Entries from July 2008 ↓

Well, it’s been ages since I recorded a video. I’ve had major technical problems with my video setup and traveling around didn’t help either.

But I’m now settled into a beautiful little house in Toronto so hopefully I’ll now be recording more videos for you!

Here is a little video I just recorded on what I’m up to and how my skin is doing:

Thanks for watching

Fran

How awesome is chocolate. I know I say that a lot but I really am a chocoholic.

But today I need to get something off my chest, because I’ve been really frustrated with chocolate lately. You see, I’ve been thinking about chocolate and how it has been made into a junk food when really that should never have happened. The cacao bean that chocolate is made out of is a superfood that’s GREAT for our bodies and GREAT for our skin. It contains ten times more antioxidants than green tea, and way more antioxidants than those little dark berries that everyone always talks about being so great for our skin.

So this perfect food, this mineral rich source of amazing energy has had all of its goodness squeezed out of it, then a ton of bad fats, chemicals and sugar added to it to turn it into the Cadburys and the Hersheys that we’re all so familiar with. So what started out as a superfood, has been turned into a junk food.

I just don’t understand why there isn’t an abundance of healthy chocolate available, because chocolate does not need all of that stuff added to it and it can be made with all of it’s amazing nutrients intact. That’s right, it is possible to use the cacao bean in its raw form to make chocolate that is actually healthy for you. Chocolate that does not contain any bad sugars or chemicals. Chocolate that you can eat as a treat AND as a health food! Continue reading →

Over the past couple of months I’ve been flooded with acne and skin care questions every single day. I love answering your questions and I LOVE helping acne sufferers even more, but lately I’ve felt as though I can’t put in enough time to properly help each of you individually.

And I feel really bad about it. So, I’ve decided to create a comprehensive guide for acne sufferers that will go into way more detail than my mini-course. This will be an intensive acne treatment program, kind of like a club that you can join, for acne sufferers that are serious about putting in the time and commitment to striving towards completely clear skin.

I plan to create weekly lessons, group question and answer skype calls, and a series of videos, along with any additional resources that I think are essential to clearing your skin.

I need help with the name

The roadblock I’m at now is coming up with a name for the program! I always wanted to call my program ‘Acne Bootcamp’ but unfortunately that was already taken So if anybody has any ideas on what I can call it, I would love, love, love your help.

The name needs to be available as a .com too which makes it a little harder. I’ve been checking ideas up on one of those domain name checker thingys, and unfortunately most of what I love has already been taken. Click here to go to the one I’ve been using.

And is there anything you’d like me to include in the program?

It would also be wonderful if you could let me know what you’d love to see in an acne program like this. What do you need from me to help you to clear your skin. Is there anything I can do, or any resource that I can provide to you that will make your journey easier?

Don’t hold back, be as creative as you want. Any suggestion is a great one

Fran

When I was on the Waikiki beach a few months ago, I saw this guy hanging out with his friends on the shore. While every other guy was wearing boardies (thankfully not tiny speedos), this one guy in particular was wearing a t-shirt as well. And not a sun smart I’m-protecting-myself-from-UV kind of t-shirt, it was just an ordinary t-shirt. And I could see his acne creeping up from underneath the back of his shirt and up his neck.

Back acne, or ‘bacne’, can be just as embarrassing, if not MORE embarrassing than facial acne if it’s severe enough. Some people, (and it’s usually men) can even feel the need to cover it up all the time, just like this guy did in Waikiki.

Why do we get body acne?

We get body acne pretty much for the same reasons why we get facial acne. The strongest difference being back acne can often be induced by sweat. So wearing a backpack or doing a lot of sport that makes you sweaty can bring on a body acne breakout. An allergy to the laundry detergent you’re using to wash your clothes can also cause a body acne breakout.

How to treat back and body acne

Continue reading →

I never used to be a salad eater. I always knew they were great for me and ESPECIALLY for my skin, but I always found salads to be too light, not filling enough and really boring.

That’s until I figured out the key to making a great salad, or maybe I’ll call them Fran’s little salad making secrets.

You see, a salad should never, ever be boring. Nor should it leave you still feeling hungry. The secret to a great salad is adding a filler, or source of protein.

Fran’s salad secrets (that are not boring)

Here is a salad that I made just the other day. I was so happy with how delicious and healthy it looked that I took a photo (a little lame I know).

This salad tasted great. I started off with the basics - baby spinach leaves, cucumber, tomato and grated carrot. Then I chopped up a deli bought cold crab cake that I had in the fridge. Lastly I added a buttered piece of organic whole wheat bread. So quick to make and very yum!!

How to make your own mouth watering salad (that’s great for your skin by the way)

Start with basic base ingredients, and choose stuff that you like. Not every salad has to contain lettuce. If you don’t like lettuce, then don’t include it!

I’m personally not a big lettuce eater so I start my salad base with rocket, and sunflower sprouts. I then add some of my favorite ingredients, such as cherry tomatoes, lebanese cucumber, grated carrot and avocado. Once I have the base, then it’s time to add the protein.

To my salad I’ll add a couple of boiled eggs, or fetta cheese, tofu, tempeh, buttered sourdough bread (on the side), beans (such as butter beans, adzuki beans or red kidney beans), brown rice (this is one of my favorites), brown pasta or nuts (flaked almonds are great). The important thing is to add what you love and mix it up. Eating healthy is not about punishing yourself. You can still eat well and achieve great skin by eating foods that you absolutely love.

I’m a pescetarian so the only meat I add to my salads is fish (or other seafood). If you’re a meat eater then you could also add something like steamed chicken.

If you’re eating fish, opt for Atlantic salmon or tinned red salmon because they have the highest levels of healthy Omega-3 which is one of the best sources of good fats and a strong fighter of acne.

Add a great salad dressing

You either are or aren’t a salad dressing person. I personally love a good salad dressing. You can make really healthy ones too. Try to avoid buying pre-made salad dressings from the grocery store because they often include refined sugars, additives and preservatives which are not good for your skin. Home made dressings are always far tastier anyway!

Fran