Get Rid of Acne NOW!

For some reason, I have always been prone to breakouts. Point blank: Acne sucks. It makes you less confident and feel bad about your appearance. Not only that, but I've probably spent thousands of dollars over the years trying to find an acne remedy.

I eat healthy, I drink water, I shower, I change my pillow case, I've tried lots of OTC remedies, I've tried all those natural remedies (apple cider vinegar, tea tree oil, and so on...)

I even had a prescription gel treatment from my dermatologist, but I eventually decided to get off of it because I hated putting those chemicals on my face! (Never stop using a product without the consultation of your medical provider first.) 

My skin has large pores and can get oily. The older I get, the worse it seems to be! Well, I finally found a product that really is making a huge difference in my acne. I am not getting these massive breakouts, that cystic acne, or those pesky whiteheads. Overall, maybe around "that time of the month" I will get a pimple or two, but nothing like I used to get. 

PanOxyl Face Bar Soap 10% Benzoyl Peroxide. This is the answer to my prayers. I use it once in my morning shower, and once before I go to bed. I don't breakout anymore! It costs about $6-9 depending what store you purchase it at. It lasts me about 2 months using it twice a day. The best part is...it's NOT as harsh as you may think!

There's this website I use constantly, ewg.org/skindeep. It rates products on a scale from 0-10, 10 being the "worst". When a product scores a certain way, it's telling you the risk with using it according to ewg's research team. Check it out! Type in the products you are using, you will be surprised how bad certain products are for you. But check out how PanOxyl scores...a 2!!! In the green "safe" zone! Overall, the product isn't filled with scary chemicals and isn't an overall hazard. It may not be "natural", but it's not the worst thing for you, and therefore I use it. Plus the best part, it seriously works. 

Everyone is different, but I hope you have good luck with this! It took me years and years to find something that worked with my cystic breakouts, and this seems to be working for me.

Not only do I use this product, but like I said before, I stay hydrated, eat healthy, sleep well, clean my pillow case, take vitamins, etc. Living a healthy lifestyle can help with acne, but when you know you are doing everything "right" and still struggling, this was the answer for me!

Please note, I am not a spokesperson or affiliated in any way with the products/websites and information I shared with you. I am just happy to have found this product that seriously works.

Picture credit to amazon.com

1 Ingredient "Ice Cream"

In the mood for ice cream? Bust that craving with an alternative! Enjoy all year 'round, or in the summer, and you won't have to worry about loosing that bikini body.

Ready?

All you need is: Frozen banana and a food processor!

I freeze my banana in slices, I use about 2 cups of sliced frozen banana and I throw it in my food processor. Now puree to smooth. All done! There's your creamy, yummy, nutritious Banana "Ice Cream". ONE Ingredient. Put it in a cone for the little ones, or even yourself! Kids love this ice cream, sneaky way to get there serving of fruit in.
You can also do this with frozen banana AND strawberries, making a Straw-nana "Ice Cream"

Parsnip Fries Anyone?

While eating a yummy veggie burger, I sometimes want something to go with it. I won't open a bag of chips, or cook some french fries, instead I'll make some Parsnip Fries! They're a great alternative to the potato.

First, I wash and peel the parsnip. Next I slice into the shape of fries, as pictured below.

Then I toss them in olive oil (or coconut oil), along with some rosemary, garlic powder, and a pinch of salt. I spread them out on a baking sheet and pop in the oven on 425 degrees F. 20 minutes on each side, or until tender and slightly browned.

Delicious! 

Infuse your water: It's healthy, easy, and yummy!--Recipes

Infuse your water: It's healthy, easy, and yummy! 

Water is so important, as explained on this blog post. Here are some ways you can infuse your water to make you want to drink it!

Adding certain fruits, vegetables, and/or herbs to water can help in one or more ways: Flush toxins (detox), aid digestion, boost immune system, fight inflammation, improve blood flow, aid in weight loss, fight depression, fight cancer, ease stomach, contains antioxidants.


