This non-toxic, natural air freshener is easy to prepare using four simple ingredients—vodka, fresh rosemary, lemon and essential oil of vanilla. Freshen up yoga mats, gym shoes and your home without dangerous chemicals, and save some money, too. Read more…
I went dandelion (a.k.a. lion’s tooth) foraging yesterday with my sweetie. See, I bought a few books last year that feature some of the best Appalachian recipes, and dandelions are featured quite a bit in wines and jellies. It was torture learning about these exciting traditions last August, knowing that I had to wait months and months before I could try them out. My test of patience is over now though, the dandelions are out and about! I woke in the morning with my first thought being “no computer just yet, go pick dandies instead.”
It’s kinda funny not funny, but only in America would a weed so full of medicinal and nutritious properties be considered a “pesky intruder”—the bane of manicured lawns all over the country. Think too of our superfood friend chia, and how it’s sold as a hairy clay animal to set on the shelf. Le sigh. The only way to change perspectives though is to introduce people to new ideas, or “recycled” ideas, right? So go out and forage for these vitamin-rich yellow beauties because we are going to make fun recipes with them real soon. Read more…
Since the Make Your Own Eyeshadow and Eye Liner post, I have received a ton of questions about what I use on a daily basis for deodorant, mascara, shampoo, hair products, blush, body lotion, face moisturizer for a.m. and p.m., shaving cream, hand cream, lipstick, makeup remover, you name it. I typed a lot of those answers up for our contributor Rea Frey in an email a few weeks ago—she just read No More Dirty Looks and purged all beauty products right after and was wondering “what next?” The list I compiled for her was extensive and I thought immediately after I hit “send” that I should share with YU, too.
It’s important to note that I am not on the payroll for any of these products. These are just all the beauty products that I have found to be the cleanest that work for me (I tell you why after the jump). Not everything is perfect, but I do my best. There are a ton of clean, lovely products out there that I still would like to try, so I’m just gonna share with you what you’d find in my purse and bathroom if you were to take a look right now. Today. Ok, here goes… Read more…
This How To’day tip is a simple favorite. We all know how sad it is to buy some nice, plump berries and when you finally get around to eating them a few days later, they are half-covered in mold. Boo. All you have to do to extend their life is soak them in vinegar and water, then rinse. True. Check it out after the jump. Read more…
I recently read No More Dirty Looks after putting it off for years—knowing full well that once I read that book, I would toss all my “natural” products because they wouldn’t be “clean” enough. I have been making my own body oils, lotions, lip glosses and blush for a while now, but I did have some suspect hair products that I loved, lip glosses and shadows that were in a variety of stunning, unnatural colors that I wouldn’t, couldn’t, believe were loaded with carcinogens and my deodorant, well, it claimed to be natural. But I knew that it was time for me to be more informed, so I picked up No More Dirty Looks, read it cover to cover in one day with my jaw on the floor, and as anticipated, tossed a good bit of my toiletries and makeup pronto. Read more…
Just a quick heads-up that the YU 3-pack of eGuides is 50% off via DailyCandy and CBS Chicago this week—don’t miss your chance to get almost 100 pages of step-by-step photos, meal plans, recipes, shopping guides, tips and more for only $15. If you’ve always wanted to see what these guides are about, now is the best time! Read more…
The wait is over, our Fitness Friday contributor Mark Beier has finally launched his own line of nutrient-dense performance bars appropriately called—MARK BAR. Whether you are professional athlete competing at the highest level, or a weekend warrior looking to improve your performance, MARK BARs provide you with the fuel you need to perform at your best with ingredients you can trust. One of our favorites being quinoa—YU know how we love our quinoa around here.
Let’s be honest, many whole food energy bars taste like mud. MARK BARs taste like muffins and cookies in bar form—it’s true.
Want to win a sample pack of flavors including Blueberry Almond, Honey Almond, Peanut Butter Chocolate and Cinnamon Raisin Almond? Comment below to be entered in our MARK BAR Giveaway.
Want them right now? If you are in Chicago you can go to any of these locations. Non-Chicagoans can buy online. Read more…
I’m sure by now that everyone knows about quinoa around here. You can make everything from cereal to tacos with it, but are you familiar with another ancient powerhouse grain called Amaranth? Well, like quinoa, it’s also a fantastic source of complete plant-based protein but it is also high in lysine which is known to help promote collagen growth, burn fat as energy and it keeps cold sores at bay. These tiny powerhouse seeds are a great source of fiber and they are just as versatile for cookin’ as our friend quinoa. And you can pop it like popcorn. That’s right, teeny tiny popcorn. I’ve made a How To’sday video to show you how it’s done, so watch it after the jump. Read more…
I came across this video recently and think it’s one that I should share with YU. It’s an important presentation given by the founder of the Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine (PCRM), Neal Barnard MD, that discusses the science behind food additions—like the top dog I always hear about, and one we’ve discussed on YumUniverse—cheese. What was my biggest battle when I transitioned? Sugar.
The “sugar demon” was joked about quite a bit on my recent trip to California. Even though my vegan tripmates and I know about the opiate-like effect certain foods can have, we indulged under the convenient vacation excuse. Eating Apple Cinnamon muffins by the fire, under twinkling stars is pretty magical, but I knew that even though we located gluten-free and vegan treats to enjoy, that the sparkly, crunchy topping was definitely sugar. And I think we all knew that it would be a tough week post-vacay when the vacation pass wasn’t there. That sugar demon is strong, and as I sit here sipping some apple cider vinegar and water (a great way to curb cravings btw), I know that what I am feeling is not necessarily a lack of willpower, it’s my body asking where the heck are all the vacation treats? I’m exaggerating a bit to make a point. We weren’t going cookie-monster-crazy, but we tend to eat a very clean diet and even a little bit of indulgence here and there is very noticeable now. And for that I’m grateful. This plant-based diet is a journey and I’d rather be here than where I was years ago when sugar not only was consumed daily, but it made my eyes spin like starlight mints.
Back to Dr. Barnard. He is someone you should know more about if you don’t already, and this video is a great introduction. He discusses, in a humorous, simple way, how chocolate, cheese, meat, and sugar release opiate-like substances that hook us—from our very first days in this world (and even before that). He also discusses how industry, aided by government, exploits these natural cravings, pushing us to eat more and more unhealthy foods. A plant-based diet is the solution to avoid many of these problems and the more YU know, the more strength you can build to help you achieve your goals. So take the time to watch this vid (instead of a show on tv tonight), you’ll feel pretty inspired and empowered afterwards.
What do YU think of what Dr. Barnard has to say?
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This is Dr. Barnard’s complete presentation from the 2003 VegSource Healthy Lifestyle Expo. To get a copy of this talk on DVD and many others, visit the VegSource store.
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