There is a growing concern happening in every town.  The more that we move forward as a country we are beginning to open our eyes and voice our concerns, inquiring about where our food is from, as well as what our food is.  I am constantly researching information about our food system and further, I have been working very hard at getting healthful foods into our school lunches.  I believe in a healthier food system in our schools as well as in our homes.  Education of these things is the first step.

With that,  I just read this article and felt the need to share this with you, for you and your family.  I hope you enjoy the read and maybe walk away from it with a little more info to stew on.  Every day is a new day to start something new to enhance our lives and well being.

Fast Food Article

Until next time, live green!

Jen

Recently, I watched Food Inc., it was extremely interesting and it was so informative that I walked away from the movie thinking about what types of changes I could make to help my kids learn about healthier eating, and making the right choices.  It is important to me, like many parents, to make sure that I am equipping my kids with a strong foundation about organic food and living consciously.  These values are the things that I truly feel our children will carry with them into adulthood, making their lives more healthful.

After some research I found a local company that is truly making an effort to make our schools and lunch options much easier for the health conscious parents.  The company is called Fresh Lunches, www.freshlunches.com.  Their mission?  “children’s nutrition is our greatest concern. We use only the best and highest quality ingredients and engage in the latest good health practices.”

Fresh lunches only uses: hormone and antibiotics free meats and poultry, natural or organic fruits and veggies, no high fructose corn syrup, appropriate portions, no mechanically retrieved meat product.

The process is simple and you can rest easy knowing that you children are being delivered healthful meals.

That’s right, I said delivered!  Fresh Lunches will even deliver your child’s lunch right to the classroom.

What I personally hope is that companies like Fresh Lunches ushers in a new wave of making our schools take part in healthier, organic foods for our kids.  What a great thing this would be!  This also helps show our kids that even when you might think there aren’t any good choices in a pinch, a little research and a lot of heart will find you in good company.

Until next time Live Green!

Jen

Staying cool during the summer is tough for those on a budget. With energy costs soaring, running the air conditioner can cost an arm and a leg! So in order to stay cooler this year, here are five things you can do to stay cool for pennies.

1. Use the grill! Keep all that heat out of your kitchen by keeping the oven off. If you do have to oven cook, do it after the sun sets. Better yet, convert your recipe to a slow cooker or microwave it.

2. Drink lots of water – Not only is it good for you but by keeping yourself hydrated you will stay cooler.

3. Shower - Take a quick cool shower during midday to refresh and again right before you crawl into bed to help you get to sleep quickly.

4. Run your ceiling and attic fans – The more you circulate the air up and out, the cooler your home will stay. Swamp coolers are also a great alternative to air conditioning.

5. Use your shades – pull the shades on your west-facing and southern exposure windows. Roller shades are relatively inexpensive and reflect the sun’s heat out of your home.

Till next week…live green!

~Jennifer

Summertime is about being outdoors and enjoying the warm sunshine. However, for years we have been warned about the dangers of too much sun; enter sunscreen and sun block. Both enable us to stay out longer to enjoy the day so it makes no sense to slather on a sunscreen that was made with chemicals that harm the very earth we are trying to enjoy! Most conventional sunscreens contain paraben preservatives to keep them fresh however; wearing them into the ocean can wreak havoc to coral life and other delicate marine ecosystems. Paraben or not, sunscreens lose their effectiveness over time. That is why it is a good idea to replace them each year with a fresh batch.

There are quite a few “green” sunscreens on the market today and finding one that isn’t too “white” or too greasy can be a costly undertaking which is why I am recommending Alba Botanica’s  Organic Lavender Sunscreen with an SPF of 30. Not only does it not contain paraben or PABA, and made with certified organic ingredients, but the lavender serves as a pleasant scent and a natural insect repellant!

Till tomorrow…live green!

~Jennifer

It’s the start of pool season and even if you are a chlorine junkie, you can still green up your pool. Here are five ways to do so without buying new equipment or changing your chemical balance.

1. Run your equipment during off-peak hours. Try vacuuming and running your filter as little as possible and see how long you can go and still get good results.

2. Use a “green” pool company. Look for companies that re-use water.

3. Turn the temperature down on your heater, just a couple of degrees will make a big difference.

4. Use a solar cover to keep evaporation to a minimum.

5. Keep your equipment maintained. Properly functioning pumps, filters, and heaters last longer and run more efficiently.

Til Next Week…live green!

~Jennifer

Green tea has been touted to cure a number of ailments from heart disease to tooth decay. Here are five things you may or may not have known about teas in general.

1. Green Tea contains antioxidants – Fact: Polyphenols are present in green tea however, you need to drink at least 4 to 10 cups (studies vary) a day for months before you can reap any benefits.

