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Start your day off right! Create your own Scramble at participating locations...

Here are some of the ways that regularly eating a healthy breakfast may help you lose excess weight and maintain your weight loss: Reduced hunger. Eating breakfast may reduce your hunger later in the day, which may make it easier to avoid overeating. When you skip breakfast, you may feel ravenous later and be tempted to reach for a quick fix — such as vending machine candy or doughnuts at the office. In addition, the prolonged fasting that occurs when you skip breakfast can increase your body’s insulin response, which in turn increases fat storage and weight gain. In fact, skipping breakfast actually increases your risk of obesity.

Healthy choices. Eating breakfast may get you on track to make healthy choices all day. When you eat breakfast, you tend to eat a healthier overall diet, one that is more nutritious and lower in fat. When you skip breakfast, you’re more likely to skip fruits and vegetables the rest of the day, too.

More energy. Eating breakfast may give you energy, increasing your physical activity during the day. A healthy breakfast refuels your body and replenishes the glycogen stores that supply your muscles with immediate energy. Skipping breakfast is associated with decreased physical activity. So, if you skip breakfast — whether you’re trying to save time or cut calories — you may want to reconsider, especially if you’re trying to control your weight.

image source: susieqfitlife

#breakfast #scramble #benefits #healthy

Tap into Beer's Health Benefits

Beer drinkers, take note: Your favorite pint may be healthier than you realize. When it comes to good-for-you happy hour beverages, we tend to think mainly of red wine and its heart-friendly antioxidants. Recent research, however, reveals that beer may also help what ales you, from reducing the risk of osteoporosis to beating brain fog.

But before you go on a beer binge, remember that moderation is key to reap its health perks. That means no more than two 12-ounce beers a day for men and one for women. "If you overdo it, alcohol can take a toll on your health, contributing to liver damage, certain cancers, heart problems, and more," says Andrea Giancoli, RD, spokesperson for the American Dietetic Association. People with certain health conditions — including gout, high triglycerides, or breast cancer, for example — should avoid drinking beer or other alcohol because it can exacerbate those health problems, according to Joy Bauer, RD, nutrition and health expert for Everyday Health and The Today Show.

Too much alcohol can also cause weight gain. After multiple rounds, calories can add up quickly (a 12-ounce regular beer can pack up to 150 calories, while a light beer has around 100).

But for most of us, here are five healthy reasons to toast your next beer:

Beer Boost No. 1: A Stronger Skeleton

Make no bones about it: Beer in moderation may protect bone health thanks to its high silicon content. Participants who sipped one or two beers a day had greater bone mineral density than those who drank more or fewer beers, found a 2009 study published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition. "Silicon helps stimulate bone-building cells, and the estrogenic effect of alcohol also has a protective quality for bones," says study author Katherine Tucker, PhD, professor of nutritional epidemiology at Northeastern University in Boston. Which brew boasts the most silicon? Try an India Pale Ale. A 2010 University of California Davis study found that IPAs had the highest levels of the mineral.

Beer Boost No. 2: A More Powerful Ticker

A beer a day may keep heart disease away. "Alcohol raises levels of ‘good' HDL cholesterol," says Arthur Klatsky, MD, senior consultant in cardiology at the Kaiser Permanente Division of Research in Oakland, Calif. "It also has anti-clotting effects, which keeps blood vessels clear and healthy." In fact, Israeli researchers found that people who drank one beer daily had lower levels of fibrinogen, a protein that helps promote blood clotting, than those who abstained from drinking. (Blood clots can cause heart attack and stroke.) Study participants drank Maccabee beer, but researchers believe that any type of beer could have similar heart-healthy effects.

Beer Boost No. 3: Healthier Kidneys

Finnish researchers found that men who drank beer had a 40 percent lower risk of kidney stones compared to those who drank other types of alcohol. The benefit may be due to beer's high water content. Dehydration can increase the risk of kidney stones, which are little deposits of salt and minerals such as calcium that can form in your kidneys. Beer's hops (a kind of flower that gives beer its bitter flavor and acts as a preservative) may also help prevent kidney stones by slowing the release of calcium from bones.

Beer Boost No. 4: Better Brain Power

While excessive alcohol intake can cause irreparable brain damage, moderate daily consumption actually safeguards a sharp mind, research shows. One classic New England Journal of Medicine study, which analyzed the drinking habits of about 11,000 women over more than 15 years, found that those who had up to one drink a day had a 20 percent lower risk of brain function decline (as measured by memory and other cognition tests) than nondrinkers. Alcohol intake may protect blood vessels in the brain and also lower stroke risk, say researchers.

