Kelly Bonanno

Your soulful coach for wellness, clean beauty & eco lifestyle Savvy | Sexy | Beautiful | Healthy | You

Eco Savvy

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Free Resources

How to live a truly healthy lifestyle can be confusing, can’t it? It’s not easy to know what to eat, which products to use, what habits to adopt, which methods really work and which resources to trust.

Allow me to help you simplify and alleviate the overwhelm. Say au revoir to confusion and stress with these free resources I created to help you lose weight, increase energy, manage stress, improve nutrition, go green with ease and create a realistic natural lifestyle.

They are full of helpful tips and actionable steps you can start right away to feel better, look better, and be more eco conscious.

You have more control of your health and longevity than you can imagine

Schedule your breakthrough session to gain clarity. I’ll give you a crystal clear plan with key steps to lose and manage weight for good. We’ll uncover hidden challenges that could be sabotaging your weight-loss efforts. You’ll learn sustainable lifestyle habits that create a healthier, energetic, slimmer body. You aren’t meant to go it alone. Let’s about how coaching can best serve and support you. You’ll leave the session renewed, energized and inspired to create consistency to make the changes necessary to implement new healthy habits and fit back into your favorite clothes. REQUEST A CONSULT

5 Steps To Improve Your Metabolism & Kickstart Weight Loss After 40

Are you experiencing perimenopause or menopausal weight gain or weight loss resistance? Do you find that what used to work doesn’t anymore? Download your free toolkit that gives you proven steps to boost your metabolism & get it working efficiently! (Step 5 may shock you, I call it the missing link!)

Clean Beauty Scene Podcast

The green movement is growing. Women are realizing that toxins harm their health and the planet but misleading information makes it overwhelming and confusing. Join me each week as I help you clear the confusion and bring you the latest tips, trends, and advice to help you green your beauty routine without giving up glamour or going eco freako. Clean beauty, wellness and intermittent fasting for the real world with exclusive interviews with industry leaders, inspiring trendsetters and experts sharing secrets, methods and recommendations.

Intro To Intermittent Fasting Email Course

Kickstart Your Intermittent Fasting Program with this free email course. Get ready to stop counting calories and resorting to restrictive diets. Drop the quarantine 15, control cravings and put an end to weight fluctuations while still enjoying some of your favorite foods. Intermittent fasting is easier than you think and saves you time. I’ll show you how!

 

The Savvy Girl’s Guide To Clean Beauty: Look Younger Without Harmful Chemicals

Green your beauty routine without confusion and overwhelm. Did you happen to read the recent Vogue article, “The New Toxic Beauty Documentary Asks: Are Skin-Care Products the New Cigarettes?“? I’ve been saying this for years. I’m passionate about helping women like you go green so you can reduce your body’s toxic burden without giving up glamour. Discover my top clean beauty and wellness tips for glowing skin and more energy. (#7 alone will turn the clock back a few years!)

The Savvy Girl’s Guide to Eco-friendly Living: Detoxify Your Home

It might surprise you to learn that your home has up to 10 times more pollutants than there are outside. Toxicity levels in our system can wreak havoc on our health. This is your personal cheat sheet with simple tips that will not only reduce your family’s carbon footprint, they will also help improve your health by reducing your body’s toxic burden.

The Savvy Girl’s Guide To Healthy Eating On The Go

Are you watching what you eat to look your best but find it challenging and overwhelming planning ahead and eating healthy when you have a hectic schedule? Make it easier for yourself, grab my Healthy Eating On The Go guide with simple tips and several delicious, nutritious options to grab and go when you are pressed for time. This is what works for me!

Clean Your Beauty Routine & Improve Your Metabolism

Did you know that toxins in your beauty & personal care products can lead to: weight gain, Weight loss resistance, bloating, alower Metabolism and many other adverse health effects. Download your free time saving clean beauty quickstart toolkit and discover how to ditch toxins that mess with your health and metabolism and cause dreaded weight fluctuations.

