Tag: seafood
Eco-Vacations: When You Must Drive, Drive Efficiently
Eco-vacations are all the rage with trips to the rain forest or stays on organic farms increasing in popularity. Sometimes the only get away is a road trip to a nearby state or town. The most eco-friendly vacation is one spent at home, but not everyone can enjoy a “staycation” and most can’t afford those extravagant ”greencations”. So if you need to hit the road and enjoy some down town this summer, there are some tricks to help make your road trip more eco-sound.
When you must drive, here are some ways to drive efficiently.
Packed car
Drive Efficiently by Driving the Speed Limit
The posted speed limits aren’t just a suggestion, they’re the law. Furthermore, driving the speed limit is good for the earth. Driving above 70 miles per hour uses up to 25% more fuel. Lead foot got you down? Use the cruise control if your vehicle has this option or make it a point to check your speed more often. Saving bank at the pump more than makes this simple task worth while. Of course not paying a speeding tickets also sweetens the deal.
{car photo via bradleygee on Flickr}
Think About Aerodynamics
You can increase CO2 emissions up to 20% by adding more items to the outside of your car and by leaving the windows open at higher speeds. This aerodynamic drag is caused because air is no longer flowing fluently around the car. If you’re bringing bikes, you might want to consider rentals where you’re vacationing. Biking is becoming popular enough that many vacation hot spots offer inexpensive rentals.
Drop the Weight for More Efficiency
Think about the “family truckster” in the movie Vacation, that’s exactly what you should avoid. If you have belongings piled in the trunk and on top of the car than you definitely need to pare it down. You might start with each person’s gear. Make sure you bring the basics and the least amount of clothing. Most hotels have washers and rental until should as well. Toiletries are staples at hotels or you can buy bath essentials when you get to town. When possible, use multi-purpose toiletries. Try a two-in-one shampoo/conditioner and maybe try it as a body wash as well. Think cautiously about what goes in the vehicle. Do you really need it? Will it be used enough to call for its weight on the drive?
Keep on Moving
Stop and go traffic is pure death for eco-driving. Highway driving offers the least harmful effects on CO2 footprints so try to drive during off peak hours. If you’re cruising into Los Angeles at 5:00, be ready for disturbing amounts of stopping.If you can time your trip right though, you might be able to slide in before or after the traffic poses a problem. Also, don’t tailgate. Not only is this practice unsafe, it causes more braking. If you stay far enough behind you might be able to cruise a while longer before having to brake.
Airing up tires
Air Up Those Tires
Fuel Economy reports improvements in gas mileage of up to 3.3% with properly inflated tires. Also, start with tires in good condition. This not only increases safety, it helps promotes better gas mileage and lower CO2 emissions. It extends the life of the tire giving a little more relief to Mother Earth before she accepts another used tire.
{tire photo via Rosa Say on Flickr}
{Source: Fuel Economy}
So Are you headed out on a road trip this summer? What are your tips for easing up on carbon emissions and gas mileage?
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Eco-Vacations: When You Must Drive, Drive Efficiently
Mad Cow, E-Coli and Other Health Hazards Associated with Beef
The popularity of documentaries like Food, Inc. and Forks Over Knives have helped bring food safety to the forefront. For many viewers, the films forced them to research how to decrease their exposure to illnesses and long-term diseases. While diets consisting of meat are the most common in the U.S., outbreaks of illnesses, however small, are causing a pause in thought about what is truly healthy and safe.
Let’s take another look at Mad Cow Disease, E-Coli and other health hazards associated with beef and what changes can be made for increasing health, wellness and safety.
Cow in the pasture
What is Mad Cow Disease?
Bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE) is commonly known as Mad Cow Disease. It can cause variant Creutzfeld-Jacob Disease (vCJD) a fatal brain disease affecting humans. Mad Cow Disease spreads as a prion, not a virus, so disinfectants and antibiotics cannot kill it, although some antibiotics interfere with prion formation. These prions are not alive, they are actually proteins. The incubation period for BSE is problematic as it takes months to years before showing signs and once cattle exhibit symptoms they are terminal, dying within a few months. Sustainable Table offers a helpful fact sheet about the disease including how to keep your family safe.
