Eight tips for healthy eating

 Eating a healthy, balanced diet is an important part of maintaining good health, and can help you feel your best. It doesn't have to be difficult either. Just follow these eight tips to get started.

The key to a healthy diet is to do the following:

    Eat the right amount of calories for how active you are, so that you balance the energy you consume with the energy you use. If you eat or drink too much, you’ll put on weight. If you eat and drink too little, you’ll lose weight. It is recommended that men have around 2,500 calories a day (10,500 kilojoules). Women should have around 2,000 calories a day (8,400 kilojoules). Most adults are eating more calories than they need, and should eat fewer calories.
    Eat a wide range of foods to ensure that you’re getting a balanced diet and that your body is receiving all the nutrients it needs.

Get started

These practical tips cover the basics of healthy eating, and can help you make healthier choices:
Base your meals on starchy foods

Starchy foods should make up around one third of the foods you eat. Starchy foods include potatoes, cereals, pasta, rice and bread. Choose wholegrain varieties (or eat potatoes with their skins on) when you can: they contain more fibre, and can help you feel full.

Most of us should eat more starchy foods: try to include at least one starchy food with each main meal. Some people think starchy foods are fattening, but gram for gram the carbohydrate they contain provides fewer than half the calories of fat.
Eat lots of fruit and veg

It’s recommended that we eat at least five portions of different types of fruit and veg a day. It’s easier than it sounds. A glass of unsweetened 100% fruit juice (150ml) can count as one portion, and vegetables cooked into dishes also count. Why not chop a banana over your breakfast cereal, or swap your usual mid-morning snack for a piece of fresh fruit?
Eat more fish

Fish is a good source of protein and contains many vitamins and minerals. Aim to eat at least two portions of fish a week, including at least one portion of oily fish. Oily fish contains omega-3 fats, which may help to prevent heart disease. You can choose from fresh, frozen and canned: but remember that canned and smoked fish can be high in salt.

Oily fish include salmon, mackerel, trout, herring, fresh tuna, sardines and pilchards. Non-oily fish include haddock, plaice, coley, cod, tinned tuna, skate and hake. If you regularly eat a lot of fish, try to choose as wide a variety as possible.
Cut down on saturated fat and sugar

We all need some fat in our diet. But it’s important to pay attention to the amount and type of fat we’re eating. There are two main types of fat: saturated and unsaturated. Too much saturated fat can increase the amount of cholesterol in the blood, which increases your risk of developing heart disease.

Saturated fat is found in many foods, such as hard cheese, cakes, biscuits, sausages, cream, butter, lard and pies. Try to cut down on your saturated fat intake, and choose foods that contain unsaturated fats instead, such as vegetable oils, oily fish and avocados.

For a healthier choice, use just a small amount of vegetable oil or reduced-fat spread instead of butter, lard or ghee. When you're having meat, choose lean cuts and cut off any visible fat.

Most people in the UK eat and drink too much sugar. Sugary foods and drinks, including alcoholic drinks, are often high in energy (measured in kilojoules or calories), and if eaten too often, can contribute to weight gain. They can also cause tooth decay, especially if eaten between meals.

Cut down on sugary fizzy drinks, alcoholic drinks, sugary breakfast cereals, cakes, biscuits and pastries, which contain added sugars: this is the kind of sugar we should be cutting down on, rather than sugars that are found in things such as fruit and milk.

Food labels can help: use them to check how much sugar foods contain. More than 22.5g of total sugars per 100g means that the food is high in sugar, while 5g of total sugars or less per 100g means that the food is low in sugar.
Eat less salt

Even if you don’t add salt to your food, you may still be eating too much. About three-quarters of the salt we eat is already in the food we buy, such as breakfast cereals, soups, breads and sauces. Eating too much salt can raise your blood pressure. People with high blood pressure are more likely to develop heart disease or have a stroke.

Use food labels to help you cut down. More than 1.5g of salt per 100g means the food is high in salt. Adults and children over 11 should eat no more than 6g of salt a day. Younger children should have even less.
Get active and be a healthy weight

Eating a healthy, balanced diet plays an essential role in maintaining a healthy weight, which is an important part of overall good health. Being overweight or obese can lead to health conditions such as type 2 diabetes, certain cancers, heart disease and stroke. Being underweight could also affect your health. Check whether you’re a healthy weight by using our Healthy weight calculator.

Most adults need to lose weight, and need to eat fewer calories to do this. If you're trying to lose weight, aim to eat less and be more active. Eating a healthy, balanced diet will help: aim to cut down on foods that are high in fat and sugar, and eat plenty of fruit and vegetables.

Don't forget that alcohol is also high in calories, so cutting down can help you to control your weight.

Physical activity can help you to maintain weight loss or be a healthy weight. Being active doesn’t have to mean hours at the gym: you can find ways to fit more activity into your daily life. For example, try getting off the bus one stop early on the way home from work, and walking. Being physically active may help reduce the risk of heart disease, stroke and type 2 diabetes. For more ideas, see Get active your way.

After getting active, remember not to reward yourself with a treat that is high in energy. If you feel hungry after activity, choose foods or drinks that are lower in calories, but still filling.

If you’re underweight, see our page on underweight adults. If you're worried about your weight, ask your GP or a dietitian for advice.
Don't get thirsty

We need to drink about 1.6 to 2 liters of fluid every day to stop us getting dehydrated. This is in addition to the fluid we get from the food we eat. All non-alcoholic drinks count, but water and lower-fat milk are healthier choices.

Try to avoid sugary soft and fizzy drinks that are high in added sugars and calories, and are also bad for teeth. Even unsweetened fruit juice is sugary, so try to limit how much you drink to no more than one glass (about 150ml) of fruit juice each day.

When the weather is warm, or when we get active, we may need more fluids.
Don’t skip breakfast

Some people skip breakfast because they think it will help them lose weight. In fact, research shows that eating breakfast can help people control their weight. A healthy breakfast is an important part of a balanced diet, and provides some of the vitamins and minerals we need for good health. A wholegrain, lower-sugar cereal with fruit sliced over the top is a tasty and nutritious breakfast.
Source:www.nhs.uk

Gluten Free Peanut Butter Brownies

Gluten free peanut butter brownies with the addition of shredded coconut. They're to die for, and incredibly pop able!

