BellaSugar

Why You'll Go Cuckoo For Coconuts

Jaime Richards — Fri, 13 Jan 2012 04:01:47 PST

Every day we're scouring the web for the top beauty tips, and Twitter is just brimming with them. Take a recent tidbit from celebrity nutritionist Kimberly Snyder, who is known to her holistic approach to beauty. When asked by a follower her recommendation for a natural body lotion choice, Snyder replied, "Try coconut oil! Use a bit at a time to let it absorb." Great advice; not only does coconut oil hydrate the skin, but it contains antioxidants to block out free radicals, and it also has lauric acid, a natural antimicrobial. There's nothing nuts about that.

Coconut Butter Smells Good, Is Cheap, Moisturizes

Annie Tomlin — Mon, 21 Feb 2011 06:00:18 PST

For the past month, my roommate has been doing the Clean detox program. This means our apartment is filled with things like maca smoothies and flax tea, which aren't my thing. However, I can 100 percent get behind her use of coconut butter (or coconut oil) as a body moisturizer. It costs about $10 at health food stores, and it's solid until heated. Apply it to skin and it melts, leaving skin smooth and softly scented. You'll need to let it absorb before getting dressed, but if you have seriously dry skin and want to go the natural route, it's worth a try.

You'll Go Cuckoo For Coconut-Scented Products

BellaSugar — Mon, 19 Jul 2010 08:00:54 PDT

Thanks to the wonderfully warm weather we've been having as of late, I have coconut on the mind. The sweet and creamy scent, which conjures up thoughts of lounging at the beach with piña colada in hand, can be found in products ranging from lip balms to shampoos. So, in spirit of this gorgeous season, I've gathered together a few coconut-scented goods. Are you cuckoo for coconut, too?

Coconut Deodorant Powder - $7.95	Boots Hawaiian Islands Coconut & Hibiscus Body Butter - Sold Out
Coconut Scented Lip Balm/0.5 oz. - $9.00	Suave Naturals Conditioner Tropical Coconut - Sold Out
Suave Naturals Shampoo Tropical Coconut - Sold Out	by Coconut Shampoo - $8.99
by Coconut Conditioner - $8.99	LAVANILA Vanilla Coconut Roller-Ball - $19.00
Love & Toast - Honey Coconut Little Luxe Eau de Parfum - 1 ea - $9.00	Laura Mercier Almond Coconut Eau de Toilette, 1.7 oz. - Sold Out
Lucy B. - Tiare Coconut - Eau de Parfum - 98.8 ml - $48.00	Demeter Food Fragrances - Sold Out
ChapStick 100% Naturals Lip Balm Botanical Medley - Sold Out	Oils Of Aloha Lip Therapy - Coconut - Sold Out
by Coconut Soap - $5.50	by Coconut Shower Gel - $9.49
by Coconut Sugar Bubble Bath - $24.20	Malie Organics Liquid Hand Soap, Coconut Vanilla - Sold Out
Burt's Bees Coconut Foot Creme Coconut - Sold Out	Coconut Soap - Sold Out
by Coconut Hand & Body Lotion - $8.99	Tree Hut Coconut Lime Body Wash - Sold Out
Balm Balm - Super Light Coconut Cleanser - 100 ml - $15.00	Coconut Lip Butter - Sold Out
Laura Mercier Almond Coconut Milk Scrub - Sold Out	Hawaiian Tropic After Sun Body Butter - Exotic Coconut - Sold Out

More Ulta...

Definition: Coconut Oil

BellaSugar — Fri, 27 Mar 2009 09:00:42 PDT

Coconut, besides being a tasty ingredient that goes in everything to fruity libations to decadent desserts, to Indian curries, is a tropical oil that has many uses - particularly when it comes to beauty.

Coconut oil is an emollient that helps the skin feel smooth and soft. The sweet-smelling oil is extracted from the meat of a coconut, and even contains antibacterial, antifungal, and antiviral properties, which makes it an excellent odor-masker. It's also used for giving hair body and shine. High in antioxidants, coconut oil also helps protect the skin against free radicals. Oh, and it's got a great shelf life, too.

Interested in putting a little coconut in your life? Here are some suggestions: Lush Coconut Deodorant Powder ($7.65); LaLicious Coconut Body Oil ($24); and Emerald Laboratories Organic Virgin Coconut Oil Softgels ($12).

A Little About Coconut Oil

FitSugar — Fri, 11 Apr 2008 11:30:00 PDT

While I feel that coconut water may be nature's sports drink, I have always been a bit wary of the claims people make about coconut oil. I was happy to read a nutritional explanation of the oil from a source I can trust – Lance's Armstrong's trainer Chris Carmichael. Well, not his trainer exactly, but a nutritionist on Carmichael's team.

