Amy's Family Marinara is the world's best marinara sauce!!! I am so picky with marinara sauces–especially canned/jarred goods. This tastes like restaurant quality! I just thought that everyone should be aware the next time you're at the store–pass over Prego and Ragu, which are packed with preservatives to extend its shelf life and color. Ick!! 

Amy's Family Marinara is a simple sauce, perfect alone or adding to any recipe. Yum!!

Visit Amy's website for more information! 

For celebrity nutritionist and author of The Beauty Detox Solution, Kimberly Snyder, eating right isn’t about dieting and restriction, but feeding your body the beauty-boosting nutrients it craves.

Just in time for Valentine’s Day, Kim also understands that feeling sexy is just as important as feeling fit, when it comes to boosting your confidence. Physical intimacy is a major factor in maintaining a healthy committed relationship, so don’t let daily stresses get you so bogged  that you don't have time to spend with your loved ones. This Vday, nibble on foods that possess aphrodisiac properties. 

An aphrodisiac (named for the goddess of love, Aphrodite) is a food, drink or substance that enhances sexual desire by increasing blood flow, reducing stress or positively affecting neurotransmitters, factors which improve libido. Add these items to your grocery list to kiss your bedroom blahs goodbye, and spice up your love life: 

1.      Celery: Not only does this aromatic vegetable have a satisfying crunch, it makes you more physically attractive too. It also contains the chemicals androsterone and adrostenol, which are sexual attractants, and is high in essential nutrients necessary for great sex. All these reasons make drinking your Glowing Green Smoothie an everyday must.

2.      Avocado: This silky fruit established its reputation as an aphrodisiac in the Aztec times. In fact, the Aztecs referred to the avocado tree as “Ahuacuatl,” which means “testicle tree.” Enough said. Slice up an avocado to eat alone or toss it into your next salad.

3.      Almonds: An ancient symbol of fertility since Biblical times, these nuts have a sweet fragrance that may act as a sexual attractant. Almonds are also rich in fiber, vitamin E and beneficial fats, which keep you feeling and looking good.

4.      Chili peppers: This is the ultimate spicy solution for the lovelorn. The capsaicin in peppers heats up body temperature and increases blood flow, while stimulating the brain to release endorphins, the feel-good chemical. Chili peppers also add some physical oomph, plumping lips and causing flushed skin, characteristics that boost your sexual attractiveness. Sprinkle cayenne on soups and stir-fries to get things really cooking, or on top of avocados for a double-dose of desirability.

5.      Honey: Nutrient-rich organic raw honey benefits men and women when it comes to sensuality. Desire is increased in men due to its testosterone-promoting B vitamins, while the boron in honey is used in estrogen production, which is important for female desire. Swap sugar for honey when sweetening your next cup of tea.

For more information on Kim or The Beauty Detox Solution, please visit www.kimberlysnyder.net

It's no secret that soda isn't a health food. I mean it's filled with artificial flavors and many are sweetened with either artificial sweeteners or high-fructose corn syrup, which ain't good for you (don't be fooled by those hilarious commercials where they make it seem like a wonderful health food derived from corn). Anyway, check out this article, which lists 3 reasons you should quit drinking the stuff!

A couple years back the FTC decided to create the blurring guidelines for bloggers, stating that we must disclose what products we get for free when reviewing anything so as not to mislead our readers. I thought that was all fine and good. A bit silly considering that when you work at a magazine they send you over a lotion in a Gucci bag so that you will feature it and that never has to be disclosed, but I was fine telling my readers when I received something for free because it did seem to make sense. Now, Doctors are likely going to have to do the same! They are going to have to disclose financial relationships with pharmaceutical companies. This will hopefully lead to more honest medical care. How scary is that!? Your doctors may be getting paid thousands or even  millions of dollars a year to endorse a drug that they prescribe you and you never legally had the right to know this before! Seems silly that the law would have gone after bloggers first, is it just me? A bit more on the line with doctors…

Visit this New York Times article for the full story!

Kimberly Snyder just posted a fab list of healthy desserts that will calm your sweet cravings and also give you some health benefits! 

Topping our list of healthy dessert recipes are Banana Soft serve (which really is just frozen bananas blended with a bit of almond milk), Vegan Chocolate chip cookies (which kind of reduce the health benefits), Kimberly's Vegan Truffles, and the watermelon slushie (add almond milk to kimberly's recipe)

Check out Kimberly's recipe of healthy desserts HERE. 

LA Weekly just listed the Top 10 Famous Vegans! Eat your heart out…as long as there are no meat or dairy products!

Topping our favorite Vegan list is Alicia Silverstone and Ellen! Read the LA Weekly story to find out who else nibbles on tempeh and veggies!

