GARLIC – SO MUCH MORE THAN FLAVORING!

I can’t imagine preparing a meal without garlic!  But garlic is so much more than a flavor enhancement!  Just as some foods can harm our health, others have the ability to heal and garlic is one of those foods.  

Image by Kenny Point VeggieGardeningTips Flickr.com

Garlic’s healthful and healing properties are numerous and go back thousands of years.  It has anti-bacterial, anti-fungal, anti-viral and anti-parasitic properties, which make it a powerful remedy for colds and flu.  It also eases ear infections and may relieve asthma symptoms.  It is an effective, broad-spectrum antibiotic, which can heal infections.   In World War II, garlic earned the nickname “Russian Penicillin” because it was used when the Russian soldiers ran out of penicillin for their wounds. 

Research has shown that garlic can boost the immune system and help prevent some of the conditions associated with aging.   It has also been shown to lower cholesterol and thin the blood, which may prevent high blood pressure, heart disease and stroke.  And there is increasing evidence that garlic may reduce the risk for and treat certain cancers.

It doesn’t matter how you consume garlic to benefit from its healthful properties – raw, cooked or as a supplement (good for massive doses or if you don’t like the odor).  When my children were sick with a cold or flu, I cut slivers and put them between apple slices for them to eat.   They didn’t like it, but it definitely lessened the severity of their sickness.  Make sure you cut garlic finely to release the protective compound allicin and cook only lightly so that beneficial compounds aren’t destroyed.

Garlic is abundant this time of year – I’ve found some wonderful, pungent new varieties at the Farmer’s market.  September is the time of year to plant garlic for harvesting next summer.  It’s easy to do – simply put several cloves in your garden and wait.  You’ll be nicely surprised!

Add lots of garlic to your diet for a healthier you!

Information compiled from The Doctor’s Book of Food Remedies and The Healing Home by Gina Lazenby.

Anti-infection Garlic Soup

This soup is a great preventative if you feel a cold or flu coming on, but also works if you already have an infection.  It tastes good too!

2 Tbs olive oil

1 head garlic, peeled, separated and chopped

1 box organic chicken broth, or enough to make a quart

1 medium bunch parsley, coarsely chopped

In a large saucepan, heat the oil over medium heat.  Add the garlic and cook, stirring for 1 to 2 minutes, or until softened.  Add the chicken broth and parsley, and bring to a boil.  Lower the heat and simmer for 15 to 20 minutes.  Drink a cup of soup every hour.

Recipe from Melissa Wood, ND, a naturopathic doctor in San Antonio, Texas

 

AN “ECO-CORRECT” LABOR DAY COOKOUT

This Labor Day, think green and have an eco-correct cookout.  How?  It’s easy —

Visit your local farmer’s market for fresh local fruits and vegetables so abundant this time of year.  A charcoal chimney is an easy way to start your grill and much safer than lighter fluid if you don’t have a gas grill.  Make sure you use natural, hardwood charcoal instead of the conventional briquettes.  Fill at least half your grill with produce.  Produce is not only healthy and low calorie, but also doesn’t produce the carcinogens that can form on grilled meats.  Always cook over a low-to-medium flame and avoid over-charring.  Flare-ups and smoking oil create carcinogens.  Marinating or basting with oil, honey or a barbeque sauce will provide a barrier and help prevent charring.  Add delicious and nutritious vine ripened tomatoes and watermelon to your meal – they contain lycopene, a powerful antioxidant, which may also help ward off sunburn!  If possible, serve organic food.

I prefer reusable dinner plates and utensils, but if you are having a crowd it is easier to use disposable.  Make sure they are biocompostable or made from recycled plastic.  Preserve Products makes plates, utensils and storage containers that are made in the US from 100% BPA-free recycled plastic and are dishwasher safe.  (They also make great toothbrushes and razors made from recycled yogurt cups.) Whole Foods carries the line, but you can also order them from PreserveProducts.com.  Cloth napkins are a nice touch, but if you prefer disposable, you can easily find them made from recycled paper at most supermarkets.

