FRESH from NYSM

Happy, Healthy Earth Day + 3 Reasons Why We Support Organic

Posted on April 22, 2013 by Kyleen Keenan | 0 Comments

It was EASY for NOT YOUR SUGAR MAMAS to choose to use organic ingredients in our products on taste and nutrient value alone. However, there are a number of reasons why we strongly adhere to organic standards day in and day out.

Our mission is to spread love through each one of our kickass products. We believe that in the way we do business – with products that nourish your body, by communicating positive and encouraging words, and behavior that is kind to the planet – we can accomplish just that. We believe that organic and ethically sourced ingredients allow us the most possibilities to have a positive impact. Here are three reasons why.

1. Organic is best for our consumers overall health – organic foods reduce your exposure to toxins including pesticide residues. According to the President’s Canceer Panel, there is a strong link between the increasing rate of cancer and our polluted planet. The advice? Choose foods grown with out pesticides or chemical fertilizers to decrease your exposure. Organic foods avoid these chemicals. Even more, healthy soils contain more nutrients than soils that have been heavily polluted and stripped of natural minerals.

2. Organic Foods are best for farmer’s health & livelihood – Would you want to be exposed to a high rate of chemicals each day? Industrial farming contributes to the highest amount of petroleum used per industry, with a big chunk of that due to the synthetic fertilizers they use. I feel bad for the people exposed to that EVERY DAY! Using organic methods protects the farmers from that exposure. Organic farmers are also able to improve their income due to the price premiums and reduced input costs that organic farming provides. In fact, organic systems are actually three times more profitable than conventional counterparts.

3. Its best for the PLANET & future generations! Organic farming helps protect the soil, water, and air from toxic chemicals that otherwise pollute the earth and our bodies. Organic farming helps build and improve soil help and conserve the biodiversity and wildlife habitats because more birds, animals, and beneficial insects live on organic farms. It helps fight global warming by reducing energy inputs and carbon. Research indicates that conventional farming practices emit 40% more greenhouse gases per pound of crop produced relative to organic farming methods – so reduce your damn carbon footprint, spread the love, and eat ORGANIC!

Posted in day, earth, healthi, holistic, no dairy, no refined sugar, not your sugar mamas, organic, organic chocolate, organic farming, superfood, support, why we chose organic

Cacao as a mineral supplement?

Posted on March 25, 2013 by Kyleen Keenan | 1 Comment

Ahoy fellow humans! In pondering over today’s newsletter topic, I thought to myself, “Have I ever dedicated an entire blog to just cacao??” No I have not. And if I have please send me the link and remind me. Why not learn even more about the food and inspiration behind starting Not Your Sugar Mamas? In my eyes, cacao is the king of all superfoods. It is such a complex and beautiful food. I remember the first time I ate raw cacao, my whole world changed. I felt jazzed in a way that only raw cacao can make you feel. I couldn’t believe that I had been consuming chocolate that was processed my whole life. To process cacao is just plain offensive if you ask me. Taking away the beauty and the nutritious offerings that it has to offer is just blasphemy! My favorite cacao advocate is a man named David Wolfe. His enthusiasm and knowledge of cacao is contagious, so I thought I would share with you a video from David talking about cacao. The man really knows how to do the food justice in a way that no one else can. So please enjoy the following video and share your thoughts/experiences of eating raw cacao below! Have the best week ever.

Click here to watch the video and learn more about cacao and it's amazing-ness!

Bennett

Posted in antioxidants, bennett coffey, cacao, chocolate, dairy free, David Wolfe, feel good, food, health, high vibration, love, Martha's Vineyard, Not Your Sugar Mamas, nutrition, NYSM, organic, raw, raw cacao, Raw chocolate, superfood, Superfoods

Do you feel the need to cleanse?

Posted on March 18, 2013 by Kyleen Keenan | 0 Comments

This time of year I always get the urge to cleanse. I feel like the idea of cleansing can either be really exciting for people or it can cause anxiety and overwhelm. I encourage you to not be overwhelmed by the idea. Simply put a cleanse is just an intentional simplification of your diet. It gives your body a chance to rejuvenate when we simplify or lighten the load of what we are consuming. When we give our digestion a break our body has more energy to focus on deeper processes of cell rejuvenation, invigorating us on a deeper level. Some people like to do juice fasts, some people like to eat raw fruits and veggies for a week or a cleanse can be as simple as choosing one food group, like meat for example, and excluding meat from your diet from a week or however long you choose. Personally I am choosing to exclude meat, dairy, wheat, sugars and alcohol from my diet for the next week. I will be drinking green smoothies and juices and eating a whole foods meal like quinoa, kale, veggies and beans once a day.

I always feel so much more energized and clear after I cleanse. I feel like it really helps get my creative juices flowing and helps me develop more focus. Some people choose to simply drink more water in a given day to help cleanse. I think any awareness you bring to making your diet a little healthier and a little cleaner is better than nothing.

