Alicia Silverstone's Blog, page 140

is there lead in your lipstick?

I found this great video on Girlie Girl Army and wanted to share! It provides a really nice summary of how cosmetics companies are continuing to put cancer-linked chemicals in everything from shampoo to lipstick. This video is really cool if you have never learned about why products are not safe – if you are a natural cosmetic "flirt" if you will!

If you are still buying mainstream cosmetics you should know that there are great alternatives to be found. You can find my recommendations for natural makeup here and you can also find some of my favorite beauty products in my OpenSky store. One of the best ways you can fight for laws that would regulate cosmetics is to boycott the bad stuff and use your dollar to vote for what is natural and good. I think you can make a huge difference that way!

Anywho if you're not using healthy eco-friendly cosmetics already definitely watch this!

What are some of your favorite cosmetics brands?

Related Stories:

My Favorite Beauty Products and The Best Facial in LA!
My Thoughts On Beeswax...
My Mom's Empty Cosmetic Containers...
To Acupuncture or Not To Acupuncture...

help michael reach his goal for charity

This March my friend Michael whom you know from my blogs about his wife Lalanya and their baby daughter Geneva is running the LA Marathon! He's motivated himself to train by pledging to raise 2000 for the organization Courage Campaign Institute which fights against discrimination toward LGBT youth. He has to raise the money by the day of the marathon which is on March 18 this year. Contributions of any size can help him reach his goal. All donations are completely tax deductible if you feel compelled and are able to make a donation you can do so here!
 
Have you ever run a marathon? Share your experience in the comments below.

Related Stories:

Kind Orgs: New York Coalition For Healthy School Food
Kind Orgs: Invisible Children
Real Food Daily's Black Bean Soup
Charities in Detroit

you kind lifers loved shantaram!

Last month's kind book club selection was Shantaram. It's a book I love so I was so happy to see how much you all enjoyed it too! Here are some of the comments you left about the book:

I love it!! This book opened doors to another world for me.  I especially liked the diversity of characters he met. They gave me a glimpse of another life. - Jill

One year ago I spent three weeks in India staying in Mumbai/Bombay before heading north to Panchgani.  The very beginning of the book with the author's vivid descriptions takes me there again. His descriptions of the smells of Bombay have returned me to a place full of hope and spiritual living… - Yogini

I am not quite finished this book yet but I wanted to get in on the discussion before it closed. At first this book was a bit difficult to get into for me not sure why because now I can't get enough. I am practally falling asleep before I can put it down I want to find out more but my eyes won't let me. So far an awesome read and I can't wait to finish and find out what happens. Since I love this book so much I am going to go out and get all the book club books and read them all. Thank you Alicia for sharing your books with us kind lifers. - Amanda

Thanks to everyone who shared their comments about Shantaram! What books would you like to read next? Share your ideas in the comments below. 

Related Stories:

Kind Life Book Club: This Month's Selection Is...
Kind Lifers Debate The Continuum Concept...
Kind Lifers Sound Off On Meat Is For Pussies!

to acupuncture or not to acupuncture...

So after my last trip to an acupuncture doctor turned into the nightmare I described in my last post I checked in with my friend mentor and all-around rock star Christina Pirello to share my frustration and get the lowdown on just what does and doesn't work about acupuncture.  

As usual she brought some serious knowledge to the subject. Here's what she said…

"Acupuncture is not massage. It's not recreational and it's not designed to relax you or serve in the same capacity as massage. It's a brilliant form of natural non-invasive medicine that can relieve acute symptoms of illness injury or disease. Chinese medicine's approach to illness differs greatly from our western view hinging on the concept of energy balance and the life force called chi or ki. In much the same way as western doctors look at blood vessels the medicine of acupuncture looks at energy pathways that run through the body called meridians.

The thinking behind acupuncture is that disease is caused by a blockage or a stagnation somewhere along a meridian. The concept of acupuncture holds that inserting fine needles into certain points along meridians will stimulate the flow of energy unblocking the stagnation that is at the root of the problem. 

Acupuncture is used generally for serious chronic or acute symptoms that are causing physical discomfort and in my view acupuncture is not to be used lightly. It is strong and while not invasive quite powerful.   What's great about acupuncture is that it can change a condition quickly if it's the right treatment for the right condition. The thing is that the body likes habits even when those habits are not good for us.  So many times an acupuncturist has to do several treatments to get the body's energy to stay shifted so to speak and prevent it from heading on back into the same imbalance that got you in trouble in the first place.

