Organic Consumers Association (OCA)has a Coming Clean Campaign to which is working for organic integrity in skin care products. It is important to know what is really in the products we are purchasing and how they are affecting our health. Since there is no certification standard for organic labeling in the body care industry, it is much easier to put misleading claims on a product. Below is the list of the organic cheaters and winners that is posted on OCA's website. You just might be surprised at who is on the list and who is not.
ORGANIC CHEATERS:
◦Avalon "Organics"
◦Desert Essence "Organics"
◦Earth's Best "Organic"
◦Eminence "Organic" (Except Few w/USDA Seal)
◦Giovanni "Organic"
◦Goodstuff "Organics"
◦Head "Organics"
◦Jason "Pure, Natural & Organic"
◦Kiss My Face "ObsessivelyOrganic"
◦Nature's Gate "Organics"
◦Physicians Formula "Organic" Wear
◦Stella McCartney "100% Organic"
CERTIFIED USDA ORGANIC
◦Alteya Organics
◦Baby Bear Shop
◦Badger
◦Brittanie's Thyme
◦Bubble and Bee Organic
◦Dr. Bronner's Magic Soaps
◦Earth Mama Angel Baby
◦Indian Meadow Herbals
◦Intelligent Nutrients
◦Kimberly Parry Organics
◦Little Angel
◦Mercola
◦Miessence Certified Organics
◦Nature's Paradise
◦OGmama and OGbaby
◦Organicare
◦Organic Essence
◦Origins Organics
◦Purely Shea
◦Rose Tattoo Aftercare
◦SoCal Cleanse
◦Sensibility Soaps/Nourish
◦Terressentials
◦Trillium Organics
◦Vermont Soap
Source: Organic Consumers Association
Visit Environmental Working Group to find out the Hazard Score for each of the products listed above.
.
Tuesday, April 6, 2010
Organic Skin Care Winners and Losers
Wednesday, August 20, 2008
Growing Foods From Scraps
Maybe now is not the time to be talking about this, because we are still into the summer growing season and so much can be grown outdoors. BUT, as I was driving my daughter to field hockey practice this morning I was thinking about our garden. I just love this time of the year!
Go outside and pluck some fresh grape tomatoes, or pick a large beefy one for a sandwich, along the way, pick a few cucumbers, hot peppers, and fresh basil for a yummy tomato salad. Nothing could be fresher or healthier than this!
Then my mind fast forwards to mid September, early October, depending on the weather conditions. The fresh produce begins to slow down and the juicy, succulent red tomato is just a lingering memory. If we are lucky, we can find a handful of hardy ones that will make it up through the end of October.
That is when I started thinking, this year I should grow more indoors other than houseplants. In the past I have attempted some herbs for indoors but had not been so successful, but now I am ready to try it again. As I was thinking about it and researching what to do, I came across this article on growing foods from scraps in the kitchen. It seems simple enough and fool proof!
Garlic:
1. Plant a few garlic cloves with pointed tip facing up in a pot with loamy organic soil.
2. Place the pot on a sunny windowsill and water regularly like a houseplant.
3. Green garlicky shoots emerge in a week or so. Harvest with a scissors to using in cooking or as a tasty garnish for soups, salads and baked potatoes.
Green Onions:
1. Use green onions with healthy, white roots attached to the bulb. Snip off green tops for cooking with a scissors. Leave a little green top on the onion bulb.
2. Plant the entire onion while leaving the short top above ground in a small pot filled with a loamy, organic potting soil. Make sure your container has drainage holes. Put in a sunny windowsill and water once a week or when soil feels dry to the touch.
3. Harvest new green shoots with scissors to use for cooking or as a tasty garnish. Continue to leave the onion in the soil. With each new growth the onion will taste more potent. After each harvest of onion tops, dress the topsoil with organic compost. Enjoy green onion tops in stir-fries, omelets, and in sandwiches all winter long
Pineapple:
1. Indoor pineapple plants rarely produce flowers and fruit, but their striking foliage adds a touch of exotic to any houseplant collection. All you need to grow one is the green top you cut off when you eat the pineapple. For best results, use a pineapple that has fresh center leaves at the crown. Lob off the top, right where the crown meets the fruit. Peel off the bottom leaves and clean off the leftover fruit. Let the top rest a day before planting.
2. Fill a shallow pot with rich, loamy organic soil mixed with a few tablespoons of well-rinsed coffee grounds. Pineapple grows best in an acidic soil. Plant the pineapple top so the soil is even with the bottom of the crown.
3. Water well and mist the leaves and crown with a diluted, organic liquid fertilizer. As a member of the Bromeliaceae family, which also includes air plants, pineapple plants take much of their nourishment not from the soil but from nutrients in the moist air.
