Mrs. Obama said “When we send our kids to school, we expect that they won’t be eating the kind of fatty, salty, sugary foods that we try to keep them from eating at home.”  Amen.  Although I have to say we have a long way to go to re-educate our parents on proper nutrition after being manipulated by the media, advertising and pharmaceutical industry for so long.

The one thing that still bothers me is how the lobbyists were able to take out the part that stipulates pizza is not a vegetable or to limit french fries.  Pizza as a vegetable, come on people.

The First Lady makes the connection that it’s not just about what the kids are eating, but also about academic performance. Teachers have long known that what the kids eat from breakfast and throughout the day, impacts their ability to focus on their studies.

She also thanks the parents for their efforts, recognizing the push from the parents as they stand up for this issue.    And finally, I want to thank all of the parents who are here today — because, I just want to be clear that we can’t make any mistake about it — this movement to improve the food in our schools is happening in large part because of all of you, the parents. It’s happening because you all stood up. It’s happening because you all spoke out and you asked for something better for our kids. 

Yes, we want something better for our kids. And while we do what we can at home, it’s very frustrating to have your schools undermine you.  I’ve mentioned this at our district’s health & wellness committees, to our school principals and to our superintendent that we have a disconnect between what is talked about in health and science classes and what we actually do in the lunchroom, classroom and even after school.  See I’m not just beating up on the lunch program.  There are other areas during the school day where our kids are “treated” to the kinds of things that I would rather they not have access to:  candy rewards for answering questions right,  slurpees because they completed their homework for a week (huh?  I thought you were supposed to do your homework because it’s expected, not because of some sugary reward.), cupcakes and cookies for every season, holiday and birthday.

Listen, I am not the food police.  Am I the only one that sees the big picture here? How the habits these children create now will dog them into adulthood.  How Type II diabetes is an epidemic and the leading risk factor is obesity?  No one cookie or cupcake is not a deal breaker. And we eat pizza once a week in my home.  But when you put it all together and really look at what your child consumed in a day – and look at it over a week and even a month – can you honestly say they are eating a balanced nutritious diet?

And that’s why so many of us try so very hard to prepare decent meals at home, and to limit how much junk food they get at home, and to ensure that they have a reasonably balanced diet. And when we’re putting forth this kind of effort at home — and many of us are, and it’s difficult to do every single day — it’s always a challenge, particularly with tough economic times and not enough time in the day — but when we’re putting forth these efforts, when we’re doing what we’re supposed to do at home, the last thing we want is to have all these hard efforts, all this hard work undone in the school cafeteria. 

Read her full address here.

On another note, what is the deal with Paula Deen and her secret diabetes? For three years she has known she had it and now is going public because of her sponsorship of a drug from Novo Nordisk?  Thank you Karen Stabiner for printing what most of us are thinking! Read Karen’s editorial.

This is what makes me go a little nuts.  This is the woman who has fried everything she could get her hands on and touted her “homey” southern cooking for the “regular folk”, even after being diagnosed with the inevitable diabetes. Only now that she is endorsing a $500 a month drug, has she gone public.  Can the “regular folks” afford this drug?  And can they sue her for creating the circumstances that now require them to take a drug and ask her to pay for it?

One of the interesting tidbits from Ms Stabiner, pharmaceutical companies spent $4.7 billion on direct to consumer advertising in 2008. (According to Martin Lindstrom’s Brandwashed, pharmaceutical companies spend twice as much on advertising as they do on research and development. Hmmm.)  And that the US has the dubious distinction of being only one of two countries in the world to allow such advertising. New Zealand being the other.

Yes, thumbs up for positive changes in the federal lunch program and thumbs down to Paula Deen, big pharma and shame on us for being sucked in.

If you were Paula Deen, what should you be doing right now?

Today they worked on Long Beach, Sunken Meadow and Nissequogue River State Park.  Tomorrow, Sunday, Sept 18 they will working on Short Beach and next weekend Sunday, Sept 25 will be at Kings Park bluffs and Monday, Sept 26 will be at Nissequogue River. This is open to everyone who wants to give back to their community and make a difference.