Chemical free sunscreen and insect repellants are a much healthier alternative than conventional products.  Badger makes effective, non-toxic, biodegradeable repellants and sunscreens.

Plan activities to get your guests moving and not eating and drinking so much.  If your cookout is near the water, swimming and kayaking are fun. If not, set up a volleyball/badminton net and get the teens involved in a tournament.  Croquet appeals to all ages and a nature walk or an outside scavenger hunt is a great way to get the kids interested in the outdoors.

And, of course don’t forget to recycle cans, bottles and other recyclable items!

Image by Peter Wild

Whatever you do to honor the end of summer, make sure you are good to the earth.  Remember, what is good for the earth is good for you and what is good for you is good for the earth.  Have fun!

 

 

THE POTATO PROJECT

The benefits of organic produce are well known.  They are grown with no (or less) toxic chemicals, sustainably produced, more nutritious, more flavorful, and in the case of local, produce fewer carbon emissions.   Sometimes a picture is worth a thousand words and a video even more.  The link to this Youtube video called “The Potato Project” done by an 11-year-old girl says it all.  In it, the girl does an experiment with sweet potatoes – she places sweet potatoes from three different stores in water to see if and how long it takes to grow vines.  Please take a moment to watch it and see for yourself one blatant difference between organic and conventional potatoes.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=exBEFCiWyW0&feature=feedf

The little girl is referring to Chlorpropham, a plant growth regulator sold under the trade name Bud Nip.  Bud Nip is used on potatoes, blueberries, carrots, onions, cranberries and other produce.  According to its Pesticide Information Profile, long-term exposure may cause adverse reproductive effects and tumors and products containing chlorpropham must bear the signal word “Caution”.   It is unnatural for a plant not to bud and furthermore, there is limited data on the safety of plant growth regulators.  This product is alarming!

Think about this video the next time you buy potatoes.  If you think buying organic is too expensive, consider the true cost of the long-term side effects.  Potatoes are on the “dirty dozen” list, so please buy organic ones!  Visit the Environmental Working Group’s 2011 Shopping Guide http://www.ewg.org/foodnews/ to see which fruits and vegetables you should buy organic.

 

 

 

RECYCLING WINE CORKS

Not many of us think about recycling wine corks.  After all, they don’t take up much space and are biodegradable.   But with over 13 billion natural wine corks sold each year, it is still a good idea. With landfill space at near capacity, we need to reduce trash whenever possible, no matter how small an item.

Recycling or reusing wine corks reduces the need to harvest virgin materials and the demand on cork plantations, most of which are found in Europe and Africa around the Mediterranean.  Natural cork extraction is one of the most environmentally friendly harvesting methods – no tree needs to be cut down.  The bark is stripped by hand and rejuvenates in 9 – 12 years; a cork tree lives up to 300 years.  Plastic or metal screw on wine tops are becoming popular.  The screw on tops may be easier, but you lose the art of opening a wine bottle with an authentic cork, which to me adds to the pleasure of drinking wine.  As a renewable resource, natural cork’s environmental impact is also far less than plastic and metal-based closures!

Corks are the perfect item to “upcycle” (the process of converting waste materials into new products of better quality or higher environmental value) because they are 100% natural, biodegradable, energy efficient, renewable and sustainable.  Cork tops can be reused into cork flooring, shoe soles, fishing rod handles, place mats, trivets, bulletin boards, and even soil conditioners, to name a few.  Use your imagination – corks make a great decorative item too.  As of April 2010, Whole Foods Markets partnered with Cork Reharvest and has set up collection boxes for wine corks in many stores.

Image by gliuoo Flickr.com

Or, you can visit earth911.com to find a cork recycling drop-off near you.

Recycling wine corks – one more simple step to help save the earth!

Information compiled from www.recyclethis.co.uk, Earth911, article by Jennifer Berry, and www.recork.org, wikipedia

THE DANGERS OF GMO FOOD

Concern is growing today about the dangers of Genetically Modified Foods, or GMOs, and rightly so.

