Green is more than a color

Today, the world is awash with greenwash - what I mean is that companies have learned that green sells and the people want environmentally friendly products and even services. So they put a green tint on an old shoe and try to sell it as a new green shoe.

You don't have to be a granola cruncher to know how to be green. True "green" living isn't just buying organic foods and products - it means looking at everything you do and buy and put on your body. It's how you think about your choices - do I drive somewhere to check out prices or look online first?

The impact of not being green is a burden on our bodies - a chemical burden. We are not aware of it but it exists. Check out this link to read about it.

And what is really scary is that we might be unknowingly exposing those we love (our children) to dangerous chemicals even when we are trying to keep them safe: see this blog.

Sloan Barnett wrote a book (Green Goes with Everything) which I am going to buy - she says it is filled with tips and ideas about how to make our lives more green. There is a simple body burden quiz on her site. Take it for a shocking surprise.

A great blog on Lao Tzu

This is a wonderful blog - it says so much and is based on one of my favorite paths - Daoism.

Chemical Sweeteners

It is part of "conventional wisdom" that sugar is bad...simple sugars rob the body of nutrients. This has been a part of the mantra of health advocates for years. We are also told that:

• we need to control carbohydrate consumption
  
• sugar intake is linked to diabetes
• we are a carb-addicted society

All too true...but what about those who are really diabetic or want to control carbs and turn to artificial sweeteners? My father was a diabetic and used saccharine, nutrasweet and Splenda. Many of my friends and family use those products. Yet, they are probably MORE harmful than refined sugar because they are basically just chemicals. Splenda, which many think is just modified sugar and should be benign, is most likely the worst of them all...containing the highly toxic chlorine.

There are many alternative that are natural and healthy. I use raw, organic sugar in moderation. Fructose (not the processed high-fructose corn syrup, but plain fruit sugar) and Agave syrup are good choices and Stevia, a South American herb, are all healthy alternatives to chemical sweeteners that won't make a huge impact on your blood sugar. I have used Stevia and it is great (as drops) in iced tea or hot tea.

Before you dump chemicals into your body, do some research first! And don't rely on research funded by the companies that make these products...they are known to be biased and untruthful. Check out Dr. Mercola's web site (http://www.mercola.com/) and search his site for Splenda or Nutrasweet. What you will learn might change your mind about how you sweeten your life.

Link to excellent web site

Really nice site with some great info.

Introduction

Hi, My name is Amy and I am interested in the mind-body-spirit link to wellness and heath. I feel like there are three aspects to our beings - our body, our consciousness and our spirit and these things are tightly linked. Illness could be attributed to a misalignment between any of these aspects of our being. I know, for instance, that there has been a great deal of research on the effects of our mental state on our health. It is very well known. And there has also been a good deal of research on the effects of spiritual practice on health and healing.

My goal with this blog is to highlight this information and discuss it with any and all who are interested.

If you have any personal stories to tell related to this topic, please feel free to post.

Thanks.