You don’t have to spend a lot of money to look after your skin – try some of these simple recipes made from everyday ingredients to nourish and restore the skin.

Ingredients:

• Aloe Vera gel – the inner gel from the aloe vera leaf is cooling, soothing and healing to the skin
• Baking soda – A white powder that foams slightly in water, giving a highly cleansing effect
• Coconut oil – fat derived from the coconut is highly moisturising and heaven to dry skin
• Beeswax – softens the skin without clogging pores
• Glycerin – mineral based skin softener, it helps to draw moisture from the lower layers of the skin to the surface
• Honey – antibacterial and skin restorative properties
• Clays – help to draw impurities from the skin
• Infusion – mixture of herbs and water allowed to steep and then strained
• Yoghurt – softening to the skin as well as having a cleansing action due to the live bacteria
• Apple cider vinegar – softens and helps restore the natural acid balance of the skin (use diluted)
• Witch hazel – distilled witch hazel helps to tone the skin and close open pores
• Lemon juice – good for oily skin

Dried or fresh herbs:

• All skin types: Chamomile, comfrey, elderflower, linden flower, nettle
• Normal or dry skin: Ladie’s mantle, marshmallow
• Normal or oily skin: Fennel, lemon balm, rosemary, parsley
• Oily skin: Sage, mint yarrow

Herbal Witch Hazel Cleanser

A light, cleansing lotion, great for wiping away daily grime and make-up. Soak a cotton ball in the lotion and wipe gently over your face.

Ingredients:

• 1 tsp dried or 1tbsp fresh chosen herb
• 100ml boiling water
• 4 tbsp witch hazel
• 2 tbsp glycerine

Directions:

1. Place herb in a bowl, pour over boiling water, cover and leave to cool. Strain with a fine sieve or muslin cloth.
2. Pour 2 tbsp of the infusion into a sterilised bottle or jar. Add witch hazel and glycerine. cover tightly and shake well.
3. Store in the fridge and use within 10 days. Shake well before use.

Oatmeal Scrub for Blackheads:

Yoghurt acts as a skin food and a cleanser, leaving your skin feeling smooth, while the oatmeal and lemon juice clean the pores. Olive oil softens the blackheads so that they can leave the skin easily. You can use this as a mask also, leaving it on for 10 minutes.

Ingredients:

• 2 tbsp fine oatmeal
• 4 tbsp plain yoghurt
• 1 tbsp lemon juice
• 1 tbsp chopped parsley
• 1 tbsp olive oil

Directions:

1. Mix ingredients together in a small bowl
2. Spread some paste over your face, rubbing in for 5 minutes
3. Rinse off mixture with tepid water
4. Splash your face with cold water or a herbal astringent and leave to dry naturally
5. Keep covered in the fridge for up to 5 days

Grapefruit and Parsley Face Mask:

This mask will leave your skin feeling new and refreshed. Parsley is particularly good for oily skin.

Ingredients:

• 3 tbsp fine oatmeal
• 2 tbsp chopped parsley
• Juice of 1/2 large grapefruit

Directions:

1. Place oatmeal, parsley and enough grapefruit juice to make a spreadable paste
2. Let soften for 5 minutes
3. Spread mixture evenly over your face
4. Lie down and relax for 15 minutes
5. Rinse off with tepid water. Pat dry, tone and moisturise

Baking Soda Scru

This mix is particularly suited to oily skin, removing dead skin cells and leaving your skin fresh and clear. As it is dry it will keep well for quite a while in a sealed container.

Ingredients:

• 2tbsp baking soda
• 2tbsp ground rice (finely ground)
• 1tsp finely grated lemon peel

Directions:

1. Mix all ingredients together in a container or jar
2. Apply in small handfulls and rub gently all over the face excluding the delicate eye area
3. Rinse and pat dry gently, following with a toner and moisturiser

Easter, Christmas and holidays are all times when there is a lot of chocolate around. The good news is that chocolate doesn’t have to be bad for you, and if you eat the right type it can actually benefit your health! Although seemingly too good to be true, studies have shown that cacao beans are rich in antioxidants which have been found to be antiinflammatory and reduce the risk of cancer and heart disease.

As well this, chocolate makes us feel good, in part because of its ability to increase levels of the mood enhancing neurotransmitter tryptophan in the brain. Chocolate also contains magnesium, a nutrient which has key roles in muscle relaxation and nervous system function, so reaching for chocolate in times of stress may be a sign that we need more magnesium!

So how can you reap some of these benefits? The best type of chocolate you can eat is the dark variety with high levels of cocoa (try for 60-70%), as these will contain the highest amounts of antioxidants with lower levels of sugar. An even healthier option is to source out some raw chocolate from your health food store, which is even higher in antioxidants as the cacao beans are not roasted, and they are sweetened without sugar.

Katherine believes that everyone should have a treat now and again, so why not try 70% cocoa Lindt, or some Loving Earth raw chocolate, for a guilt-free treat!

Wholefood is food in its natural state, unprocessed and still ‘whole’ in nature. A pear, a carrot, a wheat berry, an almond, an oyster; they are all whole foods.

