Fun and inexpensive beauty treatments using fruit!!!

We all love to paper ourselves. Whether it be getting a new purse, pair of shoes, or going to the spa...but that can get REAL expensive REAL fast! Here are some wonderful beauty treatments using fruit! These recipes are great for those with sensitive skin, women who are nursing or pregnant that don't want to put unnecessary chemicals on their skin, or those of us who are looking to save money yet still pamper ourselves! Read and try some for yourself!

Banana & Lemon Foot Massage - Sunkist

Banana & Lemon Foot Massage

Ingredients

• ½ Sunkist® lemon
• 2 bananas
• 2 tablespoons of fine sea salt
• 2 teaspoons of grapeseed oil

Directions

Slice bananas into a bowl and mash. Add the juice of the lemon and the rest of the ingredients and mix together. Massage the mixture into your feet and leave for 10 minutes. Rinse off with warm water, dry thoroughly and apply lots of moisturizer.

Lemon Facial Scrub - Sunkist

Lemon Facial Scrub

Perfect for oily skin.

Ingredients

• 1 part Sunkist® lemon zest
• 1 part powdered milk
• 2 parts almond meal
• ½ part fresh Sunkist lemon juice

Directions

Combine all ingredients in a large bowl. Apply to your face and neck in circular movements. Rinse thoroughly with luke-warm water and follow by applying your favorite moisturizer.

Rejuvenating Orange Mask

Rejuvenating Orange Mask

Wake up your skin with an invigorating facial mask!

Ingredients

• 1 Tablespoon freshly squeezed Sunkist® orange juice
• 2 Tablespoons plain yogurt

Directions

In a small bowl, mix the freshly squeezed orange juice and yogurt. Apply the mixture to your face and neck and let the mask sit for 10-15 minutes. Rinse with warm water. Your skin will be revitalized and silky smooth!
Source: 101beautysecrets.com

Fruit Face Mask

Fruit Face Mask

Your skin will glow!

Ingredients

• 1 papaya, chopped
• 1 Sunkist® lemon, juiced
• 1 teaspoon of honey
• 1 blender

Directions

Combine all ingredients in the blender, keeping it on a low speed until the mixture becomes a smooth paste. Pour into a small container. Apply to freshly washed and dry skin. Leave mask on for 30 minutes. Rinse with warm water. You will love how your skin looks and feels!
Source: 101beautysecrets.com

Tangerine Skin Cream

Tangerine Skin Cream

You can enjoy the sweet tangerine scent of this hydrating cream all day long!

Ingredients

• 1/2cup of cream (or whole milk)
• 1 teaspoon freshly squeezed Sunkist® tangerine juice
• 1 strainer

Directions

Pour the cream into a small mixing bowl and add the freshly squeezed tangerine juice. Wait for the mixture to curdle and lump (about 3 minutes), strain the liquid away and apply the creamy remnants to your skin. You will be amazed by the results!
Source: tipking.com

 

Orange Facial Astringent

Orange Facial Astringent

Get all the benefits of the natural citric acid astringent found in oranges.

Ingredients

• 1 Sunkist® orange
• 1 cup of mineral water
• Cotton balls

Directions

Squeeze a few drops of juice from a fresh orange into one cup of mineral water. After washing your face, saturate a cotton ball with the orange astringent and smooth over face and neck.


Try and enjoy!!!
(All photo's and recipes were found here)

Health Benefits of Grapes

Best 4 Health Benefits of Grapes

September 15, 2007 by Perfect Shape
Filed under Fruits

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A lot of people wonder if red wine can really provide health benefits or which are the top health benefits of grapes in general.

Since grapes season approaches, I thought it will be interesting to see what health benefits such fruits can provide.
Grapes were first cultivated in Europe 6,000 years ago. They got to America with the help of Franciscan monks, who used them for the purpose of making sacramental wine.
There are over 50 varieties of grapes that are cultivated as table grapes and over 60 varieties of grapes cultivated for wine making.
The nutrients contained by grapes are different from one kind to another.
Still, we can say that grapes are 70-80% water and 15-30% sugar (fructose and glucose).
Additionally, grapes also contain the following nutrients: phlobaphene, quercetine, gallic acid, silicic acid, anin, glucosides, salicilic acid, phosphoric acid, oxalic acid, pectins, tannic substances, calcium, magnesium, manganese, iron, vitamin B1, B2, B6, B12, A, C, P, PP, K, enzymes and folic acid.
As we can see, grapes are a great source for numerous nutrients. But this is not all…important nutrients are also contained by grapes seeds (tannic substances, lecithin, phlobaphene and fatty oil), grape skin (tannic substances and oils) and even grapes leaves (sugar, carotene, tannic substances, potassium, sodium, silicon and iron).
In 100g of grapes there are:

1. Calories: 60;
2. Carbohydrates: 15 g;
3. Sugar: 15 g;
4. Proteins: 21g;
5. Fat: 21g.

The main 4 health benefits of grapes are:

1. HEART DISEASES

Numerous studies have been conducted focused on the impact of grapes in preventing or slowing down heart diseases.
About 20 years ago, scientists discovered that French people had less heart related health problems than other countries all around the globe. This discovery was called the French Paradox. The main explanation for this was that French people drank red wine with their meals.
Since this discovery was made, more than 300 other studies were carried out, proving that red wine or grapes juice can reduce the risk of heart diseases in time.
It seems that grapes juice or wine block the artery clogging effects of fatty food products.
Coronary heart diseases occur when plaque accumulations build up on the walls of arteries. This can lead to a blockage of vessels supplying blood to the heart (or brain) causing heart attacks (or strokes).
Antioxidants in fresh grapes, known as polyphenols, are responsible for preventing the accumulation of oxidized cholesterol (this was proven in a study that was published in the Journal of Nutrition).
Resveratrol, a polyphenol contained by grapes, protects against arterial wall damage. Another interesting nutrient contained by grapes is pterostilbene. Researchers discovered that this compound can reduce cholesterol and triglycerides by affecting enzymes responsible with the regulation of fat level in our blood.
Other interesting compounds are saponins, located in grapes skin. These substances bind with cholesterol, preventing in this way its absorption into the body. Also, saponins seem to be able to block inflammations.
And this is not all… By drinking grapes juice we accumulate another antioxidant called alpha-tocopherol, a substance that increases blood antioxidant activity by 50%.
Referring to the selection of grapes, it seems that red grapes are the healthiest and best to eat in order to prevent heart diseases.

2. CANCER

Another important element that has to be included in the top health benefits of grapes is the cancer fighting proprieties.
They contain high levels of caffeic acid, a very strong cancer fighting substance.
Bioflavonoids, another nutrient contained by grapes, facilitate the absorption of vitamin C into our bodies and help vitamin C maintain healthy connective tissue in our bodies. They also function as antioxidants, by protecting vitamin C from oxidation and by preventing ruptures in capillaries.
Bioflavonoids provide strength to our cells in the battle with cancerous cells and also help kill cancer cells.
The early mentioned nutrient, resveratrol, also helps in preventing cancer, especially liver, lung, breast and prostate cancer.
As for heart diseases, red grapes are best for cancer prevention.

3. VIRUSES

In a study conducted at Erciyes University in Turkey, scientists discovered that grapes have an effective antimicrobial action. The study revealed that this action applies for certain bacteria, like Stoph and the famous E. coli.
Additionally, the high concentration of tannin, another polyphenol contained by grapes, can help fight viruses and tumors. Tanin is absorbed in the intestinal tract, where it is most effective in fighting viruses.

4. AGING

Although we have found that resveratrol has a lot of health related benefits, the list is not over yet.
As we have previously discussed, resveratrol is a natural antioxidant that can help reduce heart diseases, the risk of cancer and even brain diseases like Alzheimer’s.
Besides these benefits, resveratrol seems to influence genes controlling the aging process. This definitely has to be added to the list of best health benefits of grapes.
According to Harvard Medical School researchers, this substance can restrict calories intake. It activates enzymes that slow aging, thus increasing DNA stability and extending life span by 70%.
Prevention of macular degeneration is also included in the list of top health benefits of grapes. Grapes can contribute to reducing the risk of loss of eyesight (a major problem among the elderly). By increasing grapes intake we can reduce the risk of macular degeneration (the main cause of vision loss) by 30-40%.
Although it seems that grapes can have a huge positive effect on the human body, there are some RESTRICTIONS/ WARNINGS regarding their consumption. Here are some of them:
1. Neither grapes, nor grapes juice are recommended for persons suffering from stomach ulcers, diabetes and obesity;
2. Eating grapes or drinking grapes juice can cause dental problems. If you have a cavity in a tooth, it is not recommended to consume grapes, as they will intensify the destruction process of the tooth;
3. Grapes cannot be consumed along with a relatively large number of food products, like: milk, fish, beer, mineral water, melons, etc. The combination of these kinds of food products with grapes can cause serious stomach problems.

As we discovered in this article focused on top health benefits of grapes, we can realize that there are a lot of extraordinary fruits out there that can considerably improve our health.

(All Photo's and information was found here)
 

Healthy Facts about Strawberries!

EAT MORE
STRAWBERRIES

(all information and photo's found here)

Red, juicy, delicious strawberries are one of the healthiest fruits to include in your diet. Strawberries are chockfull of antioxidants and other essential nutrients that can flavorfully help you reduce your risk of cancer, heart disease, inflammatory diseases, and birth defects as well as mouthwateringly manage your weight. Here are the bountiful health benefits of strawberries.

