Consumerism Can Change the World, For the Better

By Susan Lutz

In Reno, Nevada, what was worn and old is finding a way to live again. Patagonia sells what we don’t want and fixes what we already have.

Watching the world buy and buy and buy, including myself, I wonder where it stops. Do we need six jackets; five fleece pullovers? I struggle with what to buy every time I go to the grocery store. I cringe at the site of a box store selling cheap goods, but find myself inside them when I promised myself I wouldn’t go in. How do we get out of the lure of buying stuff we don’t need? How do we buy, better?

Patagonia is a company I’ve always admired, watched. In 2012, The Wall Street Journal did a piece naming Patagonia’s Founder, Yvon Chouinard, “America’s Most Unlikely Business Guru.” The company makes profits. He wrote a book called, “The Responsible Company: What We’ve Learned in the Last 40 Years” that lists ways for companies to make money without harming society and shifting to paradigms to become responsible business in our time.

The company has been posting ads to not buy their jacket. A ploy? Sales have gone up. People are buying Patagonia. Are they just buying into a sleek advertising campaign? The company says it doesn’t want you to buy jackets if you’re fine with the one you’ve got. They want to repair clothing you’ve bought from Patagonia and make it last. How does a company not sell new things and make money?

In an interview with Inc.com magazine, Chouinard explained that he really wants people to think twice about buying anything, “Do you really need it, or do you just want it?…I know it sounds crazy, but every time I have made a decision that is best for the planet, I have made money.”

Buying stuff we don’t need is a problem most of us suffer from. I buy shirts I probably don’t need and can’t wait to chuck in my old phone for a new one. Selling something to someone that they don’t need, well, that sounds like what consumerism is all about, what business is based on. But isn’t that the problem? We buy more than we need; we short circuit and get quick energy when instead we could have put off that quick fix for the more sustainable energy, for more long-term satisfactions in life: more quality time with our families, writing that novel we’ve always wanted to, or going for a hike up the trail when we feel the calling.

Patagonia takes their repair shops on the road. They’ll sew ripped pants and revitalize a worn out zipper on a jacket. One employee said in a PBS New Hour Interview, “I’m going to tell you the truth, OK? When I first started here, I was excited. I’m going, ooh, Patagonia, man, they got good stuff. I bet they got a good employee discount. But after I went on the Worn Wear tour, I have changed my way of thinking. I’m only going to buy what I need.”

Of course, if you’re a first time buyer to a Patagonia product, the company wants your business. They provide jobs and that’s how the economy survives. The model of consciousness is what makes the difference. Capitalism might be a fine way to do business if the environment is the first to benefit in the profit column. There’s enough for everyone if we treat the planet, the customers, and employees with dignity and respect.

The Lion. The Darkness. And Following Suit.

By Susan Lutz

We watch the news in shock. We watch the news in horror. We watch the news, and then go back to our business. We see the terrible things done to others in the name of religion, rights, or self-interest. But we have to go back to work. We have to feed the kids when they come home from school. We shake our heads. We forget. But those stories live on. We must learn to forgive, yet never forget. Here’s a follow up to a few stories we’ve seen that haven’t yet gone away.

The Lion.

Weeks after the beloved lion, Cecil, was killed by a dentist from Minnesota and poachers he hired, the headlines give way to bigger stories. But the story lives on. Zimbabwe wrestles with the intense issue of hunting their animals. Some claim the bounty helps conservation, others demand laws are changed. The president of Zimbabwe made a statement that the he blames “vandals” for killing Cecil, and also called for his people to take responsibility for the protection of their national treasures and resources.

Conservationists say they knew Cecil the Lion would most likely die at the hands of a hunter. The line between safety and potential death is literally often a line such as a railroad track or long stretch of line with no fencing. The issue of poaching, animals, money, safety, human rights, and animal rights are a hard mix to settle through in a country with so many living in poverty, so little resources.

Teams of people work to keep poachers on the right side of the track, monitoring and helping understaffed patrol officers find, catch, and prevent poaching. One group of women in South Africa head out at night and take huge risks to monitor and alert officials to potential poachers, all for about $250 a night. Their story was reported by PBS:

“They use a vehicle at night because it is far too dangerous to come out on foot. But there are still threats…. Poachers are usually heavily armed. All of the women admit it wasn’t easy in the beginning….”

The issue lives on for those fighting for animal rights. In St. Paul, Minnesota, a mural will be made from people standing in an outline of Cecil the Lion to keep the awareness heightened about the issue. The organizer, an artist, Kevin Foley:

“We want to harness the energy of this shameful incident for something good…for increased awareness, for meaningful action and involvement, and to preserve and protect this world’s declining wildlife.”

