January 18, 2012 / Issue 103

     

Mrs. Green's World  

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Greetings!

 

Green Eggs & Hair 

What can I say? These things just pop into my head. This one did because I wanted to write about some green, healthy refreshers early in the New Year. Buying/eating organic eggs and what we put on our bodies came immediately to mind - thus green eggs & hair.

 

Hen with eggsRe: green eggs. This is one area where everyone would benefit by making the switch. If you are a long fact finder and want to blow your bright green socks off, Google "benefits of organic eggs" or any combination thereof and read all the reasons why this should be one green choice you commit to in 2012. Are they more expensive? Yup! Are they worth the money? Yup! Trade out a latte or a glass of wine but please - green your egg buying. Your body will thank you, the abused little chicks will thank you, and so will I.

 

Here's a link to and excerpt from one of the best cases to be made for buying organic eggs:   

 

Not All Eggs are Created Equal

 

"Eggs are also an incredible source of high-quality protein and fat - nutrients that many are deficient in. And I believe eggs are a nearly ideal fuel source for most of us.

 

However, there are two caveats:

  1. Free-range or "pastured" organic eggs are far superior when it comes to nutrient content, and
  2. Cooking destroys many of these nutrients, so ideally, you'll want to consume your eggs raw (but ONLY if they're pastured organic, as conventionally-raised eggs are far more likely to be contaminated with disease-causing bacteria such as salmonella)

An egg is considered organic if the chicken was only fed organic food, which means it will not have accumulated high levels of pesticides from the grains (mostly GM corn) fed to typical chickens.

 

Additionally, testing has confirmed that true free-range eggs are far more nutritious than commercially raised eggs. In a 2007 egg-testing project, Mother Earth News compared the official U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) nutrient data for commercial eggs with eggs from hens raised on pasture and found that the latter typically contains:

 

* 1/3 less cholesterol

* 1/4 less saturated fat

* 2/3 more vitamin A

* 2 times more omega-3 fatty acids

* 3 times more vitamin E

* 7 times more beta carotene

 

The dramatically superior nutrient levels are most likely the result of the differences in diet between free ranging, pastured hens and commercially farmed hens."

 

hairRe: green hair. Do you think of your skin as your biggest organ? (Please keep all thoughts pure) Well, until I began my journey as Mrs. Green, I did not. I think ALL scientists agree that what you put on your skin goes in. So your shampoo, conditioner and hair dye are all absorbed into your scalp - usually within 6 seconds. So does your dry skin cream, your foundation, your after-shave, your soap and body wash, your lip balm - you get the picture.

 

Please ask yourself the question: how green are your products? I admit to being a self-professed Aveda nut. I haven't been in anything but a VerVe Aveda Lifestyle salon in over three years but there are reasons for that. Are they the purest of them all? Nope. Am I convinced the products they sell are purer than the majority of products commercially available? Yup. Do I believe they are leaders in the industry in terms of removing harmful ingredients (like parabens) from all their products? Absolutely! Why? Because they pulled all their products, including some of their top sellers that contained even trace amounts of known carcinogens, and have re-introduced them as they adjust their formulas. This is from their website: "Our standards have made us a pioneer in the green cosmetics world: now more than 90% of our essential oils and 89% of our raw herbal ingredients* are certified organic." I'll take 89%.

 

I will also take and praise Aveda's active interest in clean water projects, breast cancer research and their stand on animal testing all day long. I love that they recycle bottle caps. I love that they sell huge containers of products like shampoo so that I can cut down on waste too. I also love that they have totally stream-lined their packaging process to minimize their carbon footprint on that front as well. Again, from their website but I invite you to research this on your own: "Responsible Packaging. We are proud to be the first beauty company with 100% postconsumer recycled PET for skin care and hair styling. With every package we develop, we're mindful of our environmental footprint and work to minimize our packaging and maximize our use of recyclable and post-consumer recycled materials."

 

Remember - I don't want to tell you what to think, I just want you to. So think about your green eggs and hair and make a couple of greener choices with your health in mind - because I care!

Mrs. Green Says "Just Say No to Plastic Water Bottles!"
Get your green on with Mrs. Green as she reminds us why too many plastic bottles is a bad thing. This video includes amazing (and disturbing!) photos from environmental photographer Chris Jordan.

Just Say No To Plastic Bottles 

Gardening Tips for Your Reading Pleasure!
Start your first hydroponics set up with a Deep Water Culture bucket system, they can be purchased for under $30 and don't rely on water pumps, making them easy to use and trouble free. Learn more about the advantages of DWC hydroponics.
-- Brought to you by Sea of Green

I know it's snowing like crazy in some places around the globe and I know in others we are already thinking about gardening. Please remember Sea-of-Green this spring if you live in Arizona and your locally-owned nursery wherever you are. You will save lots of "green" in the long run by buying from people who know what they are doing.  
Mrs. Green says Check It Out!

