How taste and smell can trigger memories - Rosemary Essential Oil

Sometimes all you need is some comfort food.

The smell of sesame oil added to hot porridge with pepper as seasoning really brings me back to childhood days. Studies have shown that our sense of smell and taste can evoke our memory. This is evidently so especially when you're living abroad and the fondest memory we usually have back home is of our mom's cooking.

As you may already know, I'm a huge essential oil advocate. Not just any essential oil but only Certified Pure and Therapeutic Grade(CPTG) essential oil like Doterra's. Speaking about memory, it's interesting to note that smelling Rosemary essential oil is proven to increase memory by 75%! Studies have been done to prove this and came with the conclusion. Wow!

Rosemary has long been linked to memory, with the most famous literacy reference found in Hamlet when Ophelia declares:'There's Rosemary, that's for remembrance: pray, love, remember.'

What is your favourite smell or taste that brings back your childhood memories?

#budgetbeautymommy

Homemade pumpkin porridge

Pumpkin porridge ingredients: napa cabbage, winter melon, pumpkin, 2 1/2 cups rice

Rosemary Essential Oil for memory

Gluten Free Recipes: Homemade Japanese Salmon Fish Head Miso Stew Recipe

Tonight, I've cooked up a storm again after my meal prepping yesterday. I've made a big pot of Japanese Miso Salmon Fish Head Stew and another huge pot of bolognese sauce from scratch - all for the very first time! And they are both gluten free. Get more ideas for Gluten Free Recipes

Making the Japanese miso salmon fish head stew reminded me of my Dad. He loves eating fish head and he's passed that passion on to me. It's a pity I've never gotten to make this stew for him, though. It's funny watching him eat fish head, as he totally annihilates the entire fish head with ease like in cartoons, with just the bones remaining. He used to tell me when I was a kid, that the best parts of a fish are the head, skin, fins and tail. I'm convinced my dad was a bear in his previous life! They seem to share the same preference. I'm not kidding ☺️

I've left the two big pots on the stove after finished cooking as I was quite lazy to transfer them into containers. Out of the blue, at about 2 something in the morning, I've just decided to transfer my salmon fish head stew into containers. Just as I was wrapping up, I smelled something burning. I thought I left the stove on but it smelled like burning plastic and it's strong. I realized that one of my adaptors in my store room was burning up in the middle of the night! 

My late dad must have blessed me and my family because had I fallen asleep, there could easily be a short circuit and a fire while we are fast asleep.

Sometimes, things happen for a reason such as tonight, my strange behaviour transferring stew in the middle of the night. I'm grateful that my family and I have avoided a possible tragedy at home 🙏 

Anyway, if you're wondering, my salmon fish head stew tastes naturally sweet and comforting. My bolognese sauce looks and tastes amazing. I'm a happy budget beauty mommy. I feel like I've won the jackpot tonight 😄

#budgetbeautymommy,

Ingrediets for my salmon fish head stew: 1 white radish, 5 fresh shitake mushrooms. 1 packet enoki mushrooms, 1/2 large carrots, 1 packet soft tofu cubed, 3 pieces of dried wakame(seaweed), homemade vegetable broth as soup base, 3 tablespoons of miso, 1 large salmon fish head or 2 medium sized salmon fish head halved

I'm not the 'ideal beauty'

Im going to be honest and confess that I'm not your ideal 'beauty'. 

This is because I don't hit the 'standards of beauty'. I don't have a small face with a sharp chin that's all the rage recently. My face is large and broad. I have been called sepet all my life because of my tiny squinty eyes. Sepet is a slang for small slanty eyes.  Plus, I'm a mono lid. I'm not blessed with double eyelids which are considered beautiful. My nose is too bulbous, skin too tanned, not voluptuous enough with a boyish figure. I've also been called a stick insect as I'm quite small framed. 

Growing up, there was a particular Aunty who liked to refer to me by the nickname she gave me because of my tiny eyes. It embarrassed me and made me uncomfortable though I never told her so. But I think the disdain for my tiny eyes was sealed forever in my heart when somebody wrote in my autograph book to not smile or my eyes will close. I was only 9. 

Needless to say, just like most Asian girls growing up, I've considered going for plastic surgery to correct my monolids. I've always wished I was born pan-Asian to have more westernised features. I grew up watching Beverly Hills 90210 and I idolised the western standard of beauty as that's what I grew up with. 

I guess all these name calling and unrealistic standards of beauty dished out through the media, they were very unhealthy for my self esteem and I have a poor body image as I was growing up. Made me very envious of others who are blessed naturally or those who are blessed with good surgeons. 

Luckily, I've outgrown my insecurities as I get to discover myself better and learn to love and accept myself better. It doesn't really matter if I'm not an 'ideal beauty' because what matters is I'm comfortable in my own skin and accept myself and love myself as I am. What matters is my family and friends love me for who I am and not for how I look. (That said, I'm all for plastic surgery for tweaking if it makes you feel better about yourself) When you accept yourself, you look after yourself better. Your inner peace and beauty radiates out of you. It's like the reason why you are hopelessly drawn to certain individuals but you have no idea why. 

