Image via puresaffronslim.net

While at work the other day, I had a lady come in and purchase 20 grams of saffron threads. This may not sound like a lot but, to put it in perspective, this much saffron could last in an average household for a year if not two. I asked her if she was a huge fan of paella perhaps and was surprised by her response: “Oh, it’s not to eat. I had a friend come back from Morocco and she told me that they use it as a beauty product over there and that it inhibits wrinkles!” I had never before heard of these benefits related to saffron, assuming it was just a luxurious addition to recipes. It turns out, after a bit of research and fact checking, that saffron really is a wonder stem of the world.

Once used as merely a coloring for exotic rice dishes, saffron is now earning its rightful place in the health world. Studies covering a vast range of ailments and how saffron aids in their cure are being documented allowing for a truly surprising revelation that could make saffron a staple in western diets.

Benefits:

• A powerful anti-oxidant due to its non-volatile active components including α-crocin, zea-xanthin, lycopene and α- and β-carotenes. I.e. They fight cancers and infections.
• A good source of vital vitamins and minerals including copper, potassium, calcium, vitamin A, folic acid, vitamin-C, iron, zinc and manganese.
• Aids digestions by promoting blood flow to the organs involved in your digestive system. It can also calm down gas and bloating issues.
• Help prevent UTI’s. Due to its ability to stimulate the function of the kidney, saffron works similar to cranberry juice in helping get rid of a UTI or preventing one in the first place.
• Research has been conducted that supports the idea that saffron may help aid people who suffer from depression due to its effects on neurotransmitters.
• Promotes good memory due to containing crocin, a compound that has been found to stimulate the brain and allow for better learning and recall.
• Saffron can help people with irregular or uneasy sleep patterns due to its sedative effect on the body.
• Reduces and prevents wrinkles. By adding a slight amount of saffron to your face cream, it is said that the properties of saffron promote rejuvenation in skin cells making for a better appearance for your overall complexion and may also prevent fine lines.

Phew! There’s much more to mention but we’ll start with these benefits for now.

How to introduce it to your current diet:

Saffron is expensive in Australia but this is due to the manual labour involved in picking the stamen from the flowers and also the limitation of where saffron can grow. Be wary, however, that you don’t need a lot to acquire some of the health benefits of it. A tiny pinch of saffron is enough for a whole rice dish or a tea.

To add saffron to your diet, simply add a pinch here and there to Middle Eastern and Spanish dishes, make a tea from it by adding a pinch to a cup of 90* water then sweeten it with your favorite natural sweetener or add to a glass of cold milk before bedtime.

–

There you have it – Everything I didn’t (and maybe you didn’t) know about saffron. Hopefully this information is revealing to you to and is making you want to run out to your nearest eastern spice supplier or at least eat a little more paella rice.

Please note – Saffron should be avoided if you are pregnant or if you have allergies to certain flora. We are not medical professionals so please consult with your health care specialist to see if saffron is safe to introduce to your diet.

Something that we’ve all been adding into our daily food and beauty regime lately is chia seeds – an ancient superfood that has solidified its place in the health community. Find out why these little guys really earn their name of a superfood…

What are they?

Chia is a plant of the mint family and native to South America, namely Mexico and Guatemala. The seeds acquired from the plant are known as chia seeds.

Many studies suggest chia seeds used to be the fuel for ancient warriors of civilizations such as the Aztecs and Mayans. Their almost complete nutritional content made them popular sources of energy for when food was needed on the go.

What’s so great about them?

Aids Weight Loss

When a chia seed comes into contact with water, it forms a glutinous outer layer. When you injest the seeds before a meal, the seeds form a layer in your stomach making you feel fuller faster. Their combination of insoluble fiber and soluble fiber also mean you feel fuller longer requiring less snacking throughout the day along with aiding the digestion process.

Balance Blood Sugar

As mentioned above, the insoluble fiber allow for a slower breaking down of carbohydrates and therefore, a slower release of energy throughout the day meaning your blood sugars won’t spike.

Nutritional Content

Chia seeds pack a powerful nutrional punch. They contain more calcium than whole milk, boron, magnesium, essential trace minerals to allow greater absorbtion of vitamins and its a complete protein (of 23%, at that) meaning you are getting all 8 of the human body’s essential amino acids. They also have more Vitamin C than oranges, more iron than spinach and more potassium than a banana! Plus, they’re also gluten free.

Better Hair, Skin and Nails

The oil content in the chia seed are great for enhancing the appearance and overall health of your skin, hair and nails.

How do you eat it?

