I remember my older sister taking me to Oceans of Fun when I was about 11 years old and being the teenager sister she was, she really didn’t seem to have the motherly instinct of reminding me to put on sunscreen. I remember my face got so bunt that it blistered up and I ended up at the doctors office where they coated me with some burn cream and bandages. Needless to say that my mom was not happy with my sister.
As I approached my teenage years, I was still trying to fool myself that I could tan by rubbing baby oil on my skin and laying outside on the deck or using the new quick tanning products that were on the market. Anybody remember the QT in the blue and white bottle? Neither seemed to work as I either turned out red as a lobster or as orange as a pumpkin.
After becoming a mom, I made it a priority to protect my kids from the suns rays, and even though I had heard you should wear sunscreen year around, I never really did and even jumped on the tanning bed bandwagon for a few years.
As you can see, the years are catching up with me and the fine lines and wrinkles are appearing.
As an Ambassador for Whole Foods Market, we are given information on a certain topic and asked to share it with you. As you might have guessed this months theme is all about sunscreen. I am an avid believer that you can never stop learning and when I read this post, I learned some new things I never knew about sunscreen.
For starters I always thought sunscreen would prevent skin cancer, that I really didn’t need to wear sunscreen when driving and I didn’t realize there are two types of sunscreen. I also had no idea that some chemicals in sunscreens can disrupt the endocrine system and harm marine wildlife.
And although, as you will read in the post above that sunscreen will not prevent skin cancer, I have to believe that some is better than none.
Reality has hit me recently when I went to the dermatologist to see about some injectables for wrinkling (which I will cover in another post sometime soon.) Long story short, right away she pointed out that the most wrinkled side of my face was the one that faced the drivers side window and that the rays can still penetrate through the glass, causing premature aging and not too much can be done to fix that, but sunscreen can help further damage.
This video on how the sun sees your skin and how sunscreen works totally blew me away. I already have a visible freckles on my face and neck and would be very interested in seeing my skin under this ultra-violet light.
So now that I am a sunscreen advocate, what do I choose?
For me I like a high spf and and chemical free. I love Alba Organics, Kiss My Face and Jason which are all available at Whole Foods Market. If you happen to get too much sun and need a little relief from a sunburn, you can also get Jason after sun aloe vera.
I’m also a fan of getting under an umbrella or cabana when poolside!
Make sure when you stop into Whole Foods Market to get your sunscreen grab a green juice for the juice bar to nourish your insides too! I think my next steps to give up the straws so I don’t get such fine lines around my lips.
I would love to hear what anti aging tips you have and your thoughts on sunscreen.
This tour took us a little deeper into the science of our food where we got to tour the Monsanto headquarters in St. Louis, Missouri. What an eye opening experience it was for me!
Inside Monsanto Facility
I have to admit, I have been a one sided girl on the issue of GMO’s and have been totally against them. I have enjoyed the opportunity to work with Kansas Farm Bureau and attend these tours to get more educated on the issue.
Since the 90’s Monsanto has primarily been a seed company spending most of their research on plant breeding which has been going on for centuries. That is how we have so many varieties of fruits and vegetables. Check out all the vegetables we have now that stemmed from breeding the yellow mustard plant. It’s given us crops like cabbage, brussels sprouts, kohlrabi, kale, broccili and cauliflower.
Monsanto does however still produce Round-Up and has two primary sections of the company, seeds and crop protection. Both focus on agriculture just in different areas.
We did not get into too much discussion on the crop protection production side of things at this visit so I cannot comment very much on that issue.
We did however talk a lot about GMO’s. What makes GMO’s a little different then plant breeding is there is more science and biotechnology that goes into making the seed. They look at issues that farmers are facing and try to help develop seeds that help with weed, pest control and other issues.
So here are few questions I had and answers I got.
How did Monsanto make a Round-Up Ready seed?
By doing research they found a bacteria resistant to the herbicide Round-Up and incorporated that bacteria into the DNA of the soybean seed so now when the crop is sprayed with Round-Up the weeds will die but the soybean crop will not.
Does having a Round-Up ready crop reduce the amount of Round-Up needed to kill the weeds? It does not reduce the amount used but changes the what kind of herbicide you can use.
