Perfect Supplements proudly sponsors The Leukemia and Lymphoma Society (LLS) by donating a Kindle Fire to raffle off. The Kindle Fire is an e-reader with built-in Wi-Fi for web, movies, apps, games and more. 

Last year I trained and ran a marathon with my sister, Kara Lau. We raised money for the American Cancer Society and Perfect Supplements matched every donation. This year Kara is training for another marathon with Team in Training, and raising donations for The Leukemia and Lymphoma Society, an organization dedicated to research and medical services for patients with blood cancer.

Easy to Enter

Every minimum donation of $10 received at Kara’s Team in Training page receives an automatic entry. Kara will send you your raffle ticket # via email. A public drawing will be held on May 26^th at 2PM at a yard sale in which all the proceeds will also be donated to LLS. The public drawing will be videotaped and posted right here on our Perfect Supplements Blog. The winner will also receive email notification.

Click the Donate Now button below or visit Kara’s Team in Training donation page. A donation of just $10 gets you a 1 in 100 chance to win a $199 Kindle Fire. All proceeds go directly to LLS.

Coconut Oil as a Deep Conditioning Hair Mask

Heat from blow-dryers and straighteners, chemicals from hair dye and other products, and even UV rays from the sun can do serious damage to your hair. Salon deep conditioning treatments can cost hundreds of dollars. Kourtney Kardashian has claimed to use organic Coconut Oil as a monthly deep conditioning hair mask and you can too! Here’s how:

Mash one ripe Avocado and mix with 2 tablespoons of warmed organic Coconut Oil. Apply the mixture to the ends of your hair and work your way towards the roots. Concentrate most of the mixture on the bottom half your hair. It is not necessary to cover the roots. Once all the mixture is saturated throughout your hair, wrap hair with saran wrap and then a hot towel. After 30 minutes, shampoo and condition and then style as usual. Use this mask once a month to keep hair shiny and soft.

You can also work a dime sized amount of Coconut Oil into your ends when it is wet or dry and then style and go.  This works as a leave in conditioner that smells and feels great.

Coconut Oil as a Face Wash

Washing your face with oil seems counterproductive right? Think again. Washing your face with Coconut Oil is a part of a regimen known as The Oil Cleansing Method. Essentially, by mixing two oils, you can cleanse and moisturize the face naturally.

You’re going to need organic Coconut Oil and Castor Oil. Castor Oil naturally draws out dirt and unclogs your pores while Coconut Oil gently moisturizes. You’re also going to need a clean bottle or jar with a cap to store your mixture in.

If you have oily skin, mix 1 part Coconut Oil with 3 parts Castor Oil. If you have normal or combination skin, mix 2 parts Coconut Oil with 2 parts Castor Oil. If you have dry skin, mix 3 parts Coconut Oil with 1 part Castor Oil. Cap and shake the jar until the oils are well mixed.

Gently massage a dime sized amount onto DRY face. Work into all areas of the face for 30 seconds to a minute. Then wet a washcloth with hot water and place it gently over your face for 30 more seconds. This will open and unclog your pores. Remove and rinse the washcloth. Use the wash cloth to wipe the excess oil from your face. Your face will immediately feel softer and look brighter.

You can also use Coconut Oil as eye make up remover. Simply warm a teaspoon of Coconut Oil and dip a cotton ball in it. Gently rub the make up off of your eyes. You’ll be amazed that it works just as well as expensive make up removers and leaves your lids and lashes softer than ever.

Coconut Oil as a Moisturizer

I’m sure you’ve seen Coconut scented body lotions but did you know that Coconut Oil itself can actually replace your lotions and moisturizers? Coconut Oil is incredibly moisturizing and incredibly good for your skin.

Take a warm bath or shower, make sure to cleanse, and then pat your skin dry with a towel. Apply the Coconut Oil just as you would a lotion or moisturizer. Massage the oil into your skin, concentrating more on the dryer areas such as your elbows and knees. You can always wipe off excess oil with a towel when you are finished.

Many people find that Coconut Oil works just as well as lotion. Some people find that it works better. After a couple of days of moisturizing with Coconut Oil, you might find that you don’t moisturize as often as you had to with lotion.

Coconut Oil is a natural way to give your body the moisture it needs and if you’d like to try it as a moisturizer, face wash or hair mask, check out Perfect Coconut Oil by Perfect Supplements.

Looking for a tasty way to punch up your morning tea or coffee with some antioxidants, healthy oils, and other nutrients? Check out this healthy recipe that I enjoy every morning; I call it my Perfect Morning Smoothie.

Tastes Great Hot or Cold

One of the things I like most about this recipe is that it reminds me of Hot Chocolate Chai on winter mornings, or I can mix it up in a blender with ice in the summer. Don’t like Chai? You can totally customize this based on your preferences. Prefer Mocha…use coffee; Mint-Chocolate? Use regular or herbal mint tea.

