Skin infections are commonly found in many people and a majority of these infections heals without the need for medical intervention. They are caused by bacteria in most of the cases. Yeast skin infections can strike at just about anyone, and they are also called intertrigo. Essentially, they are caused by an overabundance of the bacteria Candida albicans. This bacteria is found naturally on your skin, and normally it works to keep you healthy. However, in situations where other helpful bacteria are not present or where there are conditions that encourage this bacteria to grow out of control, an infection can result. Yeast infections are caused by a fungus called candida albicans. Yeast is always present in the vagina, but an overgrowth of yeast is the problem. Yeast is generally a harmless fungus that is always found in the vagina, digestive tract, and mouth in small amounts, but when an imbalance occurs, the candida multiplies which causes an overgrowth and results in a yeast infection.
Yeast skin infection can have many different causes. You'll find that it will happen where skin touches skin, such as in the groin, the armpits, underneath breasts or in folds of fat. This can create an environment that is very conducive to the multiplication of bacteria, but you'll find that this is not the only factor. Preventing yeast infections is the most important thing and we should all concentrate on this because it will be very beneficial to our health.
Some of the measures that prevent yeast infections are:
* Maintain clean vaginal area; change sanitary pads or tampons frequently; avoid douching
* Use cotton underpants
* Do not share towels and washcloths
* Eat more vegetables, protein and grains; consume a lot of yogurt that has live acidophilus bacteria; avoid processed foods, sugars and alcohol
* Take daily supplements designed to help prevent the recurrence of a yeast infection; use antibiotics only when necessary
Kaia Raw Snacks Giveaway Winner Announced
Winner of Kaia Giveaway
Mr. Random provided his awesome services one more time... And the winner is [drum roll please].
Mr. Random provided his awesome services one more time... And the winner is [drum roll please].
11th comment on the Giveaway belongs to hihorosie! Please contact me ASAP with your mailing contact to claim your prize! You have until midnight Monday to claim it, otherwise it will be re-drawn!
The rest of you: Thanks for Participating! Maybe next time your number will get drawn too ;)
The Biggest Winner Challenge Update!
Meanwhile head on over to the Biggest Winner Challenge Blog and see how our 2nd Week Weigh In went and how our participants fared in their performance.
Blackberry Green Smoothie
No day can go right without a proper Green Smoothie :)
Makes over 60 oz.
- 4 cups water
- 2 cups blackberries
- 10 oz beet greens
- 2 oranges
- 7 dates
- 3 tbs raw honey [you can use less if you like your smoothies on a milder side like I do ;)]
Green Smoothie and Catching Up
Hi, loves! I know I have been MIA, but I just got back from a wonderful vacation in AZ and have been trying to catch up with my life—it does not seem to ever slow down. One day, when I grow up, I will go on a permanent vacation ;) but for now… work, work, work! However it is Work AND Fun!
Our Biggest Winner Challenge [BWC] contestants are making an amazing progress: health issues are improving and weight is coming off. Weight loss is achieved easier on a plant-based diet as the body is able to detox and get extra junk out at the same time.
If you have not marked The Biggest Winner Challenge blog yet, please do! It seems that we just experienced our first growth spurt overnight since I came back from vacation! Head on over to: http://thebiggestwinnerchallenge.blogspot.com/ and become a Friend through Google Connect [especially all of you my wonderful Friends and Subscribers]. You can also RSS or e-mail feed the blog. I want you to show all the love and support to the Biggest Winner participants you can find in yourself. They are working hard and are doing great.
Meanwhile don’t forget to enter the Kaia [raw food vegan snacks] giveaway. It will close at 10 pm tomorrow [Friday], and the winner will be announced soon after.
Over the weekend I will be working with the BWC contestant very closely, creating some magic in the kitchen, so I am going to be taking some fun pictures and maybe even videos of us working together!
One more thing, if you are a company that supports plant-based and/or healthy living with your products and would like to sponsor the Biggest Winner Challenge, head on over to the blog and find out how you can help the participants.
Until… very soon ;) Green Love, you all!
Today’s Green Smoothie is named in honor of where I snapped this image…
The Green Bag Smoothie
[makes 3 servings]
- 3 cups water
- 2 oranges
- 2 tbs raw honey
- 8 oz beet greens and broccoli greens
- 1 tbs kelp
- 1 tbs maca root powder
- 2 tbs wheatgrass powder
Delicious, nutritious and good to take with you on the go or for lunch, like I had to today!
Home Remedies To Treat Heat Rashes Instantly.
