Ziploc bags and similar single use plastic bags for sandwiches and snacks have become the American norm, but it’s time to replace them with something that’s healthier for you and the planet. After all, these things never biodegrade and can contain hormone-disrupting chemicals!

The good news is that there are a lot more options for reusable snack bags out there, on sites like RePac, Lunchskins, ChicoBag, Etsy, or Amazon, then you might think. And they come in a ton of colorful colors and patterns. However, not all of them are made from FDA approved food-grade materials and most of them are solid which means you’ve got to open them back up if you’ve forgotten what’s inside.

Thankfully, xo(eco) offers one of my favorite solutions; clear, zipped bags that can hold wet or dry snacks. They even donate a small portion of their sales to ocean research and conservation. So, you can buy a 6-pack, stock them up with fresh fruit or veggies, raw nuts, veggie burgers, and such and easily keep track of what’s in each one. They’re even machine washable (although I prefer washing them by hand.)

Buy some for work or car rides, for your kids (or someone else’s) and before you know it you’ll be wondering how any of us (myself included at one time) ever got in the habit of relying on single use sandwich bags.

Other on-the-go snack containers include:
small, reused glass jars (like a salsa jar)
stainless steel containers
reusable bags made from industrialized hemp

My mission: As a Certified Holistic Nutritionist & Eco Expert, I’m dedicated to leading you straight to the core of what it takes to enjoy a new level of vitality, weight loss, and detoxification. I love helping clients across the U.S. transform their lives.

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For best results, use as many organic ingredients as possible.

Homemade Hemp Milk Recipe

Hemp milk is incredibly healthy. I knew that for years, but still avoided it most of the time because I couldn’t stand the way the store-bought versions tasted. Then we tried making it at home and the difference was night and day. I was hooked! Rich in essential fatty acids (with more protein than most nondairy milks), creamy hemp milk can be made in seconds and is great for your heart, hair, skin, nails, and brain function.

Ingredients:

½ cup hemp seeds

2 cups water

1 tbsp. agave or coconut sugar (or a touch of stevia)

¼-½ tsp. of cinnamon

½ tsp. vanilla extract

Instructions: Blend all ingredients in a Vitamix or blender on high for 20 seconds (or until creamy.) Store in an old juice jar or reusable, glass container with a lid. Drink within 3 days.

Note: You can also create combo, homemade nondairy milks with rice milk, almond milk, cashew milk, sunflower seed milk, and more.

As always, you can cut cholesterol by eating plant-based yummies.

My mission: As a Certified Holistic Nutritionist & Eco Expert, I’m dedicated to leading you straight to the core of what it takes to enjoy a new level of vitality, weight loss, and detoxification. I love helping clients across the U.S. transform their lives.

Follow me on Facebook, Pinterest, and Twitter.

All Rights Reserved. www.RachelAvalon.com

For best results, use as many organic ingredients as possible.

Superfood Spread

Blended foods and spreads are easier on the digestive system, which make them great while you’re doing a detox like the Avalon Cleanse. Hummus is classic, but there are some drawbacks to consider. If you’re buying it at the store chances are you’re paying way too much and wasting a lot of plastic. If you’re making it at home from canned garbanzo beans you may inadvertently be exposing yourself to BPA, a hormone disruptor, since BPA is used to line most cans (Eden Organics is an exception.) Now, if you happen to buy dried garbanzo beans you still have to soak them before turning them into hummus.

So, to simplify everything and pack in more nutrients, like Omega 3′s, try this recipe for my Superfood Spread. The anti-inflammatory ingredients are excellent for beautiful skin and hair, immune boosting, creating real energy, as well as stabilizing sugar (insulin) levels. On top of that, this healthy recipe is dairy-free, soy-free, gluten-free, and nut-free. In other words, it’s amazing for anyone concerned with common food allergies or food intolerances. Note: It’s also an easy way to boost nutrition for babies, starting at 6-9 months old.

In a blender combine:

2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil (raw + organic from Living Tree Community Foods is excellent)

1/2 c water (more or less depending on desired thickness)

1/2 c raw pumpkin seeds (the green ones)

1 c raw hemp seeds

1-2 tbsp flax seeds (adding more will increase fiber content)

Optional ingredients:

a dash of sea salt (to flavor and help preserve it)

any herbs or seasonings you prefer

a splash of lemon juice (to flavor and help preserve it)

any fresh greens or pulp from juicing

Once the mixture is smooth and creamy you can spread it on fresh veggies, whole grain crackers, or bread. You can even add a dollop to a salad or your cereal. Store the Superfood Spread in a container with a lid in the fridge and enjoy within a few days.