Directions: Fill desired pitcher with fruit/vegetable/herbs of your choice, then add water to fill and ice (optional). The more fruit/veggies/herbs, the more the flavor. Drink immediately or leave in the refrigerator 1-4 hours to better infuse the water with nutrients. The longer you leave the water in the fridge, the stronger the flavor.

Recommended Combinations: 

Lemon+Lime+Water+Ice 

• Slice lemon and lime 
• I recommend squeezing a few slices to get the juices in the water, then simply toss the the rest in 

Cucumber+Watermelon+Water+Ice 

• Slice cucumber 
• Watermelon in chunks 

Strawberries+Lime+Water+Ice 

• Slice strawberries in halves 
• Slice lime 

Cucumber+Mint+Water+Ice 

• I recommend muddling the mint 
• Slice cucumber 

Strawberry+Orange+Basil 

• Slice strawberries in halves 
• Slice oranges Toss in large basil leaves 

Blueberry+Kiwi+Water+Ice 

• Slice kiwi

Craving Panera for Breakfast? (Copy Cat Breakfast)

Well if you're anything like me, you love Panera. It's convenient, offers healthy options (for a fast food place), and tastes amazing. I would love to have Panera for breakfast every morning, but it gets expensive. Here's a way I get what I want, without paying all that money.

Now first thing's first, there is nothing like Panera's whole grain bagel flat. Im in love with it. On a Sunday, I go to Panera early in the morning and purchase a dozen of them. At my local Panera this costs me close to $7...not bad. I then ask the cashier for my bagels sliced, and their freezer bags (yes, my Panera hands out free freezer bags, and I never knew until recently). When I get home, I keep one or two bagels out for Monday and Tuesday, and the rest I throw in the bad to freeze. (They thaw really easily, I just toast them and they're fine. They also pull apart easily, I haven't had a problem yet. Always make sure they are sliced post freezing!)

At the market, I am always buying baby spinach for recipes, smoothies, salad, etc. So it's something I have on hand all the time. I also will make sure I pick up avacados and any kind of cheese. Last, I make sure I purchase cage-free eggs and a tomato. 

During the week, early morning when I am craving Panera, I simply toast my bagel flat, when it pops up, immediately put my cheese on it, along with a cooked egg white, spinach, avocado, and tomato! Delicious!! You can tweak this sandwich to your liking, some ideas are hot sauce, skip the cheese, extra avacado. 

Everything on this sandwich is typically good for you, gives you energy, and keeps you full for a good portion of the day. Avacados blast belly fat, egg whites are high in protein, whole grain bread is a better option over wheat, white, and you still get your bread fix, then there's spinach which is just amazing in so many ways.

Not only will you be saving money, but you can add what you want and make sure it's exactly to your liking. It's also faster, than having to stop at Panera on your way to work, school, etc. You don't have to buy Panera's flat bagels, you can find an alternative at your local market. 

Ingredients:

1 Whole Grain Bagel Flat (I purchase Panera's, but feel free to find an alternative at your local market)

1/4-1/2 Avacado (Depends on your liking)

1 thick slice of tomato

1 slice cheese (any kind, I use American)

2 egg whites

Baby spinach (5-6 leaves is plenty)

(Everything I purchase at the supermarket is always organic and non-GMO)

Start a pan and cook your egg whites. While that's occurring, toast the bagel flat. 

1 of 2 ways to incorporate cheese: add cheese to the egg white, then top on bagel flat when it's done toasting.

2 of 2 ways to incorporate cheese: when bagel flat pops up from toaster, add cheese immediately, it will melt, then top with finished egg whites immediately, it will melt even more. 

Top with avacado, spinach, and tomato. 

Enjoy!

Why You Should Consume More Water and How

Water, Water, Everywhere...

Yes, you have heard it a million times, but it's for a reason: it's true and can really help your overall health! I don't drink juice, lemonade, iced tea (unless I made it), soda, fruit punch, etc. ALL I drink it water, water, water...

Water can help flush out toxins in our everyday life, aid us in weight loss, and helps brain function (and yes, that means it can help with headaches). While I am not a doctor, water is sounding better and better to me!

