Back in the saddle

I have a bit of free time on my hands, so I decided to reinstate my 'green' blog.  New name, new place, but I've copied all my old posts from the last one over here.  Now, it's just a matter of having something to write about...

In the past, I've gotten my ideas from my collection of books and websites that I like to read - I'd find an interesting article or tidbit of information to share, or something to try and then give my personal take on it.  But unfortunately, all of my books are in storage right now.  I still have the web, but sitting in front of a computer when I have the opportunity to be outside, away from a desk... not so appealing.

So, what to write?

I have a few ideas brewing, but if anybody has some input, let me know in the comments.  Heck, even if you don't have any input, I'd love to hear from you in the comments anyway, just to know you're interested.

Book Review: Food Rules

Michael Pollan, bestselling author of In Defense of Food: An Eater's Manifesto and The Omnivore's Dilemma, has published what is called a "definitive compendium of food wisdom."  Food Rules is a short, easy-to-understand guide to eating real food and avoiding over-processed "food-like substances."

Pollan's mantra of "Eat food.  Not too much.  Mostly plants." was established after the extensive research he did for his previous books.  He found that all the science and techno-babble about the nutritional value of food could be simplified down to its core: real food is what's important.  Not the additives, the preservatives, the artificial, the pre-packaged - real food.  This philosophy is reiterated again and again, with rules such as "Avoid food products that have ingredients that a third-grader cannot pronounce," and "It's not [real] food if it's called by the same name in every language (Big Mac, Pringles, Cheetos, etc.)"

The book not only discusses what to eat, but also how to eat.  Pollan discusses the problem with "Western" food culture in the introduction, and breaks down the way we eat as one of the key issues alongside what we eat.  Common sense wisdoms such as "Stop eating before you're full" and "Spend as much time enjoying the meal as it took to prepare it" encourage readers to pay attention to how they're eating to avoid overindulgence.

Pollan's previous works cover some of the same material, but go into much more detail regarding the science and statistics behind the reasons for avoiding processed foods.  Food Rules is, in essence, the simplified version.  Some of the 'rules' were written by Pollan, but in the introduction he discusses his process for this book, talking to not only nutritionists, doctors, and food scientists but also folklorists, anthropologists, mothers and grandmothers, looking for insight into what rules, ideas, wisdoms, and sayings about food are not only truthful, but have survived the tests of time and culture.  The result is a common sense, simple to follow guide for eating healthfully.

(If you'd like to borrow my copy of the book, feel free to ask!  It's also on sale on Amazon.com for $5 - less than half the cover price.)

Green Briefs - Alternative Fabric Softeners

Reduce your laundry costs by cutting out the liquid fabric softeners and dryer sheets.  Not only are these products harmful to the environment - adding chemicals to the watershed and non-biodegradable waste to the landfills - they can be easily replaced with other methods.

If the weather allows, line-drying your laundry outdoors gets rid of static and helps your clothes smell fresh naturally instead of using synthetic fragrances.

Try putting half a cup of white vinegar in the fabric softener tray of your washer instead of the pink stuff.  Vinegar is a natural fabric softener, and - despite what you might think - won't leave your clothes smelling like pickles!  (Just be sure you don't use bleach at the same time - the combination will produce toxic fumes.)

Fluff your laundry with re-usable dryer balls like the ones found here.  They increase the air flow around your clothes, helping them to dry faster as well.

If none of these solutions appeal to you and you still want to use dryer sheets or fabric softeners, look for biodegradable sheets or plant-based softeners like these and these from Mrs. Meyers.