IMPORTANT ANNOUNCEMENT: KAYLEESLATER.BLOGSPOT.CA

Hello everyone! I am pleased to announce that DIVINE NO.7 will now be hosted at the NEW DOMAIN, KAYLEESLATER.BLOGSPOT.CA. To continue your experience, please visit the website and check out the new vibe! Thanks!

Easy Festive Holiday Snack Idea

If you're anything like me, November 1st calls for an all out mad dash for everything holiday and Christmas related! Since I know there are plenty of others out there like me, I thought I would show you this quick little snack that gets you in the festive spirit! 

All you need for this super simple recipe is your choice of cracker (I am using my local supermarkets baguette-style crunchy crackers) and a cranberry and cinnamon style goat cheese (mine is by Sensations). Although that may sound impossible to find, I live in a small town and my grocery store actually had 2 different brands available. Simply grab a knife and spread the cheese on your cracker!

If you still aren't sure about this combination, I pinpointed exactly what this treat tastes like: a cinnamon raisin bagel with cream cheese! Delish!

I hope you found this article interesting! Leave me your opinions on this snack idea below, and let me know if you try it. Thanks for reading, and have a great day!

Luck & Love,

Kaylee Slater

*All photos included are my own.

Diet-Friendly Pumpkin Pie Recipe For Thanksgiving & Holidays!

Hello everyone! I noticed it has been a little while since my last Health post and decided it was time to get back posting (I blame this fall-induced case of fashion fever). Today I am going to be showing you an extremely healthy recipe to try out this Thanksgiving if you're on a diet, but really want that piece of pumpkin pie! This recipe is completely raw and vegan. This recipe is courtesy of Charles Chen from RawYouth, and all instructional text below will be directly from his site (a copyright notice!).

CRUST INGREDIENTS:

• 2 Cups Meedjol Dates (Pitted & Soaked Overnight)
• 1/2 Cup Walnuts
• 1/2 Cup Cashews
• 1/2 Tsp Coconut Oil 
• 2 Tsp Coconut Flour or Quinoa Flour
• Pinch of Vanilla Bean Powder
• Pinch of Salt 

FILLING INGREDIENTS:

• Organic Pumpkin Puree No Sugar Added BPA Free
• 1 Cup Meedjol Dates
• 1 Tsp Coconut Oil 
• 1/2 Cup Almond Milk 
• Pinch of Cinnamon Powder & Nutmeg Powder
• 1/2 Tsp Vanilla Bean Powder
• 1/2 Ripe Avocado 
• 1 Tsp Coconut Nectar 

DIRECTIONS:

1. Form crust and pour pumpkin filling. Let it freeze overnight until solid. Top with coconut flakes or walnuts! 
2. Serve & ENJOY! :) 

Please let me know if you try out this recipe yourself! Thanks so much and have a great day.

Luck & Love,
Kaylee Slater

Source: Raw Youth by David Chen

Health | Quick And Easy Healthy Breakfast

I know that most of you will be looking at the above picture wondering how on earth I manage to sell you on this idea. Although despite it's questionable appearance, this breakfast is not only healthy (just one serving gets you 25% of your suggested daily iron-great for vegetarians/vegans) it also tastes uh-mazing and only takes a few minutes to prepare.

Since I have a bit of a sweet tooth, I love sweetening this recipe up with creative add-ons. If you want to be a little healthier than me, go ahead and omit those; if you aren't try to watch your waistline, the sky really is the limit!

Recipe:
1 packet Cream of Wheat, instant
250ml of water OR milk
handful of berries (your choice)
half a square of dark chocolate
any other add on you wish
(my recipe for the milk)
250ml almond milk
2-3 tablespoons of Nielson Massey vanilla extract
cinnamon to taste

To prepare, simply heat your water or milk in a saucepan and pour over Cream of Wheat in a bowl. In order to jazz up the flavor, I love making my own almond milk creation. I usually take about 250 ml of my unsweetened almond milk, and add in about 2-3 tablespoons of my Nielson Massey vanilla extract. Then, while it's heating, I shake in some cinnamon and a dash of nutmeg. The vanilla really helps to cut the bitterness of the almond milk, and the cinnamon is great for appetite suppression!

Afterwards, while the liquid is absorbing into the cereal, add in whatever add-ons you like. I go a little crazy and add in half a  square of dark chocolate on top of my raspberries and blueberries, but you are welcome to add whatever you like! Strawberries, acaii berries, or even honey would be great choices!
This recipe is great for your health since this cream of wheat really keeps you full. This will prevent any high-calorie mid morning snacking. All the ingredients listed are also alright for your health, as long as you use them in moderation.

Please be sure to leave a comment if you have any questions!

