Whether you’re a Patriots, Seahawks or just a Super Bowl party fan, it’s easy to get sidelined from healthy habits during February. Valentine’s Day and winter break also ring in reasons to celebrate. This week’s recap is heavy on the clean-eating news, but also included a few other insightful posts about taking small steps toward better health.

CLEAN EATING

No Boxed Mac-N-Cheese at the White House:
Michelle Obama proclaims cheese powder is not food: Since she advocates a clean diet, she couldn’t possibly let the first daughters eat processed cheese powder.

Petition to remove BHT from Cereals:
We all can learn a thing or two from Vani Hari aka “The Food Babe”. She’s spent years researching ingredients in products, then activating social media petitions to motivate the food industry to remove harmful chemicals out of their food. This week, her petition to remove BHT from cereals caught the eyes of two major food companies.

Healthier Candy Choices for Valentine’s Day:
So, I’m not saying that candy is healthy. In fact, many of my former favorites have such scary chemical ingredients, I don’t care if I never eat them again. Mamavation lists the scary ingredients in many mainstream candies but also showcases better chocolate choices that contain less-toxic ingredients. You don’t have to go to a pricey health food market to get all of these, too. Green & Black’s and Justin’s are all sold at our mainstream grocery store.

ACTIVE/CLEAN LIVING:

A ZEN HOME
I often forget that detoxifying my home isn’t just about removing chemicals, it’s also about creating a calming atmosphere. This post from Mind, Body, Green discusses how to make your home a spiritual haven including tips such as using plants, crystals and salt water.

INSPIRATION:

I was inspired after reading Kelley Arnold Roark’s Love Letter to Herself. After all, we celebrate loved ones for Valentine’s Day, shouldn’t we give ourselves a little TLC.

What did you see in the news this past week that inspired you to think more about your health and wellness?