“Bottled water wastes fossil fuels and water in production and transport, and when the water is drunk the bottles become a major source of waste. It takes more than 47 million gallons of oil to produce plastic water bottles for Americans every year. Eliminating those bottles would be like taking 100,000 cars off the road and 1 billion pounds of carbon dioxide out of the atmosphere. Each one of those bottles required nearly five times its volume in water to manufacture the plastic and may have caused the release of nickel, ethylene oxide, and benzene. Then, rather than being recycled, 86 percent of them are thrown away. Breaking down these plastics can take thousands of years, while their components seep into our water supplies.”

The reality is that bottled water is expensive, harmful to the environment, and not any healthier for you than tap water!

Please watch this 8 minute video: The Story of Bottled Water.

Then go buy a klean kanteen, SIGG, or other BPA free reusable bottle.

If you haven’t heard much about Annie Leonard yet, you will.
Her new book, The Story of Stuff, was released yesterday. I would suggest that everyone read this book.

Prior to purchasing the book, please watch her 20-minute film. It’s an eye-opening tour of the real costs of our consumer driven culture. You can watch it directly from the site! Click here and “watch now”: The Story of STUFF

This will be the best 20 minutes you’ve invested in awhile!

Check out TakeOutWithOut (TOWO).

Founder K.B. Lee founded TOWO to convince restaurants to encourage customers to bring their own containers when buying take out and to ask customers to cut back on unnecessary packaging.

They say, “Fill your stomach. Not the Landfill.”
I LOVE this!

Here’s a bit of info from their website:

ReConsider Your Habits
It’s easy to fall into a routine, so why not choose to create a new one? Reconsider and readjust your habits and adopt healthier eating strategies – it might be challenging at first – but it will save you time, money, your health, and our world. The bonus? You’ll feel like an eco-hero and will inspire others around you to follow suit.

Do you take supplements and/or herbs? Have you heard of the Dietary Supplement Safety Act of 2010 bill?

Senator John McCain has introduced a bill that if passed, will drive up the cost of dietary supplements and restrict your access to them.

Please click HERE to read more about the implications of this bill and to sign a petition to alert your Senators and Representatives about this oppressive legislation that should be vigorously opposed.

Food Matters is a documentary film informing you on the best choices you can make for you and your family’s health. In a collection of interviews with leading Nutritionists, Naturopaths, Scientists, M.D.’s and Medical Journalists you will discover…

For more information, check out Food Matters Documentary Film.You can watch the documentary on-line or purchase the DVD.

See full article HERE.

A recent article on msnbc tells the story of Russ Kremer, a farmer from Missouri who was affected by a drug-resistant infection due to exposure to an antibiotic-riddled boar. The dangers of feeding antibiotics to livestock is an issue now receiving quite a bit of attention at the White House.

Americans who have never even seen a farm are at risk from the practice of feeding livestock antibiotics. Researchers say the overuse of antibiotics in humans and animals has led to a plague of drug-resistant infections that killed more than 65,000 people in the U.S. last year — more than prostate and breast cancer combined. – Associated Press

Click HERE to read article.

My diet is not perfect. I love my wine and have no concept of the one glass per day recommendation. I’m also still working through my issues with eating. Sometimes I eat too much, sometimes not enough. In addition, I am not a judgmental person although there was a time that I used to be. I can humbly state that I’ve said and done too many things that I either said I wouldn’t or felt I wasn’t capable of, to ever judge anyone. Life is a journey for all of us – no one has all the answers or is an absolute authority on any given issue. This awareness allows me to see the entire world from a different perspective. We live in a world that is very complicated. There’s no black or white, its black AND white, sprinkled with a spectrum of colors, like a rainbow.

I support all forms of healthy eating not just vegan or raw, although that is my personal preference. Why do I choose to eat mostly raw and vegan? The answer is simple. I feel better – physically, spiritually, and emotionally. There are a number of factors that weigh in to this but in summary, I’m more at peace, happier and healthier. I rarely use the word “never” when referring to my actions in life so I won’t ever say that I’ll never eat meat again. If I felt I needed to, I would. I don’t think my decision to avoid meat makes me better or wiser than anyone else and I’m not going to lay out an argument why you too should give up meat, so keep reading.

As a firm believer in bio-individuality, I don’t believe that eating 100% raw or vegan is ideal for everyone. There is no one perfect way of eating that works for everybody. We all have very specific needs for our own health according to age, constitution, gender, size, lifestyle, ancestry, blood type, metabolic type, and environment. Also what your body needs today isn’t necessarily what it will need a year or even a few months from now. Again, it’s complicated. I’ve worked with enough clients to know this to be true. I’ve seen many people go 100% raw or completely vegan with amazing benefits to include cured diseases. I’ve also witnessed some make those same dietary changes with less than optimal results. Some people thrive better on a small amount of animal products. That being said, I wish more people would consider adopting a “vegan-like” lifestyle – it doesn’t have to be all or nothing. Almost everyone can benefit from eating more fruits, vegetables and whole grains (gluten-free), and A LOT LESS animal products. We eat way too much by way of animal products in this country. Most people do not need meat every day or at every meal. Often times, meat should not be the center of the meal, but more of a condiment. Those bogus claims regarding animal based protein are simply to promote Big Meat and Dairy. It’s a lie. More about that in a later post.