Avocado:
1. For best results use only a ripe avocado. Carefully halve the fruit and rinse the pit. Pat dry and let sit overnight in a warm, dry spot. The next day, peel off any of the parchment-like skin from the pit.
2. Place the pit with the base (the wider end) toward the bottom in a 7-inch pot full of loamy, rich organic soil. Make sure the tip is above the soil, exposed to light for proper germination. Water thoroughly.
3. If your apartment is dry, place a clear plastic cup over the exposed seed tip to serve as a mini-greenhouse. Though the plant does not need direct light to germinate, placing the pot on a sunny windowsill will speed growth.
4. Continue to water every week and make sure the soil doesn't dry out completely. The pit may take over a month to germinate so be patient.
5. When the sprout emerges and grows to about 4 inches, add another layer of organic soil to cover the pit completely. This not only protects the seed, but also any roots that may poke through the soil in search of nourishment.
6. Once the plant starts growing, it may remind you of the story "Jack and the Beanstalk." You can watch the plant grow tall for a year (supported with a wooden rod) and let it branch on its own, or make a decision to prune it and force it to branch, making a sturdier plant. If you choose to prune, it's best to trim with a diagonal cut 2 inches from the top. Be careful as you prune not to cut the main stem more than 1/3 of its height.
7. Continue to add organic compost to fertilize the soil with each pruning and water as you would a houseplant. Only repot the fast-growing plant when it is 6 times taller than the diameter of the pot.
8. Though avocado plants do not bear fruit if grown indoors, you can plant multiple avocado pits at various times in the same pot for a more interesting arrangement.
Source
Thursday, May 29, 2008
7 Steps to a Healthy Lawn
1. MOW HIGH & MULCH
Grass cycling (sharpen those mower blades!) returns clippings to the lawn providing about 1,500 pounds of free fertilizer to the average lawn. Scattered clippings break down quickly and feed the roots of the grass plants. Grass cycling can be done with a mulching mower or regular mower. Clip only 1/3 of the grass length at each mowing. This will keep the plants less stressed.
2. USE NATURAL, ORGANIC, SLOW-RELEASE FERTILIZER
Use natural, organic, slow-release fertilizer in May and September. When nutrients are released slowly, the plants absorb them better, getting more bang for the buck. The goal here is to keep the lawn a healthy shade of green. A "too green" lawn is a sign of overuse of chemicals...a lawn on drugs.
3. WATER DEEPLY & LESS FREQUENTLY
Deeper watering will penetrate the root zone more effectively. Over-watering promotes lawn diseases and can leach nutrients from the soil. Aeration helps water reach the roots and corrects problems with compaction. If there is thatch buildup, de-thatch! Let the lawn go dormant in the summer. Dormant lawns need only one deep watering per month. Otherwise, water about one inch per week in July and August. Use less in late spring or early fall. Water slowly to avoid puddling and runoff. Newly planted lawns, of course, may need some additional TLC.
4. AERATE AND OVER SEED
Aeration and over seeding go a long way toward creating a beautiful, healthy lawn. You can rent a power aerator or hire a professional. If your soil is compacted deeper than 2", find a lawn care professional that has equipment which can penetrate 6-8" for full aeration. Over seed after aeration with a lawn seed mix designed for the northwest. Ask about these mixes at your local nursery. April or May as well as September are the best months for aeration and over seeding.
5. AVOID PESTICIDES & HERBICIDES
Avoid 'weed and feed' products or other pesticides/herbicides. Pesticides and herbicides create problems, rather than solve them. For example, diazinon is thought to have been responsible for the deaths of dozens of birds in the Puget Sound region, while feeding on treated lawns. Instead, use compost on the lawn to feed the soil and enhance healthy lawn growth. Apply compost about 1/2 " deep on established lawns once a year. To prepare soil for a new lawn, apply 2" of compost to 6-8 inches of soil. Water well. Microorganisms in a healthy lawn help fight pests naturally.
Remove problem weeds by hand in the spring and fall. Long-handled weed pullers are a great tool! Other tools work well for dandelions by letting you go deep and getting the whole root. Try using headphones with your favorite music playing to help make hand weeding more pleasurable, or hire local youth to do the job for you.
Sometimes weeds are telling you something. For example, moss means you are trying to grow lawn in a place that is just too wet or shady for grass. Clover may mean you need more nitrogen.
Some folks believe that your lawn is anything green that grows to a height of a few inches and can be mowed! For many of us, clover and moss look just fine in the lawn.
