Whether we enjoy eating them or not, vegetables are mother natures way of saying “I love you” to us every spring/summer. Here are a few reasons why:

Eat Fresh Veggies to Lose Weight

Increasing your vegetable intake in order top lose weight is not new. This tried and true weight-loss method has been used by some many for so long and for good reason too! Vegetables can be high in dietary fiber and low in calories which both fills you up and keeps you slim. They also help with water retention and give you extra energy due to their bountiful nutrients.

Eat Fresh Veggies to Look Beautiful

Vegetables aren’t just good for your insides, they’re great for your outsides too! Carotenoids in carrots help to repair skin damage, radishes and celery help reduce body acids which, in turn, reduces acne, and the Selenium in asparagus helps the skin battle signs of aging. This is but a taste (pun intended) of what vegetables can do for your beauty regiment.

Eat Fresh Veggies to Help Your Community

We all know vegetables are good for you, but did you know that eating them can be good for your community too? Community Supported Agriculture groups (CSA) allow city residents to have direct access to high quality, fresh produce grown locally by regional farmers. Bridging the ever present gap between city mouse and country mouse.

When you become a member of a CSA, you’re purchasing a “share” of vegetables from a regional farmer. Weekly or bi-weekly, from June until October or November, your farmer will deliver that share of produce to a convenient drop-off location in your neighborhood. CSA members pay for an entire season of produce upfront (typically $400-$600). This early bulk payment enables your farmer to plan for the season, purchase new seed, make equipment repairs, and more. Not only do you get farm fresh veggies each week, you can go to sleep at night knowing you’re doing your small part to help support your local farmers and keep fresh, organic vegetables accessible for all.

Find a CSA near you by checking Local Harvest

Beyond Beauty Basics goes Down Under! We have teamed up with Apple & Bee to bring you a great giveaway.

As seen in Cosmopolitan and Marie Claire, Apple & Bee is a 100% Australian-owned company that makes beautiful cosmetic, travel, and even baby bags without harming the environment. Each bag is made of the finest natural materials such as certified organic cotton, silk, hemp, burlap/calico, and leather. Each fabric is designed in-house and exclusive to Apple & Bee.

I personally love the Wooden Handle Clutch and the Silver Clasp Purse. They come in these great prints that I love for days and nights out, especially in the summer. They’d be great for a tropical summer vacation too (this is a hint to my husband).

If you were ever a Girl Scout, you were told to leave nature as you found it. Apple & Bee does just that – they have a neutral carbon footprint. They also donate part of all of their profits to environmental organizations. These are not only beautiful bags, but they are green, and that just feels good.

To be eligible for our giveaway, simply leave a comment and tell us why you think you deserve to win your very own Apple & Bee collection! The winner will receive everything you see here: Large Make-Up Bag, Wooden Handle Clutch, Silver Clasp Purse, Medium Make-Up Bag, and the Small Make-Up Bag – a $300 value. Each bag comes in a signature Apple & Bee dust bag.

You can check out the rest of the collection at AppleandBee.com

**Update** Congrats to our winner Amy Hammond!

Contest ends Saturday, June 27, 2009 11:59pm EST. One (1) lucky winner will be chosen at random on June 28th 2009. This contest is only open to U.S. residents and winners will be notified via email. One comment entry per person, trackable by IP address. Please make sure to provide a valid email address. Winner must confirm within 24 hours, otherwise another entry will be chosen.

This is the time of year where we want new skincare & beauty options and we want those options to be healthy, eco-friendly and good for our skin. Thankfully we have many natural beauty brands and products to choose from, in a wide range of categories and price points, from cleanser to bronzer and everything in-between. Brands are listening closely to what customers are asking for and the brands are creating fantastic products for us to enjoy.

Two of my favorite good-for-you skincare brands are LUSH and Yes To Carrots. These brands offer fantastic price points and such a huge selection of items to choose from.

