Showing posts with label FEEL: beautiful. Show all posts
Showing posts with label FEEL: beautiful. Show all posts
Monday, September 19, 2011
Wednesday, June 29, 2011
Avocado Oatmeal Scrub
Sometimes an avocado looks great on the outside but isn't so great when you slice it open. Don't throw it away! Use it for Avocado Oatmeal Scrub!
Ingredients
about one avocado, scooped out and slightly mashed
(even if it's turning brown or the texture is all wrong for eating)
1/8 cup oatmeal
1 tbsp olive oil or almond oil
5 drops skin safe essential oil (lavender is nice)
1 tsp lavender flowers (or a slightly larger amount of lavender leaves if your herbs aren't blooming yet)
a few mint leaves
Process all the ingredients with a stick blender (chopping blade), blender or food processor. Refrigerate until ready to use (I use it within 12 hours).
To use: smooth over your body and then rinse off.
I find this procedure best when using a scrub: turn the shower on for a few moments before you enter it so that the environment is warm and steamy. Turn off the shower, enter the shower, apply the scrub all over your body. Then turn on the shower and rinse off.
Optional: add a little almond meal for a scrubbier texture.
Ingredients
about one avocado, scooped out and slightly mashed
(even if it's turning brown or the texture is all wrong for eating)
1/8 cup oatmeal
1 tbsp olive oil or almond oil
5 drops skin safe essential oil (lavender is nice)
1 tsp lavender flowers (or a slightly larger amount of lavender leaves if your herbs aren't blooming yet)
a few mint leaves
Process all the ingredients with a stick blender (chopping blade), blender or food processor. Refrigerate until ready to use (I use it within 12 hours).
To use: smooth over your body and then rinse off.
I find this procedure best when using a scrub: turn the shower on for a few moments before you enter it so that the environment is warm and steamy. Turn off the shower, enter the shower, apply the scrub all over your body. Then turn on the shower and rinse off.
Optional: add a little almond meal for a scrubbier texture.
Tuesday, May 31, 2011
Fashion, Human Rights and Prayer
Several weeks ago, I saw my friend Maura wearing a scarf over her hair. It looked like a fun and easy style for summer. When I saw this article in InStyle, I was determined to try it myself.
I've never fasted. I'm praying about that. But I am going to use my fun headwraps to remind me to pray for the women of Saudi Arabia. I would really prefer not to drive, but I can't imagine being banned from driving simply because I am a woman. This is only one detail in the many ways Saudi women are not treated fairly, but it caught my attention because it is something I do so often and without any thought of what a privilege it is. I am praying for their safety, for their political leaders, and that someone would share the good news of the gospel with them. Will you join me?
Perhaps you'd like to try the current fashion of headwraps--not just for fun, but as a reminder to pray. Or maybe when you enter your hot car this summer you will pray during those rough moments while you wait for the airconditioning to take effect.
Back to frivolous fashion for a moment: I have several "Parisian neck tissues" from a seller named Textile Monster on etsy. They are the perfect length for me. If you have a favorite seller of headwraps, please tell me in the comments.
Several of us wore scarves wrapped around our heads to Bible study last week:
My friend Claudia directed me to this website, where I found directions on how to tie the scarf. I like the Dutch crown look best; it's easy to do and gives me different looks depending on the thickness of the scarf.
Today I got an invitation on Facebook to participate in a day of Fasting and Prayer for women in Saudi Arabia. The invitation says:
On June 17th Saudi Women are planning on protesting the religious ban on Women driving. These are our sisters fighting for their human rights. They need our prayers for their safety as Saudi men have been told that they are allowed to beat any woman that they see driving on that day For more info visit:
http://arabnews.com/opinion/columns/article441832.ece
I encourage you to fast at least one meal and pray for our Saudi Sisters. If you want to join me I will also be covering my head to show my support.
I've never fasted. I'm praying about that. But I am going to use my fun headwraps to remind me to pray for the women of Saudi Arabia. I would really prefer not to drive, but I can't imagine being banned from driving simply because I am a woman. This is only one detail in the many ways Saudi women are not treated fairly, but it caught my attention because it is something I do so often and without any thought of what a privilege it is. I am praying for their safety, for their political leaders, and that someone would share the good news of the gospel with them. Will you join me?
Perhaps you'd like to try the current fashion of headwraps--not just for fun, but as a reminder to pray. Or maybe when you enter your hot car this summer you will pray during those rough moments while you wait for the airconditioning to take effect.
Back to frivolous fashion for a moment: I have several "Parisian neck tissues" from a seller named Textile Monster on etsy. They are the perfect length for me. If you have a favorite seller of headwraps, please tell me in the comments.
