Image Grenade

Having just spent a few weeks renovating my kitchen, I’m all to aware that it’s easy to build green, but when you’re renovating and retrofitting old houses, it can be substantially more difficult and costly. I’m hoping my tips this week will help you towards a greener renovation because even if you can’t pull out all of the old insulation and replace it with friendly soy fill insulation or shredded denim, there are loads of small changes you can make that will make a big difference. VOCs in Paint As a child, I remember when they painted my primary school and the vapors aside from giving me a splitting headache, made me incredibly nauseas. That reaction, is what I now know is the result of  VOCs (Volatile Organic Compounds). VOCS are organic chemical compounds that, under normal conditions vaporize and enter the atmosphere. While methane is  the most plentiful VOC on the planet, carbon-based molecules, such as aldehydes, ketones, and other light hydrocarbons are VOCs that may occur in the processing of carpeting, paints, solvents etc. While they may be less harmful in a wider open space, once you put all of this stuff in your cozy little house with double glazed windows and you’re exposing you and your family to a host of health damaging chemicals. The answer is to lessen the amount of VOCs you introduce into your environment. In painting there are several companies that make low or no VOC paints. I have to admit I researched low/no VOC options, and chose Olympic Premium paint (available at Lowes). The zero VOC paint carries the Green Seal Certification, ensuring it meets the strictest environmental requriements and the paint was awareded the Home Safety Council’s Commendation Awards for Product Innovation for Consumer Safety.For me, the paint addressed my ecological concerns, covers well and has virtually no odor once dry. This is also a good cost effective option with pricing generally around $25 per gallon. I have been on forums where others who have used the same paint and complained about odor, (yes, even paints without VOCs can have horrible smells) but that wasn’t my experience. If however you are considering a low VOC option (and ecology aside, you should consider one for the sake of your family) then attached is a list of several manufacturers that offer them.Yolo Colorhouse paintswww.yolocolorhouse.comBenjamin Moore & Co. (Pristine® Eco-Spec® )
www.benjaminmoore.comDuron Paints and Wallcoverings (Genesis Odor-Free products)
www.duron.comOld Fashioned Milk Paint Company
www.milkpaint.comSherwin-Williams (HealthSpec® paints)
www.sherwin.com 

In his book “How to Feel better and Live Longer” Dr. Linus Pauling advocated high doses of Vitamin C.  Many doctors and scientists proclaimed his recommendations as charlatanism; citing that vitamin C, is a water soluble vitamin and that high doses above and beyond what your body needs will simply be excreted. While the debate continues on just how much the body may require, vitamin C is an essential nutrient required for the health of higher primates (that’s us). And whether I’m coming down with the sniffles or in the middle of a full blown flu, extra Vitamin C “couldn’t hoit”. The best way to consume it, is always naturally and usually by eating green veggies or fruit like strawberries or citrus. By eating the fruit, you not only get the vitamins, but the fiber that will help in your recovery. Of course, if you’re ill, you may not wish to eat too much in which case I recommend drinking fresh orange juice, or apple cider or fruit smoothies. Just remember, where a piece or two of fruit will be low calorie, several pieces squished into a glass can quickly rack up the calories so drink fresh where possible and make sure to keep an eye on lables for added sugars and keep an eye on ounces consumed. Or course if you’re on the go and eschewing the carb and high calorie count of juice, you can always opt for an instatnt fizzy supplement like Emergen-C which in 20 tiny calories packs in an impressive 1, 000 mg of Vitamin C, coupled with zinc, potassium and Vitamin B6 and 5 grams of sugar.

When I was a kid my Dad grew aloe vera plants. I’m not talking about small, sickly ones that were de rigeur in the 70s, but big lush ones that could have taken ribbons at  the Royal Horticultural Society. Some were so massive that they could have been stand-ins for cacti on Bonaza.

Once he began propigating them, they were given to every friend, neighbor and family member within a 60 mile radius. And God forbid if you cut or burned yourself in his presence, because out would come the knife to lop off a leaf as he began squeezing the healing sap on the affected area. Aloe to my Dad, was what Windex was to the Dad in My Big Fat Greek Wedding.

But drinking it? You’ve gotta be kidding. It was slimy and goopy and not at all appetizng.

Fast forward 30 years!

With one kick ass flu that was threatening to turn into walking pneumoia, I was desperative for relief. When someone suggested taking aloe, I rejected it straight out of hand, for about 48 hours. Once the situation desintegrated into one that would soon require a hospital visit, I tried it.

