Rethink the Pink Ribbons hiding toxic chemicals

…Wednesday’s …Whats in my head …

October is breast cancer awareness month and as you roam the stores you see shelves filled with pink ribbon items.  As a breast cancer survivor this makes me really angry to see how many companies are making false promises to donate to  breast cancer as they tout their pink ribbon items yet many of those pink ribbon products are hiding with toxic chemicals!  Be a smart consumer and don’t be fooled by false slogans, think before you pink.

breast cancer pink washing

[P  I  N  K  W  A  S  H  I  N  G ]

The pink ribbon is not regulated by any agency so where are the proceeds going?  Hmmmmm, that’s the million dollar question.

“There are a number of companies who do not contribute any portion of the proceeds earned from pink products to a breast cancer organization.”

“If they are donating a portion of the sale…how much? what organization? and how is the money used?”

“If the company is putting a cap on the donation amount, how do we the consumers know when that amount is reached?”

“Some companies promise to send a portion of the proceeds from pink products, yet require further action on the consumers part.  What?”

As you see in the image above many personal care products with the pink ribbon contain carcinogens, so where’s the fight in that?

As a breast cancer survivor I contribute directly to an organization where I know my donation will be received and used to fight the cause!

What are your feelings on pink washing?

Did you know WINE is FINE

…Wednesday’s, What’s in my head…

Did you know WINE is FINE.  Okay before we get too excited [in moderation].

Benefits of Red Wine:

1. Reduces the risk of heart disease

2. Lowers your risk of heart attack

3. Lowers your risk of Alzheimer’s

4. Lowers your risk of cancer

Women [one glass a day]

Men [two glasses a day]

Glass =  4oz. of Red Wine

CHEERS

What’s your favorite brand of red wine?

How to power up your health with a banana

…How-to Tuesday…

Did you start off your Tuesday with a banana?  Are you in the grocery store 3x a week stocking up on bananas, looking for the yellow banana [no black spots].  My twelve year old can take down three, four, and sometimes 5 non-spotted bananas a day.  Is that where all his energy comes from?  Every kitchen should be stocked with this yellow fruit.  The taste will not appeal to all [do not understand why not] as my daughter is not willing to take the daily banana challenge.  Sneaking a banana in a smoothie works well.

How many bananas to you eat everyday?

Munch on this Monday — Eggplant and Mushroom Tower

D-E-L-I-C-I-O-U-S     V-E-G-G-I-E    T-O-W-E-R

I load my shopping cart with some healthy vegetables and fruits every week, yet when I open my refrigerator door and look at all the various varieties of food I’ve loaded my refrigerator with I stop and stare as I stress about what to cook tonight.  Have you been there?  On this particular Munch on this Monday the eggplant and mushrooms made it to the cutting board.  I didn’t have a clue what I was going to do with them, so I googled away….eggplant and mushroom recipes….and there it was, a “vegetarian crispy baked vegetable sandwich” made by Rachel Castellino.  Rachel is an adorable thirteen year old with a yummy creation. So here’s my version of my tower of power of Eggplant and Mushrooms.

Add breadcrumbs, eggs, and flour to separate bowls.

Coat your eggplant and mushroom caps in flour, egg, and follow with breadcrumb mixture.

Place on greased baking sheet, top with your favorite cheese. Drizzle with olive oil & bake at 350° for 20 minutes.

Stack it! Mushroom, Basil pesto, eggplant, marinara sauce, avocado, eggplant and some more marinara sauce. Add more cheese if desired!

How to use Apple’s offline reading list on your iPad or iPhone

..How-to Tuesday..

Apple’s offline reading list comes in handy when you know you’ll be in a situation where you won’t have access to the internet.  Especially if your iPad is wifi only and there’s no service.  The IOS 6 feature is available on iPhone 4 and iPad 2 and later.  Save and read full web pages later with no internet connection.

STEP 1

Open Safari and browse an article you’d like to save for offline reading

STEP 2

Tap on the bottom navigation bar and press the sharing button

STEP 3

Press “add to reading list”, your article is now saved for offline reading

STEP 4

To access the article, tap on the navigation bar in safari & press on the bookmarks icon.

STEP 5

Tap on the reading glasses, and your article will be in the list below.  Tap on your article and enjoy your read!

Did you find this article helpful?

Benefits of Witch Hazel

I’m back from summer detox!  It’s been an enjoyable summer with hours of sun, white powdery sand, and beautiful turquoise water!  Summertime is a perfect time of year to spend with family and enjoy your days minus the school year distractions.  Our summer trip to Turks and Caicos was very eventful this year.  We savored our time with three different families during our weeks on the island.  We spent one week [plus hours prior to our trip] coordinating and assisting at a community basketball camp for island kids.  This was incredibly rewarding for the entire family, we pulled through the week in a gym pushing 95• on up.