STRAWBERRIES HELP FIGHT CANCER

Dozens of studies over the past 20 years have associated diets high in fruit and vegetables with reduced risk of cancer. Recently, researchers have been testing individual foods for their cancer-fighting ability.
Studies examining the freeze-dried strawberries and strawberry extracts indicate that strawberries can fight breast, cervical and esophageal cancers. The compounds – such as antioxidants and other phytonutrients – found in strawberries (and other fruit and vegetables) are credited with health-protecting effects. Strawberries are a rich source of these antioxidants (vitamin C in particularly), flavonoids, and ellagic acid.
According to the California Strawberry Commission, a serving of strawberries (about 8 strawberries) provides 160 percent of the recommended daily intake for vitamin C. Further, vitamin C has been associated with reduced rates of stomach, cervical, breast and non-hormone-dependent cancers.
The flavonoids, such as anthocyanins, quercetin and kaempferol, exhibit antioxidant properties that have been proven beneficial in suppressing colon cancer cells, inhibiting prostate and breast cancer cancer cells, and inhibiting chemically-induced cancers of the lung, tongue, mouth, mammary and colon.
The antioxidant power of strawberries has been measured and scored by researchers of the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) using the ORAC method. Strawberries score in the fruit group with the highest antioxidant values, or highest ORAC values. Strawberries are certifiably a super food!
In addition, strawberries contain folate, a B vitamin that has been associated with reduced risk of several cancers as well as a decreased risk for birth defects, such as spina bifida.

STRAWBERRIES FOR HEART HEALTH

A new analysis of data from the Harvard Women's Health Study offers another potential link between strawberries and heart health. Researchers found that women with high strawberry consumption were more likely to also lead a healthy lifestyle.
The heart-health benefits of strawberries are attributed to their high levels of key nutrients. Vitamin C is an important antioxidant that has been correlated with lower death rates from cardiovascular disease, lower prevalence of cardiovascular disease and reduced risk of angina. Further, supplementation with vitamin C has been shown to reduce serum levels of C-reactive protein (a substance in the body that indicates the presence of injury or inflammation).
Folate is another nutrient in promoting heart-health – lower folate concentrations have been associated with increased coronary disease risk and increased fatal coronary events. In addition to folate, strawberries are high in fiber and potassium, both associated with heart health benefits, such as lower cholesterol and blood pressure, respectively.
Maybe there is something truly fitting about heart-healthy strawberries being the preferred fruit for Valentine's Day and other romantic encounters!
The direction of current research suggests that eating just eight strawberries a day can improve heart health, lower blood pressure, reduce inflammation, reduce the risk of cancers and even improve cognitive function. There is no reason not to eat strawberries as part of a healthy lifestyle. Strawberries are available nearly year round (though best in the summer), ripe for you to take advantage of the health benefits of this luscious, juicy fruit.
Visit the California Strawberry Commission for abstracts and full text versions of the studies on strawberries as well as additional nutritional information and delectable recipes.
And for more recipes to sink your teeth into, try these Succulent Strawberry Recipes.

One more reason to eat your fruit!

Fruit, Mediterranean diet tied to fewer hot flashes

 

By Genevra Pittman

NEW YORK | Wed Apr 24, 2013 1:00pm EDT
 

NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - Women who eat diets high in fruit, certain vegetables, pasta and red wine are less likely to have hot flashes and night sweats during menopause, a new study from Australia suggests.Researchers found that of about 6,000 women followed over nine years, those who ate a lot of strawberries, pineapple and melon and most closely followed a Mediterranean-style diet were about 20 percent less likely to report those common symptoms.
At the same time, menopausal women who ate high-sugar, high-fat diets were 23 percent more likely to experience hot flashes and night sweats during the study.
The study can't prove certain foods prevent or trigger hot flashes, researchers said. And it's one of the first yet to tie general dietary patterns - not just certain supplements - to menopause-related symptoms.
"The study is well done, but I wouldn't get so excited about it, especially because we don't know why," said Teresa Fung, a nutrition researcher at Simmons College in Boston. "We don't know the biologic mechanisms behind it."
Researchers surveyed 6,040 women, age 50 to 55, about what foods they ate and how often as well as if they smoked, drank or exercised. All of those women went through natural menopause - meaning not brought on by uterus-removing surgery, for example.
At the start of the study, 58 percent of participants reported having hot flashes, night sweats or both. At that point and over the next nine years, women who ate fruit and the components of a Mediterranean diet - in this case garlic, salad greens, pasta and red wine - reported fewer hot flashes, after accounting for their other lifestyle habits.
However, vegetables in general, as well as meat and dairy, were not associated with either a higher or lower chance of having menopausal symptoms, Gerrie-Cor Herber-Gast and Gita Mishra from the University of Queensland wrote in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition.
Hormone therapy is the only known effective treatment for hot flashes. But since the drugs were linked to an increased risk of heart disease, stroke and breast cancer in the Women's Health Initiative study, researchers and affected women alike have been searching for alternatives.
It's possible that low-fat, high-fiber diets may help stabilize estrogen levels and ease hot flashes and night sweats, Herber-Gast and Mishra speculated. Or, eating a Mediterranean-style diet may keep blood sugar within the optimum range, which could also lower a woman's chance of bothersome symptoms, they said.
"We don't really have enough studies to make a blanket recommendation yet," Fung, who wasn't involved in the new research, told Reuters Health.
However, she added, "We don't necessarily need to know why (this may work) before we do it, especially for something that's healthy to begin with."
Fung said because of all the changes - both physical and psychological - that happen during menopause, it may already be a natural time for women to think about improving their diet and general health.

SOURCE: bit.ly/13vv2E5 American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, online April 3, 2013.
(all information found from:here)