6. REDUCE LAWN
Honey, I shrunk the lawn! We encourage people to minimize the amount of lawn they have, in order to reduce chemical use and save water and your own labor. Using native plants, ground cover, pathways, etc., instead of lawn, makes a lot of sense for many homeowners. To reduce lawn area, simply smother mulch the area of lawn to be converted to garden or other use. Cardboard works well as does a thick layer of newspapers. Apply several inches of compost over this layer and plant a new bed. It's an easy and effective way to make unwanted lawn disappear.
7. ATTEND THE NATURE LYCEUM
Working with horticulturists, landscape companies, tree care companies, estate care, grounds maintenance, wineries, golf course superintendents, farmers and the back yard gardener, The Nature Lyceum has helped to spread to the work of organics through their pro-active Green Guerrilla program. Students from around the world have graduated from the program and have taken back to their specific communities a holisitic approach to approach to plant and soil health.
For information on the next class, contact Jeff Frank at 631-283-1915. Both Scott and I have attended programs at the Nature Lyceum and we highly recommend this to any one looking to expand their perceptions, abilities and knowledge basis as they work more co-creatively with the environment. Website
Natural Lawn Care Tips 1- 6 provided by: Natural Landscapes Project
.
Friday, May 16, 2008
Benefits of Using Raw Butter
Butter has gotten a bad rap over the past decades, mostly due to commerical interest rather than health interests. Butter is a rich source of fat-soluble vitamins A, D, E, and K. The saturated fat in butter actually enhances our immune function, protects the liver from toxins, provides nourishment for the heart in times of stress, gives stiffness and integrity to our cell membranes, and aids in the proper utilization of omega-3 essential fatty acids. Butter will add extra nutrients and flavor to your vegetables, whole grain breads, and sautéed dishes.
Butter is a completely natural food essential to your health - especially when you eat organic. Also, please make the extra effort to obtain high-quality organic, raw butter.
Margarines, on the other hand, are a processed food, created chemically from refined polyunsaturated oils. The process used to make these normally liquid oils into spread-able form is called hydrogenation. Margarine and similar hydrogenated or processed polyunsaturated oils are potentially more detrimental to your health than any saturated fat.
So take a look at the long list of benefits one can receive from eating butter, especially if it is organic raw butter..
1. Butter is rich in the most easily absorbable form of Vitamin A necessary for thyroid and adrenal health.
2. Contains lauric acid, important in treating fungal infections and candida.
3. Contains lecithin, essential for cholesterol metabolism.
4. Contains anti-oxidants that protect against free radical damage.
5. Has anti-oxidants that protect against weakening arteries.
6. Is a great source of Vitamins E and K.
7. Is a very rich source of the vital mineral selenium.
8. Saturated fats in butter have strong anti-tumor and anti-cancer properties.
9. Butter contains conjugated linoleic acid, which is a potent anti-cancer agent, muscle builder, and immunity booster
10. Vitamin D found in butter is essential to absorption of calcium.
11. Protects against tooth decay.
12. Is your only source of an anti-stiffness factor, which protects against calcification of the joints.
13. Anti-stiffness factor in butter also prevents hardening of the arteries, cataracts, and calcification of the pineal gland.
14. Is a source of Activator X, which helps your body absorb minerals.
15. Is a source of iodine in highly absorbable form.
16. May promote fertility in women.
17. Is a source of quick energy, and is not stored in our bodies adipose tissue.
18. Cholesterol found in butterfat is essential to children's brain and nervous system development.
19. Contains Arachidonic Acid (AA) which plays a role in brain function and is a vital component of cell membranes.
20. Protects against gastrointestinal infections in the very young or the elderly.
Sources:
BodyEcology.com
.
Tuesday, May 13, 2008
Plants that Boost Indoor Air Quality
25 Top Plants
These plants have been shown to be effective in removing common pollutants from indoor air including formaldehyde, benzene and carbon monoxide.
Common Name.....Scientific Name
1. Anthurium..... Anthurium andraeanum
2. Areca palm..... Chrysalidocarpus lutescens
3. Benjamin Weeping Fig.... Ficus benjamina
4. Boston fern.... Nephrolepis exaltata
5. Chinese Evergreen.....Aglaonema modestum
6. Corn Plant..... Dracaena massangeana
7. Croton..... Codiaeum variegatum
8. Date palm..... Phoenix roebelenii
9. Dieffenbachia..... Dieffenbachia bowmannii
10. English Ivy..... Hedera helix
11. Fig ‘Alii’..... Ficus macleilandii ‘Alii’
12. Gerbera Daisy......Gerbera jamesonii
13. Golden pothos..... Epipremnum aureum
14. Janet Craig ....Dracaena "Janet Craig"
15. Marginata..... Dracaena marginata
17. Peace Lily..... Spathiphyllum "Mauna Loa"
18. Potted Mum..... Chrysantheium morifolium
19. Ponytail palm..... Beaucarnea recurvata
20. Prayer plant (Calathea)..... Maranta leuconeura erythroneura
22. Snake plant ..... Sansevieria laurentii
23. Warneckii ..... Dracaena "Warneckii"
24. Zebra plant..... Aphelandra squarrosa
25. ZZ plant..... Zamioculcas.
Wednesday, April 16, 2008
Why Do I Need to Mulch?
