Hair Accessories

It is possible to hide dirty hair under a bandana or a scarf. Any hair accessory (hairpin, ribbon, or hair band) will add charm and style to your image and nobody will notice that you have dirty hair.

Put Your Hair up

This advise is for those of you with long hair. Simply make a braid or a pony-tail and your hairdo will never show that your hair has not been washed for a while.

Dry Washing

The best option is dry shampoo. However, if you don’t have it handy, you can use, for example, corn starch. Simply apply some to your hair, the starch will absorb oil and dirt, and thoroughly comb your hair afterwards. Now, you are ready to go for any important meeting. One point to note though- you can safely use baby talcum powder or baking flour as dry shampoo if you have fair or blond hair. However, you cannot use those products if you are an owner of dark hair, since the remains of those products will be visible; brunettes can only use high quality dry shampoo.

When using 100% natural essential oils, the soothing combination of beautiful aromas, massage, aromatic baths and other treatments all work to regulate, balance, heal and maintain your well being by working with nature.   Here are some ways to use aromatherapy and essential oils for natural health and beauty.

Health

* To enjoy a scented candle, place 1-2 drops of your favorite scented oil onto the hot melted wax as the candle burns.

* For tired aching muscles or arthritis aches, mix 1 part Cajeput, Sage, and Basil oil to 4 parts Jojoba or other vegetable oil and use as a massage oil.

* Ease headache pain by rubbing a drop of Rosemary/Lavender oil onto the back of your neck.

* To make your own massage oil, add 3-5 drops of your favorite essential oil to 1 oz. Jojoba or other skin-nourishing vegetable oil.

* For cuts, scraps and scratches, apply true Lavender oil and Tea tree oil directly on cuts, scrapes, or scratches. 1 or 2 drops will promote healing.

* For burns or scalds, drop Tea Tree or Lavender oil directly onto the affected area.

* For upset stomach, place 1 drop of Peppermint oil in 1/2 glass of water, sip slowly to aid digestion and relieve upset stomach.

* To relieve headaches, add 1 drop Peppermint oil diluted in 1 teaspoon vegetable oil rubbed on the back of the neck.

Beauty

* Create your own personal perfume by using 25 drops to 1 oz of perfume alcohol. Let age two weeks before using.

* For a radiant glow, apply 1 drop of argan oil to your face.

* For shiny, silky hair, apply 3-4 drops of argan oil.

]]> http://smartgirlconsulting.com/2010/08/the-benefits-of-aromatherapy/feed/ 0 http://smartgirlconsulting.com/2010/08/anti-ageing-smoothie/ http://smartgirlconsulting.com/2010/08/anti-ageing-smoothie/#comments Wed, 04 Aug 2010 19:22:15 +0000 admin http://smartgirlconsulting.com/?p=629 Proper nutrition can decrease aging and increase beauty!  Here is a delicious smoothie recipe to get you started on your way to good health and cool down on those hot summer days.  Leave us a comment with you favorite smoothie recipes!

Makes 2 Servings

Ingredients:
1/2 cup pomegranate juice
1/4 cup açai or mangosteen juice
1 cup frozen cherries
1 cup frozen blueberries
1 cup low-fat or fat-free vanilla yogurt
1 tablespoon honey
1 scoop vanilla-flavored whey protein

Tip: Add a few tbsp. Organic Extra Virgin Coconut Oil to help detox.  Garnish: whole blueberries and a sprig of fresh mint.  Add all the ingrediets to blendar and blend until smoothe

Nutrition information per serving:
Calories 319
Protein 16 g
Carbohydrates 61.5 g
Total Fat 2.1 g
Saturated Fat 1.1 g
Cholesterol 22.5 mg
Sodium 96 mg
Fiber 3.6 g

]]> http://smartgirlconsulting.com/2010/08/anti-ageing-smoothie/feed/ 0 http://smartgirlconsulting.com/2010/08/the-amazing-benefits-of-virgin-coconut-oil/ http://smartgirlconsulting.com/2010/08/the-amazing-benefits-of-virgin-coconut-oil/#comments Tue, 03 Aug 2010 19:28:18 +0000 admin http://smartgirlconsulting.com/?p=625

Coconut Oil has been used for centuries as a vital source of food for health and general well being in traditional communities of tropical regions. Recent research verifies traditional beliefs that the coconut palm is “The Tree of Life” and that, just like any other pure, whole food, coconuts and virgin coconut oil have a significant role to play in a well balanced, nutritious diet.  It’s very versatile and one of the healthiest oils in the world and can be used in cooking and topically for your face, body and hair.  These benefits of coconut oil can be attributed to the presence of lauric acid, capric acid and caprylic acid, and its properties which are antimicrobial, antioxidant, antifungal, antibacterial, and soothing.