I thought it was the coolest thing ever when my friend Rachel told me she was renting a dress for a wedding she was going to. Why am I not surprised that she was the first to send me this link?  Gotta love it!

Upcoming Shows

  

Joe AbrahamJanuary 21, 2012

Joe Abraham, Director, Office of Sustainability, University of Arizona

Joe Abraham has a big job, big dreams and a big personality. The Office of Sustainability was established in October 2010 as part of a larger reorganization of UA Campus Sustainability to improve the coordination of environmental sustainability programs across the university. The Office coordinates students, faculty and staff to ensure the University of Arizona is a top-ranked institution among its peers for leadership in environmental sustainability as it pertains to campus design, student engagement, operations, education, research, and outreach. Like I said, big job. This show is sponsored by PopCycle.  

 

Water SampleJanuary 28, 2012

Linda Powers, Engineering Professor & Bio5 Institute Member, University of Arizona 

Linda Powers spent part of her summer biking around Tanzania testing wells for bacteria using a unique instrument designed at the UA. As you know, I am obsessed with the fact that 1.5 billion people go without clean water every day. You are not going to believe what she and doctoral student Aminata Kilung accomplished as they were out cycling and testing for as much as 15 hours a day. In this case, hearing will be believing because I doubt this kind of excursion is in my future, but one never knows. Again, can't wait. This show sponsored by Goodwill Industries of Southern Arizona.  

 

TriathlonFebruary 4

Debbie Claggett, Owner, TriSports.com

Triathlete, business owner, Mom, wife, community leader. That would be Debbie. She and her husband Seton are the owners of TriSports.com, the largest supplier of triathlete gear in the world. Add to that the following: Their 32,000 square foot facility is solar powered, has two massive rainwater harvesting tanks (can hold 36,000 gallons of rainwater), and has a recycling bin four times bigger than their dumpster. Proud winners of Mrs. Green's Arizona's Greenest Workplace Challenge, it has been my privilege getting to know them, learn about their sustainable culture, their green events and their commitment to our planet. You won't want to miss - trust me. This show sponsored by The Fairfax Companies.

 

TerracycleFebruary 11

Albe Zakes - TerraCycle

Albe was one of my very first guests when I started Mrs. Green. We've come a long way baby! The tagline on their website? Eliminate The Idea of Waste. Love it! You also know I love numbers so ponder these and plan to join us: Number of people collecting trash through partnerships with Terracyle - 26,511,927. Waste units collected: 2,262,684,595. Dollars donated to charities: $3,491,776.12. Counting the days. This show sponsored by Environmental Development Group (EDG)

 

Patti GoldmanFebruary 18

Patti Goldman, VP of Litigation, Earthjustice 

How could you not love the tagline: Earthjustice: because the earth needs a good lawyer. I love all of my lawyer friends and all of the lawyer jokes but this tagline gave me pause. Did you ever stop to think about Mother Earth's lawyer? I did not. How can you not want to hear about a law firm dedicated to protecting magnificent places, natural resources, and wildlife, and to defending the right of ALL people to a healthy environment. They create controversy, take bold stands and yes, make people think. Plan to think with me by joining us. This show sponsored by Chapman Tucson.

 

Green CorpsFebruary 25

Emma Greenbaum, GreenCorps

It's finally happened. A friend of my youngest daughter is going to be a guest on my show. Time flies when you are Mrs. Green. I have known Emma for close to a decade and was so very proud when she wrote to us asking for us to support GreenCorps. (First I had to read about what the heck it was.) Well, GreenCorps (like Peace Corps) is a one year program that trains the next generation of environmental revolutionaries to win campaigns for the planet and the future. What? Our Emma a revolutionary fighting for things like safeguarding fisheries in the Gulf of Mexico, protecting the arctic refuge, and advocating for fair farm rules? Yes! How could you miss this one? This show sponsored by The Fairfax Companies.

 

Green peek at what's in the line-up:

 

March 3

Green America - Alisa Gravitz, Executive Director

 

March 10

Tucson Festival of Books - Ivy Manning & Drew Aquilina - authors participating in TFOB - the 4th largest Book Festival in the USA

 

March 17

Solar One Stop - Betty Stamper - national model on streamlining the solar installation process.

  

 

Mrs. Green's World GREEN TALK RADIO Show
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Mrs. Green's World