I am going bananas!

I totally did not write this, any of it but I do fine it very interesting and thought I should share this! 

After reading this, you'll never look at a banana in the same way again.

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Bananas contain three natural sugars - sucrose, fructose and glucose combined with fiber. A banana gives an instant, sustained and substantial boost of energy.

Research has proven that just two bananas provide enough energy for a strenuous 90-minute workout. No wonder the banana is the number one fruit with the world's leading athletes.

But energy isn't the only way a banana can help us keep fit. It can also help overcome or prevent a substantial number of illnesses and conditions, making it a must to add to our daily diet.

DEPRESSION:
According to a recent survey undertaken by MIND amongst people suffering from depression, many felt much better after eating a banana. This is because bananas contain tryptophan, a type of protein that the body converts into serotonin, known to make you relax, improve your mood and generally make you feel happier.

PMS:
Forget the pills - eat a banana. The vitamin B6 it contains regulates blood glucose levels, which can affect your mood.

ANEMIA:
High in iron, bananas can stimulate the production of hemoglobin in the blood and so helps in cases of anemia.

BLOOD PRESSURE:
This unique tropical fruit is extremely high in potassium yet low in salt, making it perfect to beat blood pressure So much so, the US Food and Drug Administration has just allowed the banana industry to make official claims for the fruit's ability to reduce the risk of blood pressure and stroke.

BRAIN POWER:
200 students at a Twickenham school ( England ) were helped through their exams this year by eating bananas at breakfast, break, and lunch in a bid to boost their brain power. Research has shown that the potassium-packed fruit can assist learning by making pupils more alert.

CONSTIPATION:
High in fiber, including bananas in the diet can help restore normal bowel action, helping to overcome the problem without resorting to laxatives.

HANGOVERS:
One of the quickest ways of curing a hangover is to make a banana milkshake, sweetened with honey. The banana calms the stomach and, with the help of the honey, builds up depleted blood sugar levels, while the milk soothes and re-hydrates your system.

HEARTBURN:
Bananas have a natural antacid effect in the body, so if you suffer from heartburn, try eating a banana for soothing relief.

MORNING SICKNESS:
Snacking on bananas between meals helps to keep blood sugar levels up and avoid morning sickness.

MOSQUITO BITES:
Before reaching for the insect bite cream, try rubbing the affected area with the inside of a banana skin. Many people find it amazingly successful at reducing swelling and irritation.

NERVES:
Bananas are high in B vitamins that help calm the nervous system..

Overweight and at work? Studies at the Institute of Psychology in Austria found pressure at work leads to gorging on comfort food like chocolate and chips. Looking at 5,000 hospital patients, researchers found the most obese were more likely to be in high-pressure jobs. The report concluded that, to avoid panic-induced food cravings, we need to control our blood sugar levels by snacking on high carbohydrate foods every two hours to keep levels steady.

ULCERS:
The banana is used as the dietary food against intestinal disorders because of its soft texture and smoothness. It is the only raw fruit that can be eaten without distress in over-chroniclercases. It also neutralizes over-acidity and reduces irritation by coating the lining of the stomach.

TEMPERATURE CONTROL:
Many other cultures see bananas as a 'cooling' fruit that can lower both the physical and emotional temperature of expectant mothers. In Thailand , for example, pregnant women eat bananas to ensure their baby is born with a cool temperature.

So, a banana really is a natural remedy for many ills. When you compare it to an apple, it has FOUR TIMES the protein, TWICE the carbohydrate, THREE TIMES the phosphorus, five times the vitamin A and iron, and twice the other vitamins and minerals.. It is also rich in potassium and is one of the best value foods around So maybe its time to change that well-known phrase so that we say, 'A BANANA a day keeps the doctor away!'

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Hummamole (Hummus and Guacamole)

I am on a big health kick right now and eating tones of veggies, but this week as I plan my meals for the week I am not really feeling the plain veggies. So I got looking at dips and I saw a few variants of hummus and when I saw the picture of a green hummus I started thinking about guacamole. However I sometimes find guac a little too strong....That brings me to Hummamole...This is my mix of hummus and guacamole and trying to keep it the healthiest I can!

