July 2011
98 posts
America’s Farm Bill: Good, Bad or Both?
The Environmental Working Group, best known for the “Dirty Dozen” and “Clean Fifteen” lists of fruits and vegetables most and least exposed to pesticides, has compiled a helpful list about the farm bill that Congress is expected to enact over the next 18 months. http://dlvr.it/b85mq
What Is Sustainable, Exactly?
There are certain translatable words in the healthy living dictionary. Words that are easy to understand or roll off the tongue with ease. ‘Sustainable’ is not one of those words.
READ THE REST… http://dlvr.it/b85mH
4 Ways to Enjoy A Summer Night, for Free!
Nighttime during the summer takes on a whole new feel. The insects buzz a symphony of noises, energy from the just-set sun lingers in the warm air and, even though it’s getting late, you just want to stay outside a little bit longer. (_Come on Mom, five more minutes.)_
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Enjoying the summer doesn’t only mean taking daytime excursions to the lake or picnicking at lunch. Summer evenings...
You Don’t Even Want to Know What Cool Whip Is Made...
Cool Whip, invented in the late 1960s, used to be all the rage for housewives perfecting a key lime pie, strawberry shortcake or chocolate mousse for the family. The fluffed whipped cream alternative is a quick-fix for all things dessert-in-a-snap, but nothing about it is reminiscent of real whipped cream. In fact, of the 12 or so ingredients in Cool Whip, there are only two that aren’t toxic...
Chicken Cages to Double in Size According to...
Good news came for egg-laying chickens last week as animal welfare groups and egg farmers announced an alliance in pursuing a federal law aimed at requiring larger cages and enrichment for the nation’s egg layers. http://dlvr.it/b1dCj
5 Garden Herbs for DIY Skin Care
A good whiff of fresh basil or mint at the farmers market is all I need to make me a believer - in the power of the herb that is. If something can smell that unbelievably spectacular (and naturally so!), what else can these culinary geniuses do? Well, it turns out some of those summer herbs sprouting on your windowsill or in your container garden are a skincare regime’s best friend…...
Pre- and Post- Foods to Maximize Your Workouts
You’re on your way to losing weight—you know, those pesky five pounds before the big trip this summer—and you’ve been diligent about hitting the gym or the trails in between work and beach days. Have you been as diligent about fueling your body properly during those workout sessions? Get the skinny on the best foods to power you through your workouts this summer - both before and after - and...
The Lazy Girl's Guide to Weeding
Let’s get one thing straight: You’re really not lazy. You’re just _busy_, and the last thing you want to do is crouch in the hot sun for hours pulling weeds. Honey, I feel your pain. Here are a few tricks to get your garden in order fast, so you can move on with your life.
READ THE REST… http://dlvr.it/b1dBt
Why Homemade Mouthwash Rocks, and How
From the days of Hippocrates himself, mouthwash has been recommended for complete oral care - more specifically, for the prevention of plaque that causes tooth decay, gingivitis and bad breath - as well as those targeted at cavities. Unfortunately, as time wore on, what the Father of Modern Medicine recommended became industrialized, commercialized and supersized - or in other words,...
Genetically Modified Kentucky Bluegrass Sets New...
Just before the July 4th holiday, the USDA announced that it is not the duty of the regulatory agency to determine whether or not genetically modified glyphosate resistant Kentucky bluegrass is safe to approve for planting. http://dlvr.it/ZrxZH
Is It Still A Healthy Food? Now There’s Plastic in...
Findings by scientists at the Scripps Institution of Oceanography at the University of California San Diego revealed a startling discovery: nearly 10 percent of small fish sampled from the Pacific Ocean contained partially digested plastic. http://dlvr.it/Zpnv0
Brown Rice Pasta with Asparagus, Shiitakes, Pesto...
If you avoid traditional pasta because of the carbs or gluten, you have to try brown rice pasta. It has a delicious nutty flavor and is light (it doesn’t make you feel overly full like traditional pasta). This dish has bright herby flavors with a deep earthy essence from the shiitakes - perfect for Meatless Monday!
READ THE REST… http://dlvr.it/ZnJxz
9 Ways to Break Your Kitchen Plastic Habits for...
Does it gnaw at you to stand in line at the supermarket ashamed that, once again, you forgot your reusable grocery bag? That’s just one way in which we find ourselves at the mercy of the Plastic Overlords. There are dozens more ways plastic sneaks into our sanctuary, but you do have the power to make your kitchen plastic free. And it’s easier than you think. Read on…
READ THE...
Humane & Clever Ways To Protect Your Garden From...
Can you really blame inquisitive and hungry neighborhood residents for sizing up your garden and perhaps sampling a few particularly enticing tomatoes or peppers? If given the chance to enjoy a fresh from the vine meal with little or no struggle, you’d probably leap at the chance to _crunch and run_, too. This presents quite a predicament for the well-intentioned gardener who prefers to...
What Is A Spray Tan, Exactly?
All over film, television and certainly on the streets of Los Angeles is the fake bake, the alien-esque orange glow of the spray tan. Touted as the safer alternative to baking in the sunshine for 10 hours a day (which it certainly is), spray tanning is getting more popular by the day.
Spray tanner works, but what causes this swift skin transformation? Is spray tanner a topical dye or stain?...
Brown Rice Pasta with Asparagus, Shiitakes,...
I discovered brown rice pasta when we learned my mother had a gluten sensitivity and couldn’t eat regular pasta. We started experimenting with other types of pastas, like brown rice pasta, and my husband and I discovered we love it! We find it is less filling than normal pastas and it has a delicious nutty flavor.
When my natural path doctor prescribed an anti inflammatory diet for a month,...
Brown Rice Pasta with Asparagus, Shiitakes, Pesto...
If you avoid traditional pasta because of the carbs or gluten, you have to try brown rice pasta. It has a delicious nutty flavor and is light (it doesn’t make you feel overly full like traditional pasta). This dish has bright herby flavors with a deep earthy essence from the shiitakes - perfect for Meatless Monday!
READ THE REST… http://dlvr.it/ZnJxz
5 Essentials for Your Foodie Kitchen
Feng shui meets Bobby Flay in the well-designed foodie kitchen. You don’t need a $3,000 stove or marble-topped island in your kitchen to make it cooking worthy. To a true chef, it’s all about the details. On their own, the nuances of a foodie kitchen don’t seem like much. But together, they add up to create one magical environment for all your cooking adventures. Read on to learn the essential...
USDA Study Says Factory Farms Are Worse for the...
Pasture-raised livestock naysayers may want to have a look at the findings of a recent USDA study on the effects cows raised in a more natural setting have on the health of the environment. http://dlvr.it/Zgfnd
5 Naturally Sweet & Wholesome Energy Bar Recipes
Some people are magnetically drawn to the savory-salty delight of a wide open potato chip bag, happily crunching away like squirrels that stockpile nuts for the winter months. For others, their weakness can be found directly in the tooth – the sweet tooth, that is _– _with today’s manufacturers rolling out a never ending array of seductive and seemingly not-too-sinful treats jam packed with...
