Myth Buster Month is kicking off with one of  the most talked about nutrition topics, High Fructose Corn Syrup (HFCS).

The MYTH:

According to TV commercials (below) sponsored by the Corn Refiners Association and sweetsurprise.com, HFCS is nutritionally the SAME as table sugar.

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What do you think, fact or fiction?  Let’s take a look…

First let’s look at how HFCS and sucrose (table sugar) are similar:

• Both contain 4 calories per gram.
• Both consist of a combination of glucose and fructose:
  • Sucrose = 50% glucose + 50% fructose
  • HFCS42 = 42% fructose + 53% glucose + 5% polysaccharides
  • HFCS55 = 55% fructose + 42% glucose + 3% polysaccharides
    

Next, let’s look at how HFCS and sucrose are different:

• HFCS and sucrose are made using entirely different methods.

I believe it is really important to understand where our food comes from, so this section is rather in-depth.  Pretend, the following is an episode of “How Its Made”.

Sucrose is made from either sugar cane (70% of sugar) or sugar beets (30% of sugar).  The process for each is slightly different.

Steps to create sucrose from sugar cane: grow, harvest, extract juice via crushing the sugar cane stalks (the leftover cane fiber is saved and used to generate future energy), boil juice, evaporate water, sugar crystals grow, and raw sugar forms.  This sugar is then shipped to a refinery where it is cleaned and decolored forming white table sugar and molasses. Steps to create sucrose from sugar beets – grow, harvest, slice beets, diffuse beets in hot water, press beets to extract juice, remove impurities,  boil juice, evaporate water, sugar crystals grow, and white table sugar is formed.  Note that in the creation of sucrose by either method no additives or enzymes are used.

HFCS is made using yellow dent corn.  This type of corn has a higher starch content than the sweet corn we eat as a vegetable.  Yellow dent corn has an extremely hard outer layer, making it inedible in traditional form.  It is used only in the manufacturing of grain products, animal feed, and the production of HFCS.  To produce HFCS yellow dent corn is first heated and soaked in order to soften the kernels.  Following this, the corn is kernel is separated to extract the starch.  The enzyme alpha-amylase  is used to breakdown the starch into glucose.  Glucose is changed into fructose using the enzyme glucoamlyase.  Lastly, another enzyme glucose-isomerase is used to create a part glucose, part fructose mixture. The first two enzymes are naturally occurring, however, for the purpose of producing HFCS they are made in a lab from bacteria and fungi.  The third enzyme, glucose-isomerase is a synthetic enzyme.

Are you still with me?  In short, the production of sucrose is a 100% natural, mechanical process that does not employ the use of enzymes or additives. The production of HFCS is a chemical process that requires natural and synthetic enzymes.

• HFCS and sucrose are not digested in the same way.

Because your brain is probably still reeling from reading about enzymes, I won’t explain the entire digestive process to you; I’ll just point out the primary differences.

Sucrose goes through a series of processes as it is broken down in the body.  As it is absorbed sucrose requires insulin which helps the body to utilize absorbed energy from carbohydrates.  Insulin also triggers leptin, a hormone which regulates hunger and consumption, to be released. Leptin, signals to the brain when the body is full.

HFCS requires one less step than sucrose does as it is absorbed.  It also does not require insulin.  Because insulin is not used, leptin is not triggered and the body is unable to tell when it should stop eating. The lack of ability for the body to tell when it is full, coupled with fast absorption rate, creates an alluring environment for increased fat storage.

• HFCS is likely a genetically modified product.

In the United States 86% of corn produced is genetically modified (GM).  A GM food is one which has been genetically engineered to perform a certain way, in a particular environment.  Therefore, it is EXTREMELY likely (if not certain) that the corn used in the production of HFCS is in fact GM.  However, the Corn Refiners Association states that corn is not a GM food (although GM crops may be used) because  no corn DNA remains present in HFCS.

It is highly likely that HFCS begins as GM corn.  Whether or not  it truly remains a GM food after extensive processing and the removal of corn DNA to form HFCS is unconfirmed at this point in time.  I’ll let you as the reader draw your own conclusions.