While the decision to eat animal products is totally up to you – no judgment here – I do feel it’s important to recognize the environmental impact and health issues with eating industrial (factory farmed) meat and dairy. It doesn’t bother me in the slightest when others eat meat. I love people and what they choose to put in their mouths is their business; however, I am bothered when some make the decision to look the other way, even after they are exposed to the truth. I hear entirely too often, “Ignorance is Bliss. I don’t want to know the truth”.

Those with that mentality need a reality check. Do what you will with your body, but we are all responsible for this planet . Current industrial farming practices are not only hazardous to your health, but to animals, and mother earth. Despite your view on eating animals from an ethical perspective, there’s no denying that our outlandish consumption of animals here in the US has an incredible impact on our health and the planet. Here are a few facts to consider:

Antibiotics and hormones are fed to livestock, poultry, and fish on factory farms to promote faster growth and to compensate for the unsanitary conditions in which they are raised. According to the Union of Concerned Scientists, as much as 70 percent of all antibiotics used in the United States are fed to healthy farm animals. It is estimated that as much as 80 to 90 percent of all antibiotics given to animals are not fully digested and eventually pass through the body and enter the environment, where they can encounter new bacteria and create additional resistant strains. Antibiotic-resistant bacteria are dangerous because human infections from resistant bacteria are difficult and expensive to treat. According to a report released by the CDC, 17,000 Americans die every year from drug-resistant infections.

A plant based diet requires 300 gallons of water a day, while a meat eating diet requires over 4,000 gallons per day.

Factory farmed meat to include beef, poultry, pork, dairy, and farmed seafood is the number one cause of global warming in our food system, due to the airborne methane produced by animal feces. It also contributes to pollution in lakes and rivers due to run-off from factory farms, and an increase in fossil fuels used to raise animals for food.

I tell clients if they are going to eat meat, please be responsible, be informed, and make smart food choices – when you can. Limit your consumption of factory farmed meat, dairy, and seafood. Buy organic, local and grass-fed meat and dairy whenever possible. In any case, it is important to focus on eating a diet rich in fresh fruits, vegetables, and gluten-free whole grains, to include as much living and fermented foods as possible, and no processed foods. Ultimately, the goal should be to become an intuitive eater and intuitive thinker, listening to your body’s wisdom and deconstructing your own cravings and health concerns. Your body knows what it needs.

These days, my diet is mostly raw. If I lived in a warmer climate I’d likely eat exclusively raw 100% of the time, but I live in DC and it gets really cold here. As a vatic body type, I quickly become unbalanced in the winter. In addition, I’m a runner. I need warming foods and I need whole grains. Some raw food “experts” would say that remaining 100% raw year round is feasible despite your environment and I don’t dispute it. I know raw foodies who successfully can, but I also know many who eat lightly cooked foods in the winter. As an intuitive eater and thinker, I know what works for me for the most part. My decisions are based on the practical application of knowledge and a higher knowing NOT on something someone suggests or what I’ve read in a book.

As with most things in life, there are decisions and tradeoffs required. My beliefs, value system, and higher knowing drive me towards a lifestyle with vegan, local, organic / sustainable, and living food principles – usually in that order. In most cases, I will choose local and sustainable over raw. In an effort to reduce my food print, I strive to eat foods grown locally to me as much as I can. That doesn’t mean I don’t ever eat foods that travel from far away, but not nearly as much as I used to.

Oh, and my response to my new lunch buddy’s comment…I simply told her to have no fear! It doesn’t bother me to see others eating meat. If I ate meat myself, I’d go straight for a juicy cheeseburger – local, organic and free range (grass fed), of course! I may even throw a few pieces of bacon on it.

Like I said…it’s complicated.

Please help put an end to the factory farming system by buying your food from smaller, sustainable farms. See my blog post HERE to learn about how to purchase more local, sustainable foods.
Visit Sustainable Table and Factory Farm.org for more information on factory farming and how you can help. Watch The Meatrix.

Photo by steffenz

Zinc is an essential mineral that carries out numerous functions in your body, including promoting a healthy immune system, protecting the liver from damage and it even helps you to heal from wounds. Find yourself deficient in this mineral and your libido will be screaming out to be fed. Zinc is vital for testosterone production, which affects sexual desire, vigor and stamina in both men and women. Zinc deficiencies in men can cause sexual performance problems, which can be embarrassing and uncomfortable for everyone involved. Zinc also helps to prevent PMS symptoms in women and plays an important role in the function of the prostate gland in men. Semen also contains zinc; not enough zinc in your diet and those little guys may be too weak to get to where they need to go. On the other hand, in Chinese Medicine it is believed that excessive ejaculation can reduce the amount of zinc in your body, leading to a loss of sexual desire. It’s a vicious cycle isn’t it? Zinc also allows acuity of smell and taste and a deficiency could lead to a loss of those senses. What a bummer it would be if you couldn’t smell and taste all the sexy food you have been working so hard on.

