Discovery Health - Sara Snow's Get Fresh Blog

Water cooler topic # 2 - Plastic vs Paper

The answer? NEITHER!!

Why not paper bags? Many people choose paper thinking its better for the environment but this isn’t necessarily the case. Paper bags are made from virgin wood, timber grown specifically for this use, creating greenhouse gases and polluting byproducts. In fact, some estimate that to produce paper bags consumes more energy, creates more solid and waterborne waste and harmful emissions than plastic. Paper can be recycled and often is, which wins it a few plus points.

So then what’s wrong with plastic? Plastic bags, the kind used in most grocery stores and supermarkets, are made from polyethylene, a petroleum product. Petroleum is a non-renewable resource and it’s estimated that we use nearly 12 million barrels of oil each year on plastic bags used in the US alone. Close to a trillion bags are used each year around the globe, and aside from the petroleum issue, these bags sit for next to eternity in our landfill and they’re polluting our lakes, oceans and streams, harming wildlife.

Solution? Start a collection of reusable cloth bags, today. You’ll be amazed where you can find these. An old gym bag, a book tote, anything will work. Now, start taking those with you EVERY time you go to the grocery store, farmers market, even the mall. This is what I do. I have a collection of about 10 in my car. When I’m doing a quick trip I take 3 in with me. When I need a lot of groceries, I take more. I have bags with firm frames, insulated bags, bags with funny logos and company names on the front, bags from specific natural foods stores. It takes all kinds and what I’ve learned is, my groceries are picky. They don’t care what they go home in and the earth breaths a sigh of relief every time I’m asked “paper or plastic?” and I say “no thanks, I brought my own.”

As a side note, as you’re collecting bags you may still have to use a few paper or plastic bags here and there. If that’s the case, make sure you’re reusing and recycling whatever bag you choose.

Fair Trade 101

Fair Trade has a lot of people confused. Organic – people get that. Natural – it’s confusing but for the most part people at least know what that implies. Now, Fair Trade is sometimes a different story. So here’s what you need to know the next time the water cooler conversation turns to fair trade-certified coffee beans. It often does that, doesn’t it??

The Fair Trade certified label (the one you’ve probably seen on bananas, coffee or chocolate) not only assures you that you’re getting a top quality product, it is a guarantee that the farmers and farm workers received a fair price for their products and, therefore, a higher standard of living and better, often cleaner and safer, working conditions.

To bear the Fair Trade certified label a product, and those producing and trading it, must pass stringent economic, environmental and social criteria. To do so, farmers and farm workers must invest in their farms and communities, and develop a business plan and the necessary business skills to compete in the global marketplace. In that way Fair Trade Certification empowers the farmers and farm workers to lift themselves out of poverty.

According to TransFair USA, the US monitoring group, Fair Trade principles include:
• Fair prices: Democratically organized farmer groups receive a guaranteed minimum floor price and an additional premium for certified organic products. Farmer organizations are also eligible for pre-harvest credit.
• Fair labor conditions: Workers on Fair Trade farms enjoy freedom of association, safe working conditions, and living wages. Forced child labor is strictly prohibited.
• Direct trade: With Fair Trade, importers purchase from Fair Trade producer groups as directly as possible, eliminating unnecessary middlemen and empowering farmers to develop the business capacity necessary to compete in the global marketplace.
• Democratic and transparent organizations: Fair Trade farmers and farm workers decide democratically how to invest Fair Trade revenues.
• Community development: Fair Trade farmers and farm workers invest Fair Trade premiums in social and business development projects like scholarship programs, quality improvement trainings, and organic certification.
• Environmental sustainability: Harmful agrochemicals and GMOs are strictly prohibited in favor of environmentally sustainable farming methods that protect farmers’ health and preserve valuable ecosystems for future generations.

Currently more than 600,000 farmers in over 30 countries are Fair Trade certified, sending out products to more than 20,000 retailers worldwide. In the US today you can find Fair Trade coffee, tea, herbs, cocoa, chocolate, fresh fruit, flowers, sugar, rice and vanilla.