Virtual Self Care Retreat

Are you feeling anxious or out of sorts? It’s completely understandable given the current climate. Sign up for the Virtual Self-Care Retreat for some targeted self-care and stress relief with activities and tips to help you manage anxiety, focus on the silver linings and improve your well-being. Devoting to self-care in the name of self-love will lift your spirits. I’ll share ideas to help you create healthy habits to make this time at home less stressful and more productive, enjoyable and relaxing.

The Savvy Girl’s Top 12 Toxins To Avoid In Beauty & Personal Care

Discover which toxins increase your cancer risk, lead to autoimmune issues and mess your Endocrine system. Toxins impair your immune system. Avoid products with these toxins and you’ll reduce your toxic load which improves your health and boosts your immune system. This checklist is your personal cheat sheet when you shop for cosmetics, beauty and personal care products for you and your family. No need to slather yourself with toxins in the name of glamour.

The Savvy Mom’s Top Toxins To Avoid To Welcome Baby Into A Healthy Home

Babies are born with over 200 toxins in their system before they are even out in the world. You want the very best for your baby. You’re doing all you can to ensure he is healthy, safe, and happy. But you know that environmental toxins pose a serious health threat, especially to a baby’s delicate, developing system. Discover the top toxins to avoid to welcome your precious baby into a healthier, less toxic home.

Savvy Girl’s Organic World Facebook Group

For all things wellness, eco friendly living, and clean beauty with like-minded people You can ask questions and get eco-friendly and clean beauty product recommendations join my free Facebook group. We’re doing a free virtual self-care retreat this week!

 

Clean Beauty Recommendations

The secret to adopting an all natural clean beauty and personal care routine is using products with clean ingredients. But long lists of ingredients are confusing, aren’t they? I’ve done the work for you. This is a comprehensive list of brands that I’ve vetted and researched. No greenwashing. You’ll find fantastic skincare, body care, hair care, makeup, and more.

Eco Friendly Household Recommendations

You don’t have to resort to using toxic chemicals to keep your home sparkling clean! Transitioning to eco friendly household products will greatly improve the environment inside of your home which will help reduce your body’s toxic burden as well as your carbon footprint. Transition to using clean household products and you will be one less person contributing to harmful chemicals swirling down your drain and out into the waterways. This is a comprehensive list of cleaners, water filters, mattresses, clothing, accessories, candles and more.

“Earth is not a platform for human life. It’s a living being. We’re not on it but part of it. Its health is our health” ~Thomas Moore

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The Savvy Girl’s Guide To Clean Beauty: Look Younger Without Harmful Chemicals

Achieve a youthful glow without slathering yourself with toxins

Going green with your beauty and personal care routine will help you make significant improvements in your health and in the way you look. But it can be confusing, can’t it? It’s not easy to know what to do, which products to use, which methods really work and which resources to trust.

You want to look your best naturally and achieve a more youthful appearance without slathering yourself with harmful chemicals, right? You can! Ditch the toxins with my free beauty checklist, The Savvy Girl’s Guide To Clean Beauty ?Look Younger Without Harmful Chemicals In 10 Easy Steps™.

This cheat sheet is for the modern woman who desires to be environmentally and health conscious without sacrificing style, quality and glamour. It gives you simple, actionable tips that you can start right away to look and feel hotter and even more fabulous than you already are.

I’ve done the research, I’ve tested methods and products galore. I want to share my top organic beauty secrets with you. These tips go way beyond skincare products to help you feel better, look better & have more energy.

Get your FREE clean beauty checklist here!

These are my top clean beauty and wellness tips to help you look and feel your best. Self care is quite the buzzword lately but it really is important. I’m a firm believer that when you feel better you look better and when you look better you feel better!