Hair and Scalp
Coconut oil is amazing for both your hair and scalp. It also provides the essential proteins required for nourishing damaged hair.  It is therefore used as hair care oil and used in manufacturing various conditioners, and dandruff relief creams. All you need is to add one teaspon of Organic Virgin Coconut Oil in your hair to improve elastisity and condition while adding gloss and shine.  You can also add more and leave in for an hour or overnight as a leave in treatment and shampoo out and rinse as usual.

Facial and Body Moisturizer
Coconut Oil is one of the best natural substances you can apply to your face and body. It also delays wrinkles, and sagging of skin which normally become prominent with age. Coconut oil also helps in treating various skin problems including psoriasis, dermatitis, eczema and other skin infections.  Just apply as you would a body lotion until absorbed.

Weightloss
Coconut Oil is very effective in reducing and maintaining weight.  It contains short and medium-chain fatty acids that help in taking off excessive weight. It is also easy to digest and it helps in healthy functioning of the thyroid and enzymes systems.  It increases the body metabolism by removing stress on pancreases, thus burning out more energy and helping overweight people reduce their weight.  This is why people living in tropical coastal areas who eat coconut oil daily as thier primary cooking oil, are so slim and healthy.

Make sure your buying Organic Virigin Coconut Oil, otherwise you loose all the important beneifcial nutrients.  You want to also ensure it is USDA organiclly certified because that means it has the highest quality organic certification seal so you can rest assured it’s 100% organic.

Each Complete Kit lasts between four and six months and the company offers 100% money back guarantee if your satisfied with their products.  My preteen daughter tried out the skincare products for the review and this was her experience.  We received the Good For Your Girls Blemish Kit which contains the Blemish Wash, Purifying Toner and Oil-Free Moisturizer.  Each product is 4 fl. oz.

The Blemish Cleanser is for blemished and oily skin.  It effectively washed away her skin’s impurities with a soothing lather that didn’t irritate her skin and reduced redness and poor size.  The benficial botanical ingredients are: (Willow Herb, Papaya, Meadowsweet, Aloe, Calendula, Chamomile and Vitamin E).

The Refreshing Toner is for all skin types.  It cleaned her pores while organic botanicals balanced her skin’s pH balance and left her skin feeling completely refreshed and clean.  The beneficial botanical ingredients are: (Witch Hazel, Aloe, Meadowsweet, Lavendar, Chamomile, Vitamin C, White, Green and Black Tea).

The Oil-Free Moisturizer is for all skin types.  It protected her skin from losing moisture while replenishingvital nutrients without clogging her pores and prevented her skin from shine throughout the day.  The beneifcial botanical ingredients are: (Chamomile, Aloe, Calendula, Borage, Flax and Rose Hip Oil, Vitamin B6, White, Green and Black Tea).

Overall she is very happy with the products and would recommend them to a friend.  I would definitely buy Good For You Girls Skincare for my daugther again and I love that she is finally using a natural, safe organic skincare line I can feel good about!

Good For You Girls  does not contain any synthetics, parabens, petrochemicals, dyes or irritants.  So why not try it?  With a money back guarantee, there is nothing to loose and only good skin to gain.   Please visit their website at: www.goodforyougirls.com.

]]> http://smartgirlconsulting.com/2010/08/good-for-you-girls-skincare-review/feed/ 0 http://smartgirlconsulting.com/2010/07/simple-skin-care-tips-%e2%80%93-no-off-day-for-a-beautiful-you/ http://smartgirlconsulting.com/2010/07/simple-skin-care-tips-%e2%80%93-no-off-day-for-a-beautiful-you/#comments Mon, 05 Jul 2010 16:47:38 +0000 admin http://smartgirlconsulting.com/?p=618 You might not believe that beauty is skin deep, but to look beautiful, you definitely need to take care of your skin. It’s the tone, texture and freshness of your skin that is going to determine your beauty quotient. Skin care includes face skin care, as well as, taking care of your skin as a whole.

