Un-natural labeling
There is yet to be a definitive system of rating what truly makes a product organic. California is attempting to devise a system for measuring how safe a product really is, by requiring any product labeled “organic” to be filled with at least 70% organic ingredients. This forces many companies who are greenwashing to properly label their products, making it easier for consumers to see what they are REALLY using. The Center for Enviromental Health recently launched a lawsuit against Hain Celestial (a company I am very familiar with) since some of their products (like JASON Thin to Thick) is labeled as being Organic when it really isn’t. Check out this great list of products that we THOGUHT we healthy and really aren’t! Hopefully this will shed some light and force our country to make progress with this issue.
See below for the entire list of products included in the CEH lawsuit:
http://www.ceh.org/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=529
Cleanse without Fasting?
I’ve tried the celebrity favorite Blueprint juice cleanse many times, and am still not convinced the misery of drinking only liquids for days is worth the end result. I’m skeptical of depriving your body of real food for that long, because it just craves even more when you are back to solids! I recently came across an interview in Self Magazine with nutritionist Nichole Dandrea where she gives tips for cleansing without actually fasting. I already incorporate many of these into my diet, but very helpful information nonetheless! Read the whole article here
1. Be colorful-instead of pastas and breads look for colorful foods in oranges, purples, pinks and golden to get plenty of vitamin C and fiber. When you feel like you need starchy foods eat sweet potatoes, yams or winter squash. 2. Go green-eat lots of spinach, kale and other green veggies to get calcium, iron and other important minerals. (If you are not a green veggie fan try disguising them in soups, smoothies and stir-fries). 3. Buy bulk-purchase whole grain foods such as brown rice, quinoa and oatmeal from bulk bins (use your own container for bonus green points) instead of buying prepackaged foods that often contain sugars and other additives. 4. Drink green tea-get a natural boost in metabolism by drinking 2-3 cups of green tea a day. Choose from many varieties such as pomegranate, blueberry and lemon if you are not a fan of the earthy green tea flavor. 5. Get spicy-add cayenne, ginger and turmeric to your meals or drinks for great natural cleansing, as well as digestive and immune system support. 6. Avoid sugar-drink only water or unsweetened tea. Stay away from the obvious-soda. Also avoid sweet tea, flavored waters and juice. (Whole fruit is great. It does have natural sugar, but it also has tons of fiber and water, as well as other important nutrients.) 7. Eat often-don’t starve yourself. Eating every 2-3 hours is important for the body to function properly, brain to think clearly and metabolism to run like a race car! 8. Eat healthy fats-good-for-you fats make your skin moist, hair soft and joints lubricated. Eat lots of walnuts, almonds, avocados and fatty fish. 9. Choose organic-see our Organic vs Non Organic food list. Whenever you can, choose organic-especially when choosing meats. Look for lean, grass-fed organic varieties that haven’t been treated with hormones and antibiotics. 10. Avoid processed foods-look for 5 ingredients or less. And yes, you should recognize and be able to pronounce all of them!
Simply Mazzat
Reason #1,111,112 why SF is simply marvelous? Hayes Valley. While visiting this past weekend, my friend brought me to a newly updated Lebanese restaurant called Mazzat. When the waitress told me that 90% of the neighborhood was vegetarian so they had to cater to that, I knew I was in the right place.
We opted for the sampler platter, where we could choose from three hot appetizers and three cold appetizers. Having to make decisions was the only downside of the experience! My favorite dishes? The grilled Shrimp and Eggplant with tomato sauce, and Baba Ganoush. Our waitress was quick to point out that all the dishes were made with Olive Oil and not unhealthy, artery clogging lard. The staff was also extremely friendly, so I highly recommend this to anyone in the Bay area. A word to the wise- get there early on the weekends, as we were warned the tables quickly fill up.
Take my Pilates class!
To all my favorite Tweeps, and Facebook followers, I wanted to spread the word that I’ve been teaching Pilates Mat at the LIC YMCA! I have free passes for those of you that want them. I am currently teaching at 7pm every Monday!
The Great Spring Cleanse
Earlier this April, my co-workers and I signed up for Social Workout’s “The Great Spring Cleanse”. For those of you who haven’t visited, go there now! It’s a great way to create and log a fitness plan, share your acheivements digitally, and track your progress!
The Great Spring Cleanse is a great way to start “spring cleaning”. The components are fairly simple for anyone maintaining a healthy lifestyle. Eat 2 servings of veggies each day, work out 4 times a week, limit alcohol and coffee, and do one 3-day juice cleanse. The hardest part? Getting a spa treatment ;) You can join also, or start your own plan here:
Would you try SNOWGA?!
EDIBLE dirt candy!
One of my favorite parts about about NYC is the ever-growing population of healthy restaurants. Dirt Candy, the newest on the block, recently opened in East Village.
There are only like 10 small tables so it is pretty hard to get a reservation, but it was well worth it! Every dish features a seasonal, fresh ingredient, and the website features stories behind how many of the dishes are made! We started with the Steamed Carrot Buns and for entrees I got the Broccollini (crispy Tofu and Broccoli) and my friend got the Cauliflower. To finish, we got the Ice Cream Bar, just like the classic Klondike Bar but made with fresh Sweetpea and Mint! DELISH!
Check out the full menu here!
Vidal Sassoon.. the yogi??
After touring some of the most prestigious film festivals, the acclaimed documentary about famed hairstylist Vidal Sassoon was finally released in select theaters! I finally got to see the movie last weekend (at the East Village theatre in NYC), and was so inspired for his passion for using hair to create art.
One of the most shocking facts about the movie? He is an avid yogi and can twist himself into pretzels that even a former dancer like myself cannot accomplish! Look how happy he looks, a great example of the wonders yoga can do for the mind/body:
Guilt-free brownies
Trader Joe’s never fails to impress, hence my newest sweet-obsession: “Reduced Guilt Brownies”. The mix is under $5, incredible simple to make, and the list of the ingredients is short and understandable. All you do is mix fat-free vanilla yogurt in, bake for 25 minutes, and you are done! There is nothing guilty about these brownies at all!
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