BellaSugar

Succulent Strawberry Scrubs

BellaSugar — Mon, 28 Jan 2008 10:01:12 PST

Having these grainy and sweet body scrubs in the bath and shower is just asking for trouble. After just one whiff, I'll never want to get out. For those of you who want to take a break from the doldrums of January and indulge in a summertime treat, here are three succulent scrubs that'll do the trick. And hey, if you have any Winter strawberries in your fridge that you can't bear to waste, try making this strawberry scrub at home.

Fresh Sugar Face Polish ($55) is one of those oldies but goodies that you can never say too many great things about. It's made with ground-up wild strawberries and brown sugar, so it's deep cleaning and exfoliating. One of my friends swears by this stuff, and considering the fact that her skin is always soft and clear, it's enough for me.

This Fresh Ripe Wild Strawberry Scrub from Peter Thomas Roth ($35) is more for the body than for the face. It's a sweet-smelling scrub that uses strawberry seeds as exfoliating grains. Not only does it deep clean, it also sloughs away rough, dead skin.

100% Pure Strawberry Butter Body Scrub ($22) is an all-natural, rich, and thick body scrub infused with coconut oil and shea butter to help condition while exfoliating. It also contains antioxidants to help brighten and protect skin. I can't think of a yummier way to scrub-a-dub in the tub.

The First Must-Haves of 2008

BellaSugar — Thu, 03 Jan 2008 13:00:39 PST

The post-holiday doldrums of January can be rough, cold, and not so pretty. That doesn't have to be the case with your beauty routine, though. This month, it's all about hydration: drinking enough water, moisturizing your skin, and avoiding drying products. I've found six items to help you do just that and more.

For a rundown of each product, just

read more. I'm really excited to try Stila Eye Shadow Duos ($20), which officially launch in February but are available to Sephora Beauty Insiders now. This is the first time that Stila has offered two colors in one pan, and the reformulated shadows are supposed to be smoother than ever. During winter, look for a body moisturizer with shea butter in it; this will help seal in the moisture of your skin. 100% Pure body butter ($18) looks deceptively small in its packaging, but a jar of this highly-concentrated stuff lasts forever. I've tried the blood orange variety, which has a light citrus scent. Plus, it's free of parabens and chemicals, so it's an eco-friendly vegan treat. Clinique has just launched a line called Clinique Redness Solutions ($16.50–$39). It's meant to help skin with rosacea, but the gentle formula should help anybody who deals with a ruddy complexion. Alterna Caviar mask ($40) is an anti-aging hair mask, but I find that it treats my young hair quite nice. Again, this is a highly concentrated conditioning product, so a little goes a long way. I use it every couple of weeks, and it definitely makes my hair softer and seemingly thicker-without leaving a gross residue. In my quest for reasonably priced tinted lip balms, I came across some by Roxie ($6.50). The vegan formulas use shea butter, cocoa butter, and mineral pigments to keep lips from chapping. Pomegranate, the ruby-tinged shade you see here, has great color, no? Finally, although you shouldn't, like, live in the bathtub during the winter, a little soak can't hurt too much. I've always loved Claus Porto bath products because of their packaging, and this Ilyria duo of bath salts ($8) is no exception. It smells of honeysuckle, a decidedly non-wintry scent, but it's this time of year when we need flowers most.

New Product Alert: 100% Pure Organic Pomegranate Antioxidant Hydration

BellaSugar — Tue, 19 Jun 2007 15:48:29 PDT

I love it when ingredient lists have recognizable words, because then you know exactly what you're putting on your skin. 100% Pure is one company whose formulas are 100% easy to understand. The all-vegan, organic line uses fresh fruits and extracts to create natural, highly concentrated products for your body.

The latest addition to the collection is Organic Pomegranate Antioxidant Hydration ($26), a lightweight moisturizer with SPF 15. Here's what's inside:

Organic white tea, organic pomegranate oil, vitamin E, chamomile and lavender wax, extracts of rosemary, oregano, thyme, grapefruit seed, golden seal and cinnamon.

Pretty simple stuff, right? There's nothing there that would give me pause, though I'd still probably use an additional sunscreen if I were going to be in the sun. What about you-do you have faith in all-natural products, or are you more likely to go for a clinically tested product that has chemicals in it?

A Doctor Dishes: Which "Superfoods" Are Worth the Cost?

LearnVest — Fri, 10 Feb 2012 00:15:00 PST

We're thrilled to present this smart LearnVest story here on Savvy!

Most people you speak to these days are trying to stretch every dollar as far as possible - even the ones they spend buying apples and oranges.

