5 Natural Beauty Fixes

[caption id="attachment_521" align="aligncenter" width="468"] Go back to basics. Your skin will thank you. (Photo Credit: Dreamstime.com Free)[/caption]

Whether you have extreme allergies or not, going back to nature for beauty is key to avoiding exposure to harmful chemicals and additives that most of the conventional beauty industry is laden with (not to mention soy). Here are my favorite beauty fixes, sponsored by mother nature.

1. Honey -- Use it in combination with mashed avocado for a hydrating face mask that will leave your skin glowing.

2. Coconut Oil-- Use as a daily moisturizer for face and body. It is charged with loads of good vitamins and minerals. Try putting it on a burn or sunburn and watch the healing process speed up quickly. Since your skin is the largest organ, think of whatever you put on it as food. Feed your skin natural nutrients instead of chemicals, because everything sinks in and gets absorbed! I know it's been said before, but "What goes on the skin, sinks in!" Keep it simple.

3. Lemon-- The next time your skin has a breakout, try applying some fresh lemon juice or pulp to the area. It works better than any breakout medication I've used in the past. As a preventative measure, squeeze some fresh lemon juice onto a cotton swab or bit of tissue and smooth it all over your face and neck to remove dirt and makeup.

4. Olive Oil-- Use it as a deep conditioning hair treatment. Coat the ends of your hair in olive oil and massage it through the rest. Leave it on for about 20 minutes then shampoo as you usually do.

5. Sea Salt or Sugar-- Mix sea salt or sugar with olive oil, honey, and cinnamon (for scent, or your could use an essential oil of your choice) and use the mixture to exfoliate in the shower. The course sea salt or grainy sugar will buff off dead skin cells and reveal glowing healthy skin underneath. I love using this in the dry winter months to hydrate and exfoliate at the same time.

What are your favorite natural beauty tips? Leave a comment below.

Triple-Layer Chocolate Cake with Raspberry Coconut Frosting & Raspberry Sauce

The Triple-layer Chocolate Raspberry Cake I made for Christmas this year! Gluten free, Soy free, Dairy free, Peanut free, Tree nut free. I did use soy-free eggs, but you could also use egg replacement product instead.

See recipe below:

My favorite cake recipe I've made so far:

• 2 boxes King Arthur Gluten free Chocolate Cake mix

• Follow directions on cake mix, but instead of all the water called for, use half So Delicious coconut milk (chocolate or vanilla--I use chocolate) and the rest water. I also used a few tablespoons of fresh raspberry juice instead of vanilla extract

For the Raspberry/Coconut frosting:

• 2 cups confectioner's sugar


• 3/4 cup non-dairy buttery spread or "butter of your choice. I used Olivio coconut spread, which goes nicely with the fresh raspberry sauce.


• 2-4 tablespoons of So Delicious coconut milk (sugar free)


• 2 tablespoons of fresh raspberry juice


• Mix together, add more coconut milk or raspberry juice if the frosting is too thick, add more powdered sugar if it's too thin.

Raspberry Sauce:

• 1 cup fresh or frozen raspberries


• 3-5 tablespoons cane sugar


• 1/2 cup of water


• Bring ingredients to boil over medium high heat. Heat until sugar is dissolved and mixture thickens. I crush the raspberries with a spoon in the process to get a thicker consistency, but you could also leave them whole or in pieces if desired.


• Cut the cake and drizzle the raspberry sauce over the top. Happy Holidays on a plate! <3

Happy Christmas!

Wishing you all a magical, safe, healthy and happy Christmas and holidays!

Here are some bits of my first soy-free and legume free (3rd Gluten-free) Christmas.

[caption id="attachment_501" align="aligncenter" width="468"] My Christmas grassfed beef roast with veggies and red wine sauce before the oven.[/caption]

[caption id="attachment_502" align="aligncenter" width="468"] Getting pumped for the roast![/caption]

[caption id="attachment_503" align="aligncenter" width="468"] My Triple Layer Chocolate Raspberry Cake, which I will be posting about in more detail in the next upcoming post.[/caption]

^^ Stay tuned for more about my triple layer cake with homemade raspberry sauce!^^

[caption id="attachment_504" align="aligncenter" width="468"] Max, ready for his close up.[/caption]

[caption id="attachment_505" align="aligncenter" width="468"] Dancing on Christmas morning[/caption]

[caption id="attachment_507" align="aligncenter" width="468"] Beautiful Christmas flowers from my sister[/caption]

[caption id="attachment_508" align="aligncenter" width="468"] Blinking red and green[/caption]

