Guilt-Free Raw Cacao Smoothie Recipe

I just love smoothies. They are so easy to make and you can add so many health and beauty boosting ingredients all in the one recipe. You can spice them up as well with ginger, cinnamon, cardamom, nutmeg or your favorite herbs such as peppermint, spearmint or lemongrass.

This guilt-free raw cacao smoothie is just loaded with health and beauty boosting goodness from these delicious ingredients.

You will need

  • 1 medium sized banana
  • 1 small avocado
  • 2 tablespoons raw cacao powder
  • 1 tablespoon maca powder
  • 1 teaspoon maple syrup (optional)
  • 1 teaspoon natural vanilla essence
  • ½ cup coconut milk
  • Sprinkling of cinnamon or nutmeg
  • Ice cubes

How to make

Cut the banana in slices and use some of the slices to line a mason jar. Scoop out the avocado flesh and place in a blender with the remaining banana and other ingredients into a blender. Pour into the jar and garnish with chopped nuts (only if you are not allergic) or you could garnish with blueberries, mint or shavings of coconut flesh. Delish!

DIY Nut Milk Recipes: How to Make Your Own Nut Milk

Nut milks are incredibly delicious and a great substitute for milk, especially for vegans or for those who cannot consume dairy. They are a great source of protein and are great on their own or added to smoothies, coffee or tea or over a bowl of granola.

Some store bought nut milks may contain sugar and preservatives. To ensure that you are not consuming anything that you don’t want to, when you are drinking nut milks, it is so easy to make your own at home. What’s more, when you make your own nut milk you’ll be reducing the amount of packaging that you have to throw away.

You can add flavors such as cacao, carob, fruit, and any natural sweeteners that you like. Here’s 5 healthy recipes for some great tasting nuts milks that you can make at home:

1 Homemade Almond Milk

Ingredients

  • 1 1/2 cups raw almonds
  • As much spring or filtered water as needed
  • ½ tsp natural vanilla essence

How to make

Place the almonds into a large bow and Blanch them by pouring boiling water over them. Allow the almonds to sit in the boiling water for a few minutes. Remove the skins by rubbing the almonds between your fingers. Dry the almonds with a clean towel and place into a powerful blender, such as a Vitamix or a NutriBullet, with 2 cups of water. Add the vanilla essence and some more water and continue blending. You can gradually add more water to get the consistency you want. A few tablespoons of maple syrup is nice is you want it sweetened. If you like you can strain your nut milk to remove the almond meal. Use a cheesecloth draped over a strainer (or a nut milk bag available at most health food stores), squeeze out the milk and store in a mason jar in the fridge. And there you have it.

TIP: Its actually better the day after you have made it as the foam has settled and the flavors have mixed together.

2  Creamy Cashew Milk

Ingredients

  • ½ cup raw unsalted cashews
  • A pinch of sea salt
  • As much spring or filtered water as needed

How to make

Soak the cashews in a bowl of water for about 8 to 10 hours.  Strain and discard the water the cashews were soaking in. Place the cashews and a cup of water into a powerful blender and liquefy. Gradually add more water and blend again to get the consistency you like. Pour into a mason jar and store in the fridge.  It’s that simple! As with Almond Milk, Cashew milk is better the next day after the foam has settled.

3  Hazelnut Milk

Ingredients

  • 2 cups of raw hazelnuts
  • A pinch of sea salt
  • As much spring or filtered water as needed

How to make

Soak the hazelnuts in a bowl of water and leave overnight. Strain and discard the water. Place the hazelnuts and a cup of water into a powerful blender and liquefy. Gradually add more water and blend again to get the consistency you like. Pour the liquid into cheesecloth draped over a strainer and squeeze out the milk.  Pour into a mason jar and store in the fridge.

4  Pistachio Nut Milk

Ingredients

  • 1 cup of raw shelled pistachios
  • As much spring or filtered water as needed

How to make

Place pistachio nuts and about 4 cups of water, into a powerful blender and liquefy. Add more water if you want a thinner consistency. Pour milk into a bowl using cheese cloth over a strainer, separating the pulp from the milk. Pour into a mason jar and store in the fridge. For a great flavor variation add 1 tsp ground cardamom seed and 1 tsp vanilla extract.

5  Sesame Seed Milk

Ingredients

  • ½ cup sesame seeds
  • As much spring or filtered water as needed

How to make

Blend the ingredients in a powerful blender adding as much water as you need to get the consistency you want. You can add about ½ teaspoon of raw honey if you would like your sesame milk sweetened or some spices such as cardamom, cinnamon or nutmeg.

Have fun experimenting!

Always choose fresh and preferably organic nuts to make your nut milks.

