"Man is like a banana... When he leaves the bunch, he gets skinned." -proverb

I have a bundle of bananas sitting at home, and as I was eating one for breakfast, I was inspired to write a post about how amazing bananas are. They are probably one of my favorite fruits and I absolutely love them. And we all know how good they are for your body, at least I hope we all do.

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Quick Anatomy & Physiology lesson... your nerve functions are basically ran on an interaction between sodium and potassium.  You need to be able to keep both levels up to make sure everything is firing correctly.  I'm pretty sure no body has to worry about their sodium levels dropping (except for maybe if they do lots of cardio, or just sweat in general), but how often do we worry about keeping our potassium levels up?

So first & foremost, I would try to eat a banana everyday.  Then you won't have to worry about your potassium levels getting too low. You should especially do this if you get runner's cramps.. I promise, it will help.

Bananas also have a ton of other nutrients that will really benefit your skin, hair, and nails.

• Everyone knows how much I love a good PreConditioning Hair Mask.  You can make a variety of hair masks with bananas. A really good one to try is to mash 2-3 ripe bananas and mix with about 2-3 tablespoons of honey.  Wet your hair and then apply this mask.  If you have a shower cap or plastic wrap that your can put on your hair, do that. You'll want to try to create some heat, so it could be beneficial to zap it with a hair dryer. After 30 minutes, jump in the shower and rinse, then shampoo and condition as usual. After doing this a few times, it should really improve the overall texture of your hair.
• Bananas are also beneficial if you have blemishes skin, because they are soothing to your skin.  You can make a quick mask by mashing a ripe banana and mixing with 1 tablespoon milk, pinch of nutmeg, and a tablespoon of oatmeal. Apply to your clean face and wash once its dry.
• They're also quite moisturizing. Put them to the test by applying them to your dry, callused, and cracked feet. Leave the mashed banana on your feet for about 10 minutes and then rinse with warm water and then again with cool water. It should help soften some of the dry spots.
• You can also try a moisturizing face mask made with just bananas and honey. Mash 1-2 bananas and add some honey, I would recommend 1 tablespoon. Apply to your face and then rinse after 10 minutes. It should really  moisturize and also brighten your complexion.
• Why not make a hair mask that can also be consumed as a smoothie?! Blend one banana, 1/2 of an avocado, a couple chunks of cantaloupe, and a couple tablespoons of plain yogurt. You can also add some vitamin E (which is also edible) to the mixture if your hair is very damaged. (You can either purchase vitamin E liquid from a health food store or break open a vitamin E capsule). Apply to your hair and put on your shower cap or plastic wrap and let it sit for about 30 minutes. Then rinse, shampoo, and condition like any other PreConditioner.
• Bananas are so amazing that they also have anti-aging qualities to them as well!  And it really doesn't get much easier than mashing a single banana and applying it to the skin. And then just rinse after about 20 minutes. You will love your skin after this.

Sources
Beauty Cosmetic Guide: Home Remedy for Dry Skin
Beauty Tips: Benefits of Bananas 
Livestrong: Natural Home Remedies for Damaged Hair

CSI Natural Beauty Episode 3: Wrinkles **Sorry its a tad bit late!**

Don't you hate how sometimes, life just catches up with you?  That's what happened this week.  Which means that I had completely forgotten about this post!  I'm sorry... I suck, I know.  Okay, well here it goes...

Wrinkles: A Little Background...
Wrinkles are a result of the aging process.  Everyone is going to get some degree of wrinkles, regardless of their lifestyle or genetics.  Wrinkles are caused from the wear and tear on your skin.  As you age, your skin becomes less elastic, thin, and dry.  Some things that can influence wrinkles are habitual facial expressions, sun exposure, smoking, and dehydration.   Sun exposure seems to be the number one contributor though, because sun damage actually speeds the aging process. 

What Works for Treating Wrinkles
Vitamin C is probably your best when searching for an at-home remedy for wrinkles.  Vitamin C is used when producing collagen.  Vitamin C is also an antioxidant.  The reason sun damage is so bad for your skin is that it the free radicals from the sun are causing damage, and the anti oxidants can stabilize them.  So, when treating wrinkles, you'll definitely want to utilize Vitamin C plus ingredients that are extremely moisturizing.

Remedies & Recipes

• 3 vitamin E capsules (poke with a needles and empty the capsule.  Or use approximately the same amount if you have a bottle of vitamin E),  2 teaspoons yogurt (plain), 1/2 teaspoon honey, 1/2 teaspoon lemon juice.  Mix in a bowl and apply to skin.  Rinse after 10 minutes.
•  Rub coconut oil onto skin before sleeping.
• Either use the center of a pineapple to rub against your skin, or apply pineapple juice.   
• Make an egg white mask to tighten this skin.  I add a little lemon juice to mine.   Just mix together, rub on your face, and rinse off after about 20 minutes.
•  Rub pure castor oil on your skin.

 
Sources
Ayushveda: Wrinkles 
Mayo Clinic: Wrinkles 
Natural Cures for Wrinkles 
Vitamin C for Wrinkles & Skin Aging 
Wikipedia: Wrinkle (skin) 

TIP TUESDAY!! #1

I wanted to try something new.  Every Tuesday, I would like to post a tip for you guys.  I've noticed that while I'm getting ready and what not, a lot of things come to mind that I would like to tell you, but they don't really fit in any "category".  This is going to be something short and most likely, pretty random, and just to the point.  I hope you enjoy & I want your opinions!

Tip #1

Apply your eye cream with your ring finger.  This finger has the lightest touch and will result in less pulling (which could result in more wrinkles, with time)!

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