5 Easy Ways to Support Earth Day

The grass is greener on the [out]side! 

1) Download a thirty-day 'green living' challenge here. Lots of great tips for becoming more green in that guide. I recently committed myself to the challenge listed on Day 3. No more dryer sheets. Instead I'm going to be using wool balls that are reusable and made by independent artists. I bought mine off of Etsy. 

2) Check out EarthDay.ca and look for events happening in your area. There weren't too many events registered for Toronto, which made me sad because over 3 million people live in the city! I thought there would have been tons of events listed. 

3) Commit yourself to a green challenge. EarthDay.org has several pledges you can make here. Easy ones like pledging to recycle E-waste.

4) Seeing as today is Monday, make today a meatless-Monday! Reducing your overall meat consumption is always good for the environment. I'm cooking up some tempeh tonight. 

5) Get outside and enjoy the beautiful Earth we live on! Garden, walk, sit on the deck/patio, bike, etc. Now that is Spring, it's time to soak up the fresh, fragrant, and floral air! 

Breast Cancer Causes (?)

Today, the most prevalent types of cancer in Canada are lung, breast in females, prostate in males, and colorectal/colon cancer (Source). So, let's chat about breast cancer for a second or two. While no one can pinpoint exactly what causes this type of cancer, there are several hypotheses behind the increased incidence of of breast cancer as of late: 

- Plastics: plastics contain synthetic estrogens (xenoestrogns) which are endocrine distruptors, causing all kinds of endocrine disruption in the body (affecting not just the breast, but also the thyroid, adrenals, prostate, and more).
- Not breast feeding: not using the breast the way it was physiologically intended). Source.
- Genetics: the BRCA1 and 2 genes. Source.
- Shift work: Due to low melatonin levels due to odd nighttime light exposure (i.e. working at night) has recently be linked to breast cancer. Shift working nurses, in particular, are at risk of developing breast cancer. Source.
- Anti-perspirants: by applying these to the armpit, where is very close to the breast tissue. These products contain aluminum (a heavy metals), synthetic chemicals, and toxins. They stop sweating, but sweating is one of the body's mechanisms of detoxification. As we are not able to sweat wearing these products, the toxins that would normally leave the body through sweat, need to go somewhere... and since the breast is near by and fatty tissue to deposit in, toxins accumulate in the breast. We talked about this in one of my classes (Men's and Women's Health), but here is another source. By the way, "deodorants" don't really exist anymore. Almost all "deodorants" on the market are actually anti-perspirants; blocking perspiration.
- Bras: we didn't always wear bras, that's a new societal development, especially those with metal underwire. While there isn't any research to support this claim, there is a lingering hypothesis that bras compress the breast and that their underwire doesn't allow the lymphatics of the breast to properly drain. Whether or not this is true and is linked to breast cancer, tight clothes is not normally good for your body. For all my female readers: tonight, when you undress, take off your bra in front of a mirror. If there are bra indents/red marks on your skin after the bra is off, then it is too tight! When choosing bras, try to get ones without metal underwire if you can and make sure your bra is properly fitted (i.e. not too tight but still supporting you well to prevent sore necks/traps/back).
- Lastly, all those other cancer risk factors, like smoking, lack of exercise, obesity, stress, etc, etc, etc... 

Now that we've got the risks out of the way, here are some ways to improve your breast health!

- Massages: massage the breast, moving upwards, towards the clavicle to drain the breast lymphatics
- Consuming phytoestrogens, like soy and flaxseeds, on a regular basis
- Avoiding plastics as much as possible
- Wear a properly fitting bra and try for bra-free days if possible (weekends?)
- And all those other health promoting practices, like not smoking, exercising, getting enough sleep, maintaining a health weight, managing stress, eating well ...yadda, yadda, yadda!
- Talk to your doctor to learn more ways to keep your breasts healthy. This blog post was not meant to scare anyone into thinking that they are going to get (or got) breast cancer due to behavior X, Y, or Z, instead it was meant  to getting my readers thinking more about their overall breast health!

Some Handy-Dandy Online Health Resources

• Vaccine Scheduler  ...a program designed to help parents, adults, and healthcare providers on top of their vaccines/immunizations. (I actually attended a lecture by one of the lead researchers behind this tool last week!) This scheduler helps people keep track of what immunizations they've had, helps people to determine when their next dosage of a certain vaccine should be, determines a schedule of all childhood vaccines and helps parents keep track of what pathogen strain and at what age their child should be vaccinated against, helps catch children up (calculates a new vaccine schedule) if they missed or were late for an injection, and much more.

