2012 Superfood: Chia

February 9, 2012 By Leave a Comment

Photo credit: Gabriella Ruellan

One of the superfoods for 2012 that have been getting a lot of buzz are chia seeds. Yep, this is the same chia as the terra cotta pets that are popular holiday novelty gifts. Now, you can find bags of the seeds at your local health food store. I’ve been eating them for a couple years because of their amazing benefits. Nutritionist Lisa Suriano says that by weight, the seeds have more Omega 3s than salmon and more fiber than a bowl of oatmeal. The seeds are very small and expand with a gel-like coating when they get wet. They don’t have a particular taste, but add a little crunch as a topping when they are dry.

The easiest way to eat chia seeds is to sprinkle them over a salad or bowl of oatmeal. And because they will expand in your stomach, Chia seeds are sometimes used to help keep you full.

You can also expand them before eating. One of my favorite ways to eat the expanded seeds is by mixing them with low-fat coconut milk and agave syrup. You soak the seeds in the milk for at least a half hour and it creates a rice-pudding like consistency. This is a very low-glycemic snack that appeases my sweet tooth. The coconut milk adds calories and some fat, so I don’t make this too often. If you’re like me and like specific measures, here’s a link to the recipe.

Health Warrior Chia Bars

By far the most convenient way to get your chia seeds are in protein bars. Health Warrior Chia bars are only 100 calories and taste pretty good. Right now they have a peanut butter & chocolate flavored bar, with plans to add acai berry and coconut flavors soon. I found them at my local health food store and was really impressed with the non-processed ingredients.


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Getting Rid of Toxins One Step at a Time

January 30, 2012 By Leave a Comment

During a recent talk about how to become a non-toxic New Yorker, I learned that we live among around 80,000 different chemicals and a good number mimic estrogen when they enter the body. This is potentially troublesome for women and their unborn daughters.

The talk was led by Penelope Jagessar Chaffer who directed the movie, “Toxic Baby.” The movie takes a look at toxicity and its affects on young children. Penny is lively and spirited and makes the somewhat dry topic of chemicals in our lives interesting.

Her advice for everyone is to start small and pick one area to detoxify. She said that indoor air tends to be up to five times more polluted than outdoor air, so starting at home is the easiest approach. Here are a few of her tips:

  • Take your shoes off when you get home. You don’t know what you’re tracking in.
  • Avoid products with parabens, fragrance and BPA
  • Limit dry cleaning. Clothes are cleaned with chemicals then wrapped in plastic. If you have an organic cleaner, ask them what they use to clean the clothes.
  • Avoid heating plastic in the microwave. The plastic breaks down and seeps into your food.

I admit, I tend to get bogged down with the huge list of ingredients to avoid in products and cleaners, but I think by taking it one item at a time this can become a manageable and healthy undertaking.

Photo credit: Sujin Jetkasettakorn

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‘Tis the Season for Dry Skin

January 27, 2012 By Leave a Comment

Every time I hear the heat click on, I start thinking about how important it is to keep my skin moisturized this time of year. I’m one of those people who can tell it’s winter just by my extra-dry skin. Since I try to stay natural, I was really pleased to find out that you can use pure coconut or olive oil instead of a bottled lotion. When I was on vacation in Africa a few years back, I had a massage where the therapist used pure olive oil instead of the processed oils that are used in the states. After a quick shower to remove the excess oil, my skin felt soft for days.

Using oil tends to be a little more messy than a traditional moisturizer, but can be easily applied with a cotton ball or pad. If you decide to head to the kitchen cupboard the next time you need a lotion, here are a few things to keep in mind. First, use cold pressed oil. Cold pressed oils are made using low temperatures. That means more of the nutrients and antioxidants are preserved in the oil and will make it to your skin.

The oil will absorb better if your skin is slightly damp, so try using a couple drops after you wash your hands or get out of the shower.

There are a few downsides to using oil. One is that you don’t get the mix of oils and antioxidants you’ll find in a formulated moisturizer. That means you’re not getting a range of benefits. You can combat this by mixing a few different oils together.

The other thing to remember is that pure oil doesn’t contain SPF like many lotions, so it’s important to follow the oil with an SPF before heading outdoors.

