June 2014 – Green Lifestyle Market

The Benefits of Apples

Apples are a crunchy, sweet, and satisfying snack that have immune boosting and disease preventing properties. They are a highly alkaline fruit that have the ability to quench both an immediate and cellular-level thirst. Apples are also an amazing detoxifier and contain both malic and tartaric acids that help remove impurities from the liver and gallbladder. Eating two apples or more a day can aid in the prevention of colon, liver, breast, prostate, and lung cancer and can also dramatically decrease the risk of a stroke.

Apples are especially rich in phytonutrients and antioxidants. They have been shown to be beneficial for neuro-degenerative problems such as Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s disease as well as for bronchial problems such as asthma. Apples have wonderful anti-inflammatory properties and provide significant results for those suffering with autoimmune disorders such as Addison’s disease, Cardiomyopathy, Celiac disease, Lupus, and Multiple Sclerosis.

Apples contain pectin which is a gel-like fiber that can prevent the putrefaction of protein in the digestive tract. Pectin works like an intestinal broom to clean and sweep out debris from the colon. This is particularly beneficial for those who suffer from constipation or impactions. Apple pectin has also been shown to bind with radioactive residues and toxic heavy metals such as lead and mercury and safely remove them from the body.

One more benefit of apple pectin is that it has the ability to limit the amount of fat our adipose cells can absorb by building a barrier that naturally controls the buildup of fat in the body which makes it a great choice for any weight loss program. Try making a super quick and easy nutritious applesauce by blending 2 raw apples with 3 dates and a pinch of cinnamon in the food processor. It is a vibrant, healthy treat that both kids and adults will love.

The Benefits of Aloe Vera Leaf

Aloe vera leaf is a miraculous healing food that is one of the oldest healing remedies and natural antibiotics in the world. Taken internally, aloe works wonders for assimilation, circulation, and elimination. It is known to purify the blood, reduce inflammation, ease arthritis pain, prevent kidney stones, lower high cholesterol, prevent Candida, boost physical endurance, benefit cardiovascular health, and protect the body from oxidative stress. It also soothes ulcers, hemorrhoids, gastritis, diverticulitis, colitis, irritable bowel syndrome, and other digestive disorders.

Aloe provides recovery from fatigue and aids in muscle function as well as optimal utilization of several vitamins, minerals, and enzymes. It’s alkaline nature, helps to soothe acidosis and alkalinize the whole body. Aloe’s clear gel can be applied externally to soothe and relieve pain from sun burn, rashes, bug bites, scratches, and wounds as well as deeply hydrate the skin to prevent wrinkles and aging. It can also be massaged into the hair and scalp to stimulate hair growth and can be used as a toothpaste or mouthwash to keep the mouth healthy, clean, and free from plaque producing bacteria.

For best results, purchase whole Aloe leaves in the produce section of the grocery store. Cut a 2 inch piece off the leaf and scoop out the clear gel inside. This gel can be blended in water, juice, or smoothies to be taken internally or used externally and applied directly to the skin for quick relief and healing.

Green Solutions for City Living

Bringing Nature Closer in a Concrete World

In today’s world, cities are expanding. Office buildings, high-rise apartments, and homes packed side by side like sardines are now the norm. While there’s no doubt there are benefits to city life, this boom in concrete living forces us to live with little or no green space.

The Benefits of Living Close to Nature

There are many studies, sources and evidence that support the notion that nature in urban areas can benefit our mental and physical health. Not only that, but increased greenery in our cities can help minimize the negative impacts of greenhouse gas emissions.

Lower Stress Levels

An American study conducted in 2008 found that workers who had even a small glimpse of a park or green area were significantly less stressed at work and were much more satisfied employees. So imagine the impact of bringing nature inside your home or office!

What is more, it has been proven that an increase in greenery positively correlates not only with less stress at work, but decreased anxiety and depression.

Reduce Mental Fatigue

Urban centres literally never sleep – there’s always something going on. With all these noises and distractions, city life can be incredibly tiring on both the body and mind. We now know that the constant stimuli offered by cities can actually dull the mind’s ability to think. But, the good news is that even brief interactions with natural environments have been proven to reduce mental fatigue and restore your mind to a healthy state.

Long-term Mental Health

The University of Exeter found that greener surroundings in urban areas boosted residents’ mental health and happiness in the long-term, even after they moved away from the area. So even if you are planning on moving out to a more rural area in the near future, you can benefit your mind in the long term.

Recovery from Illness

That’s right – green areas help people prevent and recover from disease and illness; they also provide opportunities for physical activity, which in turn supports an active lifestyle and reduces diseases including obesity – one of the developed world’s leading killers.

What is more, ailments like heart disease, neck/shoulder/back/wrist problems, diabetes, respiratory infections, migraines and even stomach illnesses can all be positively impacted by green spaces.

Green Solutions for City Living

The benefits are clear, but when you’re living in a city where the number of parks and nature reserves are largely controlled by powers much larger than ourselves, it may seem impossible to green-up our lifestyle. But is it really?

Spruce Up Your Backyard

Not everyone in the city has a backyard, but if you’re lucky enough to have one, you can go green-crazy! Don’t just think of it as somewhere to plant some trees – turn it into a garden retreat. Create your own organic vegetable garden, grow herbs, and introduce some evergreen plants to keep your space thriving all year round.

To maximize your space, add walls, fences, and other borders, which are perfect for increasing the amount of greenery you can add. Climbing plants are amazing at turning a concrete view into a tropical oasis.

Create a Balcony Garden

Don’t have a backyard? No worries! If you have a balcony or rooftop you can plant a flourishing mini-garden. The key to a perfect balcony garden is to choose plants that suit the size of the space and will flourish in the climate of your balcony. For example, if you get a lot of sunlight throughout the day, you should look for plants that can survive constant sunshine such as sunflowers, lavender, and petunias. Vegetables and fruit that enjoy lots of sunshine include tomatoes, cucumbers, melons, and peppers.

Again, if your balcony or roof has limited space, try incorporating wall plants, hanging plants, vines or even tall potted plants to maximize your space. A good balcony garden doesn’t mean you need to completely cover it in plants!

Go Green Indoors

Did you know that indoor air can be much more polluted than outdoor air? One of the wonderful benefits of having plants indoors is that they help to purify the air and make you feel more relaxed overall. In the late 1980’s, NASA studied the benefits of indoor plants for removing volatile organic compounds from the air and found that certain plants worked better than others, including aloe vera, gerber daisy, golden pothos, and spider plants.

There are numerous plants that thrive indoors and in low light areas. Indoor plants such as ferns, dracaena, peace lilies, and small palms are ideal. You can also create an indoor organic herb garden, which is perfect for those who enjoy cooking and want fresh herbs on hand.

Start a Community Garden

Approach your council or building management about starting a community garden. You’ll need to consider who will be involved in maintaining the garden and what types of plants you want to grow. These gardens are also great social experiences, allowing you to get to know your neighbors and others in your local area.

If there is any unused space in your neighborhood, you can also talk to the council about turning it into a green space that can benefit your whole community. Types of green spaces include: parks/pocket parks, playgrounds, green corridors (connecting pathways, cycleways), sporting areas and BBQ/picnic areas. While they might have grass on them, they could be even greener – ask about planting trees and shrubbery to maximize the oxygen output. The more variety the better!

Top Takeaway Tips

Choose plants that will grow / thrive in your space and climate; city climates can be much warmer than those outside of the city;
Keep your gardens maintained and manicured to sustain their benefits; water your plants regularly and keep them nutritious with good soil and fertilizer;
Including herbs, vegetable plants and fruit trees in your space is a great way to support sustainable living; again, choose herbs/plants that you know will grow well in your particular environment.

By creating green spaces around us, even in the smallest of ways, we can sustain the benefits of nature while living in huge, concrete cities. And by doing this, we can enrich our lives, mentally, physically and emotionally – while also giving something back to the greater natural world that surrounds us.

Are you ready to greenify your life?

Pet Care Tips for Urban Dog Owners

In an ideal world, every dog owner would be able to open his or her back door onto a wide-open field, surrounded by forest, where the pup could run, play and freely interact with nature for hours at a time. Unfortunately, that’s just not the case for many dog owners, especially those who live in apartments in major urban areas. That’s why it’s so important for urban dwellers to be conscientious pet caretakers whose actions respect their fellow human residents as well as the true nature of their dogs. If you’re willing to make a few changes to your normal pet care routines, you can improve the life and wellbeing of your dog.

Safety

Cities can be pretty dangerous places for dogs, so it’s critical that your first priority is safety. When you go out for walks, there are several things to keep in mind to make sure no harm comes to your furry friend.

Be constantly scanning the sidewalk for objects that could hurt your dog’s paws or cause problems if ingested. Unfortunately, things like broken glass and plastic debris are common sights on city streets, so it’s your job to be vigilant about where you walk and what you allow your pet to inspect, smell or eat.

No matter how friendly your pup is, you should be careful about letting him greet other people or dogs you come across on your walks. Even the most docile dogs can sometimes react unexpectedly, so whenever another person or pet approaches, be attentive and ready to react in case of an issue.

Unless you’re in a safe, enclosed area that allows dogs to be off leashes, you should never let your beloved canine walk around the city on his own. Even if he’s great about responding to your voice, you would never want to risk him running out into a busy street.

I hate to see how frequently people leave their dogs tied up outside of a shop or restaurant. Not only is it cruel, but there are many dangerous risks involved, including other dogs and people with ill intentions. Tempting as it may be, you should avoid combining a walk with running errands.

Off the Leash

Leashes are a necessary reality for dog owners, but you should seek off-the-leash opportunities as much as possible. Dogs are meant to be active without restraint, and having consistent time to do so is very important to their emotional wellbeing. Most cities now have several dog parks where owners can let their furry friends run around on their own. And if you don’t have your own backyard, you might have friends or family members who would let you use theirs occasionally. Some urban areas even have dog beaches or forest preserves where dogs are allowed to roam freely – these are ideal as they offer them opportunities to interact with nature, as opposed to just the same old patch of grass. If possible, you should aim to give your pooch some off-the-leash recreation time every day.

Socialization

If you have more than one dog, they get to socialize all the time, which is great. But, especially in cities, single dogs are the norm. You would go crazy if you were rarely given the chance to socialize with peers, right? Well, just like us, dogs are extremely social creatures and usually love playing with other dogs. If you frequent dog parks or dog-friendly nature areas, you’ll likely come across other owners who are looking to give their dogs a little social play time too. Otherwise, it might be a good idea to make doggy play dates with other owners you know. Just make sure that the dogs get along with one another – respect the fact that they have the same type of varied reactions to other dogs as you have to other people.

Dog Walkers

Though I would never advise for a dog to be left alone for long stretches of time, I know that it’s a reality for many working pet owners. If that’s the case for you, it’s important to minimize the time your pet is on his own. First, avoid scheduling other engagements directly after work – even if you go to the gym or out for dinner, make sure to build in time to come home and spend a bit of time with your dog before you head back out. For many urban dog owners, hiring a dog walker is a great solution. Having someone stop by midway through your work day to pet, walk and comfort your pup is well worth the cost. As some walkers take a few dogs out at once, this will also give your pup an added social opportunity. “It’s obvious how excited the dogs are to see me. And I do everything I can to stimulate them – go to different parks, explore new neighborhoods and just generally find ways to let the dogs be dogs, even in the city” said Ryan Fischer, owner of Waggedu, a Manhattan dog walking and sitting service. Giving your canine friend this social break in the day helps his emotional wellbeing a great deal. As an urban-dwelling dog owner, it’s your responsibility to do whatever you can to accommodate your pet’s instinctual needs and inherent nature. To do so, you’ll probably need to get a bit creative and invest a little more time and money, but these changes will contribute significantly to the improved health and happiness of your pooch in the long run.

How to Live a Sweatshop-free Life

The word sweatshop conjures up images out of a Charles Dickens story: children and mothers and the elderly working their fingers to the bone for 12 hours a day, in a dank, dimly lit basement, for pennies.

Of course, that doesn’t really happen, does it?

Yes, unfortunately it does. Sweatshops are still exploiting men, women, and children all over the world, churning out mass-produced articles of clothing and consumer goods to make the owners and CEOs and stockholders wealthy. And those workers? They’re at the bottom of the heap. Yes, they are employed. What they’re missing is dignity and a decent wage.

For those of us working toward positive change in the world, steering clear of any kind of exploitation is very important. One action we can take every single day is to make sure we’re not supporting businesses that are built on high profits and low workers wages, such as sweatshop manufacturing.

