HEALTH AND BEAUTY

DIY FACIAL CARE

Sun spots and age spots are one of the most annoying signs of aging. Anyone else regretting their time in the sun this summer?

It’s never too late to get serious about wearing sunscreen, and you can also take steps to reduce hyperpigmentation and reverse the signs of sun damage on your face. The perfect pampering ingredient? Pumpkin.

Pumpkin is an excellent exfoliator. Its fruit enzymes and alpha-hydroxy acids [source] slough off the dead skin that leads to a dull complexion, leaving you with a brighter, glowing complexion. Pumpkin is rich in vitamin A, the anti-aging ingredient you’ll find in retinol products [source]. That makes pumpkin perfect for a face mask that lightens age spots and evens out skin tone. You’ll also get a dose of vitamin C and beta-carotene with pumpkin, both of which support collagen production to improve skin tone and texture.

INGREDIENTS:

2 tablespoons pumpkin puree 1 teaspoon white sugar 1 teaspoon lemon juice

DIRECTIONS:

Mix ingredients in a small bowl. Apply an even layer to clean skin. Let it sit for 10 minutes. Then using your fingers, massage the mask into the skin using small circular motions. Rinse with warm water and pat dry. Use once a week.

National Pickle Day

NOVEMBER 14, 2022

Peter Piper picked a peck of pickled peppers. A peck of pickled peppers Peter Piper picked. If Peter Piper picked a peck of pickled peppers, Where's the peck of pickled peppers Peter Piper picked?

National Pickle Day is on November 14 and it was created to celebrate the pickle as one of the worlds favorite fermented foods. Pickles prove to be preposterously popular with people across the country; the number of pickle-eaters is projected to generate to more than 250 million by 2023. That gives plenty of pretext to position November 14th as prime pickle time!

HISTORY OF NATIONAL PICKLE DAY

The practice of pickling has existed for thousands of years. The process ensured a degree of preservation otherwise impossible in pre-modern conditions and was essential in providing a mobile supply of provisions for travelers as well as a dependable source of nutrition for those living through barren winters. While a diverse set of foods can be pickled, the cucumber emerges as the dominant food that most associate with the idea of both pickling and the word “pickle” itself. Archaeologists believe that the first evidence of pickled cucumbers originates from Tigris river valley civilizations, and the nutritional benefits of the food would go on to be lauded by such historical figures as Cleopatra and Julius Caesar.

With all their popularity in the Old World, pickles would not make their appearance in North America until 1492. As you may have guessed by the year, the one responsible for their introduction was none other than Christopher Columbus. Pickles were included in sailors’ rations on his expeditions as a means by which to prevent the onset of scurvy. By the mid-17th century, cucumbers bought from Dutch settlers farming in the New York area were pickled and distributed throughout the region. This would lay the foundations for the territory to be the perfect site for the introduction of the kosher dill pickle.

In the period of the late 1800’s and early 1900’s, a large number of Eastern European Jews immigrated to the United States and settled in the New York City area. They brought with them the unique methods that produce kosher dill pickles, and these early iterations of pickles would develop into the now-famous and ever-familiar food available in grocery stores throughout the United States.