5 Amazing Destinations With Natural Healing Benefits

Jul 16, 2017

You might travel for a variety of reasons, like to celebrate a major milestone, visit a secret island with your favorite travel buddy, or simply to cross a colorful place off your bucket list. In any case, there’s always a new destination to visit — and while just thinking about travel has proven to make people happier, some special vacay spots can actually leave you in a healthier state than when you first left home. A perfect example? Naturally healing hot spots that can help clear your mind *and* your complexion. Read on for five destinations that make cleansing feel fun. Relaxation and wellness await!

1. Hell’s Gate, New Zealand: New Zealand is a picturesque country that outdoor enthusiasts adore, and its North Island is known for geothermal Rotorua mud, which boasts rich minerals such as sulfur, calcium, sodium, and silicon. The magic mixture is said to help the body by producing connective tissues, and Hell’s Gate offers mud spa therapies specifically designed to help skin release antioxidants that prevent aging. How heavenly. (Photo via Getty)

2. Marienbad, Czech Republic: Wellness lovers make the most of this mountain town’s spring water by dipping into pools and drinking from them. Marienbad’s healing waters are thought to help improve conditions such as heart disease, arthritis, and diabetes. The cure comes from eight individual pools, each with a different mineral composition. This is an ideal trip if you’re looking to jumpstart a detox, and as an added bonus, Marienbad is only a few hours’ drive away from Prague, and just a half-day train ride to Vienna, Austria. (Photo via The Official Tourist Website for Marianske Lazne)

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3. The Blue Lagoon, Iceland: Iceland’s tourism industry has blown up over the last few years, with folks flocking to its famous Blue Lagoon for epic photo ops and a warm soak near the country’s colorful capital, Reykjavik. We can understand why: The beautiful hot springs maintain a perfect temperature year round (between 100 and 106 degrees) and have healing properties that many credit for helping them heal skin scales and signs of aging. Though the official treatment center welcomes guests by a dermatologist referral only (they treat people with chronic conditions like psoriasis), a trip to one of the popular public springs should help you reap the benefits of the geothermal seawater. You can expect to see firmer-looking skin after your dip, which comes from an increase in collagen production.

4. La Roche-Posay, France: Many who suffer from skin ailments have one major thing in common: a selenium deficiency. This small French town is home to natural “velvet” water that’s super rich in selenium. The rare water has put La Roche-Posay on the map with L’Oreal (some of their products contain water from the locale) while helping establish it as a wellness hub with the world-renowned La-Roche-Posay Thermal Center. While you can take a trip to the treatment center where dermatologists treat patients with programs that include bathing and drinking local water, you can also get a fix from a thermal spa treatment.

5. Budapest, Hungary: Tons of trips offer the opportunity to enjoy a spa day, but no major metro does it like Budapest — it’s been known as the “City of the Spas” for more than 80 years! As part of the city’s rich culture and history, some of the thermal baths have been around since the reign of the Ottoman Empire. While eating rose-shaped ice cream cones and exploring the banks of the Danube in Buda and Pest, refresh your skin with a trip to the Széchenyi Thermal Bath or Gellert Spa; the two centers rank at the top of the list, offering a wide range of thermal baths, pools, and saunas. If you’re game to try a treatment, an aromatherapy massage is always a solid pick, while a lengthy foot rub might be just the ticket after trekking around during your stay. (Photo via Getty)

Would you take a trip to help heal your skin? Tell us where you’d love to go on Twitter @BritandCo!

6 Easy And Healthy Ways To Learn How To Cook Zoodles

If you've searching for how to cook zoodles, then you've come to the right place. We love giving any veggie-substitute a try, and this noodle-alternative is definitely worth adding to your next meal.

You're probably thinking: "WTF am I supposed to with a 'zoodle'?" But fear not — we're here to help! Zoodles (AKA zucchini noodles) are *actually* quite easy to make. You can sauté them on the stovetop, boil them like traditional pasta or simmering them straight in some sauce. In fact, cooking them is so easy that we have a hunch that these zoodle recipes will be your new go-to for anytime you want to some extra greens.

Prepare your zoodles fresh with these tips, or pick some prepackaged ones up from your local grocery store and skip straight to the recipes!

How To Prepare Zoodles

Cut Your Zucchini Noodles The Right Way

To make zoodles, cut both ends off of the zucchini. Slice the zucchini into two halves. From there, use a tool like the Kitchenaid spiralizer attachment that screws onto your stand mixer or a free-standing tool like the one from OXO, or an Inspiralizer to unspool fine or extra fine zucchini ribbons from the core of the zucchini.

In a pinch, you could try using a vegetable peeler to peel long planks off the zucchini and then slice them into noodles. Or, cut the planks using a chef's knife and then further slice them into matchsticks. Once you've processed the zucchini into zoodles, store them in the refrigerator where they taste best within three days.

While zoodles can be eaten raw and dressed up in pesto or another salad dressing, if you want to cook them, these are the three methods to try.