Beer Boost No. 5: Lower Cancer Risk

Beer's health benefits aren't limited to those who drink it: Marinating steak in your favorite brew could eliminate up to 88 percent of the carcinogens that form as a result of pan-frying meat, according to a Portuguese study. Cooking meat at high temperatures creates cancer-causing compounds known as heterocyclic amines (HCAs). Researchers think that the sugars in beer help prevent HCA formation.

Image source: katu.com

#beer #health #bones #brain #heart disease

Didja know...Dark Chocolate is Healthy Chocolate?

Dark chocolate -- not white chocolate -- lowers high blood pressure, say Dirk Taubert, MD, PhD, and colleagues at the University of Cologne, Germany. But that's no license to go on a chocolate binge. Eating more dark chocolate can help lower blood pressure -- if you've reached a certain age and have mild high blood pressure, say the researchers. But you have to balance the extra calories by eating less of other things.

Dark chocolate -- but not milk chocolate or dark chocolate eaten with milk -- is a potent antioxidant, report Mauro Serafini, PhD, of Italy's National Institute for Food and Nutrition Research in Rome, and colleagues. Their report appears in the Aug. 28 issue of Nature. Antioxidants gobble up free radicals, destructive molecules that are implicated in heart disease and other ailments.

"Our findings indicate that milk may interfere with the absorption of antioxidants from chocolate ... and may therefore negate the potential health benefits that can be derived from eating moderate amounts of dark chocolate."

Translation: Say "Dark, please," when ordering at the chocolate counter. Don't even think of washing it down with milk. And if health is your excuse for eating chocolate, remember the word "moderate" as you nibble.

What is it about dark chocolate? The answer is plant phenols -- cocoa phenols, to be exact. These compounds are known to lower blood pressure.

Chocolates made in Europe are generally richer in cocoa phenols than those made in the U.S. So if you're going to try this at home, remember: Darker is better.

Just remember to balance the calories. A 100-gram serving of Hershey's Special Dark Chocolate Bar has 531 calories, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture. If you ate that much raw apple you'd only take in 52 calories. But then, you'd miss out on the delicious blood pressure benefit.

A hint: Don't replace healthy foods with chocolate. Most people's diets have plenty of sweets. Switch those for some chocolate if you're going to try the truffle treatment.

author: Daniel J. DeNoon, WebMD Health News

photo credit: CakeRecipeHouse

#dark chocolate #healthy #chocolate #webmd #antioxidants #phenols #blood pressure #cocoa

Surprising Health Benefits of Watermelon

Some foods are fun to eat, and watermelon is definitely one of them. That triangular wedge of bright red/white/green, sweet juiciness forbids us to take life too seriously and shouts, “SUMMER!!!” As if that weren’t enough, watermelon is packed full of nutrition, hydrates and is low-fat. While many of us think of watermelon as a great snack option, when you tally up its nutritive value, you might consider making this all-star a feature player in your cuisine.

Watermelons are an excellent source of several vitamins: vitamin A, which helps maintain eye health and is an antioxidant; vitamin C, which helps strengthen immunity, heal wounds, prevent cell damage, promote healthy teeth and gums; and vitamin B6, which helps brain function and helps convert protein to energy.

Tomatoes have been highly touted as a great source for lycopene, a powerful antioxidant that helps fight heart disease and several types of cancer — prostate cancer in particular. Watermelon, however, has the highest concentrations of lycopene of any fresh fruit or vegetable.

If your little ones don’t dig into their swiss chard, lima beans or spinach — all great sources of potassium — consider offering them a serving of watermelon instead. It is a great source of potassium, which helps muscle and nerve function, helps maintain the body’s proper electrolyte and acid-base balance, and helps lower the risk of high blood pressure.

Watermelon also contains the amino acids citrulline and arginine, which can help maintain arteries, blood flow and overall cardiovascular function.

Alone or in a fruit salad are the most common ways many of us eat watermelon. While eating the meat of the fruit is the best way to take advantage of all of its nutrients, this is one of my favorite bits of summer refreshment. I get a version of this from my local burrito truck. The key to making this great: don’t oversweeten it. With just a touch of sweetness, it’s heavenly.

credits: Terri Hall-Jackson

photo credit: SparksFly Design

#watermelon #healthy #lycopene #antioxidant

Celebrating National Ice Cream Sandwich Day

One of America's favorite desserts and recognizable by a slice of vanilla ice cream between two chocolate wafers. Here are some gluten free, dairy free, and vegan friendly recipe alternatives to make your own ice cream sandwiches using cookie cutters and adding these healthy ingredients. Great for any occasion and fun to do with the kids.

