Not All Fast Food Is Bad

Fast Food Surprise

Fast food restaurants are known to be fun and inviting places to dine where the flavor filled food is served in a timely matter.  These experiences are always fun and it will give you a break from cooking at home and they serves as a quick meal for you when you are already out on the go.

The problem with most fast food restaurants comes with the health quality of the fast food.  The food is filled with  unhealthy fats, preservatives, sugar, calories, sodium, and carbohydrates.  Even though fast food provides great flavors and is filling it gives very little real nutrition to the body.

There is a light at the end of this long fast food tunnel.  I have fantastic news to share with all my viewers in or around the Maryland area!  I have found that there are great fast food places out there that serve fresh healthy food.  This past weekend I was in Baltimore taking care of some business with my family.  After quite  a few hours out around town my kids started complaining about how hungry they were.  My husband and I started to feel the hunger pains also but with trying to eat healthy we were struggling to think of the best place to eat.  We decided to check out Owings Mills Mall and see if there were some new places open since we had not been there in a while.

When we went inside I spotted a lovely place called "The Big Bean Theory" that caught my eye.  What  first got my attention was the display case of vegetables and then the awesome name .  With excitement I then realized this is no ordinary fast food place.  I thought to myself, wow, no burgers, fries, subs, pizza, or fried chicken here.  Finally something different to eat!  The employees were very informative and friendly.

I came to learn that the owner, Chef Eula, has spent years of perfecting her healthy and quite delicious creations and now is able to serve them to her community at her place, "The Big Bean Theory" inside Owings Mills Mall.

I had the Salmon sandwich with a amazing white tea.  My meal is pictured below.  The Big Bean Theory also offers vegan and vegetarian dishes that is all made with fresh (local when possible) ingredients at a great price.

This is a great grab and go HEALTHY and DELICIOUS fast food restaurant that I felt I had to share with you.  So if you are in the area stop by and later let me know what you thought.

What's The Hype about Commercial Deodorants

There had been a lot of talking about how antiperspirants and deodorants are doing harm to our bodies and now some are finding ways to to avoid any dangers that could be coming from their deodorant.  Some wonder how much truth is there to this.  The talk about danger in using commercial deodorant started after some research findings came out and since then people have been very cautious. 

Parabens and aluminum which are found in some antiperspirants and deodorants have been suggested to be linked to breast cancer and Alzheimer's disease.  Parabens are preservative that is found in some products in the cosmetic industry.  According to Steven Chang, M.D, in the 1960s some studies where done and the studies suggested that the levels of aluminum seemed to he higher in the brains of people with Alzheimer's disease.  The research also suggests that breast cancer cells may grow due to aluminum and parabens being applied to underarm skin.  Parabens have been found in large amounts of breast cancer tissue.

The good news is that the National Cancer Institute and Alzheimer's Association suggest  that beyond the lab there is no direct link to cancer and Alzheimer's due to the use of personal care products.  Many see these findings as no solid proof of any danger in deodorants.  But some people still take heed to the study and want to play it safe  by carefully reading the labels and avoiding antiperspirants and deodorants with parabens and aluminum.  Some are also choosing to make their own deodorant.  I am one of the people who has decided to take heed and has made my very own homemade natural deodorant.  Below I will share with you the recipe.  

Ingredients:

8 Tablespoons of coconut oil (in it's solid state)

1/4 cup of baking soda

1/4 cup of cornstarch (use arrowroot powder if you have sensitive skin)

Tea Tree oil (10 drops)

vanilla oil (10 drops)

**you can use any oil that you like for the sent you want to in your deodorant.  I chose tea tree oil because it act as a anti fungal, antibacterial, antiseptic agent**

Directions:

1.  Combine baking soda and cornstarch or arrowroot powder.

2.  Slowly add coconut oil and mix.

3.  Add the oils and mix until firm like the texture of commercial deodorant.  If it is too wet you can add               a little cornstarch or arrowroot powder.

4.  You can scoop the deodorant into an old deodorant dispenser or into a small container with a lid and apply the deodorant with your fingers.