It’s going to be harder to get those trophies back to American soil. Delta Airlines joined other airlines in the transport of the dead animals.

The accused hunter, Walter Palmer is back in the news as recent photos of him also taking, illegally, a black bear from Wisconsin in 2006.

The Dark.

The Dark Act will move on as law if we let it. The bill passed the house, and will slip through the Senate if we don’t act to remove the darkness. The Cornucopia Institute reports that The Dark Act will prevent information about our food from getting onto the labels and leave us with unwanted food on our tables.

And Following Suit.

I walk away from the news, often shaking my head and wondering what in the heck can I do? I have to run to the grocery store, clean the bathroom, and walk the dog. The action I take every day in those errands, in my conversations, in my consciousness does keep the issue alive.

Contacting a Senator is easy. I’ve done it. They are accessible. They’ve also responded and gotten back to me. We love social media, so let’s use it to LIKE ideas that propagate peace, kindness, and solutions, not hate.

We can’t compare the lives of lions to the lives of people. It’s like saying we love people more than we love the earth or sharks or food or the stars in the sky. All of everything matters. We can’t have people without the earth to walk on. Without sharks, the oceans will die. We have to suit up every day; turn every conversation around to find the good instead of whining about what irks us.

How Killing a Lion Destroys Our Planet

By Susan Lutz

Tracking a lion for 40 hours must have been exciting. Far from home, stalking the king of beasts in the wilds of Africa, feeling the thrill of not only the hunt, but the exotic power of ruling over animals, taking, leaving the rest to rot must have been exciting. This desire to take, this desire to own, this desire to control is the consciousness that is killing our planet.

A Minnesota dentist and the men he paid to take him hunting in Zimbabwe are now being sought for questioning. This from CNN:

“All persons implicated in this case are due to appear in court facing poaching charges,” it said.

Officials said they believed Palmer had paid between $50,000 and $55,000 for the hunt to kill the lion.

We see what we want. We take what we want, often without regard for the effects our choices have on the environment. Killing a lion for thrill is taking for oneself and oneself alone, leaving no regard for life, animal or human. This mentality doesn’t stop with the animal kingdom.

We take by ignoring ramifications. When we purchase products that are made in sweatshops, we mistreat human beings. When we find out there’s a hole in the ozone layer, we claim we didn’t know our choices made a difference.

We take by consuming. We drink water in plastic bottles and toss them after one use; smug in our belief that recycling will take care of it. We pop a K-cup in the machine for a cup of coffee and drink 8 ounces of convenience, leaving behind billions of plastic cups to choke the planet.

We take by selling out. We ignore when politicians pass laws that make it OK to put toxins in our food.

We take by waiting for someone else to do it. For years, activists have tried to ban trophy hunting. We wait for the tragic to motivate us to change.

I searched hard on how to not judge this dentist from Minnesota. I’m from Minnesota. We’re not saints, but there’s this belief that we hold ourselves up to standards. My family hunts. I’ve been surrounded by the climate of hunting since birth, the camouflage, the orange vests, the guns, and the deer hanging from the garage in the cold of the fall. I’ve stood on the sidelines while this ritual, tradition, and sport took place. The hunters I know would be as devastated by this story as I am.

It’s hard to understand that in the entire time this dentist was planning his trip, it never occurred to him it might be wrong. He spent thousands of dollars, traveled thousands of miles, and then tracked the animals for 40 hours. He and his guides skinned the animal and beheaded it. Wasn’t there just one second, one moment, a fleeting thought that perhaps this is wrong? Even if not legally, morally?

I lived in a foreign country. I understand the lure of another country. Seeing the tropics, or the jungle, or the rainforest, or an animal in its habitat is exciting. It truly is interesting, educational, and enlightening to see and experience another land and culture. Tourism helps many countries. It’s critical to many economies. Yet, there are those who go take, forget, and ignore the ramifications of their actions. We’ve watched tourists climb mountains and take pictures naked for the sake of an interesting shot to put on social media. In Central America and other countries, many tourists travel for cheap sex, including with children. This is the mentality of take. Take for me – I don’t care about the rest.

I feel a deep sadness for the final hours of this regal animal, walking to his slow death in pain, suffering. I feel sadness for the country that lost a true, breathing, wonderful part of their culture. I feel sadness for the cubs left behind, the destruction and disorder inflicted by man on their pride. I even feel sadness for this dentist. In the time he spent hunting this animal down for sport, he lost time, time he can never take back. He does have a chance to change things. In the hours to come, in the actions he takes, he has the opportunity to give back instead of taking and find a way to make amends.

