Natural BB Cream/ CC Cream Update

About a year ago I posted about BB Cream, which was then a growing trend and not much was known about a "natural" variety.

Not long after that I discovered Boscia's BB Cream through a make up artist friend (Britt Havens) who works at Sephora. A co-worker of hers gave me a killer sample, and well, I fell in love. The smooth, light texture and the creaseless results are to die for. To have skin perfecting coverage, with moisturizing benefits, plus SPF sun protection, with no harsh chemicals - yes please!

And I was sure I had written an update post to let you readers know the gem I'd found. But a quick blog search tells me I didn't. Oops!

Wait! Update! I DID. Here, I slipped in a quick word about discovering Boscia.

In my original post I explained the benefits of BB cream - acne treatment, foundation, moisturizer, toner, powder, sunscreen... And apparently, the next new trend is going to be "CC Creams". They apparently retain all of the original benefits of BB creams, but with added qualities like increased coverage.

But what I also talked about there was Tarte Cosmetic's Smooth Operator. It's not really a BB cream but before knowing about Boscia's, it was all we had in our little bubble of natural/nontoxic cosmetics. Smooth Operator is nice, but, now Tarte has a real BB cream!

I'm a Tarte-a-holic. From the first time I tried their smooth blush stick in a super apricot-y colour. Hooked. So I'm happy this might be an option for me in the future.

Until then - keep natural my friends!

My biggest FAIL video to date (How to Back-carry a Toddler in a Moby Wrap)

Alright y'all, we're comfortable with each other now, right? I mean, I've been posting on here for who knows how long... (since the summer of 2010 says my Blogger dashboard) so we must be old friends by now.

Okay then, I can feel alright with posting what I can confidently say is one of my worst Youtube videos ever.

I'm no vlogger-pro. Not yet. Hey - should I be? Would you readers like to see some videos from my ol' Amy-and-her-ideas-of-happiness? And, why am I asking so many questions when I've clearly stated before that I don't get very many comments on here considering the number of readers...

As you can see by my flighty conversation and lack of focus, I've had too much coffee before typing this! Yay! The java faeries have prevailed. Okay, back to the video.

So, I have uploaded some pretty questionable stuff to Youtube... Old performances from Coffeehouses (not the best singer & willing to admit it), clips of Oliver literally smoking himself in the face with his soother at barely a few months old (sorry lil' chap) and even a scandalous montage of my Girls Bible Study group doing runs on my "worlds longest slip n slide" in my parents backyard which I ended up DELETING because it was not being used for the greater good if you know what I mean. It had like 200,000 views, so... at least 1 was a pedophile which is enough for me to do the deletion.

The reminds me, my little sister posted a video that she called Sisters in a Lake which was really her and my other sister swimming at our cottage, and it hit like some crazy number of views. And it's just them... in a lake... so...

All that being said, this latest one is just the worst. Because I'm trying to demonstrate a cool way to tie a moby wrap for toddlers, like a back-carry, and I do it using a stuffed grizzly bear.

And well, the bear is so floppy and soft that the tie turns out horrible. I did it right, but, the bear did not cooperate, and I have to end the video/ pretend I did it right/ spin really quickly to hope you don't notice that the bear is about to fall or be strangled.

If you follow my instructions and do it correctly, it's actually really awesome. But, I have serious doubts that anyone will be interested in copying me.

So without further ado, here is the link to me demonstrating the toddler back tie of a moby wrap, using a stuffed bear, and failing hard but pretending not to.

I hope you still love me because I still love you! And would be willing to make millions more videos for you guys if you so requested.

Now comment - dang it!

The video: http://youtu.be/nYv0tIu2oR0

Birth & Beyond Conference 2013 (London, Ontario)

It's official: Alla Vallejo and I will be speaking at this year's Birth and Beyond Conference. What exciting news.

And as if my mind reading skills are as sharp as my current block of parmesan (seriously, ouch) here are my answers to your questions.

What is the Birth and Beyond Conference?

