Beautiful Skin Smoothie

I am not claiming to be a nutritionist or dermatologist. I just know that I have terrible skin and this has been my breakfast for the past few weeks and my skin has never looked so great! My husband has even noticed a dramatic difference! I have also started a new beauty regimen to ensure my skin continues to have this radiant look! I have normal to oily skin which means half of my face is dry and in the T zone I get those nasty breakouts! I have been struggling for years and I hope this success continues to work for me! Here is my regimen:

At Night: 
1. Remove make-up and cleanse face well. I use a washcloth to remove excess makeup.

2. Every other day I will use this scrub to bring that fresh new skin to the surface
 
3. Once a week I use these poor strips to help cleanse a little deeper

4. Only once a day at night because it dries out my skin

5. Once a day always after the astringent
 
6. I love the way this provides my face with the moisture it needs at night and my skin always feels so soft in the morning!
 

In the AM before I apply my makeup:

1. Cleanser

2. Moisturizer

3. Primer



Again, this is just what has been working for my problematic skin! Hope this helps!

XO  Ashley 

3 Foods to Improve Your Skin

Getting gorgeous glowing radiant skin is easier than you think.   Ditch the dull skin promoting processed foods and try these skin perfecting whole fruits and vegetables.  “You are what you eat” isn’t just a cute phrase.  Our skin cells regenerate every 7 days, and the food you eat fuels new cell production.  You could be just one week away from healthier glowing skin!

Kale:

One of the healthiest veggies around, Kale is full vitamins & minerals that promote a healthy glow.  Compared to other vegetables, this leafy green has one of the highest levels of magnesium and calcium around.  It is also rich in vitamins A, C, E & K all of which promote new cell growth.

Cucumbers:

Hydration is a key ingredient for healthy skin and cucumbers are full of a healthy enzyme containing water.  Other skin boosting vitamins and minerals in cucumbers are magnesium, potassium, zinc, iron, folic acid, calcium and vitamins B & C.    This nutrient rich food is a key ingredient to smooth, glowing skin.

Avocados:

We’ve all heard the term “healthy fat”, and avocados are just that.  The healthy fat in avocados helps our skin to retain its moisture.   Avocados contain vitamins A & E as well as riboflavin & niacin and have even been show to help with conditions like eczema and psoriasis when used both internally & topically.

Remember, you literally are what you eat!  So eat well and try incorporating these green power foods every day.  Your skin will thank you!

Thank you to Amy Satterfield for these wonderful tips! 

Amy Satterfield is a Certified Natural Trainer, Registered Yoga Teacher and Certified Yoga Therapist in Troy Michigan.  She is passionate about all things health and fitness.




More Tips:

My NEW NUTRIBULLET

Blueberry Cobbler with Oat Flour

I was in the mood for something sweet, but of course I don't have anything laying around the house to satisfy my sweet tooth except some packets of hot chocolate mix.. and to be honest, that was just not going to be enough for my craving! So i began to look through my fridge and found a large bag of frozen blueberries.. I figured I should start with those! I took a pretty easy recipe and added my own touches with some extra spices. I substituted almond milk for milk, coconut oil for butter, and oat flour for white flour. I cut out some of the sugar needed and topped with truvia! 

TIP  If you don't have oat flour around the house don't worry! Grab your can of old fashioned oats and put into a food processor or blender (I use my nutribullet) and blend until it is the consistency of a fine flour!  

Healthy Eggplant Fries

Made these as a side dish one night and they were absolutely delicious! Can't wait to make again! Instead of frying them I baked them in the oven. Here's the Baking Method I used:

Baking Method:

1. You are free to make your eggplant fries bigger when cutting if using this method. If you do make them small you’ll want to monitor the baking to make sure they don’t burn.
2. Pre-heat oven to 425 F.
3. Place eggplant fries on a parchment covered baking sheet evenly spaced.
4. Bake for 25 minutes (or until brown) flipping them once.
5. Serve immediately.

** You can also make them gluten-free by substituting almond meal for the oat flour. 

They are yummy plain, but a little on the dry side so I made this low-cal dipping sauce:

Enjoy! 

How to make Spaghetti Squash in 5 easy steps!

Spaghetti Squash is now my substitute for any pasta I crave! This dish is so delicious and refreshing - I don't get that bloated feeling as I would from loading up on traditional pasta! Spaghetti Squash is only 40 calories and 8 grams of carbs per cup versus traditional pasta that has 200 calories and 40 grams of carbs per cup! This is the only way I have cooked spaghetti squash so far, but this dish is so tasty I can't wait to try to bake with it! 