Coconut and peanut butter isn't a very popular combination and I have no idea why. They're perfect together! And peanut butter and coconut in combination with chocolate? To die for.

These brownie bites are ultra chewy, fudgy and dietary-friendly. I used buckwheat flour to make them grain-free and gluten-free, but if you don't need these brownies to be gluten-free, you can use whole wheat flour. They're also dairy-free if you use dairy-free chocolate and coconut oil instead of butter.

If you've tried buckwheat flour before but weren't impressed by the "earthy" taste - fear not, for these brownie bites taste of nothing but chocolate! And in case you're wondering how buckwheat can be grain-free: buckwheat isn't related to wheat at all and is actually a so-called pseudo-grain! It's a pretty nifty flour, which also happens to be whole grain (despite it not being a grain!) It all seems rather confusing and contradictory, but what's really important is that it's absolutely amazing in chocolate baked treats.
Gluten Free Peanut Butter Brownies Picture

My favorite part is the frosting, which is a combination of peanut butter, honey and coconut butter (which is the ground up meat of a coconut). I realize most people don't have that on hand so I first tried the frosting using coconut oil. This resulted in a runny frosting that wasn't firm enough to be spread on top. So I tried coconut butter which worked out much better! The coconut taste is more intense and it creates a nice creamy texture. Store bought coconut butter is expensive so I recommend making your own homemade coconut butter. All you need is shredded coconut and a food processor or a high-powered blender!

If you don't have a mini muffin pan, you can use an 8"x8" pan and bake for 16-20 minutes. It also cuts down on the preparation time! As cute as brownie bites are, I don't always have the patience to fill individual muffin liners. Note that you'll likely need more frosting to fully cover an 8"x8" pan of brownies. I'm guessing you'll need to do 1.5 times the frosting recipe - but as I haven't tried it, I can't say for sure. If you're worried about making too much, make it as written and make more, if needed. It only takes a minute to whip the frosting together!

Can't get enough chocolate and coconut? Try these vegan chocolate cookies. They're full of chocolate and coconut goodness as are these gluten-free no-bake cookies.
Gluten Free Peanut Butter Brownies Recipe
Embed
30 m  13 m  32 Servings
Ingredients
For the Frosting:

    1/2 cup unsweetened shredded coconut
    1/2 cup natural salted peanut butter
    1/4 cup coconut butter, see notes
    2 tablespoons honey
    1/3 cup semi-sweet chocolate, melted for piping, optional

For the Brownie Bites:

    1 cup buckwheat flour
    3/4 cup dutch processed cocoa, sifted if lumpy
    1/4 teaspoon salt
    3/4 cup unsalted butter, plus 1 tablespoon (or coconut oil), melted and cooled slightly
    1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
    2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
    3 large eggs, room temperature

Directions

    Preheat the oven to 350°F and line 2 mini muffin pans with 32 liners.
    Place the coconut on a rimmed baking sheet and toast for 5-8 minutes, stirring after every 2-3 minutes. It turns from perfectly browned to burned in seconds so keep a close eye on it! Set aside to cool while preparing the brownies.
    In a medium mixing bowl, stir together the dry ingredients; buckwheat flour, cocoa powder, and salt.
    In a large mixing bowl, stir together the wet ingredients; unsalted butter or coconut oil, granulated sugar, vanilla extract and eggs.
    Fold the dry ingredients into the wet and stir just until combined. Do not over mix!
    Fill the mini muffin liners about 4/5 full and bake for 11-13 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the side (and not the center) of a brownie comes out clean.
    Let cool for 5 minutes in the pans and then remove to a wire rack to cool completely.
    Once the brownies have completely cooled, prepare the frosting.
    Mix together the natural peanut butter, coconut butter, and honey in a small bowl. It should be firm enough to roll into small balls or spread on top of the brownies. If it isn't, refrigerate for 10-15 minutes or until it is.
    Roll small balls of frosting (approximately 1 teaspoon in size), place on the brownies, and flatten. Top with roasted coconut and pipe chocolate on top, if desired.

Homemade face masks for oily skin

If your skin is oily or tends to breakout easily, try one of these homemade face masks. These masks will leave your skin looking and feeling beautiful.

Homemade face masks for oily skin
Refresh your skin
If your skin is oily or tends to breakout easily, try one of these homemade face masks. These masks will leave your skin looking and feeling beautiful.

Banana honey mask
   
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Banana honey face mask
Ingredients

    1 ripe banana
    1 Tbsp honey
    10 drops of lemon juice

Directions

    Smash banana with honey in a small bowl.
    Add lemon juice and combine well.
    Apply mask to entire face and leave it on for 15 minutes.
    Rinse with a warm washcloth.

Gentle oatmeal mask
Ingredients

    1 Tbsp honey
    1 egg yolk
    oatmeal

Directions

    Mix honey and egg yolk in a small bowl.
    Slowly add enough oatmeal to create a thick paste.
    Smooth mask over face and neck. Leave it on for 15 minutes.
    Rinse with lukewarm water.

Strawberry cheesecake in 4 easy steps

Prep: 30 mins Plus 1 hr and overnight chilling
Servings
Cuts into 12 slices

Follow our step-by-step recipe for this easy no-cook cheesecake – a delicious summer dessert for all occasions

Ingredients

    250g digestive biscuits
    100g butter, melted
    1 vanilla pod
    600g soft cheese
    100g icing sugar
    284ml pot double cream

