By Allison Ford, Divine Caroline
More from Care2 Green Living blog

(Photo: Veer)In this age of flashy new medicines and cutting-edge medical treatments, it's comforting to find a simple cure that's tried and true. In 400 BCE, the Greek physician Hippocrates described the healing powers of willow bark, which he recommended for easing pain and reducing fevers. It turns out that willow bark's active ingredient, a chemical called salicin, is the foundation of aspirin.

Healers used willow bark to treat pain and inflammation for centuries, and since the 1700s, chemists and doctors used salicylic acid for medicinal purposes, but it had terrible gastrointestinal side effects.

Then, in 1897, a German chemist was searching for a new formulation to help his father's painful rheumatism. By tinkering with the chemical structure of salicylic acid, he ended up with a milder and gentler version. The pharmaceutical company he worked for, Bayer, named the compound aspirin and began marketing its new pill

Our latest One in a Million member is Nancy, an Episcopal priest and practicing psychologist who lives in central New York state. The One in a Million campaign encourages people to shift $1,000 of their household budget to greener products and services. I was amazed to learn that Nancy shifted so much she actually saved more than $10,000 without feeling deprived. Here's her story.

What inspired you to make so many "green" changes in your life? My doctoral studies were in MindBody medicine and holistic healing...which led directly to my first change: become a vegetarian(1991)-which reversed bone loss. In the intervening years I continued to study, teach courses, and give lectures and workshops on holistic healing and spirituality. My studies and workshop presentations expanded in 2005 after I learned about the known health risks associated with land fills at a meeting of the local chapter for the League of Women Voters. The local land fill had expanded despite opposition and was (and is

By Lori Bongiorno
More from The Conscious Consumer blog

(Photo: Getty Images)Experts unanimously agree that you should NOT pre-rinse your dishes before loading the dishwasher.

Why not? Because your dishes will not get any cleaner if you rinse them before loading your dishwasher. Pre-rinsing is therefore a complete waste of time, water, energy, and money. And, in some cases, it can actually harm your glassware.

Still not convinced? Here are the details.

Dishes will not get any cleaner if you pre-rinse them.

Modern dishwashers and detergents have come a long way in the past couple of decades. "You will not improve your wash performance one bit by pre-rinsing," says John Dries, a mechanical engineer and owner of Dries Engineering, an appliance design consulting company. He points out that heavily soiled dishes are used in pre-market "wash tests," not pre-rinsed dishes.

In most cases, all you need to do is scrape your plates over a trashcan to get rid of bones or chunks of food. One

By Jeff Yeager, The Daily Green(Photo: Robin Macdougall / Getty Images)

If you are what you eat, then I should weigh-in at under $1 a pound.

That's because, as a general rule of thumb, I try to only buy foodstuffs that costs under a buck per pound. Under $1 a pound, year-round -- that's my grocery shopping mantra.

It's not just because I'm a world-class penny-pincher and smart shopper; believe it or not, it's also about eating healthier. When you look at the USDA's "food pyramid," many of the things we should be eating the most of -- grains, legumes, fruits, and vegetables -- happen to cost the least.

It's often the stuff that's bad for us (at least in large quantities) like red meat, fatty dairy products, and processed foods high in trans saturated fats, that cost the most, on a per pound basis.

To prove my point, I've put together this list of 50 healthy foods that I've purchased at least once in the last six months for under $1 a pound.

So rev-up your shopping cart, but be careful: There's a Green

By Vicki Santillano, Divine Caroline via Care2
More from Care2 Green Living blog

Burritos have a lot of calories. That's not exactly "news at 11," but even the most calorie-conscious among us would be surprised by how quickly the numbers add up between the flour-tortilla folds.

Sure, we could cut out the shredded cheese and even the tortilla itself and save a few calories, but that'd be ignoring one important fact -- life is short. Too short, in my opinion, to waste it worrying about the occasional foil-wrapped indulgence. (Unless "occasional" means multiple times a week, in which case you probably don't give a flying fiesta bowl about calorie counts.)

When it comes to burritos, I say, go big or go home. And at these Mexican fast-food chains, it's hard to do otherwise.

Qdoba
Qdoba lets patrons build their own burritos, offering a plethora of meat, bean, and sauce options. So, what if you order ground beef on a flour tortilla with cilantro-lime rice, black

By Lori Bongiorno
More from The Conscious Consumer blog

(Photo: Getty Images)Is it healthier to eat raw veggies or to cook them? Is fresh broccoli more nutritious than frozen? Is eating iceberg lettuce a waste of time?

You may be surprised by the answers to these seemingly simple questions. In fact, there are several misconceptions when it comes to vegetables. The one universal truth is that most of us could be eating more of them.

As summer approaches, we have more vegetable choices than at any other time of year. Here's a guide to what's fact and what's fiction when it comes to eating your veggies.

Myth: Fresh vegetables are more nutritious than frozen

Fact: Studies show that sometimes you can get more nutrients from frozen veggies, depending on variety and how old the vegetables at your supermarket are. That's because produce starts losing nutrient quality as soon as it's picked.

Frozen vegetables are flash-frozen right after harvest so they are preserved at their peak of

By Michelle Schoffro Cook, Care2
More from Guest Bloggers blog

(Photo: Getty Images)Have you been wondering "what's all the fuss about green tea?" Now you can stop wondering and start drinking ... green tea, that is. This flavorful beverage offers many health benefits to anyone who drinks it regularly. Green tea contains a potent plant nutrient known as epigallocatechin gallate, or EGCG, for short. But don't fret, you don't have to keep track of its chemical name to reap the health benefits.

Here are nine reasons to start drinking green tea or continue drinking it if you're already hooked.

1. Green tea is a superb fat fighter. Its active ingredient, EGCG, increases the rate at which fat is burned in your body.

2. It targets belly fat. Research at Tufts University indicates that EGCG in green tea, like other catechins, activate fat-burning genes in the abdomen to speed weight loss by 77 percent.

3. Green tea keeps energy stable by balancing blood sugar levels. EGCG improves insulin use

When it comes to global warming, burning less gas has always made sense. And the disaster in the Gulf of Mexico has reminded us all why we need to use less oil. Now that gasoline costs almost $3.00 a gallon, reducing our consumption at the pump makes "cents," too. These ten tips offer the fastest, easiest ways you can save gas -- and money.

1. Drive smart - Avoid quick starts and stops, use cruise control on the highway, and don't idle.

2. Drive the speed limit - Remember - every 5 mph you drive above 60 mph is like paying an additional $0.10 per gallon for gas.

3. Drive less - Walk, bicycle, use a scooter or moped, combine trips, and telecommute.

4. Drive a more fuel-efficient car - Consider one of the new hybrids; at the very least, choose from among the EPA's "Fuel Economy Leaders" in the class vehicle you're considering.

5. Keep your engine tuned up - Improve gas mileage by an average of 4.1 percent by maintaining your vehicle in top condition.

6. Carpool -