Face-lift cleanse
We all want to look and feel beautiful, and I believe that beauty begins and radiates from within. So the first step in transforming what’s on the outside is purifying what’s on the inside. It’s all about rehydrating, rejuvenating your spirit, catching up on sleep and clearing out toxins that affect your skin.
The fact is, our skin is the largest organ in our bodies but is the last one to receive the nutrients and water we take in—all the other organs in the body get fed first. If we’re not drinking sufficient amounts of water and eating foods packed with vitamins and minerals, we may actually be starving our skin.
Premature aging and lackluster or problem skin often can be traced back to the usual suspects: caffeine, alcohol, bad fats, refined flours and sugars, and so on.
Eating a diet of skin-nurturing nutrients, such as greens and other enzyme-rich
foods, and consuming clean water and good oils and salts can enrich skin elasticity and diminish lines by flushing out the toxins that affect our appearance.
Lines, discolorations, breakouts and differences in skin tone or texture are indicators of internal deficiencies.
Different parts of the face are related to different internal organs. Here are some examples of what our faces might be trying to tell us:
✴ Dark circles or puffiness under the eyes could be an indication of overworked kidneys or adrenals, resulting from lack of sleep, dehydration, or too much partying or stress in your life.
✴ A lined forehead could be a warning sign of congested bowels or a gallbladder stressed by too much dairy or oily food.
✴ Crow’s-feet might indicate that the adrenals are taxed from overuse of stimulants or living life at a nonstop pace.
✴ Lines over the upper lip or a larger upper lip might be pointing to an imbalance in the stomach or small intestines due to improper elimination of waste and toxins.
✴ Exaggerated laugh lines could be warning of a respiratory deficiency from smoking.
✴ Lines or blotches on the cheekbones might be indicators of an imbalance in the heart from a high-fat diet—or maybe even a broken heart.
What was true 5,000 years ago is still true today: To restore inner health and a luster to our skin, we must bring our bodies back into balance and ease stressed organs. We need to drink enough clean water, make sure we’re properly eliminating waste from our bodies and eat the right foods.
Here are some recipe for a face-lift cleanse:
Green tonic
This juice will give you a morning kick better than the one you get from a cappuccino. The enzymes in juiced vegetables break down over time, so drink your tonic the same day you make it to ensure that every drop is still chock-full of nutrients by the time you enjoy it.
Ingredients:
1 large cucumber, peeled
5 stalks celery
1 apple, cored
3 kale leaves
4 dandelion green leaves
4 sprigs parsley
Optional garnish: a slice of fresh lemon or a squeeze of fresh lemon juice
Directions: Chop the first 6 ingredients into pieces small enough to fit through the feed tube of your juicer. Put the cucumber, celery and apple pieces into a small bowl and the kale, dandelion green leaves and parsley into another bowl. Run all of the ingredients through the feed tube of the juicer, alternating back and forth between the greens and the chopped vegetables and apple. If you start and end with the apple–vegetable mixture, you’ll be sure to suck every juicy drop out of the greens. Serve in a large glass with a slice of lemon.
If you’re new to green juices, the flavor may take some time to grow on you. If that’s the case, dilute the juice with some water and squeeze in a bit more lemon juice, to taste. Serves 1.
Beauty smoothie
This smoothie not only tastes delicious — it also makes you look delicious! MSM, or methylsulfonyl-methane, is a sulfate that has been show to improve flexibity, reduce inflammation and increase elasticity of the skin. Tocotrienols, part of the vitamin E family, have antioxidant properties that reduce free radicals in the bloodstream, which may aid in blocking skin and breast cancer. Unlike vegetables juices, which must be consumed the day they’re made, this smoothie can be made the eve ning before you drink it to save time the following morning.
Ingredients:
2 cups Brazil- nut or almond milk
1 teaspoon tocotrienols
1 teaspoon Udo’s or flax oil
1 teaspoon lecithin granules
1 teaspoon green powder
1 pinch of Himalayan or Celtic sea salt
1⁄8 teaspoon MSM (or 1 capsule, opened up)
1 cup of your favorite berry (fresh is preferable, but frozen can work if the season isn’t right)
Pinch of stevia or 2 teaspoons raw honey
1⁄2 teaspoon bee pollen
Directions: Add all the ingredients to your blender and mix until smooth. Serves 1.
