Sure you pile on the face creams, but what if you can do something internally to help feed your skin and hair? Here are some of the best beauty beverages to fight aging. Check them out below and watch my segment on Everyday to see me talk about them!

Get Gorgeous Tea Blend
This delicious tea blend from the Republic of Tea helps to nourish your skin from the inside out. It’s an organic, rooibos-based blend that is naturally caffeine-free and brimming with antioxidants, your skin’s best friend. Try sipping some before you go to bed. Talk about a great way to get your beauty rest! www.republicoftea.com

Collagen Replenish Powder
Just add this flavorless powder to your morning juice to help reduce the appearance of wrinkles and promote skin elasticity. This product is part of the Reserveage Nutrition “Beauty-From-Within” formulas. It features a beauty powerhouse of clinically studied Verisol Bioactive Collagen peptides with Vitamin C and Hyaluronic Acide to help replenish natural Collagen to protect cells and maintain skin’s elasticity and firmness. www.reserveage.com

Sea Buckthorn Juice
Organic Sea Buckthorn 100 from Genesis Today is a crisp, tart juice made solely from hand-picked sea buckthorn berries. These light orange berries grow on thorny shrubs along sunlit riverbanks in Asia and have earned a place as a superfruit throughout time (see Genghis Khan). When it comes to beauty specifically they contain a healthy balance of Omegas 3, 6, 7 and 9 to support healthy hair, skin and nails. www.genesistoday.com

Suja Juices
Suja juices are different because they use Cold Pressure, also known as High Pressure Processing (HPP), instead of high heat, to extend shelf life and to help maintain essential vitamins, minerals & enzymes. To revitalize your skin and hair check out their Core Fresh Start packages that give you all the juices you need to cleanse your body for a fresh start! www.sujajuice.com

In nature, secret components abound. One of the more secretive is bromelain, a protein found at the stem and core of pineapples.

Although it has long been used in folk medicines — and was first isolated in 1891 by the Venezuelan chemist Vicente Marcano — bromelain has only recently begun moving into the mainstream of nutrition and nutraceuticals. (If you’re not familiar with the word “nutraceutical,” Health Canada defines it as “a product isolated or purified from foods that is generally sold in medicinal forms not usually associated with food).

Found throughout the pineapple plant and its famed fruit, bromelain is most intensely concentrated in the stem of the pineapple plant and within the hardened core of the fruit, meaning the average pineapple lover could easily miss the full health benefits bromelain offers.

Bromelain is being studied for its apparent abilities to reduce inflammation and tenderness from arthritis, tendonitis, sprains and other minor muscle injuries. The German Commission E (a committee of researchers, doctors and pharmacists convened over 30 years ago in Germany) has approved bromelain to treat swelling and inflammation after surgery, particularly sinus surgery.

These qualities are consistent with folk medicine usages, including the treatment of bowel inflammation and diarrhea, along with digestive disorders.

It might also be a cancer-fighter. The American Cancer Society literature reads, “Bromelain has been investigated for … possible anti-cancer activity.” Also, “Some small studies have suggested bromelain may help reduce the ill effects of some types of chemotherapy.”

Getting to the bromelain in pineapple can be a bit tough, literally. It resides in the plant’s stem (virtually unavailable to the public) and within the pineapple’s somewhat pithy, less sweet core.

While this core is thoroughly edible – and seldom ever wasted in places where pineapples are grown – it takes some effort to chew, especially toward the center of the core.

The Taipei-based web site Jodie’s Kitchen recommends mechanically blending the core together with other fruit or vegetables to make juice or smoothies.

The same site suggests making a sweet and sour pineapple broth, by blending the pineapple core together with tomatoes, cabbage, celery and such.

It has becoming increasingly popular to take bromelain as a nutritional or nutraceutical supplement, primarily available in pill form. There are now many brands to choose from. This concentrated form of bromelain is often derived from the pineapple plant stems that remain after harvesting.

The German Commission E recommends 80 – 320 mg 2 – 3 times per day.
For specific conditions, higher doses may be prescribed:
Digestive aid: 500 mg per day in divided doses with meals;
Injuries: 500 mg 4 times a day on an empty stomach;
Arthritis: 500 – 2,000 mg a day in two divided doses.

It is best not to take bromelain supplements for longer than 8 to 10 days in a row. Such restrictions don’t apply to pineapple cores or fruit.

Also, bromelain supplements should not be taken if you’re on any prescription blood thinners, or even taking a daily aspirin. And before beginning any supplement regimen, it’s always best to consult with your doctor.

I was thinking through the past year, its discoveries and surprises, and thought I would post my favorite new recipe ala Pure Wow.

