From jaw dropping gowns to ridiculous jewels, celebrities pulled out all the stops on Sunday night’s red carpet.  Were you gagging for Taraji P. Henson’s vintage diamond necklace?  How about Natalie Portman’s to-die-for Stella shoes?  Once again, GirlieGirl Army fan favorite the vegan/ cruelty-free/ eco Look for Less returns for a delicious cameo!  Remember that couture gowns like the ones your favorite Actress wore usually start at $20,000.  We know it sounds nuts, and it is.  And remember, those chicks don’t buy those gowns, they are almost always either gifted or loaners.  Try these more affordable, and still gorgeous alternatives to this years Oscar trends.

The Mermaid Silhouette was all over Sunday night’s crimson carpet. Though nobody wears it better than Daryl Hannah; Vanessa Hudgens, Beyonce, and the stunning Diane Lane flaunted their shapely bods in this figure hugging silhouette.

INSTEAD: Try this gorgeous purple eco-friendly and vegan gown from Dalia Designs (made-to-order) or this black off the shoulder taffeta number by Jovani ($450).

Shimmer and Sparkle: Glitz and 1920’s glamor were on full display with Tina Fey and Anne Hathaway who opted for fully beaded numbers.

INSTEAD: Try this more casual silver sequin sheath from Miss Me ($79).

Or this long, sex-kitten number by Robes de bal soirée ($164).

And how about Angelina’s Lorraine Schwartz emeralds? WOW.  The earrings alone were worth enough to feed every starving child in Africa.

INSTEAD: Instead; try these Victorian Style Olive Green Teardrop Earrings for $32 at 1928.com.

The color Red: Those seeking to avoid the paparazzi usually shy away from red on the red carpet, but Heidi Klum, Amy Adams, and Amanda Seyfried all looked ravishing as ladies in red this Oscar season.  Watch out Kelly LeBrock!

INSTEAD: Try this Red Charmeuse Dress by Faviana ($178) OR this sweet organic tissue knit cotton “Movie Star Dress” by eco-friendly designer Kate Organic ($170).

How to reach peak performance and your best body ever?  Raw foodies have been raving about “Super Foods” forever.  What are they and why do they rawk?  Raw foods expert and maker of the worlds most delicious raw chocolate bars, Gabrielle Brick shares her super little secrets below;

There is more to eating healthy than raw, organic, vegan foods… and super foods are the key!  You may ask your self, “What are super-foods?” They are whole foods that are off the charts when it comes to vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants that are readily assimilated by the body! Whether you are an athlete, mother, model, student or working the 9 to 5… You need super-foods to thrive and get to the next level of energy and spirit.  Read on below to learn the whys and how’s about cacao, maca, and goji.  Let’s start with a recipe to give you that gorgeous shiny glow;

A SUPER FOOD SMOOTHIE for SUPER LIVING! This smoothie will have you going for hours! Takes 10 minutes and you can drink it on the go or bring it with you for that oh-so-certain crash time during your day!

• 2 cups Hemp Milk (or whatever you love i.e. Oat, almond, brazil nut)
• 1/4 cup raw cacao nibs
• 2 TBL Maca
• 1/4 cup Goji berries
• 1/2 cup Acai berry (or blueberry, blackberry, strawberry, etc)
• Dash of Raw Honey or Agave Nectar — And blend!!!

CACAO

You’ve heard the GirlieGirlArmy wax poetic about cacao before.  Now it’s my turn; Raw cacao is a magical food. It has over 300 compound chemicals that support the bodies function! It is over 700 on the ORAC scale of antioxidants (which essentially means it is through the roof!) What’s even more incredible, is when you put cacao with other foods rich in antioxidants - they potentiate each other and the body is able to access ten times more than if you were to eat them separately! For those non-raw foodies who see us raw peeps and wonder how we get that glow-y look? This is how we get the GLOW, ladies & gents! The fountain of youth is in your food. {EDITORS NOTE: No need to believe us!  Check out these sensational BEFORE and AFTER pix of folks who went raw and imbibed in superfoods.}

Here are some other great benefits of raw organic cacao:

• Stimulates the Neurotransmitters in the brain having us feel alert & focused… Have a deadline to meet? Put the coffee down and drink one of these smoothies! Guaranteed you will get better results!
• Number 1 source of Magnesium - magnesium is the number 1 mineral for the HEART! Can we guess why Valentine’s Day & chocolate go hand and hand?
• Raw Cacao releases ANANDAMIDE… What’s this? The BLISS chemical… That’s right… It releases the bliss chemical that has us feeling oh so good!

