Cooking Your Way to Gorgeous (10 page)

BAKING SODA FACIAL

Believe it or not, baking soda is instrumental in acne control (but not for sensitive skin). For clearing acne with baking soda you have to prepare a thick paste by mixing baking soda powder with water. Apply it over the acne and wait for 15 minutes. Do not rub or circle roughly into skin as this can irritate the epidermis. Wash with cold water. In the treatment, the baking soda acts as an exfoliator and removes the dead skin cells and excess oil that are responsible for causing acne. To balance the pH, follow this treatment with diluted lemon juice or apple cider vinegar blotted gently on the face with a cotton ball, or dab with a Q-tip cotton swab for targeted application.

Blueberry and Banana Cottage Cheese Parfait

Makes 1 Serving

A
n easy-to-assemble snack that’s quick, delicious, nutritious, and bursting with flavor. These tangy sweet berries are wild with flavors that compliment a multitude of desserts, jellies, and jams—and cosmetic products, too. Paired with creamy and satisfying cottage cheese, this protein/antioxidant rich combo is a one-two punch against aging. Blueberries also have a high water content, which makes them great for hydration. And since dehydration usually shows first in our face—around the eyes—blueberries are another go-to food for eye-area improvement. I do, however, try to avoid eating them while drinking my morning coffee, as the two in combination are abrasive on teeth and may cause staining. Enjoy your blueberry parfait with a hot cup of antioxidant-rich green tea instead.

Ingredients:

1/2 cup cottage cheese

1/2 cup frozen or fresh blueberries—low-cal superfood

1/2 cup sliced banana

1/2 tablespoon toasted, ground, organic flaxseeds—omega-3s

2 tablespoons cinnamon granola

Maple syrup, to taste—zinc

Preparation:

1
Layer cottage cheese, blueberries, and bananas in a tall ice cream glass or parfait cup. One layer of cottage cheese followed by one layer of blueberries, then bananas and so forth.

2
Sprinkle the toasted flaxseeds and granola on top.

3
Drizzle maple syrup over all.

4
Garnish with extra blueberries on top.

BANANA EYE MASK FACIAL

This might be the easiest facial in the world (!) and requires but two ingredients: a banana and Vaseline. The peel and fruit of the banana contain firming fibers and anti-inflammatory extracts. This eye pack treatment helps reduce loose skin around the eyes, dark circles, crepey skin, wrinkles, lines, and swelling. Too good to be true? Of course not! Try this: Chill the jar of Vaseline in the refrigerator overnight. Take the banana out of the peel and run a large spoon from the top of the peel to the bottom until you strip all the internal fibers. The fibers are actually those white stringy strips that can be found between the banana and the inside of the peel itself. In a metal bowl, mix the banana and the fibers with a quarter-size amount of the cold Vaseline. Apply the mixture to your eyelids and on the top of your eyebrows. Allow it to set for five minutes and then gently wipe it off with a soft tissue. Notice the wide-awake look in your gorgeous peepers? You are now ready for makeup application, but take care to remove all the excess Vaseline—an icy washcloth works best.

Here’s another trick you can do with the banana fruit: Mash the banana gently in a small bowl and add a quarter-size amount of Vaseline. Place the mixture in the freezer for five minutes and then apply it under your eyes for five minutes. Gently tissue off with a makeup remover wipe or icy washcloth.

PRO TIP:
If you have oily skin, you also have oily eyelids—so you can use a cheek stain on your eyelids for a dreamy effect that smears in just the right way. Oily eyelids look healthy on the beach, dewy in humid weather, and fashion-magazine worthy when coupled with cheek stain to pump up your “eye drama.” Embrace your attributes and let them shine forth!

Go-for-Gorgeous Granola

Makes 10 Servings

T
his is a nutty recipe, so if you have allergies simply skip it and move onto the next. Many granolas are made up of oats, honey, puffed rice, and sugar, but I add nuts for amplified health benefits that move away from the carbs a bit and closer to the proteins.

Ingredients:

2 lemons, zested

1/2 lemon, juiced

1-1/2 oranges, zested and juiced

1/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil

1/2 cup pure maple syrup (or ¼ cup maple and ¼ cup honey)

2 egg whites

1 tablespoon vanilla extract—
antioxidant properties

4 cups organic rolled oats

1 cup raw cashews—
protein and healthy fats

1/2 cup raw sunflower seeds—
cardiovascular benefits

1/4 cup raw sesame seeds

1/2 cup unsweetened dried coconut

1/4 cup ground flaxseed

1/4 cup wheat germ

1 cup dried fruit—preferably apricots, bananas, cranberries, and papaya

Preparation:

1
Heat the oven to 350°F. Stir the zest, juice, extra-virgin olive oil, syrup, egg whites, and vanilla together in a medium-size bowl.

2
In a large bowl mix the oats, ½ of the nuts, ½ of the sunflower seeds, all the sesame seeds, and the coconut. Stir in the syrup mixture. Spread thinly on two cookie sheets covered in parchment paper or tinfoil for easy cleanup.

