Author: Lori Alper

Categories
Sweat

Don't Let Cold Weather Slow You Down This Season

With the cold weather quickly approaching it’s important to have a fitness routine in place to carry you through the winter. Regular physical activity has been shown to help strengthen your immune system, which in turn will help prevent a wide range of potential health issues that can rear their ugly heads during the colder months.

Before you jump off the treadmill, remember there’s no reason to put your fitness routine on hold once the cooler temps kick in.

Here are a few tips to keep you safe, warm and active as the days get colder.

Dress in Layers

Dress for the colder temperatures and there will be no complaints! Start off wearing enough clothing to comfortably move, but to also keep you warm. Layering is important for any form of winter exercise, but don’t start off too bundled up. Once your body warms up from movement make sure layers can be easily removed and either stored in a safe place or tied around your waste. Find clothing that will keep the sweat away from your body so you’re not soaked during your workout. If you’re exercising in the dark, reflective gear is essential.

Take Up a Winter Sport

If running in the sand and playing beach volleyball are your thing during the summer, transitioning to a winter activity will be a breeze. If the snow coverage is going to be as extreme as predicted, any snow sport is a fun exercise fix. The white stuff actually increases your calorie burn per step. So maybe it’s time to take up snowboarding, snowshoeing and skiing. Any winter activity is a great ways to spend outdoor, quality time with your family.

Drink Plenty of Water

You might not feel the need to drink as much as you do during the warmer months, but staying hydrated while exercising in the cold is just as important. Make sure you have a full reusable bottle filled with water nearby before, during and after any form of exercise. It’s hard to imagine, but you can become just as dehydrated in the cold temperatures from sweating, rapid breathing, and the dry air and wind.

Establish a Routine

Make fitness part of your weekly routine by setting aside a specific time for your workout. Add it to your calendar as you would any other appointment. That way you’ll be more likely to stick to your goal.

Find a Buddy

Exercise with a friend who enjoys the same form of exercise. Establish a routine and plan days and times to meet. You’re more likely to show up if someone’s waiting for you. Encourage each other and provide support when needed.

Dry Out Wet Shoes

If snow or slush are covering the ground your shoes are bound to get soggy. No need to panic. It’s simple to dry out wet shoes. Loosen the laces and remove any inserts. Stuff the shoes with newspaper and place them near a fire or in a warm spot in your home. This will speed up the drying process.

The most important tip of all is to get out there and have fun! Find something that you enjoy and stay with it. You’ll be more likely to stick to your goals and routine if you’re doing something that you love.

Categories
Lifestyle

3 American Cities Are Now Running Completely on Renewable Energy

Imagine if the United States was run entirely on clean, renewable energy. This could someday soon be a reality. A study by a Stanford University professor Mark Z. Jacobson, a professor of civil and environmental engineering at Stanford, and his colleagues, has outlined how each of the 50 states can make the transition to renewable energy by 2050.

According to the plan there would be significant upfront costs, but over time the costs would be roughly equal to the existing price of the fossil fuel infrastructure, maintenance and production.

Making the switch to renewable energy would significantly reduce air pollution, which has been linked to the deaths of approximately 63,000 Americans each year. Renewable energy would also eliminate greenhouse gases produced by fossil fuel.

Three cities have already paved the way by showing that the transition to renewable energy can be a reality.

Burlington, Vermont

Burlington, Vermont is the first large U.S. city to run entirely on renewable energy. With the switch to renewables, Burlington residents are only using renewable resources when they power up their electronics.

Their electricity now comes from solar, wind, hydroelectric and biomass sources. Vermont has a statewide goal of getting 90 percent of its energy from renewable sources by 2050, including electricity, heating, and transportation.

Greensburg, Kansas

Greensburg, Kansas is a city that truly lives by the motto “If you take care of the land it will take care of you”. In 2007, Greensburg, Kansas was hit by a monstrous tornado that killed 13 people and injured more than 60 others. Over 95 percent of the structures in the town were demolished. As the citizens began to rebuild they were determined to build a better infrastructure and developed a long-term recovery plan which included 100% renewable electricity. They have achieved that goal and more, making Greensburg, Kansas “America’s greenest little town.”