Will using too much Round-Up eventually give us super weeds?
Crop rotation and other farming practices are being used to help avoid this.
What about the virus resistant papaya? How does that work? Do you give the papaya a vaccine like a human would get a flu shot to protect it from the virus? Check out the short video at the bottom of the page that explains how a papaya resistant to the Papaya Ring Spot Virus was created for the answer to this.
The tour at Monsanto was very interesting and the scientific research they are doing is mind blowing and the more I have learned the less scared I am of them. But my mind is spinning over the controversy of the other side too and I still need to learn more.
I do however appreciate their approach on trying to help people in poorer countries feed their families.
Entrance to Growing Room at Monsanto
The Monsanto research facility houses growing rooms where they can replicate the climates of other countries and develop seeds to grow under those conditions. In return this helps farmers and families in underdeveloped areas grow more food to help them and their livestock thrive.
Growing Room at Monsanto
Although, some believe you cannot alter a plant to adapt to climate. Who is right?
The research on developing pest resistant plants is pretty incredible as you can see by the pic below the difference between the plants attacked by the velvetbean caterpillar.
Soybean plant infested with Soybean Loop and Velvetbean Caterpillar
Is it safe to put an insect killer in plants?
After many years of research it is deemed safe but the controversy lies that the long term effects are really not known yet and some say it is killing off good insects like butterflies.
For those living in areas where this plant is one of your main food sources to survive, then long term effects and butterflies are probably not as important as is facing starvation.
Their research on microbes (those tiny organisms like fungi and good bacteria) are helping develop better soil for the plant. Think of them as probiotics for the soil that aid the plants root system, nutrient content, growth and protection against disease.
Is this because some people believe Round- Up is destroying the soil and they need to find a way to help?
GMO supporters would say no, those against would say yes.
I think a lot of the controversy about Monsanto stems from Monsanto making chemicals as they used to be an industrial chemical company making things like Astroturf, saccharin and other things. Some of which were made under government contracts that has caused quite a bit of controversy.
I get that some awful things happened and am not sticking up for them in anyway, but a lot of things like that have happened. There was a time when we did not know that cigarets could cause lung cancer and kill you. It can take years to know the effects of some certain things. There are plenty of household chemicals we buy everyday that can harm us as well.
In the last few decades Monsanto has become focused on agriculture and the controversy and questions are endless. I can see there are extremes on both sides, just hang out on youtube for a while.
Do the anti Monsanto videos of skulls and cross bones and people wearing gas masks freak me out?
Sure, they are really creepy and certainly raise some questions.
Do the pro GMO videos make sense as to why they are doing it?
Yes, It seems like a good thing to help starving people.
What about the farmer and having to sign a contract?
We got to speak to a panel of farmers and this just means that the farmer cannot save the seed. Some can look at it that it as just a way for Monsanto to make more money as the farmer has to buy new seed every year. The farmers response was that they really do not want to save the seed as it might not produce a great crop anyway.
Farmer Panel
These farmers have families just like us and in the end want to produce the healthiest safest foods they can for themselves and us in the most effective way they know how.
What about the bees and butterflies? Lots of controversy on this!
Vitamin A Enriched Rice? One side is for it, one is against.
There are hundreds of topics that involve GMO’s each with its own debate that are far to lengthy to cover in one blog post. In the end it all has to come down to a personal choice and educating yourself. The transparency and openness that was shared with us about what they were doing was invaluable information.
My personal choice is to still eat organic and non GMO foods when I have a choice. Although, the more I learn the less scared of them I am. This does not mean I have partaken in the Monsanto Koolaid and am okay with everything they are doing it is just the lifestyle that I live and what works for my family and I until I learn more. I’m also not a fanatic about it when dining out or traveling or even having an occasional indulgence. I believe life is all about balance.
If organic foods are not in your budget, you can still eat healthy. Soy and corn are the most widely used and most of those go into animal feed and some processed food. So if you eat a healthy diet with lots of fresh fruits and vegetables you are not going to get that many in your diet anyway whether you are opposed to them or not. I’ve listed the GMO crops at the bottom of this post. I have done my best to get the most current but the list is continually growing so always double check as everything may not be listed. The information below is from the site Best Food Facts and is a great site to visit that covers about every topic that involves food. I’ve also included some links to some short videos that help explain things where you don’t need to be a scientist to figure it out.