There are many ways to show yourself love, eco friendly and wellness living is one of them… to me the most important one. Why? Because while you are healing yourself you are also healing the environment. You live in and among every single person living in that environment. Your desire to detox your body and your home creates a ripple effect. You are taking on a task that not many consider taking or will take in their lifetime.

It’s never too late to become aware and do your part for the environment and it’s never too late to take better care of yourself. What’s good for the environment is healthy for you and what’s healthy for you is good for the environment… it all works synergistically.

I also want to prevent you from getting greenwashed. What is greenwashing? It is when companies display insincere concern for our health & the environment claiming their products are clean when they actually are not.

Are you ready to turn back the clock naturally, look younger, improve your health & feel better without using unsafe products? Here’s How In 10 easy Steps

Your journey to organic beauty and wellness starts now!  Click here and your FREE checklist will be delivered right to your inbox.

Would you like even more support going glamorously green and living your healthiest lifestyle with clean beauty and holistic wellness? Join my free Facebook group today!

Connect with fellow eco minded people and those who strive to become more eco friendly as we share ideas, information & recommendations on clean effective brands & products, as well as wellness, organic beauty and eco friendly living methods & news. We’d love to see you there!

A votre sante!

xo ~Kelly

p.s. Are your energy levels low or are you struggling to drop weight? Feel free to book A complimentary Eco Wellness consultation.

  • I’ll evaluate you and give you a crystal clear plan with key steps to get weight off for good.
  • We’ll uncover hidden challenges that could be sabotaging your weight-loss efforts. You’ll learn tips to mitigate Type II Diabetes, lower blood pressure and cholesterol and potentially get off certain medications.
  • You’ll leave the session renewed, energized and inspired to make the changes necessary to implement new healthy habits as well as learning about a proven method to lose weight once and for all.

Click here to book your free consultation at a time that is convenient for you or email me: kelly@kellybonanno.com

Savvy Girl’s Organic World Facebook Group

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Prevention Is Key When It Comes To Keeping Your Beautiful Breasts Healthy

15 Things You Can Do To PREVENT Breast Cancer

Only 10% of all cancers are genetic, even breast cancer is not usually caused by a genetic predisposition. A mere 15% of breast cancer patients actually have a family history. We must look at lifestyle habits in order to prevent this terrible disease ~ what we are eating, breathing and what we are putting on our skin.

  • Eat less red meat. A study published in the BMJ that followed 89, over a 20 year period revealed that women who had an average of 1.5 servings of red meat each day had a 22% higher chance of breast cancer over women who limited their red meat intake to once a week. With each addition daily serving of red meat, the risk appeared to increase by 13%
  • Avoid parabens. You know how I feel about parabens if you’ve been reading my blog for a while. Use cosmetics and sunscreen that are formulated without them because parabens mimic the body’s natural hormones increasing the risk of breast and other cancers. They are found in 99% of breast cancer tissue samples. 
  • Hit the gym, lace up those running shoes , pop in a work out DVD – choose some type of physical activity because just 30 minutes of exercise each day reduces your chance of getting breast cancer. Plus exercise boosts t-cells that help your immune system work at full capacity
  • Stay at a healthy weight. Exercise also helps keep your body fat percentage in check. Too much fat on our bodies creates hormones, particularly estrogen, which has been found to stimulate cancer
  • Garlic, turmeric and cruciferous vegetables including brussels sprouts, kale, cabbage, broccoli, cauliflower and bok choy are good breast cancer fighters because they bind estrogen in your GI tract
  • A study showed that drinking 3 cups of green tea a day can reduce risk of breast cancer by 50%

Survival rates are at an all-time high for those with breast cancer. In the last 20 years, there has been a 30% reduction in mortality and over 90% of breast cancer patients survive after 5 years with early diagnosis.

