Food Babe's Product Reviews:

Organic Food Delivery Straight To Your Doorstep

...by Food Babe

A few months ago, I visited the small town of Pickens, Mississippi, located in what is considered the most obese county in America. I went there because I wanted to understand the issues with food deserts and to help the community understand what is really in our food supply, specifically the chemicals in processed foods that are making people suffer and how to choose better options. The local grocery store carried some fruits, veggies, and meats, all conventionally grown, with the majority of the store being processed foods. The store had virtually no organic food. The closest place to buy better quality packaged or organic foods was in Jackson, MS – a drive well over 45 minutes.

Several members of the community were so dedicated that they went shopping at the natural food store in Jackson with me while I was there but I knew this would be difficult, expensive and tiresome for them to do on a regular basis.

Unfortunately, the people of Pickens are not the only ones with little access to organic foods – there are thousands of Americans in the same situation and that’s why I’m thrilled I found this new delivery service.

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Green PolkaDot Box is an online grocery store that carries natural, organic, and non-GMO foods at wholesale prices and delivers them directly to you. It’s like Costco, but you don’t have to drive or spend the time to go get it! But, unlike Costco, Green PolkaDot Box actually has most of the brands I love and support (You can check out which brands they have here). Even for someone like me, that lives in close proximity to several natural food stores, the convenience of having an organic food delivery service to send my favorite foods straight to my doorstep is very exciting. The time save is totally worth it to me but the money savings makes it a slam dunk. It costs $50 dollars to sign up for a club membership to Green PolkaDot Box, which is comparable to other warehouse stores, but there is free shipping and I’ve already made back almost all that money with my first order – which was definitely faster than I had originally thought for sure!

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The prices of tea, nut butters and superfoods that I eat everyday are really appealing to me since they can be crazy expensive at the store. Also, other pricey hard to find items like organic RAW cheese is half the price and my beloved raw organic pistachios (that I use to make my favorite nut milk) are significantly less expensive than what I have found elsewhere. 

When I initially signed up for Green PolkaDot Box, I ordered a little bit of everything. I stocked up on some BPA-free glass jars of tomatoes, ezekiel bread and tortillas, organic tea, and even some frozen pasture-raised, grass-fed beef (for my husband) from a co-op that uses no artificial hormones, antibiotics, or synthetics. All of the food was delivered in a timely manner, COLD (kept fresh in a cooler with dry ice) and everything was in good condition.

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I was so impressed with Green PolkaDot Box that I reached out to them so you guys could try them out too, at an even bigger discount than they already provide.

If you join today with an annual Club Membership, you can receive 10% off your first purchase by using the promo code “FOODBABE” valid through May 20, 2013.

Sign up for Green PolkaDot Box club membership - HERE

10% off First Order Discount Code: FOODBABE

 

If you know friends and family that live far away from natural food stores, complain about organic food prices or just need to save time and money, please share this discount and post with them. I am so thankful for companies like Green PolkaDot Box for helping people bring nutritious, clean, real food, and brands we can trust to our homes a little easier and a lot cheaper.

Food Babe

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The Ingredients in Sunscreen Destroying Your Health

...by Food Babe

Your skin is your largest organ.

It covers and protects everything on your body. How you treat it is incredibly important to your health. However, the skin is one of the most unappreciated organs, and one that I used to totally take for granted, slathering products full of toxic chemicals on it day after day. When I look back at all the different potions I’ve tried, I shake my head in disbelief and wish I would have known better. Not only would I not have developed eczema all over my body and face, but I would have looked a million times better growing up.

One of those products that has always caused me issues – is sunscreen. Every time after a beach vacation or going to the pool, I’d end up with a rash on my face or body. I wondered if I’d eaten something that I was allergic to. Little did I know at the time – the culprit was sunscreen.

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The unknown long-term consequences of the chemicals in sunscreen are just starting to be revealed and the results are shockingly horrific, going beyond the common skin rash. Here in the United States, the FDA does not regulate cosmetics as rigorously as pharmaceuticals or food – allowing cosmetic companies to get away with using all types of chemical ingredients that are not used and in some cases banned in other countries. Sounds familiar – eh?

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Stevia: Good or Bad?

...by Food Babe

Sugar is one of the most dangerous ingredients on the market. It’s addictive, added to almost every processed food, and will make you overweight, depressed and sick if you eat too much. In fact, Americans eat close to 130 pounds of the stuff per person per year (4 times more than the recommended daily allowance), likely because it is so addictive. That’s why it’s exciting to know there are alternative sweeteners made in nature, like “stevia,” that don’t wreak havoc on your health – or do they? That’s what I went on a quest to find out. Here’s what happened…

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What Is Stevia? Stevia Plant

For those of you that are hearing about stevia for the first time, it is a plant that is typically grown in South America, and while it’s extract is 200 times sweeter than sugar, it does not raise blood insulin levels. That’s what makes it so popular. However in 1991 the FDA refused to approve this substance for use due to pressure from makers of artificial sweeteners like Sweet n’ Low and Equal (a one billion dollar industry). But in 2008, the FDA approved the use of rebaudioside compounds that were derived from the stevia plant by Coca-Cola (Cargill) and PepsiCo – hmmm doesn’t that sound suspicious? Not until a major food company got involved did stevia become legal, and only after it had been highly processed using a patentable chemical-laden process…so processed that Truvia (Coca-Cola’s branded product) goes through about 40 steps to process the extract from the leaf, relying on chemicals like acetone, methanol, ethanol, acetonitrile, and isopropanol. Some of these chemicals are known carcinogens (substances that cause cancer), and none of those ingredients sound like real food, do they?

