Skincare Favourites: Cactus Skincare

My philosophy when it comes to skincare: KEEP IT SIMPLE!!

My bathroom set up - this is all I use!

I see all these people online using 20+ skin care items. To be honest, I don't have the time to spend 30 minutes on my skincare morning and night, but ingredients and quality are very important to me. Last year, I stumbled on Cactus Skincare through a youtube video. I checked out the brand and saw that they have an amazing sample service! I wish every brand offered this!! On www.cactusskincare.com/samples you can get a week's worth of samples for only $5 (AUD). That's a joke. Seriously!! So, I went ahead and tried the samples and I absolutely LOVED them! Everything smells amazing, is very gentle and made my skin glow. 

Since then I have purchased the combination skin bundle (http://cactusskincare.com/collections/bundle-packs/products/combination-skin-bundle-pack) and the Gentle Exfoliant (http://cactusskincare.com/collections/products/products/gentle-exfoliant). 

On to the products: 

cactuskincare.com

The combination skin bundle includes

1x Lemon Myrtle Cleanser

1x Light Balancing Creme

1x White Clay Mask

1x Nature's Anti-Oxidant Creme

Let's break it down:

Lemon Myrtle Cleanser - This cleanser, while great, is my least favourite product of my Cactus Skincare range. It doesn't remove make up, not even slightly, and it leaves a bit of a film on my skin. That said, it is gentle and great for sensitive skin. It doesn't strip my combination skin, but doesn't clog my pores either. While I do like it, it's not worth ordering all the way from Australia for me. I've tried cleansers that have worked just as well and are easier to get a hold of. 

Light Balancing Creme - First of all, I am in love with the citrusy scent of this creme, but I particularly enjoy that it is light and hydrating at the same time. I have used all of the products for almost two months now and this creme has balanced my skin out from combination to normal. I don't get any dry patches but not oily in my t-zone throughout the day, either!

White Clay Mask - This is a great purifying mask for all skin types. It is gentle but efficient and leaves my skin feeling silky and smooth. Before I tried the samples, I was doubtful that this mask would be for me, as I find clay masks usually very drying. This does not dry me out at all, but it cleans my skin thoroughly!

Nature's Anti-Oxidant Creme - The Nature's Anti-Oxidant Creme is my hero product of this whole range. It is literaly magic in a pot. I apply this at night, or when I need an extra kick of moisture during the day. It sinks in right away but is extremely moisturizing. Best of all, it acts as a skin healer. Whenever I have a break out, I apply this creme and it calms it down instantly! Applying this at night, I wake up in the morning with even, smooth and calm skin. This deserves my holy-grail award of skin care!!

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Apart from this combination skin bundle, I also purchased the Gentle Exfoliant. As the name suggests, it is extremely gentle and I prefer to use it before applying the White Clay Mask. It preps my skin for perfect absorption of the mask, but doesn't irritate it at all. Depending on how abrasive you like your scrub, you might not be a fan of this. It is extremely gentle, and almost acts more as a face massage than a scrub. I am a huge fan! I do not believe in scrubbing away at my skin layers, but I also have pores that clog easily. This gives me enough of a scrub to clean our my pores (gross!) but is still gentle enough not to irritate my skin.

Gentle Exfoliant - cactusskincare.com

If you have a look at the ingredient list of every product in the Cactus Skincare range, you will notice that they only use natural and high quality ingredients. These products are worth every penny, and on top of that, you get amazing customer service as well. No automated or mass emails, you can talk directly to Ryan and Deborah and ask them questions, approach them with your concerns and get their help and support in everything to do with skin. They give you instructions on how to use the products and depending on your skin type, you get a personalized skincare schedule as well. Every time I have ordered from their website or been in contact with them, I have received immediate replies and have always felt very well taken care of. 

If you are still looking for good, high-quality, natural skincare products that actually work, check out cactuskincare.com!

Cookbook Spotlight: Vegan For Fun by Attila Hildmann

"Attila Hildmann is the star of vegan cuisine and the most well-known vegan cook in Europe. The aspiring physicist and fitness fan has demonstrated to millions of people on numerous TV shows that cooking without animal products is not only healthy, but most importantly, also really delicious. His cookbooks have consistently been Number 1 on the bestseller lists in Germany, which is the second largest book market in the world. They have sparked a megatrend that led to many of the products that are called for in the book being sold out for weeks. Attila is even able to easily conjure up hearty flavors like those you are familiar with from meat. And his recipes are often incredibly simple.

