White Coconut Crème tea
I came across a wonderful online resource for tea a few months ago while searching for a supplier for the restaurant. The LA-based Art of Tea hand blends each of their imported teas in small batches using organic ingredients and high-quality botanicals. The teas are some of the best I’ve had and I’m not alone either, at the restaurant we can’t keep enough in stock it seems.
I’ve had quite a few really great blends, but my absolute favorite is a white tea blended with coconut and flowers. It’s unbelievable! The crème part isn’t just part of a fluffy title either, it really does have a lovely creamy texture with a perfect balance of coconut. Look, you can see the coconut pieces! No artificial tastes or fragrances anywhere; the natural flavors are clean and real. Oh and here’s a tip, add a piece (or two) of chocolate to your tea routine with this and you’ll be in heaven. No joke, a bite of really nice chocolate after a sip will send you floating. I’m really not exaggerating, it’s that good.
Another great selling point is that white tea is the least processed of any tea variety, so you get the health benefits of green tea and more. A huge part of a clean lifestyle regimen, tea is the ultimate anti-cancer staple!
Various sizes available at Art of Tea: a tea tin serves about 25 cups for $10.99. I started small but ended up buying the 1 lb bag for $44.
Dr. Bronner’s family of soaps
I adore my Dr. Bronner’s soaps, they make me happy. Yes, washing my hands with his soaps actually makes me happy. And reading the label is always interesting. All of the soaps are vegetable-based, completely biodegradable, made from organic and fair trade oils, and have no synthetics or preservatives. You can actually recognize all nine of the ingredients on the label, and checking in at the Cosmetics Database shows it’s ranking as a wonderful 1-2 (which is not always easy to find). The scents come only from the essential oils, so no fragrance has been added. I’ve admitted it before: I am a perfume/fragrance brat. I’ll have none of it, thankyouverymuch. I use almond in both the liquid and bar soaps and it smells heavenly; nothing artificial or overpowering, just a soft natural almond scent that reminds me of cookies for some strange reason.
Aside from the lovely smell and all the benefits of organic and natural ingredients, converting to a natural soap is an easy way to make the transition toward a cleaner house, and here’s why: last April the FDA announced that there may suddenly be a concern with the commonly used antibacterial chemical triclosan. Found in everything from toothpaste to deodorant and liquid soaps and hand sanitizers, the chemical is so prevalent that it is found in 75% of the population’s urine. Recent studies have found that triclosan disrupts normal endocrine functions (by mimicking hormones produced by the thyroid), while other studies have shown it to affect sea life, even preventing photosynthesis in diatom algae. In short: a chemical employed since the early seventies, presumed to be completely safe (by the FDA in spite of mounting evidence) until last spring, is currently being investigated, but still exists in nearly every health and cleaning product available.
Triclosan
Switching soaps is an easy and fairly inexpensive way to remove a few more chemicals from your home. Compared to many conventional soaps it may be more expensive, but seeing as how some countries and politicians domestically are asking that triclosan be banned from children’s products, it is definitely worth making the switch.
Very easy to find, and liquid soaps are often available in bulk-size. Check your local natural food store or buy online here.
I can’t help it, I’m a sucker for anything recycled. I just love the thought of trash being reincarnated into something new and useful, which is why I was taken by these simple (and stylish) little sticky notes. Great as page markers I wish they were bigger so I could replace Post-Its.
Designed by Naruse-Inokuma Architects
While we’re on the subject of stickies and Post-It’s, have you heard about the health issues one town in Minnesota is experiencing because of polluted water from 3M? The water quality for Lake Elmo had extremely high levels of PFC’s, but 3M is claiming the chemical is not harmful. According to the Wall Street Journal,
3M was accused of disposing perfluorochemicals, or PFCs, by burying them in the ground and piping them into surface water, which then flowed into the Mississippi River.
Very sad, but sadly not surprising. Check out Change.org to sign a petition in support of the lawsuit.
Filed under: Clean, Farmer's Market, Food, Green, Health, Movies, Nature
As much as I love and often refer to Food Inc. it was a really heavy movie; all the things I had already suspected were not only confirmed but the stories and images, though not as gruesome I had anticipated, had resonated in a strong way. I was mad and angry and I sort of carried it with me for a while; it wasn’t a terrible thing, just not the kind of feeling I want to handle often.
On the flip side of Food Inc. there’s a new, seemingly more joyful and uplifting movie that’s out called Fresh. My awesome co-worker passed it along yesterday and I’m already trying to see if I can get into a screening next week. I can’t find much more info than what’s listed on their site, but it looks as if it’s been making the rounds at small screenings here and there (since 2009!). It would be great to see it go nation-wide.
My favorite farmer Joel Salatin is back from Food Inc. too!
My quest for living a clean life goes far beyond organic produce and filtered (plastic-free) water, and dives deep into the products I use in my daily skin and hair care routine. Think about it…how many health and beauty products do you use in a single day? Shampoo, cream rinse, soap, astringent, lotion, and that’s all before the make-up goes on.
