Spray Tan retro Stylie!

Totally LOVE this picture and thats where I am heading.  Some safe sunless colour to take care of these pasty white legs I am sporting end of June!!  This is order of the day for my Friday.  I shall tweet you the outcome! 

Mid-Week Mask?

Its time for your mid-week mask!
Get creative in the kitchen and whip up some of your own earthy creations.  The kids will love experimenting too!
If you can't be bothered making your own try  Environ AVST Hydrating & Exfoliating Mask or Alpha Gel.




Nourishing and Moisturizing mask with Avocado, Honey and Yogurt
This face mask is moisturizing, nourishing, smoothing and full of vitamins and minerals. It is perfect for dry and mature skin.

1 Avocado
1 tbs Honey
1 tbs Lemon juice
1 tbs Yogurt

Combine avocado, honey, lemon juice and yogurt in a blender. Let the mixture stand in the fridge for about 30 minutes. Apply mask on your face and neck and let set for about 10-15 minutes. Rinse off with warm water or just wipe off with a damp wash cloth.

Gentle peeling mask with Tomatoes  Tomatoes are a wonderful source of fruit acids (AHA = Alpha-hydroxy Acid). Fruit acids loosen the “glue” between dead skin cells and aid exfoliation,
leaving your face very smooth and soft.

1-2 Tomato pulp.
10 ml (2 tsp) Honey
4 g Cornmeal/Oatmeal OR 1 g Xanthan gum

Combine tomatoes, honey and cornmeal/oatmea OR Xanthan Guml in a blender. Apply formed paste to face and let set for about 10-15 minutes. Rinse off with warm water.

Cleansing fruit mask   Great homemade mask that helps rid your skin from the dead cells and congestion.  The Bromelain enzyme in the pineapple is particularly effective at doing this.

50 g Pineapple
50 g Melon (except watermelon)

100 ml Water
8 g Cornmeal (polenta) OR Oatmeal. 

Combine pineapple, melon, water and cornmeal/oatmeal in a blender. Apply formed paste to face and let set for about 10-15 minutes. Gently wipe off with a damp wash cloth.

HAVE SOME MESSY FUN!

Environ's AVST Hydrating & Exfoliating Mask is called Claytech Mask in South Africa.

The Magic of Sprouting

I love this image... a selection of seeds in all their sprouted glory!

My little sprouts are all grown up! This was my first successful sprouting experience.

I tried once before using a jar and cheesecloth, but I had trouble with it. It might have been because the seeds were old, but I’m not sure.  I purchased a 3 tier sprouter online for £6 and thought it was time to get these little 'power houses' growing.

A three tiered sprouter  sits on my kitchen windowsill and my girls delight in the daily transformation of the seeds sprouting.  Wish they'd be a little more involved in the consumption!
 More and more people are discovering the benefits that can be received by adding to the diet the condensed energy hidden within the seed and released in the form of sprouts. The Western Wisdom Teachings stress the importance of nutrition, not only for the health of the physical body, but also as an aid to one's spiritual sensitivity. Therefore, anyone aspiring to the higher life should be aware of the healthful benefits to be obtained by the use of sprouts.
 Sprouted seeds contain vital nourishment needed by our bodies. Sprouts are very nutritious because they contain all elements a plant needs for life and growth. The endosperm of the seed is the storehouse of carbohydrates, protein, and oil. When the seed germinates, these become predigested amino acids and natural sugars upon which the plant embryo feeds as it grows to maturity. When used as food, the life force is released and supplies the energy which is capable of generating healthy cells in the body and supplying us with new vigor and life. Used as an adjunct to the diet, sprouts can retard the aging process, since they contain ample amounts of male and female hormones, available in their most assimilable form. Processed foods often lack the vitamins and minerals necessary to a balanced diet. Research shows that, in sprouts, one finds one of the foods highest in vitamin and mineral content. Sprouts should, therefore, occupy a prominent place in the diet. Among their other virtues is the fact that the seeds are low in cost, can be stored indefinitely, and are easy to grow, and, when sprouted, increase their nutritional value many times.

This is what a three tieredsprouter looks like.  Should you purchase one you should have all the information you need regarding how to get going, storing ect.  They are available online or from any good health food store in the UK or abroad.

Happy sprouting!

Let the Sun shine on....

SPF® SPF 30 Dry Sunscreen Tanned

Available in Tanned and Translucent.  This is something I always carry in my bag.  Perfect for dabbing on the family for those impromtu appearances of sunshine! 

 

Active Ingredient: Titanium Dioxide 15%. Ingredients: Mica, Montmorillonite, Boron Nitride, Isopropyl Jojobate, Pomegranate Extract. May contain: Iron Oxides.

 

Powder-Me SPF can be used on the body and face for a UVB/UVA SPF 30 protection. It contains titanium dioxide and a natural clay dried in the sun and is completely free of contaminants and atmospheric pollutants.

• Ancient clay contains minerals that nourish and calm the skin
• If you do get too much sun, smooth on Powder-Me SPF to help soothe the inflammation
• This product crosses all ages and genders and will be a staple year round
• Endorsed by the Skin Cancer Foundation

Available from Carley Harrison London
Nicola Jayne Make Up South Africa.
Email : nic@nicolajayne.co.za  Web:  http://www.nicolajayne.co.za/

Spread the Love...

Without love there would certainly be no beauty!  So not my normal post but when I found these in SA I thought it would be silly not to make them available in the UK.

My Gold Heart is a 24 ct dipped Gold heart on Silk thread.  Also available as a bracelet with a double thread.

"Awareness, knowledge and wisdom cannot come forth without the seed of love to embrace them.

By choosing LOVE we change the world one heart at a time!"

Contact : Carley on +44 (0) 208 762 9999 should you wish to purchase one.





This week I want to mention the importance of getting the right supplements into our body alongside a healthy eating regime. Advanced Nutrition programme is developed by Patrick Holford the Nutrition guru and Lorraine Perretta.

These supplements are designed to support healthy skin, hair and nails and do not include any unnecessary artificial colours, sweeteners and flavourings.  One really needs to check the ingredients list when purchasing a supplement.  Also if any Omega supplement you are purchasing has not indicated on its packaging its method of purification, its likely that it has not undergone one!  ANP's fatty acids are concentrated and purified by PUREMAX technology.

"Research into the importance of nutrition for healthy skin concludes that taking oral supplements has many benefits over topical application.  It feeds the skin over the entire body in an absorbable form and feeds even the deeper layers of the skin."  This is not 'pie in the sky', it's what is stated by the British Journal of Nutrition, Myriam M Sabatier et al.

I have so many of my clients and friends saying they don't need a supplement as they eat a 'healthy' diet!
Food however is less nutritious today than it was 50 years ago.  By no means am I saying let supplements replace food but have you any idea the amount of food you have to eat to get just your recommended daily allowance, let alone your optimum daily allowance, which is what ANP is based on.

Tests have been done on oranges in supermarkets containing absolutely zero Vitamin C.  This is due to growing conditions, air miles, storage etc.  Soil has little or no time to replenish itself these days due to supply and demand or its genetically modified to look good but with minimal nutrients. And please don't buy that half a cucumber or cantaloupe in the supermarket:  its vitamin content diminishes within 3 hours of it being sliced into!  Fortified and enriched foods are just playing on the consumer.  They are usually foods that were robbed of their nutritional content  in the refining process and they get away with saying they are somewhat better now as they replaced what was taken away!  Be wary when shopping for children cereals! They are likely to be sugar-laden and 'enriched'!

Skin always gets nutrients last and this is why we need to ensure we get an optimum dosage of necessary vitamins into us daily.  Topical vitamins from top cosmeceutical skin care brands are likely to be more effective on a healthy skin that's been fed from within.

Vitamins and Minerals need to be in an absorbable form to be of any benefit to us.  ANP does this.  They are absorbable, natural and pure.  For more information email me at carleyharrison@btinternet.com.  This range is only available through health and skincare professionals.

Provitality:   28 day supply blister pack. 
contains:  Antioxidant complex, 1000mg Vit C, Alpha Lipoic Acid, Brain Nutrients, Omegas, Multivit.

