NATURAL BEAUTY FROM AROUND THE WORLD |
 From flowers in Switzerland to honey from New Zealand, local "cure alls" present the secret to real beauty for women anywhere in the world.
Food and beauty are closely linked together, and it's wonderful to observe the creative solutions women come up with based on what they have on hand.
Oftentimes the same ingredients women prefer to cook with (those high in antioxidants, minerals, and healthy fats) wind up on their faces and hair. There the nutrients they contain nourish the skin.
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| FIGHT THE FRIZZ / BOOST BRAINPOWER AND MEMORY |
 March's cold wind and static-inducing wool caps make hat-hair a frizzy reality. But Sheila Cluff, owner of The Oaks Spa in Ojai, California, says not to despair - just apply a reparative hair mask, followed by a moisturizing scalp treatment.
Here's how to make your own at-home treatments for frizz-free tresses:
Scalp Treatment. "Peppermint stimulates the scalp, which increases blood flow to nurture hair," says Cluff. Olive oil infuses moisture directly into the cuticle, shaft, and scalp, quenching dry, frizzy hair.
What you need: ½ cup of olive oil; 2 tablespoons of freshly ground lavender; 2 tablespoons of dried peppermint.
Directions: Wet hair and towel dry. Warm ingredients in small saucepan, but do not boil. Massage warmed ingredients into scalp over damp hair. Cover hair with shower cap to keep heat in. Relax in a warm bath for 15 minutes. Take cap off, shampoo, and rinse. Do this treatment once a month. -Bonnie Siegler
BOOST BRAINPOWER AND MEMORY
Acetyl-L-carnitine
Walk out of the grocery store and can't find your car? Left your keys in the front door - again? Age-related forgetfulness can be maddening, so you'll want to write this one down: acetyl-L-carnitine.
Research shows this amino acid can boost brainpower and memory. Its antioxidant properties repair damaged neurons (information-transmitting nerve cells), increasing your memory and capacity to learn.
Acetyl-L-carnitine also shuttles fatty acids to the body's "power plants" - the mitochondria in your cells that turn fat into energy - all of which further enhances alertness, focus, and concentration.
If all this forgetfulness depresses you, acetyl-L-carnitine can help with that, too: It helps your brain make acetylcholine, an essential chemical for regulating moods. Unless you're wild about animal brains (the only food source of acetyl-L-carnitine), Ray Sahelian, MD, author of Mind Boosters (St. Martin's Press, 2000), suggests you take 100 to 400 mg in supplement form every morning. -Wendy McMillan
Resource For This Article: Natural Solutions Magazine, 2009 |
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 Serves 6
Work: 35 min
Total: 1 hr 5 min
¼ cup all-purpose flour
½ tsp each salt and pepper
2 lbs beef stew meat, cut into 1-inch pieces
2 tbsp olive oil
5 carrots, cut into ½-inch slices
3 celery stalks, coarsely chopped
1 medium onion, diced
3 garlic cloves, minced
6 oz white button mushrooms, sliced ⅜ inch thick
1 cup dry red wine
 1 cup low-sodium beef broth
¼ cup steak sauce
1 ½ tsp dried Italian seasoning
2 ¼ cups packaged biscuit mix
⅔ cup milk
1. Heat oven to 325°F. In a bowl, combine flour, salt and pepper; toss with beef until coated well. In a 6-quart Dutch oven, heat 1 tbsp oil over medium-high heat. In two batches, cook beef (adding 1 tbsp oil to second batch), turning, until browned, about 4 min. Transfer to a plate. Add carrots, celery, onion and garlic to pot. Cook, stirring until wilted, 8 min. Stir in beef, mushrooms, wine, broth, steak sauce and Italian seasoning. Cover; bake 50 min. Remove from oven.
2. About 20 min before serving, stir together biscuit mix and milk until just combined.
3. Increase oven to 400°F. (To make individual servings, transfer beef mixture to pint-size casserole pans.) Drop biscuit batter in mound over beef mixture. Bake, uncovered, until biscuits are lightly browned, 15 to 20 min.
Per serving: 700 calories, 38.5 g total fat, 13.5 g sat fat, 1,121 mg sodium, 44 g carbs, 103 mg chol, 35 g protein, 3 g fiber
Resource For This Article: Ladies Home Journal, January 2009 |
| CLOSING THOUGHTS |
When I travelled in Europe, 9000 feet above sea level in the Alps of Switzerland, we saw the beautiful edelweiss flowers. Little did I know then the powerful properties of this little flower.
Fight the Frizz - Try this treatment - get dried lavender and peppermint at your local health store. It's an easy recipe to make and use until your itching and dry scalp becomes normal.
Memory and Brainpower - Acetyl-L-Carnitine - an amino acid and antioxidant repairs damaged neurons and enhances alertness, focus and concentration. Who wouldn't want that!
Beef and Vegetable Bake - We all like easy recipes and today's is a great way to feed a family - I think you will love the biscuits on top! I hope you enjoyed my newsletter today. To read these articles and more, please go to my blog. Why not look today? It will take only a few minutes of your valuable time.
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Your friend,
Janet Esther | |
