Meanigful Beauty: Inside Out

Natural Beauty, Inside and Out
By Aine McAteer
Original Content  |  February 26, 2010
http://www.oprah.com/food/Natural-Beauty-Recipes-Aine-McAteers-Blog

"In youth, you have the face you were born with; in adulthood, you have the face you deserve."
— Coco Chanel

I worked for several months as a live-in chef/helper for an elderly woman living in a retirement home in Chicago. I was living in New York at the time and very much into my cool, groovy fashion. One day, I went to catch the bus that took us for our weekly trip to the local mall, and as I approached one of my lovely friends—a resident in the home—all dressed up in my black shorts, knee-high boots and leather jacket, I saw the lady sitting next to my friend whisper something in my friend's ear.

Later, as I was having lunch at the mall with my friend, she told me that the lady had commented as I approached, "That girl is so disgusting in those skimpy clothes." A few minutes later, another resident of the retirement home approached me, introduced herself and said, "I just want to tell you, you're such a beautiful woman and every time I see you with your lovely style, you brighten up my day." It was one of those enlightening moments in my life where it was clearly demonstrated to me that beauty really is in the eye of the beholder.

Which mind, I thought to myself, would I want to inhabit? The woman who looked at me and saw something disgusting or the person who looked and saw beauty? I also noted the effect each comment had on me—being told I looked "disgusting" certainly dampened my spirits, but this was quickly dispelled by the comment moments later of the woman who saw and acknowledged my beauty—her comment made me feel beautiful.
Beauty is around us all the time, but do we have the eyes to perceive it?

We try to create beauty with our lotions and potions, and it's promised to us on every shelf we look at in the cosmetic department—beauty in a bottle. Yet, true beauty really is something that emanates from the inside out, and our ability to perceive beauty around us is a direct reflection of our state of mind and appreciation of where true beauty lies.

Eat Yourself Beautiful
Ancient Greeks and Egyptians believed that to be beautiful was to be in harmony with the universe. To be in harmony with the universe, we need to be in harmony with nature.
Eating foods as nature intended is a major consideration in achieving radiant health, glowing skin and shining hair. I am vain, and even though my main motivation for adopting a healthy diet and lifestyle is that I got hooked on feeling great, a big part of it is that I noticed how it made me look when I was fueling my body with healthy, nourishing foods.

My Crunchy Berry Parfait should certainly give you something to smile about. It can be enjoyed for breakfast or dessert after a light meal. It is rich in antioxidants from the berries to get your skin glowing from the inside out and essential fatty acids from the cashews—now that's my kind of medicine!
Note: Cashews have a relatively high fat content, but it's considered "good fat" because of its ratio of saturated, monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats (1:2:1), which scientists believe is ideal for good health. They're also high in protein, iron, magnesium, phosphorus, zinc, copper and manganese, all essential for overall health and glowing skin.

Slather Yourself Beautiful
Everything that you put on your body is absorbed into your blood stream through your skin, so read the labels on your skincare products as you would on your food. Many skincare products, even those sold in health food stores, are derived from petrochemicals that can dry and irritate the skin and may have other damaging side effects.

Proper skincare using natural, chemical-free products will ensure the skin will maintain its healthy natural and youthful glow. These days, there's a vast range of natural skincare products on the market, many of which are quite expensive, so if you want to save money and be naturally beautiful, it's really quite simple to make your own products, using ingredients right from your kitchen.
Here are some simple recipes and ideas to get you started.

Exfoliating Face Wash
You can use either ground almonds, fine oatmeal, ground azuki beans or bran, mixed to a paste with a little warm water. (If your skin is dry, add a few drops of olive oil.) Mix this up in a little bowl or cup. To wash your face without the strong exfoliating effect, you can put the mixture into a little piece of cotton or muslin and gently scrub your face.

Eye Treatments
•Tea bags: Tea bags soothe tired eyes and relieve puffiness around the eyes. Chamomile tea is particularly soothing. If using loose-leaf tea, you can brew it up and soak cotton wool pads in the tea, then place over the eyes.

•Cucumber: Place slices of cucumber or grated cucumber over the eyes to detoxify around the eyes and leave them bright and refreshed.
•Aloe vera gel: Apply to cotton wool pads and place on the eyes as an anti-inflammatory and to reduce puffiness.

•Flower waters: Rosewater and orange flower water are soothing, calming and anti-inflammatory. Lavender water can relieve headaches. Soak cotton wool pads and place over the eyes.

Nourishing Masks
•Avocado nourishes and hydrates the skin. It is high in vitamins and minerals, is easily absorbed by the skin and can be used on all skin types. Simply mash half an avocado and add one to two teaspoons of water. Add one teaspoon honey for dry or mature skin, or one teaspoon lemon juice for oily skin. If you want a thicker mask, you can also add one tablespoon. ground almonds.

•Banana hydrates dry, mature or wrinkly skin. Mash the banana until creamy and apply to skin. You can add one tablespoon natural yogurt and one teaspoon honey to enhance the effect, or for oily skin, add one teaspoon lemon juice. If you want a thicker mask, add one tablespoon ground oatmeal.

•Yogurt helps draw oil and bacteria out of the pores, making it ideal for oily or spotty skin. You can use just yogurt if skin is oily or add one teaspoon honey for more mature, dehydrated skin or to smooth out wrinkles. To thicken, add ground almonds or oatmeal.

