Thursday, March 30, 2017

I hate this scam.

Did you know a lot of olive oil in stores is fake? Many brands have been tested and found to be diluted with soybean oil and other cheap GMO oils. Some companies even flavor it and dye it green to make it look and smell like real olive oil. So gross. 
 
It's astonishing that companies are getting away with this, but since no one is holding their feet to the fire, they can continue to pass off heavily processed and unhealthy ingredients as olive oil. 
 
Real olive oil tastes AMAZING - it is rich and vibrant, and so HEALTHY for you. I use it almost every day to whisk up salad dressing, so it's a regular part of my diet. 
 
It can be hard to find good organic olive oil in stores - especially since you can't trust the labels to tell you whether it is adulterated. So, unless you know the source, there's a good chance that it is fake - and that's not a chance I'm willing to take.
Also - olive oil can be VERY pricey, so choosing the wrong one can be a very expensive mistake! 
 
I recently had the chance to try Thrive Market's Extra Virgin Olive Oil and really like it! They've gone to great lengths to find an authentic source for their olive oil, so they know EXACTLY where it comes from. They get it directly from a 3rd generation family farm on the island of Crete in Greece - where it's grown, harvested, and cold pressed on site. Thrive has gone to the farms and processing facilities to inspect firsthand to ensure their olive oil is legit.
 
Not only is this olive oil authentic, but it's delicious - made exclusively from organic Koroneiki olives and no other ingredients! It's only available through Thrive Market. 
 
Since Thrive Market is a partner of Food Babe, they are offering a very special deal to the Food Babe Army, so that you can try their olive oil for yourself.
 
Thrive Market is an online grocery store stocked up with non-GMO and organic groceries at drastically reduced prices (up to 25-50% off). Now you can buy organic products that may not be available in your local stores, and at a discount! They carry many of the brands that I love, support, and recommend in my investigations. 
 
When you claim your bottle of Thrive Market Extra Virgin Olive Oil, you'll start a free 30-day trial membership - which you can cancel at any time. If you decide to keep your Thrive Market membership after the 30 days, the fee is just $59.95 per year (which works out to about $5 a month). I think you will find that this fee pays for itself many times over, since their prices are so good! I personally order something from Thrive Market almost every month.
 
If you are already a member of Thrive Market, you can get a free bottle too! They will send you a bottle along with your purchase of $35 or more - while supplies last!
 
Just follow this link to log-in to your Thrive Market account. 
 
Thrive Market has really become a lifesaver for me. I hope it helps you buy all of the organic goodies that you need to stock up your kitchen with the healthiest foods at a reasonable price! 
 
Get your FREE BOTTLE of Thrive Market Organic Extra Virgin Olive Oil with your minimum purchase of $35 + free shipping + free 30 day membership here.
 
If any of your friends or family live far away from natural food stores, complain about organic food prices, or might be using fake olive oil, please share this email with them. Your purchase on Thrive Market helps to support the work we do here at Food Babe, so thank you! 
 
Xo,
Vani


P.O. Box 31521 Charlotte, NC 28231

If you would like to stop receiving free food investigations, recipes and healthy living tips, you can update your preferences here.

Tuesday, March 28, 2017

My Favorite Fast Food!

When people tell me they don't have time to eat healthy, I yell the word – SMOOTHIE at them! Smoothies are the ultimate fast food and they are a superb way to add more veggies to your diet. I've found, too, that they alleviate bad food cravings because they provide a burst of nutrition – one that's not usually present in the typical American diet. When your body doesn't get what it needs nutritionally speaking, cravings kick in. And if you give in to those cravings, you're on the road to gaining weight. Once you start to pump your body with greens, you'll start craving them instead! Ready to start off tomorrow morning on the right foot?

Get the recipe for my new Super C Beauty Smoothie here.

Here are some more fast food breakfast ideas that don't involve a drive-thru window...

I include recipes just like these in my Monthly Meal Plans, which are part of the Food Babe Eating Guide Program. When you sign up, you'll get hundreds of pages of my tested tricks and tips to make healthy eating mindless, and a monthly meal plan full of Food Babe approved recipes and guidelines to help you detox naturally every day.

Sign up and download your guides here.

Share these recipes with all your friends who love fast food! Encouraging everyone to choose healthier food options is changing the world.

Xo,

Vani



P.O. Box 31521 Charlotte, NC 28231

If you would like to stop receiving free food investigations, recipes and healthy living tips, you can update your preferences here.

