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.

What is it?

Genetically modified organisms (GMO) or genetically engineered foods (GE) refer to having the genes of one plant (and now animals) altered with the gene of another organism. Perhaps you have heard the example of a tomato containing the genes of a fish? Monsanto, is the world’s largest producer of genetically engineered seeds and owns about 86% of all seeds.

The subject is often confusing and most information is not accessible to the public so we don’t always know what is actually going on.

Crops genetically engineered in Canada:

1. Soy
2. Canola
3. Corn
4. (White) sugar beets

*Note: Lantic sugar, the only company in Canada that processes sugar beets, just bought Rogers sugar. Info on whether or not Rogers sugar will now contain or be GM is considered trade secret and has not been released to the public. Buyer beware!

Crops genetically engineered in United States:

1. Soy
2. Canola
3. Corn
4. (White) sugar beets
5. Cotton
6. Papaya (Hawaii)
7. Squash
8. Zucchini

*Note: Just because this is happening in the states does not mean it does not affect Canada since US exports food to us.

What do we know?

GM foods first came onto the market in 1995 with promises of making food more nutritious, contain more cancer fighting properties, increase crop yields and decrease costs for farmers. At the time, Monsanto’s slogan was “Food, health, hope”.

Fast forward 15 years and we see that Monsanto has not fulfilled their promises to the public, and in some cases, the opposite has happened. They have, however, fulfilled their corporate promise (increase profit). Coincidentally, they have also changed their slogan to “Imagine”.

• Farmers costs have actually increased due to increased costs of GM seeds and increased harvesting costs due to manual labour now being required because of superweeds.
• More chemicals are sprayed on crops because of superweeds (from repeated use of Monsanto’s Roundup herbicide) which has necessitated stronger and older technology herbicides being used.
• Threat to organic farmers losing their ‘organic license’ due to contamination of GM seeds flying onto organic farms.
• World hunger still exists. This is a complicated one because world famine has more to do with political factors and the massive amount of meat consumption in the western world than traditional farming methods not producing enough food. I can’t remember the exact figure but I’ve heard that 70% of worldwide agriculture space is reserved for crops to feed livestock instead of humans. I’ve also heard that a reduction of just 10% of meat would allow us to grow enough crops to feed the rest of the world.

Safety of GM foods:

According to CBAN, Health Canada doesn’t conduct any of its own safety tests on GM foods but relies on data submitted by the product developer instead. The data is classified as “Confidential Business Information” and is not accessible to the public or independent scientists.

The majority of studies are conducted on mice or livestock and last no longer than 90 days which is just not long enough to understand the full effects of genetically modified foods on the human body. Ideally, a study should last 15 years but who would fund that? The agenda of these companies is to get a new crop approved as fast as possible to start making money off it.

Effects on livestock fed GM foods:

• Increased infertility
• Spontaneous abortions (miscarriages)
• Liver & kidney damage
• Sudden bird deaths in communities where GM crops are grown (i.e. corn)

Ethical problems with GM foods:

• Completely undemocratic: Canadians (and probably Americans) were never given the opportunity to decide if they wanted the introduction of GM foods in our food system.
• No government mandatory labels: We, as consumers, should have the right to know what we put into our bodies but our governments believe we don’t. They prefer protecting companies from loss of profits due to mandatory labeling than our health. If our government wants to approve these foods, fine, but then at least allow us the ability to decide if we want to purchase them or not!
• No transparency or public consultations.

In Canada:

• Bovine growth hormone (cows) originally approved by Health Canada, was overturned thanks to 4 whistleblowers at Health Canada who could only come forward because of public pressure and support from farmers.
• Canada banned GM wheat. Monsanto has since relaunched their campaign to get it approved by Health Canada.
• GM potatoes were taken off the market by Monsanto thanks to McCain french fries because they export to Europe and Europe does not allow the importation of GM foods (for the moment).

Next foods to be genetically modified:

1. Rice
2. Wheat
3. Apples
4. Salmon
5. Pork (aka Enviropig TM)

What consumers can do to protect themselves?

1. Buy organic – since labeling of GM foods or ingredients is not mandatory, this is the only way to avoid it as organic foods cannot contain GM ingredients or be genetically modified.
2. Avoid products that contain soy lecithan, high fructose corn syrup and canola oil which are highly genetically modified ingredients and find their way into processed foods (cereals, cookies, breads, soy powders, chocolate bars etc.).
3. Visit cban.ca for more info and current government petitions.

