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My Favourite Resources

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Making a Beeline to a Sun-drenched Hotspot this Month? Don’t Forget Your (Clean) Sunscreen

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ARE WE THERE YET? 

Craving a little sun?  We don't blame you.  But before you hit the tropics, don't forget to pack your sunscreen - particularly one that does not contain harmful chemicals. 

Understanding what’s toxic, what’s not in the cosmetic & personal care industry can be a complicated process and one that is often shrouded in mystery.  Finding safer, cleaner alternatives can be a seriously huge challenge.  Don’t worry; we’ve got your back.

To help ease you into your beach holiday tan here is a list of our favourite super-clean sunscreens.

A FEW FAVOURITES:  

FOR THE WEE ONES IN THE FAMILY: 

There's no time like the present to start integrating clean products into your travel adventures and soaking up the sun, safely.   And if you're curious to know what the toxicity levels are of your current products, download Think Dirty Shop Clean app on the iTunes app store.  You'll be surprised what you uncover.

Happy travels! 

xo your Brit Beet team 

PS : ** Our list is based on the ingredients and product ratings from both Think Dirty Shop Clean (one of the top beauty and personal care guides in the market) and the Environmental Working Groups Skin Deep cosmetic database.  

My Favourite Food Stores in Toronto

I'm always on the hunt for that magic combo of quality, variety and competitive prices when it comes to food shopping. I have yet to find one store that has it all! That means I'm a busy bee buzzing from one store to another. Even though it makes for a few more stops in the car than I would like, coming home with bags of healthy food that tick all the boxes feels very satisfying. 

So to save you from doing the run-around looking for the best food stores in Toronto, I've done the research for you. Here are my 3 top current favourites (in my shopping order): 

HERBS AND NUTRITION

Location: Bloor & Bathurst (opp. Honest Eds)
Variety:  Very similar to Noah's except they have a extended personal care section
Quality:  Good depth in the quality of products: organic, gluten free selections in all departments
What keeps me coming back:  The prices! I usually start my shopping here for all the basics, then head to Noah's for the bulk items and finally to Whole Foods for veggies/fruit, fish and meat. Plus it's clean, check-out is quick and they play classical music which is very soothing!

Noah's Natural Foods

Locations:  With locations in midtown, uptown and the core, Noah's is very accessible
Variety:  For small stores, Noah's carries a surprisingly broad range of products, including a small offering of the most popular fresh fruits/veggies
Quality:  The store carries premium products as well as mid/low range offerings for all budgets
What keeps me coming back: They have THE best selection and price when it comes to  organic bulk bin items: seeds, beans, nuts, flours, dried fruit, grains, teas and herbs, to name a few. Plus on the last Friday of every month, they have a 10% sale... it's a great day to stock up! 

Whole foods Market

Locations:  (Yorkville, Yonge & Sheppard & Bayview/Eglinton (sometime in 2015)
Variety:  Pretty much has it all covered.
Quality:  Top quality in whatever you are looking for
What keeps me coming back:  Three main reasons: Meat, fish and produce + 1.5 hours of free parking right under the store if you spend $25 which isn't hard to do!  

Meat

I like to know where my meat comes from and how the animals were treated. WF's have a Global Animal Partnership 5-Step Animal Welfare Rating which I find very helpful when deciding what I'm going to be feeding my family with.  

Step 1:  No crates, no caging, no crowding. No antibiotics/hormones. May be fed with grain
Step 2:  Enriched environment (ie: pigs have balls to play with)
Step 3:  Enhanced outdoor access
Step 4:  Pasture-centred.  100% grass fed from birth
Step 5:  Animal-centred. Entire life of the animal is spent on one farm (not available in Toronto) 

fish

  • WF's partnered with the Blue Ocean Institute (BOI) to independently audit the fisheries which supply their stores and the Marine Steward Council (MSC) only using fisheries that are committed to sustainable fishing practices.
  • Whole Foods Market® is ranked #1 in Greenpeace’s 2013 Seafood Sustainability Scorecard as the retail leader with the most rigorous sustainable seafood policies in the industry.
  • They also have a  sustainability ratings program for wild-caught seafood, through their partnership with Blue Ocean Institute and Monterey Bay Aquarium.  I can use their color-coded ratings to make informed decisions about my seafood purchases.  I find this really sways my buying choices. 

Produce

WF's offers a wide range of organic and locally grown produce. If you don't like the look of the produce on offer, just ask their friendly staff to check in the back for fresh supplies. 

So there you have it!  Please let me know if you have any stores you find are a 'must' on food shopping list. I would LOVE to check them out. 

