Superfoods are nutrient dense foods that help you fight disease, feel more energetic and lose weight. These “wonderfoods” contain extra-large doses of vitamins, minerals and antioxidants that can help us ward off diseases and live longer, healthier lives.

These nutrients include antioxidants, thought to ward off cancer, healthy fats to help prevent heart disease and fibre to guard against diabetes and digestive issues.

Superfoods do not have to be exotic or expensive. You may be surprised to hear that you are eating superfoods on a regular basis.

Here are my three top superfoods with tips on how you can make them even more super!

Take Time for Tomatoes

Tomatoes are an excellent source of lycopene which can help lower the risk of stroke and heart disease. They also contain flavonols which are anti-inflammatory compounds that can help reduce cholesterol and blood pressure. These nutrients are concentrated largely just under the skin.

Once picked, tomatoes will continue to ripen and become sweeter, more aromatic, redder and thus higher in lycopene. If tomatoes are stored at room temperature they can almost double their lycopene levels. So, if you can, it is best not to store tomatoes in the fridge.

Have you ever noticed how cooked tomatoes in sauces and casseroles will stain plastic storage containers whereas chopped fresh tomatoes do not? This is because heating the tomatoes can more than double the amount of bright red lycopene available.

Heating the tomato not only breaks open the cells to release the pigment, but is also transforms the lycopene molecules from hard-to-absorb crystals to a much more soluble form that is easier for your body to absorb.

Supercharge Your Life with Salad Leaves

Leafy greens are one of the most nutrient dense superfoods available. They are packed with the antioxidants called carotenes, and they are great in green smoothies.

The darker the leaf, the higher the levels of carotenes. Kale has higher carotenes than iceberg lettuce (up to 50% more) as well as higher levels of vitamin K and C.

Random facts on salad leaves: Polyphenols are protective antioxidants that are excellent in decreasing any inflammation. Many of these protective compounds are generated at sites of injury to the greens to help shield their tissues from further damage.

You create this injury to your greens every time you slice or tear your greens when preparing a salad or green smoothie. Create your smoothie the night before or cut up your leafy greens and place in a sealed container the night before, and its polyphenol levels can increase up to 50% overnight.

Say Yes to Amazing Apples

Due to the high level of fibre in apples, they help to make you feel fuller for longer. Half of all the antioxidants, including vitamins A and C, plus an antioxidant called quercetin, are found in the skin, as well as half the fibre, so hold off on peeling the apples and eat them with the skin intact.

Fun facts about apples: Thanks to their high levels of boron, apples can help improve your memory, mental alertness, and strengthen bones. Apples are 25% air, which is why they float in water.

For more information on the health benefits of apples for women 50+ click here. Other superfoods include Kiwi fruit, eggs, goji berries and blueberries, just to name a few.

What is your favorite healthy food? Do you have a favourite superfood that you would like to share? Or do you have a question concerning a superfood you would like to know more about? Please share in the comments below.

Bethenny Frankel’s Blue Tie Dye Dress on Instastories

Bethenny Frankel Instagram Fashion 2020

According to Instagram Bethenny Frankel totally looked like a Fourth of July firework this weekend in the super cute and very summery tie dye midi dress she wore while vacationing with her BF Paul in Edgartown, Massachusetts. Which lucky for us all is still in stock in every size, so needless to say things are about to get really lit that is if you’re not still too hungover.

Fashionably,

Faryn

Click Here to Shop Her Skinnygirl Dress in Multiple Colours

Photo & Info: @BethennyFrankel

Originally posted at: Bethenny Frankel’s Blue Tie Dye Dress

When just over 2 percent of VC funding is given to women, it’s important to shop woman-owned brands to show the market that they can sell out their goods. This goes for Black-owned brands, too. According to Faces of Founders, in 2018 only 1 percent of the founders who raised equity financing were Black and 1.8 percent were Latinx. Eek. That’s why it’s especially important to support Black-owned skin care brands when you’re stocking up on your favorite serums, cleansers and moisturizers.

