Dirty 30...Not For This Girl!

The Body Deli Vital-C Serum

My favorite product right now...made from live, raw foods, and stored in the fridge so every morning is like getting a facial!

As I move into my 30th year this Friday...eek!...I have become more aware and educated about what I put in my body, but even more so...what I put ON my body. The task of eliminating chemicals and toxins from your diet alone can be quite the task, but cleaning up the everyday products that you put on your body can be absolutely overwhelming.

Our skin has absorptive properties, so technically you shouldn't put anything on your skin that you wouldn't put in your mouth, as the skin is just another way for toxins and carcinogens to enter your body, creating cancer-growing cells.

When I first started tossing my toxic products and making room for the new products, I would stand in the store aisle, eyes glazed over, not knowing where to begin! So what can you do...besides memorize all the wordy ingredients you want to avoid, like...diethanolamine or isopropylparaben. No thank you!! The process doesn't have to be daunting, and I have to say I feel more empowered and in control as I move into a new decade!

So here are a few things that I've done over the past 6 months to change the products that I use and educate myself around the toxins that hide in many of our everyday beauty products...

1. Save the following link on your phone, or print it out and keep it in your handbag...Be Naturally You.

A great friend, who's mother is a natural skin care chemist, gave me this handy list of ingredients to watch out for when you're shopping for new products or making sure your existing products make the cut. The list can be a bit overwhelming, but the more you use it, the easier it will be to remember the ingredients you need to watch out for!

2. Start simple...

Change out each product as you run out of it. This can help your wallet and your sanity. When you're getting low on say face wash or mascara, start looking into which brands you can switch to instead of completely dumping your cabinet of products.

3. Shop Health Food Stores...

Local health food stores, as well as Whole Foods and Sprouts, have great natural beauty products, and they usually have knowledgeable associates available that can help walk you through their favorite natural products.

4. Trial and error...

I probably tried 4 different deodorants before I found one that actually worked well, so don't be afraid to find out that some of your more natural products don't perform quite the same as the chemical-filled products you're used to. Friends that are on the same journey are helpful in finding great products too!

5. Get Back to Basics...

Coconut and essential oils were my best friends when first starting to switch over my products. You can find great uses for coconut oil here, I use it for lotion, eye makeup remover, lip balm, night cream, ETC! Stay tuned for a homemade dry skin remedy you can whip up yourself, and have confidence in the ingredients.

Just a warning: The more you know, the more you're going to check every single product in your home...haha! Just last night I was doing dishes and reading the ingredients of my supposedly "natural" dishwash soap, and looks like I need to find a new one...totally worth it though!

LOCAL Greens: Kreation Organic Juicery

I tend to make my own juices at home, but when I'm about and about and I need something to keep me sustained, I make a stop at Whole Foods, or more recently

Kreation Organic Juicery 

in Manhattan Beach.

Kreation is a small chain with locations in Manhattan Beach, as well as various spots in West Los Angeles. The juices are made from 100% organic fruits and vegetables purchased locally in Santa Monica. They have a wide selection of juices, kombuchas, nut milks, and enhanced waters like lavender, aloe vera, and peppermint. I love how each juice has the ingredients, as well as the benefits you'll receive from each ingredient on the side of the bottle. They also let you sample each flavor before you buy so you know exactly what you're getting...like healthy wine tasting! Maybe not so much, but at least you don't buy a huge quantity of one flavor, and then try it to realize it tastes like dirty socks...

Not only does Kreation have yummy and nutrient-rich juices, their stores are filled with gorgeous succulent walls. Even their truck that delivers juices around the Los Angeles area has some amazing greenery on it! You can pick up a juice or two if you're just stopping in, or they also have detox plans that you can purchase if you want to do a cleanse for a few days...or maybe a month...or more!