In conclusion:

For every study that say GM foods are not harmful to human health, there is another one that says they are. And what’s their definition of safe; doesn’t produce cancer in a mouse after 90 days? Who’s to say that we know everything we need to know about it now? I, for one, do not want to be a guinea pig for the next 20 years so some biotech company can earn profits off me.

The politics of food is now a battle of quantity versus quality with GM foods promoting higher yields and organic foods promoting nutrition. Mother nature gave us everything we would ever need to be healthy, and yet we’re trying to grow food in labs.

If you are morally ok eating food that has had its genes altered, then fine.  I, however, will be choosing organic.

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.

Smoke point of various oils:

• Ghee, 485F
• Canola, 425F
• Grapeseed, 425F
• Coconut, 350F
• Butter, 350F
• Olive, 325F
• Flax, 225F

Saturated fats like coconut oil and butter are best for cooking

For those who have been following my story, I have gone back to school to study holistic nutrition at the Institute for Holistic Nutrition. After finishing my biochemistry final yesterday, our biochem professor gave us a lecture on cooking oils. Here is what we learned.

Choose saturated fats for cooking, not unsaturated:

In order to understand which fats or oils to cook with, you need to look at their molecular structure and whether or not they contain double bonds. I will spare you from this biochemistry and give you the answer.

Saturated fats contain no double bonds so are not sensitive to heat, light or oxygen and are less likely to create free radicals when heated. Thus, coconut oil and butter are the best fats to cook with. This said, you should still not be frying with them because that is just wrong from a health perspective. I’m saying that they are the most resistant to the heat needed to cook food. Fried food is not food, period!

Unsaturated fats (vegetable oils) are very sensitive to heat, light and oxygen so heating them up will change their molecular structure and thus turn them into free radicals which damage our cells. Monounsaturated fats like olive oil only contain one double bond so are a little more resistant to heat than polyunsaturated fats like canola, grapeseed and sesame, but they should still be avoided for cooking. They should only be used to top a dish afterwards or create a vinaigrette.

What about social situations?

Does this mean you will die if you eat a meal cooked with olive oil at your friend’s house or a restaurant? No. But I am saying that you want to limit free radical damage to your body which leads to degenerative disease and cancer over time, so lessening your exposure to them is a good idea.

Coconut oil is sold at room temperature and great for cooking

What if I’m lactose intolerant or vegan?

You can also cook with ghee which is clarified butter and has had all the milk products removed. I believe this is ok for lactose intolerant people. As for vegans or strict vegetarians, it looks like coconut oil is the only option.  I’ve heard it’s great for Asian dishes but you can still use it for Mediterranean type dishes with onions and garlic.

But isn’t butter bad for you and what if I have high cholesterol?

Cooking with an oil that is not meant to be heated is worse and potentially carcinogenic (causes cancer) because of the free radical damage it will do to your body. You need a fat that can withstand heat and not change chemically when it is heated.

As for cholesterol, contrary to popular belief, there is no evidence that high cholesterol is caused by diet, it is caused by free radical damage to the cells in the body so cooking with butter will not raise it. That said, you should still not be eating foods like red meat and pork, but not because of the cholesterol they contain, because they are hard on the body and generally contain a lot of toxins and preservatives.

If you want to reduce free radical damage in your body, limit your exposure to them and eat more unprocessed, organic fruits and vegetables, which are high in antioxidants and attack free radicals.

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 top sustainable business conferences around the world because top business leaders could learn so much from her.

Bummis manufacturing loft in Montreal includes p

MANUFACTURING

If you’re a proponent of buying local, you’ll appreciate that their products are produced here in Montreal, that means not in China! On top of that, they source as much as humanly possible from North America and when not possible, from the UK or Pakistan. In searching for suppliers, they demand compliance of strict environmental and social ethics.

SOCIAL ACCOUNTABILITY

Betsy told me about one supplier where she wanted them to get the SA800 certification in social accountability (fair treatment of workers etc.).  Although alternative suppliers with the certification were available, Bummis felt it was better to stick with their current supplier and get them to improve their practice. I really respected this concept considering our society is so commitment phobic. They’ll even end up making this company better off as well.

NON-TOXIC FABRICS

Bummis uses only certified organic cotton for their cloth diapers. Although it costs more, they felt it was better in the long run for everyone involved from grower, to sewer to baby which further helps reduce their carbon footprint.

