And I said, it’s alright….

“If you spend your whole life waiting for the storm, you’ll never enjoy the sunshine” ~Morris West

The sun has long been taking the blame for increased rates of skin cancer, and long been forgotten as our vital source of vitamin D.  People are relying on supplements that just aren’t  making a difference.  I’ve been hearing my whole life, “wear your sunscreen, cover yourself, you may get skin cancer”.  ”Watch out for the tanning rays, they will cause premature aging”, sun damage and a myriad of other ‘fear factors’ that led to the over-use of “toxic” sunscreens. Lucky for me, I’ve never been one to live in fear, and rely mostly on my own sensation when I am soaking up the suns rays.  I never feel better then when I’m frolicking in the sunshine.  But Fear is usually based on  lack of information, so I have pulled some pertinent information and quotes so we can make decisions and choices in our lives.

“Live in the sunshine, swim the sea, drink the wild air…”~ Ralph Waldo Emerson

I hope you enjoy what I’ve researched, it has been a positive boost for my love of “The Sunshine Vitamin”

• Research uncovered by Dr David G Williams [Alternatives, April 1993; 4: 22] shows that the sun is not the culprit, and hiding from the sun by using sunscreens can not only increase your chances of skin cancer, but it can increase your chances of all sorts of problems by interfering with vitamin D synthesis.  Your primary source of vitamin D comes from the sun. The use of sunscreens interferes with our body’s natural synthesis of this vitamin and the increased use of sunscreens has created  a deficiency of vitamin D

• “Those not getting sufficient sunshine to meet their vitamin D needs should take a supplement. Vitamin deficiency is epidemic in America, and it contributes not only to the development of osteoporosis but to increased cancer and heart disease as well.” – Dr. Joel Fuhrman, Cholesterol Protection for Life, New Expanded Edition

• “On the other hand, lack of sun exposure and subsequent vitamin D deficiency kills more than one million people each year. Comparatively, the risk of being harmed by the sun is minimal. The most dangerous of skin cancers, which is melanoma, usually appears in parts of the skin where the sun does not reach at all, or not reach enough. If you have the opportunity, for optimal protection expose your entire body to the sun, including the private parts.” – Andreas Moritz, Cancer Is Not A Disease — It’s A Survival Mechanism

• “Now it seems as if every month there is a new study documenting the beneficial effects of sunlight and vitamin D, which, as you know, we get from the sun. For instance, in one of these recent studies, researchers at the Moores Cancer Center at the University of California, San Diego (a very sunny place), concluded that almost 150,000 cases of cancer – particularly colorectal and breast cancer – could be prevented each year by just ten to fifteen minutes a day of exposure to sunlight.” – Frank Lipman, Mollie Doyle, Spent: Revive: Stop Feeling Spent and Feel Great Again

• “All African Americans have vitamin D deficiency and they consequently have higher rates of cancer. Slathering on sunscreen is not such a good idea. We’ve gone too far with sunscreen because we’re not getting enough vitamin D. This is a ‘coming public health disaster in the US.’ Everyone should get a half hour of sunshine a day.” – Stacy Malkan, Not Just a Pretty Face: The Ugly Side of the Beauty Industry

• “We know that the skin needs vitamin D, which is produced in response to sunshine. We also know that the skin needs vitamin A. But today man’s body has become so degenerated, so filled with mucus, acid toxins, and mineral and vitamin deficiencies that he can’t spend a great amount of time in the sunshine. There are many people who develop all kinds of skin conditions from exposure to the sun and then falsely put the blame on sunshine. The sun pulls out the impurities below the skin – trying to purify you. Skin cancers spring from toxic cells.” - Patricia Bragg and Paul C. Bragg, The Miracle of Fasting: Proven Throughout History for Physical, Mental & Spiritual Rejuvenation

This last quote is so spectacularly in my belief system; how can the sun be so damaging in relation to the impurities we place in our bodies?  While sun may dry the skin, like any heat dehydrates and evaporates fluids, it most certainly in itself cannot be the true cause of disease…..  in my opinion!

So, get well, be well, and enjoy what nature has to offer.  Remember, when we look outside of ourselves for the answers we will always come up empty.  Trust that Nature is Perfect, and Nature is Imperfect.

Now go bask in the Sunshine!

I was a little worried about the fat content of the avocados, and felt a bit guilty, until I was reassured that it was good fat, and really, who am I to complain when there is fresh Guacamole staring me in the face?  And what a face, I mean my skin is glowing , my hair is shinier than ever, and would you believe I lost weight?   Certainly not what I was expecting after the amount I’ve been eating.

Studies have shown that avocado is excellent for weight loss and weight control.  And, yes, avocados are full of fat – but it’s full of good fat. Bad fat makes you fat; good fat keeps you from getting fat.