Image by emptyhighway Flickr.Com

Since 1996 Americans have been eating genetically modified ingredients in most processed foods.  In the US alone, over 80% of all processed foods contain them. Genetically engineered crops mean that foreign genes from bacteria and viruses that have never been in the food supply have been forced into their DNA.  The main reason companies do this is to make them tolerant to herbicides and pesticides and supposedly to increase yields.  Many also have been inserted with a pesticide. The major GM plants, soy, corn, canola, cotton and sugar beets, have high residues of pesticides.  GMO salmon has even been developed and alfalfa might be next.

Largely unregulated, it is still not required that most GMO foods be labeled. (You can identity GMO fruit, however, it has a PLU code 5 digits long starting with the number 8.)  Genetically modified organisms have been linked to thousands of toxic or allergic‐type reactions, thousands of sick, sterile, and dead livestock, and damage to virtually every organ and system studied in lab animals. Nearly every independent animal feeding safety study shows adverse or unexplained effects. Independently conducted studies show the more of these foods we eat, the greater the potential harm to our health, with children more likely to show the effects since they develop at such a rapid rate.   Yet, GMO influence on human health has largely been ignored by the FDA, which has labeled them as “Generally Recognized as Safe” and allows them on the market without any additional testing.

GMO crops increase pesticide use and contaminate organic and conventional crops, making it virtually impossible to escape the harmful effects of GMO.  Furthermore, they haven’t been shown to increase yields.

GMO crops are a very serious threat to our food industry and our health.  I urge you to watch The Future of Food or Food, Inc. to better understand the GMO situation.  These powerful documentaries explain the dangers of GMO crops and the government and industrial control of GMO.  There are also several good websites worth visiting, such as the Organic Consumers Association, or simply google “gmo foods”. Check out Mark Bittman’s Food Matters or any of Michael Pollan’s books too.  Or if you have a smartphone or Ipad, go to the app store and download a free copy of nonGMO foods shopping guide.

Educate yourself and get involved.  The future of our food supply and its safety depends on it.

Information compiled from saynotogmos.org and organicconsumer.org.

WHAT’S WRONG WITH PROCESSED FOODS?

Processed foods are foods that have been altered from their natural states in order to extend their shelf life.  Foods that come in a box, can, bag or carton are processed.  They are often poor quality and usually cheap.  About 90% of the money Americans spend on food is used to buy “edible foodlike substances” as Michael Pollan, well-known author of The Omnivore’s Dilemma and professor, calls them.

Processed foods have been implicated in most of today’s chronic diseases and health conditions such as obesity, diabetes, heart disease and cancer.  What makes processed foods so bad?  Many processed foods contain trans fats (or hydrogenated) a dangerous type of fat, which raises the bad cholesterol and lowers the good.  Most processed foods are extremely high in salt, also not good for the heart, and addictive.  Have you ever tried to eat just one potato chip?!  Another addictive ingredient you’ll find in processed foods is high fructose corn syrup, which is linked to obesity and diabetes.  Sugar is burned and turned into energy; high fructose corn syrup turns into fat. Potato chips and French fries often contain Acrylamide, a carcinogenic substance that forms when foods are heated at high temperatures, such as during baking or frying.

Image by http://www.flickr.com/photos/jhembach/

Processed foods also contain a lot of additives. The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) maintains a list of over 3,000 chemicals that are added to the processed food supply to add color, stabilize, texturize, preserve, sweeten, thicken, etc.  Some of these additives have never been tested for safety and require no government approval.  They belong to the FDA’s “Generally Recognized as Safe” list.

So what should we eat?  As Michael Pollan says, keep it simple. “Don’t eat anything your great-grandmother wouldn’t recognize as food”.  ”Eat only foods that will eventually rot.”  Always read the label and choose wisely.  And, everything in moderation.

Information compiled from SixWise.com; report by Lorie Johnson, CBN News Medical Reporter and Food Rules by Michael Pollan.