Tuesday, March 1, 2011
Everything I Know about Treating Eczema
My kids all had eczema shortly after they were born. We found several things that made the eczema bearable, and one that made it go away.
When my oldest was an infant, my nurse practitioner/pediatrician suggested that I limit my intake of milk and wheat as long as I was breastfeeding. This made a very big difference, and when my daughter started eating solid foods we immediately noticed her eczema would get worse if she had milk or wheat. It was the same for all my kids, until they were about five years old. Around that age the sensitivity seemed to go away. (Yogurt and cheese did not bother them, but ice cream did.) Though we limited their intake of milk and wheat at home, it was difficult when visiting or attending any social functions, so after a snack at church or a visit to relatives, the kids would have a flare-up. (Note: if I were doing this all over again, I would send the kids with a different snack. I was so concerned about them fitting in and not being That One Odd Kid With Her Own Snack. Now I look back and I think of the rash they had every week, and I don't think fitting in was worth it. My middle child would draw pictures of herself with "itchies" on her legs.)
I quickly learned to avoid any soaps/shampoos/lotions/sunscreens/hand sanitizers that contain sodium laureth sulfate--but I think all public restroom soaps have this ingredient. Their eczema also flares up if they sit in the grass outside or if they visit people in different parts of town, so it seems to be connected to dust or pollen.
To treat the outbreaks, I make a bath salt treatment. It is
By the way, some doctors recommend that kids with eczema don't bathe often. I have found this advice to be completely wrong for my children. Daily baths are best--long soaks in very warm water. If you can find California Baby Lavender and Tea Tree Shampoo, it makes a great body wash. Vitacost no longer carries it, but I think Whole Foods does, and I've heard it's at Target.
When the kids have an outbreak that seems to be due to playing in the grass or other outdoor allergens, a helpful over the counter oral medicine is Zyrtec, but it seems that if they take it too many days in a row they get nosebleeds. I try to limit its use to three days at a time, and only if necessary.
We have a cortizone cream with aloe in it that is helpful for really awful outbreaks, or if they just won't stop scratching long enough to heal up. The cortizone cream without aloe made my youngest daughter scream. I won't use cortizone constantly though. Melaleuca's Renew lotion is great for eczema, but my youngest daughter said it "stings" and she convinced the older children that it stings also (they'd used it every day since birth....and suddenly they wouldn't use it!).
A very helpful treatment is Aloe Life Juice. This is a liquid that they drink. The kids love it. For awhile when their eczema was really bad, they drank an ounce of Aloe Life Juice every day. I mixed it with apple juice at first, but then they decided they like it plain. I buy the cherry or papaya flavors. Look for it at Vitacost.com.
Two years ago we finally beat the eczema. My friend shared a smoothie recipe with me, and it contains omega oils. We'd tried the gummy bears with omega oils, but they were not effective. The smoothie worked. I added aloe to it most days (it's good for digestion) and I sneaked in some celery--they couldn't taste it, but it adds another vegetable to their diet. The best news is that the kids LOVE to drink this. I added protein powder, so this either accompanied their breakfast cheerios, or made a great mid-morning snack.
After seeing such great results with the smoothie, I was impressed with these healthy oils. About a year later, I went on the Flat Belly Diet and I had such wonderful weight loss with its focus on monounsaturated fats. Because I had nuts and hummus and pesto and olives and avocado in the house for me, the kids ended up eating them often too, and suddenly their eczema was gone. Gone!
A month ago I noticed the my youngest either had a new outbreak of eczema again, or she just had really really dry skin. I made sure I included a monunsaturated fat at each of her meals, and I served a lot of popcorn with olive oil (the light-tasting kind that is lighter only in taste). I also made the bath recipe for her. It didn't take long for her skin to improve.
I wish I'd known about monounsaturated fats sooner! They've made such a difference in my children's skin. I've even put olive oil directly on my children's skin. Be careful if you're doing this with an infant...she'll get so slippery!
Note: almost all the ingredients in both recipes can be purchased at vitacost.com.
Update, July 2013: I had to go gluten free in 2012. We've changed our diet to use more veggies, very few grains, and whole fat milk. We eat more real food. The kids haven't mentioned their eczema in months.
Be aware that eczema can be a indication of a gluten intolerance. Lots of things can cause eczema, but keep this one in mind. If your child develops other health problems later, it can be helpful to add up all the little things and find that one big issue that just might solve most of them.