We’re meant to take. The cycle of life is giving and receiving. Yet, we must understand that we have a responsibility to act with care in how we take and be sure in all we receive, we are giving back.

Making Miracles Happen through Our Choices: My Family’s Story of Healing

By Susan Lutz

In 2005, my second child was born with Down syndrome. He underwent surgery on the third day of his life to untangle a defective digestive tract. Without the surgery, he would not live. I knew organic food and lots of exercise would have to be the huge part of his recovery, growth, and development. To believe in this principle was one thing – to implement quite another.

After discovering the benefits of breast-feeding with my first child, I pumped breast milk for my son, freezing the colostrum and bringing fresh bottles to the hospital every day. He received the milk from a drip in the NICU until he was able to eat on his own. After a few weeks in intensive care, an ultrasound exposed two cysts on his bile ducts. Left untreated, the doctor said, the cysts most likely would turn cancerous. As the surgeon drew me a picture what and where bile ducts were, she apologized and said, “I’m sorry, but he’ll need surgery again.” All I heard was a voice in my head that said, No he will not.

Through the years, I traveled between different paths in search of a healthier life. I figured I could get by with a “pretty-good-kind-of” healthy life. There was always room for beer and chocolate and if in small enough quantities, just about every other unhealthy food choice. My first child changed all that. Not long after her teeth came in, I noticed brown spots: rapid, fast-growing tooth decay. I took her to acupuncture. In our sessions, the acupuncturist talked about diets. It was the first time I’d ever heard of the terms alkaline, acid, and ash in the context of our bodies. He said if my daughter’s body changed to alkaline, the carries couldn’t survive.

I went and bought my first juicer – determined to make a difference without the invasive use of surgery. I doubled the amount of organic greens and found creative ways to hide celery, parsley, and kale in smoothies. After a few years, my daughter’s adult teeth came in straight, white, and free of cavities.

Believing my son’s cysts were going to go away amounted to nothing unless I took action. I searched for an alternative doctor, especially one that would implement diet as part of healing. I located a naturopathic doctor more than seven hours from my home. We set up a consultation on the phone. He gave me a list of vitamins and other things that might help. Then, he said one thing, as the acupuncturist did, that made the most sense of all: if the body is in balance, no cyst can live. I got the juicer out again.

At nine months, I took my son to check on the cyst in an ultrasound. If the cyst grew, there would be reason for concern. If the cyst had stayed the same size or, was smaller, we’d have reason to know something was going right. Since I couldn’t make heads or tails out of an ultrasound, I watched the doctor’s face instead. I held down my son’s tiny penis down with rough, brown paper towels. It was quiet. My son was calm. The doctor had a very blank look on her face. She moved the wand back and forth across his belly. “They’re not there,” she said.

“What?” I said.

“I can’t find the cysts,” she said. “They’re gone.”

Books and information about Down syndrome listed very matter-of-factly what limitations he could have: speech deficiencies, slow to walk, heart problems, digestive difficulties, fine and gross motor skills challenges, crooked teeth, physical abnormalities, lagging in emotional development, to name a few. Although he seemed to have high level of cognitive development, his walking and gross motor skills were very slow to develop. He struggled with a lot of mucus. Smaller nose and ear tubes made it even harder to breathe. At a young age he contracted a case of bronchitis, which put him in the hospital. Balancing the lists of “what ifs” with the reality of the child in front of me is a constant battle in raising my son.

Each health challenge raised the bar. What more could I do? What more could my son do? I installed therapy machines in my garage and converted my living room to an all-out gymnasium. I measured every step as a tiny victory, every green vegetable eaten a step in the right direction. Several times a day, we worked his lungs through laughing, respiratory therapy, (even crying worked out his lungs!) extracted phlegm and pushed his lungs to work harder.

Deciding what is best for me is one thing because I feel the effects when I make questionable food choices or slack off in exercising. Choosing what to give my children is confounding. Getting all those greens into a child is a daunting task. Yet over many trials, spit ups, tummy aches, and dodging food matter thrown at me, my children and I have settled into a healthy, organic diet that seems to satisfy and push of them to thrive. We eat sprouted lentils, avocados, alfalfa sprouts, celery, parsley, cucumbers and other greens for breakfast; we try to drink another super-green juice for lunch and dinner; and I work hard at limiting the sugar in their diet.