Shirley Murdock and Betsy Thomas showing off their starter kit

BENEFITS OF CLOTH DIAPERS

• Fun colours: All the patterns and colours makes them more fun than boring old white, disposable diapers
• New & improved: these aren’t the diapers we were raised in with pins, nope, they use velcro now
• Helps with potty training: Some experts say cloth diapers make it easier since the kids recognize when they’re wet
• Safer: No chemicals soaking in a warm and wet environment against your child’s bottom
• Municipal subsidies: Some cities, like in Quebec, offer subsidies against the cost of cloth diapers
• Less waste: Diapers are the 3rd largest consumer source of garbage in our landfills and make up 50% of a household’s (with children in diapers) total waste.
• Less expensive: Save approx. $2500 per child
• Convenient: You can now get flushable liners (eliminates soaking) or you can sign up for a cloth diaper service
• Softer & more comfortable

NEW & IMPROVED CLOTH DIAPERS

Too complicated and gross you think? There have been many advances in cloth diaper “technology” since we wore them. Velcro has replaced pins and water-proof fabrics have replaced plastic pants. And for the mom on-the-go, now you can find one-piece diapers with flushable (biodegradable) liners so there is no soaking or rinsing required. They are even accepted in daycares now too.

Cloth diapers are softer than disposables with the feel of natural fibres against your baby’s bottom. Plus, they get changed more often which is healthier for the baby. There also tends to be more air circulation and less temperature build up which contributes to less diaper rash.

IN CONCLUSION

Amongst my baby-making friends, I’m impressed how many are using cloth, it almost seems to be mainstream now. If you’re expecting or if you already have a baby and are curious about cloth, check out Bummis at a retailer near you. You can either buy a kit or one single unit.

If you like the concept but don’t want to clean them, check out a cloth diaper service. Bébé Auric uses Bummis diapers here in Montreal and Happy Nappy has services across Canada.

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”.

THE HORROR

There I was, Urban Green Girl, who was just told that her 2 wine bottles (completely empty) were going to be thrown into the garbage. He told me 2000 bottles were actually disposed of each week, simply because the owner didn’t want to bother with recycling.

Stunned, I was sure this was illegal. The next day, I called the city of Montreal to inquire on whether it was true that a restaurant, a bring-your-own-wine restaurant no less, was allowed to not recycle. I was instructed to call the Eco-quartier that took care of recycling programs for that area.

I called and explained the situtation and said I didn’t want to make a complaint but instead, help the owner start recycling. They told me about a campaign they had that would give 2 large recycling bins for free to the restaurant (normally a $200 value each) and even deliver them.

My sister and brother-in-law enjoying wine with our dinner

SUCCESS IN ITS PUREST FORM

They took the restaurant’s info and contacted them to let them know about the program. About a month or so later, I got a call from Eco-quartier letting me know that they had, in fact, started recycling.

This brought a great amount of joy to me, to know that one person, could make a difference and reduce landfill waste by 2000 wine bottles per week.

THE MORAL OF THE STORY

Always give the benefit of the doubt. In this case, the owners were immigrants to Canada and not accustomed to the “importance” of recycling. So, it is important to try to work with them and let them know about services available. If the offer of help is refuted, then you escalate in which ever manner you can. Be creative!

Is it our job to do this? No! But if we don’t and it’s not mandatory by law to recycle (which is the case in Montreal unfortunately), then who will?

We need to fight for environmental protection until it becomes important enough that we can trust our elected officials to take care of it, but until then, FIGHT!

* BTW – In case you’re wondering, I carried the empty wine bottles home with me that night to recycle them

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

2. Addicted to Plastic

This is by far one of the best films I’ve ever seen because it ends off on a high-note. Addicted to Plastic was made by Toronto filmaker Ian Connacher and documents plastic pollution. He travels across 12 countries to detail plastic’s path over the past 100 years, the threats it poses and solutions to its recycling, toxicity, and biodegradability.

Take-aways: How microbeads in shower gels end up in our food chain.  It also shows an island in the middle of the Pacific that is made up entirely of plastic debris. Watch the Addicted to Plastic trailor.

Where to find: In Canada, Addicted to Plastic is available at Blockbuster and Rogers and will be coming soon to Netflix in the US. You can always purchase Addicted to plastic on their site or on Amazon.ca.

3. Tapped

Tapped is an extremely thought provoking documentary about the next biggest commodity, water, which many say will become more important than oil. It details the effects on local towns where water giants like Nestlé essentially rape small towns of their ground water, the health problems associated with bisphenol A (BPA) leaching from the bottles into the water, and the massive amount of environmental problems due to non-recycled water bottles.  This movie will change the way you look at bottled water and make you carry a reusable water bottle around everywhere you go.

