EWG has posted it’s 2010 Shopper’s Guide to Pesticides and it is really worth a look.  They have a quick and easy to use guide that you can print out OR you can download an app for your iPhone. But the long of the short of it is:

Dirty Dozen (Buy these organic – have highest pesticide levels – #1 has highest):

1. Celery
2. Peaches
3. Strawberries
4. Apples
5. Blueberries
6. Nectarines
7. Bell Peppers
8. Spinach
9. Cherries
10. Kale/Collard Greens
11. Potatoes
12. Grapes (imported)

Clean 15 (lowest pesticides – #1 is the best)

1. Onions
2. Avocade
3. Sweet Corn
4. Pineapple
5. Mangoes
6. Sweet Peas
7. Asparagus
8. Kiwi
9. Cabbage
10. Eggplant
11. Cantaloupe
12. Watermelon
13. Grapefruit
14. Sweet Potato
15. Honeydew Melon

EWG says that people who eat 5 fruits and veggies from the Dirty Dozen list consume an average of 10 pesticides a day. Those who eat from the Clean 15 list  ingest fewer than 2 pesticides daily.

And I think it’s worthy to note that this data was compiled based on produce “tested as it is typically eaten (meaning washed, rinsed or peeld, depending on the type of produce). Rinsing reduces but does not eliminate pesticides. Peeling helps, but valuable nutrients often go down the drain with the skin. The best approach: eat a varied diet, rinse all produce and buy organic when possible.”

When I was at Kohl’s of all places, I grabbed the book called “The Green Book”. I know – how did they POSSIBLY come up with such a clever title?? Anyway – I figured it would be a fun and helpful book to have around. It’s listed as “the everyday guide to saving the planet one simple step at a time.”

So I started reading it bits at a time. It’s an easy book to just pick up and read for a few minutes – check out a few tips. And while I’ll say I don’t think all of the tips are necessarily 100% thought through (don’t consider the total environmental impact) and they are certainly simplified, it is still overall a pretty good and handy and thorough list of tips and tricks. It’s broken down by subject, and even some of the more “obvious” tips still offer a tidbit of something new/interesting (see the Farmer’s Market tip below).

The other thing that I like about the book is it has a very extensive reference list at the end of the book. The sources are well-known, recognizable and credible.

I thought I’d share a few tips and then continue to periodically post others that I find interesting. For now, I’ll focus on food shopping tips:

“Farmer’s Market vs. Supermarket

Try doing some of your shopping at a local farmer’s market. And if you can, walk or bike there. Of the total energy used in the United States per year, 4 percent is used to produce food, and between 10 and 13 percent is used to transport it. On average, U.S. supermarket food travels 1,500 to 2,500 miles before it reaches the family table. Buying local food can reduce the amount of petroleum consumed to transport your dinner by as much as 95 percent.

Meat

If you have the option, choose your meat at the butcher counter and purchase only as much as you know you’ll use. You’ll reduce food waste, save money, and conserve resources. The average person wastes over twenty-two pounds of edible store-bought meat each year. Given that it takes five pounds of grain and 2,500 gallons of water to make one pound of beef, that’s more than one hundred pounds of wasted grain and 55,000 gallons of wasted water per person! If all households decreased their beef purchases by just one pound per year, 250 billion gallons of water would be saved. It would take five days for this amount of water to pour over Niagara Falls.

Organic

You can lower your exposure to pesticides by 90 percent just by choosing organic varieties of certain fruits and vegetables. If just 1 percent of the nation’s farmlands converted to organic (non-chemical) agricultural systems, it would remove twenty-six million pounds of pesticides per year from the food we eat and from the environment. If you buy organic, you’ll encourage this type of farming.”

As I said, some of the tips – like the ones I highlighted here – are ones you have probably heard before. But they are able to add a new twist to make you think even more about making the change. And most are fairly simple changes. I will offer more of their green ideas in a future post, so stay tuned! And if you are interested in getting your own copy, just click on the book picture above and it will take you to the Amazon.com page.

I know – this seems like a pretty random post but I was intrigued when a colleague recently told me that his wife makes her own spreadable butter. He said it’s healthier than butter and tastes better than the other spreads. I checked it out online and there are all kinds of posts on different sites from people who make soft butter. Most people do it for the cost savings (which is definitely a bonus) but I was more interested in the fact that people say it tastes like butter but it’s better for you. I also checked out the Land OLakes soft butter spread and saw that it’s essentially a blend of canola oil, butter and water – similar to the “recipes” I’d seen.

