Tuesday, November 24, 2009
Airwear Eco-Contest to win$
See Green to Live Green! Blog about your top three eco-friendly tips for the chance to win some green$
Want to join the green movement, but aren’t sure how? Intimidated that you might need to turn your routine upside down to be more eco-friendly? Join me to encourage families to try little things to make a difference everyday and to look for products that work for them and the environment.
That’s why I've up with Twitter Moms and Airwear® to invite other environmentally-conscious consumers to share their visions of a greener world. Airwear eyeglass lenses from Essilor are now made using environmentally conscious practices such as 100 percent recycled water, 100 percent recyclable packaging, and the company re-purposes unused materials in other industries. With these new, green practices Airwear is conserving millions of gallons of water and eliminating 570,000 pounds of plastic waste every year!
Going green can be as simple as buying eco-friendly products or shopping locally for produce – every little thing adds-up to make a sustainable impact on the environment as a whole. As I always say, “How you treat yourself, your family and your home all add up to how we collectively take care of our planet."
CONTEST DETAILS:
Me, Airwear and TwitterMoms want to know what you’re doing to green your routine!
HOW IT WORKS:
To participate, write a post on your own blog about your Top Three Green-Living Tips and describe what you and your family are doing to make the world a greener place. Your blog post should include at least one link to LighterSaferGreener.com. Then, go to the discussion page and leave a comment with your blog link. That's it! We also encourage you to embed a “Lighter.Safer.Greener.” contest button on your blog (you get the button from LighterSaferGreener.com site) to encourage readers to share what their families are doing to make the world a greener place – they could win Airwear eyewear for the entire family. Feel free to upload photos or videos to show your “greening” in action. My family proves that recycling can be fun, teachable moments! Contest officially ends on midnight EST on December 19th. All participating bloggers will be contacted by Twitter Moms the week after the contest.
PRIZES
- Fifteen bloggers who enter the contest will be randomly selected to receive a $50 American Express gift card – a nice chunk of change to put toward greening your routine!
- And the blogger who posts the most creative tips will receive $100 American Express gift card – even better!
So go ahead, share how you see the world through “green” colored glasses!
When Tweeting about the contest, please use #Airwear.
Good Luck!
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Thursday, November 19, 2009
Product Labeling Act by Rep. Steve Israel
No matter what your party affiliation or your opinion on the Health Care Reform Bill, you HAVE TO AGREE with this proposed legislation! Rep. Steve Israel from New York is concerned about ingredient labeling for household cleaning products and is DOING something about it.
Check out this video blog to find out more!
Support the cause to KNOW what's in your cleaning products, it could be killing you...literally!
Labels:
beth aldrich,
chemicals,
cleaning products,
green living,
Green mom,
health,
home,
Steve Israel
Monday, November 16, 2009
Fooditude
Kids love tasty food and tv, now there's a little of both!
Come to A Taste of Fooditude: an Evening to See, Taste, and Tell!
Support Independent TV and Media that Empowers Kids to Make Healthy Choices
Chicago chefs will pair up with “kid chefs” to celebrate the mission launch of “Fooditude”, a reality based television program that interactively teaches the basics of cooking and nutrition in a fun and relevant way. The launch party will include live music, a silent auction, and delicious food prepared by local chef’s. The evening will culminate with the presentation of Fooditude’s video mission statement and will provide a glimpse at some of the work already produced for the project.
Tickets are available for purchase at www.fooditude.tv and are $40 for an adult and $25 for kids. At the door tickets will be an additional $5!
WHEN: Wednesday, November 18th 6:30-9:30 PM
WHERE: Architectural Artifacts - 4325 N. Ravenswood
Fooditude. . . it’s Kids’ TV with a Bite!
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beth aldrich,
bethaldrich.com,
Elise Jaffe,
flu fighting foods,
kids,
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television
Friday, November 13, 2009
Soy it Isn't So!
Thanks to one of the most revealing newsletters I read today, www.healthfreedomalliance.org:
It is no secret that at Health Freedom Alliance in the choice between regular and organic food, they prefer organic! They take great strides to provide their members with as much scientific research as they can on the harmful effects of pesticides, hormones, and antibiotics that are used in the food industry today. They know they are not alone and that many of their members go out of their way to shop for organic foods and maybe even pay a little more to keep themselves and their families as healthy as possible. Which is why it is so disturbing to find out that the food company giant Dean Foods has recently been caught trying to fool customers into thinking the Silk brand soy milk they produced was organic.
At one point, up until early 2009, the milk was made with organic soybeans. But then Dean Foods switched to conventional soybeans, which most of the time are grown with pesticides. Somehow they forgot to mention this to anyone. They kept the same bar codes on the milk cartons and kept the label the same, while only quietly switching the word "organic" with "natural." And of course they kept the price the same. Because the bar codes were kept the same even some retail grocery stores were just as fooled as the consumer. Said one store owner. "We don't want to be part of customer deception." It appears that consumers need to be more careful then ever in distinguishing between organic and natural labels.
*Rule of thumb, read labels!!
