Back to Basics

 

Written by Jenny Catton

 

From detergents and polishes to antibacterial wipes and sprays, the average modern home is full of a myriad of different cleaning products. The problem is that these tend to be full of chemicals which can be harmful for the environment and not too great for our bodies either. Many people find that they suffer from headaches, tiredness or even skin rashes after using mass-produced chemical products. In addition, many are unsustainable being made from petrochemicals and can contaminate our water systems when they are washed down the plug hole.

 

But don’t worry – there are plenty of natural ways to keep your home looking and smelling great whilst being healthy, cheap and environmentally-friendly. Here are some ideas:

 

Vinegar
White distilled vinegar can be used for everything from cleaning kitchen surfaces to removing mildew from your shower curtain.

 

Bicarbonate of soda
A small bowl of bicarbonate of soda placed in your fridge will keep it smelling fresh.

 

Lemon juice
Lemon juice is ideal for removing stains from various surfaces including worktops and white linen.

 

Tea Tree Oil
Tea tree oil is an essential oil with antibacterial properties, making it ideal for a wide range of uses around the home. It’s particularly good for dealing with mould.

 

Soap Nuts
If you’re looking for a natural, chemical-free alternative to laundry detergents, try soapnuts. They’re made from dried fruit shells and as well as being environmentally-friendly, they’re also great for allergy sufferers who may find traditional detergents too harsh.

 

For ideas and tips for creating an environmentally-friendly household, visit: www.thedailygreen.com

 

Categories: antibacterial, detergents, environmentally, environmentally friendly, friendly, Home, lemon juice, nbsp, tea tree, tree oil

Sipping in Style: How to Drink Tea Like a Boss

Tea is a staple part of every Brit’s diet, but did you know it’s good for your health, as well as your sense of wellbeing? According to five new studies in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, tea may be able to protect your wellness against stroke and heart disease, decrease your blood pressure, boost your brain power, and help you lose weight. Prediman Krishan Shah, MD, director of the Division of Cardiology at Cedars-Sinai Heart Institute, explains, ‘It contains antioxidants, which may help fight free radicals known to contribute to cancer, heart disease, and clogged arteries.’ Moreover, the caffeine content in tea stimulates your nervous system, which, in turn, increases the rate at which your body burns fat. And the amino acid theanine in tea works with the caffeine to influence your brain’s neurotransmitters, leading to increased alertness and mental productivity.

 

If you want the health benefits, but aren’t so big on sipping tea with your pinkie up, we’ve got some awesome recipes from top mixologists, chefs and nutritionists so you can sip in style:

 

1. The Tea-Totaler: For this recipe, courtesy of Bill Anderson, beverage director at Vie in Western Springs, Illinois, you will need:

 

• 1 c chamomile tea, steeped


• 1 c sugar


• 1 c soda water

 

Anderson directs, ‘Dissolve sugar in piping hot tea, and let cool. Fill glasses with ice half way with tea syrup. Top off with soda water. Serves two to four.’

 

 

2. Burn Juice: This recipe, provided by Dawn Jackson Blatner, RDN, CSSD, LDN, serves one. You will need:

 

• 1/4 c brewed green tea, cooled


• 1 roma tomato


• 1 celery stalk


• 1/2 red bell pepper


• Dash of cayenne


• 3 ice cubes

 

‘Combine all ingredients in blender and puree until smooth,’ says Blatner. ‘Not only do you score a metabolism boost from the caffeine-rich tea, but a compound in cayenne pepper called capsaicin helps control hunger and increase fat burn. Plus, this drink has only 35 calories and provides 140% daily vitamin C.’

 

 

3. Tropical Green Tea Smoothie: Blatner notes, ‘The almond milk provides bone-building calcium and immune-boosting vitamin D, while pineapple contains bromelain, an enzyme for healthy digestion.’ As with the above recipe, you blend all the following ingredients until smooth:

 

• 8 oz brewed green tea, chilled or room temperature


• 8 oz unsweetened vanilla almond milk


• 1/2 c frozen mango chunks


• 1/2 c pineapple chunks


• 1 Tbsp honey

 

 

4. Ginger Green Tea Lemonade: Blatner’s Ginger Green Tea Lemonade recipe is great for digestion, as well as your overall health. You will need:

 

• 1 c brewed green tea, hot


• 1/4 c sliced and coarsely chopped fresh ginger


• 3/4 c lemon juice (about 4 lemons)


• 6 Tbsp agave nectar


• 2 c sparkling water

 

Blatner instructs, ‘Create ginger water by pouring hot tea over chopped ginger and set aside for 15 minutes. After 15 minutes, pour 3/4 cup ginger water into a pitcher; discard remaining liquid and ginger. Add lemon juice, agave, and sparkling water to pitcher. Serve over ice in glasses garnished with lemon slices. Serves six.’

