50 Small but Big Ways to have a Healthier New Year

By on January 4, 2016   /   Featured Post, Health   /   Leave a comment
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50 Small but big ways to have a healthier new year

New Year’s health resolutions don’t need to be overwhelming, here are 50 small steps towards a healthier 2016. Choose to be happy, rather than right. Don’t talk about your body like it is a war zone. Your words create your reality. Make peace with food. Live for questions, not answers. Try using a wakeup light instead of an alarm clock. Add grassfed collagen to your soups, smoothies and sauces. Incorporate the practice of Ayurvedic Tongue Scraping for oral health. Switch packaged protein bars for a healthier homemade option. Learn to make kale delicious. Ditch the melatonin habit. Do a facial lymph massage. It provides gentle drainage to help relieve sinus pressure and fluid build-up. Have a desk job? Switch to a standing desk.  Do a mouse-arm stretch to relieve tension if you use a computer all day. Eat a raw carrot daily for better hormones.  Feeling stressed? Bust out  4-7-8 breathing. Dry brush your body before showering for softer skin and detoxification. Eat more ghee. Detox your bedroom. Roll the bottom of your feet over a golf ball. It is a powerful massage and activates numerous reflexology points. Switch to non-toxic makeup. Do the twist… any yoga twist! Any twist position (siting or standing twists) give a massage to […]

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Erin Brockovich: Porter Ranch Gas Leak Is Worst Environmental Disaster Since BP Oil Spill

By on January 4, 2016   /   Featured Post, Health   /   Leave a comment
Erin Brokovich: Fighting for resident of Porter Ranch

by Erin Brockovich Since October, residents of Porter Ranch, California, have been exposed to dangerous contaminants from a massive natural gas leak that continues to seep into the air, causing a catastrophe the scale of which has not been seen since the 2010 BP oil spill. After only a week of visiting families in Porter Ranch, I am already experiencing the headaches, nausea and congestion that have plagued this community living at the center of one of the most significant environmental disasters in recent history. Southern California Gas Co. or SoCalGas, has essentially ignored the impact to victims and its actions have instead added to their suffering. The company has refused to release air quality data that could be used to protect its residents, it has made relocation very difficult and it has forged ahead with plans to expand its facility before the leak has even been contained. The enormity of the Aliso Canyon gas leak cannot be overstated. Gas is escaping through a ruptured pipe more than 8,000 feet underground and it shows no sign of stopping. As the pressure from weight on top of the pipe causes the gas to diffuse, it only continues to dissipate across a […]

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116 Organizations Creating a Sustainable Global Food System

By on December 31, 2015   /   Featured Post, Health, Leadership   /   Leave a comment
116 Organizations Creating a Sustainable Global Food System

Each year, Food Tank highlights organizations that help create a more sustainable global food system. They protect biodiversity, produce valuable agricultural research, fight hunger and much more. This year, Food Tank featured 116 organizations that made vital improvements to our food system in 2015. Here are the 116 sustainable organizations to watch in 2016: 1. 4-H: 4-H is a youth development program of the Cooperative Extension System of land-grant universities in the U.S. Based in Chevy Chase, Maryland, 4-H encourages youth to pursue their own projects, with help from volunteers and mentors. The organization also provides programs in several categories: science programs which encourage youth to learn about science, technology, engineering and math (STEM), healthy living programs and programs that encourage young people to be well-informed and engaged citizens of their communities. 2. African Biodiversity Network (ABN): ABN was founded in 1996 in Kenya as a regional network of individuals and organizations in 12 African countries: Benin, Botswana, Ethiopia, Ghana, Kenya, Mozambique, South Africa, Tanzania, Togo, Uganda, Zambia and Zimbabwe. ABN focuses on indigenous knowledge, protecting biodiversity and improving agricultural policies and legislation. 3. African Women in Agricultural Research and Development (AWARD): AWARD works to strengthen the research and leadership skills of African women working in agricultural research and development. Launched in […]

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Imagine Whole Foods At Dollar Store Prices

By on December 14, 2015   /   Family, Featured Post, Health   /   Leave a comment
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Buy health food for the price of fast food