I know this is a bit off-topic from what I usually write about, but I wanted to let you know about an amazing new iPhone app that could potentially save your life or the life of someone you know. Plus–it's free! What have you got to lose? 

There seems to be an app for everything—no matter how trivial—and while they may prove entertaining and helpful, physician Dr. Bruce W. Moskowitz, M.D., P.L., has developed a truly beneficial and potentially life-saving iPhone application: Emergency Medical Center Locator (EMCL).

Not only does the EMCL app direct you to the closest medical center in an emergency, but the closest medical center best qualified to take care of your specific emergency—ANYWHERE in the world. The app offers recommendations in six specialty areas that tend to require immediate care—Trauma, Stroke, Eye, Pediatric, Cardiac and Burn—directing users to the medical center with the most advanced facilities and best patient outcomes in the given specialty.

For more information click HERE. 

Never underestimate the power of vibrant good health and a well-functioning immune system to keep you healthy when everyone else around you is sick. Celebrity nutritionist and author of The Beauty Detox Solution Kimberly Synder, has seven essential tips on how you can boost your immune system naturally to keep you healthy all year around.

1. Eat Right!

Eat a plant-based diet, which provides your body with the nutrients it needs to fight off germs, repair itself, and function optimally. If your intestinal flora is balanced, your immunity will strengthen. Avoid processed sugar and products (including agave), which decrease immunity and cause spikes in blood glucose, and dairy, which creates mucous. Reduce your chemical load by choosing organic plants and avoiding processed foods. If your body has to deal with toxins in the foods you eat, then it won’t have enough energy to fight off germs, as well.

Certain vitamins actually increase the number of white cells in your blood, boosting immunity.

Vitamin C: Try bell peppers, broccoli, cabbage, grapefruits, spinach, and sweet potatoes for a boost of this antioxidant.

Vitamin E: Which foods contain this beneficial vitamin? Try hazelnuts, almonds, tomatoes, and spinach.

Carotenoids: You can find these beneficial nutrients in dark leafy greens like kale and spinach, orange-colored vegetables like squash and carrots, tomatoes, and spices like cayenne pepper.

Bioflavonoids: These antioxidants are available in sweet peppers, chocolate, broccoli, Brussels sprouts, tropical fruits, garlic, and spinach.

Zinc: Another essential mineral, you can find zinc from delicious sources like dark chocolate, pumpkin seeds, and sesame seeds or tahini.

2. Control Stress

Stress saps your body of its ability to fight illness. According to the American Psychological Association, research has repeatedly shown that chronic stress has a direct correlation with weakened immune function. Some experts estimate as high as 75 percent of all doctors visits can be directly attributed to stress!

What can you do to distress? Here are a few tools.

-Yoga

-Meditation

-Deep breathing exercises

-Positive visualization

-Take time for yourself

-Be aware of when you are feeling especially stressed

-Stretch

The more you can target what is chronically stressful in your life and work to find healthy ways to alleviate it, the better your whole life will be.

3. Get Enough Sleep

You need your sleep to stay healthy! If I sound like your mother, she said that with good reason. Researchshows that when you are deprived of sleep, inflammatory cytokines rise while t-cells decrease. These two responses weaken your immune system, making it more difficult for your body to fight off cold and influenza.

What’s the best way to combat this? Get a good night’s sleep. Experts estimate adults need between seven and nine hours of sleep every night. Not sleeping well? Try these ideas to help improve your sleep.

-Avoid caffeine and sugar.

-Don’t eat heavy foods near bedtime- especially animal proteins, which are slow-digesting foods

-Keep your bedroom a comfortable temperature. In general, you need the room to be slightly cooler while you sleep than at other times during the day.

-Check your mattress and pillow. Are they comfortable? If not, it may be time to replace them.

-Use your bed only for sleeping. Read and watch television away from your bedroom.

4. Exercise

Pursuing moderate exercise can boost your immune system. While experts aren’t sure exactly why this is, they have developed theories including:

-The rise in body temperature associated with exercise may fight off germs.

-Exercise helps control stress, allowing you stronger immune function.

-Exercise forces bacteria from your body via exhalation and sweat, thus flushing toxins out of your body before they make you sick.

-Exercise increases blood flow, which keeps your immune fighters circulating more quickly through your bloodstream.

5. Hydrate

Your body needs water to function. Staying hydrated is essential, and drinking water is the best way to do it. Water helps flush toxins out of your system and keeps your mucous membranes moist, which can prevent cold and flu germs from adhering inside your nose or lungs. The amount your body needs is dependent on many factors, including your activity levels and the kind of food you eat.