I’m always looking for really satisfying food that isn’t expensive in calories or dollars, also ones that will take me outside of some of my usual food limitations and parameters. Since the only way I ever had cauliflower growing up was slathered with cheese sauce or steamed, (Ugh.) This recipe was like winning the Vegetable Lotto. It’s beautiful, simple, uber yummy and can be a side dish – or I think it makes a nice looking center for a meal as well.

I am not embarrassed to say that I single handedly ate almost the whole thing myself over the course of the day. The savory brown just kept calling me back for nibbles.

Cauliflower is relatively low calories, and according to Dr Mercola, “One serving of cauliflower contains 77 percent of the recommended daily value of vitamin C. It’s also a good source of vitamin K, protein, thiamin, riboflavin, niacin, magnesium, phosphorus, fiber, vitamin B6, folate, pantothenic acid, potassium, and manganese.” It helps fight inflammation, boosts brain and heart health and like its cousin broccoli contains Sulforaphane which has a host of benefits including fighting cancer stem cells.

8 Benefits of Cauliflower – Dr Mercola

SPICY ROASTED CAULIFLOWER – MAKES 6 SERVINGS
START TO FINISH: 1 HOUR

Ingredients

• 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
• 1 head cauliflower
• 1½ cups plain Greek yogurt
• 1 lime, zested and juiced
• 2 tablespoons chile powder
• 1 tablespoon cumin
• 1 tablespoon garlic powder
• 1 teaspoon curry powder
• 2 teaspoons kosher salt
• 1 teaspoon black pepper

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 400° and lightly grease a small baking sheet with vegetable oil. Set aside.

2. Trim the base of the cauliflower to remove any green leaves and the woody stem.

3. In a medium bowl, combine the yogurt with the lime zest and juice, chile powder, cumin, garlic powder, curry powder, salt and pepper.

4. Dunk the cauliflower into the bowl and use a brush or your hands to smear the marinade evenly over its surface. (Excess marinade can be stored in the refrigerator in an airtight container for up to three days and used with meat, fish or other veggies.)

5. Place the cauliflower on the prepared baking sheet and roast until the surface is dry and lightly browned, 30 to 40 minutes. The marinade will make a crust on the surface of the cauliflower.

6. Let the cauliflower cool for 10 minutes before cutting it into wedges and serving alongside a big green salad.

Calling all couch potatoes  –  a new study, published in January ’15, shows that adding even a small amount of physical activity, enough to burn about 100 calories would reduce the risk of early death by 16% to 30%.  Do I have your attention?  Great … here are the details:

• information about 334,000 men and women from over a 12 year period was analyzed
  ● the researchers looked at physical inactivity and premature death and how it relates to obesity
  ●  data included height, weight, waist circumference and physical activity (which combined activity at work and recreational activity)
  ●  they found that about 23% of the participants had sedentary jobs (desk jobs) and no leisure physical activities (couch potatoes)
  ●  if this “inactive” group did some activity that burned between 90 and 100 calories a day (like a brisk 20 minute walk) they would move into the “moderately inactive” status and decrease their risk of premature death by 16 to 30%
  ●  the benefit was greatest in people with normal BMI, followed next by overweight individuals and lastly by obese folks.
  ●  all groups (normal, overweight and obese) benefited from adding the activity.

Well, once again, the evidence is there that getting up and moving is incredibly good for us.  It doesn’t need to be a brisk walk but it needs to be something!   Remember my post about the “exercise Hormone”?  You have so many choices.  If you hate to leave the house then do an exercise video at home!  Heck, Leslie Sansone’s walking videos are super popular and easy to do!

A daily commitment to even moderate physical activity will change your life for the better.  Heck, from the looks of things, it will likely extend your life!!  OK, no more excuses people …

Now that the school year is about half way through, you might feel a little uninspired in the kitchen. Not to fear! Wild Oats offers an array of products that makes snack time simple, tasty and fun! Here are some easy after school snack ideas that will keep your kiddos coming back for more!

Healthy Snack Time Quesadilla
One quick and healthy idea is to make your kiddos a delicious peanut butter, honey and banana quesadilla. Simply take about three tablespoons of your favorite nut butter, spoon in a tablespoon of local honey, add some banana slices, spread on the inside of a whole wheat tortilla and fold in half.

Wild Oats Ranch and Veggies
Did you know that classic ranch can be full of artificial flavors and preservatives? Not so with Wild Oats Marketplace Organic Ranch Dressing. This tangy and rich ranch is made with fresh, organic ingredients.  Try serving it alongside an array of raw vegetables as a delicious and healthful snack. Not only is the ranch great, but your kids are also getting valuable enzymes from the raw veggies.

Wild Oats Applesauce 
Make your kids a simple, yet delicious snack with Wild Oats Marketplace Organic Cinnamon Applesauce. Just spoon some of the delicious applesauce into a bowl and top with cinnamon cracker. It’s as easy as that to create a memorable snack that your little ones will love!