“You are a child of the universe, no less than the trees and the stars; you have a right to be here.”
Desiderata
Hi Everybody!
Happy Spring Days to All and Cozy Winter to Our Aussie pals. I’m so happy to see you as always!
In this post of “Vibrant Body By Penotti” I share my fun “Walk like No One is Watching!” habit, along with a tiny video of me doing just that.
I’ll also give you “More Ideas for Nature Inspired Health and Beauty”- specifically for glowing skin, and finally I’ll leave you with a Yummy, Super-Simple Recipe for
“Guilt-less Banana Strawberry Ice Cream”-Yippee!
Enjoy, and Have a Beautiful, Bountiful (and “Bouncey-Full”) Week!
XOBerrnadette
(((“Walk Like No One is Watching!”)))
Last week in between work calls I took a “spin” around Greenwich Village, NYC with my two pups and my dear pal Elsie. It was so much fun as we window-shopped, caught up, grabbed a smoothie, and strolled the tree-lined streets of my neighborhood.
When I mentioned it was time to “skip, bounce and twirl” for a couple blocks Elsie didn’t miss a beat, knowing I like to “mix it up” on my walk. Neither did my pups, and we all danced and swirled in tandem down West 4th Street, Elsie and I laughing and singing out, and the pups yelping in glee along with us.
People were waving at us and laughing with us- or at us- I’m not sure. Probably some thought we were total crazy goofballs. That was fine with me because I was having a sublime time with my great friend and the dogs, getting some ((sneaky fitness!)) in, and enjoying a good dose of fresh air and sunshine!
I include an interlude like this in almost every day and return to my desk refreshed with roses in my cheeks and a big smile on my face. I encourage you to have fun everyday, and do whatever brings you joy or makes you giddy. Get those happy hormones surging through you, which not only feel great but give a huge boost to every system in your body.
I’d love to hear what you do- big or small- to have fun in your day!
(To See a Video of Us on One of Our Daily Walks Click Here!)
(((“Lovin’ the Skin You’re In”…7 Ways to Insure You Glow From Head to Toe!)))
Another great moment from the same day was right before Elsie left she remarked how great my skin looked. This is pure music to a girl who had struggled with cystic acne and the accompanying scars for most of her life. Debilitating skin issues and respiratory problems (and wanting to look cute for my love interests hah!) are what compelled me to research every aspect of health and wellness. Now I am passionate about sharing all I’ve learned with you.
So it was with great joy I told Elsie what I did to ((finally!)) get my skin clear and glowy. It’s not perfect yet, but I actually feel confident leaving home without makeup and/or a hat to deflect or hide under- this is HUGE for me.
So here’s what I do for my skin and perhaps this will work for you or someone you know:
1- Eat a high plant diet, which consists of mostly fresh, local, juicy and organic produce. The health of our skin is truly an “inside out” job.
2- Avoid gluten, dairy, all processed foods and high sugar foods. I enjoy fruits when I’d like something sweet or occasionally have some dark chocolate.
3- Add into my diet cultured or fermented foods like raw sauerkraut, kim chee or coconut kefir. (All available in a good health food store or can even make for yourself easily. I will share easy recipes in an upcoming issue). All these have beneficial bacteria- “probiotics”- that restore the flora in the gut and help enormously with digestion. When digestion is good, the skin glows. You can also take probiotic capsules if you prefer.
4- Get plenty of sleep every night to help detoxify the body and rejuvenate all the systems in the body. This alone can bring the “peaches and cream” back to your beautiful face when consistent, along with 30 minutes of fresh air and sunshine daily.
5- Have a least one large green smoothie or green juice per day. The chlorophyll in the greens is an amazing detoxifier, and the minerals add great nourishment to the entire body which shows up in the complexion big time.
You can find Green Smoothie recipes on my website:
6- Balanced my hormones. Hormones out of wack are a huge culprit for acne and skin problems (not to mention other nagging ailments). I had my hormones tested and am now balancing them naturally with herbs and superfoods, as well as certain supplements, and it’s positively Dreamy what a difference this has made!
(If anyone is interested in learning how to do this for themselves you can contact me through my website above.)
7- Finally I stopped using anything un-natural on my face or skin- and definitely saw a big difference from this! I cleanse my face and body with natural essential oils or a tiny bit of gentle castile soap and pure non- chlorinated water. Last week I spoke of the recipe for my toner/quick freshener which is essentially witch hazel, pure water, a bit of aloe vera gel and a couple drops of pure lavender essential oil. This natural tonic has helped my complexion look more even and bright.
So easy and so soothing- and inexpensive to boot!
You can read more on my blog about “Nature-Inspired Health and Beauty” at:
(((Yummy Recipe!)))
“Guilt-Less Banana Strawberry Ice Cream!”
1 Frozen Banana
1 cup Frozen Strawberries
1 -2 Tbls Raw Cashew or Almond Butter
1/3 cup pure Water
In a sturdy blender blend the nut butter with approx 1/3 cup Pure Water. Add the banana and strawberries and enjoy delicious “Soft Serve!”
*Add more water slowly if needed, and can add a touch of raw honey if you’d like it sweeter- though I find this plenty sweet as is!
If you’re feelin’ sporty you can add a shake of raw cacoa nibs and revel away!
With Love and Thoughts of Bliss for You,
Berrnadette