Food prices are expected to increase yet again this year, and food manufacturers are making portions smaller without reducing prices. Not surprisingly, a recent Rasmussen poll found that 93 percent of adults report paying more for groceries now than they did a year ago.

So how can we supercharge our grocery dollars and get them to do overtime for us?

Yes, some foods are obviously a better nutritional deal than others (think apples vs. potato chips), but there’s another class of foods that blows the rest of the field away in terms of nutrients and health-protecting qualities: superfoods.

Superfoods can help prevent diabetes and heart disease, repair damage to your body’s cells, and more. But before you go piling them into your cart, know that some superfoods are better nutritional bargains than others. As a doctor and a mom, I’ve sleuthed out which ones are worth the extra cost in terms of their long-term health benefits. Below is the scoop on which ones may help you age better, ward off cancer, and more.

What to Know Before Buying Superfoods

Before we dive into what to buy, there are a few important things to remember about consuming these foods:

Eating foods fresh and in their natural state, especially fruits and vegetables (rather than in pill or powder supplement form), usually allows us to absorb the greatest amount of their nutrients. The way a superfood is processed or cooked can significantly lower its antioxidant content.
If the superfood can’t be eaten fresh, look for easy and appetizing recipes containing it. No matter how “super” a superfood may be, if you don’t know how to cook it, you’ll probably let it go to waste.

Are Superfoods "Good Buys" If I’m Shopping on a Budget?

Read on to find out.

5 Easy Ways to Eat More Fruit

Jenny Sugar — Mon, 06 Feb 2012 00:57:13 PST

Luscious, juicy, sweet-as-candy fruit is one of the healthiest foods you can eat. It's full of vitamins, fiber to keep you full, water to keep you hydrated, and the natural sugars make it a healthier alternative to sugary treats. You should aim to eat three to six servings of fruit each day, but if that seems like a lot, here are some ways to sneak fruit into your diet.

Add fruit slices to sandwiches. Sliced pear, apple, and watermelon add a unique texture and unexpected flavor to run-of-the-mill sammies.
Mix pureed fruit into plain yogurt. When comparing six-ounce containers of Greek yogurt, plain offers 18 grams of protein for 100 calories, and strawberry is 140 calories with 14 grams of protein. Instead of buying the premade flavors, make your own by adding pureed fruit to plain yogurt. You'll save money, avoid added sugars, and be able to customize the flavor to wow your taste buds with distinct combos like blackberry peach or strawberry pear.
Add fruit to baked goods. We've all made banana bread, but that's not the only fruit-based treat you can whip up. Lower the fat in just about any recipe by replacing oil with applesauce, or get creative with muffin recipes by adding diced strawberries, or mix bits of dried apricots into cookie dough.
Cut up fruit and store it in the fridge. It takes effort to wash and cut fruit, enough to make you reach for something easier (and less healthy) instead. Make fruit as accessible as a bag of chips by storing cut up fruit in containers in the fridge.
Eat fruit for dessert. Save calories and skip the refined sugars by enjoying nature's dessert. Here are ways to make fruit even more decadent and enticing - the almond butter and granola filled dates are one of my faves.

15 High-Iron Foods Under 100 Calories

Jenny Sugar — Thu, 01 Dec 2011 12:07:05 PST

Too tired to hit the gym? You may not be getting enough iron in your diet. Healthy adult women need 18 milligrams a day (if you're prego, up that amount to 27 mg). If your diet doesn't offer the appropriate amount, fatigue will impair your ability to do physical work (like exercise). Iron also helps carry oxygen from our lungs to the rest of our body, helps muscles store and use oxygen, and is even found in the enzymes needed to digest food. An iron deficiency may also make you feel cold, as well as exhausted, and weaken your immune system, making you more likely to get sick.

Avoid iron issues by making sure you get enough from your diet. Here are 15 high sources of iron that won't break the calorie bank.

15. Half a hamburger patty: 1.1 mg iron, 89 calories
14. 3 ounces turkey: 1.2 mg, 87 calories
13. 1/3 cup kidney beans: 1.3 mg, 75 calories
12. 1/3 cup edamame: 1.5 mg, 85 calories
11. 1/3 cup white beans: 1.7 mg, 85 calories

Continue reading to see 10 more low-calorie foods with even higher levels of iron.

Pure Green Magazine Launches Print Subscriptions!

CasaSugar — Fri, 04 Nov 2011 04:00:04 PDT

There's something about being able to flip through the pages of a favorite magazine, especially when it has the feel of a coffee table worthy design book. At the end of November, Pure Green magazine is extending this simple pleasure to readers with a beautifully bound, glossy, print edition!

Keep reading for all of the details on Pure Green magazine's switch to print format.

