Just One Scoop of Total Nutrition [Review]

Although I prefer to eat real foods instead of junk/processed foods and then taking supplements to make sure I get the nutrients that my body requires, I do occasionally like to get a boost from a high quality supplement. I always look for all natural, organic, non-GMO supplements. These characteristics ensure that my body is getting the best vitamins and minerals from the supplements. Immortal Herbs Total Nutrition formula is packed with 100% organic, non-GMO, gluten-free, vegan, raw superfoods to promote all over wellness in just one scoop a day.

Immortal Herbs Total Nutrition        (30 day supply, $69.95)
Rating: total green check marks out of 5.

The Good	The Not So Good
100% organic, non-GMO ingredients
Vegan and gluten-free
Neutral flavored
Can be used in a variety of ways

When I ran down the list of ingredients, I loved the sound of raw superfoods from nature.

Ingredients: Barley Grass, Wheat Grass, Spirulina, Spinach, Alfalfa Leaf, Kelp, Dulse Leaf, Barley Grass Juice, Orange Peel, Beet Root, Dandelion Leaf, Lemon Peel, Gingko Leaf, Wheat Grass Juice, Maca Root, Cacao, Ashwagandha, Sacha Inchi, Manuka Honey, Bee Pollen, Reishi Mushroom, Blueberry, Black Currant, Wild Bilberry, Wild Lingonberry, Aronia, Pomegranate, Concord Grape, Red Raspberry, Sour Cherry, Wild Elderberry, Wild Cranberry, Black Raspberry, Goji Berries and Schiznadra Berries.

All ingredients are 100% organic, non-GMO, vegan, and raw. In this form, your body is able to absorb the nutrients the easiest. One scoop (about one tablespoon) provides you with an entire day of nutrients. I really like that the ingredients are foods or herbs that you would find in nature, ones that you would eat yourself, not complex, medical sounding names of synthetic and extracted compounds that make no sense.

The formula is easy to mix into a glass of water. The color was a deep green. The flavor was fairly neutral, although hinted at the barley and wheat grass ingredients. If you are not used to a grassy flavor, I recommend adding a sweetener like cane sugar or honey, or mixing into a smoothie, a bowl of oatmeal, or whatever else sounds good. One of my favorite way to incorporate superfood powders into my meals is by mixing into oatmeal. Total Nutrition superfood formula would also be a perfect addition to your green smoothie (a little kale, a little spinach, and a little apple or banana for sweetness).

I have tried other superfood formulas and I can say that Immortal Herbs Total Nutrition superfood formula has the least neutral flavor, which makes it easy to add to just about anything you would like to add it to. A formula that contains 100% organic, non-GMO, vegan, and gluten-free ingredients is always a winner in my book. Look at Immortable Herbs to supplement for improved health and wellness.

Disclosure: I received one or more of the products mentioned above for free using Tomoson.com. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will be good for my readers. The information provided on this site is for informational purposes only and is not intended as a substitute for advice from your physician or other health care professional or any information contained on or in any product label or packaging. You should not use the information on this site for diagnosis or treatment of any health problem or for prescription of any medication or other treatment. You should consult with a healthcare professional before starting any diet, exercise or supplementation program, before taking any medication, or if you have or suspect you might have a health problem.

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Vegan Vajacial Soap for Post Hair Removal

It is summertime! A lot of us are enjoying time at the pool or at the beach, but we are probably not enjoying hair removal and the ramifications. Let me focus on a specific body part for this post - the bikini area! The itching, redness, and bumps that occur after hair removal can be annoying and uncomfortable. Enter Vajacial Soap from Stript Wax Bar to clear away dead skin cells, reduce bacteria and inflammation, and treat ingrown hairs, dry skin, bumps, and discoloration.

Stript Wax Bar - Vajacial Soap       
Rating: total green check marks out of 5.

The Good	The Not So Good
Vegan, natural ingredients	Color source unknown
Gentle on your skin
Nice lather

I have a slight obsession with natural soaps. I am constantly impressed by the large number companies selling natural soaps that are comparable, if not better, than your mainstream soaps. My skin feels better and my nose loves the natural scents. I was intrigued to try Stript Wax Bar Vajacial Soap after hair removal (shaving) in the bikini area. As women who remove hair know, shaving in the bikini area causes itching and redness when the hair starts to grow back. My plan was to use Vajacial Soap every time I showered.