It is a weekend-long extravaganza of everything that is related to babies - from conception to infanthood. Pregnancy, childbirth, breastfeeding - you've got it.

The conference brings together leading experts in these fields including ONE OF MY PERSONAL HEROES, Ina May Gaskin. I shutter to type this because mere words on a page cannot do her justice. She is the world's most famous midwife. She basically brought natural childbirth back to America. She single-handedly brought me the peace and confidence to give birth naturally through her wise words, amazing experiences and positive outlook. I've read all of her books and every piece of literature (in print and online) that relates to her in any way. I am a major Gaskin fan-girl. 

The conference will welcome midwives, doctors, doulas, nurses, lactation consultants, and anyone with an interest in birth and breastfeeding, and offers a variety of talks, workshops, and social events.

It takes place at the London Convention Centre from November 6 - 9th, 2013. 

Who is Alla Vallejo?

I will start by saying: another one of my PERSONAL HEROES. (Okay, is it getting old? I'm being completely serious - she is!) Alla graduated from the Canadian School of Natural Nutrition in 2007, about two years before I met her. We worked at a health food store together and pretty much instantly knew we'd be friends and colleagues in some capacity for life. After her schooling in nutrition she attended the Institute of Natural Health Technologies in Oakville, Ontario to become certified as a BIE practitioner which means she can test for and help alleviate the symptoms of intolerances (not just food either!)

Alla is incredibly knowledgeable and is a perfect person to geek out with. We have enjoyed countless hours of spotting literary devices, deciphering medical terminology using root words and laughing at math and science jokes. But what sets her apart from all the rest is her winning personality. I have never, and will never, meet a person who did not instantly fall in love with Alla Vallejo. She can make you laugh, make you feel comfortable and make you feel important. I cherish her for all three.

While Alla and I no longer work at the health food store together we do offer nutrition education talks at various times and locations. In fact, if you would like to book us for up to 90 minutes in the London area you can email me. amyjoyharrison.com

If you don't get a chance to attend this conference, I highly recommend that you still make a point to talk with Alla. She can help you with not only food intolerance but environmental and much more. She helped me identify that I was sensitive to cardamom, soy and peppermint (yeah, my morning tea lattes were not going well.) After one session with her, my problems were gone. I also discovered that my body hates white sugar, but rather than have a treatment for that I've just tried to reduce my intake. Not easy!

What will you be speaking on?

We will be speaking on pregnancy and breast feeding nutrition, with some content on nutrition post-birth for non-breast feeding mothers, nutrition for conception, and even nutrition during labour. We hope to dispel myths (We once gave an entire nutrition education talk called "TOP MYTHS: DEBUNKED!" - it was so much fun.) and we hope to give some very valuable information about what affect your diet during pregnancy and breast feeding can have on your little one's future allergies/intolerances/sensitives.


How can I get tickets?

Tickets are available here: http://birthandbeyondconference.ca/content/pricing-and-registration

We hope to see you there!

Beauty and the Beast: Dangers in Your Beauty and Baby Products *GUEST POST*

Hi there! My name is Katie, I’m a good ol’ Canadian woman living in Australia. I’m a proud momma of a 17 month old girl, and I’ve got another little bub on the way! Amy has been lovely enough to let me write about a passionate topic of mine – chemicals in our beauty products and the consequences of slathering them on our delicate, gorgeous bodies.

In my teenage years I had the unfortunate experience of suffering allergy attacks- on my face. It was terrible. My eyelids had swollen up, I had a red rash all over my face. I could not go in public. It was uncomfortable and embarrassing, but most of all, it was perplexing. What the heck was causing this? How do I get rid of it? I’ll never be 100% sure what caused it, but I did manage to learn a lot in the process. When my face finally did calm down, I was so scared to cause another reaction and I became obsessively careful about what was going on my skin. Almost every product from moisturizer to mascara was making me have a reaction. I was terrified of irritating my skin and causing another red-rash nightmare. I remember putting foundation on my face (you know that expensive stuff starting with M ending in C) for the first time in a while and having it actually BURN while applying it- I know, CRAZY right? Becoming fed up with my all-of-the-sudden extremely sensitive skin, I became voracious for information on the most sensitive products out there. Here’s a few things I learned:

• “sensitive”, “gentle”, “organic” labelling DOES NOT automatically mean it’s safe, and it does not mean “free-of-nasty-chemicals-that-are-unnecessary-and-cause-harm”.
• skin absorbs more than 70% of what you put on it. When you think of it that way, you might not want synthetic chemicals and preservatives entering your body, or your precious baby’s.