Are you outside yet, digging in the dirt, getting your hands dirty as you play in your garden beds? Actually, I have not gotten out to do much myself yet. The weather is still a bit nippy, and I have not had a lot of time free up yet.
And here is why:
- Protects the soil from erosion
- Reduces compaction from the impact of heavy rains
- Conserves moisture, reducing the need for frequent waterings
- Maintains a more even soil temperature
- Helps prevent weed growth
- Keeps fruits and vegetables clean
- Keeps feet clean, allowing access to garden even when damp
- Provides a "finished" look to the garden.
Mulch Material
Bark mulch: Use 2-4 inches
Smaller chips are easier to spread, especially around small plants. Excellent for use around trees, shrubs, and perennial gardens. When spreading mulch around trees, keep the mulch an inch or two away from the trunk. A couple inches of mulch is adequate. There is no need to apply the mulch 6 or 8 inches high, as often is seen.
Wood chips: Use 2-4 inches
Similar to bark mulch. If using fresh wood chips that are mixed with a lot of leaves, composting may be beneficial.
Leaves: Use 3-4 inches
Best to chop and compost before spreading. If using dry leaves, apply about 6 inches.
Grass clippings: Use 2-3 inches
Thicker layers tend to compact and rot, becoming quite slimy and smelly. Add additional layers as clippings decompose. Do not use clippings from lawns treated with herbicides.
Newspaper: Use 1/4 inch
Apply sheets of newspaper and cover lightly with grass clippings or other mulch material to anchor. If other mulch materials are not available, cover edges of paper with soil. Applying on a windy day can be a problem.
Compost: Use 3-4 inches
Excellent material for enriching soil.
Bark mulch and wood chips are sometimes used with landscape fabric or plastic. The fabric or plastic is laid on top of the soil and then covered with a layer of bark chips. A caution to this practice: while initially the plastic or fabric may provide additional protection against weeds, as the mulch breaks down, weeds will start to grow in the mulch itself. The barrier between the soil and the mulch also prevents any improvement in the soil condition and makes planting additional plants more difficult.
And here is the rest of it.
Read more!Friday, April 4, 2008
Slow Burning Compost
STEPS TO BUILDING SLOW BURNING COMPOST PILE
One very easy thing you can do to reduce your impact on the planet, and bolster your gardening efforts, is to compost. Compost makes rich fertilizer and mulch out of yard waste, food scraps, tree trimmings, old lumber and even certain types of paper.
Pick a Good Location:
Break Up the Ground a Bit:
You don't have to dig the location, but aerate the top layer of soil and completely remove weeds. If this is your first pile in the area, you may wish to add some worms: Red worms are best, but nightcrawlers will do.
Start with a Layer of Small Sticks or Brush:
The idea is to trap some air pockets at the bottom.
Build Your Pile in Layers:
When possible, alternate layers of brown materials and green materials. The mixing of carbon (brown) and nitrogen (green) wastes fosters breakdown. A layer of green grass, covered with a layer of wood chips or dead leaves, works well. Paper and cardboard is carbon. Coffee is nitrogen.
Chop Up Big Things:
Fruit rinds, over-the-hill garden plants, etc. all break down faster when chopped up. Try a machete: sharper blade equals much less work.
Keep the Pile Damp:
No Meat or Fat:
Make Your Pile as Big as Possible:
Bigger piles burn hotter. Anything much smaller than roughly three feet in diameter will break down very slowly, and may not break down completely in any amount of time. Lawn cuttings break down relatively fast.
Crack the Thing Open Once in a While:
Keep Building:
Keep a Tub in Your Kitchen:
Without building specific apparatus, the easiest way is with a screen or a series of screens, and a big wheelbarrow. Place the screen over the wheelbarrow. Shovel the compost on. Shake or scrape with shovel to force the compost through. Keep going until the barrow is full or until you have all you need. Use while fresh to take advantage of teeming microbial life. Keep the screening discards for re-composting.
Source
.
Thursday, April 3, 2008
More Coffee Grounds...More Ideas
DON'T THROW THE GROUNDS AWAY PART II
Every day across America, Asia and Europe, millions of pots of coffee and tea are brewed, and the millions of pounds of wet grounds, filters and bags thrown in the trash. This is both wasteful and foolish.
