Top 10 ways Americans Waste Food

American families are throwing away 14% of their groceries each year, sending $75 billion worth of food straight into the trash. I started to think about the many ways we waste natural food and the list is astounding. Here are some of the ways:

1. Putting more on your plate than you can eat and not finishing.
2. Restaurants, supermarkets and dining halls dumping food that was never served and is still fit to eat.
3. Cutting fruits and vegetables inefficiently (e.g. the broccoli stems).
4. Throwing away food after weddings, birthdays, Thanksgiving and other events.
5. Leaving food out to spoil when it should be refrigerated.
6. Cooking excess amounts.
7. Storing fresh fruits and vegetables improperly.
8. Failing to opt-out of the ketchup, soy sauce or sugar that comes with your take-out (when you won't use it).
9. Throwing away food because of cosmetic blemishes.
10. Having an "I bought it, why should I care?" mentality.

As you can see, we're not just talking about table scraps. Admittedly, not all excess food is fit to eat, but there are definitely other uses - fertilizer, animal feed, mulch. Food that is edible can be made into a soup, an omelet or taken to lunch the next day in a brown-bag.

The cost of food is rising daily, and 4,000 human beings die every hour of starvation. Do what you can to make a difference.

OVERALL RATING (for food waste):

P.S. - If you'd like to read more about this issue, get one of these books from Amazon: Waste: Uncovering the Global Food Scandal or Enough: Why the World's Poorest Starve in an Age of Plenty.

Cucumber health tips and beauty secrets

With the summer here, nothing is more refreshing than cool cucumbers. Cucumbers are amazingly versatile, and in addition to delicious summer-salads, they have many unique health and beauty benefits. Here are a few of my favorites:

Glowing Skin
Add cucumber, a few drops of rose water and lime juice in a bowl and sprinkle over your face. Leave on for a few minutes, spreading it evenly. This will help clear a dull complexion and give your skin a youthful summer glow!

Health Drink
Cucumbers have so many amazing healing properties - they contain ascorbic acid which helps to reduce water retention. They also act as a cleansing agent to remove accumulated waste and toxins from our body. Many people use cucumber as a natural laxative. They and are also a great source of silica, a trace mineral that helps build our connective tissue. If you have bloating, constipation or arthritis, give cucumber juice a try.

Cleanser
Cucumbers are great for clearing the pores and reviving the skin. When combined with yogurt, it acts to gently exfoliate while removing blemishes and blocked pores. Try this natural home-made face mask :
Ingredients:

• 1/2 cucumber
• 1 tablespoon yogurt 
  

Instructions:
Puree cucumber and yogurt in a blender, apply to your face gently. Leave it on for 15-20 minutes. Rinse off with cool water or soft wash cloth.  Add a 1tbs. of honey or aloe vera juice to moisturize and soften your skin.


Hair Growth
Drinking a mixture of cucumber and carrot juice will help stimulate hair growth. Cucumbers have high levels of silicon and sulphur, which helps nourish hair, skin and nails.

Anti-inflammatory
If you have bags under your eyes, put cold cucumber slices over your closed eyes to reduce puffiness, and dark spots. Works every time!

Refresher
Add cucumber and oranges slices to a pitcher of water for a delicious and refreshing summer drink! Water has never tasted so good.

OVERALL RATING:  

Bare Escentuals

I imagine I was among the first people to try the Bare Escentuals makeup six years ago when I heard the infomercial on TV and later saw it featured in Sephora. Today, Bare Escentuals/Bare Minerals is the premier mineral powder make-up company - among first to go mainstream. The theory behind mineral make-up is that it is an all-natural alternative to the usual chemical-heavy cosmetics. The products are made of all natural, finely ground minerals from the earth, without any of the chemicals, dyes, and preservatives.

I tried their starter kit, so that is what I can base my reviews on. First the foundation - the color didn't match my skin. This seems to be an issue with a lot of people, and the starter kit came with two foundations. It was a nice marketing gimmick that made me think: "Overkill anyone?"  I don't think most people have time to apply two different foundations most mornings. Additionally, it made my skin feel very ashy and dry. The coverage was very thin as well, it didn't really cover blemishes well. They even recommend adding the "veil" (a white translucent powder) as a third coating on top. Way too much work for an everyday look! Also, the makeup was very hard to come out of the tins. They put little holes in the container top so you can shake the powder out. What ended up happening, however, was that halfway through the jar, the powder would get stuck and it became a ten minute work-out just to get the powder out.

The one thing I did love that came in the kit was the bronzer. It was a nice russet, gold color that was perfect as a blush along the cheekbones.  ---->

In sum, I don't think the kit as whole did anything radical for my skin, although I will admit that it was a clear improvement on the usual pore-clogging liquid foundations. I loved it for a while.... until I found a better mineral powder (review coming soon!)


OVERALL RATING: 

Aubrey Organics

"Why buy synthetic when natural works better?" I love this bold statement from the Aubrey Organics line. Their products are simply heavenly! Made from 100% natural ingredients, with no animal testing, they are so gentle on your skin and hair. Most of the products are vegan -- just look for the little rabbit symbol.

My favorite item from the line is the conditioner. The Honey-Suckle Rose scent is a pure winner! My hair was quite dry and so I tried some last night. It made my hair feel silky soft I smelled like roses :) The main ingredient in the conditioner is Aubrey's Coconut Fatty Acid Base mixed with aloe vera juice and shea butter. It also includes  wheatgerm oil, jojoba oil, rosehip seed oil, honeysuckle oil, carrot oil and vitamin A, C, and E. Loves it!

The conditioner itself is very thick, thicker than any other conditioner I've ever tried. It is also heavily scented with a nice floral smell. The packaging is not the prettiest, but if they spend less on the design to offer me a better product, I am all for it! The price is not $1.50 Suave, but it is not too exorbitant either, considering that everything in the bottle is 100% natural and organic. You can buy Aubrey Organics' Conditioner in most health food stores including Whole Food, Trader Joe's and online at Amazon. $10 will buy you a 11oz bottle that will last for months - Aubrey Organics - Honeysuckle Rose Conditioner, 11 fl oz liquid




OVERALL RATING: