Wednesday, September 30, 2009

Lighter Safer Greener


Lighter-Safer-Greener

More than 150 million Americans use corrective eyewear, so why not select an eco-friendly option to see the world through greener "lenses"? Airwear® lenses provide a unique combination of benefits for active lifestyles through superior comfort and performance; and they are quite a "green" option. As the first Essilor material (what the lenses are made of) to go green by significantly reducing its environmental footprint by implementing responsible manufacturing--it's now lighter, safer and greener than ever before.

o Packaging: New Airwear® packaging uses 100% recyclable cardboard made form 100% wooden fibers that are recyclable. This packaging change is helping reduce Airwear®’s environmental footprint by eliminating 570,000 pounds of plastic waste every year-from US airwear products alone (from airwear research). Normally lenses come in a cardboard box with the lenses in a plastic cup, which looks like a hockey puck. By removing the plastic and going with a cardboard option, Airwear® is the first lens company anywhere in the world to use this type of packaging.
o Water Consumption: All Airwear® lenses are manufactured using 100 percent recycled water, cutting water consumption in half and conserving millions of gallons of water.
o Waste Recycling: Waste produced from Airwear® lenses will be put to use in other industries, such as automobiles and writing instruments.
o Eyewear Donation: Rather than throwing old lenses away, Airwear®, in partnership with the Lions Club, will accept glasses and donate them to those in need. Check your local Lions Club Web site for more information on to donate. ** It's estimated that most people get new eyeglasses every year or two, so why not just repurpose them?

ASK YOUR eyecare professional for Airwear® lenses in your next pair of perscription glasses!
Visit the Lighter, Safer, Greener Airwear® site to find out more and to read some of my green mom eco-tips!

Tuesday, September 29, 2009

Healing the Tummy: Looking Underneath the Yogurt Label


Today's post comes from Robyn O'Brien, author or the Unhealthy Truth and founder of www.allergykids.com.

As headlines swirl about who-knows-what being found in our food supply, another ingredient continues to make the news: probiotics.

Probiotics are increasingly added to the food supply to help replace what the antibiotics are taking away: health-promoting bacteria, the healthy little critters in our digestive tracts that are essential to the digestive process.

In today's New York Times, Tara Parker Pope highlights the increasing use of these probiotics in our food supply. In her smart column, she suggests that Buyer Beware: plenty of manufacturers appear to be exploiting the increasing popularity of these ingredients, as a way to promote their products. Parker Pope then gives smart tips and savvy insight into ways that you can navigate the yogurt aisle (where probiotics are most commonly found), for those of you making a concerted effort to address the growing health impact that antibiotics in our food appear to be having on our health.

Looking Underneath the Yogurt Label is a smart read for those wanting to do more for their health without damaging their pocketbooks and for those hoping to understand the role that probiotics play in addressing the antibiotics in our food supply.

Friday, September 25, 2009

Hidden Dangers of Soy


What are the Hidden Dangers of Soy?

In my friend, Dianne Gregg's book, Hidden Dangers of Soy, she highlights the many common health concerns connected to soy. From Soy allergies and weight gain to menopause. Is soy a threat to your family's health? Decide for yourself.

In her book, Dianne discusses soy health claims,

Is soy good for your heart? The FDA thought so in 1999. It approved wording for packaging claims that “diets low in saturated fat and cholesterol” with 25
grams of soy protein a day “may reduce the risk of heart disease.” The American Heart
Association also supported soy as a heart helper. However, research during the next five years told a different story. The AHA withdrew its support for soy and soy supplements in 2005, and the FDA may be ready to take another look at the research.
.
In 2006, the Soy Daily Club Web site published an editorial that claims soy has many benefits, “including multiple studies that have proven that consumption of foods containing soy protein can play a significant role in cholesterol management”

Is it really proven or significant? It’s clearly not proven, and even the most
positive of the 41 research studies shows only a small decrease in cholesterol. Doesn’t it make more sense to just skip the “magic soy formula” and spend your shopping dollars on fruits, vegetables, lean meats, and other healthy food?


After developing a severe allergy to soy that nearly killed her, Dianne Gregg learned the truth behind this supposed health food. “The Hidden Dangers of Soy” is the culmination of her efforts to educate others on the issues in hopes more will avoid soy’s underreported—yet widely researched—negative health impacts. She has appeared on numerous radio shows and seen on CBS4 (Miami).