Photo credit: m_bartosch

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Time to Think About Summer Produce

January 25, 2012 By Leave a Comment

It seems like an odd time of year to think about where you’ll get your fruits and vegetables come summer, but it’s actually the perfect time to consider buying a share in a CSA, or Community Supported Agriculture program. Simply put, CSA members buy a share of a farm’s product and receive regular deliveries throughout the growing season. Participants pay upfront now so farmers can plan how much they will plant and buy materials. You also want to reserve your spot while there is still room available.

The benefit to consumers is farm fresh produce usually grown close to home. It’s also common receive a greater variety of foods than you would normally buy at the grocery store. Depending on the farm you choose, you might have multiple types of apples or corn delivered or even some produce you wouldn’t normally buy. The downside is figuring out how to prepare the bounty you’ll receive.

I just relocated to Virginia and here some farmers team up with one another to offer CSA members an even greater variety of options and a longer growing season. One CSA has options for a produce, share, diary share or a mushroom share to choose from.

Many farms also offer options to harvest some of your own food to keep consumer costs low. So take a few minutes and do a little research on the CSAs in your area. It could change the way you eat this summer.

Photo credit: happykanppy / FreeDigitalPhotos.net

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Great Deal on Organic Bedding!

January 23, 2012 By Leave a Comment

For the next week Raksha Bella Organics is having a huge sale on all of their products. I scored a baby crib set I had my eyes on for 70% off today! Make sure you take a look at all of their beautiful products.

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I’m back for the year of the Dragon!

January 23, 2012 By Leave a Comment

It’s been awhile – but Method Wellness is back up and running. While the site hasn’t been very active, we have. Home base is now in Richmond, VA and Ray and I are eagerly awaiting the birth of our first child. That news makes living a natural life even more important for me.

Along with the life changes, you’ll notice a change to the look of the blog also. I now use a different subscription service, so take a moment and subscribe to Method Wellness, your source for the best information on natural living in a modern world.

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Getting Your Manicure and Staying Non-Toxic Too

September 2, 2011 By Leave a Comment

Photo credit: VampyVarnish.com

Going to the salon for a mani/pedi is one of the ways I like to relax and unwind. But worrying about toxins in the nail polish that is used can really be a buzzkill. A while back, chemicals in nail polish, specifically dibutyl phthalate (DBP), were linked to birth defects in future baby boys. Finally, the big nail polish companies have caught up and created a distinction called “3-Free.” That means that the polishes are free of DBP, toluene and formaldehyde. These chemicals have all been linked to ailments from headaches and dizziness to more serious conditions like cancer and reproductive issues.

Here’s a great article from All Lacquered Up that breaks it all down. Basically, DBP is a plasticizer that’s used to prevent chips and cracks, toluene is a solvent that makes nail polish easy to apply and formaldehyde makes the finish tough and resistant, but is usually not found in polishes so it’s less of a concern.

The author of the All Lacquered Up article says she’s not sure these chemicals are bad for you, but I say why take the chance?

Popular salon brands like CND, Essie and OPI have 3-free bottles. All the Essie polishes with a blue label are 3-free, as are green-labeled OPI bottles.

If you want to chose a polish made with even fewer chemicals, try brands like butter LONDON, Aquarella or Honeybee Gardens. There are even some brands for kids like Piggy Paint, so you and your little ones can look polished without the fumes, toxins or worry.

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Easy Tips for Buying Organic Produce

August 26, 2011 By 1 Comment

Apples rank #1 on the "Dirty Dozen" list

One of the biggest reasons most people don’t buy 100% organic is because it can really drive up your grocery bill. So, like many, I end up having to make choices when it comes to organic vs. conventional. The area of the grocery store with the most choices tends to be the produce section. The one rule I almost always follow is that I buy conventional produce if the fruit or veggie has a skin that I remove before eating, like bananas or oranges. Yes, the pesticides could seep through, but if I’m going to draw a line, that seems like a good place to start. Otherwise, I try to buy organic. But even then, I wonder if it’s really worth higher price.

Thankfully, the Environmental Working Group makes grocery trips a little easier with their annual list, “The Dirty Dozen.” They list the 12 fruits and veggies that they found to have the highest levels of pesticides. If you’re going to buy organic, these are the choices to make in the produce aisle. The top five are:

  1. Apples
  2. Celery
  3. Strawberries
  4. Peaches
  5. Spinach
You can find the entire list here. And an explanation of how those foods made the list here.

