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What could I possibly have against these cute little "healthy" snacks that can be found in school lunchboxes across America? It's back to school time and Baby Carrots are one snack to keep out of your childs lunch.  

It may shock you that baby carrots do not come out of the ground that way.  There is no little baby carrot garden where these are harvested.  Baby carrots are a result of taking all the broken and "ugly" big carrots they can't put in the package, grinding them all up, pressing them into the "baby" carrots and giving them a bath in chlorine to give them a bright happy orange color. 

If you look on the package it doesn't say "Chlorine", because it was added as part of manufacturing and not added as an ingredient...why is that?

Packaged foods contain lots of chemicals both in the ingredients and in the manufacturing process.  The tricky part is chemicals added as part of the manufacturing process are not considered to be an ingredient therefore does not have to be listed on the food label.  So there is no way to tell what else is hiding in that box or package.  

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As defined by the EPA, Chlorine is a pesticide.  Its purpose is to kill living organisms. So it would make sense that when you ingest chlorine it kills some parts of our body like the healthy bacteria in your gut and intestinal flora for instance.  Chlorine is a highly toxic, yellow-green gas most heavily used in chemical agents like household cleaners and can be found in the air near industrial areas especially around paper processing plants.  Exposure to Chlorine has been linked to health problems such as sore throat, coughing, eye and skin irritation, rapid breathing, narrowing of the bronchi, wheezing, blue coloring of the skin, accumulation of fluid in the lungs, pain in the lung region, severe eye and skin burns, lung collapse, a type of asthma known as Reactive Airways Dysfunction Syndrome (RADS).  

Chlorine is also added to the public water supply.  So not only are you drinking it, but you are absorbing it through the largest organ in your body, your skin.  In fact, 2/3 of human absorption of chlorine is from inhaling the steam in the form of chloroform and fast absorption through your open pores in the warm shower or bath. The inhalation of chloroform is a suspected cause of asthma and bronchitis, especially in children... which has increased 300% in the last two decades.   Other health risks associated with chloroform is cancer, potential reproductive damage, birth defects, dizziness, fatigue, headache, liver and kidney damage.  Chloroform is also found in the air and in food, like baby carrots.

Organic Carrots
Conclusion:  Stick to organically grown whole carrots.  They are really easy to find as you can buy them at your local farmers market or grocery store.
Wash them and cut them into sticks for your childs lunch box.  Carrots are an excellent snack that we enjoy all the time.  Enjoy!
 

 
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I really like this recipe because the tortillas are super quick to make. We top ours with fresh avocado, tomatoes, black beans, & red bell pepper but you can easily top them with anything!  They taste best when they are fresh. Don't forget to have your happy helpers make these with you, they can easily do this recipe and will enjoy helping you in the kitchen.

If you happen to be on an Elimination Diet as I am right now, this recipe is also Elimination Diet friendly.


This recipe can easily be doubled if you are feeding a crowd (or halved if you are just feeding yourself)

Recipe will make approx. 4-6 Tortillas

1 cup gluten-free all-purpose flour blend (If on Elimination Diet make sure it's corn & soy free)

1/2 teaspoon arrowroot

3/4 teaspoons baking powder (If on Elimination Diet use the subtitute below)

1/2 teaspoon sea salt

2 tsp olive oil

½–3/4 cup warm water

(about 100°F)

Elimination Diet Baking Powder Replacement:
For a Corn Free Baking Powder sift together:  2 tsp. Cream of Tarter, 2 tsp Arrowroot, 1 tsp Baking soda (Can be stored in airtight container to have on hand)

1.       In a medium size bowl add flour, arrowroot, baking powder and salt and wisk together. Add the olive oil and stir to combine.  Pour in warm water slowly, adding in increments and stirring to combine.

2.       Press dough together with your hand and divide into desired size. Roll each piece separately between two sheets of plastic wrap until about 1/8-inch thick.

3.       Heat a large skillet over medium high heat with about a tablespoon of olive oil.

4.       Once the skillet is hot, place each raw tortilla flat in the skillet, one at a time. Allow each to cook for 45 to 60 seconds or until slightly charred on the underside. (You’re better off under-cooking than over-cooking them) Then flip tortilla with a large, heatproof spatula and cook for another 30 to 45 seconds.