Shake your nut milks well before use.

Because there are no preservatives they are really only good for about 2 to 3 days in the fridge.

DO NOT use these recipes if you are allergic to nuts.

Mango & Peach Smoothie Recipe

I love smoothies. They are a great way to pack a whole lot of fresh fruit or veggies into one delicious and easy to drink meal. They can be made with frozen fruit when your favorite fresh fruit isn’t in season and you can experiment with herbs and spices for variety.  Here’s a simple but delicious healthy treat for you to try:

Ingredients:
  • 1 1/2 cups coconut milk
  • 1 1/2 cups sliced peaches
  • 1 cup  chopped mango
  • 2 tablespoons honey
  • 1/2 teaspoon vanilla
  • 1 cup ice
How to make:
Place coconut milk, peaches, mango, honey and vanilla in a blender until combined. Then add ice and blend until smooth. Garnish with peppermint and serve and enjoy.
Serves 2
DIY Detox Bath Recipes

DIY Detox Bath Recipes

Baths can be a useful way to transform your bathroom at home into a sensual and enjoyable sanctum that you won’t want to get out of any time soon! A great home-made natural beauty treatment is a detox bath that is both relaxing and luxurious for your skin.

To make your own detox bath treatment, start with Epsom salt, sea salt, baking soda, apple cider vinegar, and your favorite essential oil such as lavender or rose geranium for the perfect scent. Put all ingredients in your warm bath and just soak away. This detox bath is great for relieving stress as well as easing tired muscles, and always has health benefits to boot. We’ve got some great recipes below for a DIY Detox Bath, so light some candles and let’s get started.  (more…)

DIY Facial in Your Day Spa at Home

DIY Facial in Your Day Spa at Home

Having a facial in a day spa is wonderful! It’s such a treat for your skin as well as your senses. You’re lying down in a candlelit room, having beautiful creams massaged into your face, while listening to calming, soothing music and breathing in heavenly aromas. But doing this on a regular basis is expensive. Plus, you have to book in advance and get yourself to your appointment. In the busy modern world we live in, who really has the time to do this very often?

The good news is that you really can make your skin softer, smoother and more beautiful by re-creating the day spa experience at home. You can use any products that you have.  But, you can also make your own personal natural beauty treatments easily, without any chemicals, additives, or other harmful ingredients. You will also save money by creating your own natural beauty treatments as you will already have many of the ingredients in your kitchen.

So this weekend, select a day, make yourself a delicious detox water infusion (see our Detox Pages for recipes) and follow these simple steps for some serious pampering in your Day Spa at Home.

Put on a clean fluffy robe. Get towels and facecloths ready. Light some candles, burn incense or essential oils in a diffuser. Turn on some Day Spa music. A great suggestion is below:

Now you’re ready indulge in some at home skin pampering.

Cleanse

Coconut oil makes a great cleanser for all skin types.  Even oily skin will benefit from a coconut oil cleanse. It gently removes dirt, impurities, and make-up, and excess oil and will leave your skin soft and moisturized.

Dampen your skin with a splash of warm water. Use 1/2 tsp coconut oil and allow the oil to melt between your fingers if it is solid and gently massage into skin on your face neck and décolleté for a minute or two.  Remove with a facecloth dampened in warm water. Soak a cotton pad in witch-hazel and wipe gently over the skin removing any residue oil.

Exfoliate

Prepare a gentle scrub by combining 1 tsp baking soda and 1 tbsp thickened cream (or yogurt) in a bowl until they form into a thick paste. Apply your scrub to wet skin in gentle circular motions avoiding the eye area. Continue scrubbing for a few minutes. Remove scrub by washing with warm water.

Or you can perform a papaya peel. Papaya contains antioxidants and enzymes which help to slough off dead skin. Mash up some ripe papaya or wipe the inside of the skin of papaya that you have eaten, over your face, neck and décolleté before you rinse it off just, perform a steam cleaning treatment.

Steam cleaning

For a simple steam clean run a facecloth under really hot water (be careful not to let it get too hot that you burn yourself), wring out the excess water, and drape it over your face. Let the cloth sit for a few minutes. The enzymes from the papaya and the steam work together to really open the pores and clean and smooth the skin.

Clay Mask

A clay mask deep cleanses your pores and mops up impurities. It also makes your skin look beautiful and radiant. All you need is a little of any type of dry clay – like bentonite clay or fullers earth, and 1 tbsp of raw apple cider vinegar and a drop of essential oil like palma rosa, lavender or rose geranium. Mix it all together to form a paste like consistency. Apply to your face with your fingertips or a foundation brush avoiding the eye area. Let it dry on your face then rinse off (typically about 20 minutes). Remove by soaking a facecloth in warm water, apply the facecloth to the whole face to wet the clay and remove the clay very gently.

