I love mornings. Morning light fills me up with energy and reminds me how grateful I feel being able to enjoy another day on this earth. I have talked about my morning rituals on this blog, but I forgot to mention a key element of it: LVO Detox Powder.
LVO, La Vida Organica, Detox powder is made out of Food Grade Diatomaceous Earth, which is a natural super-food filled up minerals, antioxidants and antibacterials that nurtures the ligaments of the body tissues, improves overall health and helps natural expulsion of toxins out of the organism.
According to the web-page Diatomaceous.org, this super-food contains microorganisms that in contact with the body produces great amounts of SILICA, a mineral greatly needed by the human body.
"Diatoms, the ocean's "spiny honeycombs," are 30 million years of age, and were created when these microscopic algae-like plants died and continued to be compounded within the earth's surface as skeletal remains. These microorganisms, similar to mollusks produce lime-carbonate and emit silica."
I started drinking food grade diatomaceous earth every morning with a natural juice and my overall health improved drastically, specially my digestion system. After 4 days of continue usage, I was evacuating daily every morning without fail, sometimes twice per day. Before that, I have suffered from constipation problems which affected my health and jeopardized my natural beauty due to the excess of toxins inside my body.
How to consume Food Grade Diatomaceous Earth - LVO Detox Powder
Every morning, after drinking my water (glass of water / water with lime) I drink a green juice or a natural juice, like organic orange juice, with a spoon of the powder blended inside. The substance is tasteless but make sure you mix it nicely with the liquid because it can form a paste when not blended completely.
You will start feeling the detoxifying powers as soon as after a 4-5 days of usage. The recommended dosage is 1 table spoon daily per adult. Drink it with an empty stomach which is essential for better absorption and results. Do not worry when you start feeling your intestines having a party over there!
I buy this product from La Vida Organica by Giselle, which is a Venezuelan entrepreneur who runs her own Media & Store about living an organic life-style, healing people with natural medicine and beautifully glow through natural beauty.
I am about to reveal one of my sacred beauty secrets of all times: Organic, Raw Apple Cider Vinegar.
I use apple cider vinegar to clean my face without damaging its skin with anti-acne or chemicals soaps. This natural substance has healing properties due to its great content of probiotics. It balances the pH of your body from acidic to alkaline as well as it eliminates bacteria and cures infections. It clears opens pores and eliminates marks and reduce visibility or scars. It also helps maintaining your skin hydrated through the day. Basically, this magical substance works because it nurtures your body instead of only cleaning it.
I always say: a beautiful skin, is a healthy skin.
I include apple cider vinegar in my daily face-care routine. First, as soon as I wake up I rub some apple cider vinegar on my face with the help of an organic cotton ball. Then, a minutes later after absorbing, I apply coconut-oil which contains natural SPV protection. When I get home, I rub another cotton ball of apple cider vinegar after taking a shower. I also apply on my neck area. I let it absorb completely to then seal it with a light cape of coconut-oil.
This formula is SO effective you will start seeing results in less than 1-2 weeks. I promise!
You only have to be consistent and handle it: apple cider vinegar has a strong, uncomfortable smell but I promise you will get used to it. Also, the first times it will burn a little bit on the skin, but that is normal. I will recommend to start applying a few drops on the cotton ball, trying it on the arm-skin for a little and then move to the face area. As it becomes endurable, increase the amount used.
Apple cider vinegar gave me the perfect natural make-up look I have always aimed for without actually having to wear a single drop of product. Isn't that just MAGICAL?
Comment bellow if you have tried it, and come back next Sunday for more natural beauty tips!
Besides pampering yourself, Sundays help us to visualize our upcoming week of events. I love to use this day to meal prep my food for the week by peeling and washing vegetables and fruits, cooking some fiber-full carbs and blending my own nuts-butters fats. Also, I do my green-juice prep and I have to admit is my favorite of all.
Drinking a green juice every morning will satisfy the amount of greens your blood and immune system needs minimum to maintain you healthy. It will benefit your overall mood, hydrate your hair and skin and give you the natural, healthy glow we aim for.
