body&health
Aromatherapy: Healing to the Body, Mind and Soul
Deborah Thum L.M.T.
Aromatherapy is both an ancient art and a modern science. It has been practiced for thousands of years in China, India, and Greece and is based upon the essential oils coming from plants, shrubs, leaves, trees, and flowers. So, as you can see, it is so much more than just the scented candles that we see everywhere.
Read more...
Is Hair Dye Safe?
Abbie Kozolchyk
“Does she … or doesn’t she?” asked one of the 20th century’s most iconic hair-care ads. Now, of course, the answer almost goes without saying: Nearly 7 out of every 10 American women color their hair to hide gray roots, explore whether blondes have more fun, or just try something new. But given that the ingredients lists on hair dyes typically read like chemistry textbooks, we have to wonder: Are dyes actually safe to put on our heads?
Read more...
Organic food: Is it worth the extra money?
Joy Bauer MS, RD, CDN Today Show and MSNBC.com
Organic food is one of the fastest-growing categories in the food industry, despite the fact that it can cost more than double the price of conventional foods. But is it worth spending more when it comes to buying organic? Nutritionist Joy Bauer was invited on The Today Show to tell us what organic and organic labels really means and what organic food we should buy.
Read more...
Beauty Basics: Label Lowdown
Abbie Barrett
Scan the offerings in the beauty aisle and you'll see plenty of virtuous-sounding labels. "Vegan- friendly" shampoo, "cruelty-free" face cream, "natural" moisturizer, "biodegradable" toothpaste -- but what do they really mean? Still more confusing -- some products have "certified" seals, while others sport symbols that don't quite look official. So how do you choose products that are good for both you and the planet? With the help of our experts we get to the bottom of the most common declarations and sort out the truth versus empty promises.
Read more...
Cloth Diapers Do Double Duty
Shannon Doan, Founder and Owner of Wildflower Diapers
When my husband and I learned we were expecting our first child, our minds reeled with the seemingly huge amount of preparation that was needed for our little bundle of joy. I was consumed by books on breastfeeding and parenting styles and spent hours picking out paint colors and crib bedding. However we neglected to consider, until it was almost an afterthought, the decision that would have the single largest effect on our family's environmental impact
Read more...
Green Nurseries
Kathleen Davidson
An unknown author once quipped, "The trouble with being a parent is that by the time you are experienced, you are unemployed."
And so it goes… we just keep trying to learn along the way.
Read more...
The Super Food That Gives Back
Kathleen Davidson
Scientists at NASA theorize that some 3 1/2 billion years ago, the world was changed forever. The appearance of tiny organisms with the ability to convert sunlight, warmth, water and minerals into protein, carbohydrates, vitamins and amino acids marked the beginning of life. These single-cell plants, marine phytoplankton, are the basis of all other life forms on planet earth; they are the 'vegetation' of the ocean.
Read more...
Too Wired to Sleep?
Valerie Tourangeau
What REALLY happens while we sleep? We can wish our child "Sweet Dreams", but we all know what it's like when someone is too "wired" to sleep. Today that term may be a great deal more literal than we ever realized.
Read more...
Living Green In Your Own Skin
Stacy Wilde
What you touch and what you breathe ends up in your blood stream. So just for a challenge, pick a day and count how many things in your home touch your skin from the time you get up until the time you go to bed. Then multiply that by 365 days a year!
Read more...
Going Green with your Pets
Alison Chandler
As we move into the 21st Century, society is embracing the idea of using natural and organic products for our bodies and in our homes. Living a more holistic lifestyle is taking center stage in many people's lives across the nation -- including caring for pets!
Read more...
Easy Ways to Minimize Your Exposure to Pollutants & Toxins
David McGrath
Most people know that pollution comes from many different sources and that it lowers the quality of life for those subjected to it. What we often don't realize is that the sources of pollution are right under our noses; nor are we aware of the relative ease with which we can minimize or remove these sources. Here are some practical recommendations for minimizing household pollution.
Read more...
What's the
Maura Yates
Whether our pets are heroes or just beloved members of our family, we want them to be happy and live long healthy lives. Nutrition plays such a crucial role in the collective health of our pets that it is no wonder we find ourselves looking for alternatives in the wake of the pet-food contamination scare that happened in mid-March 2007.
Read more...
Community Supported Agriculture
Jennifer Woods
One way to find locally grown organic produce is to visit your weekly farmers market, but there is another way - your local CSA. What is a CSA? CSA is an acronym for Community Supported Agriculture, a system through which individuals and families subscribe, in advance, to receive weekly produce directly from their local farm.
Read more...
Natural Cleaning Products
Maura Yates
There is a plethora of household cleaning products available in the marketplace, but few people are aware that many of them contain toxins and chemicals that are damaging to the health of people, pets and the environment. Conventional cleaning products often contain bleach, phosphate and formaldehyde, which when released into the environment, can cause harmful effects to ecosystems and human health.
Read more...