Acupuncture is great for people who eat animal food because they are more prone to energy blockage and stagnation than people who eat a plant-based diet. Our energy tends to move more freely within the body although we can see weakened and depleted energy from sugar…and then acupuncture can be helpful in strengthening that weak energy.

Often acupuncture is used for pregnant women whose nausea is taking over their lives. It can really help with that in a few treatments. It is helpful with any kind of acute or chronic body pain in muscles or joints. It can relieve stress and tension but usually is used in the time of disease. Moving energy can relieve pain kick start organs to do their jobs and promote vitality. It can't stop muscle aches from working out cure anemia or cure cancer and in fact can be too strong for some cancers.  It's strong medicine.

Some people for various reasons need supplements vitamins and things like acupuncture to move their energy and support health. But in most cases food will do the heavy lifting for creating health. With the exception of B-12 and D I am of the mind that we get what we need by eating well. 

Many pregnant women are slightly anemic.  That's no biggie – after all there are 2 lives working here.  Just eat more greens and other iron rich foods. As a vegan you will always be what doctors call anemic because their standards are based on a meat eating population. And your blood work is perfect so that speaks for itself.

In the end acupuncture is to be used as medicine to treat acute or chronic symptoms. If people just want to feel relaxed and more vibrant then shiatsu is the way to go. It's a deep enough massage-like technique that will move energy along meridians but will not be as strong and aggressive as acupuncture. 

In the end it's all about how we fuel our bodies. The food we choose creates the health we enjoy…or don't."

Thank you Christina! How do all you kind lifers feel about acupuncture?

Photo Credit: Innerlight-Wellness

The health section is proudly sponsored by Kaeng Raeng natural detox. Make sure to check out their 3 or 6 day vegan detox programs here:

Related Stories:

Kind Classics: The Deal with Vitamin D
My Acupuncture Nightmare!
Facts About Fluoride
Water Quality and Your Health

and the winner of the kaeng raeng cleanse is

Congratulations to Emmy! She is the winner of the Kaeng Raeng cleanse. 

Thanks to everyone who entered. And I want to give a very special thank you to Kaeng Raeng for sponsoring The Kind Life. 

Don't forget Kind Life readers can score 15 off a Kaeng Raeng cleanse with coupon code KINDLIFE15. But hurry the offer only goes through February 1!  

Today's post is proudly sponsored by

i'm not the only one hatin' it

You already know I'm not a fan of factory-farming McDonald's – well it turns out I'm not alone. 

The fast food mega-chain recently asked customers to tweet their favorite McDonald's stories using the hashtag McDStories and the campaign backfired in a big way.  there were no happy memories in sight- instead people tweeted their worst horror stories! Here are some examples:

After about an hour McDonald's pulled the plug on the Twitter campaign because their feed was flooded with negative hype.

This is kind of amazing – so many people eat there and seem to accept this establishment as normal so to have this happen is a huge win!

What do you think this means? How can so many people eat there daily if there is so much negative feedback – do you think times are a-changin?

Related Stories:

I'm Hatin' It
West Hollywood Bans Sale of Fur
This Dog Loves Baths and Belly Rubs...
On The Set of "Suburgatory"

have you tried kaeng raeng cleanse?

I am so grateful for the support Kaeng Raeng has given The Kind Life. Without them we would have a very hard time running this site and sharing with all of you Kind Lifers out there.

- Alicia

Hey Kind Life Readers!  Your response has been so overwhelming this month for Kaeng Raeng that I'm giving away another free 3-Day Beginner program this month.  Tried Kaeng Raeng before?  Enter to win one free!  Just share what you loved most about your detox experience.  Haven't tried it yet?  You can't miss this healthy and delicious way to jumpstart your healthier year. 

In case you haven't heard Kaeng Raeng is an all natural meal replacement detox program designed to rid your body of harmful toxins jumpstart weight loss improve digestion bolster immunity and give you that natural vegan glow.  It's super simple:  just drink one meal replacement pouch 3 times per day for 3 -6 days in addition to raw fruits and vegetables. KR contains no artificial colors flavors sweeteners or preservatives and no harsh chemicals. 

Want to know more about this vegan product and company?  Hear from founder and CEO Lindsay Reinsmith on the creating of Kaeng Raeng:

When we were finishing the formula for Kaeng Raeng we wanted to maintain the principles of a raw vegan diet but in a form that was convenient and easy for everyone.  We had some serious criteria for Kaeng Raeng and we think you'll love the finished product.

We needed it to be FILLING.  So many detox programs are fasts that can leave you starving and cranky.  That's why we include 13g of fiber 15g of non-gmo protein and 100 daily vitamin needs per serving – so you can have the fullness and energy you need to live your normal daily life. 