• HFCS is subsidized by the government.

As corn is a government subsidized crop in the United States, one can only assume that HFCS, a direct byproduct is also subsidized.  However, the Corn Refiners Association claims that this is not the case a for the production of “HFCS”.

So… the production of corn is subsidized.  HFCS is made from subsidized corn… however, HFCS is “not” subsidized?  I’m confused. Again, I will let you as readers draw your own (obvious) conclusions.

THE RESULTS: Our body does not recognize HFCS and sucrose as they same and they are made entirely different from one another, from different plant sources.  Weighing the similarities and differences of these two products, it is safe to say that this myth is BUSTED.  While similar, HFCS and sucrose are not the same.

In closing…

According to both the American Medical Association and the American Dietetic Association, HFCS does not contribute to obesity any more than other high-sugar foods.

All of the above information aside, I do not believe that HFCS alone is to blame for America’s obesity crisis and increased incidence in diabetes, as it often associated.  Surely HFCS is a factor and I would 100% prefer for it  to not exist. However, the American diet is so heavily saturated with simple carbohydrates such as sugar, HFCS, and refined grains, as well as high fat foods, that we as a culture are in dire need of a change in what we eat.

The bottom line is that until HFCS has been around long enough for to prove if it truly is harmful or not, it is here to stay because it makes foods cheaper and easier to make.  It is up to us as consumers to make informed healthy choices.  At the end of the day, everything comes back to: consumption of a balanced, healthful, low-fat diet with lots of fruits and vegetables; 30+ minutes per day of physical activity; and consuming high-fat and high-sugar foods in moderation.

On that note, I will leave you with a short clip from one of my most favorite food documentaries King Corn and a brief interview with Curt Ellis one of the filmmakers.  I believe it sums up everything and more, far better than I ever could!

References:

• American Dietetic Association.  High fructose corn syrup and weight status.  (2008).  Retrieved from http://www.sweetsurprise.com/sites/default/files/ADAHotTopicHFCS.pdf.
• American Medical Association.  AMA finds high fructose syrup unlikely to be more harmful to health than other caloric sweeteners. (2008).  Retrieved from http://www.sweetsurprise.com/sites/default/files/AMARelease6-17-08.pdf.
• Corn Refiners Association. Sweet Surprise.  Retrieved from http://www.sweetsurprise.com.
• Diabetes Health. The Dangers of High Fructose Corn Syrup.  Retrieved from http://www.diabeteshealth.com/read/2008/08/20/4274/the-dangers-of-high-fructose-corn-syrup/.
• Heartland Science. Yellow Dent Corn. Retrieved from http://www.heartlandscience.org/agrifood/yelcorn.htm.
• Sugar Knowledge International. How Sugar is Made. Retrieved from http://www.sucrose.com/learn.html.

* Reposted from Chew With Your Mouth Open, Chelsey’s foodie blog.

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Holiday is upon us!  The big dilemma becomes what to do for all those holiday parties!  The biggest question I usually receive is what to do with the face to create a unique holiday look- red lips, dramatic eyes, white shadow, what?!  Let me guide you toward Holiday Make up Bliss!!!!

Like a snowflake, no face is alike.  And the trends this Holiday Season truly embrace every face type!  For those with juicy lips, the red lip is a fabulous look.  This season is all about that Bordeaux.  Look for a deep red.  Look to the previous article on how to create the perfect red lip!  To offset this idea, I love to pair it with a light eye shadow and lots and lots of black mascara!  Keep the cheek nice and rosy.