Almost everything in this world is two sided and the GMO’s debate is no different. I see valid points on each side. I wish I could give you more of a clear cut answer on who is right and who is wrong but I really can’t. I still need to learn more. I do hope I have at least given you some facts to research to help you make a decision that is right for you.
Please feel free to comment or ask any questions that you have concerning Monsanto, GMO’s or farming practices. I’m really interested in what you have to say. If I don’t have an answer I will try to find it out for you!
I also wish to thank Kansas Farm Bureau, Kansas Soybeans and Kansas Pork Association for inviting me on this tour and providing travel, meals and accommodations. I also want to make clear that in no way was I compensated or influenced by Monsanto. All opinions in this article are my own.
Corn (field & sweet)
The GM version of field corn protects the crop against corn rootworms and the Asian corn borer. Like GM field corn, GM sweet corn also protects the crop against destructive pests.
Soybeans
The GM soybean plant is resistant to pests and disease as well as being tolerant of herbicides that are most effective, allowing for less herbicide use overall.
Cotton
GM cotton requires fewer pesticides and protects against the cotton bollworm.
Canola
Canola has been modified through biotechnology to make it tolerant to some herbicides. This allows for a reduced amount of chemicals needed for weed control. The modified plant also has resistance to pests and fungus.
Alfalfa
The GM version of alfalfa is tolerant of some herbicides, allowing for a reduced amount of chemicals needed for weed control.
Sugar Beets
The GM sugar beet has increased tolerance to some herbicides, allowing for a reduced amount of chemicals needed for weed control. GM sugar beets also have virus and pest resistance traits.
Papaya
The GM version of papaya makes the plant resistant to the prevalent Papaya Ringspot Virus.
Squash
GM squash has traits that improve the plant’s defense against viruses.
There are other GM crops that are currently being tested, but are not yet available to consumers. For instance, the Innate potato, which the USDA recently approved for commercial planting, is a non-browning variety of potato. And the Arctic apple has GM traits that resist browning after being cut.
The Whole Foods Market Beauty Week 2106 (March 16-22) is a dedicated week that celebrates the Whole Foods Market Whole Body Department, featuring the largest selection of clean beauty products with the highest quality standards and brands.
In celebration of Beauty Week 2016, Whole Foods Market is offering deep discounts on select natural and organic beauty products. From March 18 to 20, all facial care products will be 25 percent off regular price.
The real highlight of beauty week is the beauty bag release.
Whole Foods Market Beauty Week Beauty Bag Photo Courtesy of Whole Foods Market
On Friday, March 18, stores will offer limited edition “hello, beauty” bags for $15 a piece. The bags are made by Riji Green, which is a business committed to ending human trafficking. Valued at $80, each bag includes products from Acure, Burt’s Bees, derma e, Dr. Hauschka, evanhealy, Mineral Fusion, MyChelle, Pacifica, Trilogy and Weleda.
There are a limited number of bags so make plans to get yours early while supplies last!
Being a Whole Foods Ambassador has a few perks and getting a sneak peak at this beauty bag is one of them. Trust me your going to want to get your hands on one of these.
Items in the bag include:
· Dr. Hauschka® Soothing Cleansing Milk .34 oz
· Derma e® Purifying 2-in-1 Charcoal Mask .5 oz
· Acure Pore Minimizing Facial Scrub 1 oz
· Evanhealy Rose Geranium Facial Toner HydroSoul 1 oz
· Trilogy Rosehip Oil Antioxidant + ml
· MyChelle® Perfect C Serum .17 oz
· Mineral Fusion® Lash Curling Mineral Mascara (Gravity) .57 oz
· Burt’s Bees® Sunset Cruise Lip Stick .12 oz
· Weleda Skin Food .34 oz
Just as I shop Whole Foods Market for nourishing foods for inside my body, I also shop the whole body department to nourish the outside of my body as well! Some of my favorite products include the Everyday 365 Shampoo, Body Wash and Conditioner. Whole Foods Market Lip Balm, Whole Foods Market hand lotion, Burt Bees everything, Alba Botanica, Pacifica and Earth Science just to name a few.