Here are a few easy skin care tips that can help you make sure that you look beautiful at any time of the day.

Water therapy

You just can’t underestimate the importance of a soothing bath. You can use all the skin care creams that you want, but they cannot beat the therapeutic effects of water. A bath in warm water will not only help you cleanse your skin, but also help your body relax and reinvigorate itself. The effect of this therapeutic exercise can be seen on your skin. It’s a great stress buster and at the same time helps soften your skin.

Cleansing and moisturizing

If you think beauty products are an expensive option or you are looking for a wholly natural option, you can look for products closer to home. A mixture of rose water, lemon juice, and glycerin is a great moisturizer and it’s inexpensive to boot. Also the fact that it’s natural means that you are not going to experience any adverse side effects of this mixture.

Eating healthy

Beauty products are all very well and there are quite a few good ones, but they won’t work if you have an unhealthy lifestyle. An unhealthy diet is one of the primary components of an unhealthy lifestyle. To help keep your skin glowing, a healthy diet is a prerequisite. You can’t get around it.

The beauty tips are all about doing the simple things right. Don’t complicate matters, and just be regular in whatever skin care routine you adopt.

Below are our tips on how to start eating healthy.

1. Do you know that your clothing style can affect your eating habits? You can’t believe this? Scientific evidence shows that women who prefer loose clothes eat more! So forget about shapeless T-shirts!
2. Exclude one food item from your diet per day. It’s awfully difficult to start eating foods that you didn’t want before. So don’t stay away from your typical diet. This is ineffective because you will want back all the foods you get used to sooner or later. What you need is to pick up food items you are ready to avoid at the moment, such as white bread, meat, cheese, alcohol and so on. Leave the rest of your diet intact. Following this rule can help you cut down on hundreds of calories without any stress.
3. Don’t try to eat less at the beginning. Small French fries instead of a big portion… This replacement could be so sad for you that you would simply quit the idea of starting to eat healthy. So cutting down on your meal portions isn’t that brilliant. Use your big plate but fill it with foods you can safely eat in large quantities like shrimp, chicken, stir-fired or raw vegetables. You can really eat lots of these.
4. Say no to sauces! You need to exclude sauces, especially sour cream or butter based, right from the beginning. Obviously, you should forget about mayonnaise.
5. Eat slowly. Have a glass of water before meal. After that you will feel full quicker.
6. Alcohol. We can’t insist you stop drinking alcohol once and for all. All you need is to avoid useless calories contained in alcohol. How? Here is the tip for you, don’t drink tasty alcoholic beverages. For example, it will be great idea to avoid cocktails and white wine. When you drink alcoholic beverages you don’t like you can’t drink a lot of them so you are cutting down on useless calories.

Fat burning foods are foods that burn more calories than the calorie content of the food itself, therefore they fight stored fat. The secret to successful weight loss is to eat and drink the right kinds of foods until you are full and satisfied. If you skip meals, it will slow your metabolism and deteriorate your health.

There are certain foods which actually burn more fat than the calorie content of the food itself. These fat burning foods are natural plant foods. If you eat these fat burning foods and exercise, it will boost your metabolism and burn more calories (fat) at a faster rate for several hours even after exercise.  Full list of the fat burning foods is available.  So without further ado, here are Foods that burn Fat.

Fruits rich in vitamin C
Citrus Fruits: like limes, lemons, oranges, guava, grapefruit, papaya, sweet lime, tangerines and tomatoes are rich in Vitamin C and fibre and have fat burning properties so they may be called as fat burning foods or fat fighters.  Vitamin C helps the body process fat faster and also stimulates the carnitine amino acid which speeds up the body’s fat-burning capacity.  Vitamin C dilutes the fat and makes it less effective and helps in releasing the fat from the body.

Apples
Pectin in apple restricts the cells to absorb the fat; and also encourages water absorption from the food which helps in releasing the fat deposits from the body. The antioxidants in apples may help prevent metabolic syndrome, a condition marked by excess belly fat or an apple body shape.

