A GREEN Smoothie?

Gasp! I am drinking green veggie/fruit smoothies every morning...sound appetizing? Let me confess...I do not love the taste. They are not that bad, but they aren't super delicious either. I am definitely enjoying the difference they are making though!
*More energy
*Lost a bit of weight
*Helping me make healthier eating choices the rest of the day
*A huge portion of daily greens and fruit
*Great for my digestive system


I recently read this book by celeb nutritionist Kimberly Snyder entitled "The Beauty Detox Solution". I really enjoyed the book and continue to read and enjoy her blog.

One of the things she recommends is drinking a GGS each morning. GGS stands for "Glowing Green Smoothie" due to the awesome benefits it provides for your energy, digestive system, skin, etc. I was a bit skeptical at first, as I'm more of a "see it to believe it" kind of gal, so I tried it out. Within just a couple of days after I started drinking it, I was in love! Such an easy way to get a LOAD of nutrients into your system so quickly in the morning and a healthy kick-start to your day!

Want to try it? Here's what I do:
*Add 1 1/2 cups cold water to your blender
*Add some spinach leaves (I fill the blender about 1/2 way up with them; not sure of the exact measurements)
*Blend
*Add in about 2 cups (?? somewhere close to that) of another green, such as Romaine, Kale, etc (NOT iceberg, as it doesn't contain that many nutrients)
*Blend
*Chop 3 stalks of celery up and add to blender
*Blend
*Cut up 1 apple and blend in
*Cut up 1 pear and blend in
*Cut up 1 banana and blend in
*Add 1-2 TBS of fresh lemon juice and blend

Tips:
1. You want to use organic fruit and veggies as much as you can for this. If you don't use organic, make sure to thoroughly soak and wash your produce and greens!
2. You want to start with a slower speed and work up to a high speed on your blender as you go through the steps of adding the produce in.
3. You can mix and match different greens and fruits! (Kimberly adds that you should not use melon, as it doesn't combine well with other produce.)
4. This should be the FIRST thing you eat/drink in the morning. After drinking it, wait at least 30 minutes if possible, and if you are hungry for breakfast, eat something healthy.

Pour into a tall glass and enjoy! I find it much easier to drink with a straw, as I have an inexpensive blender and mine turns out a bit thick to just sip on.

Here's the official recipe from Kimberly's blog: http://www.kimberlysnyder.net/blog/2009/07/11/green-smoothie-recipe/

Try it out! Let me know what you think and what combos you tried and enjoyed!

Vapour Beauty Review

I've been on the look out for some new makeup products that are more earth-friendly, organic, and contain more natural ingredients. My latest find I want to share with you is a foundation from "Vapour Organic Beauty". I read a beauty article that mentioned this product and raved about the company in general. After some Google time and reading more articles and reviews, I was convinced this was a product I needed to try.
I ordered two products to try out and review from Vapour Organic Beauty, and I wanted to share my thoughts on the first one. "Atmosphere Soft Focus Foundation". My shade is S120.

Vapour Organic Beauty Atmosphere Soft Focus foundation
There is a heftier price tag on this one than I'm used to paying for foundation. It's $48 for a full size pump bottle of foundation. However, our skin is our body's largest organ and it absorbs almost everything that we slather, spray, rub and apply on it. I believe that the product(s) we put on our skin first (moisturizer, foundation, whatever it may be) should be non-irritating and as natural as possible. So the price for me is worth it now that I've tried this product. Plus, all natural products contain ingredients that are more expensive, and not all the inexpensive chemically "fillers" that most cosmetic companies stuff their products with.

One really nice thing about their site is you can ask them what colors they'd recommend. You fill out a shade consultation and upload a picture (optional, but encouraged!) and they will email you back with the shades they feel would best work with your skin type and tone.

There is another foundation called "Atmosphere Luminous" foundation, but the soft focus is recommended for oilier skin types. There is a lovely little chart to help you decide which foundation would work best for you:

I've been using this foundation for about 2 1/2 weeks now.

Here's what I love about it:

*Ingredients- One of the most all natural foundations I found that actually works! It's good for your skin and doesn't contain harsh or irritating chemicals like most brands.

*Application- this product goes on and blends in easily. It feels so soft and silky on my skin. I usually apply and blend with my fingertips, but it works really well with a beauty sponge too.

*Staying power- I don't feel the need to do a ton of touch-ups throughout the day, as with some of my old foundation products. It stays on and wears well.

*Doesn't clog my pores- even products labeled "non-comedogenic" can irritate my skin and cause more blemishes. This makeup makes me feel as though my skin can still breathe!

*A little goes a long way. It's not a super heavy coverage, but you don't need a lot of product either. I am used to a medium coverage, and on me, this foundation provides a nice light/medium coverage.

I have not been asked to review this product. I am sharing my personal opinion about a product I purchased and LOVE!

Let me know if you try it out. Here is their website: http://www.vapourbeauty.com/

Question: What natural products have you tried and enjoyed?