I liked that the soap is gentle (no burning on the shaved area) and enough lather to get the bikini area clean. Using Vajacial Soap every time I showered after shaving helped to reduce itching and inflammation. There was only one time that I had to break out the coconut oil, but I had not showered (and thus used the soap) that day. I like that the ingredients are all natural, but would like for Stript Wax Bar to disclose the source of the color.

If you are looking for a gentle, vegan, natural soap to reduce irritation and inflammation after hair removal, I recommend that you try Stript Wax Bar Vajacial Soap. As always, my cross-check of ingredients on the EWG Cosmetic Database showed that Vajacial Soap is safe to keep in my bathroom cabinet.

Disclosure: I received one or more of the products mentioned above for free using Tomoson.com. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will be good for my readers.

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No Nasty Chemicals with ecoSTORE [Review]

I am on a never-ending quest to find more eco-friendly, more natural, and more effective cleaning and body products. Those of you who are on the same quest will agree that the number of products that do not clean as well as their toxic counterparts is even greater than the number of products that do a comparable, yet even better, job of cleaning. Once you find that product or that brand, you stock up on it, being afraid that it will be discontinued. I use a few brands of eco-friendly cleaning and body products and would recommend them to anyone. ecoSTORE's commitment to No Nasty Chemicals (tm) is a reason why you should try this brand of cleaning products.

As an ecoSTORE Ambassador, I received the following products to review:

• All Purpose Cleaner
• Glass Cleaner
• Toilet Cleaner
• Gentle Laundry Liquid Super Concentrate
• Pure Oxygen Whitener

I also received the Hand Wash and Laundry Liquid to give to others. Feedback included positive reactions to the Hand Wash smell (Rose and Cardamom), which is far from smelling "girly."

Check out my initial review of ecoSTORE's Auto Dish Powder and Body Wash. The Auto Dish Powder is no longer offered (sad face because I like it).

ecoSTORE Household Cleaners         

Rating: total green check marks out of 5.

The Good	The Not So Good
No "nasty" chemicals	Some ingredients may cause health concerns (Phenoxyethanol, et al)
Fresh smell, not overpowering	Hand soap does not lather well, but hands feel clean

I love that ecoSTORE is committed to "no nasty chemicals" and tries to find better alternatives. Chemicals, EWG's Skin Deep Cosmetic Database) to get more information about the ingredients in ecoSTORE products. (Please note that the Cosmetic Database is not the end-all-be-all source, but it does provide good information about the ingredients in products we use every day). For the  most part, ecoSTORE's ingredients are rated low in terms of toxicity, but there are a few ingredients that we should watch out for. I commend ecoSTORE.com for listing the ingredients for all of their products. If you have an allergy or a concern about a specific ingredient, you can check whether the product contains that ingredient or not.
whether natural or synthetic, present the biggest challenge when dealing with off-the-shelf cleaning products. I went to my trusty source (

Now that we have talked about the ingredients, let's talk about how the products actually clean. The All Purpose, Glass, and Toilet Cleaners did a great job of removing any scum and residue. One quick swipe and the grime was gone. I liked that I did not have to use a lot of the product. The Toilet Cleaner was easy to apply with the shape of the bottle. The smell was not overpowering and did not linger to the point where you keep smelling it for hours. I prefer lighter smells that go away.

If you are looking for a safer and less toxic alternative to household cleaning products, give ecoSTORE a try. You will not be disappointed. ecoSTORE has a variety of household and body products that are effective and economical.

Disclosure: I received the sample from the company in order to facilitate my review. No other compensation was received. I am under no pressure to return the product to the company or to write this review. This product review is based on my personal experiences. This review is objective and completely honest.

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Sometimes You Just Have To...

THROW IT AWAY!

Yes, I said throw it away. Not reuse, compost, recycle, freecycle, or anything of the like, but throw it away. In the trash! I have been on a declutter mission, round 3. There are some items that I cannot find another use for other than throwing in the trash. For example, the top of the salad spinner that was accidentally put on top of a hot burner and started to melt. I kept it for a few days, but then realized there is absolutely no other use for this. The salad spinner does not work anymore. I opened the trash can lid and threw it in.

Sometimes you just have to throw it away!

>> What have you had to throw away because it had no other use??
 