Imagine Whole Foods at dollar-store prices—a new company called Daily Table is shifting the power back to people of lower income, so they too have the option of eating right. This has long been the frustration of healthy food – that for some reason eating properly is saved for a wealthier segment of society. This isn’t the way it needs to be. With over 30 per cent of the national food supply wasted in the U.S., there is plenty to go around at affordable prices. This was the realization of Doug Rauch, former president of Trader Joe’s and CEO of Conscious Capitalism, when he founded Daily Table, a not-for-profit grocery store. (According to their website, “there are plans to open additional stores in both the greater Boston area and additional cities across the country.”) The first location opened in Dorchester, Boston on June 4, 2015 and as the very first line of Time’s article reads in large bold text, “Tons of items are under $1.” Doug Rauch, former president of Trader Joe’s, has founded a new low-cost health food store called Daily Table. The first store opened in Boston on June 4, 2015. “The answer here isn’t a full stomach, […]

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How Gambian Women Are Turning Trash Into Treasure

By on December 7, 2015   /   Featured Post, Health   /   Leave a comment
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Gambian Women Turn Trash Into Treasure

An initiative in Gambia is empowering women and reducing hazardous waste at the same time. The Waste Innovation Center, launched in August and initially funded by the European Union’s Global Climate Change Alliance, shows women in the Brikama area how to recycle waste into useful materials and products, which they can then sell in local markets, news site AllAfrica.com reported. Wood-like waste is recycled into charcoal, for example, which can be used as an alternative to firewood and decrease deforestation. Food waste is recycled into compost to function as environmentally friendly fertilizers and plastic is turned into everything from paving slabs and gutters to local sanitary toilet holes. Supported by Waste Aid UK and the Gambia Women’s Initiative, among others, the project provides women with skills they can use to become self-sufficient entrepreneurs. Women learning at the center come from five communities, and some of them travel as far as 12 miles to learn these skills that will provide them with an income, according to the Guardian. Isatou Ceesay, who now leads GWI, highlighted the need to focus on economic equality in her country, telling the Guardian, “In terms of education, [women] are the ones who are always behind. Boys are chosen to go […]

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How To Make Your Own Body Care Products–Without the Nasty Chemicals

By on October 23, 2015   /   DIY, Featured Post, Health   /   Leave a comment
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DIY Natural Beauty Products

5 DIY Recipes that are good for you, the planet, and your purse. In a world where clever marketing distracts us from the actual ingredients in our toiletries, it’s hard to know exactly what we’re using to wash our bodies. In reality, 10,500 different chemical ingredients can be found in our vast body care market—some of which are thought to be carcinogenic or harmful to our endocrine system. Research done by the Cosmetic Ingredient Review in 2012 revealed a list of unsafe ingredients commonly used. The study exposed safety concerns ranging from skin depigmentation to reproductive problems. Other research on these chemicals remains inconclusive, but you can avoid any potential risks by opting to cook up your own body care products at home. Here are a few that we tried. SHAMPOO ½ cup distilled water ¼ cup unscented liquid castile soap ¼ teaspoon essential oil of choice Combine all of the ingredients in a bottle—any old bottle will work. Shake the ingredients well to make sure that the mixture is consistent. Pour some atop your head and lather. TOOTHPASTE ½ teaspoon baking soda ½ teaspoon salt 1 drop essential oil (peppermint, sweet orange, clove, or cinnamon bark is recommended) A […]

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Meatless Monday: “Cowspiracy” Coming Soon To a Netflix Near You!

By on October 12, 2015   /   Featured Post, Health   /   Leave a comment
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Meatless Mondays vegetarian burger

