Whole Foods has Come to Katy!

Good morning! Katy, Texas has a new WHOLE FOODS!  To say that I am excited about the store opening would be an understatement.   I toured it this morning and had an amazing Tofu Scramble Taco for breakfast.  The food in the hot bar is clearly marked as "Vegan" or "Vegetarian." No more guessing! 

My favorite part of the store is the veggie burger frozen food selection.  There are many brands of veggie burgers, but only a few are vegan.  I counted over 5 vegan burgers this morning!

Also, Whole Foods uses The Global Animal Partnership 5-Step Animal Welfare Rating System.  Meats are marked with a numbered "step."  Each set of tiered standards—from Step 1 to Step 5+—has its own requirements:  Step 1 prohibits cages and crates. Step 2 requires environmental enrichment for indoor production systems; Step 3 requires outdoor access; Step 4 requires pasture-based production; Step 5 is an animal-centered approach with all physical alterations prohibited; and, finally, Step 5+, the entire life of the animal spent on an integrated farm. This takes the guess work out of what you are buying.

There are certain food ingredients that Whole Foods will not sell: http://www.wholefoodsmarket.com/about-our-products/quality-standards/unacceptable-ingredients-food.  And, the flower market is amazing! Their flowers come with a the Whole Trade® Guarantee seal.  This means that these flowers meet Whole Food's quality standards and more money is paid to producers who then provide better wages and working conditions for workers.

I'm going shopping tonight for groceries and will update here as I try different items!

Thanks! Holli

In Consideration of Convenience

I travel often for work and try to think about my choices while on the road:  I rent small economy cars for better gas mileage, less emissions. I ask questions about the food at restaurants.  I am not drinking bottled water in my hotel room (even though those inviting bottles are everywhere I go!).  If I'm staying for multiple nights, I ask housekeeping not to change my towels or sheets.  I decline the newspaper because I can read it online.

Last night, I landed at Chicago O'Hare around 7 pm.  I'm staying at a hotel near the airport, so I decided to take the free airport/hotel shuttle - it seemed rude to ask a taxi driver to take me the 2 miles to my hotel (the driver would lose his place in line to only earn a small fare).  After waiting about 20 minutes in the Chicago cold, the shuttle arrived, and 15 happy (very cold) people piled in.  We tipped the driver a few dollars for the courtesy and checked in.  By taking the shuttle, we saved 15 individual cars trips to the exact same place. 

I know my friends in the northeast and northwest (where communal transportation is typical) will condemn me for this -  when traveling for business, I never take the shuttle.  It's just not convenient.  I could have been at the hotel 20 minutes earlier and checked in without a wait.  The ride caused me to think about how convenience influences the decisions we make.  David would say it's really laziness; he's probably right.

The objective behind my New Year's resolutions was to improve myself, my family, and my world.  Convenience is often an enemy to those goals - the easy, simple solution/answer/action is not often the one that comports to our values. 

The Shelton Group conducted a survey in 2009, where they polled polled 1,006 consumers across the country.  The results weren't really surprising. Although 60 percent of Americans reported that they were looking for greener products, those same folks said that given a choice between their comfort, convenience or the environment, 38 percent of respondents said they’d choose their convenience, 35 percent said they’d choose comfort and 26 percent said they’d choose the environment.

I don't want to be a person who is motivated by laziness or convenience, so I will continue to think about my choices - and focus on whether selfish convenience is influencing those decisions.  I would encourage each of you to do the same!



   

"The End of the Line: Imagine a World without Fish"

I LOVE documentaries - sadly, there isn't enough time to view them all.  This one deserves a watch. 

Premiering at the Sundance Film Festival in 2009, this English documentary chronicles overfishing of seafood across the world, and has been credited with changes in many popular restaurants. Some critics have complained that the documentary is too dramatic, but most conservation groups agree with the premise - by 2040, much of the world's seafood supply will be too devastated to catch, farm, and eat.  The film is about 80 minutes.

