F.O.Y Salsa

V Well Team serving up “F.O.Y. Salsa” at Hackensack UMC

It was truly my pleasure to spend yesterday at the employee wellness fair at Hackensack UMC. I really had such a fantastic time and was able to meet with some new and some familiar faces. I really do always enjoy my work. It is sometimes hard to refer to it as work. I particularly enjoyed the opportunity to share with many of you some tips and tricks for rewinding the clock a bit and eating foods that promote a healthy and youthful glow. I was able to share with the employees of the hospital one of my favorite “beauty snacks” which I will also share with all of you: my “Bye-Bye Wrinkles, Hello Gorgeous, F.O.Y. Bean Salsa.” Beans are so chock full of antioxidants, fiber, healthy protein and nutrients galore that they are fantastic for preserving skin elasticity and managing a healthy weight! So, let’s get to chopping and mixing, because once you try this delicious snack you will want to nibble your way to fresher, tighter skin.

I try to plan for the salsa, therefore I soak several different types of beans the night before so that I can cook them in the morning for this amazing salsa. If you do not have time to soak beans, please buy low sodium canned beans and rinse them very well. Here’s how this recipe goes. This recipes has come together over time. You can use as many of these ingredients as you like. Some people don’t like peppers or maybe onions. So really this recipe will be tasty as long as you use most of the ingredients

2 cans black beans (3-4 cups)

2 cans kidney beans (3-4 cups)

2 cans garbanzo beans (3-4 cups)

1 can cannellini beans (3-4 cups)

1 red pepper chopped

1 green pepper chopped

1 orange pepper chopped

1/2 red onion diced

1 bunch of cilantro or parsley (I use half and half for the flavor and amazing health benefits)

2-3 cups sweet organic corn

1/2 cup chopped pimentos

5-6 plum tomatoes

good quality organ balsamic vinegar to taste (I use quite a bit to sweeten up my salsa)

sea salt to taste

fresh ground pepper to taste

Note: if you would like it spicy add some chopped chilli peppers. If you would like it sweeter drizzle with a little good quality honey. I don’t use either. Balsamic is just the flavor I like. Feel free to use more of these ingredients as you wish. That’s entirely up to you and your taste buds. Oh! And this salsa is great on top of fish. I add chopped mango to this salsa for a delicious topping on baked fish. Serve with organic tortilla chips or just simply eat it with a fork as a side dish, but rest assured, beans are extraordinary for your health, heart and skin.

That Sought After Healthy Glow

I had the pleasure of being at the Hackensack University Medical Center on Monday.  I met hundreds of wonderful employees, what a great place to work!  I did a seminar on how to live 10 years younger naturally, so it reminded me that I should send out a blog on how to achieve that sought after healthy glow.

Now please remember that everyone’s skin is different and what works for me may not work for you.  Although I must say that most people who have tried my routine do like it.

First and foremost, truly good skin or that real healthy glow comes from within.  The following is a list of foods that will definitely promote that perfect glow.  Salmon, walnuts, chia seeds, olive oil, blueberries, kale, dandelions, collard greens, sweet potatoes, cinnamon, organic coconut oil, raw walnuts and almonds, leafy greens and Lion Tea are some of the most important.  Eat these foods often, in fact, as often as you would like.  Quite frankly, if I have an event, three to four days prior I eat a diet mostly of these foods so that my skin will be just a little more “glowy”.

In addition to what you eat on a daily basis, exercise is definitely one of those things that help everything; weight loss, healthy heart, stress reducer.  Exercise at least five to six times a week and it will improve the look and texture of the skin.

Now this is where aestheticians cringe, but here goes.  I wash my face with extra virgin olive oil and have been doing this for decades.  Yes, I wash my face with olive oil at night to remove my makeup.  First, I put lukewarm water on my face and pour the oil into my hands and gently rub it all over my face.  Be especially gentle around the eye area.  Then I wipe softly with a white face cloth.