5.       Remove from pan and place on a paper towel. 

6.       Continue until all tortillas are cooked, top, and enjoy!


 
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Of course you want to buy the healthiest foods for your family, but it can be very difficult to read all the different food labels on every single thing you buy.  For me personally grocery shopping needs to be done "Supermarket Sweep" style (you know that old game show?)...fast.  I'm a girl on a mission with kids in tow and standing around reading every food label I put in my cart is not an option. 

And even if I did read every food label that still would not tell me if something was GMO or not, it would still leave me guessing.  Here in the United States genetically modified foods are not labeled as such...but there is a little known trick I learned that guarantees the food I buy for my family is GMO free.

There is an amazing new company out there, the first of its kind that guarantees any product they carry is Non-GMO.  They regulate this very heavily and pledge to never carry GMO products.  This is great news as it takes away all the guess work and label analyzing so that I can feel 100% confident we are consuming only healthy non-GMO foods.  This is a really big deal as there is no other store or company that has this pledge and with all the dangerous health risks associated with GMO foods it's a company I am very glad exists.  I know that my kiddos are getting good clean food that their bodies desperately need to grow into healthy adults.

One other thing I really like about them is I can order right online and have it shipped (for free!) to my doorstep which as a busy working mom saves me a ton of time.  They are also so much cheaper than Wholefoods or the organic section at my grocery.  (Just to give you an idea the Gluten free oatmeal I buy at my local grocery is $5.99 a box, the same oatmeal at this store is $3.04!)  So I save money, time, and know without a shadow of a doubt I am feeding my family Non-GMO foods...can you say Super-Mom!!

Click on the picture above to check them out, or click here, I know you will be just as impressed as I am!

 
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Maybe you've heard of GMO, or maybe you have not.

It's a very controversial and complex issue.  Just think about the term "Genetically Modified" for a sec...It definitely does not sound like something I would like to eat, let alone let my kid's eat it!

Using genetic engineering techniques scientists alter organisms to give it a new DNA.  This new genetically modified seed now will produce a plant that will not die even when sprayed with the potent Round Up pesticides.  Not only does it encourage the use of pesticides but farmers tend to use MORE pesticides than before which is sort of a double whammy because you get the health risks of the genetically modified seed itself PLUS all the pesticides.

There is absolutely no benefits to GMO seeds, other than it being a huge money maker for Monsanto.  Even half of the European Union finds no benefit to genetically modified food and in fact some countries are banning the use and sale of GM food altogether. 

Which may raise the question, why is GM food good enough for the U.S.?  It all boils down to politics. Monsanto is a company that dominates the American food chain.  They developed a seed that would resist Monsanto's own herbicide, Roundup, allowing farmers to spray their fields with the weed killers without killing the crops.  Commercialized GMO crops in the U.S. include soy (91%), cotton (88%), canola (88%), corn (85%), Hawaiian papaya (more than 50%), and some zucchini and yellow squash.  Other sources of GMO are products derived from the above, including oils, soy protein, soy lecithin, cornstarch, corn syrup & high fructose corn syrup.

Other sources are meat, eggs, and dairy products from animals that have eaten GM feed (and the majority of the GM corn and soy is used for feed); dairy products from cows injected with rbGH (a GM hormone);food additives, enzymes, flavorings, and processing agents, including the sweetener aspartame (NutraSweet®) and rennet used to make hard cheeses; and honey and bee pollen that may have GM sources of pollen.

GMO foods are NOT safe.  The only feeding study done with humans showed that GMOs survived inside the stomach of the people eating GMO food. No follow-up studies were done.

Various feeding studies in animals have resulted in potentially pre-cancerous cell growth, damaged immune systems, smaller brains, livers, and testicles, partial atrophy or increased density of the liver, odd shaped cell nuclei and other unexplained anomalies, false pregnancies and higher death rates. Studies have found the pesticide producing genes (BT Toxins) in the intestinal flora of mothers and unborn fetuses. Source 

GM foods are not labeled, so it's a little tough to know exactly what to look for.  The easiest way to avoid GM foods is to look for is the certified organic seal.  If the product has this seal it cannot be GMO.

I prefer to take the guess work out of it and buy our groceries here because they pledge not to sell any products containing GMO giving me piece of mind.  ANYTHING I buy from here is non-GMO which means I can feel confident knowing I'm giving my girls foods that will actually nourish their bodies not cause harm.

