Lucy Sharratt from CBAN speaking about genetically modified foods

Chances are, your shelves are full of genetically modified foods, but you probably don’t even know it because these “products” do not require labeling. Top GM foods are canola, sugar, soy and corn and these foods find their way into everything from chocolate bars and ketchup, to canola oil, yogurt and non-fat ice cream. The latest threat is now meat, as genetically engineered pork and salmon might be hitting grocery shelves shortly if we can’t stop Health Canada and the FDA from approving them.

Loaded with questions on this subject, I attended a seminar held by Canadian Biotechnology Action Network (CBAN) for a lecture on the state of genetically engineered foods in both Canada and United States.  This is what I learned from them. Read the rest of this entry »

Avoid cooking with unsaturated fats like olive, canola and grapeseed oil

You’ve probably heard that you should fry with grapeseed oil and sauté with olive oil because they have the highest smoke points, right? Well although those smoke points are correct, this has nothing to do with the actual safety of cooking with these oils. You see, heating unsaturated fats like olive, canola and grapeseed damages their omega fatty acids by changing their molecular structure to a point where they become bad for our health.

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Vacuum box parts you can recycle

Whenever you buy a new consumable product, whether it be a food processor, computer or vacuum, don’t forget that you can often recycle more than just the box.

1. Cardboard box: Flatten and remove as much packing tape as you can.
2. Plastic bags: Reuse what you can as garbage bags or for storing shoes, otherwise, place them all together inside the biggest one for recycling.
3. Styrofoam: Some bear recycling symbols but every city’s program is different so contact them first.

Packing materials are produced to be thrown out, so let’s give a little extra effort to try to reuse or recycle as much as we can.

Me holding a Swimmi with Bummis' founder Betsy Thomas

Earlier this month, I had the pleasure of meeting  up with Betsy Thomas, the founder of Bummis cloth diapering at her manufacturing loft in Montreal. I walked in excited to see some cute paterned cloth diapers and talk about waste reduction but left realising I has just met a legend in sustainability.

This woman was a leader in sustainable business long before it was trendy. I immediately wanted to get this woman on the roster of Read the rest of this entry »

How I got the Khyber Pass restaurant in Montreal to start recycling

Last summer during a visit from my sister and brother-in-law, we decided to go to the Khyber Pass, a bring-your-own-wine Afghan restaurant, in Montreal. It’s a charming restaurant with great food (great vegetarian options too) and a cozy terrace in the back. One of the great aspects of dining-out in Montreal is that some restaurants have a bring-your-own-wine licence which encourages people to eat out more since you’re not spending a fortune on wine.

ANTI-CLIMAX

Thus, on this occasion, we did just that. We brought 2 bottles of wine and enjoyed a great meal. While discussing with the friendly waiter who had also lived in Victoria, BC (where my sister lived) we got got into great conversation about food and wine. At the end, he asked if I had finished eating and I made a comment like “Yah, you don’t compost leftovers do you?” to which he replied “No, we don’t even recycle wine bottles”.

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1. Food Inc. – How industrial farming is making us sicker, fatter and poorer – and what you can do about it

If you eat food, you need to watch this film. This is a fantastic film about food issues with something in it for everyone.  It covers the drastic changes in the food industry since modern industrial farming began and how it affects our health and the environment but finishes with a positive look on companies doing things right. It will suck you in, shock you, disgust you, anger you, but most importantly, it will make you a better-informed consumer and allow you to have more control over what you put into your body. I can’t stress how important it is for people to watch this film.

Take-away: You can reduce 80% of e-coli in cows by switching their diet from corn to grass

Where to find: In videostores, on Netflix in the US or purchase it on Amazon.ca

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Master Cleanse success - I cured my seasonal allergies

(Details on special giveaway below)

This past week, I completed the 7-day master cleanse again for the second time. Why? Because I cured my seasonal allergies from doing it 2 years ago. That’s right, I haven’t had to take Claritin or Aerius in 2 years. Now that’s what I call preventative medicine!

To learn about the master cleanse, view all my video diaries from my 10-day master cleanse in 2009. You can also get the master cleanse recipe here.

First, let’s start with a recap of the master cleanse benefits: Read the rest of this entry »

Elements for a green cocktail party

This past weekend, I celebrated another birthday and in preparing for a cocktail party, I wanted it to be as green as possible, and by green, I mean produce as little waste as possible.

Planning is key – the longer you plan, the more time you have to find recipes for appetizers, buy food & alcohol and make ice.

Here is what you can do within 48 hrs to put on a successful yet eco-friendly cocktail party. Read the rest of this entry »

5 tips for hosting a clothing exchange party

Would you secretly like to raid your friends’ closets?  Well now you can, (sort of), thanks to clothing exchange parties.

Two years ago, I attended my first ever clothing exchange party, a concept I had never heard of at the time. It’s where everyone brings a bag of their unwanted clothes and exchanges them for each others’ clothing. In wanting to continue the trend of this eco type party, I hosted my first ever clothing exchange party and I have to say, it was quite a hit. Read the rest of this entry »

The Great Cloth Diaper Change 2011 - Bummis boutique in Montreal

How many bums can one person see in a space of 5 minutes? Well if you were at The Great Cloth Diaper Change 2011 in Montreal, it was 47. In blogging about great Earth Day events to plan like Picnic for the Planet, I was asked by Baby Auric and Bummis to be an official witness for the Guinness World Record of the most cloth diapers changed in 5 minutes.

Over 400 locations worldwide registered for The Great Cloth Diaper Change 2011.  Here at the Bummis boutique in Montreal, we had Read the rest of this entry »