It is recommended to have about one teaspoon to one tablespoon of chia seeds per day for maximum benefit which means its so easy to incorporate into your diet!

• Soak a tablespoon of chia seeds in water for 10 minutes then stir into your morning smoothie or juice
• Soak then add into a glass of ice cold water
• Sprinkle over salad and fruit salads
• Bake into a fresh loaf of gluten free bread or muffins

Basically, you can add these little babies to any meal you have otherwise. They’re flavourless and you will barely notice they’re there.

Give them a go for a couple of weeks and let us know if you experience any improvement in your health!

Next week, we’ll clue you in on the benefit of chia seeds sub-product that helps your body on the outside – Chia Seed Oil! Stay tuned!

With the silly season fast approaching, now is a perfect time to cleanse your system and get those cogs oiled before the abuse your body is going to endure from all those Christmas work do champagnes and those delicious Christmas feasts and sweet treats!

Try out some of the ideas below from things ranging from a quick fix to a more dedicated regime to get that system squeaky clean and working well.

1. Lemon Water

Adding some freshly squeezed lemon to your water is one of the best cleansing remedies for your body. Despite being acidic, once it starts being digested lemon alkalizes your whole system aiding the cleansing process. Aim to drink 2-3 litres per day during your dedicated detoxing period.

2. Ban a Problem Food

The small act of removing only one kind of food that may be causing you issues can mean mega benefits for your whole body! Try living without one of your vices for the next week (or more, if you’re feeling tough!):

• Caffeine
• Dairy (yep, that means saying ’til we meet again’ to your much beloved cheese!)
• Alcohol
• Gluten
• Cigarettes
• Fast Food
• Sugar and/or chocolate

7 days may seem difficult. Instead, compartmentalize your week into single days and take it one day at a time.

3. Drink More Green/White Tea

Adding 5 cups of green or white tea to your diet will aid your body in it’s detoxifying processes, allowing you to recover from those naughty patches a bit quicker. Plus, they may even help stop cravings for things such as chocolate and fatty foods.

4. Replace ONE Meal with A Freshly Squeezed Juice

For those of you that haven’t jumped on the freshly squeezed juice wagon, it’s about time you do. These wonder beverages are one of the best things for your body. Packed with multiple servings of vegetables (some can even make up for you daily recommended servings of greens and fruit) they are one of the best things for detoxing. Opt for green juices packed with vegetables like kale, wheat grass and watercress to purify the blood and give your body back those natural vitamins.

For beginners, try to replace just one meal per day with a freshly squeezed green juice then work your way up to more when you feel comfortable. Your body will thank you for these new nutrients that you’re giving it.

For the seasoned juice fasters, it’s time to get in there and go for it with 3-5 juices per day alongside loads of filtered water.

5. Eat What Your Mamma (Nature) Gave Ya!

Set some hard goals to do with adding more fresh, organic fruit and vegetables to your diet. i.e. I will eat 3 servings of leafy greens per day or I will have 6 servings of fruit per day.

Ideally, for full detoxification you want to make your whole diet just this – Raw, organic fruits and vegetables. This will allow your digestive system to get back to normal and for your body to absorb all the delicious vitamins, amino acids and minerals that your body constantly craves. but is denied with today’s modern diet.

For the truly dedicated, try going fully raw for 2 weeks and see what happens. Aim to keep consumption of fruit to before midday but as far as vegetables are concerned, eat as much as your stomach desires.

So, why not give your system a bit of a break for a while. Pamper yourself! Take baths with essential oils, buy some pretty flowers for your home, go for a massage and breaaathe before the stress of Christmas takes its hold. Remember that this is a time to be surrounded by the one’s we love and remember what’s important to us in this world. Don’t let this time stress you out or burden you. Stay calm, stay happy and stay healthy.

Welcome to summer, everyone and good luck with your cleanses!

Perhaps some of took last week’s blog as a little clue for what we have to announce to you guys in this weeks post.

Introducing Alexami’s own…

Handmade Soaps!

Created from organic essential oils, clays, herbs, spices and flowers as well as the finest cold pressed oils and butters, these luxurious little bars are your new bathroom and shower staple!

Check out all the different types we have to offer:

Lemon Myrtle & Tea Tree

purifying – antibacterial

Pure coconut oil forms the base for this soap. Enriched with the native Australian aroma of Lemon Myrtle and Tea Tree oil famous for its anti-bacterial properties making this an effective anti-bacterial soap for use on hands and body. Alexami also recommends this soap to clean your makeup brushes.

Lemon Myrtle & Tea Tree soap – for when you want to feel fresh and clean!

.