Looking back, I can see what a huge blessing, though uncomfortable, challenging, and painful, all the health challenges were. My children are now thriving. My son climbs, plays soccer, runs track, and plays baseball and basketball. My daughter glows and her smile – white and brilliant – shines. The issue of health care never stops. No diet solves everything; no exercise cures it all; I still indulge on less-than-perfectly-healthy foods. I’m no health guru, just a mom with kids that needed a solution.

I know the miracle was also fueled by of those who care for my children and me: family, coaches, and doctors, even the clerk at the health food store. The combined strength, healthy organic food, community and family support, and the tenacity of my children’s spirit make for a powerful cure.

A portion of this essay appeared on Crazysexylife.com.

I’ve also put it on my site, nomorenicegirl.com.

Kill the K-Cup Before It Kills Us

By Susan Lutz

In the hospital, I waited for my son to get out of a simple procedure; we’d be home by the end of the day. I looked at the counter, hoping for some coffee. And, there it was. Packaged. Flavor injected. Plastic. The K-cup – the new, killer coffee that’s killing the coffee with its convenient, single-serving delivery system. Coffee drinkers loaded up and bought them, about 9 billion a year, filling a need we didn’t even know we had.

Billions of cups mean billions of little plastic, worthless-after-one use, go-in-the-trash cups. And the cost doesn’t seem to matter. Folgers coffee, in one of those K-cups, measures out to $50.00 a serving. For a few years, I owned a coffee shop; I wasn’t making that kind of margin. Even the priciest of coffees from the most exotic of places doesn’t garner that price.

The profit is not going to the farmers either. Is the coffee organic? Fair trade? Mostly no, though suppliers are putting out organic and fair trade. Our desire for this product is insatiable. I spent time with the people working the coffee fields. It’s a tough life. Many do not have medical coverage, are exposed to chemicals and treated poorly. Many are women and children. We love our coffee. We treat it almost as if it is a right rather than a privilege. Before the hospital waiting room, I had never seen these machines in action. I thought they were a luxury. But, I lived in Central America where most things are luxuries, including roofs that don’t leak and enough food to feed a family.

An hour went by as I waited for my son. I was hungry and the coffee looked so tempting. I put the K-cup into the spot, pushed a button and got just water. I walked down the hall to the bathroom and dumped out the water. I tried again and got the worst coffee I’d ever tasted. I went to the bathroom and dumped it out. When I threw away the little cup, I felt miserable. I had no coffee, I was in a hospital, and now I just added to the billions of little, non-recyclable trash mounding in landfills.

There’s a campaign to KILLTHEKCUP with a pretty intense video about the destruction of our planet from the killer K-cup. I saw an interview with Kevin Sullivan, chief technology officer at Keurig Green Mountain, maker of coffee machines on CBS Sunday Morning. He said the company was beginning to find ways to make the product recycle by 2020:

“We’ve been hard at work to solve that problem,” said Sullivan. “We introduced a system called Vue that has cups that are, in fact, recyclable. We have a company objective that everything will be recyclable by the year 2020. We certainly aren’t going to wait that long. I think we’re going to start that much sooner, and hopefully convert sooner than that.”

I was stunned. By 2020 the company will have little plastic k-cups that are recyclable? Do the math. Let’s say, for simplicity, 9 billion cups are sold a year, starting in 2015 and going until 2019 (we’ll just ignore the damage already done and we’ll ignore growth or decline in sales):

9 billion x 5 = 45 billion little, useless plastic cups filling up our needs to get something quick, fast, and with no regard for others. Getting the k-cup recyclable is, in this day and age, a non-negotiable item. But why after the fact? Why not create the product with some consciousness before the damage is done? Did Kevin Sullivan ever hear of climate change? We cause climate change in every choice we make. It’s not just the billowing smoke from factory smoke stacks. It’s us, our decisions to use or reuse or to choose sustainable with our spending power. There’s plenty of other single serving machines out there that cost the same or less than the Keurig coffee system. Are we that tight for time we can’t spend another minute tamping down a bit of coffee in a reusable machine?

My son and I went home. He was sleepy, but up and playing like little kids do by early evening. I made a cup of coffee when I got home, a single, grounds-only, cup of coffee. It was worth the wait.

The Environmental Hazards of Consumerism

By Susan Lutz

Products stacked high. Priced low. That’s the box-store shopping model we’ve come to accept. Shoppers expect cheap bargains, and for the most part, get it. From my small college town in Minnesota to Central America, I’ve watched Walmart build and consumers follow. I watched as the college town almost died out. Buildings begged for renters, to buyers rather than shoppers. Today, we watch the scope of Walmart’s impact reach for the skies, adding a negative carbon footprint at a fervent pace.

