Are Your Intolerances Affecting Your Face?

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There are many food intolerances which affect people and it’s a common misconception that the effects of these intolerances are mainly gastric. It is, however, normal for certain intolerances to affect your complexion and there are specific ways that each one can affect you. Today, we’re looking at some of the most common intolerances and the effects that they can have on your face.

Sugar

Sugar is in just about everything these days because it’s cheap and makes things taste better (and makes foods more addictive), but it can really mess up your gut biome and this in turn can have an effect on your skin. If your system is sensitive to sugar, the bacteria which live in your gut can go a little bit haywire, causing dry patches and pimples on your forehead, bags under the eyes, a lack of tautness in the skin and even thinning skin. Obviously, cutting out sugar (or at least cutting down) is a must, but Dermalogica Stress Positive Eye Lift can also drastically improve the appearance of eye bags, while Dermalogica Multivitamin Power Firm will help to tighten loose skin.

Dairy

Dairy intolerances are really comon and many people report uncomfortable bloating, digestive issues and acid reflux, but it can also cause an inflammatory response in other parts of the body. This means that you could end up with puffiness in the face, as well as dark circles under the eyes and even pimples on the chin. After switching to a dairy alternative, use Dermalogica Breakout Control to deal with the spots and Decleor Anti-Dark Circle Multi-Brightening Eye Care to brighten the eye area.

Gluten

Gluten can be a hard one to avoid, especially if you’re keen on carbs, but a gluten intolerance can have an impact on the whole body. In terms of your skin, one of the most common signs of a gluten intolerance is keratosis pilaris, a rough, chicken-skin effect which affects the skin on your arms, thighs and occasionally your abdomen. We highly recommend using Elemis Body Detox Skin Brush to brush the whole body before bathing or showering which will help to reduce the rough appearance of the skin and help to stop extra skin cells from forming around the existing problem areas.

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How to Enjoy a Christmas Tipple Without Ruining Your Skin

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Unless you have a medical or personal issue, Christmas is a time when most of us enjoy an alcoholic drink. The problem is, excessive alcohol consumption can not only play havoc on your liver, it can also be damaging for your skin. There are, however, certain drinks which do less damage than others, so we thought we’d give you the lowdown on which drinks you can enjoy at Christmas without having to worry too much about your complexion.

Beer

Even if you’re not a pint-drinker, enjoying half a lager can be better than other drinks for a number of reasons; firstly, beer generally has a lower alcohol content, so it’s not as dehydrating. Many beers also contain antioxidants and are isotonic, which means they can actually be good for you, replacing certain things which are lost when we become dehydrated! Be aware though – beer can often cause bloating, so be mindful if you’ve poured yourself into a clingy outfit!

Gin

Sugar can play havoc with the skin’s ageing process, which is why something like white wine is a no-no if you’re trying to stay on top of the signs of ageing. Gin, however, is pretty low in sugar and also in salt, so do far less damage to the skin than other, more sugary spirits. In fact, the general rule of thumb is that clear spirits are far less suagry than darker ones like brandy or dark rum.

Tequila

Don’t get us wrong, we’re definitely not suggesting that a night on the tequila slammers won’t be bad for your skin because that’s not the case AT ALL. However, tequila contains more or less the lowest sugar content of all spirits, which means that you can enjoy a few without having to worry too much about the effects on your skin.

Vodka

This is where we have to get specific – vodka in general is not too bad for your skin providing you drink it in moderation (see the sugar rule above) HOWEVER, this obviously depends on what you mix it with as most mixers, such as fruit juices or cola, are full of sugar. Also, according to experts, opting for a potato vodka rather than one made from grains will also be a lot better for your skin in the long run.

Red Wine

While the sweeter white wines are usually frowned upon by skin experts, most generally agree that red wine is pretty good for you. It contains antioxidants which help protect against oxidative reactions, which come from sun exposure, and can cause sunburns, wrinkles and even skin cancer.

Stock up on strawberries this summer

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Go into any supermarket at the moment or drive through local villages and strawberries are the star of the show.

As well as tasting amazing, the humble strawberry is packed with packed with antioxidants, vitamins and minerals and they are sodium, cholesterol and fat free.

You can of course eat straight them from the box with cream and add to packed lunches, but you can also create a strawberry treat that will have your taste buds tingling.

Strawberry Smoothie

This smoothie is a great ‘on the go breakfast’ or as healthy afternoon treat that will keep you away from the chocolate.