For those with some sparklers, play up your eyes with a contemporary smoky eye.  This is one that will not take a lot of time…take a soft black eye pencil and stripe it across your eyelid lengthwise. Now, take a brush and blend it onto your eyelids.  Take a lighter eye shadow and blend from the inner eye to the middle of the eyelid.  Now, blend the eye shadow with the eyeliner from the inside outward.  Rim the inside of your eye (called the wet line) with your soft eyeliner.  This will create a very seductive look!  I love mascara!  (If you can’t tell!)  Please add lots of mascara for this look!  Adding a half strip of false eyelashes will really enhance this look!  Should you use false eyelashes, however, I suggest adding the mascara after you apply the false eyelashes.  I love M.A.C’s falsies!  They’re fun to work with and stay very well with the “Duo” eyelash adhesive.  This season’s lip gets to have more fun with the smoky eye.  You may pair the Bordeaux red, or create a light nude lip, or even a fun magenta pink.  So long as you have some sparkle in either your outfit or on your eyes (I love the M.A.C pigment or for the super cheap, the N.Y.C. brand from Target has a fun one too!) you will be good to go!!!!  This look is best served with a bronzer and light blush.

Gold, silver, and metallic on the eyes are also very popular right now.  I love the Giorgio Armani Eyes to Kill Silk Shadows for this effect.  There is a silver and gold combination in this version which has a lot of dimension and intrigue.  If you do a metallic eye, try to create a very thin liquid eyeliner or tight line on the lash line- this will make the eyes pop!  Remember, lots of mascara!!!!

There is one more edgy look I’d like to mention.  The gothic-vampiress look!  This one would take a silver eye shadow, a black liner close to the eye lashes, a light purple contour in the crease, lots of mascara, and a fabulous plum lipstick!  I love to pair this look with a plum blush.  Take a highlight to the cheekbone.  SO gorgeous!!!!

Please write me in questions about my advice for your particular look!  In the meantime, enjoy all the cookies, punch, and music of the holidays!

Love and Beauty,

-E-

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Mascara.  The one item almost every woman posses from the beauty counter. Take a moment to grab your mascara from your make up case and hold it in front of you.  Open it.  Does it get stuck?  Does a death like smell emerge from it?  Can’t remember the last time you bought this?  Is it so goopey on the top that you have trouble opening it?  THROW IT AWAY.  This week I would like to go over the proper etiquette for mascara.

Once upon a time, people were a heck of a lot more hairy than they are now.  Hair served purposes for survival…and allure.  Over the years, our hair has decreased in certain areas, but one that remains is on our eyelids.  Lashes are the guardians of our eye balls.  They hold the safety of our eyes in their hairs.  We need them to keep fuz, debris, and anything harmful from entering our eye balls.  Luckily for us, we have mascara to help us add volume, length, curvature, and effectiveness to our socketed friends.

Mascara has come a long way since its inception.  Nowadays we have the options for a mascara that lengthens, volumizes,  curls, performs as waterproof, and the list goes on.  The importance of keeping your mascara up to date and sanitary is so important and thus the subject for this week.

Our eyes are very sensitive.  (Remember this the next time you remove your eye make up).  In fact, the skin around the eye area is the thinnest part of skin on your whole body.  A shelf life for mascara should never pass three months.  The reason is because the product will over time break down and can create discomfort for the eye area.  You must be diligent about throwing away old mascara and replacing it (I’ll repeat) every three months.  They say that you will understand what someone is saying to you if you repeat it three times: throw away your mascara after three months.  I cringe when women come to me with mascara that is four, six, eight months to years (plural) old.  Here are the cold hard facts.  There are microscopic bugs that love mascara.  They feast on it.  The older it is, the more attracted to the mascara they become.  They love to live on your eye lashes and have a mascara party.  Ok, do I have your attention?  The better armored you are to these little creatures, the less red and irritated your eyes will be.  Throw it away after three months.  Kick those critters out of your lashes.  I don’t mean to scare you but this is seriously an epidemic.  Mascara is not a product you should stretch out for the sake of saving money. Save your money by enjoying the whole tube of your favorite lip stick before buying a new one, finish your whole bottle of foundation before trying another brand because your best friend recommends you do so!  Throw it out…every three months.

Here are some other tips for mascara health and common sense…if it becomes dry, please do not spit on it or wet it with water.  This is a sure way to encourage styes and infection.  Get a new one if your mascara becomes too dry for you.  Do not share your mascara with your friends…(mascara is a one person product).  If it starts to smell weird, look weird, or feel weird, toss it!

