Non Toxic Bubble Bath

Oliver's cashing in on the Christmas love early.

Check out this awesome non toxic bubble bath he was just gifted.

He is a bubble bath addict, so he was pretty ecstatic to pull this from its wrapping. Like, even more so than his daily Lindor advent chocolate.
I'm happy because it's 100% natural, vegan, gluten-free, and totally kid-friendly so he can splash it in his eyes without a meltdown. 
It is a bubble bath but it actually cleanses so if the soap doesn't quite make it all over his precious (and highly active) skin, at least I feel like he's clean.
And. It. Smells. Like. Ice cream.
Not that Ollie cares this young but the ink is soy, the packaging is recycled (and recyclable) and the bubble bath itself is biodegradable and never tested on animals. 

I was pleasantly surprised by the ingredients list - no SLS (for a bubble bath? wow!) and most things were organic.
100% Pure is awesome - they use no synthetic chemicals, chemical preservatives, artificial fragrances or colours, harsh detergents, or other unhealthy toxins. They even offer make-up that's dyed using fruit. I love that. And their baby line is coming out soon. (Pretty please by January?!)

Until December 8th you can use the coupon code 100PURE1204 for 10% off your order. 

I am not affiliated with this company. This is my honest review.

No-Noise Smoothie Solution

I've written in the past (or have I video blogged?) about my dilemma with making smoothies in the morning. I work early, early, early and I feel terrible cranking up a blender while the rest of my family is trying to sleep. So terrible, in fact, that if I only have whole bean coffee in the house I will brew it the night before to save the noise of grinding. (My brewer has a thermal carafe - no heating element - that keeps it fresh and hot for over 12 hours.) If I remember to have some ground coffee beans, then I go that route before I leave for work.

Well, this girl loves a fresh fruit smoothie. It's my second favourite breakfast, I think. My first is anything with eggs - also not a great "early morning, gotta get to work asap" option. So in conclusion: breakfast can be a little depressing for me unless I have the day off.

But today! I came up with a revolutionary solution. The no-noise smoothie.

The recipe is as follows:

2 standard-size jars of pureed fruit baby food (organic preferred, homemade if you're able)
1 cup almond milk
1 scoop any greens or protein powder you like

You simply throw it all in a mason jar - jam-sized works great - and shake it with the lid on. Then drink! The fruit is already pureed and it tastes great! No added sugar!

You may be wondering why the mom of a 2 year old, and an unborn-year old, has jars of baby food in her fridge. Plus I'm so pro-homemade, what's going on?! Well, it was actually for a baby shower game that I'd put together for a friend. I had a leftover jar of peaches, and pears. I had no clue what to do with it (I'd already thrown the jar of sweet potato into a soup...) so this morning I thought: you know what? Calvin, stay sleeping, I am making a baby food smoothie! I shook the peach and pear food with almond milk and was amazed! No noise.

One jar of baby food, even organic, typically goes for under $1 at any store. So this is a pretty cool recipe to have under my belt now.

Just thought I'd share my great excitement!

The Raw Food Diet

There are so many benefits to eating raw food. In fact, some people eat only raw food. 

It sounds hard - and it absolutely can be - but you can actually eat more than you think. All seeds, nuts and fruits and most vegetables can be eaten raw. Whole grains can be soaked and sprouted, which gives added nutritional benefits. If you choose the right eggs, fish and meat they can be too. And there`s even raw milk (as well as cheese and yogurt) but you may need to break a few laws to get it. (Follow raw milk activist/farmer, Michael Schmidt's journey here.)


^{You can make alfredo sauce, cheesecake and so much more. It just takes a little learning -- and maybe the purchasing of some new equipment:}

^{A dehydrator cooks food at a temperature so low it's still considered uncooked. It takes a long time but the result is anything from meat jerky to crispy kale chips to delicious apple leather. As long as the food stays until 40 degrees - it's considered raw!}

 <sup>A Vita-mix is the Cadillac of blenders and will help you to make raw soup, homemade nut milks and so much more. 

The main benefit is to digestion and nutrient absorption (which in turn benefits everything in your body) because the food's enzymes and healthy bacteria are left in tact. As well, these foods typically do not contain added preservatives or toxins, including the toxins that are created when you heat food, like oil. 