I love the ease of opening one little blister pack each morning! 

Feeling a little 'weathered'?



Don't allow your skin to let you down but not hydrating it.        

Also remember that hydrating your skin does not necessarily

mean drinking plenty of water.... It certainly essential to drink your

8 glasses a day, however without Omega's you are unable to retain

 the water in your skin. Omega's are required from eating Omega rich foods such as oily fish, flaxseeds, walnuts, olives ect, as well as supplementing with extra in capsule or liquid form.

Omega's act as the 'bubble wrap' around all your cells, preventing whatever water you drink from escaping.  Not having enough essential fats in your diet, yet drinking plenty of water is like filling a balloon with holes in it.  

Throughout the year these Omega's enable us to nourish

the skin from within whatever the weather! 











The Art of 'Smudging'.....

Smudging Sage at home to clear yourself and your personal space...

This week I have had so many friends, clients and colleagues say that they have felt 'all over the place'!  Yes it does sometimes have a lot to do with the weather and the amount of positive and negative ions in the atmosphere.  Those positive and negative ions are also on in and around people and sometimes you feel like you are absorbing these energies.  Due to the work I do I have made it a priority to 'smudge' myself and my personal space.  Some of you may have experienced it when coming for a treatment. 

Here's how it goes.....

The smudge stick is sometimes hard to keep smoldering so when you first light it, blow out the flame after it gets going and then blow into the smoldering embers to really let it take hold or else it might burn out. If it does burn out, just re-light it again and keep going. After I get the stick smoldering, I ask the smoke be blessed and that it will trap any and all negative entities and energies. The first thing I smudge is myself starting with the bottoms of my feet and then working the smoke up around my body and around my head and crown chakra. After that is done I start at a doorway and direct the smoke completely around the door frame, you will repeat this in every room starting at the entry doorway to each room and the front and back or side doors to the apartment or house.

After the doorways just go around the room to the four corners and then down the middle with a circular motion. Don't forget to open closet doors and drawers to chests and cabinets also before you begin. The mental image is as if you were about to fumigate the property for bugs, the idea is to let the smudge smoke get into and around everything within the home or office. Instead of getting rid of bugs, you are getting rid of negative entities and energies. When you have completed every room. Open as many windows and doors as is practical to allow the smoke to be purged from the interior and fresh air and chi to flow back into your living or work space. The idea is the smoke traps the unwanted stuff and then you let it out through the windows and open doors.

This is something you can do when moving into a new home, or simply just clearing your existing space of negative 'clutter'! 

Happy Smudging! 

CAUTION:  ENSURE THE SMUDGE STICK HAS BEEN EXTINGUISHED BEFORE LEAVING UNATTENDED!







Introducing the CRAZY STRAW!

Last year my 7 year old daughter was really struggling at school with handwriting.  In fact many fine and gross motor skills. It was hugely affecting her confidence and she was becoming aggressive and defiant at home.  Riding a bike never came easily, tying shoe laces and doing up her buttons was a real struggle.  Eating with a knife and fork required a huge amount of effort and concentration. For many dypraxic children, who are often likely to still retain a lot of their Birth Reflexes, day to day tasks like writing, riding a bicycle, dressing themselves and eating certain foods does not come as easily as it may do to other children.   A friend suggested I take her to a Neurological Practioner that had achieved some wonderful results with two of her children who were dyslexic and dyspraxic.   I feel a reluctance giving labels and Jessica refuses to as it is often when children are re-evaluated at the end of the programme that all the 'symptoms' of being dylexic, dyspraxic ect disappear.
It is often strongly retained Birth Reflexes that should disappear after several months of a childs life that inhibit and weaken the Vestibular System in functioning properly and cause certain disturbances or obstacles for the developing child.  As I mentioned Tayla's confidence was being hugely effected and this was the reason we knew we had to assist this special little person who happened to be our daughter 'get a hold of herself' so to speak and assist her in developing to her full potential.

After the 3 hour evaluation, Jessica informed me that in a few days my husband and I would need to return for the reading of the report but we went through some of what she discovered there and were given activities and exercises for Tayla to start doing at home immediately. 