Favorite mascaras on the more affordable end are, Loreal’s, “Voluminous,” “Full ‘N’ Soft” by Cover Girl and “Great Lash” by Mabelline.  My favorite choices from the department store from lowest cost to highest are… Clinique’s “High Definition.”  If you don’t mind fragrance, “Diorshow” by Dior and “Faux Cils” by Yves St Laurent are excellent.  If you are more sensitive and do not want fragrance or wear contact lenses, Giorgio Armani’s “Eyes to Kill,” is exceptional.  For those of you who may have lost your eyelashes over the years, Trish McEvoy makes an amazing lash grower that retails for $125.  For those of you who have darker colored eyes, visit your dermatologist or plastic surgeon and receive a prescription for “Latisse” (the Brooke Shields one) which is clinically proven to grow lashes thicker and longer (just be aware that it is only effective for as long as you use it and some people do have a reaction which darkens the color of their eyes).  This sells for $100.  A mascara primer is another way to add volume to your lashes which is a product you apply before mascara.  It is usually white, and adds great width to the lashes.

When you apply your mascara, make sure to coat the top of the top lash as well as the bottom of the top lash, then apply the mascara to your bottom lashes.  Apply from root to tip and for length, concentrate a good amount of mascara on the top of your eye lashes.  And I always believe in an extra coat.

Really, there are so many options out there.  It completely depends for which effect you are searching.  Please ask me my opinions on which would suit you best in accordance to your preferred price point! !  Remember…three months and when in doubt, throw it out!

Love and Beauty,

-E-

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Once upon a time, I couldn’t imagine the taste of bread. I lived in a house where tofu and soymilk were common staples. A decade ago, a vegan or gluten-free diet was not nearly as common or trendy as it is today. Many people thought nothing of their heavy meals laden with wheat, and the breadbasket was a common preliminary step before a waiter brought out the main course. My family’s unique take on healthy eating stemmed from my brothers’ severe food allergies and differed from the norms of everyone I knew, but I thought nothing of it. While I didn’t understand the health benefits of eating gluten-free at a young age, it was simply the way we did things in the Elkus family.

I have memories of childhood play dates with my confused toddler friends who were used to being fed pizza during lunchtime, unsure of what to do with the rice pasta and sautéed tempeh on their plates. I remember family dinners in foreign countries during summer vacations that took hours to complete due to our complicated orders and special requests, not to mention the added language barrier. My brothers’ intolerance to dairy, wheat and eggs provided for a challenge at every meal, and my devoted mother toted around a plethora of emergency Epi-Pen shots and Benadryl bottles with her on vacations that rivaled the medication aisle of a fully-stocked CVS store. Accidents were inevitable, and my heart jumped in nervousness at the first sound of their voices uttering “I feel sick” and the worried expression on my parents’ faces. Was it some bread crust that had slipped into their French fries? Could their corn tortilla have been carelessly switched with a wheat one? Did someone put flour in the soup? Little did I realize that with each experience, whether it ended in a safe and satisfactory meal or a panicked finale of frustration and tears, I was digesting the basic medical training of a dietary specialist.

The assurance of my brothers’ health came at no easy price for my parents. I have so much respect and admiration for the hard work they dedicated to raising children on such a specific and limited diet, and the time that they spent self-educating with late-night Internet research and dozens of highlighted and underlined newspaper articles ripped out and tacked to our kitchen bulletin board. The differences of our kitchen to most were stark, but I grew to accept them and even enjoy the acquired tastes of “Tofu Pup” soy dogs and quinoa-based pastas. Gluten-free was simply my way of life.

