The back-to-school item nobody thinks about

Your kids are about to sit down for the school year.

Class, then homework, then a screen. A lot of kids are sitting 7 or 8 hours a day, most of it hunched forward over a laptop or a phone.

The problem is our bodies are built to move, not to hold one position for hours.

Hold one slouched, head-forward position for hours and circulation drops while the muscles and connective tissue slowly adapt to that shape.

In a kid that's a bigger deal. Childhood and the teen years are when the spine and movement habits are still forming, so a posture repeated every day can set the pattern for life. 

Poor ergonomics in childhood raises the risk of chronic musculoskeletal problems in adulthood by 70%. Nearly 39% of American adults already report back pain, and a lot of it started at a desk decades earlier.

Humanscale's Managing Ergonomics Consultant wrote a genuinely useful piece on this, Growing Up with Screens. It walks through what to watch for by age and how to set up a space that protects a growing body.

Did you know Cornell and Virginia Tech researchers found that only a small fraction of people know how to operate their own desk chair?

Most can't recline without hunting for a lever, so they don't. They sit locked in one position all day.

Picture that with a kid. You're not going to teach an 11-year-old to work tension dials and tilt locks. They'll sit however the chair leaves them, usually still and slumped.

This is what Humanscale solved.

Humanscale got rid of the springs, levers, and dials entirely and built the chair around one idea: your own body weight moves it. Lean, and it reclines with you. Shift, and it follows. Nothing to learn, nothing to adjust. 

For a kid, that means the chair keeps them moving all day without anyone telling them to.

I've sat in a Freedom Ocean chair in my office for years. I lean, it moves, I never think about it, and I'm not stiff at the end of a long day the way I used to be.

For kids, the one that fits is the Diffrient World. Same movement principle, built for a growing body, and it's the chair Humanscale's ergonomist points parents to.

Then there's what the chair is made of.

You already read ingredient labels on a box before you feed your kids. Furniture typically has no such label. Humanscale puts a Declare label on every product, listing what's inside like  a nutrition label lists ingredients. They were first in the industry to do it. 

For the next 48 hours only, the Food Babe community can save 25% sitewide at Humanscale with code FOODBABE—an offer they almost never run. Ends Tuesday, August 11 at 11:59 p.m. PST.

The Diffrient World for your kids, the Freedom Ocean for your own desk, or anything else that needs replacing. 

Shop Humanscale here →

This is the week everyone's buying backpacks and notebooks. The chair they sit in may be the thing that matters most..

Xo,
Vani

P.S. I highly recommend you read  Growing Up with Screens. Even the free tips in there, screen at eye level, feet flat, move every 30 minutes, will help your kid whether or not you change a single piece of furniture.

P.P.S. At Food Babe, we only promote products we love and use ourselves. If you buy a product we link to, we may earn a commission.

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I warned you about this ingredient in Hidden Valley Ranch...

If you're buying Hidden Valley Ranch, gluten-free baking mixes, almond milk, Starbucks Frappuccinos, Quest bars, or bottled salad dressing...

I need to warn you about an ingredient hiding inside many of them.

It's called xanthan gum....

For years the food industry has told us it’s safe…

But a brand new study found that rats regularly fed xanthan gum developed colon inflammation, changes in gut bacteria, and damage to the gut lining.

Researchers said the xanthan gum opened the intestinal barrier, triggering an "inflammatory cascade".

This ingredient is made from GMO corn and added to thousands of packaged foods on the shelf.

The industry tells you it's "just a gum" to make products thicker and creamier.

It isn't there to benefit your health. It's there to make processed food cheaper and easier to manufacture.

If it's capable of triggering inflammation, why should it be in our food at all?

The best way to avoid xanthan gum is simple.

Flip over the package and read the ingredient list.

You may be shocked how often it shows up.

If someone you love might be buying products with xanthan gum, please share this with them on Instagram, Facebook, or X. 

Xo,

Vani

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5 things I pack for a day outside

We've all had the version of a summer day that goes wrong. Someone's out of water by noon. The food you packed is warm. Nobody has a hat. You reapplied sunscreen once, at 10am, and everyone's pink by 2.

I've had all of those days. I've packed the same bag enough times now that I've stopped thinking about it. Here are 5 things in it.

1. Water. More than you think you need.

A liter per person for a half day, more if it's over 85 degrees. I bring stainless steel bottles so I never have to worry about a plastic bottle purchase.