Eco-fashion...In time for Fall shopping

I get questions from all sorts of people, asking what things they can do to live a greener life. Most often the questions involve food, which makes sense because, since we all eat, everyone can relate to food. But, while I also get a lot of questions about cleaning products and recycling and gardening, I get many, many questions about eco-fashion. I'm not surprised by this because, like food and eating, we all get dressed in the morning…. or sometime thereafter…so we should all be able to relate to fashion (or apparel choices) on some level.

Eco fashion; what exactly does that mean?
In truth, it doesn’t mean just one thing; it means different things to different people at different times. Sometimes it's illustrated through fashion with reduced chemical use, employing environmentally friendlier fibers like organically grown cotton and hemp or through low-impact dyes and vegetable tanned leathers. At other times eco fashion might mean reduced waste through the use of recycled elements like zippers and buttons, clothes many from recycled soda bottles or fabrics or good, old fashioned vintage clothing.

The choice on the different fronts is a little like organic versus local when it comes to food. Often organic wins out. Other times, many times, local is the best choice. It's a similar situation in fashion. Best-case scenario we find a food or, in this case, a hoodie that represents all the best things that eco fashion has to offer. Sometimes, though, it's just one eco element, and that’s good enough.

Ok, so apples can be organic, but cotton too?
Why organic when it comes to fashion? Well, consider this…conventional cotton is one of the most heavily sprayed crops in the world. In fact, 1/3 pound of chemical pesticides is used to produce enough cotton for one conventional t-shirt. One t-shirt. Now think, how many t-shirts do you have in your drawer? Uh huh! That’s a lot of pesticides! Last year almost 85 million pounds of pesticides were sprayed on conventional cotton fields. And although cotton accounts for less than 3% of the world's agriculture, it employs over 25% of the world’s insecticides and 10% of the world's pesticides. Not surprisingly, conventional cotton farmers have some of the highest rates of cancer.

Now, on the happy, hippy flip side. Organic fibers, like cotton, are not sprayed with harmful pesticides, herbicides, fungicides or chemical fertilizers. This means safer, cleaner water, air and soil. It means healthier bodies and a healthier planet for the generations who will come after us.

Let's go shopping. Where do I start?
Think outside the box as you do your fall shopping. Consider what you’re buying, how long it will last you and what sorts of lasting effects it will have on the environment. Invest in items that will carry you through numerous seasons and not be tossed away in a few months. Buy vintage, thereby reducing the amount of new resources used to create your wardrobe. And buy items that are manufactured in safe, clean environments out of materials that are friendly to our earth. There are absolutely stunning fabrics today from hemp/silk blends, organically grown cotton, and milk, soy, bamboo, seaweed and wood pulp fibers. Fabrics you couldn’t have dreamt up even on your best night's sleep.

So, here's a list of many of the websites I frequent when I'm looking to do a little eco-fashion shopping. I'm sure I've left some off, so I'll apologize in advance. If you notice an oversight, give me a shout. And, if you have favorites that you don’t see here, please let me know about them as well.

I'll be honest here. This girl likes to shop! But I try to do so responsibly. Keep that in mind as you hit the racks this fall.

Clothing
Www.underthecanopy.com
Www.undesigned.com
Www.lindaloudermilk.com
Www.delforte.com
Www.serfontaine.com
Www.oftheearth.com
Www.americanapparel.com (sustainable edition)
Www.stewartbrown.com
Www.thelivingplanet.net
Www.ecoganik.com
Www.pandasnack.com
Www.laramiller.net
Www.gracecello.com
Www.patagonia.com
Www.nau.com

Shoes and accessories
Www.charmoneshoes.com
Www.mattandnat.com
Www.beyondskin.co.uk
Www.terraplana.com
Www.simpleshoes.com
Www.tinglondon.com
Www.lulufrost.com

After the Green Wedding

The green wedding has aired!  The bride was beautiful, the groom was happy (translate: sobbing) and the guests were well-fed, well-served and had a great time. Even Ma Verdi now appreciates the greener side of life.