Lemon Ginger Pear Ice Cream Sandwiches

Ice Creme Filling: Blend on high speed until very smooth.

1 fresh pear including peel and core

2" fresh ginger root

1/2 cup coconut or palm oil, melted but not hot

2 cups cashew or macadamia nuts

1/4 cup Beyond Agave syrup, or Healthy Sugar

2 whole lemons, peeled

2 small dates

Pinch salt

1/2 tsp vanilla

Sweeten to taste. Pour into a flat pan or tray so it is 1/2 - 1/4 inches thick in 8" cake pans. Don't make it thicker or it will be too hard to cut. Freeze for 2-3 hours until very hard.

Chocolate Cookies: Mix in food processor with the "S" blade until it is soft and pliable.

2 cups raw nuts (pecans, cashews, walnuts)

6 small dates

1/4 tsp sea salt

1/4 raw cacao or carob powder

1 carrot

1/2 tsp vanilla

Sweeten to taste with something like:

1 tsp dark Luo Han Guo

1/8 tsp pure stevioside powder

Roll the dough 1/4" thick onto a sheet pan covered with parchment paper. Freeze the dough 30-60 minutes until it is stiff.

Assembly:

Remove cookie dough and filling from the freezer and cut the cookies in pairs with any cookie cutter as well as the filling.

Switch up the recipes to suit your mood:

Chocolate Mint - In the ice cream, blend in mint leaves enough to make it green. Add 1/2 tsp of peppermint extract (optional)

Ginger Hazelnut - In the cookie, use hazelnuts. Omit the cacao. Add 1" fresh ginger root and 1/4 raw hazelnut butter. After assembling, roll the bars in chopped hazelnuts.

Orange or Lime - Omit the pear and the lemon. Substitute 1/2 orange or 1 whole lime including peels.

Coconut Macaroon - In the ice cream, omit the pear and ginger. In the cookie, use coconut flakes, not nuts. Omit cacao and carrot. Roll bars in white macaroons.

Glowing with Life - In the ice cream, add 2 tbsp Aloe Vera Gel. In the cookie, add 1 tbsp maca powder, and 2 tbsp dry seaweed soaked 5 minutes in 1/4 cup warm water. Hiziki or Waname are easy and have a bland flavor.

Thanks Jane Barthelemy for these amazing recipes!

photo credit: allyou.com

#gluten free #dairy free #GMO-free #peanut-free #vegan #raw #desserts #diy #aloe vera

health-heaven

tossed-blog

Start your day off right with one of our fruit and yogurt parfaits, but if you can't get to a local Tossed, here's an awesome recipe to diy. Enjoy!

health-heaven:

SECRET INGREDIENT: granola This simple twist on dessert also makes a tasty and healthy breakfast. Store-bought granola stays wonderfully crisp when layered between plain yogurt and warm sautéed bananas. Ingredients 1 teaspoon unsalted butter 1 small ripe banana, cut into 1/4-inch-thick...

#nuts #bananas #yogurt #breakfast #diy #recipes #desserts

If you thought you loved tuna before...wait till you try ours!

Our tuna is a special blend of light mayo, apples, dried cranberries, and generous cuts of tuna. Once you taste this recipe you wont be having tuna anywhere else :)

#tuna #tossed #tossed tuna sandwich

Healthy Eating Goes Far Beyond The Food For Tossed!

Having safe and healthy food is a must for our customers, that's why all of our produce is washed with Victory Wash!

Anyone worried about foodborne illness outbreaks will appreciate Ecolab’s new Victory fruit and vegetable wash solution. Its antimicrobial activity quickly removes harmful microorganisms from the surface of fruits and vegetables without altering the taste, look or smell of the produce. In fact, fruits and vegetables washed in this EPA-registered solution do not even require a water rinse because unlike competitive products, Victory, at the recommended use concentration, will not leave any residual effects. And achieving the proper concentration level is simple because Victory’s patented dispensing system automatically dilutes the product for maximum effectiveness and consistent results.

photo credit: http://goo.gl/xnfTd

#ecolab victory #vegetable wash #healthy clean #antimicrobial

#Summer cocktails #Salad Ingredients #Redbook #recipe

Fruit That's Good For You Inside And Out

We see the value in eating healthy fruit and veggies, but they are not just healthy to eat. Using fruit like a lemon as a cleaning agent is another healthy choice you can make for your family.