For more details and contact person: NYS Beach Cleanup Site List

WHY: A well-organized beach cleanup is a prime activity for learning about the marine environment – its value to people and wildlife, threats to its productivity, and the actions people can take to improve it. Coastal property and waterways are valuable, not only for human recreation but also as essential habitat for wildlife. Marine debris pollutes our waters and shore, destroys wildlife, and insults our aesthetic eye. Participating in a cleanup helps people see that the choices they make directly impact the environment – recycling, advocating less use of plastic, lobbying for less packaging, reusing items instead of discarding them – all have a positive effect on the environment.

PLEASE BRING THE FOLLOWING: * Clipboard & pen/pencil (some pencils may be available). * Hat, sunscreen, water shoes or appropriate walking shoes. * Work gloves.

The Following Will Be Provided: * Data collection tally sheets * Plastic trash bags * Certificates of Achievement * Scales to weigh trash bags (we turn in the total # of pounds)

My husband and sons went down today to Long Beach with Troop 301.  After 1 1/2 hours, they picked up over 64 pounds of trash, from beyond the tide line.  We’re not really sure where all the trash came from, but the boys were truly amazed at what was collectd:  soda bottles, water bottles, assorted bottle caps, tampon cases, bricks, shotgun shells, condoms, disposable razors, balloon remnants with string, food wrappers, assorted plastic bags, even a large plastic that could have been a tarp.

We all agreed that our beaches could use this kind of cleanup more than once a year!

This was a last-minute thing and I really glad I accepted an invitation to attend.   If for no other reason than to get out for a night.  I didn’t have any preconceived notions about what to expect other than Alex Lubarsky of The Health Media Group was involved; so I knew it was going to deal with hot health & wellness topics and local vendors.  I’ve been to the Navel Expo and enjoy hearing speakers that are on the cutting edge of latest research or are not mainstream.  Mass media seems to sweep a lot of issues under the carpet rather than exposing them.

The evening started with a cocktail hour of sampling foods and drinks and mingling with the vendors, with the jazz strains in the background.  Then we were treated to the comic stylings of comedienne Maria Walsh – known as America’s Naughtiest Mommy.  That started off the evening on a light note.

Mac’s was a perfect place to host the event as Mac’s serves natural fed beef and uses locally grown and/or organic produce.

The speakers included Debi Silber The Mojo Coach, Louis Vastola, DC, Pina LoGiudice, ND, LAc of Innersource health,  and Mitchell Kurk, MD, DO and the topic was The Philosophy, Science and Paradox of Energy.

“Energy is fundamental. It has the power to bolster our limitless potential or undermine our best intentions; its presence is as profound as its absence is destructive.” – from the premier issue of Raw Beauty

Debi gave us the most in-depth look at energy – looking  at your body, mind, image and lifestyle and how if one of those is holding you back, you’ll likely suffer from lack of energy.  She reminds us of the connection between these.  It was a great refresher, because somehow even though you know all this and believe it, life gets in the way and you start to forget and go back to just flowing along, overwhelmed and then illness starts to set in.

Dr. Vastola gave a brief talk about toxicity, especially found in our water supply.  For instance, taking a 10 minute hot shower not only opens our pores but allows 3 gallons of chlorine to seep into our bodies.  Many of us filter our water so we aren’t drinking in toxins, and if we do ingest some, our kidneys, liver and digestive system filter it out.  However, showering absorbs the chlorine directly into the blood stream.   Also in unfiltered water is ammonia – so while you think you’re getting yourself clean of dirt, you’re really soaking in chemical toxins.  He recommends filtering the water, either by faucet or a whole house filter, whatever your means will allow.  Another interesting fact:  serotonin is made in the gut by the good bacteria.  We all know the SAD (standard American diet) and the over use of antibiotics has wiped out the good bacteria in many people.  Decreased levels of serotonin can affect sleep cycles, depression and chronic fatigue syndrome.

Pina LoGiudice talked about the age-old E=MC2, and about our energy is related to our mass and our movement, tying together our diets and exercise and the importance not to neglect either.

Dr. Kurk urged us to keep being our own advocate, that there are other methods of treatment out there besides pharmaceuticals.  He mentioned some alternative treatments to Parkinson’s using glutathione. Current medications can produce depression and many patients are prescribed Lexapro or other anxiety meds.

I was disappointed that the last 3 speakers didn’t speak longer, barely touching the surface of the Energy topic.  I wish they would have gotten more in-depth about energy issues and specific steps we could start with.  They obviously have a wealth of information to share with us.