I promised a few behind the scenes stories from the taping of this one-hour special.  John gagged (as you may have seen) on tofu.  It was his first foray into the unknown world of soy products and he didn’t enjoy it.  But he was extremely pleased with the grass fed beef and all of the food they ended up selecting and serving. 

Ayana was a great bride.  She was already embracing green living through much of her life but was looking for a little help integrating greener options into her wedding.  She was so fond of the dress our designer made for her out of a fabric blend of organic hemp and eco-silk.  She wanted vegetarian options from the caterer and was thrilled with the results.  But the one small bump in the road for Ayana had to do with the flowers.  She loved the idea of embracing organics for all of the flower options, which thrilled me to no end, but she had to get past the picture she had in her mind of the large, very large, bouquet she saw herself carrying down the isle. Here’s why, and this is important: green is not only about choosing the organic, natural, or chemical-free alternative to some conventional good.  It is about living minimally, without excess.  It’s about preserving and protecting our resources.   About living mindfully; mindful of your health, the earth’s health and the health of those around you.  So Ayana, committed to walking down the road toward becoming a green goddess, compromised and carried a smaller bouquet of organic blooms. 

When you’re planning your next party, either a large event like a wedding, or something more intimate, try to integrate eco alternatives: organic flowers, local food, found objects for decoration.  Teach your guests something.  Send them away with resources to make changes in their own lives. 

And remember that there is more than one answer.  If you can’t find organic flowers, choose locally grown buds.  If you can’t find organic cotton table cloths, use recycled fabric or vintage table cloths.  Live and entertain with green as your focus.

Related Links:

Sara's Get Fresh Site

The Green Wedding

Wellness Center

Happy couple + Sara Snow = Green Wedding Bells

Every year almost 2 ½ million couples get married in the US. And the average cost of those weddings? A whopping $20,000… more than most people will spend on anything in their entire married lives… except cars and homes.
All together, that’s about $50 billion being spent to make wedding bells ring every year.

So what does that mean? It means your wedding day, and the months of planning leading up to it, provides you with an opportunity to make responsible choices, to be an example to your tens or hundreds of guests and to “vote with your dollars”. Because think of what a difference it would make if even half of that $50 billion could be spent supporting local farmers, makers of eco-fibers and recycled paper goods and growers of organic flowers and food.

Ok, but how is it done? I decided to help one couple find out. I first met John and Ayana when they were in the very early stages of planning their wedding. Ayana knew what she wanted her dress to look like, and John knew what he wanted the food to taste like. Both were interested in making their wedding a little greener, a little more environmentally responsible, but they were both worried about what they would have to sacrifice to do so. Would the food still taste good? Would an eco dress end up looking like a burlap sac?

Over the course of a few months I walked the journey with John and Ayana, exploring each of the typical wedding decisions, and for each I steered them in the direction that would result in a wedding that was not only beautiful and fairytale-ish, but responsible, earth friendly and a living example for their friends and family.

An average wedding involves decisions about at least each of the following: venue, food, flowers, invitations, dress, rings, favors, leftovers, and honeymoon. When you’re thinking “green” you have to think a little farther on each of these topics. For example, food isn’t just about “will my guests want chicken or beef?”, it’s also about “can I get that chicken locally?”, “will the beef be grass fed?” and “will the greens be organic?”.
Here’s a quick checklist for some of the decisions I went through with John and Ayana.

