DIY Pumpkin Facial

Photo Courtesy: EverythingPumpkin.org

Brighten your complexion with this DIY Pumpkin Facial!

Egg whites have a "tightening" effect on skin and can reduce the appearance of minor breakouts and enlarged pores.  The nutrients, vitamins and antioxidants in the pumpkin provide a natural glow (no, not orange!) as well as sloth off dead skin cells to reveal the soft, smooth skin beneath.

Ingredients:

• 1 Egg White
• 1/2 cup Canned Pumpkin

Directions:

1. Mix Egg White & Pumpkin together
2. Apply to dry face
3. Leave on for 10 minutes
4. Remove with wet cloth

Check out more DIY pumpkin skin care recipes at Everything Pumpkin!

10 Fit Foods for Fall

This is a re-post courtesy of: BeachBody.com

10 Fit Foods for Fall
By Joe Wilkes

1. Apples. An apple a day can keep the doctor away in more ways than one. Studies have shown that the nutrients found in apples can help lower cholesterol, manage diabetes, and prevent several diseases, including cancer, Alzheimer's disease, osteoporosis, and asthma. Make sure you don't peel the apple though, because the peel contains quercetin, an antioxidant shown in a Finnish study to help reduce the risk of heart disease and inhibit tumor growth. Additionally, apple skin contains insoluble fiber, and the fruit's flesh contains pectin, a soluble fiber. While apples are great on their own, they're also yummy and crunchy when added to salads, and sweet and tasty when baked in desserts.
2. Corn. Generally, our society eats way too much corn. It's in almost every food we eat, especially in its most nefarious form—high fructose corn syrup. It's easily America's number-one crop. But fall is the time when we get the harvest of the tastiest sweet corn. Besides being delicious, in its unprocessed state it's actually quite healthy. A food study at Cornell University showed that ferulic acid, an antioxidant produced when sweet corn is cooked, can also be helpful in fighting heart disease and cancer. Plus corn is a good source of vitamins B1, B5, and C; folate; and fiber. Besides eating it on the cob, try corn in salads or as a colorful, crunchy addition to salsa.
3. Cucumbers. Some people never see cucumbers until they've been pickled, sliced, and added to two all-beef patties and a sesame seed bun. However, in their fresh, unpickled state, cucumbers are very low in calories (just 4 calories per ounce), are a natural diuretic, and are thought to help in the prevention of pancreatic, liver, and kidney diseases. Cucumbers also contain potassium, which helps regulate blood pressure. Their skin contains silica, which helps strengthen the body's connective tissue. And cucumbers aren't just for eating; the juice makes a great skin lotion. Those spa ladies with cucumber slices on their eyes aren't doing it for nothing. Cucumber juice reduces swelling, and not just for under-eye bags—also for burns and skin disorders. One tasty way to enjoy cucumbers is my Russian grandmother's simple recipe of thinly sliced cucumbers, thinly sliced onion, low-fat yogurt, and chopped dill. (She actually used sour cream, too, but we won't go there.)
4. Eggplant. Eggplant contains lots of vitamins, minerals, and fiber, and also high levels of antioxidants, including nasunin, which has been shown to help protect cells from free radical damage. Eggplant also contains terpenes, which are believed to help lower cholesterol. Eggplant is a very versatile ingredient in all kinds of cooking, including Italian, Indian, and Chinese dishes. It can be baked, stewed, or sautéed, among other cooking methods. One thing to watch out for is that the flesh of the eggplant is highly absorptive, so if you fry it in oil, it'll soak it all up. One helpful technique is to lightly salt sliced eggplant, let it sit for a half hour, and rinse the salt off before cooking it. This will cause the cell structure of the eggplant to contract, making it a little less spongy. My mom's been dealing with a bumper crop of eggplant from her backyard garden and has been putting eggplant in everything. A recent success was replacing the pasta in her favorite lasagna recipe with thinly sliced eggplant. It absorbed the tomato sauce instead of the oil and made the dish richer and creamier.
5. Grapes. There's been much written about the benefits of wine, but you don't have to get loaded to get the benefits of grapes. In their unfermented state, they're a great source of vitamins A, B6, and C; folate; potassium; calcium; magnesium; zinc; and fiber. Like apples, they contain the antioxidant quercitin. They also contain resveratrol, which has been shown to help prevent blood clots and protect arteries from free radical damage. Generally speaking, the darker the grape, the higher the antioxidant levels. Grapes are great snacks that are low in calories. They're great when added to salads, or you can freeze them for a frosty treat.
6. Okra. This may be the most intimidating ingredient on this list. Many people are put off by okra's bristly outside and somewhat slimy inside, but it has a lot of health benefits that should make you take a second look. It's full of vitamins, minerals, and fiber. And it has great gastrointestinal benefits. Its high mucilage content, which thickens stews and gumbos, also helps absorb cholesterol, toxins, and bile, and has a gentle laxative effect. Its seeds contain amino acids and protein. Plus it's believed to be good for the skin and hair. (It's been said that Cleopatra ate okra as part of her beauty regimen.) Okra is great in soups and stews, or lightly sautéed as a side dish.
7. Pears. This is my favorite fall food. The biggest, juiciest pears start showing up in farmers' markets right about now. Besides being a great source of stains on my shirts, they have high levels of vitamins C and K, copper, and fiber. They contain even more of the soluble fiber pectin than apples, which can play an important part in digestive health and in lowering cholesterol. Pears have also been shown to reduce kidney inflammation and colitis. Asian pears, which are crunchy, like apples, are also in season now and contain the health benefits of both fruits. Pears are great plain, broiled, or poached. Plus Asian pears can be shredded as a healthy addition to a slaw.
8. Peppers. Whether you like them spicy or sweet, now is prime pepper-picking time. Fiber-rich peppers have high levels of vitamins A, C, and K; red peppers have the most. Red peppers, like tomatoes, are also good sources of lycopene, which studies show may be linked to cancer prevention. Hot peppers contain capsaicin, which has been shown to help prevent ulcers and lower cholesterol. Plus hot peppers can help ramp up your metabolism. I can't think of many dishes that couldn't be improved with a little peppery zip. Soups, stir-fries, salads . . . I even had some chocolate cayenne ice cream that was pretty good.
9. Raspberries. Raspberries are some of the healthiest—but priciest—berries
   