  • Steer clear of Bisphenol A. I have written about the dangers of BPA in several posts. It’s found in everything from plastic containers to the lining of canned foods to cash register reciepts. BPA is problematic because it imitates estrogen so it disrupts our endocrine system and messes with hormones. It’s been associated with many cancers including breast cancer
  • Choose lean protein. Replace those red meat meals with nuts, beans, organic chicken and low mercury fish such as wild caught salmon
  • Pesticides can also affect the way your hormones react so buy organic when possible, use green cleaning products and stay away from hand sanitizers & soaps containing the endocrine disruptor triclosan. This cousin to agent orange is classified as a pesticide
  • Ask your doctor about taking the active form of vitamin D3 with K, 1000 iu’s a day may slash your risk of breast cancer up to 50%

Approximately 20 – 30% of breast cancers recur. The most common places it metastasizes are the bone, lungs, liver and brain

  • logo - CopyHER-2 is a rare but aggressive form of the disease. Another study found that eating lots of raw salad veggies dropped the risk of developing it by close to 35%
  • Curb your alcohol intake to no more than one drink a day. Studies show that over imbibing on a regular basis increases the risk factor
  • Breastfeed. It’s been shown to lower risk and it boosts infants health and immune system
  • Know your family history. While Only 15% of breast cancer patients  have a family history, if you do, your risk is higher so you need to know and take precautions
  • Get screened. Early detection is the key. Be sure to conduct monthly self exams and seek proper screening based on your age group and family history. You may need an ultrasound or sonogram in addition to a mammogram. The most effective type of mammography is the Genius 3D which has been found to detect 41% more invasive cancers and is proven to detect cancer 15 months earlier. Tell your doctor you’d like that one, it’s available in every state.
  • This is a bonus tip but perhaps one of the most important: For the love of all that’s good in the world, DITCH THE TOXIC DEODORANT & ANTIPERSPIRANT! Parabens and Aluminum have been found in breast cancer tissue. Want a safe, healthy alternative that actually works ALL day and night? You’ll find it here.                                                                                                                                                                                 *Please share this info ~ Tweet this, post on FB & Google+, Pin it & forward to all the women and men in your life, yes, men can get breast cancer too*

It is beyond time to put a stop to all the abhorrent Pinkwashing that goes on every October. Raising awareness for breast cancer research and prevention is important, I applaud companies that raise real funds. HOWEVER, isn’t it horrendously hypocritical of certain companies to sell products with ingredients that have been shown to CAUSE BREAST CANCER?!12038271_10153703383370982_5382164450670151028_n

Everywhere you turn in October companies are Pinkwashing us by claiming to be in support of breast cancer research while using ingredients that are mammary carcinogens, or carcinogenic contaminants that behave as endocrine disrupting compounds in our bodies, causing hormonal imbalance. As the Gerson Institute calls it, ‘carcinogens for the cure.’ True that. 

“Pinkwashing – verb 1. the sale of items containing known carcinogens, while marketing these products in support of breast cancer awareness 2. also, capitalizing on the promotion of breast cancer prevention when only concerned about bottom line profit margin.”

It’s said that Evelyn Lauder’s dream was to end breast cancer. Why doesn’t the company jump off the breast cancer awareness bandwagon and honor her memory by reformulating their products WITHOUT harmful cancer causing ingredients?! L’Oreal, Proctor & Gamble and many others do it too. How do they sleep at night?!

According to the Breast Cancer Fund, which is doing amazing work in the name of prevention, “thousands of chemicals linked to breast cancer in scientific studies.”

Avon’s part in all of this is perplexing. They raise millions with their walk, have created a “Center of Excellence” in breast care and claim the mission of the Avon Comprehensive Breast Care Program at San Francisco General Hospital is to ‘provide comprehensive breast care, education and research in a compassionate and culturally sensitive environment.’