Well, the fact of the matter is that make-up ingredients are not regulated, and the most accessible products for skin and hair contain an endless list of toxins:
“The average woman exposes herself to 167 different chemicals on her face and body during her daily beauty regime.”
“300 contaminants have been detected in the umbilical cord blood of newborns.”
These are just two of the facts that are featured in this quick and infinitely important message about health and beauty products and their effects on women, men, and babies. Please, if you do one thing today, watch this quick video to get an idea of what we’re all up against. Like the latest movement for food industry reform, this is another industry that is putting their product and dollar before the health of consumers.
Yes, it’s overwhemling, but for everyone and especially for us women of child-bearing age, it is essential for us to take charge of what we put in our bodies and on our skin and hair. We can change how these companies formulate their products.
Organic products DO help, you just have to make sure that the product you’re buying is actually what is says it is. It takes more work to figure it out, but that’s where the EWG’s Skin Deep Cosmetics Database is an essential tool for the arsenal. All of my make-up, shampoos, toothpastes, and lotions have a rating of 4 or below. If you do two things today, please poke around the database and learn a bit more about what you’re using at home.
My skin has never looked or felt better than the last few years that I’ve switched to organic and chemical-free products, while also taking my vitamins (all 9 of them!). I can’t believe the first picture I post of myself will be first thing in the morning without make-up, but my point is that you cannot buy healthy skin in a jar that promises fewer wrinkles or blemishes. It comes from so much more work and research, but ultimately from a clean lifestyle that anyone can have with some practice. Please, please know what your feeding your body!
GT Dave’s Mango Kombucha, and my traffic cone orange nails.
Hi, my name is Natira and I am a ‘buchaholic. It started casually enough; I’d have a sip here and there if it was around, but before I knew it I was sneaking off to buy a bottle for myself. Then pretty soon that wasn’t enough – I wanted one before lunch, then again pre work-out…but then there was also the post work-out craving. It’s euphoric: the thirst quenching effervescence, the gorgeous array of fruit flavors, the wonderfully clean feeling. Suddenly I was in need of a separate budget item just for this little elixir. I needed help and I knew it. Now I’m down to a bottle a day, but I’ll always want just one more sip….
Recently GT Dave has voluntarily recalled his Kombucha to re-evaluate the alcohol levels that are on the label. Since the drink is fermented it has slight levels (currently labeled at .5%), but that level may be higher since it may continue to ferment during shipping.
I’m DYING! I can’t find it anywhere. I haven’t had a soda in years, I can’t take all the sugar corn syrup, but I crave carbonation. More alcohol or not, Kombucha is an amazing drink to health and balance and I can’t do without it and its natural fizziness. I’ve tried four, count ‘em f-o-u-r different Kombucha brands this past week and they are all a joke. Excuse me, but why would you pasteurize your Kombucha? Oh yeah, and why would you add sweetener? No. Nice try, but that’s not what Komucha is and that is not a drink to health. Puh-leeeze hurry back GT Dave!
The benefits of GT Dave’s raw Kombucha are seemingly endless, and once you get past the strong taste you’ll start helping your body live a cleaner life. (I always feel like those little scrubby bubble guys from the commercial are washing through my body after every drink. You really do feel nice and clean afterward, and no it’s not a buzz from the alcohol.)
Some of my favorite facts about Kombucha:
- It’s a living culture of mico-organisms that’s fermented in order to produce a bevy of goodness for your body to restore a natural balance. Some of the goodies include amino acids, enzymes, probiotics, polyphenols, and antioxidants. Bottom line: good for the tummy, immune system, and skin!
- It’s a raw food. It hasn’t been heated or pasteurized, so it retains all of its nutrients.
- It’s organic! No icky preservatives or sprays on anything added to the bottle. In fact, the presence of the antioxidants in the body that comes from drinking Kombucha can help eliminate free-radicals that are present in the body (from pesticides and preservatives in the typical Western diet).
- It’s a glass bottle. No BPA leached here.
I strongly believe in the benefits of Kombucha, and the ability it has to help our bodies fight off the potential for cancerous growth. When we talk about cancer prevention this is one for the arsenal. If you’re new to Kombucha I recommend starting with the Multi-Green flavor. It’s not as intense as some other flavors, so once you get used to that you can move on to my favorites: Mango, Strawberry, and Gingerberry. Who knows, maybe I’ll be seeing you in ‘buchaholics anonymous.
I love my Baggu grocery bags. They’re completely functional (they hold a ton of stuff), durable (holds 50 lbs.), and most fun of all they’re gorgeous. I’ve mentioned before that when I first started bringing my own grocery bags I needed a bit of an incentive to remember them each time. I found these Baggu’s, in their rainbow of colors and knew that I’d almost never be able to leave them behind. Come on, a fashion statement while shopping…fun, right? Well, it worked; I rarely ever forget my bags and I always get lots of compliments on them.
