Live Elle: health benefits

5 Tips to debloat

After a week of being abroad, an extra kilo or two has been added... & not just towards my luggage. Let's face it, what's the point of being on holiday if you don't get to enjoy all the good food that goes with it - despite all the Mediterranean cuisine, going back home there's definitely an added bonus of having grandparents, and mum's cooking thrown into the mix. Yikes but Yum.

We all go through times, where we fall off the bandwagon and this doesn't necessarily have to be post holiday, trust me after a busy weekend sometimes a detox day or two is always welcome. Here are five things that help me get back on track, which I consistently incorporate in my everyday routine and that works well for me.

1) SWEAT IT OUT/ EPSOM SALT BATH

Exercise would definitely be the straight up answer for this one. As much as that is a plus, and is so good to burn unwanted calories and to get the heart rate going, I also mean get into a hot bath with epsom salts and sweat out the excess toxins. Imagine the balance of a good workout and then a relaxing, soothing bath right after. Sounds amazing doesn't it? Baths really help elevate your heart rate and it is known to burn a few calories whilst just mellowing down!

2) LEMON WATER/ STAY HYDRATED

Especially first thing in the morning, I love my lemon water - to have first thing before breakfast, sit outside and take a deep breathe in. I suggest to heat the water up slightly, but you can have it cold if you prefer. Some days, I add cayenne pepper which works well and helps to get things moving and for that extra kick. Also, this one is a given but drink lots of water throughout the day, take a few sips more often than a big gulp at once. This will not only allow you to feel fuller longer but help to clean out your system.

3) LIMIT YOUR CARB, SALT & SUGAR INTAKE

I'm a carb queen so I will only cut carbohydrates out of my diet until I feel it to be necessary, I will never cut out carbs completely as they make part of a healthy balanced diet. However, I think this week I almost overdosed on carbs, so taking max 2/3 days without, should be good enough. A few days of limiting yourself and just focusing more on protein with vegetables is a good way to get you back on track. Try avoid sugar and salt too. these are major nono's if you're trying to de swell, and also for long term weight loss.

4) EAT BANANAS

I love bananas, and incorporate them in my diet daily, they are full of potassium, rich in fiber and have benefits to helping digestion which in turn are known to help reduce bloating ; which is amazing. Add them to your smoothies, in your cereal, or eat them on their own.

5) GREEN TEA/ HERBAL TEAS

Green tea is full of antioxidants, especially after a meal you can enjoy a cup to help with the digestion. You can also have herbal teas such as peppermint tea which is very good for de swelling, or ginger tea which you can easily make fresh by boiling it and letting set, this is also good to have cold and to sip throughout the day. Just a small disclaimer: be careful drinking fresh ginger tea approaching the evening as it might keep you wide awake, been there!

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, by Millie Ganado

beauty

DIY COFFEE SCRUB

Ahhh Sundays.

For me the perfect definition of a Sunday spent in style is relaxing and having a beauty session and just letting go of the manic days that we encountered. The week can be rather stressful and sometimes we don't always get chance to give ourselves some proper TLC. I for one, work most weekend so my Sunday get's created on any other day I do have off that week so if you're in the same boat as me doesn't mean you can't get to appreciate the Sunday feeling just the same. We all need a day of rest, the day we choose is up to us.

When it comes to having time off, we usually have other chores and errands that get put at the top of the list but taking care of ourselves should be a major priority as it not only helps physically but also with our mental state even if it means zoning out and giving yourself 30mn/hr to yourself. It could be anything from meditating, reading a book, taking a bath, doing a hobby that you enjoy and don't often get a chance to do. For me it's brewing fresh coffee and having a small pamper session it really helps me unwind and I feel good in the process - it's the best feeling to just relax sometimes and know that time isn't rushing you and you have nowhere to be.

I usually go to boots and buy lots of different face mask sheets, nose strips and exfoliation creams for days off and in turn it always adds up to so much £££££. Despite, the money I actually came to realise that it's not only cheaper to make your own, but even healthier as there are no unwanted nasties, and so many variations to creating your own for your specific needs. I decided to go ahead and create a coffee scrub. As I prepare fresh coffee a few times a week I always have ground coffee used and fresh on hand, so this scrub is perfect as I get to make further use of my coffee grounds. Caffeine in coffee benefits the skin immensely, and I had gone through the advantages of drinking coffee in my homemade cappuccino post that you can click and recap here. However, for those of you who don't drink or like the taste of coffee this scrub is ideal for you as you can still take in more or less the same perks (if not slightly more) by incorporating coffee into your beauty regimen other than your diet.