{cow photo via freefotouk on Flickr}
E. coli
Escherichia coli, popularly known as E. coli, are a collection of bacteria. Not all E. coli make you sick, in fact, E. coli is common. There are strains, however, capable of causing serious symptoms including diarrhea, urinary tract infections, respiratory distress and pneumonia. The illness causing E. coli produce toxins and are known as Shiga toxin-producing E. coli (STEC). While these illnesses can affect anyone, the young and elderly are most susceptible. Eating infected and under cooked meat is just one method of exposure to E.coli, other ways include ingestion of feces from unwashed hands, drinking infected raw milk and even drinking water from infected lakes.
Cardiovascular Disease and Cancer
A study in the Archives of Internal Medicine reported, ” a daily increase of three ounces of red meat was associated with a 12 percent greater risk of dying over all, including a 16 percent greater risk of cardiovascular death and a 10 percent greater risk of cancer death.” The popular documentary, Forks Over Knives drives this information as the main reason for moving from an omnivore’s diet to that of whole and raw foods. A diet free of meat and dairy products can greatly decrease your chances of getting cancer and heart disease. The question remains, is that hamburger worth a handful of medications or worse, your life?
Vegan "beef" and vegetable dish
Making Healthy Changes
Perhaps you’re not yet ready to go meat and dairy free. It’s understandable, habits are hard to break. Going meat-free at least one night a week is a great way to start. From there you may increase the days you go meat-free. Jumping head first into a vegan lifestyle is quite a task, but moving slowly from carnivore to vegetarian to vegan is quite common. Still, there are those who simply go cold turkey and give up meat all together. Maybe they have a cabinet full of medications or maybe they’ve recently received a scary diagnosis. Whatever the reason, whole food and raw diets are becoming more common and continue to grow in popularity. For help in making changes Meatless Mondays is a great place for recipes and information on easing out of a carnivore’s diet. Of course you should also visit our post on beef replacement ideas.
{vegan meal photo via steve loya on Flickr}
{Source: Center for Disease Control}
Are you a meat-eater, vegetarian or vegan? If you eat meat, do these illnesses make you think about decrease your meat intake?
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Mad Cow, E-Coli and Other Health Hazards Associated with Beef
Green Diva Vegan Recipes – Cashews, Creamy Cheesy Yum
As some of you may know, I’m back to my vegan roots and have been kicking the cheese habit – again (15 days, but who’s counting?). Whether you are a vegan, vegan wannabe, vegetarian or are an omnivore and love delicious food, you might appreciate the power of the mighty cashew and it’s amazing versatility.
Did you know these yummy kidney-shaped nuts are actually the seeds of the cashew apple that grow on the cashew tree? The tree is indigenous to coastal Brazil, but of course made its way to Asia and Africa where they are now also cultivated – thanks to some 16th-century Portuguese explorers. While we don’t eat the cashew apple, it is considered a delicacy in Brazil and in some Caribbean island countries.
Cashews are potent little beasts, sometimes referred to as “nature’s vitamin pill.” They are lower in fat than most nuts, but of the monounsaturated fat, it contains oleic acid, which is the same heart-healthy fat found in olive oil. Cashews are touted to be very heart-healthy, high in antioxidants, good for weight loss, and can help reduce risk of diabetes. Wow. These things are also supposed to help reduce risk of gallstones and according to OrganicCashewNuts.com, the “chemicals in cashew nuts kill gram positive bacteria, a pervasive mouth affliction that causes tooth decay, acne, tuberculosis and leprosy.” Wow x 2! There’s even more information about the health benefits this website about healthy foods.