There is a huge push in Congress to get food companies to label GM foods but Monsanto, the maker of GM seeds, is incredibly powerful and is said to be "in bed" with Congress. For more information on GMO and how you can help get them labeled visit The Institute For Responsible Technology.

 
Kashi GMO
Grocery shopping could not be more confusing.  You think you are doing the absolute best job you can by reading food labels and carefully selecting the healthiest food for your family.  But what do some of those labels really mean?  

A small Rhode Island grocery store recently discovered that Kashi cereal is made primarily of Genetically Modified Round-Up Ready Soybeans, therefore not 100% Natural as it claims to be has sparked public outrage and personally makes me crazy.  I'm sure you've seen the Kashi commercials where the Kashi people are venturing through the forest to find wholesome, fresh, natural ingredients.  Leading consumers to believe their ingredients are as "pure" as nature intended.  It's no wonder we feel cheated and duped.

Food manufacturers are recklessly using sneaky marketing slogans to trick consumers into buying their products using terms like "All Natural".  Unfortunately, there are no laws requiring the labeling of Genetically Modified Ingredients making it really difficult to identify,

What does "All Natural" really mean anyway?   According to a 2010 Hartman Group poll, more than 60 percent of consumers believe that the "natural" label implies or suggests the absence of genetically engineered ingredients.  

This is a huge misconception.  In fact, currently there are no rules or regulations for using the label "Natural" and food manufacturers are taking advantage. 

Here is the ugly truth behind what's really in Kashi's food:

All Natural GoLean Shakes
 – composed almost entirely of synthetic and unnaturally processed ingredients including sodium molybdate, phytonadione, sodium selenite, magnesium phosphate, niacinamide, calcium carbonate, calcium pantothenate, pyridoxine, hydrochloride, thiamin hydrochloride, potassium iodine and more.

All Natural Heart to Heart Waffles - synthetic and unnaturally processed ingredients constitute the primary ingredients. There is more leavening  (combo of sodium bicarbonate, sodium acid pyrophosphate, and monocalcium phosphates) than all Seven Whole Grains and Sesame Flour combined.

All Natural Cereals- All the soy used in Kashi cereals is genetically modified soy. And when tested those grains they found pesticides known as carcinogenics and hormone disruptors.
Organic Logo
When reading food labels and choosing the best foods for your family the only label you can really trust is the USDA Organic label and shop at a place you can really trust.  This is so important because food matters and it's the one thing you have to get right.

I only shop at this store because they pledge to never carry anything GMO and take this very seriously.  This takes out the guess work for me, and I can shop with confidence knowing my kids are eating truly natural foods.  Click here to see for yourself and start shopping!

 
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Ever try to change your habits and before you know it you are in a tug of war with yourself?   That no matter how hard you try you take one step forward and two steps back and can’t stay motivated.  Let’s say you decide to tell yourself you are no longer allowed to eat that bowl of ice-cream every night.  Next thing you know all you can think about is ice-cream and you may even be moody or feel like you have no patience. 

I know it can be really tough when you are first trying to change life habits that are so deeply rooted.  When I first wanted to start changing my health habits it was so hard to ignore the cravings for junk food (I was the queen of junk food!)  

I want to share the one secret I learned that helped me through:  Change your mindset.

Set your Intention
Setting your intention is so important.  It’s when you connect with true yourself and align your thoughts to reach your goals.  I personally set my intention upon waking up in the morning.  Whether I want to drink more water, run 3 miles, or rock a presentation I set that intention and visualize it happening.  There is true power in doing this.  It takes less than 2 minutes and sets you up for success for the entire day.

You CAN
Don't tell yourself you cannot have something.  The second you do that you automatically will want it. Tell yourself you can have anything....then consciously choose not to eat it.  For example I work in an office environment and almost every day someone has something like brownies, donuts, cookies, tempting things like  that.  When they offer some I politely choose to say "No thank-you", not because I can't have it because I totally could.  I say no because I don't want it.  It’s a subtle difference but it makes a really big difference in how your mind processes decisions.  I know it may sound a little weird but try it, it works.

Add not Subtract
The next thing to do is not focus on taking things away from yourself.  Your mind hates this!  Instead focus on adding things in.  One week try adding in Quinoa to a couple of your meals and eating one more veggie per day than normal.  The next week focus on adding a glass of water a day or adding something "raw" to your daily routine,  like raw almonds, or seeds of some sort. When you focus on adding things automatically other things are being taken away but since you are not focusing on taking things away your mind will not play crazy tricks on you.