After a brief q & a, Alex Lubarsky also spoke.  One of things he spoke of was the direction of health care and insurance companies in the US and how important it is for you to take charge of your own health. Find the right complement of Doctors, MD’s or Naturopathy, that will spend time with you and listen to your symptoms.  Currently, the main priority of the health care system in our county is NOT you.  Isn’t that ironic?  The powers that be are spending billions in hope of earning billions, it’s all designed to keep you using what they’re selling, aka keeping you ill.  What????  If that’s the case, then you have no other choice than to be your own advocate and learn the best ways to stay healthy in the first place or how to get back to a good state of health.

The premiere magazine had about 7 articles in it as well as a local resource guide. It’s a great start to addressing the needs of women “who are passionate about feeling healthy, looking good, enjoying life and making it all work.”

I am always on the look out for vendors in the green living arena.  Here’s a sampling of attendees:

• Wildtree www.carolsmarket.com – highest quality herbs, spices and culinary blends with no preservatives, msg, food dyes, trans/hydrogenated fats, additives, nuts or GMO’s.
• Mountain Valley Spring Waters, www.healthwaters.com  Bottled water in glass bottles!  What a concept!
• Everlasting Beauty  http://everlastingbeautyskincare.com
• LiveIslandCafe  they offered a delicious fig salad to taste
• Rockin’ Wellness  offering a chocolate brownie and chocolate shake that was delicious – made from Superfoods – it’s raw and organic!
• La Piele boutique & spa
• Natural Sweetie   organic raw honey from the East Coast
• Detox My Water  whole house filters and faucet filtering

A goodie bag was available at the end with some specials from the a variety of vendors and a few samples.

The best part of the night is that it gets you thinking. And thinking can and should lead to action!  I’m looking forward to the next installment from Raw Beauty.

For more information on Raw Beauty Magazine, contact Melissa C. Navia  melissa@healthmedia.us   www.rawbeautylifestyle.com

The NuVal system was developed by a team of nutrition experts. I love the fact that no food manufacturers were involved.

It ranks foods, practically everything in the store on a scale of 1 to 100. The formula is basically taking all the good nutrient points and dividing it by the bad nutrient points.

My only concern was the ranking of sugars and sugar substitutes.  I would have to see more information on how certain ingredients are viewed.

I was just discussing this the other day how hard it is to eat healthy these days with all the health claims on labels.  Your best bet is fresh fruit and veggies.  However, with kids, the reality is you have to buy some processed foods.  So this system makes it a little easier to make healthier choices.

Check out the NuVal website.  They even have a game to test your knowledge.  I did ok but some of those processed foods were tricky.

One might hope that if consumers start using the system in their purchasing decisions, then manufacturers will review and improve their ingredients.

In comparison to the ANDI scale Whole Foods uses, this would appear more user friendly.  For more on the Whole Foods system, visit this posting by Fooducate’s blog.

So within the month we’ll be able to check out the system in our local King Kullen.  I’m game.

Truthfully, it’s always been hard for me.  It’s not that I don’t want to.  I just find it hard to.  I’ve read that you shouldn’t drink large quantities of liquids with your meals because that waters down your stomach acid and enzyme action.  So what’s my excuse between meals?  I just forget.  No big song and dance excuse here.  I just forget.

But I really can’t forget any longer. I just finished reading The Water Prescription by Christopher Vasey, ND.  He explains why drinking sufficient quantities of water is a necessity for optimal physical functioning and it’s role in the prevention and treatment of many diseases.  Could drinking more water really help?

While we think of ourselves as being solid, the fact is we’re really mostly water.  An adult is made up of 70% liquid.  5% of that is blood, 15% extracellular fluid,  that is fluid found outside the cells and 50% is intracellular fluid, that is fluid found within the cells.  So how do we stand up and not just make a puddle on the floor – the author explains as an analogy of a garden hose; soft and flexile when empty yet firm and rigid when filled with water.  That’s what our cells do for us – when properly filled with liquid they provide the firmness.

In the book, the author discusses the sources of water – through the mouth via drinking and eating various foods and liquids, through the lungs and respiration and very little through the skin.  Another small source of liquid is metabolic fluid which the body produces, from chemical transformation of fats and carbohydrates. 

By far, the fastest and easiest way of getting water into the body is by drinking water.  Plain old water.  Yes, we can get water from drinking coffee or juicy fruits or water laden vegetables.  But the body can best utilize plain old water faster and more efficiently than having to extract it and clean it.