So to start of course we an avocado and beans.

Normally hummus is made with chick peas but for today I am using white beans because they are softer I am assuming I will need to use less oil to get everything to mesh in the food processor.

Next, I added the juice of a lime, some onion and a crushed garlic clove (crush before putting it in to help it chop up better).
Tip: roll your lime on the counter before cutting because it loosens juices. Also if you're squeezing directly in to food processor squeeze it in to your hand first so the seeds don't end up in the mix.

I pulsed that all together adding olive oil as needed to make it all come together nicely.

Once it all had a good consistency I checked the taste. At this time add salt and more garlic or any other seasoning you like.

My last step is to add some chopped sun-dried tomatoes.

I am not a big fan of tomatoes though they are a part of guacamole so you could use fresh tomatoes if you like. Add them already chopped to the mix once you take it out of the food processor cause you don't want to purée them. If you want your dip chunkier you could add the onions here instead of to the processor as well.

One Avocado

One can White Beans

Juice of one small Lime

1/4 cup chopped Red Onion

One Garlic Clove

Olive Oil and Salt as needed

1/4 cup Sun-dried Tomatoes



You could make this mix thick like a spread or a thinner dip, it's your call. Either way, Enjoy!

Spinach Wheat Thin dipped in Hummamole

Why is there so much talk about oatmeal?

Oatmeal is 'heart healthy' but what does that mean, and why are there so many types? I have been wondering these same questions and more.

While on the hunt for some oatmeal for these cool mornings, I walked down the cereal isle to see many different packages of oats and oatmeal and I felt slightly over whelmed. I knew the sugary pre-portioned oatmeal packages would not be the healthiest with all the sugar and other additives but they are so quick. So what about quick oats, or steel cut or old fashion? Should I get oats or oatmeal? If I get 'instant' would it still be as healthy as slower cooking oats?

So I took to the computer in search of answers, or better yet, just one answer...Which one if right for me?

Here is a collection of what I found:

Heart Health: Web definitions (heart-healthy) of foods that are low in fats and sodium and other ingredients that may foster heart disease. wordnetweb.princeton.edu/perl/webwn Ok, so what exactly do oats have that makes them heart healthy? Oats are a good source of vitamins and minerals including calcium, magnesium, phosphorous and  potassium. It is also high in soluble fibre which helps lower cholesterol levels and reduces risk of heart disease. So now on to the different kinds now that we know why we should eat them. There are several kinds as I said and a good website to go to if you want more info is http://www.eatmoreoats.com. Also, if you look at the website you will see the different types of processing oats can go thorough. The main difference I have found between oats and oatmeal is oatmeal is more processed than oats.

The most common kinds in the store are Old fashion or Rolled oats, Quick oats, Instant oatmeal (Who knew Instant and quick were different but they are) and lastly Steel-cut oats, so lets talk about them.

The oat grain is hulled and become oat groats, then they are cut to become Steel-cut and as we know the less processed the higher the nutrients left in foods vs their processed counterparts. Steel-cut oats take the longest to cook of the 4 types we're talking about and are  slightly chewier, but they're nutrient rich and digest the slowest so you feel fuller longer. They also have a low glyceminc  index, meaning that they don't spike your blood glucose level which ultimately would be setting you up for a 'crash' later.

If we go back to oat groats they can also be processed in to rolled oats, which are then processed in to quick oats, which can then be processed in to instant oats. Each step of processing cuts down on the amount of time it will take you to cook the oats at home but each step also cuts down on the benefits of eating oatmeal. However whole grain rolled oats are almost as unprocessed as steel-cut oats and there is little difference in nutrients between the two types. 

My Conclusion: 

Oatmeal in the mornings: Steel-cut oats (cooked ahead) to start your day off the best you can!

