Are the foods you think are healthy really doing the job?

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It seems that every week the experts are telling us what to eat and drink to ensure we are in good health and living our best lives. The problem is, we can get information overload which means we don’t know what to do for the best, and often end up simply eating whatever we fancy.

We’ve had a look at some of the myths out there and hope it will help you work out what is good for you and what isn’t quite up there in the healthy stakes.

Granola makes a nutritious breakfast
Many of us think that granola and cereal bars are a healthy breakfast choice but this isn’t always the case. Yes, you can add granola to fruit and yoghurt, but these cereals often have extra added sugars, so it’s a good idea to check the label before you buy a new box. Grabbing a cereal bar on the go is easy, but do you really know what you are eating and how good for you it really is? One of the best things you can have for breakfast are eggs – be that boiled, poached or scrambled and having rye toast and avocado, will make things even better.

To juice or not to juice?
Fruit juice is considered to be a healthy way to increase your vitamin levels and clock up that all important five a day quota the world over. The reality is that the antioxidant, fibre, mineral and vitamin content of whole fruits are drastically cut when they are juiced. It’s so much better for you to eat fruits rather than to drink them, instead hydrate with water and have juice and smoothies now and again as a treat.

What’s the deal with honey?
Honey might be natural but sugar is sugar and nutrition-wise, agave, honey and maple syrup are no better than the bog-standard white stuff. You can eat it and enjoy it, but don’t over do it because your teeth and waistline won’t thank you.

Is coconut oil a healthy fat?
Unless you have been hibernating, you will probably be aware that coconut oil has been hailed as a ‘healthy choice’ in the kitchen. Yes, it has good points, but coconut oil is still high in saturated fat and it’s the unsaturated varieties that will do more for you in terms of health. Olive, rapeseed and sunflower oils all help to support heart health and they provide us with energy, while strengthening our immune systems too.

Red wine boosts health
Many of us do think that red wine is good for us because of the antioxidants that help fight disease. Yes, there is an element of truth here, but it still contains sugar and can make you feel lethargic and hungover, so don’t knock it back to excess because that will undo any good you have done!

Dark chocolate vs milk chocolate
How many times have you read that eating dark chocolate is good for you??? Well, it might help lower blood pressure but it won’t help with any weight loss as it is still pretty calorific. A little bit of what you fancy is true, but munching a family bar thinking your heart will benefit, might not be quite right so stick to a couple of squares.

Only fresh foods are good for you
We aren’t sure where this comes from, but you can eat frozen and tinned fruit and vegetables and still get the same nutritious benefits you will find in the fresh alternatives, sometimes even more. This is the case because the process of canning and freezing preserves most nutrients and antioxidants, so when you eat them they are still packed with essential vitamins and minerals. One thing to watch out for is tinned fruit that comes in sugary syrup, go for natural juice every time and if you rinse before you eat, even better.

Team Pure Beauty

How to add citrus to your beauty routine

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100% natural, a natural source of vitamin C, accelerates cell renewal, anti-cellulite and body cleansing programme, appearance of ageing, bacteria, balance, Balm Mint, beauty routine, beeswax, bergamot, beta-carotene, blended, breakfast, breakout prone skin, bright, calm inflammation, Camphor, citrus fresh, citrus fruit, citrus fruits, citrus orange, clean, clear, cool, day cream, dazzle, Decleor Green Mandarin Glow Night Balm, Decleor Green Mandarin Sun-Kissed Glow Cream, Dermalogica Clearing Skin Wash, Dermalogica Daily Microfoliant, detoxify stimulate, drink, eat, educe inflammation, Elemis Cellutox Active Body Oil, Elemis Exotic Cream Moisturising Mask, energise, energy boost, enrich, essentail oils, eucalyptus, excess oils, fine lines, fresh fragrance, fruit, Ginkgo, goodness, gorgeous blend, Grapefruit, green mandarin, green tea, honey, immune system, key ingredients, lemon, lemon peel extract, lush, massaging, menthol, mimosa, mix, moisturises, natural, natural hyaluronic acid, nourish, powerful, protect, reduce, rejuvenate, rice enzyme powder, sad, Sea Buckthorn, Sea Fennel, sea-rocket, senses, seven days a week, sink in, skin, sleep, smooths, sun-kissed glow, Sweet Orange, tangy taste, Tea Tree, treat, uneven skin pigmentation, universal, vibrant appearance, vitamin-packed food, wrinkles, zest, zing

Citrus fruits have a tangy taste, fresh fragrance and vibrant appearance and this winning combo makes them a universal favourite. As well as being great to eat and drink, the goodness of citrus fruits are often used in beauty products.