Walmart’s positive green press spins differently. Walmart reports all is right with the company’s clip to reduce emission and go green. However, The Institute for Local Self-Reliance reported that Walmart is guilty of going in the opposite direction and increasing greenhouse emissions with no stop in sight. In addition, many of Walmart’s products do not reflect the consciousness of a company dedicated to sustainability.

About ten years ago, Walmart started issuing it’s own, Global Responsibility Report. In developing countries, it’s hard to keep people away from the lure of the American brand (though many products are not made in America). I found the stores overpriced. The appeal for many, as Walmart knows, is the location. It was on a bus line, the parking lots are huge, and taxis even wait outside. Everything sat under one roof. A lure, even to this shopper, who couldn’t resist when the rain poured (the parking was not only huge, it was covered), and I needed some over-sized paper for my child’s school project.

Walking the aisles of these big box stores feels overwhelming and too much. Do we need purple and green and pink toilet paper? Are those products a “green” company should support. Jeffrey Hollender, founder and former CEO of Seventh Generation, Inc. took a look at what companies are doing to confuse customers into thinking a company is going green, when in fact it’s not:

“In essence, Walmart is saying, ‘Hey, Walmart shopper, here’s a totally unsustainable product from one of our supposed Sustainability Leaders.’”

What do we do? Walmart and other box-stores are now planted as an option for shopping, for everyone, for everything. What do we need? Do we need so much? The visual of green and pink toilet paper is one I’d never thought of until now. Walmart’s not just going to go away. We’ve helped create it. Yet, it must change. It’s too important. They’ve got the power to do it. We’ve got the power to demand it.

I returned to my college town a few years ago. It had made a bit of a comeback. The diner I cooked for was gone. But a few coffee shops and new stores had taken hold. It’s the main street of postcards. The place where community gathers and owners greet customers. Between the Walmart model and the main street, a model exists where we can reduce our impact, empower local retailers, and promote that which truly is good for the planet.

The DARK Act or “Deny Americans the Right to Know” Proposed Legislation to Allow GMOs without Labels

By Susan Lutz

“Probably carcinogen.” That’s what the WHO (the World Health Organization) called glyphosate, chemicals often found in toxic pesticides used by Monsanto and Dow for GMO crops.

Sri Lanka’s newly elected president immediately banned glyphosate, recognizing it as the herbicide contributing to the tremendous surge in kidney disease in the country. Glyphosate adds a dangerous and deadly ingredient to the already harsh conditions many farmers face from too little water and scorching heat.

Enter the United States where Kansas Republican Rep. Mike Pompeo reintroduced (yes, it’s been around before) a bill blocking states from the ability to require labeling on GMOs.

The bill, dubbed The Dark Act: Deny Americans the Right to Know, #stopDARKact, is spun by supporters to look as though it is legislation supporting transparency, but according to a recent House Agriculture Committee on Biotech Labeling Laws with Just Label It chairman, Gary Hishberg, it’s an anti-labeling push to keep the consumer out of the labeling process. A proposed amendment, mandating GMO labeling is being backed by anti GMO groups.

When I pick up a food on the grocery shelf, I automatically look at what’s in it. It’s frustrating to find product after product with ingredients I can’t pronounce, have to look up on the Internet what they really are, and more often than I want, succumb to eating chemicals in mislabeled or poorly labeled products. One example is Nutella. My kids love it. Who doesn’t? When not required by law, the company rearranges the ingredients to make Nutella appear healthier.

When law requires correct labeling, it’s a different story. Labeled accurately, sugar becomes the first ingredient in Nutella. Then, you should find the MSG. Monosodium glutamate in Nutella? Look on the label. It’s not there. But vanillin, which could be called E612, is also MSG. Nutella was sued for false health claims, which resulted in a settlement payout of $3.05 million and the company dropping it’s claim that it was a healthy food.

The drama continues and the climax is not yet known, at least in the courts. But for those in the fields picking foods that end up on our tables, for families trying to eat foods without poisons, for the sake of our waters and our climate, not knowing the poisoning that happens to our planet, on any level, creates a villain darker than any comic book character imagined.

End the Use of the Tiny, Terrible Microbead

By Susan Lutz

Scrub some natural face cleanser on at the end of the day. Feels wonderful. A shea butter body cream can only be good, right? Read the ingredients. Many of the cosmetics on the shelf today contain microbeads. What’s a microbead? I hadn’t heard of them either. Yet, they are now so proliferate in many of the products we use, approximately 69 NGOs from 33 countries are supporting the campaign to end the use of the microbead, according to beatthemicrobead.org.