The whole leaf stevia that you can grow in your backyard (and has been used for centuries in countries like Brazil and Paraguay) remains a non-approved food additive by the FDA. However, rebaudioside A (the stevia extract) that was approved by the FDA has not been used for centuries and long term human health impacts have not been studied and are still unknown. The sweetener/sugar industry wields powerful influence over what is ultimately approved at the FDA, and this is just another example where they are influencing decisions that don’t make sense. How can a chemically derived extract be deemed safe in processed food and a plant from mother nature not?

What Kind Of  Stevia To Avoid

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New Products That Make Me Scream In Excitement

...by Food Babe

This year at Expo West (the largest natural products show in the US) – I found myself spending more time in my hotel room than on the showroom floor. The Kraft petition was going viral and the media was chasing me. It was a double edged sword, because yes, I wanted to get the message out there about how Kraft is exploiting Americans by using products banned overseas in their Mac and Cheese, but I also wanted to support all the growing and wonderful organic companies by sharing their new amazing products with you!

I wish I had a chance to see more. This is only a glimpse of what the show had to offer – I hope you enjoy the recap, new products and things that make me scream in excitement!

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Giveaway: Wise Choice Market Online Store ($250 value)

...by Food Babe

It’s my birthday today! I have a whole day packed of exciting things to do, places to be and friends and family to see! I have lots to share with you from my recent trip to Expo West (the largest natural products food show in the US) – but I need to get my photos organized and uploaded. In the meantime – I am super excited to announce this giveaway from Wise Choice Market – an online store full of organic and real food eats!

Sprouted Breads Wide Shot

My absolute favorite item to buy from Wise Choice Market is the sprouted bread from Manna Organics (which is now owned by Nature’s Path – one of the most incredible organic companies out there with a mission to stop GMOs.) This bread is DYNAMITE. It tastes like cake – but has no sugar added and is only a few ingredients. The best part – it’s sprouted grain (no flour) and teeming with all the good enzymes you need for proper digestion! Try the banana walnut and you will see what I mean.

Wise Choice Market also offers an array of pre-sliced loaves that are certified organic (and therefore non-GMO) and also gluten-free by GFCO (Gluten-Free Certification Organization) for those of you with gluten sensitivities. The varieties include Cinnamon Raisin, Open Sesame, Ancient Grains, Ciao Chia, and Original, and are shipped frozen so you can defrost when convenient.

And finally, Wise Choice Market also offers a huge selection of fermented vegetables (like my favorite – Kimchi!!!), soaked nut butters, and traditionally-made organic bone broths. These bone broths from Wise Choice take 24 hours to make, and use only pure filtered water, organic bones, onions, garlic, and parsley.

(NOW CLOSED)Giveaway Details: 5 readers will win a $50 dollar gift certificate to use on Wise Choice Market‘s website

To Enter The Giveaway, Follow These Simple Steps by Friday, March 29th:

  1. Sign up for Food Babe updates - you get a personal letter from me each time I post with insights about my life only subscribers get to hear
  2. AND sign up for Wise Choice Market’s newsletter - Wise Choice Market
  3. AND leave a comment below – I’d love to know if you’ve found anything new or exciting at the grocery store lately. I’m always so amazed how companies are innovating to bring more healthy and organic products to us.

Good Luck! I’m off to celebrate being alive :)

Food Babe

P.S. If you’d like to help make one of my birthday wishes come true –  It would be amazing if you called the Kraft Foods Headquarters and ask them to remove artificial food dyes from all Mac & Cheese products, especially those targeted toward children. Perhaps you can ask them why they have refused to meet with us or ask why they continue to ignore over 265,000 concerned people…

Here’s the Kraft Foods Headquarters main number - (847) 646-2000 – Thanks for your help, together we can do this! XOXO.

Contest is Now Closed – Congratulations to the following winners!

1. Janine on March 25, 2013 at 12:43 pm said:
I’m new to your site, but so far I’m loving it! xoxo

2. Kylie K. on March 22, 2013 at 2:04 pm said:
I’d love to win!

3. AmandaR. on March 22, 2013 at 2:16 pm said:
Done and Happy BDay!

4. Christina on March 22, 2013 at 2:36 pm said:
I’m so excited to try these products, they look amazing! Thanks for sharing such vital knowledge with us, it is making such a difference in our lives.

5. Shannon on March 24, 2013 at 12:19 pm said:
I love all of the information I learn from your posts and newsletter. I also love Wise Choice Market! Thanks for doing this giveaway!!