The “Green Eggs (hold the ham) Experiment”
January 6, 2009 by girlgreen · 2 Comments
At first, people think I’m a little crazy when I tell them I have chickens as pets. It seemed to make perfect sense to me, going right along with the other green lifestyle changes I’ve made, but I guess green eggs aren’t on the minds of most. So let’s examine the different choices you have when it comes to eggs, and why you might want to make a switch or get a few chickens of your own.
What’s Wrong with “Normal” Eggs?
A pack of standard eggs at the grocery store probably came from an industrialized factory farm. Chickens here are kept in tiny wire cages barely bigger than their bodies their entire lives, while they sit immobile, unable to do anything but pop out eggs.
Many people feel chickens are one of the most abused and cruelly treated animals in the food industry, and by purchasing battery caged (factory-farmed) eggs, you are supporting the mistreatment of these animals. Several countries including Germany, Switzerland and Sweden have banned farming eggs using battery cages. In 2008, the state of California also banned the use of battery cages along with other anti-cruelty legislation, and similar legislation is in the works at local levels across the nation.
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To Kill a Cockatiel
November 13, 2008 by girlgreen · Leave a Comment
A few years ago, I started boiling some water in a non-stick coated pot, forgot about it and left the house. I returned a few hours later to find the water had evaporated and the pot was steaming on the stove. In the next room, I found my pet cockatiel, Newton, dead. Heartbroken and shocked, I later learned that some non-stick coatings can release fumes that are deadly to birds, especially if the pan is overheated. Wikipedia states the chemical polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) , used in some non-stick coatings, can cause flu-like symptoms in humans and can be lethal to birds.
Now known as “the girl who’s cooking literally kills,” I pretty much avoid the stovetop and I hadn’t thought much about this until recently. I saw an episode of Stuff Happens with a blip on the possible dangers of non-stick coatings and decided to look into this since I still have those old pots and pans in the cabinet. According to the EPA, perfluorooctanoic acid, or PFOA (chemical used in the manufacturing of some non-stick coatings) is a “likely carcinogen.” Several studies have shown that up to 95% of Americans have PFOAs in their bloodstream among other PFC chemicals, though it’s not clear how it got there. The EPA signed agreements with several non-stick chemical manufacturing companies to reduce PFOAs by 95% by 2010 with a complete phase-out by 2015. I decided it’s time for new cookware.
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Changing Nailpolish Colors
September 27, 2008 by girlgreen · Leave a Comment
I rarely wear nailpolish on my fingernails, but living in a warm climate where flip-flops are a year round standard, my toes are always coated in a glossy shade. Until recently, most brands of nailpolish contained formaldehyde, toluene, and DBP, chemicals that can be harmful to your health.
New Nic’s Sticks from Nicole by OPI add a green twist to nail polish. DBP, toluene and formaldehyde-free, these cool new pumps elimate the goopy bottle and potential spills. The nail polish is in a pump with a brush on the end - you just pump it out into the brush and apply. My favorite shades are date night and home by midnight. OPI doesn’t test on animals.
Revlon also offers DBP, toluene and formaldehyde-free nail polish, and the company is also cruelty-free according to CaringConsumer.com.
Balancing the Sandwich
September 25, 2008 by girlgreen · Leave a Comment
Meat, cheese, bread, maybe a little mustard; That’s my typical sandwich. In an effort to add more fruits, vegetables and greens to my diet, I’ve discovered the wrap. It’s easy to make a bunch of these at once, and it’s forcing me to eat vegetables. Not to mention, they’re really good and cooking is not required.
Start out with a whole wheat tortilla, organic if you can find it. Add a couple leaves of red-leaf lettuce, green-leaf lettuce or romaine. Layer on the cheese and meat, preferably freshly baked and sliced organic chicken breast or turkey rather than processed lunch meat. Top it off with some diced organic veggies (carrots, cucumbers, cherry tomatoes, sprouts, sliced snap peas) and some organic salad dressing or hummus. For an Asian style wrap, top it with a Thai salad dressing or peanut sauce and add some chopped peanuts and mint leaves. I also like doing a caesar-style wrap, with some sliced olives and onions, grated parmesan cheese and Annie’s Tuscan-Italian dressing.
