To look fabulous in Summer, we need to eat more lycopene rich foods, such as cooked tomatoes, apricots, pink grapefruit, papaya, water melon in order to protect our skin from sun damage.

New studies show that lycopene in our diet can help our skin block UV rays and that there is a connection between lycopene and skin cancer.  Because our body doesn’t produce this antioxidant,  we should incorporate more lycopene rich foods in our diet, to protect ourselves from skin cancer.

Try these three healthy simple and easy summer recipes to keep your skin sun damage free.

1. Grapefruit and Walnuts Salad Easy Summer Recipe

Ingredients:

• 2 medium grapefruits
• 1 avocado
• 1/2 cup chopped walnuts
• juice of ½ lemon
• 1/2 cup Immunity Boosting Turmeric Dressing

Directions:

Peel grapefruits and section. Peel avocado and remove pit, cut into chunks. Place avocado and grapefruit into the bowl and gently toss. Drizzle lemon’s juice. Add nuts and drizzle with Turmeric dressing.

2. Spaghetti Sauce Easy Summer Recipe

Ingredients:

• 2 medium onions chopped
• 2 Portobello (or 1 cup shitake) mushrooms sliced
• 4 tomatoes chopped or 2 tbsp tomato paste (for paste you need 1/3 cup water)
• 2 clove garlic minced
• 2-3 tbsp olive oil
• 2 tbsp parsley, chopped
• salt and fresh grounded pepper to taste
• 8 ounces spaghetti or angel hair pasta

Directions:

Sautee onions in olive oil for 10 min., add mushrooms and cook for 5-7 minutes. Add tomatoes (if you use tomato paste, add some water), parsley, salt and pepper.

Drain pasta. Toss with tomato sauce and serve.

3. Papaya Fruit Salad Easy Summer Recipe

This recipe is from one of my favorite books Eating for Beauty by David Wolfe:

Eating this fruit salad is a great way to begin the morning. The cinnamon contains the mineral chromium, a great blood sugar balancer, this fruit salad is loaded with enzymes to help stimulate elimination in the morning.

Ingredients:

• 1papaya
• ½ avocado
• 6 fresh figs
• 2 nectarines
• ½ tbsp Cinnamon
• 1 lemon juice
• 1 tbsp raw honey

Directions:

Chop all ingredients, mix and serve.

Bon Appetit!

Breathe, smile and be happy.

© Irina Wardas, HHC

Women’s Holistic Coach and Counselor

Healthy and Easy Summer Recipes to Keep Your Skin Free of Sun Damage

Our mind and body can be affected in different ways, for example, according to what season it is.

In the fall you can rejuvenate your body to maintain or restore your balance with a natural weight loss detox that uses healthy whole foods that can help you detox your body and lose weight.

In the fall, to naturally cleanse or detox your body, include the basics: beans, grains, legumes, vegetables, fruits, nuts and seeds.

Why?

I would like to share with you passages from a favorite book of mine: The Self-Healing Book by Kristina Turner.

We have teeth built to grind mostly high-fiber food such as grains, seeds, leafy greens and roots. 20 out 0f 32 teeth are grinding molars.

Our ORGANS function very smoothly on a grain, bean, and vegetable diet. Complex carbohydrates regulate blood-sugar and provide steady energy.

On a diet rich in fat, protein, sugar, and salt, organs such as kidneys, liver, gall bladder, and heart often become weak and clogged, depleting our vitality and leading to illness.

Healthy BACTERIA thrive in our intestines on a grain-based diet. When they die off, they are replaced by unhealthy microorganisms when if eat too much fat, sugar, meat or chemicals. Fermented foods help to renew the healthy bacteria population.

BLOOD flows freely on a low-fat, low-sweet diet. High fat meals, by contrast, make blood thick and sludgy. Sugar weakens and thins the blood.

Let us be whole food smart, shall we?

Breathe, smile and be happy.

© Irina Wardas, HHC

Women’s Holistic Health, Nutrition Coach and Relationship Expert

How to Rejuvenate Your Body in the Fall with Simple Detox

If you want to feel and look fabulous in Summer, by which I mean feel healthy, you should sun protect your skin from UV damage and skin cancer without using sunscreens and sun lotions that are full of harmful sunscreen ingredients and chemicals  (which I talked about it in How to Protect Our Skin from Sun Damage Part I), but also how to help your body to deal with the UV sun damage that has already occurred.