Coffee by-products can be used in the garden and farm as follows:
1. Sprinkle used grounds around plants before rain or watering, for a slow-release nitrogen.
3. Dilute with water for a gentle, fast-acting liquid fertilizer. Use about a half-pound can of wet grounds in a five-gallon bucket of water; let sit outdoors to achieve ambient temperature.
4. Mix into soil for houseplants or new vegetable beds.
Tuesday, April 1, 2008
10 Everyday Pollution Solutions
GREEN IDEAS
Here are some easy to incorporate ways to reduce your intake of load of toxins.
- Use cast iron pans instead of nonstick. Read about Teflon health concerns.
- To avoid chemicals leaching into food, go easy on processed, canned or fast foods and never microwave plastic. Read about Bisphenol A, a toxic food-can lining ingredient associated with birth defects.
- Buy organic, or eat vegetables and fruit from the "Cleanest 12" list. Find out more about the "Dirty Dozen."
- Use iodized salt to combat chemical interference from the thyroid. Read about rocket fuel's effect on the thyroid.
- Seal outdoor wooden structures. Order a test kit to find out if your wooden deck, picnic table, or playset is leaching arsenic.
- Leave your shoes at the door. This cuts down on dust-bound pollutants in the home.
- Avoid perfume, cologne and products with added fragrance. Search for personal care
products that are fragrance-free, or check the products you're already using. - Buy products with natural fibers, like cotton and wool, that are naturally fire resistant.
Use our list of products and manufacturers to avoid the chemical flame retardant PBDE. - Eat low-mercury fish like tilapia & pollock, rather than high-mercury choices like tuna &
swordfish. Check our Safe Fish List to see which fish to avoid and what's safe to eat. - Filter your water for drinking and cooking. How does your tap water stack up? Search our
tap water database to see what you're drinking.
SOURCE: Environmental Working Group
. And here is the rest of it.
Monday, March 31, 2008
Preparing to Garden- The Organic Way
Spring has finally arrived and many of us are itching to get outside and work in the soil...cleaning, clearing and preparing our garden beds for the upcoming season. I love working in the garden, but I am not a gifted gardener. So I wanted to include some great sites I found on organic gardening. If you are not a gardener, take a peek, these just might inspire you to begin some garden designing of your own!
1. Gardening with The Helpful Gardener
This site includes a lot of basic start up information on organic gardening, for those who may just be moving in this direction or who are incorporating more organic processes.
2. Veggie Gardening Tips
Veggie Gardening Tips offers gardening tips and ideas to help you create a vegetable garden that's productive and attractive. The focus is on raised bed gardening, heirloom vegetables and fruits, organic gardening techniques, and information for growing a beautiful garden that's loaded with delicious organic produce.
3. Dave's Garden
The website where friends share their triumphs and dilemmas in their home gardens and their lives. Dave's Garden is also a place for gardeners to share seeds or plants with other gardeners, and has so much to offer, you are certainly going to find something that will have you coming back daily, as well as making you proud to tell your friends and family about your new gardening home on the net
4. 2 Green Thumbs Up
This site was created for the purpose of sharing adventures about gardening and backyard living, reviewing and recommending interesting gardening and backyard living products (green whenever possible), and to attempt to raise awareness of and promote green practices in other areas of everyday life.
5. Gardening Gone Wild
Although this consortium of gardeners is more than occupied with their “day jobs,” they all have chosen to become contributors who have the desire to express our thoughts, ideas, and philosophies about gardening and the world in which we live. I love this blog!
Well, now that you have had a chance to view some of the sites out there on organic gardening, will you be joining the rest of us, as we start digging in the dirt?
.
Tuesday, March 18, 2008
5 Herbs to Grow in Cooler Weather
COOL SPRING HERBS
If you start the plants indoors, make sure the plants' growth hasn't been hindered and that the transplants go into the ground when quite small, and take are not to disturb the roots during the planting process.
Most of the herbs can be sown outdoors six to eight weeks before the last frost.
Note: If you have poor soil, applying aged manure or granulated organic fertilizer to the soil during the seedling stage helps get plants off to a healthy start.
PARSLEY
Two different forms include the familiar curly parsley and the more flavorful flat-leaved Italian version, with leaves like celery and cilantro.
Sow: Direct-sow seeds or set out six- to eight-week-old transplants about a week before the last spring frost, spacing seeds or seedlings 8 to 10 inches apart.
Grow: Tolerates full sun or partial shade.
CILANTRO
The emerald leaves have a distinctive flavor that combines parsley, sage, and citrus and its seed (coriander), which is reminiscent of citrus and spice.