About a year ago, Meatless Monday featured “Cowspiracy,” the documentary linking animal agriculture and environmental disaster. The film just nailed distribution through Netflix . Kip Andersen, co-producer/director of “Cowspiracy: The Sustainability Secret,” considered himself to be an environmentalist. He recycled to reduce waste, took quick showers to save water, supported several environmental organizations. Then “I did some research and discovered all these incredible things — rainforest destruction, species extinction — can all be tied to animal agriculture. Jeez, this is the cause?” And if so, why was no one talking about it? Stunned, Andersen “checked the websites of my favorite nonprofits — Greenpeace, Sierra Club, Surfrider — I didn’t see anything on there. I started emailing and calling over months, years, and no avail. That’s when I started to step this up, that’s when I teamed up with Keegan [fellow producer/director Keegan Kuhn] to get to the bottom of this.” The bottom, it turns out, is a long way down. The feature-length documentary follows Anderson on his journey into the heart of darkness. And silence. “There’s suppression and mismanagement of information,” says “Comfortably Unaware” author Dr. Richard Oppenlander, the degree of which surprised even Kuhn of First Spark Media. “I […]

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How to tell if produce is organic in 2 seconds

By on October 6, 2015   /   Featured Post, Health   /   Leave a comment
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Pears with organic PLU code

If you’re unsure about the nature of supermarket produce, here’s the giveaway. Some people have strict standards about eating organic fruits and vegetables. Some supermarket produce sections are poorly labeled or in enough disarray that knowing what was grown in which way can be challenging. If either of these fates have ever befallen you, meet your friend, the PLU sticker. PLU (or Price Look Up) codes are the 4- or 5-digit numbers on produce stickers that have been used by supermarkets since 1990. They represent a globally standardized system implemented by the International Federation for Produce Standards (IFPS), a group of national produce associations from around the globe. While the long-term objective of the organization is to improve the supply chain efficiency of the fresh produce industry, consumers can glean information from the codes as well. The PLU number indicates produce items based on a number of factors such as commodity, variety, growing methodology (e.g. organic), and size. Numbers are assigned by the IFPS after rigorous review at both national and international levels. The system is based on 4-digit codes that are within the 3000 and 4000 series. The numbers are assigned randomly, that is, each digit does not imply […]

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Venus and Serena Williams: Raw Vegan Powerhouses

By on October 5, 2015   /   Featured Post, Health   /   Leave a comment
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Think vegans can’t get power from their food? Think again! Believe it or not, tennis legends Venus and Serena Williams follow a healthy, balanced raw vegan diet during the tennis season. That’s right, both raw and vegan. These women kick serious butt on the court without eating any cooked food or animal products. While the superstar sisters technically consider themselves ‘chegan’—because they occasionally indulge in cooked fish or chicken if they feel the need/want to celebrate—their foundational diet for health and training is both raw and vegan. The sisters didn’t grow up like this. While their mother made a lot of green juices, they consumed traditional American fare. However, when Venus was diagnosed with an autoimmune disease—Sjögren’s syndrome—she decided to become raw vegan to take control of her body and health. She began consuming a lot of veggies, green juices and raw, sprouted foods. She’s a big fan of smoothies, her favorite ingredients being strawberry, mango, spinach, orange juice and ginger. To support her sister and roommate, Serena quickly joined her, so as not to make Venus’s transition harder by bringing nixed foods like chicken into the house. To fuel herself, Serena makes sure to drink green smoothies with kale and plenty of protein powder, carb up on […]

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How Eating Fruits and Vegetables Can Help The Planet

By on September 21, 2015   /   Featured Post, Health   /   Leave a comment
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Eat More Vegetables

What comes to mind when you think of sustainable food production? If you’re like many Americans, you probably picture a local farmer’s market, celebrity-branded salad dressing or an organic farmer growing heirloom lettuces and free-range chickens. Now, what comes to mind when you think of industrial food production? Do you envision acres of conventionally grown corn stretching as far as the eye can see? Giant feed lots? Factories that process food into “center aisle” products for the supermarket? When we think about sustainable food production, most people don’t think about solutions coming from Big Business. Yet corporations have the potential to become our biggest ally in meeting SDG 12, the sustainability development goal set forth by the United Nations to ensure sustainable consumption and production patterns by 2030. Here’s why Our need to eat poses serious threats to the natural systems that sustain us. Whether it’s small and organic or large and conventional, farming of both livestock and crops already uses up nearly 40 percent of Earth’s non-ice surface and is responsible for 14 percent of global greenhouse-gas emissions — more if you count the GHG emissions caused by deforestation, which has largely been driven by agricultural expansion. Agriculture also […]

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