greenbroad.com

It has taken some thought and creative will power…but finally the broads have created custom t-shirts to go along with some of their favorite sayings (Flick the Bean, Douch-Turd-Tool = John Edwards, and more). 

Visit:
 http://www.cafepress.com/broadminded
 and get your favorite broadminded sayings today!!

It just so happened that I was out doing a promotion over the weekend. One of the products that I had crossed paths with was “Little Black Dress Approved” (deodorant/anti-persperaint). Being the label reader that I am, I flipped the package around to find this: “Ask a doctor before use if you have kidney disease”. What?? Since when are my kidneys next to my armpits?

I was so bothered by this that I started to look through the cabinets in the bathroom - searching through deodorant that may or may not have been used. I found my almost empty Secret, my hubby’s Old Spice, and lo and behold, it said the same thing too. YIKES!! I know that we don’t have kidney disease, but will excessive use make us get it?

Everyone uses deodorant! Who thinks to look at the warnings? I sure as hell don’t. Well, I take that back…. since the first of the year I really have started to look. In fact I purchased a “mineral stick” deodorant - which you have to wet before applying. It doesn’t stop the sweat, but I think it neutralizes the smell. Not sure yet? It’s supposed to last one year. For $5 I thought it was worth a shot. But I wouldn’t wear that on my wedding day - that’s for sure.

Thoughts anyone?

[Mr. Food]—June 16, 2008—Mr. Food, a syndicated daily television news segment, ran a 90-second feature on the açai berry, calling it an “in” ingredient with an exotic flavor from the Amazon. In addition, he highlighted MonaVie, noting its rich purple color suggestive of its antioxidant properties. 

Click here to view MonaVie on Mr. Food.
 

It used to be candy cigarettes…but know kids want their latte or blended coffee drink, designer jeans, hand bags, and now WINE!  Just what are we thinking?  Is America trying to make more alcoholocis or what?  Kid Wine!  Yep - First Blush (a natural grape juice), that comes in Merlot, Cabernet, Rose, and Chardonnay Flavors.  I’m floored!

Don’t get me wrong - wine has great health benefits….but to market alcohol use to a child is wrong.  You don’t see Budweiser making Kiddie Beer.  But since wine is good for you…let’s market it to the masses!   

I don’t know why parents would think that was cute.  Personally I think it will lead to many late nights for those “hip” parents down the road. 

Why do advertisers want kids to think drinking wine is quote on quote - cool?  Why not market it as all natural fruit juice?  On the flip side, why not just drink MonaVie (it’s about the same price and you get more nutrition).  

Why make the product something that it isn’t. If you don’t like to drink alcohol, why the need to fit in?  You should be comfortable with your decision. 

Being a teenager is hard enough as it is…why the extra peer pressure to fit in?

MONTEREY, CA — Best-selling author and international environmental lifestyle expert Diane MacEachern today said that manufacturers that aspire to be green must start telling their customers to consume 20% less. MacEachern also said that companies must certify the entire environmental lifecycle of their products and services if they are to be trusted as sustainable businesses. 
Read the Full Press Release Here

Fighting Grime is one of the toughest jobs around.  You are constantly cleaning up messes, vacuuming, picking up toys, scrubbing the bathroom, toilet bowls, glass mirrors, dust, picking up your husbands dirty underwear….I mean when does it stop!! Everywhere you turn grime is meeting you head on.  Enough is enough already!!

It’s hard enough toating the 6-8 cleaners around the house (because one product won’t clean 2 things), but the headaches associated with cleaning really get to me.  It makes me not want to clean.  In fact, if I had extra money to spare, I would hire someone to do it for me.  The stress is just overwhelming.

I’ve been on the lookout for green cleaning products - I buy different ones every time I go to the store.  It’s not that easy living in the country…too many commercial brands in the older grocery stores (Food Lion & Walmart).  Also - the cost!  Cleaners are expensive!!!  If you are on a budget and you need to purchase cleaning supplies that week - forget it - you are going over budget by at least $20.00!  And I hate using each and every product……too toxic!!

With a little help from ecosearch.org I was able to find a site that listed affordable ways to clean green.  All I need is a sponge, squeegee, spray-bottle & a few commonly used household ingredients:
 

• tap water
• baking soda
• distilled white vinegar
• plant-based liquid soap

Did you know that you could clean virtually every surface with just those 4 ingredients?  In fact, just a little bit of tap water and white vinegar goes a long way!  I’m excited to make the switch. (Make Your Own Cleaners)

For those of you who want to purchase pre-packaged cleaning products here are some that I suggest:  Seventh Generation, Bon Ami, Citra-Solv, & Ecover

Living out in the country….well let’s just say grocery shopping is not an easy thing to do.  Most of us are lucky to have a grocery store 10-15 miles away….but Food Lion was one I always stayed far far away from (i didn’t care if it was 2 miles away…I’d still drive 30 miles to get food).  Well - over the last month they have underwent a face lift!  I was so excited to see an ORGANIC section!!

