To buy organic or not?

In my quest to eat healthier foods, I found myself wondering about chemicals and pesticides in certain foods. Buying organic is an option, but if you do it for everything, it can get outrageously expensive. And some things can be difficult to find, depending upon your area and what is available in stores.

I discovered the Environmental Working Group's (EWG) list called "The Clean Fifteen" - which is a list of 15 foods with the lowest (or no) pesticide residue. So you don't need to worry if you can't find (or afford) the organic versions of these particular food!

The Clean Fifteen

(1=lowest/no pesticide;

15=still low pesticide, but more than 1)

1. Onions
2. Avocado
3. Sweet Corn
4. Pineapple
5. Mangos
6. Sweet Peas
7. Asparagus
8. Kiwi
9. Cabbage
10. Eggplant
11. Cantaloupe
12. Watermelon
13. Grapefruit
14. Sweet Potato
15. Honeydew Melon

There is also a list called "The Dirty Dozen" - and as you can probably guess, these 12 foods have the highest amounts of pesticide residue, so you would want to purchase the organic versions of these foods whenever possible.

The Dirty Dozen

(1=the greatest amt. of pesticide;

12=less than 1, but still a lot of pesticide)

1. Celery
2. Peaches
3. Strawberries
4. Apples
5. Blueberries
6. Nectarines
7. Bell Peppers
8. Spinach
9. Kale
10. Cherries
11. Potatoes
12. Grapes (Imported)

You can find downloadable versions of these lists at the EWG website, foodnews.org. There is also an iPhone app available. You can find the complete list of 49 foods and their ranking here.

My Paper Crane has designed a cute little "cheat sheet" that can be printed and then laminated to carry in your wallet. You can read about that and download it here.

 
You can search for local growers here. Support your local farmers!

Is buying organic important to you? Which organic foods do you buy?

Another easy way to go green!

You know I really believe in trying to be as green as possible - if you doubt that, just ask Gus, LOL. He gets a little aggravated with me at times, but he's usually pretty good-natured about it. I think he figures it's just easier to go along with me than it is to argue.  :-)

Anyway, Paper Mate now offers biodegradable pens and mechanical pencils. You need to disassemble them before discarding, because some parts must still be disposed of in the garbage - but the rest of the pen/pencil can be placed in the soil or a home compost heap. These pieces will biodegrade completely in about a year.

Paper Mate also offers other green products:

 Earth Write pencils - made from 100% recycled wood!

Do you know the difference between biodegradable, renewable, recycled, and recyclable?

• biodegradable materials return to nature
• renewable materials are derived from replenishable resources
• recycled materials are made from discarded items or supplies
• recyclable materials can be reused instead of discarded  

You buy pens and pencils anyway, right? Might as well buy ones made from recycled materials and/or that are biodegradable! 

Earth Day 2010

Today is the 40th anniversary of Earth Day, and I believe that we each have a responsibility to do our best to protect and preserve our environment.

The EPA is asking everyone to "Pick 5 for the Environment". Choose at least 5 actions you’ll commit to - use less water and electricity, commute without polluting, reuse and recycle, and more. It can be as simple as not running the water while you brush your teeth - putting your computer into sleep mode when you're not using it - using a reusable water bottle instead of buying bottled water - recycling your used cans.

You can become a fan of Pick 5 on Facebook (oops, I mean you can "like" it!) and join them on Flickr. 

Did you know?

• recycling 1 soft drink can could save enough energy to power a TV for 3 hours

• by switching to cold-water washing, you can save up to 90% of the energy used in each load of laundry 

• you can save up to $100 per year by putting your computer into sleep/standby mode rather than using a screen saver 

• laptops use 15 to 25 watts during regular use, as compared to the 150 watts used by a conventional desktop computer and monitor. Plus, laptops also draw just a fraction of a watt when in sleep mode. 

• if you switch to compact fluorescent light bulbs, they pay for themselves in energy savings in about 6 months. (We've noticed about a $20 per month difference in the electric bill by changing all of our bulbs to CFLs.)

• for every degree you raise your thermostat in the summer, you reduce your cooling costs between 7 and 10 percent; so use stationary, ceiling and whole-house fans to help cool your home - the energy you use to run the fans is minimal compared to the savings you reap by turning your thermostat up a degree or two.

(information from The Daily Green & Mother Earth News)

What will you do to celebrate Earth Day?

Sprout watches

I just saw an ad for Sprout watches in my latest issue of Body + Soul magazine. They are really cute!! What's even better is that they're made of mostly eco-friendly materials! They remind me of the Swatch watches I had back in the 80's - but these are classier.

• natural bamboo dial
• organic cotton wristband
• mercury-free battery
• mineral crystal
• corn-resin case, caseback, bezel, reflector ring, movement holder, & buckle closure

There are other color combinations, and two case sizes available. The price is really reasonable - $30 at Nordstrom. The watches are also available at Kmart ($26.99), Sears ($26.99), Kohl's ($29.99), and amazon.com ($27.00 - and they are eligible for free shipping with Amazon Prime).

How cute for summer! I love the cloth bands - my only concern is that since I use sunless tanners, there would probably be some rub-off on the inside of the band. I definitely won't be getting the one with the ivory band!

These would also be a great option for anyone who has difficulty wearing a watch due to a metal allergy.