When my oldest was an infant, my nurse practitioner/pediatrician suggested that I limit my intake of milk and wheat as long as I was breastfeeding. This made a very big difference, and when my daughter started eating solid foods we immediately noticed her eczema would get worse if she had milk or wheat. It was the same for all my kids, until they were about five years old. Around that age the sensitivity seemed to go away. (Yogurt and cheese did not bother them, but ice cream did.) Though we limited their intake of milk and wheat at home, it was difficult when visiting or attending any social functions, so after a snack at church or a visit to relatives, the kids would have a flare-up. (Note: if I were doing this all over again, I would send the kids with a different snack. I was so concerned about them fitting in and not being That One Odd Kid With Her Own Snack. Now I look back and I think of the rash they had every week, and I don't think fitting in was worth it. My middle child would draw pictures of herself with "itchies" on her legs.)
I quickly learned to avoid any soaps/shampoos/lotions/sunscreens/hand sanitizers that contain sodium laureth sulfate--but I think all public restroom soaps have this ingredient. Their eczema also flares up if they sit in the grass outside or if they visit people in different parts of town, so it seems to be connected to dust or pollen.
To treat the outbreaks, I make a bath salt treatment. It is
5 drops calendula essential oil
1 drop tea tree oil (optional)
2 tablespoons jojoba oil (or almond or olive)
1 pump natural soap (Jason's lavender satin shower is great; so is California Baby Shampoo)
1/2 cup epsom salts.
Put the oils and the soap in a small bowl and then add the epsom salts. Mix. Add to the bath after all the water is run. Soak for at least 25 minutes. Note: this is what I use in a regular bathtub. For an infant tub I would make about a third of this, and I'd skip the tea tree oil. None of the measurements need to be exact. I don't keep measuring spoons in the bathroom. :)
By the way, some doctors recommend that kids with eczema don't bathe often. I have found this advice to be completely wrong for my children. Daily baths are best--long soaks in very warm water. If you can find California Baby Lavender and Tea Tree Shampoo, it makes a great body wash. Vitacost no longer carries it, but I think Whole Foods does, and I've heard it's at Target.
When the kids have an outbreak that seems to be due to playing in the grass or other outdoor allergens, a helpful over the counter oral medicine is Zyrtec, but it seems that if they take it too many days in a row they get nosebleeds. I try to limit its use to three days at a time, and only if necessary.
We have a cortizone cream with aloe in it that is helpful for really awful outbreaks, or if they just won't stop scratching long enough to heal up. The cortizone cream without aloe made my youngest daughter scream. I won't use cortizone constantly though. Melaleuca's Renew lotion is great for eczema, but my youngest daughter said it "stings" and she convinced the older children that it stings also (they'd used it every day since birth....and suddenly they wouldn't use it!).
A very helpful treatment is Aloe Life Juice. This is a liquid that they drink. The kids love it. For awhile when their eczema was really bad, they drank an ounce of Aloe Life Juice every day. I mixed it with apple juice at first, but then they decided they like it plain. I buy the cherry or papaya flavors. Look for it at Vitacost.com.
Two years ago we finally beat the eczema. My friend shared a smoothie recipe with me, and it contains omega oils. We'd tried the gummy bears with omega oils, but they were not effective. The smoothie worked. I added aloe to it most days (it's good for digestion) and I sneaked in some celery--they couldn't taste it, but it adds another vegetable to their diet. The best news is that the kids LOVE to drink this. I added protein powder, so this either accompanied their breakfast cheerios, or made a great mid-morning snack.
Omega Oil Smoothie for Kids
(serves 3)
3 TBS Flax Oil
3 TBS Orange Flavor Cod Liver Oil
6 TBS Aloe Vera Juice
4-8 ounces water (or 1 cup kefir or yogurt)
1 banana
3 TBS Rice Protein powder (watch the ingredients on protein powders. Some are soy-based, an ingredient I try to avoid.)
8 frozen strawberries (or some fresh or frozen peach slices, mangos, or blueberries)
20 drops Grapefruit Seed Extract (optional: this is not for eczema, this is an immune booster, helpful for allergies)
1 or 2 stalks celery (in chunks)
Blend in a blender...till blended. The blender can't always cope with the frozen fruit and the celery all at once, but once the fruit and everything else is blended, I add the celery. Sometimes I add a shake of cinnamon or a drizzle of honey. If your kids are used to really sweet drinks like koolaid or soda pop, you may need to add honey or agave nectar or a spoon of jam.
Serve in a glass with a straw.
