With all of this raging healthcare debate lately, it seems that the focus (besides the cost I mean) is on medical care and fixing people. While I of course think each person has a right to have affordable medical coverage, I also think the priorities of our health care system (now and in the future regardless of what Congress comes up with) are wholly messed up. We all know that the majority of the money in the system is spent on curing and healing those who are not well. But what you don't hear very often is the word "prevention".

Sure, in some ways you do, as in don't smoke, exercise daily, eat from the major food groups. But if you go to the doctor with high blood pressure, or any of the many issues related to obesity, the doctor doesn't ask how often you eat fast food and how many servings of vegetables you eat daily. And though the course of action may be to lose weight or to change diet, it's usually left at that with no further specifics. And quite possibly that option is skipped over in favor of some sort of pill or medicine.

Everything about healthcare is about fixing health problems. This whole health care debacle would be mostly a non-issue if people would just start taking responsibility for preventing these problems before they manifest themselves. I think that a portion of the money poured into health care should be about health education, and furthermore, I think the government should shift its focus from medicine and curing diseases to preventing them through diet. Start some incentives for organic farming, and tighten up the rules on commerical farming, especially when it comes to what goes into the food that people eat that they think is healthy. A nice salad covered in pesticides? No thanks. A pork chop or steak filled with antibiotics and artificial growth hormones? Not for me.

There are many theories about healthcare, and we've all heard the one about how it's most profitable for the industry if people keep getting sick. But regardless of how much it's true or not, the fact remains that over half of the money spent in the health care system is for treating people who are sick with preventable diseases, including heart disease, obesity, high blood pressure, and even certain cancers.

As proof, I use myself. Growing up and even through college I have always eaten a fairly balanced diet. I use that statement loosely, but even when the quality was low and I was eating crap like fish sticks and chicken patties, I still ate side salads, fruits, and vegetables. And on occasion I also ate fast food, or out at restaurants. My health was standard, though nothing to make note of, and like everyone I got sick a couple times per year.

But then a few years ago, I started getting very interested in organic foods, and additionally I started educating myself about the benefits of raw fruits and vegetables, as well as learning the truths about the Standard American Diet. I made a considerable shift, changing my habits to a point where I can confidently say that I now eat probaly 50-75% whole and organic foods, and my intake of fruits and vegetables is way above average. I still do undesirable things like eat out at restaurants, I still have vices and eat crap (though NO FAST FOOD), I still drink alcohol fairly regularly (in moderation), I still hit happy hour for an app now and again, and I still eat red meat, though much less frequently than in the past (probably less than once per week).

But my point is, since I've made this shift to primarily organic and dramatically increased my vegetable intake, I don't get sick any more. I haven't had a true head cold in a couple years, and I survive all of the office sicknesses that go around. Even through this time of flu paranoia and the winter colds and sniffles, I have remained healthy.

I'm not making any guarantees about my long term health, but I can say that without a doubt, making a substancial (though not extreme) change to my diet, while still enjoying my vices, I've significantly improved my health. (As a side note, and probably more suited to another article, this diet shift over several years (including a month long stint of raw eating) cleared me of some mild but sometimes painful acne that had plagued me for nearly 15 years.)

This simple thing, diet, is what could change our entire health care system, and save the government millions of dollars. Support and promote organic fruits and vegetables, whole foods, and educate people about the poisons that they take in daily by eating a crappy diet with no balance. It would save billions of dollars and lives ... though the drug companies wouldn't be very happy.

Labels: diet, drugs, healthcare, organic, raw diet

I have seen some people posting recently asking for green product recommendations, so I guess this is as good a time as any for me to post my own. Green products are sometimes a catch 22, they are clearly better for the environment and most often for us as well, but a lot of times the products are much more expensive, and worst of all, sometimes they just don't work! Well, here are the products that I have found to work for me and would definitely recommend (though I can't control the price), based on five years of trial and error.

