summer essentials

<W scrutinizing the honest sunscreen before taking a bite>

Growing up in Florida, I have always loved going to the beach. It's even better now that we have a mini to tote with us. I keep expecting him to go crazy for the sand, but he's still pretty fascinated by the sunscreen bottle! Since summer basically started in April down here, my beach bag has stayed packed for the past few weeks, and probably will be through September.

Happy Mother's Day

Something inside you changes on the day you become a mother. 

Herbivore Botanicals

A couple of years ago I became a stickler about reading labels on food before I purchased it. However, it was only until recently that I became more aware of all of the crazy ingredients in beauty products. Have you ever noticed how many bath products simply list "fragrance" as one of the ingredients? I've decided to start using products that aren't hiding all of their ingredients.

anti-inflammatory citrus juice

When I was 10, I slipped a vertebrae in my back. Ever since, I've struggled with back pain practically every day. I avoid taking any medication as much as possible, and try to find natural remedies to alleviate the pain (krill oil, herbal remedies, etc.). Pineapple cores are anti-inflammatory, so lately I've been incorporating them into juices.

change your perspective

Growing up in Florida, going to Disney and SeaWorld are practically rights of passage. I haven't been to SeaWorld in years, and I can officially confirm I won't return. After I {finally} watched Blackfish last night, my heart hurt for these beautiful creatures that are ripped from their mothers {literally} to spend their lives in a cage. Given my line of work, the corporate blame-game that went on after the trainer was killed did not surprise me whatsoever. I implore you to rent this enthralling movie next week when it comes out on iTunes {due to my nonexistent levels of patience, I now own Blackfish, and may have a viewing party soon to justify the purchase}.

honey sesame wild salmon

As you may have noticed from previous fish recipes, I have no problem eating sea kittens {in case you are losing sleep over the consumption of fish, PETA started a wildly unpopular campaign back in 2009 to save the fish by calling them sea kittens}. I do, however, require the fish to be wild. Back in 2003, the University of Albany published research which confirmed concentrations of contaminants were significantly higher in farmed salmon in comparison to wild salmon. Recent studies have not quelled my aversion to farmed fish, so I buy wild or stick to land dwellers.

the many benefits of coconut oil

I love coconut oil. I use it for basically everything: cooking, moisturizing my cuticles, homemade sugar scrubs, removing fake eyelashes that refused to release from my eyelids, etc. The benefits of coconut oil are pretty amazing. I'd like to think the benefits of coconut oil are old news, but somehow the age-old advice that low-fat diets are the best thing out there lives on.

Irony

Perhaps in an attempt to garner favor with the nutrition-oriented crowd, McDonald's is going to include a book instead of a toy with its Happy Meals over the next two months. I'm sure that will make many a busy parent rushing through the drive-thru in the hopes the toy will make her child happier, happy. What is truly ironic about this new marketing scheme (other than the fact children do not usually realize you're marketing to them and toys are usually a more popular way to get them through the drive-thru, sadly), is that the books are premised on nutrition. Not that these books say "don't eat McDonald's because not even mold will eat it," but, rather, are geared more towards "don't eat too much" and "eating well will help you grow." Obviously, taking a truly "nutritional" path would be quite the juxtaposition.

A lot of companies with processed, chemical laden foods market to children. It's really unfair, since the parent then has the pleasure of dealing with an unhappy child who is not allowed to buy the "chocolate drink" of choice {yes, yoohoo, this is you}. McDonald's successfully defended, and achieved dismissal, of a lawsuit against it based on the argument that parents have the ability to just say no to their pleasantly screaming child.

McDonald's book plan may not stop children from wanting a Happy Meal. {My last excursion to McDonald's was a long time ago, but the fries? So good.} However, maybe once they have 4 copies of The Goat Who Ate Everything, they'll be more willing to forego the drive-thru, at least the one at McDonald's.

blackened redfish with mashed coconut lime infused faux potatoes

Blackened redfish is one of my all-time favorite entrees, hands down. If you do not have redfish on hand, this recipe will work perfectly with either grouper or mahi, or another white, flaky fish. It paired perfectly with mashed coconut lime infused cauliflower {aka faux potatoes}. I also sauteed two bunches of baby bok choy because my husband likes to eat a lot to get some green on our plates.

it's a wrap.

It's hard to believe summer is almost over {I'm just ignoring the fact it'll be hot here until December}. We spent the weekend house hunting {!!}, scouring the local antique shops, and then relaxing at the beach on Sunday. 

ewg's dirty dozen

Frankly, it's not always easy to buy organic. Either the produce simply isn't available, or it isn't economically feasible to buy organic all the time {organic produce is absolutely more expensive than conventional}.

The Environmental Working Group recently released the Dirty Dozen: its list of fruits and vegetables containing the most pesticide residues, as well as the list of "clean" {the "Clean Fifteen"} fruits and veggies that are safer to buy conventional. 

Both sweet corn and papaya made the "Clean Fifteen" list. We tend to only buy organic corn because so much corn in the US is genetically modified (about 88%), and, honestly, I'm not sure whether corn is marketed all that clearly as simply corn or "sweet corn," so we'll probably stick to organic {when we're breaking paleo of course, since corn is, unfortunately, a grain}.  Apparently, most Hawaiian papaya is genetically modified, so choosing organic may be the best choice there as well. 

