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 ;)