Vitacost: Your One-Stop Holiday Gift Shop

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December is upon us and now is the time to buckle down and get to your holiday shopping list. Thankfully, there’s Vitacost.com. Read on for a wonderful guest post from Vitacost on how to handle your holiday shopping list with less stress!

By: +Elizabeth Lotts writer for Vitacost.com

The crowds, the lines, the lists…the prices! Gift shopping can end up giving you nothing but a headache. Don’t let holidays and special occasions be drained of all their spirit. Instead, check out Vitacost.com, where you can shop in the peace and quiet of your home. (Disclaimer: for actual peace and quiet, you may need to lock your bedroom door.) Here are five good reasons to take your family’s wish lists to Vitacost:

1. Everyday low prices that will give you peace of mind you won’t blow the budget. This time of year usually means sales at all sites and stores, and Vitacost is no different. Be on the lookout for special holiday promotions, or sign up to receive email alerts with exclusive discount codes. You can always save money at Vitacost through their Set & Save program. If you find something you just can’t live without (like multi-vitamins), put it on Set & Save and you’ll never run out – of the best products at the lowest prices, that is.

2. Find something for everyone. There’s no need to run to a million stores in a frantic, free-for-all when Vitacost is well-stocked with “stuff” for the whole family. For the man in your life that buys everything himself, Vitacost has men’s gifts he would never think of, or is maybe too embarrassed to shop for, like unscented wrinkle cream and hair-thickening supplements. Women aren’t much easier, which is why you’ll find ample ammo for a beauty bombshell, sporty spice and anything in between. Not to mention, Vitacost has a wide selection of organic, hypoallergenic and chemical-free toys for all of mommy’s little angels.

3. Free shipping! Spend $49 or more on your gift shopping at Vitacost and enjoy free standard shipping to any state in the continental U.S. When you’re buying for a significant other, the kids, mom and dad, a few friends and your four-legged family members, you could probably hit the free shipping threshold. Plus, you’ll have everyone accounted for in one simple order. That brings us to…

4. Skip the lines and keep your sanity. What’s better than free shipping, you ask? Free time to soak in a tub, hit the gym or maybe even [gasp!] read a book that’s been sitting on your nightstand for months. By shopping Vitacost, you can sit back and relax as the gifts make their way to you. No waking up early for super-duper, in-store specials, no elbow-throwing crowds and no waiting in line for hours. With just a few clicks on the computer, your gift shopping is done in one!

5. A healthy helping of healthy gift ideas. Not only can you get gifts for men, women, kids and pets, you can get ones that are good for them. That means items such as organic nut butters, whole-food supplements, cruelty-free nail polish, soy candles and more! It’s hard to top a present that helps your loved ones live a healthy, happy life (though, a big red bow might be nice).

This article has been provided by the folks at Vitacost.com. They know that a healthy lifestyle is more than organic vitamins and natural supplements.  That’s why Vitacost.com offers essentials for your home, your baby, your pantry, your beauty routine – even your furry, four-legged friends! Since 1994, Vitacost.com has been taking the cost out of healthy living. Today, you can shop over 35,000 products from your computer, tablet or smartphone with just a click of a button, products such as pet supplies to diet supplements. Some might say Vitacost.com is the silver platter of healthy living – let them serve you. Vitacost.com is not affiliated with this blog and isn’t responsible for content outside of this article.

Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Bars

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If you are looking for a pumpkin treat to share for the holidays or to keep for yourself, this one is a keeper. I make these for my husband all of the time then I individually wrap and freeze them so he can grab for a snack on the go or enjoy after dinner. Whole wheat flour, ground flaxseed, and canned pumpkin offer a healthier nutritional profile than typical bars. I use half cup oil and half cup of applesauce to ensure the bars are moist but contain less fat without compromising flavor.

Pair of Pumpkin Bars (640x480)

Dry Ingredients:

2 cups whole-wheat flour (regular or whole wheat pastry flour)

1 T. pumpkin-pie spice

1 tsp. baking soda

1/2 tsp. sea salt

2 T. ground flaxseed

Wet Ingredients:

1/2 cup organic coconut (or canola) oil

1/2 cup unsweetened applesauce

3/4 cup sugar (organic cane sugar, sucanat, or turbinado)

1 large organic egg

2 tsp. vanilla extract

1 cup canned pumpkin puree

1 cup mini semi-sweet chocolate chips

Method:

1. Preheat oven to 350.

2. Grease 9 x 13 inch baking pan with coconut oil.

3. In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, pie spice, baking soda, salt, and ground flaxseed; set aside.