THE WONDERS OF COCONUT OIL

 

I have recently discovered the wonders of coconut oil.  For years, we’ve thought that coconut oil is bad for you, but the reality is coconut oil has just the right kinds of fats, the same medium-chain fatty acids found in mother’s milk and essential to optimum health and disease prevention.  Coconut oil is in fact a miracle oil and one of the earliest oils to be used as a food and as a pharmaceutical.  People who live in tropical climates with a coconut-based diet have fewer incidences of heart disease, cancer, digestive complaints and prostate problems.

Coconut oil adds protective and healthful qualities when eaten internally and used topically.  How much do you need?  Two to four tablespoons is recommended daily, obtained from cooking, as a supplement or through the skin. Use coconut oil in all recipes calling for butter, shortening or vegetable oil.   It’s an ideal all-purpose cooking oil and has 100% less cholesterol than butter.   You can also get the benefits from coconut milk which comes in a can and is used in lots of Thai recipes, or from  drinking coconut water, hailed as Nature’s Sports drink.   More potassium than a banana, it helps with rehydration, replenishment and concentration. (I also hear it helps alleviate hangovers.)

 

 

Image from ficusdesk Flickr.com

Coconut oil applied to the skin and hair is absorbed quickly and not only adds luster and shine, but helps with dandruff, blemishes and other skin ailments.  It’s the only moisturizer you need and a must try for winter’s dry, chapped skin!  It is also anti-microbial and a natural germ fighter.

Coconut oil is known to reduce blood pressure and reduce the risk of heart disease.  It stimulates metabolism so that you burn more calories (we all love that) and may promote lower cholesterol.  Coconut oil is a concentrated source of medium-chain fatty acids.  Research has shown that these fatty acids may help prevent and treat a wide variety of diseases too numerous to list here. Recent studies are showing its effectiveness in treating Alzheimer’s disease.

I keep one jar of coconut oil in the kitchen for cooking and one jar in my bathroom for use as a moisturizer.   As with olive oil, make sure you buy extra virgin, expeller pressed. You can purchase coconut oil, coconut milk and coconut water from Whole Foods, Trader Joes or natural food stores.

I highly recommend replacing the fats you eat now with coconut oil.  You’ll be amazed!

 

Information compiled from The Coconut Oil Miracle byBruce Fife, C.N., N.D.  I suggest you buy this easy-to-read and informative book explaining very succinctly the benefits of coconut oil.  It also includes lots of delicious sounding recipes, a few of which I have listed below.

 

Coconut Milk Smoothie

1 ripe banana, 1 cup coconut milk, 1 cup orange juice

Chill all ingredients before using.  Blend all ingredients in a blender until smooth.  Contains 2 tablespoons coconut oil per serving.

There are lots of variations to this basic smoothie recipe.  Try adding fresh organic berries in place of or along with the orange juice.  For a Pina Colada Smoothie, blend 1 cup coconut milk, 1 cup orange juice, 1/2 cup chopped fresh pineapple. Chill ingredients before using.

Clam Chowder

1 cup water, 1 8 oz. bottle of clam juice, 1/2 cup minced yellow onion, 4 cloves minced garlic, 1 stalk celery chopped, 2 cups diced potatoes, 1 tsp salt, 1/8 tsp white pepper, 1 14 oz can coconut milk, 1 8 oz can minced or chopped clams, 1/4 tsp paprika

In a medium saucepan heat water, clam juice, onion, garlic, celery, potatoes, salt and pepper to boiling.  Reduce heat and simmer for about 20 minutes or until potatoes are tender.  Add coconut milk and clams with their liquid.  Cook for about 5 minutes until heated through.  Sprinkle with paprika.  Each serving contains 1 tablespoon coconut oil.  Feel free to add more coconut oil if desired.