Take-away: Bottled water is basically an unregulated industry not subject to the strict tests that tap water is.

Where to find it: Available on Netflix, your local videostore or for purchase on Amazon.ca

4. The world according to Monsanto

This France/Canada documentary looks at the environmental and health effects of genetically modified organisms (GMOs) and the frightening influence that Monsanto, the world leader in GMOs, has over the health organizations that are “supposed” to protect us.

Take-aways: How the Bush admin helped get GMOs accepted by the FDA, why Health Canada originally did not accept them despite US pressure and why they eventually caved.

Where to find it: Try your local video store or you can purchase it on the National Film Board of Canada’s website.

5. Home

Home is a cinematographic masterpiece by world-renowned French photographer Yann-Arthus Bertrand. Narrated by Glenn Close, it’s a stunning journey around the world shot entirely by aerial view. It showcases nature’s majestic beauty but also its fragility due to human interaction. Home focuses mostly on climate change and what we need to do now to stop it from getting worse. Watch Home now.

Take-away: Goosebumps and a desire to read more about how to help at goodplanet.org.

Where to find: Home is available for purchase on Amazon.ca

6. Earthlings

Earthlings is by far the single-most, powerful documentary ever made on animal exploitation. Directed by L.A. filmmaker Shaun Monson and narrated by Joaquin Phoenix, it explores 5 areas of animal suffering; food, fashion, pets, entertainment and medical research. In a philosophical way, it draws the parallels between racism, sexism and now speciesism.  Call it an alarm clock because it simply wakes people up!

Take-away: A sense of power now that you will know the truth

Where to find: Earthlings is available for purchase in English and French on the film’s website. I have seen it in certain videostores in Canada and believe it is available on Netflix in the US.

7. An Inconvenient Truth

I labelled this film global warming for dummies in my review of An Inconvenient Truth back in 2008. Although this film was criticized by some in the scientific community, politicians and media and I also have my own issues with Al Gore (a cattle rancher), this film still has many merits. It teaches people in an easy-to-understand way what is climate change, why we should be concerned and what we can do about it. Although this film is 5 years old, not everyone has seen it and it is still a film I highly recommend.

Take-away: I now understand why polar ice caps melting contributes to climate change

Where to find: It should probably be in all video stores and is available for purchase on Amazon.ca.

8. The Cove

This Oscar winner is a suspenseful thriller about the ruthless slaughter of dolphins currently happening in Japan, unbeknownst to most Japanese. It’s a high-action, adventure and investigative journalism film that takes place against a Japanese mafia that will keep you on the edge of your seat.  Men will appreciate its Bourne Identity-esque appeal.

Take-away: Why you shouldn’t support “swimming with dolphin” tourism activities

Where to find: Local video stores or watch it now on Netflix. Also, available for purchase onAmazon.ca

9. Sharkwater

Sharks are now the most endangered species on the planet with over 90% of the total population gone. Sharkwater is an award-winning film about the plight of sharks becoming extinct due to human greed. This is the film debut of Rob Stewart, a Toronto wildlife photographer, who left his job to pursue this film when he discovered illegal activity (shark fining) that was happening in the Galapagos islands.

Take-away: Why the extinction of sharks affects the entire eco-system

Where to find: Local video stores, download it on iTunes or buy it on Amazon.ca

This last film, I have currently not seen, but due to my familiarity with the authors and the claims, I am more than sure it will be a great watch.

10. Forks over Knives

Despite the most advanced medical technology, we are sicker than ever with heart disease, cancer and stroke the leading killers and child obesity and diabetes are rising at phenominal rates. Forks over Knives follows two medical doctor researchers who examine the claims that we can control and reverse most degenerative diseases by adopting a plant-based diet and foregoing processed foods. It follows reality patients in United States and Canada on their journey of adopting a plant-based diet to see if it really can work.

Where to find: Currently in theatres across North America, you can find showtime listings here. It is also available for pre-order now.

