Frozen Lemons

One of my readers sent me a write-up about the secret of frozen lemons.  Rather than just using the lemon juice and wasting the rest of this nutrient-rich fruit, freeze it.  Wash it first and once frozen, grate the unpeeled lemon and add it to salads, soups, stews, ice cream, cookie dough, chicken and fish dishes, rice, martinis, whatever, for much added nutrition and taste.  What a great idea!

(Photo credit: Wikipedia)

We all know that lemons are chock full of Vitamin C, which helps to neutralize free radicals linked to aging and most types of disease, as well as fight colds and flu.  But did you know that lemons contain more health benefitting nutrients than other citrus fruits like oranges or tangerines?  They contain citric acid, flavonoids, B-complex vitamins, calcium, copper, iron, magnesium, phosphorus, potassium, and fiber.   Surprisingly, the lemon peel contains as much as 5 to 10 times more vitamins than the lemon juice.  Below is a list of some of the many benefits of this powerful and flavorful little fruit:

• Lemons contain more potassium than apples or grapes.
• Lemons help restore balance to the body’s pH even though they are acidic.
• Lemons help detoxify the liver and improve regularity.  A large glass of water with fresh lemon juice is an important way to start the day.
• The citric acid in lemon juice helps to dissolve gallstones, calcium deposits, and kidney stones. 
• The lemon peel contains the potent phytonutrient tangeretin, which has been proven to be effective for brain disorders like Parkinson’s disease.
• Lemons have powerful antibacterial properties; experiments have found the juice of lemons destroy the bacteria of malaria, cholera, diphtheria, typhoid and other deadly diseases.  They can also destroy intestinal worms. 
• The Vitamin P (bioflavonoid) in lemons strengthens blood vessels and is useful in treating high blood pressure.
• Lemons contain 22 anti-cancer compounds, including naturally occurring limonene, which studies have shown slows or halts the growth of cancer tumors in animals.

As we make our way through what is being reported as a severe cold and flu season, throw a couple of lemons into the freezer and “grate” your way to good health!

 

Information compiled from www.care2.com and http://www.nutrition-and-you.com.

 

 

 

 

Paper Napkins or Cloth?

 

“In a Gentle Way You Can Shake the World.” – Gandhi

When I came across this wonderful quote, I started thinking about gentle changes that positively impact the earth.  One such change is to switch from paper to cloth napkins.  It sounds silly, but here is the math.  If 50% of the U.S. population used 3 paper napkins a day, that would total 450,000,000 napkins for 1 day or 164,250,000,000 napkins over a 1-year period.  That’s a staggering number of paper napkins!

The manufacture of both cloth and paper napkins obviously uses resources and energy. According to a report published by the Environmental Paper Network, however, the paper industry (which includes all paper products) is the 4th largest contributor to greenhouse gas emissions among United States manufacturing industries, and accounts for 25% of landfill waste and 1/3 of municipal landfill waste.  Additionally, in the manufacture of paper napkins, the chlorine bleach used to whiten them contains toxic compounds and the dyes in decorative napkins are also questionable.  And, paper napkins are only used once!

napkins (Photo credit: pinprick)

Cloth napkins alternatively, can be used over and over, often lasting for generations.  They can be energy intensive too, but there are several ways to minimize their environmental impact.

• Unless it’s organic cotton, it’s best to avoid cotton cloth napkins.  Cotton is labeled the world’s “dirtiest” crop because of its heavy insecticide usage.  Instead use linen (which comes from the fibers of the flax plant), hemp, vintage or your own made from fabric remnants.

• Reuse cloth napkins for 2 or 3 days, depending on how dirty they get.  Buy different colored napkins for each member of the family.  I jokingly match the napkin color to each family member’s personality, my napkin being green of course.  You can also individualize napkin rings.

• Wash the napkins with regular loads of laundry with environmentally safe detergent, and air-dry them.  In addition to saving energy by air-drying them, I find I don’t have to iron them!

Paper napkins are clearly more convenient, and for entertaining large crowds, picnicking or eating on the run, they make sense. Just make sure to use recycled paper ones.  According to MotherNatureNetwork, “If every household in the U.S. replaced one package of virgin fiber napkins with 100 percent recycled ones, we could save 1 million trees.”

Most of the time, however, use cloth ones.  Dig out your grandmother’s beautiful linen napkins and find yourself brought back to a simpler, slower time when gathering around the dinner table for meals and conversation was routine. That’s a pretty gentle change to me!