WHY, then, do their products contain MANY known CARCINOGENS??!!  The Avon 2 in 1 Cleanser is a NINE on the EWG database & has TEN carcinogens. Fucking insane.  
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Interested in a site that actually helps patients? Various companies offer patients free items such as scarves, make up, house cleaning, hats, wigs, etc. Breast cancer survivor Bethany Kandell created Breatcancerfreebies.com where patients can go to find items they can receive. You can make a donation on the site as well.

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Women’s Voices For The Earth offers good tips on how to avoid being pinkwashed.  #RethinkThePink #thinkbeforeyoupink

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Have You Heard Of Electrolyzed Water? A New Green Way To Clean

Guest Post conributed by Shannon Noble

The question regarding eco-friendly cleaning solutions and the perseverance of natural resources has bee a hot topic over the last few years. Luckily more and more people are coming to terms with the fact that they are responsible for preserving natural resources and have started seeking alternative methods for reducing the negative effects their actions have on the environment.droplets-217034_1280

It is a well-known fact that cleaning supplies contain toxic particles and their excessive use actually does more harm than good, especially indoors. The housekeeping industry is making huge steps towards adopting various eco-friendly cleaning strategies and one of them is cleaning with electrolyzed water.

First of all, let’s cast light on what exactly an electrolyzed water system is and why it is becoming a more and more widespread cleaning solution in facilties such as healthcare centers, kindergartens and entertainment venues

  • The electrolyzed water system generates a cleaning agent out of plain tap water, salt and electricity. This is an affordable and yet, effective way to keep large areas clean and it cuts down on commercial cleaning solutions and detergents

  • The cost for transportation is also significantly reduced as the electrolyzed water can be produced onsite. In most cases, the price for a gallon electrolyzed water is as low as 2 cents

  • As you have already presumed, no harsh chemicals are used during the process, which results in reduced carbon emissions.

  • Electrolyzed water has become widely used in some European countries as well as in Russia and Japan. It has vast applications ranging from cleaning swimming pools to disinfecting medical tools
  • Although it might sound strange at first, electrolyzed water kills bacteria and viruses through a scientific process known as electroporation which applies to a low-level field to viruses and bacteria creating “pores” in the membrane which allow bacterial cells to be broken down and eliminated
  • On the downside, the price of the water electrolysis unit is a bit high, but if you are in charge of keeping a large faculty clean, you will get your investment back in no more than a year. If you make estimates, you will see that you spend the same amount on buckets, mops, detergents and additional cleaning supplies
  • Finchley move out cleaners electrolyzed water cleaning method is suitable for food establishments as no foam is formed and no odor is produced

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Some people consider the great properties of electrolyzed water too good to be true, but more and more owners embrace the opportunity to have their facilities bacteria-free and reduce the cleaning costs. Today, electrolyzed water is used for window cleaning, bathroom sanitizing, kitchen cleaning, machinery cleaning and many more.

Electrolyzed water is a wonderful eco-friendly cleaning approach that combines affordability, safety and efficiency. The technology enables every owner of a commercial building or a private property to go green, keep the facility clean and economize by eliminating the use of traditional cleaning supplies.

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Celebrate #EarthDay2016 With These 5 Easy Tips To Go Green

After the devastation of the oil spill in Santa Barbara, California in 1969, Earth Day founder, Gaylord Nelson, was inspired to make a difference. On April 22, 1970, at the height of the flower child era, 20 million Americans held demonstrations across the country rallying for a healthy, sustainable environment.Nutan Erathi Sunflower.2.JPEG

We continue to battle many of the same environmental issues we did on that first Earth Day. Some are far worse, like the thousands of toxic chemicals man has introduced while others, such as global warming have not brought the devastation some predicted it would at this point in time.