Luck & Love,
Kaylee Slater

Health | How To Make Kale Chips

As a new member to the healthy eating community, I was pretty skeptical of the Kale Chips recipe; how on earth can someone think to put lettuce into a hot oven and expect it not to wilt? Despite my doubts, I decided to give this recipe a shot, and I have to say that it is one of my new favourite snacks. You might even be surprised to know that I like these a lot more than regular chips... Why don't you be the judge? This is my own personal recipe after making a few batches of these chips, and think that this one works best.

Recipe: 

2-3 large stalks of curly kale

1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil 

pinch of salt

Wash your kale well to remove any pesticides. In order to make the kale into 'chips', we need to tear it into about 3-4 inch sections. This measurement really just depends on the size of chips you want, and can be freely adjusted. 

Next, you want to put the chips into a bowl and mix in your olive oil. I just used a spoon to toss the mixture and get each chip evenly coated. Afterwards, I sprinkled my salt on and gave it one last stir (be careful not to add too much salt- when the kale becomes crisp in the oven, it's highly detectable!). 

*NOTE: You can make these chips any flavour you want with the different spices you can add. Feel free to make these salt and pepper flavoured by adding pepper, spicy with cayenne pepper, or dill pickle flavoured with dill seasoning.*

Spread the chips out onto a cooking pan; I simply used a cookie tray with aluminum foil over top to minimize cleanup. You want to make sure that the lettuce is not overlapping, so all of the pieces get even exposure. 

Stick this into your oven, set to 300 degrees Fahrenheit, and wait approximately 8-10 minutes. You will need to give these a stir about halfway through to prevent burning. 

Remove and let cool. Enjoy!

Although they may not look very appetizing, I can promise that these snacks do NOT taste like salad! I often make these in replacement of potato chips, since they are a lot better for you and quite frankly, taste much better to me. If you are just trying out this recipe, or you happen to be a kale chip veteran, please comment below and let me know about your stories and successes!

Luck & Love,

Kaylee Slater

Health | 'Skinny' VS 'Diet' - Beauty Expert Jackie Silver Explains Marketing Tricks

Recently I had the wonderful opportunity to hear from Beauty Expert Jackie Silver about a growing marketing trend in the media.

"Jackie Silver is Aging Backwards and she shares her secrets, tips and shortcuts in her books, on her website, AgingBackwards.com, on TV and radio, in print and in person. She is a frequent television and radio guest, and contributor to and featured expert on numerous beauty, lifestyle and anti-aging websites."

This shift in the media's language, specifically from the word 'diet' to 'skinny', has effected the public in a rather devious way. The use of the word 'diet' when advertising food/drink products creates negative feelings in the consumer, whereas the use of the word 'skinny' is very positive and tricks the consumer into buying the same product. Read on to learn more about what Jackie has to say.

"Skinny is the new “diet” and Jackie Silver from AgingBackwards.com has sorted out for us what that means. 

According to a new report in Ad Age, the words “light” and “diet” are out and “skinny” is in when it comes to marketing buzz words.

So, what does skinny mean when found on a menu or product? Marketers want you to think that the product will somehow make you thinner, but in reality, there are no regulations for the word skinny found on labels. 

That being the case, it’s always best to read the ingredients and to take note of the serving size. This happens all the time: you see something small that lists calories as 150 (per serving). Upon closer inspection, that “small” item is actually 2.5 servings, bringing the total number of calories to...well, you do the math – it’s good practice for future labels, wink.

The reason for this trend is because, “Apparently calorie-counting consumers find the word 'skinny' easier to digest than 'diet' because the latter is more negative and associated with sacrifice,” according to the report. 

Instances of the word "skinny" on menus has also increased dramatically. "The incidence of drinks billed as 'skinny' increased 533% in a comparison of the fourth quarter of 2011 and the final two quarters of 2010. Most popular among the skinny offerings was the margarita, often incorporating fresh juices, agave nectar and/or low-calorie mixers to reduce the calorie count. Mojitos and martinis with lower calories were also added by numerous chains," according to Technomic.com. 

Does the word skinny promote a super-thin physical ideal that is unattainable for many? Kit Yarrow, a consumer-research psychologist and professor at Golden Gate University, says food manufacturers can get away with it because they don't use it in too earnest a way. "It's executed in a lighthearted manner," she explains. "Skinny is just the 'it' word right now." She adds, "It personifies food and makes it more endearing."

As you can see, the use of the word 'skinny' is just a nicer way of saying 'diet'. Although this information can be used to soothe those suffering from dieting pains (on the surface, as Jackie explained above), you now know that the same products are being marketed to you, but just in a different manner.

Please let me know if you enjoyed this small article featuring Jackie, and if you would like to see more of this style content in the future. Please go ahead and post any comments/questions/concerns below, and I will answer you as best I can. Thanks for reading!

