yeaaa baby - perfect for the hot summer we are having, plus no added sugar or high fructose corn syrup! Click here for your coupon, call a friend & have a half price smoothie-meetup! Be sure to check out the ingredients list (I like the Mango Mantra) if you are obsessed with your antioxidant & sugar intake like I am, or go for the gold if you’re a skinny bitch and don’t have to worry about that kind of stuff. Happy Smoothie Day!

Technorati Tags jamba juice

Don’t believe all the ‘100% organic” labeling in the grocery stores? Dude, me too! Everything these days seems to be labeled ‘green”, “earth’s best’, “100% farmer certified” “organice” blah blah…but how on earth can everything in the store which wasn’t previously labeled organic, be organic with slick green and yellow pigmented glossy labels? Well, here is an option to know you are really getting the earthliest organic stuff: and remember this key phrase, they are sure to start popping up all over the place!

Community Supported Agriculture: featured here is the Tierra Miguel Foundation. The way it works in a nutshell is you pay the farm foundation around $700 for weekly delivery, or $350 for bi-weekly delivery per season - which includes a box full of fruits, veggies & herbs free of pesticides and chemicals. This particular farm delivers in spots from the North San Fernando Valley down to San Diego & alot of places in between. You can also visit the farm and take some gardening classes, kids classes etc.

It does sound pricey, but it is actually pretty competitive when you break down the pricing from pesticide, chemically enhanced fruits from the local market, but of course you have to come out the pocket once per season rather than the weekly trip to the store. But, you do gain the benefit of tastier, non-pesticide ridden produce. I’m going to try it out for the fall season, since the whole stepford-fruit phenom that is going on at the local markets.

Technorati Tags blah, delivery, Don, Dude, earth, Everything, farm, farmer, foundation, grocery, local farms, North San Fernando Valley, organic produce, organice, Organified, pesticide free veggies and fruits, San Diego, season, store, Super, wasn

Ok so in the last month, Georgie, Rosalinda and now Carmen have or are doing the Master Cleanse. Rosalinda has always been in the bomb shape with super glam ways, so it is difficult to pinpoint the success and or outcome of the cleanse, although she swears she feels better, but is having difficulty eating french fries again due to the impurities of the fried food & grease. LOL.

Georgie…well he says he feels good. I saw him on his 3rd day, he was super grumpy, yelling at his friend on the phone and argumentative which is totally out of character for him  - but he swears he feels good. I have an appt tomorrow to see him so Ill follow up on his progress. The last I heard he was still partying it up…Im just saying.

Carmen is on day 4 of the Master Cleanse. She has daily updates on her facebook page…so far she seems to be holding it together.

Hats off to all of you, friends…Sylvia will not be cleansing anytime soon. xoxo

Technorati Tags master cleanse

Ok, so after thinking about the whole Pinkberry fiasco, I have decided to boycott the franchise because plain and simply, I don’t appreciate being kept in the dark, and regardless if they say they are in the right now, it was only because they were legally forced to do so.

And there you go. It’s official.

Technorati Tags pinkberry boycott

You know what? They just opened a new Pinkberry pretty close to the house, and I just KNEW it was going to be uber-crowded…but it’s not. I haven’t actually been, because I’m committed to my active live cultures for general well being and basically assuming that frozen yogurt doesn’t contain any (total assumption mind you) BUT upon doing some research, found this shocking info that somehow totally escaped my nosy character!

Frozen yogurt CAN contain active live cultures, its just that pinkberry didn’t, but now, after the class action lawsuit was filed & settled, it does.

In an e-mail message, Pinkberry’s chief executive, Ron Graves, said: “In the company’s early days some of its point-of-sale material contained the words ‘all natural’ — which was an honest mistake by the founders. The yogurt used was ‘all natural,’ which was the source of confusion.”

Pinkberry’s fiercest competitor, Red Mango, uses 14 ingredients in its frozen yogurt, the first of which is water. It also lists four types of active cultures. (Red Mango’s Web site has always listed the product’s ingredients.)

Both companies use nonfat dairy products, sweeteners, emulsifiers and acidifiers, but only Pinkberry’s frozen yogurt includes artificial colors and flavors. Guar gum, another ingredient, is commonly used in frozen desserts to slow the melting process. (Pinkberry’s Web site touts the product’s “pouty peaks,” which guar gum helps to achieve.)

Pinkberry and Red Mango now enjoy the Live and Active Cultures seal of the National Yogurt Association, certifying that their frozen yogurt contains at least 10 million live cultures per gram at the time of manufacture.

But the specific health effects of live cultures — now called probiotics — and how many of them are needed to provide a beneficial effect have not been determined.

In January another yogurt-related class action lawsuit was filed, against Dannon, challenging the company’s claims that the benefits of its trademarked probiotics were “clinically” and “scientifically” proven.

So there you have it…at the end of the day, you don’t really know who is lying, who is telling the truth, who’s stuff is good for you, or who’s stuff will dry your liver out or some other randomly horrific stuff. Happy go-gurting!!!