Information compiled from greengroundswell.com, mnn.com and thedailygreen.com.

 

 

Green Holiday Shopping

I love the way life moves in the right direction – it’s getting so much easier to find eco-friendly, responsibly sourced, sustainably made products that don’t impact the earth. Below is a list of green websites to help you with your holiday shopping (and beyond).

WorldofGood.com

WorldofGood.com is an eBay company for online shoppers and sellers, who have pledged to buy, sell and think green.  It features eco-friendly, sustainably made and resource-saving products available on eBay.com. According to the website description, WorldofGood.com is positive for people, environment, animals and causes.

Ethicalocean.com

Ethical Ocean, based in Toronto, is an online marketplace for ethical products and services from around the world.  Their tagline says it all – “own what’s good”

EcoMall.com

EcoMall is an online directory of companies and products as well as a green living magazine. Easy to navigate, it lists hundreds of green products and services.

“ A place to help save the earth” …

GreenPages.org

National Green Pages is a “directory of products and services for people and the planet”.  It works like a phone book and lists major eco-responsible companies like Patagonia and Seventh Generation.  It also features local stores.

LinksOrganic.com

LinksOrganic.com is a comprehensive international guide to finding organic or environmentally friendly businesses. Some have online stores while others are physical storefronts in your local community.

Where-clothes.com

I have to put a plug in for my daughter’s company, Where…. Earth Friendly Fashion.  She restructures vintage and recycled clothing into today’s styles.  Each piece is hand sewn, one of a kind and most incorporate beautiful antique lace!  Check it out!

There are many more websites featuring eco-responsible products and services, but this should get you started.  Remember to request minimal and plastic-free  packaging when ordering online!

 

Raw Food Diet

English: A close up of a fresh raw food dish (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

I recently attended a raw food cooking class. A raw food diet is just what it says – food that is eaten raw or heated to no more than 115 degrees. According to raw food experts, the advantages are that raw food contains beneficial live enzymes that make it more digestible and that it has a higher vitamin and nutrient content.   Heating or cooking chemically alters food causing it to lose its ability to provide energy.  Cooking also destroys certain vitamins. A raw food diet can cleanse and heal. The raw food diet as a health treatment was first developed in Switzerland in 1897 by Dr. Maximillian Bircher-Benner, the inventor of muesli, after he recovered from jaundice by eating raw apples.  His health center is still in operation today.

In summer when fruits and vegetables are abundant, preparing seasonal, local, raw food is easy. A strict raw food diet year round however, is more involved and does not include any processed foods.  To make crackers, breads and other “baked” goods can be time consuming and requires advance planning.  Blenders, food processors, juicers and dehydrators are all needed equipment.  Sprouting and soaking are necessary to eat grains, legumes and nuts.  Nuts are a large part of the raw food diet and are used to make cheeses, crackers, breads and soups.

What appealed to me about the class was its emphasis on creating warming uncooked meals.  We learned simple tips like bringing all food to room temperature for a couple of hours before preparation and using lots of warming spices like cumin, curry and nutmeg.  Our meal started with a delicious raw butternut and green apple soup, followed by zucchini chive canapés, a zucchini slice smeared with chive cream cheese made from cashews – even better than “real” cream cheese! For dinner we made a Brussels sprout and pumpkin seed slaw, a wild rice and chickpea salad, kale and shallot pizzettes with 3 kinds of cheese (again, cashew based; the crust was made from flax seeds and vegetables “baked” in a dehydrator) and a fresh fig and lemon tart for dessert.  The dinner was fabulous and you never would have known it was uncooked!

I could never be an extreme “raw foodie”, but I do love experimenting with new and healthy cuisine.  I read somewhere to make 50% of your diet raw, so challenge yourself and give it a try. Below is a simple recipe for Cashew Parmesan cheese that rivals the real thing!  Email me for more recipes…

½ cup dry cashews

1 clove garlic (chopped)

¼ teaspoon sea salt (coarse)

Grind cashews and sea salt in food processor (with ‘s’ blade) until fine, almost powdery.  Add garlic and pulse food processor until texture resembles Parmesan.  Use on everything!

Information compiled from The Raw Truth, The Art of Loving Foods, by Jeremy A Safron and Renée Underkoffler,  http://en.wikipedia.org/, onesmallpatch.com.

Are Artificial Sweeteners Okay?

