How to survive the chemical overload on Easter

It's that time of year again. The grocery shelves are stocked with holiday candy filled with the worst ingredients...

Take a look at what's in some of the most popular Easter candies in the U.S.

Reese's Peanut Butter Eggs: Peanuts, Milk Chocolate [Sugar, Cocoa Butter, Chocolate, Skim Milk, Milkfat, Lactose, Lecithin (Soy), PGPR], Sugar, Dextrose: Vegetable Oil [Palm Oil, Shea Oil, Sunflower Oil, Palm Kernel and/or Safflower Oil], Salt, Whey, Skim Milk: Lecithin (Soy), TBHQ, Citric Acid, Vanillin, Artificial Flavor.

Cadbury Creme Egg: Milk Chocolate [Sugar, Milk, Cocoa Butter, Chocolate, Milk Fat, Lecithin (Soy), Natural and Artificial Flavor], Sugar, Corn Syrup, High Fructose Corn Syrup, Artificial Flavor, Calcium Chloride, Egg Whites, Artificial Color [Yellow 6].

Brach's Easter Jelly Beans: Sugar, Corn Syrup, Modified Food Starch (Corn), Cornstarch, Natural and Artificial Flavors, Confectioner's Glaze (Shellac), Carnauba Wax, Beeswax, Red 40, Blue 1, Yellow 5, Yellow 6, Red 3.

No child should be eating...

1. Artificial colors known to disrupt the immune system and linked to allergies, skin reactions, and hyperactivity.
2. TBHQ linked to the rise in food allergies and other immune system issues. It's also banned for use in food in other countries including Japan.
3. Genetically modified (GMO) sugar and other ingredients treated with Roundup weed killer.

Don't our children deserve better?

That's why I choose to vote with my dollars… Yes, even when shopping for Easter candy. The fastest way to get this junk out of our food is to refuse to buy products made with horrible ingredients.

Look for organic brands such as YumEarth, Ocho, Black Forest, Alter Eco, and Lake Champlain. You'll find them online and in natural food grocery stores - I've even seen some in Target!

And if you are celebrating Easter with brunch this weekend, I have some delicious recipe ideas for you from the Food Babe Kitchen cookbook:

Something savory…

• Turkey and Red Pepper Egg "Muffins" (page 72)
• Morning Potato Bake (page 68)
• Chicken Shawarma Salad (page 132)

Something sweet…

• Blueberry Cinnamon French Toast Bake (page 80)
• Lemon Muffins (page 270)
• Biscuits with Whipped Honey Butter (page 82)
• Almond Biscotti (page 257)

Something fruity….

• Acai Berry Bowl (page 87)
• Sweet Crunch Salad (page 136)
• Grapefruit Goddess Salad (page 138)

And some special treats...

• Goji Berry Drops (page 245)
• My Mom's Carrot Halwa (page 266)
• Harley's Strawberry Cake (page 269)

Round this all out with a pitcher of Homemade Ginger Ale (page 94) and an assortment of organic herbal teas. 

If you don't have Food Babe Kitchen yet, it's nearly 50% off on Amazon right now:

Here's the link to get your copy.

I hope you have a wonderful Easter and get to spend the day with your loved ones!

And, if you know anyone who could use an Easter candy makeover please send this email to them.

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.

Last chance before we take it down

Today is the last day to get 30% off your first auto-delivery shipment of our NEW Personal Care Line.

Check them out here.

We have three products. Organic Deodorant, Organic Lip Conditioner, and Clean Toothpaste. Each product is amazing and I know you'll love them.

You can try all three products… or just try one of them. Either way, today is the last day to get them.

And that leads me to the Best. News. Ever...

The response has been amazing. To say the least. When we started Truvani, we always had one goal: eliminate nasty ingredients from daily-use products. 

And now that we're in a completely new vertical - personal care - people are PUMPED.

This makes us so happy. It was risky to launch into a new vertical, but we had to do it. We want these products in the world and we had to make them.

