Product Props: TOKIG Salad Spinner from Ikea

Photo from Ikea

My fellow salad eaters, you'd know how much of a pain it is to rinse and let the salad mix dry before serving. And who likes a watery salad dressing? Not me! For as long as I remember, I had wanted a salad spinner to freshen up my greens efficiently.

Most salad spinners retail $18 or more at home goods stores. I cannot convince myself to pay that much for cheap plastics made in China. Hoping that prices would drop over time, I didn't have such luck. In fact, they just got more expensive! But on a lazy afternoon trip to Ikea, I stumbled upon the most affordable salad spinner!

You Are What You Eat... Breathe, Use, & Drink

The adage "you are what you eat" is a well-hearsed one. But a recent finding may call for an update to that old saying because everything we breathe, use, or drink can get absorbed into our fat stores.

Image credit: A Chuck & Beans cartoon by Brian from the Shoebox Blog via http://www.blabla.co.za

Just like how methylmercury clings to the fatty tissues in fish, many pollutants and toxins we encounter are fat soluble. They can't be excreted out so they reside in our fat. So what happens when someone goes through weight loss?

Meatless Monday: Dollar and Sense of Eating Less Meat

Mr. Trash Can is Overworked

Only 1 out of 10 plastic water bottles is recycled. Thousands of pounds of rotten and uneaten food are discarded everyday. 30 billion plastic bags end up as litter each year. All are dumped as trash instead of being diverted accordingly. It's no wonder that Mister Trash Can is so overworked!

For more eye-opening videos, check out GOOD's YouTube channel!

Body Care that Cares

During my last hair styling appointment, my stylist expressed her confusion with people who use organic shampoos and conditioners. She could understand eating organic food, but what good does organic body care do?

I couldn't help but be baffled by her comment since she works for a salon that exclusively uses a certain line of supposedly natural products . Skin is the largest organ in our bodies. It is just as alive and important as the heart, liver, kidneys, and brain.

In most stores,  shelves are filled with petroleum byproducts and estrogen-mimickers. While most research about these chemicals are non-conclusive, I would rather err on the side of safety. Besides, we might be exposed to much higher dose of them than we think since these substances can be found in almost every item in our bathrooms.

Perhaps the one who is taking the most beating from these harmful body care products is the Earth. Millions of gallons of polluted water are flushed into the environment everyday from our sinks and drains. As a result, our streams and lakes are becoming increasingly filthy and aquatic animals are exhibiting hermaphroditic activity. A vomit-inducing fact is that we're eating the mutated fish and shellfish that have lived in these polluted waters. Eww.

Here are some of my top eco- and body-friendly picks.

1. Trade Joe's Oatmeal & Honey Soap
   Little bits and pieces of oats work as a gentle exfoliator. Cleanses without stripping which is a plus especially during winter months. And at the price of $1.49 for 2 bars, they're definitely a bargain!
2. Whole Foods 365 Shower Gel in Herbal Mint
   Doesn't fair so well as an actual body wash but makes a darn good hand soap! At $3.49 for a 16-ounce bottle, it'll give you many refills for your bathroom and kitchen sinks. Family size also available. 
3. Avalon Organics Exfoliating Enzyme Scrub
   Already earned a mention here on Healing Foodie, this exfoliator deserves a repeat mention because it's effective without being abrasive. Works well for the bumps on back of arms, too!
4. Avalon Organics Extra Moisturizing Fragrance-Free Olive & Grape Seed Shampoo
   This fragrance-free shampoo contains lots of essential oils that can tame my head of tumbleweed while giving it volume. How it does that, I'm not sure. But this shampoo doesn't contain the usual"suspects" sodium laureth and lauryl sulfates that can over-cleanse hair. 
5. Trader Joe's Spa Gentle Facial Cleanser
   A newly-launched item at my beloved Trader Joe's, it's one of the best makeup remover + cleanser I've come across. It took off my eye makeup with ease and didn't irritate my skin at all. 
6. Everyday Minerals
   A family friend turned me on to this line of mineral makeup last Thanksgiving. The base, much like powder foundation, gives great coverage. Also, free samples when you make a purchase regardless of how much you spend! Mineral makeup shouldn't cost an arm and a leg and should be as skin-friendly as they claim. Everyday Minerals cares about my budget AND the health of my skin. 

Finding a more natural product that you like will require some experimentation because their formulas are so different from the mainstream rubbish. But it'll be all worth the trouble when you make the commitment to care for your body as well as our planet!

For more info on the harmful chemicals that may be lurking in your bathroom, check out Skin Deep.

Shark Week

In honor of Discovery Channel's annual Shark Week, here's an awareness piece about the gruesome practice of shark finning and how we can help end it.

Man & Shark from alexhofford on Vimeo.

Shark fin is a prized good in many parts of Asia, and the tradition of eating shark fin soup is highly associated with socioeconomic status. As more people are gaining access to this delicacy, shark populations have declined across the globe at astounding rates. Aside from being caught intentionally for their prized fins (and then thrown back into the water left to die), sharks are also bycatch victims of poor fishing techniques. It is estimated that populations of sharks and other top ocean predators have fallen 90% in recent years! At this progression, sharks will become extinct in a matter of a few generations if not just decades.

Ethics and humaneness aside, shark meat and fins contains high levels of methylmercury because of the animals' predatory nature*. This chemical has been linked to impaired fetus and infant neurological development as well as vision and hair loss in adults. Babies don't need direct exposure to methylmercury to be affected; exposure while being in the womb is enough to cause adverse health effects.

Some say the fins are good for joints because of their cartilage content. There are plenty alternatives that can take the place of toxic shark fins. It's about time that we help stop the buying so the killing can stop, too.

To learn more about shark finning and how you can become an ally to these majestic animals, visit montereybayaquarium.org or stopsharkfinning.net.

*Predatory fish, or those who are higher on the food chain, contain high levels of methylmercury because they eat all the smaller fishes. Methylmercury cannot be excreted out of their bodies so it's retained and accumulated up the food chain.

The Story of Bottled Water

Ever wondered about where that plastic water bottle is going after you discard it? Or how much energy it takes to produce these disposable containers? Watch the amazing Anne Leonard explain our nation's obsession with bottled water and  how silly they really are.



Not only are bottled water an unnecessary modern convenience, millions of bottles from sports drinks, "enhanced" waters, and iced teas also contribute to this problem everyday. As Annie said during an interview, "Let's have a little more appreciation and reverence for the stuff we have instead of this mindless consumerism."

To learn more about The Story of Bottled Water and other Stuff, visit thestoryofstuff.com.

Shenanigans at the Supermarket

As much as I enjoy certain Asian specialties, most Asian supermarkets baffle me in more ways than one. See photo for case in point. I'm not sure if the fish is being called "idiot" or it's implying that the people who purchase it are.

Also spotted on the same day in the same grocery store is Chilean Sea Bass for sale at $8.99 per pound. This is also baffling since the sea bass is from China. Either way, Chilean Sea Bass has been consistently red-listed by Seafood Watch in the past few years. I guess this supermarket missed that memo? For more reasons to boycott sea bass, visit Seafood Watch at Monterey Bay Aquarium and how you can support sustainable seafood.

EARTH DAY!

Tomorrow will mark the 40th anniversary of Earth Day. As a supporter of a healthier planet, I hope everyone  will make one change in their daily routine that will help conserve natural resources and reduce pollution.

Here are some ideas that are less talked about but equally effective at helping our planet!
[-] Recycle beyond the kitchen!
Don't forget about cardboard from toilet paper rolls and paper wrappers from tea.

[-] BYOT!
Bring your own Tupperware if you know you're going to doggy-bag part of your dinner. This can save lots of Styrofoam containers and plastic bags.

[-] Buy in bulk!  
Many grocery stores sell grains, cereals, and nuts in bulk. Buying in bulk can reduce unnecessary packaging.

[-] Eat less processed foods!
Foods like luncheon meats and snack items are usually highly processed and prepackaged. Eating less of these foods can reduce the fossil fuel used during processing and packaging.

[-] Clotheslining!
Weather-permitting, drying clothes in the sun can save electricity and reduce carbon emission. UV rays from sunlight can also have some bacteria-killing power. An added bonus is that clothes last longer when they spend less time in the dryer.

[-] Unplug the plug!
As long as an appliance is still plugged into the outlet, small amounts of electricity is still being used to keep it on "standby". Unplugging hair dryers, computers, cell phone chargers, etc. when not in use can save 6% to 26% annually on your electricity bill.

[-] Glass please! 
Instead of buying plastic containers to hold food and drinks, try reusing glass containers that some juice, honey, and spaghetti sauce come in. Glass is less reactive than aluminum and plastic and can last for a very long time. And it's BPA-free!

What planet-friendly change(s) will you commit to on Earth Day? Please share your eco-friendly ways on Healing Foodie!

Photo from thegogreenblog.com

Sustainable Fisherman Joe

I'm a petit fan of seafood and have a soft spot for a bowl of steamed clams in tomato and garlic broth. But as our oceans are getting robbed everyday by unethical fishing methods, choosing sustainable seafood  is becoming an increasingly difficult feat. 

Back in 2009, Greenpeace compiled a "supermarket seafood sustainability scorecord" (talk about alliteration!) that rated grocers on the ecological impact of their supply of seafood. Surprisingly, Trader Joe's fared the worst and came in below Target and Wal-Mart! But the tide is about to change. 

Trader Joe's is making some transitions and plans to sell only sustainable seafood by 2012. Frozen, fresh, and canned seafood will all be included in this change. Back in 2005, the company stopped selling Chilean Sea Bass, and more recently in March 2010, it stopped carrying red snapper.

Choosing seafood can still be a dilemma even though some grocers are getting on the sustainable seafood boat. Luckily, Monterey Bay offers a fantastic pocket seafood guide that can help you make informed choices whether you're at the market or having a meal at a restaurant. It's so small and handy that it can even fit into a clutch ladies! For those tech savvy among us, of course there's an app for this, too. 

Learn more about sustainable seafood by visiting SeafoodWatch.org.