This is just the tip of the iceberg, however if you see these chemicals listed in a product, it’s best to put it down. There are safe alternatives!

Parabens- Chemical preservatives used in most drugstore and even high end beauty products. They can irritate the skin, and have been linked to hormone disruption. Parabens can mimic estrogen, causing all sorts of problems and has been linked to breast cancer.

Sodium Laureth Sulfate/Sodium Lauryl Sulfate: These similar chemicals are used in many products, giving that foamy effect- hand soap, shampoo, face wash, tooth paste, cosmetics, etc. Sodium Laureth Sulfate can be often contaminated with ethylene oxide, a known carcinogen. Both chemicals are irritating to the eyes and the respiratory tract. It also doesn’t degrade easily in the environment and it doesn’t metabolize into our liver, leaving a longer-lasting effect on our body.

Perfume/Parfum/Fragrance: Sounds harmless, however fragrance in beauty products, or just perfume alone. Can irritate the skin, especially in babies. Known to aggravate allergies and asthma. Watch out for “unscented” or “fragrance free “as these products often contain a masking agent so that you cannot actually smell the fragrance that is indeed present.

Dyes: Spot them as “CI” and usually followed by a 5 digit number. These are known endocrine/hormone disrupters and can be contaminated by heavy chemicals that are toxic to the brain.

Worst Offenders in Baby Products:

• Johnson & Johnson products – familiar name, and long list of chemical concoctions. No way I’m putting that on my baby.
• Aveeno - contains a ton of dyes, parabens, alcohol, fragrance, etc.

Better:

- Aleva Naturals: wipes, shampoo, wash and lotions (found in most drugstores and supermarkets)

- Gaia: wipes, shampoo, wash and lotions (found in most drugstores and supermarkets)

The Best:

- homemade wipes, or reusable cloth wipes. (Amy has a recipe for wipes)

- NatraCare wipes are my favourite (Loblaws, Superstore, online)

- Earth Mama Angel Baby: bath and body products are amazing! (Chapters Indigo, online, some organic grocers) www.earthmamaangelbaby.com

Worst Offenders in Cosmetics:

Almost everything at the drugstore (I know, it’s sad) and at Sephora (disappointing!) is on the naughty list. However, you can find a less offensive product in both (Burt’s Bee’s from the drugstore) and Jurlique (Sephora) is a great brand. Superstore and Loblaws actually carry a few good brands in their Healthy/Organic section like Green Beaver and Weleda.

Ok, so what can we use that is safe? There are hundreds of great organic, chemical-free, baby-safe products out there, you just have to be picky about what you buy and know where to go. If you are lucky to live by a Whole Foods, or even by an organic grocer, chances are you’ll run into a few of these good brands. You can even learn to make your own cosmetics and baby products (Amy has tons of ideas!) Check out these companies below, they have super strict criteria in order for a product to be sold. They have a wealth of information and a great selection of all sorts of beauty products, baby stuff, and even man products.

• Rocky Mountain Soap Co - amazing products. Canadian made. I love their soaps and facial cleansing oil. www.rockymountainsoap.com
• Green Beaver - Canadian made. Great sunscreen, safe body products. www.greenbeaver.ca
• Dr. Hauschka - cosmetics, skin care, body care, hair care (available at Saffron Rouge) www.saffronrouge.ca
• Pangaea Organics - skin care, body care (Saffron Rouge)
• Suki - cosmetics, skin care, body care (Saffron Rouge)
• Badger – sunscreen and skin balms (Saffron Rouge)

For more info:

http://www.saffronrouge.com/about

http://www.davidsuzuki.org/issues/health/science/toxics/dirty-dozen-cosmetic-chemicals/

http://www.earthmamaangelbaby.com/mama-resources/reading-room/earth-mama-angel-baby-announces-skin-deep-rating

Thanks for reading! Hope I helped a little! Xx Katie

Anti-biotics - Yuck!