It is just the beginning.

So, if you're the type of person to pick up a product and immediately look at the ingredient label, then you'll know these products are for you. 

Each product has great ingredients. And they actually work. 

Get these new personal care products before they are gone.

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.

They said I couldn't do it...so I did

I have a confession: when we told people Truvani was going to make personal care products, they looked at me like I was out of my mind.

"Stick to what you know…"

"Other companies have tried to go into different verticals and failed…" 

And that's how I knew it was the right decision. 

When I started Truvani, the naysayers said: you can't be an activist and a product creator. 

We proved them wrong.

Now they say we can't create personal care products and supplements. 

We will prove them wrong again.

We want to eliminate nasty ingredients from all daily-use products. And...

...This is why I had to launch Deodorant, Toothpaste, and Lip Conditioner.

And to encourage you to try them for the first time, we're offering you 30% off the first month. While supplies last.

3 New Truvani Products - Deodorant, Lip Balm, Toothpaste

Yes, they have great ingredients. But they work great, too. 

And as a fair warning, we will remove these from the public-facing website tomorrow evening. 

We had tons of people order these products and we want to focus on getting these orders in their hands as fast as possible. We also want to do a quick inventory check to ensure we have enough inventory for all of our subscribers. 

(If you see sold out on the website, it means we sold out. If it's still available, it means you're good to go). 

These are the first 3 products in our personal care line. And I promise you it's only the beginning. 

When I launched Truvani, I wanted to help people live healthier lives. And what you put on your body is just as important as what you put in your body. 

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.

Have you seen the ingredients in your toothpaste?

I care about my teeth. And gums. And I do everything in my power to take care of them - brushing, flossing, regular dental appointments. I even avoid sticky, sugary candy and soda. 

Plus, I just want my teeth to be clean. And smooth. I often find myself running my tongue across my teeth to make sure I don't feel anything on them. 

I feel like I tried so many different toothpastes and could never find one I could say was 'perfect.' And that's when I knew I had to work with someone to make my own. 

This is why I'm so excited to introduce you to our new Truvani Clean Toothpaste.

It's a little different from other toothpastes…

It's a little more liquidy (or gooey). We do not use carrageenan or other "fluffing agents."

Don't worry though. Stand the toothpaste upright on your bathroom sink and when you use it, you'll enjoy watching the toothpaste sink into your toothbrush bristles. 

What else makes our toothpaste special?

At Truvani, we want great ingredients in our products. What's also important is what we do not put in our products. So, our toothpaste is great because:

NO Carrageenan. 

NO DEAs.

NO formaldehyde-releasing preservatives.

NO sodium lauryl sulfate.

NO fluoride.

It's peppermint. You'll love it.  

Try it today and get 30% off the first month and then 15% off each additional month after that.

(You can get it by itself, or as part of our New Personal Care Bundle. Whatever works best for you!)

This introductory price is available today, but it expires on March 23rd at Midnight.

Xo,

Vani

P.S. Now, you'll notice that our toothpaste is not USDA Organic. You might be wondering why… 

Well, calcium carbonate is one of the ingredients in toothpaste that is required to be considered a "real" toothpaste. What is it? It's a light abrasive that can clean your teeth. What is it made out of? Minerals.. As you know, you can't certify rocks or minerals as USDA organic. However, you will notice the "other" ingredients that can be organic are organic.

 

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.

Going going going... gone?

So, we just launched our new personal care line - Organic Deodorant, Lip Conditioner, and Toothpaste - and they are going fast!

I mean, we knew this would be big. But we didn't expect this level of excitement. 

As a small business, it's tough. You want to get enough inventory for your customers . Of course. But you don't want to buy too much just in case things don't work out…

Luckily things are going well. But we do have to change something…

Right now you can Try our Personal Care Bundle and get 30% off your first month (and 15% off each month after that).

This deal is available today and it expires on March 23rd at midnight. While supplies last.