Wrap each one up and roll it individually in some plastic wrap and they’ll last a few days in the frig. These are great for lunch or a quick snack. I haven’t tried adding fruit yet, but I think my next round may be something including sliced berries and a raspberry vinaigrette dressing.
Adding a Little Green to My Morning Coffee
September 24, 2008 by girlgreen · Leave a Comment
One of the hardest things to give up during the transition to an organic diet was soda. I’m a total caffeine addict, so I’ve replaced soda with organic coffee and drink a ton of it. The only problem is the creamer…those non-dairy alternatives sound great, but what are they?
If it sounds too good to be true, it probably is - when you take the fat and sugar out of something, you have to replace it with something else, and that’s usually a chemical. Basically they’re some sort of oil, corn syrup, and a long list of chemicals. I decided I was better off drinking heavy cream, but after gaining a few pounds in one week, I realized I needed a better plan. Here are some custom creamer mixes that are lower in fat, but still don’t contain chemicals:
50% Organic 1/2 and 1/2 (the real stuff, not the “fat free”) and 50% Organic Whole Milk
This is by far my favorite mix. I add a small spoonful of organic sugar, and it has just the right amount of sweetness and creaminess, but adding whole milk reduces the fat and calories vs. using only 1/2 and 1/2. I call it 75/25. If you’re watching your cholesterol, this probably isn’t a good mix for you.
50% Organic 1/2 and 1/2 and 50% Organic Soy Milk
This mix isn’t as creamy as the full-dairy version, but I like using vanilla soy milk since it adds a little sweetness and flavor without adding any extra sugar. Soy milk is cholesterol-free.
50% Organic 1/2 and 1/2 and 50% Organic Almond Milk
If you like nutty flavor creamers, you’ll probably enjoy this mix. Almond milk is also cholesterol-free and adds a little protein too. If you want a sweeter version, try vanilla almond milk.
Green Your Shampoo
September 23, 2008 by girlgreen · Leave a Comment
So by now you’ve figured out the boygreen team is going green. Once you start moving in the green direction, it seems like you have to keep breaking old habits at every turn. I’ve been using the same shampoo for years, a cheap “grocery” brand that my hairstylist chastises me for using at each visit. Shampoo is shampoo, right?
Well, apparently not. My stylist said that a lot of cheap shampoos contain chemicals that temporarily smooth or add shine, but actually damage your hair in the long run. The artificial chemicals are cheaper than all-natural ingredients, hence, you get what you pay for when you buy cheap shampoo. Still not convinced as to whether she was just trying to make a sale or really knew what she was talking about, I did some research on my own.
Surprisingly, there is a long list of chemicals on that bottle of my old favorite shampoo, most of which I can’t pronounce. I googled some of them, and here’s what I found:
- Ammonium Laureth Sulfate: Can irritate skin, may damage hair.
- Disodium EDTA: A penetration enhancer that alters skin structure to allow other chemicals to penetrate into the skin.
- Methylisothiazolinone: According to Wikipedia, recent studies show this may be a neurotoxin.
The realization finally sunk in - chemicals in soaps, shampoos, lotions and other things you put on your skin or scalp can absorb into your body. Who knows what these chemicals do to you, so my new household rule is if you don’t know what’s in it, don’t use it. This is proving to be much more difficult than I expected!
One thing I have determined is that I love anything by Aubrey Organics. I have wavy hair that tends to frizz, and the White Camillia Conditioner is great. It smooths the frizz and my hair feels much softer, even after just a few weeks. I’ve been using it with the Rosa Mosqueta Shampoo, which smells great. The best part is that the ingredient list is simple, just herbs and natural things, so I feel good about using it. The company is also cruelty-free, not testing it’s products on animals.