Rooibos for Acne

Rooibos herbal tea has continued to jump in popularity primarily due to its use as a natural home remedy to help allergies, insomnia, and infant colic. Most recently it has emerged into the beauty industry receiving much attention due to its amazing ability to help with the relief of acne.

This extremely unique herb contains many anti-inflammatory components as well as zinc, alpha hydroxyl, vitamins and various powerful antioxidants. Innovative skincare products have been created that capture these nutrients to provide a natural remedy for a healthy complexion. In addition, many contain all-natural ingredients meaning they have no harmful chemicals or preservatives which may produce allergic reactions or further skin damage.

If you do not want to commit to buying a product new to the market, you can still attain the natural benefits by simply using Rooibos tea. The following are extremely easy ways to incorporate it into your present skincare regimen at home.

1)      Simply drink Rooibos on a regular basis, without added sugar, and your body will receive the powerful effects of the antioxidants and other beneficial properties through the bloodstream. Drinking this herbal tea truly helps your skin from the inside out!

2)      Take a Rooibos bath by filling the tub halfway with very hot water and adding in approximately four tea bags. Let it sit for at least 10 minutes, if it is still uncomfortably hot, mix in cold water. Submerge your body and relax while your skin soaks in the extremely healthy nutrients.

3)      Use Rooibos as a facial toner by boiling approximately two cups of water with two tea bags for a minimum of ten minutes. Remove from heat and let the tea bag combination cool in the refrigerator. Once chilled, discard tea bags and use the liquid as you would a typical toner. To fight acne, it is recommended to use a toner once in the morning and once in the evening. You can save the excess in the refrigerator approximately 10 days for future use.

4)      Substitute strongly brewed Rooibos into your own homemade lotion or cream recipes. By doing this, you will still get the consistency of using water but with the addition of more antioxidants, minerals, and anti-inflammatory agents.

To get the greatest effects from Rooibos, use a combination of these, particularly both internally (drinking) and topically. Results will vary but should be seen in approximately 1-2 weeks.

Give Rooibos a try and you will be delighted with the amazing results, not only concerning acne, but your entire skin wellbeing!

Read Full Post »

Using Tea to Keep off the Holiday Pounds

We have officially entered the holiday season with Thanksgiving now past. So much to look forward to; family, friends, relaxing, time off, football games and of course…FOOD! There’s something about the holidays that seems to make eating an enormous amount of food containing an enormous amount of calories acceptable, or even encouraged. How many of us, year after year, leave the holiday season just a little pudgier…?

There’s plenty of tips out there – use a smaller plate, go for walks, bring a healthy dish to pass, skip the seconds…I’ve heard them all. The only problem is that to be completely honest, I don’t want to hold back, it’s the holidays! When people get together for a party, they like to eat and drink and not think about it because let’s be truthful, that takes part of the fun away right?

So this year, I’m trying something new – drinking a newfound love – Rooibos tea! A big trap many of us fall into is eating because everyone is sitting around chatting, enjoying each others company, and snacking on whatever is sitting out. Before you know it, you’ve snacked your way to hundreds of calories before the actual meal has even begun!

So this year, while everyone is munching away, try sipping on some tea instead. Sounds simple right? Think about it though, a large quantity of liquid will help fill you up, at the same time, it keeps you occupied since it takes a while to sip a hot drink and you are still included in the group gathered around the table eating and drinking. Besides that, the aromas of the teas are unbelievable and the taste is truly delicious!

My favorite pick for this time of year is red Rooibos with Gingerbread. I meet many people fairly new to tea and Rooibos is mild enough that everyone seems to enjoy it even if they aren’t hardcore tea lovers. This redbush, herbal tea is calorie free, caffeine free, full of antioxidants, and still has that holiday feel and taste that we all crave. If gingerbread isn’t your style, get creative – Rooibos with Eggnog, Pumpkin Pie, Apple Pie, Cinnamon & Vanilla…look for medley packs that allow you to try multiple flavors in one box. There’s a huge variety of Rooibos to choose from so finding a flavor you love won’t be an issue.

Ahh…yes, my friends, that’s a sigh of relief. Will you shed unwanted pounds? Probably not but we can now approach this wonderful time of year with a realistic weapon to finally fight off those extra pounds that make it so difficult to get into that New Year’s Eve outfit! So have fun, enjoy your company, enjoy your food, and enjoy your new little secret to avoid those sneaky pounds!

Read Full Post »

Antioxidants – simplified.

Antioxidants – if you’re like me, you’ve heard this word over and over in about every food & beverage advertisement currently out. It seems like antioxidants are the trendiest little “discovery” to ever hit the market. Yes, we understand they’re good for us, somehow, but really what in the world are they and why are they good for us…in laymen’s terms?!

  an·ti·ox·i·dant definition (http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/antioxidants)

any of various substances (as beta-carotene, vitamin C, and alpha-tocopherol) that inhibit oxidation or reactions promoted by oxygen and peroxides and that include many held to protect the living body from the deleterious effects of free radicals

 So let’s break this down…

Free radicals = bad for your body. We get these highly reactive irritants by natural biological processes or from pollution, tobacco smoke, and toxins. Free radicals damage cells, DNA, and proteins by stealing electrons. The “deleterious effects” the dictionary is talking about are premature aging, especially wrinkles, and oxidative stress. This stress can lead to fatigue, poor mental function, lower resistance to infection, anxiety, depression, dizziness, irritability, headaches, allergies, hypoglycemia, joint pains, muscle weakness, development of cancer, heart disease, and digestive issues including irritable bowel syndrome. Yikes! As you can see, free radicals are not a good time!!!

This is where antioxidants come in; free radicals are deactivated by antioxidants before they can do harm. Basically, that says it all. If free radicals are deactivated they cannot do that large, scary paragraph of damage mentioned above.

So really, where do you find these free-radical-deactivating, antioxidants? Well in Suffuse Rooibos Tea and Tea Espresso of course! You didn’t think I wasn’t going to plug our tea did you? But really, they are found in many types of tea, especially, rooibos and green. Other foods found on the top twenty list are; beans (red, kidney, pinto, and black), berries (blueberries, blackberries, strawberries, raspberries, and cranberries), apples (red delicious, granny smith, and gala), artichokes, prunes, plums, russet potatoes, pecans, and sweet cherries. (http://www.webmd.com/food-recipes/news/20040617/antioxidants-found-unexpected-foods)

In summary, yes “antioxidants” are overused in the marketing world. However, antioxidants in themselves are not a gimmick – these substances are serious in helping our bodies feel their best. Get used to hearing the word because researchers have only scratched the surface in regards to their many benefits.

So grab a cup of Rooibos, sip down those antioxidants, and enjoy stopping those free radicals trying to wreak havoc on your body.

 (Sources include; www.webmd.com Antioxidant Riches Found in Unexpected Foods by Jennifer Warner Reveiwed by Brunilda Nazario MD, www.dictionary.com, and interview with George W. Allibone MD)

Read Full Post »