At this point, I use non-petroleum jelly (a lot) around my eyes (anywhere wrinkles might form).  Then I use fragrance free Lubriderm – yes, I said Lubriderm – as a moisturizer all over my face (a dermatologist recommended this to me over 20 years ag0).  I put non-petroleum jelly and olive oil on my neck, elbows, feet and knees.  You can imagine how lovely I must look climbing into bed, but it works!

Every three days, I make my own exfoliant out of honey and sugar mixed in a cup.  I exfoliate my face and neck carefully than I use Lubriderm.  At this point, I use a self tanner instead of moisturizer at night to make myself look like I have a little more color… oh alright… a tan!  Trust me, it works and I do not look orange.  I never tan my face out in the sun and this is a great alternative to being pale, which I would rather not be.

So there you go, now you have the real story.  A lot of women ask and a lot of women are stunned at my routine, but it does work for me.  Just remember that it is very important to exfoliate but please, more importantly, remember to always treat your skin like it’s baby skin; always touching it gently.  Here is something else that is extremely important to remember:  Never, never, never touch your face during the day.  You simply don’t know what you have touched!

My last thought on great skin… Lots and lots of H2O and a tablespoon of extra virgin olive oil every day.  That and super foods seem to be the answer to all things good!  You are what you eat.  Wouldn’t you rather look like a beautiful, luscious, bright red apple instead of a greasy pork roll?

A Funny Story About a Man and His Ex-wife

Well I woke up extra early this morning, I have to head out the door very soon for a seminar that my son and I are doing.  Hey listen, if you happen to  be an employee at Hackensack University Medical Center (HUMC) take a break and come visit me in the auditorium.  We are doing a workshop at 11:30 AM on how to look 10 years younger naturally.

I really must share with all of you a very funny story.  Last week I found myself talking with a nice gentleman after his biometric screening.  This gentleman sat down with me so that we could discuss his numbers.  I told him that all of his numbers were great but that I thought that his blood pressure was a little high for his age.  He stated that he had battled high blood pressure numbers for several years.

I said, “I think I may be able to help you.”

He said, “What are you going to do, kill my ex-wife?”

Of course I laughed, it was quite unexpected and very funny.  I went on to explain to him that three cups of hibiscus tea per day may help to lower his blood pressure.  He then asked me if what he was doing for breakfast was OK.  I asked, “What are you eating for breakfast?”

He stated, “Oatmeal.”

I said, “Fantastic!  I’m hoping it’s regular and not instant.”

He said, “It is instant, but don’t worry, it’s not the flavored kind.”

I said to him, “I must admit it has been many years since I have looked at the ingredients on the unflavored, instant oatmeal; you might be OK.  Just so we are sure, can you please run out to the floor and grab a box so that we can both check it out?”

Of course now everyone in the room is curious so they have stopped to listen.  He came back quickly with the box and I asked him to please read me the ingredients.  The third or fourth ingredient was caramel color.  Quite an obnoxious poison for those of you who have not yet read the blog on caramel color.  I shared this very important information with this lovely gentleman and he immediately stated, “You may actually end up helping me with my blood pressure after all.  I am going to stop eating it immediately but I am going to have large boxes of instant oatmeal delivered to my ex-wife.”

This story was really funny and I had to share it with all of you.  Mind you I did ask this gentleman not to send huge boxes of instant oatmeal to his ex-wife.  Hopefully by now I have sufficiently scared you about instant oatmeal.  I will tell you as I do each and every person I meet with, make a large pot of oatmeal on your day off, but do whatever you can to eat regular oatmeal and not instant.  Remember folks, caramel color is not what your grandmother used to make.  It is a chemical that is made to look, taste and act like caramel.

As I promised my oatmeal recipe to many people over the last several weeks, below you will find my own personal breakfast, after of course I have had four eggs early in the AM.  Without further ado here is what I like to call the fountain of youth breakfast…tropical oatmeal.