What exactly is a microbead? Imagine a teeny, tiny bead of plastic. Now, image something smaller. Microbeads replace more natural ingredients, especially in health and body care products like scrubs, creams, and toothpaste. The tiny beads, less then 1mm, are composed of polyethylene, polypropylene, polymethyl methacrylate, or nylon, in short, plastic. Use a microbead for seconds, rinse, and it goes down the drain to stay in the environment forever. The cycle of water pulls the plastic fibers all the way to the oceans. They don’t break down. Instead, they mush into plastic-like goo; floating, unnoticed by a fish that eats a smaller fish – tasty, yet environmentally deadly. Catch the bigger fish and the contaminant ends up back on our table, in our mouths. See anyone pick up a tiny piece of plastic on the ground and eat it? That’s exactly what’s happening.

How did this happen? And, right under our nose? All of these ingredients are approved and “safe” to use. Safe bet companies are making money on the short-term benefit of making a product cheaper, getting it on the shelf quicker, and selling more than we really need. Natural ingredients take more time, most likely more investment – in the short run. (And, I’m not even talking about organic ingredients yet, just “natural” like putting in more real shea butter instead of cutting the real product with these tiny plastic beads.)

Step in a movement to end those tiny, terrible microbeads. Like so many other products we discover for the quick, availability and cheaper price, we buy it: plastic bags, the k-cup, or processed food. The ramifications of our choices always, not sometimes, but always come back to bite us in the bags and beads. Without seeing the long-term effect before we eat too much sugar or throw all or allow GMO modification of our food, we suffer the consequences of our choices and have to work to not only end the use of the danger, but also find ways to reinvent how to educate, make healthy choices, and show our children things like tiny microbeads just are a bad decision.

A movement has started to ban the microbead. Annie Leonard, founder of The Story of Stuff, began an idea to look at our prolific use of stuff. Her animated movies are short, great for anyone – I’ve showed them to my kids – and poignant. She’s always working on a solution. Pointing out the problem is one thing, doing something about yet another. Learn what products carry microbeads and stop using them. Check out sites that offer more information on microbeads and how to join a campaign to ban the bead.

So, let’s get started, below is a list of companies and products as posted from beatthemicrobead.org that contain microbeads. You can get the full list, for many countries, on their site.

A few examples of products with microbeads as listed by beathemicrobead.org:

Ahava: Dead Sea Essentials-Relaxing Almond Exfoliating Body Cleanser – Polyethylene (PE)

CVS Pharmacy: Oil Free Scrub – Polyethylene (PE)

Neutrogena/Johnson & Johnson: Deep clean gentle Scrub (oil free) – Polyethylene (PE)

Note the brands; be familiar with the all the chemical names of the microbead. Changing brands, really going natural or organic is a choice not just for better skin or whiter teeth, but a choice that makes a difference for our children and our planet.

Interesting Ways to Go Organic and Eco-Friendly

Every choice I make has an impact, somewhere. The food I choose not only affects my children, it also impacts the farmer and the community. If I buy local, the carbon footprint shrinks. If I buy organic, I’ve chosen a system that fundamentally focuses on how our bodies and our planet will grow naturally, without toxins. When the global issues seem out of reach, when I feel powerless, I step back and remember that my consumer choices make a difference.

Organic goes beyond food. We can wear, sleep in, brush our teeth, and pamper our pets in eco-friendly products. I am constantly amazed at the array of organic products becoming available on the market. It’s exciting to see that organic is losing the label as alternative and instead becoming a normal, preferred way of life. Some of my favorite products are those we find we’ve already got in our own home like baking soda.

Here are a few interesting ideas (in no particular order) I’ve found to help fight bugs, get a good night’s sleep, or smile a little brighter.

1. Organic Mosquito Repellant: Bugged out this summer? There’s no question DEET – the chemical used by many major brands of mosquito repellants – works. But at what price? Mosquitos are a pesky problem, and the use of harsh, chemical-laden sprays and lotions will eventually take a toll on the liver in the detoxication process. We also must not forget that choosing chemicals also means supporting a system that makes our planet more toxic. Not only do we have to manufacture it, we have to dispose of it. I’ve fought back many mosquito climates and swear the alternatives work. The only difference is use it often as the natural scent will wear off. A few good examples I like are Bite Blocker or Burt’s Bees Herbal Insect Repellent, which just smells so yummy it’s kind of nice to dab a little on even when there isn’t a mosquito in sight!