It was only while progressing through elementary school and spending more time away from home that I began to side-track from the gluten-free foods. The school cafeterias presented a vast array of lunchtime options that made my ten-year old head spin. “Real” pasta, dripping in warm butter and crisp parmesan flakes! Freshly baked brownies, glazed with vanilla icing and individually saran wrapped! My eyes grew wide at the selection of kid-friendly options and lack of parental supervision, and I indulged without hesitation. Away from home, I felt free to enjoy whatever foods I wanted, especially without the guilt of eating them in front of my brothers, who had never experienced a real cupcake or a slice of Domino’s pizza. The ongoing question of how I was so lucky to be an allergy-free middle child born between two once-sick children no longer mattered. Sitting next to my friends at our table, I was like everybody else, and my newfound culinary anonymity was a foreign comfort in the confusion and mayhem of adolescence.

My experiments with these strange wheat-based foods quickly progressed into a full-fledged love affair. There was no question – I was obsessed with gluten. I started to crave the satisfactory full feeling in my stomach after eating a sandwich or plate of pasta that just couldn’t quite compare with the aftermath of a soy hot dog or slice of rice bread. If there is such a thing as gluten addiction, I had it.

It wasn’t until the end of high school that I began to reevaluate my love of wheat-based foods. School days were long, and I was used to the hour-long post-lunchtime slump that occurred in the early afternoon, a sluggish period of food coma that prevented me from thinking clearly during my one o’clock math class. I was unknowingly experiencing what is commonly known to the community of gluten-free eaters as “wheat fog.” I had become accustomed to the heavy feeling in my gut after a gluten-based meal, and I forgot what it was like to experience the light and airy aftermath of a wheat-free meal. It took discipline to change, and hundreds of afternoons spent without incentive to exercise or be productive. I began to slowly eliminate gluten from my diet.

The results were incredible. I noticed a difference right away in how I felt both immediately after a meal, but also as my day progressed. My mind was clearer, and I felt increasingly able to study for longer periods of time without the sleepy fog that usually crept through my mind after lunch. I could sustain exercise for more time with longer bursts of energy, and I slept more soundly. It was clear that a gluten-free diet was the right decision for me, and since then, I haven’t looked back. While I may not share my older brother’s Celiac Disease or my younger brother’s wheat allergy, I realized that I was one of the ten percent of Americans who suffered from a gluten sensitivity, and I was lucky enough to already have the skills and knowledge to maintain a new diet.

I know that many healthy people do allow gluten to occupy a place in their diet, and that there are even more who don’t think twice about it and feel fine. I also know that my return to a gluten-free existence has been one of the best decisions I’ve ever made, and I would advocate it to anyone who is ready to take a chance on a conscious, long-lasting and beneficial change. The world of gluten-free food no longer requires an arduous trek up and down restaurant-lined streets searching for a kitchen willing to make substitutions on their menu. Grocery stores now offer entire aisles of gluten-free options and many trendy eateries are adopting the wave of current medical research and celebrity-endorsed wheat-free eating. I urge everyone to take a chance on improving their health. Start by slowing substituting gluten in just one meal a week to test the waters. In honor of the traumas and tribulations of my brothers, the two bravest boys I know, I can’t thank them enough for helping me to realize that sometimes the best option is the one you had all along.

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Seasons come and go, yet one thing remains the same…the timeless red lip. This week we will take a look at how to pucker your pout red…and make it last.

Once upon a time, women would take berries and stain their lips for attention. Nowadays, we aren’t so primitive in our method, but the idea remains the same.

In order to master the red lip, there are a couple things to consider, such as the tone of red, the formula and also the way you prep your skin.

Tone is important for choosing a red that is right for you. Reds come in “blue-red,” “orange-red,” or even “pink-red” and “burgundy-red.” Burgundy red is really a beautiful choice for fall. Look at the runway this season and you will see the color everywhere labelled as “Bordeaux.” Burgundy is very seductive. Those with less than perfectly white teeth should avoid this color, however, until a package of Crest White Strips is utilized! “Pink-Red” is a nice option for those girlie girls who don’t want to make the full commitment to “red.” It can sometimes be softer than other reds and is more forgiving in the teeth department. An “Orange Red” is truly meant for a special client and is a more difficult color to pull off. Someone with golden undertones in their skin will look fabulous in an “orange red.” “Blue-Red” is one of my favorite types of red as it is a most universal red. Sometimes mistaken to be a deep berry red, this one can be worn recreationally and for major events. For those with a flexible budget, Giorgio Armani’s “Rouge D’Armani Rouge 400” lipstick is THE red! Its consistency is amazing and it truly stays. For those on a budget, I enjoy any L’Oreal long wear lip stain from the drug store paired with an equally inexpensive lip gloss for shine.