It wasn’t pleasant and the coagulative qualities were a bit offputting but I consumed it. And after the third dose in  about 12 hours, I began feeling better: dramatically better. Now when I’m feeling poorly, it’s one of the first, not the last remedies I reach for. Because Aloe juice is now so readily available, I won’t list all of the places you can get it, but GNC, Holland and Barrett and the Vitamin Shoppe all sell versions. My tip, find one that is flavored and chill it in the fridge before consuming. Then close your eyes, hold your nose and drink it quickly.

Now, all of that being said, if you have an Asian market around, there is drink from Korea that can usually be found in the soft drink aisle or in the refridgerated case called Poldo Aloe. This  small green bottle with green and while lable is more drinker friendly, however it may not have quite the amount of curative aloe as it’s health store counterpart. But as my Memom used to say, “Airen, is better than n’airen.” and drinking this more regularly may stave off illness during this season,  relieving the need to pursue the harsher alternative later.

Nearly half of the humans I interact with are fighting some sort of cold and flu. So how do you manage to either survive, or ameliorate the symptoms? Well I’ve got a few ideas this week and I’m sharing them with you, like vitamins, One A day.

Neem oil

While many of you will be washing with antibacterial soaps (horrible low grade pesticides which inevitably get into our ground water), Neem oil is naturally fungicidal, antibacterial and antimicrobial. When cold and flu hits, I grab for my trusty bottle of Bindi Neem oil and head to the shower. You can poo-poo it all you like, but it’s been used in Ayurvedic medicine in India for thousands of years, pre-evolution of Western Medicine.

Bindi’s version is a mix of neem, brahmi, basil, camphor and sandalwood. Because I’m used to it, and since my cubical is a virtual Russian front, when it comes to dealing with others, I’ve no problem doing this in the morning and simply drying thoroughly before cycling to work,

If however, the medicinal smell conjures up memories of that dorky kid in pig tails, who sat in the back of the class, eating irregularly shaped brown sandwiches and was only allowed to watch one hour of Public Television a day, you can certainly do it at night, when you’re less suffer a drop in your cool quotient.

I begin by taking a hot shower (preferably using Neem soap), then while still warm and damp, rub my throat, chest, scalp and around my ears in the oil. As a grand finale, I wrap myself like the baby Jesus in swaddling, with big knitted booties and take to my bed. Yes, it may sound a bit extreme, but you only have to do it once or twice and after this week’s revelations of nightly moisturizing mummy wraps favored by Madonna, is loads easier.

Hey I’m no doctor, but I’ve done this for several years and it has always shortened the duration of my suffering by days, compared to my husband who suffers, on average, three days longer, insisting all the while that a cure only exists in a blister packet of Aleve Cold and Flu.

Margo Neem soap $2.50 per bar: Bindi Neem Oil 1 oz trial size $4.00; 8 oz size $27.50; Available at Bindi: www.bindi.com

So you keep a Bagalini tote in your purse or brief case, in the event of last minute shopping, and take large canvas totes when you’re shopping at the supermarket or green grocer, but what do you do when you’re buying a pound or loose spring mix, or green beans? You can keep plastic carrier bags out of your home, but what can you do when you need to buy loose fruit or veg at the produce section?

The solution:  Onya Weigh.  Onya Weigh’s  iny pouch contains 5 fine mesh reusable produce bags and each lightweight bag can easily carry up to 8 lbs. These mesh bags weigh less than one ounce, so there’s no extra weight to add to the costs of your produce. Once home, most produce can just be washed in the bag, patted dry, and placed in the fridge or hung up in the pantry. And the fine mesh is small enough to hold bulk items line nuts grains or rice with the same ease. So don’t blow your green mission by using plastic produce bags, get Onya Weigh. Onya Weigh bags, available at Shop Onya Weigh: $16.95 & S/H for pouch with five bags http://shop.onyabagsusa.com.

Maya Angelou was once quoted as saying “when you know better, you do better.” Although I’ve been into fashion for years, it’s only recently I’ve discovered the damage chemicals used to tan leather or to dye fabric. So lately I’ve been doing the more eco responsible thing by either recycling, in the form of buying vintage, or purchasing organic cotton, hemp and bamboo clothing. While the list of emerging designers using these fabrics is getting longer, most are still not available at your local department store.

Enter Arcadia Boutique.

I was drawn in by their great selection, including eco-friendly lines including Stewart+Brown, and Panda Snack (bamboo t-shirts that are incredibly soft) and but she also carries Rich & Skinny Denim. And although not every line is ecofriendly, the store is very green with store shelves composed of reclaimed wood and carpeting courtesy of Flor, eco friendly carpeting tiles. So go ahead, shop until you’re heart’s content. I guarantee the best green, will be the color your friends turn when seeing just how eco-lovely an earth friendly wardrobe can be.