2. Organic Mattress: It’s said we spend a 1/3 of our life sleeping. Imagine how many particles of inorganic chemicals we’re breathing every night. Where you rest might be a great place to control more of your environment. Wouldn’t you rather snuggle up to organic cotton or wool? An example of an organic mattress can be found at Janice’s. However, there’s no need to stop at the mattress. The entire bed can be an organic haven complete with pillows, sheets, and covers. It’ll make counting sheep so much easier and that much better for you and the planet.

3. Organic Pet Toys: We just can’t leave our pets out of the organic revolution! Sure most of might know organic pet food is available, but did you know you can get organic chew toys? A favorite I’ve found is by Simply Fido. It’s a plush bone that is great for a puppy’s chewing stage or a larger dogs comfort toy. In the case of the my dogs, which were more like the “Marley and Me” kind, it helps become a safe alternative to chewing the couch to bits. SimplyFido sights the fact that by adding pets to our organic list in the home, we do that much more for the environment. It adds up. With 43 million households in the U.S. alone owning dogs, it can make a big difference.

4. Organic Shoes: Shoes seems a natural step in going organic. When going barefoot might not be a good option, organic shoes are perhaps the next best choice. Mahalo shoes says it’s organic line gives a more natural way to put one foot in front of the other. Did you know shoes are made from hemp? Not to mention socks, underwear, shirts…

5. Organic Teeth Whitener: Right in your own cupboard can be quick, affordable, and easy ways to whiten your teeth. Teeth whitening methods can contain a lot of chemicals including bleach. Sometimes making decisions under the glaring light of the dentist’s chair with all those sharp instruments nearby is not the best place to decide on what to do with stained, yellowed teeth. A good place to start the decision making process is at home.

Baking soda, lemons, strawberries, orange rinds, and now activated charcoal has become popular. These rank as a good place to start getting a brighter smile. Other tips are changing a few habits like drinking staining beverages such as coffee and red wine; using a straw; eating more crunchy vegetables; and simply rinsing with water after you’ve indulged in any of those darker drinks. What better way to avoid a the dentist chair than taking charge of more health care right in your own home? Then, if you still can’t do without that super-pearly white smile, at least you’ve gone in informed and instilled with a few more healthy, organic lifestyle choices.

From top to bottom; from pests to pets, we can all go more natural and chemical free. Price can still be an issue with a few items but adding a product here and there can be a way to ease into the system. Overall, my favorite organic products are those we find we’ve already got in our own home like baking soda. With some ingenuity and forethought we can save a few bucks; help the planet; and toss Rover a healthy bone to chew on.

Food Revolution: Jamie Oliver Teams with Music Greats to Change How We Eat

We eat too much. We eat the wrong things. According to Jamie Oliver, “Obesity is one of the three biggest social burdens created by human beings alongside smoking, and armed violence, war, and terrorism. Obesity costs $2 trillion dollars globally each year.” #FoodRevolutionDay is May 15th, a day Oliver wants us to join him in kicking off a campaign to change the way we eat at home, at school, and out. He’s got some highly talented help from Ed Sheeran, Hugh Jackman and Paul McCartney with this music video.

We’ve been buying into the corporate model since the advent of industrialism. Crops are modified; hormones and antibiotics are given to animals as routine business; pesticides flow freely; forests are cleared for immediate pay back; and the list grows. We’ve become robots of digestion and consumption.

The World Health Organization compiled this data on obesity:

– Worldwide obesity has more than doubled since 1980.

– In 2014, more than 1.9 billion adults, 18 years and older, were overweight. Of these over 600 million were obese.

– 39% of adults aged 18 years and over were overweight in 2014, and 13% were obese.

– Most of the world’s population lives in countries where overweight and obesity kills more people than underweight.

– 42 million children under the age of 5 were overweight or obese in 2013.

– Obesity is preventable.

Time to connect the dots. A revolution doesn’t “just happen.” The consciousness for changing how we eat comes from the work of individuals, groups, and organizations like the Organic Consumer’s Association, The Cornucopia Institute, and The Food Tank, to name a few.

McDonald’s growth isn’t declining because society wants “to speed up customer service,” as reported by Business Insider. Steve Easterbrook, the new CEO, says he’s going to turn McDonald’s around by introducing a better burger and removing antibiotics and “hard to pronounce ingredients” from its chicken in the US. Not enough. What about the beef? Consumers want healthy food – simple food – that fulfills its mission: Nutrition, health, and energy, which give back to life rather than take from it. The mighty Mac food conglomerate began a slow descent when its ingredients went public. As consumers, we’re becoming smart.