Vegetable Beef Stew

1/4 cup coconut oil, 1 lb beef cut into bite size pieces, 1/2 chopped onion, 2 chopped carrots, 3 cups water, 1/2 cup tomato sauce, 2 medium chopped potatoes or cauliflower, 1 cup green beans, 1 tablespoon diced cilantro, salt and pepper

Heat coconut oil in a large saucepan over medium heat.  Add beef and lightly brown.  Add onion and carrots and cook until tender, stirring frequently.  Add water, tomato sauce, potatoes (or cauliflower), and green beans; cover and simmer for 20 minutes or until vegetables are tender.  Add cilantro and salt and pepper to taste and cook 1 additional minute.  Each serving contains 1 tablespoon coconut oil.

Coconut Cookies

3 cups flour, 1 1/2 cups grated or shredded coconut, 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder, 1 teaspoon salt, 1 1/4 cups coconut oil, 3 eggs, 1 1/2 cups sugar, 1 1/2 teaspoons almond extract

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.  Mix together flour, coconut, baking powder, and salt and set aside.  Blend coconut oil, eggs, sugar, and almond extract.  Mix wet and dry ingredients together.  Roll dough into 1 1/2 inch balls and place 2 inches apart on cookie sheet.  Flatten balls to about 1/2 inch thickness.  Bake for 12 to 15 minutes until pale tan. Transfer to wire racks to cool.  Each cookie contains 1/2 tablespoon coconut oil.

Fish or Chicken with Red Curry Paste and Coconut Milk

Rub red curry paste on fish or chicken; pour ½ to 1 can of coconut milk on fish or chicken to cover.  Bake at 350 degrees for 20 minutes or until done.

Caribbean Coconut Fish

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  In a small sauce pan heat up onions, garlic and butter. Saute for two minutes, pour in tomato sauce and cook for two minutes.

Pour in can of coconut milk, cilantro, lemon grass, salt and pepper.  Turn off heat and let sit.

In baking dish place the fish and pour coconut sauce over top.  Cover with aluminum foil and bake for 15 minutes.

Remove foil and bake uncovered 10 more minutes or until fish is fork tender.

Coconut Eggplant

▪                1 – 2 eggplants

▪                3 Tbsp Nutiva Extra Virgin Coconut Oil

▪                2 Tbsp Nutiva Shelled Hempseed

Directions: Chop up fresh eggplant into cubes a bit wider than a french fry– and 2-3 inches long. Place in steamer for 10 minutes until the eggplant is slightly soft, but not over done. Just before the steaming is done, heat up a saucepan to medium heat with several Tbsp of Coconut Oil. Place the steamed eggplant into the hot pan for 3-4 minutes, and add more coconut oil as the eggplant soaks up the oil. Drop in tamari or soy sauce for an extra flavor edge. Turn the pieces over with a spatula so the eggplant cooks evenly

Baked Butternut Casserole | Coconut Oil Recipe

Here’s a great recipe from Nutiva Recipe Club member Marlene Dickerson, from New York.  It’s a delicious vegetarian entrée.  Feeds 6.

Ingredients: 1 large butternut squash
1 or 2 medium to large onions, chopped
1 1/2 cup fresh mushrooms, sliced
1 cup mozzarella cheese, grated
4 tbs. coconut oil.

Split your squash and place cut-side down on a greased cookie sheet, using 2 of your tablespoons of oil.  Bake at 350 degrees for about 1 hour.

While squash is baking, sauté the onions and mushrooms in one tablespoon of coconut oil until fork-tender.

Remove from oven, scoop out squash and season to taste.

Place in a greased 9×13 in. baking dish, using the rest of your coconut oil to coat pan.  Spread squash in pan but making two ditches, one on each side.  Place your cooked onion and mushroom mixture into the ditches of the squash. Cover with foil and place in oven for about 15 or 20 minutes, or just long enough to heat the squash.

Remove from oven and sprinkle with mozzarella just over the ditches. Place back in oven just long enough to melt the cheese.

MORE FUN RECIPES WITH COCONUT OIL – BODY CARE RECIPES

If you have tried coconut oil,  most likely you have fallen in love with coconut oil as I have.  As Stephanie Tourles notes in her book Organic Body Care Recipes, coconut oil in Sanskrit means “the tree that provides all the necessities of life”; in Malay it’s called “the tree of a thousand uses”; and in the Philippines, it’s called “the tree of life”.