How To Cook Sautéed Zoodles

Heat a skillet over medium heat. Add two teaspoons of oil (olive or coconut) or a pat of unsalted butter. Toss in the zoodles (spiralized from one zucchini), salt to taste, and sauté for several minutes, turning with tongs until the color of the zoodles deepens and they become soft.

Serving Suggestion: After oil is heated, stir in thinly sliced garlic or minced fresh ginger to sizzle and scent the oil. This would be the time to also add a dash of spice like a curry powder, if you like. Once zoodles are cooked, garnish with a scattering of toasted coconut, shredded fresh cilantro and/or mint leaves, and chopped scallions. Pair it with fish.

Zoodle Recipes That'll Make You Want More

feelgoodfoodie.net

Shrimp Scampi with Zoodles

Swap out traditional noodles with zoodles for a flavorful, healthy dish. (via Feel Good Foodie)

thegirlonbloor.com

Spiralized Zucchini Chicken Noodle Soup Jars

This recipe is the perfect low-carb meal prep idea. Just add boiling water, microwave and enjoy! (via The Girl on Bloor)

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Zoodles with Tomatoes and Capers

This raw five-ingredient zoodle recipe will take you through all the warm months. It’s fresh, fast, and furiously flavorful. (via A Spicy Perspective)

feelgoodfoodie.net

Pesto Zoodles

This delicious summertime recipe adds color, nutrition and fun to your meals. (via Feel Good Foodie)

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Vietnamese Chicken Pho with Zoodles

This healthy zoodle recipe is gluten free, paleo, and oh-so tantalizing! (via A Spicy Perspective)

Avocado Zucchini Carbonara Pasta

There's so many options that'll come up when searching how to cook zoodles, but none of them will taste like this avocado zucchini carbonara pasta recipe. It's not complicated to make, but it is pretty to plate! (via Half Baked Harvest)

Ready to turn some zoodles into your next meal? Share your zucchini noodle recipes and find more healthy eating inspiration over on Pinterest.

Brit + Co may at times use affiliate links to promote products sold by others, but always offers genuine editorial recommendations.

This article has been updated.

Leader image via Half Baked Harvest.

"Golden Bachelor" Couple Gerry Turner And Theresa Nist Are Getting Divorced!

We can't believe that the first season of The Golden Bachelor is complete. Where has the time gone?! Well, at least we know it's been well-spent with love, fun, and laughs. That's *exactly* what Golden Bachelor, Gerry Turner, and winner of the show, Theresa Nist, have been up to since getting engaged during the finale.

The couple's wedding ceremony took place during the season finale of The Golden Bachelor, with the happy couple saying their "I do"s on live television. Here's to forever, Gerry and Theresa. ❤️

Here's what the two lovebirds have been up to since the very first The Golden Bachelor wedding!

"The Golden Bachelor" Couple Are Ending Their Marriage

Image via Disney/John Fleenor

Just when we thought things were working well for "The Golden Bachelor" couple, they decided to announce the end of their short-lived marriage on Good Morning America. Gerry Turner told host Juju Chang, "Theresa and I have had a number of heart-to-heart conversations, and we’ve looked closely at our situation, our living situation, so forth and -- and we’ve kind of come to the conclusion mutually that it’s probably time for us to -- dissolve our marriage."

Theresa Nist clarified that she doesn't want the people who rooted for them to believe love and marriage are hopeless. "We want none of that to change for anybody," she said.

We're sure that they truly had a connection, but it's not easy trying to navigate merging your life with someone no matter how old you are. It seems that Gerry and Theresa couldn't bear the thought of one of them being separated from their families, ultimately resulting in the tough decision that getting married may not have been the best thing to do.

We hope that they take as much time as they need to continue navigating their decision to end their public marriage.

"The Golden Bachelor" Blended Family Went On "Celebrity Family Feud"

Disney / John Fleenor

Gerry and Theresa's newly-blended family revealed that they filmed an episode of Celebrity Family Feud in early April – and their opposing team wasn't that unfamiliar!

Theresa's daughter Jen posted some behind-the-scenes photos on Instagram, noting that the family went up against more Bachelor Nation members like Joey Graziadei, Kelsey Anderson, Charity Lawson, Dotun Olubeko, Zach Shallcross, and Kaity Biggar for their episode of Celebrity Family Feud.

Jen also gave us loose details about when the episode would officially air, writing in the caption of her Instagram post: "you’ll have to watch to see how it went down but no I’m not really sure when it’s going to be on… August?!"

Gerry posted a little preview too, saying that he "had a GREAT time at Celebrity Family Feud with the blended family."

Gerry's daughter Angie seemed super excited about being on Celebrity Family Feud as well, writing in her Instagram post that her dreams were fulfilled being on the show.

"Since I was little I wanted to be on family feud," she wrote. "I would dream about it and assemble my team in my mind. Yesterday…it happened!!!! We played celebrity family feud!!! It was so much fun."