The foods typically included in a raw food diet are so inherently healthy (pasta made of zucchini, vegetable juices) that you can eat what you want and feel good about it.

If you're looking to start a raw diet, I recommend trying to eat 75% raw, 25% usual for the first while to get used to it. 

There are tons of blogs that you can get RAWesome in no time. Here are my favourites:</sup>
 

My pal, Raw Judita

<sup>http://rawjudita.com/
http://www.thisrawsomeveganlife.com/
http://www.choosingraw.com/
http://rawfullyorganic.com/blog/
http://www.therawchef.com/blog/
http://crazysexylife.com/
http://giveittomeraw.com/
http://www.juliesrawambition.com/
http://www.rawmazing.com/
http://thesunnyrawkitchen.blogspot.com/
http://www.rawon10.com/
http://rawloulou.blogspot.com/
http://www.rawfamily.com/

Also, read anything by David Wolfe. He's the man. 

Lastly, some awesome recipes to get you started:</sup>

Raw cheese sauce

Raw cheesecake

Raw brownie (by My New Roots -- love this blog!)

Let me know if you eat raw!
  

The Root Cellar Organic Cafe

I've always wanted to be a 'long time listener, first time caller'. There's something nostalgic and exciting about the term. As a pretty infrequent listener of the radio, my dream seemed unlikely. But, this week, I was sort of able to...

Working as a coffee-slinger for Fire Roasted Coffee years ago, I became familiar with a really cool business venture called On the Move Organics. I knew that the founder, Jeff, rode a bike a lot, I knew that his sister Jen was the smartest person I've ever talked to, and that their smoothies were mind-blowingly delicious. As a huge fan of On the Move Organics I was thrilled to hear about their new cafe operation, The Root Cellar. Branching out from the organic produce delivery end of the business, they now offer coffee, juices and an array of baked items. Be-still my heart. I finally decided to request an interview with Ellie Cook. As the manager of the Root Cellar cafe (the bakery and kitchen are run by Max Collin), Ellie is a big time player in the movement to make our city more community-oriented and sustainable. Like Jen, she's also brilliant, and if I had to guess I'd bet she rides a bike like Jeff too. It's amazing to know that our city is harbouring these inspiring minds who are willing to put action to ideas and make change when it's needed. 

Photo by Jackie Noble

The Root Cellar is located in a dreamy, brick storefront at 623 Dundas St, which is just east of Adelaide.

So I guess you could say I was a 'long time beverage enjoyer, first time emailer'. Which is fine with me. Here's our interview!

What is the Root Cellar's mission?

Our mission is simple: to work to rebuild London's local organic food system, and to serve some really good food while doing it! Through our integration with local organic produce & grocery distribution company, On The Move Organics (onthemoveorganics.ca), we are able to source most of the food served in the cafe from small-scale, sustainable farms surrounding London, and offer accessible prices while doing so. It is our intention to strengthen the connection between the producers (the farmers) and the consumers (our customers) by communicating regional needs.

This is our statement of intention--it really sums up what we're all about: "We believe that food is political, that the choices we make about food--what we choose to eat and who we choose to support by doing so--resonate through our community, our economy, and our planet. At the foundation of this project is a commitment to invigorating our community, discovering the plentitude of our local foodshed, supporting sustainable agricultural practices, and working cooperatively."

How long had you been mulling over the idea of opening the cafe and what is the story behind its conception? 

I've always been fascinated by cafe culture, specifically how cafes function as social spaces. Historically, cafes were the centre of creative and intellectual innovation. I think some of that has been lost in the modern corporatization of cafe culture, but small, independent cafes (and there's quite a few of them in London!) continue to provide infrastructure for communities. All this to say--I've always mulled over the idea of opening a cafe! (Plus I really, really love coffee.) Near the end of my university degree, I came to work with my partner Jeff and the rest of the team at On The Move Organics, which at the time had just outgrown its delivery box production space at The Western Fair Farmers' & Artisans' Market, and moved to a new, extensively renovated warehouse space at 623 Dundas. The warehouse came with a beautiful storefront--it used to be a winery. We debated a few different ideas of what to do with the space, and ultimately decided that an organic cafe was the way to go. Basically, we wanted to create a new facet of our business that was most conducive to interaction with our customers--enabling us to both serve the food we're bringing in from the farms, and to share the stories behind that food. With the help of Jeff's sister, Jen, I was able to integrate the cafe business planning and development with my final research project for my Social Justice and Peace Studies degree from King's University College. After joining with baker & cook Max Collin, we opened at the end of July, 2012.

What is different about the Root Cellar?

First of all, everything we offer in the cafe is ethical. All of the produce and ingredients in our dishes are certified organic, with 80% local in season. Milk, cream, sugar … it's all organic. We are very transparent about where we source our food from--we have a big blackboard in the cafe stating where everything comes from (right now is an exciting time, because our growing season is just beginning, so we're seeing new local produce every week). Ingredients traveling to us from outside North America (like our coffee, some of our teas, bananas and tropical fruit, cane sugar) are certified fair trade as well as organic. Ultimately, it's important to us to advocate for the small-scale producers we work with, and to always offer them a fair price. 

Something else different about The Root Cellar and On The Move Organics is that, as a business, we are transitioning to a worker co-operative. This model of business centres on democratic work and ownership of the business by the employees. The core team here (there are 5 of us) have been working together over the past year to consensually define our business mission, values and vision. We strongly believe that this type of business model has the resiliency to withstand economic hardship, as it puts the workers first. Along with our business structure, we also measure our success and profitability using a triple bottom line--we weigh fiscal sustainability equally with social responsibility and environmental stewardship. (Our environmental stewardship was just recognized by the London Chamber of Commerce with a Business Achievement Award in Environmental Leadership--an honour we are still reeling from!)

Lastly, we strive to engage our community in the work that we do. At the cafe, we organize a monthly book club meeting (all are welcome!), a bi-weekly Fibre Arts Collective, and various art and crafts knowledge bartering workshops and music nights. All our events are free, or pay what you can, and everyone is welcome. 

What can you expect for food and drink offerings on any given day? 

We offer a fresh organic & seasonal menu that focuses on local produce. Right now we're still working with a Winter Menu (think lots of beets, lots of squash, kale…), but we'll be transitioning to a Spring Menu as fresh greens, asparagus and fiddleheads become available. Everything on our menu is organic. Our menu is mostly made up of salads, soups and sandwiches, with changing daily specials thrown in every day. We also have an in-house bakery, and offer fresh bread and baked goods every day--all made with 100% organic & local flour from Arva Flour Mill. Saturday mornings from 9am-2pm we also offer a breakfast menu featuring local organic eggs, local GMO-free & pastured sausage, french toast, and the like.

Photo by Jackie Noble

 We also have a fresh organic juice and smoothie bar at the cafe, with a variety of made-to-order fruit & veggie juices and smoothies. Our most popular juice, hands-down, is the Sikorski Slammer--beets, carrots, apple, celery and ginger (it's been touted as a hangover cure!). Our green smoothies are also popular, especially for folks who want to grab a quick healthy meal, but don't have time to sit down and eat lunch.

Lastly, we have the typical cafe offerings, but with an ethical twist--organic coffee and espresso, local wildcrafted teas, organic milk lattes, and the like.

What are your vegan and gluten-free options like?

We offer vegan options every day--soups, salads and sandwiches. Our vegan cinnamon buns have also been a big hit! On the cafe side of things, we offer a variety of dairy-free "milks"--my favourite is our fresh house-made fair trade cashew milk. We are not a gluten-free facility, but our soups and salads don't contain gluten. We also bake with a variety of low-gluten ancient grains like spelt and kamut, so our sandwiches are available on low-gluten bread. Our scones and cookies are made with spelt flour as well. 

What is your favourite thing to eat and drink at the Root Cellar?

Everything! My favourite drink is the Emerald City (a green smoothie with almond milk, spinach, kale, banana, strawberries and hemp hearts), although I also love the Ginger Snaps Latte made with cashew milk (I make all our coffee syrups at the cafe--this one has ginger, cinnamon, nutmeg and cloves). Food-wise, I love the Sweet Carrot Panini on a multigrain bun (roasted herbed carrot, house-made hummus, fresh spouts, caramelized onions and cheddar), and the Vegan Squash Curry soup. And on the sweet side, I ADORE our vegan cinnamon buns.

Who have been key players in getting your business on its feet?

