Honey please!

I have begun to have a love affair with Honey not only for its aromatic & sweet, sticky nectar but for it's healing and nurturing abilities. I find myself using it more and more, including it in my weekly beauty rituals. It is no doubt that honey has been around since the creation of  the honeybee. Over thousands of years it's value has not been ignored and has been used for a wide range of purposes. In ancient Egypt, the Egyptians used honey as a gift to the gods. The ancient Greeks hailed it as a wonderful healer.


As far as value is concerned, it can’t be beat. It’s an item that can stand the test of time, literally. It is a staple that does not go bad. Archaeologists have found 2000 yr old jars of honey in Egyptian tombs that maintained their good taste, mmmm can you imagine the richness? The ability to maintain is largely due to it’s antibacterial properties. Studies have shown that bacteria will not prosper in honey because of it’s high acidity, an environment which is difficult for bacteria to thrive.
Here's a fact :  honey contains an enzyme that actually produces hydrogen peroxide. 

Along with it’s antibacterial properties honey is also considered to be
Hygroscopic-  it has the ability to naturally absorb moisture in from the air.  Which means  it is able to prevent scarring and encourages the growth of new tissues.  This makes honey a perfect  tool for doing treatments on conditions of the skin.  It helps to detoxify. It is an antioxidant - The darker the honey the higher it’s antioxidant level. According to one website, Buckwheat honey has the most antioxidants.  The antioxidants will help eliminate free radicals, which makes it a beneficial treatment for a person with sun damaged skin.

As a cleanser, Honey works well when warmed and smoothed over the skin, attracting dirt away from the pores. It can be used as a facial mask alone or combined with other natural ingredients such as milk, eggs, lemons, oatmeal, apples, avocados, & papaya. Delicious!  The possibilities for great skin (facial  & body) are available to everyone with this miracle food.

***What honey is best? According to various sites raw honey is best when considering it for internal and external uses. Raw honey is honey that has not been heated at a temp of 70 degrees Celsius or more, followed by rapid cooling.

So you just got a heap of info on how good honey is for you...what are you waiting for? Go out and buy some honey and BEAUTIFY yourself !

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Baby steps

During a conversation on living a healthy lifestyle with a friend earlier, I was reminded yet again of why each person has to make the personal choice to do it. Simply, it is something we have to WANT to do. We have to make up our minds and be up for the challenge. We know it's good for us, we understand the consequences for doing it. We just have to be READY for it. It is nothing that can be forced upon you. Once again...Timing Is Everything.

It is also important to identify the reasons why we were not following the healthy lifestyle in the first place. This can be a variety of reasons, emotionally & mentally speaking. Is it a matter of control? (the need for or the lack of?) Could it be a issue of (self)love? (lack of). It may not be anything like this and just be purely physical , although I always tend to think that it's never JUST physical. In any case we should identify it, acknowledge it and take steps to heal it and correct it. It will only make a better version of YOU. It does not have to be a big ordeal. It can be as simple as perhaps being sure to increase your water intake more and more everyday until you are drinking half your body weight in ounces. Begin doing five minute stretches everyday and gradually increase the minutes to a full 30 minute workout a few times a week. The point is to just DO IT.

We all can loose our focus and get off balance when it comes to treating ourselves wholistically. The fault is not in loosing the focus but in refusing to wear the corrective lenses.

Part of our mission at Be.Beautifully.Well is to promote and educate the benefits of beauty and wellness for the mind, body and spirit. This is not only our gift to you, but as a loving reminder for ourselves. We all need encouragement, true?

It's a natural fact that our bodies do not lie. What we do to ourselves internally will eventually manifest itself externally. Take steps towards a better and healthier YOU today!

LIVE BEAUTIFULLY WELL

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Ten essential oils you should own

Every one has heard that a woman should own at least one little black dress, an emergency sew kit, & a cookbook.... But what about a care kit with the basic essential oils?

Just as our medicine cabinets are stocked with first aid supplies, I think that we should also have a stock of select essential oils. Basic oils that can be used for a variety of needs for everyone in the house.

Here is my suggested list:

Lavender : useful for burns, insomnia, anxiety, insect repellent, antiviral, antibacterial, antidepressant.

Tea Tree : Anti-fungal, anti-inflammatory, antiviral.

Peppermint : a digestive aid, breath freshener, aids the respiratory and circulatory system.

Chamomile : a sleep aid, anti-inflammatory, useful in skin conditions and teething in babies, calming.

Rosemary : mental clarity, good for muscle tone, antiseptic, antiviral, stimulates hair growth, used in treating colds & coughs.

Sweet Orange : Anti depressant, cleansing, calming

Lemon : focus, helps disperse cellulite, stimulates the digestive system, calms tension headaches.

Geranium : an affinity with the reproductive system, used in skin care, can be a sedative.

Eucalyptus : antiviral, antiseptic, effective with soothing coughs, aches and pains

Myrrh : a quick healer of wounds, useful on dry cracked skin, useful in treating fungal infections.