I just finished listening to a CBC Radio program on antibiotics.

The Ontario Medical Association is deeply concerned about the rise in antibiotic resistance seen as of late, largely due to over-prescribing. This is bigger than just needing to take more, different or stronger antibiotics. It will come to a point where they are no longer an option and common illnesses will be able to take many lives like they did in years long ago.

What can we do? Well, the OMA is offering recommendations mainly to the industry, like furthering research, but also this kicker: That doctors should be educated on the fact that viruses should not be treated with antibiotics.

Really?

It scares me that doctors don't know this simple fact. A drug that kills bacteria won't fix a problem causes by a virus? This seems elementary. Maybe it's a huge part of this issue. Not only that but they are often quick to allow patients to self prescribe. We've all been there where we go to an appointment, list our ailments and without skipping a beat we suggest a treatment. For me it's always something more natural ("So I'm thinking of using topical tea tree on that. Sound good?") but so many people will just ask for Penecillin.

I strongly urge you to reduce your exposure to antibiotics, your family's exposure and your purchasing of meat that comes from antibiotic-treated animals.

What do you think?

How to Dye Easter Eggs Naturally

I wrote a while back about making eco-friendly playdough with natural dyes. With Easter on its way, I thought I'd share about how to do the same with Easter Eggs.

This is not my picture! But it's cute, ain't it? kombuchakamp.com

Start with a boiled egg. Some people will also use the emptying method where you poke a needle hole in the top and bottom and blow the innards out. That works too, just make sure you wash the egg shell!

Then, the idea is to boil natural vegetables, etc. in a vinegar-water solution to create a natural dye.

First, choose what you'll use. Here's the awesome list from kombuchakamp.com (who inspired me to write this post!) -

Lavender

Small Amount of Purple Grape Juice + water Violet Flowers + 2 tsp Lemon Juice Hibiscus (~10-15 min only)

Violet Blue

Violet Flowers (no lemon juice) Red Onion Skins (B) Red Wine

Blue

Canned Blueberries Large Amount of Purple Grape Juice (~10 min) Red Cabbage Leaves (B)

Green

Large Amount of Spinach Leaves (B ~1hr) Fresh Basil (B)

Greenish Yellow

Yellow Delicious Apple Peels (B) Fresh Parsley (B)

Yellow

Chamomile (~10-20 min) Orange or Lemon Peels (B) Celery Seed (B) Ground Cumin (B) Ground Turmeric (B) Carrot Tops (B)

Golden Brown

Dill Seeds Jasmine Green Tea (~10-15 min)

Brown

Strong or Instant Coffee Black Walnut Shells (B) Darjeeling Black Tea (~10 min)

Orange

Yellow Onion Skins (B) Carrots (B ~1 hr) Paprika (~10 min) Chili Powder

Pink

Red Grape Juice Fresh Cranberries / Cranberry Juice Raspberries Beets/Juice from jar of Pickled Beets (~10-15min)

Red

Lots of Red Onions Skins (B ~30-45min) Canned Cherries with Juice Pomegranate Juice Raspberries

Place the item(s) you choose in a pot of water (2-3 cups) and boil. Some of the items give a recommended time, but in general about 20 minutes will do. You will see the colour leeching into the water.

Then strain it into a jar and add 2-3 Tablespoons of vinegar. 

There you have it! Natural dye!

To use, just dip the washed, rinsed and cooled egg in with a spoon. Soak it until it takes on the amount of colour you want (anywhere from a few seconds to overnight). 

Then take a photo and show me your skills!

The Green Moms' Medicine Cabinet

The Natural Mama does not have the conventional fever reducers, Polysporin, and antibiotics to go to when problems arise. I've compiled this list of things that I keep on hand to show you that there are tons of all-natural alternatives to keep your family healthy!