We are lucky to be surrounded by a vibrant and creative community who are eager to help out with new projects. Our friends, family and neighbours donated much time and effort to help us with our renovation. On The Move Organics' customers have also been incredibly supportive as we started this new project. 

Any advice for aspiring entrepreneurs? 

First of all, be original and creative in your work! Work hard and with integrity. Seriously consider the co-operative model as a viable business structure. There is a huge network of support for those interested in starting a co-operative--don't be afraid to reach out! 

What can people do to help sustainability in London?

Support sustainable local businesses! Advocate for a city compost program. This is one I'm working on right now--love your bike and learn how to care for it. Support organizations like Food Not Lawns (and Food Not Bombs), Veggie City, ReForest London, The London Carolinian Food Forest Project, and London's community gardens. Educate yourself about local food systems, organic farming, and food sovereignty. Learn how to grow veggies, to preserve the harvest, to wildcraft tea---these homesteading practices will, if nothing else, instil a deep appreciation for the work our food producers do for us every day.

The Root Cellar is open Tues & Wed from 10 - 7, Thurs & Fri from 10 - 9 and Sat from 9 - 6. Their menu (updated daily) can be found at https://www.facebook.com/TheRootCellarOrganicCafe

The Best Vegan Make Up Brands in Canada

We know they don't eat meat, they don't eat eggs and they don't eat dairy... but does veganism go further? Does it extend even to... make up?!

For most the answer is should be yes. There certainly are vegans out there who limit only the classic animal-sourced foods and tend to be more lenient with things like gelatin and honey, but for the most part vegans try their best to avoid animal products in every facet of life. Which is challenging, clothing and footwear being one of the worst.

But if you're ready to commit to buying and using vegan make up, then there's a guide for you!

Meet Perrie.

Perrie is a life-long vegetarian, 12-year vegan. Raised by vegan parents on a large farm-property amid gardens and animals galore, you can probably conjure up images of a dreadlocked hippie at this point. But Perrie's just the opposite. A total beauty with eyelashes to the moon, Perrie is an authority on all things beauty without even trying. She knows the ins and outs of what brands combine veganism with professional results. And she's willing to share!


Animal-derived ingredients can be hiding anywhere. Just take this example: Korres is a very all-natural, planet-friendly cosmetics and skin care line that you can buy in Sephora. One question to their Customer Service department about whether their products are vegan came back with this list of animal-derived ingredients that they use: honey, milk, yogurt, royal jelly, silk, bee wax, chitosan, and keratin. Any of them can be hiding in your products so it's worth checking each one.

Shadows are very often tested on animals because the producers check if the colouring is just right. Because of this you want to look for a "cruelty-free" label on the product. If they are made in China you can almost guarantee that they are animal tested.

One of the nicest looking lines out there is NARS, and it can be pretty vegan friendly if you are careful for carmine which is used for pigment. It is made of dead insects (ew) and gives a deep red colour.

Urban Decay is one amazing company for vegans. While their products are known to be some of the best in the industry, they have been cruelty-free since they began producing make up and have a 100% vegan line which is marked by the Marley paw on the package.

MAC Cosmetics is easily one of the biggest names out there are have this to say about whether they are vegan: "Very few animal derived raw materials are found in M.A.C. products.  Animal ingredients are used only when their efficacy cannot be duplicated by any other source of ingredients.  When an ingredient can be obtained from either animals or plants, we use the plant derived material."


Many lip products contain beeswax. EOS, a great lip balm out there, contains it also, but has zero other animal-derived ingredients. The official stance of PETA (People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals) is that products from bees, including honey, is unethical. Of course, you can make your own choice.

Smashbox has an interesting take on vegan. They claim if you go by the definition that insects aren't animals then they are vegan. They use no mammal-derived products. But if throw carmine and beeswax into the loop, then no, they aren't. They list these products as mammal- and insect- free: Body Lights Glowing Lotion, Anti Shine (light and neutral), Backdrop Cooling Tint (all shades), Conversion Cream to Powder Foundation (all shades), Hi Definition Healthy FX Foundation (all shades), Photo Matte Powder, Wet/Dry Foundation (all shades except caramel), Function Self-Adjusting Powder Foundation (all shades), Photo Finish Color Correcting Foundation Primers (Balance, adjust & blend), Summer 2007 Lip Gloss in a Pot (heat and sexy).