[caption id="attachment_509" align="aligncenter" width="468"] Cozy[/caption]

[caption id="attachment_510" align="aligncenter" width="468"] Decadent....and it was actually easy to make.[/caption]

 The Merriest Christmas and happy holidays to you and yours. Peace on Earth, and goodwill to your tummies =)

Avoiding Reactions at Work

[caption id="attachment_490" align="aligncenter" width="300"] Don't feel pressured to put your life in danger. (Photo credit: Dreamstime.com Free)[/caption]

Recently, I've been asked to directly handle baking cookies for guests every evening shift I'm at work--cookies laden with wheat and soy. Luckily at the moment, someone else has been working with me each time and has offered to do the duty for me. I'm anxiously awaiting the day when I'll be personally held responsible to handle life threatening allergens just to keep guests happier in the lobby. I've made a decision not to handle the allergens, and am hoping my employer will understand that it's not worth risking my life.

While most people aren't asked to bake cookies at work, the problem of cross contamination in the workplace still lingers. Sharing areas in the company break room or lunch area can be hazardous as well as sharing common office equipment. I personally went through this at one of my jobs where I shared a desk and keyboard with a girl on the Vegan diet who often ate many soy heavy products. I am in no way holding her responsible for my reactions that led me to the ER from work, but merely not thinking about proper sanitation of shared equipment played a role on my part.

Here are some of my tips for staying safe from anaphylaxis or any other allergic reaction at work:

And this goes without saying: Always carry your epi-pen. You may want to alert others at work about where you keep your epi-pen so they may grab it for you in case of an emergency. I also always carry a box of Claritin and some Benadryl with me at all times.

What are your thoughts? Have you run into any tricky situations dealing with food allergies at work? Leave a comment below.

Allergy Anxiety: Kick the Fear

[caption id="attachment_481" align="aligncenter" width="468"] Relax and take a step back. Food is not your enemy. (Photo credit: Dreamstime free)[/caption]

Just after my soy allergy diagnosis, I experienced a not so uncommon mental state: Food allergy reaction anxiety. It lasted for about a month before I learned how to rework my relationship with food. The hardest part was not knowing where to start.

Having a serious allergic reaction can be scary. Fortunately, there are many ways to calm down and keep a balanced mental state.

Food can be seen as medicine. Once you know what you need to avoid, the scariest part is over. Embrace the foods that your body doesn't react to and visualize them as a sort of shield. With each day you rework your relationship with foods that are okay, the stronger your system becomes. Nourish and treat yourself to your favorite foods, and try to follow a three or four day rotation diet to minimize developing any new allergies.

Some of my favorite things to do to keep a great outlook and a calm composure:

- Yoga -

This instructor (Esther Ekhart) has tons of great yoga videos. If you're looking for something to burn off a little more excess energy due to anxiousness, check out her more fast paced yoga for anxiety here.

- Guided Relaxation -

Focusing on just being can be a powerful experience. It really tunes you into how amazing your body, mind, and spirit are--even if your system can't handle a fist-full of foods.

- Indulge in something amazing I CAN eat -

I believe in moderation with sweets, as with most things. Take a moment (and a small dish) to remind yourself that you're not surrounded by food you can't eat. Just remember to indulge responsibly ;)

Sprinkles

Today I'm just sharing a few sprinkles of joy that I find renewing.

Yesterday I found myself in a bit of a funk, not being very creative with my food choices. I started to feel a little down about having extreme food allergies, but quickly put a stop to that as I remembered how lucky I am to even be sitting here. I remembered how important it is to live in the moment as much as possible and to not let this obstacle change my positive mindset. Here's a few of my favorite things that never fail to boost my spirits on the occasional "off" day.

- Fabulous cakes that look harder to make than they actually are, even allergen free! -

[caption id="" align="aligncenter" width="300"] Cranberry Obsession Snow Cake is my next frontier on cakes, but I'll most likely be using raspberries instead.[/caption]

Check out the recipe here or click the above.

- Dave Matthews Band -

Dave is always full of reflective and magical lyrics that just bring me to a whole new place. His live shows are some of my favorite memories.

- Those quiet moments, when you realize life is not as hard as it seems -

[caption id="" align="aligncenter" width="381"] Cloudy days aren't just cloudy days. There's something magical and reflective about them.[/caption]

- When you realize living simply is the best living -

[caption id="" align="aligncenter" width="460"] Live simply so others may simply live.[/caption]

- Inspirational truths -

[caption id="" align="aligncenter" width="500"] From juststuffifound.com[/caption]

Basic Detox, Candida Elimination, Diet and Lifestyle

This is the "part-2" post of my detox and candida elimination plan. These diet tips and lifestyle changes are from my personal experience. I am not a medical professional and this should not be regarded as medical advice. Please see my previous post on Detox, and Candida albicans overgrowth here.

Whenever starting any kind of detox plan, it's best to increase water consumption in order to help rid the body of toxins and reduce die-off symptoms. Focus on all the great foods you can eat instead of what you can't.

One of the most important things to remember: Cut out Sugar! That being said, here is my personal list of foods to avoid, and foods to eat.

Foods to avoid:

• Sugar

• Gluten (wheat, barley, rye)

• Oats

• White Rice (opt for brown rice)

• Most fruit and fruit juices

• White Potatoes and other starchy root veggies such as beets and parsnips. Corn is also very starchy and is best avoided.

• Alcohol (changes to sugar quickly in the body)

• Yeast (some people do okay with inactive nutritional yeast that you may find in cheese replacement products. I've done okay with it).

• Vinegars and fermented products (some do okay with apple cider vinegar, but be sure to source it. I used Bragg's apple cider vinegar which is made on their shared equipment with soy and had a massive reaction. They have a product called "Liquid Aminos" which is basically straight up soy).

• Farmed Fish (buy wild sockeye salmon if possible).

• Citric acid, food additives, colorings, chemicals used in food production, and MSG.

• Coffee

• Soda (regular and diet)

• Cashews and Peanuts, due to higher mold content

• Soy and all soy derivatives (soy oil, soy lecithin).

• Legumes - I avoid these since they are in the soy family, but mostly just avoid all beans due to the high starch content.

• Most cooking oils (I use coconut oil and olive oil instead of canola, peanut, vegetable, or corn oils).

• Cut out all processed foods if possible.

• Dried Fruit --avoid like the plague! Very sugar laden.

Notes to remember: Avoid all dried fruit, as the sugars are more concentrated. Avoid all fruit juices, unless your are juicing tomatoes yourself or adding lemon juice to your hot water to start the day. I like to juice tomatoes, carrots, and celery with a dash of salt, pepper and cayenne for flavor.

Experiment with high sugar food replacements such as pureeing cauliflower and adding some coconut butter and garlic instead of your run of the mill sugar heavy mashed potatoes.

Foods to load up on:

• -Lean meats (grassfed, not grainfed). See my post on sourcing your meat here and your fish here. Most commercial pork, chicken, eggs, and lamb were all raised on a soy-fed or grainfed diet. Non-soy fed meats cost more, but it's a price I'm willing and have to pay in order to stay healthy with minimal allergic reactions.

• Soy free eggs (see previous post here).

• Avocado

• Berries, in moderation

• Brown Rice

• Quinoa

• Buckwheat

• All vegetables except for potatoes and other starchy veggies listed in the above section

• Brown Rice Pasta

• I do okay with spaghetti squash, acorn squash, and butternut squash in moderation.

• Sweet potatoes in moderation were fine for me, but may not be okay for everyone.

• Nuts and Seeds (Sunflower seeds, chia seeds, and almonds all agreed with me great).

It may take some time to feel and see results, but once you do it will all be well worth the effort. My energy doubled after a few month long detox and I look/feel a lot healthier. The key is to stick with it. If you are experiencing die-off symptoms (cold/flu/fever like symptoms), you are going in the right direction!

Many people stop at the sign of detox symptoms because they are feeling a bit sick, but don't stop unless the die-off is too severe. Just cut back on the diet a little if it is too much. Then once you have the detox symptoms more manageable, increase your arsenal again.

The following post(s) will contain various favorite recipes of mine that are okay on the Detox or Candida Elimination Diet, one being Quinoa Tabbouleh. Wishing you good energies and luck =)

Feel free to comment below or start a support discussion. Email me with questions or comments as well if that is a better method for you, at: soyfreeglutenfreehaven@gmail.com

The Candida Question

This is a part of a comprehensive Detox and/or Candida Elimination plan that I have personally done.  Look for follow up posts coming next for more information.

Disclaimer: (I am not a medical professional and this is not medical advice. Listen to your body or consult with a medical practitioner or holistic health professional to find out what is best for you).

[caption id="attachment_455" align="aligncenter" width="300"] Balance and patience is key. Healing takes time, but the benefits are great. Detox does the body good. (Photo credit: Dreamstime.com Free)[/caption]

Where to Start?

