The Skinny on Naked Juice

Have you heard of Naked Juice? Do you drink it?

I've been drinking a bottle of Naked Juice here and there (Green Machine and Berry Blast) since it's so expensive here (anywhere from $4-8 for a bottle), but only just yesterday found out about the huge controversy surrounding it... I brought home a bottle of Green Machine to my parents' house, and asked them if they wanted to try. Of course, I was met with "Ew, it looks weird." So I happily went on to drink the rest of the bottle myself. Fast forward to a few hours later, I get a text from my Dad saying "I think you better not drink that anymore..." and he proceeds to show me a post from his friend on Facebook, outing Naked Juice for false advertising.

I was horrified to read the claims against Naked Juice. I didn't know these lawsuits went back to 2011. I was skeptical at first but did my own digging on Google and here is what I found out:

• Naked Juice uses false advertising to fraudulently promise that its beverage products are "100% juice," "all natural," and "non-GMO"
• Naked Juice intentionally uses misleading language to give consumers "the false impression that the beverages vitamin content is due to the nutritious fruits and juices, rather than the added synthetic compounds such as calcium pantothenate (synthetically produced from formaldehyde)" and "Fibersol-2 (a proprietary synthetic digestion-resistant fiber produced by Archer Daniels Midland and developed by a Japanese chemical company), fructooligosaccharides (a synthetic fiber and sweetener) and inulin (an artificial and invisible fiber added to foods to ... increase fiber content without the typical fiber mouth-feel)."
• The suit alleges that 11 synthetically derived substances - including niacinamide, d-alpha tocopherol acetate, cyanocobalamin, and pyridoxine hydrochloride - are contained in Naked Juice drinks which it says belie the label's claims that the beverage contains only the "freshest, purest stuff in the world."
• "Even if the synthetic ingredients are safe--or even beneficial--they are still not what consumers consented to ingesting, and they are still not what (Naked Juice) warranted they were providing," the lawsuit says.

Sources:
http://www.opposingviews.com/i/health/food-and-nutrition/naked-juice-not-naked-advertised#
http://monrovia.patch.com/groups/politics-and-elections/p/monrovia-s-naked-juice-sued-again-for-false-advertising
http://www.usatoday.com/story/money/business/2013/07/26/pepsi-co-naked-juice-not-natural/2589717/

The latest news says "PepsiCo Inc. will no longer label its Naked juices as being "all natural," after a lawsuit complained that the drinks contain ingredients that don't fit that bill... The case highlights the confusion around the use of the word "natural" in in the industry. The Food and Drug Administration doesn't currently have a definition for what constitutes a natural product... Notably, the FDA says it's difficult to define a food product that is natural, since it has likely been processed and is no longer a "product of the earth."

Needless to say, I won't be drinking any more Naked Juice. This is terribly disturbing to me because I've been trying to eat healthier. Things labeled "all natural" instantly catch my eye. It's disgusting to know how marketing and advertising can be used in such deceptive ways... how are we as consumers who are trying to be healthier; know what is REALLY "good for you" and what is just false advertising???

Does spicy food increase your metabolism?

Have you ever heard of this claim? I honestly haven't heard of it until recently. I also recently started craving spicy food for the past couple of months (no, not pregnant :P). So now I have a newfound love for spicy food flavors, especially kimchi! Yum. Nong Shim Kimchi flavor saimin is my weakness right now:

So I was wondering, does this claim have any evidence behind it? If so, I would gladly eat spicy food ALL THE TIME... :P But here is what I found out:

• Over the years, various studies have examined the claim and suggested that certain spices can in fact increase metabolic rate by raising body temperature, though to what extent and for how long is unclear. 
• Capsaicin is the primary molecule responsible for the hot, burning sensation you get when you come into contact with spicy chilies. It is a member of a family of compounds called capsaicinoids, which have many beneficial effects including analgesia (pain relief), antioxidant potential and thermogenesis (calorie burning).
• Studies have shown that on average a meal containing a spicy dish can temporarily increase metabolism by about 8 percent over a person’s normal rate, an amount considered fairly negligible. 
• But besides a slight uptick in metabolism, spicy foods may also increase feelings of satiety. The researchers suggested that capsaicin may work as an appetite suppressant.
• In sum, while humans may get a modest boost in calorie burning immediately after a spicy meal, the effect is unlikely to be meaningful for long-term weight loss.

Sources:
http://www.nytimes.com/2006/11/28/health/nutrition/28real.html
http://blog.zocdoc.com/can-spicy-foods-boost-your-metabolism-fact-vs-myth/

So overall, spicy foods MAY have some effect on metabolism, but not a significant amount. It MAY help you eat less because it makes you feel fuller faster. Either way, I'll continue eating spicy food just 'cause I love it! Even a fairly negligible boost in metabolism is still something too ;P

Recipe: Super Simple Quiche!

