All Natural Laxatives

1/23/12 By definition, a person who has no more than three bowel movements per week is generally considered 'constipated'. While some of us are fortunate enough to not have to worry about this problem, others suffer from this dilemma, and the only way to deal with this hard problem, is so take a laxative. But the easy way out, is not always the healthiest.

Solution? Natural laxatives.
A diet high in both soluble and insoluble foods (primarily insoluble), 1 cup Pro-biotic Yogurt a day, Movement/exercise, Ample Water in diet

Sources of soluble fiber: oatmeal, oat cereal, lentils, apples, oranges, pears, oat bran, strawberries, nuts, flaxseeds, beans, dried peas, blueberries, psyllium, cucumbers, celery, and carrots.

Sources of insoluble fiber: whole wheat, whole grains, wheat bran, corn bran, seeds, nuts, barley, couscous, brown rice, bulgur, zucchini, celery, broccoli, cabbage, onions, tomatoes, carrots, cucumbers, green beans, dark leafy vegetables, raisins, grapes, fruit, and root vegetable skins.

Coconut Oil: Reap the benefits!

1/14/12 Yes, I'm sure you've heard before, "saturated fats are the worst kinds of fats, and by all means, they should be completely avoided" Well, the truth actually is, that there are exceptions to this claim, because in reality, all saturated fats are not created equal.

Fact: Some saturated fats occur naturally, such as the saturated fat in coconut oil, while other fats are artificially created into a saturated state through a process known as hydrogenation. The trans-fat that you see on commercially packaged foods? Yeah, those are the bad ones. Those are the fats you want to completely avoid.

According to Dr. Melina Jampolis of CNN, coconut oil is a type of fat that's quickly metabolized by the liver, so it's less likely than other types of fat to be stored as body fat. This wondrous coco-fat has been shown to increase metabolism, provide healthier shinier hair, and a healthier immune system. Coconut oil has even been shown to help with skin integrity when applied topically. This oil has some real strong anti-aging properties.

However, do keep in mind that coconut oil IS high in calories, so when introduced into your diet, it should be used in moderation and paired with a low-calorie diet and exercise. But one way you can use it without abandon (and fear of calorie intake) is on your hair and skin.

Victoria Secret Super Model Miranda Kerr recently told readers of Australian Cosmopolitan that, "Coconut oil is the key to her clear skin, shiny hair and trim figure." .. How about that!?

The Heart's Burn (Reflü) and other Thanksgiving Tales

11.25.11 Quick tip for heartburn, works like a charm: With a cup of water boil slices of ginger and add a tea spoon of cinnamon. Let it sit. Drain once or twice and sip away. Don't drink or eat anything else after drinking the tea for about 2 hours. Also try to go to bed a bit hungry that night to wake up feeling cleansed.

Ginger Spice, she'll do you good

10.21.11 Ginger, it's the decorative yellow plate ornament we leave behind when eating sushi. And boy have we been missing out. My housemate brought some candy like ginger from Berlin the other day and I've been rediscovering this funny substance ever since. Besides the fact that it's sweet, spicey, sour and salty at the same time here's a bazillion reasons why we should eat a bit of ginger everyday. Each time I feel like my metabolism has slowed down, for a quick fix, I take a big bit and it feels as if I've worked out for 5 minutes. From helping prevent inflammation, to headaches, appetite control, weight lose and cancer prevention, anti-viral-toxic-fungal properties, there's just too many benefits of ginger to ignore.

Takin' care of business during the cold season, benefits of lemon/water

10.16.11 In the fall/winter season it is important not to overburden the digestive system by drinking beverages which are too cold, especially in the morning when the stomach is just getting to work. I noticed it's good for me if I drink a warm water with lemon juice in the morning before I drink my morning coffee. It prepares the stomach for practically anything that might come along!

An easy shopping list to take to the market for better skin

10.11.11 Here's a simple list compiled from GOOP's post on "better skin". Suggested by the famous Dr. Perricone. I would suggest consuming 1 portion of 3 of these (at least) per day: Chia seeds (for omega3), green apple, yogurt, acai, blueberries, turmeric, cinnamon, ginger, wild salmon,  asparagus, extra virgin olive oil, green jasmine tea, hazelnuts, walnuts, almonds, old fashioned oatmeal, pears, flax meal fed eggs (eggs with omega3), lemons, lemon juice, berries, chickpeas.

Is There Life After Milk?

9.24.11 So it's been about 3 months since I've cut cows milk out my diet. I still eat cheese and yogurt but the results are nonetheless surprising. Most mornings I used to wake up with a feeling discomfort from mucus stuck in my throat, how sexy, but right after cutting out milk the feeling went away instantly. Not sure if milk actually causes mucus or just intensifies it but I feel like I can breath better. Now I mostly drink half a glass of goats milk which is just pure awesomeness and get somewhat of a stomach ache after drinking ice-coffees with cows milk in them. And here's some further reading I've been meaning to catch up on...

Nature's, Best, Moisturizer, Ever, Period

8.22.11 A definite-benefit of living in Turkey, take advantage of it today! Go check to see if grandma or ma' have a bucket of hazelnut oil in their kitchen -or buy one around the corner. Turkey's perhaps the biggest producer of hazelnut: best quality & best price. Simply bottle it for yourself, add a couple of drops of lavender oil (optional, to give a scent) and keep it in the shower. Replace it with your pseudo "chemical-free" baby oil. I've been doing this for over a month now and I can't believe how soft my skin is, exclamation mark. Before you hop out of the shower, as you're still wet, put some on. Hazelnut oil has no taste and no smell. It takes a good hour for your body to absorb it but be patient. If this works for you, you'll be hooked for life and I wouldn't say no if you wanted to take me out for coffee as a thank you.

"Let's go dating!" Benefits of dates and other lame puns

8.3.11 During Ramadan, the month of fasting for Muslims which began on August 1st this year, it's a tradition to break-fast or snack on dates after sundown. I personally had no idea how nutritious they were until I decided to look them up after a date binge. Who knew dates were packed with vitamins, minerals & fiber? (Phew!) But as high as they are in nutrients they're also very caloric and heavy in sugar. So about 4-5 a day is sufficient. If you're fasting, for a healthier Ramadan break-fast with a single date and substitute processed desserts with 3-4 more dates, prunes or dried apricots.

Wave cancer goodbye with olive extract & capers

8.1.11 Not a day goes by where we don't hear news of newly diagnosed cancer patients. I found myself recommending the following tip about 3 times this week. I highly urge those (of us) who have cancer in the family to take olive extract and capers supplements (capers, especially for tumors). For the olive extract, I buy mine from kalenaturel.net