Conscious Box: May 2012, Part II

While I’m very happy with my first Conscious Box and I’m already looking forward to June, there were a few products I wasn’t in love with.

Ultima Replenisher: I couldn’t quite tell from the packet what this is, aside from the fact that I’m supposed to mix it with water. It’s high in vitamin C, but a little internet research reveals that it’s an electrolyte replacement drink mix. Not bad, but a glass of water would have done just as well, unless there’s a real possibility you’re low on electrolytes. But most people have to be ill or work out like a professional athlete for that to be the case.

Natural Vitality Organic Life Vitamins: This was a 1 oz liquid version of a multivitamin. I thought about putting it into a smoothie, but for the sake of science I tried it chilled and straight as the package suggests. It was, um, not so good. Plus, why would I need 1,667% of my daily value of vitamin B? Or 670% of vitamin E? This is precisely why I take a children’s multivitamin: two vitamins (ok, gummy vitamins) puts me right around 100% DV. There’s a debate as to whether the average adult needs multivitamins at all–recent research is starting to oppose the practice–but unless your diet is seriously deficient I don’t think there’s a reason for these “super vitamins.”

Canfo Flush Me Quick Cleanse capsules: These contain aloe vera and mangosteen extract and a blend of dandelion, cassia, dong-quai, licorice, and ginseng. I did not actually try these, nor will I.

And here’s why: I think “detoxes” and “cleanses” are, frankly, bunk. Assuming you’re a healthy, nonsmoking adult who doesn’t spend a lot of time around, say, lead paint, your body is “detoxing” itself just fine every day. And notice that supplement manufacturers never tell you exactly which “toxins” their product is “cleansing.” But people do report feeling better after completing one of these detoxes, and I think there’s a very reasonable explanation that has nothing to do with capsules and concoctions.

Let’s say I decide to do a “cleanse.” I spend money on supplements, juices, teas, whatever other supplies are required. I go grocery shopping and stock up on the fruits and vegetables I’ll consume while completing the cleanse. While I’m doing said cleanse, I don’t eat heavy, fatty foods, and I don’t drink alcohol. I also don’t eat a lot of food, as the cleanse prescribes taking in only a certain number of calories per day. I make time for the gym and other relaxing activities.

At the end of my 5 or 7 or 10 days, I’ve lost two or three pounds. I’m proud of myself for prioritizing healthy eating and exercise. I have more energy, and I’m sleeping better. The cleanse was a success!

Or not. I think being mindful of healthy eating and exercise will lead to feelings of well being with or without the “detox” products. Whenever we have to spend more time thinking about what we put in our mouths, we’re going to make better decisions. No one is going to choke down lemon juice with cayenne pepper in the morning and finish the day with a burger and a beer. I’ve been feeling pretty peachy since my husband and I decided to go vegetarian at the beginning of the month–I’ve simply had to think harder about what I eat, and that’s led to a greater awareness of healthy options.

I have absolutely no beef with Conscious Box including these types of products. I still love the idea and can’t wait for the next round. And I don’t think all supplements are bunky–there’s solid evidence backing extra vitamin D and fish oil, both of which I use, and a quality cup of peppermint or cinnamon tea can do wonders. But a product purporting to correct something I have no evidence my body is failing to do? No thanks.

Now that I’ve stepped down from my soapbox, I realize that I forgot to mention a few other nice items: Mate Factor Yerba Mate tea, Good Nature Cranberry tea, and a packet of Vaska laundry detergent. I’m looking forward to using these products–just didn’t have a chance to try them yet.

Conscious Box: May 2012, Part I

I finally jumped on the sample-box-by-mail trend. Those who follow makeup and beauty trends are probably familiar with Birchbox, but now the genre has expanded to include wine, art, gourmet food, and DIY (For the Makers is just about the best thing I’ve ever seen and I desperately want to sign up). I wasn’t particularly interested in Birchbox, and wine and gourmet food are things I know a fair amount about and feel comfortable experimenting with. Where I’m not so sure sure of myself is the organic, eco-friendly world. I have a few brands that I buy regularly–Method, Biokleen, Amy’s, Seventh Generation–but the labels “natural,” “green,” and “organic” are so flexible and depend on who’s doing the labeling. And, I hate to say it, but there’s just as much snake oil salesmanship going on in the granola market as in regular retail. And there is nothing so sad as getting excited about a new product and bringing it home only to find it’s inedible, smells to high heaven, or makes your house dirtier than it was when you began.

Enter Conscious Box, a monthly sample box filled with vetted products and a handful of coupons for that month’s manufacturers. I just received my first box, and so far I’m very satisfied. I’ve already identified a few things I’d like to purchase. I’ve also identified a few things I’m never going to purchase, which is part of my plan too.