Unfortunately, many of us don’t realize that ultraviolet rays can do significant damage to our skin by forming free radicals in the skin cells; recent research indicates a strong link between free radicals and the risk of disease.

Fortunately, our bodies can produce antioxidant compounds on their own naturally to neutralize free radicals before they can harm our biological processes. We can help the process by eating foods rich in antioxidants, including vitamins A, C, E and D as well as selenium and omega-3, all of which can significantly reduce the inflammation and skin damage caused by over exposure to the sun.

Some basic steps you can use to sun protect your skin in summer with antioxidant organic whole foods:

1. Incorporate more healthy natural Super Foods in your diet = foods rich in antioxidants

  (dont forget to buy them organic to take advantage of their organic food benefits)

bright-colored fruits and vegetables, such as carrots, squash, broccoli, sweet potatoes, tomatoes, kale, collards, cantaloupe, peaches, apricots, watermelon, berries to get more Vitamin A;

oranges, lime, kiwi, green peppers, broccoli, green leafy vegetables, berries, tomatoes to get more vitamin C;

walnuts, almonds, sunflower seeds, sesame seeds, green leafy vegetables, barley, millet to get more vitamin E;

incorporate more lycopene rich foods such as cooked tomatoes, watermelon, papaya, apricots to protect your skin from sun damage;

shellfish, oatmeal, barley, buckwheat, eggs, legumes, chicken and garlic to get more Selenium; and

wild salmon, walnuts, flax seed to get more Omega-3 fatty acids;

2. Be moderate and be selective with your exposure to the sun – the healthiest sun is before 10:00am and after 5:00pm.  This is the best time to minimize the most harmfull peak exposure you get when the sun is overhead, while still getting sufficient exposure to produce vitamin D, which is required for the absorption of calcium, necessary for protecting muscle weakness, important for preventing and treatment breast and colon cancer, and osteoporosis, necessary for normal function of thyroid and normal blood clotting.

We also can find vitamin D in: fish liver, dairy products, dandelion greens, oatmeal, salmon, sardines, sweet potatoes, tuna and vegetable oils.

3. As I mentioned in How to Safe Skin from Sun Damage – Part I, avoid eating carrots, celery, parsley, parsnips and limes before going to the beach - they may make – your skin very sensitive to the sun;

As for me, I always try to obtain antioxidants from whole foods instead of supplements and try to get a healthy suntan by exposing myself to the direct sun only very early in the morning instead of using sunscreens full of harful sunscreen ingredients and chemicals.  At other times, I use sunblock clothing and sun protection hats to reduce sun wrinkles and sun damage on face.

A healthy life style and a healthy diet are the keys to a younger and healthier skin as well as to a younger and healthier You. Let us be Sun Smart, shall we?

Breathe, smile and be happy.

© Irina Wardas, HHC

Women’s Holistic Health, Nutrition and Relationship Counselor and Coach

Sun Protect Your Skin with Antioxidant Organic Whole Foods – Part II

Summer is here; are you ready to go to the beach and get a suntan to feel and look fabulous?  Before you do, don’t forget that there is no such thing as a safe tan, and before you think there is a totally safe sunscreen for sun protection from sunburn, consider that numerous studies show that there is as well no such thing as a best sunscreen lotion.

You might think that sunscreens prevent skin cancer. Well, they can protect against sunburn and reduce sun damage to skin, but as for protection against sun induced cancer … the connection between sunscreen and cancer may not be what you would expect.

 Everything we eat goes to our bloodstream, everything we apply to our skin is also absorbed into our bloodstream. Have you noticed how many chemicals are included in the list of sunscreen ingredients? Studies show that the longer sunscreen lotion and creams are left on the skin, the more they will be absorbed into the body. A super simple detox may help, but why not try some healthy tips and natural sunburn remedies to protect your skin from sun damage.

Natural Beauty Remedies to Protect Your Skin From Sun Damage

1. When looking for sunscreen products, look for better and healthier uv natural sunscreen alternatives. Two nontoxic solutions are the sun blocking minerals zinc oxide (studies show that only sunblock clothing and zinc oxide sunblock totally block UVB and UVA rays) and titanium dioxide; they are supposed to ingredients in sunscreeen that are safer to use. Also investigate UVA sunscreen products with micronized zinc oxide as the only active ingredient as sunscreen protection to reduce sun damage of face and skin.