Let’s celebrate our beautiful planet by making a few simple changes to help keep it clean:

  • Use Less Water  Take shorter showers & turn off the water while brushing your teeth, washing your face… this is a MUST here in California since El Nino hasn’t really happened as they predicted!
  • Treat Your Bod With Eco Friendly Kindness  Use clean, non toxic personal care products. What goes on your body doesn’t just affect you and your health, they harm our precious environment. When you reduce your own personal exposure to toxins  you reduce your contribution of dangerous chemicals getting back into our environment.  Our government is not making sure our products are safe so we need to choose them wisely
  • Steer Clear of Traditional Dry Cleaners  Even trace amounts of the commonly used solvent perchloroethylene [perc] has been labeled as a ‘likely human carcinogen’ by the EPA. Start patroning green dry cleaners or don’t buy as much ‘dry clean only’ clothing. You’ll save money and the environment. Women spend roughly $1500 a year on dry cleaning bills
  • Green Your Cleaning Routine  Use products that do not contain harmful toxins to clean your home, car and office. Just like using non toxic personal care products, this is far healthier for the environment and your family
  • Recycle It’s shocking to me that some people don’t recycle everything they can. It’s one of the easiest green moves you can make. Every ton of paper we recycle, saves 17 trees, 7000 gallons of water, 380 gallons of oil so recycle it! About 40% of landfill waste is paper!

The Earth Day Network works all year with over 22,000 partners and organizations to fight for a cleaner environment 

Earth Day 2016 Theme ~ “Trees for the Earth. Let’s get planting.”

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Read All About It ~ 5 Articles Worth Reading

 Essential Reading 

Photo via Visual Hunt

Photo via Visual Hunt

This is disturbing but so important for parents everywhere to be aware. Even if your kids are toddlers, they’ll be tweens one day. Jamie is 13 and hasn’t even kissed a girl. But he’s now on the Sex Offender Register after online porn warped his mind… A cautionary tale.

Clean your home without inhaling harmful chemicals or spending much money at all. All you need are the things listed in this article. Put These Five Nontoxic Essential Ingredients In Your Cupboard!

I’ve been hearing about the wonders of ghee for a long time so I finally bought some. Now I just have to start using it! Ayurvedics have long known the wonderful benefits, it’s time everyone learn the 15 Amazing Benefits Of Ghee.

Who doesn’t love a great beach day? This California girl sure does! Surfers and beach combers beware. Some beaches need some serious cleaning up. If everyone was kinder to the environment they wouldn’t be so bad. You might want to see if your favorite is on this list before you hit the beach this summer Top Dirtiest Beaches In America 

Many adults have issues with acne so I thought this might be helpful for those of you dealing with this frustrating skin condition What Your Skin Breakouts Are Telling You. Often times it’s the chemicals in personal care products that cause our skin to react. Try a skin care line free of toxic chemicals like Pure Haven Essentials, several people are OFF toxic Proactive thanks to this line.

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Eco Nuts Organic Laundry Detergent #Review & #Giveaway

Let’s start the new year off with a fabulous giveaway, shall we?! What goes in your skin goes on you skin. What goes on the clothes that hang on your skin matters too so you better pay attention to what you are washing your clothing and linens with!Laundry Basket Organic Liquid

Eco Nuts is a USDA organic cleaning products company that utilizes berries grown in the Himalayas that naturally contain soap. They asked me to review one of their most popular products, the berries themselves which are used for laundry as well as their  “normal” USDA Organic liquid detergent. Non of their products are packaged with plastic, which I LOVE. The devastating statistics of how much of that plastic ends up in our beautiful oceans is horrendous.

Organic DetergentsThese products are GMO Free, Certified USDA Organic, Certified Cruelty Free, Nut Allergy Safe, Free from Added Dyes, Free from Artificial Fragrances. They can be used in all machines (including HE) and are also great for baby clothes and cloth diapers.

Admittedly, I was a bit skeptical at first. These funky looking little balls are going to get our laundry clean?! Bear in mind that I have 2 rough and tumble, tree climbing, football playing, baseball playing, run-around-in-the-rain-and-get-muddy BOYS. I tried the Organic Laundry Detergent which are the soap berries themselves and their Organic Liquid Laundry Detergent which is made out of soapberry extract. Both products performed well. Out clothes and linens came out clean and fresh proving there is NO need to use toxic laundry detergent!