Hello loves! I don't know if I've mentioned this before... but... I cannot cook to save my life. You know how some people can cook from the "heart," so to speak? Like where they can just add things without measuring and create a delicious meal? Well, I can't do that. If I don't have detailed step-by-step instructions with specific amounts for every single ingredient; I'm totally lost. The art of frying steak or making stew is beyond me. Unlike my mom; who can just throw stuff in a pot and create delicious soup without even trying. I am a hopeless cook.

However, I think I am at least ALRIGHT at baking. And I damn sure know that I am a fucking PRO at microwave-directions food... and making rice. I make perfect rice every time. LOL :P

So today I figured I would share this super simple recipe for quiche that I made last week. We had some frozen pie crusts, so I made one chocolate pudding pie and had to do something with the other crust. So I browsed the interwebs and found this super simple recipe (sorry, can't remember exactly where I got it).

The end result?
YUM.

Haha, so proud of myself...
I am not TOTALLY useless in the kitchen :P

On to the recipe!

Super Simple Quiche

Ingredients:

• 1 pre-made pie crust (9 inch)
• 3 Eggs
• 1 Cup milk
• Salt and pepper
• 1 Cup shredded cheese (I used Cheddar)
• Fillings: Anything you would put in an omlette; you can put in a quiche.
  You can put as much fillings as you want. I used:
  - Spinach (frozen; make sure to defrost and drain out the water really well)
  - Onions, chopped
  - Mushrooms, sliced
  - Bacon, crumbled

Directions:

1. Set the oven to 375 degrees F.
2. You can prebake the crust if you wish (follow the package directions), but it's optional. I didn't prebake. Just keep the frozen crust out so you can toss all your ingredients in it.
3. Mix together the eggs and milk. Add salt and pepper... as much as you want.
4. Prepare the fillings.
5. Layer your fillings into the crust. I put the sliced mushrooms on the bottom, then the bacon, onions, cheese (1/2 cup), then spinach.
6. Pour egg and milk mixture on top.
7. Top with the remaining 1/2 cup of cheese.
8. Place quiche on baking sheet and bake for 30-40 minutes or until the edges are firm and the center has just a hint of movement when shaken. The quiche will continue to cook until served. For a firmer quiche, cook until the entire dish is puffed and solid.

Tips:

• When baking the crust (if you prebake), cover with foil and fill with dried (uncooked) beans to prevent the crust from puffing up during baking.
• If the edges of the crust brown before the quiche is done, place foil over the crust to prevent further browning.
• Make sure any fillings you put in the quiche are drained completely, especially cooked spinach. Squeeze out any liquid or squeeze between paper towels, otherwise the moisture will make the quiche soggy and watery.

Aaand that's it!
Simple deliciousness : ) Enjoy!

Easy hamburger stroganoff + EOTD

Okay, so FOTDs and recipes have pretty much won my poll :P So here's something yummy I recently made~ it's super delicious and really easy to make

EASY HAMBURGER STROGANOFF

What you need:

• 1 tsp oil
• 1 lb. hamburger
• 1/2 c. onion, chopped
• 1 can cream of mushroom soup
• 5 fresh mushrooms, sliced
• 1/4 c. sour cream
• As much egg noodles as you want (follow pkg directions)

What to do:

• Saute hamburger in oil
• Add onion and cook until transparent
• Add cream of mushroom soup
• Heat until boils
• Add sliced mushrooms, cook for 1 minute
• Add sour cream
• Add cooked egg noodles (or whatever pasta you want)

And that's it! EATTTT! It's super yummy and so simple to make ^__^

Also, here is an EOTD I did recently, using ELF's brightening eye color in "Nymph Dreams." So far, I really like this eyeshadow palette. The shades are quite pigmented for $1 quality and last relatively long. I took this with my cell, so the colors didn't show up very well :( It's much more colorful in person (: Btw - Idk why my cheek is so red! I do have redness there but it's not THAT bad! :/

Here you can see what I mean by my "wannabe eyelids" :P Here's what I used:

E Y E S

• Physician's Formula brow pencil (dark brown)
• Sephora brow palette No. 2
• Rimmel Exaggerate eyeliner (black) to tightline
• ELF Mineral eyeshadow primer
• ELF brightening eye color in "Nymph Dreams"
  Gold shade: all over lid & highlight browbone
  Brown shade: on lid and above crease
  Taupe shade: in outer-V
  Turqouise shade: above outer crease (to contour) and inner corner
  
• NYX felt tip liner pen (dark brown and jet black) to liner upper lashline
• NYX double sided liner (only black side) to line crease
• NYX jar concealer in "Beige"

F A C E

• Skinfood Lime Secret Glow pact #3
• EDM pressed powder below eyes

Well anyways, just thought I'd add that although FOTDs and recipes won my poll, I'll still be posting a little bit of everything :D I will try to focus on those two though... thanks everyone who voted!