Vasey also reviews the process of absorption from the foods and liquids we ingest through osmosis – I won’t bore you with the scientific info here – as well as the process of elimination I really don’t want to bore you with those details.  Suffice to say we need to ingest about 2.5 liters of liquid each day to replace what we lose via elimination.

If we don’t, dehydration occurs.  It can be a slow process as in chronic dehydration or acute, which can happen after as little as three days.

Acute digestion can cause enzymatic slowdown.  Our bodies need an environment rich in water to properly perform the many biochemical transformation necessary.  With it, the cells become congested and sluggish. Enzyme activity becomes slower and slower.  In addition, our bodies need the sufficient water environment to eliminate the wastes and metabolic residues that our cells produce.  (We have about 60 trillion cells – you get the picture?)  Without the proper channels to get rid of the toxins, we drown in them.

Ok – so you don’t go three days without liquid.  But are you sure you’re getting 2.5 liters each day?  If not, some health problems can result.

Some of the harm chronic dehydration : fatigue , energy loss, constipation, digestive disorders, high and low blood pressure, gastritis, stomach ulcers, respiratory troubles, acid-alkaline imbalance, excess weight and obesity, eczema cholesterol, cystitis, urinary infections, rheumatism, premature aging. Surprisingly varied list.

And such a simple answer:  drink more water.  Whether you ease your intake up a little each day or get yourself a big bpa-free water bottle and carry it around all day, it’s that simple. 

Some time ago, I started drinking water first thing in the morning.  This came from two sources.  Long ago, I read about models who drink a glass of water upon waking to rehydrate after sleeping to keep their skin vibrant and young-looking.  Being a little vain, I have always wanted to keep the beautiful skin I’ve had all my life.  I love getting complements on my skin.  I also was told to drink hot water and a squeeze of lemon upon waking to help cleanse the liver by the first chiropractor I went to in my twenties.  I’ve incorporated this habit, although I confess, not daily.  Now let’s see if having the knowledge of why we need to drink the water will give me the incentive to do it faithfully each day.  Will you?

As a side note:  So while I’m normally talking to people about the evils of bottled water, this time it’s about drinking it, not where it came from.  But please where possible, drink filtered tap water and stop buying all those plastic bottles that end up in the landfills for 400 years.

Most of the information here is from The Water Prescription by Christopher Vasey, ND Healing Arts Press 2002

The other day Newsday featured “green” washing machines and a sidebar on “green” laundry detergent.  What I found fascinating was that Newsday touted these laundry detergents as green because they were phosphate free. 

Hello??  NY state banned phosphates in laundry detergent in 1993.   So all laundry detergents you buy in NY supermarkets or big box stores or yes, of course, Shaklee products, are phosphate free. 

A little primer here – large amounts of phosphorus in our water supply from phosphates in laundry detergents, automatic dishwashers and other flake soaps (as well as human and animal waste) were  allowing the algae to “bloom” in our nation’s waterways.  The phosphates (phosphorus) is a plant nutrient.  The algae overgrowth choked out the aquatic plant life and disturbed the ecosystem balance.  In 1993, several states including NY, banned the use of phosphates in laundry detergent.

Now if you want to discuss what’s new and green, which automatic dishwasher detergents are phosphate-free?

This is a subject near and dear to me – my grandmother had horrible dementia at the end of her life.  Now as my own parent ages and friend’s parents age, it becomes more real each day.  I want to know what can I do for my loved ones  and for myself as I get older.   And here is something simple we can all do – drink in the sunshine!! 

Our bodies manufacture vitamin D as a byproduct of sun exposure.  You also get vitamin D from certain foods.   More and more we’re reading about low vitamin D levels.  Here’s the thing – how do you know if you’re getting enough? 

Make sure your getting enough through your diet and your sun exposure – sometimes it’s ok to skip the sunscreen!

I was not close with these women but knew them thru either school or scouts.  We were in the same sisterhood of Motherhood.  And as such, their passing affects me in a profound way. They were just like you or me.  No signs of disaster pending on the horizon.  No warning.   Besides being a mother, they were in their forties with children the same age as mine.  I don’t know much more about their illness or their lifestyle choices.  I would say they lived like you and me.  Doing our best to live a healthy life.  No harmful habits. No excesses.

It just begs the question:  “WHY?”  I don’t have any answers,  I can’t comfort those children who will live the rest of their lives without their mother.  My mother passed young by today’s standards, at 62 years old, so I was well into my adulthood.  These children are not.

