How to use your left overs the healthy way

I love the holidays, I love indulging in my favourite foods and I especially love having tons of leftovers, after the Christmas rush! It’s like having Christmas all over again but with a twist of new meals to come. I usually end up with having TONS of turkey, roast vegetables and seafood platters left behind! However don’t just throw them in the bin yet! Here are a few recipes to make the best use of your holiday left overs and a tip to prep your skin while cook at the same time. 

First up: Turkey Potato Soup, which I make anytime I have leftover turkey or chicken. (You can also easily make this vegetarian by using potatoes and vegetables). I love making soup because they are easy to whip up, light and flavourful and they work with just about anything you have still sitting in the fridge.

Turkey Potato Soup

Preparation time: 10 minutes     Cooking time: 25 minutes 

Ingredients:

• 2 tablespoons Olive Oil
• 4 cloves Garlic, crushed
• 1 medium Onion, diced
• 1/2 Tablespoon Kosher or Sea Salt
• 1/2 teaspoon fresh cracked Black Pepper
• 2 medium potatoes, cut into small cubes
• 2 cups of cooked and cubed turkey breast
• 2 ½ cups of organic chicken stock ( if you are making this vegetarian, use water of vegetable stock)
• 1 medium carrot, cut into small cubes
• 3 tablespoons of fresh chives
• 4 sprigs of fresh thyme 

Method:

1. In a large pot over medium heat, add olive oil and garlic. Cook 1 minute, then add onion, salt, and pepper. Cook for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.
2. Add chicken stock, potatoes, carrots and thyme and then bring to a boil, stirring along the bottom of the pot to prevent sticking.
3. Reduce heat to a simmer for 10 minutes. You can use this wait time to your advantage with a beauty mask while you wait! Nothing beats a mask that only takes a few minutes to draw out impurities and keeps your skin hydrated and beautiful .This is why I love SkinB5’s 5 minute purifying mask! It actually does the job and takes no effort at all! Once you apply the mask evenly, let it dry for 5 minutes and wash with luke warm water! Don’t forget to moisturize! Don’t worry you still have a few minutes left before you’re needed for the next step.

1. After your skin is renewed you can now go back to the stove to remove the soup from heat and discard thyme. Blend until smooth. Return soup to pot.
2. Heat soup over low heat. Add diced turkey. Allow to heat for at least 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.
3. Serve in warm bowls and garnish with chopped chives, bread or gluten free crackers/bread for gluten free. Enjoy!

I love roasted vegetables they are nutritiously delicious on their own as a meal. However I did promise you some new meals and I think you’ll like what’s coming! Its super quick, packed with tons of protein, vitamins and minerals and there perfect for breakfast time! Can you guess what it is? It’s time for roasted vegetable omelette, please!

Roasted Vegetable Omelette 

Preparation time: 5 minutes        Cooking time: 5 minutes 

Ingredients

• 1 tablespoon of oil 
• A handful of leftover cooked roasted vegetables.
• 2 eggs
• 3 tablespoons of milk
• Salt and pepper to taste

Method 

1. Break the eggs into a bowl and beat together with the milk, salt and pepper.
2. Heat the oil in a deep non-stick frying pan over a medium heat and roasted vegetables fry for a few minutes.
3. Pour the egg mixture into the hot skillet and allow them to cook until sides and center have firmed up, about 2 to 3 minutes. Carefully flip and cook an additional 1 minute.
4. Turn the omelet out onto a plate and if you like a cheese omelette, simply grate your raw cheese over the top of the hot omelette and it will melt right into it. Delicious! 

Note: You can serve with some slices of bread and place on a baking sheet, drizzle with olive oil and toast at 350 degrees for 5 minutes.

Lastly if you have seafood platters left, they need be used quickly. What’s quicker than serving them with your favourite dipping sauces? Here are my two favourite sauces I use to serve with any type of seafood dish. 

Seafood sauce #1

Preparation time: 10 minutes        Cooking time: N/A

Ingredients

• 1 cup (300g) whole-egg mayonnaise
• 2 tbsp. tomato sauce
• 1 tbsp. lemon juice
• 2 tsp Worcestershire sauce
• 1/2 tsp  Ground Paprika

Method

Combine the mayonnaise, tomato sauce, lemon juice, Worcestershire sauce and paprika in a small bowl. Cover with plastic wrap and place in the fridge to chill for 15 minutes.