We have had a look at how adding a little citrus to your beauty routine could add zest and zing to your skin.

The Decleor Green Mandarin Glow Night Balm is 100% natural and can really help to energise your skin and reduce the appearance of ageing. This really is a citrus packed dream as green mandarin, grapefruit, lemon and sweet orange essential oils have been blended with beeswax to offer an energy boost to your skin as you sleep.

It’s the lemon peel extract, a natural source of vitamin C, that helps to protect skin and reduce inflammation in the popular Dermalogica Clearing Skin Wash. This fabulous foaming cleanser clears the problem causing excess oils and bacteria on breakout-prone skin. Balm mint, eucalyptus and tea tree oils, plus menthol and camphor all come together with the lemon to clean and cool skin so it can settle and breathe.

Did you know that citrus can be part of an anti-cellulite and body cleansing programme? Well, it can with the gorgeous Elemis Cellutox Active Body Oil. A powerful mix of sea buckthorn and sea fennel extracts have been added to lemon and juniper essential oils to create a beauty routine staple you won’t want to be without. Massaging just a little of the oil into the skin will nourish, detoxify and stimulate. Regular use can help smooth cellulite, boost a sluggish system, lift lethargy and even help ease constipation when rubbed into the tummy and lower back.

We know that eating vitamin-packed food is good for our immune system but using those same ingredients on our skin can be positive too. This is where the Decleor Green Mandarin Sun-Kissed Glow Cream comes into play. This lush day cream moisturises the skin, helps ease fine lines and wrinkles gives you an even sun-kissed glow. This is thanks to a gorgeous blend of citrus essential oils, natural hyaluronic acid and beta-carotene which together re-energise tired-looking skin. Not only does simply sink into your skin and leave it looking great but with green mandarin, grapefruit, lemon and orange oils being part of the mix, it makes you smell amazing too.

Grapefruit is often eaten for breakfast, but it is one of the key ingredients in the Dermalogica Daily Microfoliant. This unique rice enzyme powder smooths the skin, accelerates cell renewal and is gentle enough to be used seven days a week. Grapefruit is part of the skin brightening complex together with aspergillus, liquorice and bearberry which come together to balance uneven skin pigmentation. We love that green tea, ginkgo and oatmeal have been added to help to calm inflammation so that skin is clear, bright and citrus fresh.

If your skin is feeling sad, why not treat it to a session with the Elemis Exotic Cream Moisturising Mask? Mimosa and honey have been expertly blended with extracts of sea rocket, bergamot and citrus orange which together moisturise and enrich the skin. Using for ten minutes twice a week or leaving on overnight will rejuvenate your skin and dazzle your senses.

If you need a little citrus in your life, get in touch and let’s see what would work for you.

Team Pure-Beauty

New year, new skincare?

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100% natural, acne and breakout prone skin, anti-oxidant rich night cream, beautiful, beauty products, bleak mid winter, blended, body, Calendula, care, Centella Asiatica Extract, chamomile, chlorella, cleansed skin, Cornflower, cracked, daily moisturiser, daily stress, Decleor Organic Harmonie Calm Soothing Comfort 2 in1 Cream and Mask, Dermalogica Conditioning Body Wash, Dermalogica Gentle Soothing Booster, Dermalogica Ultimate Buffing Cloth, dry, dull skin, Elemis Hydra-Nourish Night Cream, Elemis Pro-Collagen Hydra-Gel Eye Masks, even tone, exfoliate, Eyes, feet, geranium, glycolic acid, gorgeous, honey, hyaluronic acid, intensely moisturised, Jan Marini Bioglycolic Facial Cleanser, Japanese spa, knife, Nailtiques Avocado Foot Cream, new, New Year, non-irritating, oil-free treatment, organic, Padina Pavonica, Persian Silk Tree extract, pick me up, plankton extract, Red Raspberry Extract, redness, rinse, Rose Essential Oil, rough, sensitive skin, serum, sink, skin tightening effect, soap free formula, soothe skin, super rich Avocado Oil, sweet almond oil, tired, Toner, transform, treat, visibly smoother, Ylang-Ylang, youthful eyes.

We all tend to stick with what we know when it comes to beauty products, but with a new year upon us we think it might be time to try something new!

The Decleor Organic Harmonie Calm Soothing Comfort 2 in1 Cream and Mask is an organic, 100% natural product is a great pick me up for sensitive skin. Rose Essential Oil, Sweet Almond Oil and Centella Asiatica Extract have been blended together to soothe skin, even tone and keep complexions happy all day. You can either apply to cleansed skin and use as a daily moisturiser, or you can put on a thicker layer once a week and leave to completely sink into your skin and bring it back to life.

