying dry Hair

Ingredients:
• ½ ripe avocado & ½ banana, mashed and mixed together
• 1 TBL. Olive or almond oil
• 1 TBL. Orange juice
Blend everything together to make a smooth paste, apply to hair for 25-30 minutes.  Cover with shower cap and wrap a towel. Wash as usual.

See Previous Post – H is for Hair That’s Dry – Natural Health Remedies

 

 

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W is for Wrinkles – Ways to Waive them Naturally

Posted on August 1, 2011 | 3 Comments

Carole at 62

That’s me up there – at 62! I’ve got a couple of wrinkles – there’s no getting around them!  But you can do a lot to make them seem less apparent.

The very first and most important thing is to Drink More Water – I know, I’m a broken record.  But what causes wrinkling (besides gravity and age) is dehydration.  So drink enough water to keep your skin plumped up (see previous post:  D is for Drink Water – How Much is Enough?)

Using a natural, good quality oil on your face every night will keep your skin juicy and supple.  Sweet almond oil is a great choice.  An avocado right out of your refrigerator is full of healthy fats that will nourish your skin. (A is for Avocado Face Mask for Dry Skin).

And yes, you heard right – dark chocolate is good for you!  While you might not want to put too much in your mouth and face the possibility of weight gain, you can take that chocolate and smear it on your face to reduce the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles.  Make a paste of  1/4 C. unsweetened dark cocoa powder and 1/ 8 C. coconut milk, 1 tsp. of EVOO – extra virgin olive oil and a heaping TBL. of green tea powder. Cover your face with the paste and let it sit for 15 minutes.  Try not to lick your face!  Rinse off with warm water.  Apply a moisturizer – I like shea butter.  Wow!

See post:  W is for Wrinkles – We all get them!

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M is for Mexican Meals for Natural Health

Posted on May 21, 2011 | Leave a comment

Mexican Food for Natural Health

We’re all familiar with tacos and enchiladas and nachos and chips.  But these aren’t necessarily foods that enrich your natural health.  So what are the choices you can make in a Mexican restaurant that are healthy?

Fajitas are naturally healthy!

Fajitas can be a great meal.  Fajitas are grilled meat or chicken or shrimp served on a flour tortilla and served with sautéed onions and bell peppers.  Condiments for fajitas are usually tomatoes, guacamole, pico de gallo (fresh vegetable salsa) – which are all good for you – and sour cream and cheese – which you should pass on for natural health.  You probably have to ask them to go lightly on the oil, or what I do if I notice too much greasy oil on the fajitas is to take a paper napkin and dab it lightly over my food to sop up the additional oil.

Whole roasted red snapper (huachinango) or red snapper fillets in garlic sauce is one of my favorite dishes.  And ceviche,  which is raw fish — usually shrimp and scallops — marinated in lime juice (which actually cooks the fish) and flavored with spices, such as chili, salt, cilantro, garlic, and peppercorn – this is a perfect naturally healthy dish!

Avocados contain some of the most beneficial fats available as well as carotenoids as antioxidants.  Avocados are not only great in your food, but are wonderful as face masks and hair conditioners.  See previous post:  A is for Avocados for Naturally Beautiful Hair.

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