BTW- Staci had mentioned perhaps totally going hardcore and getting greek style plain yogurt and mixing in fresh fruit through a straining process or something to really eliminate all the additives and gunk that they put in there to get the slimy-smooth feel of the ‘gurt.  And so now I know why Pinkberry is empty. There is a RedMango near my gym too - must try them out! Stay tuned!

So now, Pinkberry will have to be revoked from the SuperFoods category and be placed in a different one that is labeled more appropriately and house some other items who mislead consumers into buying into their marketing spiel. Not this time homies! We’re not gonna let that happen!

Technorati Tags pinkberry gets sued, pinkberry goes sour, pinkberry is not being honest, pinkberry is not natural, pinkberry settles out of courtcase, redmango yogurt is better

Get ready for the warm temperatures - it gets SUPER hot here in the valley! I’m going to start posting a bunch of stay-cool spa tips that I have found bring some relief on the days when I simply want to go nuts with the heat! First off - the Mango Batido. A Batido is native to Spain, Portugal & Guatamala and many other Latin American countries, and it basically is what we call a ’smoothie’ so drink up, cool down, and most importantly, it’s not gonna make you fat!

Mangos originated from India & Phillipines and are rich in fiber, antioxidants A, C and E, and potassium.

Ingredients

1 1/2 cups chopped peeled mango

(I got mine frozen from Trader Joe’s)
1 1/2 cups fat-free milk

1/4 cup fresh lime juice
1 tablespoon brown sugar

Nutritional Information

CALORIES 89(4% from fat); FAT 0.4g (sat 0.2g,mono 0.1g,poly 0.0g); PROTEIN 3.5g; CHOLESTEROL 2mg; CALCIUM 121mg; SODIUM 49mg; FIBER 1.2g; IRON 0.1mg; CARBOHYDRATE 19.5g

Technorati Tags Batido, batido de mango, bunch, cup, drink, gonna, Guatamala, heat, Latin, low calorie recipe, make, Mango, mango smoothie recipe, mango smoothies, Portugal, relief, spa, Spain, Super, valley

Bethany Frankel’s infamous Skinny Girl Margarita recipe:

On the Rocks
What you’ll need:

• 2 oz of clear Tequila (100% agave, Patron Silver)
• (count 1, 2 while you pour, no need for measuring)
• A splash of fresh lime juice
  
• A splash of Cointreau, Grand Marnier or Triple Sec

Combine all ingredients over a glass of ice
Garnish with a lime wedge and salt (or sugar) if you’d like.
Makes one serving

check out more of Bethany’s Recipes on her official website.

I do have to add thought, that Brianette and I had our own version of the ‘wannabe skinny girl party drink” which consisted of Diet coke and rum over ice. However, neither one of us ever got skinny. Totally off topic tho. kinda.

Technorati Tags bethany bakes, bethany frankel, healthy recipes, margarita low calorie recipe, real housewives of new york city, skinny girl margarita

Bethany Bakes is a great video blog by Real Housewife (even though she’s not a housewife) of New York City

If you watched the show, you know 2 things about Bethany Frankel - she’s skinny and she likes to drink. So it only makes sense that she has a video recipe book on youtube where you can get the infamous Skinny Girl Margarita, some guilt free pina colada and other skinny girl recipe ideas. Not too sure about the Faux Pancakes, but the alcohol drinks sound pretty good

Technorati Tags antioxidants, bethany, bethany bakes, bethany frankel, faux pancakes, natural chef, pomatini, pomogranitini, real housewives of new york, skinny girl margarita

Native to North America,  blueberries played an important role in North American Indian food culture. They work their protective magic by preventing free-radical damage, inhibiting enzymes from cleaving the collagen matrix, and directly cross-linking with collagen fibers to form a more stable collagen matrix. Bottom line? Eat blueberries on a regular basis. Not only will you have firmer skin for longer days, but you can also fuel your health by their ability neutralize free radical damage to the collagen matrix of cells and tissues that can lead to cataracts, glaucoma, varicose veins, hemorrhoids, peptic ulcers, heart disease and cancer. Throw a few on your cereal, in your smoothie or even better yet, by the handful - yummy and delish!

Click here to read more on the amazing properties of the super blue miracle berry!

Technorati Tags anti-aging, antioxidants, basis, Blue, blueberries, Bottom, collagen, culture, damage, Eat, firmer skin, food, line, magic, matrix, Native, North America, North American, phyto, role, Skin, Super, wrinkle solutions

I love LA! Reality show and international plastic surgeon to the nelson ratings imposter Dr. Ray is handing out rx weed cards. Now you can book a lipo appointment after indulging in marijuana induced munchi binges at a one stop shop…puff puff pass homie! (news clipping in the ventura county star edition)

Technorati Tags dr 90210, liposuction, medical marijuana

There’s a new pinkberry opening up in the Valley! It’s on Tampa in between the Northridge mall and Costco. Woot!  Word on the street is that they are launching a new flavor this spring too - coffee or java or something of that sorts. Remember to top your pinkberry with blueberries to get all the antioxidants you can!