However, in addition to the deal expiring, we are going to take these products off of our public-facing homepage while we ship out all the orders.

This jump into personal care is a big one for us. We want to make sure each of our customers have a great experience. And that we don't run out of inventory.

So, if you're thinking about trying our new personal care line, now is the time to do it. 

Learn about our 3 new personal care products on our bundle page.

If you click the link, and it's still available, you should be fine. If you see an alert about it being back-ordered, that means it's backordered.

But it's not back-ordered yet.

Xo,

Vani

 

P.S. There is of course a 30 day lenient refund policy. Give these new products a shot. We hope to eliminate nasty ingredients from all daily-use products and your support makes this possible!

 

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.

what's on my lips

I've always loved lip balms…

When I was a kid I wore a necklace made of multicolored lip balms everyday to school. (anyone else remember those?) . 

Different colors. Different flavors. It was fun and functional. 

I totally forgot about it until just a few weeks ago. My friends' daughter got a similar thing as a gift. And when she turned over the package to read the ingredients, she was horrified…

"There's no way I'd let my daughter use this," and she tossed the gift right in the trash. 

Artificial colors. Artificial flavors. And other weird ingredients. I would never let this go near - or on - any child OR ADULT for that matter. 

I mean, you know me as Vani. The Food Babe. 

But I should probably rename myself to The Lip Balm addict. Because I keep them all over my house. 

Literally. The bathroom. My office. My purse. Everywhere. Soft lips make for happy lips. 

And with how often I apply Lip Conditioner, I wanted one with great ingredients. So, Truvani had to make one of our own - with the best ingredients.

It's now available here.

The best part?

If you try it today, you can get 30% off the first month and then 15% off each additional month after that.

This deal is available today, but it expires on March 23rd at Midnight.

Xo,
Vani

Want to see what people think? Check out the new Lip Conditioner page. You can see what some of our team members at Truvani think. Here's a hint: they love it.

 

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.

I didn’t quite understand why she was so sweaty

When I was a kid, I had a neighbor who always had sweaty armpits. Her pits were so wet that you could see right through her clothes all of the time. 

I didn't quite understand why she was so sweaty, but because I was young… and inquisitive… I ran up to and asked, "Why do you sweat so much?" 

She said, "I don't like using aluminum under my armpits." 

It didn't make sense. Who puts aluminium under their arms? But I was a kid. So I quickly forgot about it. 

Today, I understand why. I'm never going to wear a product that contains aluminium zirconium either. The controversy around it is just too much… 

Thankfully it doesn't have to be all or nothing anymore. 

There are a lot of natural deodorant options to choose from. I even found some that worked okay over the years. But none of them lived up to my standard of ingredients.

Some stained my clothes. Some had really strong fragrances. And some just flat-out didn't work. 

Well, I have good news… 

We are launching an all-new Truvani USDA Organic Deodorant. With no nasty ingredients.

Plus, if you try it today, you can get 30% off the first month and then 15% off each additional month after that. Here's the Truvani Deodorant page.

We proudly feature the USDA logo right on the front of the label because we qualify for the USDA certification. Each ingredient was carefully selected by the Truvani team and each ingredient is amazing. 

The best part? 

IT ACTUALLY WORKS.

One of my colleagues openly said, "I was always worried about natural deodorant. I tried so many and I just didn't like them." But he went on. "I will use this every day."

This was important. He's a self-proclaimed sweater and the fact that he liked it was important. 

Now take a look at these remarkable ingredients.

If you try it today, you can get 30% off the first month and then 15% off each additional month after that.

See why you'll love Truvani's new Organic Deodorant.

This introductory price is available today, but it expires on March 23rd at Midnight.

Xo,

Vani 

 

P.S. This is part of the new personal care bundle. You can get just the deodorant or the whole bundle. Let us know what you think!

 

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.

