Toxic Sunsceen

Sunscreen. 

If you are like me, you grew up slathering the stuff all over yourself once you were old enough to do it on your own. And before that, your mamma gave you a thick coat outta the brown bottle every time you ventured into the sun's rays.

If you are like me, you heard from many (media, doctors, and your mamma!) that you must wear it. 

To prevent cancer. To prevent burns. To prevent wrinkles.

If you are like me you would scrunch your brow, shake your head, and say "uh, whatever," if someone told you that sunscreen is actually doing more harm than good, that it actually promotes cancer, and that it doesn't do a whole lot for the wrinkle thing.

As always, I am on a mission to find information in order to provide education for those around me and for those connected via the technology of the internet. The first I heard of the negatives of sunscreen was late last autumn when my doctor (from Austria) took a look at my blood tests and a look at my skin. He asked if I wear sunscreen. Expecting a "good girl" I proudly said "oh, yes." He simply said, "don't." It was at that time that I did the scrunch-shake-whatever reaction.

Since that day, I have wondered what in the world he was talking about as he didn't linger on the topic. Since last fall the horrors of sunscreen has been brought to my attention. Thank you Lord! Instead of re-writing the articles and information, I will put a few links here for you to educate yourself.

Just know these factoids...

- countries that have a high use of sunscreen (like America) have a high incidence of cancer (there is a correlation between increased sunscreen use and increased cancer rates)

- chemicals in the sunscreen actually cause free radical damage (which is very BAD--cancer-causing etc.)

- when you add heat to the chemicals, you cause an intensification of those nasty chemicals

- health problems related to defunked estrogen (there are many) are linked to sunscreen use

- tropical climates use coconut oil, aloe vera, and/or mashed berries for their "sunscreen"

Sunscreen Myth

Sunscreen Harmful

Top Sunscreen Stories

Sunscreen Disaster

I have to tell you that I used to be a big proponent of sunscreen. This was the only area that I would negate my rule for food, personal care products, and cleaning products...if you cannot pronounce the ingredient or you don't know what it is, don't eat it, slather it on, or clean with it! I trusted that "they" knew better and would not mislead me. Oh, I trusted wrong. And I have been having a bunch of those "duh" smack my forehead moments...

Now I must relay my personal test of this newfound information. I never ever bare my shoulders to the sun because I was burned to the point of blisters as a teen one time. And I would buy the highest number SPF, mostly intended for babies, and apply and reapply and reapply. When I had a son, I made sure to buy the health food store brand and do the same to him. I thought I was doing a good thing.

So far this year I have not applied sunscreen to my 30-something-year old skin, nor have I applied it to my son's 4-year old skin. We are getting a tan, not a burn. And when it has been really sunny, we wear long sleeves and avoid the intense mid-day rays. So far so good. Last weekend was sunny and we needed to be outdoors working in the yard and garden. This proved to be the ultimate test.

We started out with some of that raw coconut oil (see previous post about this) rubbed in, long sleeves, and wide-brimmed hats. He kept his long sleeves on all day. Not me. I took mine off and had a sleeveless shirt on. Long story short, time got away from me and we were out there for six (6) hours. I came in wondering what I had just done to me and my precious boy.

After showering and getting a good look at things, he had some pinkish color to the back of his neck. I had some pinkish color on the soft almost underside of the back of my arms...that delicate area that hadn't seen the light of day in years. I immediately put on some more coconut oil. And then at bedtime I put some more on. By morning, nothing. You could barely see a tan line!

Now, that is amazing. I know me and my skin. Had this been last summer I would have fried, even with the toxic sunscreen slather ritual. My interest was peaked even more...

Some more factoids I discovered doing more research:

- green smoothies help put a natural barrier into your system for "sunscreen"

- coconut oil used properly has been used for years as "sunscreen" and moisturizer

- healthy eating makes for healthy skin with a healthy reaction to the sun's rays

- "sunscreen" screens out the valuable vitamin D that is only formulated via the sun (that is why my doc asked me about sunscreen as my vit. D levels were sooo low while all the others were off the charts high)

Some more factoids about the goodness of sun:

- God made it! 