Short on time: Whole grain rolled oats

Baking: Whole grain rolled oats, I think the fluffier flakes would be better then the harder steel-cut.

But give them a try and see what you enjoy best! 

Pink Swirl Cupcakes

Today I made cupcakes and as I said in my introduction I am looking for new ways to bake in a more healthy way but still be healthy. I love cupcakes! Loosely quoting Grey's Anatomy 'Everything tastes better as a cupcake. Lasagne cupcake. Mashed potato cupcake.' Yes everything does taste better as a cupcake but for today I am sticking with good, old fashion, cake - cupcakes. 

These are not the healthiest but I am short on time and they are for a friends birthday, so we can cheat a bit.

I started with a box cake mix...

Then to make it a little bit healthy I added Fat Free Greek yoghurt...

By using yoghurt you skip the eggs and the oil ( and it did call for 3 eggs and 1/3 cup of oil)
Next I added some water (exact measurements will be at the bottom). My cake mix is a chocolate swirl cake so after I mixed it up I took out 1 cup and mixed in the chocolate powder that came in the box(but you could use regular mix and as coco powder to make your own swirls). To the rest of the mixture I added food colouring, because my friend likes bright colours I was shooting for pink.

Then came the fun part, you put the pink mix in the cupcake liners (or however you make cupcakes), to that you evenly distribute the chocolate mix. Now you should have a blob of  chocolate on top of your pink, use a knife and swirl your chocolate through the pink being careful not to mix the two colours. Then because I have a sweet tooth I sprinkled a few chocolate chips on each one. Bake and your done!

They look more pink in real life!

• Preheat oven to 325*F
• Add 1 cake mix, 1 cup Greek yoghurt, and 1 cup water
• Mix thoroughly 
• Place on cup batter in a separate bowl and add chocolate powder(from box, or coco powder)
• Add food colouring to big bowl of batter until you get desired shade ( I used 50 drops red and 5 drops blue)
• Scoop in to half filled muffing cups, add a dollop of chocolate batter to each cup and swirl
• Add chocolate ships if you so choose
• Bake for 25-30 minutes insuring not to over cook
• Let cool before frosting or leave them as is. They are moist enough and delicious enough not to require frosting.
• Makes about 2 Dozen 

I kind of swished it breaking it apart :(

Pretty isn't it? And a little more healthy then just using the box straight up!

2013 Colour of the Year

After walking through the local mall the other day I started thinking about the colours in fashion; the pinks, blues, yellows and greens....who picks these colour?

Then watching Steven and Chris today they mentioned Pantone. Most of us have probably not heard of Pantone, I know I hadn't and as an avid follower of home décor and fashion I am surprised this name has never came up. Turns out Pantone is our colour god, their website states they are "the world-renowned authority on color."

What does this mean to us? It means that instead of waiting for a magazine or tv show to tell us what the trend in colour is, we can look it up for ourself. So, what is the colour of the year for 2013? Green, Emerald green to be exact. An emerald is a gemstone and has long be the symbol of hope, but Pantone describes their version of emerald as "Lively. Radiant. Lush...A color of elegance and beauty that enhances our sense of well-being, balance and harmony." 

Sounds great to me! 

I would love to see men embracing this new colour, more that last years Tangerine Tango.  We can already see it in the stores in small dose in plaids and paisley but I expect a greater pop showing up in stores as winter progresses. If you shy away from intense colours I would say give Emerald shoes a try with a neutral outfit for women (I love nothing more then a little black dress and a bold shoe) and men try a pale Emerald shirt with a patterned tie that picks up more of the brighter green.

How will you be incorporating the colour of the year? 

This is how I am doing it...

Stormy Waters by autumnsbaby featuring genuine leather handbags

What's The Deal With Alkaline Water?

Do you remember in school we learnt about the pH scale? Some of you may remember that that stands for “power of hydrogen” or how much hydrogen ions are in a solution, but who cares about that. What we really want to know is why the bottled water refill stations are selling alkaline water?  Or why stores are selling alkaline sticks to but in your water?