Everyone is unique and beautiful in their own ways. So, spare a thought before you tease someone, even jokingly, about their looks. A harmless tease from you could be detrimental to another person's self esteem without us knowing. Instead, why don't we all start to get to know someone better instead of judging them by their looks? 

So, shall we pay it forward and compliment someone today to make their day? Like and share if you agree with me! 

#budgetbeautymommy

10 foods you eat to prevent acne

As promised, here are yummy foods to cure acne from the inside. Didn't I tell you, curing acne could be fun and indulgent too?

Here is a list of foods to beat acne at its own game:

1) Organic Green Tea - Green tea is rich in an anti-inflammatory chemical called catechins, which helps to combat free radicals and prevent fine lines.

2) Olive Oil good mono-unsaturated fats like olive or sesame oil contain essential fatty acids that are needed for good health. Fats are an integral part of cell membranes and will help to nourish the skin and give it an inner glow.

3) Walnuts - They are rich in omega-3 oils, another powerful antioxidant that helps to keep the skin plump and flexible. Omega-3 oils are also found in oily fish such as salmon, or in flaxseed oil.

4) Berries Blueberries, raspberries, cranberries are all rich in phytochemicals that are protective of skin cells. You can't get the same results though, from frozen or preserved fruit.

5) Lemon Juice - It's a natural bleach and can be used to fade sunspots and freckles. Put a slice of lemon over the spot and leave it for 10 minutes everyday for a week, or exfoliate by rubbing a cut lemon and half a teaspoon of granulated sugar over the skin for a few minutes. Be careful not to get any lemon in your eyes and stop immediately if you get a bad reaction as some people have extremely sensitive skin.

6) Watermelon Some people believe that rubbing their faces with the rind of a watermelon will give them beautiful skin.There is plenty of truth to this, as the pulp of the fruit is a good exfoliant and watermelon is rich in vitamins A, B and C. The fruit contains a lot of water which serves to hydrate the skin and the gentle massaging action will stimulate lymphatic drainage.

7) Low-Fat Dairy Products - One the most important components of skin health is vitamin A. One of the best places to get it is low-fat dairy products. In fact, experts say that the health of our skin cells is dependent on dietary vitamin A.

8) Whole-Wheat Bread, Eggs and Brazil Nuts - Dietary Selenium comes from nuts, cereals, meat, fish, and eggs. Brazil nuts are the richest ordinary dietary source. The mineral selenium connects all these foods for healthy skin. Experts say selenium plays a key role in the health of skin cells. Some studies show that even skin damaged by the sun may suffer fewer consequences if selenium levels are high.

9) Yogurt - Yogurt is a very important natural beauty aid. Apply yogurt on the face every morning as a quick nourishing facial mask. Wash it off after a few minutes with cold water. This will keep the complexion smooth, healthy and fresh. A mixture of yogurt and lemon juice is ideal for softening hands.

10) Apples - Apples contain lots of pectin and it's the enemy of the acne. Rejoice!! Remember to eat the skin too as pectin is mostly concentrated there. If you eat without the skin, it would not be as effective. Eat the skin as dietary fibre too

Best essential oil kit for your family

I have my lovely friend over for a lunch date recently. She's a fabulous mom with 3 young kids from ages 6 months to 2 year old. She brought along her very adorable youngest, and he's such a champ. I spoiled him with loads of toys and books. Notice that we are all wearing blue? Great minds think alike as it wasn't planned.

She wanted a box of my Doterra Family Physician's Kit for her kids. While her littlest darling was over at mine, I've rubbed some Breathe on his feet n on his chest because he has a cough and a cold. He was absolutely loving it and he was cooing and babbling his outrageously cute baby talk while I massaged him on his feet and chest. 

That night, my lovely friend rubbed Lavender oil on the feet of all her three darlings before bedtime and added a drop on their pillows to help them have restful sleep. She also rubbed Breathe on her second and youngest little darlings' chests because they both have trouble breathing properly while sleeping at night. She excitedly told me that all three babies fell asleep so quickly after the oils. They even fell asleep before her husband came home from work. Normally she said she would have fallen asleep and her three darlings are still awake! My friend is such a natural with essential oils. She's also diffusing lavender in the bedroom for improved sleep. 

It just warms my heart knowing that these essential oils are helping the little darlings. Well rested kids make really good darlings the next day, don't we budget beauty mommies know this parenting tip by now 😉

The beauty about this family physician kit is that it comes with 10 different essential oils and each oil has its own benefits and usage. It's perfect for family with kids as each kid has different health needs and we have 10 different essential oils to address different needs. This family physician's kit I would say is quite complete. I absolutely must have this kit at home and I bring them when I go travelling too. 

My dream is for all budget beauty mommies to eventually replace their medicine cabinet from synthetic drugs with certified pure therapeutic grade essential oils. Because we only want the best for our kids and family. 

Pm me for more details.

#budgetbeautymommy