Enzyme rich gazpacho
1⁄2 cup cucumber, peeled
1⁄2 cup cherry tomatoes
1 cup arugula
1 teaspoon dulse
1 cup purified water
1 tablespoon garlic, minced
1 pinch of Himalayan or Celtic sea salt
Garnish: 1 tablespoon chopped cilantro and 1⁄4 cup ripe avocado, peeled, pitted and cut into small dice
Directions: Chop the first 4 ingredients into pieces small enough to be easily mixed in your blender. Place the first 7 ingredients in the blender and pulse until chopped but still chunky. Don’t over blend. Garnish with chunks of avocado and chopped cilantro. Serves 1.
Mellow barley miso soup
Miso is one of the wonder foods. It’s high in protein, rich in vitamin B12, and chock-full of 4 digestive agents that help you break down food and assimilate the nutrients. And it’s got a great nutty flavor to boot!
2 cups purified water
1 tablespoon barley miso
1 tablespoon chickpea miso or red miso
1⁄2 teaspoon garlic, minced
1⁄2 teaspoon gingerroot, peeled and coarsely chopped
2 tablespoons cucumber, peeled and chopped
2 tablespoons avocado chunks
1 pinch of Himalayan or Celtic sea salt
1 pinch of powdered mustard
1 pinch of chili powder
Optional garnish: chopped avocado
Directions: Place all the ingredients into a blender. Mix until blended but not completely smooth. Heat in a medium pot on the stove until barely warm. Pour into a bowl and serve with the optional avocado garnish, if desired.
Steamed Vegetables
Use any 2-cup combination of the following vegetables:
Tomatoes, quartered
Cabbage, thinly sliced
Asparagus, cut into 2-inch pieces
Sugar snap peas
Onions, cut into medium dice
Kale, chard, beet greens or any other leafy greens, torn into bite-sized pieces
Mung bean sprouts
Broccoli or cauliflower, cut into small florets
Yam, peeled and cut into medium dice
Directions: Trim off any unwanted parts of the vegetables. Add water to the pot, keeping the level below the steamer insert. Bring water to a full boil, then add the vegetables in the steamer insert. Cover pot and steam until tender. Cooking times will vary according to the vegetables you choose. When the vegetables are done, remove them from the steamer and transfer them to a large bowl. Pour dressing over the vegetables and toss well to coat. Serves 1.
Lunch whistle salad
The different textures of the vegetables and nuts and the contrast between the creamy avocado and tangy tomatoes and lemon dressing make this a vibrant and satisfying salad. It’s quick and easy to put together too, so you can spend the bulk of your lunch break enjoying your meal, not making it.
2 cups mixed baby lettuces or the lettuce of your choice, torn into bite-sized pieces
1 cup sunflower sprouts
1 small cucumber, peeled and thinly sliced
1⁄2 avocado, peeled, pitted and chopped
1 apple, cored, peeled and chopped
7 soaked almonds, chopped, or 2 tablespoons pine nuts
Directions: Wash and dry the lettuce leaves. Combine the lettuce, sprouts, cucumber, avocado and apple in a salad bowl. Drizzle the dressing over the salad and toss. Serve sprinkled with almonds or pine nuts. Serves 1.
Vegetable stew
This filling soup really sticks to your ribs and warms you up on a cool day. You can enjoy the soup chunky or puree it in a blender (after it’s cooled) if you like a smoother soup.
1 teaspoon cold- pressed extra virgin olive oil
1 cup onion, cut into small dice
5 cloves garlic, minced
1 cup fennel, cut into small dice
1 cup celery, cut into small dice
2 cups butternut squash, peeled, seeded and cut into small dice
1 cup yellow beets, cut into small dice
1 cup zucchini, cut into small dice
1 small jar of artichoke hearts, drained and cut into small pieces
7 cups purified water
1⁄8 teaspoon Himalayan or Celtic sea salt
Pinch of black pepper
Optional garnish: chopped cilantro, fresh lemon juice or apple cider vinegar, pinch of hot chili paste
Directions: Heat oil in large saucepan over medium heat. Sauté for about 5 minutes, until golden, and then add garlic, fennel, celery, butternut squash, yellow beets, zucchini and artichoke hearts and sauté for another 5 minutes. Add purified water, salt and pepper and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer for about 30 minutes until veggies are tender. Ladle into a bowl, season with optional garnish if desired and enjoy.
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