Jade Roller aka: Anti-Aging Jade Therapy

Do you roll?  I do.

I first learned about the jade roller about a year and a half ago when Cate Blanchett's makeup artist, Morag Ross, mentioned Cate's early morning makeup trailer regime for the film Carol.  Because of early morning call times in film, often an actress' face is still puffy.  You can't put Cate Blanchett on camera all puffy with pillow case creases on her face!  Heaven forbid.  So Morag would roll Cate's face prior to makeup application.  This sounded lovely to me so I invested in one ($24).

But first, a little history: Jade Rollers have been used for centuries by Chinese Empresses to refine and enhance skin elasticity.  Believed to have mystical powers, Jade is considered a symbol of beauty, grace and longevity.  This semiprecious stone has properties that allow it to remain cold on contact (even in warm weather).  This cooling effect helps to close pores, tighten skin and increase lymphatic drainage.  By stimulating meridians points, the Jade Roller promotes facial Chi (or Prana in India,  a life force or energy) for increased radiance and vitality.

Let me mention quickly about the benefits of lymphatic drainage (or lymphatic massage).  Our Lymphatic system is our defense against infection and disease, it's our body's second circulatory system.  Lymphatic massage is one of the best things you can do to help your body help itself.  

The lymphatic system has no "pump" of its own to move lymph through the system, as the circulatory system has the heart. Rather, bodily movement and breathing function to move liquid lymph through the vessels and filters of the lymph nodes. For people who get too little exercise and eat too much processed food, the lymphatic system can easily be overtaxed - resulting in a body that is susceptible to infection and disease. -Naturalnews.com

Lymphatic drainage massage is an easy home remedy with profound effects. According to a lymph system article (http://www.jonbarron.org/article/optimizing-your-lymph-system) by Jon Barron of the Baseline of Health Foundation, lymphatic massage can increase the volume of lymph flow by as much as 20 times, vastly increasing the system's ability to remove toxins and infectious materials. Studies have found lymphatic drainage massage to be a medically beneficial form of physical therapy for a range of lymphedema-related problems.

I'll I know is it works!  It feels so good in the morning and by keeping my roller in the refrigerator it quickly aids in depuffing my eyes.  Perks you up too!

Here are the benefits to the face:

• Enhances skin elasticity, tightening and toning facial muscles
• Helps refine pores
• Reduces puffiness and dark circles around eyes
• Helps relieve facial tension and discourages fine lines and wrinkles
• Improves circulation and revitalizes oxygen flow
• Aids in elimination of toxins, reducing stress and inflammation
• Improves sinus conditions and congestion

While this won't take 10 years off your face, it might help you feel younger, and with daily use it will benefit your lymph system which as you've read above is proven to aid in health and beauty.  The number one thing I notice each day is it depuffs my eyes, it just does!  I love it!

Not all jade rollers are created equally and since I've researched this ad nauseam I'm providing a link for your convenience.  I trust Ginger Chi; they get great reviews in product and customer service AND a percentage of their sales are donated to women and the environment!  Win!

http://gingerchi.com/collections/skin-care/products/gingerchi-chi-roller-anti-aging-jade-therapy-with-free-sample

One last thing, and this is important.... in rolling, you add ZERO pressure.  You are not ironing out wrinkles here.  Pressing hard will not work or get you better results.  The weight of the jade stone does all the work for you, you simply just roll across your face.  Moving our lymphs fluids around, which sit directly under the skin, requires light touch.  Do we understand?  I know some of you women with scrubs, you think by scrubbing or rubbing hard you erase damage but you only hurt your skin.  Be gentle.  The skin on our face is delicate so your technique should be as well.  Still, I know someone out there will treat this like a steamroller.  Just stop!

Roll outwards, never inwards

Outward roll across upper eyelids and brow bone

Outward roll under the eye, never roll inward, pick up the roller then roll outward repeatedly

Rolling outward, are we sensing a message here?

And on forehead and cheeks and neck, roll UP only, never ever down

Love the two sides, the smaller for eyes and nose, the larger for forehead, cheeks and neck

It comes with this diagram and directions so it's fool proof!  Such a great roller.

I hope I've intrigued many of you.  I am not suggesting you all run out and buy a roller but I love the feeling and benefits of it each morning and thought you might too.  I hope this has been A Good Fit!

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Oat-less Oats (aka-when you are SICK TO DEATH of eggs on the Whole 30)

Don't gross out, I PROMISE these are so good!

I am on Day 29 of my Whole 30 plan and am pretty excited to wrap this up but while it is still fresh in my mind I'd love to introduce you to oat-less oats.  What, you say?  Why can't you have oats on the Whole 30, they are a proven healthy grain?  Glad you asked.  The Whole 30 is a total nutrition reset and one of the rules is to get off of ALL grains, ALL means ALL.  Studies show that grains cause inflammation so by cutting them all out for 30 days allows you to really listen to your body.  Then in the re-introduction stage, you can slowly add a grain at a time back in to examine how your body reacts.  If you experience any discomfort or bloating, after lets say the example "gluten", then you will know that gluten is not a good choice for you going forward.  

