Reducing Your Impact: Grocery Shopping

Facing the impact our daily choices have on the health of our environment is hard at first because it means acknowledging our habits need to change. Changing from routine grocery stores that happen to be most convenient, and cheap one stop shops, 'just down the street,' isn't going to suit everyone's lifestyle. That single daunting fact, can be what hinders you or your loved ones from making more Eco-friendly choices. The truth is, our large conglomerate grocery stores are polluting our bodies, the environment and your local economy. By changing your grocery store habits, if it makes sense for your lifestyle and desires to be more healthy, you will also reduce your families impact on our atmosphere, landfills, emissions and contribution to chemical contaminates in general. 

Stanford University Alumni page has a wonderful article titled  "The Impact of Your Grocery Store Choices: Nitty-Gritty," in which the author, Heather Benz, gives an overview of the types of affects the grocery market has on our environment. Exert below:

"A casual stroll down a grocery store aisle shows that it’s not easy to determine the environmental impacts of any given food item. The food industry is a major player in such environmental issues as deforestation, land-use change, water wastage and excess fertilizer run-off. And that’s to say nothing of the greenhouse gas emissions associated with of agriculture, shipping, and food processing and storage. Carbon emissions are a good proxy for many of these environmental issues, so let’s focus specifically on the climate impact of food here.

Switching from the average American diet to one of all-local ingredients is equivalent to driving 1,000 fewer miles annually. Eliminating red meat can lead to even greater carbon savings: 750 miles if you simply switch to chicken one day per week, and 1,000 miles if you switch from red meat to a vegetarian meal just once a week."

Benz reveals a few key approaches to reducing your impact while grocery shopping. Shop local farmers markets for more fresh options, avoid processed foods which are harmful to your body and emit more carbon into the atmosphere being made and eat less red meat, are a few of her highlights. 

Environmental Science and Technology published a study titled "Food Miles and the Relative Climate Impacts of Food Choices in the United States," in which the impact of switching to  less red meat is illustrated much greater as seen in the exert below.  

"Shifting totally away from red meat and dairy

toward chicken/fish/eggs or a vegetable-based diet reduces

GHG emissions equivalent to 5340 mi/yr (8590 km/yr) or

8100 mi/yr (13 000 km/yr), respectively."

The Ethicurean reports even further on the benefits of eating local sourced food at farmers markets in the article titled, "Fighting climate change: Food miles vs. food choices."  This article focuses on how the actual pollution from transportation of food in vehicles is much less than the actual processes in which the food is made. Primary benefits of eating local food in this article surround eating better options that are not processed rather than saving the environment.

Whichever source you research on the matter you will find that grocery store shopping impacts the environment and your health. Processed food options available at your local Safeway, QFC, Albertsons, Costco, etc. are harmful and adding plant based & whole foods to your diet from local farmer's markets and butchers will improve the environment and reduce your exposure risk to harmful chemical processes. 

Beautiful Skin & Hair is WHY YOU NEED a bathroom pantry too!

My beauty routine over the past two years has gone from Clinique to Tarte, Benefit, Origins & Aveda to Derma E and other organic brands to now... mostly all DIY or essential oil. Of course I tried several products in between this list, some mainstream Organic Moroccan Oil brands and the like.

Each one still had a slew of ingredients I am not confident in; after a lifetime of applying moisturizers and tonics to my face including tons of acids, harmful compounds and potential carcinogens (as seen in the list at the bottom of this post,) without any lasting results, I feel it's time to remove all risks and set a good example for my children. My own path of awareness started with the desire to remove animal ingredients, then moved to focus on removing harmful chemicals, which is near impossible when shopping at most drugstores and makes it very hard for someone like me, on a mission to be more healthy yet facing daily skin nightmares! 

I have struggled with break outs my whole life. If I ate dairy, milk chocolate, had my period, didn't change my pillow case after 3 nights, slept with my hand of my check, didn't rinse off within 30 minutes of working out, etc. I would be plagued with a break out zone! The routine below has given me so much relief, with a little more effort on my part to save my wallet, environment and skin, it has been worth it and worth sharing!

Just in the past three months have I discovered a process that works for me and makes the environment better too. 
**This exact routine will not work for everyone. If you explore the links and sources of this article you will find a natural routine to replace products you purchase.