Mix Up a Big Batch

What makes this Morning Smoothie perfect is the addition of some Perfect Supplement Superfoods and other healthy ingredients such as raw cacao and cinnamon. In order to save time in the morning, I pre-mix a large batch of the smoothie powder ingredients.

I also enjoy sipping my Perfect Morning Tea throughout the morning, so I boil 4 Cups of water in a small pan on the stove, and brew 3 tea bags right in the pan, then add coconut milk and my Perfect Morning Powder blend. If I do not have time to drink it at home, I pour it in a stainless steel “to-go” mug, and take it on the road with me.

Perfect Morning Smoothie

For each 16oz of tea/coffee…

Powder ingredients:

1/2 Scoop – Sunwarrior Raw Vegan Vanilla Protein

1/2 Scoop – Perfect Acai Berry Powder

1/2 Scoop – Perfect Aquatic Greens Powder

1 Tbsp – raw cacoa powder

1/8 tsp – cinnamon (optional)

Note1: I use the Vanilla flavored Protein powder because it is presweetened with just the right amount of stevia. If you use the natural flavor, you will probably want to add some sweetener. There is also a chocolate flavored protein. You could use this and leave out the cacoa powder, but I prefer the addition of healthy, raw, and fairly-traded cacoa powder. Sunwarrior uses a cocoa extract.   

Note2: Cinnamon is good for you and is a great, natural sweetener. It goes prefectly with the chai flavor, but you may wish to leave it out if you choose to mix this with mint tea.

1. Add this powder mixture to 16oz of your morning tea or coffee, and the milk or cream of your choice (coconut, almond, rice, etc) and stir it up.

2. For a cool drink, pour it over ice, or mix it in the blender with ice.

3. Enjoy!

Perfect Supplements offers a great variety of the highest quality supplements…but which ones to choose? We want to make it a little easier for you by combining some fan favorites into money-saving combo packs. Each combo pack offers a 25% discount.

Lean & Green

Perfect Supplements Lean & Green Combo is a 2 pack of our most popular dietary supplements—- African Mango and Aquatic Greens. You’ll receive 60 capsules of Perfect African Mango, which consists of the unique, all-natural proprietary extract from the seed of the African Mango, better known as IGOB131. In addition, the Lean & Green Combo includes 120 capsules of Perfect Aquatic Greens, the superfood micro-algae that is a 50/50 blend of Spirulina and Chlorella.

Clinically-Proven Weight Loss

African Mango is the first all-natural ingredient to be clinically proven to aid in weight loss. The participants in a double-blind placebo study demonstrated significant improvements in body weight, body fat, and waist circumference when given 150mg of IGOB131 twice a day for 10 weeks. And the only ingredient in Perfect African Mango is IGOB131!! You will never find cheap fillers, flow agents, additives or preservatives. Important health benefits of Perfect African Mango include appetite suppressant, weight management, and help in maintaining good cardiovascular function, good cholesterol levels, and good glucose levels.

Green Superfood

The Spirulina and Chlorella in Perfect Aquatic Greens are superfoods because they are natural sources of highly concentrated nutrients. Some of the more beneficial nutrients include: 65% protein, essential fatty acids, Chlorophyll, the Vitamin B family as well as Vitamins A, C, and E, and minerals, including iron, calcium, zinc, and potassium. The extremely high levels of vitamins and minerals found in Perfect Aquatic Greens have the potential to improve diabetes, cancers, arthritis, liver disorders, anemia, infections, etc. The chlorophyll is known to aid in detoxification and may remove environmental pollutants and heavy metals from our bodies.

Taken alone these supplements can work wonders for overall health, but together they pack a powerful punch and the extra boost to shed those unwanted pounds. Think LEAN & GREEN and join me in adding these two important supplements to your daily regimen. Or check out the Slim Down Combo Pack, with Perfect African Mango and Perfect Acai.

Like the majority of health-conscious individuals who care enough about themselves to seek out the purest, organic, and fair-trade supplements, you probably set some health goals for 2012. Here at Perfect Supplements we want to know, are you achieving those goals? And how can we help?

Healthy Recipes and Health Articles

We already strive to bring you the purest, highest quality, earth-friendly superfoods. The Perfect Supplements for Perfect Health Blog provides healthy recipes, book reviews, and articles about all aspects of health. But we want to do more. Perfect Supplements’ Mission is to help as many people as possible feel better (without harming the earth or any of her inhabitants). Of course, feel better means different things to different people.

What Would Make You Feel Better? How Can We Help?