The first thing I always keep with me is Alcohol-free Sanitizer by Cleanwell. This is perfect to spray or wipe on cuts and scraps so that they don't get infected. Also a great way to prevent illness is the first place is to use these products before eating when you're out of the house. It's a quick alternative to hand washing and we all know that's a great method to ward off colds and flues. I have a pump at home by Oliver's change table, a spray bottle in my purse, and individually-wrapped wipes in various places around the house and car. They use oil of oregano & thyme to kill germs naturally with no toxic chemicals, no alcohol, no chlorine, and is gentle on skin. They don't test on animals - love it. (If you're looking for an excellent alternative to traditional alcohol sanitizer in your child's school, in a hospital setting, a day care, a church, whatever, CleanWell offers Business systems too.)

My next Medicine Cabinet secret is Tea Tree Oil (by Now). It's main function is antimicrobial, specifically against fungus. Many foot related issues are easily treated by tea tree oil. It's also great as a lice treatment. I keep a 4oz bottle inside my bandaid container and I dab a drop onto every bandaid that I use to prevent whatever wound I'm bandaging from getting infected.

The St. Francis Herb Farm is an incredible family-run operation in Ontario that has gotten very popular. They make a product called Ear Oil that treats ear infections and I keep a bottle around just in case. I would recommend anything they produce - everything is freshly-used, organically-grown and wild-crafted. They also make a killer coconut oil-butter ghee combo AND an amazing goat milk mineral powder.

I also keep pretty much most of the Homeocan 0-9 Kids homepathic line. At all times their Fever/Pain Reducer, their Cold/Cough formula, their Flu remedy, and the Teething one.

Lastly, I have one of those funny snot suckers on hand (which got more use when Oliver was an infant) and a kid-friendly Netti Pot which he probably doesn't love. We use a room-humidifier if needed as well.

What do you use?

Confessions of a ... Well, Just Read On ...

Apparently confession time is about once a month here on M.I.O.H. Either I'm overly honest, strapped for content, or just a person with lots of bad things on my conscience. Whatever it is, I am happy to share with the wonderful readers of this well-read, under-commented blog.

Yeah. Why doesn't anyone comment? I get over 100 views a day and practically 1 comment a week. Explain!

So, confession one: I screwed up. I think I mentioned earlier that I was sick for about 4 days (I called it "zombie sick" if you recall) and I didn't take my Rockin' Wellness shake, which put me 4 days behind on my 45 Day Challenge. If my math is right, and I did get 4th place in an Ontario-wide math challenge years ago, I should be completing it on April 4th - the day before Calvin's birthday. So I will be in tip top shape to celebrate 27 years of my choice-guy being on Earth. Hoo-rah.

Here's the dumb part. Why did I stop taking it while I was sick? Well, my honest answer is I felt gross and appetite-less so I just didn't want to think about going in the kitchen, mixing it up, drinking it. Instead I used unsweetened applesauce to keep me alive. But now that I think about it, all those nutrient-packed super foods would have been perfect for my immune system. Probiotics especially.

See, I'm of the school that our bodies know what they're doing. All a body needs to stay in prime health is the right tools - nutrient-rich fruits and veggies - the missing puzzle pieces that our bodies' incredible systems utilize to bring things back to homeostatis (the state of being balanced). If I scape my knee skateboarding (yeah, I'm 25 and still use this as an example. Once a skater, always a skater) my body will use stored proteins and vitamin K to clot the blood, create a scab, and heal with new skin. In the same way, if a nasty flu virus hits, my body will make me tired (saving energy to bring me back to health), maybe give me a runny nose (a form of detox) and possibly become feverish (temperature rising to fight illness). And I know that all the healthy food I've been feeding myself is going to good use. It's one of many reasons that I don't believe in calorie restriction and dieting - we don't need less. We need lots - just the right stuff! Those who portion-control and skip meals are not just lowering the amount of fat or sugar they intake - they are robbing their body of vital assistance for life-sustaining processes.