My new favorite deodorant, toothpaste and lip conditioner

So, we just launched 3 new products at Truvani: Deodorant, Toothpaste, and Lip Conditioner.

And they are my new favorite products.

Why? I go into detail on the new personal care bundle page, but here's the short of it:

We spend so much time worrying about our food. And yes. Food is important. But don't forget: what we put on our body can be just as important as what we put in it. 

No nasty ingredients in food. No nasty ingredients in personal care! 

Now, why will you love our new products?

The #1 Reason For Deodorant

So, you heard about our new deodorant. The only question? "Does it work?" 

The answer: "HECK YES!"

We use great ingredients. Some ingredients can help absorb moisture. Other ingredients can help neutralize odor. Plus, the entire deodorant is USDA certified.

We encourage you to try it for yourself. There's a lenient refund policy if you don't like, but I know you won't need it. Our team LOVES it. 

No aluminum. No parabens. No nasty ingredients. Just deodorant that works.

The #1 Reason For Toothpaste

I care about my teeth. And gums. But truthfully? I just want my teeth to feel clean. And smooth. I often find myself running my tongue across my teeth to make sure they feel clean. 

Truvani's new Clean Toothpaste uses great ingredients, too. Plus, we eliminate all nasty ingredients, too. 

• NO CARRAGEENAN
• NO FLUORIDE
• NO DEAS
• NO SODIUM LAURYL SULFATES
• NO ARTIFICIAL COLORS OR ARTIFICIAL FLAVORS

To learn more, you can see information on our Personal Care Bundle page.

The #1 Reason For Lip Conditioner

I've always loved lip balms. I use them all the time. You can find them sprinkled all over my house… my office… my bathroom… my purse. This is one of the reasons why I needed to create one of my own. One that I could trust. 

What makes our Lip Conditioner so special? It's USDA certified. It's got great ingredients like Olive Oil, Coconut Oil, and other goodness!

Our team loves it and I know you will love it, too. 

Now I have good news…

Since we just launched these products, and you're one of our loyal fans and friends, I'd like to offer you 30% off your first month subscription of auto-delivery (and 15% off each month after that).

This is our way for encouraging you to try our new products while saying thank you for being a loyal fan and customer. 

You can learn more about the pricing options here. 

Yes, you can hand select one of the three products, but I know you'll want to try each of them. 

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.

Really big news

Today is the day. 

We are launching 3 new personal care products. You can see them on this new page. 

When I switched to organic living years ago, I did it in phases. I started with my pantry and my fridge. Of course. Then, I eventually made my way into my bathroom…

I was horrified.

I mean, food was bad. But personal care? JUST AS BAD.

Unfortunately, this switch was tough for me. 

You see, I want no nasty ingredients in my personal care products…

...but I also want these products to actually work.

(I don't know about you but I've tried plenty of personal care items over the years… some of them were made with okay ingredients… they just didn't do what they were supposed to do). 

This is why I knew Truvani had to create our own personal care line.

We want to eliminate all nasty ingredients from all daily-use products. We started with supplements and now we're doing personal care. 

Check out these 3 new products

(The best part? We are offering a special deal for a limited time. This is our way of saying thank you for supporting us!).

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.

The 9 most controversial ingredients you are using everyday

I was doing some research and something made me mad. Very mad. 

The EU has banned (or restricted) 1,300 ingredients found in personal care products. Meanwhile… the US only has banned (or restricted) 11!

WHAT?!

How can one group find ingredients so dangerous that they feel compelled to regulate them…

...while another group lets these ingredients run rampant?

ITS CRAZY.

So, I decided to take matters into my own hands. AGAIN.

You see, there are ingredients I avoid in food. 

But there are ingredients I avoid in personal care products, too.

By now you know I co-founded Truvani. We started with supplements. Now we're going to create personal care products, too. 

No Nasty Ingredients EVER!

We will announce this new line of products on March 15th.

For now, read The 9 Controversial Ingredients in Personal Care Products (and why I avoid them) on the Truvani blog right here.