- plants need it to live

- we eat the plants that need it to live

- we need it to live a healthy vibrant life

Sure, you can be foolish about the sun and get burned. You can stay out too long. Or you can go out at high-noon (about 11am-2pm) and soak up more intense rays. Just think. Stop and think for a minute or two about what I have written.

An educated friend with the inside scoop of health food stores told me today that the "natural" brands are re-formulating their products right now. Word is getting out, pocketbooks are feeling it, and change is coming! They are taking out the nasty chemicals. Finally. Yahoo.

Another friend grew up without sunscreen. It simply wasn't available in her country. She has awesome skin. And she cited the basics facts I listed about not being foolish.

Now, I know that for years and years you may have had "use sunscreen" drilled into your brain, just like me. Although you may not be ready to forgo the lather altogether, you must toss your tubes and bottles and switch to something better. I found a couple brands that I would give an "okay" for use.

- Caribbean Blue (google search it)

- Badger (found at REI, Whole Foods...this is what I bought for the times we have to be in the sun for great lengths and/or at high-noon)

- MexiTan (google search it)

As summer is upon us, please educate yourself. You do not want to boil up a batch of free radical damage that will get baked into your skin, or the skin of your precious little one. You now have the knowledge, it is your choice what to do with it.

I am sticking to my mantra...for all things connected to me, my health, and the health of my family. 

If you cannot pronounce the ingredient 

or you don't know what it is, 

don't eat it, 

slather it on your body, 

or clean your house with it!

Oh dear, just wait for the post about bug repellent...

Thrive!

Good day to you! Monday, the beginning of the week. This first full week of summer. It is a great time to make some changes to be a healthier, happier you! Why not start with your dietary choices? Let's do it--right now!

Below is a quote from an article by Brendan Brazier, a vegan athlete from Canada. Actually he is a top Iron Man athlete. He eats a plant-based diet. He is the epitome of thriving, not just surviving. In fact he wrote a book entitled "Thrive," a best-seller up north. Click on the link to read the article in its entirety.

Have a blessed day and think before you eat because you indeed are what you eat! 

"I like to start with the dark leafy green leafy vegetables, which are a rich source of chlorophyll, the lifeblood of all plants. Able to significantly reduce lactic acid (a destructive by-product of exercise) chlorophyll also cleanses and oxygenates the blood, making it an essential modern world food and a true performance enhancer. More available oxygen in the blood translates to better endurance and an overall reduction in fatigue. In their raw state, chlorophyll-containing plants possess an abundance of live enzymes that promote the quick rejuvenation of cells. My favourite green food is chlorella because it is the richest source of chlorophyll and nucleic acids in nature, plus it provides a reliable supply of vitamin B12.

I also highly recommend a daily dose of a complete, raw plant protein such as hemp protein. Raw plant protein offers several advantages: Naturally occurring live enzymes, present only in raw protein, are absorbed and utilized in a far more efficient manner than processed proteins, and feeding the body natural whole food sources of protein greatly reduces the amount needed by improving efficacy."

http://www.vistamagonline.com/articles/page.php?tp=1&p=1&id=14&s=whole_food_diet

Meet Your Meat

This posting is something that makes me dizzy with madness and sadness. It will likely gross you out. Please, if you eat meat, watch this. If you buy meat in a store, watch this. If you order meat from a menu, watch this. 

"Oh, I don't want to see something gross," may be what you are thinking. Let me tell you, you need to watch this. For your health, the health of your family, and the health of our planet. 

My mission is education. I want people to have the information and education to make informed decisions about their health and well-being. You have control of what you put in your mouth. I want you to make the best choices based on the information at-hand. 

It is true that my blog primarily focuses on the goodness of eating healthy, that is a positive thing. And that is what the majority of information and education will be about. Goodness. Eating fruits & veggies. Having fun with the food you consume. Fueling your body for great health. Quite to the contrary, this information today focuses on the badness of eating meat raised for the mass market, that is a negative thing.