Fountain of Youth Tropical Oatmeal

Ingredients (measurements are entirely up to you):

• Steel cut oats cooked in water (per package directions)
• Coconut oil
• Cinnamon
• Maple syrup or organic honey
• Chia seeds
• Chopped apple
• Sliced banana
• Chopped mango
• Blueberries
• Raw walnuts
• Raw sunflower seeds

I specifically did not give you measurements since I basically make a bucket load for myself.  I love oatmeal and I eat an enormous amount every day.  In fact, I have found with this recipe that I get a lot of key superfoods in one meal.  I recommend people eat a teaspoon of coconut oil every day and guess what folks, I put it into my oatmeal and it actually imparts coconut flavor into the oatmeal.  At the same time it provides me with the incredible benefits of coconut oil.

So here’s what I do and it is just a suggestion, you can of course make up your own.  I cook the oatmeal and while it is cooking I gather all of my fruit; slice it, chop it and put it into a large bowl.  I add the nuts and sunflower seeds and set it aside.  When the oatmeal is finished cooking I remove it from the heat and immediately add organic maple syrup, coconut oil, cinnamon and chia seeds.  That gets poured over my fruit and nuts and I toss it all together.  Some people thinks this serves four, alas it serves only me.   Try it, it is sure to please you too.

Fastest Way to Achieve a Healthy Glow

Allow me to share with you what I have discovered might be the fastest and most inexpensive way to achieving that beautiful, sought after healthy glow for our skin.  Some time ago I decided to live a vegan lifestyle.  I confessed to you last week that I have reintroduced eggs into my daily diet.  Well I must confess my skin seems to be craving salmon which of course, more importantly, my body must be craving it.  Before I became a vegan, I used to consume salmon almost on a daily basis.  I have in fact decided to reintroduce salmon but not just any salmon.  I want to share with all of you and many of you of course might already know this, but most of the canned salmon is wild Alaskan.

Now that we have discussed that it is A-OK to buy the canned salmon let me give you some ideas to do with it:

• Make a simple salad with canned salmon, extra virgin olive oil, fresh lemon and black pepper.
• Serve salmon over salad just like tuna or chicken.
• If you are craving a burger, why not make a salmon patty?
• Combine salmon with cherry tomatoes, cucumbers, olives, extra virgin olive oil and balsamic vinegar.

Listen folks, don’t take this lightly, I am quite serious.  I have lived for quite some time without my old staple canned salmon and I am here to tell you I have definitely noticed a difference in my skin.  So do you want great skin?  Stock up on canned salmon but please ensure the can says wild Alaskan salmon on the label.  Oh, and please don’t mind the bones; they’re tiny, a bit crunchy and great for you.  What’s that you say?  You don’t like salmon?  It’s alright, I always have a solution.  You can achieve the same results from canned sardines and anchovies.  Now I ask you, which one do you prefer?

Toast Your Nuts

I felt it important to share this expert opinion from one of our physicians.  I must say it’s kind of crazy how often I hear people avoid the yolks.

“Great article! There has never been a study that verifies a link between cardiovascular disease and egg consumption. Eggs are one of natures most complete, balanced foods. Of course, the best eggs are from chickens that have been raised as “free range” who eat pesticide free, anti-biotic and growth hormone free diets and whose omega-3 fats are elevated. The problem with eggs might just be the way you prepare them (fried is the least healthy). You might want to consider putting them in a blender raw as part of your healthy morning shake with some greens, almond milk, whey protein, etc.”

You know what else gets a bad rap…?  Nuts!  Listen my friends, nuts are an extraordinary way to get omega-3s.  Don’t be so fearful of the calories, just don’t over eat them.  In fact, have you considered toasting your nuts?  This is an amazing snack and so simple to do.  In a shallow baking pan place chopped almonds, chopped walnuts, sunflower seeds and pumpkin seeds (actually, you can use any nuts you like) place in a preheated oven at 425 degrees.  That’s it, just roast them in a hot oven.  Just keep checking, ovens will vary.  What you are looking for is a nice golden brown color.  I sprinkle these toasty little treats on so many different meals.  They just seem to make everything taste better.  Great on oatmeal, salad, fruit, yogurt; actually anything you can think of.