I’m always amazed when friends or family ask for Sweet ‘n Low or Splenda, and they are always amazed when I say I don’t have any!  I’ve never used artificial sweeteners and have always been leery of them.

The American diet is inundated with sugar – in cereals, crackers, cookies and hidden away in other processed foods.  It’s in fruit juices, sodas, flavored water, energy drinks and diet drinks.  It’s an additive for coffee and tea and used in baking and cooking.  Our bodies need sugar as a source of energy, but when natural sugar is refined or overused, it upsets the natural balance and loses its benefits.  Sugar is definitely overused and its overuse results in all sorts of problems, including diabetes, weight gain, a compromised immune system and depression, to name a few. Artificial sugars aren’t sugar, but you still get the sweet flavor without the calories!  Perfect, right?  For those with diabetes, yes, but for the rest of us?  Not really.

SWEETENER	QUANTITY	CALORIES
Natural
Brown Sugar – chemically processed	1 tsp	15
Cane Sugar – chemically processed	1 tsp	15
Honey	1 tsp	20
Molasses	1 tsp	20
White Sugar – chemically processed	1 tsp	15
Stevia	1 packet	0
Raw Organic Agave	1 Tbs	60
Artificial
Equal	1 packet	5
NutraSweet	1 tsp	2
Splenda	1 tsp	5
Sweet N Low	1 packet	0
Sucanat	1 tsp	16

 

Two main artificial sugars are saccharin (Sweet N’ Low) and aspartame (Nutrasweet, Equal and Sugar Twin).   Both are approved by the FDA, but they have no nutritional value and studies show that there are possible cancer links as well as allergic reactions.  Aspartame, which is found in more than 6000 products, is even more controversial than saccharin. It has been associated with headaches, dizziness, change in mood, vomiting or nausea, abdominal pain and cramps, change in vision, diarrhea, seizures/convulsions, memory loss, fatigue and even weight gain.  In addition, there are links to fibromyalgia symptoms, spasms, shooting pains, numbness in your legs, cramps, tinnitus, joint pain, anxiety attacks, blurred vision, multiple sclerosis, systemic lupus, unexplainable depression, slurred speech, and various cancers.  Scary!

. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Saccharin was first produced in 1878 by a chemist working on coal tar derivatives; today it’s manufactured with chlorine and ammonia.   Aspartame was discovered in 1965 by a chemist working for G.D.Searle and Company, and is composed of three main compounds – aspartic acid, phenylalanine and methanol (wood alcohol), all of which can be dangerous.  As Michael Pollan, author of The Omnivore’s Dilemma and Food Rules, says, “If it came from a plant, eat it; if it was made in a plant, don’t.”    I know that the FDA says they are safe, but I’d rather err on the side of caution and sparingly use natural, unrefined sugars.  That means avoiding products labeled as “low calorie”, “diet”, “sugar free” or “no sugar added” too!  Saving only 10 calories or so just doesn’t seem like a good risk to me.

Information compiled from www.medicinenet.com/; naturalhealthsherpa.com; http://www.natural-health-information-centre.com/

 

 

 

Eco-College Choices

My thoughts are with all my East Coast readers as they recover from the wrath of Hurricane Sandy. 

As you help your high school child navigate the overwhelming college selection process, you might want to consider commitment to sustainability along with academic excellence, location, affordability, and size. According to the Princeton Review’s latest Hopes and Worries survey, 68% of the sampled 7,445 college-bound students said commitment to sustainability impacts their college choice.

LEED-certified Athenaeum – Goucher College  (Photo credit: elemess)

The world is definitely moving that way and colleges are getting on board. In addition to more environmental academic offerings, many schools are incorporating green building and LEED certification in their new buildings, as well as offering organic food choices including organic gardens on campus maintained by students. More schools institute recycling and other programs to lower carbon footprint.  They provide greener transportation, more opportunities for student run sustainability groups and preparation for green jobs.  Colleges and universities are increasingly moving towards greener operations and finance.

The Princeton Review tallied a green rating on 806 colleges based on “1) whether students have a campus quality of life that is both healthy and sustainable; 2) how well a school is preparing students not only for employment in the clean energy economy of the 21st century, but also for citizenship in a world now defined by environmental challenges; and 3) how environmentally responsible a school’s policies are.”  This year’s list of the 21 colleges and universities with the highest rating are:  American University, Arizona State University, California Institute of Technology, California State University – Chico, Catawba College, Chatham University, College of the Atlantic, Columbia University, Georgia Institute of Technology, Goucher College, Green Mountain College, Harvard College, Northeastern University, San Francisco State University, University of California - Santa Cruz, University of South Carolina- Columbia, University of Washington, University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point, University of Wisconsin – Oshkosh, Vanderbilt University, and Warren Wilson University.  I’m thrilled to see that 2 of the 3 schools where my kids went, Goucher College and Vanderbilt University, are listed!