So the other day I made it for the first time. It’s incredibly easy, and I have to say it tastes just like butter (which I LOVE). All you need to do is mix equal parts of softened butter with canola oil in a food processor (or you could probably use a mixer as well). Other recipes say you could do 2 parts butter, 1 part canola oil and 1 part water. I haven’t tried the version with water yet, but I will try that next. But this worked really well – I just put it in a clean Earth Balance spread tub that I had saved. It’s really soft – almost liquid- when you first make it. But no worries – once you put it in the fridge it firms up. But the great thing is that it stays soft enough to spread. It does get very soft if it’s left out – but you just can pop in back in the fridge to firm it up again.

I’m thinking you could also bake with this since I know you can substitute oil for butter in a lot of recipes anyway? I’ll be trying that out, too!

So it’s nothing exciting, for sure, but I thought it was pretty cool (and yummy!). Let me know if you try it!

Ok obviously some signs of stress are abundantly clear – like rapid heart rate, a twitchy eye etc. But in this month’s Prevention magazine, they listed a few signs that you might find surprising.  Sadly, I have experienced ALL of these firsthand…

• Weekend Headaches -”A sudden drop in stress can prompt migraines, says Todd Schwedt, MD, director of the Washington University Headache Center. Stick closely to your weekday sleeping and each schedule to minimize other triggers.”

This is one that used to happen to me a lot – I always called them my “post-stress” migraines. It was at its peak during college – I’d get the migraines AFTER all of my finals were over. Or actually, worse than that, after the worst exams were over but when I was finishing up the others. Very disruptive….Ended up doing biofeedback work that helped (along with lots of advil!).

• An achy mouth -”A sore jaw may be a sign of teeth grinding, which can be worsened by stress, says Matthew Messina, DDS, a consumer advisor to the American Dental Association. Ask your dentist about a nighttime mouth guard – up to 70% of people who use one reduce grinding or stop it altogether.”

Again – in college I was a terrible teeth grinder. Can you tell I internalized stress? Is this TMI (too much information) ?  I’m sure my roommate loved it! ThankfullyI think I’ve overcome this one.

• Odd Dreams “Dreams usually get progressively more positive as you sleep, so you wake  up happier than you were before bed, says Rosalind Cartwright, PhD, and emeritus professor of psychology at Rush University Medical Center. When stressed, you wake up more often, disrupting this process and allowing unpleasant imagery all night. Good sleep habits can also prevent this; aim for 7 to 8 hours a night, and avoid caffeine and alcohol close to bedtime.”

Yep – add this to my list too. I remember having terrible, freaky dreams throughout grad school and even into my regular “corporate” life when I had big projects due. Once in awhile they pop up again, which is a clear sign for me that I need to chill. It’s typically now when I have too much going on and I’m afraid I’m going to drop a ball somewhere.

Well, now that you know way more than you wanted to about my bad habit of internalizing stress (which I have worked on improving over the years – and thankfully it seems to have gotten much much better), I figured I’d throw in Prevention’s suggestions for relieving stress. This page has a ton of links – and they are worth a look. Whether you want quick tips to use throughout the day or more lifestyle changes that can help you destress overall, they’ve got some great suggestions.

http://www.prevention.com/health/health/emotional-health/stress

And of course – just exercising regularly can help tremendously. My new addiction? Wii Fit! Love it. I’m convinced my key to getting rid of belly squish is through Wii Fit Hula Hoop! Fingers crossed…

The problem with the holiday season, I think, is not necessarily that there is so much AMAZING and yummy food around all the time – it’s that there’s never enough time to burn off the calories. ‘Tis the season to run around like a madwoman so typically our days are packed with regular life plus all the extra activities that come with the holidays. That leaves little – if any- time to exercise and burn off those gingerbread cookies, chocolate + candy, and those incredibly yummy little pretzel-with-the-Rolo-and-M&M thingies.

So I was particularly intrigued by some tips in this month’s Prevention magazine for tips to make “Small Changes that take off Big Pounds”. Sounds good, right? They had 11 great tips, but many of them are the typical ones that you hear – keep a food diary (blech), limit high fat foods to once per week (really? doesn’t sound fun), and climb more stairs.