Over the years I have grown to love dearly my essential oils. I am always amazed by their versatility and ability. I try to incorporate their use as often as I can. I know that once you see the practicality of them and are not skeptical you will grow to love them too. I hope you find this list useful in your journey to being beautifully well.

**essential oils should not be applied directly to the skin. A carrier oil such as almond or olive is recommended. Can be added to a warm bath, used in steam distillation, inhalation & massage. Essential oils listed here are not to be used as a replacement for medications without the consent of a doctor.

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When was your last time?

When was the last time you nourished your body, mind and spirit? Don't let too much time go by, it's not a luxury it's a necessity!

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Beautiful Lips

With the weather transitioning from warm to cold, our skin will be going through some changes as well. We often exfoliate the skin on our body to keep it soft and smooth but did you know that your lips can be exfoliated too? Yep!

I saw on a television show once that we can use honey and sugar to exfoliate our lips. I tried it and it works. Best of all it's natural, inexpensive, and the ingredients are items we keep in our kitchen cabinets. Perfection!

Well as I was browsing through the web I came across an article in SpaMagazine.com discussing this very thing, complete with a full recipe. Here it is:

Moisturizing your skin during winter is essential-especially for those sensitive and exposed areas of the face. "The combination of cold weather and sun is not the best for our lips, which can become chapped and cracked," says Barbara Stirewalt, spa director at The Spa at Mohonk Mountain House in New Paltz, New York.

To help remedy these conditions, Stirewalt recommends two easy-to-make recipes that take advantage of the natural anti-inflammatory and antibacterial benefits of honey to keep lips soft and smooth.

LIP EXFOLIATOR

Ingredients

• 
  

  ½ tsp. granulated sugar

  
  


• 
  

  1 drop honey

  
  

Directions

1. 
   

   Combine sugar and honey in a small bowl.

   
   


2. 
   

   Rub the blend onto your lips for 15 to 30 seconds using light, circular motions.

   
   


3. 
   

   Gently wipe off with a warm washcloth.

   
   

LIP BALM

Ingredients

• 
  

  2 tsp. almond oil

  
  


• 
  

  1 tsp. honey

  
  


• 
  

  1 tsp. beeswax pellets

  
  


• 
  

  1 vitamin E capsule

  
  

Directions

1. 
   

   Combine almond oil, honey, beeswax, and fluid from vitamin E capsule in double boiler or small pan. Stir over low heat until beeswax melts.

   
   


2. 
   

   Pour into a small container and allow to cool.

   
   


3. 
   

   When balm solidifies, rub onto lips as often as desired.

   
   

**This blog post was re-blogged from Spa magazine

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Moving Forward

What a powerful thought to keep in mind. Keep the past in the past, learn from it and grow.

Often times we stifle our own growth because we are constantly looking at the shoulda , coulda and woulda 's of the days gone by. We cannot move forward if we are always looking backwards. The future is an empty canvas ready for us to paint it vibrantly!

Live Beautifully.Well !

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A Workbook, Self Love, and Legacy

This week was pretty cool. Although its not over, I had some great conversations, amazing revelations, and I heard some of the most enlightening insights. I would definitely say, it was pretty peace.

With that said, on our radio show this week, I had the great privilege of speaking with Brooke, creator of Love's Gumbo. It was a wonderful conversation (well, it was SUPPOSED to be an interview, but u know how I get a lil comfy..) and while the topic was love, relationships, and everything in between, we ended up speaking quite a bit on the relatable "in between". That being self love.

The funny thing is, THIS is what I do. I speak on self love to others. I love on my clients. I love on my babies. I love on myself. I take time, I go to Jeju when I need it. I hang with my girlfriends, I make time to exercise, I don't eat left over pb&j sandwiches. Well on most days anyway. But there is just one thing... Do I truly KNOW myself? That question rose up inside of me after seeing this:

Sistah Circle Exercise #1

I Know Me: Love\'s Gumbo Sistah Circle Exercise #1

Well, this exercise reminded me of a special workbook that I received a couple of years ago, called A Mother's Legacy: Your Life Story In Your Own Words.

It drew to mind questions about ourselves that we may be surprised to find we actually have a very hard time answering.. Things we may think we SHOULD know. Ill give an example.

There are several chapters in the book. 11 to be exact. The first chapter goes into your personal portrait. Who you are and what your gifts are to this universe. You may know what your favorite song is. But do you know WHY? Get to know yourself deeply. The surface is there, but what do you find when you dig beneath that? This is how u cleanse, purify, and recognize the beauty that is the essence of who you are.

The chapters continue on-- Your Childhood, Your Family Life, Education, Work, Marriage, Inspirations, and on and on. The important thing is, there are so many facets to who we are individually, and how well do we know them?

This was an astonishing group of exercises for me because I truly dont feel that I neglect my internal and external needs. And I feel that my self love runs deep. But does it? Hm. I realized there is so much more to know about myself, which enriches my ability to self nurture. And if you nurture yourself, you are much more equipped to nurture those around you. How lovely.

Exercises like the ones mentioned-- Love's Gumbo Sistah Circle, and the workbook, focuses on the need to love yourself, write about it, and scream it from the rooftops. Try to make use of them, this will turn into your legacy!

llp

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