I have been eager to remind you to toast your nuts, and since we were on the subject of omega 3s I thought it would be a great opportunity.  Try it as soon as you can, keep some of them whole and carry them around with you; they really do make a healthy treat.  Don’t worry about the calories, you should make them a part of your day.

Got Eggs?

Why do eggs get such a bad rap?  Well, it’s interesting, it seems as if we go through phases but I gotta tell ya, eat your eggs.  In fact don’t bother with just egg whites, eat the yolks.  What’s so funny about this is I’m actually a vegan.  Yes it’s true I am a vegan and I must share with you I love being a vegan.  I thought it was important however, to discuss eggs with you because I have in fact recently incorporated them back into my daily diet.  I have been a vegan for quite some time and I must share with you I am quite adept at organizing my meals in such a way so that I get all that I need and do not have to take supplements.

If you know me personally than you know that I often talk about what it takes to achieve a healthy glow on your face.  How we eat, what we eat and how much we exercise directly relates to how our hair, skin and nails look.  So take it from a vegan, I decided organic eggs needed to once again be part of my life.  This is just personal opinion mind you, I probably am offending all the vegans out there, but I just gotta tell you my hair and skin appeared to miss eggs.  There is simply no better way to get biotin than from an egg yolk.

I adore my oatmeal for breakfast but I gotta tell you within a few minutes of waking I immediately have my eggs, and yes I am sorry if I am offending some of the vegans out there.  Take it from a gal that loves being a vegan, eggs really do a body good.  Please oh please make sure the eggs are organic though and for goodness sake stop wasting your time on the egg whites.  In fact, do you want to know what egg whites are good for…?  Separate the egg whites from the yolk, use a small paint brush to brush them on your skin, let it dry and rinse with warm water.  This makes a great, natural face mask.  What to do with the egg yolk…?  Mix with a little mayonnaise and put it in your hair of course.  This will make a great, natural hair mask.

Right or wrong, I simply had to share my personal opinion regarding eggs with you.  So put your fears aside and take it from me, eggs are not the scary food that you thought they might be.

Here’s a tip my friends, keep hard boiled eggs in the refrigerator and eat them with a piece of fruit for a great snack in the middle of the day.

Guys and Gals, Say Bye-Bye to Wrinkles

Allow me to share a secret with you.  And this is for men and women alike.  It is not what you put on your skin but the method by which you apply it.  Let me say that again, with all due respect to the cosmetic industry, it really does not matter much what you apply but how you apply it to your skin.

In the US $40 billion is spent annually on cosmetics.  Around the world $1.5 billion is spent on botox.  What do these numbers say to us?  Well, it demonstrates to me how desperate we are to rid ourselves of wrinkles.  I know this is surprising to some but you need not spend enormous amounts of money.  I’m going to give you a very simple trick that I personally use every day of my life without fail.  Are you ready?  Now, men I think you should follow this regimen as well as women.  Why should you not greet the day with great supple skin as well?

Just follow these basic simple steps:

• Immediately upon waking I rinse my face with cool water, I barely dab at it with a towel and then I immediately add moisturizer.
• I always drink warm water with the juice of one lemon.  I happen to think that lemons do great things for the skin (sometimes I use lemons as a tonic for my skin).
• I jump into the shower (well, perhaps I step into it).  In the shower I always use an exfoliate on my skin (now listen, it does not have to be an expensive exfoliate; most of the time mine are home made, a little honey and sugar works great).
• Please pay careful attention here, this is the most important step I will share with you and this is where you bid adieu to wrinkles.  When you are done with your shower, do not towel dry completely and that goes for your whole body; but most especially your face.  While your face is still wet apply your moisturizer.  Then of course apply lotion to your whole body.  Wait a few moments, begin the process of getting dressed, come back and apply more moisturizer to your face.  Continue to get dressed, come back and apply more moisturizer to your face.  You will do this three or four, maybe even five times.  You will apply so much moisturizer that you will than take a white face cloth and dab at your face.  Then rub your face very softly to ensure that the moisturizer has set in.
• Guys, at this point you should be ready to walk out the door; and gals, at this point you are ready to apply your makeup.  But here’s another tip; if you follow this process you should really need very little makeup.