The best secret to making a red lip last is the way you prep your lips. A clear wax-based lip liner will save your red from bleeding all over your face. Shiseido makes an amazing version. I recommend tracing just outside your lip line to create a barrier for the red. Take whichever red you are wearing and begin to apply. Smack your lips together until it becomes a stain. Now go back over your lips with your lipstick. What you are doing is creating a base for your red to last much longer. If you care to, you may apply a lip liner in the same color as your red to the lip lines. This will make the lips look super polished.

Another trick to create that perfect lip is to take a tiny bit of concealer or highlighter and apply to the bow of the lips. This makes the lips look juicy and full. You can trace all the way around and blend outward, however, I prefer just applying the concealer into the bow of the lips and blending.

Next take your powder and set above your lip area so that way if you sweat, you will not entice the red to bleed upward.

The last step when wearing any lip color is the “smile check.” Please smile at yourself so that you can see if you are wearing the color on your teeth as well as lips. Remove excess.

I love pairing a red lip with a neutral eye, however, this season we are seeing more seductive eyes matched with a red lip. Very dramatic. Very beautiful indeed.

Love and Beauty,

-E-

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Per recommendation from our loyal readers, this week will be devoted to mastering the art of eyebrows. Eyebrows just don’t get enough credit in this world. They truly are the picture frame to the canvas, the rims to the Ray Bans, the…well, you get the point! Basically, you need them and they need you to be your most beautiful self.

Eyebrow maintenance can be traced back hundreds of thousands of years. Recently, a tomb in Egypt was erected with a pair of the first primitive eyebrow tweezers! How exciting! Groom like an Egyptian! Well, actually don’t. Egyptians tweezed the crazy out of their eyebrows and actually painted thin lines out of a liquid substance to form their permanent expressions and quite frankly, we have moved on.

We see trends come and go regarding the great eyebrow debate. Thin and thick, long and short, existent, non-existent. Nowadays, eyebrows are looking better than ever largely in part to the “natural beauty” notion which is in trend now. So back away from the tweezers and read closely.

Once upon a time, our grandmothers told us not to tweeze our eyebrows and let them grow thick and gorgeous. Why did not a single one of us listen?!?! They had the right idea. Growing in your eyebrows naturally is one of the best gifts you can give yourself. My recommendation is this. When it comes to brows, let someone else do them, and make sure that person knows what they are doing!  Ask for credentials and make sure they are aestheticians.

One of my biggest recommendations is to find an “Anastasia Brow Expert” and book a consultation. I like “Anastasia” because of her company’s philosophy. Not everyone has the same face shape and should not necessarily have the same brows. She uses the “Golden Ratio” and a series of stencil arches to determine what your face shape would look best with- be it a high arch, small arch, high petite arch, etc. You will be consulted the entire time, and shown how your brows would optimally look with your face shape. You are included the whole time which is why I recommend the Anastasia company.

Nordstrom in Downtown Seattle has my favorite brow specialist, Toni Rallis. She is a true magician. She completely transforms brows and the first thing she tells her clients is, “stop plucking!”  Of course, having someone do your eye brows every month is a luxury and not for everyone. Keep in mind that once you have them done, you have the basic shape and can maintain them when the brows start to grow in.  Just make sure not to over do it!  Living in Los Angeles now, I recommend Kelly Douglas from Nordstrom Santa Monica or booking an appointment at the actual Beverly Hills Anastasia Brow Boutique. Check out this link for more information: http://anastasia.net/

For the do it at home types pay attention to your dominant hand’s side of the face- we tend to pluck more off of that side as it is easier to access. If you have already over plucked and need to fill in your eyebrows, take a nice powder or powder pencil (pencils alone can sometimes be too harsh) and trace over your hair that you have for instant gratification.  When you fill them in, concentrate more of the powder at the start and ease it toward the end. If you have specific questions regarding your face shape or products that would work on you feel free to comment. I’d love to point you in the right direction!