Sow: Direct-sow seeds a week or two before the last spring frost and again in late summer.
Grow: Best in full sun, with some afternoon shade in hotter regions.
CHERVIL
The leaves resemble parsley in appearance and taste, with delicate overtones of anise.
Sow: Sow seeds directly into the garden about three to four weeks before the last spring frost and again in late summer; thin seedlings to 6 to 9 inches apart.
Grow: Prefers part shade.
DILL
Dill combines well with fish, mild cheeses, and vegetable dishes.
Sow: Best sown directly into the ground four to five weeks before the last spring frost; thin seedlings to 6 to 18 inches apart.
Grow: This aromatic annual thrives in full sun.
CHIVES
Regular chives have a delicate onion flavor; garlic chives are milder.
Sow: Grow by seeds, transplants, or divisions, with plants spaced 8 to 12 inches apart. Sow seeds in clumps or set out six-week-old transplants about four weeks before the last spring frost; divide existing clumps every two to four years.
Grow: Likes full sun to part shade.
SOURCE: Organic Gardening
Tuesday, March 4, 2008
Earth Day Every Day
Every year since 1970, we have celebrated Earth Day on April 22. In the wake of the groundbreaking documentary An Inconvenient Truth (released May 2006), we have reached a heightened awareness of the health of our earth. Now, more than ever, we are adopting earth-friendly habits into our lives. Let’s celebrate our commitment to this place we call home. Below are some of our favorite everyday tips for celebrating Earth Day.
Shop Organic!
Support farmers and grocers who work to keep pesticides out of the ground and our bodies—organic food is not just good to eat, but good for our planet.
Use Cloth Shopping Bags
Cut down on the amount of paper and plastic you bring home. Grocers often provide small discounts for bringing your own bag or for recycling bags from prior visits.
Cook at Home
Cook at home and box your own food in reusable containers. You will save lunch money at work or school as well as minimize the use of takeout containers. Cooking at home has more benefits, as well.
Join a CSA (Community Supported Agriculture) Group
Support local farmers and get a bounty of produce grown right in your own community!
Plant a Garden
There is nothing like the satisfaction of growing your own food! Even if you don’t have space for a garden, you can easily plant herbs, tomatoes, and peppers in their own containers and have a mini salsa garden! Organic Salsa Recipe >>
Compost
Composting provides excellent nutrients for your garden and will cut down on landfill-space issues. Creating a compost pile is as easy as combining kitchen scraps such as fruit and vegetable peelings with leaves and dried grasses. Turn often and keep as damp as a wrung-out sponge. Check out Organic Gardening for more information.
Recycle
Recycle glass, plastic, and paper. Contact your local landfill or recycling program for guidelines in your area.
Bike, Walk, or Carpool
Try cutting down on your car trips. Biking and walking are great exercise… and with gas prices higher than we’d like, you will save money, as well.
Hang Your Clothes Out to Dry
This might sound old-fashioned, but you will find it doesn’t take much more time. You will appreciate being outdoors now that the weather is warming—and enjoy your fresh smelling laundry to boot!
Be Conservative in Your Chores
Make sure the dishwasher and clothes washer are full before running them. And, only wash what is truly dirty!
Turn Off the Water
We often stand while brushing our teeth with the faucet running or let the hose run while we are gardening. Take notice of the time you use water and conserve when possible. Bonus tip: If you find you are always dumping half-full glasses of water down the drain, water your plants with it instead!
Xeriscaping
Look into creating a water-conscious landscape, which will allow you to reduce water use. Many native plants also require very little maintenance, do not use a lot of water, and are well adapted to your area. Again, reducing use of and eliminating unnecessary resources saves us time and money.
Plant a Tree!
Okay, we couldn’t resist this classic Earth Day suggestion. Trees remove carbon dioxide from the air, often while shading hotter areas of the house, allowing you to turn your air conditioner down this summer (more earth-friendly points for you)!
Source: Organic.org
.
Monday, March 3, 2008
Top Ten Reasons To Support Organics
If you are still on the fence about organics, here is a list that may help you make a more informed decision.
- Reduce The Toxic Load
- Reduce if Not Eliminate Off Farm Pollution
- Protect Future Generations
- Build Healthy Soil
- Taste Better and Truer Flavor
- Assist Family Farmers of all Sizes
- Avoid Hasty and Poor Science in Your Food
- Eating with a Sense of Place
- Promote Biodiversity
- Celebrate the Culture of Agriculture
Source To view entire article, visit Top Ten Reasons to Support Organics
. And here is the rest of it.
Sunday, March 2, 2008
Six Easy Ways to Detox Your Life
Unfortunately, pesticides and toxic chemicals are here to stay. However, there are several simple steps you can take to significantly reduce your exposure to them and help counteract the damage they may cause.