For the topping

    400g punnet strawberries, halved and stoned
    25g icing sugar

Method

    EQUIPMENT: 23cm loose-bottomed tin, baking parchment, plastic food bag, rolling pin, large bowl, dessert spoon, chopping board, kitchen knife, electric mixer, spatula, serving plate, blender or food processor, sieve
    Make the base: Butter and line a 23cm loose-bottomed tin with baking parchment. Put 250g digestive biscuits in a plastic food bag and crush to crumbs using a rolling pin. Transfer the crumbs to a bowl, then pour over 100g melted butter. Mix thoroughly until the crumbs are completely coated. Tip them into the prepared tin and press firmly down into the base to create an even layer. Chill in the fridge for 1 hr to set firmly.
    Remove the vanilla seeds from 1 pod: Slice the vanilla pod in half lengthways, leaving the tip intact, so that the two halves are still joined. Holding onto the tip of the pod, scrape out the seeds using the back of a kitchen knife.
    Make the filling: Place 600g soft cheese, 100g icing sugar and the vanilla seeds in a bowl, then beat with an electric mixer until smooth. Tip in 284ml pot double cream and continue beating until the mixture is completely combined. Now spoon the cream mixture onto the biscuit base, working from the edges inwards and making sure that there are no air bubbles. Smooth the top of the cheesecake down with the back of a dessert spoon or spatula. Leave to set in the fridge overnight.
    Un-moulding and topping: Bring the cheesecake to room temperature, about 30 mins before serving. To un-mould, place the base on top of a can, then gradually pull the sides of the tin down. Slip the cake onto a serving plate, removing the lining paper and base. Purée half the 400g punnet strawberries in a blender or food processor with 25g icing sugar and 1 tsp water, then sieve. Pile the remaining strawberries onto the cake, then pour over purée.

Recipe from Good Food magazine, August 2007
BBC GoodFood Magazine

Basic biscuit dough

Prep: 5 mins Cook: 15 mins
Servings
Makes about 30 cookies

This simple recipe for cookie dough can be adapted to suit your tastes- experiment with different shapes and flavours


Ingredients

    250g butter, softened
    140g caster sugar
    1 egg yolk
    2 tsp vanilla extract
    300g plain flour

Method
Mix 250g softened butter and 140g caster sugar in a large bowl with a wooden spoon, then add 1 egg yolk and 2 tsp vanilla extract and briefly beat to combine. Sift over 300g plain flour and stir until the mixture is well combined – you might need to get your hands in at the end to give everything a really good mix and press the dough together.

Caramelized Spiced Nuts

Makes 4 to 6
Time: 15 minutes

A crisp sugar shell and bit of spice make these not too sweet and not too spicy, and they're only slightly more involved than the roasted nuts in the preceding recipe. Serve a bowl of them with cocktails or other appetizers; they will go quickly, so have backup ready. Add seeds to the mix as well; sunflower, pumpkin, and sesame seeds all add flavor and texture.
2 tablespoons peanut or neutral oil, like grapeseed or corn
2 cups sugar
2 teaspoons garam masala
1/2 teaspoon cayenne
1 teaspoon salt
2 cups (about 1 pound) mixed unsalted shelled nuts

1. Heat the oven to 450°F. Grease a baking sheet with the oil. Put a wide pot or deep skillet over high heat and add 2 cups water and the sugar. Bring to a boil and stir in the spices, salt, and nuts. Reduce the heat to medium and cook, stirring frequently, until the liquid is reduced to a syrup, 5 to 10 minutes.

2. Turn the heat to low and remove the nuts with a slotted spoon, letting the excess syrup drain off a bit and then spreading the nuts on the baking sheet (be sure to turn off the burner when you've finished).

3. Roast the nuts for 10 minutes, tossing once or twice with a spatula. Remove from the oven and let cool (the sugar coating will be very hot, so resist sampling for a few minutes!); the sugar coating will harden as the nuts cool. Serve or store in an airtight container at room temperature for 2 or 3 days.

Homemade Peanut Butter

For almost 12 years, I ate half of a PB & J sandwich every day, 5 days a week. I was in charge of packing my own lunch from 1st-12th grade, and PB & J was my culinary specialty. Peanut butter was a favorite of mine, and my mother encouraged it as a protein source since I was picking out every minuscule bit of meat she added to family meals. (One too many rubbery bits in my chicken nuggets caused me to be a vegetarian during childhood.)
Homemade Peanut Butter

Mmmmm… peanut butter. So much better than beak and toenail chicken nuggets.

Growing up, I remember having the oil-on-top, sawdust-tasting, have-to-vigorously-stir-it-with-a-spoon-without-spilling-oil type of peanut butter in the fridge. This was for Dad. Nobody else touched it. The kids’ peanut butter in our house was creamy, sweet, lick-your-lips-good, and always embellished with some cartoonist picture to make us love it even more.
Homemade Peanut Butter 2

I used to love that cute little flying silhouette.

The problem with the tasty peanut butter from my childhood is that it (not so astonishingly) has some nasty added ingredients. When I look at the back of a peanut butter jar these days, I see the likes of sugar, hydrogenated oils, and other things that should never come near my PB & J. Even Natural Jif has to be called a “spread” because it only contains 90% peanuts. Imposter, I say!
Now the Peter Pan peanut butter label even has to boast, “NO high fructose corn syrup!” Why? Am I suppose to expect this ingredient to make an appearance in my peanut butter? Sad.

I eventually had to get real about peanut butter. And “real” does not include sugar, cartoonish pictures, or hydrogenated oils.

Peanut butter is still a part of my diet, and now I make my own delicious, creamy variety at home. I keep it simple… after all, it’s just peanut butter.
Peanut Butter Made Simple

All you need for a great peanut butter is peanuts. I know… it seems too simple, but that’s how it should be. Depending on your tastes, you can also add a little oil, a pinch of sea salt, or a bit of raw honey if you like yours sweetened.
Choosing Your Peanuts

Rule 1: Be particular about your peanuts. I recently looked at a container of peanuts innocently resting in our cupboard, thinking I would just find “peanuts and salt” under the ingredients. Instead, to my horror, the list of ingredients included things like mono sodium glutamate (MSG!), sugar, malto dextrin, corn syrup solids, hydrolyzed soy protein, and other ingredients I was not prepared to see. (Just another example of how reading labels is a complete eye-opener!) The unopened peanuts were returned to the store on my next shopping trip… and I may or may not have gone on a short rant in front of the grocery store clerk when asked my “reason for returning.” (She was not amused by my peanut dissertation.)

Rule 2: Choose any type of peanut you are comfortable using. You may prefer organic, dry roasted, salted, unsalted, or the cheapest kind available. But again, I’m passing along the lesson I learned… CHECK THE INGREDIENTS. A container of dry roasted peanuts (or other variety) may have additives you are trying to avoid in your peanut butter. Purchasing bulk peanuts is usually cheaper, but check the ingredients on the bin to be sure you’re getting what you want.
est setting until peanut butter begins to move freely through the blades.