Remember, you should use a ratio of 2:1 or 3:1 of vegetables over fruits. In other words, you should use the double or triple amount of vegetables in comparison to the fruit. Another formula I use is 80-90% vegetable content, 20-10% entire fruits.
Now, here is one of my basic and favorite green juice combination:
2 cups of organic Kale. 1/4 - 1/2 organic cucumber. 1 cup of Pineapple. 1 cup of filtered water. 1-2 spoon of lemon/lime juice. 1 cup of Ice.
Mint leaves for taste.
Blend the water and veggies first for a couple minutes. Then, add the pineapple and the ice and blend again for a couple minutes more. Add 2 mint leaves and lime/lemon juice, and blend for a last time. Serve cold in a glass cup. Put chia seeds on the top.
Green Juices showed me a different, easier way to consume raw vegetables. I love to drink one after my oil-pulling session every morning. Besides providing you with energy, they are full of vitamins, antioxidants, nutrients, water and you can boost even more their benefits by adding super-foods like spirulina, chia seeds or camu camu.
For a coffee-like experience without the coffee and with lots of antioxidants you could also add Matcha Green Tea powder into the mix and stay energetic for a longer time.
Hope you guys try it, and comment here when you do it!
Sunday is the perfect day to pamper yourself, but also to organize the upcoming week and set new goals. My main goal is to provide you with natural health tips each week so we can enjoy the benefits of natural beauty together.
Coconut oil is one of the most magical and effective natural ingredients I have ever used. I cook with it, I eat it raw and moisturize my skin with it before any other pharmaceutical lotion. However, its benefits do not end there. I swear coconut-oil makes me smile while it whiteness my teeth!
People have constantly asked me how I keep my teeth so white-looking and my answer is always the same. Now, since I know I am not the only one who lives for coco-nut oil, I have gather the best posts explaining my natural dental health method for a happy, beautiful smile.
1. Oil Pulling, by @Rawvana:
Oil Pulling is an ancient technique for dental health that I have being practicing from about 3-4 years. It basically consists on pouring a spoon of raw, coconut oil (or any vegetable, organic oil but I TRULY recommend using coconut) and rinsing it inside the mouth for up to 20 minutes. You should do it first thing in the morning, before eating or drinking water. You should also spit the oil in the trash can, not in the sink because the oil will clogged it.
Yovana Mendonza, known as Rawvana, is an Mexican-American Youtuber who shares vegan receipts and natural beauty secrets in her channel. She promotes the benefits of vegan, raw eating and constantly remind her followers of the power of raw fruits and veggies into the human's health. Next, she shares a dental-health technique we both use to whiten our teeth and of course it involves coconut-oil.
I recommend you to use those 20 minutes of silence to meditate, reconnect with yourself and send positive vibes for the day awaiting.
2. Improve your general health through coconut-oil pulling, by Dr. Axe:
Before, I said you can do oil pulling using any type of organic, raw vegetable oil. True. Actually, the first practitioners started using sesame oil. Different oils will produce the same toxin-absorbent effect we are looking for. However, coconut-oil has so much other benefits for our health compared to conventional oils, so it only seems appropriate to use it. Also, it has the best taste from all.
If you want to understand better how gargling coconut oil will greatly improve your health and of course whiten your smile, I will recommend Dr. Axe's article about oil-pulling benefits and his 'how-to' guide.
Believe me, you want something pleasant if you will taste it every morning during 20 minutes.
3. Brush the oil-excess on your teeth with more coconut oil
After oil-pulling in the morning, you will feel your breath refreshed but you will probably still will like to brush your teeth. You are ought to do it, though, as soon as you finish to remove the oil-excess from before. You have to make sure to spit and NEVER SWALLOW the oil because it has the toxins and bacteria added to it. So, after oil-pulling you should spit it in the trash and brush your teeth, gums and tongue widely.
Yes, I brush the oil, dirty coconut oil off my mouth with more coconut oil. Since it is not toxic and actually really good for you to consume daily, I started using my own coconut-oil-based toothpaste which other ingredients usually vary from organic turmeric, baking soda or Himalayan pink salt.