Most likely, the health goals that you set at the beginning of the year were intended to help you feel better. For example, my health goal was to get more sleep. I have to admit, I am not doing as well as I hoped with this goal. (Case in point…I am writing this blog at 1AM…clearly more work to be done in this area! If you have any suggestions to help with this goal please post a comment)

It is common knowledge that excess body weight puts unhealthy strain on your heart and your joints. Our newest supplement, Perfect African Mango, is a clinically-proven, all-natural weight-loss supplement that helps support weight-loss and cholesterol levels.

Perhaps you would like to enjoy the benefits of eating more fruits and veggies. The antioxidants naturally available in plant foods have been shown to reduce cancer risks and improve immunity. Perfect Aquatic Greens and Perfect Acai Berry are two easy ways to add all the advantages of consuming greens and berries to your diet. Both of these products come in capsules or powder. I start everyday with a smoothie that includes a scoop of the Perfect Greens and Perfect Acai Berry powder.

Perfect Supplements’ employees are always researching current trends in health, nutrition, and diet supplementation. If there is a particular supplement you recently heard about that you would like to learn more about, tell us about it in a comment and we would be happy to perform some research and write an article about it.

These delicious treats combine three of my favorites…peanut butter, chocolate, and coconut…YUM! I was looking for a sweet treat to make for my friend who follows a vegan and gluten-free diet.

Low-Carb, More Protein, and Healthy Fats

I’ve been following a lower-carb diet after reading a few different diet books last year, and at the recommendation of my doctor. Most of the diet books I read are reviewed in this blog, they include, Eat Fat, Lose Fat; 4-Hour Body; The Fateful Fork; and one more that I haven’t reviewed yet entitled, The Carbohydrate Addict’s Lifespan Program and Cookbook. As I’ve mentioned before, I was looking for something to help me maintain my weight after I turned 40. For me, lower carbs, more protein, and healthy fats help me maintain my weight without feeling hungry or deprived.  To read the book reviews, simply select the Book Reviews Category from the right-hand column.

Guilt-Free and Delicious!

I call these Super Healthy Peanut Butter Balls because they are loaded with nutrient-dense Superfoods, such as, Perfect Coconut Oil, Raw and Fair Trade Cacao Powder, Almond Flour, and local, raw honey. I always choose organic ingredients whenever possible. These are the super hero of peanut butter balls, compared to those other peanut butter balls which are made with highly-processed and questionable ingredients, such as, 4 cups of powdered sugar, semi-sweet chocolate chips and Kellogg’s Crispies.

It is surprising how little natural sweetener (only 1/4C of honey for approximately 4 dozen) is needed to create theses delicious treats.

Super Healthy Peanut Butter Balls Recipe

1C     Perfect Coconut Oil

1C     Creamy Natural Peanut Butter (room temperature)

1C     Almond Flour

1/4C Raw Honey

5T     Raw Cacao Powder

1C     Shredded Unsweetened Coconut (plus optional extra 1/2 C for rolling)

1. Coconut Oil begins to soften around 70 degrees Fahrenheit. Ideally, your coconut oil will be soft enough to mix, but not completely melted. Simply combine all the ingredients in a bowl until well-blended.

2A. At this point you can either “pour” the batter into candy molds and place them into the refrigerator or freezer to chill. (I used silicone muffin cups filled 1/4 inch)

2B. OR, place the “batter” bowl into the refrigerator or freezer to cool. This takes about 15 minutes in the freezer. When the batter is firm enough to roll into balls, roll bite-size balls in extra shredded coconut and place in single layer on a cookie sheet or 9X13 pan. Place the pan in the refrigerator or freezer to chill. (approximately 15 minutes in the freezer)

3. Finished chocolates will need to stay cool to hold their shape. Enjoy!

Only 6 carbs per chocolate. These are NOT low-fat or reduced-calorie, so best to enjoy these healthy treats with moderation.

Congratulations Marina – Our Ninth and Final Holiday Supplement Giveaway Winner!

Thank you Marina, and all our winners and entrants for participating. It has been wonderful to learn what our readers are doing to stay to healthy through the holidays. All the parties and busyness can be a real challenge. Training for the 5K with my co-worker, Alice, was a great motivator through Thanksgiving. I am looking forward to training with her again for a 10K in the Spring…I’ll keep you posted.

What’s New and Exciting? – Perfect African Mango

I am happy to report that I survived the holidays and my jeans still fit! What’s my secret? Perfect African Mango. I love this supplement! An all-natural, clinically-proven, wild-harvested, and fairly-traded supplement that helps support weight loss? It’s almost too good to be true.

I am one of those lucky people who never worried too much about my weight…until I turned 40. Following a sensible diet with lots of fruit and veggies and whole grains and avoiding junk food (most of the time) was generally all I needed to do. Then at 40, despite training for a marathon, joining weight watchers, reading various diet books, reducing portions, etc, etc, my weight kept creeping up. At only 5’4″, just a few pounds means I need to shop for new jeans.