Seafood sauce #2

Ingredients 

• 1/2 tsp ground cumin
• 1 ripe avocado, halved, stone removed, peeled
• 1 clove garlic, crushed
• 1/4 cup (60ml) lime juice
• 2 tbsp. olive oil

Method

To make the avocado & lime dressing, toast cumin in a saucepan over low heat for 1 min or until aromatic. Process in a food processor with avocado, garlic, lime juice and olive oil until smooth. Season to taste with salt and pepper

I hope these recipes help you get back into a healthy routine for January and help celebrate healthier habits. So what are your favorite recipes for leftovers?

Tips on staying healthy for the holidays

 

With the holiday season just around the corner, it can be tempting to over-indulge in your favourite foods, staying healthy and ditching your routine workouts for holiday parties can in fact take a toll on your skin health in ways we don’t even realise. With a little help from me, here’s how to treat yourself well on the run this holiday season 

Changing Up Your Morning Brew:  I know it almost impossible to stay guilt free over the Christmas holidays, however whilst you may be eating out a lot over the next few weeks, you’ll probably be home for breakfast every day then why not start your mornings by drinking a freshly made detox tea that helps support and energize your body for the day. The freshly squeezed lemon cleanses the liver, ginger helps to support digestion, turmeric’s anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties helps cleanse the full body and eliminates the formation of pimples and black pepper helps reap the full benefits of turmeric. To find out the full recipe on how to make your own detox tea, check out our Instagram page below:

Planning Meals Ahead Of Time For Clear Skin:  At this point in December, you may be starting to feel the stress of the season, and there’s a high chance of unhealthy meals sneaking into your everyday routines. However it’s all about preparing healthy dishes ahead of time and being well organised, which will certainly promise you a week of clean eating. Try to pick a day when you have a few hours free and remember to get everything you need for the week.  You don’t necessarily need to cook up all your meals at once, you can save time by chopping up vegetables, washing fruits or marinating meat. For your on the go to snacks, try adding ingredients that contain skin boosting Vitamins such almonds, sunflower seeds, dark chocolate, seaweed crackers or a bowl of coconut yoghurt.  If you’re still unsure on what or how to plan ahead check out this article on how to meal prep 101 below. 

http://skinb5.tumblr.com/post/128387063642/meal-prep-tips-101

Keep Up Your Skincare Routine: The holidays are a wonderful time to celebrate happiness and togetherness, yet with so many obligations this time of year, it can bring out some challenges to your skin’s health.  Just remember no matter how busy you are, try not to let your skincare routine slide. Your routine doesn’t need to be complicated, just keep it simple and consistent with a regimen of gentle cleansing, moisturizing and applying a clay mask once in a while.  It only takes a few minutes to take care of your skin and trust me your skin will thank you for it in the morning!  

Exercise Whenever You Can: With the hot temperatures, crazy shopping schedules and family gatherings, squeezing in time for exercise can be tough. Staying active will help you deal with stress and make you feel healthier. So try to use every opportunity to move whenever you can, perhaps an extra power lap around the mall or choosing to take the stairs instead of the lift. Exercising regularly has positive effects on the skin, with the increase of blood flow, it can really give you a natural appearance and help benefit both the body and mind.  

Some final tips

• Drink more water. It helps flush out the toxins from your body, fights against flu, aids digestion and It’s the best anti-aging treatment around!
• Support your skin health and immune system by taking SkinB5’s Acne Maintenance Caplets. They contain vitamins A, which is known to help strengthen the immune system against infection, zinc which is great for healing blemishes plus helps control the inflammation in your body and much more! 
• Be happy. Eat your favourite desserts now and then, but in moderation of course! A little sugar won’t hurt your body, it’s only when you overload your body with sugar that can have an effect on your skin.

However you choose to deal with the holidays, I hope these tips help you stay healthy (while not depriving yourself of all the fun) and save you time during the blissful season. Happy Holidays!

Recipe for the detox tea 

Ingredients

• 1 teaspoons ground turmeric 
• ½  teaspoon minced ginger
• ¼ teaspoon of ground black pepper
• 1 ½ cups of water
• Juice of a whole lemon
• 3 teaspoons of honey to taste

Instructions

In a medium pot, combine the ginger, turmeric, black pepper lemon, and water. Bring to a simmer. Just before it reaches a boil, reduce the heat and gently simmer, covered, for 10 minutes. Remove from the heat and let it cool down and enjoy!