As always, you can cut cholesterol by eating plant-based yummies.

My mission: As a Certified Holistic Nutritionist & Eco Expert, I’m dedicated to leading you straight to the core of what it takes to enjoy a new level of vitality, weight loss, and detoxification. I love helping clients across the U.S. transform their lives.

Follow me on Facebook, Pinterest, and Twitter.

All Rights Reserved. www.RachelAvalon.com

My mission: As a Certified Holistic Nutritionist & Eco Expert, I’m dedicated to leading you straight to the core of what it takes to enjoy a new level of vitality, weight loss, and detoxification. I love helping clients across the U.S. transform their lives.

Follow me on Facebook, Pinterest, and Twitter.

All Rights Reserved. www.RachelAvalon.com

Anyway, not only is there something uniquely satisfying about coming up with a creative use for luggage tags or scraps of fabric, it can really inspire family, friends, and little munchkins to do the same. You can even share a brief, written explanation with the recipient(s) on how and why you a living the motto: reduce, reuse, and recycle. By the way, I also strive to give as many used or homemade treasures underneath that pretty, eco wrapping as possible. Since we are constantly voting by how we spend, or don’t spend, our money I avoid the Made in China stuff as much as possible. And if you’re feeling uber just green leave the presents naked or buy a digital offering like a donation to a (cruelty-free) non-profit. OK, here are some examples of what I’ve done.

The 1st image is a tissue box that a friend saved for me. I took the plastic lid off and stuffed the present inside along with some shredded, red tissue. One of the things that drives me crazy about tissue paper is how quickly it looks old and funky. By folding it over a few times and feeding it through a shredder though, you can make it look great again. With this box I also tied a red ribbon around the base to cover the brand-name. By the way, I wouldn’t recommend purchasing a tissue box that’s this wasteful to begin with, but if you happen to know someone who isn’t ready to break the habit hit them up for their empty boxes or share this tip with them.

Somehow I acquired a discarded, big roll of brown wrapping paper which has been amazing! Not only does it make me bust out in the Sound of Music, Julie Andrews’ song, I love how it’s so versatile and creates a wonderful artisan look with little effort. It’s also easily recycled, unlike some of the fancy gift wrap out there. You can use stamps, or handwrite something on it and it’ll look fantastic.

Next, I wanted to wrap one of my favorite, used books called The Better World Handbook. Since it was for my 20-something brother-in-law (who’s got a cool indie vibe) I wrapped it with a metal chain, a claim check tag, and a warrior cut-out from an old card.

This one is really simple. I just used a calendar page. You can find unwanted or outdated calendars at thrift stores and yard sales quite a bit. I used the month of December for the holiday season.

I don’t remember at all where I got those 2 white bags, but I just added some ribbons someone had included with a different gift to me and ended up with a magical set for my sweet, little niece. She’s the perfect age where she can store beads, favorite stones, or ribbons in them.

My youngest nephew received a brown paper package tied up with string. Actually, it was yarn scrap from when my mom was visiting and working on a knitting project. Something that would otherwise be thrown away looks all warm and fuzzy, literally and figuratively.

The last one I love because it’s so classic. I had 2 tiny pieces of plaid ribbon and I was determined to find a use for them instead of tossing them in the trash. So, I tied them to another ribbon that was too short to tie in a bow. The end result was a make-shift bow that looks cheerful and out of the ordinary.

For more ideas that you can use and share with others during the holidays, and other special occasions, check out my fun video on Eco Gift Wrapping.

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My mission: As a Certified Holistic Nutritionist & Eco Expert, I’m dedicated to leading you straight to the core of what it takes to enjoy a new level of vitality, weight loss, and detoxification. I work with clients nationwide.

All Rights Reserved. www.RachelAvalon.com

Celery root. It may look strange, but don’t be afraid! It’s crispy when raw and creamy when cooked. High in Vitamin C, minerals, plus thiamin and B6; it tastes similar to celery, but with a mild nutty flavor. Celery root is excellent as a pureed soup or blended with mashed potatoes. You can also grate raw celery root into a salad or embellish hummus with it. Enjoy!