Just a heads up, these links below take you to Amazon, as much as I'd love for you to head over there and buy stuff so I can make a few bucks, keep an eye on the prices, check some of the third party sellers on Amazon for the same products. I don't know why some of the listed prices are so expensive

Cleaning Products

• Seventh Generation Dish Soap
  • 2nd runner up Ecover Natural Dishwashing Liquid, but it doesn't foam as nicely which makes you use more
• Seventh Generation Toilet Bowl Cleaner
• Ecover Dishwasher Powder or tablets


• Green Works (yes I know it's a Clorox product, but what can I say, it works. I also use a water/vinegar mixture)

Personal Hygiene

• All of Dr Bronners Soaps
• Avalon Organics Shaving Cream
• Earth Science Tea Tree/Lavendar Deodorant
• Desert Essence Thoroughly Clean Face Wash
• Lily of the Desert Aloe 80 Organics Shampoo
  & Conditioner
• Seventh Generation Baby Wipes
• Avalon Organics Lotion
• Tom's of Maine or Desert Essence Tea Tree Toothpaste
• Desert Essence Tea Tree Oil or Blemish Stick

I'd like to note that I have found a few good cheap soaps (bar, hand, and washing machine soap) at Trader Joe's. I know TJs is debatable, but when I look at the ingredients they seem to be ok. That said, I'm looking for a new all purpose hand soap that is not outrageously expensive, so feel free to comment.

What green products do you use?



Related Links:
Green & Eco Friendly Products

Labels: biodegradable, eco-friendly, organic, sustainable

Thanks to Matador Life for the info below -- 6 Online Resources to Satisfy Your Inner Locavore

...By only eating foods produced in their community, region or country, adherents, known as locavores, aim to reduce pollution and support ethical farming practices.

With more and more people defecting from supermarket to farmer’s market, a number of websites have appeared to help users find local food in their own communities...

And the six resources are:

• Local Harvest
• Sustainable Table
• Food Routes
• Eat Well Guide
• Foodzie
• Bigbarn

Again, thanks to Matador Life for this info, See their article here

Labels: health, lifestyle, local foods, organic, sustainable

Photo credit: cizauskasI grew up in the Northeast, where there were a lot of microbreweries, so I got past drinking Bud and Coors pretty early on. Since I've been with my girlfriend who used to work at one of the best beer pubs in San Diego, I've been introduced to even better beer. I've since learned two things about San Diego that I didn't know before. 1) It is home to one of the biggest craft beer markets in the country and 2) it is well known for producing some of the hoppiest beers in the country. My college days were spent in breweries back east, and now almost ten years later I have gotten my second schooling on beer; not in breweries but in brew pubs, and have been introduced to some of the tastiest beers that not only San Diego, but the entire West Coast, has to offer.

Being environmentally minded though, the one thing I noticed was that options for organic craft beers, or at least beers produced with organic hops, was limited. But now thanks to a very informative write up by Wend Magazine, I have learned a lot more about craft brewing, and most interestingly, how more often than not craft brewing can be inherently sustainable due to its very nature, even if it is not certified organic. I'm not saying that I wouldn't like to see more organic brews out there, but supporting local and small businesses that in turn also buy and support local is better than the alternatives.

Check out the full Wend Mag article about sustainable, craft brewing here

Labels: beer, interesting, organic, sustainable

Thanks to Grace for alerting me to the fact that the Obamas are planting a vegetable garden at the White House!

I think this is great, it promotes self sustainability, local and healthy eating. Congrats to the Obama's for doing this and setting a good example for the rest of us.

Related Links:

Labels: garden, news, organic

Today I had the pleasant surprise of stumbling upon a flower delivery company that specializes in organic and sustainable flower bouquets. I will admit that I am not a huge fan of commercialized holidays such as Valentine's Day, however when it comes down to it I still do these silly things that you're supposed to do when you are in a loving relationship. So needless to say, as I was browsing Google to see what my options were for the big day, I saw this site, Organic Bouquets, which stuck out when surrounded by the others; FTD, 1800flowers, and ProFlowers.

Knowing quite a bit about the organic market, I assumed that these flowers would be pricier than the other sites, however I was proven wrong. The selection was just as good, and when it came to prices and shipping they were very competitive.

Also, it appears as they are the real deal. They are organic, eco-friendly, and socially responsible, all the way from the flowers and growing methods to the packaging to their offerings of carbon offsets. I even saw that some of the flowers are grown right here in California, and others are certified Fair Trade.

