Surgeon General Issues Urgent Health Warning Against Tanning

The US Surgeon General just issued an Urgent Health Alert regarding the dangers of tanning. View the health report from ABC World News, which informs us that one blister-inducing sunburn in childhood may double a person's chances for developing melanoma, the most dangerous form of skin cancer.

Healthy First Birthday Cake Made from Fresh Fruit

Make Your Baby's First Birthday Cake Out of Fresh Fruit!

If you're looking for the healthiest cake for baby's first birthday then look no further than the fruit aisle! That's right, a baby's first cake can be made of delicious fresh fruit! My daughter's piano teacher made the one pictured about out of watermelon (the base tiers), mango (the flowers), honeydew (the hearts), pineapple (the #1 cake topper) and embellished the whole thing with grapes, strawberries and kiwi.  The whole thing was assembled with toothpicks, took little time to make, and was very affordable.

Personally, I can't stand the tradition of allowing a one-year old baby to gorge him or herself on a piece of overly sweet, overly processed flour cake for their first birthday. Starting children on processed sugar before the age of two spoils the palate and introduces non-healthy food cravings that make it difficult to develop an appetite for whole, natural foods. If you have to have a real cake at your baby's first birthday, serve it to the older kids and adults but let the babies delight in the beautiful new tradition of a Fresh Fruit First Birthday Cake. As a bonus, your healthy child will thank you for not corrupting her taste buds corrupt by 12 months. 

Safest and Most Harmful Sunscreens of 2014

Every summer I rely on the annual Sun Safety guide from Environment Working Group (EWG.org)  to keep me up to date on which sunscreens are currently the most harmful and which sunscreens are the safest. This easy-to-read guide never fails to inform. Take a look at the #1 sunscreen to avoid AGAIN in 2014: spray sunscreen. Read the full report to find out what you should be looking for and what you should be avoiding in your next bottle or tube of sunscreen:

EWG Sun Safety Campaign

All Natural Scalp Exfoliation

Not Just for Baking -  Baking Soda Exfoliation for the Scalp Soothes Itching and Kills Bacteria

If you suffer from dandruff, allergies that affect the scalp, or hair product overload then it's time to exfoliate with good old fashion baking soda. Scalp exfoliation with baking soda will not only kill any yeast buildup, it will also make you feel as if you've been to the spa (for just a handful of pennies, no less). Follow up with an apple cider vinegar rinse to complete the treatment, and your scalp will be thanking you for weeks. Or until you eat too much sugar again (which can cause dandruff when the sugar turns to yeast in your system and clogs the pores in your scalp as it's trying to exit your system).

How to Exfoliate Scalp with Baking Soda:

1. Wet hair thoroughly (best to do in the shower or tub).
2. Pour about two tablespoons of fresh baking soda into your palm.
3. Add drops of water to the baking soda until it forms a paste.
4. Start at the temples and begin massaging the baking soda paste into your scalp in a circular motion.
5. Avoid the strands and ends of hair - and focus only on the scalp. Use more baking soda to create enough paste to massage your entire scalp.
6. IMPORTANT: Rinse with COLD water (not warm). Cold water helps close the pores of the scalp. 
7. If you have longer hair, it's important to follow the scalp exfoliation with an apple cider rinse, otherwise your hair will feel dry and tangly. Mix 1 part apple cider vinegar to 5 parts water. 
8. Lean your head back when pouring the vinegar mixture onto your scalp. Start with the scalp, but work the mixtures into your ends. 
9. AGAIN - VERY IMPORTANT: Rinse with cold water (not warm).
10. If the smell of the vinegar is lingering or bothering you, follow up with some cream rinse on the ENDS ONLY. Do not put ANY products (or cream rinse) on your scalp.

You'll find that the baking soda treatment doesn't just treat the itching, it actually cleans the scalp so you  won't have to shampoo for days (or ever again … really ...if you become a no-poo believer).

Toxic Hot Seat - A Documentary About REAL Flame Retardant Dangers

Finally, last fall some light began to be shed on the poison we are all forced to live with: toxic flame retardants in our sofas, our beds, our children's car seats, our electronics and more…more…more. "Toxic Hot Seat" is an amazing HBO documentary that should be watched, feared, and fought for by all. Check out the trailer...