Here is a link to Xfinity/Hulu where you can watch the movie for free, with limited commercial interruptions:
http://xfinitytv.comcast.net/movies/The-End-of-the-Line/149566/full-movie#episode=Movie-149566


Here is the website that discusses the film and conservation efforts related to sustainable seafood:  http://endoftheline.com/

Here is a link to view the documentary on Amazon ($2.99 for a 7-day rental): http://www.amazon.com/The-End-of-the-Line/dp/B003F8OQUY/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1326323075&sr=8-2

Time Magazine added to the conversation in July of 2011: http://www.time.com/time/health/article/0,8599,2081796-1,00.html

Here is a link to purchase the book, written by Charles Clover, on Amazon  - they don't have a kindle version yet- http://www.amazon.com/End-Line-Overfishing-Changing-World/dp/0520255054/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1326323075&sr=8-1



Best watched with a veggie burger and glass of organic wine!

Idea to Ponder - Organic Mattresses

Close to New Year's Eve, my friend Todd asked me if I had thought about purchasing an organic or green mattress to replace my aging conventional mattress.  I hadn't really thought about the issue, and it sparked my interest.

We spend up to 1/3 of our life on our mattresses, and there are up to 61 chemicals in your average memory foam.  Chronic allergies, migraines, and fatigue are linked to many of the chemicals used in mattresses - not to mention more serious diseases.  I looked on the Internet for the mattress industry's position on the lifetime dose of chemicals, if any, transferred from the mattress to our bodies, but could not find such information. 

As a person concerned about the overall and cumulative exposure of chemicals into our environment and our bodies, and the continued use of non-renewable petrochemicals, an organic mattress makes sense.  The price of an organic mattress is only slightly higher than an expensive, upper-end conventional mattresses.    To decrease the use of these chemicals can only be beneficial to our bodies, food supply, and environment. Other than price, I cannot think of reason NOT to buy an organic mattress.

It was estimated that over 10 million mattresses were deposited in US landfills last year.  Your conventional mattress takes up 23 cubic feet in the landfill and will not likely biodegrade quickly because of the petroleum products and metal components.  There are few US recycling centers for old mattresses, and only a small portion of mattresses are able to be recycled or components reused. If you are disposing of a mattress, I encourage you to look for a recycling center.  I found one quickly in Houston that will recycle and pick up my old mattress for $55 : http://www.mattresspickup.com/
 

On the other hand, the organic mattress is biodegradable and more easily reused and recycled.

I might have to work hard to convince David (a former mattress salesman) to purchase an organic mattress, but I find the arguments for it very persuasive.   Here is a summary of what I have learned (this analysis would extend to pillows and linens as well):

• Organic Mattresses:
• An organic mattress typically contains organic cotton or wool - grown without the use of pesticides and other processing chemicals.  Mattress cores are typically made with steel springs or layers of natural rubber latex, and pillowtops with pure wool or natural rubber latex.  They should be made with renewable resources that support sustainable agriculture.
• Wool is often used to encase the natural rubber latex because it has the ability to absorb large amounts of natural body moisture and then release it easily through evaporation.  Synthetic fillings and coverings do not absorb moisture or dissipate body heat, often causing sleepers to wake perspiring and uncomfortable. Wool can also spring back to its original size and shape, and it discourages dust mites.
• It appears to be an open debate if wool is a natural fire retardant.  The wool organic mattress companies claim that it is because of its high moisture content and flame-reducing protein called keratin.
• Natural latex mattresses with organic wool coverings can help prevent BUG infestations. Organic wool with its natural lanolin repels moisture, dust mites, and bed bugs. And dust mites simply don’t thrive in natural latex like they do in a standard mattress.
• Organic mattresses are biodegradable.
• The organic mattress should last 20-25 years!
• Conventional Mattresses:
• The most common materials used are man-made - usually derived from petrochemicals - all nonrenewable resources.  The list of ingredients can include polyester, polyurethane and memory foams, synthetic latex, Styrofoam, nylon, and other chemical derivatives.
• Conventional mattresses are also likely to include cotton that has been treated with pesticides and other chemicals.  United States farmers applied nearly one-third of a pound of chemical fertilizers and pesticides for every pound of cotton harvested. This can account for 25% of all the pesticides used in the United States.
• Insecticides are often sprayed on mattresses.
• Conventional mattresses are treated with flame retardants and other chemical applications. PBDE is a toxic chemical used in flame retardant compounds that is known to cause memory impairment, thyroid problems and cancer.  The European Union has banned 2 PBDE compounds that are still permitted in the United States.
• Non-organic cotton sheets are often treated with a formaldehyde-based finish that reduces wrinkling. 
• The adhesives used to bind the layers together are known carcinogens.  US EPA has issued a warning that mattress glue can cause skin irritation.  EPA has identified xylene, a chemical in many adhesives used in the production of mattresses, as a cause of birth defects.
• Employees of mattress companies are at a significantly higher risk for cancer because of the adhesives and glues used in the manufacturing process.  US EPA and OSHA highly regulate the industry and working conditions.  I am bothered that with the purchase of a conventional mattress, I am contributing to their exposure to these chemicals.
• Toddler and crib mattresses are covered with PVC and other chemicals for waterproofing properties.   
• Needs to be replaced every 7-10 years.