Using lemons to help with your cleaning is easy and effective. As we learn more about the devastating effects of toxic chemicals on our health and the environment, cleaning with kitchen ingredients is becoming fashionable and earns you some green kudos! Lemons have antibacterial and antiseptic properties, making them ideal for cleaning your home. They also help to remove stains with their mild bleaching power.

STAIN REMOVAL ON CLOTHING

Many of us will remember trying to get streaks in our hair by putting lemon juice on it and sitting in the sun! You can do the same on white clothing. Dab a little lemon juice on stains, leave to work for a few moments, and then wash as usual. Hang the clothes outdoors to dry on a sunny day to allow the sun to add its bleaching effect too.

If the stains are well soaked in, make a paste from fresh lemon juice and creme of tartar. Apply the paste to the fabric and leave in the sun for an hour. Then wash as usual. Keep an eye on the clothing, as lemon juice can be very powerful!

You can pre-soak white clothing in lemon juice if it needs to be brightened. Slice up a lemon and place in a large container. Pour boiling water over the lemon, cover and leave to reach the desired temperature. When cool enough, add your clothes and soak them for an hour before washing as usual.

Alternatively, put 1/2 cup lemon juice in the rinse cycle of your washing machine and hang your clothes in the sunshine to dry.

KITCHEN WORK SURFACES

If your kitchen work surfaces have marks on them, put a few drops of fresh lemon juice on, leave for a few minutes, and then rinse and dry.

DISHWASHER

If your dishwasher starts to smell musty, run the machine empty, apart from 1/4 cup fresh lemon juice in the soap dispenser. This will freshen up the machine, help kill bacteria and remove musty odours.

CHOPPING BOARDS

The antibacterial effect of lemons make them perfect for disinfecting chopping boards. Apply fresh lemon juice to the board, allow it to soak overnight and rinse off in the morning. This will remove any odours from chopping garlic and onions as well as removing bacteria.

SINKS

To clean bathroom and kitchen sinks, make a paste from fresh lemon juice and salt. Dip a sponge into the paste and rub around the sink to remove stains. Porcelain sinks in particular will love this treatment and sparkle beautifully!

LIMESCALE

Lemons can help dissolve hard water deposits and soap scum. Rub a cut lemon around your taps or around your sink, leave to work for a few minutes, and then rinse.

Keep a plant mister in the shower room with a mixture of the juice of two fresh lemons and water in it. Wipe around the shower panel and tiles with this mix after showering to prevent limescale building up.

To prevent limescale in your kettle, put some fresh lemon peel in the bottom, top up with water, bring to a boil and then leave overnight. Rinse well in the morning and your kettle will be limescale-free.

FURNITURE POLISH

Combine 1 part lemon juice with 2 parts olive oil for a nourishing wooden furniture polish. This will add shine and bring out the natural beauty of your furniture.

BRASS

Make a paste from fresh lemon juice and bicarbonate of soda (baking soda). Apply this paste to any brass fixtures or fittings in your home, such as door handles and light switches. Rub gently with a soft cloth and buff until it shines.

COPPER

Give your copper pans a brilliant shine with lemon. Cut a fresh lemon in half, dip it in some salt and use it like a scouring pad. If you have copper pipes in your bathroom or other copper materials in your home, these will benefit from the same treatment.

Once your house is squeaky clean come on in to Tossed and try one of our dressings featuring the ever so versatile Lemon!

Freshly squeezed lemon juice

Two Virgins

Lemon Basil Vinaigrette

photo: http://nextkidthing.com/?paged=3

#lemon #cleaners #tossed #healthy cleaners

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This newsletter comes once a month and is full of fun and interesting information about Tossed, healthy news, facts, and PROMOS!!

#Tossed newsletter

Tips and tricks for keeping your fruit and veggies fresh:

Apples: There's always one bad apple that spoils the barrel, so keep an eye on your fruit, seperate fruit which is ripening up more quickly than the others.

Peppers: If you are only using part of a green or red pepper, leave the stem, seeds and membrane intact, the pepper will store much longer than when you remove them.

Potatoes: To keep potatoes from sprouting, toss in an apple and it will keep the moisture out.

Spinach: If you wash spinach and silverbeet well in cold water, shake off as much water as you can and store in an airtight container in the fridge, it will keep fresh for longer. This method also revives old spinach.