I asked Jessica what had got her into such a profession and she explained that her son, at the age of 7 years could not write at all.  They took him to a Neurological Practioner and it was revealed through similar assessments my daughter had done with Jessica that he was severely dyslexic with Asperger's Syndrome which is a mild form of Autism.  After 6 weeks on the programme he was writing and excelling at school.  He went onto University at Cambridge later.  Her journey with her son became the catalyst for her going int this professishe  felt compelled to help others.  Currently she is working with an older gentleman who has suffered from a stroke and is tapping into all parts of the brain that have been affected.  He is making fabulous progress applying some of the same simple activities that Tayla has to do.  One of them being drinking from a Crazy Straw!

Crazy Straw

Benefits:

Drinking through a crazy straw can help to improve many functions: interhemispheric integration, binocular functions (eye teaming), light sensitivity, sound sensitivity, articulation, bowel and bladder control, tongue and lip control for articulation, facial muscle tone for nonverbal communication, and more.

Materials

You will need a crazy straw—one of those plastic straws with lots of curls or twists and a small diameter—and a clear drink. The twists and turns of the crazy straw create more resistance in sucking, so people whose ears are very sensitive, should use a regular straw instead of a crazy straw, because one must suck so much harder through a crazy straw that it might be painful. Water is the recommended beverage, since water is essential to healthy brain and body functions. Also, it is easiest to clean a crazy straw if it is used only for water.

Procedure

Hold the straw in the center of your mouth, and sip and swallow, allowing a rhythmic pattern to develop if you can. You will benefit more from doing this with your eyes closed unless your eyes tend to over-converge. If you have a tendency for, or a history of, crossed eyes, be sure that you look at a distant object while drinking.

Variations

• When there is a fear of aspiration, sucking is still possible with an activity such as using a straw to create enough suction to transfer small bits of colored paper from the table to make a mosaic on a larger piece of paper. Or use the straw to pick up a light object, such as a paper napkin, and transfer it from one side of your tray to the other.
• If you cannot swallow thin liquids, use a thick beverage and drink it through a regular straw.

Precautions

Be sure to rinse out the straw well after each drink, so harmful bacteria do not build up in the loops.
If you are pregnant, do not engage in this intense sucking, as it may stimulate contractions.
If you have glaucoma, please do not attempt any intense sucking, as this may increase the pressure within your eyes.

Additional Benefits

When you examine the importance of sucking in human development, it is truly profound. Not only do we suck for nourishment, but also in sucking we do many other amazing things:

• We integrate the two sides of our mouth and cheeks, stimulating the two cerebral hemispheres in a coordinated rhythmic fashion. This enhances our interhemispheric integration in general.  We rely on interhemispheric integration to be able to process language, balance our instincts with logic, and so many other functions frequently compromised in neurobehavioral disorders as well as in brain injury.
• As we suck, many of our cranial nerves are stimulated, and they in turn help regulate many aspects of our vision, including the ability of our eyes to converge—that is, focus together on a target.
• One reason that people become light sensitive is that the two eyes do not team in their processing of visual images, which can be based on perception of light and dark.
• Stimulation of the trigeminal and facial nerves directly stimulates structures in the middle ear, also, dampening the volume of the sounds we hear.  It is common knowledge that chewing gum or sucking helps people tolerate the pressure change in their ears during take-off and landing on flights.  And through a connection in the part of the midbrain called the colliculus, visual focus directs auditory focus, connecting the work of the Crazy Straw in improving visual focus with reduction of distractibility to noises in the environment.
• Of course, we increase tongue and lip control and coordinated breathing, all of which support our ability to speak with good articulation.
• A little known fact (shared by Paula Garbourg in The Secret of the Ring Muscles) is that when we strengthen any set of sphincter muscles (such as the lips and also the esophagus) we strengthen all the sphincters in our body (such as the pupils of the eyes and the bowel and bladder, too).
• Sucking, especially early in life, also stimulates the pituitary gland for balanced hormone production, including the human growth factor hormone.
  

To buy Crazy Straws in the UK go to http://www.swindonpartybags.com/ and you can buy them for 40pence each.