It’s encouraging to not only see change happening, but to see that institutions of higher learning are realizing the necessity of placing emphasis on sustainability as they prepare our next generation of leaders for our rapidly changing world. Of course when it comes right down to it, most kids choose their college based on something totally unexpected, like the fact that Chulula Hot Sauce was on every table in the dining room.  That was the clincher for my son!

Information compiled from Natural Awakenings, September 2012, Cool Schools and Princetonreview.com.

 

 

 

What Are We Doing To Our Food Supply?

Today it seems that we have gone beyond the discussion about which foods are good for you and which aren’t, to which foods are poisonous, contaminated, or tainted!  Recently “Fish is not a Health Food” popped up in my email from one of my favorite (and reputable!) daily blogs, the gist of which was though the benefits of Omega-3 in fish are well-known, fish can no longer be considered a healthy food option due to the large amounts of mercury and other pollutants such as PCBs in them.  Mercury and PCBs cause damage to the heart and brain and in pregnant women can compromise their babies’ brain development.  If you eat fish regularly, your body most likely contains high amounts of mercury.  That’s a scary thought, especially when you think you are doing the right thing for your heart, brain and skin! Now recommendations are to avoid fish altogether or eat it no more than once a week. (When you do eat fish, choose the lowest mercury types like flounder, scallops, trout, sole, squid, wild salmon or sardines.)  Yet, factory-farmed chicken and beef raised in filthy, overcrowded, inhumane environments, injected with growth hormones and antibiotics, aren’t safe alternatives either.

fish baked with vegetables and herbs (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

So, maybe it’s safer to eat more grains, but not rice! Two major reports from the US Food and Drug Administration and Consumer Reports magazine just came out that “focused on the worrisome amounts of arsenic in rice and popular rice-based processed foods”.  According to the Environmental Working Group, there is reason to be concerned.  They state that many rice-based foods and some fruit juices have arsenic levels much higher than is allowed in drinking water, and that the contamination does include the form of arsenic, a naturally occurring mineral, that poses a serious risk to our health.  Their recommendations are: to limit your rice consumption and try alternative grains such as quinoa, couscous, barley or bulgur; to rinse rice thoroughly before cooking and cook with a lot of water; and to limit buying products that list rice syrup as a sweetener.

Throw in GMO foods (over 80% of all processed foods contain GMOs) and pesticide-grown vegetables and fruits, and our choices for safe food are severely limited! We have a serious problem when we can’t eat the basics; food safety should be one of our inalienable rights.  Fortunately, locally grown and organic foods are a healthy and safe option, but it’s time for action greater than just switching to organic foods, which many people cannot afford, or eliminating the latest poisonous food from our diet. It’s time to clean up our water and demand change from our food growers and manufacturers.  Our future depends on it.

Some information compiled from www.enviroblog.org and http://www.peacefuldaily.com.

 

 

 

Milkshake

Forgive me while I brag a moment.  One of my favorite blogs, Milkshake.com, a “free daily email dedicated to finding the good in everything – companies, causes, people, places and products giving back and making a difference” featured my daughter’s vintage and upcycled fashion design company called Where!  She is a tireless worker and it’s starting to pay off!  I reblogged their write-up below – the lovely picture is of my younger daughter who models for her, making it a fun sisters collaboration.  I am an excited Mom!!!

Wherefore Art Thou?

Sep 21 2012

One-of-a-kind, Anthropologie-esque clothing made from vintage materials?  Yes, please!

Let’s admit it: a lot of us love Anthropologie.  Sure, some of its catalogs feature things like women pretending to type on hundred-year-old typewriters that clearly don’t work, or having silent conversations with empty birdcages, but their stuff is just plain pretty.  There’s a poetic sensibility about their carefully-curated offerings, and that’s part of why we like them.