Lettuce: When you get your lettuce home, remove from plastic wrapping, wash and drain. Take a clean T-towel and soak it under a cold tap, then ring it out. Discard any leaves from the lettuce, that are slightly brown and wrap it in the T-towel. Place in the fridge. You will find that this will keep fresh for an amazing time! (A life saver for those living alone)!

Salad: Keep salad in a paper bag, or in a plastic bag with a strip of kitchen roll. Keeps them moist, but not soggy!

Radishes: Home grown and organic radishes can have a shorter shelf life than the usual supermarket varieties so I take the leaves off mine and put them in a jar of cold water in the fridge. This keeps them fresh for weeks.

Celery: Wrap celery in foil and store in the fridge to keep it fresher for longer.

Tomatoes: Keep tomatoes cool or in the fridge for freshness and store them upside-down. Bring to room temperature prior to eating especially if adding to a salad.

Oranges, Apples & Pears: They stay fresh and firm for even longer in the fridge if kept in a loosely tied plastic bag.

Carrots & Cucumbers: Put soft carrots and cucumber in a glass of water in the fridge - they'll perk up in no time.

Asparagus: Store asparagus in a vase of water like flowers and it will keep them crisp

Watercress: Try to buy watercress in bunches. To keep a bunch fresh, put it upside down in a bowl of water and keep in the fridge.

photo: http://shereentravelscheap.blogspot.com/2011/05/become-savvy-hotel-guest-5711.html

#tips and tricks #fresh fruit #fresh veggies

Tossed loves choices (and healthy ones at that!) "Design Your Own" salad is not the only menu item that gives you the freedom of choice. We have 2 wonderful, local bread selections for your sandwich!

Ciabatta, and multi-grain are offered for any of our sandwiches. If you ever doubted that healthy tastes delicious then get a load of our multi-grain!

Multi-Grain Bread:

Calories

A 1-slice serving of multi-grain bread contains 69 calories. One slice accounts for 3.4 percent of the calories you should consume daily if you follow a 2,000 calorie diet, but two slices -- the amount you commonly eat in a sandwich -- represents roughly 7 percent of your total calories. Speak to a nutritionist or your physician about how many calories you should consume to meet your nutritional goals.

Macronutrients

One serving of multi-grain bread is low in fat, with only 1.1 g. A fat intake of 20 to 35 percent of your daily calories can help you avoid weight gain. Most of the calories in a slice of bread come from carbohydrates; each serving contains 11.2 g. This quantity fulfills a low portion of your daily needs of 225 to 325 g, but the ingredients you add to this bread may increase your fat intake. You also take in 3.4 g of protein in a serving of multi-grain bread. As common bread toppings include butter, lunch meats, cheese and seafood salads, your protein consumption may be higher. You require 46 to 56 g of protein per day for optimal health.

Fiber

Multi-grain bread can introduce more fiber into your diet than other types of bread. One serving of miscellaneous multi-grain bread contains 1.9 g of fiber. This is 5 to 7.6 percent of the amount you should consume each day. For additional fiber, look for bread containing quinoa. However, seeking out multi-grain breads containing rye and bran may help you if you are male. Following a small study published in the December 2010 issue of "The Journal of Nutrition," researchers theorize that the fiber in rye whole grain and bran products may decrease the progression of prostate cancer.

Manganese

Include a slice of multi-grain bread in your diet, and you take in 26 percent of the daily recommended intake of manganese. The manganese in this food is critical for the production of blood-clotting factors and connective tissues as well as the regulation of blood sugar and brain function. Evidence in the September 2010 edition of "Biological Trace Elements Research" also links manganese deficiency with night blindness, although more studies are needed to confirm this possible finding. The University of Maryland Medical Center website notes that as many as 37 percent of Americans do not take in enough manganese, so consuming multi-grain bread can reduce your risk of a deficiency.

Other Vitamins and Minerals

Multi-grain provides 12 percent of the selenium you need each day per serving. You also take in 6 percent or less of thiamin, folate, vitamin B-6, riboflavin, pantothenic acid, calcium, iron, magnesium, phosphorus, potassium, zinc and copper. The B vitamins in this food help convert food to energy

#multi-grain bread #healthy #tossed

Visit Original Link

Check out the interview with Trent from Houston on ESPN 97.5fm. They seem to like the Tossed concept!

http://espn975.com/

#ESPN #ESPN 97.5fm #houston tx #tossed #healthy

Tossed has so many fruit and Vegetable toss-ins that you can definitely benefit from the freshest, local, and in season produce!