I wish to thank Whole Foods Market for supplying me with a gift card so I can nourish the outside of my body! I am in desperate need of a facial moisturizer and looking forward to the 25% off sale coming up March 18-20! I will see you there!
Whole Foods Market is helping me create a stress free, gluten free, egg free and dairy free Thanksgiving and Holiday Season.
I’m sure the questions are crossing your mind as to Why I need a gluten, egg and dairy free Thanksgiving? How Can Whole Foods Market Help? Can it be done and still be delicious? What are you cooking? Do you have any recipes?
Keep reading to find out.
Why do I need it gluten, egg and dairy free?
My daughter has recently been diagnosed with some health issues and some food allergy testing indicates that eggs and dairy are giving her trouble and the doctor has recommended staying off gluten as well.
How can Whole Foods Market help?
Whole Foods Market will do the cooking for you this holiday season by preparing the entire feast or just a few sides. Whatever you need they have it, including dishes for alternative diets. They also have holiday appetizer and party platters as well as desserts. Need a Turkey? They have those too. Get pre-roasted, brined, uncooked or smoked! You can also get a variety of other cuts of meat including lamb, beef and more. There is also a selection of seafood available. Find a full list of options here.
For the recipes I’m preparing, Whole Foods Market carries vegetables and salads that are already washed and cut ready for use or roasting as well as pre roasted and cooked ingredients needed for my dishes.
Can it be done and still be delicious?
YES! The prepared foods are made with the all of the high quality products that are sold in the store and is a lifesaver at the moment. I have always tried to eat healthy but have never been forced to cook a certain way until now and Whole Food Market is saving Turkey Day!
I sampled the vegan mashed potatoes in the store and am going to order them for our Thanksgiving meal. They are creamy and delicious made with olive oil and coconut milk. I will also order the vegan pumpkin pie, which I have sampled as well. It is so good! I’m not sure the crust is gluten free but I am sure my daughter will have no trouble scooping out the middle.
What else are you cooking?
I have my 27 pound Diestel No GMO Turkey from Whole Foods thawing in the fridge as we speak! I will slather him up with my dairy free herb butter just before cooking. This butter is super simple to make and yummy to use as a spread for bread and rolls as well. Just make sure you make separate batches!
I have been inspired by Whole Foods Autumn Couscous and will be making my own version using quinoa, cranberries, pistachios, roasted butternut squash and a handful of the kale. This is going to be our stuffing alternative.
I’ll make gravy using gluten free flour and the broth from the turkey to go with those awesome Whole Foods Vegan Mashed Potatoes.
I make the best roasted brussel sprouts with bacon and dried cherries.
Do you have recipes?
Sure, I’ve included them below. Enjoy!
Whole Foods carries everything I need to make this holiday season healthy and stress free! I wish to thank Whole Foods for providing me with a gift card to purchase my dairy free, egg free and gluten free ingredients which makes me stress free! Thank you Whole Foods Market!
I would like to thank all of my readers as well and wish you a happy and healthy holiday season. Enjoy the recipes.
Herb Butter
1/2 cup Earth Balance Olive Oil Spread
2-3 sprigs each of fresh rosemary, thyme and sage, chopped
2 cloves fresh garlic, pressed
Salt and pepper to taste
Combine all ingredients and mix well, then give your turkey a good rub down with it. I usually stuff the cavity of the bird with some fresh sage, thyme and rosemary along with a cut up orange, onion and a few garlic cloves. Bake turkey according to package directions and enjoy!
Rosted Butternut Squash and Quinoa Stuffing
2 cups cooked quinoa
2 1/2 cups of roasted butternut squash chunks
1/2 cup chopped red onion
1/2 cup chopped celery
1 clove garlic, chopped
1/2 cup vegetable or chicken stock
1 cups chopped kale or fresh spinach
1/2 cup toasted pistachios
1/2 cup dried cranberries
2 tablespoons of olive oil
salt and pepper to taste
The prepared foods section at Whole Foods and salad bar should have pre cooked quinoa and butternut squash (you could also use sweet potatoes as they have those sometimes too) as well as chopped kale. You could also use fresh spinach. If cooked squash or sweet potatoes are unavailable the produce section should have either or sometimes both cut and ready for roasting. If all else fails you can peel, cut and roast your own.