So how do you know if you are deficient? Some common signs of a possible major deficiency in zinc are acne, fatigue, white spots on your fingernails, hair loss, high cholesterol, prostate trouble, irregular periods, impotence and infertility. However, even a minor deficiency can affect your sexual desire and function, so taking the time to make sure you are getting enough of this mineral during the day can have a positive outcome on your romantic evenings. If you are concerned, there is an oral test that can be done at a doctors’ office, as well as a blood test to determine if you are zinc deficient. Vegetarians and vegans need about 50% more zinc in their diet then meat eaters. Since there is an array of plant-based zinc sources, there is no need to panic and since most Americans are believed to be deficient in this vital mineral, it’s time to eat up people!

Sexy Veggie Food Choices: tempeh, beans including lentil, adzuki beans, chickpeas and lima beans, pumpkin and sunflower seeds, nuts including cashews, pecans, pine nuts, almonds and Brazil nuts, honey, tahini, flax seeds, flax oil, peas, blackberries, kiwi, peas, summer squash, corn and sweet potato, oats and seaweeds including kelp and dulse.

Try this recipe for my “Just Can’t Get Enough Granola” to start boosting your zinc today.

Just Can’t Get Enough Granola

Prep Time: 15 minutes

Cook Time: 45 minutes

Yield: 2 quarts

Sexy Veggie Ingredients included in red

Ingredients

3 cups Old Fashioned Rolled Oats

¾ cup raw slivered Almonds

¾ cup raw chopped Walnuts

1 cup Pumpkin Seeds

1 cup Coconut flakes

¾ cup Pure Maple Syrup

½ cup Olive Oil

½ cup Sucanat

1 teaspoon Sea Salt

½ teaspoon Cinnamon

½ teaspoon Cardamom

¾ cups dried Apricots

1) Preheat oven to 300 degrees.

2) In a large bowl, combine all ingredients, except the apricots.

3) Spread mixture on a rimmed baking sheet, lined with aluminum foil, in an even layer and bake for 45 minutes, stirring every 10 minutes until golden brown and well toasted.

4) Transfer granola to a large bowl to cool.

5) Add apricots, tossing to combine.

* Be ware, this is so addicting! If you don’t gobble it all up in one sitting it will keep in an airtight container for a few weeks.

Red Worms for our newest compost bin

Composting is a natural process of rotting material down to make a soil like product which you can use in the garden or houseplants. Composting is one of the most environmentally beneficial activities you can do because it converts your waste into a valuable resource as nutrients are recycled back into the soil in lieu of a landfill or water treatment facility.

Did you know that yard and food wastes make up approximately 30% of the waste stream in the US? That’s over 65 million tons of waste per year.

Not only does composting reduce waste, help save water, and reduce your carbon footprint, but it also improves soil conditions. It returns nutrients to the soil such as phosphorus, potassium, nitrogen, and many trace minerals, all for optimal plant growth and health.

Composting is very easy because nature does most of the work for you. Anyone can do it! There are several different methods and you can choose the one that works best for you. Worms or no worms. Inside or outside. That’s right, you don’t need a yard! Even the apartment-dweller can compost. Even though we have quite a large backyard, we have chosen to do Vermicomposting with multiple plastic storage bins, which we keep inside down in the basement utility room.

How to Begin Vermicomposting:
Before you even think about getting the worms, the first step is to decide on your location (inside or outside) and then select a “house” for them. You can buy a fancy worm bin system, or you can simply purchase a standard rubbermaid tub with a lid. Avoid the clear translucent bins. Ensure your bin is opaque (you can’t see through it) as earthworms are very sensitive to direct light. You can potentially kill them if they are exposed to too much for an extended period of time.

Turning a ‘house’ into a ‘home’:
Composting worms not only need food (waste), but also a moist and happy habitat – Bedding. The general idea is to provide cool, moist bedding for the worms to live in, and then bury the wastes in the bedding. The worms don’t actually eat the waste, but rather the bacteria and fungi of the decomposed the materials. As the worms ingest the waste and bedding, they turn it into worm castings (feces) which are perfect for a finished compost.

Good material for bedding can include cardboard pieces, shredded newspaper, and old leaves. Once the bedding has been added, you’ll want to start adding a bit of food waste and then let the bin sit (closed, of course) for a week or so before you add in the worms. You want the bedding to be a bit moist – think semi-wet sponge.

Composting Bin with Bedding and Waste

What they eat:
Our worms compost pretty much all of our food scraps and leftovers. For an indoor worm bin, here are some basic guidelines to follow – especially if you are just starting out.

YES: Vegetable and Fruit, Egg shells, Coffee grounds, Tea bags, leaves, shrub and tree waste, sawdust, wood chips, and grass clippings.

NO: Any human or pet waste, dairy, meat scraps or bones, oils, or grease. Citrus peels, eucalyptus leaves, and pine needles can slow down your compost pile, so you may want to avoid them as well.

On average, a pound of worms can process roughly 1/4-1/2 lb of food waste per day.

For detailed information on Vermicomposting and to purchase worms, please visit: Red Worm Composting. This site ROCKS!

**Posted as part of Food Renegade’s Fight Back Fridays!