It’s not surprising that this inventive company was featured on Shark Tank! Not only does the detergent work but how fantastic is the packaging?! Earth friendly and because it’s concentrated it’s not housed in one of those enormous hard to lug around plastic jugs that takes up way too much real estate in your laundry room. It’s a small stainless steel pump!new 11 copy

Of course I checked the ingredients on the products I tested and they are safe, no greenwashing! They have many other great eco friendly products too. Check them out and be sure to enter to win your own set of soap berries which will give you 100 loads and a bottle of their Organic Liquid Laundry Detergent which does 30 regular loads or 60 High Efficiency loads!

 

a Rafflecopter giveaway

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10 Good Reasons You Should Be Using Organic Coconut Oil Everyday

I’ve been slathering coconut oil all over my body and cooking with it for years. To reap its many health and eco friendly beauty benefits, use high quality unrefined organic cold pressed virgin coconut oil.

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  • Coconut oil strengthens the immune system.
  • Coconut oil has a high smoke point so it’s ideal to cook with. Its antiviral and anti-fungal properties prevent it from oxidizing so it won’t go rancid at a high heat like other oils. Dr. Mercola says that although it is a saturated fat, the fats are small/medium chain fats so they diffuse and provide energy.
  • Coconut oil is an amazing natural moisturizer, it works wonders on dry skin and has been shown to firm skin and help prevent wrinkles. Apply it directly or mix it with your favorite facial and body moisturizers.
  • It has strong anti-fungal, antibacterial and anti-viral properties so it helps fight infections in the body and on the skin.
  • Dr. Oz says 1 tablespoon a day will boost your energy level. It goes directly to the brain so it’s quickly used as energy rather than being stored like most fats. Try it on toast and in recipes instead of butter.
  • Coconut oil has excellent anti-inflammatory properties, it’s high in lauric acid so it boosts metabolism and may help with weight loss.
  • It helps control blood sugar, aids thyroid function and helps the body absorb calcium and magnesium.
  • Coconut oil is a great conditioner for your hair. Massage it into your scalp, work it onto the ends of your hair, leave it in for about 30 minutes then wash and condition your hair as usual. I saw a friend at a party and thought her hair looked especially beautiful, she surprisingly attributed it to advice that I had given her a month earlier: coconut oil.
  • Its anti-fungal and anti-microbial properties make it fantastic for use on diaper rash and cradle cap in infants.
  • Countries whose diets include high amounts have been shown to have lower rates of heart disease. However, because it is saturated, it can raise cholesterol levels. This is the controversial aspect of coconut oil to keep in mind and talk to your doctor regarding concerns if you have cholesterol issues
  • Oil pulling with it whitens teeth and keeps your mouth healthy and kissable. Swish it around for 20 minutes first thing in the morning then rinse and brush your teeth.

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What’s Really In That Bottled Water You’re Drinking?

Bottled Water In CoolerI know grabbing a bottle of water is easy but filling reusable bottles with water from your own faucet isn’t really much work. Plus, it would be nice for the environment to have less discarded bottles in the landfills.
One thing this video fails to address is the fact that many cities do not have quality tap water and most of the water is flouridated which is very harmful.
They do bring up a few good points, the plethora of plastic bottles that end up in our landfills is obscene.  80% of the 50 billion bottles of water that are purchased each year end up in landfills.
When the Environmental Working Group [EWG] put out their bottled water scorecard, 9 of the top selling companies failed to answer at least one of the following questions:
  • Where does the water come from?
  • Is it purified? How?
  • Have tests found any contaminants?

Pretty scary that they couldn’t answer all of these basic questions. They couldn’t because they don’t have proper protocol in place to insure that the water is truly pure without contaminants. The best solution is filtering your own water.