   out there. So now, when they're in season, is the most economical time to enjoy them. Raspberries contain several flavonoids called anthocyanins, believed to have antimicrobial properties, which can help prevent fungal and yeast infections and aid with irritable bowel syndrome. A Netherlands study showed that raspberries contain 10 times as many antioxidants as tomatoes. Like apples and pears, they also contain high levels of pectin. While they're great as snacks and desserts, think about trying them in salads too.
10. Tomatoes. The big new star of the tomato nutritional profile is lycopene. This carotenoid has increasingly been shown to be a powerful antioxidant that may play a big role in preventing cancer and heart disease. They're also great sources of vitamin C. And for those of you who don't care for raw tomatoes (as George Carlin said, they look like they're in the larval stage), tomatoes lose very little of their nutritional value when cooked. So they can be enjoyed stewed, in sauce, and even as ketchup (although we recommend a ketchup free of high fructose corn syrup and low in sodium). This is a prime time to seek out tomatoes at the farmers' market. Especially exotic are the heirloom varieties that come in yellows, greens, purples, browns, and reds. They can make a beautiful multicolored and antioxidant-rich salad.

This is a re-post courtesy of: BeachBody.com

Keeping it Real with Pumpkin!

Photo Courtesy: guitarman68

As fall descends upon us and the air turns crisp, the aroma of backyard fires linger and the leaves transform to varying shades of burnt amber, golds and reds... my taste buds awaken for that treasured fall favorite...pumpkin.

If you've been following along, you already know the nutritional benefits of pumpkin and how best to get pumpkin, if not - it's homework time!

The rest of you may proceed...

Here are a few interesting pumpkin recipes that I pulled from one of my favorite recipe sites: AllRecipies.com.  I haven't tried them yet, but I intend to!

Tofu Pumpkin Pie
Vegan Pumpkin Ice Cream
Pumpkin Butter III
Roasted Pumpkins
Cooked Pumpkin (for puree)
Elin's Pickled Pumpkin

Get Your Pumpkin On!
The Hoff

Chickpea Magazine: Support a Start-up & Be Rewarded!