Venue – Where will the wedding be held? What does that building/location represent? How far will our guests have to travel to get there? Can we cut down on energy consumption through the use of natural light and candles?
Food – What will we eat? Where will the food come from? How will the food be grown/raised/produced? Can I find a caterer who will embrace my organic and local requests?
Flowers – What types of flowers will we have? Where will those come from? How will they be grown? Can I get calla lilies/roses/hydrangeas that have been grown without the use of harmful chemicals? Can I create a fairyland without being excessive?
Invitations (programs, menus, place cards) – What type of paper will we use? Can I get recycled paper that looks sleek and unique? Will my guests recycle their invites when they’re through with them? Can I create an invite that lives on, rather than becoming a piece of trash?
Dress –Can I have my dream dress made out of eco-friendly fibers? What type of fabric will we use? What does a hemp/silk blend look, feel and drape like? Would a vintage dress be a more responsible choice?
Rings – What types of metal will we use? Where do the stones come from? Can I get cruelty-free stones? Should I choose a vintage ring instead?
Favors – What will we give? Will it teach our guests something? Can it be healthful and decadent?
Leftovers – What happens to the food and flowers? How much waste will we end up throwing away? How much can we compost or recycle? Can others (hospital, soup kitchen) benefit from leftover foods and flowers?
Honeymoon – Where will we go? How will we get there? Can we tread lightly even while celebrating our flawless, green nuptials?

There were a few other decisions and hic-cups along the way. But the wedding was a fairytale green event. Check it out and judge for yourself! This Wednesday night, July 25th at 10pm EST, you can watch my special one-hour episode on throwing a green wedding.

After you’ve watched, I’ll fill you in on some of the behind the scenes stories, like what made John gag when we were tasting food and what almost brought Ayana to tears.

I have to say, I was and still am enormously proud of this couple. Not only did they embrace green for their wedding day but they’ve also started making changes in their daily lives and that is what this is all about. Pick your catalyst, your starting point, then jump in and be willing to learn and make small changes every day.

…….After you’ve watched, I’d love to hear what you think!

A little about me….and where I come from.

Most people learn a lot growing up from their parents.  They teach us to ride bikes and swim, tie our shoes and maybe scramble an egg.  Mine taught me those things, but as a small child, they also taught me one of the most important lessons I’ve learned: how to love the earth.

We lived in an eco home out in the country, and it was there that I learned about water conservation and composting.   And because our home didn’t have a furnace for years and years I learned how to keep it warm through passive solar heating and how to keep it cool in the winter.  I learned that you can grow enough food for a season’s worth of dinners just by sowing a few seeds in the springtime and tending to them through the summer. 

My mom taught me how to grow and cook with these foods and my dad taught me that, much like a baseball diamond, if you build it, they will come.  But Dad’s field of dreams involved food – healthy, natural foods.  My dad could have done a great many things when he left college, a young idealistic hippie with a college education and a successful father to help tow him along.  But he didn’t do many things.  He did one extremely important thing.  He set out to help change America through the foods we eat.  He grew up eating his share of white bread and canned vegetables and was frightened for the future of his one-day children if these were the foods that Americans would continue to consume.  So, instead of wasting his time soapboxing or complaining, he did something about it.  He co-founded a company called Eden Foods and began to sell and distribute natural food products; products like unrefined vegetable oils, whole grain flours and sea vegetables.  Then he re-focused, co-founded another company called American Soy Products and helped to put the first commercially produced soymilk, EdenSoy, on our country’s grocery shelves.  For a while he worked on developing an all natural fruit and vegetable juice that became very popular with the little ones.  I still have Vruit t-shirts and socks in my dresser. 

Today you won’t find him sitting back retired or out on the links every morning.  No, he’s still at it.  In fact his newest focus is seafood.  He recently co-founded a company called Blue Horizon Organic Seafood Co. to answer our nation’s cry for safer, healthier seafood options. 

And my Mom?  Yes, she’s still treading the path with him.  She encourages young moms to make their own baby food and start buying organics, she grows much of what they eat in the summertime in the vegetable garden and she continues to be a source of inspiration and a wealth of knowledge for her four kids and so many others. 

So, yes, my parents taught me to tie my shoes and braid my hair when I was growing up.  But they taught me a lot more.  I do what I do because of them.  I am who I am because of them.  And I’m here to teach you, because of them.

My parents are Pattie and Tim Redmond and, if you’d like to, you can tune in to see my dad on a brand new episode of  Get Fresh with Sara Snow, this Thursday night (July 12th) at 8:30 ET on Discovery Health.