Technorati Tags antioxidants, blueberries, pinkberry, superfood

Today marked a milestone. I went to starbucks for my nonfatsugarfreevanillalattewithanaddshotextrahot and actually was told that my drink had been renamed!

Introducing the 90 calorie Skinny Latte! WOO…now I don’t have to sound like an LA dork when I order my drink. yay! Recent studies suggest that coffee has lots of antioxidants, can lower your risk of diabetes, Parkinson’s disease, and colon cancer, lift your mood and treat headaches - webmd.com states.

Visit Starbucks.com to check out the other flavors & nutrition info.

Technorati Tags healthy-eating, starbucks-skinny-latte, superfoods, trendy-eating, wellness

Grub on some wild salmon the next time you are out at a nice restaurant and don’t know what to order, or out to lunch with friends. The omega 3 fatty oils will aid in making your hair lustrous, your skin glow, plus it will help your joints, heart and cholesterol. There’s nothing worse than spending a pretty penny at Nordstrom’s on some Creme de La Mer and then eating a greasy beef hamburger and fries for lunch - I mean why bother?

WebMD.com states “Omega-3s are most prevalent in fatty, cold-water fish: Look for wild (not farmed) salmon, herring, sardines, and mackerel. Aim for two-to-three servings a week. Other forms of omega 3s are available in fortified eggs, flax seed, and walnuts. These superfoods have the added benefit of being high in monounsaturated fats, which can lower cholesterol.” Also containing omega 3 are dark green leafy veggies.

Eating 3 servings a week of omega 3’s will help target Vericose Veins, Hair loss/ hair thickness & regrowth, moisturized skin, regulation of blood pressure, mood fluctuations
arthritis, depression and anxiety. Let’s get good ya heard?

Technorati Tags eco, flaxseed-oil, GreenSpa, omega-3, superfoods, thinning-hair, vericose-veins, wellness

omg, so as promised, I set out to do some research on the malibuwellness.com salesperson’s statement that sunscreen is actually toxic for your skin, and check out what I found:

“The idea that sunscreen prevents cancer is a myth. It’s a myth promoted by a profit-seeking tag-team effort between the cancer industry and the sunscreen industry. The sunscreen industry makes money by selling lotion products that actually contain cancer-causing chemicals. It then donates a portion of that money to the cancer industry through non-profit groups like the American Cancer Society which, in turn, run heart-breaking public service ads urging people to use sunscreen to “prevent cancer.”

“The benefits of sunscreen are a myth. Proponents say sunscreen prevents sunburn, but in fact, the real cause of sunburn is not merely UV exposure: It is a lack of antioxidant nutrition. Start eating lots of berries and microalgae (spirulina, astaxanthin, blue-green algae, etc.), and you’ll build up an internal sunscreen that will protect your skin from sunburn from the inside out. ”

Click here to read the rest of this particular article.

It won’t be the first time that dangerous and toxic procedures were mass produced and readily available for the public’s consumption…(i.e. phen phen, cocaine in coca cola, the junk food epidemic, the lobotomy, norplant, vioxx, the list goes on) but like Oprah says, “people who know better, do better”.

Wow, I am SO glad that I was at the same place at the same time with the saleschick. I am going to go toss all my sunscreen away.

Additional linkage of sunscreen’s toxic disaster:
toss your sunscreen!
sunscreen chemicals cause colon cancer
sunscreen health disaster
sunscreen causes cancer
sunscreen is dangerous
sunscreen is more harmful than good
BBC - Sunscreen may be Toxic

Technorati Tags anti-aging, beauty-myths, Product-Reviews, SpaBlog, sunburn, sunscreen, sunscreen-is-toxic, superfoods, Tanning

Yay! I loooove this time of year - the markets are full of pumpkin stuff all over the place, the Pumpkin Spice Latte is back at Starbucks (I had one yesterday before I started JC officially lol) and there are all kinds of yummy scented pumpkin products up for grabs.

I had a pumpkin facial last season at Burke William’s spa and they sent me home with a pumpkin enzyme peel mask which was pretty good. Pumpkin is rich in vitamins A, C and zinc and will get you glowing in a good way. I’ve got a coupon code for Spa-View readers to save 15% from Greatskin.com just use coupon code HW15 at checkout on any pumpkin products - and please send in your review for your favorite pumpkin stash!

Click here for a green-friendly at home pumpkin facial: Continue reading ‘Pumpkin Season is Here!!’

Technorati Tags anti-aging, anti-aging-skincare, AromaTherapy, burke-williams-spa, Coupon Codes, Fragrance, greatskin.com, GreenSpa, Home Spa, pumpkin-enzyme-peel-mask, pumpkin-facial, pumpkin-spice-latte, superfoods, vitamin-A-facial, vitamin-c-facial