Tips to consume more water: Always carry a water bottle with you. It will become a habit, and you will just drink it because it's there. Drink at least 8oz of water right when you wake up in the morning, it will get your body and mind going! Make it fun: add a flavor to your water. This can be done in one of two ways...

• Infuse your water: Adding fruits, vegetables, and/or herbs to your water can better hydrate you, make your water taste good, and give you more health benefits. Recipes for infusing water are here! 
• Add a squirt of flavor: A few companies out there provide these little bottles that you can simply squirt a few drops in your water and make it taste good. Typically, these can be bad for you, just adding a bunch of sugar to your water. However, I have found a few brands at my local supermarket (including Target and Wal-Mart), where these little squirt bottles now contain stevia, instead of sugar. The calories are usually around 5 per serving. Ideally, plain water or infusing your water is better for you, even adding some lemon, but if you can't seem to get that water down without any flavor, the benefits of consuming the water outweigh putting a natural sweetener in your drink. Again, please be careful when purchasing these "water enhancers"! Always read the ingredients and nutrient facts, make sure it is sweetened with stevia, never aspartame. Maybe I will come up with my own little "water enhancer" recipe, stay tuned! 

No Time for the Market? No Problem--Healthy Dinner!

Tonight, I wanted something yummy for dinner, but also nutritious. I didn't feel like running to the market, so I had to work with what I had. Here's what I came up with:
Quoina Pasta (Penne) with "Pink" Sauce and Broccoli:

I love Quoina Pasta! I find it at my local supermarket. I prefer it over wheat pasta, and I find the taste not too far off from the pasta we are used to eating.

Quoina (pronounced keen-wah) is gluten-free, high in iron and fiber, and it's a great source of magnesium. It's also low in cholesterol and sodium. While I am not a nutritionist, it does sound pretty darn nutritious to me!

I have also seen lots of research and postings on how Quoina is a great source of plant-based protein, a power house food, and can help with weight loss. You may or may not have heard that grains can be bad for you because they contain high levels of what's called glycemic index. Glycemic index (GI) effects a person's blood sugar level, which can lead to lots of health complications. Quoina is low it GI, making it a better option for you.

Broccoli is good for you, and I am sure you know that! When it's in pasta with yummy sauce, it really doesn't effect the taste or vibe of this dish. Embrace the broccoli!

Ingredients:
Broccoli
Pasta
Olive Oil
Garlic Powder
Basil (Dried)
Pepper (Optional)
Red Pasta Sauce ('Marinara Sauce', any kind)
Half and half (Or heavy cream, light cream...)

(All my ingredients were organic, I always buy organic and non-GMO products.)


Now here's what I did: (Not all measuring are included because I always eye things as I go, but I tried to estimate some things for you! Depends how much pasta you cook and how much sauce you prefer. I love sauce, so the more sauce, the happier I am :) Feel free to add more spices, use more veggies, any type of red pasta sauce...)

Cooked the pasta until tender. Meanwhile, in a separate pan, heated the sauce for about 2 minutes. Added 1/2 tbsp. olive oil, garlic powder, and basil. Stirred and let sit for another minute or so. Then I drained the tender pasta, and added it to my sauce pan, combining the mixture and pasta, eyeing if I wanted more sauce or not. I let that sit for another few minutes, stirring and tossing constantly. Then I added half and half until the color of sauce was to my liking! Let sit for another minute, add more garlic if you'd like. ;) Remove from heat when done cooking.

Meanwhile in another pan, start on your broccoli mixture. I had organic frozen broccoli, I put about 1 cup of it with about 1 tbsp. olive oil over medium-high heat. Once that was tender (about 5 minutes), I added the same jarred red pasta sauce I used for my pasta. I didn't put too much, because there's already sauce with the pasta--maybe 1/2 cup. I stirred that and added some garlic powder and pepper. Then I added some half and half until pink enough for my liking. After a few minutes, I dumped this broccoli mixture in the pan with the pasta.

All done! Now enjoy. Sprinkle some cheese on top if you want...

This was just a spur the moment dinner with barely anything in my fridge or cabinets! See what you can throw together in a pinch... ;)