The downfall of the trip were the illnesses incurred by family members and friends with the numerous amount of trips to the medical offices on the island.  The upside, top notch medical care–great feeling when your abroad and not feeling too well.

Beyond the sicknesses, we had an amazing time as always!  I’ve also been very active with pursuing another part of my life as a “travel consultant”–none other than  GURVY TRAVEL. Stay tuned…

Unfortunately time has elapsed, and my vacation is over but no one can take away the memories!  School’s in and GURVY GREEN is back with loads of new posts to share.

…Skincare Thursday…

WITCH HAZEL

Have you heard of this natural astringent with amazing benefits?

ACNE

it will zap your acne to bits gently and naturally

BRUISES

soak it several times a day, bye bye bruise

WOUNDS

cleanses the skin of germs, bacteria and inflammation

ICTHY SKIN

soothes the itch

So what are you waiting for, go out and buy your bottle today you’ll ask yourself why you waited so long.  My daughter has been a loyal customer as she dabs a little on a cotton ball to zap her acne good-bye overnight!  I’ve  shared (2) brand.  Thayer’s [preference]as it does not include alcohol.  Dickinson’s contains 14% alcohol.  Both are amazing!!

Share your witch hazel story

Spray on Sunscreen Concerns

…Skin Care Thursday…

The FDA has been investigating the safety of spray-on sunscreens since 2011.  They have yet to issue a ruling on the concerns with spray-on sunscreen.  Consumer Reports has issued a warning to parents of young children to choose lotion versus spray on sunscreen.  They are currently deemed safe for adults to utilize (check your ingredient label), do not spray on face.

Why do we use spray on sunscreens?

{QUICK}  {EASY}  {CONVENIENT}

What are the issues surrounding the spray on sunscreens?

1. The person applying the spray inhales the chemicals that are questionable within the product

2. Children who are sensitive to inhalants will have increased health concerns

How can we apply spray on sunscreen?

1. Rub on your hands and apply to skin

2. Read your ingredient label & choose sunscreens with the least amount of ingredients

3. Look for sunscreens that contain titanium dioxide and zinc oxide

In conclusion:

The pros of using sunscreen outweigh the cons, be a smart consumer!

Munch on this Monday — Homemade Carrot Popsicles

Carrot popsicles?  I have been juicing up carrots to form a surprisingly sweet drink.  As I juiced my first batch my kids wanted nothing to do with it, by dinner time the five of us were drinking  a tall glass of refreshing carrot juice.  I decided to whip up some of my juice to form popsicles to enjoy later.  The beta carotene in carrots fuels your Vitamin A, B & E including minerals.  Engaging your kids in the juicing process will peak their interest in trying it, trust me it works.

Freeze them overnight and enjoy them tomorrow!

Do you have a popsicle recipe to share?

Munch on this Monday — Baked Zucchini

Zucchini {squash} is screaming out to me at the local farmers market & grocery stores during summertime.  I found this yummy recipe online and made some simple changes to bake it instead of frying it as well as opted out on the cheese. I know many of you can’t understand that, but with a husband who can’t stand cheese I had to do without and I have to say they were mighty delicious even without the cheese.

Step One

Pesto: breadcrumbs, basil & salt in a food processor

Step Two

Place all ingredients in separate bowls

Step Three

Toss in oil and dredge in breadcrumb mixture

Step Four

Place on greased pan and bake for 30 minutes

[D  E  L  I  C  I  O  U  S  ]

What’s your favorite zucchini recipe?

Cochineal beetles sound appetizing?

…Skin Care Thursday…

Would you believe me if I disclosed the fact that you’ve most likely ingested crushed beetles from your foods or cosmetics?

Pronounced [ko-sha-neel]

Peru is the largest exporter, of the cochineal beetle.  The female bodies are dried and boiled in water to create an acid which is then used to produce a red or pink dyeing agent for food and cosmetics.  It takes approximately 40,000 cochineal bugs to produce one pound of cochineal extract.

Yes it’s true companies are crushing these little bugs to add color to your foods and lip and eye make up.  Check your labels when purchasing yogurt, ice cream, strawberry milk, fake crab or lobster meat, maraschino cherries, port wine cheese, skittles, and many more food items.

But it won’t read “beetles” on the ingredient label.  Look for the code words: [COCHINEAL EXTRACT] or [CARMINE].   Carmine can cause allergic reactions such as sneezing, asthma, hives, and in some cases anaphylactic shock.  Oh and yes this colorant is approved and deemed safe by the FDA!

Some will argue it’s a natural dye, sounds like green washing to me.

What’s wrong with deeply pigmented fruits and vegetables?

raspberries, strawberries, blueberries, or blackberries for shades of red, pink and purples

lutein from marigolds, beta carotene from carrots, or lycopene from tomatoes

What are your feelings on crushed beetle ingestion?