Did you get this yet? (Ends tonight)

This is it. Summer is over and the holidays are here. This could not come at a better time…

I'm giving away my Healthy Holiday Survival Guide (a $39.99 value) as a free bonus when you join the Food Babe Eating Guide program by midnight (12:00am PST) tonight.

Here are all the details.

As a member of the Food Babe Eating Guide, you'll get recipes for new healthy meals every month (easy to make green drinks, breakfasts, lunches, dinners), a meal schedule, and a shopping list, along with my Starter Guide full of budget tips, organic living strategies, and a list of the "Terrible 20" ingredients that keep you from losing weight, where to spot them, and what to eat instead.

As a bonus (ends at midnight!), the Healthy Holiday Survival Guide includes everything you need to have a Food Babe holiday at home with recipes for every course of the meal. Whether you are looking for quick and easy appetizers, delicious main courses or mouth-watering desserts, we've got you covered with over 20 recipes and shopping tips.

Get instant access here.

This will give you everything you need to navigate this holiday season with ease, without processed foods full of risky additives and GMOs! I can't wait for you to inspire your family and friends with these healthy, organic holiday recipes and tips.

If you have any questions: Check out the FAQ and feel free to reach out to us by simply replying to this email.

Don't wait another minute to live the healthiest life you can. The Holiday Bonus is ending in just a few hours. No exceptions.

Join us here!

Xo,

Vani

P.S. I really hope you get this Holiday bonus for yourself and your family! Let's not serve toxic holiday meals to ourselves any longer, ok?

 

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P.O. Box 31521 Charlotte, NC 28231

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Pants getting tighter? (Here is the fix...)

It's almost Halloween and this is just the beginning. The next two months are going to be FULL of big meals, parties and temptations that inevitably get us wanting to jump on the weight-loss bandwagon come January.

That doesn't have to be you.

Get my holiday action plan here.

This will keep you on track – and help you lose weight if you need to. Yes, even during the holidays!

When you sign up for the Food Babe Eating Guide today, you'll get access to my entire meal planning service, starter guide, monthly recipe guide and an exclusive holiday bonus that features everything you need to enjoy the holidays with a "Food Babe Approved" holiday menu, tips, and strategies.

You can start now - Get instant access here!

24-HOUR BONUS: Get my Healthy Holiday Survival Guide FREE when you sign up by tomorrow (10/31) by Midnight PST!

Want to stop gaining weight every holiday season? This is the solution. This bonus guide includes...

• Holiday detox strategies
• Guidelines to keep you from overindulging
• Holiday pitfalls to avoid with common brands and products to avoid
• Full holiday menu with recipes for appetizers, main entrees and desserts
• What to do with all those leftovers
• All recipes are non-GMO and organic of course!
  

Living a healthy life and getting the body you want is not a sprint to the finish… it's a marathon. That's why yo-yo eating and dieting never works. There's no reason to overdo it on the holidays and then regret it in January anymore!

This holiday bonus guide is only available for the next 24 hours – act now and find out how to avoid the holiday bulge ASAP.

Get instant access here

Xo,

Vani

P.S. Don't wait another minute to live the healthiest life you can. The Holiday Bonus is ending tomorrow at midnight (PST). No exceptions.

 

 

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P.O. Box 31521 Charlotte, NC 28231

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How I stopped gaining weight this time of year

This time of year used to be a real struggle for me… the candy, cookies, feasts, pies, parties, casseroles, decorating, shopping, stress… all added up and made me pack on the pounds. Then, every January I used to find my "skinny jeans" tighter and my waistline generally uncomfortable when I sat down. Do you know the feeling? And let's not even talk about how I felt mentally – tired all the time and not self-confident at all. I hate those feelings!

After I started learning about what was really in my food, I made a conscious decision not to eat toxic chemicals in processed food regardless the time of year because I knew they were responsible for making me gain weight and making me want to eat more. This really forced me to learn how to navigate the holiday season without getting off my game.

But, don't get me wrong… I still enjoy yummy pies and goodies, but I no longer suffer with yo-yo weight and energy levels that really threw me off. Here are a few of the things I do (that YOU can do too) that have really helped me stay on track during the holiday season…