Maintaining My Weight Is Easy With Perfect African Mango

Is Perfect African Mango the Miracle Pill we have all been waiting for? Probably not. Every body is different…so what works for me might not work for you. I am relieved to not have to worry about my weight anymore. The 50+ participants in the clinical trial were probably pleasantly surprised when they lost an average of 23 more pounds than the placebo group (over a 10 week period). You can read more about the clinical study published in Lipids in Health and Disease (3/2009).

Try Perfect African Mango – Risk Free

For only $23 (plus the cost of shipping), you can try Perfect African Mango for 30 days. If you are not impressed with the results…return the empty bottle for a full refund. To sweeten the deal, here’s a coupon…

10% Off Coupon Code: HappyNewYear

Please come back to this blog and tell me if Perfect African Mango is working for you. Best wishes for a healthy and happy New Year!  Coupon good until the end of January 2012.

Rikki is this week’s Perfect Supplement winner…keep up the good work!

Last Chance – Only Four More Days to Enter to Win Free Perfect Supplements

To celebrate the New Year…let’s think about some small change we can make in our lives to reduce our suffering. Let’s make it a small, do-able change instead of some huge unattainable goal.

For me, I want to get a minimum of 6 hours of sleep every night, and average 7 hours per night over a week’s time. This seems like a reasonable goal to me.

What’s Your Small Change for Personal Health?

Tell us about it in a comment on this blog and receive 1 entry to win a FREE bottle of Perfect Supplements.

Visit us on Facebook, tell us about your small change on our wall, and receive a 2nd entry.

Perfect Supplements Wishes Everyone a Happy and Healthy New Year!

Congratulations Todd Williams – this week’s supplement giveaway winner!

Three more days to enter the giveaway this week…and one more giveaway next week. Weekly Holiday Supplement Giveaway ends 1/6/12.

A Healthy New Year

Perfect Supplements wants to help you achieve your New Year’s Resolutions! Lose weight? Lower cholesterol? Improve your blood glucose levels? We are thrilled to introduce scientifically-proven, all-natural, wild-harvested (grown without pesticides) and fairly-traded Perfect African Mango. Too good to be true? Not according to a double -blind placebo, peer-reviewed study, published on www.PubMed.gov. Perfect Supplements has created a supplement that exactly duplicates the ingredients used in the study and we want everyone to enjoy the health benefits.

Finally, an All-Natural and Scientifically-Proven Weight Loss Supplement

Perfect African Mango – Available from Perfect Supplements in January

Now that is something to celebrate!

Terie is this week’s winner…we are happy to see that someone is still focused on health this holiday season.

Healthy Holidays?

I have to admit that focusing on my health is one of the first things to go when things get busy. It is more challenging to find time for healthy grocery shopping, planning meals, and even getting adequate sleep when there are so many other responsibilities. Exercise? Who’s got the time?

Here’s What I’m Doing

Catch Up on Sleep – This week I stayed up really late a few nights (Christmas cards and online shopping), so last night I went to bed really early.

Crockpot Cooking - This is such a time saver! It doesn’t work for everything, but it is perfect for soups, stews, and sauces…you can even “roast” a whole chicken. This week I browned some locally farmed beef and threw it in the crockpot with Bob’s Red Mill Bean Soup, some chopped carrots and water.  Came home at dinner time to “Dinner is Done!”

Freezing Healthy Food – Looking back on this week’s dinners, I was fortunate to have plenty of healthy food choices because I buy in bulk and freeze healthy staples, such as meat from a small local family farm, Organic Valley’s Pasture Butter, and sour dough bread. This way I don’t have to waste a lot of time with frequent visits to the grocery store.

Family Karate Class - My family enjoys karate classes together. This commitment got me to exercise twice this week, despite the busy holiday season.

Looking back on the week, one healthy thing is missing…getting out for some fresh air. I love hiking through the woods, and really believe in the healing power of nature. I will have to make this a priority this coming week.

Perfect Supplements – Yes, I take my supplements everyday. I have not had a cold or any other virus this season (knock on wood) despite the many sick people around me. Aaahh, the amazing power of healthy food plus superfood supplements.

Holiday Giveaway!

Perfect Supplements  wants everyone to enjoy the benefits of healthy living and superfood supplements. All through the holiday season we are giving away a free bottle of Perfect Supplements every Friday at 2PM. If you haven’t won yet, please try again this week.

It is easy to enter. Simply post a comment to this blog and tell us what you did to stay healthy this week.

Want a second entry? Go to Perfect Supplements Facebook page and tell us what you did to stay healthy on our wall.