Nature is very clever, as within whole foods are all the nutrients which are required to break them down so that they can be assimilated by the body. For example, a grain of wheat in its entirety has B vitamins, chromium and magnesium, all of which are needed to break down the carbohydrate in the grain. Similarly, potatoes, which are high in starch and carbohydrates, have high levels of lipoic acid in the skin which helps with carbohydrate metabolism.

Processed foods are the opposite of wholefoods, as they have been pulled apart, mostly for increased shelf life. By separating out the orignal components the nutritional value of the food is greatly diminished. These products can often be termed as ‘nutrient robbers’ as they use the bodys nutrient reserves to break them down, as is the case for refined wheat, which lacks its outer husks which contains B vitamins and chromium to break down the carbohydrate.

So how can we enjoy our current diet while basing it on whole foods? Here are some handy substitutions to get you started:

White, multigrain, wholemeal bread
White bread is devoid of any nutrition, multigrain is usually white with some kibbled grain added in and wholemeal is still processed as the meal is added to the white flour. Try breads made on wholegrain milled flour instead, as these use the whole grain.

Pasta
Conventional pasta is made of highly processed durum wheat. A better alternative is spelt, kamut or rye pasta, which is available from a health food shop.

Cakes, biscuits and baked goods
Conventionally bought baked goods are generally very refined, using white flour and margarine. A better option is to make your own using wholegrain flours, or to look for products with a basic ingredient list – if you don’t know what the ingredient is then don’t eat it!

Cereal
Conventional cereals are highly processed and often have added sugar! Try having a wholegrain cereal such as puffed brown rice, porridge or a wheat free natural muesli.

Sugar
Sugar is the processed juice of the sugar cane. Raw, unprocessed honey is a good alternative, it has a lower GI and is high in beneficial bacteria and B vitamins.

White rice
White rice is generally highly polished which removes many of the vitamins and minerals. Brown rice is a great alternative, but remember you have to cook it for much longer than white rice, otherwise it will be chewy. Basmati is the next healthiest option, with a much lower GI than other white rice.

Processed meats – ham, devon etc.
Processed meats are turned to a liquid form, then have hardeners and flavourings added to make them more solid and meat like. A good alternative is some cooked chicken breast, canned salmon or sardines, cooked beef or lamb.

Diet can be a very confusing word sometimes. We are constantly getting bombarded with advertising campaigns plugging low fat, no fat, low carb, high protein and other fad diets. The true meaning of diet is actually “the usual food and drink of a person or animal”.

In clinical practice the best results for weight loss are achieved with the true meaning of diet in mind, by making the food and drink of a person healthy and wholesome for good. Fad diets can have a very high success rate in the short term, however they are often too extreme or high maintenance to do long term, which often leads to regaining the weight again.

A “Diet” should therefore be considered more of a lifestyle change rather than a tool for you to lose weight. The best way to do this is by slowly substituting foods which promote weight gain for healthier alternatives.

The main culprits for weight gain are unfortunately carbohydrates, especially sugar, soft drinks and white flour products. These energy sources are easily converted to fat by the body so can lead to weight gain quite quickly.

Whole foods require more energy for the body to breakdown so are therefore ideal for weight loss, as well as general well being. A diet based on fruit and vegetables, whole grains, legumes, nuts and seeds, organic meat and fish is therefore the basis for a healthy body and a healthy weight.

Remember that it is almost impossible to change your diet overnight and be able to stick to it. Choose one or two things to start off with and when you are comfortable try another couple. This is the best way to ensure you are making permanent changes for the better.

For a tailored dietary plan to suit your needs, call 07 33670337 and make an appointment with Katherine today!

Change is in the air

Have you ever been told to eat your greens? There is good reasoning behind your parents getting you to eat the green stuff – it is one of the highest nutrient sources that we can get in our diets, and has amazing health giving properties. By greens, I refer to the leafy variety, which includes spinach, silverbeet, rocket, kale, lettuce (but not iceberg), watercress, or anything else that is of the leafy green variety.

There are not many people who are getting in their daily requirements of green leafy foods. Leafy greens are quite different in composition to green vegetables, so although broccoli, zucchini and beans are still good for us they do not make up our daily requirement of leafy greens.

Studies have shown that the antioxidant and mineral composition of leafy greens are far superior to that of regular fruit and vegetables. This means that a high intake of greens can reduce your risk of cardiovascular disease, cancer, diabetes, premature aging and many other conditions.

Small studies have found that simply by integrating green smoothies (see recipe below) into your daily diet, changes can be seen in your energy, mood and digestion within days.

By eating a variety of green leafy vegetables every day you can ensure you are getting good amounts of iron, zinc, calcium, magnesium, vitamin K, vitamin C, vitamin A, folate, B vitamins and boron, along with a great amount of chlorophyll and fibre.

Green leafy vegetables are one of the most alkaline forming foods available. Being alkaline forming means that they help to reduce inflammation in the body, so can benefit anyone with inflammatory conditions including arthritis, autoimmune disease, endometriosis, psoriasis, acne, allergies, asthma, ulcerative colitis and headaches.

Click here to read more about acid/alkaline diets

The challenge is to get these health benefits we not only need to eat a lot of greens every day but we also need to digest them. Without proper chewing (into a paste) green leafy vegetables do not release all of their nutrients, so you may be missing out on some of the benefit.

Salads are great, but ensure that you chew them very well. The easiest way to get high amounts of greens into your diet is with a green smoothie.