• Just Beautiful ...their mission is to "give the Canadian beauty industry a long overdue makeover". Why does make-up make us sick? Why can't it just make us beautiful? Sign the pledge featured on this website (I have!) to force cosmetic companies in Canada to fully disclose their ingredients. Another cool feature on this website is the pocket shopping guide (download it here) which features the top ten ingredients you should avoid when purchasing make-up and personal hygiene products. 

• Environmental Working Group's Skin Deep (aka the Cosmetics Database) ...a really cool database of all cosmetics, make-up, and personal hygiene products. Search the products you are using and see how they rank (every product is given a score from 1-10 with 1 being horrible and toxic, and 10 being very clean and safe).

• Toxic Nation ...awesome guides (all PDFs that you can download) to help you detoxify your life! Handouts with solutions and tips for avoiding toxic art supplies, cleaning products, plastics, children's school supplies, insect repellents, and more. 

Cleaner Cleaners

Some of my cleaner cleaners

Let's chat about cleaning supplies. You're trying to clean your house, but if you aren't using a cleaner cleaner, you may be making the place dirtier than it was before you cleaned. By dirtier, I don't mean muddy, grimy, or stinky; rather I mean that they dirty up the air quality and your lungs, as the majority of household cleaners are extremely toxic. If you find that cleaning products fumes hurt your lungs, irritate your skin, make your eyes water, or leave harsh smells that linger in your house for hours, then it's time to clean-up your cleaners!

A compilation of 10 of cleaner cleaners:

(in no particular order)

1) Eco-Vert: A Canadian cleaner supplies company, from Quebec
2) Ecover: I buy their dish soap and sprays (both shown above)
3) ECOS: I use their laundry detergent, which I buy at Costco
4) Nature Clean: I've tried most of their products and have had positive experiences
5) Seventh Generation: A popular cleaning supplies company among my peers
6) President's Choice Green: I've only tried their dishwasher tablets. I can't vouch for the other products
7) Dr. Bronner's Magic Soap: An awesome product especially if you want to make your own cleaning supplies (see #10 for recipes) and beauty care products
8) Mrs. Meyer's: Never used, but my local health food store stocks all their products
9) I do not recommend Green Works as this product is owned by Chlorox and I just don't trust a super toxic cleaning company to also produce a healthier, greener product. Their products also smell horrible: very synthetic-chemical smelling.
10) Make-it-yourself: Lots of recipes here and here. I've made homemade cleaners in the past and liked them, but due to time constraints of being at CCNM, I got out of the habit.

Mercury in Fish, Explained

Why we should avoid eating tuna (and other big fish):

This awesome graphic is by Bretwood Higman, of Ground Truth Trekking, found on this site.
It explains mercury concentration in fish so well, don't you think? 

...because they concentrate toxins like mercury in their tissues!

Vitamin G

Have you received your daily dose of vitamin G today?  

To all my science readers: no, you were not asleep during that part of the Biochemistry lecture. Vitamin G is a newly created "vitamin" in which the G stands for greenspace. This new "vitamin" was the focus of the new book Your Brain on Nature and the talk I attended last Monday.

Here are some snippets from the talk: 

- Research has shown that people who exercise outdoors have lower levels of cortisol (the stress hormone), blood pressure, and better immune system functioning after their workout compared to those who exercise in a gym. 

- Trees secrete chemicals that provoke feelings of well-being (which may be why we feel better after being in nature). 

- Research has shown that natural killer cells (part of our immune system) are increased for a week after we spend a good chunk of time in a forest. 

- Some counselors have set-up counseling sessions that take place outdoors. The natural, peaceful setting is thought to help the healing process of their patients. 

- It is thought that people have pets in order to better connect them with nature. 

- Kids who spend times in gardens are way more likely to eat their veggies! 

- Urban greenspace is good for you too; you can still reap the benefits of nature without having meadows and mountains in your background. 

- Vitamin G is the most affordable vitamin on the market. It's completely free and everyone has access to it. 

- We need to start paying attention to our "screen time". How much time do we spend a day staring at a computer, cell phone, or television? 

- Society is suffering from infotoxicity. We are overloaded with information and most of it is useless (e.g. useless Tweets, the Facebook reel, advertisements left-right-and-center, reality TV). 

- Kids today can't recognize plants and animals in their own backyards. "A shallow connection with nature leads to shallow solutions for conservation". 

- No greenspaces nearby? Try adding some plants to your home/office. Research shows beneficial health effects can be achieved by having four plants in the home/office. 

- Vitamin blue (oceans, lakes, rivers, seas, etc) is just as good as vitamin greenspace.

- These are just some of the things that were discussed during the talk. I'd recommend reading the book for way more information and inspiration!

So, what's the doctor's prescription? 20 minutes of vitamin G daily for good health. 