Tarte Cosmetics (An Amy favourite!) has a section in their online store for vegan products.

ELF Cosmetics hasn't made its way to Canada yet, but is available in Target stores throughout the States at a MAJOR bargain. Many products are only $1. They do not test on animals or use any non-vegan ingredients. JACK POT. They also support PETA. One thing to keep in mind - many of their brushes are made with horse hair. There are many opinions on whether using animal hair is okay in make up brushes (more on this later) because some companies don't take it but rather brush it up from the floor when it falls out naturally. NYX, in Target (including Canada) also has many vegan products at a slightly higher price than ELF.

The Body Shop is known for being animal friendly. While they do use things like silk and beeswax, they can confirm that all practices to obtain these ingredients are 100% humane. The details can be found here.

Most of Too Faced products are vegan and they've even been converting some old ones to be vegan recently. They also make vegan brushes.

A good portion of the items listed so far are available in Sephora stores across Canada, but a good choice if you find yourself vegan make up shopping in a Shoppers Drug Mart is Physicians Formula. Here is a non-complete list of their vegan products: Brow Definer Automatic Brown Pencil (all shades), Shimmer Strips Custom Eye Enhancing Eyeliner Trio (all shades) ,Eye Definer Automatic Eye Pencil (all shades) Mineral Wear Talc-Free Liquid Foundation (all shades), Mineral Wear Talc-Free Mineral Pressed Face Powder (all shades), Concealer Twins 2-in-1 Correct and Cover Cream Concealer, Mineral Wear Talc-Free Mineral Correcting Pebbles, Mineral Wear 100% Face Brightener (all shades), Healthy Wear Bronzer (all shades), Bamboo Wear Bamboo Silk Bronzer Refill (all shades), Bronze Booster Glow-Boosting Pressed Bronzer (all shades), Organic Wear 100% Natural Origin Makeup Remover Towelettes, Oil-Free Eye M/U Remover Pads for Normal to Oily Skin. They do use goat hair in their brushes.

LUSH makes some awesome bath products along with cosmetics and even deoderant. They are strictly against animal-testing and refuse to work with suppliers who do not adhere to this policy. Most of their products are vegan except for a few with honey and lanolin, and I believe a conditioner that contains yogurt. 

Just a word on make up brushes, there are basically two types. Synthetics are of course made from other materials. They are vegan, but because they don't hold moisture, they are best for wet applications like putting on foundation and concealer. Natural animal fibre brushes do absorb moisture so they're great for powders like eye shadow, but you'll want to look into the company's policies. Apparently Smashbox is PETA-approved because they obtain their hair from brushing squirrels who live happy lives.

Choosing to be a vegan, in every facet of your life including make up, is a great choice for you and the animals!

Salted Caramel Skillet Cookie Recipe

This recipe is gluten-free, grain-free, dairy-free, egg-free, vegan, super healthy and delicious!

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup coconut oil
• 1/2 cup raw nut butter (I used smooth peanut butter)
• 1/2 cup pure maple syrup
• 1/2 tsp sea salt
• 1 Tbsp vanilla extract
• 1/2 tsp baking soda
• 3 cups almond flour/meal
• 4 oz chopped dark chocolate

Instructions

1. Combine coconut oil, nut butter, maple syrup, salt, and vanilla in a blender or in a glass bowl and hand blender. 
2.  Blend for 4-6 minutes until a sticky caramel texture. 
3.  Pour 1 cup of the caramel sauce into the skillet.  Save the rest for serving.
4. Add the baking soda and mix until incorporated.
5. Mix in the almond flour and chopped chocolate.
6. Spread the dough evenly in the skillet.
7. Bake in a 350 degree oven for 10-14 minutes until set. 
8. Serve with your favorite ice cream and a drizzle of the left over caramel.

Adapted from forkandbeans.

It's Burger Season... Veggie Burger Season?

Just around the time this unseasonably nice weather hit Ontario the "burger" section of the grocery store seemed to be strangely bare. My first thought was that everyone was firing up their BBQs at the same time and the purchaser didn't plan for that much demand, but no - Ontario was the victim of yet another beef recall. 