We have a reverse osmosis system for our drinking water and use Aquasana in our showers, they have a large selection of quality filtration systems. Help make the number of bottles that end up in landfills smaller by adding a good purifier to your faucet or refrigerator and you’ll likely have superior water to any you’d buy in a bottle.

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You Know The Sunscreen You’re Using Is Toxic, Isn’t Time To Make A Healthier Choice?

054It seems that most people are aware that the sunscreen they are slathering all over themselves and their kids is posing serious health risks. Even mainstream western doctors admit that the chemicals found in most brands are dangerous.

What exactly should we be avoiding and what are safer options? I’ve written about this several times over the years because it is extremely important to me that people be armed with this knowledge.

8 Ingredients You Do Not Want In Your Sunscreen

1. Oxybenzone
This hormone disruptor penetrates the skin, enters the bloodstream and behaves as estrogen in the body. It’s been shown to cause cell damage that promotes cancer, allergic reactions and even endometriosis.

2. 4-MBC
4-MBC is a chemical that chemical enters the bloodstream and behaves as estrogen in the body as well. It’s also been linked to cancer. Both 4-MBC and oxybenzone are such dangerous hormone disruptors that scientists are urging parents to refrain from using any product containing either on children but it’s found in most sunscreens, even those made especially for babies.  

3. Octinoxate (Octyl Methoxycinnamate) 
This widely used sunscreen ingredient disrupts thyroid hormone, affects brain signaling and lab tests show that is kills mouse cells when exposed to sunlight, even at low doses.

4. Avobenzone
Also known as Parsol 1789 and butyl methoxydibenzoylmethane. It generates free radicals in the body and has also been cited as an endocrine disruptor. It is unstable and sunlight causes it to break down into unknown chemicals, especially when used with octinoxate.

20150326_1556485. Retinyl palmitate
This is a form of vitamin A. It is an antioxidant that slows the aging process in skin which is fine for use in night creams. However, a study done by the FDA discovered a connection to cancer because it may accelerate growth in tumors and skin lesions when exposed to sunlight which makes it a dangerous ingredient for sunscreen.

The FDA does not conduct any safety testing on sunscreen. It is completely unregulated so manufacturers can use any ingredients they want. 

6. Parabens
You’ll also find parabens listed as methylparaben, propylparaben, and butylparaben. They are found in many cosmetics as well as sunscreen. Like oxybenzone, parbens mimic the body’s natural hormones increasing the risk of various cancers.

7. Padimate O (Octyl Dimethyl PABA / PABA Ester)
This damages DNA, releases free radicals, mimics estrogen and causes allergies in some people.

8. Benzophenone 
This is one of the most commonly found ingredients in sunscreens. It is known to cause cancer in lab animals

9. Homosalate
Causes organ system toxicity and dispruts sex hormones in animal studies

The sunblocking ingredient you want in your sunscreen is zinc oxide made without nanotechnology. Zinc is a physical sun block which means it reflects light back into the environment. Your skin basically does not see the sun.

Nanoparticles have been shown to cross the cell barrier driving into organs, even attaching to brain cells. They’ve also caused developmental issues in animals. Mineral sunscreens are often made with nanotechnology.

So what can we use?! Look for sunscreen that has NO nanoparticles or any harmful chemicals. A few good ones are Andalou Naturals,  Devita, Badger, 100% Pure, and Block Island Organics.

We need sunlight. A deficiency in vitamin D3 causes a whole host of severe illnesses including. Recent studies are revealing that avoiding the sun blocks our body’s ability to produce vitamin D3.

Please share this on Facebook, tweet it, Pin it & send it to friends, particularly those with kids. These ingredients are especially toxic to children and babies because their delicate systems are not fully developed so they have a harder time filtering out toxins.

 “… some sunscreens are known to interfere with hormone action… could plausibly increase the risk of various cancers” -Thomas Zoeller, Endocrine Society