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Wordless Wednesday - Produce Strikes Back

The purpose of this post is not to promote eating meat, being vegetarian, or vegan. I found it adorable and wanted to shared with my readers.

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Chipotle Ingredients List Published

About six months ago, I came across a website that listed some of the questionable ingredients in Chipotle's foods.  Even though I get a vegan bowl (brown rice, black beans, fajita veggies, salsas, and guacamole), there were still some ingredients that I want to avoid, like soybean oil and other ingredients that are potentially GMO. I have eaten at Chipotle only twice within the past six months, when it was the only option at the time and was the "best of the worst" for fast food restaurants. With the help of activist blogger, "Foodbabe," the Chipotle Ingredients List has been posted on their website.

Here are some of my favorite snippets from the article:

“What I found was startling,” Hari says. “Most of their food was contaminated with genetically modified cooking oil, corn oil, and they were using genetically modified ingredients in their tortillas. Even in the black beans there was GMO soybean oil. You couldn’t even order vegetarian and avoid it. It was really unfortunate. Then, when I saw their flour tortillas’ package, it said that they use trans-fat. That’s crazy.”

One of the goals of ingredient transparency is to motivate restaurants to improve their ingredients, and that’s already happened at Chipotle. “The best part,” Hari says. “Is that they took the genetically modified soy bean oil out of the black beans, so you can actually have a black bean salad with guacamole, and avoid GMO’s and avoid all the chemicals.”

Hari also points triumphantly to the sidebar of their new ingredient statement that says they’ve committed to eliminating hydrogenated oils, tortilla preservatives, and GMOs in the future.


Chipotle Ingredients List (source: Chipotle)

Barbacoa

Beef, Water, Chipotle Chile, Rice Bran Oil, Cumin, Garlic, Oregano, Black Pepper, Salt, Cloves, Bay Leaf, Soybean Oil

Beans, Black

Water,  Black Beans , Yellow Onion, Chipotle Chile, Rice Bran Oil, Cumin, Garlic, Oregano, Black Pepper, Salt, Oregano, Bay Leaf, Citrus Juice

Beans, Pinto

Water,  Pinto Beans ,  Bacon  (Cured with water, salt, natural flavor, sodium erythorbate/nitrate), Yellow Onions, Chipotle Chile, Rice Bran Oil, Cumin, Garlic, Oregano, Black Pepper, Bay Leaves, Salt, Citrus Juice, Kosher Salt

Carnitas

Pork, Lard, Bay Leaf, Salt, Black Pepper, Thyme, Juniper Berries

Cheese, Monterrey Jack

Pasteurized Milk, Starter Cheese Culture, Salt, Enzymes

Cheese, White Cheddar

Pasteurized Milk, Starter Cheese Culture, Salt, Enzymes

Chicken

Chicken, Water, Chipotle Chile, Rice Bran Oil, Cumin, Garlic, Oregano, Black Pepper, Honey, Salt In some restaurants we grill our chicken with oil: restaurants with a plancha grill use soybean oil, with the exception of restaurants in Manhattan, which use rice bran oil.

Chipotle Honey Vinaigrette

Soybean Oil, Red Wine Vinegar, Honey, Kosher Salt, Water, Chipotle Chile, Rice Bran Oil, Cumin, Garlic, Oregano, Black Pepper In some restaurants, the Chipotle Honey Vinaigrette contains guar gum and is made with Canola Oil instead of Soybean Oil.

Guacamole

Hass Avocado, Red Onion, Jalapeno, Cilantro, Citrus Juice, Salt

Fajita Vegetables

Green Bell Pepper, Red Onion, Soybean Oil, Salt, Oregano In Manhattan restaurants, Fajitas are sauteed in Rice Bran Oil instead of Soybean Oil.

Lettuce

Romaine Lettuce

Rice, Brown

Long Grain Brown Rice, Bay Leaf, Soybean Oil, Cilantro, Citrus Juice, Salt In our Manhattan restaurants, we substitute Rice Bran Oil for Soybean Oil.

Rice, White

Enriched Long Grain White Rice (enriched with Folic Acid, Iron (Ferric Orthophosphate), Niacin, Thiamin Mononitrate), Bay Leaf, Soybean Oil, Cilantro, Citrus Juice, Kosher Salt In our Manhattan restaurants, we substitute Rice Bran Oil for Soybean Oil.