My bathroom pantry includes: Apple Cinder Vinegar (with the 'mother,') Expeller Pressed Coconut Oil, Argan Oil, Grapeseed Oil, Lavender Oil, Honey, Sea Salt, Raw Sugar & Baking Soda. 
*All ORGANIC
*If you are allergic to nuts, replace Argan & Coconut oil with Lavender oil and avoid tea tree oils.
**You should also grow your own Aloe Vera plant for skin use and cooking!

Some other oils that may benefit your skin and first aid kit can be found here at Experience Essential Oils.

I keep small glass jars and pumps from products I used and discontinued use of. This saves me money and reuses packaging. I already purchase these ingredients for the kitchen and barely notice the cost effect, however, I noticed the savings in decreasing product use! 

DAILY ROUTINE FOR SKIN: I wash with coconut oil and sea salt or sugar. I keep a jar and spoon in the shower, I bring a little cup of sugar or salt and add it to a tablespoon of coconut oil in my palm. I then use this like any other scrub on my face, neck, shoulders and back. I add more or less sugar and salt to adjust how much exfoliation I need that day, sometimes I skip this. My pores come so clean after this.
*Washing with oil takes adjusting to after using soap, however it was worth it, I have never had my pores so small and come so clean. Seriously, if my face feels kind of grimy after sleep or a day in the garden, its instantly clear after oil cleansing. Plus any makeup that I might have worn comes off instantly with no need to use removers.

I use Apple Cider Vinegar as toner. Dilute one part vinegar to two parts filtered water and store in a small glass container for daily use with cotton or paper towel. Sometimes I make slightly larger batches and put in a (still smallish) spray bottle. Once-three times a week I do not dilute the vinegar and pat my skin with cool water-this gives me a super fresh looking complexion. Keep vinegar away from the eye area.
*I thought the smell was going to bother me and my family, but it was easy to get used to personally and my son thinks I smell like tea right after my complete routine below.

I finish with Lavender oil and Argan oil as moisturizer. 
Use this helpful article on how to cure acne and skin issues holistically for more ideas if you don't think this routine is for you!

FOR HAIR: I use a DIY Honey Shampoo I found on 'Empowered Sustenence' a very useful site for holistic skin care. Use the link above for all the details on Honey Shampoo. Exert below is tailored to my routine from her article. Honey is PH BALANCED around 4.

"Ingredients : Raw honey (also called "unpasteurized" honey), Filtered water and a few drops of essential oils, such as carrot seed oil- optional

Instructions: Make the shampoo "single serving" basis to prevent spoilage. Here's the basic ratio, but you can adjust it as desired: 1 Tbs. raw honey and 3 Tbs. filtered water. If necessary, slightly heat the mixture over very low heat to help dissolve the honey. Yes, this is really watery... that is how it is supposed to be. If desired, add a few drops of essential oil. I like adding two drops of lavender essential oils and two drops of carrot seed oil. The essential oils add a light fragrance and also help with any flaky scalp issues. 

Wet hair, then massage a few tablespoons of the honey shampoo on the scalp. Massage well to distribute over the scalp. Don't worry about getting the mixture on the ends of the hair, just the scalp area. Rinse well. No need to follow with any conditioner."

After washing: With hair still wet I mix argan oil, coconut oil, and grapeseed oil in small amounts the bottom 1/4 of my hair (approx. 25"long) and brush thoroughly. I end brushing by spending 100-200 strokes over my scalp. This distributes the oil nicely throughout my hair and does not leave any oil stuck strands. 
*Start with very small amounts and add more, you don't want to add too much of these oils. All three of these oils are thick so it wont take much. 

DO NOT: Wash your hair with vinegar and baking soda. The PH balance of Baking Soda is 9 and thus is highly Alkaline and stripping. Some health experts claim this method is better and more natural than shampoo but most reviews of the baking soda rinse method, as seen here on MindBodyGreen, are results lead to drying and brittling of hair. I live in the Pacific Northwest and have a cold climate with high humidity-the perfect environment for a constant static nightmare, I wont even try this method because I KNOW PH BALANCE IS VITAL TO HAIR & SKIN CARE.

Use this helpful HOW TO PH BALANCE YOUR HAIR article if you don't think this routine is for you!

