The benefits of Chai Tea

As an imperfect environmentalist, my goal is not only to live more sustainably and with as little impact on the environment as I can but also to live more healthily with as much of a positive impact on my own body. So part of my new year's resolution is to care for my body better inside and out....how am I accomplishing this...pushing off the coffee and brining on the Chai Tea. This little miracle drink feels me with utter peace and joy, it mellows me, smooths out all the rough edges and just brings me a little peace in a crazy day. Not only that but I found a write up that explains many additional benefits as well. Look for yourself:

Chai tea not only tastes delicious but has numerous health benefits. Black tea (the tea used to make chai) contains plenty of disease-fighting antioxidants, which in tea are called flavanoids. Flavanoids are not affected by whether or not you have milk in your chai – they still work effectively. It is thought that tea contains ten times the amount of antioxidants as you would find in fruit and vegetables and that is great news for tea lovers because antioxidants slow the aging process and are beneficial for your body. Chai tea helps to prevent and fight cancer, high blood pressure and high cholesterol and Alzheimer's. Chai tea is also thought to boost the immune system and prevent heart attacks and strokes. The extra ingredients added to chai tea also have their own health benefits. Ginger is thought to strengthen and heal the respiratory and digestive systems, fight off colds and sore throats and decrease congestion. People also take ginger to prevent motion sickness. Cloves are restorative and invigorating. They help to generate heat in the body so are good to take if there are colds or flu going around. Cinnamon is a stimulant and makes the other herbs work faster in the body. Black pepper gives warmth. Cardamom stimulates the mind and refreshes you. Nutmeg adds a rich, delicious flavor to your brew. If you crush the spices using a mortar and pestle, the flavors really emerge. Flavanoids and fluorides in tea are believed to be beneficial for the teeth, reducing cavities and preventing the development of plaque. Tea does not stain the teeth as long as you brush them regularly. Chai tea does not have a diuretic effect like coffee, unless you drink it excessively.

A New Dawn

So I cut off all of my hair, well not all of it...I did leave enough to be a little stylish. But I did cut enough to get down to my naturale color and to see how long I can hold off from an organic coloring highlight. I am trying to like myself (roots and all)
The other thing that comes with the shedding of my locks is the exposure of my over -exposed face. All the years of sun bathing and just being out of doors without necessary protection (as an olive skinned gal I honestly didn't think it would apply to me) the years they are a showing. Like any normal woman my age the thought has crossed my mind 5, 10 a few hundred that possibly I should look into Botox or those other miracle cures other women seem to be enjoying to look younger... Then I smack myself and say that I want to love every stage of my age and I don't want to poison myself. So what's a girl to do....RESEARCH!
That's right! I'm not growing old gracefully, I'm going to fight like hell to make my outside look like my inside feels..so here's a little something I came across. I'm going to try and I'll let you know if it works.
Happy New Year!

Considering Botox? Try This Skin Plumping Natural Recipe Instead


By Lynda Fassa
Tarrytown, NY, USA | Mon Oct 13, 2008 05:24 AM ET


OnRequest Images/Jupiterimages
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Do It Yourself | Green Personal Grooming | Organic | Planet Green | Skin Care | Vegetables
Yeah, you can have it all. Your high powered career (or at least a job), your adorable gremlins, a smooth gleaming brow, and some extra cash in your bank account. Here's how to accomplish the last two: Ban the Botox!

I know that might seem like a funny thing to write about on a green site--and no I have not imbibed. But I know a lotta women who have, and even more who are on the brink... about to fall over the precipice into that promised land of manageable toxins, stinging shots, but a smooth, younger looking mug. To all of you I say, wait, give me one week, and try the following--bet you'll see huge results. Plus, you can avoid the obvious toxins of Botox and the less-than-so-obvious potential dangers of even expensive conventional creams and treatments.

Of all the really great natural treatments you can do for yourself at home, this one has some of the most pronounced and immediate results I've seen. This all-natural, make it yourself from grocery store supplies, recipe comes from my gorgeous friend Nancy Klein, a domestic diva and a Hollywood wife with a heart as big as the Amazon, a waist as small as Scarlet O Hara's and skin that would make a baby's toosh jealous.

Organic Spinach And Kale Face And Body Mask
Harvard University researchers say the potent antioxidant lutein, found in dark green leafy vegetables, may protect the skin from sun damage. It also may be beneficial to apply lutein directly to the surface of your skin. The cream contains lactic acid, an exfoliant.

Ingredients:
1/2 pound washed organic spinach
1/2 pound washed organic green kale
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
1/4 cup heavy cream
In lead-free ceramic or tempered glass container combine spinach, kale, and 1 T. water. Microwave, uncovered, for 2 minutes. Replace cover and let sit for 3 minutes. Puree in blender with oil and cream until smooth. Apply and let sit for about 8 minutes for full effect. Splash or shower off with warm water finished by a cool rinse to close your pores. The mixture can be kept for about a week in the fridge. Use twice weekly in the dryer climates.

Voila! You're gorgeous... your friends will be wondering, "What have you done?"

Why I love a New Year's Resolutions

I'm a freak about New Years Resolutions. I love to make them and have done it for years. When I used to keep a journal I would have pages worth, one on my spiritual self, my physical self, and one on the world around me. Now that I'm a busy momma of 2, run an organic lawn care business, and take care of this crazy household I don't have the time to put into those journals...but I still make resolutions. I know one for the new year FOR SURE is to spend more time on myself. These last few years I've put alot of energy outward and not enough inward. I'm going to re-focus alot of energy on Healthy Living. Eating better, exercising more, and taking care of Momma Bear.

As I'm imperfect and love to be so, I know that I may trip a bit along my path...but the goal is the resolution. Its to put it out there in front of you to focus on every day. If you can do one thing toward your goal each day you are on your way.