6. Rebalance

When your body’s chemical load is high, it cannot function properly. Chemicals clog your organs and hamper your immune system. Eating a healthy diet goes a long way to detoxifying your body and rebalancing your system. Other steps you can take include:

-Drink detox tea to help remove chemicals from your body.

-Eat only organic produce and avoid processed foods.

7. Heat it Up!

Warming herbs and spices heat up the body, boost circulation and speed up metabolism. All of these actions have a positive effect on the immune system, and adding them to your diet can help fight colds and flu. Try these:

-Cayenne

-Turmeric

-Cinnamon

-Cardamom

-Ginger

-Cloves

-Paprika

For celebrity nutritionist and author of The Beauty Detox Solution, Kimberly Snyder, making her signature Glowing Green Smoothie for celeb clients like Vince Vaughn, Hilary Duff and Drew Barrymore requires the ultimate tool – the Vitamix blender.

The Vitamix is a 2-horse power blender that has the ability to rupture open the cell walls of the vegetables and fruits and release maximum nutrition from the whole foods. With the right blender, there is more nutrition readily available to the body, including 3,850 powerful phytonutrients. Because of its unique power and ability, this blender is quite the investment (retails for $449-$649). But, now, TWO lucky winners will receive a FREE Vitamix.

Win a brand new Vitamix blender for your healthy smoothie at http://t.co/2FMy1dmV via @kimsbeautydetox.
 

It's beginning to feel a lot like Christmas…(Home Alone 2 Anyone?) Anyway, tonight I was treated to an early Christmas party by my absolute fave brand, Burt's Bees. I know I talk your ears off about how much I love and trust them. You know you love it almost as much as I love them. But back to my Christmas party. I walked into the most gorgeous loft (think the home from Something's Gotta Give and the kitchen from It's Complicated. Heavenly) and was serenaded with Christmas music and handed a spiked cider with a cinnamon stick! Now, for those of you who don't know me well and haven't been to this blog before, I am obsessed with Christmas. Yep, I'm THAT girl who can never wait for Christmas to come. ( I blame it on my heavy Disney upbringing. Disney after all is kind of like a year-round Christmas). The only thing that gets me through my depression after Halloween is over is the promise that Christmas carols will fill every inch of this island and that festive decorations will cover every storefront. So tonight was like, pretty much the best night of my life. And I swear it only got better as I was handed truffled grilled cheese, warm chocolate chip cookies, and mini-greek-salad-in-a-tomato canapés. 

I couldn't resist. I hope you play this video as you continue to read so you can get in the mood for the holiday season. Check out all of these beautiful products this season. It's incredible how Burt's Bees has really expanded into so many arenas. Their lotions and lip balms make the perfect stocking stuffers and their cremes and face washes are the perfect little splurge for yourself!

These were the fresh-baked oatmeal raisin cookies just to give you an idea of how amazing this party was. 

Oh Look, who is that in the mirror? It's moi! In the apartment's bathroom where the products were beautifully arranged just like I lived in this gorge 10 million dollar apartment! 

Here were all the classic Burt's Bees products! 

Look at this gorgeous holiday table! Don't you just wish your living room looked like this!

So here is where things got really good! We were given the most adorns tote bags. They said "Bee Merry and Bright!" I mean what could be cuter!? Then on top of a couple great holiday sets we were told that we could go shopping and fill our bags with whatever we wanted! Christmas party indeed! I swear I felt like a kid in a candy store! I nearly had to restrain myself from wiping my arm across each shelf and making a run for it! But my manners got the best of me and I tried to rein it in. I am most excited for the Acne treatment set that I snagged! Lord knows this adult acne has got to be put to rest before my sister's wedding next week! 

Holler! Check out this token menorah!

OMG! Baby Bee! Could anything be cuter. At first I was disappointed this wasn't in our blogger storefront…then I realized wait, Katie. You don't have a baby. You do not need this. What great timing though to learn about Burt's Baby care after reports came out that Johnson and Johnson's Baby Shampoo contains quarternium-15, which kills bacteria by releasing formaldehyde. So aggravating especially when you know that J&J can make safer alternatives (since in 8 other countries it uses a safer formula since their laws prohibit ingredients like these).

I call the stocking on the right with the Snowmen!

Christmastime with Burt's Bees is the best!!!

For more information about holiday gift sets that will be perfect for those someone special this season visit Burt's Bees online.

This holiday season Burt's Bees is also partnering with One Warm Coat to provide coats to those in need this winter. Join Burt on Facebok (now through December 31st 2011) for a Tacky Sweater Party. When you send in a pic of yourself in a tacky sweater on FB, Burt's Bees will donate $1 to One Warm Coat (up to $25,000). So be naturally nice this season and visit Burt's Bees Facebook page for other sweet giveaways!