Here are two websites that compare mattresses: http://www.organicmattressreviews.com/ and http://planetgreen.discovery.com/buying-guides/buy-green-mattresses.html.

Here are few websites that sell organic mattresses: http://thenaturalsleepstore.com/,  http://www.lifekind.com/index.php/ and http://www.thenaturalbedstore.com/organic_mattress.asp. 

I invite readers to add comments to this posting if they have considered purchasing or have purchased an organic mattress.  I am looking forward to buying one!  

Small Change: No More Bottled Water

There are little changes I need to make to help the environment.  2012 is my time to catch up and implement permanent changes!

At work, our office goes through thousands of bottles of water a month.  And, I must admit, I am an off-and-on consumer of those water bottles. I stopped drinking soda a few years ago, so water and coffee (out of a mug) are my refreshments in the office.  Last year, I tried to use a reuseable glass for water, but that didn't last as long as it should have.  This year, in my spirit of resolutions about the earth, I am going to stop drinking bottled water at work -  Houston's finest is good enough for me. 

Except by the pool during the summer, we don't drink bottled water at home - mostly because we are too cheap to buy it for our kids.  We drank from the garden hose as kids, so they can drink out of the faucet or the filtered water from the fridge.   When summer comes, we'll change the process. 

Plastic bottles are made from polyethylene terephthalate (PET), a petroleum product, and their manufacturing process uses oil, a nonrenewable energy source, and increases CO₂ emissions.  It is amazing how many plastic bottles are consumed and become waste!  If not recycled, these plastic bottles accumulate and stress landfills.   Here is a list of plastic bottle fun facts from 2009 that put the magnitude of the pollution into scope:

• Plastic bottles take 700 years to begin composting;
• 90% of the cost of bottled water is due to the bottle itself;
• 80% of plastic bottles are not recycled;
• 38 million plastic bottles go to the dump per year in America from bottled water (not including soda);
• 24 million gallons of oil are needed to produce a billion plastic bottles;
• The average American consumes 167 bottles of water a year;
• Bottling and shipping water is the least energy efficient method ever used to supply water; and
• Bottled water is the second most popular beverage in the United States.

SO - I'm saying GOODBYE to this:

And HELLO to this:

Buy Organic and From Local, Cruelty Free Farms

I am married to a wonderful man who has been very accommodating to my many diets.  However, he isn't so eager to buy into my environmental ideas to make the house more Green.  Because he does the shopping for our family, I am slowly asking him to make changes. I have a lot in store for him this year!

Last year, we started buying hormone-free dairy products.  The research about hormones and antibiotics in dairy is scary - especially the impact of the additives on children.   This year, our goal is to buy all organic produce and meat.  We are going to support local, small farmers and CSA at our farmer's markets.  My sister, who lives outside of Nashville, has done an inspiring job at supporting her CSA.  Here's a website to find a local CSA: http://www.localharvest.org/csa/

Organic Certification: The USDA certifies organic standards before products can be labeled USDA organic.  If you see the USDA organic seal, the product is certified organic and has 95 percent or more organic content.  The USDA system is not without controversy, and it is difficult to obtain the USDA organic seal - other certifying companies are more liberal with their label (60-80% organic), so watch out for those.  If you support a small local farm, you might not need a USDA seal if you are comfortable with their assurances of organic.  Here's the USDA seal to look for:

For produce, the USDA organic seal verifies that irradiation, sewage sludge, synthetic fertilizers, prohibited pesticides, and genetically modified organisms were not used.  For meat, the USDA organic seal verifies that producers met animal health and welfare standards, did not use antibiotics or growth hormones, used 100% organic feed, and provided animals with access to the outdoors.  For multi-ingredient foods, the USDA organic seal verifies that the product has 95% or more certified organic content.  

