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!

Yield: 1 cup

Ingredients:

• 3 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
• 1 teaspoon raw honey
• 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
• 1 scoop Boku
• ¾ cup extra virgin olive oil
• Sea salt and black pepper to taste

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

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.

Yield: 2 large smoothies

• 1/2 ripe banana
• 1/4 ripe avocado
• 1/2 cup frozen mixed organic berries
• 1 scoop Boku Super Protein powder
• 1 heaping tsp. maca powder
• 1 tbs. msm powder
• 1/8 tsp. Aloe Vera 100 drink mix
• 1 scoop Boku Super Food
• 1 scoop Anti-oxidant Defense System Purple
• 1 pinch sea salt
• 1 dose of liquid Bone Support
• 2 cups or more cold filtered water

Combine all ingredients in a Vita-Mix or blender container. Sip slowly.

By Heidi Robb

www.heidirobb.com

Yield: approximately 1 cup

Ingredients

• 1 ripe avocado
• ¼ cup chopped cilantro
• 1 plump scallion rough-cut
• ½ serrano or jalapeno chile, seeded if desired
• Zest of lime
• Juice of ½ lime
• 1/4 cup prepared green salsa
• 2 scoops Boku
• Sea salt to taste

Directions

Place the cilantro, scallion and chile in a bowl of food processor fitted with metal blade and mince. Add the avocado and pulse to break up. Add the lime zest, juice, green salsa and Boku and process until a smooth consistency. Add sea salt to taste.

Recipe and photo by Heidi Robb

Ingredients:

1 cup organic cranberry juice
6 strawberries
1/2 banana (chopped)
1 scoop BõKU™ Super Food

Directions:

Blend & Enjoy

1-2 Scoop Boku
2 Tbsp Nutiva Coconut Oil
1 Tbsp Nutiva Hemp Oil
1 Scoop (Boku) Protein Powder
1 Organic Banana
8oz Organic Orange Mango

Thanks for the fabulous smoothie recipe Gail M.!

Ingredients:

15 plump, moist, pitted medjool dates

2 cups raw, unsalted macadamia nuts

¼ teaspoon fine sea salt

1/3 cup cocoa powder

¼ cup Boku

¼ teaspoon ground cardamom

½ teaspoon cinnamon

1 tablespoon raw honey or agave nectar

1 teaspoon natural vanilla extract

¼ cup finely chopped candied ginger (dried apricots or golden raisins are good, too)

Shredded unsweetened coconut, cocoa powder or sesame seeds for coating – approx 12 cup of any.

Directions:

Process the macadamia nuts with the sea salt until fine in a processor fitted with the steel blade – take care not  to process to a paste. Add dates and process to combine well. Add cocoa powder, Boku, cardamom, cinnamon, honey or agave and vanilla. Process until a uniform mixture. Add in the ginger and pulse until just combined – nice to leave pieces for texture.

Turn mixture into a bowl. Form small bonbons (1/2 oz. size is perfect) by squeezing and rolling the mixture between your palms. Roll bonbons in the coconut, cocoa or sesame seeds to coat. Bonbons keep well one week refrigerated (great cold!), freeze up to three months.

Recipe & photo by Heidi Robb

Yummy!

Thanks Heidi!

On the environmental side, making your own shampoo will help eliminate all of the unnecessary packaging filling the landfills, it will save massive amounts of energy in the manufacturing and shipping processes, and it will reduce the amount of chemicals and toxins in the environment.

If you would like to make your own shampoo here are several different recipes to choose from:

Just Baking Soda and Water

• 1 tablespoon of baking soda mixed well with one cup of warm water

Pour over roots of hair, work through and rinse

Follow with

• 1 oz of lemon juice OR
• apple cider vinegar diluted in about 16 oz warm water

Pour onto hair especially ends, let sit for a minute and rinse.

Basic Shampoo For normal hair – use alone or as a base to add your own scents

• 1/4 cup distilled water
• 1/4 cup liquid Castile Soap
• 1/2 teaspoon jojoba, grapeseed, lavender or other light vegetable oil

Mix together all the ingredients. Store in a bottle. Shake before use, it will be thinner than commercial shampoos.

Chamomile Shampoo

• 4 bags of Chamomile tea
• 4 tablespoons pure soap flakes
• 1 1/2 tablespoons glycerine

Let the tea bags steep in 1 1/2 cups of boiled water for 10 minutes. Remove the tea bags and add the soap flakes to the remaining liquid . Let stand until the soap softens. Stir in glycerin until mixture is well blended. Pour into a bottle. Keep in a dark, cool place.

Scalp Stimulating

• 1/4 cup distilled water
• 1/4 cup liquid Castile Soap
• 2 tsp jojoba oil
• 1/8 tsp peppermint essential oil
• 1/8 tsp tea tree essential oil

Mix all ingredients, then add 1/4 cup distilled water
Store in a bottle. Apply to hair, work through, rinse well.

Shiny Hair

• 1/4 cup distilled water
• 1/4 cup liquid Castile Soap
• 2 Tbsp dried rosemary
• 2 Tbps sweet almond oil
• 1/4 t lemon essential oil

Boil distilled water, add rosemary and steep until fragrant.
Strain leaves and let cool. Mix all ingredients and add to water and stir well.
Store in a bottle. Apply to hair, work through, rinse well.

Softest hair

• Avocado
• Baking soda

Mash them together with a little bit of water to make a paste. Rinse your hair with warm water first, then apply the paste and rinse it out with cold water.

Hair Too Dry?

• 1/4 cup distilled water
• 1/4 cup liquid Castile Soap
• 1/4 cup aloe vera gel
• 1 teaspoon glycerin
• 1/4 teaspoon avocado oil or jojoba oil

Mix together all the ingredients. Store in a bottle and always shake well before using.
Apply to hair and allow to sit for a few mintues. Rinse well with cool water.