I know this seems like quite a lengthy process, but it isn’t!  It takes me all of five or 10 minutes.  But I guarantee it will take years off of your face.  I am often asked about the products that I use on my skin so I thought it was important to share this little secret with you.  Additionally I must tell you so many creams and moisturizers promise hydration.  Hydration is not to be placed on your skin, it must come from within.  That means hydrate your skin by drinking lots of H2O and eating the right beauty foods.

There you have it my friends, from 20 to 90 you can say good riddance to wrinkles and hello to a healthy glow!

Top 10 Ways to Look Younger!

Studio V Health’s Top 10 Ways to Look Younger…

1. Have faith!  Leave your worrying and anxiety to God.  Anxiety causes wrinkles and a sad expression.
2. Smile as much as possible.  Do not worry about the wrinkles around the mouth.
3. If at all possible, try out some bangs.  Bangs always make women look younger.
4. Never, never, never wear pantyhose.  You have 2 options… Bare legs if you can stand it or with very short skirts, make sure you wear tights.
5. Platinum hair is very difficult on women over 40.  It is hard to pull off and tends to make women look older.  Therefore, a softer, medium blonde is a better choice.
6. The darker the lipstick, the older we look.  Women over 40 should always opt for paler lipsticks in whatever shade or color they prefer.
7. Wear very high heels whenever possible.  They will make you look younger and leaner.
8. Make sure eyebrows are never too thin.  Thin eyebrows are a sure way to make you look older.
9. Try to match your lip liner as close to your lipstick as possible.  Dark lip liners make us look older and are just plain ugly.
10. Drink as much water as possible and remember to eat Omega-3s such as salmon, walnuts, and flax seed.  Water and these foods will promote a healthy glow and a healthy glow always makes you look more youthful.

Above are some of our favorite items for the youthful list.  I would love to hear what everyone thinks.  Please comment below if you have any great points to add and perhaps we will make a new list together.  Please don’t take this list too seriously – it is intended to help, not offend anyone.  So take away what works for you and forget the rest.

Do Moisturizers Need to be Expensive?

Since recently I have blogged about cleansing your skin in the morning and the importance of toning.  I thought I should continue in the same vein and at least make some time to blog about moisturizing your face.  Now here’s an important tip…you really do not have to spend a ton of money on your moisturizer as long as you know what you’re looking for.  What are  you looking for?  Well, you can pick up a great moisturizer at your local drugstore as long as it contains:

• Lipids (ceramides, cerebrosides or sphingo lipids)
• Essential Fatty Acids (sunflower oil, grapeseed oil and primrose oil)
• Sunscreen

Now I should be frank with you, my moisturizer does not contain sunscreen however keep in mind that the sun is your face’s number one enemy, it causes wrinkles and discoloration.  Therefore although my moisturizer does not contain sunscreen, I am very cognizant to always wear large sunglasses and a hat in the sun.  If I am not wearing a hat I will certainly wear sunscreen.

Back to the moisturizer, so we’ve already discussed the fact that it need not be expensive.  Here’s something else that will help, some of the most expensive moisturizers contain vitamins A, C or E.  But just because they contain them doesn’t mean they contain a whole lot.  So if you must, buy your own good quality vitamins, break open the capsules and squeeze out the ingredients  into your moisturizer.

Now, the most important point I have to share with regards to moisturizer is how you apply it.  Please oh please when applying moisturizer to your face, and in fact all over your body, make sure your skin is damp.  Damp skin will create a thin film to trap moisture and your moisturizer will be far more effective for your skin.  I should however caution you, I do sometimes use olive oil all over my body when it is damp and I have been known to slip on the bathroom floor.  So be sure to  be cautious or you may end up with bumps on your head.  So if you decide to sometimes use olive oil, be as cautious as I have learned to be so you do not end up with bumps on your head.