Detox and renew

Detox and renew with these simple ingredients we all have at home

In the bad old days, saying that you've been detoxing would mean that you were having water, a few grapes and a headache on the side. But times have changed. Follow this simple regime and show the world the new you in just one week.

WHAT A DIFFERENCE A DAY MAKES

Declare one day every week detox day. Boost your mind, body and soul by eating only veggies and fruit and drinking boiled water. 

If this sounds too austere, try this deluxe version:

8am: Kickstart your day with a fruit smoothie

11am: Snack on rye bread with avo and lemon juice

1pm: Fill up with lightly steamed courgettes, baby cabbage, broccoli and a bowl of cooked wild brown rice

3pm: Have a cup of ginger and honey tea

6pm: Reward yourself with a glass of organic wine

7pm: Dine on delicious greens with slivers of smoked salmon, raw nuts and a generous helping of fat-free cottage cheese

AVOCADO FACE MASK

This mask promotes a firmer, more youthful skin tone. It softens and smoothes the skin while enhancing poor circulation. 

Use once or twice a week. Increase the quantities and find a quiet, relaxing place and apply to entire body or parts of it. All the ingredients will wash out of your towel.

This recipe is enough for one application and can be stored in the fridge for 2 days.

You'll need: 1 peeled and mashed avocado, 10 ml olive oil, 1 tsp honey, blended together.

Sip on a green tea and apple ice cooler as you sit back and relax.

SALT BODY SCRUB

The scrub eliminates impurities and dead skin cells. It combats poor circulation and enhances cellular renewal. Immediately after the treatment you'll experience a feeling of well-being and alertness. It helps the body detox while enhancing the absorption of any products you use afterwards. 

Use once or twice a week on dry or damp skin. Rinse with warm water. It's a great exfoliating treatment before applying self-tanning product, but don't use over a freshly shaved or waxed area.

This recipe is enough for 2 applications and will expire in 4 weeks.

You'll need: 100 ml sea salt, 70 ml olive oil, 10 ml dried mint, blended well. 

Pour yourself a melon and fresh ginger juice with lime zest.

SEAWEED BODY MASK

This luxurious mask deep-cleanses the skin while nourishing and conditioning it, giving it a healthy glow. It combats poor circulation and enhances cellular renewal while restoring skin tone and promoting smooth, supple skin.

It has a rich moisturising effect on the skin, while promoting a feeling of well-being and balance.

Use once or twice a week. Apply to the entire body or just the parts you feel need a bit of pampering.

This recipe is enough for 1 application, and will keep for 4 days in the fridge.

You'll need:

1 cup finely sliced seaweed,

5 ml olive oil,

5 ml finely grated ginger,

mixed into a paste.

Harvest your seaweed from the ocean or find some at a health store or seafood market. You can also mix powdered kelp with salt/sea water.

Treat yourself to some detox iced lollies while the scrub works its magic.

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Green tip #3 - Coarse Salt

Add coarse salt in water before bathing . It will relax you and remove all toxins.

Bath Salts have many benefits:

Salts, when added to bath water, change the chemical balance of the water. This change makes it so that less water is absorbed into the skin, reducing the "pruning" effect that prolonged exposure to fresh water can have on your skin.

High concentrations of salts increase the specific gravity of the water and increase buoyancy which makes the body feel lighter in the bath. Flotation therapy has extremely high concentrations of salts in the water.

A Coarse Salt Bath can not only soften dirt and supply salt and minerals in your body, but also lose weight. The reason of this weight loss way is that coarse salt has the effect of sweating, and can speed up the metabolism of the skin, remove the waste in your body, so Coarse Salt Bath can not only help lose your weight, but also can make your skin tender and tight.

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Vintages - Chintzware

HEART-CATCHING CHINTZWARE - For avid collectors of Chintz-ware, the flowered pottery with old-fashioned airs, the joy is in the hunt, tracking down wayward pieces that have all the innocent charm of a wild flower meadow.

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Leonard Grimwade's Royal Winton Chintzware is considered the finest and he sought patterns everywhere. He even stopped ladies in the street so he could copy the designs from their pinafores.

One of my Royal Winton Chintzware Biscuit trays - Pattern "Julia"

"Julia", "Florence", "Sweet Nancy", "Summertime", "Sunshine", "Maytime" - the names given Chintz-ware patterns are as blithe and fresh as their clustering blossoms. Yet, often collectors must go by hunch to find out the history of a piece they discover, for the marks on the bottom, if there are any, don't always reveal its origin. Take the patterns of Royal Winton, for example, perhaps the most avidly sought by collectors today.

