Thanks to Josh and the Folks at Pangea Organics for listing 10 easy things we can do that will have a beneficial impact on the planet and our wallets!  www.pangeaorganics.com

1.  Give Up Using Paper Napkins, Paper Towels, Or Both. Get (or make!) a few sets of organic cloth napkins. Do your cleaning with old towels and/or t-shirts cut into smaller pieces.  They are super-easy to throw in the washer to clean!

2.  Use Low-Energy Light Bulbs. Switch to energy-saving light bulbs. They may cost a bit more, but can save you up to 10 times the price over their lifetime and use at least two-thirds of the energy of standard ‘incandescent’ bulbs.

Read this article by George Lundberg, MD, former Editor in Chief of The Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA) for 17 years, and the past President of the American Society of Clinical Pathologists. He is an outspoken critic of how medicine is currently practiced. He calls for sharp curtailment of heart surgery, mammograms, PSA testing, and much more in order to save money and lives.   (www.drmcdougall.com)

Seven Ways to Reduce Unnecessary Medical Costs— George D. Lundberg, M.D.
I believe that there are still many ethical and professional American physicians and many intelligent American patients who are capable of, in an alliance of patients and physicians, doing “the right things.” Their combined clout is being underestimated in the current healthcare reform debate.
Efforts to control American medical costs date from at least 1932. With few exceptions, they have failed. Health care reform, 2009 politics-style, is again in trouble over cost control. It would be such a shame if we once again fail to cover the uninsured because of hang-ups over costs.
Physician decisions drive the majority of expenditures in the US health care system. American health care costs will never be controlled until most physicians are no longer paid fees for specific services. The lure of economic incentives to provide care that is unnecessary, unproven, or even known to be ineffective drives many physicians to make the lucrative choice. Hospitals and especially academic medical centers are also motivated to profit from many expensive procedures. Alternative payment forms used in integrated multispecialty delivery systems such as those at Geisinger, Mayo, and Kaiser Permanente are far more efficient and effective.

Fee-for-service incentives are a key reason why at least 30% of the $2.5 trillion expended annually for American health care is unnecessary. Eliminating that waste could save $750 billion annually with no harm to patient outcomes.
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Memorize these Lists or print this out and take it with you to the store.  You have an impact on the planet every time you shop.

(This is from www.GreenAmericaToday.org)

10 Things you should Never Buy Again:

5 Things you should Always Buy Green:

10 Things you should buy only if they have the Fair Trade Symbol:

10 of the Worst Corporate Criminals to Avoid:

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Why We Should All Eat More Organic Food (Organic Consumers Association)

Organic Food is More Nutritious

Organic foods, especially raw or non-processed, contain higher levels of beta carotene, vitamins C, D and E, health-promoting polyphenols, cancer-fighting antioxidants, flavonoids that help ward off heart disease, essential fatty acids, and essential minerals.

On the average, organic food is 25% more nutritious in terms of vitamins and minerals than products derived from industrial agriculture. Since on the average, organic food’s shelf price is only 20% higher than chemical food, this makes it actually cheaper, gram for gram, than chemical food, even ignoring the astronomical hidden costs (damage to health, climate, environment, and government subsidies) of industrial food production. Levels of antioxidants in milk from organic cattle are between 50% and 80% higher than normal milk. Organic wheat, tomatoes, potatoes, cabbage, onions and lettuce have between 20% and 40% more nutrients than non-organic foods.

Organic food contains qualitatively higher levels of essential minerals (such as calcium, magnesium, iron and chromium), that are severely depleted in chemical foods grown on pesticide and nitrate fertilizer-abused soil. UK and US government statistics indicate that levels of trace minerals in (non-organic) fruit and vegetables fell by up to 76% between 1940 and 1991.

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Start the New Year off right!
When we eat the right foods we feel better and we stay healthy. Proper nutrition and getting regular exercise are both essential for preventing heart disease, diabetes, and for boosting our immune system.

Here are some nutrition tips for staying healthy in 2010:

• Eat Breakfast, but not one that’s full of refined sugar.  Aim for whole grains like rolled oats and top it with a sprinkle of walnuts and chopped fruit.
• Seek out foods that are naturally high in fiber, low in fat and high in vitamins and minerals.  Best examples are fresh fruits and vegetables, beans, lentils and whole grains.
• Drink plenty of water.  Cut back on soft drinks, coffee and alcohol.
• Eat smaller meals every 3-4 hours.  This keeps blood sugar levels even to sustain energy needed for an active lifestyle.
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It’s Flu season. Stay Healthy by remembering this:

* Wash your hands often and avoid touching your eyes, nose or mouth.
* Decrease sugar intake. It impairs the immune system.
* Decrease dairy intake. It create mucous- where germs harbor.
* Decrease processed foods, fried foods, caffeine and alcohol.
* Avoid food allergens (wheat, dairy, soy, or anything else you are allergic to).

*Increase colorful fruits and vegetables.
*Increase vitamin C from citrus fruits, kiwi, papaya, berries or take a supplement.
*Increase onions, ginger, garlic and hot peppers to increase circulation.
*Increase Shiitake or Reishi mushroom intake (fresh, dried or capsules and tinctures).
*Increase probiotics (I take capsules made by New Chapter).
*Increase water and herbal tea intake to flush out germs and toxins.
*Take Amla Churna/Powder – 1 tsp in water, daily (www.znaturalfoods.com).
*Take Elderberry Tincture daily (www.bearwallowherbs.com)
*Get plenty of sleep.

Recipes:

Read More… (more…)

Just read this.

I want you to be informed of how certain foods affect the environment, your health, the farmers, and the animals.  Once you have the information you are free to make up your own mind as to what you want to do. I completely respect your decision and your right to choose what you eat as long as you are fully informed on the matter. I am just here to provide information.  I will not criticize you for your decision and I know that you will not criticize me for being a vegetarian (not that you would because that would be silly). Anyway, just read this… (more…)

Appropriate Planned Vegetarian Diets Are Healthful, May Help in Disease Prevention and Treatment, Says American Dietetic Association

FOR RELEASE JULY 1, 2009

Media contact: Jennifer Starkey
800/877-1600, ext. 4802 (more…)

So my doctor says I should eat fish 3 times a week so I can get my Omega 3’s, an essential fatty acid (EFA), popular for helping to improve cholesterol levels, prevent blood clots, and good for your joints and the brain.  But let’s take a closer look at what this is all about… (more…)

Yup, it’s true… organically grown food is healthier for You, the Farmer, and the Planet.  You’ll get more vitamins and minerals in organic foods, no toxic pesticides (that harm you, the farmer and the planet), and no GMO’s.  Buy Organic!!!

Here’s a link to a site where you can look up what non-organic food you’re about to eat/buy and how many pesticides you will also be eating… (more…)