If they don’t have cooked quinoa available, just grab a box and cook at home according to the package directions.
Stuffing Preparation:
Add olive oil to skillet over medium heat. Add chopped onion and celery and sauté for 3-4 minutes.
Add vegetable or chicken stock. Let simmer 8-10 minutes until liquid is almost absorbed.
Add chopped kale and mix together until kale is slightly wilted.
In large bowl combine cooked quinoa, roasted butternut squash, vegetable mixture, toasted pistachios and dried cherries. Season with salt and pepper to taste. I like using Fisherman’s salt. It’s a new seasoning salt I have found that I have fallen in love with.
Mix all ingredients together and place in a baking dish. Bake at 350 for 15 to 20 minutes
If you wish to make this recipe ahead of time just assemble all ingredients, place in baking pan and refrigerate until ready use. Bake at 350 for 20 to 25 minutes. Yield: 6 1 cup servings
Roasted Brussel Sprouts
1 1/2 lb Brussel sprouts cut in half (rinse before cutting and remove outer leaves if they look funky)
Handful chopped bacon, cooked (I just buy the pre-cooked bag)
Handful chopped almonds
Handful dried cherries
Olive oil
Salt and pepper
Yield 6 servings
Combine sprouts, bacon, cherries and almonds. Toss with olive oil to coat. Add salt and pepper to taste and toss again. Place on shallow roasting pan and roast at 425 20-25 min. Take out halfway through cooking and toss around to get both sides roasted. If the sprouts don’t look like they are getting brown enough you can bump oven temp up to 450.
I bought a Juicer a few months ago and have been juicing up whatever I have on hand or needs to be juiced up. This mornings juice came out quite tasty and very refreshing so I am sharing the recipe for those other juicing fanatics out there.
Basil Lemon Cooler
1 handful fresh basil leaves
1 apple, sliced
2 lemons, peeled and cut in half
4 baby cucumbers
4 celery stalks
1 small head Romain lettuce
2 handfuls baby spinach
fresh cilantro to taste, or omit if you are not a cilantro fan
Juicing Ingredients
Wash and prepare all produce and run through your juicer. It is ready in minutes! The fresh basil and cilantro really give this juice great flavor!
As a blogger, I occasionally get to try out products and I was recently provided with a FitBit One by Verizon Wireless who loaned the device out to me for a review. After wearing it for a few weeks, I reluctantly had to send sent it back. As always whenever I am given a product to test out, all opinions are entirely my own and I have to say it is a nifty device.
I am a bit of a fitness buff and already own a Body Media armband that I bought a couple of years ago. Therefore, the chance to try out another device was right up my alley.
The FitBit is easy to set up; you just turn it on and synchronize it to the profile you create on fitbit.com. The FitBit tracks calories burned, steps taken, stairs climbed and sleep. The information then synchronizes to your computer and to your smart phone where you can see all of your activity. From the website or the app, you are able to see the FitBit tracking information. You can also log food and workouts making the FitBit the ultimate activity tracker.
Compared to the Body Media Armband, the Fit Bit One is much smaller and is able to clip onto on a waistband, pocket, sleeve, sports bra or any place you would like to wear it. Just be aware that wherever you choose to wear it, you will just want to remember to remove it from your clothing as not lose it to the washing machine. The monitoring fee is included in the purchase of the device as to where the Body Media Armband has a monthly fee. The battery life lasts longer and the wireless technology is convenient.
I really enjoyed using the device and would recommend it to fitness buffs or those new to the activity-tracking world. It is easy to use and is a great tool for body awareness and tracking.
I wish to thank Verizon for lending it out to me; I think it has convinced me to make the switch from my armband.
In addition to the FitBit One, FitBit has also just introduced the new FitBit Force Wristband. The FitBit family also includes a Wi-Fi smart scale. For more information on the FitBit One and all, the products available check out FitBit.com.
