Do you have any of these foods in your refrigerator: meat, dairy products, canned foods, farmed fish, non-organic chicken, sodas, foods with hydrogenated oils (that's pretty much the entire snack aisle), processed meats, such as bacon, hot dogs, and sausage, and artificially colored foods, such as maraschino cherries? If you answered yes, then congratulations! You're on your way to ingesting arsenic, growth hormones, tumor inducing toxins, and nasty pesticides.
Now you're either frantically running towards your refrigerator desperate to toss these foods or scoffing at the paranoid world we live in. Either way, please know my goal is not to scare you, but rather to inform you of what you might be putting in your body. As noted in the
Eco-Salon article, 13 Tips to Avoid Exposure to Toxins in Common Foods, the aisles in our grocery stores are filled to the brim with foods designed to look appetizing (and usually taste pretty good), but ultimately are laden with unhealthy chemicals. For instance, lab rats and mice exposed to artificial food coloring developed adrenal gland, brain, thyroid, and kidney tumors. Hydrogenated oils are linked to diabetes and heart disease and studies have shown farm raised fish contain over 10 times the amount of dioxin.
What's the solution? I'm not sure there is a clear cut one, but I would suggest implementing more fruits, vegetables, and legumes into your diet. If you're not a vegetarian, cut back on meat, poultry, and fish. And probably the biggest no-brainer, but the hardest of all, is to cut back on those sugary processed food and drinks, especially the ones with artificial sweeteners.
And of course, buy local whenever possible! Need to know what's in season for your area? Check out this handy interactive "
peak-season map" from
Epicurious.
photo from Biggie
I always thought there was something kind of sexy about a bow tie. I'm not talking about tuxedo bow ties. Think patterns and polka dots. They're kind of geeky-sexy, maybe? I don't think it would look good on my man (no offense, Jeff), but it just works on some guys. What do you think? Would you encourage your groom to wear a unique bow tie to the wedding? To the rehearsal dinner?
Xoelle delights us with handmade, upcycled bow ties, created from vintage or used materials.
Sometimes soy tastes good and sometimes it doesn't. For instance, soy beans are good. And so is soy sauce. But don't eat a soy candle. You can however admire its glow and relish in it's fragrance.
Solar sunjars are a really fun way to romantically light up an outdoor evening wedding. Less cheesy than LED candles and more eco-friendly than petroleum based wax candles, they're pretty widely available on the net. For $55.00 you can get one at the MoMa Store. However, for those looking to save a little and test their DIY skills, thanks to LifeHacker, you can also make your own!
Or meet some cute fishies?
Or ponder the beauty of a delicate leaf?
Fortunately, there are plenty of healthy foods available to us that taste rather pleasant. Strawberries, artichokes, almonds, wheat bread - they are all quite good for you in moderation. But what about something that satisfies our sweet tooths a little more? Did you know there are benefits to eating dark chocolate? Who knew that sneaky, cavity inducing culprit was really a good natured, health food when enjoyed in moderation? Okay, maybe labeling it a "health food" is a bit of a stretch, but according to Italy's National Institute for Food and Nutrition, it is a powerful antioxidant (1). And a recent Harvard study found that dark chocolate improves blood flow to the brain and heart. It's also high in a compound called "cocoa phenols," which is responsible for lowering mild high blood pressure, a common ailment for the middle agers out there(2).
Centerpieces involving wine jugs, seedlings, and lemons.
The couple provided Barlow Brew, handmade beer packaged in bottles that had a picture of their dog, Barlow, on it! Too cute! And although not the most eco-friendly, favor cd's are always popular.
Slideshows are a popular way to feature baby pictures and embarrassing prom photos at a rehearsal dinner or even at the reception. Animoto makes it pretty easy and their slideshows are pretty kicka**!
Earthtones, the earth friendly etsy guide, had a great article on shopping green (see it here) not too long ago. In the buying used section, they feature the fabulous vintage pyrex of the Etsy shop, Thats Swell. (pictured top) I was awed by the array of colors - so much like a grandma's kitchen - and I found myself googling the words "vintage pyrex." To my surprise, there is a whole world out there of pyrex, which many people collect and proudly display. In my opinion, these would be a great thing to collect, in moderation of course, because you can actually use them too. Unlike salt and pepper shakers (which I went through a period of collecting once) they don't sit on a shelf and collect dust until that one time a year you decide to put them on the table.