Many of the recipes work well as snacks or for the office, and they'll add healthy variety to your diet. After trying recipes like vegan burgers, spaghetti carbonara, cashew ice cream, pralines, and tasty smoothies, people with a normal diet will soon become fans of healthy foods that don't contain cholesterol, hormones, antibiotics, flavor enhancers, or other additives. With his non-dogmatic views, Attila Hildmann represents a new generation of people who want to eat healthy foods that are free of factory farming and products manipulated by the food industry. He believes that everyone who eats vegan one or two days a week or has one vegan meal a day will experience significant health benefits and a greater quality of life.The best example of the healthy benefits of a vegan diet is Attila Hildmann himself. He went from being a significantly overweight young man, who as he today says lacked motivation, to a model athlete full of energy within just a few years."

When I first started adding more plant-based foods to my diet, I explored the world of vegan cuisine with my first vegan cookbook, Attila Hildmann's Vegan For Fun. I received this as a birthday present and while I probably never would have picked it up myself, I'm really happy I received it as a gift. It can be inspiring, especially if you are struggling to make a change and need to feel connected through personal stories to find the motivation. 

Vegan For Fun starts out with the author's health journey, how he discovered veganism and the tips and tricks he picked up along the way. I almost want to say that this was the most informative and helpful part of this book for me. It brings home the point that food is fun and experimenting can be a very rewarding experience. 

The recipes in this cookbook are all fairly easy to accomplish. You should have a basic understanding of cooking, but there is no advanced knowledge necessary. Attila Hildmann also gives tips and ideas to substitute certain ingredients in every recipe. 

In my opinion, Vegan For Fun is great if you are looking for recipes to entertain friends and family, especially if they are not vegan/vegetarian. Dishes like Tofubolognese, Tex-Mex Burger, Baked Potatoes, Pizza, Crêpes or Tofunuggets are great if you have friends over or are cooking for a crowd or dinner party. They all mimic dishes that normally include animal based products or ingredients and taste very similar to the original. This is great if you have a favourite dish you really miss on your vegan diet and want to find a vegan alternative without giving up flavour and texture. One of my all-time favourite dishes is spaghetti bolognese. The tofu version in this cookbook is just as good, if not better, than the original, and I've made it numerous times!

One thing I was not happy about is that many of the recipes have tofu or are tofu based. I, personally, don't digest tofu very well and only have it in small quantities and very rarely. Most of the recipes are not something I would cook on a regular basis. However, if you are looking for original recipes and want to convince a non-vegan crowd that plant-based food can be really delicious, you should give Vegan For Fun a try!

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Favourite recipe: Spaghetti Tofubolognese, p.36
Price: $9.99 (9.99€) for the ebook, $25.82 (24.95€) for the hardcover
available at: AMAZON  B&N (only hardcover version)

Cheat Day?!

If you have a healthy, varied and nutritious diet, cheat days are unnecessary. Your diet shouldn't be so restricted that you need a cheat day at all!

I'm 3 weeks into my health journey and I'm feeling great. I shouldn't really say 3 weeks because I started making changes to my diet months ago, but nothing has been as effective as my current diet...and I use 'diet' very loosely because I'm not dieting. I eat a mostly vegan diet and only have fish or meat occasionally. My dairy intake is very low to non-existent, simply because it doesn't become me and I don't digest it very well. Especially milk makes my skin break out and causes bloating. (TMI??)

Anyway, I'm rambling again, one of my very favorite things to do in the world!

I read an article on popsugar.com today about the benefits of 'Cheat Days' to achieve a certain body goal, be it weight or health, or athletic ability. Having a cheat day can help you stay on track and stay focused in the long run. For some people that might work....for me, it never ever would.

Evidence #1

Last week, I bought a pack of Oreo cookies which are now vegan. I feel amazing with my new 'diet' and workout routine and thought I'd be able to have two cookies as a snack and leave it at that. My biggest problem is regulating my intake of sweets which is why I never have them in the house. Problem solved!

Let's just say, I wasn't strong enough to withstand the call of the Oreo. They are just too delicious, and even though I don't want to eat them, I've never been someone to stop at one cookie, that's why I'm here in the first place. Cookies are my kryptonyte, they get me every time which is why I never ever have them. Ever!! Back to the Oreos, well, there weren't any left after only 2 days. 'Nuff said!

I have gotten to know myself better these last few months and I know that I can't do Cheat Days. I go overboard and it is incredibly hard for me to get back to that focused and disciplined stage where I easily regulate what I eat without having to count calories or starving myself, but still being healthy and energetic. If you can't live without your favorite 'unhealthy' dish or snack, here is what I recommend:

1.) Keep it to one meal only - don't make a full day of it, but restrict yourself to one meal and have that meal outside of your house! Do not make the unhealthy snack or dish readily available in your home so you can go back for seconds. Go out to a restaurant and treat yourself with your favorite food, but don't have an unlimited amount lying around to binge on!