Okay, that paragraph was longer than needed. Can you see I'm passionate about eating enough?

Confession two, and it will appear silly after I've just ranted about my over-sized appetite: I'm losing weight.

As an already thin person, this doesn't make me happy at all. In fact, I'm a little scared. And that's hard to admit as an educated, confident nutritionist. I help others with their eating choices and overall health, daily, so why am having trouble in my own life?

I think I'm simply expending a lot of energy still breast feeding Oliver so often though he's already over 19 months. I made a choice from the beginning that I would nurse him as long as he needed, and I rarely say no to him.

This has resulted in a bit of a boney appearance, and a definite need for belts daily. Maybe you've seen me lately and haven't even noticed - that's possible. But my sister pointed it out and it confirmed my (probably not worst) fears.

If it's just from nursing, I can solve that. I've already had a talk with Oliver and we're going to attempt, together, to narrow our nursing times down to morning and bed time. If that makes the difference I'll be happy.

I'm just thinking worst case scenario I have some sort of blood sugar or thyroid problem. I've been checked for both in the past and come up in the clear.

If you're wondering: I eat enough in a day. In fact, a lot. Too much, really. The other day I wrote down my day's intake (for my sister to see) and it went something like:


3 Eggs, fried in Olive Oil
1 Bowl plain natural yogurt + blueberries + raw honey
Water + Chocolate shake mix
1/2 mug coffee

1 Banana muffin

2 medium servings whole wheat pasta with tomato sauce + ground beef
1 Bowl Greek salad (with feta)
A whole orange

1 Bowl of applesauce
1/2 mug coffee

2 Pork Souvlaki wraps on whole wheat
with romaine lettuce, tomato, cucumber, lemon-dill dressing
Cheddar cheese

2 Oatmeal-coconut cookies

So... there's certainly no issue with quantity.

Anyways, I'm sure there are people who would say this isn't the arena to discuss this in. My doctor needs to be in on the conversation. That's true. But I feel great to have my loyal readers listening in and understanding the weird things that I go through.

Irish Mint Two Bite Brownies *GLUTEN FREE*

Mini Gluten-free Brownies

Preheat oven to 350. Grease or line 16 mini muffin tins.

1/2 cup softened butter
1/4 cup cocoa powder
1 cup brown sugar
1 tsp vanilla
2 eggs
1/4 cup cornstarch
Pinch salt

Mix each ingredient in, in order.

Bake for 14-18 minutes.

To make it festive for St Patricks Day I made an "Irish" mint buttercream by whizzing up some fresh peppermint butter with icing sugar.

Best Banana Bread Recipe

Shutterbean has done it again.

I made this today (in a mini loaf form) and it was delightful.

Maple Olive Oil Banana Bread


makes 8 x 4 inch loaf
recipe adapted from Shutterbean who adapted it slighting from Tara O’Brady for UPPERCASE Magazine

• 1 1/2 cups flour
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/8 teaspoon ground ginger
• 1/2 cup olive oil
• 1/2 cup brown sugar, packed
• 1/4 cup maple syrup
• 1 1/2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
• 2 eggs
• 3 ripe bananas, mashed (about 1 cup puree)
• 1/2 cup yogurt

Preheat oven to 350F. Butter an 8 x 4 inch loaf pan. Line pan with a sling of parchment paper, with the long sides overhanging. Lightly butter the parchment, then set the pan aside.

Whisk together the flour, baking soda, salt and spices in a medium bowl. Set aside.

In a large bowl, whisk together the olive oil and brown sugar, breaking up any lumps. Add the maple syrup and vanilla, whisking until smooth. Add the eggs, one at a time and beat until fully incorporated. With a wooden spoon, stir in the bananas, then yogurt. Add the flour mixture to the liquids, stirring until just combined. Do not over mix. Pour batter into prepared pan, evening out the top if necessary.