 

 

5. Crimson Toddy: This recipe comes from Chris Cason, Tea Sommelier and Co-Founder of Tavalon Tea. You will need:

 

• 4 oz boiling water


• 1 tsp Crimson Punch tea (or any citrus and sweet tea blend)


• 2 oz bourbon


• 1 Tbsp agave nectar


• 1 orange slice


• 10 whole cloves


• Cinnamon stick

 

Cason details, ‘Steep tea in boiling water for five minutes, then strain into insulated measuring cup or bowl. Cover to keep hot. Press cloves into the orange slice, and then place the slice at the bottom of a glass like a brandy snifter. Pour in bourbon, and then pour in the hot tea. Stir in agave nectar with cinnamon stick. Serves one.’

Categories: agave nectar, Benefits, brewed green, ginger water, green tea, heart disease, hot tea, lemon juice, nbsp nbsp, Recipes, sparkling water, tea

Should You Be Considering The Lemon Detox Diet?

Also referred to as the master Cleanse, the lemon detox diet may not be a commonly referenced title, but this isn’t the latest addition to the host of diet trends. This form of body cleansing has actually been around for more than 50 years, with everyone from your colleagues to celebrities taking part. It seems we’re obsessed with the concept of cleansing the toxins from our bodies, but does it really work and could it result in the desired weight loss we think it does? This isn’t an everyday kind of health programme – it requires between 10 and 14 days to flush the toxins from your body, limiting your intake of food and drink to just lemon juice maple syrup, cayenne pepper and water, and also taking laxatives. The concept behind this liquid diet is that the acid levels in the lemons encourages your liver and gallbladder to rid themselves of toxins, boosting your metabolism and circulation, and giving the intestinal tract a break.  People who follow this diet claim that the result of this cleanse is that the body is returned to its natural and most balanced state, giving many other benefits such as mental clarity and improved skin and hair health.

The detox is easy to follow and you need to maintain it for up to two weeks, consuming the recipe for a minimum of six times a day. The recipe consists of two tbs of lemon or lime juice, two tbs of genuine maple syrup, 1/10 tsp of cayenne pepper and 10 oz of water which can be hot or cold, whichever you prefer. Mix equal parts of the lemon juice and maple syrup to keep as a concentration, to be kept in a dark container. You need to keep the mixture cool and make sure that you make enough concentrate for as long as you’re incapable of making the fresh lemonade. Each time you want to make a glass of lemonade, measure 4tbs of the mixture into a glass and add water and cayenne pepper, then mix. The maple syrup is supposed to preserve the lemon juice and prevent it from oxidising. You should down this mixture any time the hunger pangs strike, and in addition to the lemon drink, you should take a laxative in the morning and at night. This is to keep the toxins moving out of the body by encouraging bowel movements.

 

So the celebrities endorse the effects, but what does the research say? According to Natural News, there are benefits to the cleanse in that you end up with a clean slate and can begin making healthier choices, but the programme shouldn’t be used as a way to lose weight. Instead, it should be used as a form of healthy start to encourage a chain of healthy decisions, both in your diet and in terms of exercise. You will notice weight loss as a result of the limited amount of calories you’ll consume, but you can’t maintain the diet for long periods of time and when you return to a regular eating plan, the weight will come back. For many people, the idea of fasting is more mental than physical, and this has its own benefits to be considered. As with any diet change, you should speak to your GP before embarking on the cleanse to make sure that it’s safe for you to do so, and to ensure that you’re doing it for the right reasons.

Categories: cayenne pepper, detox diet, diet, Lemon, lemon detox, lemon juice, maple syrup, toxins, Trends, Weight Loss

How To Make A Low Cholesterol Diet Taste Great

If you’re planning on going on a low cholesterol diet it can be a bit of a worry that you are going to be cutting out so many of the foods that you love. That’s the trouble with many diets – the stuff that is bad for you tends to be the stuff that you really like. But thankfully there are plenty of great and tasty options for you if you’ve decided to go low cholesterol in your diet. It is just about knowing where to look, and given that it’s sometimes hard, we’ve prepare d a list of delicious and nutritious low cholesterol options.