Have fun trying these easy coconut oil recipes (including personal care products).  I think you’ll discover it’s your “tree of life” too!

Make sure you buy unrefined, virgin oils (Virgin Coconut Oil VCO) made from fresh coconuts, best for making food and personal care products.

Simple Homemade Deodorant

(From therawdivas.com)

Mix in about 1/3 cup each of cornstarch, baking soda, and coconut oil. Drop in two drops essential oil. Let it sit outside in the sun, or melt it on the stove by placing the container in a little hot water. 

Stir it up, and if your coconut oil was solid at your room temperature, let it harden up and just scoop a little out to use it. If your coconut oil was liquid at your room temperature, you can put it in the refrigerator and try to scoop a little out each day. Or you can get a Dixie cup; fill it with the mixed up liquid deodorant and let it harden in the refrigerator. Tear the paper down and apply just like your stick deodorant. You will probably have to store it in the refrigerator during the summer. If it melts and separates, stir it up and refrigerate again.

Basic Cold Cream

(From Organic Body Care Recipes by Stephanie Tourles)

Use for make-up remover or an ultra thick moisturizer.  Perfect for dry winter skin!

1-tablespoon jojoba base oil

7 tablespoons pure vegetable oil (I use coconut oil)

10 drops lavender or Roman chamomile essential oil

In a small saucepan over low heat or in a double boiler, warm the jojoba and coconut oils until the two have completely melted.  Remove from heat and allow to cool for 5 to 10 minutes.  Add the essential oil, then begin stirring slowly with a small spoon or whisk until the mixture begins to thicken and become opaque.  (Mine doesn’t become opaque but works just fine anyway.)  Pour into storage jars and cap. Apply with a soft cloth or your fingers, and apply approximately ½ to 1 teaspoon to cover entire face, throat and décolleté.

Depending on the temperature of your workspace, the product may take a couple of hours to completely set up and attain its thick, creamy consistency.  If you wish, you can place the container(s) in the refrigerator for 30 minutes.  No refrigeration of the finished product is required, but please use within 6 to 12 months.

Crazy for Coconut Balm

(From Organic body Care by Stephanie Tourles)

Recommended for all skin types except for oily and combination; use daily if desired.

7 tablespoons coconut base oil

1-tablespoon cocoa butter

40 drops vanilla or sweet orange essential oil (optional)

In a small pan over low heat or in a double boiler, warm coconut oil and cocoa butter until the butter is just melted.  Remove from heat and let cool 15 minutes.  Add the essential oil and stir to blend.  Pour into storage container(s) and cap.  Allow the mixture to set for 2 hours.  Apply immediately after a bath or shower while your skin is still damp and massage into your skin.  Start with 1 teaspoon at a time since it is highly concentrated.

No need to refrigerate but use within one year.

Basic Moisturizer

You can directly apply coconut oil all over your body.  It only takes a small amount to moisturize and absorbs easily and quickly.  It smells heavenly and is the best moisturizer around!

Supreme Hair Conditioner

Try it on your hair for a supreme conditioner. Put a teaspoon in your hair, rub it in completely and let it sit for 30 minutes.  Follow with your usual wash and conditioner routine.  You’ll be amazed at how soft your hair will be.

RECIPES FOR A SAFER SILVER POLISH

Nothing enhances your holiday table more than silver, china, candles and a beautiful centerpiece of fresh greens and holly. But unless you use your silver often, it is probably tarnished and needs polishing, and if you are like me, you probably don’t have the time to polish silver with all the other holiday hoopla. I don’t like using commercial silver polish anyway, which often contains thiourea, a known animal and probable human carcinogen.  The thought of eating on silverware polished with toxic chemicals is enough to make me not use it at all.

Image by augenbuch Flickr.com

Here are a couple of simple, quick and non-toxic silver polish recipes.