Now, I’ve been in love with cashews before ever seeing all this interesting information. One reason is that when I was doing a raw food, vegan type thing back in the 80s, I learned how to make cashew yogurt from my friend Steve Meyerowitz (aka Sproutman). I forgot that we used to make nut cheeses too. So, last week I made a fairly decent nut cheese that was close to what we used to make. The thing I remember from back then, was that you could get pretty creative with flavorings.
So, I decided to focus on cashews last week in the Green Divas Test Kitchen.
Cashew Yogurt – Healthy Creamy Vegan Goodness
This stuff is divine. Can be used in place of yogurt, cream or sour cream with great results in many recipes. My daughter eats it plain and LOVES it. There are a variety of recipes, but this is how I was taught by Sproutman, and it worked, so I’ve stuck with it all these years.
Ingredients
1/4 c. organic millet
2 c. filtered water
1 c. raw organic unsalted cashews (pieces are fine)
Soak the millet in the water (preferably in a glass container w/ a loose lid or cloth covering) for about 8 hours (or until kind of foamy at the top) – should be done in the most humid-place possible (if it isn’t a hot humid day out, I put mine near the washer & dryer). This makes rejuvelac, a grain-based healthy liquid loaded with all kinds of beneficial bacteria and enzymes. Rejuvelac can be made from a variety of grains, but I found I liked millet. To test your rejuvelac, according to Anne Wigmores Hippocrates Health Drink recipe, ‘rejuvelac should have a pleasant yeasty smell with a lemon-like flavor’.
Once you’ve achieved rejuvelac, place the cashews in a good blender and fill water to just cover the cashews. blend to a nice smooth, even consistency. Sometimes you have to add either rejuvelac or cashews to get it right. Put early stage cashew yogurt in another glass container with a loose covering – again, humid placement is good. Let stand for at least another 8 hours. It should be a little bubbly when it is done. Put it in the refrigerator – NOTE: I reserve a little for a couple of tablespoons to use as starter for the next batch.
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Green Diva Vegan Recipes – Cashews, Creamy Cheesy Yum
Last Minute Mother’s Day Gifts for Eco-Moms
Mother’s Day is a few days away, unless you’re in Mexico than you really blew it. If you waited until now for mom’s gift, don’t despair, we got you covered. We also think Mother’s Day is a perfect holiday for honoring Mother Earth and that special woman in your life.
Here are some last-minute Mother’s Day gifts for Eco-moms or lovely women looking to go green.
Clever Mother's Day cupcakes
Last Minute Gifts
Regurgitate Valentine’s gift ideas. Hey, we did a great job offering superb last-minute sweetheart gifts and most are perfect for mom so go check out the list.
Shop Indie for sustainable jewelry and wearable gifts. If you have a local Farmer’s Market, many take place on Saturdays, take a look at the amazing handmade products for sale by local artisans. Local Harvest offers a helpful tool for finding local markets.
Take a cue from Food Inc. and by from local ranchers. The Meat Shop in Phoenix, Arizona has a special Mother’s day package that includes breakfast meats from local farmers, a $10 gift card and a floral reusable tote for $35. This is a great way to help mom start shopping local. Not in Phoenix? No worries, most cities have a local butcher selling local, grass-fed meat. Again, Local Harvest will help find them.
Buy Used Books. But don’t head online to Amazon or some other big wig store, visit your local indie bookstore selling used books. Instead of buying a just one or two you’ll be able to buy a stack. Many of these shops also carry work from local artisans as well.
Wrap it Eco-Friendly. Once you find the perfect gift you’ll want to make it look amazing. Visit our tips on green wrapping ideas.
Feed Your Mama. Guess what? All those tasty gift ideas we talked about for Christmas are also perfect for Mother’s Day. Instead of Christmas tree cookies make flowers or something representing your special mom.
Give Her Memory-Making gifts. Speak to mom’s heart and buy non-materialistic gifts that matter and bring delightful memories for years to come.
{Cupcake photo via clevercupcakes on Flickr}
What are you buying that special woman in your life? Have any other green ideas to share? Leave them in the comments.