When you have heat rash, the first thing you must do is to cool down your body. Find an air-conditioned room where you can relax while your body cools off. Take a nice cool bath to help your body cool down. Relax and soak until your body temperature gets back to normal.
After having a shower, do not use towel to wipe yourself dry, as it can irritate the skin. Instead, let your body air-dry.
Apply aloe vera gel two to three times per day, wash the affected areas in between applications.
Apply ice cubes to the affected areas for five to ten minutes at a time. Repeat every four to six hours.
Apply talcum powder or cornstarch. Both work very well as home remedies for heat rash by absorbing any moisture and keeping the skin dry.
Apply sliced cucumbers to the affected area as often as needed for relief.
Stick to natural fabrics, like cotton, and avoid synthetic clothes altogether. At the same time, wear loose-fitting clothes.
If you have developed blisters due to a severe heat rash, do not bandage or cover them. Instead, expose the rash as often as you can to fresh air. This helps the skin to heal more quickly.
Simply apply cooled Chamomile tea bags to the affected area.
Whenever you go out in the sun, try to carry an umbrella with you, to avoid the direct, harsh rays of the sun.
Raw Snacks: Kaia Foods Review and Giveaway-NOW CLOSED
While I am bathing in the sun in beautiful Tucson, AZ, I thought to share some joy and have a fun giveaway.
Kaia foods was founded with the belief that our health is best supported by eating an abundance of minimally processed whole foods. They sprout, mix and dehydrate their organic foods at low temperatures so that they remain 'raw.' No baking, frying, bleaching, or weird processing steps!
I was excited to receive my little review package from Kaia as was the rest of my family. After opening the box we swiftly dug through to pull out little treasures:
Granola was my hubby's favorite--he crunched on it to his heart's desire.
Mom indulged in Fruit Rollups
I personally liked their sprouted and flavored Sunflower Seeds and the rest of the goodies:
I was pleasantly surprised by the good taste and flavors of raw vegan snacks--snacks I could easily drop in my purse to take along with me anywhere I have to go to stay nourished.
Now for the giveaway--Kaia Foods is graciously sponsoring ONE lucky winner to get following:
- 1 granola
- 2 sunflower seeds
- 4 fruit leathers, and
- 1 baggie of kale chips
You must live within continental United States to be eligible to enter!
Make sure to enter your name and e-mail address in the comment form--anonymous entries will be disregarded.
Required Entry:
- To be eligible for a drawing for this giveaway leave a comment under this post and tell me how long you have been following my blog and what has been your favorite post to date. It's that simple!
- Post about this giveaway, linking back to the post on Twitter, Facebook or your blog and leave a link for it--separate entry from the first one.
- Sign up for the Newsletter [on the blog it is located on the right-hand panel at the top] and leave an additional comment under this post.
- Add yourself to Google Friend Connect on this blog or Subscribe to e-mail or RSS feed and leave a comment for yet an extra entry.
The drawing will be open through Friday, 10 pm PST, May 21st. I will use Mr. Random.org to make the decision for me :)
Best of all! I am off to enjoy my last day of blazing sun and get extra vitamin D into my skin :)
Delicious Vacationing
I dropped off the radar for the last few days, I know. But can you blame me? I am vacationing!!! And loving it too!
My hubby and I flew to Tucson AZ a few days ago and were in for a shock the first day--it was BROWN! I was hoping for some beauty that I imagined in my overactive brain, but going from green WA to brown AZ in a few hours was a SHOCK!
By day 2, however, AZ started growing on us. Dry heat, lovely mornings and evenings, gorgeous mountains... I could not complain. The heat made us eat less and drink a lot more water, but we still wanted to explore local offerings.
On the first day we headed over to Lovin' Spoonfuls, an all vegan restaurant. The food, although heavy with soy on most dishes, was AMAZING! There was nothing that we did not like. The mushroom soup--we gobbled it up, even my mushroom-hating hubby, along with some veggie burgers and salad. If you are in Tucson, this place is a MUST visit!!! [I will post some images later :)]
Then we stopped by Whole Foods and Trader Joes, grabbed few fresh fruits, greens and veggies and kicked back for the night. It was LOVELY, although produce is quite overpriced!
The day after we explored Tucson and Tombstone areas--loved it all, and the stories and images are coming.
On day 3 we headed out to Phoenix to meet up with our college friends. Not knowing what the offerings would be there I looked up a restaurant WAY ahead of time that I thought would be great to visit. The rave reviews online made me think that they surely deserved it.