 

Instead of croutons, use walnuts

A salad is always healthy right? Well, the trouble is that while the main components of a salad are extremely healthy and good for you, many people like to add optional extras such as croutons which really push up the calories, fat and that nasty cholesterol we all want to avoid. So how about swapping them out of your salads for walnuts? Walnuts give that same crunch you’re looking for and also add a little more flavour and texture to the monotony of salad.

 

Drink wine, not cocktails

We all like to indulge sometimes and enjoy a little drinking. Maybe we’ll have a cocktail with dinner or maybe just when we want to relax. Unfortunately all the stray ingredients used in cocktails can be very bad for us. Depending on the cocktail you can see things used such as coconut cream, sugar syrup and other foodstuffs that are filled with cholesterol. So, next time you’re drinking you should make sure you drink wine instead. Red wine has one tenth of the carbohydrates that you will find in a single margarita. Now that’s food (or should that be drink?) for thought.

 

Try edamame beans and nut, not cheese and crackers

Who doesn’t like a bit of cheese and crackers? The problem is that as a snack it is completely brimming with cholesterol and therefore it needs to be avoided. Try eating nuts such as almonds or choosing edamame beans as your snack next time you feel a little peckish. It will do wonders for your waistline and you’ll be putting another foot forward in your quest to eradicate cholesterol.

 

Vinegar and lemon juice, not salad dressing

We’re back to salads again! Now that you’ve substituted those croutons for walnuts let’s take a look at the other problems (and this one is even bigger). You can make a salad as healthily as you like, but then throw it away in an instance by pouring on a gloopy salad dressing that is positively made of calories and virtually nothing else. The intense cholesterol-packed sauce will take your salad from a healthy meal and turn it into a nightmare. But help is on the way and it comes in the form of lemon juice and vinegar. This flavoursome duo adds a kick to your salad without the cholesterol.

 

Use margarine, not butter

Many of us love the creamy taste of butter on everything from toast to jacket potatoes to a topping for vegetables. But butter is packed with cholesterol and is clearly going to be naturally bad for you. So the best plan to swap it out and choose instead a spread with low levels of cholesterol. A great choice is a spread that is based around olive oil, but really any margarine will be an improvement on the cholesterol-heavy nature of butter. This is another great way to save on cholesterol and help to keep your healthy.

Categories: butter, cholesterol, cholesterol diet, cholesterol nbsp, drink wine, edamame beans, lemon juice, margarine, nbsp, salad, salad dressing

How to Maintain a Healthy Diet Even in the Busy Season

With September comes a new time of busyness. The kids are starting school, the shops are gearing up for Christmas and you’re just trying to keep things together on a day-to-day basis. With all that going on, diet and nutrition wellness goes out the window, but just because bikini bodies and summer salads seem like a distant memory now, it doesn’t mean your wellbeing has to go along with it. Here are five ways for you to maintain a healthy diet even in this hectic new season.

 

1. Make time for a breakfast quickie: There’s no way you’re going to have the energy you need to keep up with your crazy schedule unless you have a decent breakfast, so skipping out on the most important meal of the day and heading straight to work is a big no-no. Instead of starting your day on an empty stomach, do a little prep work the night before and store your healthy brekkie in the fridge. To get the most bang for your breakfast buck, choose simple foods from two, three or more food groups. Peanut butter and banana sandwiches on whole grain bread are great, or fill a container with low-fat cottage cheese and seasonal fruit.

 

2. Pack a nutritious and satisfying lunch: Just because it’s all go-go-go, you don’t have to forgo your food. Mary Hartley, registered dietician and nutritionist for CalorieCount.com, urges, ‘Don’t starve yourself at lunch – it will only lead to overeating later.’ Again, this is where prepping the night before comes in handy, as stepping out for lunch limits your healthy eating options. Try whole wheat pasta mixed with your favourite raw veggies, olive oil, lemon juice and fresh herbs. This also works well if you take out the pasta and lemon juice and add in brown rice and white beans.

 

3. Dine out the clever way: There’s no way to avoid eating out, especially if you have a business meeting or you just run out of time to prepare food in advance. However, the key to eating out in a healthy way is portion size, so don’t be afraid to ask the waiter exactly how big the dish will be before you pick it, as well as how it’s cooked. There are also apps out there that can help you determine how many calories are in your meals. If the dish is too much for one sitting, Hartley advises, ‘As soon as your order arrives, split your dish into two servings to share or eat for a later meal.’