Here, the people from Simple Green Smoothies created a very similar recipe to mine, which is really easy to make and you will only need 4 ingredients: coconut-oil, baking soda, essential oils and Stevia (if you have a sweet-tooth). Check out the recipe and read the full story here.
LAST TIP:
I have to add that twice per week I brush my teeth with just mixing a baking soda + water paste, especially to remove plaque. I only do it once or twice per week because pure baking soda it can debilitate teeth enamel if used in excess.
This Sunday we have a special, one dedicated to honor one of the most magical natural products have ever existed. I cook with it, clean with it and use it daily on my skin. I am talking about Coconut-oil!
In this post, I am going to teach you 4 clever ways to use coconut oil to improve your skin and detox yourself from the chemicals in traditional skin care pharmacy products.
For this beauty project you will need your own organic coconut oil, which will be our ally when achieving natural beauty and you will keep on your bathroom from now on, and it will cost around $7-$9.
First, before buying ANY coconut-oil out there, make sure its labelled as Organic, Unfiltered & Cold pressed. This is important because it will affect the quality of the product, thus the effect on the skin. You found it? Let's do it!
1. REMOVE YOUR MAKE-UP BEFORE BED EVERY NIGHT 2. MOISTURIZES & MASSAGE WHOLE BODY 3. NATURAL SPF SUNSCREEN 4. HEAL CRACKED TALONS & SOFTEN FEET.
I am a morning person. I truly enjoy going to bed early and waking up refreshed, ready to have a morning blast. However, it wasn't easy at first. It takes a lot of organization to turn this practice into a habit. Enough quality sleep is one of my secrets to wake up more beautiful than when I went to sleep.
Something that helped me become an early riser was developing a morning routine. I mean a fun list of to do right after you open your eyes. Meditation, a green juice and a good breakfast are big part of my mornings, and they have had a direct impact on my health, beauty and self-esteem.
Today, I'll share with you my daily morning routine. It consists on 3 easy steps (water-green juice-food), that way I can inspire you to create one that fits your needs perfectly!
1. I keep around 1 Lt (you can start with 500 ml) of natural temperature water on my night stand. I drink it as soon as I wake up. Something I do is drinking half of the bottle right away, and then drink the rest slowly after adding a few drops of lime/lemon:
2. Next, I like to drink a green juice. A green juice is basically a smoothie made out of veggies and fruits. It is recommended to do it 2/3 greens or veggies and 1/3 fruits.
One of my favorite combinations is one cup of kale dinosaur, one cup of baby kale, one cup of pineapple pieces and one cup of orange juice. All my ingredients are ORGANIC = Pesticides free.
3. After finishing my juice, I start preparing my breakfast. My 2 current favorite options are arepas, eggs and avocado or yogurt with fruits.
Arepas is a traditional Venezuelan dish that we eat at breakfast and it's made out of corn flour. I mix it with cereals such as oats, chia seeds and linseed for fiber. I usually accompany them with half avocado and 2 eggs.
For the eggs I make sure they are PASTURE RAISED & ORGANIC, "cage-free" does not guarantee quality or cruelty-free treatment.
If I decided I want the yogurt, I make sure is ORGANIC and the milk comes from cows PASTURE RAISED and fed with grass. I like to create a base of yogurt and add ORGANIC banana, blackberries and strawberries pieces on top. Then, I sprinkle it with ORGANIC sliced almonds, chia seeds, cinnamon, coconut and dark chocolate chips.
After a morning like this, any day can be amazing, I promise you! <3
If you would like me to explain further how I cook my 2 favorite breakfast, comment bellow and I'll do it for the next post!
Welcome
to the Sundays of health and beauty, I hope you rest enough this weekend and you are ready to go to another amazing week. Today we will learn how to do a:
DIY Coconut Oil, Lip Moisturizer
Let’s get into the subject. I always get asked how I do to maintain my lips soft, pink and glowing. My answer is always the same: nature! Any beauty secret you ever need already exists and Mother Nature has it ready to use!
For my natural coconut oil lip-balm you would
need:
Coconut oil (Unrefined, cold-pressed, organic = THIS IS
FUNDAMENTAL)
A fridge.
Little container cup with a lid.