VitaMix users: Push peanuts into blade using the plunger while blending. Stop processing when peanut butter begins flowing freely through blades and the high pitched motor sound changes to a lower pitched sound. In my VitaMix, I am careful not to process for more than 1 minute after butter begins flowing freely or the machine could overheat.

For food processors or blenders that do not have a plunger: You may need to stop the machine once or twice during blending to scrape down the sides. Continue blending until desired consistency is reached.

3. Stop machine, scoop peanut butter out of your machine with spatula and refrigerate in an airtight container. Yields about 2 cups. Refrigerated peanut butter will last several months.
Additional Notes

    If you’re feeling ambitious, go ahead and roast your own peanuts to be made into peanut butter!
    Be sure to use peanuts that are as fresh as possible, or you might end up with an “old” peanut taste in your peanut butter.
    If you prefer crunchy peanut butter you will want to stop blending before it is moving freely through the blades of your machine.
    The color of the peanut butter will be different depending on the type of peanut used. (I say this so you don’t think there is something wrong with your peanut butter when it doesn’t look exactly like store-bought.)

So instead of processed, mass produced, commercial peanut butters, experiment with this simple recipe and let us know what you think!

Glazed Lemon Pound Cake

Baking a cake from scratch doesn’t have to be daunting—try one of these easy recipes for crumb cake, cheesecake, chocolate cake, and more.

Hands-On Time 15 minutes

Total Time 180 minutes
Serves 12
Ingredients 1 cup unsalted butter (2 sticks), at room temperature, plus more for the pan
2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour, spooned and leveled, plus more for the pan
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
3 cups granulated sugar
2 tablespoons finely grated lemon zest, plus 6 tablespoons lemon juice
6 large eggs, at room temperature
1 cup plain full-fat Greek yogurt
1 cup confectioners’ sugar

Directions

    Heat oven to 325° F. Butter and flour a 12-cup Bundt pan. In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, salt, baking soda, and baking powder.
    Using an electric mixer, beat the butter, granulated sugar, and lemon zest on medium-high until light and fluffy, 3 to 4 minutes. Beat in 4 tablespoons of the lemon juice, then the eggs, one at a time, scraping down the sides of the bowl as necessary.
    Reduce mixer speed to low. Add half the flour mixture, then the yogurt, and then the remaining flour mixture. Mix just until combined (do not overmix).
    Transfer the batter to the prepared pan and bake until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, 65 to 75 minutes. Cool the cake in the pan for 30 minutes, then turn it out onto a wire rack to cool completely.
    In a small bowl, whisk together the confectioners’ sugar and 1 of the remaining tablespoons of lemon juice until smooth, adding the remaining lemon juice as necessary to create a thick, but pourable glaze.

Lovely Painting By El Greco

The Exhibition

The initial project envisaged the creation of a museum containing works by all the leading Spanish artists and which could offer a historical survey of the origins and development of Spanish art. This, however, never fully realised, as the collection solely comprised works brought from Toledo, Avila, Segovia, Burgos and Valladolid in 1836. As a result, the collection of the Museo Nacional consisted primarily of works by Madrid School artists, the vast majority inevitably religious in subject-matter, given their provenance. Only the paintings from the collection of the Infante don Sebastián Gabriel added some thematic variety.

Despite these issues, from the outset the collection of the Museo Nacional featured some key groups and individual works of Spanish art. These included the panels from the altarpieces of Saint Dominic and Saint Peter Martyr, by Berruguete; the series of 56 canvases with scenes of Carthusian monks by Vicente Carducho, painted for the cloister of the Carthusian monastery of El Paular; five canvases from the high altar of the College of Doña María de Aragón in Madrid, by El Greco; and the six paintings from the altarpiece of the Cuatro Pascuas in the church of San Pedro Mártir in Toledo, by Maino. In addition, the collection featured a small but important group of paintings (such as The Fountain of Grace by the School of Van Eyck) and Italian ones (the copy of Raphael's Transfiguration by Giulio Romano, and the Passion series by G. D. Tiepolo, among others). Following the return of the Infante don Sebastián Gabriel's collection to its owner in 1859, a series of purchases expanded the Museum's holdings, including an Italian-period Annunciation by El Greco and an outstanding group of portraits by Goya, choices that reveal an advanced critical sensibility for the period.

The present exhibition comprises an exceptional group of works formerly in monasteries and convents closed during the Disentailment, as well as others purchased in the 1860s (the Auto da Fe with Saint Domingo de Guzmán by Berruguete, and two portraits by Goya), and paintings formerly in the collection of the Infante don Sebastián Gabriel, recently acquired by the Museo del Prado (a Still Life by Sánchez Cotán and Saint Bernard and the Virgin by Alonso Cano). Together, they are intended to offer an idea of the important contribution made by the collection of the Museo de la Trinidad to that of the Museo del Prado.

In addition, a further 47 paintings originally in the collection of the Trinidad can be seen hanging in their normal locations in the Museum, specially marked to facilitate identification.

Source: https://www.museodelprado.es

Quotes About Painting

“I dream my painting and I paint my dream.”
― Vincent van Gogh

 “You might as well ask an artist to explain his art, or ask a poet to explain his poem. It defeats the purpose. The meaning is only clear thorough the search.”
― Rick Riordan

“Every portrait that is painted with feeling is a portrait of the artist, not of the sitter.”
― Oscar Wilde, The Picture of Dorian Gray

“If you hear a voice within you say you cannot paint, then by all means paint and that voice will be silenced.”
― Vincent van Gogh

“I don't paint dreams or nightmares, I paint my own reality.”
― Frida Kahlo

“I have an idea that the only thing which makes it possible to regard this world we live in without disgust is the beauty which now and then men create out of the chaos. The pictures they paint, the music they compose, the books they write, and the lives they lead. Of all these the richest in beauty is the beautiful life. That is the perfect work of art.”
― W. Somerset Maugham, The Painted Veil

“Painting is just another way of keeping a diary.”
― Pablo Picasso

“Painting is the silence of thought and the music of sight.”
― Orhan Pamuk, My Name is Red

“Writing, painting, singing- it cannot stop everything. Cannot halt death in its tracks. But perhaps it can make the pause between death’s footsteps sound and look and feel beautiful, can make the space of waiting a place where you can linger without as much fear. For we are all walking each other to our deaths, and the journey there between footsteps makes up our lives.”
― Ally Condie, Reached

 Painting is a blind man's profession. He paints not what he sees, but what he feels, what he tells himself about what he has seen.
Pablo Picasso

 Painting is concerned with all the 10 attributes of sight; which are: Darkness, Light, Solidity and Colour, Form and Position, Distance and Propinquity, Motion and Rest.
Leonardo da Vinci


Source: http://www.goodreads.com/quotes/tag/painting

Homemade Facial Masks: 9 Recipes That Work

Forget spending time and money at your local spa. The secret to great skin is as close as your kitchen! Pamper yourself with these simple, homemade facial masks.