Silly Season Survival Steps, Part 2

Now is the time to plan whats on the holiday menu. Not just for christmas day specifically, but also for the entire season. Failing to plan only plans us for failure. So let’s get set with good choices and make sure we maintain our skin health through this indulgent time of year!

Good foods for good skin

With all the decadent choices around us, what are the best foods we can include at this time of year? Here’s a great list of foods high in skin-loving nutrients that you can safely indulge in:

-          Zinc: oysters, seafood, eggs yolk, lamb, beef, capsicum

-          Selenium: brazil nuts, cashews, alfalfa, eggs, fish, oysters, butter

-          Vitamin E: almonds, pistachios, egg yolk, beef

-          Vitamin B5: sweet potato, avocado, mushrooms, egg yolk, lobster

-          Vitamin C: strawberries, citrus fruit, paw paw, sweet potato & parsley

To reduce your risk of breakouts, then ideally keep the consumption of the following low:

-          Refined carbohydrates and sugars. For sensitive individuals that can also mean excluding grains in general as well

-          Dairy products, especially low fat milk & yoghurt

-          Soft drinks

-          Chocolate (a double whammy of sugar & dairy!)

You can make ice-cream from frozen fruit or home-made chocolate with cacao, coconut oil & raw honey and consume in small portions. Instead of rice try cauliflower rice, and use sweet potatoes in place of white potatoes!

Healthy drinking

Alcohol is on the menu for most, and it’s important to remember that alcohol depletes us of our b-vitamins so it’s a good idea to supplement accordingly. SkinB5’s tablets contain vitamin B’s, so make sure you continue your SkinB5 supplement regime to control your breakouts. Here’s some extra tips to help minimise the impact on your skin & general health:

-          Take an extra B-vitamin complex if you’re planning a few drinks (in the morning, or at least 6 hours away from bed as it will keep you awake!)

-          Chose red wine over white wine or champagne as it tends to be lower in sugar

-          Avoid spirits with soft drink. You’re better having them straight, with mineral or soda water & a piece of lemon or lime

-          Drink lots of water as alcohol dehydrates the body & the skin. For every alcoholic beverage, follow it with a glass of spring water

-          Keep your drinking moderate and always consume alcohol with food

-          St Mary’s Thistle (aka Milk Thistle) is a herb that is great to support the liver

Some important things to keep on-hand:

-          Healthy snacks. Unsalted nuts are great! Make sure you have the right choices with you so you won’t chose the bad stuff

-          Frozen meals. Make big meals now with plenty of veggies and freeze them in portions

-          Peppermint or Chamomile Tea to settle the stomach

-          Apple Cider Vinegar or lemon juice in water before big meals helps digestion

-          Slippery Elm powder can soothe & settle an over-indulged tummy

Stay safe & eat safe this silly season. It’s important to have fun and enjoy this time of year, and if you keep the above tips in mind then you’ll lesson the impact on your skin & general health.

Until next year! Yours in health,
Haley.

Haley is a passionate Naturopath & nutrition expert, writer, and mum of 2 young children, with years of experience in the industry. She is a known as a real 'nutrition nerd' and follows the latest natural health research. As a Paleo and raw food enthusiast, she coaches people in healthy living, beauty and positive mindset. Haley has personally experienced the benefits of the SkinB5 natural acne treatment system and is happy to offer her guidance to help others regain clear skin. Follow her blog at www.aliveinwonderland.com & link with her on facebook at www.facebook.com/aliveinwonderlandhealth

Christmas Party Survival Kit

Christmas is meant to be a time of festivity and celebration, but in truth it’s really a week long abuse of your body, mental strength and wallet. Sounds harsh? Well, how many people really enjoy being herded into a room with people they only see once a year to make polite small talk, eat food you really shouldn’t (and worse still- in excessive quantities) and to top it all off, have the privilege of parting with some solid mullah to gift them all something. This is just the Christmas shin-dig with the family that I’m thinking of, it doesn’t have a patch on the work Christmas party. Nothing is as prolific. Nothing.

To prepare you for such trials, I have prepared a survival kit for you. I’m yet to set up my online store, so I can post out to you my kit of Band-Aids, 2016 motivational calendar, stress ball and whistle, but I can instead help you with a survival kit of strategies to maintain you clear skin lifestyle in the face of all the festive season’s tests and trials!