•Honey is highly antibacterial, and hydrates and moisturizes the skin. It is beneficial for all skin types. Mix two tablespoons aloe vera gel with one teaspoon honey to make an excellent mask for sensitive skin, skin infections or acne.

•Coconut is an excellent conditioner for all skin types. To make a nourishing mask, mix two tablespoons coconut cream with one teaspoon honey. You can add a little warm water to get the desired consistency.

Recipes for natural toners and moisturizers

Toners
To tone the skin after cleansing or applying a mask, you can put flower water into a little spray bottle. The following make excellent natural toners:
•Rosewater has cooling, soothing and anti-inflammatory properties. It can be used on all skin types, particularly dry or mature skin. It can also restore the skin's pH and relieve eczema.
•Orange flower water is more astringent than rosewater and is an excellent toner for oily skin.
•Lavender water is a wonderful remedy for all skin types. It's great to carry and spray while traveling—it can soothe sunburn and insect bites.
•Witch hazel has mild astringent and soothing properties for irritated skin. It can be mixed with rosewater for mature skin or with lavender or orange flower water. It has excellent cleansing action.

Moisturizers
Many plant oils are high in vitamin E, which is an antioxidant and can prevent damage to skin cells while slowing down the process of aging. Oils such as jojoba, avocado oil, coconut oil, wheat germ or rose hip seed oil can be used as skin moisturizers.

To make an excellent moisturizer for all skin types, combine two parts aloe vera gel with one part jojoba oil and whisk or blend until creamy. (I like to use a handheld plunge blenders.) This can be used as a face and body moisturizer, or as a cleanser. It's a good idea to make a big batch and keep a small tub in your bathroom with the rest in the fridge until ready to use. I also like to add a few drops of rose essential oil.

Remember, however much you lather and slather, there's nothing quite as engaging and beautiful as a happy, smiling face!
A smile lifts and tones your facial muscles, and when it comes from the heart, it can bring a little more sunshine into the world.

Sending you a big smile to brighten your day,
Aine

MY THOUGHTS
what i know is that no amount of make-up can hide the sadness in your eyes.  at the same time, you can radiate happiness evenif your face has no cosmetics at all.  it's like when two of you are so in love with each other and you wake uop next to each other in the morning (at your worst) but you see each other as the most beautiful creatures in the world. beauty from inside.  nothing can beat that.

3 Everyday Tips for Immune Support
By Emily Sohn, "3 Everyday Strategies to Boost Your Immunity," September/October 2010
http://www.eatingwell.com/nutrition_health/immunity/3_everyday_tips_for_immune_support?page=2

1. Fill Your Vitamin D Tank.
You may have fewer health problems—ranging from colds to cancer—if you get enough vitamin D. Your body naturally makes vitamin D from sunlight. You can also get it—albeit in smaller doses—from fatty fish, such as salmon, and fortified milk. But because Americans don’t get enough vitamin D, most experts recommend a D supplement. New research in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition suggests that taking such a supplement may help boost your immune system. In a study of more than 300 Japanese children, those who took daily vitamin D supplements (1,200 IU) were 40 percent less likely to get a common flu virus than kids who took a placebo. Laboratory studies indicate that the nutrient may help immune cells identify and destroy bacteria and viruses that make us sick, says Adit Ginde, M.D., M.P.H., a public health researcher at the University of Colorado School of Medicine in Denver. Aim to get at least 1,000 IU of vitamin D daily (check with your doctor before taking more).

2. Get a Daily Dose of Soluble Fiber.
Mice that ate a diet rich in soluble fiber for six weeks recovered from a bacterial infection in half the time it took mice that chowed on meals containing mixed fiber, according to a recent study in the journal Brain, Behavior and Immunity. Soluble fiber—abundant in citrus fruits, apples, carrots, beans and oats—helps fight inflammation, says lead author Christina Sherry, Ph.D., R.D., of the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor. Insoluble fiber—found in wheat, whole grains, nuts and green leafy vegetables—is still important for overall health, but it doesn’t seem to have the same impact on immunity. Strive for 25 to 38 grams of total fiber a day, Sherry says, paying extra attention to getting the soluble kind

3. Stay Lean.
Overweight adults who cut their daily calorie intake by nearly a third saw a 50 percent boost in immunity, according to a six-month study out of Tufts University. (Those who cut calories by 10 percent had smaller improvements.) Restricting calories may reduce levels of compounds in the body that depress your immune response, says Tufts nutritional immunologist Simin Meydani, D.V.M., Ph.D. Animal studies suggest that calorie restriction could work in normal-weight individuals too. “Try to maintain your body weight at what is considered ideal,” Meydani says, because eating more than what you need drags the immune system down. And remember: when you cut back on quantity, you need to be even more vigilant about the quality of your diet. Aim to eat more fruits and vegetables—and choose lean protein sources, such as fish, chicken and low-fat dairy

MY THOUGHTS
vitamin d from sunlight? that's not difficult. it's free. staying lean can also be free.  we just need to have the discipline and the desire,i guess.  apples,carrots and oats are no problem.  beans i need to think about it. not so fond of it.  sometimes i take wheat grass. on weekends when i'll be home all day.  it certainly makes me feel lighter. but the taste. uggh!!! whew!!! that's probably the real reason why i don't drink it often.  i gulp the whole glass with my eyes closed.  i also shut off my brain so i won't have to think of how yucky it tastes.