Aspen, Colorado

Aspen, Colorado is the third US city to receive all of its power from renewable sources. The city is gathering much of its energy from wind and hydroelectric, with a smaller portion coming from solar and geothermal. Aspen had been using about 75 to 80 percent renewable energy and finally committed to 100% renewables in August, 2015. The city receives its wind energy from wind farms in Nebraska and South Dakota.

As Scientists continue to warn us to stop using fossil fuels and start using 100% renewable energy, these three cities are leading to charge. Other global cities and towns are also positioned to become leaders in the clean energy field in the near future. There’s no question that the shift towards renewable energy has begun and it’s exciting to see where it will ultimately go as many more join the movement.

Categories
Lifestyle

Trash Alternatives That Give Your Old Clothes a Second Life

As children around the U.S. begin the back-to-school transition, parents are scrambling to gather needed school supplies and shopping for those coveted back to school outfits.
Many of the clothes that were worn just a few short months ago no longer fit the rapidly growing bodies of our children. They seem to shoot up like weeds during the summer months and end up leaving a trail of clothing that no longer fits behind.
Times have changed since the 1980s, and Americans are buying five times as much clothing today. Only about 15 percent of used clothing is being recycled or donated. About 10.5 million tons of clothing head to landfills in the US each year.
Sharing gently used clothing with siblings, friends, or extended family is a simple way to reuse unwanted clothing, but at times this isn’t an option. Rather than tossing used clothing into the trash, why not try one of these innovative ways to put your clothing to good use.
Here are a few ideas to give your old clothes a second life.
Bring in your unwanted clothing or shoes to any US Levi’s store or outlet for recycling, and get a 20% off voucher.
The well-known American denim brand has a recycling program in place in all of its US locations, including outlets. Customers can drop off unwanted clothing or footwear from any brand and the items will be either “re-worn, repurposed, or recycled” by its clothing collection partner, I:CO. Customers who bring in an item of clothing to be recycled will receive a 20% off voucher good on any regular-priced Levi’s in-store product.
Adidas Outlets partner with Project Sole for “Refresh Your Sole“.
Wondering what to do with your old shoes? Donate a pair of gently worn shoes of any brand at an Adidas Outlet through August 30, 2015 and receive $10 off a new Adidas shoe purchase. Project Sole takes the used shoes and sorts, packs and prepares to ship them to impoverished and disaster stricken communities throughout the world. You can also mail your worn-out sneakers directly to the Project Sole warehouse and they will distribute them to someone in need.
Patagonia and Yerdle team up to encourage recycling.
If you own a well-used Patagonia product that you no longer need, you can return it to Patagonia and they’ll recycle it into something new, or repurpose what can’t be recycled.
As an added incentive they’ll pay for the postage or you can drop it off at your nearest Patagonia retail store. Since 2005, they’ve taken back over 82 tons of clothing for recycling.
Patagonia has also partnered with Yerdle, a site that encourages the sharing economy by providing a simple way for people to share items and put goods back into circulation rather than throwing them out. Their mission is to reduce the number of new things we all have to buy by 25%. The concept is simple: download the app, post a photo of the clothing and/or other items you’re no longer using. You earn Yerdle Dollars once something is given away to another customer. You can then use those Yerdle Dollars to shop for what you want. The only cost involved: the buyer pays low-cost ($3 to $4), flat-rate shipping to wherever they live in the U.S.
The next time the opportunity arises to toss your used clothing into the trash take the time to think about other ways you can put your clothing to good use. There are plenty of options out there!