MACA

Maca is another ingredient in our super smoothie!  Maca is a peruvian root. It is an ADAPTOGEN. Adaptogens regulate our body. You will find two kinds of MACA on the market;  if you get the “cooked” one, it will act like a stimulant. If you eat it RAW, it will act as an adaptogen and regulate your glandular system. What does that mean? It will literally act similar to a thyroid and balance your hormones! Whether you are 15 or 50… Male or female… this is an awesome food!

Other benefits:

• Sustainable source of ENERGY - a great food to have before your workout or simply to begin your day! Better than Coffee! I’ve had construction workers thank me for adding this amazing food to their daily routine!
• Natural Aphrodisiac - keeps men virile and women happy :)
• Great Source of PROTEIN (tell that to the dingbat who says you need steak to thrive!)
• Boost the IMMUNE SYSTEM
• It has amazing properties and is becoming more well known of for its effectiveness in health challenges, including osteoporosis, male impotence, menopause, menstrual difficulties, chronic fatigue, and depression.
• Filled with B Vitamins, Calcium, Phosphorus, Copper, Boron… and more.

GOJI BERRY

High in TRACE MINERALS, this berry is great for our HAIR, SKIN, & NAILS!

• Goji Berries are a COMPLETE source of PROTEIN - they contain 18 different amino acids and ALL 8 ESSENTIAL amnio acids
• Known as the LONGEVITY berry - anti-aging sesquiterpenoids, polysaccharides, and will NATURALLY produce HGH!
• B vitamins & Vitamin E
• 4 times higher in antioxidants than blueberries

{EDITORS NOTE: We highly suggest everyone watch the film - or at least the trailer below - for Raw for 30 Days.  You will be flabbergasted by people literally reversing diabetes and other life threatening ailments - not to mention infertility -simply by going raw!  This is a must-see for anyone with health problems.}

Gabrielle Brick has been living the raw super food lifestyle for over 7 years.  She has studied, worked, and co-created with the leading authorities in optimal nutrition with over 15 years in health and vitality.  She teaches internationally on the benefits of optimal nutrition, including seminars, private & group consultations, retreats and academic presentations.  Gabrielle was also featured recently on E! as the go-to on raw nutrition. The GirlieGirl Army can’t live without her handmade, organic, raw, perfect chocolate bars. Buy them, book private nutritional sessions, and learn more about raw living here: Www.gabriellebrick.com You may find the ingredients listed above at www.sunfood.com.

We all know that eating organic produce takes chemicals (some seriously dangerous suckers) out of your diet and keeps all the delicious, healthful vitamins and goodies in.  Organic produce is more nutritious, not genetically modified, tastes better, and is much better for the environment - it’s an easy sell.  Pesticides cause cancer, damage to your nervous system, and reproductive effects.  One may say it’s not worth the risk to go conventional at all! Ideally we would all eat everything exclusively organically, but not all of us can afford to go entirely organic.  There are a few items you can get away with eating conventionally.  Thicker skins that hide the goodness from the chemicals like bananas and grapefruit are usually safe.  The vegetables and fruits least likely to have pesticides on them in numerous studies have been onions, sweet corn, asparagus, sweet peas, cabbage, broccoli, eggplant, avocados, pineapples, mangoes, kiwi, and bananas.  HOWEVER; Make sure to eat these items below ONLY organically.

Not to be consumed unless organic.

1. Peaches: Non-organic peaches contain carcinogen iprodione, methyl parathion, an endocrine disruptor, and organophosphate insecticide. Methyl parathion kills bees and birds. According to Consumer Reports, single servings of peaches “consistently exceeded” EPA’s safe daily limit for a  child.
   
2. Apples: Non-organic apples contain methyl parathion and chlorpyrifos.  Chances are, if you can’t pronounce it, you shouldn’t be putting it into your (or your families) bod.
3. Pears: Come nosh ready with methyl parathion, as well as the OP azinphos-methyl, which is fatally toxic to freshwater fish, amphibians and bees.
   