For two large glasses, you will need:

1 ripe, sliced banana
1 cup of strawberries
1 cup of blueberries
1 red apple, peeled and cored
1/2 a cup of coconut water
3/4 of a cup of organic Greek yogurt
1/2 a teaspoon of honey (optional)
4 ice cubes

Place the banana, strawberries, blueberries, apple, and ice cubes into a blender and whizz for 30 seconds. Next pour in the coconut water, yogurt, and honey, puree until smooth then enjoy.

Strawberry Crumble

Bear with us on this because we know it sounds a bit odd but it tastes great. For one family sizes crumble, you will need:

350g of clean, halved strawberries
3 sticks of rhubarb, cleaned and chopped
85g of plain flour
50g caster sugar
25g ground almonds
50g unsalted butter, chopped into small cubes
¾ of a cup of pecans and hazelnuts, chopped
Grated zest of one small orange
Ground cinnamon

To make:
Heat your oven to 200C/fan 180C/gas 6.

Cook the strawberry and rhubarb mixture over medium for 3-4 minutes, stirring frequently, until the chunky mixture is syrupy and place in a pie dish.

Mix the flour, sugar and ground almonds together then add the butter and rub together until you have rough crumbs. Stir in the orange zest which will offset the taste of the strawberries and rhubarb wonderfully.

Spread the crumble topping over the fruit, then sprinkle with the copped nuts and cinnamon.

Bake for 25 mins until golden and bubbly and once cooled serve with ice cream or custard.

Strawberry Jam

There is something so special about strawberry jam, especially when it is homemade. This great, easy to make recipe tastes amazing with everything from freshly buttered toast to warm scones but be patient as it is a fiddly job.

You will need:

1kg of washed, hulled strawberries
750g of jam sugar
The juice of one lemon
A jam pain
A pasty brush
A preserving or digital thermometer
A selection of jars and lids, wax discs, cellophane circles and rubber bands
Labels

Prepare the strawberries by wiping them with damp kitchen paper so the fruit won’t absorb lots of water. To hull the fruit simply cut a cone shape into the strawberry and remove the stem. If you have any large berries, cut these in half.

Place the strawberries in a bowl and gently toss them in the sugar. Leave then uncovered at room temperature for 12 hours, this is often best done overnight and by doing this, hopefully the fruit won’t disintegrate too much and will keep its bright, beautiful colour.

Tip the strawberry mixture into a preserving pan along with your lemon juice. Set the pan over a low heat and cook really, really gently.

If any sugar stays on the sides of the pan, dip a pastry brush in hot water and brush it into the liquid.

When the sugar has 100% dissolved, turn the heat up so the jam starts bubbling and bring it to the boil.

Boil for around 10 mins or until the jam has reached 105C (this is why you need the preserving or digital thermometer) and then turn the heat off.

Use a spoon to skim any residue from the surface of the jam.

Leave the jam to settle for 15 mins and meanwhile, sterilise your jars.

Gently ladle the jam into the jars, filling them just below the rim. Place a wax disc on top of the jam, this prevents mildew forming, then cover with a lid or cellophane circle and elastic band.

Label the jars, adding a date, and while you can store for up to one year, but we are sure your jam will be be eaten way before that.

Team Pure-Beauty

Make yours a healthy breakfast

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We all know breakfast is an important meal of the day, so getting it right is important.

Rather than opting for white toast loaded with margarine or a bowl of sugar-coated cereal that will have your mood drop before you get the bus, instead choose a meal packed with protein, vitamins and minerals that will keep you full until lunchtime, or at least your 11am banana break.

Poached Eggs With Mushrooms and Tomatoes
Beef tomatoes and golden brown mushrooms served with a perfect poached eggs is a breakfast winner. To help the egg whites set, add a splash of vinegar to your water and add a little olive oil to the toast. If you want to make this into a hearty dinner, add extra mushrooms, smoked salmon and a serving of iron rich spinach.

Avocado & Strawberry Smoothie
This creamy breakfast blend is high in calcium and low in calories and a great way to start your day, especially if you are on the run. You will need:

• ½ a ripe avocado stoned, peeled and cut into chunks
• 150g of strawberries
• 150g of blueberries
• 4 tbsp. of natural yogurt
• 200ml of almond or oat milk
• Lemon or lime juice, to taste
• Honey if needed
• Ice cubes

Put all the ingredients in a blender and whizz until smooth. If the consistency is too thick, add a little water then either enjoy at home, or put in a bottle and take to work.

Nut Butter, Banana & Chia Seed Toast

This is a superfood twist on classic peanut butter on toast. It is packed with vitamins and minerals and for one tasty serving you will need:

• Half a large banana (sliced)
• A teaspoon of chia seeds (soaked for 15 minutes)
• 1 slice of dark rye break, toasted
• 1 tablespoon of nut butter (we like almond)
• 4 strawberries

Toast the bread then spread the nut butter on top. Place slices of banana on the nut butter and top with chia seeds and serve with the strawberries for an extra vitamin boost and enjoy before making a second round!