For example:

Golfer Tiger Woods won a $100 million endorsement deal from Nike in 2004. Nike CEO Phil Knight earned $4.2 million in 2004. In 2003, Knight ranked 31st richest person in the U.S. with a worth of $5.8 billion.
And the hourly wage of Nike’s workers in Indonesia? $0.17. That’s an annual wage of $444.
Still want to buy some Nikes?

To do your part in helping to change this, pledge to go ‘sweat-free’. This means not buying clothing made in sweatshops. Not buying clothing from companies that won’t disclose the conditions in its factories. Not buying clothing from companies that won’t even discuss going ‘sweat-free’. And sending a message to retailers and manufacturers by voting for sweat-free products with your money.

Here’s a quick and dirty guide to living a sweat-free life:

Reduce the amount of new clothes that you buy: Probably the easiest thing you can do to live a sweatshop free life is to simply purchase less new clothing. Most of us don’t need or wear all of the clothes in our closet, so if we can curb the impulse to purchase another new piece of clothing, we don’t even need to worry about the issue of supporting sweatshops with our money.

Shop for reused clothing: Most cities have thrift and clothing consignment stores, from Goodwill or the Salvation Army, to Buffalo Exchange and vintage clothing shops. You don’t need to read labels here, either, because the clothing is already on its second life. Yard and garage sales are also excellent sources of ‘previously owned’ clothing.

Barter for, or trade clothes: If you’re a community organizer-type person, plan a clothing swap among your friends and relations. Invite a group to your house and have them bring all of the clothes they wish to get rid of, and then everyone takes their pick – all free. The leftovers can be donated to your local nonprofit thrift store afterward. Hold a clothing swap once per season, or in the spring and fall, and you’ll have plenty of new (to you) duds, without spending a dime or supporting sweatshops!

Make your own: Making your own clothing is a lost art, but anyone with some time, material, and a pattern can begin to make basic articles of clothing. Or re-purpose another piece of clothing into a ‘new’ garment. Make friends with the sewing circle ladies, and keep your eye out for a decent sewing machine at yard sales.
Buy union-made clothing: Just because the label says “Made in the USA” doesn’t mean it’s sweatshop-free. The U.S. Department of Labor estimates that two-thirds of garment shops in New York and southern California are sweatshops. And some of the so called U.S. made clothing was actually produced somewhere else(in a sweatshop) and simply finished in the U.S. But buying clothing made by union members, like UNITE HERE, orShop Union Made, means you’re supporting garment workers who actually have a voice and the power of negotiation.

Use sweatshop-free clothing directories, like the one at New American Dream, Sweat Free, Clean Clothes Connection, Organic Consumers Association. No list will be exhaustive, and no major brand-name can be certified “sweatfree” because their production facilities and the conditions within the factories change rapidly. There is no independent third party certification system for sweatfree apparel, but the Fair Trade label is a good indicator.

Look for labels from sweatshop-free companies, like Maggies Organics,Unionwear, Justice, or No Sweat Apparel.

Learn about worker-owned cooperatives and buy from Fair Trade certified organizations (fairtradefederation.org). Co-operatives have equitable business structures and collective bargaining power, ones which benefit all of the workers, not just an owner or some absent stockholders. All members of a cooperative are shareholders of the business, and many Fair Trade companies buy from worker cooperatives or collectives. Stay out of the big box stores: The major retailers are trying to push as much stuff out the door, and get as much of your cash as they can, so bargaining for better working conditions from their suppliers is not high on their priorities. Much of the goods sold there are produced overseas, in what are most likely sweatshop conditions. If you don’t see any indication otherwise on the label, it’s safe to assume the product was produced in a sweatshop. Ask your favorite retailer about their purchasing guidelines: To raise awareness of the sweatshop clothing issue among retailers, ask your favorite brands and stores what they are doing about fair wages and working conditions for their suppliers. If they don’t have any clear answers about their practices, you can help to educate them about the issue, and point them to retailers or manufacturers who have made changes. It’s important to put the pressure on the end-seller, and use your shopping dollars to support businesses that have the same values as you.

No, you don’t have to go around naked to live a sweatshop free life. But you do have to ask yourself some hard questions about the type of clothing you buy and who you buy it from. It’s not as easy as strolling to the mall and filling up your basket, but it’s not as hard as you think. And it’s worth it. Every single small change we make in our habits adds to every other person’s small changes until it reaches critical mass. And that’s when the big changes come.