To be quite honest I was going to go with whatever company could offer me the best deal, but when the price matching came down the less than $1, with all the environmental and sustainable perks of this company, they won me as a customer. I realize the best way to go is to go local, and support local business, but on a holiday like Valentine's I really just want to go with convenience, and this saves me from tracking down a local farm or florist farm can provide the same organic flowers for the same price with close to the same convenience.

Take a look at the company to learn more.

Labels: flowers, organic, valentine's day

Due to the high popularity of a post titled "Organic garden by default" over at my old and somewhat obsolete and rarely updated blog, I would like to share some of what was in that post over here at Idealist Cafe.

I had been inspired to initially write the post by a trip back to Connecticut to visit my mother last year. She has a nice size yard, just a little over 3 acres, and over the years has had some very nice gardens. While she does still grow some vegetables, many of the areas of garden has just sort of taken on a life of their own. By this I mean they are plants that were planted many years ago, and now require very little upkeep. Also, she doesn't use any fertilizers, pesticides, or chemicals, if anything at all she just amends the soil using compost.

In a yard like this she has so many possibilities, now seen even more so through the eyes of someone who has lived in tiny little apartments with little or no yard here in San Diego. She has an apple tree that is probably 15 years old, and never gets watered and hasn't been pruned in at least 10 years. But it grows apples by the dozen, though they are not of the greatest quality. However with a little work it could probably supply organic apples for the neighborhood for the entire summer.

Along the side of the driveway there are wild grapes growing all over, as well as wild blueberries. The grapes are sub par, but could probably be used for something with a little bit of work. The blueberries on the other hand are amazing.

Here is a photo of a basil plant that she rarely touches, yet has somehow grown to a size I have never been able to achieve at my own hand. This plant also is completely organic. I am just amazed at the potential of a yard like this. While most of these are perennial plants, the others she just plants and then leaves unattended for the most part until the time of harvest. She grows tomatoes, pumpkins, and squash, and all without any attention on her part, just plants them, then leaves them. No watering except for the potted plants, no fertilizers except all the old stuff that has been left from previous years and has naturally been composted. Some days I wish I could just reign in that potential, creating a little lucrative side business selling grapes for wine making, fresh blueberries, pumpkins, salsas, apples, and the list goes on!

Here are a few more photos to enjoy...
  

Labels: garden, organic, simple living

I have recently found an organic deodorant that finally works. Controls odor well and is aluminum and paraben free. Earth Science Tea Tree Lavender, also see my review of other organic deodorants on the resources page. If you want to see a complete selection of organic deodorants, check out this Amazon page of organic deodorants ... I had no idea that there were so many brands!

*Update 01/15/2009

I have recently been eating mostly raw foods, and believe it or not my body odor is almost completely neutral now. Check out this forum topic. But I still have my Earth Science Tea Tree Lavender as a backup.


*Update 08/05/2008

What does a traditional antiperspirant deodorant do?
It keeps you from perspiring by blocking your sweat glands, and additional makes you smell nice.

What potentially toxic and/or non-earth friendly things are in a traditional deodorant?
Parabens: A preservative that comes in several forms (methyl, ethyl, propyl, benzyl and butyl) and has also been found in breast cancer tumors — though there is no conclusive evidence that it is the cause of said tumors.

Aluminum: A key ingredient in antiperspirant and can be disguised as any of the following: aluminum chlorohydrate, aluminum zirconium tetrachlorohydrex gly or any other aluminum compound. It is an element found in the earth's crust, and bauxite is the ore that is most useful for producing pure aluminum.

Triclosan: A chemical that is classified as a pesticide by the FDA. It’s thought to contain carcinogenic contaminants and is stored in body fat. Also look for triclosan in antibacterial soaps.

Talc: This seemingly benign duster of baby bottoms is often contaminated with asbestos (which is carcinogenic).

Propelyn glycol: As a "penetration enhancer", propelyn glycol is believed to be a neurotoxin that may cause kidney or liver damage.

*Thank you MSN and answers.com

After that, do you need to know the benefits of organic deodorant?

• Minimizes the need to use aluminum (a natural resource), that may often be mined using slave or cheap labor, which also unnecessarily destroys the earth


• Minimizes the need to produce toxic chemicals, also keep toxic and potential cancer causing chemicals off of your skin

Labels: deodorant, organic, resources