Perfect timing - since I have been overwhelmed with Natural Cures.  Geeze…we better start making some wise decisions about what we put into our bodies.  No wonder so many of us are sick.  I don’t think I agree 100% with everything he talks about (red flag comes up in regards to HCG Fat Loss)…but he does really make you think.  A must read for anyone who is thinking about changing their diet but they just can’t figure out why!!!  He will give you a why one way or another.  I just hope Patrick can get him as a guest on the show!!!

I’m just excited that even out in the country, stores are starting to make a difference in regards to the food being sold!  I’ll be there more often!  Thanks Food Lion for making it easier for country people to purchase organic foods.  And for those of you who live in more urban areas…shame on you for not making the switch.  You really are what  you eat….and if you can’t read what is on the label - look out.

It seems like ever since I found out what Acai was…it is now in everthing.  Tropicanna has even jumped on the bandwagon!  However, I knew that most of the acai was a fad…some products hold way to much water or no acai at all.  In fact, it is almost impossible to create acai juice - the berry can’t be squeezed like that.  So make sure you read your lables folks.  Make sure the number 1 ingredient is not apple juice or water.  Otherwise you are better off speding $1.29 on your apple juice and putting the $4.99 acai juice back on the shelf.

Here is an interesting article I ran across:
Acai berries top the charts for antioxidant potency, but commercial processing may destroy nutritional content.
Thursday, November 09, 2006 by: Jessica Fraser
(IN CASE YOU ARE TO LAZY TO CLICK…I POSTED IT RIGHT HERE)

(NaturalNews) New research appearing in the Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry has found that although the Amazonian acai berry has the highest antioxidant content of any food, certain commercial processing methods may strip the fruit of much of its nutrition.

Two studies led by Alex Schauss from AIBMR Life Sciences — along with colleagues from the U.S. Department of Agriculture, the University of California and other institutions — examined the antioxidant properties of OptiAcai-brand freeze-dried acaifruit pulp and skin powder, as measured by the powder’s oxygen radical absorbance capacity (ORAC).

Schauss and his team found that the OptiAcai product had a 1026.9 ORAC score, compared to an ORAC score of 155 for other commercially available freeze-dried acai samples.

“What mystifies me is that the acai products we tested in the commercial marketplace had a fraction of the antioxidantactivity reported in our paper for OptiAcai,” Schauss said.

The OptiAcai product also demonstrated “extraordinarily high” peroxyl scavenging activity — the highest of any food researched so far — as well as high superoxide scavenging activity. According to Schauss, the ability of acai berries to halt the formation of damaging free radicals could have profound implications for treatment of a wide range of diseases.

Schauss says that although the OptiAcai product was impressive in its antioxidant content, not all acai products available on the market are as effective.

“We believe there are many reasons for the lower ORAC values of various acais that have been on the market for some time,” Schauss said. “First, freeze-drying is superior to spray drying or air drying in retaining phytochemicals and nutrients, but more expensive. We believe that other suppliers have not considered the issue of enzymatic degradation of the fruit.”

Much of the acai shipped from Brazil to the United States or Europe is sent in large frozen blocks that fail to prevent nutritional degradation, Schauss said. For that reason, many commercially available acai products have low ORAC levels.
————–
Just so happens that Dr. Schauss gave MonaVie his OptiAcai patent pending process!!!

FYI Broad’s - Naked Cotton has Broadminded T-shirts back in stock!! Not only regular t’s but tank tops and long sleeves!! I just can’t speak highly enough about this guy! I can’t wait to meet him so I can give him one huge bear hug…or as big as a hug as I can give with my small frame.

Go get them while supplies last!! Don’t forget…a portion goes to the Duffy House!!  The shirts are awesome! Thank You Brandon! Talk to you on the 22nd when I get back in the studio!!

xoxoxoxo

EcoSearch.org has partnered up with Google to create a homepage we can search exactly as you would at Google.com.  The difference? EcoSearch donates 100% of its profits to nonprofit organizations like Sierra Club and Natural Resources Defense Council. Talk about an easy way to raise money for earth-saving initiatives!

Spread the word and lets make the switch!!  ecosearch.org

David Krasnow, the mastermind behind the crafty search engine says “EcoSearch was formed because we are dedicated environmentalists who want to make a difference, and believe that, when given the opportunity, millions of people will join us.”

Krasnow adds, “We built this site for you. Without your participation, nothing changes. So please, use us whenever you search, tell all your friends, and if you think of a way that we can improve, please don’t hesitate to let us know!”

Finally Christine and Molly can relax a bit….
The Home Depot is selling bulbs that have cut the amount of mercury most bulbs contain in half. And when you’re finished with the bulbs, you can recycle them – along with any other CFLs you have – at any of the company’s 1,973 stores.