• Fill a sink or a large pan with water.
• Add two tablespoons of cream of tartar and a few strips of aluminum foil.
• Let the silver soak for an hour or so until it is tarnish free.  In the case of badly tarnished silver, you may notice an odor like rotting eggs. (It’s not harmful, but it’s a good idea to open a window.)
• Rinse with water and pat dry with a soft cloth.

I just tried this and my grandmother’s silver looks like new with very little effort!

Another tried and true recipe is:

• Add 3 to 5 drops of peppermint or spearmint essential oil to toothpaste.
• Rub this mixture with your fingertips onto the silver.  As the tarnish is removed, the toothpaste mixture will turn grayish.
• Rinse the silver well and pat dry.

Hints:  Don’t use rubber gloves while cleaning your silver – rubber can actually corrode the finish.  Don’t allow food to stand on your silver.  Always store rolled up in a flannel cloth.

Information compiled from The Naturally Clean Home by Karyn Siegel-Maier.

CELEBRATE WITH A GREEN THANKSGIVING!

As we give thanks this Thanksgiving, why not make it a “green” one?  Try the ideas below.

Image by Ilrena Flickr.com

• For your holiday dinner, support local farmers who grow organic produce. The average food travels 1500 miles from farm to plate, consuming large quantities of fossil fuels and generating major CO2 emissions. Local food by contrast is usually transported 100 – 200 miles, has fewer pesticides and can be picked when ripe.  It is obviously fresher and better.  Farm stands and supermarkets have an abundance of local winter squash, carrots, potatoes, greens, herbs, apples, and pumpkin. Don’t forget to bring your reusable shopping bags.

• Try a locally grown, free range organic turkey available at local farms and Whole Foods.  Fresh turkeys are unbelievably moist and delicious and not treated with antibiotics and growth hormones.  You won’t believe the difference.  For the vegetarians at your table, try a Tofurkey – it’s really good!  Make sure you use organic cranberries for your cranberry sauce – cranberries are a heavily sprayed crop.

• Add freshly baked local artisan bread and rolls.

• Consider serving organic wine along with your meal. Organic wine is made from certified organically grown grapes, meaning grown without pesticides, herbicides and chemical fertilizers. Conventionally grown grapes are one of the most heavily sprayed crops, and the chemical residues can end up in the wine.  Organically grown grapes are better for the soil, the plant and the wine drinker.

• China, silver and cloth napkins are obviously better for the environment than paper plates and plastic utensils.  They look much better too!  If you are expecting a big crowd and need to opt for disposable, get the biodegradable and compostable plates and utensils.

• After the big feast, don’t forget to recycle cans, cartons, plastics and bottles and compost leftover kitchen waste.

With your healthy and “green” holiday feast, you won’t feel so badly about overindulging!  Happy Thanksgiving!

THE TRUTH ABOUT WATER BOTTLES

Water bottles are a healthy, “green” choice, right?  Not necessarily. Though better than soda, drinking water from a water bottle has environmental and health concerns.

Image by Dannyman Flickr.com

Most commercially packaged bottles, particularly those imprinted with the #1 recycle logo on the bottom, are designed for single use and should not be reused. If you do decide to reuse a water bottle, make sure it is adequately washed and dried so bacteria won’t get in, but limit the number of times you reuse them. If your bottle tastes like plastic, you are drinking plastic so get another one. You don’t want to drink plastic; plastic accumulates in the body.  Stay away from water bottles made from Bisphenol A (BPA), a toxic chemical possibly linked to many cancers, infertility, miscarriages and other related problems.

An estimated 60 million plastic water bottles are thrown away each day – most are not recycled. They are not bio-degradable and end up as litter or in the landfill leaching chemicals, especially if the plastic is cracked or damaged.  Bottled water is also expensive and is often just tap water.  Finally, the millions of barrels of oil used to make the bottles are polluting and wasteful.

The solution? Install a filter on your tap water source or buy an easy to use Brita Water Filter found at any home goods store.  For transporting, buy reusable stainless steel or BPA-free bottles.