Buy local, think healthy — it tastes sweeter

Sometimes a novelty becomes a necessity. Take New York’s farmers markets. A visit to one of the city’s outdoor food extravaganzas was once an entertaining field trip on an autumn Saturday, an excuse to sip apple cider and run my fingers across bright orange carrots with their thick green tops (so different from the shiny, leafless tubes wrapped in plastic in the produce aisle) and beets and potatoes still spotty with dirt.

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Save face with makeup that gives back

Sometimes a lot is simply not enough. This has been my guiding principle as I unhesitatingly embrace a more-is-better philosophy about the beauty products that make their way into my bathroom cabinet.

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Ga-ga-goo-green? 10 tips to raise an eco-kid

As my offspring stumbles and waddles his way from infancy to full-blown, upwardly mobile toddlerhood, I’m discovering that it’s never too early to steer him toward healthy, eco-conscious choices. Though I don’t doubt that W. is smart and capable, it’s clear that he’s not going to magically morph into a responsible citizen without some coaching and encouragement.

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America’s 10 healthiest supermarkets

Let’s face it: Your weekly (or daily!) run to the grocery store is the foundation for your good health. So it’s thrilling news that the supermarket industry is on a health kick — these days you’ll likely find organic produce and “natural” packaged foods at almost any store. But which chains are outdoing themselves to deliver the freshest and healthiest food? And which provide the best tools to help you make smart choices? Health magazine asked six prominent health experts to help pick the top 10 healthiest grocery stores out of the nation’s largest chains. And surprise: Many are the traditional, affordable grocers close to your home! Here are the winners:

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Spa-tacular! Organic beauty goes virtual

What happens when a cosmetology school dropout named Spirit is unable to open the organic spa of her dreams?

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Tricks to make it a happy ‘Hallo-green’

I’m working to go green this Halloween because I spent so many years of it in red. Red plastic. Yes, I celebrated the majority of my childhood Halloweens decked out as a red devil. A red plastic devil. I sported a red plastic cape (it seems that I was some unique breed of super-devil), red plastic horns and a red plastic pitchfork.

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Big retailers offering more organic beauty items

Organic personal care products are sprouting up at more mass retail outlets. Here are some examples:

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Drink this, you may feel pleasantly green

When sipping that beer or vodka tonic at the next holiday party, take heart: Your revelry may actually be good for the environment.

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Viking landers may have missed Martian life

Viking-like studies of the sediment in Spain's Rio Tinto, which contains microbes, found no signs of life (Image: Rafael Navarro-González)

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Demand for Organic Food Outstrips Supply

America's appetite for organic food is so strong that supply just can't keep up with demand. Organic products still have only a tiny slice, about 2.5 percent, of the nation's food market. But the slice is expanding at a feverish pace.

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Wal-Mart's Organics Could Shake Up Retail

Wal-Mart Stores Inc. is throwing its weight behind organic products, a move that experts say could have the same lasting effect on environmental practices that Wal-Mart has had on prices by forcing suppliers and competitors to keep up.

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So a woman walks out to her lawn and there's a free range chicken...

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A new report out today, Impacts of Genetically Engineered Crops on Pesticide Use in the United States: The First Thirteen Years [pdf] authored by Dr.

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"When you develop agricultural diets, you might need adaptations to survive on them, the way the digestive systems are regulated," Hawks said.

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When asked to supply organic milk for communal use at her flat, a friend bought Safeway's O brand organic milk. Her roommate was displeased, claiming it wasn't really organic. (Many greens question the substance of the USDA certification program.)

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Organic-food shoppers are making a rude discovery at their grocers' refrigerated display case. "White Wave Silk Vanilla Soymilk is no longer Organic," declares a hand-lettered sign at the two Sunflower Shoppes in Tarrant County.

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Unlike all other large Kuiper Belt Objects, which are covered in methane ice and so slightly red in colour, Haumea and its two moons are covered in water ice, giving them a blue tinge. Moreover, Haumea is much denser than water and so must have a rich rocky core.

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A nice little list with links and commentary on ownership and products for the major organic food brands. Organics have always been big money, even in a recession. This attracts well-capitalized companies who want to invest, and who can blame them?

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If you're like most consumers, you're more than happy to buy green -- as long as it saves greenbacks.

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A report from GRAIN discusses how agriculture can put back much of the excess carbon dioxide in the atmosphere into the soil.

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Violated by Errant Pesticide Application

I pulled in my driveway a few nights ago to see one of those little yard service warning flags stuck in my yard. My initial reaction was someone had stuck it there thinking that's where it belonged. However, I've not put any chemicals on my lawn in over 7 years.

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It's time for a new slim-down mantra: Eat more to weigh less. No joke! The right foods help you drop pounds by revving your calorie burn and curbing cravings. We consulted top experts for the best picks and asked leading chefs for easy, tasty ways to prepare them.

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Years ago, an owner of a glass company was arrested for throwing bricks through store windows in his town.

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A glass of thick, yellow human fat, marbled with blood vessels, is the latest weapon in America's war on obesity. " Showing people a gruesome image and saying, 'look, this is what you're doing to your body' makes people think "

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(Beyond Pesticides, September 29, 2009) A new study reveals that children exposed to agricultural pesticides applied near their home have up to twice the risk of developing the most common form of childhood leukemia, according to the Northern California Cancer Center (NCCC).

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Many "health" experts continue to argue that there is little difference between organic and conventionally raised produce, but the scientific evidence -- and common sense -- says otherwise.

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Nearly a quarter of American shoppers now buy organic products once a week, up from 17% in 2000. But for food purists, "local" is the new "organic," the new ideal that promises healthier bodies and a healthier planet.

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A cool new calculator from Organic Valley showing how much synthetic nitrogen, pesticides, and herbicides, have NOT been used in the production of their organic products. I'm guessing the numbers are similar for other organic dairy products.

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I never thought I'd ever post a link to a Huffington Post article I agree with, but here I am, doing just that.

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Huffington Post today publishes piece by NewSeed Advisors Managing Director Janine Yorio on sustainable agriculture investment sector about to pop. Where's the money coming from - what's the growth potential.

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Oysters oysters Packed with selenium, this tasty shellfish helps boost your body's production of cytokines, a protein that's known to ward off illnesses. Yogurt berries-and-yogurt

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Alarmed that genetically engineered crops may be finding their way into organic and natural foods, an industry group has begun a campaign to test products and label those that are largely free of biotech ingredients.

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Alarmed that genetically engineered crops may be finding their way into organic and natural foods, an industry group has begun a campaign to test products and label those that are largely free of biotech ingredients.

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You find each other online. After a brief exchange of messages, you both agree it's a good match and arrange to meet in person to do the deed.

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The CtW Investment Group called on the Whole Foods Market (NYSE: WFMI) board to remove CEO John Mackey as Chairman and to begin the process of naming a new CEO in a letter to Whole Foods' lead independent director, Dr. John Elstrott, yesterday afternoon.

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