4. In a separate bowl, mix together oil, applesauce, and sugar until smooth.

5. Beat in egg and vanilla until combined.

6. Beat in pumpkin puree.

7. Fold into dry ingredients until just combined.

8. Fold in chocolate chips.

9. Spread batter evenly in prepared pan.

10. Bake until edges begin to pull away from sides of pan and a toothpick inserted in center comes out with just a few moist crumbs attached, 35 – 40 minutes.

11. Let cool completely in pan.

12. Cut into 12 or 16 squares.

These are great to individually wrap and throw in the freezer.

Pumpkin Bars (640x480)

Healthy Halloween Treats For Ghosts and Ghouls!

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I love Halloween and trick or treating. Now that I’m a home owner, I get to give out the treats. This year I wanted to give out treats that weren’t full of corn syrup or GMO ingredients. I went to Whole Foods and found a few good options. Yum Earth Organic lollipops are made with Organic and non-GMO sweeteners as well as real fruit and veggies including, black carrots, black currants, apple, carrot, and pumpkin. I tasted one and it was really good, the sweetness was just right! Each pop contains 100% Vitamin C as well, bonus Smile!

Halloween treats (640x480)

The other treat I chose to give out was Annie’s Homegrown Halloween Bunny Grahams. I love Annie’s Homegrown and thought they were a great little treat, even healthy enough to pack in lunches. The first ingredient is Organic Whole Grain Wheat Flour along with graham and corn flour and organic sweeteners. All ingredients are non-GMO so this one was another winner in my book.

HAPPY HALLOWEEN TO ALL!! Enjoy the holiday safely Smile

healthy trick or treats (640x480)

Childhood Nutrition Day 2012

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The American Culinary Federation sponsors Childhood Nutrition Day every year on October 16. Since 2005, this event has been held at Meadow Park Elementary School at their after care program. The kids helped decorate the room with Food Truck posters for this year’s theme and even made mini food truck floats and cakes that were displayed on the front stage.

Here’s a clip from this fantastic event:

I had the honor of giving the educational presentation to kick-off the event. I shared with the children the idea of eating high performance foods for brain power, better energy, and healthy immune systems. Afterward, they got to try several different high performance foods from the food truck stations, including: healthy burgers, juices and smoothies, bbq, veggies and mexican, fruit and chocolate, and healthy asian cuisine. Each station had one or two professional chefs and student chefs from ACF who prepared and were sharing the food with the children. A wonderful, educational, and delicious event!

Childhood Nutrition Day 201220121016_145045

fruit smoothie stationAsian station

Asian station2wrap station

student chefs (640x480)Veggie truck

Great Products From Vitacost.com!

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Vitacost.com contacted me and asked if I would like to review a bunch of products of my choosing. This is a HUGE honor for me, I love Vitacost.com!! I am thrilled to share with you what I selected and my personal review. I hope this helps you determine new products to try. I chose a variety of items from snacks to tea as well as supplements.

Disclosure of material connection: Vitacost provided me with free samples of these products to review. All opinions expressed here are completely my own.Vitacost loot (640x480)

Vitacost Certified Organic Hemp Seeds:

Hemp seeds are nutrient packed little seeds that look like teeny hearts. In fact, they are great for heart health with their Omega-3 fatty acid content. They are an excellent source of Calcium (25%), Iron (25%), Phosphorus (43%), Magnesium (48%), and Zinc (22%). These are important nutrients for your heart, bones, joints, skin, and immune system. I often pair these with dried goji berries or use in smoothies in place of protein powder. I made a fantastic hemp seed pesto the other day with fresh basil I grew on my patio. Hemp seeds can be sprinkled on salads, whipped into hemp seed butter, spread on toast with honey. There are many ways to enjoy these nutritional gems.

Eden Organic Pumpkin Seeds, Dry Roasted:

Pumpkin seeds are a wonderful alternative to nuts. They are rich in Magnesium (50%), Phosphorus (20%), Zinc (15%) and a good source of Iron (10%). A 1/4 cup serving provides 10 grams of protein, 5 grams of fiber, no sugar, and 16 grams of healthy fats. I like to make pumpkin seed butter or eat with Annie’s ginger snap bunnies. Women can reach for pumpkin seeds for a dose of magnesium –  an essential nutrient for pregnancy, hormonal balance, bone health and heart health.

Freeze Dried Raspberry Crunchies:

These are delicious and simply freeze dried raspberries, no other ingredients! They naturally do not contain any sugar, but do have 3 grams of fiber per 1/4 cup serving along with 20% Vitamin C. Pretty great for 25 calories. The freeze dried method removes water without adding sugar, unlike typical dried fruits which tend to be quite high in sugar. This is great for diabetics or those watching their sugar intake. Great to sprinkle on top of oatmeal, cereal, toss into my favorite bunny mix (see below) or on a fresh salad.