The "Dirty Dozen" is a great reference for determining when to demand organic {I admit it saddens me that sweet bell peppers are a member of the Dirty Dozen; I can almost never find organic bell peppers here}.  Looks to me like if it is thin skinned, or a green, leafy vegetable, buy organic.

milk: does it really do a body good?

When we first switched to eating Paleo, I literally mourned my Starbuck's caramel macchiato. I thought, but it's only 120 (or so) calories! I'm drinking skim milk! Who cares about sugar? Now, I don't even consider ordering one, and I probably haven't intentionally had milk in about 2 years {I have had ice cream, largely because I have an undeniable sweet tooth. This is on my list of wants needs after purchasing Paleo Cooking from Elana's Pantry which is full of paleo ice cream recipes.} While I'm certainly no expert on the issue of milk, my morning latte is now half full of almond milk (and made at home).

the naked truth.

A few days ago, Naked, owned by PepsiCo, settled a $9 million dollar class action stemming from the brand's use of the phrase "all natural" on its labels. Unfortunately {due to a crazy work week}, I was behind the times on this one and bought a jug of green machine last night. Since it was $9, I'll probably drink it, but that will be the last one for me, except during airport desperation. {Wouldn't someone make a fortune opening up a chain in airports that served edible, healthy food? [Starbucks does not count.]}

nails done, hair done, everything did.

//source//

We all love a fresh mani {this post has nothing to do with hair, but "nails done" may not have cued Drake in your mind}. In case you were wondering (and if you weren't now you'll know), not all nail polish is created equal. Believe it or not, the toxins in nail polish is actually an oft-discussed issue, although we'll admit it isn't really something we've given much thought. After a little browsing last week, we decided from here on out, we'll bring our own base, color and top coat to the salon. Why?  We want all nail polish landing on our nails to be either "3 free" or "5 free."

quick reference: organic labeling.

Connecticut recently made history by becoming the first state in the nation to pass a bill requiring the labeling of genetically modified organisms {note: many GMO crops are outlawed in Europe and Japan}. Given Monsanto's lobbying capabilities, it is unlikely we will see widespread change anytime soon. Most Americans say they would avoid buying genetically modified food if it was labeled.

When buying fruits and veggies, you can determine if the item is organic by checking the PLU (price look-up) code. This handy code is located on that pesky sticker on your fruit and vegetables.

If it starts with a 9, it is organic, and you're good to go. There was a widespread rumor - some refer to it as an "urban legend" - that five digit PLUs beginning with an 8 marked GMOs. I realized I had never seen one and thought that might be because I shop at Whole Foods. Wrong. Turns out, the concept exists that GMOs could be marked with a five digit code beginning with an 8, but in reality, it is not in practice.

And why would it be? Americans have indicated a desire to avoid genetically modified produce, but GMOs cannot be avoided if they are not labeled. The only way to avoid GMOs entirely is to buy organic. Which is exactly what your representative will tell you to do if you ask why a concerted effort is not being made to require the labeling of GMOs.

Ignorance is bliss? Not for us. We'll keep trying to buy all organic, despite the difficulties (price, availability, non-local, etc.).

out with the mold.

We cut peanuts out of our lives about two years ago. Peanuts, one of the most common food allergens, are not nuts, they are legumes (this has been confirmed by the Mayo Clinic). Thus, an allergy to peanuts is distinct from a nut allergy (children allergic to peanuts are not necessarily allergic to tree nuts such as almonds). No one in our household is allergic, but we've sworn off peanuts for a different reason entirely. The culprit? Aflatoxins. While opponents resoundingly state - aflatoxins are naturally occurring (!) - I personally do not want to eat something, naturally occurring or not, containing the word "toxin." The aflatoxins are in the soil, not the "nut," and, as a result, you may also find it in grains, hay, etc., as well as in dairy produced from a cow which consumed contaminated food. The FDA allows aflatoxin contamination at "low levels" because aflatoxins are considered unavoidable contaminants. The issue with this naturally occurring toxin? It's linked to liver cancer (according to this study, high levels of aflatoxin exposure have been shown to cause hepatitis necrosis) and has been shown to cause cancer in animals.  This apparently requires high levels of exposure, but what exactly is high?

the first pitch.

(I know this video is old news, but it's two year anniversary is practically new-news.)

As all of my family and closest friends (as well as those who eat within earshot of me) know, I've developed an increasing fear (for lack of a better word) of what exactly it is I'm consuming on a daily basis. This has led me to torture my husband with copious amounts of information I'm sure he occasionally wishes he never learned (i.e., peanuts are contaminated with carcinogenic mold).  Although I also love to "educate" my co-workers, family, etc., I realize I may be alone in my zeal for reading food labels. Every now and then I catch myself and I realize I probably sound like Debbie Downer just as someone is really enjoying their "delicious" ham and turkey sandwich (nothing against sandwiches) {just kidding, sandwiches are horrible since most contain processed meat}.