Luck & Love,
Kaylee Slater

Health | Quick, Easy, And Healthy Tuna Salad Wrap Recipe

After shamelessly browsing around the internet for some healthy snack ideas (Check out my last post with tons of ideas here), I came across StilaBabe09's recipe she mentioned in her Bikini Body video. As you can see, it consists of a light tuna salad inside leaves of romaine, topped with shaved carrots. After making this recipe, I knew I had to share it with you guys!

I made a few personal adjustments, so feel free to use whichever ingredients you like. Since I didn't have any mayo once I got started, I decided to be extra-healthy and use plain yogurt as a substitute. As some of you may know, plain yogurt is pretty sour, but once paired with the tuna it tasted exactly mayonnaise!

Tuna Salad Recipe:
1 can tuna (whichever type of tuna you prefer)
mayonnaise or plain yogurt to create a sticky consistency
seasonings of your choice

After breaking up the tuna, I mixed in the yogurt little by little. Once I got it to my preferred consistency, I added salt and pepper to taste, as well as a little garlic salt for some added flavor.

Once your done, simply spoon the tuna salad into your leaves of lettuce (this can be spinach leaves, kale, romaine, etc.) and top with shaved carrots. You can also add in veggie sticks if you like (I'm thinking celery sticks, bell peppers...) since the wrap itself is quite meaty.

Please leave a comment if you have tried this recipe! Let me know how it tastes. Thanks!

Luck & Love,
Kaylee Slater

StilaBabe09's video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Df4kEfz3rME
All photographs were taken by and belong to Divine No.7 (Kaylee Slater).

Health | Slimming Snacks To Get Bikini Ready!

Health | How To Make An Herbal Bath

Herbal baths are relaxing and soothing, and can help even the most stressed-out woman unwind (or become energized, based on the herb of choice!). In this post I will be discussing a few different types of herbs to use in your bath, as well as their different effects on the body.

A few things to keep in mind when making your herbal bath is the different steeping methods. Always keep your herbs encased in a cheesecloth or cotton wrap in order to prevent the herbs from escaping into your bath water and clogging your drains. An optional method of adding herbs to your water is to make an infusion; this is done when  you steep your herbs beforehand in boiled water, and then add the infused herb-water into your bath.

1. Relaxing Herbs: Chamomile, Lavender . These herbs are both to aid in the process of relaxation, and can be used alone in the bath. These are also great choices since they can be used with any age (some herbs are not to be used with children!). The scent will help to calm your nerves, and they are a great addition to help you unwind. These are great sleepy-time plants!

2. Energizing Herbs: Rosemary, Basil, Lemon Balm, Eucalyptus. These energizing herbs have a strong scent, and some can even be found conveniently in the kitchens of your households. Energizing herbs should be used for baths in the morning or mid-day, since they are very stimulating and may even prevent one from sleeping at night.

3. Medicinal Herbs: Calendula, Yarrow. Both of these herbs can be used to treat irritated skin or for those who have healing wounds (not open). Skin irritations such as chicken pocks, poison ivy, rashes, and etc. are some great examples. Adding these plants to your bath is a great way to treat your skin irritations and/or wounds in a natural and gentle way!

Hopefully this list of herbs has helped you gain a little bit of insight into what you can put into your bath water! I will be trying out a mixture tomorrow night for a sleepy-time mixture, and I'm excited to see how it goes! Thanks so much for reading!

Luck & Love,
Kaylee Slater

Resources:

http://herbgardens.about.com/od/herbalcraftsandgifts/tp/10-Herbs-To-Use-For-An-Herbal-Bath.htm

http://www.frontiercoop.com/learn/hs_herbalbaths.php

http://www.herbs2000.com/herbs/herbs_rosemary.htm

Health | Tips For Dealing With Nature's Monthly Gift

It's inevitable; every girl will get it, and every mature woman will be glad to get rid of it. A woman's menstrual cycle is a very difficult process to deal with. We need to handle unexpected mood swings, crying fits, cramps, back aches, bloating and constant bathroom trips; all while juggling the same challenging feats of everyday life. Although a very personal and often graphic topic, the woman's time of the month doesn't nearly get as much attention as it should. In this article I will be providing you with information on how to combat most of these side effects, and a few other bits of information that will hopefully make your 7-14 days a little bit more bearable.

The mood swings. I know you have been there- instead of your usual sunny side up order, your boyfriend has accidentally made you over easy eggs- and the world is suddenly coming to a complete end. In order to battle mood swings at this time, taking the proper vitamins, minerals, and herbs is essential. Science has proven that the consumption of Calcium (1,000-1,500 IU per day), Magnesium (325-750mg per day) and St.John's Wart (300mg per day) is very effective at suppressing PMS-induced mood swings. Other vitamins and minerals that have been suggested to me by other women to help curb mood swings include Vitamin B6, Vitamin B50, Zinc, and Vitamin E. Try these different supplements out and see which one works best for you.