Aside from my rainbow of grocery bags, I also have a small collection of their mesh produce bags, which I ADORE! They’re a light nylon mesh that comes in small or large sizes, so they’re the perfect accessory for farmer’s market or grocery store shopping. I just throw a few in my grocery bag and I’m off to the market. They’re especially useful at the market with the loose produce like brussel sprouts or baby potatoes.
I’m going to get a bit catty here, but it drives me crazy when I see people grabbing plastic produce bags and throwing two lemons or an onion in. I’m sorry dear friend, but where do you think that plastic ends up at the end of the day? There’s absolutely no reason to house any of your produce in a plastic bag. I say go bag-less, or grab a set of these wonderful produce bags!
Visit Baggu online and check out they’re wonderful line of reusable bags.
Grocery bag: $8.00 each / 3, 4, or 5 bags $7.50 each / 6 or more $6.50 each
Small produce bag: $3.00 each
Large produce bag: $4.00 each
Jacques-Yves Cousteau
Another one of my childhood heroes celebrates an anniversary today. A decorated French Naval officer, co-developer of the “aqua-lung,” the grandfather of underwater exploration, and a true conservationist, Jacques-Yves Cousteau would turn 100 today!
Joyeux anniversaire le Commandant Cousteau!
His Rights for Future Generations campaign is something very dear to my heart; it’s because of his work that I am so passionate about clean water and working to save our oceans from pollution. My heart is heavy recalling the day of his passing in 1997, but it’s most heavy knowing that on this day, in this year, we are fighting to save our oceans on a bigger scale than ever before.
I’ve been following his grandson Philippe Cousteau as he is leading cleaning efforts in the Gulf of Mexico (he was the first diver to enter the polluted water). Please visit his blog and his non-profit EarthEcho to see how you can help clean up the gulf, but also to see how the Cousteau legacy is still alive and well.
P.S. – Check out Google’s homepage today to see another great logo tribute.
National Geographic and photographer Joel Sartore present RARE: Portraits of America’s Endangered Species, the result of a three year investigation on the nation’s disappearing plants and animals. For over 2o years Sartore’s been photographing for National Geographic, focusing on endangered species and land issues, so this book promises to be amazing!
Have you seen the Planet Earth episode where the polar bear swims endlessly searching for food? I was a wreck at the end, but it reaffirmed why I choose to live as clean as possible. See the list that Joel has compiled below to help each of us make a positive impact. Oh, and by the way, if you’re still using chemicals to treat your lawn you should be slapped! (I’ll end it at that, although I could go on.)
Threatened – Polar Bear
NOW EXTINCT - Bryn, the Columbia Basin pygmy rabbit
Threatened – Bog turtle
Want to know what you can do to help? Here are a few simple, concrete action steps that you can take to help save endangered species.
1. Be an informed citizen. Learn what the environmental issues are in your town, state, nation and even globally.
2. Reduce, reuse, and recycle whatever goods you buy. Try to leave the smallest ecological footprint that you can each day.
3. Drive a more fuel-efficient vehicle. Better yet, take public transportation or ride a bike once in awhile. If everyone did their part, there would be no need for us to drill in the last wild places left on Earth, including the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge.
4. Don’t use chemicals on your lawn. They end up polluting the soil and water. And think twice before turning your sprinklers on. It’s a waste of water, something that is becoming scarcer every year. You’ll save time, money, and prevent pollution because you won’t have to mow nearly as often. Around the U.S., many citizens have planted native vegetation instead of bluegrass, resulting in a minimal need for water and care.
5. Support groups that are trying to do the right thing such as The Nature Conservancy, Conservation International and the World Wildlife Fund. Locally, the Conservation Alliance of the Great Plains does good work, supporting education and advocacy here in the Heartland. Joel Sartore is a founding member of this group.
6. Vote. We citizens tend to get the government we deserve. We elect politicians to represent our interests. Only when the majority of voters respect and care about nature will we begin to see the political changes needed to start saving the earth.
Threatened – Atlantic loggerhead turtle
Endangered – Hibiscus flower
- All images via Joel Sartore. Please visit his site to see more beautiful photos!
- Buy the book here.
The Environmental Working Group has released a new list ranking the levels of pesticides in 49 fruits and veggies. If you’re not always able to buy organic, this list will help prioritize which can be conventional. So handy!
According to their research, a person eating five fruits and vegetables per day from the “Dirty Dozen” list consumed an average of 10 pesticides, while those who ate from the “Clean 15″ (conventionally-grown, not organic) consumed fewer than two.
The image above is their pocket guide in case you need a cheat sheet. Check out the full list here. I always knew cherries, strawberries, and peaches were bad (of course they are, they’re my favorite) so I always buy them in organic, but celery as the worst? I had no clue.