Acceptance
 The last thing is to embrace yourself at this very moment in time.  Take comfort in knowing wherever you are in life is exactly where you are supposed to be.  Be proud of youself for recognizing where you are today and deciding to take action and make changes.  That alone is a HUGE step and you deserve to feel so good about that decision.  It's ok that you may not be at your ideal weight or that you are not eating as healthy as you want, or exercising as much as you want right now.  This will be part of your story.  A story that will inspire others to make change and as you are helping others on their journey you will be able to say "I've been there", you'll know the challenges others face and more importantly how to help.  It doesn't matter that you are not there yet because you will get there.


 
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You know the saying “You are what you eat.” well in the case of consuming animal products “You are what they ate!”  

So if the recent news of “Pink Slime” has you squirming and feeling nauseous keep reading because there are other more dangerous things lurking in your burger or glass of milk.

Commercialized meat is serious business.  Ranchers are under intense pressure from Wall Street to produce meat and milk the fastest way possible turning their cattle into drug addicts.  The alarming amount of antibiotics and hormones given to livestock should cause anyone to pause and really think about what is really in their food.

Seventy percent of the antibiotics produced in the United States are given to Livestock.  The Union of Concerned Scientists say about 24.6 million pounds of antibiotics are fed to livestock for non-therapeutic reasons.  In other words they are used to speed growth and to prevent disease in the animals due to their confined and unsanitary living conditions.  If you add in the amount of antibiotics used to treat sick animals that number increases significantly.  Overusing antibiotics in the raising of Livestock means we consume more antibiotics and the more we consume the more susceptible we are to drug-resistant bacteria and superbugs like the staph infection MRSA.

Hormones are other drugs given to cattle on a regular basis.  According to Science News, 80 percent of all U.S. feedlot cattle are injected with hormones.  In  2005,  of the 32.5 million cattle used for meat products about two-thirds of them were injected with hormones solely to make them grow faster.   

Conventional dairy cows in the United States are given a genetically engineered hormone called rBGH, or recombinant bovine growth hormone, to increase milk production.   Consider back in the 1950’s the average dairy cow produced almost 5,300 pounds of milk a year. Compare that to today’s typical dairy cow which produces more than 18,000 pounds!  This means bigger dollars for the dairy industry…but it comes at a cost.
  
rBGH was approved by the FDA in 1993 after barely any testing.  In fact, the only testing conducted was a 90 day study by Monsanto using 30 rats as subjects, the results were never published.  After farmers began using rBGH in their cows they reported a significant increase in Mastitis a painful inflammatory infection, deformed calves being born, open sores, and death from internal bleeding.

The use of hormones disrupts the human hormonal balance which can cause developmental problems, interfere with the reproductive system and even lead to the development of unhealthy cell growth in reproductive areas. Hormone residues are also suspected in the early onset of puberty in girls, which can put them at greater risk of developing unhealthy cell proliferation in reproductive areas.

What can you do?  Choose wisely.  I only recommend organic, green-fed, free-range meats.  Where the use of antibiotics and hormones are never used.  It’s also a ton healthier too!  Grass-fed beef is lower in fat than commercialized beef and, more importantly, contains three to five times more conjugated linoleic acid (CLA), a fatty acid, than grain-fed animals.  CLA’s have amazing health benefits like fighting cancer and diabetes, enhancing your immune system, increasing your metabolism, and aiding in weight loss.

If I can give you one piece of advice it would be to avoid all commercialized meats.  They are contaminated with drugs, pesticides, fungicides, hormones, and dioxins.  All of these toxins are poisonous to your body causing disease and illness.  Try to find organic green-fed products at your local farmers market, or use a trusted resource like this one.

 
Baby Tooth Decay
I saw a news story about the epidemic of tooth decay in toddlers. As reported by the Center for Disease Control for the first time in 40 years tooth decay in babies & toddlers is on the rise across all income levels.  Dentists are saying it's not uncommon for toddlers to come in with 6-10 cavities or more!  Children have to be put under using anesthesia to complete the necessary dental work only for the decay to return. 

Biggest contributing factor: Juice!