We needed it to be SUSTAINABLE.  It was a no-brainer that Kaeng Raeng would be vegan and have a low carbon footprint.  We use local ingredients buy our fruit directly from farmers in Northern California and we vet each of our suppliers for eco-friendly practices. 

We needed it to be ACCESSIBLE.  That means it's suitable for most people's dietary restrictions AND affordable.  Kaeng Raeng contains no gluten no nuts and no dairy or lactose.  It's also in your price range; other luxury cleanses can cost 100/day. Kaeng Raeng starts at just under 15/day!

We needed it to be GENTLE.  With no stimulants or laxatives you can go about your normal daily life without interruption.

Don't miss it!
 
Kind Life readers can score 15 off Kaeng Raeng with coupon code KINDLIFE15 expires 11:59 PST on Feb 1.

And remember if you want to win one just comment on what you loved best about Kaeng Raeng!

Today's post is proudly sponsored by

on the set of suburgatory

I normally bring my own food to set but today I had been up since 5AM and already ate the meal I brought. So what to do? Breakfast was being catered so I got creative and ordered a veggie breakfast burrito. My burrito had beans rice guacamole hash browns and pico de gallo along with sautéed mushrooms zucchini onions spinach scallions tomatoes and some cilantro. If you like a spicy kick you can even throw in some jalapeño. Yum – it was so tasty! Film industry folks if you find yourself on set and need a yummy veg meal create this! You can also order a version of this meal at lots of restaurants if you find yourself at a place where veg options are limited. 

What are your go-to dishes in situations like this?

Related Stories:

Missi Pyle's Adventures with Seitan
Nourishing Nishime
Superhero Recipe: Roasted Green Beans with Shallots
Movie To See: Fat Sick and Nearly Dead

missi pyle's adventures with seitan

After taking on cheese paninis and the cheesy oozy guacamole bean dip from my book my friend Missi Pyle continues to explore her new kind diet. In this installment of her guest blogs she's branching out and experimenting with seitan:

More Vegan Adventures in Wonderland with Missi and Meredith. Aka The Vegan 15 Aka Seitan is not from Satan!

You'd think cutting out a lot of animal product from your diet would make you svelt and bodilicous. Well. Not if you are me. You see. It's not like there aren't a lot of options to choose from. It's just that A. I don't even know what most of them are- Umebochi? What the hell is that? Miso paste? Do you brush your teeth with it? Kobacha? Whatcha? And legumes. Ok I get it. Fancy word for BEANS. But you literally have to soak them over night. And B. I am such a ridiculous procrastinator I don't usually think about what I am going to eat until it is already half way down my esophagus. 

I tend to just go for the same not so scary vegan food that is on the counter all the time. potato chips. pita chips and hummos. corn chips and hummos. corn chips and salsa. corn chips and guacamole and hot fake cheese. Bread and pasta and more hot fake cheese and more corn chips.

And when you are out at a restaurant like the not so vegan one at jfk and you are starving and where literally the ONLY vegan thing on the menu is waffle fries. And its almost midnight and you've already had 2 glasses of wine you eat the waffle fries. 

Hence the Vegan 15... and matching muffin top.

It was in the quest for something delicious not scary and not muffin top-able that I came across this recipe.

Naughty Vegan Polenta & Seitan Casserole.

Seitan you are asking?? What the hell is Seitan? Well other than being naughty obviously it's basically wheat gluten. Or wheat meat. And its consistency is pretty dang close to that of say ground beef in a recipe.  Fake Ground beef? That doesn't sound too scary. But is it good? 

Well. Wait and see grasshopper. 

First you coat the bottom of a casserole dish with most of 1 qt of Marinara sauce. preferably home made. wow. really? no. we did not do that. we let someone over at whole foods make it. Then put it in a jar. shh..

Then you cook 1 package of polenta about 2 cups

 

and add a layer of it about 1/- 1/2 inch thick. just use half for first layer.  we kind of crumbled ours on there. which was hard on our fingers because it was hot and we are mildly retarded.

Then you spread half a package of seitan store bought. whew and spread evenly over the polenta. 

then another layer of polenta and the rest of the seitan.  You put the rest of the marinara on top. Then spread a nice layer of Daiya Mozzerella fake cheese on the top top. Garnish with oregano sea salt pepper evoo.

 

Bake at 350 for 30-40 minutes.

Open a nice bottle of red to keep you company while you wait.

 
Before you take this seitan dish out of the oven. Punish it for being so naughty by broiling the top for a few minutes to brown the "cheese".

