Alicia Silverstone's Blog, page 161

on childrens hospital

Recently I blogged about my friend Rob Corddry's show "Children's Hospital". It's a completely demented ridiculously funny show on Adult Swim. You can read all about it here!
 
I will be in the episode airing tonight August 4th at midnight playing a crazy character Rob and I cooked up on the set of the movie Butter. If you're game check out this week's episode and tell me what you think!

sponsored post: kind goodies from swanson health products

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Your local supermarket may have wall-to-wall supplements vitamins and specialty health foods but all that good stuff can cost an arm and a leg!
 
At Swanson Health Products we value our customers above all else and we have the low prices to prove it. In fact we guarantee that we have the lowest prices on many of your favorite health products anywhere on the net or your money back. We have over 600 vegan products at the lowest possible prices including organic foods vitamins supplements teas eco-friendly cleaners and natural beauty products - from brands such as Country Life Garden Of Life Jarrow Nature's Way Now Foods and Beauty Without Cruelty.
 
We're a family owned business founded in 1969 and just as it was when we started customer service is our top priority. We provide a 12-month guarantee on any purchase – that means you can return any item for up to twelve months with free return shipping. But don't take it from us - check out our Facebook page to see what our customers are saying! You should also take a quick look at the Top 5 reasons to shop at SwansonVitamins.com.

Win a 100 certificate to Swanson Health Products
 
Exclusively for Kind Lifers Swanson Health Products is offering 10 off any order plus free shipping on orders of 49 for the next week now through Aug 9th! Just use code KINDLIFE when you check out at SwansonVitamins.com.
 
Bonus: One lucky Kind Lifer will receive a 100 certificate to Swanson Health Products! To enter for a chance to win "Like" Swanson Health Products on Facebook then post a comment below telling us which products you'd want to try with your 100 prize.
 
Good luck!

beagle puppy attack!

Via Cute Overload

Check out this funny and sweet video of a beagle playing with a Rottweiler – who's about ten times his size!
 
Do you have a fearless puppy? Rescued I hope!

success story: justines dramatic weight loss!

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Kind Lifer Justine recently sent me her success story about overcoming a lifelong weight problem. Check it out!
 
"I'm 27 years old and I'm from Detroit Michigan. I have been overweight my entire life. I was almost 10 lbs as a premature baby. In elementary school I was well over 100 lbs. By high school graduation 2002 I weighed in at 295 lbs. Nothing I tried worked. I joined gyms; I did diet programs. I bought every workout DVD and new fitness gadget the market released but I just kept getting worse. My family has a long history of cancer heart disease and diabetes so I knew I had to save my life but didn't know how.

In 2007 I saw you on "The View" talking about going vegan and it piqued my interest. But I wasn't ready to commit. Then I saw you on "Oprah" discussing it in January of 2010 and decided I had to see what it was all about. I googled everything vegan. I headed straight to my local bookstore and picked up The Kind Diet and The China Study. Oh My God what an eye opener!!! I knew if I was going to go on this adventure I was going to have to go full throttle. No Flirting for me I had to go head first Vegan. My Vegan journey started on July 4 2010 and I saw results right away. Within two weeks I felt lighter; I slept better at night and had energy during the day. It motivated me to keep going. The more results I saw the more I engaged. The more I engaged the more results I experienced!
 
This really has changed my life. I've lost 83.5 lbs since July 4 and I'm 100 lbs lighter than I was in high school. My migraines are gone. I haven't had a cold in a year. My acne is gone. My nails were brittle and broke constantly - now they are long and strong. I don't need reading glasses anymore. My vision has actually improved. The people around me noticed the difference right away and asked me what my secret is. I love telling them about going vegan.

My Kind Diet has now turned into My Kind Life. I'm more conscious about the products I buy. Shampoo shoes soap cleaning products clothes everything. I planted a garden in my backyard and I really take pride in growing my own food and knowing exactly what I'm consuming. I started meditating something I never would have done before and appreciate life in ways I used to take for granted. It's amazing what eleven months can do. I feel like I was in prison for 26 years and finally got released. And I thank you for the wake up call."
 
I love this! Yahoo Justine! This makes me happier than you know...congrats my friend you rock! Your story is so inspiring. Keep going and keep us updated on your progress. If anyone else has a success story to share private message me or upload your story to your profile and "like" it. I may feature you on the homepage of The Kind Life!

sponsored post: natures friendliest cleaner

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Even the most eco laundry detergents usually come in a cardboard box or plastic bottle and are chalk full of ingredients you can't pronounce. At Ethical Ocean there's a new all natural alternative: Earth Berries! These natural "soap nuts" rival the cleaning power of any of the major laundry detergent brands but without all the nasty chemicals and animal testing common among big name brands. What's more at four cents a load these powerful berries cost a fraction of a typical laundry detergent!
 
