The Master Cleanse is a reduction and elimination diet designed by Stanley Burroughs. Some of the benefits include:

• To dissolve and eliminate toxins and congestion that have formed inside your body.
• To cleanse the kidneys and the digestive system.
• To purify the glands and cells throughout the entire body.
• To eliminate all unusable waste and hardened material in the joints and muscles.
• To relieve pressure and irritation in the nerves, arteries, and blood vessels.
• To build a healthy blood stream.
• To keep youth and skin elasticity regardless of our years.

Any person brave enough, not really, to try it must leave behind the  daily routine of eating and commit to eating nothing but lemonade for 10 days.  Personally, I have never NOT eaten purposefully in my life.  But I thought it would be a great challenge for me and my body, and surely I can stand to miss a few meals.  So despite me having a busy work week I attempted to start yesterday.  The morning went well, and I felt that my hunger was satiated by the  lemonade.  But as the stress of the day got to me and an impromptu grocery run for a salad with turkey (Boars Head Honey Maple Turkey to be exact) proved to be too much for me.  It was bad enough that I had to go, let alone build an amazing salad from the salad bar, get just 1 fresh baked french baguette, and some freshly sliced turkey then hand it over.  WHAT?!  I decided to settle with my own baguette that I promised to share with the birds.  And I did!  Not before I slipped in a few pieces of turkey.  Dry, but delicious.  And the birds were happy.  I stuck to it for the rest of the night, finishing up with a laxative tea.

This morning was fine, until I downed a quart of salt water in 30 minutes.  This was the hardest part yet.  My body experienced something it never had, and I was surprised at how well I coped.  My body did not feel any different after the flush.  I downed about 6 lemonades and nibbles of lemon rind here and there.  While I was busy, I didnt think of food.  But while watching TV or when I smelled food I thought very lovingly about it.  Almost like food porn.  Me and the food.  Me, food, and some new food that just showed up and interested in group play.  Aargh it did become tough at times.  The lemonade is so far doing a great job at satisfying me.  Tonight I will again have a laxative tea and get plenty of rest.

To learn more about the diet check out http://themastercleanse.com/master-cleanse/

Kids are tough on hair styles, especially twists.  By keeping the twist small and close to the scalp but not tight, and using my flax seed gel, the twist last longer and are a breeze to take out.

Flax seeds are amazing in more than just one way.  Not only are these tiny little nutty seeds packed with heart healthy omega 3 and antioxidants that naturally control blood pressure, but also are the base for a home made natural gel that does wonders for your hair. Here is my recipe for flaxseed gel.  Each batch I vary the essential oils to meet my hair’s individual needs.

1/4 Cup of whole Flaxseeds (trader joes are around $3.00)

2 Cups of Filtered Water

Bring to a steady boil for about 15 minutes.  I like to boil it slowly while stirring constantly to have a more uniform consistency.  Once the gel reaches the consistency I need, I filter gel through panty hose and squeeze out remaining gel from seeds.  Refrigerate seeds to use for next batch.  I add the following to my hot gel mixture.

1 Tsp of Aloe Vera Gel

1 Tsp of Honey

1 mL of Vitamin E

4 drops of Rosemary, Basil, Cassia Bark, Lavender, Palmarosa, Sweet Orange, Ylang Ylang

I also finish off gel with a slight squeeze of lemon to lower my gel to 5.5 to 6.0 pH range.

NOTE:  I also like to make  a thicker gel (with a consistency of egg whites) for longer twists styles (i.e smaller twist styles) that will remain in for over a week.  The thicker gel is great for retaining the style and hold over a longer period of time and can stand up to rinsing without loosing hold.

I’m a multi-functional girl.  I like versatile styles that can be changed up, especially so when it comes to kids.  This style I created can be worn loose, styled in a ponytail or with  hair accessories such as this pink flower.  It took only 1 hour to create this look after her hair was washed and conditioned.  And of course I used my home made flax seed gel for a shiny finish that will hold up to 4 year old antics.  Happy Styling!

Is your hair dry?

Have you tried EVERYTHING, but still to no avail your hair remains DRY?  Well…..get used to it.  The simple fact is that our hair is naturally dry.  The coiliness of our tresses prevent our natural oils (sebum) produced at the scalp to coat strands.  So what to do…what to do?  MOISTURIZE!!!  Add moisture whenever you feel your hair is dry.  Yes.  This means checking your hair once to twice a day.  Mother nature has provided the ultimate moisturizer…H2O.  That’s right water does an amazing job at keeping our hair moisturized.  I mist my hair with a mix of water/aloe vera juice and gel/ essential oils whenever my hair is dry.  To seal in the moisture, I add shea butter, can my own personal heavy oil mix which includes two super ingredients: Castor and Grapeseed oils.  I ALWAYS spray my hair before twisting it up for bed.  AND I always tie my hair down with a satin scarf.  Protective styles, where your fragile ends are tucked away and protected, are a must.  Don’t let dry hair get you down and prevent you from maintaining length.   Get to know your hair and how frequently it needs moisture.  You are the first defense against dry hair.

If you have not been strung out on pintrest yet you must be living under a rock. Check it out! I mean as if you needed one more thing to occupy your time on the internet. You’re Welcome!

Every winter when the blistering cold starts nipping at my nose, I start to crave warm comforting bowls of beans. This year my love and curiosity of one of the most nutritious foods out there, has inspired me to try new ways to eat them. Beans are not only little bites of deliciousness, but also very nutritious. A low-fat excellent source of protein, beans provide the body with much needed amino acids for fighting infections and maintaining healthy bones and tissues. Beans contain complex carbohydrates which keep you full longer and have a low glycemic index which makes them a healthy food for those with sugar digestion problems. As if it couldn’t get any better, beans are also rich in dietary fiber which aides in digestion, and when added to your diet can prevent cardiovascular disease.

Over the weekend I tried a recipe for Spicy Black Bean Stuffed Peppers off the blog www.canyoustayfordinner.com. They were AMAZING!! Despite me making a double batch, I nearly ate them all.

These are simple and easy to make for a quick vegetarian meal or appetizer. Here is the recipe:

Spicy Black Bean Stuffed Peppers

2 Med Long Red Sweet Peppers OR Miniatures Sweet Bells Peppers (you can use any peppers you like)

1/2 Medium Onion Diced

2 Cloves of Garlic (adjust as needed I personally LOVE it)

1 15 oz Can of Black Beans (OR cook you’re own ahead)

1 TBSP of Olive Oil

¼ Cup of Water

½ Cup sweet corn

½ Cup of shredded Cheese (Colbyjack of Chihuahua)

½ Cup of diced Jalapenos

Top with optional Cilantro, Sour Cream and Salsa

Seasoning

2 tsp Cumin

2 tsp Chili Powder

½ tsp Smoked Paprika

½ tsp of Salt (or less)

½ tsp of cayenne optional

Preheat oven to 400 F. Cut peppers lengthwise and place on cookie sheet. Cook peppers for 15 to 20 minutes until slightly tender. If using large peppers it may take longer.

Saute onions on medium heat in oil until tender and slightly translucent. Add garlic, stir and cook for 3 mins. If using canned beans rinse beans in cold water. Add beans, water, jalapenos and seasoning to pot. Stir, reduce heat and simmer for 15 to 30 mins. Stir in corn, and cook an additional 3 minutes.

Remove peppers and stuff with bean mixture. Top with cheese and place back in oven until cheese is browned. Remove from the oven and top with sour cream and cilantro.