Avocado on Toast
There’s a real benefit to starting your day with creamy avocado on toast, a dish that is popular with our team. The fruit is loaded with fibre and fab cholesterol-lowering monounsaturated fats. Plus, the whole meal is ready in just three simple steps so you have to time to make it every day of the week. Mash the avocado onto toasted rye bread, drizzle with a little olive oil and lemon juice, then sprinkle with black pepper and enjoy. If you are extra hungry, added a serving of hot scrambled eggs.

Blueberry Muffins
Made with plump blueberries, whole-wheat flour, oats and Greek yogurt, these healthy muffins keep you full during those long Monday morning meetings. For 12 muffins you will need:

• ¼ of a cup of wholewheat flour
• 1 cup of large organic oats
• 2 cups of fresh blueberries
• 1 teaspoon of baking powder
• 1 teaspoon of bicarbonate of soda
• 1/2 a teaspoon of salt
• 1 cup of plain Greek yogurt
• ½ a cup of light brown sugar
• 3 tablespoons of melted unsalted butter, melted
• 1 tablespoon grated orange zest, plus two tablespoons of pure orange juice
• 2 medium free range eggs
• 1 teaspoon of pure vanilla extract

To start with heat your oven to 200C/400F/Gas 6 and line a muffin tin with muffin size paper liners.

Place the flour, oats, baking powder, baking soda, bicarbonate of soda and salt in a food processor and blitz until you have a fine powder. In a mixing bowl, whisk together the yogurt, sugar, butter, orange zest and juice, egg, and the vanilla extract. Add the flour mixture and mix together before adding in the blueberries. Make sure all ingredients are folded together well. Divide the mix into the muffin cases then bake for 20 minutes until they have raised and golden. Eat them at home or take to work and share.

Happy breakfast eating.

Team Pure Beauty

The good news about chocolate

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The Easter bunny might be long gone, but it could be that you still have some chocolate eggs hanging around waiting to be eaten. Or not!

If you have and you are feeling guilty about finishing it off, we are here to tell you not to.

We have it from the powers that be, that chocolate is good for you.

Now, we aren’t talking about cramming down a family bag of mini eggs followed by a KitKat chaser, but as with most things, eating it in moderation doesn’t hurt.

It would seem that good quality, dark chocolate with a cocoa percentage of around 70% or more, can be good for the heart, circulation and brain, and could be beneficial for managing conditions such as obesity and diabetes.

Dark chocolate is full of health boosting minerals including potassium, zinc and selenium, and a 100g bar of the really good stuff provides 67 per cent of the RDA of iron – great for anyone looking to boost their iron intake!

Blood sugar levels are tricky to control but eating a square or two of dark chocolate can help maintain healthy levels of insulin sensitivity and turn this helps to lower blood-glucose levels. Win, win.

Research published in the British Medical Journal has suggested that eating a little dark chocolate could help lower the risk of developing heart disease by one-third, and that’s got to be worth considering?

Eating an entire chocolate cake with a side of Mars Bar isn’t going to help your waistline but, a little can help control your weight. The scientist, Dr. Will Clower, believes a small square of good chocolate melted on the tongue 20 minutes before eating a main meal triggers the hormones in the brain that says you are full. so you eat less. Think about it and finishing a meal with the treat and trigger could reduce subsequent snacking.

Apparently one mug of cocoa (using pure cocoa powder) has double the antioxidants of green tea and we think it tastes way better too. It is also worth noting that two mugs of cocoa may help keep the brain healthy and prevent memory decline, thanks to better blood flow. That’s according to scientists at Harvard Medical School, so it must be true.

Dark chocolate is jam-packed with the helpful flavonols that help to protect your skin against sun damage. You still need to layer on the sun cream but good to know that evening snack is helping your beauty routine.

Forget happy pills, if you want to feel good a little chocolate will boost your levels of dopamine, a natural painkiller, and serotonin, which produces feelings of pleasure. Eat up and feel the love.

We believe researchers in Finland found that chocolate reduced stress in expectant mothers, and that the babies of those mothers smiled more often than the offspring of non-chocolate-eating parents. Watch out for those new baby photos on Facebook to see who is snacking on chocolate.

The bad news! Yes, you know you couldn’t have it all. Sorry. However much goodness is packed onto a bar of chocolate, it is still pretty high in calories, fat and sugar – so make sure you eat in moderation if you want the good to outweigh the bad.

Team Pure Beauty