Why I love Apples (and you should too)

Besides from the fact that apples are absolutely delicious, they also have a ton of amazing health and weight loss benefits! Because of how many benefits apples have (and the fact that they are easier/quicker to read any way) I/m just going to use bullets, so here we go:

1. Eating one apples gives you the same hydration as one 8oz. glass of water. For athletes this means no water sloshing around in your belly while you are performing. Everyone else- water is good for you, keeps you energized, aids in digestion, and helps with weight loss!
2. Apples are low in calories 100g of fresh apple slices equals about 50 calories! (www.nutrition-and-you.com)
3. Apples help fight heart disease by lowering blood fats (www.whfoods.com).
4. Apples help curb your appetite, studies show eating an apple 15 minutes before a meal lowers the caloric intake by 15% - people who ate apples also felt more satisfied with their meals - apple juice/applesauce or processed apple products did not show the same results as whole apples (www.whfoods.com). 
5.  Apples help maintain good two forms of good bacteria in the large intestine, this helps with stomach discomfort, regularity, and weight loss! (www.whfoods.com)
6.  Full of anti-oxidants (www.nutrition-and-you.com)
7.  "Apple fruit contains good quantities of vitamin-C and beta-carotene. Vitamin C is a powerful natural antioxidant. Consumption of foods rich in vitamin C helps the body develop resistance against infectious agents and scavenge harmful, pro-inflammatory free radicals from the body." (www.nutrition-and-you.com).
8. Apples are a great source of B-Complex vitamins which help with the immune system, metabolism, and other bodily functions.  (www.nutrition-and-you.com)

 

If you aren't convinced - go buy a yummy Honey Crisp apple take a big bite and you will be! Apples rock - they are a great snack and meal for kids too. Imagine the health benefits an apple a day can give you and your family!  

Yummy Healthy Knock off "Chewy Bars"

So I am in love with this granola bar recipe I found (and changed significantly) on another blog! Though I have not quite found an exact mixture that sticks together, for now my Chewy bars are more like Chewy Bites. So here's the basic recipe feel free to add different yummy ingredients to flavor or enhance your bars!!

Chewy Granola "Bars"

• 4.5 cups of Rolled Oats
• 1 cup Flour
• 1 tsp. Vanilla 
• 2/3 cup Melted Butter (can also substitute coconut oil, bars come out crunchier)
• 1/2 cup Honey 
• 1/3 cup Packed Brown Sugar
• 1 cup Shredded Coconut (I use the sweetened kind, next time I'm going to try the unsweetened)
• 1/2 cup - Cup of mini chocolate chips or other fresh fruit spices etc. (I think I'm going to try apple cinnamon next!)
• I also add a few healthy pinches of ground flaxseed, it's good for you and you can't even tell it's there! 

Bake at 325 degrees for 18-22min. and there you go, cheap and easy granola your family will love! I have to make a batch every few days for two of us! We just love it! It's amazing warm too, would make a great dessert!!

$10 off Coconut Oil!

I was on another blog today, How does She?, and found a $10 Coupon for Coconut Oil! I am so pumped because I spend a good deal on it!!

Read my Coconut Oil posts (and hers) it's an amazing products that will do wonders for your weight, hair, skin, and overall health!

$10 off Coupon - Coconut Oil

 

This is the brand of coconut oil I usually get, but this is about half of what I pay for it at my local natural foods store, after I use my $10 coupon, I'm going to get this deal!

Tonight I'm making my own Spa Night!

Homemade - All natural (I think) - Spa Night

So first here's what I am going to do: Take a hot shower and wash my hair. It's been a long day and before my "hair mask" I am supposed to wash my hair! So first step, shower.

Next I'm doing...

 Beauty Bet's Yogurt Hair Mask

1/2 c plain yogurt

1 T freshly squeezed lemon juice

1 egg

After the hair mask is in my hair, it's supposed to be slimy and relatively unpleasant, though apparently the lemon juice makes it smell like pie (here's hoping), I'm going to wrap my hair up in a towel and get ready for the rest of my spa treatments!

Next I'm going to put on my Lemon Juice and Baking Soda Mask!

Lemon Juice and Baking Soda Mask

Equal parts Lemon Juice and Baking Soda

Let the mixture sit on your face for 20 minutes. This will itch and burn a bit, when you are finished your face is supposed to be red, it will take off a few layers of dead skin. This mask is supposed to be very good for blackheads! The baking soda exfoliates and the acid in the lemon juice tightens pores while the Vitamin C brightens skin. You can also use Orange juice in place of lemon juice.

