In this day and age, with our stores filled with pretty packages it is easy to get caught up in the convenience of purchasing readily available items without thinking about what actually goes into them.
Do you buy diced tomatoes instead of dicing your own? Canned peaches? How about chicken noodle soup? Frozen pizza? Spaghetti sauce?
Did you know those cans are lined with BPA? Do you know the regulations that exist allowing an acceptable amount of fly eggs, rat hairs, mammalian excreta, mold and more to make its way into those pretty prepackaged items lining the shelves? Sure sometimes not knowing is easier, but when it comes to the food you eat, you can never be too careful...the food you consume is what keeps you alive and helps to determine how much time you will enjoy on this Earth.
Run on over to the FDA's site and check out the USDA's Defect Levels Handbook for a glimpse of what they call "levels of natural or unavoidable defects in foods that present no health hazard for humans." They may not be hazardous, but they definitely are gross!
Take a good look at your local store. The fresh produce is usually on one side, while the frozen produce line the other side....and everything in between is mostly pretty packages of junk. Try sticking to the outer sections and you will provide your body with the kind of nutrients it was meant to refuel with and avoid the junk that will gunk it up.
Check out this New York Times Op-Ed piece The Maggots in Your Mushrooms for more on what is in the food you eat...my favorite part of this article: "In case you’re curious: you’re probably ingesting one to two pounds of flies, maggots and mites each year without knowing it, a quantity of insects that clearly does not cut the mustard, even as insects may well be in the mustard. "
23 February 2010
11 November 2009
Homemade Potpourri
If you are a potpourri fan, but would like a less toxic and more environmentally friendly way to enjoy the lovely scent without shelling out tons cash and disposing of excess packaging...make some of your own.
Fill a little pot halfway with water, add essential oils of your choice, a mixture of spices, and/or get creative with dried flowers or citrus peels, then turn the stove on to low heat and let it simmer. For gifting and making it look a bit prettier, make a sachet with a piece of cheesecloth, add the ingredients and tie it off with some string. Just be sure to check the pot often as the water evaporates to avoid a fire or burning the pot. Add more water as necessary.
One of my favorite potpourri recipes for this time of year is: a few dashes of ground cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, cloves, and a splash of vanilla. I especially like warming up a pot of this before entertaining guests and to help clear out the awful smell of something burning in the oven. Cinnamon, whole cloves and vanilla sticks work well too.
For those of you, especially pregnant women, who tend to feel a bit stuffy, a few drops of eucalyptus and peppermint oil can work wonders. Bring the water and oil to a boil, remove from heat, drape a towel over your head, hover over the pot and inhale the steam. It is an affordable and natural treatment that can be very beneficial.
Play around with scents you enjoy or do an online search for "homemade potpourri" or "homemade potpourri sachet" to find many more ideas/recipes.
Happy Green Living!!!
Fill a little pot halfway with water, add essential oils of your choice, a mixture of spices, and/or get creative with dried flowers or citrus peels, then turn the stove on to low heat and let it simmer. For gifting and making it look a bit prettier, make a sachet with a piece of cheesecloth, add the ingredients and tie it off with some string. Just be sure to check the pot often as the water evaporates to avoid a fire or burning the pot. Add more water as necessary.
One of my favorite potpourri recipes for this time of year is: a few dashes of ground cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, cloves, and a splash of vanilla. I especially like warming up a pot of this before entertaining guests and to help clear out the awful smell of something burning in the oven. Cinnamon, whole cloves and vanilla sticks work well too.
For those of you, especially pregnant women, who tend to feel a bit stuffy, a few drops of eucalyptus and peppermint oil can work wonders. Bring the water and oil to a boil, remove from heat, drape a towel over your head, hover over the pot and inhale the steam. It is an affordable and natural treatment that can be very beneficial.
Play around with scents you enjoy or do an online search for "homemade potpourri" or "homemade potpourri sachet" to find many more ideas/recipes.
Happy Green Living!!!
06 November 2009
Soda Maker
What a great way to enjoy bubbly beverages for a lot less and while sparing the environment so many cans and bottles!
Check out the Soda Stream at home soda maker.
Check out the Soda Stream at home soda maker.
Cleaning Products in Schools
What products does your child's school use to clean?
What kind of soap is in the dispensers?
Are our kids breathing safe air?
Could the air in their schools be contributing to asthma attacks, cancer and other medical maladies caused/agitated by environmental contaminants?
While most of us don't know the answers to these questions, it is important that we find out. School age children spend such a significant amount of time inside school buildings that it is necessary to think about the air quality. The impact of cleaning supply contaminants may not be immediate, but can show up years later. Taking the initiative to do something now can help save the health and quality of life for our children.