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:

• Removes toxins from your body
• Improves skin for a more youthful appearance (won’t help acne if it’s hormonal)
• Removes cravings associated with alcohol, coffee, junk food, tobacco and other habit forming beverages
• Healing of stomach aches, feeling of bloating, indigestion, and colon issues
• Alleviation of chronic pains which are somehow linked to the clogging of internal organs
• A heightened energy level and lack of fatigue
• A reduction in allergies and its symptoms
• Weight loss
• A general feeling of well-being and comfort
• Becoming more in-tune with your body and understanding its signals better

How I felt:

• I felt “normal” each day
• In the mornings, I sometimes felt weaker and I had less energy when running up stairs, but these symptoms went away immediately after I drank the lemonade elixir.
• I was sometimes hungry at night, but it would go away after drinking the elixir or a tea
• My ability to concentrate was exactly the same as before
• My teeth needed to be brushed more often because of the sugar in the maple syrup
• My tongue did not change colour this time, indicating I did not have many toxins to eliminate

Important to note:

1. Not everyone’s constitution can handle the master cleanse.
2. The master cleanse should only be attempted by healthy individuals, otherwise follow the advice of a Naturopath.
3. You will lose weight; some is water weight but some is toxic sludge in your intestines which you can’t lose through dieting. To keep it off, start eating healthier and working out immediately following the cleanse.
4. How you feel depends on what your diet was like before. If you ate a lot of red meat, dairy and processed foods, the cleanse will probably be harder because you have more toxins to eliminate. If you were a vegetarian like me, it will be much easier.

Juicing the lemons with my citrus press

Tips:

1. Start on a Saturday. You’ll need a weekend to get used to it so you’re ready for work on Monday
2. Get an electric citrus juicer ($40). I normally promote manual kitchen aids but my God, you will need a gimmick to help you get through juicing 60 lemons.
3. Wash the lemon juicer immediately after juicing, otherwise the pulp becomes almost glued on and impossible to pick off.
4. Drink the laxative tea before bed every night – no point in cleansing if you’re not “eliminating”.
5. Drink lots of water and herbal tea in between the elixir, this will help fill you up. (No caffeine).

Regrets:

1. Don’t stay at home and give up your social life, you’ll end up feeling like you’re sick and the days will pass by very slowly. Go out – just bring a bottle of the lemonade with you or drink herbal tea. You’ll have the same amount of energy as before. I was able to accompany friends at cafés and restaurants and I was honestly fine. I also attended Game 7 of the Stanley Cup finals at a friend’s house where food was plentiful and I didn’t crack.

Good to knows:

1. On the weekend, I did 2 massive bike rides around Montreal (pictures on Facebook page). To be honest, I was worried I would faint from not having enough energy, but I was fine. The secret is to bring a bottle of the lemonade elixir and water with you, and keep yourself hydrated. Stop, whenever you need a break and listen to your body.
2. Remember, the lemonade elixir will give your body everything it needs during the cleanse to survive; all essential vitamins, minerals and carbs. You’ll learn a lot about your body from this experience and how strong you are.
3. Considering I’m a person who doesn’t have a lot of self-discipline, it’s amazing how easy this was to finish. I never once wanted to quit.

Going off the master cleanse:

You cannot start eating normally the day after your master cleanse ends. You must start off slowly by drinking freshly squeezed orange juice for at least half a day to turn your digestive system back on. If you feel stronger, you can then try drinking a vegetable soup broth. See how your stomach reacts. Diarrhea is normal. Some will be able to then eat a vegetable soup (butternut squash, carrots, celery) for supper, others will have to stick to the vegetable broth.

Here is a general guideline to follow. It’s important to listen to your body, if you feel ok and aren’t having diarrhea, progress to the next food item below. If you’re still having diarrhea, continue eating the same thing.

• Day 1: Freshly squeezed orange juice & vegetable broth (Possibly vegetable soup if you feel ok)
• Day 2: Freshly squeezed orange juice, fruit and vegetable soup
• Day 3: Fruits, vegetables and vegetable soup
• Day 4: Regular food (avoid processed foods)

Special Giveaway — Participate by July 1,  2011

In order to help you start master cleansing, Trudeau will give one of my lucky readers the following master cleanse kit:

1. A 17oz stainless steel water bottle
2. A maple syrup dispenser
3. A lemon juicer

In order to participate, you must become a fan of my Facebook page then leave a comment on here telling me why you would like to master cleanse, by July 1, 2011. One lucky winner will contacted by email and on my Facebook page and have the kit shipped to their house.

Residents of Canada & US only.

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.