• Drink a green drink every day: This will give you a healthy energy boost and will remind you that your health comes first. Follow this up with a healthy meal too, so that you keep your hunger in check!
• Keep moving and stay active: Jumpstart your metabolism each day by going to the gym or enjoying a long walk with a family member you haven't seen in awhile. I always love attending fitness classes on holidays because it can be hard to motivate myself, so it helps to have an instructor or trainer cheering me on. Sweating it out will improve your mood, boost your metabolism and keep you from snacking on goodies all day.
• Eat a little something before you go to a party: You don't want to show up ravenous, because then you'll eat everything in sight! Eat a good source of organic healthy protein and fat (such as avocado or raw nuts) to help sustain you for a few hours. This way you can still enjoy your favorite foods at the party, but won't be so hungry that you go overboard. (P.S. This also saves me every single time I am put in a situation where I wouldn't touch the food being served with a ten foot pole).
• Focus on your friends and family: Remember what's really important and enjoy spending time with your loved ones. I love socializing at parties, rather than eating.
• Cut out the alcohol (or keep it limited): Your liver is your main detoxifying organ, so if you're trying to lose weight drinking alcohol is your worst enemy. If you want to have a festive drink, have one glass of organic wine and then replace it with sparkling water and lime the second time around.
• Chill out. If you are feeling super stressed out, your cortisol levels can skyrocket causing your body to hold onto weight (particularly in the waist). Fat accumulates near the stomach because the cells in the stomach are more sensitive to cortisol, and very effective at storing energy. Do some yoga, meditation, or take a long walk either before or after a meal.
• Consider a fast: Doing a 12-hour fast after a big meal can help get your
  body back on track and help you digest everything you have eaten more efficiently.
• Make healthier versions of your favorite holiday dishes: This will give you the option of eating at least one healthy item while you're at a party. It will also give you the opportunity to share a real food holiday dish with friends and family, showing them healthy food can be delicious!

Next Monday, I'll be offering something that will give you everything you need to have a healthy and happy holiday season, without packing on the pounds!

Make sure you keep an eye out for my email on Monday. You don't want to miss it.

Until then…

Xo,

Vani

P.S. In case you missed it, here's my organic and non-GMO Halloween shopping list that is full of great swaps to traditional treats.

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P.O. Box 31521 Charlotte, NC 28231

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A warning about rice + new cookie recipe

How would you like to sprinkle some arsenic on your dinner? Sounds crazy, I know. But you could be filling your body with this heavy metal without knowing it, every time you consume rice. Rice is known to contain 10 to 20 times more arsenic than other grains, as it tends to absorb more arsenic due to the way it's grown.

If you don't know what arsenic is… it's a powerful carcinogen that promotes the risk of several types of cancer. It's also linked to increased risk of cardiovascular disease, problems in pregnancy and infant development. Although it is naturally occurring in our environment and food, you definitely want to do what you can to limit exposure.

The good news? You don't need to completely avoid rice… But take these steps to protect yourself from arsenic:

• Soak uncooked rice overnight and discard the water before cooking. This has been shown to cut arsenic levels up to 80%.
• Thoroughly rinse your rice before cooking.
• Cook rice with 5x more water than required. After cooking, drain remaining water and rinse rice in hot water.
• Buy rice that's grown in areas where the arsenic contamination is known to be lower, such as California, India, and Pakistan. Contact the companies that you buy rice from and ask them if they test for arsenic and where their rice is grown.
• Choose basmati rice, as it's found to have the lowest levels of arsenic.

This is extremely important if you are on a gluten-free diet, because these diets are notoriously high in rice.

Scientists have found that people on gluten-free diets have DOUBLE the amount of arsenic in their body. That's because when people go gluten-free, their consumption of rice typically goes up. Even if you don't eat rice for dinner, almost all gluten-free breads, crackers, cookies, and tortillas are made with rice flour instead of wheat. So you could easily be eating rice every single day on a gluten-free diet.

I just published my favorite recipe for flourless, gluten-free chocolate chip cookies on the blog today - and they are utterly amazing. You'd never guess they're flourless - with absolutely no rice flour either! They have a texture and taste very similar to cookies made with regular flour. They won't crumble all over the place like other gluten-free cookies you may have tried, and are rich with flavor. Even if you eat gluten, you'll LOVE these cookies!

Get my new Flourless Chocolate Chip Cookies Recipe HERE

If you've tried a million chocolate chip cookie recipes trying to find the best one, look no further. It's pretty amazing that you can make a crispy, chewy, tasty cookie without any flour, but you really can.

Please share this email about the arsenic in rice with everyone you know - especially if they're on a gluten-free diet. Who knows, maybe they'll bake ya these flourless cookies to say thank you!

Xo,

Vani

P.S. For tips on how to eat healthy on a gluten-free diet without going overboard on the rice consumption, check out this post.

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Non-Toxic Candy Cheat Sheet

Halloween candy is BIG BUSINESS... the industry expects us to spend about $2.7 billion on Halloween candy this year. Where is your money going? What kind of Halloween candy are you planning to buy?

See my Halloween Candy Shopping List here.

Here's a list of the most popular Halloween candies in the U.S. this year… just check out those controversial ingredients...