Monday, November 9, 2009
Flu Fending Foods
I truly thought for some strange reason that my family would be immune to the nasty flu that's going around like wildfire, but I was wrong. This past week, my son came down with a hefty dose of fever, chills, etc. which proves to me that no matter what you do, sometimes you still get sick.
It's no secret that kids don't eat a completely balanced diet like adults aim to do. You know the drill, hiding candy in their desk drawer, or throwing vitamins in the fish bowl, etc. I used to feed my dog brussel sprouts from the kitchen table and to this day, my mom never knew (until now). Nowadays, I'd climb to the highest mountaintop to have a plate of sauteed brussel sprouts and onions!
Take charge this season and feed your body what it needs to fight off the flu and come out on top. A run-down body that is out of balance inside and out makes way for viruses to come in and wreak havoc to your immune system and health. It's almost impossible to live in a society and not come into contact with the multitude of germs that are literally everywhere during the flu season, however you can reduce your own susceptibility and strengthen your immune system by simply choosing the right foods to put on your plate--and, once in a while, open a window or two to let the germs out and fresh air in--cool or not.
Leafy Greens
Kale, spinach, seaweed and algae are excellent sources of Vitamin D, the immunity-booster we usually get from sunshine in the summertime. Along with contributing to a stronger defense against people coughing, recent studies indicate that higher Vitamin D levels can benefit ailments as diverse as osteoporosis and multiple sclerosis.
Red Bell Pepper
Gram for gram, red bell peppers have twice as much immune-enhancing vitamin C as an orange. Vitamin C is an essential weapon in your flu-fighting food arsenal; it can decrease the duration of a cold by 80 percent and the severity of symptoms like sniffles and cough. Eat red bell peppers chopped up in omelets or on sandwiches. Or, for a quick spaghetti sauce, saute chopped red bell peppers, garlic and olive oil until tender. Puree and drizzle over your favorite whole-wheat pasta.
Yogurt
Yogurt contains probiotics- good bacteria that line our intestines and defend our body against invading germs. Buy plain yogurt to get fewer calories and less added sugar than you do from fruit-flavored versions, and add your own sweetness with a teaspoon of honey (which may also be an immune booster, because it feeds good bacteria in our gut). To make sure your yogurt contains probiotics, look on the container for the National Yogurt Association's "Live and Active Cultures" seal, which means there are at least two types of healthy bacteria and 100 million bacteria per gram.
Green Tea
Green tea contains an immune-boosting chemical called epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG). To get the most health benefits from this hot drink, steep tea in boiling water for about 4 minutes. You can change up the flavor by steeping tea with a 1-inch chunk of fresh ginger, fresh mint leaves, a twist of orange peel or a cinnamon stick. Aim to drink 3 cups (24 ounces) or more per day.
Almonds
Almonds are an excellent source of the disease-fighting antioxidant vitamin E. Aim to have 24 almonds (1 ounce) per day as a snack; use chopped almonds on oatmeal, salads or stir-fries; or try this recipe for sugar-and-spice almonds: Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Lay raw (unsalted) almonds on a cookie sheet, spray with cooking spray, and sprinkle with brown sugar and a pinch of cayenne. Bake for 6 minutes, cool and eat!
Kiwi, Grapefruit Orange
All are great sources of vitamin C, the antioxidant we've known for decades to be powerful in fighting colds and flu. Chop up and create your own fruit salad--or perhaps dip the pieces in yogurt for a one-two punch of benefits.
Sweet Potatoes
Sweet potatoes' beta carotene content makes them an immune-enhancing food. Beta carotene, the vitamin that gives sweet potatoes their orange pigment,is converted to vitamin A in the body, which research suggests may be particularly helpful in the treatment of respiratory infections. These taste best just roasted and topped with a small pat of butter!
Chicken Soup
A research study published in the medical journal, Chest, found that chicken soup has mild anti-inflammatory properties, which may help prevent colds and flu by decreasing mucus production and throat swelling and irritation (so you might be spared the sniffles or sore throat associated with colds). Make your next batch of soup with chicken, onion, sweet potato, turnips, parsnips, carrots, celery and parsley.
Garlic
Sulfur compounds in garlic may make us 2.5 times less likely to get sick this season-these compounds have been shown to kill viruses. Fresh garlic has more immune-boosting potential than cooked, so add a clove of fresh minced garlic at the end of cooking. Try this healthy version of fresh garlic bread: Toast sliced bread and rub with fresh garlic cloves.
Ginger
Ginger contains gingerol, a natural plant compound that can help fight off infection. Put a 1-inch chunk of the spicy root into a cup of boiling water to make ginger tea, or make fresh ginger vinaigrette to top raw or cooked vegetables. Here's how: Mix 2 tablespoons olive oil, 2 tablespoons vinegar, 1 teaspoon grated ginger and 1 teaspoon sugar.
Brazil Nuts
Brazil nuts contain selenium, an antioxidant that may help protect us against conditions such as colds, flu and even cancer. But be careful: These nuts are rich in selenium (they have about 10 times more than other foods), but they're also high in calories- 190 calories per 7 nuts.
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beth aldrich,
flu,
flu fighting foods,
food,
Green mom,
health,
nutrition,
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