We love the Jan Marini Bioglycolic Facial Cleanser simply because regular use leaves skin softer, smoother and more refined than ever. The soap free formula is non irritating and when you rinse it away, there is no need for a toner because the work is already done. Excellent for acne and breakout prone skin, the secret to the success of this cleanser is the Glycolic Acid which aids follicular cleansing – give it a go, we think you might like it.

While no one sees them, your feet take the brunt of your body every day, so why not treat them with the Nailtiques Avocado Foot Cream in 2019? This cream has been specially created to help heal rough, dry and cracked skin and it does this with the help of super rich Avocado Oil. Simply apply the silky smooth cream into your legs, feet and heels, concentrating especially on those unloved areas and watch the skin transform from hard and unsightly to soft and beautiful.

If you aren’t ready to go under the knife, but need a little extra care when it comes to your eyes, the Elemis Pro-Collagen Hydra-Gel Eye Masks could be what you have been looking for. Potent Plankton Extract has been combined with Padina Pavonica and Chlorella to offer an instant skin tightening effect. Hyaluronic Acid has been added into the mix because of the hydration properties it offers, and the result is visibly smoother, intensely moisturised, youthful eyes after just 20 minutes.

Life is better with a serum, and a good place to start is with the Dermalogica Gentle Soothing Booster. This popular, oil-free treatment helps to reduce redness and gives your skin the chance to recover from daily stress. Thanks to Red Raspberry Extract, Honey as well as Calendula, Chamomile and Cornflower, irritation is eased and natural moisture levels are restored.

If the bleak mid winter has left your skin feeling below par, we suggest you let the Elemis Hydra-Nourish Night Cream get to work as you sleep. This anti-oxidant rich night cream helps to seal in moisture as well as nourishing and de-stressing tired, dull skin, thanks to a blend of Persian Silk Tree Extract and Hyaluronic Acid. A gorgeous blend of Geranium and Ylang Ylang means not only is your calm and rebalanced when you wake, it smells amazing as you fall asleep.

Don’t just wash and go in the shower, take in the Dermalogica Ultimate Buffing Cloth and you can exfoliate your entire body as you cleanse it. Perfect to use with the Dermalogica Conditioning Body Wash, this Japanese spa inspired cloth smooths away rough skin, in even the most hard-to-reach areas, and leaves it feeling soft and smooth.

Got your eye on something but not sure if it is for you, then get in touch and we can give you more advice to ensure your skin is in tip-top condition in 2019.

Happy new year.

Team Pure-Beauty

Natural ways to deal with a cold

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antioxidants, antiviral properties, Apple cider vinegar, bathtub, body, chest, children, cold, cold causing bacteria, cold symptoms, coughing, drink, ease the pain, Epsom bath salts, essential oils, fluids, forehead, gel, gentle, germs, ginger, headache, help, honey, hot water, immune system, incubate, infants, low immune system, milk, natural decongestant, natural healing, natural mineral, natural products, neck, nose, nursery rhyme, over-the-counter medicines, PH levels, raw and organic honey, re-balance, recovery, remedies, rest, sick, sleep, sneezing, sniff, soaking, spoonful, sugar, super green smoothies, symptoms, throat, under the weather, vapour, warm water, warming vegetable soups, wash your hands, weak

When your nose is running, your throat is on fire and you can’t sleep for coughing, being told you just have a cold is little help.

People with a weak, low immune system as well as infants and children, are most prone to catching a cold and the most common kind is known as the ‘rhinovirus’.

When you contract a cold, for the first day or two you will feel fine, but the germs that escape your immune system, start to incubate and replicate in your body. Around day three, you will start to sniff and feel congested and this will be followed by a runny nose, headache, sneezing, as well as muscle aches which will all get worse, before they get better. After about a week, things will ease up and symptoms will disappear so you feel human again.

Most people find over the counter medicines, as well as lots of fluids and rest, help them to feel better, but natural products and remedies can help ease the pain, and we have had a look at a few ideas you might want to try if you do get sick.

A spoonful of honey
The nursery rhyme suggests that a spoonful of sugar helps the medicine go down, but we think that should be honey. Whether you take it straight from the spoon, add it to hot water or milk, honey is well-known for having natural healing and antiviral properties and can be a gentle way to treat a cold and sooth a nasty sore throat. It is thought that the antioxidants help the immune system deal with a virus or cold causing bacteria, and it is believed to be even more true of raw and organic honey.