And as always I'm constantly looking for ways to Green our lives...so here's a little article that is right up that alley.
Happy New Year! -

Raising healthy children in an unhealthy world
How we care for children now will not only affect the rest of their lives, but will also shape future generations. It's up to us to help them thrive in a wholesome environment and teach them what a healthy lifestyle looks like. Making simple choices about what we consume and how we live day-to-day can help our little ones become tomorrow's world changers.

Give children a healthy start in everyway

Raise recyclers
Point out the difference between trash and recyclable items and involve children in sorting and managing recycling. Visit a local landfill to help them understand the impact that our waste hason the environment and to help them understand why it's time to simplify.

Choose to conserve
Be a model for energy-saving activities - turn off the TV and switch off the lights when they're not needed. Limit water use when brushing teeth and remind kids to do the same.

Cultivate Gardners
Give a child a small space to grow something of his or her own. Whether you live in the city or country, offer a small square of land or an indoor potted garden for them to care for. Choosing and planting seeds, regularly tending and enjoying the fruits of their labor will empower children with responsibility and encouratge them to live sustainably in the future.

Limit Waste
Find creative ways to reuse items around the house. Povide a bin for collecting things like old buttons and jewlry pieces, shoe strings and clothespins for kids' craft projects. Old Christmas cards and wrapping paper scraps can be saved for next years holiday crafts.

Get Moving as a Family
Before climbing in the car, consider walking or biking together to your destination. The whole family can experience sights and sounds that are often missed when speeeding along with the windows rolled up. It takes a little extra patience and planning, but the investment in your family's health and the environment is worth it.

Cut Out Clutter
Cut household clutter and simplify choices by limiting the number of toys your child has on hand. Well-made, durable toys - those made of wood with notoxic paints or organic cotton - are the most earth and child-friendly. Solar-powered (instead of battery-operated) toys are also growing in popularity and available right here on the internt (just a short search away). ENCOURAG childrn to donat xc playhing to oth who may not have their own.

Go Local
Instead of heading to the super market all the time, seekout local growers when possible. Visits to the farmers market or a local farm are excellent opportunities to teach kids that food doesn't grow on grocery store shelves. When you do visit the grocery store, take time to point out things that are grown and manufactured locally.

Opt for Organic
Not all budgets allow us to choose organic everything. However, offering children natural food choices as often as possible is worhty investment in a healthy future. Opt for whole grains, hormone-free meats and dairy products when you can.

Here are the "dirty dozen" - 12 fruits and vegetables that should be top priority when it comes to buying organic.

Peaches
Apples
Bell Peppers
Nectarines
Strawberries
Cherries
Pears
Grapes
Spinach
Lettuce
Potatoes
Many food additives and preservatives have been linked to hyperactivity and other abnormalities in children. MSG, high-fructose corn syrup, food colorings and partially hydrogenated vegetable oil are just a few of the culprits.

The Internet is a wonderful place and a powerful tool for today¹s society to teach children about the environment. Please feel free to check out the recommended sites for teachers, parents or caregivers of today¹s youth.

http://www.earth2kids.org/ http://www.earthforce.org/ http://www.edugreen.teri.res.in/ http://www.planetpals.com/ http://www.nwf.org/kids http://www.epa.gov/kids http://www.greenscreen.org/ http://www.kidlink.org/ http://www.kidsforsavingearth.org/ http://www.epa.gov/recyclecity http://www.inspectorgreen.com/ http://www.wattsnew.com/ http://www.howstuffworks.com/landfill an educational site on how landfills operate.

Why I justify my real Christmas Tree!

Traditions are Traditions....but a person is a person no matter how small (says the Lorax)....so what's a REAL Christmas Tree lover to do. I put my mind to rest when I came across this:

National Christmas Tree Association estimates that 40 to 45 million trees are planted each year. Christmas tree farms are natural habitats for bird and animal species. While a natural tree is growing it removes CO2 from the air, provide food and protection for deer, ground hogs, rabbits, bears and song birds. Purchase of natural trees supports local farmers. Once the trees are no longer needed they can be mulched or used in the garden to attract nesting birds. The trees are harvested and then replanted make them carbon neutral.

Artificial trees are neither carbon neutral nor environmentally friendly. They require fossil fuels to produce them and they are imported from China. A Life Cycle Assessment of an artificial tree found that the fake tree needs to be used for 20 years to leave an environmental footprint as small as a natural Christmas tree.

Whew! I can keep our tradition alive!

Eco-Smart Consumer: Bring Recycling With You!

Eco-Smart Consumer: Bring Recycling With You!

So we moved in....

So we moved in to our new house. Whew! what a whirlwind of boxes and debris. What can I say proudly.... we used Zero VOC paints for all the rooms which I can say was a total pain in the bottom! The coverage was awful...many rooms needed to painted 3 times, but what I can say is that there was absolutely NO paint smell, no air quality issues for my little noses to inhale. So it may have been a pain for us, but its good for them. What I can say I'm not as proud of is how much we couldn't get rid of through re-use. I tried, I posted on FreeCycle, Craigs List, but noone seemed to want my old curtains. So to salvation army they go....where I think they'll end up in the landfill because they are not really re-usable in their current form. They'd be better used for stuffing of some sort for crafters. Maybe I can find an art supply re-use house. We have stuck to our guns on environmentally friendly cleaning products and carpet cleaning....yeah for the GREENER CLEANER a local environmentally friendly cleaning service. Where we need to really improve is embracing the older products we have and not immediately go out and get new ones.... alas I'm no perfect. Those pretty shiny new refrigerators and dishwashers looked awfully nice on Black Friday.

Eco-Smart Consumer: Bring Recycling With You!

Eco-Smart Consumer: Bring Recycling With You!