Power Food: 5 Uses of Cucumber That Will Amaze You...

Cucumbers are great for different reasons. Apart for keeping us fuller for longer, this post will look at cucumber as it affects the skin. 

Did you know that Cucumbers contain most of the vitamins you need every day? Just one cucumber contains Vitamin B1, Vitamin B2, Vitamin B3, Vitamin B5, Vitamin B6, Folic Acid, Vitamin C, Calcium, Iron, Magnesium, Phosphorus, Potassium and Zinc.

So here goes:

1. The high water content, antioxidants, and the presence of certain minerals like magnesium, potassium, and silica make cucumbers an essential part of skin care. Facial masks containing cucumber juice can be used for skin tightening. Ascorbic acid and caffeic acid present in cucumbers can bring down the water retention rate which in turn diminishes the puffiness and swelling under the eyes. 

1. Sunburn Treatment - No aloe? No worries! Rub a slice of cucumber on sunburns or irritated skin. Cucumber provides relief for skin with sunburn and other blemishes.

2. Stressed out and don’t have time for massage, facial or visit to the spa? Cut up an entire cucumber and place it in a boiling pot of water, the chemicals and nutrients from the cucumber will react with the boiling water and released in the steam, creating a soothing, relaxing aroma that has been shown to reduce stress in new mothers and college students during final exams.

3. Looking for a fast and easy way to remove cellulite before going out or to the pool? Try rubbing a slice or two of cucumbers along your problem area for a few minutes, the phytochemical in the cucumber cause the collagen in your skin to tighten, firming up the outer layer and reducing the visibility of cellulite. Works great on wrinkles too!!!

4. Just finish a business lunch and realize you don’t have gum or mints? Take a slice of cucumber and press it to the roof of your mouth with your tongue for 30 seconds to eliminate bad breath, the photochemical will kill the bacteria in your mouth responsible for causing bad breath.

Here's an extra and amazing tip:  Looking for a ‘green’ way to clean your faucets, sinks or stainless steel? Take a slice of cucumber and rub it on the surface you want to clean, not only will it remove years of tarnish and bring back the shine, but it won’t leave streaks and won’t harm you fingers or fingernails while you clean.

 Hope this helps, xoxo

5 Health Benefits of Yoghurt:The Power Food!

There are so many great types of yoghurt in the market today. This post will help you understand why you should head straight to the yoghurt aisle and forget about purchasing ice cream.

Yoghurt is referred to as a power food because of its health benefits, plus yoghurts can be used in achieving glowing skin too. Yoghurt comes from milk, so it contains essential vitamins such as B-2, B-12, VitD, potassium, calcium and magnesium.

Firstly, your body requires a healthy amount of "good" bacteria in the digestive tract and many yoghurts are made using active good bacteria. Yoghurt also contains "probiotics", which refers to a living organism that can result in a health benefit when eaten in adequate amounts.This helps digestion and immune functions.

So when shopping for healthy yoghurts, you should look out for the ones that specifically indicate the presence of "live and active cultures" on the label. These ones contain probiotics.

Benefit 1. Yoghurt Reduces The Risk Of High Blood Pressure.
A recent spanish research, which followed more than 5,000 people in 2 years found there was reduction in the risk of developing HBP among people eating 2-3 servings a day of low fat yoghurt compared to those eating non.

Benefit 2. Yoghurt with "active culture" helps certain conditions such as constipation, diarrhea, colon cancer, and ulcer.

Benefit 3. Yoghurt is great for your skin. Including yoghurt to your home facials will reveal a smoother, brighter, glowing skin. Try Yoghurt + Brown sugar + Honey for a great exfoliation (can be used on both face and body) 

Benefit 4. Yoghurt with active cultures discourage Vaginal Infections: This is fact! Candida or yeast vaginal infections are a common problem for women.Yoghurt consumed during yeast infection can help prevent more growth of the infection. However, do take medications too. 

Benefit 5.Yoghurt helps you feel fuller for longer.A great tip is to cut fresh fruits into your yoghurt and enjoy. This ultimately can help you in your weight reduction process. Try strawberries, blue berries, pineapples, apples or peaches or any other fruit you love.Eating yoghurt will definitely make you feel less hungry as you feel fuller and eat less.

The importance of yoghurt cannot be overemphasised. Its definitely better to eat yoghurt than ice creams. Try to avoid yoghurts that already have fruits in them, those are just full of sugar. Instead buy plain low fat or even full fat yoghurt and dice in any fruits and enjoy.

xoxo