Imagine for a moment if you switched to a vegan (no animal products) diet. One, how many more people could our planet feed if all the land devoted to animal feed crops were turned into organic farms and orchards? Have you ever thought about land use in that manner? Okay that is only one issue...

I am not going to stay perched on my soap box...just watch the video. And do come back to this blog. My intent isn't to make you feel guilty or that you are doing something wrong, I just want you to be informed. Do you want to make changes and feel better? Do you want to thrive or just survive? 

Did God really intend for us to treat animals this way? Even if you have no inclination to stop eating meat, at least change your purchase habits and buy it from a reputable farm...no antibiotics, no hormones, no tumors, no disease, no madness... Please.

Taste Buds

Food, food, food. We eat it at least 3 times a day, most often times more than that. What are you putting into your body? And the bodies of your children?

My son and I were doing our regular Monday mid-day thing, watching a vegan whole foods cooking pbs show called "Christina Cooks" when we both looked at each other and professed our hunger out loud. Since my husband and I have raised our son as a vegan (see post below for definition!), it didn't surprise me when he requested soup for lunch. 

Can openers and microwaves are not the way we make soup around here. I quickly chopped some sweet potato, red onion, asparagus, and carrots. Tossed them into a pan with olive oil and sauteed for a couple minutes--still with lots of crispness left! Added in some water. And then some rice noodles. I reserved some raw veggies and added those in with the hot soup. In mere minutes, there was homemade, healthy, wonderful soup--pleasing to the 4 1/2-year old taste buds of my kiddo!

Some say "wow" about the variety of veggies he downs with enthusiasm. As a 6-month old starting on "baby food" we took great care in what he ate. And in the order he ate it. 

We made our own baby food...

Initially we mashed up some avocados. Then some bananas. Then some brown rice blended. We slowly introduced veggies and then fruits. Raw and mashed. Sometimes cooked a tad. He ate what we ate... just mushed and mashed. That is the simple way. That is the healthy way.

Recently a friend (Eat Healthy, Be  Happy) and I were talking about "baby food" sold in jars. Gross. Even if it is organic it is still cooked beyond recognition. And people wonder why their tots won't eat veggies with gusto?! Children learn a lot through their mouths...so do adults.

Take the time to teach them well. Feed them right. Build an appreciation for the simple things of life...

Back to lunch, I had leftover salad from dinner last night. I dressed mine with raw food "sour cream" (recipe I made quite by accident a couple months ago), pine nuts, currants, red bell pepper and dill. Yum! 

What are you having for lunch today? 

Yes, simple healthy food looks awesome and tastes even better! You heard it from SIMPLE RAW FOOD MAMMA so it's gotta be true  ;-)

Vegan Pizza

Yesterday for lunch my son and I made 

vegan pizza. 

Before I go any further I must clarify "vegan" for those of you with scrunched up brows. 

Vegan is animal-free...no meat, no dairy, if it had a mamma or was squeezed out of something that once had a mamma...it ain't here!

We did use some vegan "cheese" & "meat" in these masterpieces (although I would say to keep even vegan processed foods to a minimum).

Mainly we loaded them with yummy pizza sauce, black beans, onions, olives (plain olives canned in water, no nasty chemical-laden olives please!), and even some cilantro. 

Viola! Taco pizza!

Have your kid(s) help you create in the kitchen. My son loves it. What you impart to your kids as good and healthy and fun, they will adopt as their own ideals too. Make them part of it. And give them the freedom to be creative. Yes, my son's pizza was soooo thick and it stuck like crazy to the pan, but he ate every scrapity scrap of it!

You may even see him with his own vegan or raw food show someday as he already talks to the people as he prepares a meal!  ;-)

I made a green smoothie for my lunch with mixed salad greens, mustard greens, cilantro, and frozen blueberries. Yum! If you aren't a fan of cilantro, add in some celery instead.

Happy Eating & Drinking!

Let's Go Crazy!

