LOVE: snapperock uva swimwear for kids (and parents!)

May 13, 2016

Girls

With year round LA sun, if you think I’m not obsessed with covering my kids from head to toe with sunscreen, you’re wrong. But my sunscreen fantasies often fail very short. They hate being slathered, run away half the time and it all washes off in the pool anyway. The waterproof stuff is often so yucky and toxic. So why not add one extra layer of protection? Literally!

Enter Snapper Rock (www.snapperrock.com) is the leading children’s swimwear brand with UV50+ protection, blocking 98% of all harmful rays. Just in time for summer!! Snapper Rock has the most adorable, picky-kid approved styles including bikinis, shorts, rash guards and one-pieces.With over 80 styles, colors and prints in the best sun protective swimwear on the market.

My daughter is so ga-ga over the line, the both of us spend way too long looking at every style and option, trying to pick. My son looks so fricken cute in the board shorts, I want to eat him. I took super crappy photos of them last week wearing them, so I’ll spare you my bad photography and offer some pretty styles from the online shop.

Go check it out and grab something cute, it’s a win win for all!

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The New Superfood: Ghee by 4th & Heart, Like Butter but Better!

May 11, 2016

white truffle

Now available in all Whole Foods stores in California

Pure Spreadable Butter is an iconic ingredient and food staple with a history as rich as its taste. It originates in India where it’s called “Ghee” and is used extensively in cooking and to promote health. Replace your everyday butter & oil with 100% Grass-Fed Pure Spreadable Butter.  

Himalayan Pink Salt

Ghee is a delicious superfood with restorative properties that is similar to butter but is better for your health. This pure clarified butter is boiled to perfection eliminating all milk solids making it dairy, casein and lactose free. Ghee is an essential healthy fat and a nutrient powerhouse rich in Butyric Acid, Vitamin K, Vitamin E, Omega Fatty Acids and Medium Chain triglycerides among others.

4th & Heart is bringing this ancient Ayurvedic ingredient to the spotlight by crafting ghee in one-of-a-kind gourmet flavors of White Truffle, East Asian Garlic, Himalayan Pink Salt, Madagascar Vanilla and original. I first tasted it at The Echo Park Craft fair then at Erewhon and now I can say, I’ve tried each flavor and it’s sort of like a gathering of your favorite  jeans. It’s hard to know which to use because they are all divine and have such unique distinctive stories to tell. But when you use the right one, you’ve made a choice that makes you feel amazing all day. They add so much depth to whatever you are eating, not to mention health benefits (read on!).

Each one has a superb flavor profile and is a tremendous addition to a variety of dishes and meal preparations, both savory and sweet. From chocolate pudding to walnut bolognese to kale pesto, there are endless uses for ghee.

Ghee is regarded as an essential part of an Ayurvedic diet and has numerous healing properties including:

  • Improved digestion-Packed with butyric acid, a short medium chain fatty acid that speeds up digestion & heals the digestive tract
  • Increased metabolism-When consumed in proper quantities, ghee actually speeds up your metabolism helping you burn fat and lose weight
  • Anti-inflammatory & Lowers cholesterol-Rich in omega fatty acids it lowers cholesterol, boosts heart health and rids body of excess bile
  • Strengthens Immunity & Flexibility-Butyric acid increases killer T cells in the gut boosting immunity & lubricates joints promoting flexibility 
  • Does not break down into free radicals-Unlike most oils, ghee has a very high smoke point & won’t break down while cooking 
  • Gluten and dairy free while derived from grass fed, pasture raised cows

Founder Raquel Gunsagar is a devout Ashtangi and mother of two living in Los Angeles. She puts the utmost value on nutrition and properly nourishing the body and is thrilled to bring her ghee to the community. 4th & Heart has just undergone a re-brand and was formerly Tava Life. 

Health & Metabolic Benefits of Pure Spreadable Butter

Increases Metabolism

Ghee is commonly known as a medium chain fatty acid (MCT). MCTs decrease hunger and increase metabolism. Studies show that when replacing butter with ghee, metabolism increases, and cholesterol remains unaffected. Another benefit of MCTs are improved cognitive function. (Source)

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Aids in Digestion
Ghee is also rich in in butyric acid, a short chain fatty acid. Beneficial intestinal bacteria convert fiber into butyric acid and then use that for energy and intestinal wall support. Therefore, this aids in your bodies natural digestive function. (Source)

Purity
Ghee is pure and does not contain any hydrogenated oils that can damage your health.

Rich in Vitamins
Ghee is rich in the healthy fat-soluble vitamins A, D, E, and K, which are critical to bone, brain, heart, and immune system function.

Natural Source of Anti-Carcinogen CLA
Ghee from grass-fed cows contains the natural cancer-fighting fatty acid conjugated linoleic acid (CLA) which aids in weight loss and has been shown to slow the progression of some types of cancer and heart disease.

California Garlic

Recipe ideas HERE!

It’s spreadable and tastes like butter!
No need to soften butter for cooking or for spreading on bread! Because it’s shelf stable, ghee/brewed butter is always soft.

Easy to Bake With
No need to soften butter for all those baking recipes. Select equal portions of ghee to butter and use for baking with ease.

100% Lactose-Free
Since all the milk solids are removed through reducing the butter and then filtering the solids out through a sieve ghee becomes a lactose-free product. Therefore people who are lactose intolerant can replace butter or margarine with Tava Life Provisions ghee.

Shelf-Stable
Tava Life Provisions ghee is shelf stable and can remain fresh for up to nine months, even unrefrigerated.