- Whenever possible, choose organic fruits and vegetables.
- Minimize your use of insecticides and pesticides
- On a regular, consistent basis take a quality food-based, multivitamin/mineral complex and include high ORAC value foods.
- If you have access to a juicer, make fresh juice a part of your daily routine.
- Don't go on faddish or extreme diets.
- You must make sure that your bowels are moving regularly
To view the entire article, see Detoxify Your Life Six Easy Ways. Author: Dr. David Williams. Source
And here is the rest of it.
Monday, February 18, 2008
Three Numbers You Need to Know for Your Health
WHAT IS YOUR FRUIT TELLING YOU?
It is simple. It is basic. It is empowering. Yet it is not advertised. It is not placed in areas of prominence. Very few people I know are aware of this. Even alternative health practitioner's who I would think have come across this information.
Here are the THREE IMPORTANT NUMBERS you should know when going to the grocery store:
FRUIT LABELS:
The numbers on a fruit label actually have a meaning, and one that you want to know about.
If the first number is a 4 then it is an conventionally grown product
EX: Banana 4011
Note: All combinations of the four-digit code beginning with the numeral "4" have been used up, so new labels beginning with the numeral "3" will also be used to designate conventionally raised produce
If the first number is an 8, then it is genetically engineered
EX: Banana 84011
Produce described a "Genetically Modified" or "Genetically Engineered" means that scientists have manipulated Mother Nature’s original design of that food item. For example: scientists moved DNA from a tomato plant that doesn’t bruise easily into another tomato plant species that produces fruit that is juicy and ripens quickly. The result is a tomato species that produces juicy fruit quickly and ships well.
If the first number is an 9, then it is an organic product
EX: Banana 94011
So next time you go grocery shopping, take a good look at the PCU lables on the fruits and veggies, you will have a better idea about what you are purchasing.
.
Thursday, February 14, 2008
Green Living Tips
Buy local to support the local economy and reduce transportation impacts. - Buy goods with less packaging and/or recycled packaging.
- Buy in bulk to save money and energy.
- Buy used clothing, books and other products.
- Exchange and share tools, clothing and toys.
- Use canvas bags for all your shopping.
- Buy fair-trade products, which support local economies.
- Use non-toxic cleaning materials and organic linens.
- Go carbon neutral - investigate and buy green tags.
- Buy less. .
These suggestions provide a way for us to Vote with our Dollars. As a consumer, I sometimes forget the power I have in the decision making process. When enough of us say through our pocketbooks,(okay, for you men out there, wallets, too) "We don't want it any more", corporate America sits up quickly, with ears perked, pens poised for action, and changes start to roll. Look at the shift from conventional food to organics that has resulted because of consumer demand.
For Me Personally, I have made a conscious effort to purchase as much as I can locally, especially in the area of food. Our family has joined the local CSA to insure we have good quality, fresh produce as well as to be able to support these great young farmers.
Also I hate things that are over packaged...besides wasting resources, they are just a plain pain to open and dispose of all the wrappings. We actually do quite a bit of things on this list, but are by no means the poster family for Green Living, we still have a lot more we can do before aspiring for that position. But we do feel good about the start we have made and actively work towards doing more all the time.
What are some of the things you do to Live Green?
Friday, February 8, 2008
Who Owns Organics?
Years ago I would listen to this radio talk show host on my way home from work. His name was Irv Homer, a well-educated, self taught man that always impressed me with his knowledge and spirit of wanting to help the average guy. He always said, if you want to know the real truth about something, follow the money trail.
Follow these links from the Cornucopia Institute to see who owns who in the organics industry .
- Organic Industry Structure 2007
- Organic Industry Sturcture: 2002
- Organic Industry Private Label
- Organic Industry: Major Independents
Read More.
The latest update of major corporate ownership and involvement in the organic food sector is now out. The charts above graphically focuse on the organic brands with ties to the top 25 food processors in North America. .
Dr. Phil Howard, an Assistant Professor at Michigan State, is responsible for the creation and updating of the organic food business chart. He teaches in the University’s Community, Agriculture, Recreation and Resource Studies program.
Source: The Cornucopia Institute
Thursday, February 7, 2008
Organic Labels: What Do They Mean?
If you are like me, you can easily become confused by all the verbage that is posted on products. It is almost as if you need a degree in Label Reading to be able to properly determine what the product is really about. Is there anyone else out there who is asking the question, Do I really know what's in my dinner?
- 100% Organic: According to USDA’s national organic standard, products labeled as “100 percent organic” can only contain organically produced ingredients. Products containing 100% organic ingredients can display the USDA Organic logo and / or the certifying agent's logo.