The EWG also has a list of the “clean 15.” These are the fruits and veggies least likely to test positive for pesticides. That means they are ok to buy conventional. The top five are:

  1. Onions
  2. Sweet Corn
  3. Onions
  4. Avocado
  5. Asparagus
Click here for the full list.
The list is too long to commit to memory, so I like to bookmark either this page or the page linked with the entire list and pull it up on my iPhone when I get to the grocery story. That way I don’t have to guess and I know I’m getting all the benefits of fresh produce sans the nasty chemicals.
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Best of BlogHer ’11

August 24, 2011 By 4 Comments

I had the opportunity to attend the annual BlogHer conference in San Diego recently. On top of meeting lots of wonderful bloggers and sitting in on inspirational seminars, I got a chance to check out the BlogHer Expo. The Expo was filled with companies introducing their products. Most were mommy-blogger oriented, but I found a few that really stuck out and wanted to share them with you.

Scotch Magic Greener Tape 

While tape might come to mind when you’re thinking of going green, Scotch is changing that perception with their Greener Tape which is made with plant-based adhesive and film. The refillable dispenser and tape core are both made of recycled plastic also. The best part – this version of the popular Scotch product makes the same iconic sound when you rip the tape, and it works and costs the same as the original.

Michael Angelo’s Natural Line 

I really like eating hot food for lunch and nothing is more convenient than a frozen meal. The taste of those meals usually leaves a lot to be desired. Now there’s Michael Angelo’s natural line. The frozen meals don’t contain any preservatives, and have all-natural ingredients, some of which are organic. I got to try a sample at the expo and thought it was pretty good. I don’t think I’d take one to work for lunch every day as the sodium is still a little high, but for days when I’m in a hurry, I’d love to have some of these meals in my freezer ready to go.

Coffee–Mate Natural Bliss Coffee Creamer 

I have to admit, I stopped by this booth more than once for a sample of this coffee creamer. I really liked the vanilla flavor and was impressed when I turned the package over and found that it was made with only four ingredients: Nonfat Milk, Heavy Cream, Sugar and natural flavor. Because it’s a real dairy product, you have to keep it refrigerated, but the creamy sweet taste is worth it.

Boiron’s Arnicare Gel and Oscillococcinum

The names might be hard to pronounce (Oscillococcinum?), but Boiron’s products are some of my favorites when it comes to relieving common ailments. I love that my local drugstore, Duane Reade, carries the brand and even before the expo, I had many of Boiron’s products in my medicine cabinet. They are all homeopathic, so I feel safe taking them. The Arnicare Gel contains arnica and is a topical cream used for muscle pain, bruising and swelling. I used it on sore legs one night and felt better pretty quickly. The Oscillococcinum is to ward off flu symptoms. I’ve had good luck with this remedy also – so much so that I have stared to look for the Bioron alternative to traditional brands when I’m buying OTC medicine.

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Benefits of Organic Wine

August 17, 2011 By Leave a Comment

Written by: Lora Moncheck

Organic Wine Section at West Point Market

Lately I have been on an organic food kick.  And I figured if I am going to eat organic I may as well drink organic as well, and that includes alcohol.  It wasn’t very easy for me to find the organic wine.  I searched my local grocery stores and couldn’t find it anywhere.  I finally found it at a specialty food store near me called West Point Market in Akron, Ohio. They didn’t have a big selection but I did have a few options to choose from.  Trader Joe’s is also another store that has a decent collection of organic wines.

To be a certified organic wine, it has to be made from organic grapes which are grown with no pesticides.  However, natural wine is wine that is grown with organic grapes and does not contain sulfates or one that has less than 10 parts per a million naturally occurring sulfates in it.

The bottle I chose was called Our Daily Red from California.  I prefer sweet red so this was a little bitter for my liking, but still good. The smell and taste was the same as other conventional wines I’ve had in the past.  It also only cost $10 for the bottle, which I didn’t think was a bad deal at all. In fact, all of the bottles were priced around $10 – $20.

If you have ever read “Skinny Bitch” by Rory Freedman and Kim Barnouin you’ll know they rave about organic red wine.  It is filled with antioxidants, cancer-fighters and helps prevents heart disease.  Since organic wine is seemingly better for you, not overly priced and tastes no different, I can’t see why I wouldn’t continue to by it in the future if I can find it.

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