2.) Find an alternative! Since I can't do the cheat days because they'd turn into a cheat week, I try to find healthy alternatives for my favorite foods. I switched to dark chocolate for example. I know, it'll never taste as good as milk chocolate, be as creamy or sweet. It takes some getting used to, but I've really come to like it and it hits the spot when I really need it. I went from eating a piece every day, to a few times a week. Instead of ice cream, I blend together frozen banana and berries to make a home made fruit-based but very delicious and creamy ice cream alternative. It satisfies me and my craving without going for the real thing. 

My favorite brand of dark chocolate is actually from Aldi (plain 70% on the left, dark chocolate with almonds on the right)

Let me know your thoughts on Cheat Days, whether they are part of your routine or a no go. I'd love to know!

My Favorite Ways To Detox

I'm not a fan of juice cleanses, or any cleanses which only consist of liquid food for that matter. It's not that I don't think they're good, but I personally don't have the discipline to live off liquids for a certain amount of days. I prefer to gently detox through my every day diet. 

1. Water

One of the most basic and easily accessible ways of detoxing is drinking water. Drink a good amount of water, anywhere around 2 litres are enough for an average adult (remember you also consume water through your food). Chucking it down like nothing else is not the way to go. You want to stay hydrated throughout the day, but don't overdo it. The first thing I drink in the morning is a tall cold glass of water. It wakes me up, flushes my system, gets my digestion going and rids my body of toxins that have accumulated overnight.

2. Lemon

Again, so easy and obvious, but lemon is one of my favorite things in the world. I add it to my water, but also to my dinners. A spritz of lemon over any dish makes it taste that much better and it not only gives you a hit of vitamin C, but is also a great detox. Some people drink a glass of warm water with lemon every morning. I don't think the water necessarly has to be warm, I prefer cold water, but whatever feels good to you and your body is the right way to go. 

3. Juice

I'm talking about the green variety here, not the fruit juice. I honestly don't think much of fruit juices nutritionally. Taking the fiber out of fruit means that the fruit sugars get into your system that much faster and you miss out on all the benfits that fiber contains. I'd rather eat a piece of fruit than drink a glass of juice any day, but green juices are a great way to get your greens in and to detox your body. When I buy or make a green juice, I aways make sure that 90% of the juice is green. That means I add spinach, kale, celery, leek, romaine, arugula, carrots, beets or any other vegetable I have available and usually add in some lemon and 1 other fruit. Could be an apple, a pear, an orange or a banana. Whatever I have lying around, but only one component will be fruit and that's basically to make it taste good.

4. Tea

Yes, tea is such a great way to detox. There are specific detox teas, but green tea does the job! I love the green tea with peppermint from teapigs but any green tea will do. Find one that you actually like and don't just drink because of its many benefits. 

These are all things you've probably heard and read before and they are so obvious, but I wanted to show you that you don't have to spend tons of money on special teas or pills or 3-day cleanses. They can work great, yes, but there are easy and gentle ways to support your body's natural detox system without breaking the bank.

What I Ate Today: vegan edition + recipe

Just as a foreword, I'm not a vegan, nor am I a vegetarian. I eat meat occasionally but very rarely, and I'm trying to decrease my intake of animals products more and more. My aim is to make as many of my meals vegan as I possibly can. Some substitutes are really easy to make, and I've never been a big fan of dairy or eggs anyway. Regularly, I try not only to eat one vegan meal a day, but to have a complete vegan food day. Eating vegan just makes me feel good mentally and physically. My energy levels are much higher, I don't get tired after a meal or bloated, and my headaches have become less. On top of that, it is so much easier to keep my weight in check and I find I can eat more vegan food and feel satisfied and full, than if I were to eat a regular meal. At this point I don't think I'll ever be 100% vegan, but my aim is to consume more clean, plant-based foods and make them a priority in my diet.

Breakfast: 1 spelt flour roll with hummus and veggies + 1 cup of peppermint green tea

I had a very simple breakfast today, consisting of a bread roll which I picked up from my local bakery. It was done with spelt flour (lower gluten level than wheat), carrots and sunflower seeds. I put some hummus spiced with ginger and curry on both halfs and topped one with red bell pepper (my favourite), and the other with cucumber and a little bit of black pepper. Delicious!! 

As a beverage, I had one cup of peppermint green tea by teapigs, which is quite rare for me as I don't tend to drink something hot in the morning. I also had a glass of water right after I got up today.

Lunch: Chocolate Chia Seed Pudding with coconut and almonds + 1 banana

Around 1:30 pm, I was hungry again and had lunch. I'd prepared a chia seed pudding the day before as I knew I'd be in the mood for something chocolat-y. I can't go a day without some kind of chocolate and this is one of the healthiest ways to have it. Around 30 minutes after, I also had 1 banana and 1 tall glass of water.

