Do you have the Zest for life?

There’s nothing I love more than to curl up on the sofa with a mag or two and catch up on the latest gossip. But of late I’ve been drawn more and more to the health and beauty pages, with the latest recommendations of ‘hot’ products, creams for this and serums for that.

There’s no denying that I’m taking more of an interest in my what I’m putting into and onto my hair / body. I want to have that healthy complexion and hair so shiny and bouncy I could audition for a L’oreal advert!

It’s a work in progress. But I’m constantly wooed by the copious amount of beauty products that promise to fix whatever ailment I may have.

On a recent food shopping trip I was browsing the magazine rack and came across Zest. A cute little magazine that claims “inspiring ways to live well”. Hmm sounded interesting and after a quick flick through, I decided to purchase.

It covers all topics from health and fitness to beauty and well-being. One of its features was ‘The new skincare boosters’ with suggestions on how to get the best from your skin using the latest technology in serums offering collagen boosts and such, along with the age old tip of getting a good night’s sleep.

Among their product recommendations was Nip+Fab Glycolic Fix Exfoliating Pads. The new and smarter way to exfoliate. The pads, soaked in exfoliating glycolic acid work to retexture and resurface skin whilst the witch hazel helps to tone. The final ingredients hyaluronic acid and blue daisy help to moisturise and soothe to reveal brighter & smoother looking skin.

I’ve been using these pads for almost a week and I must say I’m already noticing a slight improvement. You get 60 pads and I use only one per day, so they should last a couple of months. Priced @ £12.95 they’re not too expensive either compared with some products out there. I’ll keep you posted on the results in a month or so.

So going back to the magazine, I’m definitely hooked and I’ll be completing my subscription without a second thought. It also helps that they’re offering a free Meet Dermalogica kit worth £24.50 if you sign up. Yes please, I like freebies 🙂

Cheap and cheerful home remedy hair & scalp treatment

I wanted to share a great little tip I’ve just discovered. I’ve been suffering a bit from dry scalp due to all the cold weather we’ve been having. Seriously, it’s March when are we going to start seeing some spring sunshine!!

Anyway…you may have heard of this already, but if you haven’t it really does work. I found it on a website when looking for homemade treatments. And it’s really easy.

All you need are 2 tbsp of olive oil, 2 tbsp of fresh lemon juice and 2 tbsp of water. Mix the solution together and then apply to damp scalp. Massage in well and then leave for 20mins. Afterwards just follow your usual shampoo and conditioner routine. I tend to shampoo twice, just to make sure I get a squeaky clean finish 🙂

I’m really amazed by the instant results as I didn’t think I would see a difference after just one application. And my hair looks and feels really healthy. I reckon one of these a week, should keep my scalp clean and hydrated. And the best thing is, it’s almost free! You’ve probably got some oil and lemons in the house, but if not, the ingredients are relatively low cost and always come in handy. I did a post a while ago on a really great lemon and sea salt face scrub.

If your hair and/or scalp needs a bit of TLC during these cold months, why not give one of them a try. I hope it helps.

Ojon Hair Treatment

Winter plays havoc with our hair and skin, we’re continually moving from biting cold to warm, central heated homes and I don’t know about you, but every year I struggle with the same problems. Dry hands, dry hair and scalp.

I also colour my hair on a regular basis, well every few months which I guess is not great for keeping hair healthy. But I try to use shampoos that protect my colour and keep it shiny and healthy looking.

I was chatting with my mum the other day and she mentioned a product she had used called Ojon. Their range of treatments contain one major ingredient, a natural nut oil hand-extracted from the Ojon tree located in the remote regions of the tropical rainforest in Central America. Its powers, claim to restore damaged hair from the daily harsh elements.

The particular product in question is damage reverse restorative hair treatment and according to the description will improve the condition of dry, damaged hair after just one treatment! Well, I had to give this a try.

Before

Before

When you open the little pot, the first thing that comes to mind is chocolate. Yes, it smells very much like rich, dark chocolate. So I guess there are worse smells?!

The instructions are simple. All you need is a teaspoon, scoop a small amount into your hand, rub your palms together to warm it up to an oil consistency and then apply all over your hair. Repeat this process until your hair is completely saturated.

It doesn’t look very attractive, but hey I’m prepared to look like a greasy yobo for a few minutes 🙂 Leave it on for around 20 minutes, or longer if your hair is particularly dry and damaged. You can even leave it on overnight. Just make sure you wear a shower cap and protect your pillow with a towel before going to bed!

Here’s the result!

