sakura's mother's day specials - my fav soup recipe - supermarket skincare, what are the risks??

Make the most of my Mother's Day Special offers & check out my facebook page to get your chance to win this all of the above for yourself or mum.......good luck!!!

My Favourtie Soup Recipe........

This year is already flying by, easter has come and gone & autumn is well and truly here.🍁🍂

I love this time of year crisp cool mornings & evenings with warm sunny days, if we are lucky. Now is the perfect time to introduce some warming foods, soups, casseroles & comfort foods to keep us healthy for the winter ahead.

This is one of my go to soup recipes that I love, packed with wholesome goodness, anti-inflammatory, gut healing, immune boosting & also delicious!

Joy's Chicken & Vegie Soup..... from Pete Evans lunchbox cookbook.

Ingredients:

5 chicken thighs, bone in or out (replace with chickpeas or lentils for vegan/vegetarian)

2 carrots, chopped

2 celery stalks chopped

1/2 sweet potato chopped

1 zucchini chopped

1 parsnip chopped

1 onion chopped (replace with shallots for fructose friendly)

1/2 tsp sweet paprika

1/2 tsp ground tumeric

2 litres of chicken bone broth, vegie stock or water

1 handful of parsley leaves chopped

2 handfuls of chopped baby spinach leaves

sea salt & pepper to season

Method:

Place the chicken, vegies, spices & seasoning in a stockpot or slow cooker, bring to the boil & simmer for 3 hours or until chicken is falls of the bone and vegies are tender. Remove chicken bones and blend the soup with a stick blender until desired consistency. Add fresh spinach & parsley and gently blend into soup, serve & enjoy.....

Although this is a paleo recipe you can easily replace the chicken with your favourite pulse, chickpeas or lentil to make it vegetarian or vegan. I also serve mine with toasted sourdough bread enjoy......

This is a great blog from Organicspa explaining the difference between supermarket & big-name skincare brands to certified organic brands....

Supermarket Skincare ~ What are the Risks?

When I think of skincare, the supermarket does not come to mind. Unfortunately, even though it’s convenient, products found in the supermarket do not place skin health as a priority. This is evident by reading the ingredients list of chemical-laden products that are advertised to “cleanse and clear” or “soothe and soften” when in reality, these products are stripping away natural oils, causing conditions like eczema and rashes (not to mention breakouts!) and loading the skin with harsh chemicals. It is these chemicals that are the problem, and sadly, so so many of us just do not realise the real damage these products are causing on the outside and the inside. Parabens, PEGs, sodium laureth sulfate and propylene glycol are just some of the common ingredients that multi-million dollar brands are labelling as “rejuvenating” and “deep cleansing”. Not to freak you out, but phthalates have been “linked to endometriosis and early puberty in girls, and reproductive organ abnormalities and reduced fertility in males” (Chemicals in Cosmetics). This makes it apparent that the risks of supermarket products – especially cosmetics – is not just a female issue. Deodorants, shaving creams and fragrances, along with cleansers and moisturisers targeted at men are loaded with just as many carcinogens as the ones targeted at females.

For this reason, switching to a brand that prioritises skin health is critical if you are truly looking for a range of products that can actually live up to the claims on the packaging. Organic products are without doubt the only option if you are seeking skincare that nourishes and protects the skin. Supermarket skincare will never be able to achieve real skin care if the product contains ingredients that are scientifically proven to cause cancer and disrupt the normal functioning of organs, like the liver and kidneys. Instead of causing breakouts, rashes or dry patches due to the irritation from conventional products, organic products will nourish, heal and protect the skin.

The reason OrganicSpa is my only choice for skincare is because the ingredients in each and every product are chemical free, and an independent certification ensures they contain only natural ingredients. I first discovered OrganicSpa when I went to a beauty therapist (who was an OrganicSpa Stockist) and she asked me what products I used. I told her about the “acne cleansers” and moisturiser I used from the supermarket, and I was shocked when she told me that the ingredients of those products were actually the cause for my skin concerns. When it comes to choosing organic products, the benefits are endless. Of course, sometimes I do hear concerns about organic products costing more money, but the reality is that I was paying top dollar to visit a very good beauty therapist just to fix my skin, and I was also paying the price of reduced confidence because of my breakouts, not to mention the health concerns that come along with rubbing and scrubbing carcinogens all over my skin.

Natural, organic skincare is the foundation to beautiful skin. When it comes to organic skincare, what’s not inside the bottle is equally as important as what is inside the bottle, which is why OrganicSpa has become a global leader in world certification standards. The below list is direct from the organicspa website and shows you the level of quality for every product in the organicspa range.

NO Mineral Oil

NO Silicones

NO Synthetic Parabens

NO PEG

NO SLES or SLS

NO ALES

NO Fragrance

NO Phthalates

NO GMO

NO Petrochemicals

NO Artificial Colours

NO Propylene Glycol

NO Ethanolamines

NO Polycyclic Musks

NO Synthetic Retinol

NO Synthetic Dye

NO Animal by-products

NO Animal testing

NO Nature identical

NO Chemical Synthesised Sunscreens

NO Polysorbates

Choosing to use organic skincare means that you’re choosing to put your health first, and this includes the health of your skin. Overtime, investing in certified organic skincare will mean less stress on your skin and less toxins in your body. One of my favourite things about the Organicspa range is that each formula has been accredited to have a minimum of 70% organic or 95% organic ingredients, with the rest being derived from completely natural sources. Skincare products should be taken seriously because it is evident that skin health is directly linked to our overall health. Every single time we put something on our skin, we’re putting something in our skin and this gets absorbed by the body. Overtime, if our skincare products are not organic and naturally derived, we’re building up toxins that can lead to health concerns. Choosing organic skincare is the smartest move you can make towards adopting a healthier life, not to mention creating a gorgeous, glowing complexion.

Guest Writer. Ellie McInerney