Who would have thought...?

When I was younger, I used to see my mum drinking her herbal drink or in Malay we call it Jamu. She would make weird faces because of the smell and taste ( I guess). And I was asking myself, why torture yourself?
My grandmother used to tell us not to eat Maggie Mee because of its MSG content, and eat lots of ulam (raw vegetables). Of course, being a kid I used to get grossed out to the thought of it.
But now that I'm 24, I realized that my grandmother was right. She knew what was best for us, and what was not. Honestly, almost all my life, I hated vegetables. But once I turned 18, and I realized how important it is to consume vegetables, I try to eat them whenever I can.
Our great grandmothers had their own recipes and remedies to keep them maintain a healthy life. Think about it... there're just so many diseases nowadays. Cancer is nothing new in our time, and obesity seems common. This happens because of what we consume every day. Sugary drinks, preservatives and MSGs seem to be necessary to many of us.
I only have 1 more year before my skin starts aging, and I know I have to start doing something now before its too late. Prevention is better than cure, they say.
So, I guess our ancestors know what they're talking about!

I did some research on traditional beauty recently, and tried a few remedies and recipes. These recipes do not content any drug, so the result might be a bit slower than what we have on shelves at the malls, but one thing for sure, unless you have any allergies or sensitive skin, it doesn't have any side effects. I can't say how long it takes to see the results, as it depends on each person. But for me, I could see it almost instantly!

Youthful skin mask

Ingredients:
1 tablespoon of turmeric powder
2 tablespoons of coconut oil

Steps:

1. Mix the ingredients together in a shallow bowl till you get a paste.
2. Apply evenly on face and neck.
3. Let it stay for at least 20 mins (the longer the better)
4. Before rinsing your face, rub your face like you would when using a scrub
5. There will be some yellow stains. You can use your daily cleanser to wash it off
6. Pat dry
7. Use once or twice a week

Result: The 1st time I tried it, I could feel that my skin was softer and more supple


Hair treatment

Ingredient

1/2 cup of coconut oil (depending on how long your hair is)

Steps:
1. Apply coconut oil all over your hair and massage your scalp.
2. Let it stay for as long as you can (I usually do it for about an hour)
3. Wash your hair with shampoo and rinse.
4. Feel your scalp with your fingers. If there's still some oil left, wash your hair with shampoo, and rinse again.
5. Towel dry hair.

Result: I've made this remedy as my weekly routine. My hair is now not as dry as it used to be, and much softer. This remedy can also be used for people who are experiencing hair loss, except that scalp massaging should be the main focus.


Immunity and skin glowing tonic

Ingredients:
100g of fresh turmeric
1/2 cup of fresh lime juice
2 teaspoon of honey
1 cup of warm water

Steps:
1. Squeeze the juice out of the turmeric using a juicer.
2. Pour it in a tall glass and mix the rest of the ingredient.
3. Drink daily

Result: I have just started drinking this juice recently, and have yet seen the result. Though most of you might think its pretty gross, but its actually not that bad. Its not tasty, but its drinkable. If your taste buds can't take it, try adding more honey.

Good luck!

Lumpy Booby

Found a lump in your breast? Don't panic yet. It might just be fibrosis in the breast. Fibroscystic breast is a condition where a non cancerous lump containing cyst develops in a person's breast. This a common condition which affects more than 50% of women at some point of their lives. Though fibrosis in the breast won't turn cancerous or increase the chances of breast cancer, this condition may sometimes make it more difficult to detect hidden breast cancer with standard examination.
Depending on the size and the condition of the fibrosis, in a lot of cases it doesn't have to be removed. But if its growing bigger and bigger, your doctor might advise you to have it taken out.
However, I talked to my doctor recently about this condition (he's one of the holistic doctors). He told me to try my very best not to go for a needle biopsy or a mammogram,as both may lead to worst than good. But, ask for second, third and fourth opinions from several types of doctors, and listen to your heart before making your decision. In the end, its your body, so its your choice.
Anyways, he told me several ways to get rid of fibrosis in the breast without going through surgery. What these steps do is, they can drain out the cyst in the breast.

1. Eat Asparagus and Sour sop (lots of them, every day!!)
2. Consume 1 tablespoon of coconut oil every night
3. Take Black Seed Oil every night
4. Take Evening Primrose Oil daily
6. Take 400 International Units of Vitamin E daily

Fibroscystic breast is not harmful but it can be annoying. So before you plan on getting it surgically removed, try these options.

The Cambodian Beauty Secret

Cambodian women has always been famous for their sweet smiles and friendliness. But behind that sincere attitude that they have, God has given them a special gift. A gift that most of us don't really have anymore. That is, natural beauty (I'm talking about natural beauty, bare- without make-up). When I was in Siem Reap recently, I noticed their clear flawless skin, even skin tone and silky long black hair make me envy them in secret.
Well, their secret is, due to financial problem (they're seriously poor), they don't use any harsh chemical on their faces. Yes, I cleanse my face everyday with a type of liquid that we call facial cleanser, and I know the fact that it can do more bad than good.