Banana Facial Masks

Who needs Botox when you have bananas? That’s right: You can use a banana as an all-natural, homemade facial mask that moisturizes your skin and leaves it looking and feeling softer. Mash up a medium-sized ripe banana into a smooth paste, then gently apply it to your face and neck. Let it set for 10 to 20 minutes, then rinse it off with cold water. Another popular mask recipe calls for 1/4 cup plain yogurt, 2 tablespoons honey, and 1 medium banana.

Vinegar Facial Masks

Using vinegar as a skin toner dates back to the time of Helen of Troy, and it’s just as effective today. After you wash your face, mix 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar with 2 cups water as a finishing rinse to cleanse and tighten your skin. You can also create a homemade facial mask by mixing 1/4 cup cider vinegar with 1/4 cup water. Gently apply the solution to your face and let it dry.

Milk Facial Masks

Here’s another way to give yourself a fancy spa facial at home. Make a mask by mixing 1/4 cup powdered milk with enough water to form a thick paste. Thoroughly coat your face with the mixture, let dry completely, then rinse with warm water. Your face will feel fresh and rejuvenated.

Chocolate Panini

Put together this quick and easy dessert while your main dish cooks. Just before serving, toast the sweet sandwich until the chocolate filling is warm and gooey.

    Makes: 4 servings
    Prep 10 mins
    Cook 8 mins

This grilled dessert bread is filled with chopped chocolate. Serve it alone or with fresh fruit.
Ingredients

    8 3/4-inch thick slices challah bread or Hawaiian sweet bread
    2 tablespoons butter, melted
    4 -6 ounces semisweet chocolate, finely chopped
    Powdered sugar

Directions

    Heat a grill pan or a large heavy nonstick skillet over medium-low heat. Meanwhile, brush one side of each bread slice with some of the melted butter. Place half of the bread slices on a work surface, buttered side down; sprinkle with chocolate, covering the bread to within 1/4-inch of the crust. Top with remaining slices, buttered sides up. Place sandwiches, 2 at a time, in grill pan; weigh down top of sandwiches with a large heavy skillet.
    Grill the sandwiches over medium-low heat for 6 to 8 minutes or until the chocolate is melted and bread is golden brown, turning once halfway through grilling time. Repeat with remaining sandwiches. (Or preheat a covered indoor grill. Place sandwiches, two at a time, in preheated grill, cover, and grill 4 minutes or until chocolate melts and bread is golden.)
    To serve, cut each sandwich into quarters. Dust with powdered sugar. Serve warm.

Pineapple Upside-Down Cake Sundaes

Quickly warm pineapple in butter and brown sugar, then spoon the softened fruit over crumbled pound cake and dulce de leche ice cream.

    Makes: 4 servings
    Prep 15 mins

Quickly warm pineapple in butter and brown sugar, then spoon the softened fruit over crumbled pound cake and dulce de leche ice cream.
Ingredients

    1/4 cup butter
    1/4 cup packed brown sugar
    1 tablespoon honey
    1/8 teaspoon ground cinnamon
    1 cup chopped pineapple or canned pineapple tidbits (juice pack), drained
    1 pint dulce de leche or vanilla ice cream
    1/4 of a 10 3/4-ounce loaf frozen pound cake, thawed and coarsely crumbled and, if desired, toasted*
    4 maraschino cherries with stems
    Whipped cream

Directions

    In a heavy small skillet, melt butter over medium heat. Stir in brown sugar, honey and cinnamon. Bring to boiling; reduce heat. Simmer, uncovered, for 2 minutes. Add pineapple. Cook and stir for 1 to 2 minutes more or until heated through. Remove from heat.
    Scoop ice cream into four dishes. Top with crumbled cake, warm pineapple mixture, whipped cream and a cherry. Serve immediately.

How to Select the Right Shoes for your Clothing

The first step in selecting the best shoes is choosing shoes that complement your clothing, rather than ones that compete with your outfit.

For that reason, I always recommend pairing busier shoes with simple outfits, and wearing simple shoes with clothing that features a lot of prints, embellishments or dynamic accessories. It can be tricky to find shoes that complement your clothing, without dominating or being overpowered by it, but the reality is, it's a simple balancing act.

    When you look in the mirror, does one element of your outfit stand out more than the others?
    Is your outfit too chaotic? i.e. Are the sequins on your shoes competing with the crystals on your dress?
    Do your shoes and clothing blend together too much? i.e. Do your black pants, black turtleneck, and black booties all look like one long body suit?

If you answered "yes" to any of the above questions, then the quickest way to pull together a cohesive look is to simply try on another pair of shoes, and ask yourself the questions again.
It doesn't matter how pretty they are, how comfortable they feel, or how discounted they were when you bought them -- if they don't fit the event, the environment and the occasion, then they are -- at least temporarily -- the wrong shoes.

Glitzy evening shoes have no place in the office, and flip-flops aren't generally considered acceptable for a formal event. So how do you know which shoes you should wear?

Well, the simplest approach would be to wear simple loafers or ballet flats for casual events, and classic pumps for anything dressy -- but that can get a little boring. If you want to play it safe without giving into tedium, go ahead and wear those widely-accepted styles but choose a unique color, or a pair that is embellished with a chic buckle or other accent.

If you want to make a more dramatic statement, then by all means, pair stilettos with your jeans, and sandals with your suits -- but to avoid attracting the wrong kind of attention, you should still stick with shoes that are well-suited to your environment.