Salsa, Roasted Chili-Corn

White Sweet Corn , Red Onion, Jalapeno, Roasted Poblano Pepper, Cilantro, Citrus Juice, Kosher Salt

Salsa, Tomatillo-Green Chili

Roasted Tomato, Roasted Tomatillo, Roasted Jalapeno, Salt, Citrus Juice, Toasted Cumin, Garlic, Black Pepper, Red Onion, Cilantro, Oregano

Salsa, Tomatillo-Red Chili

Tomatillo, Water, Chile de Arbol, Salt, Cumin, Garlic, Black Pepper, Red Tabasco Sauce

Salsa, Tomato

Tomatoes, Red Onion, Jalapeno, Cilantro, Kosher Salt, Citrus Juice

Sour Cream

Grade A Cultured Milk, Cream, Organic Nonfat Dry Milk Solids

Steak

Beef, Water, Chipotle Chile, Rice Bran Oil, Cumin, Garlic, Oregano, Black Pepper, Salt At restaurants that grill steak on a plancha, we add a bit of honey to our steak marinade and grill the steak using soybean oil. At Manhattan restaurants that grill steak on a plancha, we use Rice Bran Oil instead of Soybean oil.

Tortilla, Burrito Size Flour

Enriched Bleached Wheat Flour (enriched with Folic Acid, Niacin, Reduced Iron, Riboflavin, and Thiamine Mononitrate), Water, White Whole Wheat Flour, Soybean Oil, Hydrogenated Soybean Oil, Wheat Bran, Salt, Baking Soda, Sodium Aluminum Sulfate, Corn Starch,  Monocalcium Phosphate , Sodium Acid Pyrophosphate, Calcium Sulfate, Fumaric Acid, Sodium Metabisulfite, Calcium Propionate, Sorbic Acid In many parts of the country, our tortillas are made with Unbleached Wheat Flour instead of enriched, bleached Wheat Flour, as well as Whole Wheat Flour instead of White Whole Wheat Flour.

Tortilla, Corn for Chips

Whole Ground Corn,  Lime (mineral) , Water, Cellulose Gum,  Priopionic Acid , Phosphoric Acid, Benzoic Acid, Salt, Lime Juice,  Sunflower Oil At restaurants in California, Oregon, and Washington, we serve chips made with Calcium Propionate, Cellulose Gum, Fumaric Acid, Guar Gum, Lime (mineral), Lime Juice, Salt, Sodium Propionate, Sorbic Acid, Water, White Masa Flour, and fried in Sunflower Oil. At restaurants in Ohio, we serve chips made with Calcium Propionate, Fumaric Acid, Lime Juice, Salt, Water, White Masa Flour, and fried in Soybean Oil. Restaurants in Michigan currently fry chips in soybean oil.

Tortilla, Soft Corn for Tacos

Yellow Ground Corn Masa, White Ground Corn Masa, Water, Guar Gum, Cellulose Gum,  Lime (mineral) ,  Fumaric Acid , Sorbic Acid, Calcium Propionate, Toasted Corn Germ, Dextrose, Calcium Sulfate, Enzymes

Tortilla, Taco Size Flour

Unbleached Enriched Wheat Flour (Enriched with Folic Acid, Niacin, Reduced Iron, Riboflavin, and Thiamine Mononitrate), Water, Whole Wheat Flour, Soybean Oil, Hydrogenated Soybean Oil, Wheat Bran, Salt, Baking Soda, Sodium Aluminum Sulfate, Corn Starch, Monocalcium Phosphate, Sodium Acid Pyrophosphate, Calcium Sulfate, Fumaric Acid, Sodium Metabisulfite, Calcium Propionate, Sorbic Acid In some restaurants, we serve 6" tortillas made with bleached rather than unbleached wheat flour, White Whole Wheat Flour instead of Whole Wheat Flour, no Wheat Bran, and added Water.

Tortilla, Tacos

Whole Ground Corn,  Lime (mineral) , Water, Cellulose Gum, Propionic Acid, Phosphoric Acid, Benzoic Acid , Sunflower Oil Restaurants in sections of the central U.S. currently fry Taco Shells in Soybean Oil. By the end of August 2013, all U.S. restaurants will use Sunflower Oil for frying.

 
    

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