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Onion, cheese, and bacon topping

Okay, so the results of my poll have been showing that FOTDs and recipes are in the lead! Muffin is sad :( Haha~ So today, I figured I'd share a recipe I made up myself because I was hungry and only had so many ingredients :P This is for onion lovers like me :D

Onion, cheese, and bacon toppping (or dip)

*Use whatever amounts you want!!!

What you need
- Finely chopped onion
- Grated cheese of your choice
- Mayonaisse
- Bacon bits! (salad topping kind or real crumbled bacon)
- Salt and pepper to taste

What to do:
- Just mix all the above ingredients together!
- Put a little bit on top of crackers (I used Ritz)
- Pop in the toaster until warm.
- EAT!

I notice that the bacon bits soften after you toast them, so you can sprinkle some on top AFTER you take them out of the toaster for more bacon-y, crunchy goodness :3 You can also use this as a veggie dip, I would just use a little extra mayo.

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The best red potato salad :D

Just made this yesterday and it's super yummy and a good for summer dish. So I figured I'd share how to make it (: I'm not too keen on the actual amount of each ingredient I used since I made a big batch and just eyeballed the amounts... sorry if you're one of those precise measuring people! :P



What you need:
(as much as you want to use!)

- Cooked and cubed red skin potatoes
- Finely chopped green onion
- Finely chopped round onion
- Bacon, crisped and crumbled (or toast some bacon bits)
- Mayonnaise
- Salt and pepper to taste

What to do:

Just mix all the ingredients together and enjoy! Trust me, it's delicious (:

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Edamame rice!

I've been eating lots of Nametake mushrooms & rice lately... soooo oishiiii~ hehe :3 If you haven't tried it, try it! It's good (: Figured I'd post the recipe of one of my favorite Japanese food bites since it's healthy AND yummy.

Edamame rice





















Ingredients:
4 cups rice, cooked and cooled
1 bottle ochazuke wakame furikake
1 bottle Shirakiku nametake mushrooms
1 package frozen, shelled edamame

Directions:
Cook soybeans for 7 minutes in boiling water, then drain. Mix rice, furikake, mushrooms, and edamame in a large bowl. Easy! Eat up (:

And for those shy to try, here's some info on the health benefits that might change your mind (;

Here's what you'll find in a half-cup serving of shelled edamame (or 1 1/8 cup edamame in the pods):

120 calories
9 grams fiber
2.5 grams fat
1.5 grams polyunsaturated fat (0.3 grams plant omega-3 fatty acids)
0.5 gram monounsaturated fat
11 grams protein
13 grams carbohydrate
15 mg sodium
10% of the Daily Value for vitamin C
10% Daily Value for iron
8% Daily Value for vitamin A
4% Daily Value for calcium

As you can see, that little serving of edamame gives you a bunch of fiber: 9 grams, about the same amount you'll find in 4 slices of whole-wheat bread or 4 cups of steamed zucchini. It has almost as much protein as it does carbohydrate. It contains around 10% of the Daily Value for two key antioxidants; vitamins C and A. And for a plant food, it's quite high in iron; it has about as much as a 4-ounce roasted chicken breast.

source: http://www.medicinenet.com/script/main/art.asp?articlekey=56288

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Easy Linguini and Chicken alfredo

Anyone tried Ragu's Cheesy Alfredo Sauce? IT IS GREAT! I just ate it today with some linguini noodles and chicken.... this is a great fast and easy meal if you don't feel like cooking. Plus it's so simple, quick to prepare, and super tasty.

EASY LINGUINI & CHICKEN ALFREDO

What you need:
• Ragu Cheesy Alfredo Sauce
• Linguini noodles
• Breaded chicken tenders (I used Tyson)
• Shredded parmesan cheese

What to do:
• Cook the noodles following the instructions (I used leftover noodles, so no cooking for me! Haha)
• Drain the noodles & put them back in the pot.
• Cook the chicken following the instructions. The Tyson chicken is 25 minutes at 425 degrees.
• When the chicken is done, cut it into bite-sized pieces.
• Pour/spoon as much Alfredo sauce as you want onto the linguini and mix it up.
• Add the chicken and mix that in.
• Sprinkle the shredded parmesan cheese on top and mix that in.
• If it's not heated or melted enough, I put it in the microwave for a minute or two.