Categories
Lifestyle

10 Life Hacks to Reduce Your Plastic Waste

Take a look around the room you’re in right now. I’m guessing you’ll find plastic everywhere. Americans are on a roll, creating more plastic waste than ever.  The largest amount of plastics is found in containers and packaging (water bottles and shampoo bottles), but you can also find plastic in just about everything else including furniture, appliances, diapers, cups, phones, utensils, and clothing.
What’s most shocking is that very little of the plastic produced is recycled. Discarded plastic ends up in landfills, waterways and on our streets. A 2014 study estimated that 8 million metric tons of plastic trash enters the sea from land every year.
Thankfully there are a few things you can do to help reduce your plastic waste.
1. Think before you buy.
Before making an impulse purchase ask yourself a question: “Do I really need this?” If you’re unsure, think about alternative ways to get the product, such as borrowing it from someone else.
2. Shop at the farmers market.
The produce, meat, and other products available at the farmers market generally don’t have any plastic packaging. Bring your own bags with you so you’ll have a plastic free experience.
3. Say no to plastic straws.
The next time you’re out at a restaurant let your server know that you don’t need a straw. If you’re a straw lover think about purchasing a glass, reusable straw to bring along.
4. Use a reusable water bottle.
Making the switch to a reusable water bottle is such a simple way to cut back on your plastic consumption. Get into the habit of bringing a reusable water bottle with you wherever you go.
5. Bring your own bags.
It’s time to forgo plastic bags and start bringing your own reusable bags to the store. Over 1 trillion plastic bags are used and discarded every year worldwide. Birds and sea animals are dying of starvation each year after ingesting discarded plastic bags.
6. Skip the microbeads.
Microbeads are tiny particles of plastic, barely visible to the naked eye, which are added to many personal care products for texture. Make sure to read the labels before you purchase personal care products! The microbeads used in personal care products are mainly made of polyethylene (PE). Don’t use products with PE. Also be on the lookout for products containing these ingredients: polypropylene (PP), polyethylene terephthalate (PET),  polymethyl methacrylate (PMMA) and nylon.
7. Buy in bulk.
Buying from the bulk bins at the grocery store is a great way to save money on your food bill, and it’s also a great way to avoid wasteful plastic packaging. Make sure you bring your own reusable bags to transport your bulk food home.
8. Convert to glass food storage containers.
It’s time to make the switch from disposable plastic food storage containers to glass containers. Not only will you reduce the amount of plastic waste heading into landfills and oceans, but you’ll prevent toxins from leaching into your stored food.
9. Ditch the disposables.
Americans discard about 33.6 million tons of plastic each year, with only 6.5 percent recycled. A good portion of the plastic ends up in landfills where it may take up to 1,000 years to decompose, and potentially leak pollutants into the soil and water. Making a simple switch to reusable napkins, utensils, cups and plates will have a big impact on the amount of plastic waste.
10. Shoot for a waste free lunch box.
Children’s lunches create more than 3.5 billion pounds of garbage each year, which amounts to a crazy 18,760 pounds of trash annually from an average sized elementary school. That’s a lot of waste. Make the switch to a reusable lunch box with a reusable water bottle and reusable snack/sandwich bags.

Categories
Lifestyle

Microbead Meltdown

I’ve always been an avid believer in washing my face before bed every night. Even if I’m completely exhausted I try to make an effort to give my face a rinse. The same goes for brushing my teeth. I never really thought twice about washing my face with my favorite exfoliator or brushing my teeth with my go-to toothpaste, but that’s changed since I began hearing about microbeads.

Microbeads have been all over the news recently, and their claim to fame isn’t one to be proud of. These tiny synthetic plastic particles, generally made from polyethylene, are wreaking havoc on our environment.

If you’re like me and use an exfoliator on your skin chances are you’ve come in contact with microbeads. They’re tiny pieces of plastic used as an abrasive in many personal-care and beauty products, including facial scrubs and soaps. They’re also added to makeup and toothpaste.

Yes, there could be tiny plastic pieces in some of your personal care products.

These tiny particles of plastic, barely visible to the naked eye, are added to many personal care products for texture. The microbeads found in personal care products are almost always smaller than 1 mm. The “scrub beads”, as they’re sometimes called, are thought to help exfoliate our skin and keep our teeth sparkly clean, and companies are using them because they’re cheap to produce.

What’s scary is that every time you wash your face with a product containing those tiny plastic beads they wash right down the drain. Due to their small size they end up slipping through most water treatment facilities and make their way into our oceans, lakes and streams.

Microbeads then become part of the plastic pollution found in the ocean. They’re also turning up in the tens of millions in the Great Lakes, which contain about 21% of the world’s supply of surface fresh water.

When those tiny microbeads end up in our water ways they’re often mistaken by fish and other marine life as food. The plastic pieces can poison and kill the fish when they’re

consumed.

It gets even worse from there.