Check the Cosmetic Safety Database on my References Page

2. Don’t use skin-care products that contain citrus essential oils, especially bergamot (Citrus bergamia). They might increase the skin’s sensitivity to light and cause skin discoloration or rashes.

3. We can use our kitchen oils such as Sesame Oil, Coconut Oil, Olive and Peanut oils as well as rich in cinnamic acid, Walnut Oil, Raspberry Oil, Avocado Oil, Pomegranate Oil, Jojoba Oil, Pumpkin Seed Oil, Aloe Vera Oil, Coffee Butter, Shea Butter. They all provide uv natural sunscreen protection from the sun. You can find many uva sunscreen products that incorporate many of these oils and butters.

4. Don’t eat carrots, celery, parsley, parsnips and limes before you go to the beach. Studies show that these vegetables contain psoralens, chemicals that may make you unusually sensitive to the sun.

5. Incorporate more lycopene rich foods, such as cooked tomatoes, apricots, papaya, pink grapefruit, watermelon into your diet to block UV damaging rays.

6. Apply a thin coat of yogurt, sour cream, kefir or aloe-vera gel to reddened areas to help reduce inflammation and cool and moisturize your skin if you get sunburned.

7. Don’t take your babies to the beach! Your child or baby sun protection motto should be “no sun.”  Why take the risk!

Studies show that even if you use a sunscreen and don’t get burned, there is may still be enough ultraviolet light that does get through to suppress your immune system.

Choose the right sunscreen product by using common sense and exploring your options – the one that offers least harm is the best.

As for me, I don’t use sunscreens because I try to stay out of sun from 11:00 am till 4:00 pm and I wear sun protection hats and try to be in the shade as much as possible. And don’t forget that baby sun sunscreeen protection is also important to think about. When my son was old enough, we would go to the beach only in the early morning so not to be in the direct summer sun.  Also, people don’t realize that even if they use sunscreen at the beach, they still need to worry about  over-exposure to the sun in other situations - everything in moderation is the best policy.

So let us be sun smart this summer, shall we?

P.S. Don’t forget to listen to my radio show for women “Feel and Look Fabulous with Irina“ for more healthy tips and ideas on how to feel and look fabulous this summer.

Breathe, smile and be happy.

© Irina Wardas, HHC

Women’s Holistic Health, Nutrition and Relationship Counselor and Coach

Seven Beauty Tips To Protect Your Face and Skin from Sun Damage – Part I

Do you like almonds? What about Italian gourmet recipes? As we know, almonds are rich in vitamin E, healthy heart monounsaturated  fat, protein and Magnesium we need to feel and look fabulous.  And almonds are used a lot in Italian cooking, so I would like to share with you this recipe by Maria Liberati, Celebrity Chef and award winning author I interviewed on “Feel and Look Fabulous with Irina”, radio show for women. We were talking about Italian gourmet recipes, healthy spring cooking  from an Italian menu, and Passover and Easter recipes.

If you are you gluten intolerant or have a gluten allergy, here is one of many Italian dessert recipes from Maria’s blog, it is very delicious and gluten free recipe.

Almond Passover Cake Recipe

Ingredients:

6 eggs

1 cup white sugar

1 cup finely chopped almonds

2 teaspoons of maraschino liqueur

juice of one fresh lemon

Directions:

With an electric mixer, blend sugar with egg yolks till well blended, then add in first the chopped almonds and then liqueur and lemon juice.  In separate bowl, whip egg whites till firm with a pinch of salt. With a wooden spoon, blend in the egg whites to the egg yolk mixture, gently. When blended in, place batter in pan lined with parchment paper. Bake for 30 minutes at 350 degrees. Remove from oven and let cool and serve.

Happy Passover!

Bon Appetit!

For more great recipes get your copy of The Basic Art of Italian Cooking: Holidays & Special Occasions by Maria Liberati voted Best Italian Cuisine Book in America by Gourmand World Cookbook Awards.

Click to listen to our interview with Maria Liberati about healthy spring cooking Mediterranean way.