  Avocados are high in monounsaturated fat which has been proven to lower cholesterol as well as control weight as it affects how your body metabolizes blood sugar.

 Avocado also contains a unique weight loss friendly carbohydrate called mannoheptulose which is a rare form of sugar, found to lower insulin secretion.  The rise in insulin is the cause of weight gain.

The sexy side affects of eating avocados don’t stop at weight loss, Ancient beauties have long known  the avocado to be a wonderful beauty aid, rich in beneficial oils that rejuvenate the skin, reduce eye puffiness, and heal frazzled hair.  Ultimately a beautifying food from the inside out.

Here are a few recipes and tidbits we have been playing with in the kitchen:

Vitamin E Moisturizing mask :

1 half an avocado mashed

1 teaspoon Cold Pressed Olive oil

1 tablespoon Tocos Plus ( A rich vitamin E powder from rice bran: Tocotreinols)

Mix together and spread evenly over your skin and neck.  Leave on for 15 minutes, then rinse with warm water

Cure for Puffy Eyes This works great. Just slice a peeled avocado half into quarter-inch crescent-shapes. Lie down with a few slices under each eye and rest for around 20 minutes. Amazing results!

Easy Avo- Facial Mask Just mash half an avocado and spread evenly on your clean face. Allow to remain for 15 minutes, then rinse off with warm water. This is best for dry skin types.

Shiny Soft Hair Treatment

In a small bowl, mash and combine:

1 avocado (1/2 for shorter hair)

1 tablespoon olive oil

Apply to hair and allow to remain 30 minutes or longer, then shampoo and condition as usual. Amazingly silky, shiny, soft hair!

And don’t forget, Avocados make for a great fulfilling snack, a meal if you want, you can blend them into smoothies, dice them into salads or just eat them with a spoon- just sprinkle with sea salt and a squeeze of Lime juice or eat them plain.

Enjoy how sexy they make you feel!

One of my favorite natural skincare products is Coconut Oil, because it not only nourishes and softens the skin, but it promotes healing. It is an effective moisturizer on all types of skins including dry skin.  It also helps in treating various skin problems including psoriasis, dermatitis, and eczema. It can delay wrinkles by penetrating into the deeper layers of the skin and strengthening the underlying tissue.  Rub it on your face, your body and your hair.  And enjoy your natural glow.

When you feel the weather outside is frightful, and your face wants to remain delightful, add these four ideas to your repertoire and enjoy the winter with a radiant glow;

1. Eat/Drink- dark green leafy Kale, it is super high in calcium, which is essential in keeping the skin supple.  Try avocados and walnuts, they have oils and omega fatty acids that equally aid the skins soft and moist surface.  But the number one hydrator for your beautiful skin, is water…good ol’ H20.  Drink twice as much as you think you need, and you may have had enough.

2. Avoid- Caffeine and Alcohol, they are very acidic to the body, and ultimately drying to the skin.

3. Wash- In the winter months, change your face wash to an oil based or milky wash.  The clear gel washes tend to strip away natural oils, leaving the skin thirsty.

4. Moisture- Pure coconut oil is a wonderful moisturizer for all over the face and body.

Or, try an essential oil, mixed with jojoba or avocado oils as a base to your skin before slathering it with your favorite natural moisturizer.

1/2 cup Montmorency Cherries

1/2 cup Tocotrienols

1 teaspoon of raw honey

appx. 1/4 cup Purified Water

Blend water and cherries to a paste. Add Tocos and honey and blend until smooth (or as smooth as you can get it)

Slather it all over your face….look in the mirror and laugh…wash off in 10 minutes and enjoy your super soft, hydrated skin!

Why?

I kept reading how Montmorency Cherries have the highest amount of antioxidants. There is always some claim to fame for every wonderful fruit placed on this earth, but this one seems to have climbed its way to the top for healing, health benefits and its beautifying properties. The naturally occurring bioflavinoids in the Montmorency cherry fruit combats free radicals and the effects of aging. The fructose and fruit acids have a nourishing, toning and astringent effect on the skin that refreshes and rejuvenates the complexion.

Tocotrienols a rice bran soluble having the highest amount of Vitamin E and 50 times more potent than tocopherols. In a powder form, I have been mixing Tocos into my morning smoothies and green shakes, but have always been aware that it is going to be the wave of the future in skin care. Vitamin E is one of the best known antioxidants found in the human body. Its key biological function is to protect lipids from oxidation and free radical damage. Lipids are the building blocks of cell membranes and other important biochemical structures. As a topical food, it has incredible anti-aging properties.

Honey is a nectar of the gods transferred from the budding flowers of life to the the buzzing of bees. Honey is surely sweet, but it is also a natural humectant, aiding and attracting moisture to the skin. Honey is a natural antiseptic and antibiotic, excellent for removing bacteria from skin-it is known to aid in controlling acne.

Thats why!

And, it tastes good, too!