Ingredients to look for and AVOID in your current products:
Mercury Compounds
Lead Compounds
Triclosan
Formaldehyde - nail products
1,4 Dioxane- PEG, polyethylene, polyethylene glycol, polyoxyethylene, polyethoxyethylene, and polyoxynolethylene.
Coal Tar- Dark hair dyes
Diethanolamine (DEA)
Dibutylphthalate (DBP), dimethylphthalate (DMP), and diethylphthalate (DEP) are known as phthalates which is a common cosmetic additive in hairspray, nail polish, soap, shampoo, and perfume.
Parabens
Fragrances
Sodium Lauryl Sulfate

Sources:http://www.healthline.com/health-slideshow/dangerous-ingredients-in-cosmetics#9
http://www.experience-essential-oils.com/natural-wound-healing.html
http://www.futurederm.com/2012/06/20/3-reasons-why-baking-soda-and-apple-cider-vinegar-destroy-your-hair-and-what-to-use-instead/
http://empoweredsustenance.com/no-poo-method-damages-hair/
http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2010/07/13/sodium-lauryl-sulfate.aspx

Trying to make a difference?

Most of us who believe in healthy living and limit our exposure to harmful, chemical filled, food-like products want the rest of our families and loved ones to make the same choices. Sometimes we are able to initiate change and awareness, while other times our caring falls upon deaf ears. Do not get discouraged from making a difference if your circle of loved ones is not open to listening and learning; sometimes reaching out through the masses and participating in petitions or campaigns will reach those around you.

I have an account with Change.org linked to an email address I only use for petitions and such. This way I don't overload my work and personal email with my petition updates since Change.org will keep you involved and updated on any of the petitions you're passionate about. There are tons of ways for society to show support for a more healthy and Eco-friendly lifestyle, Change.org is just one of the many ways the Erthi.com community can show active support for our goals.

Check out our helpful category listings of the many petitions you can support below!

Healthy Foods
Here is a list of petitions surrounding sustainable foods
Here is a list of petitions surrounding the Organic market 
Here is a list of petitions surrounding Non-GMO foods

Renewable Energy
Here is a list of petitions to stop nuclear energy
Here is a list of several petitions supporting solar energy
Here are several petitions surrounding renewable energy

Petitions against Monstanto here

Environmental petitions here

Animal Rights/Cruelty Free
Here is a list of petitions surrounding cruelty free products
Here is a list of petitions surrounding animal testing
Here is a list of petitions surrounding animal ingredients

Myth: Plants Lack Complete Proteins Essential to Nutrition

Most of us have heard the fact stated, "Plant proteins are incomplete and not as nutritional for you as meat protein because they don't have all the amino acids essential to our bodies." This is apart of the "'un-science' of common sense" theme of Dr. Sears we love and practice so much, learn more here.

Even Wikipedia has caught onto the myth and is attempting to correct this common misconception about plant based diets and nutrition. Debunking this myth and encouraging our friends and family to turn to vegetable protein is the best thing we can do during mealtime. At Erthi.com we don't practice a dictation of lifestyle, we encourage everyone, conventional diets and vegans alike, to eat more organic vegetables.

If you believe in eating plant based diets and meals, as well as sharing this article, you can spread the ideas and practice through bringing plant based dishes to potlucks and sharing recipes online. Erthi.com posts them frequently! However, this doesn't mean we have to constantly point out the negative aspects of others diet choices, usually the best approach to initiating change is through positive influence.

To summarize the evidence debunking this myth: After William Rose completed research in 1952 that determined the human requirements for nutrition includes 8 essential amino acids, plant protein was labeled incomplete by a works of an author, Frances Moore Lappe, in 1971 titled "Diet for a Small Planet." In this works Lappe states that combinations of plant based foods need to be made to ensure the proper amino acid intake is completed daily in our diets. She later discovered the error of her statement in her book "Diet for a Small Planet" and published a revised edition in 1981 stating the following:

“In 1971 I stressed protein complementarity because I assumed that the only way to get enough protein ... was to create a protein as usable by the body as animal protein. In combating the myth that meat is the only way to get high-quality protein, I reinforced another myth. I gave the impression that in order to get enough protein without meat, considerable care was needed in choosing foods. Actually, it is much easier than I thought.

"With three important exceptions, there is little danger of protein deficiency in a plant food diet. The exceptions are diets very heavily dependent on [1] fruit or on [2] some tubers, such as sweet potatoes or cassava, or on [3] junk food (refined flours, sugars, and fat). Fortunately, relatively few people in the world try to survive on diets in which these foods are virtually the sole source of calories. In all other diets, if people are getting enough calories, they are virtually certain of getting enough protein.”

Today several health professionals and institutions still teach the incomplete amino acid myth in plant based diets. The truth is, anyone eating enough calories in the day as well as eating whole plant foods and not processed foods is getting enough protein. No need to worry!