My nature is to want to do something.  So what do I do?  I don’t know what caused their cancer specifically.  But I do know what can cause cancer.  If nothing else these past few years, I’ve learned we all have good choices and not so good choices.  So I can continue my mission to educated people on toxic body burden and healthier alternatives.

It is so obvious to me now that what we breathe, put on our bodies and put in our bodies has a tremendous effect on our body.  Today most substances are man-made and full of synthetic components.  Our bodies have a filtering system that tries to remove these harmful entities.  But it can only do so much, especially if we don’t give the body the raw materials it needs.  And so as time goes by, our toxic body burden increases. 

My focus is now on how we can minimize that body burden and give the body the positive elements it needs to live a healthy life.  And I’ll do this as a tribute to all moms, whose lives were taken before their time.

I thought I’d share since it’s been four months and I am still struggling making changes to the way I eat.  I included a link to a page that has the websites for all these companies at the bottom. 

 The fair cost $10 to get in and you get to talk with and sample foods from the different Gluten-Free vendors.  I picked up the “Ultimate Guide to Gluten-Free Living, a little pocket book put out by the Celiac Disease Center at Columbia University.  It contains a handy guide for the shopping.  My daughter’s goody bag also included a copy of Living Without, The magazine for people with allergies and food sensitivities. 

This was billed as the largest Gluten Free Consumer Event in North America with 60 vendors.  Vendors were there from all over, some big brand names and some local startups.  People came from all over the tri-state area.  This was my first celiac event so I’m not sure where and how often gluten-free events take place.   Most of the vendors have websites and ship so even if you’re not in the tri-state area, you can enjoy their products.  Most vendors brought inventory and you could purchase products there as well.  I picked up Udi’s chocolate muffins which I haven’t seen them in Whole Foods.  And at a discount, even better! 

They also had a few lectures.  I would have liked to have more lectures available.  We went to see Marlisa Brown, author of Gluten Free, Hassle Free.  She delivered some sage advice in her own self-depracating humorous style.  I believe there was also a gastroenterologist speaking at the same time. Can’t be in two places at the same time! 

Besides the foods, there were 2 notable booths.  Bob & Ruth’s Dining Club had information on several cruises specializing in gluten free menus.  Life coach, Ilise Ratner who specializes in healthy gluten-free living was available, offering a free consultation.  She seemed very genuine and interested in helping people.  Other books included Cecelia’s Marketplace – gluten free grocery guides and a place to subscribe to Gluten Free Living magazine. 

All of the other booths were foods.  We got to taste lots of cookies & cake & breads…ahhh. Also we brought home some free samples – full size mixes from Bob’s Red Mill, Snyders pretzels, Glutino bars, Food Should Taste Good chips, Bakery On Main, Mary’s Gone crackers and Pamela’s Espresso Chocolate Chunk cookies.

Humor me as I mention my favorites.  You may have a sweet tooth like me but I also love savory.  I guess that’s what I’ve been missing these past four months.  Just the availability of choices, depending on my mood.  And the freedom, for just a few hours, to just pop something in my mouth for a taste.  

It would have been great to have a map of the vendors to help recall the vendors I really liked.  Although I do remember where I was when I had delicious pulled pork!  Smoking Sloes in Northport was in the back right corner!  My daughter tried the mac-n-chese with a thumbs up.  And their pork was delicious – definitely going there to get take out one night.  My son likes pulled pork too – maybe a night out just the two of us – bonding over gluten-free pulled pork!  And the first booth I spotted when I walked in was Udi’s and made a bee line to it.  They have been my sanity-saver, after tasting some gluten free breads from other manufacturers. 

Some of my favorites included The Grainless Baker.   I brought home a slice of mock rye and had it with dinner.  And it really did taste like rye bread.  They also had terrific tasting brownies.  Aunt Gussie’s Gluten Free  had a terrific kalamata olive foccacia bread.  Everybody Eats had a great challah bread.  I had a tricolor cookie, the kind you get from the bakery which I haven’t had in over a year, from Shabtai Gourmet  and it was soooo good.  I didn’t realize how much I missed them!  Nibmor had excellent chocolate that tasted like fudge. mmm… And I have to mention the Triple Thrill Cookie from Wheat Don’t Need You.  Caramel, chocolate and pecans.  Need I say more. 