AND YOU'RE DONE! ENJOY (:

Easy flatbread pizza

Okay, so now that I've sufficiently ranted and beauty blogged enough, I figure I'd post another super-simple snack recipe. My mom just bought some tandoori nan flatbread, and I decided to make a pizza with it.Here's a little info on what tandoori nan is, since I've never heard of it before either! :P It's super soft and great as a pizza crust, but toasts up nice and tastes great.

This flatbread resembles the classic nan baked by hanging the dough ball onto the walls of earthen tandoor ovens. This versatile oval flatbread is excellent with savory Indian curries, but is equally enjoyable for sandwiches, wraps, pizzas and even cut up with dips for appetizers. This ever popular flatbread is featured in many Indian, Pakistani and Pan-Asian restaurants throughout the United States. Fully cooked; simply warm in the oven, heat on a griddle pan or microwave in seconds. No Trans Fats. 100% Vegetarian. Kosher Parve. Each loaf (piece) is approx. 10 inches x 4 inches.

Anyways, here's how you can make this yummy snack :D

EASY FLATBREAD PIZZA

What you need:
• Tandoori nan flatbread
• Pizza/Tomato sauce (I like Prego)
• Shredded cheese of your choice
• Other toppings, if you want

What to do:
• Spread as much sauce as you want onto the flatbread.
• Top with as much shredded cheese / toppings as you want.
• Pop in the toaster oven & bake for ~10 minutes, or until the cheese melts.

AND YOU'RE DONE! :D See how easy that was. Now you can eat.

Top 10 health/beauty foods

Got this quick list from http://free-beauty-tips.glam.com/ Any added links are from my personal experience, opinion, and preference.

1; APPLE CIDER VINEGAR
Has great healing properties, keeps skin supple. It's heavy concentration of enzymes peel off dead skin cells. It breaks down fat and helps to digest food properly.TRY THIS: Shiny Hair Recipe (for brunettes & redheads)

2; CARROTS
Maintains the outer layer of skin to prevent premature aging. Also good for your eyes!
TRY THIS: Burt's Bees Garden Carrot Complexion Soap

3; CHEESE
A slice or two of swiss, cheddar, or gouda added to your daily diet will help block bacteria in the mouth and prevent cavities.

4; CITRUS FRUITS
Holds the skin together by forming collagen. This is important because collagen cannot be added to skin topically. Cleanses and purifies.
TRY THIS: Burt's Bees Orange Essense Facial Cleanser

5; CRANBERRIES
Keep urinary tract lining healthy. Advised to drink if you have a UTI. Good anti-oxidant.

6; GARLIC
Helps combat wrinkles and restores tissue.

7; NON-FAT YOGURT
High in calcium, may help maintain a healthy digestive system.
TRY THIS: Plain Yogurt Facial Mask Recipe

8; SWEET POTATOES
Sweet potatoes are full of vitamin A, known to be a remarkable anti-wrinkle agent. The result is clearer, smoother skin.

9; TOMATOES
Rich in vitamin A, C, and potassium.
TRY THIS: Burt's Bees Garden Tomato Complexion Soap

10; WHEAT GERM
Add 2-3 tablespoons to your daily diet (in cereal, yogurt, cottage cheese, etc) to help get rid of pimples quickliy and effectively.

Eating Do's and Don'ts

Although I try to eat healthy, I don't always eat the best kind of foods lol :P Anyway, here's a quick list of some eating do's and dont's when it comes to the food groups you should be eating daily.

1; VEGETALBES

Eat 3-5 servings per day.

DO: Include atleast one serving of raw, leafy greens.

DON'T: Overload a salad with dressing, croutons, bacon bits, etc. This detracts the nutritional value of the actual salad.

2; FRUITS

Eat 2-3 servings per day.

DO: Eat atleast 1/2 cup of chopped or sliced fruits; this is one serving.

DON'T: Eat only jello with fruits in it, or fruit cups, etc. These are often full of added ingredients that make it taste better, but do not constitute a serving.

3; MEAT

Eat THREE 3-ounce servings a day, try to make 2 servings turkey or chicken. One serving of fish per day is ideal.

DO: Cut off ALL fat!

DON'T: Eat MORE than THREE 3-ounce servings of meat per day.

4; DAIRY

Eat 2 servings daily.

DO: Have 8-ounces of milk or yogurt; this is one serving.

DON'T: Eat ONLY icecream, cheese, flavored yogurt, or flavored milk! These are often full of added ingredients that are sweet but fattening.

5; FATS
Eat sparingly.

DO: Eat ONLY 2 servings a day (things like salad dressing, cooking oil, butter, mayonaisse, etc).

DON'T: Over-eat junk food, fast food, sweets, or desserts! These are full of fats and oils and may taste good, but are not always good for you.