Here's a simple way to make your dish:

1. Slice the spaghetti squash into two even halves and bake at 350 for 30 minutes or until the middle is easy to poke with a fork. (I've heard that you can also microwave for 5-10 minutes until soft - but I haven't tried this method)

 2. Remove the seeds. I took a fork and raked through the middle until i pulled most of the seeds out. 

 3. Using a fork loosen the 'spaghetti' strands from the inside of the squash - into a medium sized bowl 

4. place into skillet and saute with your favorite ingredients - Here's what I added (not pictured)

My Recipe:

I added this to my pan and cooked for 5 minutes before adding the spaghetti squash:

1/2 lb cooked chicken

2-3 chopped mushrooms

1 chopped green onion

1/4 cup chopped white onion

1-2 diced roma tomatoes

1/4 cup chopped spinach

3 minced garlic cloves

1 tablespoon Oregano

 5. Add to plate and top with your favorite spaghetti sauce and fresh mozzerella!

*special thanks to Dashing Dish

Baking with Coconut Oil: Apple Pie

Coconut oil is being used more often in kitchens everywhere. I use it to pan cook all of my meats and veggies, but I had never experimented with baking before. I decided to make a basic apple pie, but substitute coconut oil for butter (I don't ever have butter in the house anyway). It was a success! The crust crumbles a little easier than it would if butter were used, but it was delicious! There are so many benefits to coconut oil and so many uses! I can't wait to bake brownies! Read more for further information on Coconut Oil and its many uses.

Basic Greens - Healthy Green Choices

Mediterranean Spinach Strata

(Friday July 12, 2013) Made this last night for dinner and Kev LOVES it! He usually doesn't eat left-overs, but this he wants for every meal! 

Quinoa and Black Bean Lettuce Wrap

(Thursday July 11, 2013) I procrastinated all day and when I realized that it was almost time for Kevin to come home it was too late to make what I had intended for dinner. So, I scrambled through my recipes and cabinet until I found what I needed to make this scrumptious delight!!! This was so easy to throw together and still packed with protein and other nutrients! I can't wait to have left overs for lunch!! 

Undressed Skeleton - Healthy lifestyle tips and recipes

Alright, this girl's Blog is so InSpIriNg! I just finished reading about her story about bullying and abuse. She used exercise and healthy cooking as an outlet and right in the beginning she felt how it not only made her look better on the outside, but emotionally it healed her. I can't wait to use all of her recipes and snack ideas!!

Guilt Free Ice Cream

GUILT FREE ICE CREAM! 2 Ingredients: FROZEN Bananas and Peanut Butter. I couldn't believe this until I actually tried it! I used Almond Butter instead of peanut butter. Some other ingredients that I'm going to try: Cocoa, strawberries, & blueberries.. the possibilities are endless! 

Healthy Lettuce Wrap

Healthy wrap: 1/2 cup chopped chicken, 3 Tbsp Fuji apples chopped, 2 Tbsp red grapes chopped, 2 tsp honey, 2 Tbsp almond butter. Mix and wrap in a Romaine lettuce leaf. I love the fresh crisp this has with every bite. Definitely one of my favorite treats for lunch!! 

No-Bake Energy Balls

I was so tired of making breakfast every morning, so I decided to make these energy bites! Instead of making balls I cut them into rectangles and put them into plastic baggies for a quick grab-n-go! Kevin loved them! They lasted about a week before they were all gone! 

Broccoli Crunch Salad

Refreshing and Healthy! Great for a potluck if you want to bring something low-cal! 

Grape Salad

Grape Salad: Use one bag each of green and red seedless grapes (really cold!). In a bowl add 1 heaping cup of full fat Greek yogurt, squirt some honey in to sweeten it up. Now add 1 heaping 1/4 cup of softened cream cheese with a teaspoon of vanilla & stir everything together & then fold in your cold grapes. You can make this the night before but when you're ready to serve add a sprinkling of brown sugar & toasted walnuts for garnish.. -- I have also made the yogurt sauce by itself and dipped apples into as a snack - so good! 

Chicken in Basil Cream

I had to cook a meal to satisfy everyone in the family - which included a 14yr old picky eater. After I finished cooking the sauce I had her taste the spoon to see if she wanted her chicken plain or with the basil sauce... SHE LOVED IT! (and even asked for more) this recipe is a WINNER! 

Basil Italian Chicken

I made this for family when they came to visit! The dish was completely emptied by the end of dinner and everyone praised what a great cook I was! This recipe was so simple, but I didn't let them know that! This recipe is full of tomatoes and artichokes and definitely tastes like it - if you are not a tomato or artichoke lover then this isn't the recipe for you! Click on picture for recipe 

HEALTHY Cranberry Apple Chicken Salad

I have an OBSESSION with chicken salad - the way mommy made it!! Problem - it was half mayonnaise!! This recipe completely satisfies my chicken salad cravings with less than half the fat! Make sure you are always using lean meat in these recipes and also organic veggies!