Cheap and easy

No, not me!  The tip I’m about to give you is cheap and easy.  Seriously, this is so easy you have no excuse not to do it.

1.  Go to the store
2. Buy a big bag of whole, organic carrots
3. Eat one every day

And why should you do this?

Carrots, even organic ones, are cheap and readily available.  I paid $4.99 for the five pound bag that I am holding in the pic.  And it doesn’t get any easier than reaching into the fridge, pulling one out of the bag, rinsing and eating.  Plus they taste good.  The whole, organic carrots honestly taste way better than the little “baby” carrots.  Which aren’t really babies anyway.

Carrots are a great source of antioxidants.  Most people know they are high in beta-carotene, which our bodies convert to vitamin A.  They contain many other antioxidants as well.  Studies have shown that consuming carrots can help to reduce risk of cardiovascular disease, and may offer some protection against colon cancer.

And here’s a fun fact about carrots…they can truly give your skin a glow.  A study at the University of Nottingham showed that people who consumed a lot of carotenoids (nutrients found in orange colored veggies) had a more golden color to their skin.  At the same time, beta-carotene is known to help protect skin from the sun.  And one study even showed beta-carotene to help improve wrinkles and photo-aging.

I have also heard anecdotally that they can help lengthen your eye lashes.  I haven’t noticed a difference, but maybe you will.  At least I’ve got my Urban Decay mascara!

Something even more amazing about carrots…they are said to help balance hormones in both men and women.  It has something to do with the specific fiber that is in carrots, and you need to eat them raw and unpeeled. I’m not aware of any studies to support this, but I’m going to tell you what I have noticed personally.  (For my guy readers, this will be TMI I’m sure.  You can skip the next three paragraphs.  But remember to eat your carrots!)

Around the age of 45,  I noticed my monthly cycle becoming shorter.  It had been like clockwork, 28  days exactly, for years.  Suddenly it was 22, then 26, then 24.  Totally unpredictable and annoying.  I ignored it for awhile and eventually tried an herbal supplement called Vitex that is effective for some people in this situation but did nothing for me.

Then I read about the carrot thing.  What did I have to lose?  I’ve always liked carrots but they’re not something I think to buy all the time.  I started eating one whole, unpeeled organic carrot every single day.  Sometimes more, because I really like them.  My periods stretched out a little bit.  More like 26 or 27 days.  This did not happen overnight.  It happened gradually over the course of at least a year.  This month, I actually had a 28 day cycle for the first time in close to five years.

Again, this is just anecdotal.  I don’t know of any research that has been done to support this, and I’m not saying it will work for everyone. But carrots are great for so many things…just eat them!

Oh, since we all love things that are cheap and easy, here’s another tip…sign up for my weekly emails!  I send a newsletter every Thursday with a summary of my recent posts.  I’m going to start adding some new content just for newsletter subscribers, that won’t show up on the blog.  So don’t miss out…sign up now!

This isn’t just cheap, it’s free!  If you are on a laptop or tablet, sign up is on the right side, by the top of the post.  If you’re on your phone (which is how I view just about everything these days) scroll all the way down to the bottom.

So, can eating carrots and getting my weekly newsletter help you stay happy, healthy and hot!  I hope you know the answer by now…yes!  You’ll be happy snacking on carrots while you are entertained by my newsletter.  The betacarotene and fiber in the carrots, along with the other great tips you’ll get from me will support your health.  And the glowing skin (and possibly longer lashes) that you get from the carrots?  Very hot!