Mona Vei Acai
Have you heard of Mona Vie? If not if won’t be long until you do. The mona vie acai juice is squeezed from a berry grown on the acai palm. Each berry is under an inch in size, and looks like a large grape. The reason for the recent craze is mona vie acai berries are a superb source of important fatty acids, oleic acids and phytosterols. Ccombined these acids reduce the bad cholesterol and increase the good cholesterol in our bodies. The acai berry also contains amino acids and vital trace elements needed for muscle contraction and regeneration. They possess vitamins a and e, high levels of calcium, and phosphorus, as well as high concentrations of polyphenols, making it a great source of antioxidants. In fact, it is a much better source of antioxidants than oranges, blueberries, and even red wine. Completed studies show a link between the use of antioxidants and increased longevity, and the antioxidants help in the fight against premature aging, cardiovascular, cancer, and eye disease. Acai may also boost brain activity, make the skin healthier, support healthy cholesterol levels, and provide natural energy.
Sounds pretty good huh? Well there’s one more thing, and it has to do with the environment. An acai palm also produces “hearts of palm” which has become popular on salads and entrees all over the world. The problem with hearts of palm is that, until the benefits of the acai berrya were realized, entire acai palm trees was harvested just for the heart of palm. These trees grow in our rainforests which means entire acres of acai palm trees were being harvested in our rainforests to provide hearts of palm. Today, thanks to the acai berry and its benefits, many of these trees are left to grow and bear the acai berry to produce mona vie. What does that all mean? It means consuming less heart of palm and more mona vei actually saves our rainforests.
THE FACTS
Grow A Garden
There are few things more rewarding than consuming home grown vegetables from your own garden. Starting your own garden is fun, inexpensive, and can provide more food than you probably realize. Why would it be good for the environment? Normally food travels an average of 1,500 to 2,500 miles before it reaches your plate. That’s a lot of CO2 released into the atmosphere, not to mention the fossil fuel consumption on pesticides, farming, processing, cold storage, and packaging.
Having your own garden can save you a lot of money on food as well. A pack of tomato seeds costs around $3, the same as a pound of tomatoes at the grocery store. The difference is the seeds will provide you with tomatoes all summer long. Sure it might not be possible to grow all your own produce year round, but even if its just for the summer then every little bit of that will help.
THE FACTS
On average, produce travels 1,500 to 2,500 miles before it reaches your plate.
Plants and Herbs
Planting some plants and herbs around your home is great way to improve your environmental footprint. Growing plants indoors helps clean the air inside our homes as they absorb toxins and help to create a calm environment. You don’t need to have a garden or conservatory for herbs and plants as there are plenty of species that grow easily indoors throughout the year. When you grow your own herbs, you also save money on buying them.
CARING FOR YOUR PLANTS
Maintenance
• Like temperatures ranging from 18-24°C.
• Don’t like to be too close to the window, radiators or vents because blasts of hot or cold air are not good for them.
• Need good air circulation and the right amount of light according to their species.
• Need air humidity between 35-65 percent. The best way to keep a plant moist is by regularly misting its leaves, as well as grouping plants together or standing the plants on pebbles.
• Water your plants according to their species and less in the winter as they need a rest period.
• Water your plant when it needs it, not as a matter of routine. If you’re not sure if the plant needs watering by touching its soil, leave it.
• Signs of over watering are yellow leaves, poor growth, rotten patches and mouldy flowers.
• Signs of under watering are soil that doesn’t drain, leaves wilt and curl, leaves become brown and dried.
• Feed your plant with fertilizer in its growing period to boost its minerals – usually six to eight weeks after purchase or repotting.
• Cleaning the leaves of dust is also important as dust blocks the leaf pores.
• Potting on means moving plants to a larger pot in their growing period and is necessary for some plants such as ferns. This shouldn’t be done if the plant is resting as no new roots will grow.
• Repotting a plant usually occurs in spring to add fresh potting mixture, but is not necessary for all plants.
• Monitor plants for pests and disease. Treat immediately if affected.
THE FACTS
Say No to Fast Food
There is nothing worse for you or for the environment than “fast food”. We spend over $130 billion dollars every year on fast or take-out food. Not only is fast food loaded with fat, sodium and carbohydrates, it is also very bad for the environment. While it may be convenient for us out on the road, getting that food to every fast food restaurant on every highway exit in the country consumes millions of gallons of fuel a year. And that’s not the only problem. Fast food packaging creates 1. 7 million tons of trash every year in the form of boxes, plastic or paper bags, plastic forks, etc.
Solution? Bring your own food with you whenever possible. Creating a meal at home is cheaper and healthier than eating out. Pack a lunch before work, school, or before a long car trip. You’ll lose weight, feel better, and save money all while helping the environment.