Friday, March 24, 2017

ENDS tonight! Say no more to this toxic bottle in your house.

This is a very important reminder - please send to your friends too! The clothes on your back matter. Years ago when I was riddled with skin issues I had no idea that the items I wore on my body every single day would have an impact on my skin and health. I now know better!

That's why I take great care in making sure to clean my clothes with detergent that won't make me (or my family) sick, irritate my skin or impact the environment around me. Washing the things that we put closest to our skin with toxic chemicals full petroleum, phosphates, formaldehyde, chlorine, synthetic dyes and fragrances is crazy!

There is residue that remains and those chemicals can certainly cause skin issues (like they used to for me) – or even worse affect your metabolism by disrupting your hormones, destroying your immune system or upping your cancer risk.

It's time to dump the conventional laundry detergent like Tide and… All (which was originally developed by Monsanto!!!!)

Now that I'm a mom, I'm doing laundry almost every day and there's NO WAY I'd use toxic chemicals to clean the clothes, blankets, and sheets that my newborn daughter is touching all day long.

Years ago, I found the perfect solution: Molly's Suds Laundry Detergent

Because I'm such a huge fan of their products, you may have heard me mention this brand before. I had been using natural laundry detergent for many years, but it wasn't until I found Molly's Suds that I became so passionate about how I clean my clothes. Not only is their detergent safe and free of all of those chemicals I mentioned, it smells like fresh peppermint - not some overly smelly synthetic fragrance! It's great for my sensitive skin and one bag lasts for 120 loads.

I especially love the non-chlorine bleach whitener and dryer balls that cut down on static cling and drying time. (Those traditional dryer sheets are full of petrochemicals and synthetic fragrances – so please stop buying them too!)

Because Molly's Suds is one of my favorite household items and a partner, they've worked out a special deal just for you!

Get 15% off Molly's Suds when you enter the code FOODBABE at checkout through TODAY, March 24, 2017 (Clothespins are not included, but all other products are!)

I love to partner with brands that are changing our lives for the better. After the CEO Monica lost her child "Molly" at birth, she began to ask questions and this is the company she created to make this world a safer place. If you decide to try Molly's (or stock up because you are already a fan). Thank you for supporting this incredible company! I am so happy they exist.

Get your Molly's Suds starter pack here (or stock up on your favorite products!) before the 15% off code expires in 48 hours! When you support Molly's, you support us here at Food Babe - so thank you!

Xo,

Vani

P.S. Please feel free to forward this email to all of your friends who still use Tide and All detergents - GROSS!

 



P.O. Box 31521 Charlotte, NC 28231

If you would like to stop receiving free food investigations, recipes and healthy living tips, you can update your preferences here.

Thursday, March 23, 2017

Is this bottle of toxic chemicals in your house?

The clothes on your back matter. Years ago when I was riddled with skin issues I had no idea that the items I wore on my body every single day would have an impact on my skin and health. I now know better!

That's why I take great care in making sure to clean my clothes with detergent that won't make me (or my family) sick, irritate my skin or impact the environment around me. Washing the things that we put closest to our skin with toxic chemicals full petroleum, phosphates, formaldehyde, chlorine, synthetic dyes and fragrances is crazy!

There is residue that remains and those chemicals can certainly cause skin issues (like they used to for me) – or even worse affect your metabolism by disrupting your hormones, destroying your immune system or upping your cancer risk.

It's time to dump the conventional laundry detergent like Tide and… All (which was originally developed by Monsanto!!!!)

Now that I'm a mom, I'm doing laundry almost every day and there's NO WAY I'd use toxic chemicals to clean the clothes, blankets, and sheets that my newborn daughter is touching all day long.

Years ago, I found the perfect solution: Molly's Suds Laundry Detergent

Because I'm such a huge fan of their products, you may have heard me mention this brand before. I had been using natural laundry detergent for many years, but it wasn't until I found Molly's Suds that I became so passionate about how I clean my clothes. Not only is their detergent safe and free of all of those chemicals I mentioned, it smells like fresh peppermint - not some overly smelly synthetic fragrance! It's great for my sensitive skin and one bag lasts for 120 loads.

I especially love the non-chlorine bleach whitener and dryer balls that cut down on static cling and drying time. (Those traditional dryer sheets are full of petrochemicals and synthetic fragrances – so please stop buying them too!)