The mistake I made for years was bringing one bottle and refilling it at whatever fountain was around. Now I just bring enough.

2. Easy, portable food.

Anything that needs refrigeration is a gamble. What actually holds up: whole fruit, nuts, cut vegetables, homemade trail mix, Truvani bars and protein single serves, crackers, hard cheese if it's in a cooler, a sandwich made an hour before you leave.

What doesn't: anything with mayo, that melts, or anything you packed the night before and forgot in the sun.

3. A hat with a real brim.

Almost always I have my wide-brimmed summer hat on. Baseball caps leave your ears and the back of your neck completely exposed. They're the two spots nobody ever remembers to protect.

A wide brim covers what sunscreen usually misses.

4. Sunscreen your kids will actually let you apply.

This is the one that changed my whole summer.

For years, sunscreen was a fight. Cold lotion, sandy hands, kids twisting away from me on a towel while I tried to get their face. Half the time I gave up and did a bad job.

Then I found the Water-Resistant Performance Mineral Sunscreen Stick from Active Skin Repair, and the fight ended.

It's a stick. You swipe it on. No squeezing, no rubbing in, no getting it on your hands and then on everything you touch. My kids apply their own, which is the only version of sunscreen that actually gets reapplied.

Non-nano zinc oxide as the active ingredient, so it sits on top of your skin instead of soaking in. Jojoba oil is in the formula so it goes on smooth instead of dragging. No oxybenzone, octinoxate, parabens, phthalates, or synthetic fragrances.

Water-resistant, reef safe, and HSA/FSA eligible.

It also fits in a pocket. Mine lives in the side pouch of the bag, which means I actually have it at hour three when everyone needs a second coat.

Use code FOODBABE to save 20%.

Shop the Sunscreen Stick →

5. Something to sit on.

A towel, a blanket, a cheap folding chair. Hot benches, wet grass, and gravel have ruined more afternoons than weather ever has.

It's the item people skip and then regret at hour two, when the only shade is over a concrete ledge nobody wants to sit on.

That's the whole list. Water, food that holds up, a hat, sunscreen you'll actually reapply, something to sit on.

The bag takes 5 minutes to pack and it's the difference between a good day outside and going home early.

Xo,
Vani

P.S. The reapplication is the part everyone skips. Sunscreen wears off in about 2 hours, faster if you're swimming or sweating. A stick in your pocket is the only reason I ever remember to do it.

P.P.S. At Food Babe, we only promote products we love to use. If you buy a product we link to, we may earn a commission.

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Final Day: Truvani Electrolyte Launch Offer

Heads up...

The launch offer on our Truvani Electrolytes ends tonight at midnight.

After that, it's gone.

>> Click here to get yours while stock lasts.

I'm not going to lie…

This has been one of the biggest launches we've ever done.

Electrolytes were the most requested product our community has been asking us for, and now that they're here, it's been kind of crazy watching the orders roll in.

I don't know how much of the first batch we have left, but it's going a lot faster than we expected.

And once it's gone, we can't restock for several weeks because of how long it takes to produce with organic ingredients.

If you haven't had a chance to try them yet, here's what you're getting in every serving:

• Sodium – helps your body hold onto the water you're drinking instead of flushing it right through
• Potassium – keeps your brain sharp and your muscles from cramping up
• Magnesium – gives your cells the energy they need and keeps muscle tension at bay
• Calcium – supports your bones and helps your body recover faster

No synthetic citric acid, no maltodextrin, no stevia, and no "natural flavors" hiding anything on the label.

The deals get better the more boxes you add to your order.

After midnight tonight, this offer goes away.

Get Our New Electrolyte Mix Now >>

Xo,

Vani 

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⚠️ Summer dehydration warning

Summer is here, and your body is working overtime right now – whether you realize it or not.

The heat pulls MINERALS out of your body faster than at any other time of year.

You don't even have to be doing anything strenuous.

Walking to your car, sitting outside at lunch, running errands – your body is sweating and losing sodium, potassium, magnesium, and calcium the entire time.

And most people don't notice until the symptoms pile up.

Here are 5 signs the summer heat is dehydrating you more than you think:

1) Afternoon exhaustion – You slept fine, but by 2 pm you're dragging, because your cells don't have the minerals to turn water into energy.

2) Random headaches – They show up out of nowhere in the heat, and most of the time it's mineral depletion, not dehydration.

3) Muscle cramps and tightness – Especially calves and feet, which is your body telling you it's low on magnesium and potassium.