Fennel, Beets, & Blood Orange

I have never cooked with fennel before, but I'm trying to branch out from my normal weekly veggie rotation, and {FENNEL} was the veggie I've been missing. I had no idea how to use it, and after doing a little research on how to prepare it, came up with this yummy dish, which actually felt pretty fancy for a {Monday} night! This would be a good dish for a special date night dinner at home, or if you want to impress your friends at your next dinner party!

FENNEL

also has innumerous health benefits, and can aid in treating anemia, indigestion, and constipation. It is also helpful in eliminating toxins from the body as a diuretic, prevents hair loss and eye disorders related to aging. 

Ingredients:

Fennel, 3-4 bulbs

Beets, 2-3 bunches 

Red onion

Olive Oil, about 1/2 cup 

Blood oranges, juice of 2

Garlic clove

Lemon, juice of 3

Black pepper

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

The beets require the longest roasting time, so it's best to start with them. Rinse and remove the stems, and try to remove as much as the outside root as you can, without removing all the skin. Cut beets into fourths and wrap in aluminum foil to create a steaming package. Place directly on the oven rack and let steam for about 50 minutes, or until you can pierce them lightly with a fork. While the beets are steaming, cut off the fronds and bulb end from the fennel. Save the fronds for a garnish. Slice each fennel into fourths. Chop the red onion into large pieces, about the same size as the fennel slices. Place the fennel and red onion on a baking sheet. Drizzle olive oil, lemon juice, and a few grinds of black pepper on the fennel and onions, and place in the oven for 20-25 minutes. I set the timer for my beets at 30 minutes, and then added the fennel and onion to let everything cook for another 20-25 minutes.

To prepare the Blood Orange Vinaigrette, combine 1/2 cup olive oil, a garlic clove, and the juice of 2 lemons, and 2 blood oranges. Whisk all ingredients together, and add black pepper to taste.

Add beets to your dish, and then top with roasted fennel and red onion. Drizzle blood orange vinaigrette, and add fennel fronds as a garnish.

Voila...an easy, healthy, and {fancy} dish!

Kale and Brussel Sprout CHOPPED Salad

This week's Farm Fresh delivery included the most beautiful Lacinato kale I've probably ever seen, it was silky and had the most rich dark green color. I wanted to use it raw, and in a dish that really highlighted how fresh and flavorful it is, instead of throwing it in a smoothie or making kale chips.

Which led me to the most heavenly combination of chopped kale, brussel sprouts, onions, quinoa, and pine nuts, with a lemon garlic vinaigrette!

Let me just say, when I began making this dish, and my guy asked me what was for dinner and saw what I was concocting, he said he would order pizza...fine, more for me! Well, let me tell you, by the time this dish was done, he had forgotten about the pizza and was even suggesting some yummy additions to add to the mix for next time. DOUBLE SUCCESS...there will be a next time, and the kale and brussel sprout chopped salad beat out the pizza!

Ingredients:

Kale, 1-2 Bunches, Chopped with center stem removed

Brussel Sprouts, 12 Ounces,Trimmed and chopped

Onion, 1/4, Sliced

Quinoa, 1 Cup, Cooked

Pine Nuts, 1/4 Cup

Coconut Oil, 1 Tablespoon

Olive Oil, 1/4 Cup

Garlic, 1 Clove

Lemon, Juice of 2-3

Black Pepper

Remove the stems from the kale, chop into small pieces, and place in a large bowl.

In a large skillet, add coconut oil, trimmed and chopped brussel sprouts, and onion. Add a few dashes of pepper, and a squeeze of lemon to season. Saute on medium heat until onion and brussel sprouts soften. For the quinoa, boil 2 cups of water and bring to a boil. Add 1 cup of quinoa, cover and simmer on low for 10-12 minutes. Pine nuts can be added to the quinoa, or toasted in a skillet.

For the dressing, combine chopped garlic clove, olive oil, and juice of 2 lemons. Add 2-3 dashes of black pepper. Whisk to combine all ingredients.

Add brussel sprout mixture, quinoa, pine nuts, and dressing to your bowl of chopped kale and toss together.