I can't say I'm a firm vegetarian. For me if meat is humanely-raised and -slaughtered and is fed proper foods, I am okay to eat it in moderation. That's why I have an order for a certified organic, grass-fed 1/2 cow coming in next week (hurray!) But for those backyard parties that you're not too sure about or if invites tell you to BYOM (bring your own meat), I'd recommend keeping a box of veggie burgers in the freezer.

Recently I tried Sol Cuisine's original vegetarian burger. The stats are jaw-dropping: gluten/wheat free, vegan, low fat, 12 grams of protein, only 100 calories, lots of fiber/calcium/iron, kosher, halal... the list goes in. In fact look at these ingredients:

Filtered Water, Soy Protein Concentrate, Sunflower Oil, Organic Lemon Juice Concentrate, Onion, Modified Cellulose, Tomato Powder, Sea Salt, Garlic, Spices, Caramel Colour.

Everything is verified to be non-GMO. Very impressive.

For the group of us that dug into the tasting (my semi-vegetarian sister, my strict-paleo/whole-foods sister, my meat-loving former-chef husband, and myself) we found with a little creative condiment-adding, the burger was pretty good. Perhaps not as juicy and "meaty" as real beef, but an honest substitute and easily the type of thing you can add ketchup or mayo to for your liking (or homemade tomato jam! or vegenaise!) I look forward to trying more of Sol Cuisine's products in the future.

As it continues to get hotter, I definitely recommend branching out and giving vegetarian burgers a try. Because - hey - you can't get mad cow disease from vegetables. ... can you?

LaraBars!

Sometimes people looking for nutrition advice ask me: What is your go to packaged snack? My answer is simple. Larabars!

If you have never heard of Larabars before I am very pleased to be the one to tell you about them.

Here is the first and probably only thing you need to know about Larabars: Their ingredients list is plain English and features less than six ingredients per bar that are entirely fruits, vegetables, nuts, seeds or chocolate chips. This is the kind of food label that makes a granola like me very happy. Because they use such minimal and natural ingredients, they are certified kosher, vegan and gluten free.

Oh, and there's something else I should mention: the flavours. Here are a few of my personal favourites:

• Pecan pie
• Peanut butter cookie
• Banana bread 
• Cashew cookie
• Coconut cream pie
• Chocolate chip cookie dough

The US even has flavours like Cappuccino and Ginger Snap. Mmmm, get me on a bridge to the States. (Incidentally, I actually do often see great prices for full cases of Larabars in the States - check Target next time you're there.)

Larabars are a great alternative to the high-sugar, high-calorie processed bars on the market today. Most "granola bars" and "protein bars" are not what I would consider healthy. They contain either white sugar, corn syrup or artificial sweeteners - not my idea of happiness. But Larabars have only real ingredients, no added sugars or fat. Because they use pureed dates as a main ingredient they give you sustainable energy and tons of vitamins and minerals. They are healthy as heck, but still taste amazing - the apple pie flavour is loaded with walnuts, raisins and cinnamon. Oh so good. You can grab one for a snack on the go, a pick me up during class, or for a long evening bike ride. They keep well so they're awesome to store at home for kids lunches, or bring along to a camping trip.

And now you know my not-secret-at-all snack food.

Spring Detox

A detox diet, or cleansing period, is an incredible gift to your body if you do it right. As we look toward the onset of spring (a girl can hope) the optimal time draws near, so I wanted to lay out how to do... and how not to do it.

How to Choose a Cleanse

Cleansing is a two-step process: detoxification and elimination. Any system that does not address this issue will not be effective. If you detox without eliminating (as is the case with any detox that doesn't make use of your colon) the toxins will continue circulating around and may make you feel worse. The theory behind low-calorie detoxes (burn fat, which is where toxins are stored) is a perfect example of this flaw. A detox with elimination but no detox (a high-fiber, laxative system) will fill your toilet, but leave your major organs messy as always. Make sure your system does both by checking that its theories and/or ingredients address at very least your liver and your bowels.

A store-bought product should have research behind it. Foot patches that you stick on overnight that turn brown by morning (yes, this is a real thing) have been proven bogus. Keep in mind, your skin is not your best detox organ.

