Celebrate Earth Day!

Happy Earth Day Everyone!!

Here are some simple resolutions for you as you celebrate earth day today.

Evaluate Your Imprint

You'll be pleased to know that an annual eco-friendliness checkup is much easier and more comfortable than your annual physical. In fact, it won't take more than about half an hour and is likely to result in you not only learning some interesting facts about the environment and your habits, but also ways to change them that will be more economical. Since it's easy to forget what you've committed to doing about environmental issues or to assume your impact is smaller than it is, a yearly (or, better yet, several times a year) checkup on the different effects you're having on the environment is a great way to stay aware of your actions and keep yourself on track to green goals.

 

To get a good estimate of your various impacts, try some of the environmentally-focused online calculators---even though they're not a perfect science and usually based on national or regional averages and statistics that may not always be true in your exact case. To start with, you can measure your carbon footprint on the Inconvenient Truth carbon calculator (and then offset it at a sister site). Check your wattage at WattzOn.com, a site that estimates the amount of watts you use, compares it to other people in your area and suggests easy ways to reduce the number. Don't forget your water footprint, either---although it's an easy one to overlook, our changing environmental state and excessive consumption could mean we one day join the more than one billion people who currently lack a reliable drinking water supply. You can utilize the Water Calculator at H20 Conserve to estimate your water usage, but don't be surprised if the number is higher than you'd expect; seeing the figures, while scary, may give you more perspective on the issue.

 

Once you've assessed your impact, you can think about how to act. The biggest critique of Earth Day is that it's just one day, when the only solution for environmental problems like global warming is to change our ways for every day to come. So take advantage of the information you gather on Earth Day (and the fun offers), but don't let it be an ineffectual holiday, make it last.

 

Put Down The Water Bottle

We've said it before and we'll keep saying it until we see even more people carrying Siggs and other reusable water bottles. At this point, it's widely recognized that bottled water is bad for the environment (making all the disposable water bottles for the U.S. requires enough oil to fuel 100,000 cars), but convenience can keep you from fully switching to a reusable water bottle. Maybe you like the cold, pre-filled bottles ready to be grabbed out of the fridge or don't think you'll dig carrying a stainless steel or aluminum water bottle around all day. The reasons are legitimate, but when you consider that the equivalent oil that is used to create and transport your bottled water could fill it to a quarter of the bottle, it does start to seem like a wasteful and unnecessary habit-especially when it may not even be as safe as filtered tap water.

 

Buy For Keeps

The average American creates up to 56 tons of trash per year and often it's from items that don't need to be disposable. If we can get past the sometimes cheaper prices and temporary conveniences of disposable items, we'll also prevent products from sitting for several lifetimes in landfills. This Earth Day, commit to getting conscious about what you throw away and whether you can find a way to avoid the waste. Whether it's reusable containers for packaging leftovers and lunches or reusable shopping bags for trips to the grocery store, start to assess your trash and then give it an overhaul. When you're buying products, look for little to no packaging and packaging that is biodegradable or recyclable.

 

Unscrew Your Incandescents

Yep, it's time to get rid of those classic bulbs you've always bought and move to compact fluorescent light (CFL) bulbs or LED light bulbs. Light bulbs, like water bottles, may seem like such small things that you wonder what good it'll really do to change, but traditional incandescent bulbs are big energy drainers in comparison to new alternatives and even have higher lifetime costs than CFLs and LEDs. Switching out light bulbs is pretty much a perfect Earth Day-motivated change: You can switch out the bulbs on Earth Day and you'll be reducing carbon emissions---while saving money on your electrical bill---for the rest of the year. It's minimal effort with maximum results.

 

Other Simple Efforts include: Recycle, Buy Organic Cotton, Use Non-Toxic Household Products and Personal Care Products, Plant a Garden (see my previous post), plant a tree, and get yourself a composter!

Live Green,

Dr. M

Synthetic Ingredients to ALWAYS Avoid…

Read your labels, and not just on your food. It’s important to be aware of the ingredients in your body care (soaps, lotions, sunscreens, etc.) because these ingredients have been shown to irritate the respiratory, immune, and digestive systems… and some even have been linked to cancers!

Here is my list of ingredients to always avoid:

CLEANSERS

Sodium Lauryl Sulfate

Sodium Laureth Sulfate

Sodium Myreth Sulfate

 

PETROCHEMICALS

Petrolatum

Mineral Oil

Paraffin

 

PRESERVATIVES

Parabens (all of them) (methylparaben, propylparaben, etc)

DMDM Hydantoin

 

CHEMICAL SUNSCREENS

Oxybenzone

Avobenzone

Octinoxate

 

MOISTURIZERS

Propylene Glycol

Butylene Glycol

Polyisobutene

My solution to trying to avoid synthetic ingredients and afford the brands that are free of toxins? Frontier Co-op. Go to www.frontiercoop.com and get a catalog or look online. They sell everything that Whole Foods sells for body care (lotions, sunscreens, soap, shampoo, essential oils, everything!) for SO much less... almost 50% less. If you order with one of your friends, and your total is $250+ you get free shipping. And right now they are offering 20% off your whole order!

Brands like California Baby and Burts Bees are my favorites. Stay tuned for a post on what products I am loving right now.

Be well,

Dr. M

Plant a garden...

Well, if I can do it you can. I have wanted to have my own garden since I have owned a home, but I never made time to do so. This spring, I went to a lovely place called an Eastridge Garden and I was inspired.

My husband Chris and my son Aiden each did their part to help my garden come true. Chris was a human tiller, and Aiden helped me shake packs of seeds. Here's what's in my garden...