After seeing such great results with the smoothie, I was impressed with these healthy oils. About a year later, I went on the Flat Belly Diet and I had such wonderful weight loss with its focus on monounsaturated fats. Because I had nuts and hummus and pesto and olives and avocado in the house for me, the kids ended up eating them often too, and suddenly their eczema was gone. Gone!
A month ago I noticed the my youngest either had a new outbreak of eczema again, or she just had really really dry skin. I made sure I included a monunsaturated fat at each of her meals, and I served a lot of popcorn with olive oil (the light-tasting kind that is lighter only in taste). I also made the bath recipe for her. It didn't take long for her skin to improve.
I wish I'd known about monounsaturated fats sooner! They've made such a difference in my children's skin. I've even put olive oil directly on my children's skin. Be careful if you're doing this with an infant...she'll get so slippery!
Note: almost all the ingredients in both recipes can be purchased at vitacost.com.
Update, July 2013: I had to go gluten free in 2012. We've changed our diet to use more veggies, very few grains, and whole fat milk. We eat more real food. The kids haven't mentioned their eczema in months.
Be aware that eczema can be a indication of a gluten intolerance. Lots of things can cause eczema, but keep this one in mind. If your child develops other health problems later, it can be helpful to add up all the little things and find that one big issue that just might solve most of them.
Friday, August 6, 2010
Recipe: leave-in hair conditioner
Several months ago Mountain Rose Herbs posted a recipe for a leave-in hair conditioner. I thought it might help de-tangle my daughters' hair, so I made a batch. I was pleasantly surprised to find that it works for my hair and my husband's hair also. We all have curly hair in varying textures, with the exception of my youngest daughter whose hair will only be curly if she ever moves to a more humid climate. I can't find the link to the original recipe, but here is my adaptation of it.
You'll need a spray bottle that holds more than 6 ounces. If you have one that originally held a purchased leave-in conditioner, that's ideal, as it dispenses the conditioner in smaller quantities than a regular spray bottle. If possible, use a bottle that sprays a fine mist rather than a heavy shower--it will make the conditioner last longer. A bottle that used to hold spray gel would probably work too.
This recipe makes enough for five of us to use almost every day for a month. It's really helpful on those "oh no, I spent too long on Facebook and I ran out of time to wash my hair" mornings.
Pour 3 ounces of aloe vera gel into a 2 cup measuring cup.
Add 3 ounces of water.
Add 1/8 teaspoon jojoba oil and
1/8 teaspoon vegetable glycerin.
Whisk. Pour it into your spray bottle--I recommend using a funnel, as aloe vera gel is a little gloppy even after being whisked.
Add 10 drops lemongrass essential oil,
10 drops lavender essential oil,
and 2 drops tea tree oil.
(For a different fragrance, try 10 drops lemongrass and 10 drops rosemary essential oil.
The lemongrass and tea tree oil keep the lavender from being a frilly feminine fragrance, but if you want a really feminine fragrance, try just using the lavender.)
Put the sprayer top on the bottle securely, and shake.
Your conditioner is ready to use. Shake before each use.
I bought all my ingredients from vitacost.com, which has great deals on all the things I used to drive to the health food store to purchase. Shipping is $4.99 on every order under $75; orders over that amount ship free.
You'll need a spray bottle that holds more than 6 ounces. If you have one that originally held a purchased leave-in conditioner, that's ideal, as it dispenses the conditioner in smaller quantities than a regular spray bottle. If possible, use a bottle that sprays a fine mist rather than a heavy shower--it will make the conditioner last longer. A bottle that used to hold spray gel would probably work too.
This recipe makes enough for five of us to use almost every day for a month. It's really helpful on those "oh no, I spent too long on Facebook and I ran out of time to wash my hair" mornings.
Pour 3 ounces of aloe vera gel into a 2 cup measuring cup.
Add 3 ounces of water.
Add 1/8 teaspoon jojoba oil and
1/8 teaspoon vegetable glycerin.
Whisk. Pour it into your spray bottle--I recommend using a funnel, as aloe vera gel is a little gloppy even after being whisked.
Add 10 drops lemongrass essential oil,
10 drops lavender essential oil,
and 2 drops tea tree oil.
(For a different fragrance, try 10 drops lemongrass and 10 drops rosemary essential oil.
The lemongrass and tea tree oil keep the lavender from being a frilly feminine fragrance, but if you want a really feminine fragrance, try just using the lavender.)
Put the sprayer top on the bottle securely, and shake.
Your conditioner is ready to use. Shake before each use.
I bought all my ingredients from vitacost.com, which has great deals on all the things I used to drive to the health food store to purchase. Shipping is $4.99 on every order under $75; orders over that amount ship free.
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