Simply bring in your expired, unbroken CFL bulbs, and give them to the store associate behind the returns desk. The bulbs will be handled by an environmental management company that will coordinate CFL packaging, transportation and recycling to maximize safety and ensure environmental compliance.

“With more than 75 percent of households located within 10 miles of a Home Depot store, this program is the first national solution to providing Americans with a convenient way to recycle CFLs,” said the company’s Ron Jarvis, senior vice president, Environmental Innovation.

So now they are not just easy on your wallet…they are easier on the environment as well!!

Living out in the country with no trash service I find myself really disgusted with VA’s recycling program - at least in Spotsylvania County.  It’s hard enough to drive our trash to the dump…another when you want to recycle and you can’t recycle the one thing that most of your garbage is made of - PLASTIC!! Come on!! What is this green broad to do.  It kills me - throwing away ton’s of plastic every freakin week.  They have cans, all colored glass, cardboard, and oil.  NO Plastic or Newspaper.  Newspaper doesn’t bother me too much…since we have a fire burning stove (just use that in the winter to help the fire grow)…and yes we do burn our cardboard. Like I said…we live in the middle of nowhere.

But for those who have curbside recycling…there is no excuse for you. You have it easy!  Just separate and leave on the curb for someone else to haul out of there.

Well - for those who are not into recycling…here is a little incentive
Recycle Bank
How does it work??
Very Easy…just visit them online and sign up - the it’s Recycle, Record, Reward!  That’s right - REWARD!! The amount recycled is converted into RecycleBank Points, which you can use to order rewards.

For the moment, RecycleBank’s Monique Hartl says the company’s goal is to raise recycling rates in communities nationwide. With 300,000 households already participating, they’re well on their way.

Of course they are not part of my community yet…but when they do I will be using them to haul away my precious recyclable materials!!  Way to go Recycle Bank!!

Have you been reading the sunscreen news lately?  The Environmental Working Group (EWG) said their investigation of nearly 1,000 brand-name sunscreens showed that 4 out of 5 of them either don’t adequately protect against damaging UV radiation or contain potentially hazardous chemicals.

Yikes!!!! That is scary. To think that companies like Coppertone, Banana Boat and Neutrogena were among the worst offenders.  They are on every isle in every major store.  Not to mention Skin Cancer really concerns many consumers, leading them to choose products with a high Sun Protection Factor (SPF), are waterproof and claim to offer “broad spectrum” protection.  Unfortunately, few of the claims on the bottle were met.

The EWG researchers investigated 952 name-brand sunscreens, and found only 143 products that offered very good sun protection using ingredients that posed minimum health risks. They based their assessment on “a detailed review of hundreds of scientific studies, industry models of sunscreen efficacy, and toxicity and regulatory information housed in nearly 60 government, academic, and industry databases”.  “Under federal law, companies can put virtually anything they wish into personal care products, and many of them do. Mercury, lead, and placenta extract — all of these and many other hazardous materials are in products that millions of Americans, including children, use every day,” said Jane Houlihan, Vice President of Research at EWG.  Read More.

I went to the EWG website to find brands of sunscreen that are safe and effective.  This is what I found:

Make sure to really look at this chart and take the recommendation…otherwise products with the same label that fall out of the category are very toxic.  Read More.

This summer I have tried to limit my sun exposure, and after reading Natural Cures I’ve also limited my sunscreen consumption….but now I’m glad to have a resourse to check what I buy before I buy it!  Thanks Skin Deep!

I don’t know about most broads…but I’m having a hard time finding eco-products that I love to wash my hair and body with.  Many of them smell horrible, are way overpriced, leave a “waxy” or oily residue in my hair, and vary rarely do I feel clean.  Come to find out, some of the so called - GREEN, products are not as earth friendly as the labeling appears.

In fact the Attorney General of California has filed a lawsuit against a number of natural personal care companies whose products allegedly contain levels of a carcinogenic compound.  Avalon Natural products, which manufactures Alba, Un-petroleum and Avalon Organics brands, has been accused of failing to warn consumers that its products contain 1,4-Dioxane.  Read More.

This concerns me.  In fact, it really ticks the green broad off!  A while back I stumbled onto a website that rated each product from a 1 to 10.  Skin Deep: Cosmetic Safety Database

After I found this site…. I started to look a bit deeper into Jason - Haircare….who is supposed to be ALL NATURAL and ORGANIC…come to find it scores a 5 on my list - not so good.  Hain Celestial Group, Inc is the company who manufactures the Jason Brand…also manufactures these:  Alba, Jason Natural Cosmetics, Orjene, Zia Natural Skincare, Avalon Natural Products, Hain Celestial Group, Earth’s Best (some of the very companies California is filing a suit against.