Next it's time for a Detox Bath! This is the part I'm most excited/anxious/interested in! Civilizations have been using baths to heal, relax, and to become in touch with their spirituality for hundreds of years, anything that has been trusted for so long interests me. Romans loved their baths, they seemed to have quite a bit figured out, so after doing quite a bit of research on different baths, grocery store allowing, this is the bath I will be soaking in:

My First Detox Bath

2 c. Epsom Salt (Budget allowing this will be 1c. epsom salt and 1 c. natural sea salt)

1-2 c. baking soda (I will probably do 1.5 c.)

2-3 tbs. of natural ground (or fresh) ginger

1-2 c. almond milk

Essential Oils - Hoping they have tea tree, peppermint, or lavender

The epsom salts, sea salt, baking soda, and ginger draw all of the toxins out of your body. Soaking in Epsom Salts replenishes the body's magnesium and can help reduce hypertension The sulfate in the Epsom salts flushes toxins and helps form proteins in your brain tissue and joints (Source). The baking soda has anti-fungal properties (Source) and helps restore pH balanced to skin that is to acidic. The ginger draws out the toxins and heats the body, this may cause you to turn red! This is also why it's really important to start slow with the ginger, you don't want to over heat yourself!! You can tailor the essential oils you use to your own needs and preferences! I am going to add some almond milk because I read that the bath can make your skin very dry (hence the milk) and that almond essential oil can be really good for detoxing and relaxation, hoping the almond milk will be good there as well! 

Make sure if you try this spa night especially the bath, you are drinking plenty of water! The bath WILL dehydrate you! When getting out of the bath the say it is very important to get out slowly and drink your water while you are in the tub, it can cause you to pass out! Please be careful!

I will post a post of each step/recipe tomorrow with how I thought it went, and some reactions! Hopefully I will also have some amazing before and after photos to show you as well! 

Wish me luck!

Silky Smooth Legs

So if you have read my blog at all you know I have a love of coconut oil (it's properties, not the taste!) and you know I use it for EVERYTHING! So since I use it topically AND for cooking/shots I don't keep it all in one place. As soon as I get a new coconut oil I fill up a little spray bottle (I use a travel sized one) for my topical coconut oil, and leave the rest in the jar for eating!

So what does this have to do with silky smooth legs? Well, try this:

Before you hop in the shower spray (or rub) some coconut oil on your legs, underarms etc. I will often cover my whole body in coconut oil, this way I get the great soft skin but sometimes if I put my coconut oil on my entire body after the shower, it's a little too oily, this way I get the soft skin without the oil and... The coconut oil is AMAZING for shaving! For years I have used hair conditioner instead of shave cream/gel/lotion, the conditional hydrates your skin and works better than most shaving products I have tried! These two products together leave my legs silky and amazing!

After the shower lightly apply some coconut oil to your legs to get beautiful, shining, smooth legs. Perfect for dancing, beach, and date night!

The great thing about coconut oil is there are so many uses for just one, organic product. Coconut oil is also antimicrobial and an anti-inflammatory, therefore if your legs/body are sore or have any small cuts coconut oil is also healing and helping you while making you beautiful!

*Note: VERY IMPORTANT: For coconut oil with anti-inflammatory properties, and optimal anti-oxidants etc. Buy extra virgin, unrefined coconut oil! Coconut oil that is more processed has lost a great deal of it's healthy properties!!

Lemon Juice & Baking Soda

How is your skin? Mine lately is terrible, the humidity and 90+ days aren't good for my skin. So I saw this face mask on Pintrest that is simply Lemon Juice and Baking soda. It works. Here's what I did...

1. Put some baking soda in a dish (1/8 cupish)
2. Then slowly added lemon juice until it was a consistency I could spread on my face. *Heads up you're in for a little fun, there is a little reaction, don't worry nothing explodes!
3. Then I let it sit, it burned a bit after a little while so I rinsed it off, my face was smooth and with daily (or every other day) use is clearer!

Oddly enough, I'm thinking about trying the same mixture to clean my favorite crocks (they are adorable, they look like black ballet flats but are soooo comfy!) I think the lemon juice or the baking soda alone would be helpful but I think if I pour  the baking soda in and then the lemon juice in, the reaction may be a great Croc Cleaner! I'll let you know how it goes...