Definitely buy Organic when you purchase the so-called "DIRTY DOZEN:" 

• apples
• sweet bell peppers
• celery
• nectarines
• strawberries
• cherries
• kale
• lettuce
• grapes
• carrots
• pears

There are also the "Clean 15" (see below for a link) but I prefer to continue buying organic to support the organic farmers.

The USDA also regulates the use of voluntary labels for livestock products:

Free-range. This label indicates that the flock was provided shelter in a building, room, or area with unlimited access to food, fresh water, and continuous access to the outdoors during their production cycle. The outdoor area may or may not be fenced and/or covered with netting-like material.  

Cage-free. This label indicates that the flock was able to freely roam a building, room, or enclosed area with unlimited access to food and fresh water during their production cycle.

Grass-fed. Grass-fed animals receive a majority of their nutrients from grass throughout their life, while organic animals’ pasture diet may be supplemented with grain. Also USDA regulated, the grass-fed label does not limit the use of antibiotics, hormones, or pesticides. Meat products may be labeled as grass-fed organic.

As you are shopping, look for labels.  Your purchases can make a difference to local and/or small farmers.  Appreciate that your dollars are contributing to their success and profitability.  It is much more expensive and time consuming to correctly grow organic produce and meat compared to the cost of industrial farms to use chemicals, hormones, factory enclosures, and pay migrant workers small wages.  If you are concerned about finances, focus on dairy and the Dirty Dozen. 

Here's a link to a company who has a wallet sized list and iphone app of the Dirty Dozen and the Clean 15:  http://www.ewg.org/foodnews/ 

"Vegan Pescatarian" - Vegan with a Touch of Fish

In the last year, I, like many others, have become more interested in the environmental impact of our food choices.  The food we eat, order, purchase, and/or cook impacts our body, mind, and earth.  Since my teenage years, I have been concerned about the ethical impact, and have gone back and forth between an omnivore and vegetarian diet. 

Last year, I was 99.9% vegan, which I particularly liked. I had always wanted to try it, so I made the big jump.  After being a vegetarian for so long, a vegan diet is relatively easy. I have never been a big consumer of pigs or eggs.  I cannot eat chickens because of how poorly they are treated while being grown and all the chemicals that the chicken companies inject into the meat.  Avoiding butter and cream (esp sauces) proved to be the most difficult.

I appreciate the way I feel with no dairy.  I originally lost weight, but that stopped after about 5 months, so I don't count that as the top reason to go vegan.  I have greatly appreciated my clear skin - I have suffered from "adult acne" (I don't think there was ever a break between my teenage acne and my adult acne though) and winter eczema.  On a vegan diet, the acne is almost non-existent (even during hormone fluxes), and I have had very limited eczema.  I don't know if it was the cow's milk, preservatives, or hormones in the dairy I was consuming that contributed to these conditions, but I love that they are under control.

My favorite all encompassing vegan website is: http://www.thekindlife.com/ 

In 2012, I am going to continue the vegan diet, with a careful selection of sustainable fish now and then.  I am concerned about which fish to eat - I want to make smart decisions and am concerned about the impact that my fish purchase makes - I don't want to buy fish that is endangered, overfished, caught with large by-catch, or caught through exploitation of labor paid less than a living wage.

I have narrowed it down to the following lists of fish I typically eat:

SAFE TO EAT: North Amerian Tilapia, Wild Caught Alaska Salmon (coho, sockeye, or pink), Pacific Halibut,  Mackerel, Atlantic Mahi Mahi, Trout,  and Arctic Char

NEVER EAT:  Atlantic Cod, Flounder, Imported Farmed Salmon, Atlantic Halibut, Monkfish, Bluefin Tuna,  Tilefish,  Orange Roughy, Grouper, Anchoivies,  Red Snapper, Asian Tilapia,  Imported Farmed Shrimp, and Chilean Sea Bass

I am concerned about shellfish, but need to learn more.  Lobster from the Atlantic is usually sustainably caught, but those caught in Central America are over-harvested and divers are sometimes injured in the process. King Crabs are overfished.  Imported farm raised Shrimp is laden with chemicals. Giant Atlantic scallops are harvested by dredging, which causes damage to the ocean floor.

Here is some more information if you are interested:

http://www.seachoice.org/