Apps that Fuel Me

Ananda Chopra

Are you ready to embrace the vision of your best self? In this transformational journey, you will awaken to greater health, peace, and joy. Deepak Chopra is your personal guide in all 22 guided meditations.

Nike Running

Track your progress, keep motivated - this app is the one for runners of all levels. It's been an amazing motivational tool for me in my training for my 2015 Sprint Triathlon. 

Feeling Pretty Remarkable (Running, Knee Programs)

Easy, quick training programs that I find fit easily into my day and prevent injuries.  Created by Dr Kevin Jardine, on  my BRIT BEET Network.

One Sweet App

This app is your personal sugar dectective.  Plug in your favourite foods and find out how much added sugar is REALLY in that food.

Period Tracker

Fantastic app for keeping track of  one's cycle - very useful for planning a pregnancy or preventing a pregnancy!

Houzz

Home design, decorating, remodeling ideas and inspiration - great for just browsing through when you are feeling like looking at gorgeous spaces. 

Documentaries

Food Matters

Food Matters' features interviews with leading health experts who reveal the best natural healing choices you can make for you and your family's health. In the film you'll discover what works, what doesn’t and what’s potentially killing you when it comes to your health. A must see!

Forks Over Knives

This powerful film examines the claim that  most, if not all, of the degenerative diseases that afflict us can be controlled, or even reversed, by rejecting our present menu of animal-based and processed foods. You may find yourself rejecting that yummy steak and reaching for the plate of hummus and raw veggies after this. :) 

Fat, Sick and Nearly Dead

This is an inspiring film which chronicles Aussie Joe Cross's personal mission to regain his health. With doctors and conventional medicines unable to help long-term, Joe turns to the only option left, the body's ability to heal itself. He trades in the junk food and hits the road with juicer and generator in tow, vowing only to drink fresh fruit and vegetable juice for the next 60 days. Across 3,000 miles Joe has one goal in mind: To get off his pills and achieve a balanced lifestyle. Such an empowering message. If this doesn't start you juicing on a daily basis, I'm not sure what will! 

Fast Food Nation

This is an oldie but a goodie (2001).  Eric Schlosser exposes the dark side of the fast food industry; how it altered the landscape of America, widened the gap between rich and poor, fueled an epidemic of obesity, and transformed food production throughout the world. It caused a sensation when it was released and even today, it packs a heavy punch. 

Food Inc

This film gets up close and personal with corporate America's agribusiness, concluding that corporate farming is producing food that is unhealthy, environmentally harmful and abusive of both animals and employees.  Not a pretty picture but an important one for us to be aware of. 

Books That Are My Constant Companions

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Books I live by:

Healing with Whole Foods by Paul Pitchford

It’s one of my go-to sourcebooks, bringing together current western research on health and nutrition with authentic traditions of Asian medicine.

Fat Chance by Dr R. Lustig, M.D., M.S.L

I had the pleasure  met Dr Lustig at a Ramsey Talk in Toronto. He is such a compelling speaker and a man on a mission. If you want to understand why obesity has become the world’s No.1 health problem and what we can do about it, this book is for you.

Superfoods by David Wolfe

My sister sent me this book and I couldn’t’ put it down. It’s packed with fascinating details on the top superfoods, breaking each down into easy to understand bite-sized morsels of info

Superimmunity For Kids by Leo Galland, M.D.

This book was a constant bedtime companion for me as my boys were growing up.  Easy tips on how to feed our kids to maintain peak immunity, from pregnancy to teenage years. I must have used up a whole marker pen, highlighting all the great info.

The World’s Healthiest Foods by George Mateljan

I’ve used this book so much it is falling apart. A fabulous resource on how to choose and prepare foods for our optimal health. It also has beautiful colour photos, which are really easy on the eye!

The Detox Solution by Dr Patricia Fitzgerald

My detox ‘bible’ - tons of must-have info on how to keep our toxic load down. 

 

Books for Women:

The Complete Natural Medicine Guide to Breast Cancer by Sat Dharam Kaur, N.D

This is an invaluable book for any woman who is looking for clarity about breast cancer and what preventative steps to take.  I have yet to find a book that has more in-depth and easy to follow guidelines when it comes to breast cancer prevention. 

A Smart Woman's Guide To Hormones by Lorna Vanderhaeghe

It's a no fuss, no muss book on the basics of understanding how our hormones work and how to get them working for our best selves.   

Cook Books that have never let me down:

Vegetable Soups by Deborah Madison

My son Sebastian bought this book for me and I have had such pleasure recreating Deborah's delicious and nutritious soups. They are always family favourites. 

Meals That Heal Inflammation by Julie Daniluk, RHN

If you are concerned about inflammation and are looking for advice and recipes to make changes, Julie's book does not disappoint. 

Superfood Kitchen by Julie Morris