*For best results, use as many organic ingredients as possible.

Recipe for Celery Root Soup:
Make a quick and easy soup by cutting off the exterior layer (similar to cutting a pineapple.)

Chop up the celery root along with a Yukon Gold potato and a few celery stalks.

Put them in a large pot and barely cover with water.

Add 1-2 garlic cloves or some chopped onion.

Boil until soft.

Transfer to a blender, using only the amount of boiled water required for the desired consistency. 1-2 batches may be required depending on the size of your blender.

Blend until creamy.

Pour soup back into the pot then add herbs, a touch of extra virgin olive oil, and sea salt to taste.

Note: Storing leftovers in glass (like old pasta jars) is recommended over plastic containers.

My mission: As a Certified Holistic Nutritionist and Eco Expert, I’m dedicated to leading you straight to the core of what it takes to enjoy a new level of vitality, weight loss, detoxification, immune boosting, radiant beauty, and overall health and happiness.

All Rights Reserved. www.RachelAvalon.com

Vegan is Love, by Ruby Roth, will undoubtedly make some parents and their
children feel uncomfortable, but then again so have beloved classics such as The Lorax and The Giving Tree. These types of books often stand the test of time because they ultimately offer the wisdom and compassion that little ones naturally gravitate towards and intrinsically embody. Vegan is Love attempts to connect with that authentic core (and succeeds here and there) through illustrations that swing from lovely to unsettling coupled with an unapologetic narrative. It is clearly intended to affirm those who have already committed to a plant-based diet and lifestyle while motivating others.

As a result, the book has sparked controversy among reviewers and conventional health professionals. One of the arguments is that a vegan diet isn’t healthy for children or adults, but all the best, global science indicates otherwise. Yes, vegans can have nutrients missing in their diet if they aren’t proactive with eating a variety of whole foods. However, the same can be said for any other diet that relies too much on processed foods high in trans fats, refined sweeteners, or other health-depleting, artificial ingredients.

As a Holistic Nutritionist & Eco Expert, as well as a vegan parent, I commend Roth for inspiring discussion around a topic that is too often ignored. Even though I believe her message could have reached a greater amount of families had she focused more on the love (which the title and cover illustration imply) it presents a bold case for how and why we need to abandon animal cruelty. With 10 billion land animals slaughtered for consumption every year in the United States, rapid planetary destruction, and an epidemic of often preventable diseases (affecting all ages) including Type 2 Diabetes, heart disease and cancer we really do owe it to ourselves and to our children to eat more plants and less (or no) meat and dairy.

In response to some of the media coverage around Vegan is Love many vegans are passionately defending the author’s work and fully dismissing the critics. I presumed I would likely be taking that stance until I actually read the story. This brings up a whole other point and that is the intensity in which a fair amount of animal welfare advocates are perceived and behave. There is a bit of a mantra I’ve observed among some vegans over the years that “you’re either with us or against us.” Too easily are ignorant or even well-informed non-vegans labeled “idiots.” I understand where the frustration and anger is coming from, but just as we vegans typically don’t care to be labeled “crazy” I find the name-calling to be counterproductive and divisive. Ruby Roth is an exceptionally talented illustrator and strong woman. If she, the vegan community as a whole, and the general public can sift through the critiques with a discerning eye it may benefit the cause and the planet in unexpected ways.

It’s important to note that in addition to diet, Vegan is Love sheds light on other animal welfare concerns such as wearing fur, habitat loss, and animal-based forms of entertainment like horseracing or sea parks. It evens demonstrates how a plant-based diet ties into ending world hunger, something any family can appreciate. At times Vegan is Love comes across as more intellectual than heart-centered and it certainly lacks the poetic charm that authors like Dr. Seuss and Shel Silverstein won us over with. Overall though, Roth offers a book that is thought provoking, regardless of how much or how little the reader initially agrees with or adheres to.

After all, we do live in a society that adores dogs and cats and posts endless videos of cute critters online. We teach children before they can barely talk how to make the sounds of different farm animals like piggies and cows. We buy kids stuffed animals of every kind while idolizing animals for various holidays and in a myriad of family films. Then, strangely, without their true consent or capacity to understand what they’re doing we feed toddlers the meat and milk from the animals they cherish and dress them in their furry friends’ skins. By the time they reach an age and reasoning power to connect the dots most will be so indoctrinated they will suppress their desire to protect and love animals to continue on like the other adults and children around them. This is one reason why this book is so powerful. It asks us to question the norm and to strive for a world that is kinder to all. It may not be perfect, but with an open heart and mind Vegan is Love could change countless lives for the better.