After

After

In terms of how it looks, I can’t see much of a difference. Yes it does look quite shiny and healthy, but I think the before photos also look quite healthy?! However, it did feel much softer after the treatment. I will continue to use this once a week, and see if I notice any more improvement.

What do you think? Have you used this product or brand before? How was your experience? Would leave to hear from you!

Delicious salmon in 30 minutes

I love this recipe because it’s so quick and simple. With a little bit of prep you literally just chop the vegetables and bung them in the oven for 20 minutes.

Salmon is a great fish, packed full of essential oils and protein that help you keep a balanced diet. And it tastes lovely too! This dish is something I threw together once with all of the leftover vegetables / salad ingredients in my fridge and cupboards. It turned out to be one of my favourite meals because of its ease and the fact it tastes so good. It also scores points on the health-o-meter.

This can be created for as many people as you wish or even if you’re dining solo, you just need to adjust your amounts. The following ingredients serves two.

Ingredients

2 x salmon fillets

1 x red onion cut into quarters (you can use a white onion if you wish, but I find the red ones taste sweeter)

5 x closed cup mushrooms cut into quarters

10 x cherry tomatoes whole (I like to buy mine on the vine as again they give a sweeter taste, but feel free to buy whichever you prefer)

1 x red or yellow pepper roughly chopped

2 x carrots peeled and cut into sticks

For the potatoes, if you’re using normal sized potatoes e.g. Maris Pipers then three of these should be sufficient. Peel and chop into large chunks. If you’re using new potatoes then use five and cut into halves.

Step by step instructions:

1. Preheat the oven to 190 degrees centigrade for fan assisted. Please adjust accordingly for conventional ovens.

2. Drizzle a good two tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil into a large deep baking tray and place on middle shelf.

3. Prepare your vegetables.

4. Steam your carrots and potatoes. I usually steam the potatoes for 30mins and carrots for 15mins.

N.B. If you would like to roast them instead this is fine, but the potatoes will need to be par-boiled for 10mins prior to roasting as this helps them to cook quicker. You will also need to prepare a second baking tray so that you’re not trying to cook too much food in one.

5. Prepare your salmon by coating in extra virgin olive oil and then dust with dried dill and parsley. Remove the baking tray from oven and place your salmon into the centre.

6. Add your chopped mushrooms, onion, pepper and tomatoes into the tray and spread around evenly. Drizzle more oil to ensure they are all coated. Season with black pepper and salt.

7. Place tray back into the centre of your oven and cook for 20mins. After 10mins check back and give the vegetables a stir, this ensures they cook evenly.

Et voila! Your tasty salmon and roasted vegetables dish is done and ready to serve.

Enjoy xx

Health Kick

As part of my plan to be more proactive in 2013, I’ve decided I want to be a bit healthier. Yes I know that seems to be everyone’s new year resolution after all the overindulgence at Christmas, but I’m determined it’s not going to be a fad and come 1st February I’ve returned to my old ways.

For a large part of 2012 I was very good, and had developed a routine of visiting the gym. I even got up to working out four times a week. I know, impressive eh?! But after an annoying back niggle (which happens frequently) I had to stop working out and try Pilates instead. This set me back and I still haven’t had the motivation to go back. Mixed in with the fact when I changed jobs, I had free gym membership so cancelled my existing one, and then when I left said job, the free membership went with it. So no gym membership = no work out! Therefore one of my tasks, will be to rejoin my old gym and start exercising again.

I’m generally quite a healthy person anyway. I eat a varied diet (most of the time) with fresh vegetables and some fruit – must eat more!! And I walk my dog every day, sometimes three times a day. But I could always do more to look after myself, inside and out.

During a recent visit to the beautiful island of Jersey, I visited their local market. What a wonderful experience this was. Bursts of colour and freshness from the fruit and veg stalls. Succulent pieces of meat from the butchers and the tastiest cheese I’ve ever had the pleasure of eating. They had vegetables I’d only ever seen on TV including purple carrots! I felt inspired and made the decision as soon as I got home, I would be visiting the nearest farmers market I could find.

 

Along with eating more fresh fruit and veg, I’m going to cut out alcohol. During the last few months of being off work, I began to notice I was drinking every day. Whether it was a glass of red, a chilled Baileys with some ice or a dash of bubbly. Because I didn’t have to get up for a hard day’s graft, I convinced myself it was OK. Don’t get me wrong, I wasn’t drinking the entire bottle but still, I feel like I need to give my body a rest and a bit of a detox. So starting this month, I’m going to have a rest from booze and see if I notice any difference. I’ll keep you posted!