Listen to Dianne on the radio Tuesdays, 4pm - 5pm EST where she interviews experts and authors in the health and wellness industry.

To find out more or to purchase the book, click here.

Sunday, September 20, 2009

Love, The Climate-Live Earth


I love this blog: green LA girl; she always has the coolest things to say. Last week, she posted about Love, The Climate, and I wanted to share it with you! Read it, Act on it and let's do our humble part to save "MaMa" (earth that is).

What do you do when all the headlines about the Climate Bill are full of doom and gloom? Start a social media-fueled eco-giveaway called Love, The Climate, of course.

That’s a new project enviro-group Live Earth kicked off earlier this week. Instead of getting depressed about a watered-down Climate Bill that may or may not pass, Love, The Climate urges everyone to imagine a better future — then upload a video or photo, leave a voicemail or note on Facebook, or even tweet with a positive message to senators — who’ll be taking up the climate bill in the coming weeks (A version of the bill already passed in the House in June).

And to entice people to get uploading and tweeting, Love, The Climate’s giving away a Schwinn commuter bicycle — plus 10 more eco-themed prizes ranging from eco-friendly soap to solar-powered gadget charger.

That happy giveaway’s a huge contrast to news headlines that warn “Vital signs weak for climate bill,” “Climate Bill Drifts Into a Potomac Fog,” and “Senate Delay on Climate Bill Could Stymie Copenhagen Talks.”After all, Love, The Climate isn’t reporting on the outlook of the Climate Bill so much as imagining a green future in which the bill’s already been passed.

What if your senator opposes the Climate Bill? You could try creating a wry sort of message pretending the senator changed his or her mind. “Thanks for passing the bill — I’m so glad trees still exist!” you could enthuse. The idea’s to “thank those who are making a difference, and show those who haven’t yet seen the light how much more love they’ll receive when they change their minds,” according to Live Earth’s press release.

The hope with Love, The Climate is that positive, funny messages will get people to embrace a can-do attitude — then start pushing for a strong Climate Bill — and also take action for Climate Week and the U.N. Climate Change Conference in Copenhagen while they’re at it.

So make a phone call, upload a photo to Flickr, write on Facebook, put together a video, or tweet with #lovetheclimate in your missive. And be sure to enter the drawing by Sept. 25 for a chance at the prizes.

Image via Live Earth

Saturday, September 19, 2009

Kids Konserve


Check out this out!

For school lunches, using reusable containers is responsible, and economical! Using reusable lunch packing products is one easy step toward saving our environment as well as your hard earned dollars. The perfect solution for all of your lunch packing needs is the colorful and fun Kids Konserve waste-free lunch kits! With a squiggle Ice Pak & Cover made of non-toxic, biodegradable material, that fits perfectly on the bottom of the lunch kits, your child's lunch will stay cold for hours; and and the ice pack doesn't sweat!

The Signature Waste-Free Lunch Kit contains a recycled cotton sack, cloth napkin, 304 food-grade stainless steel beverage bottle, food Kozy (alternative to a plastic sandwich bag) and two 304 food-grade stainless steel food containers, $40.00. Other choices for kit styles are, butterfly, caterpillar, moss colored, or orange colored. You can also order the kit contents individually. To take a look at the Kids Konserve lunch kits a a whole lot more (great ideas and products), simply click here.

FOR A 15% Coupon to KidsKonserve.com simply type in: greenmoms1 where they ask for a coupon code and you can save even more money on your child's lunch!

Thursday, September 17, 2009

Seeing Green When Going Back to School


With the start of a new school year, it's also a chance for families to kick start a new routine to support the environment and establish every day green habits. With this in mind, today Essilor announced the first-ever eco-friendly eyewear - Airwear® lenses are now manufactured using environmentally-conscious practices, including 100 percent recycled water and packaging, and the added process of re-purposing unused materials for other industries.

To read the whole article, click here:

Airwear invites environmentally-conscious consumers to share their visions of a greener world by entering the "Lighter.Safer.Greener." contest, which launches October 1. Families can submit creative ideas for how they are making the world a greener, more sustainable place for a chance to win Airwear eyewear for their entire family. Enter the contest at lightersafergreener.com where you can learn more about Airwear's new eco-friendly practices, and view more of my tips to live healthy, well and wise this school year.