4) Brain fog – You can't focus or hold a thought because your brain needs sodium and potassium to send signals properly.

5) Thirst that won't quit – You're drinking water all day but still feel thirsty because your body can't hold onto it without minerals.

If even two of these sound familiar, water alone isn't going to cut it this summer.

That's exactly why we made Truvani Electrolytes.

One stick pack in your water replaces the four key minerals your body is losing in the heat – magnesium, potassium, sodium, and calcium – in the forms your body absorbs best.

We flavored them with real organic fruit extracts and sweetened them with organic monk fruit.

And instead of the cheap fillers every other brand uses, we use organic acacia fiber – which also gives you 3-4g of fiber per serving as a bonus.

Available in three flavors:

• Strawberry
• Lemon Lime
• Piña Colada.

They all taste like summer in a glass.

Don't let the heat drain you all summer.

Give your body the minerals it's been losing.

>> Click here to try Truvani Electrolytes and stay properly hydrated this summer

Xo,

Vani 

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Zero sugar doesn't mean zero consequences

If you're drinking Gatorade Zero, reaching for Halo Top ice cream, or chewing Extra gum to keep things "sugar free"... I need to warn you about something.

A new study just linked several of the processed zero-calorie sweeteners found in these products to a faster decline in memory and thinking skills…

• Aspartame
• Saccharin
• Acesulfame K
• Erythritol
• Xylitol
• Sorbitol

I've been warning about these sweeteners for years. Now the cards are really stacking up.

Previous research out of the University of Texas found that people who regularly consumed artificially sweetened drinks experienced almost FOUR TIMES the increase in waist circumference over a nine-year period compared to those who didn’t — even though they were drinking zero calories 

And in 2023, the International Agency for Research on Cancer classified the artificial sweetener aspartame as "possibly carcinogenic to humans." 

This is found in Diet Coke. The best-selling diet drink in America.

Processed zero-calorie sweeteners are all over the grocery store shelves. You’ll find them hiding in products you may have in your fridge or pantry right now:

• Gatorade Zero → Acesulfame Potassium
• Halo Top Ice Cream → Erythritol
• David Bars → Acesulfame Potassium
• Quest Protein Bars  → Erythritol
• Extra Gum → Sorbitol, Aspartame, Acesulfame K
• Pur Gum → Xylitol
• Monster Energy Zero → Acesulfame Potassium
• Rockstar Sugar Free → Acesulfame Potassium
• Diet Pepsi → Aspartame, Acesulfame K

There are sooo many more…so make sure you check your “sugar-free”, “zero-sugar”, and “low carb products. 

At Truvani, we don’t use questionable chemicals like this in our products. Our new Electrolyte Drink Mix (in 3 flavors!) is sweetened with monk fruit. It also has no synthetic citric acid, maltodextrin, or stevia that you’ll find in most other brands. 

If you know anyone who might be buying these “sugar free” products, warn them by sharing this post on Instagram, Facebook, and X. 

Xo,
Vani

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Love Your Electrolytes? Check The Ingredient List

If you already drink electrolytes every day, I LOVE that.

You're ahead of most people when it comes to taking hydration seriously.

But I need to ask you something:

Have you looked at the ingredient list on the brand you're currently using?

Because when we were developing Truvani Electrolytes, I looked at every major brand on the market.

And what I found honestly SHOCKED me.

• Synthetic citric acid manufactured from black mold.
• "Natural flavors" that can contain dozens of hidden chemical compounds.
• Maltodextrin – a filler that spikes blood sugar higher than table sugar – being concealed inside the "natural flavors" designation so it never even shows up on the label.

One of the biggest electrolyte brands had a public scandal over this exact issue.

They were hiding maltodextrin and never disclosed it.

I don't care how good a brand's marketing is. If the ingredient list doesn't hold up, the product doesn't hold up.

That's why we put so much work into making Truvani Electrolytes the right way..

The ingredients are clean:

Real organic fruit extracts, organic monk fruit, organic acacia fiber, and four key minerals – magnesium, potassium, sodium, and calcium – in their most bioavailable forms.

No synthetic citric acid, no maltodextrin, no stevia, no "natural flavors."

Available in three flavors:

Strawberry, Lemon Lime, and Piña Colada.

One thing I want to mention:

Our first batch is moving a lot faster than we expected, and I'm not confident it'll last through the end of the week.

If you want to try them, I wouldn't wait too long:

>> Click here to try the NEW Truvani Electrolyte Mix

Xo,

Vani

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