Mayesa Cacao Original: This is a dairy-free, soy-free, gluten-free based drink. Those are all “frees” I don’t need to go out of my way to avoid, so this is a product I never would have looked twice at. I had heard a bit about hemp protein as an alternative to soy or almond, but again, never gave it much thought. Honestly, I was surprised I enjoyed this so much. It has a very rich dark chocolate flavor with cinnamon undertones–it reminded me of mexican hot chocolate. 170 calories, 5g protein, and 3g fiber is a pretty good deal for this much chocolate flavor. I can see this helping me get through my 3pm slump, when I’m mostly likely to wander over to the vending machine or find my way to some godawful pastry at the student center.

Wembe Amazonian Soil Assai Soap: Those who know me know how much I love soap. I have far more opinions about soap than any normal person. As such, I was thrilled to see a whole bar of soap in my first CB. I was not so thrilled with the soap itself. But that’s not the soap’s fault–I just don’t care for the scent. I’ve been using it on my hands and I’m impressed by how moisturizing it is, so if I run across the brand again, I’d try another variety.

Bambooee Reusable Bamboo Towel: This bamboo-fiber towel is designed to replace paper towels (1 roll is supposedly equal to 50 or 60 rolls of regular towel). Paper towels have been one of the hardest things for me to “green” in our home. Sponges sort of gross me out; rags aren’t very absorbent; microfiber cloths need to be washed regularly–I need something reusable but also something I won’t feel too bad about tossing if it gets really gross rather than doing a load of laundry. These bamboo towels are great. The cleaning I did with my sample towel would have used up many, many paper towels, and the towel is still intact and ready for another round.

Better Life Cool Calm Collected Lotion – Citrus Mint: Love it. The box also included a 10% off coupon for clean happens.com, and I definitely plan to use it. It’s light, not too greasy, and absorbs quickly. It’s just-about-everything-free. I smell the mint more than the citrus, which is a plus for me.

Dr. Tung’s Snap-on Toothbrush Sanitizers: These are little caps that fit over the brush’s bristles; I’ve used a similar product on my travel toothbrushes for years, but not any that claimed to sanitize with “disinfecting vapors of essential oils,” and certainly not any shaped like lion paws and with stickers of cartoon lions on the front. Do they sanitize? Who knows. But they will keep my brushes protected, and, really cartoon lions.

So these are the clear winners for me in my first foray into sample boxes. Part II–the non-winners, of which there were a few–to follow shortly.

On Going Vegetarian

We’ve done it. My little family has decided to try going vegetarian.* We don’t plan on being super strict about it; we’ll still end up eating meat for special occasion meals, when we’re eating at a friend’s home, or when we’re visiting my family in the Land of Fried Chicken. What I eat is my choice, and, life-threatening allergies aside (of which I am lucky to have none), I don’t think anyone should have to accommodate the personal decisions I make.

I also really, really, really love a good filet mignon about once a year.

In a way it’s a big relief. I have thousands of pages of cookbooks, and it’s been nice to revisit a few and simply be able to skip over entire chapters. Cutting down on options isn’t the worst thing when we’re struggling to get a dinner on the table. It will, however, mean learning some new kitchen skills. I have no idea how to approach a block of tofu, and I can see myself relying too heavily on pasta dishes. My husband and I do have different opinions on how often beans can make an appearance and how many pizza nights are reasonable, so we’re both going to have to be open-minded about trying recipes we otherwise would have ignored.

Our primary motivation for going vegetarian is health rather than ethics. I do think an overhaul of commercial agriculture and animal husbandry is…necessary, to put it mildly. But let’s call it like it is: not going to happen anytime soon. Maybe not even in my lifetime. Agribusiness has a stranglehold on our food supply, and cash-strapped families aren’t going to stop buying frozen Cargill beef patties anytime soon.

My husband and I are fortunate enough to live in a large city where farmer’s markets are a big deal, and we have what we call the Whole Foods Death Star just a 20 minute walk away. We can get humanely raised meat and seasonal local vegetables anytime we want. Ninety percent of our groceries come from Trader Joe’s–I know, I know, Joe has some skeletons in his closet too, but they don’t call it Whole Paycheck for nothing. Fish is tricky, what with the mercury and overfishing, but there are good resources to help identify the best options (Monterey Bay Aquarium’s Seafood Watch, to name one.)

The bottom line is that my family could be pretty groovy carnivores. But even though we live a fairly low-impact life as it is–no car, recycle everything we can, laundry always on the cold cycle, green cleaning products, etc.–we can do better, and a primarily vegetarian lifestyle is just one more tiny step.

*lacto-ovo, which I consider legitimate vegetarianism, but I know many folks do not.

An Introduction

Hello reader! (Or readers, if we’re going to be optimistic.)

A brief introduction: I’m 28, a resident of the wonderful city of Chicago, a soon-to-be graduate of a masters in writing program (anyone hiring?), a newlywed, and a follower of many, many food blogs. And therein lies the question: what’s going to make my blog different from all the other blogs written by young, writerly, urban women who love desserts?

I don’t know!

But I hope you’ll give it a shot. As this blog evolves, I’ll post not just my kitchen adventures but also about things like healthy living in general, the challenges of being a humanities person in a technology-centered world, the lovely craziness that is marriage, and why I think the Oxford comma is necessary.

I hope you’ll stick around for the experiment.