5 Ways to a Healthier Bowl of Yogurt

Jenny Sugar — Wed, 19 Oct 2011 02:19:29 PDT

If yogurt is your go-to breakfast, you get a thumbs-up for choosing a food that's so high in protein and calcium. Aside from adding the usual half cup of fresh fruit, here are five ways you can make that bowl of yogurt even more nutritious.

Go Greek: A six-ounce container of nonfat vanilla yogurt contains seven grams of protein. But choosing Greek yogurt will give you more than twice the amount of protein - 16 grams! If you're not used to eating Greek yogurt, the consistency is a lot thicker than regular yogurt so it might take some getting used to, but it's well worth it.
Add milk: If you don't like the thick consistency of yogurt, stir in half a cup of cold skim milk. It will add 4.4 grams of protein, 158 mg of calcium, and 210 mg of potassium.
DIY flavors: When comparing Greek yogurt, plain offers 18 grams of protein for 100 calories, and strawberry is 140 calories with 14 grams of protein. So instead of buying the premade flavors, make your own. Buy a big container of plain yogurt and puree fruit in your food processor such as frozen blueberries or raspberries, or fresh pears or bananas. You can even throw in a few spinach leaves. Pour the puree in ice cube trays or baby food containers (like the Baby Cubes shown in the photo), and when you're ready for breakfast, take one out of the freezer to let thaw and add that to your bowl of plain yogurt. It'll not only keep the protein level high, it'll also add fiber with less sugar. And bonus - you'll not only save money making your own flavored yogurts, but you can come up with unique combinations that aren't even available such as blackberry peach or strawberry pear.

Read on for more ways to serve up a healthier bowl of yogurt.

How to Choose the Best Dairy-Free Milk For You

Jenny Sugar — Sat, 01 Oct 2011 02:35:27 PDT

Whether you're avoiding cow's milk for health or moral reasons, there are tons of dairy-free beverages to pour over your bowl of cereal. Not sure which is the best choice? Check out the chart to see how milk alternatives compare to skim milk, and then read the explanations below to see why you might want to choose one over the other.

We put skim milk on the top of the chart to help make the comparisons between dairy and nondairy milks.

Serving Size = 1 cup	Calories	Total Fat (g)	Sat Fat (g)	Carbs (g)	Protein (g)	Calcium (%)
Organic Valley Skim Milk	90	0	0	12	8	30
Pacific Almond Milk, original	60	2.5	0	8	1	0
Pacific Almond Milk, vanilla	70	2.5	0	11	1	0
Silk Pure Coconut Milk, original	80	5	5	7	1	45
Silk Pure Coconut Milk, vanilla	90	5	5	10	1	45
Hazelnut Milk, original	110	3.5	0	18	2	30

Keep on reading to see how much protein is in hemp, oat, and soy milk.

Investing Lessons For Generation Y

Kiplinger — Mon, 29 Aug 2011 11:02:00 PDT

We're thrilled to present this smart Kiplinger story here on Savvy!

The recent market twisters may have you scrambling for shelter for your portfolio. According to online brokerage Betterment.com, during the market mayhem of early August, investors under age 35 were one-third more likely than older investors to move from stocks to bonds.

During the week of August 8, the first trading days following the downgrade of U.S. debt by rating agency Standard & Poor’s, the Dow Jones industrial average nauseated all onlookers - diving as much as 635 points, or 5.6%, on Monday, only to climb by as much as 430 points, or 4.0%, the next day.

But none of this is reason to panic - especially for young investors like us.

Our youth not only affords us fewer wrinkles and faster metabolisms, it also allows us a higher risk tolerance for investments. “When you’re young, if there’s a major market setback, you still have time to hit your wealth targets,” says Dr. Walt Woerheide, PhD, CFP, ChFC, professor of investments at The American College, a non-profit school for financial services professionals.

Also, we’ll need stocks’ potential rate of return to try to beat inflation over the long term, says Kimberly Foss, a financial planner and founder of Empyrion Wealth Management, in Roseville, Cal. She likens the situation to trying to go up a down escalator: “If you just go on, you’ll go backward; if you walk up at a mild pace, you’re not going to make your goal,” she says. “You need [stocks’] rapid pace, which is higher than inflation, to make your goal.”

Here are answers to some questions you may have about the market mayhem - and some sound lessons you can take away from the madness to get ahead in the long run:

What should I be doing with my portfolio now?

The short answer: not much. As shown by the aforementioned day-to-day Dow movements, knee-jerk reactions to current events are generally futile - and often counterproductive for your portfolio. Young investors who traded stocks for bonds as the market dove lost out when it bounced right back. Your best bet is always to stick with your long-term investing plan.

Read on to learn more about investing.