Well after a brief chemistry lesson I’ll give you some insight in to ‘what’s the deal with alkaline water.’

The pH scale goes from 0.0-14.0, zero is the most acidic and 14.0 is the most alkaline. The middle of this scale is 7.0, neutral. Our blood natural wants to have a pH of 7.365, which is slightly alkaline. 

Ok, so our blood wants to be alkaline, so we should drink alkaline water? Maybe, but we need to go a little deeper than that.  Some foods are very acidic and try to pull our blood over to the dark side. I am not going to list them all but just know that  processed foods are probably more acidic then say a fresh green salad (which would be highly alkaline). So with the tug of war between acid and alkaline people are now opting to give alkaline a leg up by drinking alkaline water, since our body is 70% water anyways.

Some say drinking water can help to neutralize acid in your bloodstream, increases oxygen levels in your body and boost your energy and metabolism. Others say drinking alkaline water can increase the alkaline level in your stomach and this could affect your digestion by altering your stomach acid. This could then lead to digestive issues including ulcers. 

I say consult a physician before trying any FAD, overdoing it either way can cause drastic and dangerous results! 

FYI the pH of my tap water was 6.4 and the pH of filtered water was 6.2.

Next test will be spring water and treated alkaline water.

Sources:

The pH Miracle by Dr. Robert Young and Shelly Redford Young

The Beauty Detox Solution by Kimberly Snyder, C.N

http://www.livestrong.com/article/498701-what-are-the-benefits-of-drinking-alkaline-water/#ixzz2IA1Ihm5U

Why am I a frizz-ball?

So my first real post is about curly hair. I don't naturally have curly hair but I love it, and in the last 10 years I think I have been able to 'conquer' the curls!

Why am I such a frizz-ball? As a salon professional for over 10 years, I hear that question almost every day in the salon! The simple answer is, when hair was being handed out you got the short straw. You got curly hair and unfortunately sometime that means frizz.

The long answer is everyone’s hair has a wave pattern and some wave patterns are easier to manage than others. The three main wave patterns are straight (yes that is a wave pattern), curly and extremely curly and some people have more than one wave pattern. You may have straight hair, curly or kinked, or you may be one of those people that have a combination of two or more wave patterns. Unfortunately you can’t change your wave pattern; they are a result of your genetics and your racial background.

However there are things you can do and I am here to help!

The number one thing you need to do is get yourself the proper shampoo and conditioner. This doesn’t mean go out and get a heavy-duty conditioner. Often time’s tight coiled hair is not thick hair and if you use a heavy conditioner it might weigh down your frizz but the odds are they are also weighing down your hair. The thickness and density of your hair will dictate the heaviness of your products but, make sure to use a moisturising shampoo and conditioner. Curls can always use moisture.

Next you want to get all the tats and tangles out, by giving your hair a really good comb through.  This may require a detangler or leave-in conditioner and don’t be alarmed if you are noticing hair falling out. We natural shed hair and sometimes it gets tangled in with your natural curls and then it all comes out at once when we brush it.

Once your hair is all tangle free you want to add specially designed, curl enhancing styling products. Preparation is key.

Lastly you want to set the curls. You can twist curls with big or small sections of hair depending on the size of curl you want. Then scrunch your curls to give it more bounce. Now let your hair dry natural, or if you are going to use a hair dryer use a low air flow on a low to medium heat.   

That’s it, now you can rock frizz free hair all day!

Introductions

Hey all,

I have been a hairstylist for 10 years and for the past 6 years I have also been doing esthetics (Mani, Pedi, Makeup, etc).

My newest adventure has been to become a personal trainer and that has pulled me into being very interested in nutrition. I have a sweet tooth and love baking so I am also looking to try out some health yet yummy baking.

To top this all off I love fashion, home décor and entertaining. 

So that brings me to my blog, I want to share a little bit of everything I am passionate about and where else could I do that then to start my own blog so here it is!