Bake until a cake tester inserted in the middle of the loaf comes out clean, about 60-70 minutes. Remove from the oven, and leave the bread to cool in its pan for 10 minutes. Using the parchment sling, lift the bread out of the pan, unwrap and allow to cool completely on a wire rack.

How to Use Your Tax Refund to Go Green

 

Isn't it fun when by some magical calculation the government decides to give you a big cheque every spring? (On the flip side, my condolences to the folks who actually owe money this year. Yuck!)

For those of us whose amount was in the black this year, I encourage you not to waste the instant sum on something silly. (Silly by definition: any electronics that will end up keeping you indoors more often.)

Here are my suggestions for things that will better your life and the planet, that you can buy with your tax refund:

• A rain barrel! This glorified garbage can is often pricier than you'd expect, but it's worth every penny. I got one last year for my first official Mother's Day and I love it like a second child. You can hook it up to an existing trough spout, or just let the rain fall in naturally, and it will collect everything up for gardening use. Most have a hose hook up at the bottom so you'll be saving water in no time. This also cuts your water bill every month.
• Mini-appliances! Things like a 2-person crock pot or an apartment-sized toaster oven can get the job done with less energy than a hefty stove doing all the work. And you don't have to pay top dollar - you can often pick up cool finds at a thrift shop. Just test it in an outlet before you leave to make sure it's still in working order. Less energy = great choice.
• A bicycle! If you don't own one, it's time. A bike is quick and easy and gets you from A to B without the heavy traffic, the pollution, or the gas expense. When the weather allows, I like to bike for any trip that will take under half an hour each way. On special days, I'll load Oliver up in the front-facer seat and go for a really long ride. If the bike fits, is in good shape and has full tires, you should be able to bike for quite a while without getting tired.

Sure, it's a big bunch of money that you sort of weren't expecting, and that you sort of want to spend on make up or a leather jacket, but Mother Earth likes you a lot and I think you should like her back.. with your tax refund!

Coffee - A Good Drug

Today while having a conversation with a six year old (we were having a picnic) she poured me a pretend beverage and I asked her what it was.

 

She said, "I don't know. What do you think?"

And I said, "Is it coffee? Mmmmm."

And she said, "No, coffee is drugs."

 

This is pretty much like saying Your Deity is dead to a religious person, or Baseball sucks to Joe Long.

I wanted to throw the table over / offer a free science lecture / call Children's Aid. But what I did say was, "I think coffee is good."

So apparently some drugs are good. (Lesson of the day.)

As a coffee enthusiast and nutrition promoter (in that order), I spend a fair bit of time finding medical benefits to being a java-head. I have summarized them for you below. Cheers.

• When caffeine blocks adenosine in your brain it increases the release of other neurotrasmitters that control your cognitive function. This makes you smarter and increases your memory. It also makes you happier (dopamine).
• Coffee is nutritious. It is a great source of antioxidants which fight free radicals in your body, keeping you in tip top shape. One cup has decent amounts of B vitamins, potassium and manganese. Coffee reduces your reaction time. No more broken glass.
• Mood is always increased after coffee ingestion. Not just because it's so great to have a nice chat with a friend over a steaming mug.
• Coffee drinkers has less cases of heart rhythm issues, and stroke. 
• Caffeine burns excess fat because it stimulates the nervous system to raise metabolic rate. Studies calculated that your body burns 11-12% more while on coffee.
• Up to 12oz per day is safe during pregnancy as shown by studies that proved no effect of consumption under 200mg of caffeine.
• Coffee improves physical performance. It is the go to work out drink of the educated.
• Coffee reduces your risk of Diabetes. (Between 23-67% to be not exact.) In fact, in studies the more cups of coffee the participants drank, the more their risk decreased.
• Coffee may reduce your risk of Alzheimer's (60%) and Parkinson's (32-60%).
• Coffee can protect your liver by lowering your chances of cirrhosis (liver damage) by 80%. Your risk of liver cancer also goes down by 40%. They say 4 cups a day is best for this benefit.

Bottom line, in a large study it was found that people who drink coffee were at a lower risk of death by any cause than those who don't drink it. So stay alive, brew some up!