Goat Milk & Honey

hydrating – soothing

This hydrating soap combines a mixture of pure Goat’s Milk, Pure Cocoa Butter and Coconut Oil, Glycerine and pure unprocessed Raw Honey, making it gentle touse on the most sensitive skin. Luxurious, milky suds leaves skin feeling soft and nourished, while the divine smell of raw honey lets your mind slip away for a shower experience in harmony with nature.

Goat Milk & Honey soap is ideal for people suffering from eczema and psoriasis.

.

Rose Geranium & Coconut Milk

softening – luxury feminine

This butter bar of luxury is infused with pure essential oils of Rose Geranium and natural rose petals for an indulgent bathing experience that leaves your skin soft and your mind pampered. Made from a base of Coconut Oil, Coconut Milk and Cocoa Butter, this is a little piece of luxury in a bar.

For when you want to feel spoiled and pampered.

.

Olive Oil

uplifting – energizing

Good things come to those who wait, and our Olive Oil soap is worth waiting for. Made from a base of pure olive oil and coconut oil, the processes involved in making this soap is longer than most of our other soaps, making it the most luxurious soap in our range.

Enriched with a romantic blend of essential oils, the thick lather and amazing smell will leave you feeling uplifted and energised.

.

Black Clay & Volcanic Ash

detoxifying – exfoliating

An essential in every bathroom, this detoxifying and exfoliating soap is made with a pure Coconut Oil base that combines Australian Black Clay and Pumice for a gentle exfoliating experience. Luxuriously enriched with pure essential oils of Lemon, Spearmint, Ginger and Cypress, famous for their detoxifying, blood circulation, stimulating and cleansing properties.

This is an ideal soap for removing old and flaky skin.

.

Cinnamon, Clove & Orange

sweet – spicy

Infused with a Christmas blend of cinnamon, clove and orange essential oils, this milky soap combines a base of Coconut Oil and Cocoa butter, for an intense and invigorating shower experience that leaves the skin smooth and soft and the mind revitalised.

This luxurious soap is an ideal stocking filler for both men and women.

.

Give them a try for yourself by clicking here and let us know what you think! We’re that confident that you’ll love them so much, you’ll want to try them all!

Image via Etsy.com

Despite not spending too much thought on the topic, soap plays a very big part in our day to day lives. Whether it be while in the shower, after using the bathroom or after getting your hands a bit dirty, we are always using it. But has it ever occurred to you how important it is to choose something that will not only disinfect your hands but that is safe for the whole family and yourself?

I’m sure you’re all sick of hearing about the negative effects of using mass produced shampoos and conditioners due to the added chemicals found in them but it is important. It’s the same with liquid soaps (as is the most common kind of soap used in today’s household). Like shampoo and conditioner, mass produced soap contain SLS, parabens and synthetic fragrance that has not only been proven to cause ailments in the body but also dry out the skin. Mass produced soap companies also usually remove glycerin from their recipes, meaning their soaps are extremely harsh and drying on your skin.

So, what should you instead?

Instead, use handmade soap made from all natural ingredients like natural oils, essential oils and flowers. You will find them in a variety of scents and varieties that will suit your specific skin type and needs. Plus, as an added benefit, most of them are vegan, cruelty-free and organic and they look good enough to eat (not recommended)!

To prevent icky things building on the bar, make sure you purchase smaller bars or cut your bar in half and store the other half for later or use it in another room in the house.

Let us know what you think and if you have any favourite handmade soap recipes to share!

As requested via our Facebook page, here are some quick time-saving beauty tips for you all. I hope that some of them come in handy for you and save you some much needed time and money.

Image via WeHeartIt.com

1. Cure Puffy Morning Eyes

• Leave 2 spoons in the freezer overnight and apply them to your eyes as soon as you wake up to treat eye bags/puffy eyes.
• Another puffy eye treatment is to make some caffeinated tea with 2 tea bags then put them in the fridge overnight. In the morning, pull them out and place them on your eyes. The caffeine that remains in the bags are great at reducing the appearance of sleepy eyes.

2. Lips Looking Like a Chapped Mess?

• When you’re brushing your teeth, scrape over your lips with your toothbrush to exfoliate them. Apply a lip balm or oil once you’re done!
• Another way to exfoliate is to mix sugar or salt with a bit of oil and rub them over the lips.