Calcium Rich Dairy Products
Calcium in dairy products like milk, cheese and yogurt act as fat burner that can boost weight loss by increasing fat breakdown in fat cells.  According to Professor Michael Zemel at the University of Tennessee in Knoxville, a dairy-rich diet with calorie restriction can nearly double the rate of weight and fat loss. His research has shown that eating 3-4 servings of dairy products a day is more effective at enhancing weight loss efforts than calcium supplementation alone.  Dairy products may therefore be termed as fat burning foods or fat burners.

The researchers found that overweight people who consumed 3 servings a day of calcium-rich dairy lost more belly fat than those who followed a similar diet minus two or more of the dairy servings. The calcium supplements didn’t work as well as milk.  Nuts help feel full while also increasing the body’s ability to burn fat, says author Jordi Salas-Salvado of the University of Rovirai Virgili in Reus, Spain.

Chilies
Foods containing chillies or cayanne pepper are considered to be as foods that burn fat. Chillies contain capsaicin that helps in increasing the metabolism. Capsaicin is a thermogenic food, so it causes the body to burn extra calories for 20 minutes after you eat the chilies.

Proteins
Protein rich foods and high fiber foods are the best as foods burning belly fat. Protein needs more energy to digest than fat as so eat low calorie dairy products, beans, whole grains, oatmeal, eggs, etc. as much as possible.  Lentils are high in protein and soluble fiber, two nutrients that stabilize blood sugar levels, therefore lentils are a great tummy flattener,” according to Tanya Zuckerbrot, R.D., author of The F-Factor Diet.

Some of the other foods that may be included in the list of fat burning foods are asparagus, beet root, broccoli, cabbage, carrot, chillies, beans, soybeans, sweet potatoes, blueberries and watermelon.  Keep in mind that in order to lose weight you have to burn more calories than you consume.  So eat fat fighting foods and make sure to do some physical activity everyday.  This will help your body burn up excessive stored fat.

1. Almond nuts

These are great! Just a handful of almond nuts can make you feel full. Almond nuts contain proteins and iron. Eat them regularly during the day and you will manage to rein in your appetite.

2. Carrot

It is a fact that carrot helps to strengthen teeth and improve eye sight. But if crunching carrot sticks sounds a little boring to you, grad some sauce and dip your carrot sticks in it. Yummy and healthy!

3. Lettuce

Even if you’ve taken just some lettuce and a couple of parsley leaves from home, this will make а feel-full snack. Don’t be so surprised. Throw in some croutons and add some oil and you will get a snack that is way healthier and tastier than a pack of chips.

4. Crispbread

Crispbread is better than chips! If you like to crunch, you’ll be better off crunching crispbread instead of chips (it doesn’t matter potato or corn chips).

5. Cherry tomatoes

It is a good replacement for regular tomatoes in case you don’t like them. Cherry tomatoes are sweater and their small size makes them an interesting snack choice. Just eat these small tomatoes like you eat grapes.

6. Apples

Apples, especially hard ones, typically disappear from our diet with age. So if it’s hard for you to munch on apples, you can slice them or have dried apples. Vitamin C in apples provides energy and rejuvenating effect.

7. Raisins

Combine raisings with almond nuts to get a healthy and energetic mix.

Try to follow this snack diet for just a week and you will see the difference as your waistline and hips start looking slimmer!

2. Eat breakfast
Surely you have heard that eating breakfast is healthier than eating before bed. And here is another good thing about hearty breakfast. It helps burn more fats because a signal goes to our brain that we are not hungry anymore and our body won’t be storing anything.

3. Have a good laugh
Laughing for 10 to 15 minutes a day burns down about 50 calories. But what happens if you laugh more than that? Sounds like a good replacement for morning exercises!

4. Get mad
It’s good to be angry when you do your fitness training at a fitness center or work out in the gym. Studies showed being angry can boost your workouts.

5. Walk
Sound very simple, but it’s true. Take a pair of comfortable flats with you to your job, and then free yourself of high heel shoes for a nice walk after work. A slow walk can be sometimes enough to burn excessive calories. And don’t be lazy to use staircases.