Please take a look at one of the Environmental Working Group's latest reports on cleaning supplies (the green/black box on the right has test results, faqs, and ways to help schools including a sample letter for parents).
Happy Green Living!
What kind of soap is in the dispensers?
Are our kids breathing safe air?
Could the air in their schools be contributing to asthma attacks, cancer and other medical maladies caused/agitated by environmental contaminants?
While most of us don't know the answers to these questions, it is important that we find out. School age children spend such a significant amount of time inside school buildings that it is necessary to think about the air quality. The impact of cleaning supply contaminants may not be immediate, but can show up years later. Taking the initiative to do something now can help save the health and quality of life for our children.
Please take a look at one of the Environmental Working Group's latest reports on cleaning supplies (the green/black box on the right has test results, faqs, and ways to help schools including a sample letter for parents).
Happy Green Living!
07 October 2009
Light Bulbs
If you still haven't changed the light bulbs in your home or find yourself wondering if the bulbs you have replaced were worth it, here is a Seventh Generation article that can help clear up any confusion and make you feel better about the mercury compact flourescent bulbs (CFLs) contain. The energy saved by switching from incandescent light bulbs is astounding and the mercury levels are way smaller than even two years ago (like 500xs!!!). So whether you prefer LED or CFLs, it is worth it and by 2014 incandescent light bulbs will be a thing of the past and you won't have a choice.
Happy Green Living!!!
Happy Green Living!!!
05 October 2009
Reusing Glass in the Kitchen
Take a look in your refrigerator and pantry. Do you have consumables in glass jars? When you are done with the contents, what do you do with the jar? Do you toss it in the trash or recycle bin, or do you reuse it?
If you are interested in canning, need new drinkware, or would like a way to contain loose items like paper clips, nails, change...take another look at those glass jars. There are numerous nifty ways to reuse glass jars so you can save money and get organized.
The spaghetti sauce I use comes in a mason jar that will be perfect for canning my tomatoes next year. The cost of purchasing tops and seals for canning will be minimal compared to the amount that can be saved by reusing containers from items that have already been purchased. The honey jar is perfect for the jam I hope to learn to make from my mother. The capers container will become the cinnamon sugar holder. The chicken bullion one will house the nails in the garage that are currently in tattered boxes. The salsa ones are perfect for adult drinking cups while the smaller cherry ones will work better for the kids. How about using a larger jar to make sun brewed iced tea?
The cost of purchasing tops and seals for canning will be minimal compared to the amount that can be saved by reusing containers from items that have already been purchased.
Whether you recycle or reuse your glass jars, avoiding plastic containers that contain harmful chemicals is a fantastic way to help improve your health and that of our environment. Here's a National Geographic article to help provide a glimpse into a disturbing discovery that plastics can break down in the ocean with devastatingly harmful results.
Every little bit you do can have an impact. One change can make a difference. Plant a garden full of fruits and vegetables you enjoy to limit your consumption of mass produced factory foods. While not everyone has the time and energy for a garden, focusing on purchasing products from local producers is just as good...and whenever a store bought item is necessary, try to get it in glass or try to find it with the most minimal amount of packaging possible.
Please post comments to share your thoughts and ideas on other ways to reuse items normally tossed in the trash or recycle bin. It doesn't have to be limited to glass.
Happy Green Living!!!
23 August 2009
SIGG Finally Cops to BPA
If you have Sigg bottles, you will want to read over the FAQ on their website that states before August 2008, their bottles did contain BPA. Below is a picture to help you figure out which lining yours has. I bought some Sigg bottles this summer...half of them have the new liner while the other half has the older, brassy looking one and will be digging thru my receipts to return them as soon as possible.
I also recommend reading the information available on Z Recommends for a little insight into how sly Sigg was over the last few years scurting the issue of BPA in their bottles.
The more I read up on companies and the lies they tell in order to make a profit at the expense of their consumers health, the more frustrated I get. How do these CEO's sleep at night? How can they look into the sweet, innocent face of a child and continue to spew out toxic products? It is pathetic that providing a product became more of a game of profit than safely meeting a consumer need.
Educate, Challenge, Change! You can make a difference!!!!
I also recommend reading the information available on Z Recommends for a little insight into how sly Sigg was over the last few years scurting the issue of BPA in their bottles.
The more I read up on companies and the lies they tell in order to make a profit at the expense of their consumers health, the more frustrated I get. How do these CEO's sleep at night? How can they look into the sweet, innocent face of a child and continue to spew out toxic products? It is pathetic that providing a product became more of a game of profit than safely meeting a consumer need.
Educate, Challenge, Change! You can make a difference!!!!
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