We’ve rounded up some of our favorite Black-owned skin care brands, though this is of course not a comprehensive list. There are many more to be tested and added. This list will get you started, especially on Blackout Day 2020 on July 7, 2020. The initiative started in the wake of protests against police brutality and the fact that everyone is finally noticing the nation’s racial wealth gap. Reshauna Striggles, a protest leader in Arizona, told the Arizona Republic that we can fight systemic racism by shopping Black- and Latinx-owned businesses on Tuesday.

Get started with plant-based face masks, vitamin C serum, skin and body oil and luxe razors.

Our mission at STYLECASTER is to bring style to the people, and we only feature products we think you’ll love as much as we do. Please note that if you purchase something by clicking on a link within this story, we may receive a small commission of the sale and the retailer may receive certain auditable data for accounting purposes.

Image: Courtesy of Golde.

Golde

Brooklyn-based founder Trinity Mouzon is the youngest Black woman to launch a line in Sephora. Her supplements (such as a Tumeric Tonic) are ultra-popular but we can’t get enough of her edible face masks. With ingredients including chlorella, spirulina and mango juice, she proves natural, plant-based products can be super effective.

Image: Black Girl Sunscreen.

Black Girl Sunscreen

Shontay Lundy, the founder of Black Girl Sunscreen, is changing the game when it comes to sunscreen for people of color. She launched the line to dispel the myth that people with dark skin don’t get skin cancer or sunburn. Her ultra-sheer (meaning, no white cast ever), fragrance-free sunscreen with broad-spectrum SPF 30 is such a hit, it got picked up by Target.

Image: Oui the People.

Oui the People

Founder Karen Young launched her brand with a luxe razor for sensitive skin and since has moved on to body products. Everything down to the recyclable and reusable glass bottles and the biodegrade bikini line sheet masks is thought out to reduce waste.

Image: Mary Louise.

Mary Louise Cosmetics

Akilah Releford launched her skin care brand while in college with $200. She named it after her paternal and maternal grandmothers, who passed down their DIY beauty secrets. The vegan brand has blown up and even recently opened a store in Inglewood, CA. Shop her serums, face masks, body butters and soaps.

Image: Beneath Your Mask.

Beneath Your Mask

No, founder Dana Jackson didn’t create this natural skin care brand to help heal your skin under a face mask. (Though, it can do that, too.) Instead, it’s all about letting your guard down and removing your so-called mask. After almost dying from Systemic Lupus Erythematosus, Jackson created skin care to help repair her damaged skin. Her body scrub, skin and hair serum and skin lotions are a must for anyone with dry skin.

Image: Hyper Skin.

Hyper Skin

New York-based Desiree Verdejo was pregnant and dealing with hyperpigmentation and acne marks from hormonal breakouts. She recently launched this serum with 15 percent vitamin C and E, bearberry, turmeric, kojic acid and a blend of fruit enzymes to help brighten dark marks.

Image: Base Butter.

Base Butter

Founder She’Neil Johnson created this aloe vera-based moisturizer to help balance her skin while dealing with hormonal breakouts. It’s so popular, it’s on backorder for weeks but you can still order a jar!

We’re all about free over here. Free gift with purchase, buy one, get one free and especially free with no catch—it’s all good with us. Well, say hello to CVS Pharmacy’s ExtraCare Extra Thanks event. It’s a mouthful but it’s not to be missed. If you’re an ExtraCare member (and if you go to CVS ever you probably are), you just have to download the app and attach your card. Then, you head to the “Deals” section and a new surprise will pop up daily with a free deal. You don’t have to buy anything to access the freebie of the day.

The gifts will range from CVS branded self-care products, to snacks to beauty products. When you see something you want, you simply send the product to your ExtraCare card digitally in the app to redeem the free gift/s in-store or online while supplies last. For example, today’s gift is Gold Emblem Gummy Bears and I will be grabbing the cinnamon ones when I head over to grab paper towels and trash bags and maybe a face mask or two.

Image: Elizabeth Denton.