Amazing transformations can happen when you cleanse. I’ll give you an extreme but attainable example. I saw a documentary this weekend at the Chilmark Film Festival called “May I Be Frank.” The film was about an Italian man from Brooklyn named Frank. He weighed close to 300 pounds, had hepatitis C, was on a slew of medications and was very depressed amongst many health concerns. As fate would have it he ended up at an organic, raw vegan café in San Francisco while on a trip. They have a “question of the day” at this particular restaurant and this day the waiter asked Frank “what is one thing you want to do before you die?” Frank answered that he wanted to fall in love one more time before he died but he was scared that he never would because no one would love him because he didn’t even love himself. After getting to know the staff they decided to make a film on Frank to document the change from his typical S.A.D. (standard American diet) to a clean, raw vegan diet. To make a really long story short, Frank lost about 150 pounds, cleared up his hepitatis C, mended all of his broken relationships with family by clearing up his anger, fell in love with his current, smoking hot wife, and tours the world educating people on health and reminding people that anything is possible. Sometimes all it takes is a little change in our routine to help us gain perspective on the areas of our lives that need more attention. I encourage you to bring a little more attention to eating a little cleaner and lighter this week in celebration of Spring, the perfect time for renewal. Have you ever cleansed before? If so, please share your experiences. If this is your first time please share your feelings on the topic below!

Bennett

Posted in antioxidants, bennett coffey, cacao, chocolate, cleansing, conscious, detoxify, feel good, focus, food, fulfillment, green, greens, health, Healthy, high vibration, holistic, love, Martha's Vineyard, Movies, MV, Not Your Sugar Mamas, nutrition, NYSM, organic, season, spring, Superfoods, well-being

Have you found the "perfect" diet for yourself? Does it even exist?

Posted on March 11, 2013 by Kyleen Keenan | 2 Comments

Is this true for you? Have you figured it all out? I dare you to question your beliefs around food. In the food world, it seems that we believe everything we hear before actually testing it out ourselves. We hear “eat more protein” and we adopt this new eating behavior without even realizing the affect it has on us or thinking twice about it. Nothing ever stays the same, our bodies are constantly changing. A certain way of eating might have worked for you for a period of time in your life, and then as your body changed and/or your environment changed you may have found that your old ways of eating no longer sustained you. This is the key to finding what works best for you…to be in tune and aware of your body’s calls for something different (especially if you live in a place with seasons). It doesn’t mean we have to get frustrated or beat ourselves up, it just is the way it is, and if we can learn to go with the flow we will find less resistance and dis-ease…in all areas of our lives. Every single person or body on this earth is different, so one person might need to eat more meat than another person, some people don’t need to eat any meat, some people need more fat, some people need less fat, some people like to be marathon runners and some people like to walk and do yoga. It’s truly about finding what works best for you and realizing that the more rigid we become around food, the more disconnected we become from what our body really desires. Play around with different foods, experiment, HAVE FUN with it! Use your energy levels, your digestion and your moods to help guide you to the perfect diet for your body, at this point in time. Have you found that your diet has changed over time? How does it make you feel? Are you resistant to the changes? (I know I can be.) Please share your thoughts below!

Bennett

Posted in bennett coffey, cacao, conscious, cravings, feel good, fitness, food, fulfillment, health, Healthy, high vibration, holistic, love, Martha's Vineyard, MV, Not Your Sugar Mamas, nutrition, well-being, yoga

Does the quality of your food effect the quality of your life?

Posted on March 04, 2013 by Kyleen Keenan | 2 Comments

In the past, I didn’t have a true concept of what it meant to live healthily. My idea of being healthy was to be skinny. I think that this is a common misconception for a lot of people, especially women. I thought the less food I ate the better. And when I did eat, I had feelings of guilt and shame surrounding my mealtimes, which were few and far between. During this part of my life, I was also feeling depressed and anxious. I wasn’t fully expressing myself. I didn’t experience a lot of joy in my life…and if I did it was in a fleeting, unsustainable fashion. What I’ve learned since beginning my studies in holistic nutrition is that our relationship with food is indicative of our relationship with our life. Once I learned what foods worked for me (as it’s different for each person), I began nourishing myself with nutrient dense whole foods. That is, food that hasn’t been processed and stripped of all nutrients (like many canned or processed foods that come in a package). I began spending most of my time in the grocery store in the produce section. I realized this is where the real food lives! These are the foods that make my body and soul thrive. As I began to give myself permission to enjoy foods that fueled me (eating for fuel+enjoyment is the ultimate eating experience), I began to experience states of pure bliss in my life. I began not only seeking the highest quality food possible but also the highest quality life experiences possible. This is when my love affair with SUPERFOODS like raw cacao began. I thought “Why not feed myself with the healthiest foods out there? What’s stopping me?” The quality of foods that I choose to eat is a mirror of the quality of experiences I have in my life now. I want nothing but the most fulfilling, highest vibration food and life experiences because you only live once. Why not love yourself enough to take really good care of yourself? Have you experienced a shift in the way you eat and the quality of your life? Please share with us below.