Blog Posts by TheDailyGreen.com

URTH Guy was sent a sample kit the other day from Global Healing Center, an informational website and online retailer of natural products based on non-GMO, organically certified, wildcrafted ingredients.

My favorite sample so far is the appropriately named Fresh Mouth, which is a delightful mouth refresher, packed with 38 ingredients to fight bad breath and promote good oral hygiene. It includes coenzyme Q-10, xylitol, colloidal silver, aloe, tea tree oil, green tea extract, propolis, eucalyptus oil, menthol, folic acid and more, and does seem to work well for me. Maybe I should get some for my sister…

I also got a DVD on colon health, which I admit I haven't had time to watch yet, a book on the same and some interesting looking colon cleansing powder, Oxy-Powder, which sells for $44.95. The vegetarian capsules are said to use the power of oxygen to safely aid the body in relieving irritation associated with constipation symptoms. Since I do tend to have that problem while

Fans of shock jock Howard Stern know that he likes using condoms, but that's not too surprising given his oft-reported small size and easily aroused, hornball reputation. But for many of the rest of us, condoms can be a real hassle, an inconvenience, or even a barrier to a fulfilling night. Why?

1. One Size Does Not Fit All.
It's hard to get a good fit. For those of us who don't quite have any business buying Magnums or Pee Wees, it's tough to find something that fits comfortably but stays on for the duration (losing one is not fun). You don't want something too tight (seriously), too loose (see above), or wrongly shaped. The last brand I tried I could not get on at all (boy was that frustrating).

2. Too Thick or Too Thin.
Very thick condoms depress me so much I'd rather not have sex at all, because I feel more from walking down the street. Very thin condoms are much more exciting -- in large part because they break so frequently, making it seem like you're playing

Vitamin C helps the body maintain healthy tissues and a strong immune system, and it aids in the absorption of iron. The recommended daily allowance (RDA) for adult men is 90 mg and for adult women it's 75 mg. Here are the top 5 food sources of vitamin C, according to the USDA's Dietary Guidelines for Americans.

Guava
Guava is rich in vitamin C--one half-cup of the fruit contains 188 mg of vitamin C and 56 calories. Eat the fruit raw, or try this recipe for a Hawaiian smoothie.

Red Sweet Pepper
You probably instantly think citrus when you think of immune system-boosting vitamin C, but red sweet pepper offers a solid dose of the nutrient. One half-cup of raw red sweet pepper contains 142 mg of vitamin C and 20 calories. If you cook the veggie, a 1/2 cup offers 116 mg of vitamin C and 19 calories.

You can always chop up a red pepper into salads and for crudite, but for a different take on the brightly hued vegetable, try this recipe for Garlicky Spinach with Red Peppers and Golden

Amid severe doom and gloom in world economies, there is at least some light cutting through the darkness: folks are more interested in energy conservation than ever. Since winter is right around the corner, now is the time to make sure you'll save all you can.

To make it easier, we put together 19 ways to save money this heating season and protect your investment, arranged in order of easiest (and least painful) to most difficult and/or costly improvements.

Here's the first 7:


1. Beat the Draft(s)

Worried about the draft? Not military in this case, but air flow. According to the U.S. Department of Energy, drafts can waste 5 to 30% of your energy use. Start simple and adopt that old Great Depression fixture (perhaps a symbol of a new depression?) -- the draft snake.

Place a rolled bath towel or custom-made "snake" across the bottom of leaky doors and windows. Get the kids involved and decorate with googly eyes, felt tongues and the like. You can use any scraps of fabric -- even

Safeway will stop selling plastic baby bottles made with Bisphenol-A, the controversial chemical that mimics estrogen and has been linked to a range of health problems.

The nation's third-largest supermarket chain, Safeway has 1,775 stores in the U.S. and Canada. Its announcement comes just days after Canada announced it would ban the use of the chemical in baby bottles. The Food and Drug Administration has taken no action to restrict use of the chemical in the U.S., and has instead stood by its safety while bebaby bottleing criticized for relying on industry-backed studies instead of a growing body of independent and government research. The National Toxicology Program, a U.S. agency, declared its concern over the health safety of the chemical just weeks ago.

Other retailers and manufacturers to announce voluntary bans on the use of Bisphenol-A in certain products include Whole Foods, Walmart, Toys-R-Us, Nalgene and Camelbak.

"Once again, we have a major retailer setting stringent

Why wait for him to figure out what you want this holiday? Drop some hints.

The Daily Green has compiled more than 100 great green gift ideas, including selections for her. (That's you.) ... Plus, gifts for gourmets and wine lovers, gifts for the home and for the garden, toys for kids and treats for pets, and more.

So, find a gift for everyone on your list ... But don't be shy. Tell him what you want. Scroll down for a peek at some of the gifts, or click the links for many, many more ideas.

Feel guilty indulging? Blunt any qualms by remembering that these gifts are made from sustainable and recycled materials.

Related Stories

100+ Sustainable Gift Ideas from The Daily Green

13 Ways to Give Without Giving "Stuff"

Radical Reuse: Unique Gifts Made from Recycled Materials

I'm Green, You're Not: Gifts to (Gently) Help Them Go Green

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Reprinted with permission of Hearst Communications, Inc.

It's National Lead Poisoning Prevention Week, and the Environmental Protection Agency is highlighting the importance of prevention during renovation, when lead-contaminated dust can easily be kicked up. A new law requires contractors to provide information about lead paint to homeowners and tenants now, and by 2010, contractors will have to be certified in order to perform work on older buildings that may have lead paint on the walls.

Why? Lead dust is the most common way for children and pregnant women to be exposed to lead. Exposure in utero, or before the age of six, can cause permanent brain damage, reducing IQ and causing learning disabilities and behavioral problems. In adults, it can cause high blood pressure and hyper tension, and it can be deadly to people and pets of all ages in large doses.

If you're renovating, ask yourself these questions:

1. Was Your Home Built Before 1978?
   Before lead paint was banned in 1978, it was used in 38 million

Leslie Land, The Daily Green's Greengrower, provides helpful tips, thoughtful advice, inspiration and encouragement to gardeners -- specializing in healthy organics. In her latest post, she asks: "Tulip or Not to Tulip? That is the question. Happens every year, as dazzlers never seen at the florist beckon from page after glossy catalog page.

In addition to being beautiful (and frequently fragrant), tulips are inexpensive; the more you buy the cheaper they are. They're easy to grow - in fact almost impossible to screw up - and in spite of the general wisdom, they often come back

On the other hand ---

Deer. I need say no more to anyone who has tried to have tulips in deer country (i.e., anywhere outside of midtown Manhattan). So the huge downside is that you must plant them where they can be protected, a drastic reduction in design options.

Here are my tips for great tulips:

1. Given that if you like tulips at all, you'd like a few thousand dollar's worth, it pays to start with a firm