Hayward - Lemons Are a Girls Best Friend

Much has been written about the importance of eating at least two servings of fruit and five servings of vegetables each day to maintain your healthbut if you make an effort to include superfruits and superveggies in your diet, your skin, hair, nails, and eyes will thank you with an enviable radiant glow that the most expensive beauty products cant create.

The secret is choosing the most naturally color-rich produce. The strong pigments that give fruits and vegetables their distinctive and intense colors are actually the beneficial flavonoid compounds that have powerful antioxidant and anti-inflammatory effects. Antioxidants help neutralize free radicals in the body that can cause damage to healthy cellsso the more brightly colored fruit and vegetables in your diet, the stronger your immune system and general health will be.

As an added bonus, youll keep your natural beauty glowing from within. These same fruits and vegetables can also work wonders when prepared and applied to your skin and body as personalized, natural beauty treatments.

This book guides you through the beautiful color spectrum of ingredients so you can choose from their amazing benefits and learn how to turn them into easy, delicious dishes and pampering beauty treatments that will ensure you look and feel like a glamazon all year round!

Crisp, juicy cherries are at their best during the summer months. Mainly grown in temperate climates, these fleshy stone fruits feature in a wide range of delicious recipes, both sweet and savory.

The cherrys beautiful, deep red color comes from the powerful antioxidant anthocyanin, which acts as an anti-inflammatory and helps keep the entire body fit and healthy. Cherries are particularly rich in the minerals potassium, magnesium, and iron, as well as the B vitamins folic acid, niacin, and riboflavin. Vitamins A and C are present, too. Assisting in collagen production, these useful nutrients help maintain the elasticity of the skin, keeping it looking young and fresh.

This superfruit also contains sleep-regulating melatonin, which could suggest that cherries can contribute to a good nights rest. What better boost for all-around beauty than that?

Inside: Enjoy this antioxidant- and vitamin-rich refresher to enliven your complexion.

You will need:

3 cups fresh sour cherries 3 tablespoons coconut sugar 6 fresh mint leaves, plus extra for garnish 1 cup water

To prepare:

Remove the pits from the cherries and pure in a blender with the coconut sugar, six mint leaves, and waterthe mix can be smooth or chunky, depending on your preference.

Spread the pure evenly over a shallow baking sheet and freeze for 45 minutes, until solid. Return to the blender for a short blast to form the granita. Spoon into serving glasses and top each with a fresh mint leaf. Serve immediately.

Outside: Hydrate and moisturize your lips with this pretty tinted balm.

You will need:

6 ripe, deep red cherries 1 tablespoon coconut oil 1 vitamin E capsule small glass jar with screw-top lid

To prepare:

Halve the cherries, remove the pits, and place the flesh in a small glass bowl. Add the coconut oil and the contents of the vitamin E capsule. Place the glass bowl over a small saucepan of boiling water to melt the ingredients and release the juice from the cherries. When the color of the mixture has deepened, remove the cherry halves. Allow to cool before pouring into the small glass jar, and storing in the refrigerator.

To use:

Apply this cherry-red tint to your lips for a hint of natural moisturizing color.

Native to North America and Canada, cranberries generally grow from spring to winter, and need ample sunlight to ripen fully. Their benefits can be enjoyed all year round, however, in dried cranberries and juice.

This zesty superfruits tartness is an instant indication of the natural acidity that makes the cranberry such a great all-around health food. The lush, red berries contain antioxidants, including proanthocyanidins, which can offer protection from tooth decay and inflammatory conditions. They are also a good source of vitamins A and C, the essential B vitamins, and the minerals potassium and manganesea perfect cocktail for healthy skin, hair, and nails.

Bursting with phytonutrients, cranberries are often recommended in juice form for treating urinary tract infections. This is because the juice makes urine acidic, meaning bacteria are less likely to linger and flourish in the bladder.