2. All tea is derived from the leaves of the Camellia Sinensis, an evergreen tree – Fact: White, Green, Oolong, and Black teas are all made from the leaves of this tree. However, there are a lot of “teas” out there that are marketed as “herbal tea”, these are actually infusions of herbs, spices, and flowers. The proper term for them is “tisane.”

3. Tea has half the caffeine of coffee – Fact: The American Dietetic Association reports that a cup of tea averages 40 grams of caffeine compared to 85 grams in a cup of freshly brewed coffee.

4. Decaf tea is just as beneficial – Fiction: There are no studies currently to back that up. The process that tea undergoes to make it decaffeinated may or may not remove the beneficial properties naturally found in the leaves of the Camellia.

5. Organic tea is healthier than non-organic – Fact: The Camellia plant is found in both China and Japan. Pesticides are not as strictly regulated as they are in the U.S. and you may be getting a cup full in your tea if it is not certified organic!

Till next week…live green!

~Jennifer

Married or not, date night is an important element to a woman’s well-being. That is why this week I intend on focusing on having a more “organic” and eco-friendly date from what to wear from head to toe! Starting at the tippy toes, spring is finally here and it’s time for that pedicure! Before you head off to the local spa (we’ll talk about those next week), why not give yourself one at home? There are all kinds of eco-friendly lotions and footbaths out there but how about polish? Unfortunately, there isn’t a completely organic or natural nail polish yet but there are a few that are close! PeaceKeeper Cause-metics offers a line of polishes rated as a “low moderate hazard” by the Environmental Working Group’s Skin Deep Rating System. In addition, they publish all of their ingredients online and even include a couple of vegan colors! In addition to offering eco-friendly cosmetics, PeaceKeeper donates all of their after-tax profits to charity, ensures that the companies they work with pay fair wages to their employees, further, their products are not tested on animals. Now that’s a company I feel good about doing business with!

Till Tomorrow… live green!

~Jennifer

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This week has been all about improving the quality of the air we breathe. Here are five simple ways to do that inside your home!

1. Have your ducts cleaned – Getting your air ducts cleaned can improve air quality by as much as 53%. How often to do that depends on the factors in your home, one way to tell they need to be cleaned is if you can see dust particles floating in the sunlight, another indicator is waking up congested every morning from breathing dust all night long.

2. Plants – not only do they provide beauty, but they also recycle the air by using carbon dioxide and releasing oxygen back into the air. Make sure to dust your plant leaves regularly with a simple vinegar water solution.

3. Open your Windows – Let in the fresh air from outside! Even in the city, the outside air is cleaner than you may think and you’ll be diluting the inside pollutants that much more.

4. Vacuum regularly – Even if your carpets don’t “look” dirty, chances are, they are hiding millions of dead skin cells, dust mites, and dirt. If your vacuum has a Hepa filter… even better! My choice of vacuum is Dyson’s DC 25.

5. Ban smoking and restrict pets – no brainers here but keeping pets out of bedrooms will help cut down on the pollutants you breathe.

The products and chemicals we use to clean our homes are an obvious source of indoor air pollution. Have you ever been in a bathroom and used harsh cleaners such as bleach water to disinfect? Ugh! That hurts my nose just writing about it! In addition, cooking, painting, heating, and even bathing can contribute to the quality of the air we breathe.

In order to reduce the pollutants, give up the perfumed air fresheners in favor of a “truer” clean like pure lemon juice diluted with water. A study by the Natural Resources Defense Council found that many air fresheners previously deemed “safe” contained chemicals (not listed on the label) that could aggravate asthma. Another study found that six of the top laundry detergents gave off chemicals such as acetone, which are listed as “hazardous” or “toxic” under federal laws, also not previously indicated on their labels.

A good rule to go by when selecting products to use in your home is if you cannot pronounce the ingredients, it probably isn’t what you want to breathe! Replace items like shampoo and conditioners (which contain perfumes) with natural organic products such as this from Herbal Choice.

Till tomorrow… live green!

~Jennifer

Houseplants are one of the best and “greenest” ways to clean the air in your home. By placing plants approximately every one hundred square feet, you’ll be lessening the amount of benzene, trichloroethylene and formaldehyde (found in your carpets) that you breathe in every day!
Don’t have a “green thumb”? Ironically, or perhaps for the best, the most effective plants for air quality control also happen to be among the easiest to grow! At the top of the list is the Heartleaf Philodendron, or “parlor ivy”. This plant is easily propagated by clipping a leaf and placing the stem of it in a cup of room temp water for a few weeks or until it starts to “root”. At that time, place into a pot with regular potting soil and keep wet, (but not soaking) until it takes off. Care can then be diminished down to watering once a week. Parlor ivy does well in a wide variety of conditions and bounces back even if you wait to water until the leaves wilt a little.

Till tomorrow… live green!

~Jennifer