Jamie Oliver takes on the tough subjects. His goal is to implement food education in the school system. Not easy. I’ve worked in schools, and I’ve owned my own restaurant where I’ve watched this organic, eat-better/grow-better food movement on a national and international level. From Central America to Europe to the US, organic food and better eating practices are shaking up the way tradition has boxed in food. Oliver also aims to pave a path towards better eating at home. Also not an easy task. Even for me, an organic girl from way back, I struggle to feed my family with organic food and as little sugar and fats as possible. Challenging? Yes. Impossible? No. We can’t continue stuffing ourselves as the conventional model wants us to do. The more we demand higher quality, the more we’ll get it – and at a better price.

Back up to the World Health Organization’s last point about obesity: It is preventable. Our health reflects the health of our planet. If we’re sick, so is our food system. #FoodRevolutionDay is more than signing a petition. It’s a movement in awareness reflecting a change we not only need to happen, but also want to succeed.

Take some action: Sign the petition; buy something organic; make a salad; take a walk with someone you love. We can do this. Our lives depend on it.

Simple Green Cleaning Ideas

The simplest spring cleaning ideas can be found around the home. Under the sink and in the cupboard are ingredients with the power to clean easily and organically. Here are a few of my favorites:

1. Hydrogen peroxide: Hydrogen peroxide is very inexpensive. Available at any store in the pharmacy and health and beauty section, the bubbling action gets up stuck on grime and sanitizes as it works. Food grade hydrogen peroxide is an even safer, cleaner way to go, though a bit more in cost.

2. Baking Soda: Scrubbing made easy and cheap. Put this cleaner on tough stains and scrub. Many like to mix hydrogen peroxide with baking soda and call it the miracle cleaner. I always wear gloves when cleaning.

3. Vinegar: Most know about vinegar as a glass cleaner. Old newspapers make a great wipe as paper towels can leave a trace of paper flecks behind.

4. Lemon: Clean with the power of a natural sanitizer with lemon. I love to use the last drops on my cutting boards. After drinking down a delightful fresh lemon drink, drop the rind down the garbage disposal and in an instant get a fresher system and smell.

5. Room Freshener and deodorizer: Mix half alcohol such as vodka (as has no smell) and water. Then add your favorite essential oil like peppermint or bergamot.

A Place of Peace with Daily Food Choices

At times, I pile the bags of food in my car after spending a boatload of money and feel lost. With all my research and knowledge of the world of organics, I should radiate confidence. Instead, I doubt my choices and wonder if I even make a difference in what I feed my family.

Back in the store, I gazed upon the simple choice of cookies. With food allergies and touchy digestive issues for my kids, I can spend time laboring over even the simple choice of which animal cracker I should choose. Do I buy the kind without sugar? If so, what other kind of sweetener does it have? Is it organic? Gluten-free? Loaded with food dyes? Preservatives? GMOs? Is it local? The days of walking out to the barn to get the milk is gone for most of us. Now, we rely on a chain of people, machines, and often corporations to bring us our food. Instead of a place to nourish my family, stores feel like science labs – the joy of life squeezed right out of it.

Avoiding one toxic choice feels like bowing down to another. I’d like to always buy organic and planet-friendly for my kids and not stumble over ingredients I often cannot pronounce. The word organic gives me hope that there are fruits and vegetables still glistening with nutrition. Then, I look at the prices: a single cucumber is $2.29. $2.29? Each? The other cucumbers are $.79 each. Yet I remember (from all my research) that cucumbers are one of the most chemically sprayed crops. When I go back to the bin of organic cucumbers, I wonder about the plastic each cucumber is wrapped in: Isn’t that bad for the environment? The conventional cucumbers feel waxy. But just one cucumber for $2.29?! One won’t last the whole week! It’s my kids’ favorite vegetable. And it’s so nutritious! Which one should I buy? After only being in the store for five minutes, I was exhausted. This shouldn’t be how we have to buy food.

We’ve polluted our planet and can’t eat our foods without loads of labels warning us what the food does and does not have. We can’t drink the water unless it is filtered or eat the fish unless it is found in the right waters.

Whether organic or not; whole grain or gluten-free, vegan or vegetarian, we’ve got to eat. I have to find a place where food is happy again. I’ve put down my food-battle sword and written a seal of peace on my shopping list. I eat organic whenever I can. I eat as little sugar as I can. I eat greens more than anything else. I stay within budget without beating myself up. I let it go when eating with others so as not to be a know-it-all or worrywart about the food contents.

Most of all, I relax and give thanks for every bite I take and am able to give my children. No food is any good unless it is served with joy.