Because Molly's Suds is one of my favorite household items and a partner, they've worked out a special deal just for you!

Get 15% off Molly's Suds when you enter the code FOODBABE at checkout through Friday, March 24, 2017! (Clothespins are not included, but all other products are!)

I love to partner with brands that are changing our lives for the better. After the CEO Monica lost her child "Molly" at birth, she began to ask questions and this is the company she created to make this world a safer place. If you decide to try Molly's (or stock up because you are already a fan). Thank you for supporting this incredible company! I am so happy they exist.

Get your Molly's Suds starter pack here (or stock up on your favorite products!) before the 15% off code expires in 48 hours! When you support Molly's, you support us here at Food Babe - so thank you!

Xo,

Vani

P.S. Please feel free to forward this email to all of your friends who still use Tide and All detergents - GROSS!

 



P.O. Box 31521 Charlotte, NC 28231

If you would like to stop receiving free food investigations, recipes and healthy living tips, you can update your preferences here.

Tuesday, March 21, 2017

Must read. Shocking emails hiding cancer risk in food.

If you've ever wanted to know what's going on behind closed doors at Monsanto's headquarters, we just got a peek inside! Also, I'm making a VERY EXCITING announcement about a new label that will start popping up on food. Many people have been asking for this... you're gonna love it! 
 
Monsanto was just forced by a California judge to release millions of internal documents and some of them were made public. When I read their emails, my jaw dropped to the floor! These emails show what many of us have suspected for quite some time... Monsanto is manipulating scientific research and has gotten some EPA officials on their side who seem to be helping them cover-up the health dangers and cancer risk of Roundup so they can keep it on the market. It's sickening and this stuff is being sprayed on GMO and conventional food! 
 
 
I have made it my life's mission to raise public awareness about what's really in our food, how it can affect our health, and how a handful of large corporations are poisoning us for profit. These corporations use big bucks and unethical tactics to influence regulators into playing their game to keep Americans in the dark about the dangers of their products. We should be able to trust that the food we buy is safe, but when the people in charge of that are working to keep unsafe chemicals on the market – we've got a HUGE problem.
 
Please share this information with everyone you know!
 
Xo, 
Vani


P.O. Box 31521 Charlotte, NC 28231

If you would like to stop receiving free food investigations, recipes and healthy living tips, you can update your preferences here.

Monday, March 20, 2017

True or False: Is Organic Food A Scam?

I bet you've seen headlines like these before:

  • "Buying organic veggies at the supermarket is a waste of money" – Quartz

  • "The USDA 'Organic' Label Misleads And Rips Off Consumers" – Forbes

  • "Organic Foods Are Just A 'Marketing Label" – Business Insider

  • "Don't Believe the (Organic) Hype" – NPR

  • "Is organic food worth the higher price? Experts say no" – Portland Tribune

In this brand new post on the blog post I discuss what's really a scam and what's not. 

Read the new post: This Will Challenge Everything You've Been Told To Believe About Organic Food 

Even if you know what to eat… living a healthy lifestyle is definitely NOT easy. Life can get in the way and throw us totally off track. One of the biggest obstacles that people face is the time and energy it takes to find and make the right food decisions. Always thinking about what to eat next can be stressful and figuring out something healthy to cook at the last minute totally sucks! Having a meal plan has been absolutely crucial to my success and I'd never be able to do it otherwise. But, when you're doing it on your own it takes quite a bit of effort and time. You have to ask yourself questions…

  • What healthy recipes do we like?

  • Which meals will help me reach my goals?

  • Which brand of (xxxx) should I buy at the store?

  • What can we eat when we go to a restaurant?

And then you still have to write yourself out a shopping list so you don't forget anything. It can become a real job. After I spent years juggling meal planning, food shopping and cooking, I created the Eating Guide Program. This is more than a meal planning service, it will keep you on track, help you lose weight (if you need to) or maintain the healthy lifestyle you may have already built. This program makes eating a healthy organic diet practically mindless (and delicious)!

I invite you to sign up here and see all that it has to offer you!

See you there and I can't wait to meet you in the private forum!

Xo,
Vani



P.O. Box 31521 Charlotte, NC 28231

If you would like to stop receiving free food investigations, recipes and healthy living tips, you can update your preferences here.

Wednesday, March 15, 2017

What I am doing about vaccines and more...