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.

If you eat hummus... or know someone who does, read this

Dipping raw veggies into hummus is one of my favorite healthy snacks. It's got a combo of protein and fiber to keep you from craving junk and can be a great pick me up that replaces processed snacks.  

But information recently came out that rocked my hummus-lovin' world. 

Environmental Working Group (EWG) tested popular hummus brands (like Sabra, Whole Foods, and Harris Teeter) and found the chemical glyphosate in 90% of them. 

If you don't know what glyphosate is, this is the active ingredient in Roundup Weed Killer. And, this chemical is strongly linked to cancer and many health issues. 

Is there cancerous Roundup in your hummus? Read this brand new blog post to get the details.

EWG found glyphosate in several ORGANIC hummus brands too. 

Click here to see the list of all contaminated brands!

Are your friends and family buying hummus with Roundup in it? These people need to know this information.

Please share this report with everyone you know.

Thank you for spreading the word! 

Xo,

Vani

P.S. Amazon has my cookbook listed for only $15 right now! This is nearly 50% off the retail price. Pick up your discounted copy of Food Babe Kitchen here.

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.

Avoid these ingredients at all costs

I always get asked, "What ingredients should I avoid in my food?"

This is why I included this "Ultimate No-No List" of food additives to avoid in the Food Babe Kitchen cookbook, along with a complete grocery shopping guide: 

If you don't have Food Babe Kitchen yet, I'm happy to report that it's nearly 50% off right now on Amazon. Only $15 bucks! This is the best price I've seen yet. 

Here's what's really interesting. Many ingredients on this "No-No List" are not used in other countries...

• You won't find BHT in cereals in Europe, but you will in America.
• You won't find Yellow 5 and Red 40 in European fruit snacks, but you will in America.
• You won't find High Fructose Corn Syrup in European ketchup, but you will in America. 
• You won't find Dimethylsiloxane in European french fries, but you will in America.

I could go on. 

Companies like Kraft-Heinz, Kellogg's, McDonald's, and PepsiCo reformulate their products without these ingredients to sell overseas. Meanwhile, they continue to sell inferior versions of the same products to Americans. 

Why don't these companies just sell the same, safer, products everywhere?

I'll tell you why. 

Europe takes a "precautionary principle" approach towards food additives that are POTENTIALLY risky. They ban or add warning labels to these additives for their citizens. 

The U.S. doesn't do this. Unless there is a big lawsuit or petition.

Americans are lab rats.

The U.S. government allows food companies to largely police itself, deciding which ingredients, chemicals, and additives are "safe" to use in their products. This clearly isn't wise – is it?

If a company can get away with using cheaper ingredients, they will. 

Given a choice, they'll opt for the cheaper flavor enhancer, the cheaper color additive, and the cheaper preservative, and the cheaper GMO ingredient…

Even if these cheaper alternatives have a negative impact on our health and weight.

The truth is that nobody is watching out for us. When they tell you they know their processed foods are safe, they are telling you a lie.

This is why getting off processed food is one of the ABSOLUTE best things you can do for yourself! 

Food Babe Kitchen will help you get off of processed food in an easy and delicious way.

It has over 100 recipes to replace all those processed fast foods you are eating. 

There are even recipes for a healthy Chick-Fil-A Sandwich and Doritos! 

And let me tell you, I don't like complicated recipes with hard to find ingredients. 

The recipes are simple enough for anyone to make. They are fast too. I don't spend hours in the kitchen, and I assume you don't have that kind of time either! 

I want this way of life for your family, so you don't feel the way I did when all I did was eat processed food. Getting off processed food saved my life. Let me help you do the same! 

Get your copy of Food Babe Kitchen for only $16 right here.

I'm not sure how long this great price will last, so I hope you're able to get it soon. 

Xo,

Vani

P.S. If you know anyone who could use help getting off processed food (I'm sure you do!) please forward this email to them.

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.