My mission: As a Certified Holistic Nutritionist and Eco Expert, I’m dedicated to leading you straight to the core of what it takes to enjoy a new level of vitality, weight loss, detoxification, immune boosting, radiant beauty, and overall health and happiness.

All Rights Reserved. www.RachelAvalon.com

In 2011 I had the chance to really practice what I preach. I became pregnant and incidentally quickly drove everyone around me crazy. I insisted on buying almost everything for the nursery on Craigslist so the crib, stroller, car seat, etc. had already had time to off-gass. I politely requested that people only give us used (or organic) baby clothes and avoid buying me or the baby lotions and potions since that industry is so poorly regulated in our country. As my husband said, “You’re the woman who knows too much.” I really couldn’t help myself though considering my job as a detoxification and eco expert and once I looked into our son’s eyes the need to protect him and other children only intensified. The good news is that whether it was planning an eco baby shower, decorating his room, or giving him his first bath I found ways to cut costs and toxins while enjoying the process and inspiring once reluctant family members and friends to do the same. Are we all perfect now? No, but to me it’s all about striving for progress, not perfection.

So, here are my Top 10 Healthy Ideas for Nontoxic Baby Products to help you and your loved ones along the way:

1. Homemade baby wipes with cotton squares or reusable baby wash cloths. Place a reusable water bottle with a squirt top on the diaper changing station and wet 1-2 wipes as needed. Add a drop of lavender essential oil to the water bottle if you like. Whatever you choose, avoid wipes with “fragrance” listed in the ingredients since that term is a clever way for manufacturers to sneak in hundreds of questionable chemicals.

2. Stainless steel baby bottles with silicone nipples by Pura. Why settle for BPA-free when you can skip the plastic all together?

3. Organic, cotton mittens by Under the Nile to keep baby warm and his or her little face scratch-free, especially while teething. These are also great for public outings when everyone will want to grab those tiny hands without washing theirs first.

4. Simple Green diluted in a spray bottle for the ultimate, nontoxic stain remover. Use an old toothbrush to scrub out dried stains.

5. Tummy Tub – babies love keeping warm in these food-grade polypropylene bath tubs. Plus, the photo ops are priceless.

6. Driftwood used as bath toys (be sure to smooth pieces if needed.) These unique shapes are lightweight, free, and fun without being overstimulating like so many of today’s toys. If you don’t feel comfortable taking these from the beach, or don’t have access to a shoreline, look for other natural objects that makes sense.

7. Green Start children’s books (printed on 98% post-consumer paper with eco inks.) With sweet illustrations, these stories have great themes about nature, gardening, etc. At the very least, look for used books locally or online.

8. Organic, cold-pressed olive oil for cradle cap and baby massage. Keep it simple, nontoxic and affordable when it comes to pampering your baby’s skin. Just make sure you keep any oils out of direct sunlight and use in less than a year since all oils will eventually turn rancid.

9. 100% rubber or silicone pacifiers are extra important since they go right in baby’s mouth. Sometimes just using your clean pinky (with a short fingernail and no nail polish) can be even more practical and comforting for an infant seeking more sucking time. It can also reduce how much air is swallowed which means less gas and fussiness for the little one.

10. All-natural Eco Baby Sunscreen by Eco Logical is a wonderful alternative to the conventional brands that usually contain neurotoxins and other crazy chemicals. It’s easier to apply than many other options and is comparatively well-priced.

Bonus: Wooden teething rings (there are SO many cute options from classic circles to bunny shapes.)

Important: Whenever buying used baby gear make sure there haven’t been any recalls on the items you’re considering and that all the components and structural integrity are intact.

For more info on safer, nontoxic living explore my website along with www.healthychild.org and safecosmetics.org.

Photo by Annie McElwain

My mission: As a Certified Holistic Nutritionist and Eco Expert, I’m dedicated to leading you straight to the core of what it takes to enjoy a new level of vitality, weight loss, detoxification, immune boosting, radiant beauty, and overall health and happiness.

All Rights Reserved.
www.RachelAvalon.com