She makes green sexy and cool, she’s a best-selling author and eco Marry Poppins for the new Millennium. We couldn’t think of anyone better to celebrate 200 episodes of the Food Heals Podcast: the gorgeous Sophie Uliano. If you’ve tried and tried to make good habits stick but never quite got there, Sophie’s got the perfect event for you. But first, we’re going to bust some health & beauty myths. Myth 1: Synthetic chemicals are bad, and “natural” ingredients always better and safer. Well, first off, the term “natural” is not regulated at all, so anyone can put that on their label. And when it comes to synthetics, well, that just means “made in a lab.” Let’s take the top four ingredients that really make a difference to your skin: Vitamin C (in the form of ascorbic acid), retinoids, hydroxyacids and peptides. These need to be used in their synthetic forms to be stable. They might be “chemicals” but they’re completely safe for your skin. Best Skin Care Ingredients to Fade Sun Spots Fast: For sensitive skin/prone to breakouts: beta hydroxyl acid (BHA) that contains willow bark which will also gets rid of your black heads. For not so sensitive skin: alpha hydroxy acid to melt away the dead skin cells and reveal your glow. Our favorite brands: Sunshine Botanicals Pumpkin Power Peal; Alpha H; MyChell. Myth 2: Everyone should use retinols. Yes, but also no. Actually, retinols are something everyone should use because as our skin gets older, it thins - that’s what makes under eyes appearing darker. Retinoids help to thicken skin. BUT prescription-strength retinoids can be too harsh and cause damage. It’s all in the dosage. You need a tiny amount, and if your skin is sensitive you need to look out for the gentler forms of retinol. Myth 3: Lectins are really bad for you. Lectins are protein molecules found in almost all vegetables. They’re the plant’s protection mechanism, so can cause digestive upset if eaten raw because some lectins are toxic, for example the ones found in red kidney beans (phytohaemagglutinin) - which is why you should never eat a raw bean! But lately everyone’s been talking about how bad they are for you, and how “dangerous” it may be to eat plants. Let’s get real: there’s no way eating a wholefoods plant-based diet is ever dangerous. It’s the most natural way of eating. What’s more, most lectins are destroyed by cooking. Myth 4: Juicing is better than smoothies. Juices are great, but smoothies are better. Mother Nature created the whole fruit - when you juice you take out so many of the healing nutrients, like the fiber, which keeps your digestive system ticking over nicely. It’s important to eat the whole plant, and smoothies help you do exactly that. Smoothies win. Want more gorgeously green tips from Sophie? Check out our Thanksgiving and New Year’s episodes! Gorgeous for Good Weekend Intensive with Sophie Uliano; June 9th & 10th Busting myths is one of the steps you can take to get gorgeous for good. But if you’ve never quite been able to stick to those healthy habits long-term, we’ve got the perfect solution for you. Join Sophie Uliano in LA on June 9th to 10th for the Gorgeous for Good Weekend Intensive. For 2 days, you will be supported by Sophie’s tribe of wellness warriors, hormone educators, doctors, healers and mindful meditation teachers, so you can learn all the aspects of wellness you need to become gorgeous for good. This is a beautifully nourishing and supporting retreat, where you will be surrounded by like-minded women. You will make soul-connections that will last a lifetime. Plus, you will walk away with an enormous swag bag worth over $1000, full of gorgeously green beauty products. Move fast and use the code FOODHEALS20 to get 20% off the early bird ticket price. Italian Retreat June 2nd to 9th Speaking of life-long soul connections, we have just 2 spots left on our Vegan Italian Getaway on the Amalfi Coast. How about sampling organic vegan wine and olive oil grown and made on the property