Healthy happy you.
Wouldn't it be nice to live on a farm with your own garden patch out back? You could walk out the door, pick your tomatoes, and never worry about a pesticide ever touching your salad. But alas, most of us don't have that luxury. In that case, the best advice is to buy organic, especially when buying the dirty dozen, or to give your veggies and fruit a good wash before popping them in your mouth. Read more
One of the main reasons I buy organic produce is to eliminate the risk of pesticides from my diet. Even with a good wash, I'm still paranoid that I can't get everything off. And since any produce — organic or not — is handled considerably before it makes it to the market, washing is a must. But the washing part has always been a bit confusing. Is water enough, and should it be hot? Does Read more
I was talking to a friend this weekend who said she rarely washes her produce, and frankly, I was shocked. She said that since she always buys organic, she doesn't have to worry about pesticides, and wonders if washing really does any good anyway. In fact, washing fruits and vegetables makes a difference whether you're buying organic or not. Even if your produce hasn't been touched by pesticides, Read more
Countless praises have been sung for Clarisonic, the cult-favorite sonic skin cleansing brush. But until now, the acne-addled haven't had a version that targets their complexion condition. Enter the newest incarnation of the Mia 2 brush and salicylic acid-infused cleanser ($169), which aims to keep blemishes at bay. We gave the brush a spin (courtesy of public relations), and like the original, Read more
Earth Day is today, and it always serves as a good reminder to rethink our eating habits and cooking practices. There are so many small changes that we all can make in our everyday lives that, over time, significantly impact the world that we live in. While we may not be able to implement all of these changes all of the time, it is important to consider how our actions affect the bigger picture. Read more
With Earth Day a few days away, there's never been a better time to think about ways to green your fitness. Here are ways to tweak your daily habits just a little bit to do your part to reduce, recycle, and reuse. Exercise outdoors: Skip the treadmill, stair climber, or stationary bike and go outside. You'll save money, reduce your consumption of energy and materials, and cut back on Read more
A spiral-cut ham seems right at home as the centerpiece of a hearty Easter meal. Of course, deliciously elegant substitutions exist, but why not have some fun with other kinds of cured or smoked pork? Ham, which comes from the hind thigh of the pig, is a cut revered internationally for its marbled fat content and complex flavors when cured, smoked, or cooked. So while picking up a prepared Read more
These days everybody is preaching some kind of philosophy when it comes to eating. Eat locally, eat only organic food, eat seasonally — it can get kind of confusing. The light bulb went on for me, with regard to seasonal eating, the first time I realized just how much more flavorful a tomato is during Summer than any other time of year. The difference was so staggering that I started to Read more
It's always a great idea to use the products you have that are already sitting in your kitchen for other purposes. You're saving green and being green! Not to mention, using these natural products will be less toxic for you and the other dwellers in your household. Here are a couple of great uses for vinegar: Fabric softener. Add about 1/4 cup of vinegar to your laundry load to soften your Read more
If you know someone with pet allergies, then you're probably aware that some dog and cat breeds are less likely to cause your pal sneezes and itchy eyes. It's not necessarily the animal's fur that keeps some sniffles at bay: these breeds produce less dander or certain proteins in their saliva, or shed less than other breeds, thereby reducing airborne allergens. While these pets are great Read more