The article has lots of great information on coconut oil and here are highlights:

Coconut oil has relatively high smoke point of 400°F, this makes it stable and ideal for many commercial kitchens and bakeries.
It has a long shelf life, which is why many food manufacturers are switching to coconut oil to avoid using hydrogenated oils – aka trans fats.
It is 90 percent saturated fat, and in case you forgot, that is the "bad" fat. But 60 percent of those fats are a form of lauric acid, which is more effectively metabolized than other kinds of fats. This translates into less stored fat. Read this article for a more scientific explanation of this aspect of coconut oil.
Fats, no matter the type, are not metabolized before carbs, and this oil should not be considered a good fuel for exercise. Unless you are training for super-distance events like ultra marathons (or training sessions over 5 hours).
The high percentage of artery-clogging saturated fats in coconut oil should not be taken lightly. For comparison, olive oil contain 13 percent saturated fats and canola oil only 7 percent.

All in all, coconut oil doesn't really make the grade. Stick with oils like olive, canola, and grape seed, while the lauric acid content is not as high, they are nutritionally sound. Good to know!

Source

Coconut Oil: The Secret To Model-Like Hair and Skin?

BellaSugar — Wed, 19 Sep 2007 09:00:40 PDT

Ford Models has been uploading videos of its models to the Web, and I get such a kick out of seeing what the models have to say. I'll be honest: Some of them have that (unintentional?) I'm-so-beautiful thing going on, and the last thing I need is to see a bikini model prancing around in a fitting room. With that said, though, some of the videos are really fun. This one features Shana, a Costa Rican model who incorporates coconut oil into her beauty routine. Check it out:

Of course, having genetic gifts doesn't hurt, either...

A Reader Recipe: Gluten-Free Vegan Chocolate Chip Cookie Cake

Fit Community — Tue, 14 Feb 2012 01:27:50 PST

If you've got a cookie craving, you're in luck: FitSugar readers Pure2raw recently shared this gluten-free chocolate chip cookie cake with us in our Healthy Recipe group.

Everyone loves cookie cake, right? We have a chocolate chip cookie cake that is not only gluten-free but egg- and dairy-free, too. It is full of flavor with a great soft, cakelike texture. Plus the three-ingredient coconut frosting is too good not to try.

Get the recipe after the break!

A Reader Recipe: Chunky Cherry-Chocolate Granola Bites

Fit Community — Fri, 10 Feb 2012 01:28:09 PST

FitSugar reader JuicyNoelle came up with this special cookie for Valentine's Day; she posted the recipe in our Healthy Recipe group.

Tied with a festive pink ribbon and a little love, I’m hoping these cookies will be perfect for Valentine's Day. The whole-grain oats, nuts, and cherries in these cookies add heartiness, while the melted dark-chocolate chunks deliver bursts of richness. The chia seeds pack a nutty punch, and they are rich in fiber and omega-3s, too - perfect for supporting vibrant hair and skin during these cold weeks of February.

Learn more about the recipe after the break!

How to Make Your Favorite Snacks Healthier

Leta Shy — Wed, 08 Feb 2012 13:34:32 PST

When you're craving a salty, crunchy snack, there are many to choose from - but they're not always healthy. Here's how to make your favorite snacks that much better for you with just a few tweaks.

Popcorn: It's one of the lower-calorie snacks to choose from already, but watch out for toppings - that's where you can get carried away with fat and calories if you're not careful (just look at movie theater popcorn). Air-popped popcorn has the fewest calories - 31 calories per cup - but even using a little bit of oil will only add about 14 calories. Keep calories low by skipping the butter and salt, not to mention the prepackaged popcorn. Instead, use healthier popcorn toppings like extra virgin coconut oil, Indian spices, or "cheesy" nutritional yeast. Read more healthy popcorn topping ideas here.

Nuts: A handful of nuts can keep you satisfied and energized far longer than a carb-filled snack, and not only that, the unsaturated fats in them do you good. But if you want to get the most benefit out of the healthy fats of certain nuts (like walnuts), don't roast them, since their antioxidants may be damaged when baked at a high temperature, as most commercial nuts are. If you don't like the taste of raw nuts, roast your own at 165° Fahrenheit for 15 to 20 minutes.

Read on for ways to healthify more of your favorite snacks.

Molly Sims's Approach to Preventing Stretch Marks Is Internal

LilSugar — Tue, 31 Jan 2012 13:04:22 PST

While your odds of developing stretch marks during pregnancy are (for the most part) left to fate outside of your control, Molly Sims is following a diet rich in good-for-you fatty acids to improve her odds of avoiding them. Molly is a follower of Lori Bregman's Rooted For Life program, a holistic approach to pregnancy and motherhood. Today on her blog, the 4-month pregnant mama-to-be shared some of her menu highlights, which include:

Fish, olive, coconut, canola, hempseed, and flaxseed oils
Hemp, flax, sesame, sunflower, and pumpkin seeds
Almond and nut butters
Salmon and cod
Avocados
Split peas
Lentils
Collard Greens

Other celeb moms who have shared their secrets to avoiding the dreaded stretch marks include Ali Landry, who's a devoted user of (and spokesperson for) Palmer's Cocoa Butter, and Victoria Beckham, who favored the pricey Elemis Japanese Camellia Oil last year.

Do you think that stretch marks are best treated from the inside or out? Do you have any other great tips and tricks for avoiding the battle scars of pregnancy?