Love and Beauty,

-E-

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This recipe comes from my Grandmother’s Sicilian book of delicious and hearty food that will lead to an early but happy grave. It works best with fresh produce, preferably locally grown, and is a perfect side and compliment to anything involving grilled cheese and buttered bread.

Ingredients:

2tbsp Olive Oil

1tbsp Butter

1 large onion, coarsely chopped

1 Strip of Bacon, coarsely chopped

1/2 Red Bell Pepper

2lbs of diced tomatoes/1 28oz cans of diced tomatoes

1 garlic clove, roughly chopped

1tsp ground cayenne pepper

4 cups chicken/veggie broth (approx)

1/2c dry white wine

2tbsp tomato paste

2tbsp shredded fresh basil or 1tbsp dry basil, plus a few leaves to garnish

2/3c heavy cream or to taste

Salt and pepper to taste

Shredded fresh Parmesan cheese

Instructions:

Heat oil and butter in a large saucepan until foaming. Add onion and bacon and cook gently for about 5 min, stirring frequently until onions are soft

Stir in tomatoes, bell pepper, cayenne pepper and garlic, then add the stock, white wine and tomato paste, with some salt and pepper to taste.

Bring to a boil, then lower temperature and simmer covered for 20min, stirring occasionally.

Add basil and process the soup thoroughly in batches, transferring into a clean large saucepan.

Add cream and reheat but do not boil.

Add more salt, pepper, and cream to taste and transfer to bowls.

Garnish with Basil leaves and shredded Parmesan cheese. Can also be served chilled.

Enjoy!

Serves 3-4. Prep & Cook Time approximately 1 hour.

Nutrition Information: It’s healthy enough, so shut up.

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Although summer is coming to an end, barbeques are just reaching their peak as Labor Day beckons on the horizon. The big question on many minds becomes “what dish should I bring?”!  It goes without saying that our waistlines suffer in the wake of summer events.  However, you don’t always have to sacrifice your pant size for taste (or vise-versa).

One of my go-to dishes is this Broccoli Salad.  I love that it is fairly inexpensive and easy to make, looks great in a bowl (this is very important), and is gobbled up time and time again leaving no leftovers for me to deal with.  BONUS: It is quite nutritious.

Ingredients –

• 2 heads of broccoli
• 1/4 cup thinly chopped red onion
• 1/4 cup craisins
• 1/2 cup halved cherry tomatoes
• 4 ounces of 2% sharp cheddar, cubed or grated
• 1/4 cup silvered almonds, toasted
• 4 slices of bacon, crumbled
• 1/3 cup light mayonnaise
• 1 1/2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
• Freshly ground black pepper

Wash all produce.  Using only the flowerets, chop broccoli into bite size pieces and place into large mixing bowl.  Add onion, craisins, tomatoes, cheddar, bacon, and almonds.  To prepare dressing mix mayonnaise, vinegar and pepper together in small bowl.  Gently toss salad in dressing to coat.  Let sit overnight in fridge.  Enjoy!

Nutritional Information (per 1/2 cup serving): 104 calories, 6.5 g fat, 6.5 g carbohydrates, 1.5 g fiber, 5 g protein, 193 mg sodium.

* Recipe re-published with author’s permission.  To view original recipe and article, please visit Chew With Your Mouth Open, January 23, 2011.

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Hello readers! This week we must discuss blush. Blush is something we tend to think about in terms of embarrassment or a make up pre-requisite for an ’80′s dance party. Often they go hand in hand. I would like to clarify the “then and now” ideas of blush or what our grandmothers called “rouge.”