Blue Nile Cafe--I was underwhelmed by their foods and offerings. An Ethiopian cuisine with vegan and raw vegan offerings DID NOT live up to its praises. I thought that their falafel salad was... pretty awful, and their raw cinnamon rolls could not be even placed in a category of good raw dessert. I could feel that the nuts were un-soaked [my body has an immediate reaction to acidity of un-soaked nuts], and they were lacking taste... and size. Having paid $7 I expected to see a portion that I could share with my hubby and friends, instead they brought out 4 tiny morsels that not only have an unpleasant to taste, but were also unpleasant to look at. I was expecting something like this:
but got NOTHING close to it, and felt quite embarrassed in front of our non-vegan friends. to have brought them there... TWO THUMBS DOWN!
On the other hand, we visited the city of Scottsdale--upscale, shopping heaven of any shopaholic, which I am not. The area abounds in various restaurant offerings and shopping as far as the eye could see. If we ever moved to AZ, I think Scottsdale would be a great contender in our decision making. Perfect for my photography business!
We stopped by a local pizzeria there... with way too many choices, none of which were vegan. We had a deep-dish pizza with no cheese [our waitress was shocked when I asked for a cheese-less pizza, and I had to repeat myself several times, which actually annoyed me a bit]. Pizza itself turned out pretty good but one sliced filled me up.
Today we had a different sort of experience--we hit 3 different farmer's markets. I was hoping for tables full of fresh produce... and was left underwhelmed once again. Most of foods sold were cooked/baked goods, candy, meat, etc. with little fresh produce to offer. We did, however, find a GREAT watermelon and lovely grapefruit. I am not a grapefruit eater but these fruit made me a covert. YUM!
I was disappointed, though, not to have found ANYONE selling fresh cacti! I was so hoping to try out a few different varieties and thought AZ would be the place to do it... Oh, well, that is my sob story and I will stick to it.
So, the rest of the time we are taking it easy--sun, pool, and my hubby's lovely company.
I will catch up with all of you lovely readers later.
Causes and Symptoms of Staph Skin Infection
Staph is a germ normally found on the skin or inside the nose of many people. Most people with staph on their skin or in their nose have no symptoms.
Because staph can easily enter a cut or scrape, it is a common cause of skin infections. Sometimes, the germs get into the blood and cause serious illness or severe pneumonia during influenza (“flu”) season.
“MRSA” is a kind of staph that is resistant to some antibiotics. This kind of staph is common in hospitals.
“CA-MRSA” is a resistant kind of staph that causes infections outside hospitals.
What are the symptoms?
Skin infection caused by staph are usually red and painful.
Some start as a painful bump that seems like a spider bite, but quickly become an abscess (boil) filled with pus and germs.
How does staph spread?
Touching skin-to-skin can spread staph from one person to another.
Staph can be picked up from surfaces that are often touched, like phones or doorknobs. Sometimes shared personal items, like towels, soap, or sports equipment can spread staph.
Pus from an abscess is especially contagious on skin or surfaces.
How can I avoid staph infections?
• Wash your hands regularly with soap and water or hand sanitizer.
• Use your own towels, soap, and other personal items; do not share these.
• Clean shared athletic equipment before use.
If I get a staph infection, how can I keep it from spreading to others?
• Keep a clean dry dressing over the infected area, especially if there is pus.
• Pay extra attention to cleanliness and wash your hands frequently.
• Do not share linens, towels or other personal items with others.
• When possible, use hot water and a hot dryer for your laundry.
Rose Water Is One Such Home Remedy Which Cures Almost All Skin Problems.
The anti-bacterial properties of rose water help in preventing acne, pimples, wrinkles, and also cures sunburns and stressed skin.
Keeps the Oily skin balanced and toned.
You can use Rose Water in a facial or hair mask.
Add Rose Water to your bath water and use Rose Water as a moisturizer after your bath.
The face pack including rose water can be tried once a week to clean and tighten the pores of the skin.
It also helps in purifying, harmonizing, toning and cooling all type of skin.
Rose water has multiple beauty skin care uses such as for treating acne and skin irritations.
Rose Water also nourishes and hydrates your skin.
It also helps to heal sunburns and wounds.
Apply it as an aftershave to soothe irritated skin.
The Biggest Winner Challenge Kick-Off
It has been long coming, but I am ready to break the big news! Starting this week I am kicking off THE BIGGEST WINNER CHALLENGE.
Let me tell you what it is all about. But... before I do, please make sure to bookmark and follow this blog: THE BIGGEST WINNER CHALLENGE. Make sure to SUBSCRIBE to it, get RSS or e-mail feed for it, and friend it up through Google Friends.