Be a picky eater

Christmas is a season of excess and all sense with food seems to go out the window. Maintain your clear skin lifestyle by moderating your consumption of white bread & pasta, chocolate, dairy and sugary foods. Yes, those are all things which are aplenty during Christmas- Eggnog is a great example! Treat them as… treats and ensure with each meal you’re still taking your Acne Control Caplets. Not only will you be thankful for maintaining your clear skin, but you’ll also not have to suffer the consequences of a greater waistline!



Enjoying a festive nap in Upper Beaconsfield, in Melbourne’s outer southeast

Sleep well!

Sleep can be taken for granted, particularly if you’re up late or travelling a lot between friends and family, you may even have some late nights to get everything done at work before the holidays begin. There is no shame in a cheeky nap either, as sleep is regenerative to your skin and bolsters your immune system. Just make sure your sleep isn’t alcohol induced, as this leads to a poor quality sleep!

Moderate your alcohol! 

I know that sounds as exciting as going on a shopping spree with spare change, but alcohol whilst seemingly an ally in the festive season, is not as friendly to your skin. Alcohol affects hormone levels, and an imbalance of testosterone or oestrogen levels can cause excessive production of sebum and the development of acne.

Alcohol is a hepatotoxic, which damages the cells that act as a detox for the body. Furthermore, it drains your body of nutrients- particularly B vitamins, and it dehydrates you, which is also bad for your skin!

A strategy to moderate your alcohol consumption whilst maintaining you clear skin could be to have an alcoholic drink with each meal where you take your SkinB5 Extra Strength Tablets. Another could be to match each alcoholic drink with an equal sized glass of water.

Keep moisturised 

Should you find yourself in the cold winter of the northern hemisphere, or sheltering in air-conditioning during the stifling heat in the southern hemisphere, you should watch out for dry skin. Use a non-greasy moisturiser such as Acne Control Moisturiser which is oil free.

Have fun, be safe and don’t forget that the temptations of Christmas are good and well, but a moment on the lips is a lifetime on your hips (and skin!).


Who is Nick Bell?

Nick joins SkinB5 as a writer, contributing monthly to the blog.

A mid-twenties Melburnian cliche, the bearded student suffers wanderlust, a soft spot of his city's cafe culture and a love of cycling. He writes from experience, having suffered acne himself throughout both high school and university,  and it's something he still battles today. Nick also writes a personal blog where he is documenting his journey for clear skin with SkinB5, having previously given up after years of ineffective products and medications. 

Pool vs Beach? Which is best for your skin?

Growing up, my dad always said that swimming at the beach was good for our skin. Pity we didn’t live near the beach and my parents didn’t take me there much.

That bitter note aside, I grew up a pale child who enjoyed swimming in indoor chlorinated pools. It wasn’t until I was in my early 20’s and with newfound ‘wealth’ from my part-time retail job, that I flew myself up to the Gold Coast to meet some friends who introduced me to the beach. What a marvel

 

January 2014, when I discovered what the beach was on the gorgeous Gold Coast!

As it turns out, chlorine pools and ocean water can have very different affects upon your skin.

Let’s start with a positive: The act of swimming itself has benefits for healthy skin, which you can enjoy in a pool or at the ocean. Exercise increases blood flow which delivers oxygen and nutrients to working skin cells, and additionally removes waste products. Exercise is also beneficial to relieving stress, which is important as stress can cause acne by fluctuating hormones and increasing production of sweat.

So whilst the exercise of swimming is great, where you choose to swim can have a negative impact upon your skin.

Chlorine pools can dry out your skin, which is problematic as you then have to navigate the minefield of keeping skin hydrated without blocking pores by using oily moisturisers. (Thankfully there’s Acne Control Moisturiser!). Furthermore, chlorine pools (think of all the wonderful people at your local public pool) are plentiful with disease causing bacteria and parasites. Unfortunately, this isn’t conducive to achieving clear skin. I wouldn’t say pools are the worst thing for your skin, but they certainly lack the vitamins for clear skin that can be found in the ocean. Yes- vitamins!

Beautiful Hung Shing Yeh Beach on Lamma Island, Hong Kong

Going to the beach isn’t just a good time because you typically find yourself there on a sunny day. It also helps that everyone around you is happy not to be at home staring at their bedroom wall, but irrespective of all this, studies have found there are both physical and mental health benefits to swimming in sea water! A number of mineral salts, trace elements, amino acids and other vital elements for healthy skin can be found in beautiful salty water at the beach. These have benefits for your immune system, clear skin, blood circulation and even relive stress as magnesium-rich water can relax muscles.