However, they did have some ones that were new to me – or an interesting twist on an oldie-but-goodie. Here are my favs:

1. Sign up for healthy newsletters. Apparently a recent study from Kaiser Permanente found that “people who received weekly e-mails about diet and fitness for 16 weeks substantially increased their levels of physical activity and intake of helathy foods while cutting back on trans and saturated fats.” Huh! I have a favorite – Deborah Enos sends a daily email (or is it weekly?) that is touted as taking only 20 seconds to read and it always has something interesting and helpful. You can sign up for it on her website: http://www.deborahenos.com/. I am also a big fan of the WebMD emails.
2. Walk 5 minutes more every day. This one is not new, but they had some interesting ideas – walk around the perimeter of the grocery store before you start shopping, move in place whenever you are on the phone, go through or around the entire shopping mall instead of parking next to the store you need.
3. Take 10 minutes to eat a treat. I should REALLY try this – I inhale sweets. They are a little over the top with this one, however, since they say “take a minute to smell it, look at it and think about it.” I dunno – I think that’s a bit odd. But taking small bites and chewing slowly is definitely something I’m going to try. They say that by taking more time to eat something you are more likely to feel more satisfied. You also might find that you are content after only a few bites.
4. Obey the 1 mile rule when doing errands. I would be even more gung-ho about this one were it not snowing heavily outside as I write this. But the concept is that you should walk briskly to do any errands that are 1 mile away or less. If that’s not feasible – then park in one location to go to multiple stores (good for when you shop in a town center). They say that Americans use their car for two-thirds of all trips that are less than 1 mile away. Yipes! I have to say – we live 1/2 mile from our town center and I love being able to walk into town to do errands or go out to eat.

The article in Prevention cited recent research from the Annals of Behavioral Medicine found that “participants who made one small, potentially permanent change in tehir food choices and/or physical activity each week lost more than twice as much belly fat, 2 1/2 more inches off their waistlines, and about 4 times more weight during a 4 month program, compared with those who followed traditional calorie-restriction and physical-activity guidelines.”

Check out the article to read all of the tips. You never know – there might be a few that will help you get through this season made almost entirely of calories.

I’ll admit it. I’m a bit of a freak when it comes to things like stomach flu and seasonal flu. I get very anxious when I hear either of those is going around. Swine flu? Even worse. So I do carry antibacterial gel in my purse and in the car. But to be honest – I use those only when absolutely necessary. And we use natural soaps and dishwashing liquids around the house – not the anti-bacterial kinds. Here’s one word why: Triclosan.

Triclosan is not really something you want to be exposing yourself (or your family) to if you don’t have to. According to EWG.org triclosan has been linked to liver and inhalation toxicity, and low levels of triclosan may disrupt thyroid function. Further, there is really no reason to buy anti-bacterial soaps and dishwashing liquids. Studies have shown that washing hands with regular soap and water is as effective at killing germs as using anti-bacterial products. Moreover, since 2000, the American Medical Association has been recommending that households avoid use of anti-bacterial products as it can contribute to the development of drug resistent bacteria.

All pretty good reasons to avoid the ingredient, even for germophobes like me. But there’s even one last reason. Triclosan is not eliminated in the waste water treatment systems, so it ends up in our water systems – which can impact aquatic life as well.

So be sure to read labels as this flu season starts. It’s not just in anti-bacterial products. You can find it in all kinds of personal care products including toothpaste! Try to avoid triclosan whenever possible. And check out this quick fact sheet from EWG.org for more information.

In this crazy flu season that we were entering, I thought it would be good to check out some myths and truths about germs. Where are they hiding? What should we avoid? What can we do to reduce the germs?

The first article is from MSNBC. Check it out – they list the 12 Germiest Places. And you’ll find some surprising – like playgrounds, your purse (who knew??) and hotel remote (eeewwww). The one that wasn’t so surprising when you think about it was airplane bathrooms. But after reading their description, I’m going to wish they offered a disinfecting shower the next time I fly. They also have good tips for steering clear and remedying the situation.

From Mind, Body & Soul Germ and Bacteria Hotspots: 12 Things You Should Know is another great summary. This one focuses primarily on the home but also addresses some myths which I found interesting.

I’m not sure what’s up with the number 12 – but there it is in both titles. Wonder if it’s a germy number?

You know, I have to say – when I read this blog post from SELF magazine’s editor, I just found it completely depressing and defeating. The deal is, Kelly Clarkson is on the cover of September’s SELF magazine. Apparently, last week there was a lot of buzz on the internet that SELF had “photoshopped” the cover shot. Now, I’m not naive. I know (especially being in the beauty business) that there is seldom a photo in a magazine that hasn’t been airbrushed to death. That’s why the actresses that are in their 40’s and 50’s seem to have this flawless skin without a single wrinkle. But I am getting the sense that this is all going way too far. The ability for digital photos to be seamlessly manipulated makes it fantastically easy for magazines to create this fantasy world where women have no cellulite and no wrinkles.