Check out Chickpea Magazine, a quarterly Vegan, lifestyle publication looking to published it's first paper version this Fall.

Chickpea brings Vegan bloggers and artists together for a unique cooking experience and much, much more!

While Chickpea has blown away their $1,000 goal to publish their first print edition of the magazine, you can still be a part of this unique start-up opportunity.

A donation of $22 will score you a copy of their Fall 2011 edition.  There are additional donation packages as well with goodies galore - check them out!

Take a peak at the online version of Chickpea - the photography is AMAZING!

Don't hesitate, the funding drive will end in six days on October 13, 2011.

Check out Chickpea's funding request video and meet the creators - Bob & Cara! 

Goodbye VegiTerranean...

This totally sucks!!!!

I am in complete shock that VegiTerranean, Chrissie Hynde's vegan restaurant in Akron, Ohio - the restaurant that I adore, closed it's doors once and for all on October 2, 2011.

It's not helping that I was there on October 1st - one day prior!  Zero sign of closing, no hints by the staff, in fact they launched a brand new lunch menu that day in which I had the most amazing Tomato Bisque soup with OMG yummy Grilled Cheese!  Thank god despite the fact that I was completely stuffed, I still opted for dessert to go.

Read Chrissie's goodbye note for yourself.

This is a sad, sad day for vegans, vegetarians and just plain foodies.

Excuse me, I have to go cry now...
The Hoff

Hoff Hit: Fidget Away

Fidgeting burns extra calories!

Not a lot, but enough to boost the bodies ability to get the oxygen pumping to your muscles.

The Healthy Hoff Graduates!

I couldn't wait to be done with college, but for some reason since I graduated, I just can't seem to stop taking classes!

My latest endeavor has earned me a certification in a program called, Wellness 101 from The Wellness Forum in Columbus, Ohio.

"Wellness 101 takes a thorough look at the science of diet and health and the skills needed to adopt a program of dietary excellence (tm) and optimal habits."  In other words, you won't get opinionated information with this course, what you will get is scientific based facts and it's hard to dispute science.

I found this course very interesting and picked up a lot of great tips to work into my lifestyle.  The book was an easy read and the accompanying DVDs of live class lectures helped to reinforce what was being taught.  I also enjoyed the weekly lecture calls that give you an opportunity to speak directly with Dr. Popper, who by the way, teaches the course.

To take the Wellness 101 course, you have to become a member of The Wellness Forum, but with that comes added benefits:

• Weekly Conference Calls and Workshops - topics ranging from sports nutrition to cancer prevention and treatment.
• Monthly "Conversations with Dr. Pam" - your chance to ask The Wellness Forum's founder questions about diet, health and medicine
• Monthly "Conversations with Chef Del" - get expert advice about food and cooking
• Members-Only Website - in addition to recipes and other helpful information, you'll have access to a growing library of workshops, Conversations with Dr. Pam and Conversations with Chef Del are posted for you to listen to any time!
• Special Prices on cooking classes and other events
• Free Shipping on orders over $250, within the continental U.S.
• Ongoing Support to help you in filtering and making sense out of the enormous amount of information about health you're exposed to every day!

The Wellness Forum was founded and is headed by Dr. Pamela Popper, whom I had the pleasure of meeting.

I found Dr. Popper to be quite knowledgeable and very straightforward in her approach to health and wellness.  It helps that she runs in the same social circle as Dr. John McDougall creator of the McDougall Health and Medical Center, Dr. Caldwell Esselstyn of The Cleveland Clinic and Dr. T. Colin Campbell, author of The China Study - three medical professionals of whom I hold high regard for.

While classes are taught at their Columbus facilities, I was fortunate enough to take advantage of their distance learning program.  In other words, you don't have to live in Ohio to take this program. In fact, there were students from around the country in my class, including a few from Vegas.

The class lasts six weeks and covers a lot of material that can be directly applied to your life.

So, if you're interested in ways to make your lifestyle a little healthier or are just confused about all the conflicting health info out in the world today, check out The Wellness Forum, you won't be disappointed.

Keep Learning!
The Hoff