Green

By Shannon R, SELF magazine

Most of us are striving to live a healthier lifestyle. Whether that means eating healthy, exercising more, buying organic or reducing your carbon footprint we all want to feel like we are doing the best we can to take care of ourselves and the people we love. In recent years, the beauty industry has joined the wellness trend by selling products with terms like "organic," "natural" and even "chemical-free". The question is, what do these terms really mean?

What does organic mean?
It really depends on who you ask. If you ask a chemist, the answer is clear. Organic means any chemical compound that contains carbon. In fact, to get a college chemistry degree you take a year of Organic Chemistry where you memorize endless chemical reactions between hydrocarbons, oxygen, nitrogen and more.

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In the food industry, organic products are regulated by the National Organic Program (

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By Sayward Rebhal, Networx

I'm a pretty progressive gal. I make "Socially Conscious, Totally Fabulous" my mantra, and I've got my green routine down to a science. Mostly.

My kitchen and home are practically plastic-free. I buy my beans, grains, sugars, flours, oils, vinegars, syrups, and anything else I can, in bulk to save on packaging. I've eliminated toxic cleaners and I make my own beauty products. For the most part, I'm about as low-waste as a girl can get.

However. There's one piece of the plastic puzzle that I've found as-of-yet unavoidable. Pill bottles! My vitamins and supplements and over-the-counter medications and, on rare occasions, prescriptions. You can't buy vegan vitamin K2 in bulk (yet!), and you can't bring your own glass jar to the pharmacist (yet!). And so I end up with a stash of empty plastic bottles.

Maybe you do, too. Some of these can be recycled (check into your city's program) and some of them cannot. But what about re-using? You can put tho

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by Green Diva Meg

I know there are a lot of stories floating around out there about the health benefits of dark chocolate, but for some reason it really got my attention this year. Perhaps it was GD Lisa's Take Two (and call her in the morning) report last week, which included some surprising health benefits of chocolate, particularly for the heart. Wow. Really?!? Did Hallmark or the chocolate makers who designed all those heart-shaped boxes filled w/ chocolate goodies know this way back when?

Of course, the truth is that "healthy" chocolate should be dark, low-sugar, probably sans milk (and all the other goodies often found in the middle of those boxed candies) and eaten in moderate amounts.

My husband, who is healthier than almost anyone I know, has a genetic bummer when it comes to cholesterol and we had a very frightening couple of weeks that ended with a triple bypass this past year. So, we're both paying a lot of attention to anything that is heart-healthy, es

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Today, reading and understanding labels on nearly anything can be a difficult task, especially when there's limited transparency, as is often the case with beef and poultry. Trying to decipher the difference between "Natural," "Natural and No Antibiotics Added," "Certified Organic," and "Grass-Fed" can become complicated, especially when price points, taste, and marbling come into play. And the pretty pictures of cows grazing in the meadows don't really help either.

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To learn more about grass-fed beef, we turned to Paul Alward, the President and CEO of Hudson Valley Harvest, which is a relatively new company that sells meat and produce from the Hudson Valley in New York. He defines grass-fed to mean cattle that have been raised on pasture and are fed only on hay and forage and never receive any grain. (Check out our definition cheat sheet below for information on the other types of beef.)

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By Sofie Sausser

You've probably heard the tip about putting dryer sheets in your vacuum or bottom of the trash can to keep things smelling fresh. You haven't? Well, it's true. And here are ten additional ways of fluffing up your abode with downy freshness (we always suggest using non-toxic dryer sheets!)

1. Dusting Use dryer sheets to dust blinds, fans or almost any surface. The anti static properties in the sheets will help repel the dust. They are easy to hold and you can dust your laundry room after folding the clothes. Don't forget to dust the TV and reduce static on the screen.

2. Reduce Static Cling Rub on your dress or stockings to keep your dress from riding up. You can also use them on your computer and TV screen. Even rub on your hair to prevent ecstatic flyaways.

3. Pets Rub a sheet on your wet dog to take away the "wet rug" smell after a swim or bath. Towel him or her dry first. You can remove pet hair from your clothes and furniture with them as well.

4. Fresh

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