Apologies for this taking so long...I had to type with one hand to get it done, but it's finally up! I have been slowly cataloging all the questions I received while pregnant…what prenatal vitamins I took... whether I'm vaccinating my baby… what foods I avoided… how did I prevent stretch marks… I answer all these questions (and more!) in this new Q&A on the blog. If you have more questions, please ask in the comments and I'll update the list!

Read it nowYour top pregnancy questions answered and more... 

One of the things that I absolutely could not live without during pregnancy was my Belly Armor Belly Blanket. I worked from my laptop almost every day, but knew that it wasn't safe to expose my baby to all of the radiation that emits from laptops and wifi. Radiation exposures during pregnancy can increase risk of miscarriage and are also linked to developmental issues - and there was no way I was willing to take that risk. So I found an amazing solution! I just placed this Belly Blanket over my pregnant belly whenever I was working at my computer, which is made with special fabric that neutralizes electromagnetic waves and blocks the radiation from reaching my belly, keeping my baby safe. This really gave me peace of mind! Now that she is born, I continue to use my Belly Blanket to protect her while I'm on my computer (like right now as I am typing this email!). This blanket works great for men who use a laptop a lot too! As a new partner of Food Babe, Belly Armor is offering a special:

Get a free baby hat ($19 value) if you spend $50 or more in their online store with the code "foodbabe" at checkout. (Note: the code will only work once you have the baby hat in your cart! These are found in their "Nursery" section.)

This has been the most amazing time of my life. Remember to follow along on Instagram at thefoodbabe & foodbabemama to see all my fun antics and pics!

Xo,

Vani

 



P.O. Box 31521 Charlotte, NC 28231

If you would like to stop receiving free food investigations, recipes and healthy living tips, you can update your preferences here.

Thursday, March 9, 2017

Ah-maze-ing new recipe inside!

There's a vegetarian restaurant here in Charlotte called Fern that makes the most delicious buffalo cauliflower. Every time I go there, I have to order it, they are just mouthwateringly good. I love re-creating my favorite restaurant foods at home so I asked my team if they were up to the challenge and that's how this recipe for homemade Buffalo Cauliflower Bites was born… We tested and tested, and finally came up with something very close! These make a great alternative to buffalo chicken wings, and I think you'll be surprised at how hearty and delicious cauliflower can taste. Unlike buffalo wings that are almost always from factory farm chicken and packed with artificial ingredients, these are actually HEALTHY and packed with fiber and nutrients… yeah! 

Get the new Buffalo Cauliflower Bites recipe here.

Eat a few of these and you'll instantly zap away cravings for processed junk food filled with MSG and added sugar. It's the perfect healthy party food and will be great for March Madness coming up!
 
Next time you head to a party, remember that you don't need to eat processed chemical-filled GMO snacks. You can still eat fun food without sabotaging your health. I've re-created many party food favorites over the years... pizza, chili, brownies...all with healthy organic and non-GMO ingredients. Here are a few of my go-to party recipes:
If you have a friend who loves buffalo chicken wings and would love some healthy (but fun!) appetizer recipes like this, please let them know about these delicious alternatives! Encouraging everyone to make healthier food choices is changing the world.
 
Xo, 
Vani


P.O. Box 31521 Charlotte, NC 28231

If you would like to stop receiving free food investigations, recipes and healthy living tips, you can update your preferences here.

Wednesday, March 1, 2017

Breaking News! Never before released ingredients.

We finally have a glimpse into what Bojangles' is serving us thanks to a very brave whistleblower! They anonymously sent me complete ingredient lists for many of their most popular menu items…. cajun chicken, fries, mac n' cheese… and when you see what's in their "made from scratch" biscuits you'll be VERY mad. I don't know anyone using the very controversial additive TBHQ linked to an increase in allergies in their homemade biscuits!

See the ingredients here.

It's absolutely appalling to me that we have been asking the restaurant chain Bojangles' for their ingredients for over a year, and they refuse to provide any information to us. They have over 600 restaurants and no one has a clue what they are eating. Bojangles' serves food in some of our schools and won't even tell the parents or administrators what is in their food, which is just unacceptable.

I am counting on you to spread the word!

Please share this post with everyone you know!

Thank you Food Babe Army - you are amazing. 

Xo,

Vani



P.O. Box 31521 Charlotte, NC 28231

If you would like to stop receiving free food investigations, recipes and healthy living tips, you can update your preferences here.