24 Blogazine » HEALTH

Secret Ingredient to Long + Healthy Locks

24blogazine — Thu, 31 Jan 2013 01:06:45 +0000

Have you ever wondered how to stop your ends from splitting, shedding and not growing? Boy, do we have a surprise for you! Allow us to introduce you to Dax, a pomade created with vegetable oils that add antioxidants and moisture for the hair. It is especially great for curly and natural haired women.

Two years ago my hair was shoulder length, leaving me satisfied since curls are a lot of maintenance. However, my aunt recommended I try something natural and healthy to add moisture to my curls. To my surprise, a couple of months later my hair was becoming thicker and longer. Now, my hair is past my chest area, all thanks to Dax. How do I use it? I apply a pea-sized amount to the ends of my hair to help with breakage, split ends and shedding. Flash-forward – this past holiday break I visited my Cape Verdean family in Boston, and my cousin Gisa shared that her hair was breaking off, so I immediately thought of Dax. She bought it the next day, and noticed immediate results because her hair was lacking moisture and nutrients, which the Dax provided. Take a look at both of our before and after photos. Please note: Gisa’s after photo is from after a week of usage.

Ladies, if you are wearing your hair natural or curly, you must treat it well if you want it to grow. This includes the following: 1) Taking vitamins like biotin that promote hair growth. 2) Using the right products for your hair type like Dax. 3) Minimizing washing to 1-2 times per week and reserving blow drying for the cold weather months only. 4) Drink plenty of water and veggies to keep hair healthy, luscious and always growing.

Brand New Skin In My 20′s

VFlowers — Mon, 21 Jan 2013 23:23:03 +0000

As some of you may know, I have struggled with acne for a good portion of my early 20′s due to my PCOS (Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome). The main problem has been finding a doctor who would direct me to the right regiment that would work for my body and also my skin. Being a skinny woman with PCOS is probably to blame as doctors question whether I really have PCOS or not. Women who are overweight or experience hirsutism (extra hairs on face and different parts of the body) find a treatment plan quicker in most instances because overweight individuals more than likely have insulin resistance (by which you treat this with a diabetes medication, metformin) or in the case with extra hair on the face (hirsutism) you’re advised to do laser therapy, take birth control and an anti-androgen - Spironolactone.

Spironolactone (spiro) is actually a miracle drug in many ways because it not only treats high blood pressure and extra hairs, it helps PCOSers to lower their testosterone level in the body which in turn helps to control acne and hair loss. In my case, spiro has helped transform my face from this:

To this:

I have also used the following to maintain a clear complexion:

1. Wash daily with a Sodium Sulfacetamide 10% – Sulfur 5% Cleanser (Prescribed by dermatologist)
2. Use Eucerin Everyday Protection Face Lotion (Moisturizer)
3. Exfoliate weekly with Aveeno Positively Radiant Skin Brightening Daily Scrub
4. Apply Masque Oxygen + Puractive Mask (use 1-2 times a month: see before and after instagram pics)
5. Bio Elements Recovery Serum (every night)

My advice to you is 1) Find an endocrinologist who will work with you and come up with a plan to better manage your hormones if your acne is due to PCOS or some other endocrine problem. 2) Visit a dermatologist who understands your condition and can work on helping to manage your acne in addition to the medication provided by your endocrinologist. 3) Never, ever give up hope that you will clear your acne. There is indeed a way to manage it. You just need to keep fighting until you find the answer that makes sense to you. Always trust your instincts. 4) Maintain a good diet and ask your doctor about vitamins. There are so many great sites like our fave joyoushealth.ca and pcosdiva.com (which include recipes, tips and more on maintaining a healthy lifestyle).

Healthy Pizza with Tortilla!

VFlowers — Tue, 15 Jan 2013 01:10:48 +0000

Many of us worry about how many calories are in pizza, especially because of the crust. What if we told you there was a healthy secret option? Yes, there is and it’s tortilla! Take your pick – spinach, tomato or regular corn tortilla and wraps make for high fiber, healthy crusts. Here’s an example of the lobster pizza my mom made for the holidays:

We were all totally surprised that it was tortilla as opposed to the regular dough crust. It tasted more crispy since it’s very thin and delicious. When making pizza with tortilla, rub melted butter onto the flat tortilla and then add garlic salt all over. Make sure you saute your main meat ingredient and place the cut peppers on top with green onions to add that extra savory flavor.

Quinoa Apple Cookie-Muffins

24blogazine — Fri, 26 Oct 2012 04:14:22 +0000

We’ve been experimenting a bunch with quinoa flour lately and it’s actually a really healthy alternative to white and wheat flour. We played around with a muffin recipe and made a cookie-muffin since it’s flat like a cookie but rises a bit as a muffin does. Recipe (below)!

Quinoa Apple Cookie-Muffin

Recipe Type: vegan, gluten-free

Author: 24 Blogazine

Bake these delicious cookie-muffins for breakfast or for an after-dinner dessert.

Ingredients

Dry Ingredients:
¾ cup quinoa flour
2 tablespoons coconut sugar
½ teaspoon baking soda
½ teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon nutmeg
½ cup dark chocolate chips
pinch of salt
Wet Ingredients:
½ cup orange juice
3 Tbsp olive oil
½ Tablespoons vanilla extract
¾ cup granny apples, finely diced
sliced almonds + walnuts

Instructions

Stir dry ingredients together in a medium mixing bowl. Combine wet ingredients. Add wet to dry and mix until barely combined. Fold in apples and nuts.
Divide batter evenly between 6 muffin cups (either greased, or with muffin liners), top with a few sliced almonds and walnuts. Bake for 20-25 minutes. Let cool slightly. Bon apetit.

Defend Your Skin

24blogazine — Thu, 25 Oct 2012 02:07:27 +0000

Our fabulous friend Andriana of Purelement Naturals sent us their most popular skin care product, Defend, last week, and we can’t stop using it. It has all natural ingredients including argan oil, originating from Morocco, and is very high in antioxidants such as Vitamin E and other essential oils with a minty aroma and no toxins. You can use Defend on your face, hair or body and it’s guaranteed to moisturize, hydrate, soften and give the skin a healthier glow among many other things.

I’ve only been using it for three days and can honestly say my skin feels softer and more hydrated. I can only imagine what will happen in weeks or months from now. I’ve become a big fan of natural products ever since I began practicing a healthier lifestyle and I’ve realized that using these products helps the body look its best from the inside, out.

Purelement Naturals has agreed to give one lucky 24B reader a Defend bottle (worth $48!). We’re so proud of this collaboration, so without further ado here’s how to enter:

Giveaway Requirements:
1. Must follow Purelement Naturals on twitter @Purelement + RT
and facebook.com/PurelementNaturals to validate entry.
2. Must follow 24 Blogazine on twitter @24Blogazine + RT
and facebook.com/24Blogazine to validate entry.
3. ++BONUS: Follow 24 Blogazine via Instagram to validate entry.
4. US residents ONLY, thank you!

Giveaway Details:
Winner will be chosen at random by Purelement Naturals and 24Blogazine.
Contest begins October 24, 2012 until October 31, 2012
Winner will be announced on October 31, 2012

++ Best of luck peeps! ++