Now,
with a clean spoon fill the cup with coconut oil. Leave the containers inside
the fridge overnight. The next day, rub your clean finger on it. Feel the
texture. Decide if you like it drier o greasier, humid. If you like it dry,
live in the fridge after use it. If you prefer it greasier keep it on your
counter on a fresh environment.
Voila! Apply it at least 3 times a
day, or whenever you need it. I also like to use the coconut oil as a face moisturizer/natural
sunscreen… but I’ll tell you more about that in my next post. Stay tuned.
I took this selfie right after I cleared the face mask.
I have always said this: Sundays
are for face mask!
I have to confess I never use
make-up. Besides being unhealthy, it does not feel good and I really never
like the artificial look it gave me. Sure thing make-up does wonders on special
occasions and photo settings, but on a daily basis it irritates
and bothers my skin. Especially, living under the Florida weather. Even
though I am somehow against the daily use of make-up, I do love a perfect, spotless
face and the boost it gives to your confidence. Everything feels easier when you
love the skin you live in!
For that reason, I decided to take care of my face
so efficiently that I would never have to wear make-up again (at least not as
an obligation!)
I am really conscious on what I put on my body,
thus all my beauty and health ingredients are natural and organic. For this 3
ingredient face mask you will need:
·Apple cider vinegar (raw, unfiltered, organic) (It
smells a little strong, but just resist a little! I promise it is miraculous
and totally worth it).
·Honey (organic, local, not processed).
·Turmeric powder (organic).
Now, in a glass
bowl mix 2 spoons of apple cider vinegar, 1 spoon of honey and 1 spoon of
turmeric powder. Mix it for one minute so all ingredients sink in.
After that, I recommend
to wash your face with natural soap and then rub half lemon/lime around the
surface. This will extra-clean the pores to absorb the mixture. Grab a clean
make-up brush and spread the mask around the face. Be careful not to cover your
eyebrows because the turmeric can paint them a little bit (it will face away in
a couple days, though).
Leave the mask
as long as you can or for at least 30 minutes, then clear with cold water. I
like to rub an ice cube afterwards and then apply coconut oil before bed.
Since I moved to Jacksonville, two years ago, I have been to the beach more times than in my 22 previous year of life together. I have got used to lay under the magnificent sun of Florida without fearing of its potents, harming rays. My skin color is brown but that does not mean it doesn't need protection. My skin is as soft, sensible and translucent as a white baby's cheeks. However, there's not all bad news.
Don't fear!
Using the right protection we can enjoy also of the benefits of a safe sun bath! Now, there's my routine for the day I go the beach:
I woke up, I shower and I apply organic virgin coconut oil all over the skin. I leave it sink to absorb.
A couple hours later, I apply more coconut oil on my body and a mineral based sunscreen for the face.
I make sure to have a substantially fruity breakfast that will provide me energy and glow for the beach exposure.
At the beach, I drink water and make sure I pack fruits that will keep me and my sling hydrated. Watermelon is probably the perfect beach fruit for its amount of water on it. Strawberries are one of my favorites as well.
I have shade available to me , like an umbrella or a big hat, that would do the job to keep me away from long exposure. I make sure to apply coconut oil on my lips and feet as well. I wear sunglasses most of the time.
I swim in the ocean at least 10 min. It will refresh your skin. The water is also full of minerals and nutrients that it will absorb and nurture from as well.
Once home, take a cold shower. I Apply cold aloe on the skin or cold coconut oil. If any area is red, like the face, rub an ice cube all over it until it melts if possible.
I wash myself with oatmeal and vegetal oil based soap, I wash my hair with baking soda and apple cider vinegar, and I use Himalayan pink salt to exfoliate myself.
I keep drinking water and drinking veggies, until it's time for beauty rest.
That's it! You're done! Now you can enjoy the sun without worries on your health in the short and long time term!
LVO, La Vida Organica, Detox powder is made out of Food Grade Diatomaceous Earth, which is a natural super-food filled up minerals, antioxidants and antibacterials that nurtures the ligaments of the body tissues, improves overall health and helps natural expulsion of toxins out of the organism.