Annie’s HomeGrown Gluten Free Ginger Snap Bunny Cookies:

These gluten free ginger snap mini bunnies are crunchy and have a light ginger flavor. I like to eat a handful of these for crunch alongside a creamy green smoothie. They are also great to create what I call bunny mix with pumpkin seeds or nuts with dried fruit or freeze dried fruit. Bunny mix is a great snack to bring on the go when running errands or when you travel. These bunnies are gluten free, made with rice and corn flour. No artificial ingredients or preservatives are added and the bunnies are made in a peanut free and tree nut free facility for those with allergy concerns. These are not whole grain, there is only 1 gram of fiber per serving, that’s why I like to pair with seeds and dried fruit or smoothies. They are also great to sprinkle of top of oatmeal or coconut milk ice cream Winking smile.

Bunny Mix: Annie’s Homegrown GF Ginger Snap Bunny Cookies, Eden Organic Pumpkin Seeds, and Freeze Dried Raspberry Crunchies!

bunny mix

Betty Lou’s Gluten Free Fruit Bars:

These remind me of old school Nutri-Grain Bars I used to eat as a kid. However, Betty Lou goes the extra mile and uses a lot of real fruit – it’s bursting at the seams with blueberry filling! What this lacks is artificial flavors, food dyes (Red 40 and Blue 1), and corn syrup (most likely GMO), which makes me happy. Gluten free oats and gluten free flours along with blueberry filling made with real blueberries along with apples and sweetened with fruit juice concentrate deliver a moist and delicious fruit bar. It’s low in fat and contains 5 grams of fiber. The sugar count is a little high at 23 grams, mostly from the fruit juice concentrate, blueberries, and apples. This is a wonderful treat for afternoon tea or after dinner dessert. You could even enjoy for breakfast with a handful of nuts or nosh on pre-run. I loved the blueberry, I’m sure the other varieties (apple, apricot, strawberry, cherry) are just as divine.

George’s Aloe Vera Water:

Georges Aloe (480x640)

Aloe Vera Water typically has a very bitter taste, but George’s Aloe removes the components of the plant that are bitter for a smooth more pure flavor. George’s Aloe is great for cooling the body, reducing inflammation, and calming stomach acid and reducing reflux. You can enjoy 2 ounces in the morning and 2 at night. This is especially great in the summer time or when you are experiencing high stress. I like to add a couple drops of liquid Chlorophyll for an enhanced alkalizing effect.

Country Life Omega-3:

Country Life Omega-3 (640x480)

We are all encouraged to eat more fatty fish for the healthy Omega-3 fats. These days there are many concerns about the sources of fish and what contaminants we may be ingesting along with our fish dinner or perhaps you don’t eat fish often enough. Country Life brand delivers 1000mg of Omega-3 fatty acids: 180mg EPA and 120mg of DHA. This is a moderate dosage, recommendation ranges are based on each condition. Fish oil is beneficial for many conditions including: high blood pressure, ADHD, stroke, kidney problems, osteoporosis, and menstrual pain.

This product is molecularly distilled and third party tested so you can feel confident about the purity and safety of this supplement. Country Life Omega-3 is GMP Certified and Gluten Free. No wheat, corn, yeast, gluten, milk, preservatives, or artificial flavors are added to this product. As always, please discuss with your doctor before taking any supplements. Do not take if you are allergic to fish.

Alvita Dandelion Tea:

Dandelion Tea (640x480)

I consider myself a tea drinker and Alvita brand teas are my favorite. Dandelion tea has a rich flavor, similar to coffee, so if you want to cut back on coffee, give Dandelion tea a try. This tea is caffeine free, so no jitters and is also beneficial for your kidney and liver. These two organs are responsible for cleaning house so anything as easy as drinking healthy tea to strengthen the kidney and liver is a great idea. Dandelion Root is rich in several vitamins and minerals as well.

Alvita Ginger Root Tea:

Ginger Root Tea (640x480)

Ginger Root tea is great for calming the stomach. Most people reach for ginger ale soda if they have upset stomach, but ginger root tea has a higher concentration of this beneficial herb and does not contain high fructose corn syrup like most sodas. You can add a teaspoon of local honey to warm tea after meals or in between. It has a pleasant ginger flavor that is soothing and enjoyable!

Many thanks to Vitacost for this wonderful opportunity to review some of my favorite products and a few new ones to share with my readers!

Disclosure of material connection: Vitacost provided me with free samples of these products to review. All opinions expressed here are completely my own.

Information provided in this blog is for informational purposes only. It is not intended to diagnose, cure, treat, or serve as a substitute for advice from your own physician or medical provider. I encourage you to seek medical attention from your doctor and do research on conditions specific to you. I appreciate you reading my blog posts!