You may have a Candida Albicans overgrowth problem due to several different factors:

• -The Standard American Diet (SAD...pun intended).

• Having been on Anti-biotics

• Having been on Birth Control Pills or contraceptives for a long period of time.

• Undiagnosed or newly diagnosed food allergies or intolerance.

• Routine digestive distress.

• High sugar, refined carbohydrates, or alcohol consumption

• Extremely high Stress levels

                          Classic Symptoms:                        

Vary from person to person, but common signs include:

• Digestive problems, IBS, gas and indigestion.

• Low energy, feeling tired all the time, difficult to wake.

• Mood swings

• Craving sugar and high carb foods

• Poor concentration/ADHD

• Overall "off" feeling

• Leaky gut syndrome, which can actually result in other temporary food allergies, as food particles are accidentally entering the bloodstream causing reactions. Some food reactions may lessen when leaky gut is healed.

• **Oral Thrush - a white coating on the tongue

• Weight gain or weight loss depending on the level of candida albicans overgrowth

• Skin problems such as acne and itching

• Random Dizziness

Untreated Candida albicans problems can lead to more serious systemic candida issues such as infestation of the bloodstream which can cause some serious diseases. It's best to go on a few small detoxes throughout the year for healthy maintenance of your body even if you don't currently have an issue with it, as it will cleanse your body of harmful toxins from food, unfiltered water, and your environment.

Largely, the medical community (non-holistic) is slow to recognize Candida albicans issues as a big root cause of many other diseases and symptoms. This could be due to the fact that it is easily treated with just a simple diet/lifestyle change and NOT presciption medications (though there are some powerful anti-fungal medications that are prescribed in systemic cases when actually recognized, such as Diflucan).

Please see the Basic Detox & Candida Elimination: Diet and Lifestyle post for information on foods to eat, foods to avoid, lifestyle changes, and more!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

5 Natural and Easy ways to Cleanse your Body

While healing from excessive damage from undiagnosed food allergies, I've learned to treat my body with extra care. Cleanses and herbs have really given my system a much needed boost to help the long healing process. Here are my top 5 easy and natural ways to cleanse your system and speed up the healing. Even if you're not healing from internal imbalance, these methods still do the body a lot of good.

[caption id="attachment_449" align="aligncenter" width="225"] (Photo credit: Dreamstime.com Free)[/caption]

Garlic -- Brew it in tea, or eat it raw in guacamole, pasta sauces, or in salads for a powerful cleanse. Garlic has great anti-fungal and anti-bacterial properties that fight off lots of unwanted invaders that can be present due to undiagnosed or newly diagnosed food allergies.

Hot water with Lemon -- Start everyday with the juice of half a lemon in hot water. The vitamin C content will give you a boost, even before you get your breakfast going. This quick drink really helps flush your system of toxins and gives a healthy glow to skin.

Now Foods Candida Clear -- Restoring natural balance to the digestive system is key when healing from any sort of digestive distress. Some dealing with food allergies and intolerance may struggle with candida albicans yeast overgrowth issues due to intestinal damages. I have personally tried this product due to a small imbalance, and it works very well. It contains a combination of herbs and oils such as Black walnut hull, Garlic, Coconut oil, Pau D'arco, and more. Read more about healing from candida overgrowth here and here.

Pumpkin Seeds -- Great for cleansing, including parasite cleansing. Read more about benefits of pumpkin seeds here.

Natural Oils and Juices -- Coconut oil is a powerful cleanser for the body, as well as Apple Cider Vinegar. 2 tablespoons of either of these every day or every few days (as maintenance after cleansing) is a good habit to pick up. Fresh juices are essential, and I try to drink at least one fresh juice blend daily, whether from fruits, veggies, or both.  And by fresh juice, I don't mean the kind from the store. Use a power juicer or blender to blend your own mix. See my previous post on healing with making fresh juice here.

Bonus Tip: Your Mom was right. Cut back on the sugar, a lot! I try to only eat natural sugars found in nature, and even then I am limiting my intake. It has really helped me with healing my whole body, not just internal damage from food allergies. If you are on a candida cleanse, cut back completely on the sugar for about a month. It's much easier than it sounds--just eat whole foods as much as possible (not processed).

Allergy Friendly Holiday Gift Guide-- $25 and Under

With the holidays just around the corner, I've rounded up some of my favorite allergy friendly gifts--and they're all under $25.00. All of the following are gluten free, soy free, yeast free, peanut free, dairy free, and more. As for the books, they can speak for themselves. Both are great reads and are staples for the nutrition/cooking section of your bookshelf. Warm tidings!