This is an outrage!! It’s hard enough for girls to find products that they like….and then to switch to more “eco- friendly line”…only to find out that they aren’t!!! What is a girl to do?

I’m on the warpath to find haircare and makeup that not only feels great but is healthy for my skin.  I would love to hear your recommendations.  And if anyone has eco friendly brands that you want the Broads to try…let me know.  We will give you our honest feedback on the show.

Until then….I’m very frustrated.

Become an Earthkeeper Hero!

Show YouTube what makes you an Earthkeeper for a chance to win Timberland gear, or the Grand Prize - $5,000 and priceless PR to further your Earthkeeping effort!

The contest is really cool…but you only have until July 26 to submit your video (can only be 3 min or less…so don’t talk too much). 

PRIZES:
Grand Prize (1): $5,000 cash for your movement or cause. $500 of Timberland gear. One full year to get your message out as an Earthkeepers Hero on the Earthkeepers online network including YouTube, Facebook, Earthkeeper.com and Timberland.com. Plus, a featured spot a Timberland ad next Spring. The winner will be decided by the most votes on YouTube and announced the week of September 15, 2008.

First Prizes (3): Three Earthkeepers will win $300 of Timberland gear. One for each of these categories:
- Funniest video
- Most unique Earthkeeping idea
- Most motivating and engaging
The winners will be selected by Timberland Earthkeepers judges and announced the week of September 15, 2008.

So for all of you young entropueuners out there…get filming! 2008 just may be your year!!!

I was so excited to see that Discovery was coming out with a 24hr green programming!  In fact, I watch it every night.  I love WASTED - kind of a spin off on WHAT NOT TO WEAR…but for the non eco-family…on how to be more eco-friendly and reduce their carbon footprint.  Looks like most of America (or at least the ones who are on that show) use up to 10x more than the space they live in. SAD. Very SAD.

But - for as much as I like the shows…I’m upset about the advertising.  Much of the ads are regular…promoting things that are of no importance to regular green consumers.  If it is to be an ALL GREEN TV network I would think the ads would be more eco-friendly.

Aside from that…I guess I can’t complain.  Some of it just makes me wonder how one can afford to be green. Guess that is why I like WASTED so much….shows you how being green saves you money.

Check it out for yourself:
http://planetgreen.discovery.com/

It’s been awhile since I’ve read a good book. This one is making me think alright!! In fact I can’t put it down. So much information to digest…

In fact - today I’m going to visit my chiropractor for my monthly checkup. Just met an acupuncturist…so I hope to have her on air…and I can chat about my first appointment.  But in the mean time, I’m going to look into some body cleanses from naturalcures.com.  Yep..joined the community of people looking for better health physically and emotionally!  I look forward to meeting some really cool people!

I will keep everyone updated on my progress…with the economy taking a dump the last few months…for some reason has really made me misserable.  My heart goes out to everyone who is trying to just get by.

Looking forward to removing more toxins from my body!!!!

It’s not that often that I find a book that I really want to sit down and read.  But with all of my family illnesses, studies showing how Americans are so unhealthy compared to the rest of the world, and then all the ”green issues” to boot…I figured it was time to read a conspiracy theory book.

I’d have to say that I’ve been on Kevin Trudeau’s side of the fence for many years.  I’ve been in and out of doctors for certain mental illnesses and nothing has ever helped.  It was my chiropractor who introduced me to whole food supplements and from that moment on I began to see there was 2 side to every coin.  Maybe doctors were not the final answer. Maybe I should look into a second opinion.  I’ve tried so many different things…and to this day continue trying. Some work better than others. I swear by chiropractic and the super juices (my favorite is MonaVie..hands down).  I’m even looking into some acupuncture…hope to get some of them on the air with my on the 22nd…when I get back on the air with the Broads!! (I love those girls!!)

Health is just so important…especially now - with the rate of disease higher now than ever before.  Unfortunately we can’t just pop a miracle pill to loose weight, lower cholesterol and blood pressure, only eat proteins and stay thin, or use a particular cream to get rid of cellulite - like the advertisements and doctors would like to you to believe.  The FDA has stated that so many of these pills are good for us, yet 5 years later are taken off the market.  Either because the don’t work or because they cause more harm than good.  Some prescription medicine was the very thing killing us.  It’s very sad….so yes I’m excited to hear what he has to say.  I just hope he has references for the “things that may make me go hummm….” (love that song!)

GreenBroad is taking a break on the planet and looking deep within her own body…I think that before I start taking care of those around me - I should be taken care of.  So I’m sorry to all the viewers who have missed me….I’ve had some “me time” over the past few months.  Can’t wait to catch up!  The posts for the next few months will be more health related….once I get that under control, then I will get more into helping the planet around me. 

I would love to hear what everyone does for mental health, exercise, lower back pain, pms, etc…
Chow!