Once upon a time we applied rouge to the apples of our cheeks in a circular motion. Over time less became more in makeup application trends and all of a sudden it was the 80′s and people were begging for color! For some reason this manifested itself as a razor stripe of brash color that enveloped the face. Nowadays, we are looking at face make up and blush in a whole new light- think “J-Lo Glow.” If you do not know who Jennifer Lopez is, this look is characterized by blush being a hint of color radiating almost from within the skin. So how do we achieve this natural and defined glow?

Dry skin is best suited for a cream or liquid blush. Oily skin types should stick with a cheek stain or powder blush. Let’s talk technique! For liquid blush and most cheek stains (if not in stick form) squirt a small amount into the palm of your hand. Buff your brush into the liquid and work it into the brush. For cream and powder blush, buff your brush directly into the blush in its given container. Now begin by thinking about a check mark- the beginning of the check starts at the apple of your cheek and swooshes downward under your apple then straight back onto your cheek bone and continuing outward toward your ear. Repeat on the other side. For cheek stains in a stick, do this motion straight from the stick onto your face in the above direction. You may need to take your fingers and gently blend the product into your cheek so you look more “glow-y” than “show-y.” There should be a larger concentration of color at the front of the check mark than the back.

Onto the glow part of this topic if your blush does not have some form of light reflecting technology (slight shimmer.) We are over sparkles, people, and and we are into dewy and shine. Use a fluid sheer or liquid highlighter to blend on top of your makeup. These work well with all skin types and will give you a radiance and glow so you look perfectly poised and polished.

Yay! We did it! Another crisis avoided! Remember you can always ask for a professional’s opinion regarding colors and formulas that will best suit you. Please tell your beauty advisor if you are allergic to any ingredients you know of before you receive your consultation. And keep in mind these are trained professionals and they will put you into exactly what you need! Enjoy your new “I just ran around the block and am always this glamorously and naturally flushed” look and throw away the old idea that piles of caked makeup! Send any beauty questions you would like answered to the link!

Love and Beauty,

-E-

Related posts:

1. Floating Head Syndrome: Beauty Tip O’ The Day
2. A Little Holiday Fun
3. ATTN PLUCKERS: put the tweezers down

I would first like to thank the Melon for their faith in my beauty advice and writing abilities.

Now, we have some serious business to discuss, “floating head syndrome”. If you haven’t heard the term before (which is a high possibility), let me paint a picture: A woman steps out into the sunshine or department store and there is something off about her appearance- closer studies reveal that her face is either a couple shades lighter or darker than the rest of her body, hence, floating head syndrome, (which will be referred to as FHS for the purpose of this article.)

Luckily, FHS can be remedied. A little back story- once upon a time the method to match a woman’s foundation was to make sure it was the same tone and color as her neck or even hand. Nowadays we are seeing a lot more skin than before and must adapt! Please, please, please when finding your summer foundation (yes, you are usually a different color during different seasons with the exception of Seattle or Forks, WA) make sure to match the color to your body.  Your head sits on top of your neck (anatomy!) and creates an inverse shadow which is nearly 90% of the time lighter than the rest of your body.

Ask for help at the make-up counter near you and request a perfect match to your whole body. Feel comfortable to check the color outside with a department mirror to see how fabulous your new best friend has matched you! And don’t be shy! Be honest!  However, remember that these men and women are professionals and experts in their field- respect their opinion and artistry.  You don’t tell a brain surgeon how to perform your operation (unless you too are a brain surgeon) do you? Your face may be naturally lighter than your body due to sun protectants and it may be disorienting at first to see you looking so even and monochromatic.

I’m going to leave you with this tip- when using your new foundation apply it to your face using a blender brush for even application. After you are done, take any extra foundation that’s still in your hand and using a powder or kabuki brush buff the foundation in sweeping motions into your neck and jawline to diminish the last traces of FHS! Congrats! You now look flawless and have fought a brave battle against FHS!

Feel free to write beauty questions you would like answered to the melon.

Love and Beauty! -E-

Related posts:

1. Blushing Beauties
2. Lash Envy…and a Little Advice
3. Make them see Red…Lips