 

4. Plan ahead: We’ve already touched on this but planning ahead is essential to staying healthy in the midst of a jam-packed schedule. Weekends are a nightmare for getting in the way of this, as your schedule is more up-in-the-air. However, you can still get the best out of a busy weekend by stocking up on nutritious, on-the-go snacks like apples and oranges, snack-size low-fat yogurt, raw nuts, raisins and other dried fruit. Hartley explains, ‘Most people will eat junk food because it is convenient, but they’ll often choose healthier options if it’s made available.’

 

5. Keep tabs on your calorie count: If you’re trying to eat healthily to lose a few pounds – and, let’s face it, most of us are – it’s a good idea to be mindful of the calories you’re consuming, compared to the ones you’re burning off. Luckily, if you’re running around after your kids and getting jobs done around the house, you’re probably getting a lot done in the way of calorie-burning anyway! For the ones you’re consuming, get on your smartphone and track your calorie count.

Categories: Apps, calorie count, Calorie Counting, Healthy, healthy diet, lemon juice, nbsp, preparation

Ways to Stay Ageless Through Your Lifestyle

The media has created a need for us to be ageless and ever-youthful, but how do you achieve that in everyday life? There are numerous surgical options available to us now, but for those seeking the natural route all is not lost. Make-up hides a number of ageing sins, but that’s not all – preventative measures can do wonders for your appearance as well. Here are some ways to stay looking young and feeling good as you age.

 

The sun is responsible for a large proportion of your ageing, so wherever you can prevent this damage you should. This doesn’t have to just mean wearing sunscreen though, although this is hugely important – your eyes bear the brunt of squinting which is one of the first areas of your face to age. Super-sizing your sunglasses can help with this, as it not only stops you from squinting in the sunshine, but also helps protect the skin from the damaging UV rays. And don’t forget to wear a hat and a scarf over the sensitive décolleté area, to protect against sun spots.

 

As moisturisers go, you should aim for natural, organic and nutritious ingredients. Olive oil is a surprising choice but one which can offer numerous benefits to your skin – it is loaded with essential fatty acids which can combat dry and sensitive skin. Opt for an unflavoured oil and rub in a small amount at night to keep your skin looking plump and youthful. This goes for the skin on your hands as well, as dry and wrinkled skin in this area can lead to an instant giveaway of your age. If you want to protect this area and reduce wrinkles, apply the same retinoid used on your face to the back of your hands and then add a layer of Vaseline. Cotton gloves can help to keep the treatment in place overnight and supercharge the process, so these could be useful for keeping your hands moisturised for longer.

 

When your eyes are strained, this leads to squinting to overcompensate, putting you at risk of developing eye bags and wrinkles, as well as frown lines. Ninety present of the time this is due to poor eyesight, because your prescription isn’t strong enough – an eye exam could correct this problem and save you a lot of time and worry in anti-ageing treatments down the line. But there are other unsuspecting factors contributing to your appearance – ever worry about how your commute is affecting your ageing? 80 percent of sun exposure occurs through windows, so if you want to ward off the sun spots, wrinkles and even skin cancer, you may want to invest in a window shield. You can purchase a clear window film which acts as a guard from the sunlight and UV rays. The average commuter gets around 200 hours of sun exposure from driving alone, so this measure could prevent 99 percent of these rays from affecting you. If you do happen to develop brown spots, lemon juice can be used to reverse the damage – a little lemon juice with water could help to fade the spots on all skin tones. Apply with a Q-tip before bedtime, and gradually increase to twice a day, however you should stop if your skin gets too tight.

 

Ageing is something which should be done naturally and gracefully where possible, but these are tricks which could make a huge difference in the rate at which you age. Drinking plenty of water, avoiding too much sunlight and protecting your skin with a moisturiser are the best basic rules to follow.

Categories: anti-ageing, lemon juice, lifestyle, moisturiser, skin, skincare, Sun Exposure, sun spots, uv rays

Lemon Water: Why You Need It In Your Morning Routine

There are numerous drinks which can offer us health benefits, from smoothies which are packed with protein, pre-workout beverages which energise and keep us hydrated, and herbal teas which can soothe the stomach and cleanse the body – they each have a functional purpose which can make us feel healthier. But there are some less obvious choices which could make you feel better throughout the day and can keep your digestive system ticking along at a more regular pace – for example, the easy to prepare and quick lemon water could be a boon to your healthy eating regime, and it only requires two ingredients! The process of starting each day with a glass of warm lemon water is a feature of Yogic or Ayurvedic traditions, helping to stimulate the digestion throughout the day and clear out any toxins which have built up in the body. Research has even proven that the nutritional elements found in lemons could have a merit when it comes to your diet. While the usual wake-up call is a cup of hot coffee or tea, a simple mixture of warm lemon water could really kick-start your digestion and set you up for the day – and it’s tasty too. While the water doesn’t always have to be warm, it does need to be purified in order to reap the maximum amount of rewards. You will need half a fresh lemon for each glass of water, or to taste, which you can sip throughout the day. Here are five ways it can help your health.