High Temperature Cooking
When you cook with butter the milk fat easily burns. Cooking with pure ghee, aka Pure Spreadable Butter™, you can cook at high temperatures of 250°C (482°F), which is well above typical cooking temperatures of around 200°C (392°F) and above that of most vegetable oils.

It’s so easy Paleo-ish Chocolate Pudding

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1 8 oz can of organic coconut cream

1 cup powdered cacao

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 cup of pitted organic dates

1 tablespoon vanilla bean ghee

  1. Heat coconut cream and vanilla bean ghee just slightly in a small sauce pan until lukewarm
  2. Toss all the ingredients into a Vitamix blender
  3. Serve into small bowls
  4. Refrigerate for five minutes
  5. Serve

SHILAJIT: SUPPLEMENT SPOTLIGHT WITH Dr. Edward Group

May 9, 2016

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From deep within the Caucasus and Himalayan mountains, Shilajit (pronounced shi-lah-jeet) is a naturally occurring substance that’s rich in beneficial nutrients. Although it’s somewhat unknown today, it is still prominent in many natural health practices, including Ayurveda. This blackish, smooth substance can be found in high concentrations in the Altai Mountains. One of the main constituents of the material is fulvic acid, which has shown some promise in heavy metal protection and brain support.

What is Shilajit?

Shilajit is a sticky resin that oozes from rocks in the mountains in response to heat from the sun. It is often referred to as “rock sweat” and “stone oil” for its tar and sap-like texture. Shilajit is most often a black color, but can range in hue depending on location. The substance is rich in nutrients, like humic acid, A, B, and C vitamins, and trace minerals, and it may be useful for supporting men’s health. While shilajit research is by no means large, there is evidence that its compounds offer many health benefits.

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What are the Benefits of Shilajit?

Shilajit may support healthy aging, increase the body’s ability to rejuvenate tissue, increase metabolism, boost the immune system, promote digestive health, and even help strengthen bones. Its effects on brain health should also be noted. Research shows that compounds in shilajit may be helpful against Alzheimer’s disease risk. [1] According to some spiritual traditions, shilajit is excellent for cleansing the chakras, or energy centers at various points of the body. [2]

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Shilajit contains at least 85 substances and minerals that are essential for the human body, including vitamins A, B, and C, and essential minerals like iron, zinc, and magnesium. Due to its mineral content, some research suggests it may be helpful in cases of anemia. [3] It’s incredible as an antioxidant and helps neutralize harmful free-radicals. Its status as a potentantioxidant may explain why shilajit is so beneficial for brain health. Review of the literature on shilajit also shows the substance to be a powerful adaptogen. [4] Perhaps its best feature though is its rich concentration of fulvic acid.

What is Fulvic Acid?

Fulvic acid–also known as humic acid–is like an octane booster for your body. It is a mixture of a number of different acids and is composed from degraded organic matter. Fulvic acid helps makes nutrients more absorbable, supports brain health, and makes it easier for your body to cleanse itself of chemicals, toxic metals, and harmful compounds that negatively affect your health.

Supplementing With Shilajit

Shilajit can be taken as a standalone supplement, and it’s also sometimes added to herbal formulations to supercharge their effect. In fact, that’s why we’ve added it to several of our products, including Zeotrex, our solution for chemical and toxic metal cleansing.

Have you ever used shilajit? What were your experiences?

-Dr. Edward F. Group III, DP, NP, DACBN, DCBCN, DABFM

Dr. Group’s Bio: 

“Your body already possesses the self healing powers it needs to cure any ailment and disease”

-Dr. Group, The Green Body Cleanse

Dr. Edward Group is a Doctor of Chiropractic (DC), a Naturopathic Practitioner (NP), a Diplomate of the American Clinical Board of Nutrition (DACBN), and a Diplomate in American Board of Functional Medicine (DABFM). He has studied natural healing methods for over 20 years and now teaches individuals and practitioners all around the world the secret to health. He founded the Global Health Healing Center in 1988. Their mission is to bring back good health, positive thinking, happiness and love to the world by providing natural healthcare information and support. He also oversees his own certified organic farm, a manufacturing facility and a supplement company in Houston, Texas. In his over 20 years of practice, Dr. Group has seen it all: cancer, autoimmune diseases, diabetes, heart disease and a host of other conditions. He has been able to have a major impact on many lives with his natural products.

Dr. Group’s Link: http://www.globalhealingcenter.com/

Get The Good Glow: jane iredale

May 6, 2016

glow

WHOA! Coming this May!

This sunny lineup consists of three revamped bronzers each contain four sunny shades that can be mixed and matched for every skin tone and desired look.

The new peachy-pink Flirt LipDrink Lip Balm SPF 15 not only protects your pucker, but provides ultra-hydration with an invigorating lemon scent.

And finally, nourish, protect and smooth your body, face and scalp with the hero Powder-Me SPF® 30 Dry Sunscreen to complete this sun-kissed look without harmful UV rays.

jane iredale SPF products are fully tested and recommended by the Skin Cancer Foundation.

janeiredale.com 

KID + PARENT SNACK ALERT! Ginger’s Healthy Habits Veggie Trail Mix

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Ginger’s Healthy Habits (www.gingershealthyhabits.com) recently launched a Veggie Trail Mix that is the first of its kind made entirely of dehydrated vegetables and nuts. Available in delicious flavors including Pepperoni Pizza, Maple Cinnamon and Garlic & Herb, this trail mix is all organic, vegan, and gluten-free and the first trail mix that is high in protein, low in sugar and has vegetables.  And YUM!! A parenting win win score – YES!

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