Sources
http://circ.ahajournals.org/content/105/25/e197.full 
http://www.forksoverknives.com/the-myth-of-complementary-protein/
http://www.cbsnews.com/pictures/15-deadliest-food-myths/8/

Six Recommended Habit Changes For the Average Consumer

Drink enough water. 

Enough= least recommended for your body type, you can drink more.

If you find it hard to get enough water in, find a vessel for your water that is convenient and motivating to drink from. It might sound silly, but sometimes that stainless steel or glass tumbler will make you drink twice as much water as a regular glass! Especially the ones with straws! This is also a good tactic for motivating kids to drink water.

Drinking enough water will help your digestion, mood, energy, skin, and dark circles, just to name a few of the immediate results you will notice. The goal with drinking enough water is to not only benefit from immediate results but to help you add the good and not need soda, juice and synthetic hydration. If you drink enough water your body wont crave fluids, however, some drinks like diet sodas can make you have ‘withdrawals’ and cravings. If you are ‘addicted’ to diet soda please learn more about the dangers of aspartame containing drinks and food like diet soda at the links below.

Cancer.org warns about unreliable data on use of Aspartame; message, there isn't enough data to prove its safe so just avoid Aspartame to be safe.

Dangersof Aspartame & History of, including some FDA processing

FAAPilot speaks out about Aspartame on Yahoo

Click here for water intake guidance.

Start adding plant based only dishes to your meal plans. Including seeds, grains and nuts.

Adding vegetarian dishes will help improve your diet habits over time. This does NOT mean you have to abandon your meat habits or label yourself a vegetarian. Many vegetarian resources and websites are very health minded and helpful with recipes.

Vegetables are a very lean and nutritional; you can get Omega’s, protein, fiber, iron, magnesium as well as several vitamins vital to solving health issues by eating more veggies. If you feel sluggish every morning, find it hard to drop the kids off at the pool or crash throughout the day switching to a more veggie heavy diet will help because a lot of  plant based ingredients like beans, nuts and seeds can be very high in Omegas, fiber, magnesium, iron and protein.

One sign of how healthy vegetables are for you can be found in your pans. Compare a taco dinner night with ground beef to a taco dinner night with marinated jackfruit; the beef pan will be filled with grease/fat and it won’t rinse clean, (you won’t even want to rise that grease down your drain right?) (Provided it’s not burnt) You will be able to rinse the vegetable preparing pan clean with no scrubbing and no grease to deal with. Why is that significant? Because the residue left on the pans is exactly what is being processed by your body and like the faucet and kitchen plumbing, your body & intestines will have a hard time flushing those beef tacos clean.

Flax Seed has the highest content of Omega 3’s. Other beneficial seeds, grains and nuts include hempseed, sesame seed, almonds, amaranth, quinoa, and chia. Nutrition information can be found at each of those links.

For those looking for Omega intake, check this graph for the highest containing Omega 3 foods (spoiler: Flax is #1.) This article will provide you with many angles to explore on vegetable based meals. Turn to edamame, lentils, beans and leafy greens for lean protein.

Follow our page for future recommended recipe sites and resources if you don’t have any favorites already, or add your favorites in our comment section!

Find your local farmers markets and begin all of your grocery shopping at them!

Especially for more of those plant based only meals. What you don’t find at the farmers market you can venture to the store for. Shopping at farmers markets will not only allow you to meet your farmer and ensure you agree with their farming practices but you will also be making a change to support our environment. Local organic farmers use natural derived pest control practices, don’t use GM seeds, don’t deforest, don’t destroy soil quality and don’t pump pollution into the atmosphere to move their crops from the farm to several hundred retail distributors.

This tool is helpful for Android users.

Stop eating at fast food chains. 

Fast food meals contain the most additives and preservatives to help keep the already low quality, high processed food items from going bad. The cheaper it is to make and the longer it lasts, the cheaper the menu item. Steer clear of any drive-thru and dollar menu establishments.  

  

Avoid harmful additives by reading ingredients lists. 

Ingredients listed as artificial flavors, natural flavors, hydrogenated oil, and differing forms of benzoate are a few to always avoid. Food additives have been linked to several health concerns so starting to become aware of these ingredients and their possible side effects will help you on your path to staying healthy. Processed foods have the highest contents of additives and preservatives. If your diet is mainly deli meats, chips, convenient pre-cooked & packaged food than you are exposing yourself to a lot of chemical additives. Also check foods labeled 'Organic' or 'All Natural,' if they aren't labeled 'Certified Organic' they may only contain some organic ingredients or are not a  certified organic establishment. As well as the possibility that they also contain 'natural flavors,' which "MSG, Aspartame and bugs in your food are all considered "natural flavors" and "natural colors," as stated in this article.