With a third of all children in the U.S. eating a fast food meal on any given day, the fast food industry is far reaching. The industry seemingly has a hold in every corner of American life and industry, from health care to agriculture, from transportation to marketing. Consumers, shareholders and other stakeholders are starting to look at the fast food industry and demand more accountability for both the food it serves and how it produces that food.
Signs exist that the fast food industry is moving to reflect people’s desires for healthier choices and greener products. The ban on trans fats in New York City is just one example of how quickly the restaurant industry can move to answer public demand or governmental policy. However, many shareholders may wonder if enough is being done by fast food chains to protect the environment, and how to tell the responsible burger and pizza peddlers from the rest.
THE FACTS
Americans spend over $130 billion dollars every year on fast food.
Eat Local
Locally grown and harvested products can be purchased directly from the farmer at Farmers Markets, Farm Stands, U-picks, and by joining a Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) farm. Locally grown products can also be bought at restaurants, co-ops, and grocers that buy directly from farmers, ranchers, and fishermen. When you buy direct from local farmers, your dollars stay within your community, and strengthen the local economy. More than 90¢ of every dollar you spend goes to the farmer, thus preserving farming as a livelihood and farmland. This is important because as mergers in the food industry have increased, the portion of your food dollar paid to farmers has decreased. Vegetable farmers earn only 21¢ of your dollar; the other 79¢ goes to pay for marketing, distribution, and other costs.
ORGANIC VS. LOCAL
Although eating organically is healthy, the best thing for the environment is to focus on eating locally first. The average food item travels about 1,500 miles before reaching your plate. What does this mean? It means eating locally grown food can help reduce the amount of energy and CO2 emissions released into atmosphere. Support local farmers by buying locally grown food at farmers market and organic food stores.
THE FACTS
Eat Less Meat
No you don’t need to be vegetarian to save the environment, but eating less meat will not only benefit the environment it’ll benefit your health. Eating less meat can reduce your cholesterol level, we all know this. But here are some things you probably don’t know. Methane gas released from captive livestock accounts for nearly a fifth of greenhouse gases released into the atmosphere. Producing a pound of meat requires 30 times more water than producing a pound of wheat, and 200 times more than a pound of potatoes. Producing one calorie of animal protein uses 10 times as much fossil fuels as producing a calorie of vegetable protein. And you can save money as well. A pound of lentils has the same amount of protein as a pound of ground beef, but only costs $2 compared to $3.50.
THE FACTS
Organic Beverages
Hey, we all like to settle in with a nice glass of wine from time to time right? The environmental issue with wine, tea, and crafted beer is the chemical pesticides used in their production. Luckily, today we have the option of consuming organic beverages that are produced without chemical pesticides. So no… you don’t have to stop drinking to Green!
Conventional agricultural practices, adopted in large part over the past 50 years, have stripped the minerals essential for healthy crops from the soil, necessitating the increasing use of artificial help to replace what has been lost. The cornerstone of organic farming is the soil. Maintaining a healthy, biologically active soil is the main objective for an organic farmer. It means using natural fertilizers, such as composted animal manure, versus chemical fertilizers. Organic growers use no synthetic growth-regulators.
ORGANIC WINE
In the vineyard, organic farming means cultivating the soil and planting cover crops, instead of applying herbicides. Organic farmers promote “biodiversity” and allow plants other than vines to grow in and around the vineyard. Biodiversity helps regulate the vineyard soil by attracting beneficial insects, spiders and predatory mites, as well as provide shelter and food therefore eliminating the need for chemical pesticides or insecticides. There are many organic wines available today that do not contain any pesticide or toxins. To learn more visit www.ecovinewine.com.