 

1- Lemons are packed with antioxidants and vitamin C, so they’re great for supporting your immune system to keep your body from developing disease. This can help lower the risk of respiratory infections and other ailments. Many people don’t realise that ascorbic acid (which is vitamin C) can also offer anti-inflammatory effects, which can help people with asthma and other respiratory effects. This acid can also help with the absorption of iron in the body.

 

2 – Lemons are fantastic for alkalising foods for the body, as they contain both citric and ascorbic acid, weak acids are easily metabolised from the body allowing the minerals in the lemons to alkalise the blood.

 

3 – They aid digestion which is why they are used as a digestive tonic, and many people think that it can help to purify the liver. Studies have shown that it can also help to support the digestive acids in the stomach, which can further aid your digestion and limit bloating. The high levels of vitamin C in lemons has been linked with a lower risk of peptic ulcers, surprisingly, which is caused by the bacteria Helicobacter pylori.

 

4 – If you’re trying to boost the appearance of your skin, vitamin C has long been associated with clear skin – this is because it’s an antioxidant which can help to combat free radical damage, a leading contributor of ageing. Free radical damage is connected to the damage caused by UV damage and environmental toxins, but upping your intake of antioxidants can help to offset the damage caused. Lemon juice can also be applied topically to scars and age spots to reduce the appearance. In traditional medicine, lemon juice was used as a liver stimulant, as it can help to purge toxins from the body and this can also help to keep your skin clear of blemishes.

 

 

5 – The ascorbic acid in lemons helps to promote the healing of wounds, as well as helping to maintain healthy bones, connective tissues and cartilage. As already stated, the anti inflammatory properties of lemons can help with swellings in joints, to combat arthritic conditions, as well as helping to maintain good health and the recovery of stress and injury.

Categories: anti-inflammatory, ascorbic acid, body, free radical, Lemon, lemon juice, lemon water, lemons, vitamin c, warm lemon, Wellbeing

How Can Lemon Help You to Lose Your Postnatal Weight?

Pregnancy is an amazing time, and there’s no denying that the beautiful new little person in your life is worth all that bother that your body and wellbeing goes through, but what about after the baby’s born? Suddenly, you don’t have the excuse of being pregnant for why you’re the size of an exercise ball, so how do you get your weight in better shape?

 

Getting your figure back after giving birth is a common wellness concern for pregnant women, but – unfortunately – postnatal weight loss is not easy as you can look pregnant even after the delivery. This happens because, during pregnancy, your uterus expands over a nine-month period, and so it will inevitably takes time before it snaps back into its normal shape and size. Plus, the effects that pregnancy and delivery have on your hormones and diet can make weight loss even trickier, so you need as much help as you can get. Luckily, your postnatal weight loss diet can be a whole lot simpler with one citrus fruit; lemon. Let’s look at how can lemon help you to get back to the old you.

 

Lemon juice – Lemon juice is a healthy fluid to drink after delivery, but if you want to really shift that postnatal weight, you need to refrain from adding sugar. Instead, add a little healthy, fat-burning honey. Together, these ingredients work to burn away the fat deposits in your body, flush out any toxins and keep your stomach clean. Try having lemon and honey juice first thing in the morning, as the cocktail is at its most effective when consumed on an empty stomach.

 

Hot lemon water – Hot water is known for its weight loss benefits, so try to drink hot water all day long. However, do not have the water immediately after having meals, just have a few sips to soothe your dry throat if you feel thirsty. It’s best to have a glass of hot water 30-60 minutes after eating, and you can add a little lemon to get the most effective results. For postnatal weight loss, all you need is three glasses of hot lemon water a day.

 

Lemon Dressing – You’ll probably eat a few salads in your bid to shift that pregnancy weight, but watch out for the dressing! Salad dressing is really fattening, particularly if it has cream and mayonnaise. So for postnatal weight loss, try using lemon for dressing your salad instead.

Categories: lemon juice, postnatal, salad dressing