Food Focus: Cucumbers

Benefits:

Cucumbers flesh contains Vitamin C.

Cucumbers skin is rich in fiber and contains a variety of beneficial minerals including silica, potassium and magnesium.

When consuming the flesh is helps soothe the skin of irritations and reduce swelling.

Cucumbers can be used topically to help with swollen eyes, it helps with burns and dermatitis.

When consuming the skin of the cucumber it is known to improve the complexion and health of the skin.

Cucumbers also have a high water content, which naturally hydrates and helps have glowing skin.

Those who want help with skin problems incorporate some cucumbers into your diet so today I have 3 recipes.

Recipes:

Cucumber Water

Lime Cucumber Smoothie

Raw Avocado and Cucumber Soup

Food Review: Kashi Honey Sunshine Cereal

I have reviewed other cereals on my previous podcast like Cheerios from Episode 7 and Kellog’s Smart Start from Episode 2, but I’m finally happy to be giving a review of a healthier option for a cereal. A lot of times even if it’s organic or it claims its whole grain sometimes there are a lot of hidden sugars or ingredients that you have no idea what they are.

Honey Sunshine Kashi Cereal says on the front, honey-kissed seven whole grain cereal and 6 grams of Fiber and 20 grams of whole grains. For a serving size of 3/4 cup there is only 6 grams of sugar. The ingredients are understandable and it does have 7 grains listed in the contents and it does contain honey, but it also has another sweetener, which I’m still not a big fan of which is organic evaporated cane juice. I’m not a fan because this sugar is still processed. It may not undergo the same degree of processing that refined sugar does but still processed.

This cereal contains wheat and soy ingredients so anyone with those sensitivities stay away.

Affirmation of the week: All that I seek is already within me.

Have you ever thought you weren’t good enough to do something so you didn’t do it? Or you sought further education? Or started reading more books? A lot of the times we tend to doubt ourselves when what we are looking for is already within us. This is what this affirmation is for.

Tip of the week: How to Get Vitamin D Naturally.

As you have probably heard you can get Vitamin D naturally from the sun, but there is so many concerns with the sun and how do you properly get this Vitamin D from the sun.

So to settle the score according to Dr. Oz we are to get 15 minutes of direct sunlight a day, but if you have darker skin you may need to get 1 hour of direct sunlight. We should put sun block on our hands and face, then the proper way to get Vitamin D is for the sun to actually hit our skin… exposed stomach, back, arms, legs should be exposed.

Special Healthy Inner Beauty Offer:

FREE health consultations until September 1st. It’s usually $100. It doesn’t matter where you live as we can do it over the phone. When is the last time you spoke to someone who truly puts love, no judgment, genuine support towards your health?!!

Email me today at marianne@healthyinnebeauty.com to schedule your appointment.

Special thanks to WHFoods.com, Kashi, Dr. Mehmet Oz for some of the information for this podcast.

Affirmation at the beginning of the segment: “Challenges yesterday but ironically my affirmation calendar said Challenges are opportunities for me to grow. The more I learn, the more equipped I am to handle whatever situations come up.”

Food Focus: Watermelon

Available throughout the year, but the season for watermelon is in the summer when they are sweet and of the best quality.

Benefits:

Excellent source of vitamin C

Very good source of vitamin A, notably through its concentration of beta-carotene.

These powerful antioxidants travel through the body neutralizing free radicals. Free radicals are substances in the body that can cause a great deal of damage.

Vitamin C and beta-carotene are very good at getting rid of the harmful molecules; therefore prevent the damage they would otherwise cause.

High intakes of vitamin C and beta-carotene have been shown in a number of scientific studies to reduce the risk of heart disease, reduce the airway spasm that occurs in asthma, reduce the risk of colon cancer, and alleviate some of the symptoms of osteoarthritis and rheumatoid arthritis.

A cup of watermelon provides 24.3% of the daily value for vitamin C, and, through its beta-carotene, 11.1% of the daily value for vitamin A.

Recipes:

Watermelon Juice

Pink Summer Smoothie

Watermelon Mini Fruitcakes

Food Review: Agave Dream Ice Cream

Some ice cream cause breakouts for my husband because of the types of ingredients used, but then we found this new brand Agave Dream.

Their story:

It’s led by Stacey Ralphs and Jean Zwarg, Agave Dream™ includes the best, all-natural ingredients to meet the needs of people who value exquisite flavors and healthy living. At the heart of this professional commitment to sound nutrition is extensive research and product development. Stacey and Jean are also longtime advocates of helping individuals with sugar sensitivity and diabetes. As mothers, they recognize the necessity of educating consumers about making smart decisions that further the principles of leading an active life and eating rewarding foods.

Agave Dream™ only uses no-hormone-added milk, while avoiding any and all additives – like corn syrup, wheat and gluten – that are not suitable for children and other consumers. The company strives to produce sorbets and ice creams that reflect Stacey and Jean’s efforts toward critical and commercial acclaim. A “guilt free” indulgence, Agave Dream™ also contributes a portion of its proceeds to worthy causes like juvenile diabetes.

Ingredients from vanilla flavor ice cream: hormone free milk, cream, organic agave nectar, skim milk, egg yolk, pure vanilla, locust bean gum, guar gum (helps create the texture of the ice cream).

This ice cream I still feel is on the high side of sugar content as it has 17 grams of sugar per ½ cup serving, but at least it comes from a natural sweetener like agave and in hopes you don’t eat ½ a cup everyday

Affirmation of the week: I am worthy of love.

Sometimes we struggle with relationships or we feel we aren’t good enough or we feel we have a hard time finding love…we tend to focus on the negatives when love is supposed to be beautiful so here is a simple affirmation to know you can have love in your life. Remember repeat after me with interest and desire.

Tip of the week:

Do you have a lot of food cravings? A lot of times the reason we have that mild hunger feeling is because our bodies are sending us a message that you are actually thirsty and close to dehydration.

So the next time you feel like you are hungry or have a craving try drinking 1 to 2 glasses of water about 16oz in total.

If you don’t like plain water try adding lemon, mint leaf, or blueberries to add additional flavor.

Special Healthy Inner Beauty Offer:

FREE health consultations until September 1st. It’s usually $100. IT doesn’t matter where you live as we can do it over the phone. When is the last time you spoke to someone who truly puts love, no judgment, genuine support towards your health?!!

Email me today at marianne@healthyinnebeauty.com to schedule your appointment.

Special thanks to WHFoods.com and Agave Dreams for some of the information for this podcast.