And when the editor of a major magazine blogs about this with such ease and confidence, I realize that it truly has gone too far. The SELF editor says “Pictures are meant to tell a story, express a feeling, convey an emotion or capture a moment. Portraits like the one we take each month for the cover of SELF are not supposed to be unedited or a true-to-life snapshot.” I say – why shouldn’t they be true to life? What good can we possibly be teaching our children and even ourselves when we have to retouch every photo? And for this photo, apparently about 20 pounds were shaved off Kelly. If we continue to show these covers and represent them as “true-to-life” (which, sorry SELF, is how they are perceived), then we are saying that even when you are confident and strong, you still should not be proud of what your body REALLY looks like? That there’s always room to “touch things up” a bit? We have far too many body-image issues in this country. And if this editor thinks she is not partly – and directly – responsible for perpetuating images that feed into these issues then she is kidding herself.

I will end my rant with the quote that I found most ridiculous and offensive:

“Kelly has this amazing spirit, the kind of joie de vivre that certain people possess that makes you want to stand closer to them, hoping that you can learn what they know. In this case, you get the feeling Kelly has not let fame spoil her, but also that she was just born confident, with a generosity of spirit that is all about others and rarely about herself. She is, like her music, giving and strong and confident and full of gusto. Did we alter her appearance? Only to make her look her personal best. Did we publish an act of fiction? No. Not unless you think all photos are that. But in the sense that Kelly is the picture of confidence, and she truly is, then I think this photo is the truest we have ever put out there on the newsstand.”

How can it be her “personal best” if it is not reality? And moreover, how can this woman actually say it is NOT an “act of fiction”? Lastly – if this is the “truest” photo they have ever put out there – then how can we trust anything in this magazine?

I’d love to hear your comments! (and be sure to read the blog comment – yipes I am sure they are scrambling to figure out how to handle this further!!)

GoodGuide.com has a great post (http://www.goodguide.com/issues/2009/3/26/goodguide-transparency-manifesto). In it, they discuss the need for new labeling requirements for food – and I wholeheartedly agree. However, I won’t hold my breath! The FDA is so understaffed and underfunded that I think it will be years before they move toward this comprehensive list of changes.

But there are lots of things that they are proposing that are very interesting. They are requesting new requirements that include listing:

1. Where it came from:

• Disclosure of where ingredients were grown and processed. For meats, this should include where the animal was born, raised, and slaughtered.

• Tracking and labeling throughout the supply chain, with a process for tracing contaminant issues.

2. How it was made:

• The use of synthetic pesticides.

• The use of hormones.

• The application of antibiotics.

• The presence of genetically modified organisms (GMOs).

• Animal cloning in meat and milk production.

• Food Irradiation

• USDA Organic production standards.

• Explanation of a company’s food tracing and contaminant control program from farm to table.

3. What’s in it:

• Complete ingredient lists, with details of common allergens, applied to restaurant items as well as store-bought foods.

• Nutritional information normalized to a standard serving size.

• Explanation of levels of nutrients that may be harmful (such as saturated fat, cholesterol, sodium, and sugar).

• Contaminants such as pesticides, methyl mercury, or PCBs that remain in the product, even in trace amounts.

I don’t know about you, but increasingly I feel like I have little idea of what goes into what I’m eating. We have become accustomed food that is so processed – with ingredients sourced from so many places. Movies like Food, Inc. will be very eye-opening for many people, and hopefully will have an impact on the industry. Fingers crossed!

You’ve heard them all before. Crazy diets, new theories, weight-loss schemes. When it comes down to it – people are going back to the basics. Exercise and calories. There are all kinds of ways to squeeze in exercise so there’s literally almost no excuse. And meals? Well maybe you can find a way to tweak what you’re eating and lose a few pounds.

A recent article in Prevention Magazine highlighted a sample day with 4 meals – each with 400 calories or less. They say for “active women over 40″ the easiest way to lose weight is to eat four 400 calorie meals daily. They believe that this “fuels energy, revs metabolism, and keeps you feeling full longer” which will result in weight loss.

Sounds easy? Well the way the spell it out, it looks pretty straightforward.

The meals they showed actually sounded pretty good (and filling):

Hearty Breakfast: Egg Sandwich (with egg whites, avocado, lowfat cheese and tomato)

Fast & Easy Lunch: Personal Pizza (top a whole wheat pita with veggies, lowfat cheese and chicken)

Dinner: Pasta (using Amy’s Bowls Stuffed Pasta Shells – sounds easy!!)

Sweet Treat: Yogurt Parfait (this is where they lose me – where’s the ice cream? The chocolate? – I guess that wouldn’t really work….)

Check out the full article here: http://www.prevention.com/400/ for these recipes plus a bunch more.

In this issue they also have a plan to build up from walking to running. That’s something I need to start doing – I love walking but really do not like running. Maybe this plan could help me like it more? That really would be a miracle!