Hydrating Mask

You can use a natural, DIY face mask that leaves your skin soft and moisturized! Avocado has natural oils and nutrients in it that are just wonderful for pampering your skin.

Mash up a medium-sized ripe avocado, 2 tablespoons honey and 1/4 cup whole yogurt. Gently apply it to your face and neck. Sit back and relax for 20 minutes. Use a warm damp facecloth to remove the mask when you’re done.

Eye Treatment

You can use the time while you have your hydrating mask on to get your eyes in shape and get rid of those puffy bags. One of the greatest weapons against dark circles is Chamomile tea. Soak cotton pads in a little cold chamomile tea and apply to dark circles. Allow the liquid to dry. The anti-inflammatory properties of chamomile will soothe and calm your tired eyes and help tighten skin while reducing redness. Lay back with your eyes closed for about 15 minutes. You can also use cotton pads soaked in witch-hazel or rose water or slices of cucumber. These natural ingredients are naturally cooling to the body and help to reduce redness and puffiness.

Facial Serum & Massage

Facial serums are great for adding some much-needed moisture in the skin, as well as for applying regularly to usual problem areas such as directly on frown and smile lines, around the eyes, or when your skin just needs a little extra care. The best facial serums are completely natural and made from ingredients that can be understood and pronounced, meaning no chemicals or other harmful ingredients should be in your facial serum.

Mix 1 oz apricot kernel, avocado or almond oil,  5 drops lavender oil, 5 drops geranium oil, 2 drops chamomile or sandalwood oil in a glass amber bottle and shake well before use. Massage well into cleansed skin using upward motions following the directions in the image above. For the leftovers, the oil blends will keep for a number of weeks. In summer it is best to keep them in the refrigerator.

Finish off with your favorite moisturizer to seal in the oils and you have now completed your DIY facial.

Relax

Listen to music, read a book or watch an uplifting movie. This is your time to treat yourself, to recharge your batteries and soak in the benefits of the wonderful natural beauty treatments that you have given yourself. Remember to schedule in some pampering on a regular basis to recharge your batteries as well as pamper your skin.

How to Make Your Own Natural Face and Body Scrub

How to Make Your Own Natural Face and Body Scrub

Making your skin care products to use at home is also a great way to ensure that you are using all natural ingredients in your beauty treatments. Making your own natural skin care treatments is super easy, and the most affordable way to look after your skin so that it looks its best.

Giving yourself a face and body a scrub is one of the best treatments you can use to improve the appearance of skin. Exfoliating dead skin cells regularly helps to reveal glowing and younger looking skin. For really radiant looking skin you should exfoliate at least once a week.  Your skin will become beautifully soft and super smooth. We have 5 of the best DIY recipes for a natural face or body scrub below, for you to try.

Honey, Almond & Matcha Scrub

  • 2 Tbsp ground almonds
  • Add 1 tsp matcha
  • 2 tsp coconut milk
  • 1/2 tsp honey

Honey, Oat & Apple Cider Vinegar Scrub

  • 1/2 cup ground oats
  • 1 Tbsp honey
  • 1 Tbsp cider vinegar
  • 1 tsp ground almonds

Baking Soda & Cream Scrub

  • 1 tsp baking soda
  • 1 Tbsp thickened cream (or yogurt)

Yogurt, Orange & Walnut Scrub

  • 1 cup dried orange peel (ground coarsely)
  • 1/4 cup plain yogurt and
  • 1/4 cup very finely grounded walnuts

Brown Sugar & Orange Scrub

  • 1/2 cup brown sugar
  • 1/2 orange juice freshly squeezed
  • 1 drop vitamin E oil
  • 1 Tbsp olive oil

Instructions for Use

Combine all ingredients in a bowl until they form into a thick paste. After cleansing apply your scrub to wet skin in gentle circular motions avoiding the eye area for the face, or in large circular motions for the body. Continue scrubbing for a few minutes. Remove scrub by washing with warm water.

Store any leftovers in an airtight jar in the fridge and use within 1 week.

You can experiment with essential oils like lavender, rose geranium or patchouli to get the fragrance you want, just add one drop. Natural vanilla extract is also delicious in a scrub. You can also substitute olive oil for sweet almond oil, apricot kernel oil or even coconut oil (you will have to bring it to room temperature if it is solid). The great thing about making your own natural beauty treatments is that you can tailor them to suit your skin and also to your own preferences.

You can make your own personal natural beauty treatments at home easily, without any chemicals, additives, or other harmful ingredients. You will also save money by creating your own natural beauty treatments as you will already have many of the ingredients in your kitchen.

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