When I first read about oil cleansing years ago, I thought one thing: Y’all are insane. How could adding oil to my seriously oily skin be a good idea? Wouldn’t using oil to wash my face not cause me to break out even worse than I already was? How could oil clean my face at all?! So I didn’t give it a try for another year or so. Until I had to see for myself what all the hype was about. Then my tune was more like: Holy sh*t. This actually works really well. While oil cleansing might seem counterintuitive, it actually makes a lot of sense. Especially if you have oily or acne-prone skin. Let me explain. WHAT IS OIL CLEANSING EXACTLY? Simply put, oil cleansing is washing your face with oil. You can use a variety of oils, but one of those oils has to be castor oil.…
My Nightly Skincare Routine (for clear, healthy skin)
It’s no secret that I have problem skin. I talk about it often on this blog, on social media, and in real life. Having problem skin sucks! You can read more about my skin woes here, but basically, I developed severe acne in the fourth grade that took me well over ten years to clear. I did clear it via diet but was left with a lot of scarring and uneven skin – which I am now working to clear and have improved greatly. I’m very strict about my skincare routine. I never go to bed with my makeup on. I always cleanse, tone and moisturize. Most importantly, I never skip a step. My point is, with problem skin, you have to be pretty regimented in your routine to see results. They don’t happen overnight, but with repeated daily use over time, the results are amazing. So far, I’ve managed…
The Top Five Foods For Glowing Skin
I regularly see articles floating around the internet on foods to eat for clear, glowing, vibrant skin. Unfortunately, most of them aren’t quite accurate. Apples! Chia seeds! Watermelon! Almonds! While these are undoubtedly healthy foods, the reality is that they actually don’t do much for the skin. They might sound good, but there’s little science to back up their claims of these foods being beneficial for skin health (and before you suggest it – chia seeds and almonds are high in the omega-3 ALA, not EPA or DHA, which are the omegas beneficial for skin, brain and heart health). Below are five foods that should be incorporated into the diet regularly not just for clear, vibrant skin – but for overall health. They’re amazing for the skin! I actually started my own truly non-toxic, organic skincare line, Ancestral Organics. You can check out the products here, I have everything from products for…
The Most Detoxifying DIY Face Mask For Clear, Glowing Skin
I have a ritual every Sunday. I prop my computer on my toilet, turn on Freaks and Geeks, put on this face mask and relax while taking a detox bath. It’s such an awesome way to chill out and get ready for the week ahead. Especially with a super clean face and pores that aren’t clogged with grime (hey, it happens). For my acne prone skin with pores that just get bigger if I don’t clean them regularly, this has made a huge change in my skin. I always do this before bed, so I usually start my bath around 9. First, I exfoliate using sea salt and jojoba oil. This allows the mask to penetrate more deeply into the skin. I let the mask harden on my face and after removing it, immediately apply my homemade moisturizer (which I’ll be selling soon, so keep your eyes peeled!). My homemade…
My Long and Difficult Journey To Health
I think a lot of people assume that as a health coach, my eating habits are perfect and always have been. The truth is, there is no such thing as perfection when it comes to eating. My journey to healthy eating is a long, sordid affair of trial and error. A lot of trial and error. Growing up, we didn’t have a lot of money. I was raised mostly by my grandmother, who had to buy groceries (and just about everything else) for three kids on a very small amount of money each month. She did the best she could and I’m forever grateful. School lunches consisted of white bread with mayonnaise and cheap ham with hard, gelatinous chunks and a back of chips. It was such a treat to have bacon and eggs for breakfast, but more often than not it was cereal or cinnamon rolls from a can.…
Eat This One Food Daily To Improve Acne, Anxiety and Allergies
Back in the day, I had the worst acne along with anxiety so severe I thought I’d go nuts. Let me tell you what’s not fun: having a face full of painful, deep, cystic acne. Along with a constant feeling of dread and terror. I tried everything for both, topical creams, prescriptions, expensive “cures” and even Accutane for my acne, meditating and Xanax and Klonopin for my anxiety. Nothing worked for either of them. Luckily, I’ve never had allergies but it’s likely that I would have developed them had I not drastically changed my diet. By now you might be wondering what these three things have in common. What can you do to improve all three of these issues? Start eating fermented food. Stop eating unhealthy, inflammatory foods that are damaging to the gut. Growing up, I subsisted on a diet of white bread, white sugar, and margarine. Sugar bread was a…
The Healthiest Shot You’ll Ever Take
Thanks to the addition of apple cider vinegar, lemon and raw honey, these boosting power shots are the best collagen drink recipe ever. Consumed regularly, this easy-to-make collagen drink promotes glowing skin, reduces wrinkles and cellulite, improves digestion and strengthens the immune system! Shots, shots, shots! Collagen shots for EVERYBODY! And we are not talking about collagen injections. We are talking about the best collagen drink out there with tons of health benefits and a pleasantly refreshing taste. By serving this health-boosting concoction in little shot glasses, you can easily down your daily dose of collagen in the morning before heading off to work. Why this Apple Cider Collagen Drink is literally the healthiest thing you can put into your body: It improves gut function, strengthens the immune system, can help clear skin, improves/eliminates allergies and can even reduce and prevent wrinkles, stretch marks and cellulite! You’re probably wondering how…
Paleo Honey Sesame Chicken
I looove Chinese food. I grew up eating it; my best friend, Jennifer’s mom would it order it weekly for us. That was back in my days of eating white bread topped with margarine topped with sugar. That’s not a joke. I actually used to do that. No wonder why I had such severe acne as a kid. These days, I don’t eat Chinese food, ever. Eat it at a restaurant or order it, that is. This is for two reasons. One, it DESTROYS my stomach. I have a weak stomach. Filling it with MSG, vegetable oils, high fructose corn syrup and who knows what else is not only unhealthy, it physically hurts me. The other reason is because once I was reading about these college kids who collected leftover food from restaurants to make compost for their plants. They found that without fail, every time they used leftover Chinese…
FREE Seven Day Detox Challenge
Listen, I know “detox” is a buzz word and if it annoys you – it probably annoys me more. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve heard women talk about doing a detox or a “cleanse.” Don’t get me wrong, I have no problem with detoxes. In fact, I love ’em. What I don’t love is the way most people go about detoxes. The water fasts. The juice fasts. The only-raw-veggie detox. The way most people basically go on starvation diets to “detox” their bodies. Yeah, that’s not really a detox. That’s just starving yourself and it ain’t a good idea. It can cause a hell of a lot of undesirable side effects. So know that when I say detox, that is NOT what I’m talking about. Especially for this challenge. This challenge is easy, convenient and you don’t need ANYTHING to do it. Detoxing is more about what…
The Top Five Ways To Make Money Blogging
When I first started blogging, I wished there was someone or something to outline all of the profitable revenue streams and ways to monetize my website. I had literally no idea and had to figure it all out on my own from the beginning. When I began I knew that once I was certified I would start health coaching. I didn’t think about the fact that not everyone wants a health coach. Not everyone is interested in one on one coaching. Not every month would there be clients knocking down my door. Let me tell you: no one gives a shit about health coaching in December. Holiday parties, shopping and bulky clothes don’t exactly scream “I should hire a health coach!” I had to learn that the hard way. Anyone who wants to make money off of their website needs to diversify their revenue streams. You can’t expect to have…