1. Enjoy Life Crispy Rice Chocolate Bars


2. Enjoy Life Dark Chocolate Bars


3. Stainless Steel Allergy Alert pendant necklace


4. RMS Beauty Lip Shines


5. Enjoy Life Snickerdoodle Soft Baked Cookies


6. Yummy Earth Artisanal Candy in Strawberry Smash


7. Titanium Sleek Allergy Alert Bracelet --great for women, in alternate colors.


8. Stainless Steel Silicone Flex Allergy Alert Bracelet --good gift for men, in alternate colors.


9. RMS Beauty Raw Coconut Cream --great for healthy, glowing skin.


10. King Arthur Flour Gluten Free Chocolate Cake


11. Yummy Earth Organic Gummy Bears


12. Namaste Foods Perfect Gluten Free Flour Blend


13. Ultrapure Cosmetics Soy-free, Gluten-free Lip Gloss


14. Book: The Whole Soy Story by Kaayla Daniel PhD, CCN --an important read for anyone!


15. Book: Live Raw by Mimi Kirk


16. Namaste Noodles Trio (rice pasta) --Contains Taco Pasta, Say Cheez, and Pasta Pisavera.

Spice Cake

Namaste Foods are among my very favorite brands, and probably always will be.

All of their products are free of wheat, gluten, corn, soy, potato, dairy, casein, tree nuts and peanuts--most, if not all, are free of yeast as well.

I made their Spice Cake which was fabulous. I added a bit more cinnamon and replaced the call for water with coconut milk, which kept it really moist. The things I like the most about Namaste Foods products is that they are actually reasonably priced and you get way more bang for your buck. Each of the cake mixes (and other products too) contains enough mix for two cakes or one very large cake. I have to say, all the mixes from them are way better than anything Betty Crocker Gluten free makes and they are much more allergy friendly in my opinion.

I know this is a major plug for Namaste, but rest assured I am not receiving any sort of compensation for promotion. I just really support smaller companies that are on such a great track. They've never disappointed.

Spice cake hangs out with red pepper flake mashed sweet potatoes and pear-cranberry sauce in the midst of pre-Thanksgiving cooking.

Simple Kale and Potato Soup

A simple winter soup -- a new take on one of my basic sauteed dishes.

Simple Kale and Potato Soup

• Extra Virgin Olive Oil
• 1 large potato, cubed
• 2-3 curly Kale leaves
• 1 medium onion chopped
• 1-2 garlic gloves mined (to taste)
• Handful fresh parsley and fresh dill

• Salt, Pepper, dash of Cayenne or Red pepper flakes, dried Thyme, dried Rosemary.

• 6 cups homemade vegetable stock

1. In a saucepan, saute the potatoes, onion and kale in the olive oil, salt, and pepper over low-medium heat.
2. Add the minced garlic and red pepper flakes and saute for a few minutes longer.
3. After the onions begin to look a bit transparent, add the 6 cups vegetable stock.
4. Increase heat and bring to a light boil. Add the dried rosemary and thyme.
5. Reduce heat to simmer, add fresh parsley and dill. Simmer for 30 minutes or until potatoes are thoroughly cooked. Serve piping hot.

 ~ Winter's tidings ~

Getting Cheesy

 

Hooray! Finally a notable rice cheese that resembles the real stuff: Rice Cheese from Galaxy Nutritional Foods!

Do note that they produce soy and vegan cheese that is best to stay away from. I buy the rice cheeses that are free of Soy, Gluten, Lactose, and also pea protein. I am currently in love with their slices that come in American, Mozzarella, Cheddar, Pepper Jack (yum!) and Swiss. (I am not receiving any compensation for this, I just really really love that I finally found a good rice cheese).

 Some of my other favorites of the moment, above. All of the following are: Soy free, Gluten free, Lactose free, and free of pea protein. Please note that the rice based cheeses do contain casein, but they offer other varieties which do not.

My current favorites for wine and cheese:

1. Rice based Parmesan Cheese
2. Bamboo 13 x 10 inch cutting board
3. Groundswell Organic Red Table Wine (I buy it from Whole Foods). An inexpensive and sweeter wine, also made in white wine. I'm not usually a fan of red wines, but I love this one--no matter what the wine snobs may say ;)
4. Rice based block of Mozzarella Cheese (also comes in cheddar)
5. Shredded cheese (in mozzarella and cheddar)
6. Fair Trade Wild Olive Wood cheese spreader knife
7. Kuchenprofi Perfect Cheese knife

 I smell a weekend wine and cheese party....