In a minute I am going to tell you WHY I called this blog THE BIGGEST WINNER CHALLENGE, but meanwhile I would like for you to read the next few paragraphs to find out HOW I got to start it.
THE BEGINNING
A few weeks ago I was hosting a 3-Day Green Smoothie Challenge. One of the participants, who responded to the call to the challenge, contacted me to ask for material and told me the following:
"My health goals are pretty simple, but lifestyle changing! I want to fuel my body with healthy, nutritious food that are eaten in smaller portions. I want to stay away from processed food because I'm sick and tired of being sick and tired. And I know it's because of what I'm eating and/or not eating. I know that once I'm eating smaller, healthy, colorful meals that are not processed, I will lose weight.
Ialso want to start exercising but right now, I'm too tired/lack the energy to do it.
I am going to be 30 in May and I have only been near a healthy weight once in my life. I lost weight when I was 18 and kept it off until I had my daughter when I was 21. And, unfortunately, I have been steadly gaining and losing a little and then gaining more, for the last 9 years. I WANT TO BE HEALTHY and be the mom I want to be and need to be for my kids (and wife for my husband). I am ready to do whatever it takes to get healthy. I don't want a quick fix, I want a lifestyle change for my entire family!
~Diana"
Diana went on to participate and completed the 3-Day Green Smoothie Challenge. She kept me posted on her progress:
"I am officially hooked on green smoothies! Thank you for the 3 day challenge because it really helped give me a place to start!
I had never even heard of wheatgrass before reading your blog. I am completely new to this lifestyle and still know very little. I am just amazed at how much better I am feeling since I began drinking the smoothies. Today my mom noticed that I have more energy and she asked me to tell her more about what I have been doing…now she wants to do the 3 day challenge for herself! Woo-hoo! I can’t thank you enough for all of your time and research that you have put in!
~Diana"
WHY THE BIGGEST WINNER
After the 3-Day Challenge was over I was planning to do another a once-in-a-lifetime challenge: I was going to announce auditions, through my blog, to find a family/person who wanted a radical-forever type of change in their life. A change that would bring them health, vitality, clarity of mind and spirit, and help lose weight, if they were struggling with it. It would not be like the Biggest Loser Challenge, because our goal will not be about weight loss primarily, although that will be a big part of it. Instead it will be dubbed as THE BIGGEST WINNER CHALLENGE because the participants will gain control of their health, emotions, their relationship with food and each other AND lose weight.
I mentioned it in passing to Diana... and she got hooked onto the idea. Little did I know that for the last year she had been praying for God to make a way for her to get to better health, to lose weight, and to LIVE well, not temporarily, but for the rest of her life.
My conditions were simple, yet strict:
- The contestant(s) had to have the backing of immediate family;
- Be willing to change his/her/their diet to vegan overnight;
- Be willing to be weighed, poked and prodded ;) as well as interviewed and featured on my blog;
- AND stick with my instructions and close supervision for 3 months!
Diana e-mailed me to tell me that she would do whatever it takes to be picked. I gave it time, to see if she really meant it. While I was thinking about how I would audition for the Biggest Winner Challenge, Diana was able to not only solicit the support of her immediate family, but recruit her husband Dan, and her Mom , Barb, to participate in the Challenge if they were chosen.
She got me! I called off the auditions and send her all necessary paperwork to get started. During our first meeting Diana's father, Allen, had signed up for the Challenge as well.
This blog is a journal of Diana's family journey to better health, weight loss and well being through unprocessed living and whole foods vegan diet.
MEET THE BIGGEST WINNER CHALLENGE PARTICIPANTS
Diana's goals are weight loss, lower cholesterol, getting rid of sleep apnea and achieving optimal health.
Dan's goals are optimal health, lower cholesterol, better digestion and muscle gain.
Barb's goals are weight loss, optimal health, lower blood pressure, lower cholesterol, and other health improvements.
Allen's goals are to be a support system for his wife and to achieve optimal health.
Elena [that's me] and my husband Demetrye will be guiding the contestants through diet and fitness changes to achieve their goals.
You can read the story of our journey to better health on the ABOUT page of this blog.
Now that you have read the story and met the participants, I I hope that you will follow us and cheer on the contestants until they get to the finish [start] line in 90 days!
Head on over to THE BIGGEST WINNER CHALLENGE blog. SUBSCRIBE to it, get RSS or e-mail feed for it, and friend it up through Google Friends.
Vegan Banana Pancakes-Happy Mother's Day!