In Season for July:

cucumbers

tomatoes

summer squash

corn

green beans

lettuce

watermelon

strawberries

cantaloupe

blueberries

peaches

apricots

kiwi

raspberries

plums

Tossed has quite a few of these items available so give them a try next time you "Design Your Own" Salad.

photo:http://www.examiner.com/women-s-health-in-seattle/the-health-benefits-of-watermelon-during-pregnancy

#fresh fruit #fresh vegetables #in season produce

WHAT YOU DID NOT KNOW ABOUT SPINACH...

While many foods can be planted in fall and winter, in most parts of the country the last crops are harvested in December and aren’t ready to harvest again until April. Here in Southern California we’re very lucky, because our mild climate means we can grow and harvest food year-round. This week, local farmers are providing our kitchen with plenty of fresh, green spinach.

FUN FACTS

The word “spinach” comes from a Persian word meaning “green hand,” because the leaves of spinach are roughly palm-sized and wave in the breeze as they grow. Today, more than half the nation’s spinach is grown right here in California.

THE HISTORY OF SPINACH

Spinach was originally grown in Nepal, but was largely unknown until the early Muslim conquests in the 7th century. The plant was later introduced to China and Europe, and, by the 11th century, it was a kitchen staple. Catherine de Medici, a flamboyant historical figure from the 16th century, loved it so much that when she left her home in Florence, Italy, to marry the King of France, she brought the cooks with her who knew how she liked it prepared. Today, in her honor, we still call foods served on a bed of spinach as “Florentine.”

THE ART OF SPINACH

Medieval artists extracted green pigment from spinach to use in paint. Today, chefs use spinach to add and balance colors beautifully on a plate.

THE SCIENCE OF SPINACH

Spinach is used in a variety of scientific ways, including medicine (to help develop vaccines) and in the study of photosynthesis — getting energy from light. In fact, scientists are currently working on ways to create clean energy from spinach — which means that, someday, even your car may eat it.

SPINACH IN CULTURE

In 1929, spinach came to great fame as the source of cartoon character Popeye’s magical transformation from a regular guy to a strong-man — and that’s not so unlikely, because spinach is considered a “superfood.”

SPINACH AND HEALTH

Dietician Tiffani Ghere recommends eating spinach often. It’s full of vitamins, minerals, antioxidants, proteins and amino acids, and special things called phytonutrients: beneficial chemicals that we can only get by eating plants. One of these, lutein, is vital for our eyes and protects them from damage by the sun.

HOW SPINACH CAN BE EATEN

Eat it uncooked in salads, or on sandwiches and wraps instead of lettuce, or cooked in stews and soups. “Baby spinach,” very young, tender leaves, can be purchased in bags at the market and has a sweet, delicate flavor

photo: http://lalasunshine.com/yogurtsundays/is-spinach-good-for-you

#spinach #florentine #fun facts #history

Olive Oil Is Not Just A Healthy Choice When Eating Salads...

The health benefits of eating olive oil are no mystery to Tossed. We use it in so many of our great vinaigrettes:

Tossed Vinaigrette

Balsamic Vinaigrette

Dijon Mustard Vinaigrette

Honey Balsamic

Kalamata Olive

Lemon Basil Vinaigrette

Strawberry Balsamic Vinaigrette

Two Virgins

After getting your fill of olive oil in your salad, don't stop there! Olive oil is just as good for you on the outside:

Olive oil is the oil of choice when it comes to moisturizing skin and hair, as it not only contains healthy antioxidants that prevent aging, studies show that extra virgin olive oil may actually provide some UV protection.

When you are moisturizing your skin, use the oil cleansing method (OCM) to apply the oil if you want to avoid becoming a shiny mess. To do this, rub the oil into your skin, then drape a warm, damp cloth over your face until it cools. Once the washcloth cools, use it to wipe away the excess oil. You can also do this around your eyes to remove eye make-up, but take care to avoid getting oil in your eyes and not to rub too vigorously around this delicate skin. The advantage of OCM is that unlike many facial cleansers, it will not strip your skin of its natural, protective oils.

You can also use olive oil as a shaving aid so you can moisturize your skin as you go! Add a few drops of your favorite essential oil for a pleasant smelling shave.

Olive oil also makes a great hair conditioner. If your hair is very dry, try combing some olive oil through it and letting it steam in the shower for 15 minutes before shampooing it out. You will be surprised how soft and manageable your hair will become

photo: http://homemade-recipes.blogspot.com/2009/10/olive-oil.html

#olive oil beauty products #olive oil benefits #tossed

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