1. Skittles: Sugar, Corn Syrup, Hydrogenated Palm Kernel Oil, Citric Acid, Tapioca Dextrin, Modified Corn Starch, Natural and Artificial Flavors, Colors (Titanium Dioxide, Red 40 Lake, Yellow 6 Lake, Yellow 5 Lake, Blue 2 Lake, Blue 1 Lake, Yellow 6, Red 40, Yellow 5, Blue 1), Sodium Citrate, Carnauba Wax.
2. Reese's Peanut Butter Cups: Milk Chocolate (Sugar, Cocoa Butter, Chocolate, Nonfat Milk, Milk Fat, Lactose, Soy Lecithin, PGPR), Peanuts, Sugar, Dextrose, Salt, TBHQ.
3. M&M's: Milk Chocolate (Sugar, Chocolate, Skim Milk, Cocoa Butter, Lactose, Milkfat, Soy Lecithin, Salt, Artificial Flavor), Sugar, Cornstarch, Less Than 1% - Corn Syrup, Dextrin, Coloring (Includes Blue 1 Lake, Yellow 6, Red 40, Yellow 5, Blue 1, Red 40 Lake, Blue 2 Lake, Yellow 6 Lake, Blue 2), Gum Acacia. May Contain Peanuts.

These candies contain RISKY INGREDIENTS that no child should be eating...

• Artificial colors linked specifically to health issues that affect children - allergies, skin reactions, and hyperactivity. Europe requires any food containing these dyes to carry the warning label, "May Have an Adverse Effect on Activity and Attention in Children."
• Exposure to TBHQ has most recently been linked to the rise in food allergies. It's also banned for use in food in other countries including Japan.
• Unless a candy is organic or Non-GMO Project verified, it's probably made with genetically modified (GMO) ingredients. "Roundup-Ready" GMO sugar is sprayed with Roundup Weedkiller – linked to cancer.

The fastest way to get this junk out of our food is to refuse to buy products made with them. That's why I choose to ALWAYS vote with my dollars… Yes, even when shopping for Halloween candy and treats. I don't want to poison anyone's child with these risky ingredients! They are already bombarded with enough junk out there every day. Don't our children deserve better?

I invite you to JOIN ME in voting with your dollars this Halloween season too. Let's get the entire Food Babe Army on board! This will really send the message to these brands that we don't want their toxic treats anymore.

I've made it EASY for you with this list of delicious organic alternatives to popular Halloween candies… everything from Snickers, Reese's Peanut Butter Cups, Starburst, M&M's… I've got you covered with these MUCH better options! These alternatives aren't perfect (they're candy after all!) but at least they don't contain all the risky ingredients - and I also include some of my favorite non-food items to give which kids love.

If we all vote with our dollars and stop buying Halloween candies with controversial ingredients, we will start seeing better options in the years that come. Are you with me? Please share this information with family and friends and get your whole neighborhood on board!

Get the Food Babe Halloween Candy Shopping List here.

Have a happy (and healthy) Halloween this season!

Xo,

Vani

P.S. Do you always buy an extra bag of Halloween candy just for yourself to eat? ...I know I'm guilty. My partner Kur Superfoods makes amazing organic bite-sized bars that are sweetened with dates. These treats do the trick to satisfy my Halloween candy cravings, without compromising my real food lifestyle. Their bars are Certified Organic, Vegan, Gluten Free, Kosher, Verified non-GMO and Paleo friendly. This week only Food Babe readers can take an exclusive 20% off + FREE shipping with the code "FOODBABE" for the next 24 hours when you order here.

 

 

 

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Jaw-dropping new book is out! Please help!

There is a chemical that likely causes cancer being sprayed on 80% of the food in this country and residues have been found in popular foods like Cheerios and Ben & Jerry's Ice Cream.

This chemical is Roundup Weedkiller (Glyphosate) made by Monsanto.

Even though the World Health Organization's International Agency for Research on Cancer deemed glyphosate probably carcinogenic to humans, Roundup has NOT been banned. This chemical continues to be used on food crops, parks, playgrounds, and by homeowners everywhere. Glyphosate is now so rampant in our environment that it's found in honey, cereals, meat, drinking water, breast milk, infant formula, chips, cookies, air samples… the list goes on. 

Since our regulatory agencies are not taking action, this carcinogen continues to proliferate and is contaminating virtually all of the food that we and our children are eating. It's maddening! 

How do we get Roundup BANNED and out of our food?

My dear friend Carey Gillam expertly delves into this issue in her new must-read (and courageous!) book, Whitewash: The Story of a Weed Killer, Cancer, and the Corruption of Science. Just as Rachel Carson started the environmental revolution which led to getting the dangerous pesticide DDT banned over 40 years ago, I believe Carey's book will have the same impact on our world. It is a MUST READ.

Please get a copy of WHITEWASH for you and a friend, and help spread the word.

Xo,
Vani 

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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.