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Showing posts from April 20, 2017

The Worst Ingredient In Starbucks Unicorn Frappuccino & Why You Shouldn’t Drink It

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When I first saw the new Starbucks Unicorn Frappuccino I just knew that kids everywhere were going to be drinking this – I mean what kid isn’t going to want a drink that looks like this!  But of course…the first thing that popped into my mind was what the heck is it made out of? Well, we found out, and it’s not pretty.  It’s full of additives that do nothing good for your body… Starbucks Unicorn Frappuccino Ingredients : Ice, Milk, Crème Frappuccino Syrup [Water, Sugar , Salt, Natural And Artificial Flavor , Xanthan Gum, Potassium Sorbate, Citric Acid ], Whipped Cream [Cream (Cream, Mono And Diglycerides, Carrageenan ), Vanilla Syrup ( Sugar , Water, Natural Flavors, Potassium Sorbate, Citric Acid )], Mango Syrup [ Sugar , Water, Mango Juice Concentrate, Natural Flavor , Passion Fruit Juice Concentrate, Citric Acid , Potassium Sorbate , Turmeric, Gum Arabic], Blue Drizzle [White Chocolate Mocha Sauce ( Sugar , Condensed Skim Milk, Coconut Oil, Cocoa Butter, Natural Flavor , Sa

April Showers, Hand Flowers

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^^ The best smelling bush in Cville! We have a gorgeous day here today, and I’m trying my best to live in the moment and not look towards the cold, rainy, stormy forecast. But hey, it’s April, so April showers are to be expected. I love running in warm weather, and for the second time this week I ate a light breakfast so I could run right after dropping Mazen off at school. Today I had an oatmeal bar and some coffee! I ran 3.5 miles (4 if you could the walk to and from school first) on the pretty greenway near my house. Sport sunglasses stolen from Thomas…! Post-run yogurt with some granola crunch. I had two calls this morning and worked on two posts for next week. When the clock struck 12 I realized I still don’t have any salad greens in my fridge and really wanted a good one for lunch (grow, garden, grow!) so I walked downtown to The Salad Maker to pick one up before getting Mazen at school. I sat on a park bench and enjoyed it with a podcast. It was a nice little lunch!

Solving Your Nature Deficit Disorder in the City: A Tree Grows…Almost Anywhere

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Today’s guest post is offered up by Katy Bowman, biomechanist and author of the bestselling  Move Your DNA and her recent book, Movement Matters , which examines our sedentary culture, our personal relationship to movement, and some of the global effects of outsourcing movement. I’m happy to welcome a good friend back to Mark’s Daily Apple to share on this topic. Just in time for Earth Day this weekend… I recently held a couple of events in New York City. A question came up a few times: How can someone who lives and operates their daily life in a big city get the nature they both need and want when they’re unable or ready to change where they live? The answer can help many people in our culture achieve a deeper relationship with nature no matter where they live. Step 1: Check your vacation. Although the exact number and distribution of everyone’s vacation days range, if you’re someone who gets vacation time at work, take a good hard look at how you spend it. Do you spend this port

Sneaky Ways Supermarkets Get You to Spend More

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If you’re like most folks who are on a food budget, you head to the supermarket with a list in hand. Oftentimes, however, you end up leaving the store with a cart filled with items that you had no intention on bringing home. Supermarkets are in the business of getting you to spend more, and many folks fall into their trappings. Here are 5 ways to help minimize overspending at the market. Oversized carts When you hit the grocery store to purchase a few items and are wheeling around a huge cart, adding a few more items may seem harmless. Those large carts filled with only a few items also makes you feel like you aren’t purchasing enough, playing on your feeling of guilt. Instead: Use a hand-held basket, or many supermarkets now offer smaller sized carts that offer fewer items. Hidden staples How many times have you gone to grab milk and eggs and added just a few more items to your cart? To get to many perishable items on your shopping list, you’ll need to walk through other aisles

Clean Eating Spinach Dip Recipe

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Spinach dip is a classic at many gatherings across the country. It’s right up there with onion dip and ranch dip, and it’s likely a good source of spinach for those who don’t typically enjoy eating the green, leafy stuff. But good gracious! The fat content on most containers of spinach dip is enough to send you running for your closest pair of big-boy-pants. And even then, you may have to leave the button undone. So in the interest of saving you from all that running…. errr…. I mean, saving you from having to wear your big-boy-pants ~ ehem ~, here’s my version of Clean Eating Spinach Dip. YOU MIGHT ALSO ENJOY: Recipe from the Gracious Pantry archives, originally posted 1/28/11. Clean Eating Spinach Dip Recipe   Author: Tiffany McCauley | The Gracious Pantry.com Yield: Approximately 6 cups Ingredients 1 (16 ounce) container cottage cheese (gluten free if needed) 10 ounce container frozen spinach, thawed 8 ounce can water chestnuts, chopped fine 2 tablespoons onion

March To Mother’s Day: Sewn Into History

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I am honored to be a part of the March to Mother’s Day campaign here in Virginia! Our state is packed with history, as last week’s Tom Tom Festival posts showcased. I feel very lucky to live so close to Monticello and Ash Lawn-Highland , which was President Monroe’s house. Love being an easy drive to Williamsburg and Jamestown  too. Women’s history has always been close to my heart, and it was my focus of study at Davidson College, especially the women’s rights movement of the 1860s. In partnership with the  2019 Commemoration , The Women’s Monument Commission and the Virginia Capitol Foundation are commissioning 12 statues of historic women on the Virginia State Capitol grounds . “Voices From The Garden” will recognize the diversity and achievements of twelve remarkable Virginia women. One of those twelve women is Elizabeth Hobbs Keckley . When I surveyed the list of women, I immediately recognized her name, and I realized it’s because there is a historic sign dedicated to h

Just Like Old Times in New York City

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Good morning! I’m in New York City right now—just like old times! If you’re a long-time reader, you probably remember just how much time I spent in New York City. It’s a quick train or bus ride from Boston, and there was always an excuse to visit, so I found myself there just about every other week. Here are some of the blog posts that I’ve written about the Big Apple over the years: New York City Marathon Recap New York and Company Reebok Fit Hub Store Opening in New York City New York Minute {Weekend Recap} Rainy Day in New York City Less Than 24 Hours in the Big Apple I’m Off to NYC for the Reebok ZQUICK Launch New York Minute Run and Done More | Fitness Women’s Half Marathon “The Skinny Rules” Launch Party with Bob Harper You might notice some common themes among these blog posts, including fun blog-related events, running, rain (I’m cursed), and being in the city for a hot second… and this trip is no different! I’m visiting for an event with CVS/pharmacy. I’ll be