ORGANIC BEER
Organic beer is made using barley and hops grown without toxic pesticides and chemical fertilizers. These substances can cause soil degradation and chemical runoff that contaminate water sources and the ecosystems that they support. Using organically grown barley and hops also means these toxins never make their way into the beer. Organic beer is available at any major liquor store or online. Support the brewers that try and makes a difference, you’ll be drinking the most delicious beer possible and feel good about the positive environmental contribution we are making. Here is a quick list of great organic beers:
* Wolavers Certified Organic India Pale Ale, Pale Ale or Brown Ale
* Butte Creek Organic Ale, Porter, India Pale Ale or Pilsner
* Goose Island Organic Lamar St. Pale Ale
* Eel River Certified Organic Amber Ale, Porter or Extra Pale Ale
* Hawk’s Brewery Certified Organic Supernatural Porter, Supernatural India Pale Ale,
* Hawk’s Brewery SupernaturalE.S.B. and Supernatural Oatmeal Stout
* Fish Tale Organic Amber Ale or Indian Pale Ale
* Wild Salmon Organic Pale Ale
* Lakefront Organic E.S.B. Ale
* Kraftbrau Brewery Alt beer for Winter or English Pale Ale for Summer
* Crannog Ales Certified Organic Beyond the Pale Ale, Red Brance Irish Ale, and Back Hand of God Stout
* Crannog Ales Hell’s Kitchen Ale, and Old Mill Flax Ale
* Natureland Organic Lager
* Golden Promise
* St. Peter’s Organic English Ale or Organic Best Bitter
* Castelain Jade Organic
* Samuel Smith”s Organic Ale or Lager
* Pinkus’ Organic Munster Alt, Ur Pils or HefenWeizen
ORGANIC TEA
Organic tea is grown the same as organic wine and beer. The ingredients are organically grown without chemical pesticides that contaminate the tea, as well as contaminate our soil and water. Here is a list of great organic teas:
* Citrus Green Organic
* Organic Dragon Well
* Organic Golden Bamboo Hairpoint
* Organic Jing Mei Tea
* Organic Gold-Flecked Green
THE FACTS
Organic growers use no synthetic growth-regulators when producing wine, hops, or tea.
Green Your Diet
We all need and love to eat, but there many choices we can make to green our diet. The food industry uses about 20% of the energy consumed in the United States. Of that 40% goes to process, package, and distribute our food and another 40% goes to refrigerate and cook.
EATING LOCALLY
The average food item travels about 1500 miles before reaching your plate. What does this mean? It means eating locally grown food can help reduce the amount of energy and CO2 emissions released into atmosphere. Support local farmers by buying locally grown food at farmers market and organic food stores.
EATING ORGANIC
Organic food is food grown without the use of chemical pesticides and fertilizers. They also require about 50 percent less greenhouse gas-emitting energy to grow than conventional foods. Chemical fertilizers and pesticides are derived from petroleum in energy-intensive processes that release harmful nitrous oxide into the atmosphere. Runoff from those pesticides and fertilizers get into our soil and eventually our water. Not to mention… no matter how well you wash your produce, those harmful pesticides will always be there!
SUPPORT SUSTAINABLE RESTAURANTS
Eat at restaurants that buy ingredients from local farms and make an effort to conserve energy and water and cut down on waste. The restaurant industry represents 10 percent of the U.S. Economy. Greening that industry could make a big difference for our enviroment. Supporting sustainable restaurants who green their business practices helps support what they do.
Bring Your Lunch by Green571
Bring your own food with you whenever possible. Creating a meal at home is cheaper and healthier than eating out. Pack a lunch before school, work, or before a long car trip. You’ll lose weight, feel better, and save money all while helping the environment. We spend over $130 billion dollars every year on fast or take-out food. Not only is fast food loaded with fat, sodium and carbohydrates, it is also very bad for the environment. While it may be convenient for us out on the road, getting that food to every fast food restaurant on every highway exit in the country consumes millions of gallons of fuel a year. And that’s not the only problem. Fast food packaging creates 1. 7 million tons of trash every year in the form of boxes, plastic or paper bags, plastic forks, etc.
THE FACTS
Fast food packaging creates 1. 7 million tons of trash every year in the form of boxes, plastic or paper bags and plastic forks.
Say No to Bottled Water by Green571
According to a recent study, Americans spent $15 billion dollars on bottled water in 2006. Transporting that much water requires moving 1 billion bottles of water a day. You could run 100,000 cars for a year on that amount of oil required to mae the plastic used for bottled water. What’s worse, is that 9 out of 10 plastic water bottles are simply thrown away ending up in our landfills and waterways.
IS BOTTLED WATER REALLY BETTER FOR YOU?
We drink bottled water because we think its healthier, but that really isn’t the case. 24% of bottled water is simply purified tap water repackaged by Coke and Pepsi. They called this product Aquafina and it costs 2,500 times more than normal tap water. Products like Evian and FIJI are even worse, they cost 10,000 times more than normal tap water. Let’s think about it like this. The USDA recommends we drink 8 to 12 cups of water a day. That equates to $2,500 a year if you only drink Aquafina and $10,000 a year if you only drink FIJI. The yearly cost for tap water? $1 dollar…
What’s worse is the federal standards are actually higher on tap water than they are on bottled water. So if there was ever a no brainer its this… buy a reusable water container, for example Nalgene, and drink tap water. If you want it purified they buy a $30 purifier for your tap or $15 dollar Brita purifier for your refrigerator. You’ll save a lot of money and help the environment a great deal.
THE FACTS
The USDA recommends we drink 8 to 12 cups of water a day. That equates to $2,500 a year if you only drink Aquafina and $10,000 a year if you only drink FIJI. The yearly cost for tap water? $1 dollar…
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