The first two weeks of Whole 30 are pretty easy, especially if you're an egg eater!  We are encouraged to have 2-3 eggs per day, including the yolk which I've thrown countless away in my egg-whites stage of life.  Sorry little yolk!  Who knew how completely healthy you were?  I digress.

I love, love, love eggs but by week three I was growing tired of them and thats when a childhood friend posted a link to this recipe.  I Googled Egg Banana Scramble and pages of recipes came up so I'm not giving any one person credit for this recipe; listed below will be my version even though I'm not a recipe creator but I'm a darn good embellisher!

Now don't gag, mixing mashed banana with scrambled eggs sounded hideous to me at first too and my family gags each time I make this, but it really does feel like real oatmeal and without an ounce of grain.  Ready for the ingredients and recipe?  Here you go:

Ingredients:

1/2 TBSP of coconut oil (or ghee, clarified butter)

1 ripe banana (the riper the better)

2 eggs

Almond Milk (without Carrageenan if on Whole 30) 

1/2 TBSP Chia Seeds

1/4 cup of fresh berries of choice

1 TBSP of chopped nuts (walnuts, pecans, you get it)

Instructions:

Melt your cooking fat in a pan over medium heat.  Add your banana and mash with a fork, hence the reason I listed "ripe", easier to mash. The banana will soften as you mash and cook.  

Next whisk 2 eggs in a bowl and pour into the pan with the mashed banana.  I like to lower heat at this point.  Cook as you would scramble eggs but, and this part is an important step, before the eggs set (not runny but not fully cooked) add in a splash of almond milk and add your chia seeds.  Cook until desired consistency.

Pour immediately into a bowl and add toppings of your choice plus a dash or two more of almond milk.  Mix it all up and dig in! 

*   *   *   *   *

Let me know if you try it.  My mom loved it and so did several people in my Whole 30 group.  It's SO good and I plan on making this even after my Whole 30 as I'm easing into a Paleo lifestyle. 

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Foundation Options for Mature Skin

I'm going to be brutally honest with you, and if you've followed me for any length of time you know that's just what I do.  I don't love foundation.  I did when I was younger but by my late 30s my skin was starting to reveal texture and enlarged pores which I found foundation only enhanced.  Keep in mind that I have been in the beauty industry since 1992 so I knew a LOT about makeup, what brands worked, what didn't.  Cut to 2003, right before I fell into TV, I took a job at a swanky little LA boutique that celebrities and the cool kids shopped at, Fred Segal.  A natural, darling gal came in one day for the Bobbi Brown Tinted Moisturizer and when she told me her age I was shocked.  Her skin was glorious and it looked like skin!  She attributed it to good SPF and Bobbi Brown.  She hadn't had any work done as far as I could tell, and I saw a LOT of "work" daily at that boutique.  THAT was the day I ditched foundation and forever pledged my allegiance to tinted moisturizer.  I loved how it made my skin look and it didn't enhance any signs of aging.

She makes an oil-free version too but SPF15 is not enough so wear a higher SPF daily under it.

Once I reached my 40s, my skin became even more texturized, uneven, and I saw sunspots galore.  I still used my tinted moisturizer every day but now I needed more coverage in some areas.  Instead of switching back to a face full of foundation, I decided to just use spot coverage.  I really liked the Bobbi Brown Foundation Stick for that.  I really only used it on my nose, chin, and inner cheeks and just blended it into my tinted moisturizer.  You could certainly do the same with any liquid foundation of your choice, and while the Beauty Blender sponge works well, I prefer my fingers as skin blends beautifully on skin.

Comes in 24 colors

I was faithful to my Bobbi Brown for about 10 years until I moved to a town in North Carolina that didn't sell Bobbi Brown AND add to that, my sister worked for Lancome so that came with a discount.  I started using their tinted moisturizer and while I didn't love it as much as Bobbi's, it was more affordable.  However, Lancome changed their formula and it's now called a Beauty Balm cream and it is lovely!  I think it has even more coverage than before but because of ever-changing technology in the cosmetics industry, it looks like healthy skin!  I just love it!  I use it daily.  To spot correct in areas where I need more coverage I just got lazy and started using my concealer.  I've had an absolute love hate relationship with concealer for like FOREVER!  But I'm pretty happy with the one I've been using for 6 months and that is IT Cosmetics Bye Bye Under Eye.  It looks like skin AND they make an "illuminated" version too, but I'm waiting to finish my original formula first.  

I'm on the fair side and I still wear their #3.  Their #2 was TOO light for me.

I use Neutral Medium and you don't need much more than the size of a pinhead.

Just one more option for concealer, back in 2003-2006, all the celebrities were wearing the Cle de Peau concealer and I used that for many years and really liked it.  The only reason I no longer use it is because it's spendy, $70.  You can find it at Nordstrom, Saks, and Neiman Marcus.  It has a lot of coverage but is creamy.  Who knows what the red carpet wears now, I'm in NC y'all!