A detox diet should have enough calories and other nutrients to sustain you. Your body wasn't designed to survive on such an extremely low-calorie diet. While consuming only maple syrup, lemon juice, water and cayenne pepper will trigger your body to burn fat, it will also shift you into fat deficiency which means bad skin, bad mood, bad memory, hormone problems and ultimately weight gain in the stomach region. Don't you think a balanced diet is the best one no matter if you're cleansing or not? (Note: if you are fasting for religious reasons that is a completely different story. Consult with God and your doctor before fasting if you are pregnant because the little one growing inside of you may have different ideas.)

A detox system should not cost more than $50. It should not take less than 2 weeks at a time, or more than 10% of your year (yes, there are detoxes that instruct you to do them once a week, every 4 weeks). Lastly, don't buy anything that only eliminates toxins through your bowel (Yikes!): your body is made up of many detox organs: liver, kidneys, skin, lungs, colon.

What I Recommend

I suggest setting aside 21 days to focus on a completely raw, vegan diet. This means unheated plant foods only. When food has not been heated, it contains the maximum amount of nutrients (the exception: I think tomatoes and spinach are healthier when cooked). Eliminate sugar and caffeine. Try to eliminate other forms of chemicals too (conventional makeup, heavy car pollution, etc.) Eat fruits, vegetables, nuts, seeds, nut butters, whole grains (quinoa, millet) and herbs/spices. Make your own nut milks by soaking 1 cup of your favourite nut (cashews, almonds, etc.) overnight, then discard that water, add in 4 cups of fresh water, blend, and strain. Make sprouts by soaking seeds and grains in water, then rinsing twice daily. Make salad dressings with raw apple cider vinegar and cold pressed olive oil. Add some homemade mustard too (ground mustard seed + raw honey + apple cider vinegar + water). This kind of diet takes dedication and a ton of planning. Look up raw, vegan meal plans and experiment with new recipes.

Drink lots of water. This will flush your kidneys.

Get lots of sleep. Throw some long walk and yoga in there too. If your calorie intake allows, try some hard exercise - sweating is a form of detox.

Take long Epsom salt baths. This practice, if done often, can help pull heavy metals from your body. I have seen it help people (blood work proved it).

Most importantly, use herbs to activate your detox organs. They can be made into a tea:

• Alfalfa
• Black walnut if you are detoxing from parasites
• Burdock
• Chamomile
• Dandelion
• Marshmallow root
• Milk thistle
• Mullein
• Red clover
• Slippery elm (to aid elimination, go easy)

If you want an easy mix buy Flora's Floressence liquid. You can mix it with hot water to make a detox tea. It is incredible - tastes good, is soothing and provides all the right ingredients for detoxification and elimination. It was an originally a native American healing mix (Ojibwe blend) that was passed along to the nursing staff at a hospital that eventually used it with cancer patients.

The only store bought boxed detox I'd really recommend is Renew Life's First Cleanse. If you suspect parasites, try their ParaGone.


What cleanse do you like?

How to Make it SWEET

Sugar can come from so many places - sugarcane, beets, corn - and it can also be faked like in the case of Splenda. With all of these options, how do you choose a sweetener?

When evaluating sweeteners there are so many things to consider. I like to look most at its source and processing, as well as its nutrient content and its resulting effect on your health. Those focusing on weight loss may look at calories, diabetics may look at its glycemic index. It's also good to consider the ease of use and versatility, the availability, the taste, the shelf life and, of course, the price.

White sugar is a highly processed product refined from the sugarcane plant. It is terrible for your nervous system and kidneys, and negatively effects your mood, metabolism and ability to absorb nutrients from other foods. It has 45 calories per Tablespoon. It comes in different forms for different purposes: granulated is the regular stuff, castor is a bit finer and powdered (confectioner's or icing) is very light. The nice thing about white sugar is that since most recipes call for it, you don't need to figure out a substitution.

Sugar alcohols are refined from fruits and vegetables. Because the body doesn't absorb them as well they only contain 29 calories per Tablespoon. They're also slightly less sweet, but don't have a bad aftertaste. Xyltitol is the most common one, and has a glycemic index (GI) of 13 which is very low. They can pretty much be substituted 1 to 1 in all recipes. The good is: since yeast and bacteria can't use it well, it's a good choice for Candida diets, and for oral health. The bad is: being poorly absorbed it can end up having a laxative effect if you use it often.

