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.
Read more
What Ingredients Are in Your “Organic” Products?
January 3, 2009 by boygreen · Leave a Comment
Organic labels on personal care products can be deceiving. Due to a lack of proper regulation of personal care product labeling, products can have the word organic in their brand or product name, but unless the product is USDA Certified organic, you may not be getting what you paid for.
A recent study commissioned by the Organic Consumers Association showed a number of personal care products labeled “organic” contained a carcinogenic chemical, and many so-called organic products contain conventional petrochemical cleaning agents.
Read more on ingredients to watch out for, culprit brands, and the ongoing legal battle on the Organic Consumers Association website.
Don’t Forget About Fido
September 30, 2008 by boygreen · Leave a Comment
Green living includes our four-legged friends, too. Many brands of dog food, cat food and treats include unhealthy chemicals, by-products, cheap grains, and high levels of salt and sugar. If you’ve decided to go green, you’re probably avoiding eating these things yourself, but what about your pets?
Proper nutrition is just as important for your pet as it is for you. There are several brands of organic, all natural, holistic, or raw pets foods and treats that can help transition your pet over to a “green” diet:
The Honest Kitchen
Dehydrated raw pet food that’s guaranteed to be human-grade. This company takes fresh, raw ingredients and dehydrates them so almost all of the valuable nutrients, enzymes and vitimins remain. The foods are produced in a human food facility in California. They offer dehydrated raw foods for dogs and cats as well as some fun treats.
Nature’s Variety
Nature’s Variety offers several healthier options for your pet, including frozen raw diets, organic frozen meals, freeze dried raw foods, raw bones, grain-free foods and all-natural kibble. My dogs love the Organic Frozen Raw Chicken formula. Their raw diets include the nutritional benefits of ground raw bones.
Eagle Pack Holistic Select
Holistic Select formulas include several “extras” that you won’t find in grocery brands. Corn and soy-free, these holistic dog and cat foods also include prebiotics, probiotics, and antioxidants. The company uses USDA chicken that is hormone and antibiotic free and includes various fruits and vegetables in the foods. They also include Omega-3 and Omega-6 as well as glucosamine for healthy joints.
Natura
Natura offers several different lines of premium dog and cat foods. Grain-free EVO provides key nutrition obtained from raw foods in a convenient kibble. Karma is an organic line of dog food and treats with 95% organic ingredients.
Before you purchase your next bag of dog food, check the ingredient list to see what’s in it. “You are what you eat” applies to pets, too. You just might be surprised when you discover the difference a change to a high quality food can make.
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.
Is Organic Candy an Oxymoron?
September 21, 2008 by boygreen · 1 Comment
A friend of mine recently ordered a bunch of organic candy to give out to the kids this Halloween. She’s really concerned about watching what she gives her kids, not wanting them to eat junk food and chemicals, and she’s always toting around a huge bag of organic snacks, just in case. This got me thinking about the idea of organic candy - can candy be healthy? So I did a little research.
The idea behind organic candy isn’t that being organic makes it “sugar-free” or even healthy. Most candy is filled with artificial flavors, artificial colors (ie: Red#…) preservatives, and other random chemicals with unpronounceable names. In addition, the ingredients used may contain pesticides. All natural candy, or organic candy, is simply that - all natural. No artificial anything. An organic label, specifically USDA Organic Certified, ensures the ingredients used don’t contain pesticide residue and aren’t processed with any chemicals or non-natural ingredients. Organic candy probably still has sugar in it, but it’s likely organic sugar, and you probably won’t find any high-fructose corn syrup on the ingredient list.
So is it an oxymoron? In my opinion, no. Candy can be chemical free. So, if you’re going to eat candy, go for the most natural, chemical-free version you can find. Look for the “Certified Organic” label, or check the ingredients to see what you’re getting before you put that candy bar in your cart.
I avoid artificial chemicals and try to go organic whenever possible, so I think I’ll give it a try. I placed an order for some organic lollipops and other goodies on SugarCoatedOrganics.com and I’ll post a taste-test review as soon as they arrive.