Here is a 20 item list to memorize and avoid.

Here is another less detailed introduction article on food additives

Limit your contact with plastics and Teflon by switching to cast iron, glass and stainless cookware.

We don't intend for you to avoid plastic altogether. Understandably, you will come across utensils, piping (PVC plumbing, fridge water system, Keurig systems,) water bottles, cups and all the like made from plastic. Our water undoubtedly travels through plastic before it ends up in our system.  The truth of this matter is you will be overwhelmed with articles surrounding BPA, plastics and Teflon if you do a Google or Bing search of ‘leaching cookware.’  How ‘safe’ plastics are because our contact with them is too small to cause an issue is a common theme of the website still promoting these items. Which raises that “‘un-science’ of common sense” theme found in Dr. Sears approach. Why not just avoid plastic and Teflon when possible to remove any risk? 

Read the Environmental Working Group article on what to use instead and why. If you want to learn more about cast iron, this article is specifically on cast iron cookware, which we highly recommend. By limiting your contact to things outside of your control, like the plumbing and passing of the water though fridge piping, you are limiting your risk of using a plastic material that could end up being the next BPA warning.

Let us know what you think of these seven habit changes. Are they relevant to your needs and concerns?

"The 'un-science' of common sense"- Dr. Sears Quote

Dr. Sears was a research staple for me during my second pregnancy. I had my first child ten years prior and had spent hours researching then as well. Only I didn't have the Dr. Sears website to help me realize a lot of instruction on how to parent is apart of "the 'un-science' of common sense" quote and theme of his practice. If you spend 5 minutes scrolling content on his site you will see why I love his approach to parenting and science in general. However, I do not endorse his sponsorship of brands and lack of organic based living information for parents. Even though he is on the right track with this article on organic food.

His 'un-science of common sense' theme can be summarized as such; when something like sleeping with a baby is shamed by an organization because suffocation can happen  it doesn't meet the common sense standard to mothers; why would sleeping with my baby, whom has been inside my body since conception having constant body to body contact, be harmful for them? Dr. Sears answers, its not, its only a message backed by bad science. Over some 10 years of study approximately 600-800 children passed away from co-sleeping with parents, who were not putting the child in a safe sleep environment (i.e. alcohol, drug, prescription drug and hazardous placement of infant in the bed,) so the organization went overboard with messaging to parents to not sleep with their babies and today several pediatricians and studies have shown the benefits of co-sleeping. Like this article on the reduction in SIDS deaths, which death rate grossly outnumbers the off chance you might be the type to accidentally suffocate your child.

What does this philosophy have to do with Erthi and our community? A lot of areas in science don't seem to meet the standards of common sense. For example, how can a genetically modified organism (synthetic ingredients) inserted into my food not have some sort of affect? Or if the laws of physics are true and all energy is only transformed into another form and never gone than how is it possible for nuclear plants to report that they have reduced the SIZE of the nuclear waste they are emitting? Wouldn't this mean that the size of the waste may appear smaller but that the energy has been emitted in other forms along in the process? According to nuclear press websites like Things Worse Than Nuclear Power  nuclear energy is always controlled, recycled and used without ANY negative impacts outweighing the benefits. However, when you go to the Fukushima Update page you will find a "$105 Billion dollar clean up" and all the horrific headlines of impacts across the globe. This raises that 'un-science of common sense flag.'

A lot of food additives, manufacturing processes, agriculture practices, genetic engineering, chemical treatments and the like are all relatively new sciences and practices, starting within the past 30 years. These processes and treatments of waste, food, and materials have not been properly vetted and studied over time before being rushed into mainstream production and diets. We often find out several years later that something is polluting our environment  and our bodies. What issues or scientific findings do you think are apart of the 'un-science of common sense' theme?

Have any recycling questions? Here is a great resource!

https://www.recyclebank.com/

Benefits include:

1) Punching in your zip code for relevant recycling resources and tools.

2) Earn points by exploring green actions and completing them, the points can be applied towards products and services sponsored on the site.

3) Comprehensive 'Ecopedia' topics like Biodegradable, Composting, Metal & Glass, as well as e-recycling.

4) Getting involved in an online recycling community provides tons of resources and tools to improve your lifestyle habits and initiate change.