- Organic: To be labeled as "organic," 95% of the ingredients must be organically grown and the remaining 5% must come from non-organic ingredients that have been approved on the National List. These products can also display the USDA organic logo and/or the certifier’s logo.
- Made With Organic Ingredients: Food products labeled as "made with organic ingredients" must be made with at least 70% organic ingredients, three of which must be listed on the back of the package and again, the remaining 30% of the non-organic ingredients must approved on the National List. These products may display the certifier’s logo but not the USDA organic logo.
- Certified Organic: Foods must be grown according to strict uniform standards that are verified by independent states or private organizations; certified organic foods mean that periodic testing of soil and water of farms that produce organic foods must be conducted, and field and processing facilities must be inspected
- Transitional: these are foods produced during the three-year transition period between the conversion of conventional and organic food production
- Free Range: USDA regulations allow for a generous definition. These could mean the coop door is open for five minutes a day, whether or not the chickens go out. The rule for the label's use on poultry products, for example, is merely that outdoor access be available for "an undetermined period each day."
- Natural/ All Natural: No government agency regulates the use of this word. No standard definition for these terms exists, except when it's applied to meat and poultry products, which the USDA defines as not containing any artificial flavoring, colors or synthetic ingredients.
Did You Know?
All three organics categories prohibit the inclusion of any ingredients produced using genetic engineering, irradiation, or sewage sludge.
Products with less than 70 percent organic ingredients can list the organic items only in the ingredient panel. There can be no mention of organic on the main panel.
The National Organic Standards Board (NOSB), an expert advisory panel to the USDA’s National Organic Program, voted to exclude cloned animals, their offspring, and any food products from cloned animals from the organic sector.
Fruit Labels
The numbers on a fruit label actually have a meaning, and one that you may want to know about.
- If the first number is a 4 then it is an conventionally grown product EX: Banana 4011
- If the first number is an 8, then it is genetically engineered EX: Banana 84011
- If the first number is an 9, then it is an organic product EX: Banana 94011
Read more!
Monday, February 4, 2008
Top 10 Lists: Which Foods Should We Buy Organic?
In the perfect world, we all have the perfect patch of land, we enjoy gardening, and grow wonderfully organic frutis and vegetables. But since that is the perfect world, few of us live in it.
For alot of us, we live instead in the real world, where we only have so many food dollars to go around. We may be giving careful consideration to our weekly purchases....what should I buy? From whom? Where does it come from? How is it grown? Are my decisions supporting good environmental practices?
Wise decsions about the right type of food with the highest nutritional value and quality should be high on our list. When possible, organics is the route to go. Buying local, good quality organic fruits and veggies from our local farmers, who we get to know, I have found is the most desired approach. When this is not possible, the health food or organic produce stores or markets are a good alternative. But this can get very pricey, in a few short bags, depleting our cash reserves before the weekly shopping list is complete.
So what do you do? You do your homework! That way, your dollars go futher, while your health and nutrional needs are still being addressed. Some foods should just always be on your NO-NO! List of products to purchase unless they are organic. Other foods, when measuring how far to stretch your dollar and still have sound nutrition, have the least amount of pesticide residue and buying conventional would be ok.
TOP FOODS WITH HIGHEST PESTICIDE CONTENT
Here is a list of the top 10 foods containing the most pesticides, according to the Environmental Working Group, a non-profit research group based in Washington, D.C. When purchasing these foods, it is best to buy organic, or grown them yourself organically.
- Strawberries
- Bell Peppers
- Spinach
- Cherries
- Peaches
- Mexican Cantelope
- Celery
- Apples
- Apricots
- Green Beans
FOODS YOU DON'T HAVE TO BUY ORGANIC
- Asparagus
- Avocodos
- Bananas
- Broccoli
- Cabbage
- Kiwi
- Mango
- Onion
- Payaya
- Pineapples
For more information see article Ten Foods You Don't Have to Buy Organically.
Saturday, January 26, 2008
10 Reasons to Ditch Your Lawn Chemicals
- Chemical pesticides and fertilizers contaminate surface and groundwater.
- Chemical pesticides threaten the health of children.
- Chemical pesticides threaten the health of outdoor pets.
- Chemical pesticides threaten the health of local wildlife.
- Chemical pesticides and fertilizers reduce the activity of beneficial organisms.
- Local wildlife need safe places to live.
- Chemical fertilizers are a waste of money.
- Chemical pesticides have the potential to cause damage throughout their life cycles.
- Chemicals actually degrade the over-all long-term health of your lawn and garden.
- Lawn chemicals are unnecessary.
To read the full article, go to 10 Reasons to Ditch Your Lawn Chemicals.
Read more!