Choosing a Life Partner

And at first glance, research seems to back this up, suggesting that married people are on average happier than single people and much happier than divorced people. But a closer analysis reveals that if you split up "married people" into two groups based on marriage quality, "people in self-assessed poor marriages are fairly miserable, and much less happy than unmarried people, and people in self-assessed good marriages are even more happy than the literature reports." In other words, here's what's happening in reality:

Dissatisfied single people should actually consider themselves in a neutral, fairly hopeful position, compared to what their situation could be. A single person who would like to find a great relationship is one step away from it, with their to-do list reading, "1) Find a great relationship." People in unhappy relationships, on the other hand, are three leaps away, with a to-do list of "1) Go through a soul-crushing breakup. 2) Emotionally recover. 3) Find a great relationship." Not as bad when you look at it that way, right?

All the research on how vastly happiness varies between happy and unhappy marriages makes perfect sense, of course. It's your life partner.

Thinking about how overwhelmingly important it is to pick the right life partner is like thinking about how huge the universe really is or how terrifying death really is — it's too intense to internalize the reality of it, so we just don't think about it that hard and remain in slight denial about the magnitude of the situation.

But unlike death and the universe's size, picking a life partner is fully in your control, so it's critical to make yourself entirely clear on how big a deal the decision really is and to thoroughly analyze the most important factors in making it.

So how big a deal is it?

Well, start by subtracting your age from 90. If you live a long life, that's about the number of years you're going to spend with your current or future life partner, give or take a few.

I'm pretty sure no one over 80 reads Wait But Why, so no matter who you are, that's a lot of time — and almost the entirety of the rest of your one existence.

7 Simple Steps To Use Castor Oil To Treat Acne

Do you know that castor oil can actually get rid of acne? In fact, it has many surprising beauty and health benefits, such as keeping your skin looking young and healthy. It prevents, treats and heals acne and reduces the presence of scarring.

So in case you are fed up of those acne scars on your face and couldn’t do much about it, castor oil is something you should start using right away!

Want to know how this wonder oil helps in treating acne? Then go ahead and read this post!
How It Works:

When skin impurities get collected and cause irritation, acne results with accompanying inflammation. Castor oil plays a brilliant role in extracting all the dirt, dead skin cells, bacteria, excess oil and other impurities and unclogs the pores.

For this reason, castor oil is considered very effective for getting rid of acne, the method being called the ‘oil cleansing method.’ By this method, castor oil penetrates the skin and gets rid of a majority of acne breakouts.
How Castor Oil Is Used To Get Rid Of Acne:

By following this step-by-step method, you can use castor oil successfully on acne-sensitive skin and prevent any further development of acne. But before actually following the below-mentioned steps, it is necessary to do a patch test to see if castor oil suits you.

For this, steam your face with hot water so that your pores open. Then, apply castor oil on all the acne-prone parts of your complexion. If there is no reaction, you can keep the oil overnight. If there is some reaction, rinse your face immediately.
Steps To Use Castor Oil To Get Rid Of Acne:

How to Wear Pink This V-Day Without Looking Like Barbie

Festive but still chic

As someone who loves pink, I of course want to rock a rosey-hued outfit on Valentine’s Day. However, pink is one of those colors that can make you look like a life-size Barbie wannabe instead of a put-together, self-sufficient, independent woman (throw your hands up at me, ladies…). That's especially the case when you already have the blonde hair thing going on. And that's, well, not ideal.

Good thing, then, that you can totally wear pink without looking like you’re waiting for your little sister Skipper to meet you for cocktails. I'm here to show you how.


1. Pick One Pop of Pink
The easiest way to avoid the whole toy doll comparison is to limit the amount of pink in your outfit. Choose a pink skirt or jacket instead of a floor-length, ruffle-laden ensemble, and your pink will look tasteful instead of tacky. If you do find an all-pink dress that you just can’t live without, tone it down a bit with an edgier piece on top—a cute cropped moto jacket will do the trick.

2. Give Your Pink a Pattern
Another way to avoid a sickeningly sweet overdose of pink is to choose an item that has a pattern on top of the pink. That'll help to break up the color and gives the item a bit more of a modern feel.

3. Choose a Bright Lip
Okay, I did say to keep it to one pop of pink per outfit, but lips aren't a clothing item. If there’s anytime that calls for a bright pink lip, this is it, ladies! I love wearing all hues of pink lipsticks throughout the year, so this is an easy rule for me to follow. But if you haven’t tried a bright lip yet and have a hard time picking colors, talk to the makeup consultants at your local department or beauty store and they will get you set up (this color is my go-to for a bright lip). Oh, and if you don’t already have one, I totally suggest a clear wax lip liner pencil to keep your color from bleeding. Works like a charm!

4. Use Neutrals to Complete the Outfit
This is probably the most important part of not looking like Barbie’s twin sister: For the rest of your outfit, stick to neutral colors—like black, grey, white, or brown—and your pop of pink won't look too teenybopper. The neutrals do double duty by both toning down the overall look and drawing attention to your one fun pop of pink. They let the color be the star!

9 Ways Therapists Can Tell If Your Relationship Won't Work

Here’s how the pros know if you're headed for troubled times.

This article was written by Cari Wira Dineen and provided by our partners at Prevention.

The sound of his chewing is beyond annoying. And let's not get started on how she never, ever makes the bed. "These little issues are totally normal in any relationship and aren't indicative of whether or not your romance will survive," says Melissa Cohen, a couples therapist in Westfield, New Jersey. But, according to Cohen and many other relationship experts, there are several warning signs they notice during sessions that signal bigger problems—and threaten the viability of their patients' relationships. Ready to assess the strength of your union? Here are nine big red flags to look out for.

1. Your Conflicts Include Criticism and Contempt.
Instead of saying, "Please unload the dishwasher," it sounds more like this: "Do you have some sort of mental condition? Or are you just too stupid to remember to do what I asked?" Notice how the criticism is not about the task—it's about the person. Any version of "What is wrong with you?" basically attacks the other person's character, which, when done regularly, can chip away at the relationship. As for the contempt part, that means you feel superior to you partner. Often, this can sound like, "Why do I have to do everything around here? You do nothing to help out." Contempt is also expressed nonverbally: eye-rolling, sneering, or imitating the person's mannerisms. And contempt just causes more conflict.