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Last Minute Mother’s Day Gifts for Eco-Moms
Solar Power Infographic
We recently discussed the possibility of solar power in colder climates, but what about sunny states? Which states rank highest for solar power and who is adding solar power to their home energy plan?
The following infographic offers clear and insightful data answering these questions.
Solar Infographic from Solar Sphere
{Info-graphic Courtesy
Do you live in one of the ranked solar states? Do you use solar power? If not, do you have neighbors who do?
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Solar Power Infographic
Sucralose: What is It and Alternatives for This Chlorinated Sugar
Think sucralose is a good sugar alternative? It depends on your definition of healthy. Green Living Ideas often focuses on healthy living including eating whole food diets. The more an ingredient transforms, especially in a lab, the less likely it is included in healthy food listings. Sucralose is the for the popular product, Splenda, and it is basically chlorinated sugar. While even doctors promote it as a healthy sugar substitute due to its lack of calories, there’s a few things you should know about sucralose.
Here are a few reasons you might want to re-think products with sucralose and some alternatives.
Splenda, the most well known from of sucralose
Is Sucralose Natural?
As with most money-making products, corporations have all the correct patents in place and legal authority to claim their item is safety. However, many of our readers who follow the results of big businesses like Monsanto know that money buys much, including government agencies. So if you question the validity of the Food and Drug Administration(FDA) than read on. Sucralose is a product showing up in many products, not just diet aids. It is 300 times sweeter than sugar so it takes less to sweeten an item making it inexpensive. It has a green light as a safe product and will continue to grow in use.
The most basic idea to focus concern is sucralose is sugar modified at a molecular level. One of the easiest ways to consider if a food is natural is if it can be recreated in your kitchen. For example, bread is not found in nature. There are no sourdough loaves growing on trees although that would be quite wonderful. You can take the necessary ingredients and make bread at home though. Can you make sucralose? Perhaps, if you are a scientist capable of adding the right amount of chlorine, changing the molecular structure of sugar.
{Splenda photo via Bukowsky18 on Flickr}
Is Sucralose Harmful?
This depends on who you trust. The FDA used studies on rats to decide minimal safety of sucralose but refused studies on rats which reported harmful effects on the body. Rats metabolize sucralose much like humans. These later studies by independent entities found sucralose decreases beneficial intestinal bacteria. Since it starts out as sugar it has similar draw backs. So, much like the corn industry claiming corn syrup is as safe as sugar, sucralose being hailed as safe as sugar isn’t truly a compliment. It’s a red flag.
Bananas makes for a great sweetener
Are There Sucralose Substitutes?
Yes, just as sugar has alternatives, so does sucralose.First, try decide if you need a sweetener. If you are eating fruit than you are getting sugar. Try your coffee and tea without sugar. It’s amazing how many more hints and bouquets of flavor you’ll notice. It’s also important to enjoy foods in moderation, this includes any sweeteners. If you feel you really need the sweet factor than here’s a few simple alternatives.
Banana – One of the best sweeteners especially in baking since it adds rich flavor and sweetness. Use a banana and you’ll need less or maybe no other sweeteners. It also adds more nutrients and is great for your skin.
Stevia- This herb is sweeter than sugar and has taken the lead against artificial sweeteners in Japan. It’s becoming more readily available in most grocery stores.
Honey- Honey has its own benefits and does well as a sweetener. It’s sweeter than sugar so you’ll need less. Try to buy from a local beekeeper.
Agave Nectar – Similar in sweetness to honey but a tad lighter. The sweetener mixes well in both hot and cold beverages.
Maple Syrup – Check your pancake syrup and it’s doubtful you’ll find maple syrup in the ingredients. Look for pure maple syrup when purchasing.
Blackstrap Molasses – This is my personal favorite. This bittersweet product gives gingerbread its characteristic flavor. It’s also a good source for iron, potassium and magnesium.
{banana photo via Fernando Stankuns on Flickr}
{Source: Women to Women}
What sweeteners do you prefer? What other sweeteners do you use?
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Sucralose: What is It and Alternatives for This Chlorinated Sugar
