Food & Beauty Thrills – How To Kill Two Birds With One Stone

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Don’t you love food that addresses both your health and beauty needs?  Are you ready to find out which foods will help you look and feel beautiful without costing you a fortune?  Then let’s find out!

Cool cucumber  

It’s gorgeous in a salad and is an amazing hunger buster if you need something to munch on but haven’t really got the calories to spare.  Have no plans this evening?   Perfect – set up a date with cucumber for your lids, alongside fragrant scented candles and soothing music for that much needed pick me up.  Ah – heaven..

Cleopatra honey and yoghurt

What an amazing combo contributing antioxidants and minerals such as calcium for your bones.  Either pour them on your breakfast cereal or layer it on your face for a Cleopatra themed face mask.  You could also use agave nectar but I would suggest reading ‘The Sickly Truth About Agave Nectar’ first.  What’s more, throw in some oats and you’ll be wondering whether to eat it, or use it as a face mask or both!

Aloe vera shots

Have a shot a day if you are pursuing inexpensive remedies for fighting off wrinkles and signs of ageing.  What have you got to lose?  If you are intrigued then read Aloe Vera - A Fun Step Towards Anti-Aging?

Appetizing avocado & olive oil

Unbelievably creamy and satisfying in salads, you can’t go wrong with avocado or olive oil.  Did you know that it is just as perfect as a face mask for dry skin?  The richness of avocado is ideal mixed with olive oil for a much deserved pampering session.  Olive oil that has been gently warmed and applied to hair is also wonderful as a pre-wash conditioner.  You’ll be amazed at how glossy and shiny your hair is afterwards.  A perfect Sunday morning ritual, wouldn’t you agree?

Beautiful Banana

Finally, my favourite – the basic banana.  Or is it really?  It’s an excellent pre-exercise snack but what you may forget is that bananas like other fruit are packed with polyphenols and carotenoids important for their role in anti-aging.  Did you know that in India, banana leaf based dressings have been developed as an excellent, cheap, non-adhesive and pain free form of dressing material?

Let’s not forget Superfood Cinnamon, Mighty Mango, , Berries, Garlic - To Kiss Away Wrinkles, or Onions & Turmeric..  The list truly is endless but since it’s nearly the weekend, let’s celebrate with Ravishing Raspberry Cocktail for anti-aging goodness from berries.

Happy Thursday lovely readers, and do let me know if you think of other magical beauty foods to share.

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Mighty Mango Smoothie & It's Health Benefits In A Glass

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Smile triumphantly if you’ve had breakfast today.  Your pride is well deserved as breakfast is one of the most important meals of the day. 

I love mangoes and you probably do too.  Except, you’ve probably forgotten how nutritious it is because it is so tasty.  I’m determined that we meet our 5 plus of fruit and vegetables a day.  So what better way to start than at breakfast?

Vitamin C

What’s more is that you’ll also get a glassful of natural vitamin C with every smoothie.  Many of you think oranges or citrus fruits when we talk about vitamin C, but mangoes are another fantastic choice to meet your daily target of 40mg per day for vitamin C.

A 100g portion of this tropical fruit will give you around 37mg of vitamin C.  A portion is generally considered around 80g, but who is counting?  As a result of eating more than one piece of fruit a day, you will be literally smiling away, flashing those healthy gums, beautiful skin and fighting off infections whilst easily meeting your recommended amount of vitamin C for the day.  

Remember that taking large doses of vitamin C supplements in the form of pills has not been proven to prevent colds.

Fibre, Polyphenols & Potassium

Are you ready for more good news?  The dietary fibre and polyphenols found in fruit and vegetables are thought to improve the metabolism of lipids, especially the oxidation of low density cholesterol (the baddies if you like). 

An earlier study in the Journal of Nutritional Biochemistry in 1999, found that ripe mangoes in particular are abundant in antioxidants such as polyphenols, gallic acid and fibre.  Being a tropical fruit, I am thrilled that mango has found its voice in the Western part of the world.

It really is time for the generation of the perfect dose of vitamin C, fibre, antioxidants and potassium in a glass.  Enjoy this quick and easy breakfast smoothie idea.

Ingredients

Flesh of 1 mango

1 banana

125g mango yoghurt

Ice (optional)

2 tablespoons mango puree (optional)

½ teaspoon cinnamon

Methods

Blend the mango, banana and yoghurt together with the ice if using.  I used a whole mango as mine was mostly seed with a bit of flesh.  Pour the smoothie into a glass and top with the mango puree and sprinkling of cinnamon.  Wow you are ready to take on the world now J

Enjoy your day!  How do you like to eat a mango?