Royal Winton's "Cranstone" pattern, with roses echoing roses. A brass wire net over the top of the vase catches the stems and arrays he blossoms. Some Chintz-ware flower vases have perforated lids instead. The amount of precise work involved in covering entire pieces with transfer patterns is probably one of the reasons that efforts to revive old patterns have usually failed.

The widespread use of these designs, and the absence of accurate records, give that extra edge of mystery to today's pursuit of Chintzware. Many pieces have 'Royal Winton' on the back stamp, along with the name of the pattern and the country it was exported to, but some older ones were numbered, not named. If there is no stamp, it may or may not be Royal Winton - you can't tell.

If it says "England", not "Made in England" on the back, it was made before 1920.

Another collectors' favourite - a Royal Winton stacking teapot in forget-me-not-scattered "Julia". An ode to efficiency, the teapot, sugar bowl, creamer and lid all fit together as one.

A prized breakfast or bedside set in Royal Winton's "Welbeck" pattern. To aid hurrying housemaids, the pudgy teapot, teacup, sugar bowl, creamer and toast rack all fit, snug and secure, into indentations in the octagonal tray.
Pics from a 1970's 'Victoria' magazine

For all the nostalgic charm that makes Chintzware at home with Victoriana, the most collectible period is form the late 1920's, characterised by the daintiness of the floral patterns, to the 1960's. In the 1940's, the colours became increasingly vibrant and became scarce during the war, but afterwards it was revived, probably because it was so bright and cheerful.

Not only are the designs heart-catching, but Chintzware's pleasingly idiosyncratic shapes and uses also ensnare collectors.

If you close your eyes, you can almost smell the flowers!

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The bliss of Lavender

Said to bring protection to the household if planted at the front gate, Lavender has long been a favourite in the garden, in herb lore, and in the medicine chest. Its Latin origin “lavare” to wash, bears testimony not only to it’s refreshing smell but also to antiseptic qualities.

Much fuss is made in some books about ensuring that only the flower of English Lavender (Lavandula angustifolia) is used as a healing herb but in this (as in many things), I follow Yvette van Wyk, one of our best-know South African gurus on herbs. Yvette suggests that all major species, including the French (Lavandula dentata) are fine, and that all aerial parts are usable.

Image from Pinterest

Lavender is perhaps best known as a headache cure. (Always remember of course that the cause of a headache should be investigated especially if headaches persist. Many headaches are simply the result of mild dehydration, and can thus be best dealt with by drinking a tall glass of clean water. Other common causes of headaches are constipation, neck tension, allergens, and bad lighting.)

Lavender is particularly effective as a relief from tension headaches. Make a strong cup of lavender tea (officially called an infusion. Sip the tea, and inhale. Lavender is also fantastic for insomnia. Drink a cup of tea just before bedtime, or sleep with a sprig between your pillow and pillowcase. Also good for calming the nerves, lifting the spirits, and curing sore throats (gargle with a warm infusion) and bad breath (due not only to its sweet smell but also its antiseptic qualities).

As an antiseptic, I find the essential oil the most convenient and never travel without it. (It is imperative to use organic essential oils, as there are no pesticide or fungicide residues. The distillation process is also done slowly, with as little heat and pressure as possible. This ensures the therapeutic value of the oil.) It is mild enough to be used straight on the skin if necessary and is great for insect bites and small injuries. Ideally it should be combined with warm water to clean out grazes, small cuts, and the like, and can also be used like this as a gargle (add about 5 drops to a glass of warm water). Apply a drop to each temple for headache relief.

Image from Pinterest

Lavender oil is one of the best treatments for minor burns. (Apply only after the burn has cooled.) Add a few drops of essential oil to the bath to relieve tension, and to take the sting out of sunburn. Lavender is one of the essential oils that is mild enough to be safe for children. From 'Biophile Magazine' http://biophile.co.za/health/herbs-for-everyday-ailments

LAVENDER LINEN WATER
Mix 100 drops (5 ml) of lavender essential oil and 5 drops of peppermint essential oil with ¼ cup vodka. (Use the good stuff. You can buy 50 ml "nip" bottle of high test at the liquor store. It will be enough.) Stir into 3 cups of distilled, spring or well water. It will turn cloudy, but it won't stain cloth. Store in a glass container and shake before using. Add a quarter cup to rinse water with your bed linens for a comforting scent that will soothe you to sleep. Recipe from 'Homestead.com' 

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