LUSH actually makes solid shampoo bars with delicious healthy ingredients. I love their Squeaky Green Solid Shampoo. This vegan solid shampoo is fantastic for hair and scalp, even helping to reduce dandruff. Nutritious nettle, restorative rosemary, purifying tea tree and stimulating peppermint pack a punch every time you use it. Also, if you visit your local LUSH store try and bring your own cloth bag as some of their products don’t have extra packaging, leaving less trash for the environment.

Yes To Carrots has a wide selection of great products derived from the Dead Sea. This is a fun paraben-free collection of good-for-you skincare for your face and body targeting dry and oily skin types. This is a great way to keep your skin healthy no matter what skin type you have.

I am thrilled to see so many wonderful beauty brands continue to grow and flourish in the natural arena. Korres is a Natural Product line from a Greek company with its roots coming from Athens’ first ever Homeopathic Pharmacy. This summer,  their collection of make-up has grown by leaps and bounds. Not only are there colors extraordinary but they feel and look fantastic on all skin types. Tarte Cosmetics has always been a glamour gals best friend with innovative products and fantastic packaging. They always wanted to make sure that there customers knew that not only were the buying a great pretty product, you were also buying one that would be good for your skin. It’s what’s inside that counts, and what’s inside these products are wholesome, skinvigorating™ ingredients that treat, nourish and protect skin.

If you’ve ever wanted to try a new organic skincare products or beauty routine in the natural arena now is the time to do it. Enjoy all of the great options and have fun with all of the beautiful green beauty products that are available.

Guest Contributor:

Jennifer Walsh has been a true pioneer in the beauty business. Her role within the industry began more than 14 years ago and has involved everything from becoming a CEO of her own company to being a make-up artist for movies, concerts, and runway, to being an on air TV expert, a freelance beauty writer, a creator of beauty retail stores, a book contributor, producer of shoots for magazines, a guest speaker at functions around the country, and most of all, a beauty and skin care expert. JenniferWalshOnline.com

Hey everyone, this week is National Pollinator Week and Burt’s Bees is having a fun contest here at Beyond Beauty Basics to give these little pollinators a moment in the spotlight! Burt’s Bees uses home-made bees wax in their popular lip balms, hand salves, and other products. The company focuses on providing consumers natural products and has also been leaders in using eco-friendly packaging. The best natural personal care products and my personal favorite lip balm are all made by Burt’s Bees. Have you tried any of their addictive natural products yet? No? Well here’s your chance to score yourself a Burt’s Bees Radiance Kit.

You can easily win and glow from head to toe by sampling an assortment from the Burt’s Bees Radiance line in convenient travel sizes which include:

• Mini Exfoliating Body Bar
• Exfoliating Body Wash
• Mini Body Lotion
• Day Creme
• Night Creme
• Eye Creme
• Full Size Lip Shimmer

NAPPC is a group of more than 90 partners and affiliated organizations, working to promote and implement a continent-wide Action Plan to encourage activities that protect the numbers and health of resident and migratory pollinating animals.

Well it’s really easy to win your own Burt’s Bees Radiance Kit so you can stay BEE-utiful! In honor of National Pollinator Week from June 22-28 all you have to do is visit any of the following 3 pollinator friendly resource sites below and leave a comment here on Beyond Beauty Basics on what you learned about the bee crisis, how you can help, or any Bee Crisis FACT.

• Burt’s Bees (www.burtsbees.com)
• The Pollinator Partnership (www.pollinator.org)
• Haagen-Daz’s Honeybee Program (www.haagendazs.com)

Contest ends June 28 11:59pm EST. Five (5) lucky winners will be chosen at random on June 29 and must have a Bee Fact from one of the 3 sites which will be verified. This contest is only open to U.S. residents and winners will be notified via email.

***Drum Roll Please***

Congratulations to the following winners of the “Burt’s Bees BEE-utiful Radiance Kit Contest Giveaway”!  Thank you to all those that entered and check back with us on Beyond Beauty Basics for more contests and great prizes!

• Melody Kristensen
• Kathy Conley
• Tina Renee, NC
• Jenny-kins, NY
• Teresa Hoyt, MI