How It Works
 
Earth Berries are the fruit of the Sapindus Moukorrosi tree which grows in India and Nepal. You certainly wouldn't want to bite into one of these berries - their high concentration of saponin Mother Nature's naturally occurring foaming agent is activated by water and makes these berries the perfect laundry cleaner.

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Spend Less Waste Less
 
Unlike lots of eco-friendly cleaners these berries are also kind to your wallet. A typical 50-ounce bottle of conventional detergent costs anywhere from 10 to 14 and does about 26 loads. Now consider Earth Berries: for 43 31 shipping you get enough to do 350 loads...even if you do a load every day your berries will last almost a full year. Plus because Earth Berries put natural softeners back into fabrics you save more by cutting out the need for fabric softeners.
 
As if that weren't enough these berries:

Are compostable.
Are unmatched at removing odours and stains tackling even the nastiest gym clothes and cloth diapers.
Will keep your clothes vibrant protecting your favourite little black dress from fading.

Not convinced of the power of these berries yet? Check out NBC's review of Earth Berries on the morning show last week then visit Ethical Ocean to buy your first 1kg of Earth Berries:
 
Win a 100 Gift Certificate

Buy a bag of Earth Berries before August 8 and be automatically entered to win a 100 gift certificate to Ethical Ocean your one-stop shop for animal- and earth-friendly home beauty food and fashion products!

a california high school goes green!

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Repower America recently asked their members what people in their communities are doing to address climate change and they got responses from all across the country!
 
One especially inspiring project is happening here in California. Mountain View / Los Altos High School is building a 1.26-Megawatt solar photovoltaic system in their school parking lot that will power 45 of the school district's current electricity needs!
 
Are there any similar projects happening in your community?

sleepy dachshund tucks himself into bed!

Via LA Unleashed

This doggie knows what to do when it's sleepy time! Where do your dogs sleep?

guest blog: summer traveling with the spork foods sisters

Sisters Jenny and Heather have a website called Spork Online where members can view lots of cooking demos. They also teach live classes in LA. Anywho I'm happy to present their guest blog about vegan travel to you. Enjoy!

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Spork Sisters Abroad!
By Jenny Engel and Heather Goldberg

Whether you're planning a road trip or an international voyage vegan travel can be easy and fun if you know where to look. On our annual sister trip we have traveled to many different places with vastly different cultures. In all parts of the world from Hawaii to Costa Rica Japan to Jamaica and Greece to Canada we've always found the most incredible vegan restaurants and communities.
 
The saving grace for most vegetarian travelers is Happycow.net which lists vegan/vegetarian friendly restaurants and health food stores worldwide. If you can call some of the locations ahead of time go for it – in our experience places have often moved or closed so it's best to find out the deets before your trip.
 
And if you're gonna hit this big world hit it cute: there's no excuse to dress like a dork just because you're on the road. Show the world how adorable you can be without harming a creature! For some rad walking shoes check out Saucony.com which has women's and men's shoes veg of course. Our personal fave are the Jazz Low Pro. And you'll probably need a backpack for all the goodies you'll buy along the way. If it were up to us you'd get this one from Matt and Nat. It's made from recycled bottles and it's adorable! 
 
In the off-chance you can't find great eating options as soon as you arrive at your destination be sure to pack a few snackies like mixed nuts or vegan food bars. We aren't huge fans of dry snacks but a gal's gotta do what a gal's gotta do!
 
When we travel although we do plan where to eat the rest of our time is spent getting lost and venturing into a new environment without a solid game plan. One of our favorite tricks for eating well is to look for colleges and universities because we always have luck finding vegan or vegetarian restaurants close by. In Kyoto we found insanely delish vegan black sesame ice cream and in Jamaica we found Ital food which is usually vegan and super pure. And when you are sitting down to your amazing meal start up a convo with some local peeps and you may find out about other vegan options in town.
 
If you really want to know how to order like a pro but you don't speak the local language Google Translate is your new best friend! It translates anything right on the spot and you can even learn how to pronounce the words. In Japan "Watashi-tachi wa bgandesu" We are vegan really saved our little buns and helped save a few animals. We also enjoyed the food in Buddhist temples where vegan options abound and are made with positive energy and devotion. A loving meal while traveling makes you feel so comforted that it's worth trekking to remote temples for the experience. 
 