One of my followers recently wrote to me asking about a good foundation for herself.  She is in her 40s and was looking for staying power, oil-control and coverage for broken capillaries (something that comes to most of us as we age).  She had listed many different foundations she'd tried and they were all great quality but just not working for her.  I suggested Lancome's Teint Idole Ultra 24H because I used it on a commercial, on a 99 degree, high humidity North Carolina July day, and oh, the actresses were white water rafting too!  I panicked!  Having just moved here from Los Angeles I wasn't familiar with makeup in humidity.  My Lancome sister came to the rescue pouring me countless samples of this product in an array of colors.  I had a blonde, an asian, and a black actress so I needed a vast color range.  I used this foundation and after white water rafting, after lunch, I was shocked at the result.  Their skin looked perfect!  I only had to touch up around their mouths because they ate big sub sandwiches!  I was sold on this foundation and while it isn't a formula I'd use on myself, I keep it in my kit for staying power!  

And here is the Beauty Blender, works well, but I prefer my fingers

And finally, so you can see for yourselves, the photo on the left I am just wearing the Lancome Beauty Balm cream, and the one on the right I've also added the Bye Bye Under Eye in areas needing more coverage, under my eyes, my nose, cheeks and chin.  No need for a foundation for me, but I'm always open to products and ideas as there is ALWAYS learning to do in my industry.

No filter, no edits, no enhancing.  You can see I have better coverage on my nose, chin and cheeks.

I also have to give a shout out to Laura Mercier Cosmetics because my professional makeup kit is stocked mostly with her foundations, both moisturizing and oil-free.  Her makeup has held up to Hollywood red carpet events, TV, brides, and photo shoots.  It's a great foundation system, I just don't use liquids on myself.

And lastly, I buy my products with my own money.  I'm not a brand ambassador and I don't receive products for free, however, most companies give pro makeup artists a discount.  All the products mentioned are ones I've used for lengths of time both personally and professionally.  My word is not law though, just my opinion, but I hope it helps and adds value to your life.

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Lick-The-Bowl-Clean Sunday Stew (with Whole 30 modifications)

I was married 20 years before I ever made stew!  I mean it, it just intimidated me.  I've also never cooked a turkey, roasted an entire chicken, or cooked a roast though I did make a standing bone-in prime rib for a christmas party in 2010.  It's not that I don't like to cook, I'm actually pretty good at it, it's just my first eight years of employment were in fancy restaurants so I learned to cook that kind of food and not traditional american family dishes.  

Much prettier topped with the suggested fresh parsley but I didn't have any on hand.

Now let me preface, this is Pioneer Woman's Sunday Night Stew so I can't take any credit at all other than following the recipe well, but DANG if I don't nail this every time!  My husband just loves this stew (makes him happy dance) and even Gracie likes it!  And because we're a small family, it makes two nights' worth of dinners so WIN for me!  Pioneer Womans' recipes are easy to follow and she does step by step photos  which is great if you're a visual learner like me!  Here's her link: http://thepioneerwoman.com/cooking/sunday-night-stew/

This dish is literally stewing on my stovetop as I type this but this time around I'm doing the Whole 30 (a nutrition reset for those unfamiliar) so I've had to modify her recipe, especially her mashed potatoes which the stew lovingly sits upon.  As for the stew itself I only had to omit 1/2 teaspoon of sugar and use Whole 30 compliant beef stock.  Easy peasy!  I also always add one extra turnip because who knew I was a turnip freak (?) and I add WAY more garlic because I like to show my stew who is boss!  

Now the mashed potatoes are very different tonight because there is no dairy (butter, milk) allowed on the Whole 30 but you are allowed Ghee (clarified butter with no milk solids)  so I made them with ghee and chicken stock (seasoned with S&P) tonight.  They did NOT disappoint!  They were so flavorful that I honestly did not miss the milk and butter and might prefer making this way going forward.  Lots of yummy sounds were being made and Rob and I each went back for seconds.  That's right, I ate two big bowls full, don't judge.

Ain't she a beaut?!!!! (color is basil)

I also HIGHLY recommend using a cast iron dutch oven to prepare your stew.  The cast iron browns the stew meat beautifully and because I use a Staub, the spikes designed in the lid provide continuous self-basting locking in more flavor!  I'm not trying to sell you a Staub but MAN OH MAN is this a great cooking tool!  I'll have this dutch oven for life.

Spikes on lids create a rain-forest effect that cycles moisture back to foods.

One important detail to know, the reason this is titled Sunday Night Stew, I imagine, is because this dish takes about 3 hours to make.  You won't be standing over it the entirety but it takes time.  I've made it so many times now that the time flies for me and I know I'm getting two nights of dinners out of it but it's a lot of peeling and chopping, and stewing.  I always play a good podcast to pass the time.

This is an awesome meal but especially if you're on Whole 30 like me, or Paleo, this is a compliant, flavorful meal.  I plan on making this all winter long.  Let me know if you try it too!  It brings me excitement to hear from y'all.  

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