3
Bake for 15 minutes, then stir the granola on the trays with a wooden spoon. Continue to bake for 7 minutes or until golden brown. Remove and cool.

4
Stir in the remaining nuts, flaxseed, wheat germ, and dried fruit. When completely cooled, store in airtight containers and enjoy for up to a month, or keep in the freezer for up to 6 months.

OATMEAL-PARSLEY-SPINACH REPARATIVE FACIAL

Oatmeal, parsley, and spinach—kitchen staples you likely already have—combine to make a simple healing facial mask for most skin types. Parsley is a natural cleanser full of vitamins and minerals that can stimulate circulation and help release impurities. Sure, it tastes bitter, but when combined with spinach and oatmeal, parsley creates a scrub that leaves your skin looking sweet.

In a small bowl, mix 1/2 cup of finely ground oatmeal with 1/2 cup of fresh parsley and 1/2 cup of spinach to make a smooth paste. (If your supermarket does not carry finely ground oatmeal, use a coffee grinder to grind up your oatmeal at home.) As the parsley and spinach are stirred around and agitated in the bowl, they will release water to create a binder. Work the mixture into a paste and apply to a clean face. You may look like you got stuck in a salad wind tunnel, and bits of greenery may be falling off your mug; so if you can relax with a magazine that would be ideal. Leave the paste on for 20 to 30 minutes. Rinse off using lukewarm to cool water. You should see a noticeable improvement in your complexion.

Watermelon Salsa

Makes 4 Servings

T
his is a delicious side salad or salsa topping for fish, meat, or chicken. All natural and loaded with vitamins, it’s incredibly good for you. The high-water content and antioxidant lycopene in watermelon are keys for eye health.

Ingredients:

3 cups diced watermelon

1 large mango, diced small

1/2 large onion, diced small

2 jalapeño peppers, seeded, rinsed, and diced extra fine

Juice of 2 small limes

1 teaspoon white balsamic vinegar, or distilled white vinegar

1 teaspoon California ground chile (mild)

1/2 teaspoon cumin

1/2 bunch cilantro, stems removed, chopped

Salt, to taste

Preparation:

Toss together the watermelon, mango, onion, and jalapeños. Add the lime juice, white balsamic (or distilled) vinegar, ground chile, and cumin. Toss again. Add the chopped cilantro and toss again, and salt, to taste. Note: the salt may cause the melons to expel too much juice; if the salsa gets too watery, drain off the excess before serving.

It is said that 80 to 90 percent of all communication is nonverbal. That means the body, smile, and eyes are doing a lot of the talking. Now that you’ve learned from this chapter what foods and home-spa treatments you can enjoy and experiment with for improved eye health and eye-area youthfulness, you’re set to turn back on your flirty gaze! Remember, we can rarely hide our emotions with our eyes. So if you feel good, everyone will see it, and react accordingly, too.

Of course, feeling good is a top priority, but looking good is also high up on the list, no? In the following chapter we delve into recipes, spa treatments, and information that will feed your face to fabulous.

Caring for the Eyes: Common Challenges

Many of us grapple with eye-area challenges, be it wrinkles, fatty deposits, puffiness, or dark circles. Since there is only so much that cosmetic concealers can do, we must also fight to maintain—or not further age—a youthful eye-area appearance. Let’s go over a few of the basics.

1) Don’t smoke. Smoking and exposure to UV rays both weaken collagen and cause premature wrinkling and sagging.

2) Use sunscreen. Apply sunscreen around the eye area; be careful not to get too close to the lash line. Many sunscreen brands now sell SPF (sun protection factor) eye powder that comes with a tiny brush for delicate application. Color Science has a great one that I recommend.

3) Moisturize. Dryness is bad for the eye area. Apply an eye cream nightly. You don’t need to spend a lot; most drugstore moisturizers will provide the hydration you need. I also provide you with home- spa treatments for moisture in this chapter.

4) Wear sunglasses. You should always wear sunglasses in bright sunlight for protection of the delicate eyelid skin as well as your retinas. They are also helpful for reducing squinting. Cheap (street-vendor or dollar store) sunglasses often don’t have the same UV protection that reliable name-brand sunglasses do.

Nothing to Crow About

Squinting causes wrinkles known as crow’s feet. Many people squint without even realizing it. This “motion wrinkle” tends to be prevalent in people who are nearsighted; that is, they tend to squint to see objects or read signs in the distance. If you are squinting a lot, it may mean that you need glasses, so please have your vision checked. Or perhaps you just need to be more proactive about remembering to bring—and wear—your sunglasses whenever it’s sunny out!

TIP:
To subdue crow’s feet or a cakey look around the eyes, lightly dot eye cream on
after
applying concealer, and wear
wraparound
UVA/UVB sunglasses for total coverage of the delicate eye area, essential for staving off wrinkles.

Another term for those motion wrinkles is laugh lines, which, as unfair as it seems, are born of—you guessed it—a lifetime of flexing the muscles in the face while laughing and smiling. Keep smiling, my friend, just do it with more SPF!