Start by fixing mom a healthy brunch like a fresh, organic salad of dark leafy greens, nuts and berries with our own BōKU® balsamic vinaigrette dressing.
Encourage mom to get some exercise by taking her on a hike outdoors, go for a walk, jog or bike ride together. You can even challenge mom to a game of tennis or swimming race. Not only will you be spending quality time together, but all of the movement will get your heart pumping and make you and mom feel fantastic!
Give mom a sustainable, eco-friendly gift. Organic flowers are a nice choice, all natural candles, soaps or skin care products are good as well – mariessoap.com has a great selection. Or you could go the homemade route and bake mom a batch of gluten free sugar cookies you can find recipes at: http://bit.ly/bmunKr. Or get creative with a recycled paper card, perfect for kids.
Or you can give mom something to help her be more eco-friendly again and again for free! For every new order using the discount code MOM2010 we will send you a free reusable BōKU® Chico sling! For auto-ship orders, just send an email to customerservice@bokusuperfood.com with the coupon code and we will add the free bag to your next shipment! Moms can get this for themselves too!
Top off a lovely Mother’s Day with a fabulous healthy dinner! Try a nice vegetarian spinach lasagna or mushroom stroganoff, you can find plenty of recipes at chooseveg.com/vegan-dinner-recipes.asp
Happy Mother’s Day to each and all!
This recipe makes for a very tasty and refreshing salad and dressing.
Yield: 1 cup
Ingredients:
Directions:
In a bowl, whisk together the balsamic vinegar, honey Dijon, Boku and a pinch of salt. Let rest 5 minutes to full hydrate the Boku. Slowly whisk in the olive oil until completely emulsified. Correct seasoning.
Recipe & photo by Heidi Robb
Summer will soon be upon us, the weather is warming and it’s time to show some skin. Most people understand that they must use caution when exposing their skin to the sun, while also getting enough unhindered UVB exposure for vitamin D production. However, there has been a lot of debate over the safety of common sunscreen lotions, and with good reason. Most sunscreens that you will find in stores contain ingredients like parabens, oxybenzone, octinoxate, cinnamates, and homosalate and other chemicals that can have ill effects on health such as actually promoting cancer!
Even some of the more “natural” sunscreens natural UV blockers that are micronized or nano-sized to make them more transparent on your skin. The trouble is that these are non-reactive while on the surface of the skin, but the tiny nano-particles may enter the skin, the effects of which are still unknown. This article details a study that found that nano particles of zinc oxide are twice as toxic to colon cells as larger particles if accidentally eaten: http://www.physorg.com/news189862905.html. Does that sound like something you would want on your skin?
Fortunately, there are safer manufactured sunscreens. Both Badger Sunscreen SPF 30 Face Stick and Loving Naturals Sunscreen, SPF 30+ contain Non-nano zinc oxide and have earned scores of 0 on the Environmental Working Group’s Safest Sunscreens List. You can see the entire list here: http://www.ewg.org/cosmetics/report/sunscreen09/Beach-Sunscreens
If you want complete control over what goes into your sunscreen to make sure it is truly all natural you can always make your own at home! Just purchase zinc oxide and/or titanium dioxide in cream or powder form. Make sure it’s not nano or micronized, and DO NOT inhale the powder, it’s best to use a mask and gloves while handling them. Add a tablespoon of one or each to about 8 oz of olive, sunflower, jojoba, eucalyptus or other oil, feel free to mix them and add any essential oils you wish and add 1 oz of emulsifying wax. All of these ingredients are available online from cosmetics or soaping suppliers like this one: http://www.camdengrey.com/
Of course nutrition plays a large role in sun protection as well. Eat foods with plenty of antioxidants like fruits and berries; foods rich in carotenoids like tomatoes and red bell peppers and watermelon; and drink plenty of tea especially green tea for natural internal sun protection.
Note: Samana is a Sanskrit name for one of the five main pranas (life forces) which are responsible for bringing nourishment and balance to all parts of the body.
Yield: 2 large smoothies
Combine all ingredients in a Vita-Mix or blender container. Sip slowly.
By Heidi Robb
www.heidirobb.com