Now that I’ve been forced to download the app (for, you know, the free things), now I see coupons that I’ll actually use instead of dealing with those extra-long receipts. I’m definitely not mad at $2 off tampons, pads and liners, for example. The deals continue until July 18.

Our mission at STYLECASTER is to bring style to the people, and we only feature products we think you’ll love as much as we do. Please note that if you purchase something by clicking on a link within this story, we may receive a small commission of the sale and the retailer may receive certain auditable data for accounting purposes.

These are turbulent times that we live in, and I am amazed at the uncontrolled and selfish conversing I see and hear lately. It’s everywhere! TV, social media, restaurants, ball fields, schools… everywhere! I believe everyone has forgotten “It’s just your opinion.”

Everyone Has a Right to Their Opinion

It’s frustrating to read the ‘baiting’ that goes on to bring people forward to argue their points of view. For what purpose? I don’t believe minds are changed with threats, name calling or angry comedic satire.

Just because you have an opinion doesn’t mean you are ‘right’ and the other person is ‘wrong.’ It’s just your personal opinion. You have a right to voice your opinion but not to insult, degrade or antagonize someone else with it.

Social Media Is Not the Place to Argue Your Points

On social media sites you’ve got hundreds or thousands of ‘friends’ you don’t really know. Communication is beyond words and includes tone of voice, body language and facial gestures that cannot be used when texting or posting. And remember, all those friends have their opinions, too.

Why alienate an environment that was built to connect you, not disconnect you? Have you been unfriended or unfollowed? Do you do that to others? I know family members who have done that with each other. I’ve even done it because certain people have not learned the skill of kind conversing.

Here are some other options for you to consider. First, take a deep breath and anchor yourself knowing that “everything’s gonna be alright!”

So, where can you go to get support for your opinion? You can certainly join online social media groups that support your opinion. There you can openly voice your beliefs and support others. You can even create your own group!

Conversing Face to Face

Did you know you can also create your own Meetup.com group? This is a platform that allows people a way to meet locally – or online – to discuss mutual passions, interests and opinions.

Unison is a software program that allows you to create a discussion hub for business, committees or other groups of people for varied purposes.

Consider the Source of Your Opinions

And here’s something else for you to consider. Where does your opinion come from? Did you inherit it from your parents? Was it fostered in you through religion? Do you know the facts behind your opinion or could you argue it if you were indeed challenged?

Why not challenge yourself occasionally to determine how deeply your opinion is rooted and if you have an open mind for discussion when you are face-to-face with someone. Opinions can be changed or modified – even yours!

Do you open yourself up to alternative options? Do you want to? How can you begin to do that?

You can do this in the privacy of your home. Read controversial articles. Turn the TV channel to one that you know is opposing your point of view and listen openly. Watch videos that declare a different option than yours.

Documentaries are great because they try to base them on facts. I know my opinion on illegal immigration is strong, so I watched an Australian documentarily titled Go Back to Where You Came From.

It made me aware of things I had not been aware of before watching that film. Now I have alternatives to my thinking instead of the typical ‘black or white,’ ‘right or wrong.’

Have you noticed that labelling tends to create division instead of cohesiveness and understanding? Why do we use terms like conservative, liberal, left wing, right wing…?

I never even liked the labelling of races… after all we are just human beings. So, be cautiously aware of the words that you choose in your communication.

The next question I know you will ask is what do you say or do when you are confronted by someone who wants to push their opinion on you? Here are a few steps.

Leave

Leaving a confrontation is not a passive choice if you are the one making it decisively and calmly.

Delay

State: “This is not the time or place for this discussion. I’d like to pick this up later when I’m more prepared to answer.”

Respond

Say, “Thanks for sharing your opinion. You have the right to yours and I have the right to mine. Your friendship is more important than our differences.” You can add, “Let’s go to dinner, watch the game, get a coffee.”

Remember that relationships are far more important than opinions. Life will be short and sad at the end of the day if you are sitting all by yourself wrapped tightly in your opinion.

Do you always preface discussions on sensitive topics with the phrase “In my opinion”? What do you think can be done to improve the art of kind conversing? Please share your thoughts and opinions below.