Locally, in Bellmore, is Bare Naked Bakery & Cafe makes yummy treats. Loved the caramel brownie treat. ”Sweet Melissa Dips & Gourmet Catering” out of Rocky Point has some terrific dipping blends.  Of course most of them had onion.  But I did try one with lavender that was pretty good. I tried Joan’s GF GreatBakes bialy. I haven’t had a bialy in years! Joan’s is also out of Bellmore.

A lot of the entrée products had onions in them so I couldn’t try them.  I had a great conversation with Lorna Shafir of Kettle Cuisine.   They had all natural gluten-free terrific  smelling soups.  My daughter tried them & loved the chicken noodle.  I wasn’t able to try any because of the onions.  So I asked her to put in a word to make one soup with garlic.  Another soup & gravy vendor was For Full Flavor but again they all had onions or dairy.

I also tried some tastey gnocchi from Conte’s.  They have a gluten-free line.  A lot had onions though.  So I still had to monitor that allergy.  That and dairy.  While I’m not allergic to all dairy, I only tasted a few things in small quanities so as not to wreck a good afternoon.  The cannoles from Mama’s in Oakdale were very good, you just have to get past the shape.  I’ve never had a flat cannole before. 

Some brand name vendors were there such as Kinnikinnick Foods from Canada, Schar, Ian’s, Udi’s, Bob’s Red Mill, King Arthur Flours who has a dedicated gf manufacturing facility, Bakery on Main (I love to eat as cereal or sprinkle on coconut yogurt),  Organic Bistro & Helen’s Kitchen and Conte’s.

Some stores were in attendance as well:  Wild By Nature, Jandis in Oceanside, the Diet Shop in Ronkonkoma, Get Healthy America in Plainview as well as Whole Foods.   Whole Foods has a dedicated bakery and brought their own label goodies.

There were also some local restaurants in attendance, sporting a gluten-free menu.  As mentioned, Smokin Sloes in Northport, Mama’s Italian Restaurant in Oakdale, La Capannina in Holtsville and PizzaBistro in Massepequa Park.  

After the euphoric feeling of being able to taste pretty much anything from appetizer to dessert (sans onions of course), I did have an ah hah moment. It occurred to me that some of the vendors sell junk food.  It’s as if we’re just substituting gluten junk food for gluten-free junk food.  Recent hype has celebrity endorsements of gluten-free diet as a weight loss program. While I have lost weight, I wouldn’t wish this on anyone.  I would think it’s obvious if you started eating less from packages and more from the garden, you’ll lose weight.  So I’m thinking, walking thru the expo, many booths were just trading gluten junk food for gluten-free junk food. You still have to read the product’s labels for high sugars or fats. While I crave a cookie now & then, I’m not looking to just replace everything I once ate in a box with a new gluten-free box. If you really want to lose weight & go gluten-free, stick to fruits, veggies & lean proteins.  It’s amazing what you can do with Quinoa! Still, it’s nice to know I won’t have to have my tea solo anymore.  

I don’t want to look a gifthorse in the mouth- I enjoyed the freedom this one afternoon afforded me.  And although I was “full” after 3 hours, I was not doubled over in pain rushing for a bathroom!  I don’t know how we started the conversation, but I mentioned my observation to one vendor and she agreed.  She helped steer me towards vendors that have the same “health conscious” philosophy. Here are some of the notables. These companies on the right track using more natural ingredients such as  Glow with delicious cookies- notably Snickerdoodles.  My daughter & I love Snickerdoodles!  Sweetie Jo’s uses grape seed flour,  purely Elizabeth had brownies that were soooo good and without refined sugars and uses alternative flours and Grassroots Granokies  had a 95% organic cookie-like granola that was good too. 

So while I can’t beat “celiac disease,” I can join the millions who blissfully enjoy foods that were thought to be lost forever. 

Here’s a complete listing of vendors there: 

http://www.suffolkcountyceliacs.org/2010VendorList.htm 

www.suffolkcountyceliacs.org  for more on this support group

I haven’t shopped in these aisles in over a year.  And I think I look, smell and FEEL pretty good!  I’m off now to find out more about this proposed law.  Excuse me if I’m a little skeptical.  But knowing what I know about the food industry, I’m not really confident the government will take on the cosmetic industry.  Guess it’s possible, but in the mean time I will stick to my non-toxic products  you can’t get in a store.