Lately it seems we have been inundated in our home by disease. We have been touched by family and friends and church-family suffering from various states of disease from 4 different forms of cancer to cardiovascular disease to many other states of ill-health. Of course we are saddened, we pray, and we reach out to these people, our family and our friends.

What makes me so sad, and I'll admit it, even a little mad, is that most of these conditions could have been prevented, the symptoms minimized, and/or the causative factor obliterated. Folks, do this, think about every single thing that goes into your mouth. Does it have the potential to heal or to harm? Is it life-giving or life-taking?

We spend more time worrying about the brand of fuel we put into our cars and trucks than we do worrying about the fuel we put into our bodies! That is crazy. 

We groan and moan about the rising cost of gasoline and diesel, but we empty our wallets at the pharmacy counter for yet another pill to mask a symptom, or worse yet, cause a side-effect that needs another pill! That is crazy.

We take our autos in for oil changes and tune-ups, yet we ignore the red lights and warning signs flashing on the driver! That is crazy.

Please, reconsider your dietary intake and realize its importance in your very life. You need to take control of what you put into your mouth. Spend as much (or more!) time reading the label of a product before you buy it as you do reading the price boards at gas stations.

Join me in getting crazy for good, wholesome, fresh food. Join me in doing the "let's get crazy dance" in the produce isle. Join me in getting crazy dirty in the garden growing your own fruits & veggies. Let's go crazy for something worthwhile, something awesome, something God created--YOU!

And while you're at it, please go check out the blog 

"Eat Healthy, Be Happy" I have linked over there 

to the right side of the page. 

Elena has beautiful photos, scrumptious recipes, 

wonderful insight, a kind heart, 

and a she shares my quest 

for increasing the health & vitality of God's children!  ;-)

Green, Living Foods

Howdy! Despite the rain today, everything is green, green, green here in western Oregon. A great reminder to drink green smoothies! This morning I made a concoction that reflected the beautiful green medley of the grass, leaves, ferns, trees, and new growth.

1 handful spinach

1 handful mixed baby green

1/2 fresh mango

1 pear

1 cup water

As usual, blend the water and greens first. Add the rest and blend away. Yum!

Here are some more notes from the hand-outs I passed out Saturday at the healthy eating class and demonstration of green smoothies. It was an awesome day. Thank you to PR for inviting me to speak. And thank you to all who attended, listened, ate "chocolate cake" &  "almond cookies" and slurped some green smoothies!  ;-) 

This is the continuation of an INTRODUCTION TO RAW/LIVING FOODS...

Benefits

Ø    Simplicity—raw food is the best “fast food”

Ø    Increased energy—when you eat processed/dead foods your body diverts energy and resources (i.e. enzymes) for proper digestion & assimilation. By consuming living foods, you are making a living investment in your living body!

Ø    Weight loss—when the majority of your calories are from fresh fruits & veggies and you consume less calories & have more energy (for exercise); your ideal body shape and weight will be revealed. Eating a processed diet forces water to hang out with all the sugars and salts in our tissues, creating that “puffy and fattish” look.

Ø    Other side effects include an overall sense of well-being. You need less sleep, you have more energy, your emotions get more stable, and you experience things more fully—as if you are more alive!

 

How do I start?

Ø    You will need to want to experience health benefits.

Ø    Fill your fridge with fresh fruits, veggies, nuts and seeds—you are what you eat & you eat what you buy.

Ø    Breakfast: replace standard cereal with raw fruit, nuts, and “mylk” (non-dairy alternative)

Ø    Lunch & Dinner: eat a lovely, large salad as your main course and have some whole grain pasta or brown rice as a side dish.

Ø    Add juicing and green smoothies to your eating plan.

Ø    Try a new raw/living food recipe once a week!

Ø    Read books, magazines, blogs, websites, and talk to others with the same interest.

All of the green I see today reflects life. So as you feed yourself and those around you today, ponder this... Are you adding to a life so that it can thrive or just survive? Are you eating living foods for a living body?