Ask not only what you put in your body, but also what you put on your body…

For years I have put thought into what I put in my body, but have never given much thought to all of the products I use daily to cleanse, moisturize and beautify. Then, recently I did some reading and research to find that all of the cosmetics I have used most of my life are toxic. Ahhhh! Yes, I am mad, but why have I not thought of this before? The truth is that it takes time and money to figure these things out. I spent a whole afternoon just researching the products I currently use. Then I started to research the safer products that I want to start using, and from looking at the product reviews there is a good reason women continue to use the popular toxic cosmetics. They work better and are cheaper! I was looking for a new mineral powder foundation and in every review there was a comment about the lack of coverage. That is the purpose of a foundation! I am frustrated by this new knowledge, but I think we all need to be aware of what we are putting on our skin. Your skin absorbs these chemicals and in many of these products there are ingredients that can modify your hormones. This is especially important with baby products because they are very sensitive to slight changes in hormones. In my research I read an article on the suspected effects of tea tree oil and lavender causing gynecomastia (development of breast tissue) in young boys. Just think about how many baby products have these ingredients and how harmless they sound. Now think about all the ingredients you don’t recognize and can’t even pronounce.


Here are some sites that have great information on skin care products. I will blog about any products I try.

http://healthychild.org/blog/comments/9_better_baby_lotions_and_potions_you_can_make_in_minutes/ (good blog on homemade baby products)

http://www.ewg.org/2010sunscreen/(for info. on safer sunscreens)

www.cosmeticsdatabase.com/ (info. on cosmetics, gives safety ratings and details of toxicity of ingredients)

A shift towards veganism...

I've just recently finished my paper for the completion of my bachelors in human biology. In it, I made the case that we should all shift to a more vegetarian style diet because of the associated health benefits. I searched through several studies done on people who follow vegetarian diets versus those who eat meat based diets around the globe. The results were always similar: people who follow a meat based diet have higher rates of obesity, high blood pressure, coronary heart disease, elevated cholesterol levels, diabetes, higher BMI and higher incidences of some cancers and degenerative diseases; while people who follow a vegetarian diet have decreased incidences of these diseases.

Over the past two years I have shifted my own diet from the traditional meat based diet to a primarily vegan diet (no meat or dairy). I have done this for many reasons which I will explain. Now, when I say ‘meat based diet’, I am referring to the diet that centers around meat. This means that most meals have a large portion of meat with a side. I have learned that we should make vegetables the center of the meal with small side portions of meat and/or grains. (This is the suggestion of Dr. Seaman who authors deflame.com)

Why the shift to veganism? Firstly, the research shows that meat based diets are associated with many of the diseases plaguing Americans. Dr. Ornish has even demonstrated that a diet restricting meat can stop or in some cases reverse heart disease. I am honestly not completely against the eating of meat, but I am scared of the meat being sold and served to me. The animals that are to become our food are being pumped with hormones, antibiotics, pesticides and fed highly inflammatory grain diets and living in stressful environments. All of these factors are transferred to us when we eat them. The purpose of eating is to obtain nutrients, not toxins. The next logical question most people may ask is; how do you get your protein? The average American actually gets too much protein in their diet (75-160g/day). This puts extra stress on the liver and kidneys. The recommendation of 46-56 grams per day for the average adult is even higher than really needed. I have seen research showing that 35-50g of protein per day is adequate for most adults. This can be met by eating a handful of nuts, a cup of soy milk and vegetables and grains throughout the day, or if you choose one portion of meat will satisfy this. Yes, vegetables and grains have small amounts of protein. So getting protein for a vegan is no problem. The only problem is getting vitamin B12, because this vitamin is only found in animal products. Personally, I take a B12 supplement and eat a portion of meat every few weeks for my insurance.

I am not suggesting that everyone become vegan, but that our diets shift towards less meat and dairy and more vegetables, fruit and nuts. I think that this switch in dietary mindset will help prevent many lifestyle illnesses. So eat your fruit and veggies today!