If you're interested in the chocolate chia pudding, here's how I made it:

2 tbs of chia seeds

3/4 tbs of cocoa powder or to taste (make sure it's the baking kind, no added sugar)

120 ml light soya milk (or your milk of choice)

1 tsp of flaxseed (optional)

sweetener to taste (I used stevia)

toppings (optional): 

4 almonds

shredded coconut

Mix your chia seeds, flaxseed, cocoa powder and sweetener together and add 120 ml of milk (you can use more or less than 120ml depending on how thick you want your pudding to be). Stir until the cocoa is disolved and the chia seeds evenly distributed. I added 2 drops of essential orange oil, but I've also done it with peppermint oil or cinnamon before. The possibilities are endless! Refrigerate overnight, or for at least 2 hours. 

(Recommended: After 1 hour, I usually give it a stir as the chia seeds like to seperate from the liquid sometimes.)

Top with your favorite toppings. Today I used shredded coconut and almonds, but any type of nut works here. I often make this as a breakfast option as I can put everything together the night before and it's ready to eat in the morning. For breakfast, I make a larger portion and use more liquid, so it's runnier and top it with fresh fruit.

Snack: 1 serving on LantChips Original

As a snack between lunch and dinner I had one serving (25g) of Lant chips. I like the original kind which is lightly salted. These chips are organic and only have 3 ingredients: potatoes, sunflower seed oil and salt. You can actually taste the potatoe and they are slightly thicker than regular chips from the supermarket. I get these from my local organic grocery store, but I've heard they are also available from IKEA.

Dinner: Falafel with salad

I wasn't too hungry because the chia seed pudding was very filling, so I fried up 5 falafel in some coconut oil and made a salad to go along with it. The salad consisted of carrots, bell pepper, cucumber, mushrooms, greens including cabbage and a dressing of lemon and olive oil.

I hope you enjoyed my first 'What I Ate Today' post. If you want more of these, let me know.

 

My Top Five Uses For Coconut Oil

I use coconut oil for pretty much everything. There are other amazing oils out there that are worth checking out, but coconut oil tops them all for me and here's the reason why: it smells good. I know, sounds stupid, but the biggest problem I have with other oils, like olive or avocado, is that I don't like the smell of them. I still use them for cooking, but coconut oil is so special for me because I use it universally for pretty much everything.

Coconut oil from my local german drugstore (Alnatura)

1. cooking/baking

I love using coconut oil in my cooking. It has a high smoking point, so won't burn on you as quickly as other oils do. It's also great in certain recipes, as it solidifies when the temperature drops. That means it can sometimes act as a binding agent. There are so many amazing recipes with coconut oil that I will share with you soon, the list is never ending.

2. hair mask

I often use coconut oil as a hair mask. On days when I don't have to be anywhere, I'll smooth the oil on the lower 2/3 of my hair, put it in a bun or braid and leave it until the next day. Simply letting the oil soak in overnight or for a few hours will already help. Other than as an overnight mask, you could also heat some coconut oil, mash some avocado in for added moisture, and smooth it onto your ends. Wrap you hair in a towel and leave for 30 min to one hour, then shampoo out. Sometimes, when I need an extra kick and my hair looks dull, I will use the oil as a serum after washing my hair. Caution: a little goes a very long way!

3. body lotion

The skin on my body is quite sensitive and very dry. Regular body lotions usually don't do anything for me. After taking a shower, I will smooth a little bit of the oil between my hands and work it into my skin. It has a subtle scent but nothing overpowering, so any perfume you want to use will not be compromised. I find that coconut oil sinks in really quickly and doesn't leave a residue on my skin, so I can get dressed almost immediately without greasing up my clothes. I also smooth it down my hands and my cuticles for a mini mani.

It does wonders for my skin after shaving as well. I'm very prone to gettin razor burn and the coconut oil calms everything down in seconds.

4. deodorant

Other than being very moisturizing, coconut oil also has anti-bacterial qualities. I use it in conjunction with bicarb and essential oils as a deodorant. It doesn't stop the sweat but definitely the smell!

5. face mask

I have combination to oily skin but, especially in the winter months, I tend to get dry patches around my mouth, nose and on my forehead. Whenever that happens, or if my skin is irritated for any reason, I'll use about a teaspoon of coconut oil as a face mask. Again, you can add in other components to make your mask even more potent (avocado, egg yolks etc.), but the coconut oil on its own is more than enough for me. I will smooth it onto dry, cleansed skin, leave it on for 10-20 minutes and take it off with a warm face cloth. If you have normal or dry skin, you can also leave it on overnight for an extra boost of moisture. Simply apply it instead of your nightcream. Some of my friends use coconut oil as a face moisturizer regularly, which would be too much for my skin, but it might work for you.

So there you have my top 5 uses for coconut oil. I often use it as a make-up remover as well, it's pretty much a universal product that can be used in any way. I love working with oils in general. They are gentle and non-irritating and you can be sure that you've done yourself and the environment a favour. One last thing: make sure your oil is cold pressed and not refined!!

Which oils do you use? Do you have a favourite?