Arcadia Boutique, 819 North Second Street (215-667-8099 or arcadiaboutique.com).

I’m in the office at the crack of dawn and have usually had breakfast by 7 am, so in the British tradition of Elevensees, I’m a bit peckish by 11 am. Since three days a week I have a lunch date with my trainer, I can’t afford to indulge in anything too heavy before a workout.

My new snack of choice is Crispy Green. This dried fruit snack, available in a number of varieties including peaches, apples and pear, are dried without any added sugar or preservatives. They’re completely vegan, dairy free, gluten free, and nut free. I can’t remember the last time I read a label that included just one ingredient, and that’s the fruit that’s been dried. They have a delicious crunchy texture and a full pack averages around 38 calories.

So when you’re looking for a snack that won’t ruin your diet and provides a full serving of fruit to help you consume that five a day recommended daily requirement, think Crispy Green.

Available nationwide in stores like Acme and Albertson’s but for more info and a list of retailers, visit their website at www.crispygreen.com

Or course none of my lovely readers have ever sent an emotional or otherwise unfortunate email while in their cups, but for those that have, Google is testing a feature that may prevent future embarassment. The “mail goggles” feature, which automatically activates late night or on the weekends, first asks you if you want to send the email and then if you hit yes, forces you to solve some simple maths problems within a time limit before you’re allowed to hit send. (Maths? Lord, I’ll never get an email out.)

It is now being tested on Google’s free Gmail email service. You can also set it up to activate at other times including early am, before you’ve had your morning cuppa or early evening for those of us who eschew late night parties for the more subdued, yet no less boozy cocktail hour.

For some, that may be reason enough to change your email host to gmail.

Back in 1984 when Nike debuted the Air Jordan, the pricey sneaker spawned the catch phrase ”It’s all about the shoes.”  Over 20 years later, that’s still my mantra. I simply adore shoes and boots and would buy them regardless, but combine shoes, a charitable event and 50% off the MSR price, well it’s just about as close to heaven as this bitch is likely to get.

So kids, mark your daytimer, make a note on your blackberry and call your friends because in recognition of October as Breast Cancer Awareness month, the Fashion Footwear Charitable Foundation (FFCF), and the Fashion Footwear Association of New York (FFANY) and QVU once again present the annual

Shoes on Sale® on Wednesday, October 15, 2008 from 7 – 10 p.m. ET.

During the three-hour broadcast on QVC Studio Park (with live coverage from the Shoes on Sale®  benefit in New York City), QVC will offer more than 100,000 pairs of designer shoes at half the suggested retail price. Net proceeds from FFANY Shoes on Sale® and special QVC Shoe of the Day segments will benefit breast cancer research and education.

Sales from this years event should increase the cumulative total raised for breast cancer research to $30 million dollars (that’s a whole heap of shoes). So don’t miss this event. And should you need justification on the spending, just think, in a down economy it’s a great way to save money on something you’re going to buy anyway and you’re helping all of us who have been touched by the disease.

Help your sisters out, BUY SHOES!!

FFANY Shoes on Sale® eventOn QVC Wednesday, October 15th 7 pn -10pm ET

If you can wait for the sale, visit http://www.qvc.com/cgen/render.aspx?qp=class|4137&rewrite=no  and shop for their shoe of the day. It’s like sneaking into the sale early.

I’m no fan of Starbucks. The corporate monolith is over hyped, over priced, and unfortunately, over here (and by here, I mean wherever you are since they maintain shops in 47 countries). They’ve single handedly been responsible for pushing out smaller Mum and Pop coffee shops. And while they do advocate volunteerism and do contribute to charitable non-profit organizations, is that enough to balance the millions of liters of clean water Starbucks wastes world wide each day?

According to a report by UK tabloid The Sun, the coffee chain has a policy of running a tap, non-stop at all its 10,000 outlets worldwide, wasting 23.4 MILLION litres or clean water a day.
The Sun further equates that waste as being enough to provide water for the entire two million populace of drought-hit Namibia (Africa) or fill a pool (Olympic sized) every 83 minutes.

Every Starbucks branch has a cold tap behind the counter providing water for a sink called a “dipper well”, used for washing spoons and utensils. But workers in many branches, including those in countries like Romania who has suffered a drought, claim to not understand why it’s a rule when they don’t even use “dipper”. As one who turns off water when lathering my hands during washing and when brush my teeth, I was horrifiedn by the revelation and recommend to all of my readers a full boycott.

For those of you who are bereft of other options for a morning cup o’ joe, then at least take the time to compose a letter to the corporate offices/ore register a complaint about this sickening waste of global resources.