1. Buy wine glasses – I’m normally not “pro” consumption but I am if it means buying something that will be reusable so you don’t need to purchase and dispose of plastic cups. Too expensive you think? There are many kitchen shops that sells wine glasses in packs of 6 for under $20. This way you reduce your waste, your wine tastes better and your event looks classier. Win!
2. Buy little plates for appetizers – Nothing worse than having to dispose of styrofoam, plastic or paper plates. Again, you can get plates in packs of 10 for under $20 as well. Now in all fairness and depending on where you live, you may be able to get locally produced compostable plates that are more sustainable than buying reusable plates from the dollar store which were shipped from China, but my thoughts are,  if you are going to be using them more than 3 times, it is worth it in the long term.
3. Choose locally produced, seasonal or organic liquors – Now this won’t always be easy, but we’re starting to see organic vodka show up in liquor stores and organic wine is more and more common. As for seasonal, try drinking ciders in the winter.
4. Make your own cocktail mix – Love margaritas or daiquiris? Make the mix yourself instead of purchasing it in wasteful packaging.
5. Make your own ice instead of buying it in bags so there’s no packaging waste.

Have any other tips? I would love to hear about them in the comments section.

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.

Most of my friends had never attended one before and thought the concept was great. Everyone came with a large bag, showcased what we had to give away and had catwalks in front of each other. It was surprising how nice some of the clothes were too! Sometimes the clothes were brand new and the person was giving them away simply because the colour didn’t match their skin. In the end, we had filled an Ikea size bag full of leftover clothes that we donated to a local women’s shelter.

Maude, Evalina and Rudy showing off Zara, Diesel and Spoylt clothes

The challenge – Choosing the clothes to give away

In cleaning out my closest, I realised I had a deep, emotional connection with some of my older clothes simply because it reminded me of a person, an event or a vacation. It didn’t matter that I hadn’t worn it in 5 years, I still found it hard to give away. None the less, I was able to be pragmatic and clean out some wool jackets, dress pants, work shirts and purses.

Agathe accepting a shirt Liesl gave away

5 reasons to host a clothing exchange party:

1. To reduce the demand of new clothes being produced
2. To recycle clothes so they don’t end up in the landfill
3. To get new clothes, for FREE
4. To meet new friends (it’s a great social event)
5. To have a girls night out

5 tips for hosting a great clothing exchange party:

1. Create your event on Facebook (or email) and invite your girlfriends; 3-7 is optimal
2. Make it BYOW (organic wine if possible)
3. Offer good food so you can munch (olives, nuts, pita & hummus, guacamole, veggies & dip, cupcakes etc.)
4. Bring a full length mirror into the party room so your guests can check out their new clothes
5. Locate a local charity or woman’s shelter to where you can donate the leftover clothes

Items to giveaway:

• Shirts, pants & skirts
• Belts
• Purses
• Hats
• Shoes
• Jackets & coats
• Scarves
• Bras

Me giving away purses to Sari and Evalina

Evalina getting Agathe's training pants

Agathe giving away pants bought on a trip to Thailand

Well the one on my computer screen is pretty big already.
Where is the mag available for purchase? Subscription?

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 over 47 babies who were registered for the event. In Vancouver, my friend Nichole part-owner of the Happy Nappy chain in BC, participated as well.

This event, in my eyes, was a great way to bring attention to how far cloth diapers have come in the last 10 years thanks to high-quality, cloth diapers being produced like Bummis. As for the busy, urban moms who crave convenience, there are tons of cloth diaper cleaning services sprouting up like Baby Auric.  On top of being highly-efficient and convenient, they are also cute as ever with all the designs and colours you can choose from.

Why choose cloth diapers?

1. Waste reduction – Diapers are the 3rd largest ‘consumer’ source of garbage in our landfills and make up 50% of a household’s (with children in diapers) total waste.  As for claims that some diapers are biodegrable, they would have to be exposed to the elements like sun, wind & rain in order to decompose but since they’re buried in garbage bags deep under other trash, they will likely not have the chance to biodegrate.
2. Safe – Disposable diapers pose health risks due to the potentially harmful chemicals they contain like dioxin; the most toxic of all carcinogenic chemicals according to the EPA.
3. Save money - Compared to disposable diapers which cost an average of $4300 per child, you could save up to $2,500 by enrolling with a cloth diaper service. Some municipalites are even giving tax-rebates for those who use cloth diapers as less garbage for them to pick up means less costs.

In conclusion, cloth diapers = everybody wins!

From L-R: Samantha (owner of Baby Auric), Me, Betsy (owner of Bummis) & Jamie (Organizer of the event)

Bummis boutique is located at 4302 boulevard St-Laurent, Montreal
Baby Auric cloth diaper service can be contacted by calling 514-483-2874