The bloating. Unfortunately, many women seem to inflate when their time of the month rolls around, and it can be very frustrating and embarrassing. In order to minimize bloating around this time, avoid all sodium. Not only have a found this countless times in my research on the topic, but almost every woman I interviewed on the subject suggested this to me. Sodium naturally makes the body retain water, so this is a definite no-no. Other ways to avoid bloating is to drink lots of water in order to encourage your body to release all the water retention it gained. This is the same concept as 'fighting fire with fire'. Also, consuming lots of fiber is a great option as well. Since fiber naturally binds to estrogen, it makes it a lot easier for our bodies to release the extra hormone (which essentially causes all of these wonderful problems!).

The cramps. Ah yes, the notorious cramping. This area is probably one of the worst for most of you ladies. In order to combat cramps, both in the lower abdomen region and other areas such as the lower back or even legs, there are several various ways we can go about this. In my research, it is noted in all areas that eating clean is the biggest contender for cramp-prevention. I myself try to avoid all processed, sugary, salty, and fatty foods around this time, and it helps a ton. Other ways to combat cramping is to take a pain killer every 4-6 hours once you notice the cramping. I have also had women recommend to me the use of a hot water bottle or pack on the lower abdomen to reduce the pain, as well as to lie in different positions. About 50% of my research showed that exercise can reduce cramps; the other 50 showed that it made them worse. Try it out! Another thing to note, both from scientific research as well as from my interviews, sexual intercourse was specifically mentioned to ease cramping. The last resort from all my research is to distract yourself either by watching TV, playing a computer game, or by simply just sleeping. If the pain is severe enough, these options may be the best you've got!

Hopefully I have covered most of these solutions in order to help you ladies ease the hardships! Keep in mind that each person is different, and some of these methods may work better than others. If anyone has any advice or tips to share, please feel free to share in a comment below! Thanks so much everyone!

Luck & Love,
Kaylee Slater

Health | 10 Minute Yoga Workout Video For Beginners

Health | How To Drink More Water

If you are anything like me, drinking water is a huge hassle. I often confuse thirst for hunger, I forget that I need to drink water, and when I do drink, I really don't enjoy it at all. So, in order to help me and other people who may be suffering from the same problems, I created a few tips in order to help us get our eight glasses in!

1. Carry a water container with you throughout your day. This will be much cheaper than having to dole out extra cash for individual bottles of water, and simply the presence of your bottle will be a reminder that you should drink up! Also, sporting a cute canister can also encourage you to bring it along with you, so try to pick one up you would like to show off.

2. Follow mini-goals throughout your day, not one big goal. I find that taking on a bigger task, such as 'I need to finish this entire canister of water by the end of the day', is pretty challenging to stick to. This is why having a water container comes in handy; in order to create helpful smaller goals, we can mark the bottle at what time of day we need to finish so much water. Here is an example of mine. As you can see, it makes the process a lot more manageable!

3. Infuse your water. This is a huge factor for me! Whenever I infuse my water with flavours and fruits such as lemon juice, citrus slices, or any other fruit, I immediately want to drink more. This seriously takes the boring out of drinking all that water, and it actually makes it enjoyable. If you are going to use the water container tips as well as this one, keep in mind that the fruit will start to disintegrate through the day. In order to prevent this, I just like to use the fruit juices if I am taking the canister with me. Yummy!

4. Motivate yourself. If by any chance you hate canisters, mini-goals, and fruit, you can always begin to motivate yourself in other ways. For some girls, looking at role models helps them achieve their goals; for others, it's having a little friendly competition with their coworkers or peers. Whatever works for you, do it!

Let me know in the comments if you have any other interesting tips for drinking more water; I could really use them! Thanks for reading everyone!

Luck & Love,
Kaylee Slater

Welcome to Divine No.7!

Welcome to Divine No.7, my beauty and fashion blog.

My name is Kaylee, I'm from Canada Ontario, and I created Divine No.7 as a way to communicate to the world my passion for all things beautiful. I intend to make this website a place for modern women to discover new and interesting information, such as beauty techniques, new fashion brands, and revolutionary products. Divine No.7 also includes other aspects, such as a food page where you can discover fresh new recipes, as well as an advice section where you can read up on important tips and tricks for your everyday life. In the future I will be adding a music page to introduce you to incredible new artists and songs, as well as a gadgets and architecture page.

Divine No.7 will be ever changing, and would greatly benefit from any and all comments/advice from it's readers. If you feel so inclined, please leave a comment on this post suggesting to me anything you see fit for change or alteration in order to benefit the blog.

Love & Thanks,
Kaylee