 I've written before about the great juice scam and how it directly relates to childhood obesity AND I can't stress enough that the juice you buy in the grocery store, especially the kind that comes in a box or pouch and is marketed to kids, is not a health food or a healthy choice.  Even if you "water it down" it's still adding unnecessary sugar on their teeth and in their bodies.  

One thought I had that was not covered in the story was the amount of sugar and sugar like products (High Fructose Corn Syrup) that are added to our food supply, it's in everything!  It is almost impossible to find products from  your grocery store without sugar ingredients like white/brown sugar, corn syrup, and maltodextrin, to name just a few.  
What may be shocking to you is that Corn Syrup is a main ingredient in the top infant formula brands sold here in the United States.  For example:  The top five ingredients listed for Similac Sensitive Formula for Fussiness and Gas are: Corn Syrup Solids, Sugar (Sucrose), Milk Protein Isolate, High Oleic Safflower Oil, Soy Oil.

Which may raise the question: Is there sugar in breastmilk?  The answer is yes, but it's not in the form of corn syrup or sucrose (table sugar), its in the form of lactose which is metabolized differently then the sugars found in formula.  Without getting to technical the body breaks it down into two simpler sugars - glucose and galactose. Your body easily converts glucose and galactose is a valuable nutrient for brain tissue development.  There are studies that show breastfed babies actually have higher IQ scores than formula fed babies later in life.  If you are interested in how the body metabolizes sucrose and fructose see The Great Juice Debate.

Conclusion:
 Over the past 30 years our daily consumption of sugar has nearly doubled.  So it should come as no huge surprise that tooth decay is becoming an epidemic in children as young as 1-2 years old across all income levels.  What I find really interesting is the reasons for adding fluoride, a known neurotoxin, to our public water supply is not being substantiated given these new statistics from the CDC.  Proving that there is absolutely no benefit to ingesting fluoride.

 
If your kids are like mine, they love special treats!  

Here is a recipe I make at least once a week because my kids think they are getting something really special and it's something I can feel really GOOD about giving to them...it's Ice-cream!   

This homemade ice cream so simple and easy to make and it's loaded with nutrients like probiotics, vitamins, omega 3's, and lots of other things that are good for growing bodies.

The organic milk he uses in the video recipes is the same milk I use and it's so delicious and contains over 30 probiotics organisms. 

Happy ice-creaming!
To use the same amazing ingredients Jordan uses in the video click here.
 
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It’s a New Year—are you ready to Change Your Diet and experience the abundant health you’ve been missing in your life?

Many of you write to me and ask..."What's in your refrigerator?"  We always have Greenfed Cultured Dairy products, raw cheeses, cultured whey protein beverages, and Greenfed beef.  I buy all these products from an amazing company called Beyond Organic. Oh!  I forgot to mention chocolate (See I AM totally normal!)
 
There has never been a better day than today to start living Organic! I'm so excited that for a limited time, Beyond Organic is offering a FREE, one-year Preferred Customer Membership ($19.95 value) to anyone who orders the new Preferred Customer Value Pack PLUS a free copy of Jordan’s latest book, Live Beyond Organic ($19.95 value). Act today to receive over $50 in gifts and savings with the new Preferred Customer Value Pack.
 
With your FREE Preferred Customer Membership, you’ll receive the following benefits…
20% discount on all Beyond Organic products for the year—the maximum discount available.
Order as often as you would like, or setup a monthly auto ship
Have products shipped directly to your door
Your purchase of the Preferred Customer Value Pack will include:
2 bottles Amasai™ (Milk and Honey) - ($12.50 retail value)
2 bottles SueroViv™ (Raspberry Lemonade & Orange Cinnamon) - ($7.50 retail value)
4 bars of Beyond Organic Chocolate - ($13.75 retail value)
1 lb. of GreenFinished™ Ground Beef - ($10.00 retail value)
1 lb. of GreenFed™ Raw Havarti Cheese - ($18.75 retail value)
1 year Beyond Organic Preferred Customer membership - FREE ($19.95 retail value)
1 Live Beyond Organic book by Jordan Rubin - FREE ($19.95 retail value)
1 Beyond Organic Living Magazine - FREE ($4.95 retail value)

That’s a retail value of $107.35 for just $50 (+ shipping).  Plus you will save 20% on all of your Beyond Organic foods and beverages for an entire year!  Amazing deal ( I wish I would have gotten this deal, I paid full price!)  Click here to claim your membership and value pack before they are all gone.