Here are some of their beauty recipes:

Pore Cleanser

2 cups of water
A handful of turmeric (sliced thinly)
A handful of galangal (sliced thinly)
A handful of hibiscus leaves
Kaffir Lime (cut in halves)


Steps:

1. Bring all ingredients to boil in a shallow saucepan.
2. When the mixture starts boiling, put it of heat.
3. Pour mixture in a big bowl, and cover the bowl with a towel.
4. Put your head under the steam (just like what you do when you need to inhale the steam for stuffy nose) so that it can open pores and with regular use, this can also eliminate blackhead.

Skin Whitening/Anti wrinkle treatment

1 tablespoon of grated turmeric
1 tablespoon of grated galangal
2 tablespoon of organic honey

Steps:

1. Mix all the ingredients together till it forms a paste.
2. Apply on the skin as a mask for 30 minutes.
3. This paste can also be use to exfoliate

*Don't be surprise if your skin turns yellow. Turmeric stains your skin temporarily. But as it wears of, your skin will look lighter and brighter

Hair Treatment

Kaffir lime uice from 6 limes

Steps:

1. Rub the juice through your hair and sculpt. Leave it for 20 minutes. Rinse.




Enjoy!!

Beauty Bloggers

Some beauty blogs worth checking out:

Sugarshock beauty blog

Beauty Addict

Bella Sugar

Beauty Blog Junkie

Save some cash and revamp your wardrobe!

I am at my point where money is a bit of a problem. What I'm trying to say is I would love to have a good piece of designer dress or a really high quality dress. Many people may not believe me, but I actually do not own that many dresses. I usually just accessories them differently every time I wear the same dress.
Anyways, I usually clean my wardrobe every 6 months to give it a fresh look. Plus, it gives me the chance to see what I have and what I need. Honestly speaking, just like other tips on revamping your wardrobe, its not an easy task. I would suggest play some happy music when you're at it.
However, cleaning out your wardrobe does not mean you have to throw away every single thing you think you're not going to wear. If I do that I'd only have a few clothes left.
Clear your mind and analyze your clothes 1 by 1. Check if there are any holes. If there are, think of any way you can save this dress. Perhaps add a pocket or maybe cut the length? If no, yes you have to break up with it. Throw it away, toss it somewhere you can never turn back and get it again.
Pull out clothes that is outdated, not your size anymore and you don't think you'll ever wear them again coz you're just bored of them.
Lay them out on the bed or somewhere spacious. Look at them closely. If you have a dress that is too big, you can easily take it to your taylor and alter it to your size.
Outdated? Be creative. Try to think of a way to save the dress. Perhaps get rid of its shoulder pads or maybe shorten the length or perhaps alter the waist size? Take it to the taylor. She or he will know what to do. But don't forget to voice out your preferences. Most outdated clothes or dresses can be saved, by modernizing them. If you're taylor is really good, you dress will be a super hot vintage dress.
All of us have come to the point where we're just bored of some of our clothes. My tip is, alter them! From long sleeves to short, from to short to sleeveless, from long skirt to mini skirt, from a dress to a skirt! But if you think there's nothing you can do about that piece of cloth, get rid of it!

5 rules to flat abs

1. Stop targeting those superficial muscles! That means, those crunches you're doing every day are not technically working. According to Yahoo Lifestyle, in order for you to lose 450 grams of fat you need to do 250 000 crunches a day, that means 100 crunches a day for 7 years!! If you ask me, i'd probably wouldn't even make it for a year. So start doing your planks by targeting your core muscles

2. Stop being a couch potato and start moving your bum! Best workout for your bum is the glute bridge march

3. Eat for your abs: 1. wholegrain breads & cereals
2. Chicken & turkey
3. Beans & Legumes
4. Olive oil
5. Peanut Butter
6. Green Veggies
7. Whey Protein Powder
8. Low Fat Dairy
9. Eggs
10. Berries
11. Oats
12. Nuts & Seeds

Eat more protein (fish, chicken. nuts... etc)
Avoid added & processed sugar
There's nothing wrong with fat - know your limits and eat with moderation

4. Stop the stress!! Stress encourages your body to store more fat

5. Believe it or not, but workout less. Doing abs work out everyday, won't do any good. You only need 3 sessions a week to get tone. Give your body a full day recovery before you do your next abs exercise. If you're body is used to the work out you're currently doing, its time to move on to a harder move. But you can still have your daily cardio exercise!!

Gossip Girl Spoiler Alert!

Ok, if you're a big fan of Gossip Girl and you don't want to ruin your day, go away!! Seriously, don't read this.

Here goes... According to some reliable sources Chuck Bass and Blair Waldorf are going to break up at the end of this season. Why oh why? I'm so upset! They're my favorite couple... the sweetest couple ever!!!

So apparently, the break up is going to be Chuck's fault and everyone else is going to hate him too!! Chuck oh Chuck!