3. Need to Save Some Time in the Morning?

• Use your hair conditioner all over your body in the shower to let it double as a body moisturizer.
• For the quickest made-up face, simply conceal blemishes and dark circles, apply a pinky peach blush, some mascara (brown or black, depending on hair color) and put lipgloss on your cheekbones and center of your lips. For those ladies with rosacea or reddish discoloration, apply a cooler based powder according to your shade.
• If your hair’s a mess, learn to perfect a chignon bun or a french brain. Both can look very on trend if done correctly and are easy to do on dirty hair.

4. Problem Skin?

• It is always hard for people with problem skin as you need to invest more products and time into your beauty routine. Try to put some more focus into finding a good skin care routine that suits you rather than makeup to cover up your problems. The better your skin quality, the less makeup you will require in the long run. Start by finding a good cleanse/tone/moisturize routine first then move on to acne treatments, rosacea treatments, wrinkle treatments etc.

5. Embarrassing Feet Caused by Heels and/or Neglect?

• Cure dry, cracked and questionable looking feet and toenails by applying loads of lotion or body oil (i.e. coconut) then putting a small plastic bag followed by a sock over your foot. By the morning, everything would’ve absorbed and your feet will be feeling oh so fresh and moisturized. Also, summer’s coming so apply a quick coat of a brightly colored polish so your feet look beautiful in those sandals.

6. Frame Your Makeup Look

• Feel like your makeup look needs a little something extra? Get into the habit of always shaping and filling in your brows with a pencil/powder 1 or 2 shades lighter than your eyebrow color. It frames the whole face, polishes your look and makes you look younger!

7. The Never-Fail Cat Eye

• For quick but standout eye makeup (that looks like you put more effort into your beauty regime than you actually did), do a quick cat eye with liquid or gel liner. You may not be able to get it perfect in the beginning but it will come with practice. Here’s a hint, draw the flick at the same angle to the outer-lower waterline and fill in accordingly.

8. Banish Lipstick Anxiety

• Worried about taking a drink or giving a kiss in fear of smudging your freshly-lipsticked pout? Opt for a tinted lip gloss or lip tint instead. They are easier to apply than lipstick and their pigments usually last longer without the need for touch ups or lipliner.

9. Speed Up with Mineral Powder

• For the quickest foundation application, apply a face primer then find an amazing mineral foundation (naturally, our favorite is our Alexami’s Mineral Foundation Powder!) and apply it with a dense kabuki brush. Mineral powder also provides buildable coverage so just wait a few minutes in between application of the layers or apply a spray of setting spray between each layer of coverage.

10. Oily Hair, Don’t Care

• Do you suffer from hair that turns into an oily, lifeless mess too quickly? Keep some transluscent powder on hand and sprinkle it through the hair as required. Grab a comb, brush it through and perform a glorious hair flip and BOOM! Gorgeous tousled locks in an instant!

11. Stop it, You’re Making Me Blush

• Skin looking a bit sallow but you don’t have any blush on hand? Easy. Simply apply your lipstick as a blush by warming up your fingers, swiping them over your lipstick with your middle and ring finger then quickly applying to your cheekbones in upward motion. Keeping the lipstick warm and applying it quickly will allow it to blend easier.

While browsing the supermarket aisles lately, you may have come across a growing range of coconut waters. So, why the new obsession? And is it just a health fad sure to be replaced by the next best thing? Or is it here to stay? Have a read and decide for yourself…

Image via Style&Wisdom.com

The Benefits

• Full of electrolytes
• Low in carbohydrates
• 99% fat free
• High in potassium
• Low sodium
• Cholesterol free
• Contains only natural sugars
• Ultimate rehydration
• Alkalizing
• Aids digestions
• Stimulates healthy thyroid function
• Stimulates healthy kidney function
• Controls blood sugar levels
• Keeps the body at appropriate temperature
• Contains cytokines (which studies have shown have anti-carcinogenic and anti-ageing effects)
• Good source of B-complex vitamins

When to Drink It

• Before a workout - To promote oxygen levels allowing you to workout harder and/or longer. Use it to replace your usual sports drink
• After a workout - To rehydrate the body quickly, bring the body temperature back to normal and to relieve cramping
• Throughout the day – To stimulate your metabolism and rehydrate
• For a quick pick-me-up – Replace your coffee or energy drink with coconut water for a healthy energy boost
• When you’re sick - To aid the immune system in fighting an illness
• When you have a bladder infection – To fight UTI’s more than the recommended cranberry juice
• To control acid reflux - Some people have mentioned having a glass of this midday helps to control this problem
• After a big night out - The electrolytes and quick rehydration properties of coconut water make for a great hangover cure

Those are just some of the things that coconut water can do for you. As the next best thing to drinking pure water, why not give it a try for yourself and let us know if it’s a passing fad or its a product that’s here to stay.