• Broccoli
• Romaine Lettuce
• Bell Peppers: red, orange, and yellow
• Asparagus
• Cherry Tomatoes
• Green Beans
• Sweet Peas
• Lima Beans
• Cilantro
• Parsley
• Rosemary
• Strawberries
• A fig tree
• A blueberry bush
• A raspberry bush
• And coming in a few weeks when the weather is warmer... summer squash, basil, and tomatoes!

This may seem like it's a lot, but really, it was unbelievably easy and therapeutic. I cannot wait to eat food that I have grown. My romaine lettuce has already tripled in size.

If you need help getting started, just let me know, or go to an Eastridge Garden. Don't put it off, get out and enjoy this beautiful weather and grow your own!

Namaste,

Dr. M

Eat the rainbow!

An easy and fun way to remember to eat your fruits and vegetables is by thinking of eating the different colors of the rainbow. When eating fruits and veggies think of the different colors of the rainbow, this will help to introduce a variety of different nutrients and add spice to your diet by trying out new and more exotic fruits and veggies. These colorful foods deliver a healthful dose of vitamins, minerals, and disease-fighting phytochemicals.

*FYI the darker and more rich the color (colorful), usually indicates the more nutrients it contains.

Here are a few examples of what you’ll gain by tasting the rainbow:

ORANGE AND YELLOW: Apricots, cantaloupes, carrots, lemons, mangoes, oranges, passion fruit, peaches, pumpkins, rutabagas, squash, sweet potatoes. 

These foods will reduce LDL (bad) cholesterol, reduces risk of prostate cancer, promotes collagen formation and healthy joints. Orange and yellow fruits and veggies are high in beta-carotene; the plant form of vitamin A. Beta-carotene protects against cancer and boosts the immune system against colds and flu. Citrus fruit are good sources of vitamin C, which is important for growth, healthy skin, healing wounds, and improving the absorption of iron.

RED: Baked beans, cherries, cranberries, apples, grapes, guava, papaya, plums, raspberries, red bell pepper, red/pink grapefruit, strawberries, tomatoes, watermelon.

These foods will help reduce risk of prostate cancer, lowers blood pressure, scavenges harmful free-radicals in your body, reduces LDL cholesterol.

DARK BLUE OR PURPLE: Beets, blackberries, black currants, blueberries, eggplant, grapes, plums, prunes.

There is a lot of vitamin C, as well as antioxidants such as bioflavonoid in blue and purple foods, which help to boost immunities against cancer. The skin of grapes also contains a substance that can lower cholesterol and prevent fats in the bloodstream from sticking together. As a result, a daily glass of red wine is now thought to lower cholesterol levels. The pigment anthocyanin, which makes foods blue/purple, has powerful anticancer properties. Blueberries have one of the highest antioxidant levels of any fruit because of the high level of anthocyanin in their skin. Eating these may help protect brain cells against Alzheimer’s and other oxidative-related diseases, supports healthy digestion, improves calcium and other mineral absorption, fights inflammation, acts as an anti-carcinogen in the digestive tract, and helps the body fight allergens.

GREEN: Asparagus, avocados, broccoli, brussels sprouts, kiwi, cabbage, fava beans, kale, lettuce, peas, spinach, watercress.

Green foods are rich in the vitamins A, C, and E, which can protect our bodies’ cells and boost our chances of living a longer, healthier life. Green leafy veggies are also rich in iron. The green color comes from chlorophyll, which is a plant’s way of converting sunlight to energy. Studies have shown that regularly eating broccoli reduces the risk of cancer. Consuming these green colored foods will help to reduce cancer risks, lower blood pressure, normalize digestion time, support retinal health, support vision, reduce the risk of cataracts, and boost immune system activity.

WHITE: Apples, cauliflower, garlic, leeks, mushrooms, onions, potatoes. Just because you can’t see it doesn’t mean it isn’t there. Garlic, onions, and leeks contain organosulphides, which seem to stimulate the immune system and fight cancer. Organosulphides are also antioxidants. Garlic is also rich in allicin, which is an antibiotic and is antiviral.

Eat Well,

Dr. M

Salad Greens!

Salad greens are a virtually calorie-free food. A 2-cup bowlful has less than 15 calories yet is packed with nutrients, such as folate, vitamin C, fiber, potassium and the vitamin A precursor beta carotene, which in itself is a powerful antioxidant that helps neutralize free radicals that damage cells. This guide will help you identify some of our favorite choices for the salad bowl.

 

Arugula

A quick-growing, peppery salad green that stars in most mesclun mixes. Baby arugula has a more mellow flavor and larger-leafed mature arugula is more intensely spicy.

 

Baby beet greens

Beets usually are grown for their roots, so look for varieties that are prized for the leaves, such as Bull’s Blood.

 

Freckles lettuce

For those who can’t choose between green leaf and red leaf lettuce, this upright romaine lettuce has mottled green leaves with red spots.

 

Mâche

This green has unique rounded cup-shaped leaves that are clustered together into rosettes. The sweet leaves call for a light vinaigrette to balance their mild, nutty flavor.

 

Mizuna

The foliage of this Japanese mustard has a feathery look and a milder flavor than other mustards.

 

Red giant mustard

This zesty mustard green has dark purple leaves that are less spicy when young and tender. Try pairing it with creamy dressing to tame it.

 

Red Oak lettuce

Mild-flavored and tender, this lettuce has frilly, undulating leaves that form a large loose-leaf head.

 

Red Russian kale

Kale comes in a variety of colors and shapes, as well as leaf types. Some are thick and best served cooked, while the baby Red Russian kale is tender enough to eat raw in a salad.

 

Tatsoi

This tender oval-shaped green has a bit of spice and a beautiful small leaf and stalk that can be served whole. It’s great in salads or stir-fries.

Eat Well,

Dr. M