When sugar is processed there is a syrupy byproduct called molasses. It tastes strong and sort of burnt due to its high mineral content - higher if you choose black strap over fancy. You can use 1 1/3 cup in place of 1 cup of sugar, but try to reduce the recipe's other liquids by 1/3 cup. It has 58 calories per Tablespoon.

Raw sugar, or cane sugar, is a broad term that means different things depending who you ask and where you are. The most raw sugar is succanat which is made from sugarcane juice that has been filtered, evaporated and crystallized. Brown sugar is white sugar with molasses added so it technically contains minerals but they aren't naturally occurring. The different classes - demarara, muscavado, turbinado - all have varying levels of molasses. They can all be substituted 1 to 1 and have about 51 calories per Tablespoon but I'd recommend succanat as the best. They all taste great!

Then there are powder-style sugars made from other plants - coconut, dates, corn... They typically taste like their source, which can be great, are subbed 1 to 1, and have about 45 calories per Tablespoon. Coconut sugar is somewhat expensive. Corn syrup is the liquid form and has been criticized in the media - for good reason: it has been linked to many health problems and ethical/social issues with world food distribution and agricultural politics.

There are many delicious, sweet syrups that come from natural sources. Honey is made through beekeeping and is therefore not considered vegan. When raw or unpasteurized it is antibacterial and can even help alleviate environmental allergies if it has been produced locally. Honey has a relatively high GI (75) and caloric value per Tablespoon (64) but because it's nice and sweet you can use it sparingly. About 3/4 cup will replace 1 cup of sugar in a recipe. Honey contains many nutrients and is a good work-out food. Maple syrup is the result of boiling down tree sap. It has my favourite taste of all sweeteners and contains many important minerals. It has 65% sucrose but a hefty dose of zinc and also the much coveted manganese. It has 52 calories per Tablespoon and you'll need a bit more than a cup to use as a sugar substitute. Once opened it'll keep in the fridge for a long time. Barley malt is made from a grain and is similar to other syrups except that it is very low in sucrose. Same substitution as maple syrup but it has closer to 60 calories per Tablespoon. The biggest downfall? It is not gluten-free. Brown rice syrup is gluten-free and contains great nutrients including many minerals and sugars that are 50% in the form of maltose. It has 55 calories per Tablespoon, requires 1 1/2 cups to sub a cup of sugar and is often expensive. Agave nectar is extracted from the same cactus that they make tequila out of. It is low in sucrose and has a low GI. It tastes great! You only need 2/3 cup to substitute. My favourite thing about agave, other than memories of Mexico, is that it dissolves easily in cold liquids. It has 60 calories per Tablespoon.

Stevia is a super sweet plant sold in three forms: a spoonable powder (subs cup for cup), an extract (use only 1 tsp per cup) and a liquid (also 1 tsp per cup). It doesn't taste perfect but it does have 0 calories. It is my go-to sweetener for lemonade.

Lastly there are sucralose (Splenda), saccharin (Sweet n Low), aspartame (Equal) and more, but frankly I don't like them! They are created in labs with chemicals and do not fare well in studies looking out for your health.

So which sweetener do you like?

Chipkos

You may have seen a while back when I posted about a new line of sandals that I'm so excited about... well they are finally resting comfortably between my toes! I know it's funny to get excited about summer footwear in December, but hey - one of my latest posts was on when to plant seeds so I'm allowed to get excited about comfortable shoes that are appropriate in six months from now.

Chipkos specializes in eco-friendly footwear by protecting one hundred square feet of the rain forest per product purchased. I feel good about myself already.

Their sandals (I got them in red) are inspired by the classic Indian "Osho chappal" which, in India, represent a a connection with the Earth, spiritual awareness, and mindful thought. I already love how comfortable they are and how durable they seem. The bottom is super non-slip and appropriate for inside or outside. (As the website says "urban dwelling or outdoor adventuring" which I love). They are 100% vegan and are produced with low impact, environmentally friendly materials.

Click here and use code AHIMSA to get 10% off through me!

In other news, our fraiser fir is up. I have advent going and flourless gingerbread made and homemade cards as usual.

Oliver and I are off to the library to get magazines for our cottage trip.

How are you making Christmas planet-friendly?