I made this for my sweet Mom this morning. No eggs or dairy is necessary and you will love these [at least my husband did! Mom enjoyed them as well.]
Banana Pancakes
Makes 18 pancakes
Ingredients
Batter
- 2 medium ripe bananas
- 1 cup water
- 1/2-3/4 tsp baking soda
- 1/4-1/2 tsp Himalayan or sea salt
- 2 tbs honey
- 2 tsp coconut oil [optional]
- 2/3 C white organic flour
- 2/3+1/4 C whole wheat organic flour
- 2.5 tsp coconut oil to grease frying pan
Syrup
- 2 cups raspberries [fresh or frozen]
- 2 tbs honey
- If using frozen berries, defrost on very low heat with honey in it
- If using fresh berries, mash them up with a form, mixing in honey
Preparation
1. Blend first 6 ingredients in a blender or food processor
2. Add white flour and pulse until blended in
3. Add wheat flour and pulse until blended in
4. Preheat a skillet on medium-high heat [don't use Teflon, please, as it is highly toxic--I use
5. Oil skillet with 1 tsp of coconut oil and reduce to medium heat
6. Use a table spoon to our out batter on the skillet--1 tbs per pancake, making nice round shape
7. Cook until bottom is browned [as you see on the image], flip over with a spatula and do the same to the other side
8. Serve immediately with some fantastic herbal tea and syrup!
9. Enjoy!!!
I hope all of you wonderful Moms are having a fabulous day!
Plant-Based Cooking Class, Longview WA {Vegan}
It is official! I am pulling off a Plant-Based Cooking Class this month, in Longview, WA. Here are the details!
What people said about their experience in my past cooking classes:
I really enjoyed the class. It gave me so much insight to what I am putting in my body. I think it's a great introduction that will inspire me to make better choices. I would love to take many more classes! ~J
I had a great time! I thought it was very informative. I really enjoyed hearing your personal stories as to why you choose a raw vegan diet. The recipes were really easy. I am looking forward to learning how to make more meals that I could make for my family. I LOVED the breakfast stuff and the ice cream. ~C
REGISTRATION IS NOW OPEN!
WHEN: May 22nd, 2010; 11 am-1:30 or 2 pm
WHERE: Longview, WA—address will be given ONLY to registered participants
WHAT: I will teach you how to make the most delicious 4-5 meals and wow the crowd and please your taste buds!
HOW MUCH: $40/person; $75/two friends hanging out; $70/couple on a date!
No Dairy! No Soy! And I will avoid Gluten at all cost possible too :)!
All Plant-Based! All Organic! All Exciting!
MENU
DRINK: Mint/Lime Lemonade
DESSERT: Raw Cheesecake [wheat/gluten free, soy free, dairy free, animal free!]
APPETIZER: Scrumptious Salad with Home-Made Ranch Dressing [wheat/gluten free, soy free, dairy free, animal free!]
MAIN DISH: Curry Potatoes with Veggies
MORE: A surprise dish!
I reserve the right to change/adjust Menu items if needed. I also reserve the right to cancel a class if there are not enough attendees registered--participants will be notified in advance.
The class is a perfect excuse to have a DATE Saturday, to hang out with one of your friends, or just get away by yourself to indulge in a scrumptious meal and learn a few healthful tricks. I will make the meals, teach you how to do the same at home, tell you all about the benefits of a plant-based diet, and feed you a 4-5 course meal!
I am able to accommodate only 10-12 people and seats are available on first-pay first-serve basis.
If you would like to participate in the class, please send your payment via PayPal [see the link at the bottom of this post, or, if you are getting this post through e-mail feed, please go to my blog and look on the left panel for this option: Sign Up for a Cooking Class with Elena], or, if you are local and prefer to pay in person, you can dropoff your payment in cash [you will need to contact me first, of course]. I will then send you Class Guidelines for your review and signing.
If you have any questions, please e-mail me!
Hope to see you there!!!
!!! When making a payment make sure to provide your contact information [name and e-mail address] and specify the date and the time of the class you would like to attend!!!
PS: Please notify me if you have any FOOD ALLERGIES!
What people said about their experience in my past cooking classes:
I really enjoyed the class. It gave me so much insight to what I am putting in my body. I think it's a great introduction that will inspire me to make better choices. I would love to take many more classes! ~J
I had a great time! I thought it was very informative. I really enjoyed hearing your personal stories as to why you choose a raw vegan diet. The recipes were really easy. I am looking forward to learning how to make more meals that I could make for my family. I LOVED the breakfast stuff and the ice cream. ~C
REGISTER NOW:
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