Breathe, smile and be happy.

Irina Wardas, HHC

Women’s Holistic Health, Nutrition and Relationship Coach

Italian Gourmet Almond Passover Gluten Free Cake Recipe

You should already know that it is best to buy organically grown fruits and vegetables, but do you know that you should try to buy as many of them as you can locally and in season.   Local means that your organic produce will be less damaged via long distance shipment and storage; and as an added bonus, locally grown seasonal fruits and vegetables will usually be less expensive.

Of course, depending on the area you live in, it can be challenging to find fresh local organic produce, not only because of geographic location, but also because of climate differences. For example, in NY, variations in yearly temperature makes it difficult to buy local produce all year long, in which case you should at least try to buy your organically grown produce in season.

So, if you want to enjoy 100 % of the benefits of organic fruits and vegetables, buy them local and in season.

Many of the seasonal vegetables and fruits listed below do not need to need to be purchased organic, but for some seasonal fruits and vegetables, buying organic is MANDATORY – for example: imported grapes should be purchased as organic ONLY.  You can learn which seasonally grown produce MUST be purchased as organic at Super Simple Detox, which you can use to learn how to use the seasons to cleanse smart and detox naturally using organic cleansing detox fruits and vegetables.

Use our list below to find when the most common fruits and vegetables are typically picked and harvested:

Apples – are in season from October to about late April.

Apricots – are in season from late spring to early summer.

Artichokes – are in season in spring and early fall.

Arugula – available all year long, best in spring and fall.

Asparagus – is in season from March to about June.

Bananas – are imported year-round.

Beets – are in season from about mid-June to mid-October.

Blackberries – are in season in Summer.

Blueberries – are in season from about mid-June to mid to late August.

Bock Choy – is in season from fall through spring.

Broccoli – is in season from July to October.

Brussels Sprouts – are in season late fall and winter.

Cabbage – is available all year around, but best in late fall and winter.

Cantaloupes – are best in summer.

Carrots – are available year-round, but are best from July to September.

Cauliflower – is best in fall and winter.

Celery is best in fall and winter.

Cherries – are in season from late Spring to early Summer.

Collard Greens – are available all year around.

Cranberries are in season in fall.

Cucumbers – are in season from June to September.

Eggplant – are in season from August to September.

Fennel is in season from fall through spring.

Fresh Figs (not dried) – are in season from about mid-May to mid-October.

Garlic – is in season from August to October.

Grapefruit is in season in winter and spring.

Grapes – are in season from August to September. Note: : Imported grapes are available year-round, but if you buy organic imported grapes, make sure they are organically grown.

Green Beans are in season in summer and fall.

Hass Avocados – are in season from February to October.

Honeydew Melons – are in season from August to October.

Kale is best in fall and winter.

Kiwis are in season from winter to spring.

Leeks – are in season from August to November.

Lemons are in season from winter to spring.

Lettuce is best in spring.

Mangos are in season in summer.

Mushrooms – are in season from October to November.

Onions – dry onions are in season from September to December; green onions are in season from July to September.

Oranges – California navel oranges are in season from about mid-November to late spring. They are sweetest from about January to early March.

Parsnips are in season from fall through spring.

Peaches – are in season from July to September.

Pears – are in season from August to December.

Plums are in season in summer.

Pomegranates are in season in fall.

Potatoes – are in season from September to January.

Pumpkins are in season in fall.

Radishes are in season from March to September.

Raspberries – are in season from July to September.

Red Peppers – are in season from about May to September.

Spinach – is in season from June to October.

Squash is in season in summer (summer squash).

Strawberries – are in season in June and early July.

Sweet potatoes – are in season from October to February.

Tomatoes – are in season from August to September.

Turnips – are in season from October to February.

Watermelon – peak season for watermelons is from mid-May to late August.

Winter Squash – acorn and butternut squash are in season from September to December.

Yams – are in season from October to about March.

Zucchini – are in season from July to September.

If you would like to find out what fruits and vegetables are in season is in your state right now, check Eat Local.

Breathe, smile and be happy.

©Irina Wardas, HHC

Women’s Holistic Health, Nutrition Coach Counselor and Radio Show Host

How Fresh Are Your Fruits and Vegetables?