Mineral salt found in beach water has antibacterial and skin healing properties. Great Barrier Reef mineral salt was added to the Skin B5 Skin Purifying Face Mask for this very reason, as all selected ingredients are carefully considered in their usefulness in controlling acne.

Think of how amazingly thick and lush your hair feels after enjoying the beach- it’s the same for your skin! Well, save for the hairy part, unless of course you are naturally hairy- we are body positive at SkinB5! In fact, I recently wrote a blog about manscaping and acne!

Who is Nick Bell?

Nick contributes to SkinB5 as a writer through his bi-monthly to the blog.

A mid-twenties Melburnian cliche, the bearded student suffers wanderlust, a soft spot of his city's cafe culture and a love of cycling. He writes from experience, having suffered acne himself throughout both high school and university,  and it's something he still battles today. Nick also writes a personal blog where he is documenting his journey for clear skin with SkinB5, having previously given up after years of ineffective products and medications.

 

Silly Season Survival Steps, Part 1

How quickly has the year gone? We have worked hard all year to maintain good skin health, so the last thing we want is for it to all go out the window during the silly season. Straying from our usual routine can really upset the skin, and we can end up with blemishes, dry patchy skin, bags under our eyes and not the glowing skin & good health that we have fought to maintain.

Keep it simple

The most important thing is to maintain your good routine, but make it easy. Many people tend to not keep up with regular exercise, they have more late nights and flop on their bed after a big day with makeup still left on, or product still in the hair. You should make a promise to your skin not to do that - leaving product on and around the face just encourages bacteria to grow as it’s been there all day. Listen to it whispering “wash me, wash me!” Let it breathe!

If nothing else make sure you wash your face and/or rinse your hair if it’s full of styling products. I find the SkinB5 Cleansing Mousse perfect to use in the shower. We’re all busy and we can all appreciate killing two birds with one stone, so to speak.

Look after your little adrenals!

Late nights - combined with working hard, partying hard, drinking alcohol and lots of coffee and/or pre-workouts will also end up taking it’s toll on our body. Our adrenal glands secrete cortisol to keep us going. Cortisol is what helps us deal with stress, gives us energy and regulates some really important things like blood pressure, fat, protein & carbohydrate metabolism, blood glucose levels and nervous system responses. When we have an issue breaking down sugars & fats, that will upset the fine balance of sebum control and hormones in our body, which can lead to more breakouts. Our little adrenal glands are very important things. And when we don’t look after them we have all systems failure.

Coffee and alcohol? Sure - but take your supplements!

When it comes to the alcohol & coffee side of things - the more we consume, the more B vitamins we need, including Pantothenic Acid (aka B5, which is also important to improve the body’s resistance to stress!). Vitamin B5 may be taken therapeutically to assist with adrenal stress and can be very effective in the treatment of acne. SkinB5’s tablets and caplets both contain B vitamins - with a particularly good dose of B5 - which will be vital to improve our resistance to the bombardment of bad habits, bad foods & poor sleep that we might endure this season. All the vitamin B’s, as well as vitamin C and herbs like Rheumannia, Licorice root & Rhodiola are all very important for our adrenals. Just remember that they can not replace a good night’s sleep.

Get moving & get some sunshine!

When it comes to exercise, don’t forget the simplicity of relaxing walks in the sunshine - in Australia it is the most perfect time of year for that. The sun is nature’s anti-bacterial agent, and as long as you’re not out long enough to burn make sure you get some time outside without sunscreen. Get your exercise and sun in one. Again, kill two birds with one stone. Or three, if you count the de-stressing aspect!

You can do it!

The take home message here is to do your best to maintain good habits, no matter what the season throws at you. How does a busy person like me survive the madness? By maintaining a great routine and keeping it simple with the SkinB5 simple 4 step system every day – when it comes to the end of the season you will be thankful you did because you can’t go back in time and un-do a day where you didn’t! Get the party started, but take care of yourself at the same time.



Haley is a passionate Naturopath & nutrition expert, writer, and mum of 2 young children, with years of experience in the industry. She is a known as a real 'nutrition nerd' and follows the latest natural health research. As a Paleo and raw food enthusiast, she coaches people in healthy living, beauty and positive mindset. Haley has personally experienced the benefits of the SkinB5 natural acne treatment system and is happy to offer her guidance to help others regain clear skin. Follow her blog at www.aliveinwonderland.com & link with her on facebook at www.facebook.com/aliveinwonderlandhealth