Displaying items by tag: health

I've been babysitting since I was about 12 years old because I love children and it's a great way to make extra money; I still do it from time to time for those reasons. Today, I looked after one of my favorite families in Los Angeles, but made some interesting observations about their lifestyles.

Let me begin by saying that my feelings and thoughts on this matter are not meant to come across as a judgement, especially on this family. Mainly, I am frustrated with mass production of some baby products, which are marketed as healthy and nutritious but are far from it. Families purchase these items because they are inexpensive and have familiar brand names, and it saddens me that there is so much ignorance.
Published in Children & Pregnancy

I often receive questions from readers via email and I love them - keep 'em coming! Here is a recent question and my answer.

Question: 

"I was hoping you may have some advice for my friend. She recently was told that for two weeks to a month she has to be completely gluten-free, yeast-free, sugar-free, and dairy-free to cleanse her body because she developed a yeast infection in her intestines. That means she cannot have her usual fruit, oatmeal and whole-grain breads, so pretty much she is at a loss for what to eat. She is also taking a host of herbal remedies and acidophilus, but I thought I would try to help as much as possible and do research and ask others for some help. If you have any information or suggestions that may help her, I would so greatly appreciate it."

Published in Health Food


My change in diet has been so rewarding - I feel great, I've lost weight and have been told I look radiant, and I save money by cooking for myself. Plus, I've been inspired to find more ways to be healthy. Check out what I've accomplished recently in the following video:



Several people have asked if I have cravings or ever cheat, and the answers are sort of and yes. I occasionally get cravings, but find that when I eat a whole foods meal they go away. However, occasionally I'll cheat and eat something with gluten, soy, oil, or sugar. Sometimes when I do this I feel the effects right away - headaches, change in mood, tingly - it depends how much is in it or what kind of ingredient. Overall, I'm sticking to this diet indefinitely because I feel awesome. Trust me, you can do it too if you want to and if you put your mind to it. : )

What have you been doing to keep yourself healthy recently?

Published in Health Food

Every Friday there is a farmers market within walking distance from my apartment, but I rarely go because it closes at 11am and I'm usually still sleeping (I'm a night owl and don't go to bed until 3 or 4am)! However, since I've been eating so much produce recently I decided it's worth getting up "early" at 10am and making it a weekly trip. Today I made my first trip there in a while and bought a bunch of delicious, local food that will last me about a week - all for less than $30! The best part is, most things at the farmer's market are naturally free of gluten, soy, refined sugar, and oil (unless you buy pre-made food like bread).

I realized that I'm often writing about what I don't eat: I don't eat gluten, I don't eat soy, I don't eat refined-sugar, I don't eat oil. People probably think I'm depriving myself! Sure, I post recipes and list what I consume everyday, but I feel like it's time I highlight all the amazing food I do eat. Check out this video of all the organic produce I picked up today and stay tuned for the recipes I'll use them in later this week.



Here's a list of what I bought:

  • Apples
  • Grapefruit
  • Avocado
  • Daikon Radish
  • Carrots
  • Bok Choy
  • Beech Mushrooms
  • Tomatoes
  • Fingerling Potatoes
  • Onion
  • Cabbage
  • Kale
  • Mixed Greens
  • Cilantro
  • Basil
Keep in mind these are just the items I bought at the market today - they do not include any of the grains, seeds, nuts, or spices I use, or any other produce I've purchased recently.


Have any good recipe ideas for these ingredients? Comment below to share! : )
Published in Health Food
Thursday, 27 May 2010 11:33

Veggie Burgers: Taste of a Poison Paradise?



I've been writing articles for Healthy Bitch Daily for a few months and they give me the greatest assignments. I love researching the topics, and my most recent contribution is one of my favorites. HBD asked me to write about hexane in veggie burgers, and what I found was shocking. Before you bite into another piece of soy, please read this. I list some companies that make soy-free (and some gluten-free) burgers in the article.

Other pieces I have written for them:

Healthy Bitch Daily is the brainchild of Kim Barnouin, Co-Author of Skinny Bitch. The site is a fantastic resource on health and beauty with a cheeky twist. You can subscribe to their daily feed/email newsletter, follow them on Twitter, and like them on Facebook.
Published in Health Food
Wednesday, 26 May 2010 22:26

Chemtrails: a myth or a government conspiracy?

_1011072P by Calderona.Trails.

Is the above a photo of a beautiful cloudy day, or a toxic sky?

A few months ago I met someone who told me that the government was secretly spraying chemicals into the air that were harmful to our health. I was terrified, so I did a little research and most sources said they were a myth. However, today I found the following video which provides some visual evidence that chemtrails may be the real deal. This trailer for the documentary What in the World are They Spraying? is horrifying.

Sunday, 23 May 2010 20:13

No Need For 'Poo


I'm sure it is obvious that I'm obsessed with finding new ways to be healthier and greener, and I'm about to take a step in a pretty radical direction: I'm going to stop shampooing my hair.
Published in Hair and Nails


Please read my health disclaimer

I am on another health mission/journey/experiment: greatly reduce the amount of oil I consume, or eliminate it all together. This topic will be elaborated in another post - I have a lot more research to do. In summary, many people that I trust have explained that oil is actually not that good for us, even olive oil. This may seem strange, since olive oil is something most people think is very healthy - turns out that might not be so true. Like most things, moderation is key, though some people believe we shouldn't eat oil at all. My friends Lex & Kristen have a great blog called The Healthy Vegans where they discuss this more in detail - most of their diet is based on Dr. McDougall. You can also check out Exsalus Health & Wellness. Again, I will do a well-reseached post soon and let you know more.

Published in Health Food

Is it just me, or is this oil spill situation kinda confusing? Maybe I just don't pay enough attention to the media/news, but I barely understand what's going on and how bad it is. Therefore, I figured it would benefit myself and perhaps some readers if I did some research and broke it all down.

Deepwater Horizon - Gulf of Mexico oil spill won't stop Shell's Alaska drilling plan

What Happened?

  • An explosion and and subsequent fire sank the drilling platform Deepwater Horizon (which BP was leasing from its owner, Transocean) and triggered the mile-deep oil gusher that has defied efforts to stem it, taking 11 workers with it. (CNN 1; 2; 3)

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