Archive for the ‘Blog’ Category
Thursday, July 22nd, 2010
We’ve all heard the rumors that the average woman eats something like 6 lbs of lipstick in her lifetime, something which has never swayed anyone I know from buying their favorite shade. But this is just that, a rumor. Snopes.com managed to bust this legend by calculating exactly how may tubes of lipstick a person would have to go through to ingest 6 lbs of the stuff, and it was a staggering 454 to 1,512 tubes a year, and that each tube would have to be consumed in it’s entirety. No lipstick blotting, no lipstick kisses, no coffee cup smudges. So, okay, we don’t eat nearly as much lipstick as we’ve thought, but does that mean it’s still safe for us to use? (more…)
Tags: chemicals, personal care
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Monday, July 19th, 2010
Raw foods have become really popular in the last few years, and as a group have elevated themselves from a fruit salad and carrot stick bunch to haute cuisine at it’s best. The sheer level of creativity of raw foods these days is enough to inspire even the hardest of traditional chefs and encourage first timers to become far more adventurous.
For some, raw foods is a passing fad, and a quirky “look honey, I’m eating “raw” lasagna!!!” (more…)
Tags: raw food, seasonal, summer
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Tuesday, July 13th, 2010
We naturally crave foods according to the season - comforting soups in the winter, sprouts and salads as spring starts to bloom, and - who are we kidding - ice cream in the summer! Our bodies are always seeking balance, so it makes sense that we’d crave foods to counteract the effect of the weather.
Ayurvedic practitioners, masters of seasonal eating, have these recommendations for eating cooling, summer food: (more…)
Tags: cooling, raw foods, seasonal, summer
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Tuesday, July 13th, 2010
Everyone knows it’s healthy to eat fresh, uncooked fruits and vegetables every day. Raw foodists take this way of eating to heart and base all their meals around different preparations of raw fruits, vegetables, nuts, and seeds. While some people debate the health merits of eating a totally raw food diet year round, it certainly it a great diet for the long, hot days of summer!
Raw foods, in addition to having abundant nutrients, (more…)
Tags: food focus, raw foods, seasonal, summer
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Tuesday, July 13th, 2010
Next to lemonade and a nice brisk peppermint iced tea, this is my favorite summertime drink, combining two of my favorite summer foods - watermelon (which I could eat all day every day!) and cucumber.
Both of these vine fruits are water heavy, and therefore cooling to our bodies - perfect in the scorching summer heat. While this is perfect as-is, it would also make a bright and fresh cocktail or even a great popsicle!
(more…)
Tags: recipes, summer
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Tuesday, July 13th, 2010
I’m excited to kick of my monthly Q&A with a great question about the safety of sunscreens. In my comings and goings I’m often asked a lot of questions about what to eat, what to buy, or what not to buy. Instead of being able to only answer the one person who asked it, I’m turning those questions, and new ones that you submit, into monthly Q&A. If there’s something on your mind that you’re not sure of, ask me! Since I’m posting first names only, you have no reason to hold back, even from those potentially embarrassing questions, so ask away.
My favorite question that I received from my June newsletter came from Stacey who asked:
“Which sunscreen is the safest for me and my kids? I just don’t trust what the packages say anymore!”
Stacy is right to be suspicious, (more…)
Tags: chemicals, Q&A, summer, sunscreen
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Monday, July 5th, 2010
GMO. Genetically Modified Organism. Sounds delicious right? Well GMO’s are currently found in a HUGE percentage of the foods we eat, particularly if we’re buying things from the supermarket that comes in boxes, cans, or bags.
A recent CBS News/NYTimes poll showed that 53% of people said they won’t buy food that has been genetically modified. Just the idea of GM foods can be pretty hair-raising… crossing strawberries and fish, genetically altering rice to contain higher levels of Vitamin A, and of course, the most common use of genetic modification - plants that are resistant to Monsanto’s Round-Up pesticide (the pesticide kills all the bugs but leaves the plant “unharmed”). Almost 90% of all (more…)
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Monday, June 28th, 2010
I know, I know, I probably sound all kinds of nerdy saying that my favorite thing to do in the summer is to go out and pick berries, and not say, hit the beach, catch a summer concert, or eat outdoors. But it’ okay, because I already know I’m a nerd when it comes to this kind of stuff… picking berries, making jam, cooking with new ingredients. For me, berry picking is calming, and meditative, while also being back breaking, sweat inducing, and greed generating. (more…)
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Tuesday, June 22nd, 2010
(the caption of this stock photo reads: “Attractive male taking shower and washing his hair with satisfaction”. Indeed!)
As you may have gathered from my last post, I spend a lot of time researching many of the things that I buy in an effort to make the best possible choice for myself and for the environment. This research sometimes takes the form of reading article upon article, interviews, company profiles, and maybe watching a video here and there.
Since I’ve started learning about the ingredients and lack of regulation in the personal care products industry, I’ve been paying much closer attention to the things I put in my shopping basket. Because this industry is does not have strict regulation, companies often use highly toxic chemicals in their formulations. These products, be it make up, soap, shampoos, or lotions (the list goes on), all come in contact with our skin, our bodies largest organ, (more…)
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Wednesday, June 9th, 2010
Ironically, as I’m writing this post, it happens to be a cool day. But lately - at least in NY anyway, it’s been super hot out, with days already into the 90’s and it’s only the beginning of June! It’s only going to get hotter and hotter as we approach July and the dreaded heat of August.
No one like cooking over a hot stove when it’s 98 degrees and muggy, especially not me, but instead of eating out all the time, I simply change the way I use my kitchen. Instead of roasting and baking, and heavy stove-top use, I opt for less sweaty, and less energy intensive ways to feed myself.
Thankfully the foods of summer don’t require as much preparation as the heavy dense foods (think butternut squash, potatoes) of winter. When I do my Seasonal Eating workshop, I always include a visualization of being in sweltering humidity and heat reaching the 100 degree mark. No breeze, sweat on your brow and shirt clinging to your back. You’re hungry and thirsty so you sit down for lunch. (more…)
Tags: seasonal eating, summer
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