If you are stuck in a cycle of negativity, Cohen suggests that you make five positive comments to offset one negative comment. "If, say, you criticized your husband about his terrible driving, force yourself to make at least five endearing comments throughout the rest of the day to smooth things over," she says.

How to Make Boring Button Downs Look Crazy Stylish

You style maven, you

Okay, Okay, we’ve all done it before. You go to your closet, grab a button down shirt to wear, finish getting ready, and when you look in the mirror you think, “Wow—this looks so boring.” A button down shirt can be such a mark of cool sophistication (think Audrey Hepburn on a day off) or carry an easy-breezy “I just threw this together, but it still looks great” vibe (think Lauren Conrad). But if you don’t style it right, these shirts can also look pretty dull. To avoid an uninspired result, I have three ways that I like to style mine:

The basic button down: The basic solid button down is the style most in danger of becoming boring or frumpy. First, make sure that your shirt is a good cut for your body—tailoring goes a long way with wardrobe basics. Roll up the sleeves a few times for a more relaxed look since a plain button down can sometimes appear a little stiff-looking. The other key to a basic shirt like this is in the accessories. A cropped skinny jean with heels and a casual clutch take this look from basic to polished in a few seconds flat.

The loose flannel button down: This shirt is something of a staple for the younger half of Hollywood on their days off. While this look can sometimes swing a bit too casual and look a little truck stop, a few key details can bring the look to a more stylish place. Go for an oversized loose fit on the shirt, but don’t go so big that the shirt is wearing you (this is a great choice). Add some classic details like a streamlined heeled boot, classic sunnies, and a modern clutch or purse. For an extra nod to the ’90s grunge era, opt for a skinny jean with a bit of wear and tear to complete the look. Your shirt and jeans say “cool and casual,” but your other pieces say, “I totally have a real job and contribute to my 401k.” A balance of both worlds is key.

The printed button down: To add a little more fun to a structured button down, go for a fun print to bring a little personality to the piece (like this one!). Buttoning the neck to the top and keeping the sleeves down bring a clean sophistication to the look, but the print still keeps the overall feel light and happy. I like to unbutton the last few buttons on a fitted button down, tie the two ends together, and wear a high-waisted jean or skirt with the top. It’s just another detail that keeps the button down from wandering into Snoozeville territory.

The Top Foods People Who've Lost More Than 10 Pounds Eat for Breakfast

Add them to your a.m. meal to start your own slimdown.

Trying to drop a few pounds? Before you totally overhaul your eating habits, take a cue from people who've already successfully slimmed down: We tapped into the data from MyFitnessPal's more than 65 million users (the app lets people track their weight, activity, eating habits, and more). Here are the most common foods those who lost at least 10 lbs logged at breakfast time. Keep in mind that this doesn't mean they were the only thing people ate each morning—but incorporating these to your a.m. routine could help you shed a size.

1. Coffee
Sipping this with your a.m. meal could be especially helpful if you're a morning workout person: A study published in the International Journal of Sport Nutrition and Exercise Metabolism found that consuming a caffeinated drink an hour before you start sweating can crank up your calorie burn by about 15 percent.

2. Bananas
Try them in one of these yummy banana smoothies.

3. Eggs
Research shows that loading up your breakfast with protein can help curb hunger later in the day—and may mean you eat fewer calories at lunch. So whether you prefer this protein-rich ingredient scrambled, fried, or poached, it's a smart idea to eat them first thing in the morning.

4. Blueberries
These little guys are loaded with antioxidants—and by packing your diet with nutrient-rich foods, you can lose weight without worrying about calorie counting.

5. Strawberries
Try this goat cheese-berry bruschetta for an out-of-the-ordinary breakfast that'll help you drop pounds.

6. Tea
Learn the best way to drink green tea to boost weight loss.

7. Milk
This is another great way to take in some protein first thing in the a.m.

8. Whole-Wheat Toast
Carb lovers, rejoice! High-fiber options like this can help you feel more satiated so you end up consuming fewer calories.

9. Spinach
This leafy green is a weight-loss double whammy: It's rich in fiber, and it's also one of the veggies with the most protein.

Irish Apple Cake

"Wonderful with a hot cup of coffee or tea. Just a touch of spice and the lemon is a nice touch to set off the applesauce. Hope you enjoy. Top with whipped cream or lemon sauce."

Ingredients

Original recipe makes 1 9x9-inch cake Change Servings

    3 cups sifted all-purpose flour

    3/4 cup white sugar

    1/2 teaspoon salt

    3 egg yolks

    1 cup butter, softened

    1 lemon, zest grated

    1 3/4 cups applesauce

    1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

    1/4 teaspoon ground cloves

Directions

    Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
    Grease a 9x9-inch baking pan.
    Mix flour, sugar, and salt together in a bowl.
    Beat in egg yolks, butter, and lemon zest until dough is thoroughly mixed.
    Mix applesauce, cinnamon, and cloves together in a small bowl.
    Press half the dough into the prepared baking pan; spread applesauce mixture over dough in a layer. Top with remaining dough.
    Bake in the preheated oven until cake is browned, 40 to 45 minutes.

Bananas in Caramel Sauce

"A delicious, fast dessert. Impressive served when the sauce is still bubbling! Serve with coconut ice cream, if desired."

Original recipe makes 4 servings

    1/2 cup butter

    1 cup superfine sugar

    1 1/4 cups heavy cream

    4 bananas, peeled and halved lengthwise

Directions

    Melt butter in a large, heavy skillet over medium heat. Stir in sugar and cook, stirring, until sugar is melted and light brown. Slowly stir in the cream (mixture will bubble up).
    Let mixture boil 1 minute, then reduce heat to low. Place the bananas in the pan and cook until heated through, about 2 minutes. Serve hot.

How to Combat Oily Eyelids So Your Makeup Stays in Place

Unless you like the cakey look?

This article was written by Mi-Anne Chan and repurposed with permission from Refinery29.

If you have oily eyelids, you know that getting makeup to stay in place is a struggle. You probably know the drill all too well by now: wake up, put on your makeup, check your face at noon only to find that you're rockin' a serious pair of raccoon eyes—it's not a pretty sight. But, if it's any consolation, you're not alone. We've all been there.