4. Winter Squash: Dieldrin, a chlorinated, carcinogenic insecticide and heptachlor showed up in conventional squash analyzed in labs.
   
5. Green Beans: According to the Green Guide; “Green Beans can contain acephate, methamidophos and dimethoate (three neurotoxic OPs), and endosulfan, an endocrine-disrupting insecticide, which showed up in baby food, too. Acephate disorients migrating birds, throwing them off course.”
   
6. Grapes: Contain methyl parathion and methomyl, a carbamate (an insecticide listed as an endocrine disruptor) and imported grapes contain dimethoate. Consider drinking only organic wine which is sulfite-free (so your hang over will be ten times lighter) and much tastier!
   
7. Strawberries: The fake red color of non-organic strawberries comes from the fungicide captan, a  human carcinogen that also is highly toxic to fish.  The lethal soil fumigant methyl bromide has harmed California farm workers, and depletes the ozone layer.
   
8. Raspberries: Contain captan, iprodione and carbaryl, a suspected endocrine disruptor that has also been found in baby food. Only feed your baby organic baby food.  That is an expense worth taking on.
   
9. Potatoes: Contain dieldrin and methamidophos, and aldicarb. Yum.
   
10. Tomatoes: High in chlorpyrifos and numerous other pesticide residues.
11. Cantaloupe: High in chlorpyrifos and numerous other pesticide residues.
12. Cherries: 91.4% of all non-organic cherries tested had toxic, incredibly high levels of pesticides.
    
13. Celery: High in carcinogenic pesticides when eaten non-organically.
    
14. Peppers: Sweet bell peppers was the vegetable with the most pesticides detected on a single sample (11 found on one sample), followed by celery and lettuce (both with nine).
    
15. ALL Leafy Greens: Permethrin and dimethoate and DDT have been found on leafy greens.

Who knew (conventionally) that these could be dangerous for you?

Click here to download this guide in a handy lil format (to bring with you when you shop or to keep in your wallet).  We believe that one day organic produce will be the same price as conventional, but til then, prioritize your groceries.  Buy in bulk (when possible), join a CSA, and relish in the joy of a Whole Foods.  Make a choice to cut out some things that you don’t nesisarily need for what you truly do (non toxic food!).

Trade this for a big bag of organic apples.

Can you cut out that weekly manicure, extra taxi, morning latte, splurge purchase, or third martini to make sure your body is chock full of precious vitamins?  We think you can!

Hey SuperGirls, Wonder Women, Green Lanterns, and Assorted Superhero readers: A contest to lift our mid-week blues and remind us of the power of that illustrated (and illustrious) lady of the lasso.

Now you can live your tween dream and Win a Chance to Have Your Likeness Drawn Into an Upcoming Wonder Woman Comic Book! You’ll get to keep the original, signed artwork (frame and all), and get 50 copies of the first printing of the comic book! And  the second and third prizes ain’t too shabby neither (can you say “Playstation!?)!   Enter here to win.

If you live in NYC and haven’t heard of Hot 97, you must have been living under a rock.  If you don’t live in NYC, keep reading (and listening) for, at the very least, a good laugh.  Hot 97 is probably the hottest Urban station there is, and I grew up tuning in and bopping my bamboo earring-ed head to this station on my way to High School every morning (those were the years when I wore baggy pants and dark lip liner).

Moi wearing OlsenHaus. Pix by Ryan Pfluger

Imagine my surprise when upon stopping by the 101.9 RXP Matt Pinfield show last week to share some fun eco-Valentine’s Day tips, the Hot 97 boys from the Cipha Sounds & Rosenberg Show heard an “eco chick” was in the house (Hot 97 and 101.9 share a floor) and asked me to come and talk to them as well.  I had all sorts of preconceived notions about how hip hop tough guys would react to my eco, green, vegan ideas - but they were all smashed in the shnozz by the most open minded and adorably funny gentlemen I’ve met in years.  Considering I wasn’t technically prepared and the conversation ended up going in a decidedly random and sexual direction, I think the overall result was enlightening for the listeners.  I figured you kids would get a kick out of it.  I had fun sparring with these adorable guys, and hope they ask me back again!   What do you think?

Listen to my segment (and Bill Maher’s - could I be in better company?!) here.

Two cute and open-minded boys.