Then wait for it to cool. Which is hard for us because Frank taught us waiting is for pussies.  

Then you put some in a bowl

 
and give it to your baby sister Meredith. 

 
Well. I am not sure that warm and creamy are going to take away my muffin top. But this dish IS delicious. and so NOT SCARY. its like polenta lasagna. But BETTER. seriously. by far the best thing we have made from Alicia's book. actually its not in the book. just on the website. maybe she should put it in the next book. Alicia?

Ok. 

Until we meet again remember no one goes to hell for getting naughty with seitan.

umeboshi are pickled ume fruits common in Japan.  apparently they are really sour and salty. still not doing it for me. but most vegans think they are super rad.

truly sorry for that pun

and that one. i should be punished

again. Sorry.

Missi has since updated me that she lost the extra weight by switching to lentil chips from Trader Joe's way fewer calories than corn chips. Now she says she can pretty much eat whatever veg food she wants without gaining weight. Yahoo! Stay tuned for Missi's next vegan adventure. 

What's your favorite "cheesy" vegan dish?

Related Stories:

Nourishing Nishime
Guest Starring Missi Pyle!
Guest Blog: Missi Pyle's Vegan Quest - Day 1
Lea Michele's Guilty Pleasure...

kind classics: the deal with vitamin d

I've always assumed that I get all the Vitamin D I need on a daily basis just from being out in the sun. Of course too much exposure can be harmful but living in sunny California gives me the chance on most days to soak up the sun while I'm out taking a walk gardening or getting to and from my car.  Sometimes I'll just stop what I'm doing open my arms take a deep breath and really feel the sun on my face for a few relaxing minutes.

It wasn't until some of you Kind Lifers inquired about Vitamin D recently that I decided to dig deeper into this subject and see if what I'd always thought was actually the truth. Do those short bursts of sunlight exposure really supply enough Vitamin D to those of us who live and work indoors in large polluted urban areas? And if not what's the deal with supplements?  Are they helpful? And if they are what's the proper dosage?  For these and other answers I decided to seek out perspectives from Dr. Neal Barnard and Christina Pirello both of whom walked me through the whole topic with their usual brilliance and clarity. Here's what I learned: 

For starters let's explain what Vitamin D is. In simple terms it's a fat-soluble vitamin that our body manufactures when it's exposed to the sun. It has a number of purposes but Vitamin D's main job is to maintain the right balance of calcium and phosphorus in our blood help us to absorb enough calcium in our bones and in general to work with other vitamins at keeping our bones healthy and strong.

We don't have to roast in the sun all day long to get a healthy daily dose of Vitamin D but we do have to get a good 10-15 minutes of direct sunlight to even approach our minimum requirements. But before you go thinking that a few trips back and forth to your car will do the trick keep in mind that this minimum exposure time will generally be higher for those of us who live in cities and areas where pollution cloud cover and other obstructions can block the vast majority of the sun's UV rays.

If you're getting out and exercising in the sun each day you're taking a big step towards meeting your daily Vitamin D requirement in addition to all the other health benefits that regular exercise offers. But the sad truth is that a lot of us live in situations and areas where our exposure to sun is limited. Our access to sunshine can be affected and compromised by everything from latitude to climate to pollution to even our work schedules. In some cases physical characteristics like old age darker skin tones or very young breast-feeding infants have more difficulty getting enough Vitamin D as well. Because of any combination of these and other factors some of us Kind Lifers might not get as much Vitamin D as we should. If you think this might be the case with you it's easy to have your doctor give you a simple blood test that can screen you for any vitamin and mineral deficiencies including Vitamin D.

The point is each of us has different individual needs. For me a plant-based diet and healthy lifestyle fulfills most of the nutritional requirements that others might use vitamin supplements to meet.  Most people should get about 1000 – 2000 IU of Vitamin D per day but if you belong to one of the more potentially Vitamin D-deficient groups mentioned above you may benefit from taking supplements.

As always it's best to figure out your personal supplemental dosage in consultation with your doctor based on your specific deficiency levels. Or you can skip the blood test and take a small dosage of Vitamin D if you think you might need it since excess Vitamin D is not likely to do much harm other than making your liver work a little harder than necessary. If you do take supplements my sources tell me that the plant-based supplement D-2 is far more preferable and just as effective as D-3 which is not vegan.

How do you guys get your vitamin D? Do you have any favorite vitamin D-rich kind foods? 

Related Stories:

Nourishing Nishime
Vegan Bodybuilders!
Water Quality and Your Health
Facts About Fluoride