Freakin' awesome Greek Salad with Tofu "Feta"

I made this a few days ago for the first time and loved it. I have used the marinated Tofu "Feta" with other recipes and I love it. (It reminds me of soft mozzarella more than feta, but still yummy) The best part about this salad was that my husband liked it too. If you knew my husband and how picky he is then you would be amazed too. Give it a try and let me know what you think.
Ingredients:

• 2 tbs red wine vinegar
• 4 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 tsp Dijon mustard
• ½ tsp fine sea salt
• ½ tsp pepper
• ¼ cup EVOO
• 2 tomatoes diced
• 1 cucumber, peeled, halved lengthwise, and sliced
• ¼ red onion, thinly sliced
• 3 cups marinated Tofu “Feta” * (you could use Feta, but I suggest giving this a try, you might like it and you are getting the protein of the soy and not eating fatty cheese filled with hormones, antibiotics, pesticides, and who knows what else)
• Salad greens (optional, but I used romaine)
• Pitted black olives (I hate olives so I omitted them and it was still awesome)

Directions: In a small bowl, whisk together the red wine vinegar, garlic, mustard, salt, and pepper. Slowly whisk in the olive oil; set dressing aside.
In a large bowl, combine the tomatoes, cucumber, onion and olives if you wish. Gently toss in the marinated Tofu “Feta” and dressing to taste. Serve as a side dish, or on top of salad greens for an entrée.

*Marinated Tofu “Feta”

• 2 tbs EVOO
• 1 1/2 tbs lemon juice
• 1 tsp dried oregano
• 1 tsp fine sea salt
• ½ tsp crushed red pepper
• 14-16 oz firm or extra firm tofu, cut into ¾ inch cubes

-In a medium bowl, whisk together the olive oil, lemon juice, oregano, salt and red pepper. Add the tofu and toss gently. Let marinate for at least 1 hour, stir occasionally.

I must give credit to "Skinny Bitch In the Kitch" for this recipe. Thank you!

You may want to re-think drinking milk...

ever again! You may be thinking.... "well, Jessica how am I going to get my calcium, or I don't want to get osteoporosis" For one, there are plenty of other sources of calcium far superior to milk or dairy and, did you know that the countries with the highest dairy consumption also have the highest rates of osteoporosis. And, yes the U.S. is among them. In the Harvard's Nurses Health Study which is a reputable study, dairy was shown to have an increased risk of bone fractures. What? I grew up thinking that I needed to drink milk to gain healthy strong bones and now I am finding out that I need to avoid milk to prevent fractures. Aaaaaa! While this was tough to swallow at first, I am now used to this fact. Here are some more interesting facts about dairy that will make you think twice before pouring milk over your cereal.
- Too much dairy can cause iron deficiency
- Cow's milk has one of the lowest calcium absorption rates
- Dairy causes an acidic environment in the body which causes calcium to be excreted in the urine
- The milk protein casein in cow’s milk promotes all stages of cancer
- The cows that provide milk are loaded with bovine growth hormone and antibiotics (by the way BGH is banned in most countries)
- A lovely list of diseases linked to dairy consumption (from The China Study and other sources)
   - heart disease
   - diabetes
   - obesity
   - osteoporosis
   - kidney stones
   - cataracts
   - macular degeneration
   - multiple sclerosis
   - Alzheimer’s
   - breast cancer
   - prostate cancer
   - colon cancer
   - rectal cancer
   - type I diabetes
   - Crohn’s disease
   - leukemia
   - infertility
   - ear infections

And one more thing to think about… cow’s milk is for baby cows! Just like human milk is for baby humans. Our bodies are only equipped to metabolize milk when we are babies. We even start to lose the enzyme needed to breakdown milk at 18 mo. to 4 years. Try to stop drinking milk for a while and you will notice a difference. I did, and I have not looked back. (OK, yes I may splurge on some yummy Cold Stone every now and then, but please don’t judge=))


I am reading "Skinny Bitch, Bun in the Oven" so that's where I have gotten a lot of this info., so I recomend reading that book or the original "Skinny Bitch" book for some great nutritional info.