Calendula -- More Than Just A Pretty Flower

Hi Everyone...

When I was a child, my mother always had beautiful potted marigolds in the house during the spring and summer months. But I'm sure my mom didn't know that there was more to this plant than simply it's beauty. There is!!!

Calendula (Marigolds) are a member of the daisy family Asteraceae, native to the area from Macaronesia east through the Mediterranean region to Iran. They are "Pot Marigolds", not to be confused with Marsh Marigolds or Corn Marigolds. I'm talking about the ones that you buy each spring at the Home Depot or Lowes...

Anyway, besides being a pretty plant, the petals are used to make an extract which is fabulous for our skin! It's anti-inflammatory properties suggest that it is ideal for acne and eczema as it soothes irritated skin. More and more this tincture is being introduced by the cosmetics industry in their skin care products. It's even being used in stretch mark creams because of the soothing effects on a mommy's tender belly..

Calendula is also considered edible. It is often sprinkled on salads to add color and unique flavor.

So next spring when you see the marigolds for sale, I hope you'll remember that they're not only great to the eye, but great for your skin!

Protect your skin, Protect your body.

With Sweet Goodness,

Shermaine

Shea Butter - Did you know???

Hey Everyone....

Most of you should have already heard of (or used) Shea Butter. However, for those who haven't, let's go through a quick overview...

Shea butter or Shea nut butter is a slightly yellowish or ivory-colored natural fat extracted from fruit of the shea tree by crushing and boiling. Shea butter is widely used in cosmetics as a moisturizer and an emollient. The shea or karite tree, formerly Butyrospermum paradoxum, is now called Vitellaria paradoxa. It produces its first fruit (which resemble large plums) when it is about 20 years old and reaches its full production when the tree is about 45 years old. It produces nuts for up to 200 years after reaching maturity. The shea tree grows naturally in the wild in the dry savannah belt of West Africa from Senegal in the west to Sudan in the east, and onto the foothills of the Ethiopian highlands.

Shea butter is marketed as being effective at treating the following conditions: fading scars, severely dry skin, blemishes, dark spots, skin discolorations, chapped lips, and stretchmarks. I chose Shea Butter as one of the ingredients for The Body Patisserie's Body Butter Souffle because it was gentle for my eczema ridden skin. Shea butter provides natural ultraviolet sun protection, although the level of protection is extremely variable, ranging from nothing to approximately SPF 6

But there are a few things you may not have known about this wonderful ingredient.

Did you know that pure Shea Butter is edible? In West Africa, the ingredient is used as a cooking oil and also as a substitute for cocoa butter in the Chocolate industry.

Did you know that toilet paper manufacturer Andrex released a Shea Butter enriched toilet roll to the UK market in Summer 2009? (talk about gentle to the touch)

Did you know that in Nigeria, it is believed to be very effective in the management of sinusitis and relief of nasal congestion? This is due to its emollient properties which helps in relaxing the tension in the face skin thus easing respiration. All one needs do, if one has sinus problems or congestion, is rub a considerable amount of the butter in and around the nostrils.

Did you know Shea butter is used in some indigenous ceremonies? Followers of the Holy Spirit Movement rebel group of Uganda smeared their bodies with shea butter in the belief that it would stop bullets! (ok... this is where the disclaimer comes in! Please do not attempt to use shea butter as a means of repelling bullets -- there is no scientific evidence that supports this practice and is deemed fatal if attempted)... I just thought it was an interesting tidbit, but I have to protect myself, you know???

Anyway, Shea Butter is a great emollient and moisturizer to be used in soaps and skin care! Give it a try... You may like it too... Protect your body. Protect your skin.

With Sweet Goodness...

The Blueberry... Superfood???

Hey Everyone,

Ok.. You all know about my increasing search for those foods which will assist me in my quest for optimum health. So, here we go!

The blueberry... Ahhh... We are all familiar with this wonderful berry atop pancakes and in jams and jellies, but there's so much more to these spheres of sweetness!

Because we all know what a blueberry looks like, I'll save that part of the research portion of this. However, lowbush blueberries (better known as wild) are grown predominately in North America, specifically Quebec, Canada and the northeastern region of the United States. "Wild" has been adopted as a marketing term for harvests of managed native stands of low-bush blueberries. The bushes are not planted or genetically manipulated, but they are pruned or burned over every two years, and pests are "managed". Maine produces 25% of the supply of wild blueberries in the United States, while Quebec produces 40% of Canada's supply.

But did you know that researchers have shown that wild (lowbush) blueberries contain anthocyanins & resveratrol (best known for being found in red wine) which inhibit cancer cell prevention* and protect the cardiovascular system? And did you know that chemical isolated from blueberry leaves can block replication of the hepatitis C virus and might help to delay disease spread in infected individuals?** Numerous studies have shown blueberries to improve nighttime visual acuity and promote quicker adjustment to darkness and faster restoration of visual acuity after exposure to glare (Bilberries, a cousin to the blueberry, were ingested in the form of jam by British Pilots in WWII before night missions). And researchers have found that blueberries help protect the brain from oxidative stress and may reduce the effects of age-related conditions such as Alzheimer's disease or dementia.

Plus.. they taste scrumptious!!! So I ask again... The Blueberry... Superfood??? I say indeed.. Protect your body, protect your skin!

With Sweet Goodness,
Shermaine

*Yi W, Fischer J, Krewer G, Akoh CC (September 2005). "Phenolic compounds from blueberries can inhibit colon cancer cell proliferation and induce apoptosis". J Agric Food Chem. 53 (18): 7320–9. doi:10.1021/jf051333o. PMID 16131149.

**The hepatitis healing power of blueberry leaves