Another travel secret is discovering that there are ton of subcultures or religions that have naturally vegan cuisine or promote eating vegan foods at certain points in the year. While in Greece we learned that Greek Othodox beliefs indicate fasting on particular religious holidays – and lucky for us Greek Orthodox "fasting" really means abstaining from eating animals and dairy so this culture is quite familiar with vegan cuisine and knows how to prepare it well.
 
If you aren't planning a big summer getaway we have just the thing. Our website Sporkonline.com brings our cooking classes with recipes inspired by all corners of the world right to your computer whether you're on an island or on your couch! In this membership-based website we teach a different themed cooking class each month with archived classes for you to watch whenever you want. You can download our recipes instantly and you can ask us any kitch questions you may have. In August we'll bring Greece to you by teaching you to prepare Seitan Souvlaki with Tzadziki Dip Greek Lentils with Olives and Pine Nuts Skordalia delish garlicky potato dip and more!
 
And we're giving away a free six-month membership to a lucky winner through The Kind Life – we wish you luck! To enter to win just leave a comment below telling us about the best vegan dish you've had while traveling.
 
Spork Foods is a Los Angeles-based gourmet vegan food company owned and operated by sisters Jenny Engel and Heather Goldberg. They offer live cooking classes in Los Angeles at Spork online vegan cooking classes at www.sporkonline.com one-on-one in-home healthy pantry makeovers and recipe development/trainings for chefs food companies and colleges. Their cookbook Spork-Fed will be released in October 2011 with a foreword by fellow fans and sisters Emily and Zooey Deschanel.

have you seen the documentary "tapped"?

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A Kind Lifer recently recommended the documentary Tapped. I haven't seen it but it sounds like an interesting film about the bottled water industry and how it has co-opted water resources in communities around the nation. Previously I blogged about how this industry is disturbingly unregulated. If you want to know more about water rights health and safety issues check out Tapped on Netflix or buy the DVD here and tell me what you think!
 
Do you drink straight tap water or do you filter it? What kind of bottles do you use for staying hydrated on-the-go?

sponsored post: jumpstart your health with Kaeng Raeng cleanse

A big thank you to Kaeng Raeng for their love and support here on The Kind Life!

How's summer treating all you Kind Lifers?  Since the community has shown us so much Kaeng Raeng love this year we've decided to send the love right back to you!  You don't want to miss this healthy and nutritious way to boost your health and say good bye to those junk food cravings.
 
For those of you who haven't yet heard of it yet: Kaeng Raeng is an all natural vegan gluten free meal replacement detox program designed to help jumpstart weight loss improve digestion bolster immunity remove toxins and reduce cravings.

You're gonna love it:

It's GENTLE. You have no need to worry! There are no laxatives stimulants or impossible-to-pronounce scary ingredients in Kaeng Raeng. Enjoy your daily kind life without interruption.
It's EASY. Just drink one meal replacement pouch per meal for 3 to 6 days.  Mix each pouch with 24-32 oz of water juice or non-dairy milk and you've got a delicious and nutritious fruit smoothie. You can also find delicious recipes on our web site!
It's FILLING. Starving yourself is so out! Each serving of KR is packed with a full serving of fruit fiber lean protein probiotics and 100 of your daily vitamin needs. But best of all you can eat as many raw fruits and veggies as your heart desires so you're getting healthy without sacrifice! 
It's VEGAN & SUSTAINABLE. Kaeng Raeng is completely animal free gluten free peanut free eco friendly and sustainably made in California with only local ingredients. We donate a portion of every sale to the American Humane Society America's largest animal protection organization.
It's AFFORDABLE. Other luxury juice cleanses can cost 100/day! Kaeng Raeng starts at just 16/day!

Kaeng Raeng also comes in three delicious flavors blueberry blackberry banana; mango peach pineapple; strawberry raspberry pineapple and three different levels designed specifically to fit your lifestyle and goals: our Beginner level for first-time detoxers also great for new moms! our Veteran level for vegetarians or those who have done at least one cleanse and our Master level for experienced detoxers.

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We Heart the Kind Life

We just can't get enough of The Kind Life! We're giving away a free 3-Day Beginner program on us. To enter for a chance to win just leave a comment below telling us why you want to try Kaeng Raeng. 
 
Can't wait to try Kaeng Raeng? We love Alicia so much we're giving 15 off all orders. Just use coupon code KINDLIFE15 when you check out at KaengRaeng.com exp. 11:59 PM PST on August 3.
 
PS: We've already marked our Master level detox program down 10. Get an additional 15 off with code KINDLIFE15 at KaengRaeng.com!