As the cycle continues and fish eat other fish microbeads continue to make their way up the food chain and ultimately into the bellies of humans.

According to the Environmental Working Group, these little plastic beads sit around for a long time waiting to decompose. They have plenty of time to act as tiny toxic sponges, soaking up chemical pollutants such as phthalates and PCBs. When they’re eaten by fish they end up in the food supply.

There is some good news on the microbead front though.

Due to consumer pressure, several companies are voluntarily committing to remove microbeads from their products. According to Beat the Microbead:

In December of 2012 Unilever announced that all of its products worldwide would be plastic free by 2015. Other companies including Colgate-Palmolive, and L’Oréal L’ have stopped using microbeads. Procter & Gamble says their products will be free from microbeads by 2017 at the earliest. Johnson & Johnson says it has already started phasing out microbeads and will no longer develop products containing microbeads. Target’s goal is to remove microbeads from all their own brand products by the end of 2015.

Given the extreme dangers that microplastic pollution poses to our waterways and the environment, there are at least 15 microbead bills pending at various stages across the country.

So read your labels!

Read your labels! The microbeads used in personal care products are mainly made of polyethylene (PE). Don’t use products with PE. Also be on the lookout for products containing these ingredients: polypropylene (PP), polyethylene terephthalate (PET),  polymethyl methacrylate (PMMA) and nylon.

Head on over to Beat the Microbead for a list of brands and products to avoid and products that are microbead free.

Categories
Nosh

Doctors Say This Drink Destroys Your Bones From The Inside And Harms Every Organ On Its Way Out

Most sodas are a carbonated cocktail of additives and chemicals mixed together to trick your taste buds into thinking it’s a sweet safe treat. While it may taste delicious, soda can harm your body in many different ways.
Did you know that a typical 20-ounce bottle of soda contains about 17 teaspoons of sugar from high fructose corn syrup? That’s a lot of sugar!
High fructose corn syrup (HFCS) has received a lot of unwanted attention over the past few years. It is a sweetener made from corn and can be found in many foods and beverages on grocery store shelves, ranging from candy and soda to bread and ketchup.
HFCS is much sweeter than cane sugar and much cheaper to produce, which is why it’s poured into processed foods throughout the supermarket. HFCS is highly processed and has been linked to all sorts of health issues, including obesity, cavities, and a host of other health concerns and diseases. Another downside to the overuse of HFCS is that the environmental impact is huge.
If that’s not enough to turn you away from your next can of soda, the corn used to make HFCS most likely contains genetically modified organisms (GMOs). Currently, up to 92 percent of U.S. corn is genetically engineered.
And HFCS isn’t the only questionable ingredient in a can of soda.
If you’re opting for sugar-free soda be wary of the artificial sweeteners. According to a University of Iowa study, “Drinking two or more diet drinks a day may increase the risk of heart disease, including heart attack and stroke, in otherwise healthy postmenopausal women.”
The revamped Diet Pepsi formula replaces the toxic artificial sweetener aspartame with a blend of sucralose (best known by the brand name Splenda) and acesulfame potassium. Sucralose is 600 times sweeter than regular sugar, and acesulfame potassium is 200 times sweeter than sugar. Sucralose may be responsible for several health issues, including contributing to weight gain and obesity.
Many diet sodas continue to contain aspartame. Aspartame is one of the most common artificial sweeteners in use today. It is sold under the brand names NutraSweet and Equal. Aspartame and sugar have the same number of calories, but aspartame is 200 times sweeter than sugar, so less is needed to sweeten a food product.
Some sodas (mainly colas) contain phosphoric acid, which is added to soft drinks to provide a sharper, tangy taste and to help slow the growth of molds and bacteria. The phosphoric acid in cola leaches calcium out of our bones. Diet and regular colas both contain high levels of phosphoric acid.
Another ingredient commonly added to soda is caffeine. Caffeine in high amounts can cause bone loss. It interferes with calcium absorption and causes a slight increase in the amount of calcium in urine.
If you’re looking for a healthier option, steer clear of soda and stick with water or other drinks that don’t contain harmful ingredients that could contribute to bone loss and a host of other health conditions. If you’re looking to lose weight, forgo the diet soda and start adding more real food to your menu.