Those of us who just can’t get enough of our beloved Anthro’s goods need look no further thanWhere Designs for a more personal, partially vintage line of clothing sharing that same “what’s simple is true” aesthetic we adore so much.  Given the fact that the Richmond, Vermont-based brand run by Amy Wild calls itself “fashion for imaginative explorers of real and fantasy lands,” we wouldn’t be the least bit surprised if Wild’s wares found themselves on Anthro’s shelves someday.  An important component of Where is its insistence on remaining conscious of its environmental impact: instead of calling for the creation of new fabrics and notions to create the collection, Wild only uses vintage, antique and upcycled materials, steering clear of pollution and unfair labor practices.

A brand that has its head in the clouds but its feet on the ground it strives to protect?  Sign us up immediately.

GOHSPA

Mark your calendars for the grand opening of GOHSPA, a clever acronym for Green-Organic-Holistic-spa and the spa I referred to a few weeks ago in my blog. Saturday, October 27 from 11 – 3 is a “Tent Event” happening at the Whole Foods plaza in Woburn, just before the spa’s grand opening on November 10.  There will be free chair massages, face painting and lots of fun activities going on.  All the stores are participating.

  I stopped by GOHSPA the other day and are we all in for a real treat!  It is beautifully decorated with a warm and calming atmosphere, and legitimately “green” – low VOC paint, cork floors, LED lighting, low flush toilets, energy-efficient washers, dryers, heating and cooling systems, organic towels and purified water.   The owner Beth Gaudette has been a dedicated green cosmetologist for over two decades, well before it became fashionable to do so, and believes you treat the skin, the body, and the mind as one.  She sees GOHSPA as a place to relax with a focus on wellness and healthful beauty.  Services include organic manicures and pedicures, holistic facials, makeovers, hair removal, body care treatments and massages. She also offers alternative services like Tui Na, a cross between acupressure and Shiatsu and tuning forks, as well as a complete kid’s spa menu.  Beth’s a vegan so you can be sure her products and services are vegan too!

Stop by the tent event, have some fun and pre-book a routine treatment or a special indulgence.  You can look forward to feeling replenished and well nurtured by her capable staff, just in time for the holidays!  For more information, visit www.gohspa.com.

 

 

Are Air Fresheners Really Fresh?

By the time I got home from a ride in my friend’s car one day, my lungs felt tight and I was coughing.  I knew immediately the air freshener in the car was the culprit, one of those new clip on air fresheners filled with a “scent” to eliminate car odors like food, dirt, and cigarette smoke.  I decided I must post about this on my blog!

Car air fresheners have gone from pine-scented cardboard cut outs of trees that dangle from the rear view mirror to the new plastic (more plastic!) containers filled with chemical scents.  They clip on the air vent and are activated with the airflow.  There are several brands with enticing names like Meadows and Rain, Hawaiian Aloha, or Linen and Sky complete with adjustable dials to control “freshness”.  The Febreeze ad says, “In just a few moments, you and your passengers can all breathe happy.” I was not happy!

The chemicals used in air fresheners are anything but fresh and do nothing to improve the quality of the air.  They just mask the odors and in fact can be quite toxic.  The National Resources Defense Council (NRDC) found that most air fresheners contain phthalates, which are at the center of a large debate about their negative health affects.  High exposure to certain phthalates, also found in cosmetics, nail polish, paint and other everyday items, can cause cancer, developmental and hormonal abnormalities and can affect fertility.  One of the active ingredients found in mothballs, 1,4 dichlorobenzene, is also found in some air fresheners.  The EPA lists this ingredient as toxic since its vapors can affect respiratory function.  There seems to be a correlation with air fresheners and asthma, according to the U.S. National Institute of Health Sciences. Other known ingredients that cause serious health issues are formaldehyde, acetone and terpenes.  According to ehow.com, “These chemicals contain pollutants that, when mixed with ozone, cigarette smoke or dust can cause breathing complications, headaches and damage the central nervous system.”  What’s worse is that companies aren’t required to list the ingredients if the product is labeled a “fragrance”.

Air fresheners are everywhere – in the home, office and car.  It is estimated that around 75 percent of American homes use some form of them, which amounts to more than $1 billion in profits for the industry. The best air freshener for your car however, is rolling down the windows. You can also easily make your own– a sachet with natural potpourri or dried lavender flowers, baking soda poured into an old sock and placed underneath the seat, or a piece of felt scented with a pure essential oil.  You control how much scent you want!

Play it safe and do away with air fresheners!

Information compiled from www.ehow.com, www.the-lifestyle-doctor.com,

www.silentmenace.com