It's official.

Despite coffee being

good for the soul it's

also good for our skin.

This part is totally optional as it depends if you make and drink coffee. This is one of my favourites way I like to brew my coffee but you can just go ahead and skip this step and just use freshly ground coffee which anyway is an essential.

Using FRESH ground coffee is a must for this scrub as having the grain raw allows the benefits to remain intact. However, as seen in the above picture once I make a coffee anyway - I incorporate a mixture of fresh and used ground coffee for two reasons :

A) not to waste

B) by combining the two this helps the scrub to remain slightly gentle.

My skin is rather sensitive so I always stick to mild scrubs. I recommend using this scrub whilst in the shower, and fine ground coffee makes it appropriate for us to do so as it allows you to apply, mess - free and without having to clog the drain in the process so you don't have to worry. Remember it's Sunday - you're in a stress-free zone even if it doesn't last all day apply it for the minutes you do give yourself.

I have decided to keep my scrub simple - buy adding two 'C' ingredients: coffee & coconut oil. The reason why I decided to keep it this way is so that it's perfect to apply to the face as well as the body. I mention why we should use it for the face in the benefits section below.

In my opinion, you want the coconut oil to be softened but not fully melted although, it will still work but keep in mind the consistency of your paste will be more runny. I prefer to have mine thicker slightly and apply it with some water once I'm in the shower. I feel that I use less and it's easier to apply, & work as a scrub.

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HOW TO:

Simply, mix 1/2 cup of coconut oil & 1/2 cup of ground coffee together & mix well until it makes a paste. DONE. Don't you just love how things don't have to be complicated? Especially on a Sunday when our time is precious. So it's something you can probably whizz up after reading this. It's very likely you already have the two 'C''s in your kitchen cabinet.

There are various other ways you can alternate this scrub for one if you don't have coconut oil, or for any reason are allergic then olive-oil will still work well as an alternative, and will equally help at keeping the skin smooth and moisturised. For the rest, just left the coffee do the work.

I then store my mixture in a small container with a tight sealed lid to keep it fresh. This allows me to return to it more than once and to have it on hand for whenever I do need it ready and good to go however, I wouldn't keep it stored for too long it's always easy to return and make it fresh so keep it for a week max. I recommend it in the morning, after a workout sess. the smell of coffee hits the spot nicely!

Look at the beauty of a 2-in 1 - - I'm getting to enjoy my black coffee whilst pampering myself.

Granted it might not be the most appealing of colours, but considering it is a homemade scrub - the scent and texture just make up for it's appearance!

TIP: I recommend dry bushing in a circular movement before hopping into the shower and applying the scrub. This will give an added boost to the results.

I hope you guys give it a go and see how amazing your skin feels afterwards! Let me know how you get on and what your fave scrub is!

BENEFITS

ANTI- CELLULITE

I think this is the most common fact that we know caffeine is responsible for. It's a given that it helps to tighten the skin, which in turn helps to reduce the sight of cellulite. It might not be a permanent approach, you can't expect to just use this scrub and have the cellulite disappear in a flash all altogether. However, with a healthy diet and exercise involved it will help to diminish for good, in the mean time applying coffee scrub can almost help it disappear temporarily.

ANTI- INFLAMMATORY

This coffee scrub is gentle enough to be applied on the face, for this reason I only applied coconut oil with coffee. As if you apply this scrub around the eye area, it will help diminish dark circles, amazing and well needed! It is also good for Acne sufferers, as the scrub really penetrates into the skin which helps stimulate the blood and to reduce redness.

EXFOLIATION

You have no idea how silky smooth this scrub leaves your skin! Just like other exfoliators, it's good at getting rid of dead cells, increasing the blood flow. By tightening the skin it is also tightening and shrinking the vessels which reduces the appearance of varicose veins!

ANTI-OXIDANTS

Caffeine is a natural anti-oxidant just as it is good to drink a cup or two, applying it into a beauty regimen is also good for our skin. It helps to expel toxins more efficiently and to reduce age spots and wrinkles so in other words helps prevent premature ageing from occurring. It also has cancer fighting benefits, especially towards the skin as it counteracts free radicals, which damage the inner layer of our skin.