We all create oil on our eyelids, some more than others. "We all have numerous tiny oil glands at the eyelash line to add oil to our tear film," says Ava Shamban, M.D., dermatologist and assistant clinical professor of dermatology at UCLA. "This oil-water emulsion provides lubrication to the eyes, and the oil prevents the water from evaporating."

There may not be a cure-all method that will completely stop our bodies from producing oil, but we can definitely take measures to curb it. We talked to a few industry pros to get the lowdown on some of the best ways to stop slick lids from wreaking havoc on your makeup. Read ahead to learn the secret to a life free of mascara smudges, liner fading, and creased shadows.

 Start Off With A Clean Slate
First things first, before you put on your face in the morning, make sure your skin is completely free of any residual makeup (or even makeup remover) from the day before. "You need to make sure everything is totally off your eyes and that you don't have any oils leftover because that can increase the oiliness," says makeup artist Elisa Flowers. "You want a clean, fresh start." Try using Lancôme Bi-Facil Double-Action Eye Makeup Remover ($29, nordstrom.com).

Pick the Right Skincare
After your face is clean, move on to your skin care, but be sure to look at the ingredients in your moisturizers and eye creams. "If the issue is that makeup isn't staying in place, perhaps the problem is using moisturizers that aren't fully absorbing," says Heidi Waldorf, M.D., dermatologist at New York's Mount Sinai Hospital.

Here's What Happened When We Had a Guy Walk a Day in Our Shoes—Literally

See how one brave Men's Health editor fared at the office wearing blue snakeskin pumps.

I always like making an ass out of myself if it means more attention. (It’s a middle-child thing.) At Men’s Health, I’ve starred in woefully misguided rap videos, pitched dumb business ideas to the Shark Tank crew, and roamed the streets shouting the names of sex toys at strangers, all loosely in the name of journalism.

So when my friends at Women’s Health put out the call for a male editor to be a guinea pig for their latest social experiment, I naturally obliged. My mission: Wear women’s high heels for a day and see what happens.
 
 How hard could that be? I’ve had to learn how to ride a bike, drive a car, and tolerate broccoli, so I could easily make a few adjustments to my stride. Sure, there would be some awkward steps and stumbles, but worst-case scenario, I’d emerge from the experiment with beastly calves.

The first matter: securing a slick pair of shoes. I couldn’t find any female takers around the office to let me borrow their heels—I can’t imagine why—and my dubious wife’s feet were far too tiny. Admittedly, I balked at going to a Payless by myself to try on heels because a man can only shed so much dignity.

So after comparing men’s and women’s sizes (I’m a men’s 10.5), WH took a shot in the dark and sent over a size-12 pair of midnight blue "Christian Sirianos" from Payless (sounds fancy!), sight unseen. Then came the ultimate test: Did they fit? I crossed my fingers, rolled up my jeans, snuck in my toes, and hoped for the best. Immediately, I knew: HELL, YEAH, THEY FIT.

The gamble had worked, and there was no turning back.

The next morning, I left my trusty loafers in the closet and slapped on the Sirianos over a pair of black wool socks. My female friends would later tell me this was a fashion faux-pas, but the socks looked just fine to me.

9 Women Share Exactly How Much It Cost Them to Give Birth

The prices range from not so much to "You charge WHAT to pull a baby out?!"

I almost had a breakdown after my son was born, and it wasn't due to new-mom anxiety. Despite having "great" health insurance, my husband and I were handed more than $5,000 in hospital bills.

As if the price tag wasn't painful enough, the invoices trickled in over the span of nine months. We'd scramble to pay off a large bill and—bam!—another one would arrive in the mail that was due in two weeks.
  
I tried to fight a few of the more outrageous ones, like the $800 bill for "blood" since I never had a blood transfusion. I was laughed at by a hospital administrator—she told me that I'd never be able to successfully get rid of the charge, that we were billed because the hospital had blood "in case" I needed it...but I hadn't.

We had saved up for months to lessen the financial blow of my maternity leave and new baby expenses. That money was wiped out in a month, all because of hospital bills. I was already frazzled with learning how to keep a baby alive, and the unexpected financial stress didn't help.


Unfortunately, my frustration isn't rare. Countless families have gone through the same situation. While some women have tiny hospital bills after giving birth, they seem to be the minority.

Planning to have a child one day or just want to see how bad you had it compared to other women? Check out the hospital bills of several women from across the country below—all of whom were insured—then get expert input on how you can keep costs at bay when you give birth.

What to Eat to Reduce Your Risk of Colon Cancer

The disease is on the rise—but these foods may help you decrease your odds of getting it.

Research has long shown that a plant-based diet has cancer-fighting powers. Now, a new study offers even more proof that giving up animal products can lower your risk of one specific type of cancer that happens to be showing up more in younger people: colorectal cancer.

The team behind the study, published in the Journal of the American Medical Association, sought to better understand how a vegetarian diet affects colorectal cancer incidence. At the start of the study, researchers looked at the self-reported eating habits of approximately 77,000 adults, then checked how many participants developed colorectal cancer seven years later. They found that subjects who ate a vegetarian diet had a 20 percent lower overall incidence of colorectal cancer (when compared to meat eaters), while pescovegetarians (fish-eating vegetarians) had a 43 percent lower risk.

 
With colorectal cancer the third most common type of cancer in men and women today, according to the American Cancer Society, this is as good a reason as any to tweak your diet so you consume more foods found in the produce and cereal aisles. The study only showed an association and didn’t point out specific foods that can make a difference, so we went to the experts on the front lines of fighting this cancer. Here’s their take on what to eat to cut your risk.


Fatty Fish
Order up those salmon rolls: The omega-3 fatty acids in fish such as salmon and tuna lower inflammation in the gut, which is linked to tumor formation, says Mitchell Gaynor, M.D., a New York City oncologist, clinical professor of medicine at Weill Cornell Medical College, and author of The Gene Therapy Plan.

Oat or Bran Cereal
Both are super high in dietary fiber, and fiber helps move food through your digestive tract, says Jennifer Fitzgibbon, R.D., an oncology dietician at Stony Brook University Cancer Center in New York. Why’s that important? The longer some of the toxins you might ingest along with your food hang around your GI system, the higher the likelihood that they cause DNA damage, possibly resulting in cancer, says Gaynor.