Epsom bath salts
This might seem old fashioned, but adding one mug of Epsom salts to a bathtub of warm water and soaking in it for around 20 minutes, can help you feel soothed when you have a cold. Keep the water as hot as you can, and it is thought that this natural mineral will go some way to easing those uncomfortable muscle aches and also help you to sleep which can in turn lead to a faster recovery.

Apple cider vinegar
Mix one tablespoon of apple cider vinegar with a glass of warm water and then drink it down, adding some honey to taste. Drinking this mixture two or three times a day, can help to re-balance your body’s pH levels making it harder for the virus to survive.

Essential oils
Mixing a few drops of peppermint and eucalyptus essential oil together and applying a little to your chest, neck, and forehead, can help when you have a cold and are feeling under the weather. You can also put this blend into your bath, or add to a bowl of hot water and breathe the vapour in through your nose and benefit from this natural decongestant!

Go for ginger
Sipping ginger infused water, with a teaspoon of honey, might sound like a basic approach, but it’s a popular one that works. The reason ginger offers relief from cold symptoms, is that it warms up the body, the potent natural anti-inflammatory properties sooth and it’s spiciness helps to clear congestion. Simply crush up a thumbnail of ginger and let it seep in hot water for five minutes before straining and then adding to honey in a new cup. You can also add ginger to warming vegetable soups and super green smoothies and let all that natural goodness help your body bounce back from the germs that are attacking it.

So, wrap up, eat well, drink plenty of water, wash your hands often, carry an antibacterial gel in your bag, and if you do get sick, try some of these ideas to help you on your road to recovery.

Team Pure Beauty

An apple a day

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an apple a day keeps the doctor away, apple, apple juice, apple pie, Apple purée, bake, baking sheet, brown sugar, bruises, comfort food, comforting, cooking apples, cool, core, countryside, crisp winter afternoons, crop, delicious, divine, easy, fresh, fridge, gin, ground cinnamon, ham, harvest, home, honey, hot, juicer, last-minute dessert, lemon zest, menu, mid afternoon snack, munch, mushy, natural goodness, oce, pick, pip, Plastic, recyclable bottles, ripe, roast pork, shortcrust pastry, slice, soft, spices, sterilised bottles, sticky, store, treat, true, vanilla ice cream, vitamin packed drink, wholesome

The old saying goes, ‘an apple a day keeps the doctor away’ and while we aren’t sure this is 100% true, they are packed with natural goodness and they taste pretty too delicious.

Go out in the countryside right now, and you are bound to come across trees bearing fruit that is ripe to pick, but once you have got them home, what can you do with them if you can’t munch your way through them as they are? Well, we have a few ideas.

Apple juice
There is nothing quite as delicious as fresh apple juice. Take your washed apples, cut out any bruises and then use a juicer to blast your crop. Put your smooth blend into sterilised bottles and either store in the fridge for several days, or if you have a lot then you can put in the freezer – but we suggest going for plastic, recyclable bottles for this. Add ice and drink alone, mix with a little gin or add to smoothies for a really fresh, vitamin-packed drink.

Apple pie
Who doesn’t like apple pie? This is a really easy, comforting way to use up apples and why not make extra and freeze some for those crisp winter afternoons when comfort food is on the menu but the shops are shut. We would say go for shortcrust pastry, cut and cook your apples in a little water and sugar, load in the fruit in a pie dish with some spices and extra raisins and your pudding is good to go in the oven to bake.

Apple crisps
Whether you have eating or cooking apples, you can make fruit crisps with your harvest. Slice the apples thinly, take out the core and pips, then place on a lined baking sheet with a little ground cinnamon and bake for about half an hour, turning over halfway through. Let them cool and store in an airtight container, and enjoy as a mid-afternoon snack, add to cereal or use them to top ice cream dishes.

Apple purée
If you have a lot of apples, making them into purée could be a good move and save any waste. Peel and core the fruit, then add them into a pan with about 1cm of water. Add some lemon zest and a little sugar, cover the pot and gently cook on a medium heat until the apples are soft and a little mushy. Freeze in pots, taking out what you need, when you need it and enjoy with roast pork, ham or add to some creamy custard for a sneaky treat.

Baked apples
The baked apple is the perfect last-minute dessert that looks wholesome and tastes divine. This simple winter pudding is budget-friendly and even more delicious when it is served with a huge scoop of vanilla ice cream and a drizzle of honey. Wash your apples and heat your oven to 200C. Mix cinnamon, brown sugar, orange zest, and lemon juice together then spoon the juice onto each apple, then bake for around half an hour. They should be soft and sticky when served but mind little mouths because the apples will be hot!

So, what are you waiting for? Get cooking!

Team Pure-Beauty