Plants that Clean

Breath in some fresh air in the comfort of your own home. 

In the student newspaper this month (The Vine), there was an article written by a fellow classmate (AH) about using plants to clean home air.  She discussed plants that when kept in the house, clean the air of chemicals and carcinogens, such as formaldehyde, carbon monoxide, and xylene. The three plants she mentioned were English Ivy, Spider Plants, and Devil's Ivy. So, next time you are plant shopping, pick up one of these varieties for cleaner home air!

Summer Scenes 7.

Last one in the Summer Scenes series.  Hope you enjoyed looking at snapshots of my Summer! 

Edible Jewels.

Mmm, Summer. It's the time of year when markets are bountiful and fruit is at its finest. While I am sad to leave behind the fruits of Summer (peaches, berries, cherries, melons... so much goodness!), I welcome Fall fruits with open arms too. It is good to embrace the edible treasures of each seasons for health, taste, and environmental reasons.

Other related topics: I talked about my love of Farm Markets in this post and I rambled about the berries in this one. Here is a post about the craziness involved when we don't eat seasonal fruits.

Summer Scenes 5.

Love me some wide open spaces.

Road trip!  

I went on several road trips this Summer.  The best part of being cooped-up in a vehicle is when you finally reach stretches of the road that look like this.  Scenery that is so open and free, that you no longer feel claustrophobic and cramped while riding around in your metal box. Just beyond the concrete passageway, lies acres and acres of untouched, pristine nature. It makes me very happy and thankful that long stretches of wilderness like this still exist here in Canada. 

Since I live in Toronto, where trees are somewhat scarce, these roadside forests made me eager to roll down the window, to breath in the clean, oxygen-rich air that the trees had kindly purified for me. My-oh-my was this air ever so sweet.

Shower Time!

Image source here.

Last month, I purchased a cute little shower timer at an environmentally-focused boutique.  It was a mere $3.  A shower timer is a must-have for environmentally-conscious folks like myself.  You see, I love to shower, and often too, but I know that showers can be ridiculously wasteful.  If you're going to shower often (i.e. more than twice a week), you ought to make them short. According the company that makes my shower time (not the same company as the one that makes the one pictured to the right), the ideal shower is only 4 minutes in length. 

I had heard before that a 4 minute shower was ideal but I'm sometimes lazy and never took the time (pun intended) to time my showers with a watch, clock, or cell phone timer. This little timer, however, is convenient because it sticks right to my shower's wall.  It contains enough sand for the container to go from full to empty in exactly four minutes, informing me whether I'm having a short enough shower. 

According to my shower timer, I'm wrapping up my showers at the 5 minute mark. The sand runs out just as I am wrapping up.  Yet, there is room for improvement. I'd love to have showers that are exactly four minutes in length (or less!). But with this timer in my shower as a reminder, I'm sure I'll be increasing my cleaning speed and efficiency---decreasing both my shower time and water consumption---in no time at all.

Zucchini > Banana

Love the speckles of green throughout.

As much as I really try hard to be an environmentally conscious cook and eater (I buy local, do not waste, source ethically, choose organic if possible, eat with seasons, cook often at home, buy in bulk, eat a mostly vegan diet, only buy sustainable seafood and eggs, etc), I must admit that avocados, mangoes, and bananas still find their ways into in my kitchen from time-to-time.  Yep, these foods are not at all environmentally-friendly choices when you live in cold-climated Canada. 

I was thinking the other day about how much I love banana bread (proof: I have three banana bread recipes on this blog, click on the words to find them), but then I got thinking about zucchini bread and how it is very similar.  What's cool about zucchini, however, is that it is actually able to be grown in Canada. Another bonus: it is IN SEASON right now! I decided rather than making banana bread last week when I was craving it, to make zucchini bread using the zucchini I already had in the fridge from the farmers' market. And you know what? It was soooo good.  In fact, Ioved it so much that I am making it again today.  Hearty, cinnamon-y, and lightly sweet. Yum! Hmm, can zucchini bread be my new banana bread? Maybe, just maybe...

Zucchini Bread aka Banana-less Banana Bread

2 cups shredded or diced zucchini*

2 tablespoons oil (I used coconut)

1/4 cup apple sauce (I used unsweetened)

2 eggs, beaten

2 teaspoons vanilla

1 cup water

Pinch of sea salt 

2 teaspoons cinnamon

1 tablespoon baking powder

1/2 cup sugar (I used coconut sugar)

2 cups flour** (I used half sorghum and half all-purpose gfree)

1/2 cup walnuts, optional

Mix the drained and patted dry zucchini shreds with the oil, apple sauce, eggs, and water. Stir gently to mix.  Mix the dry ingredients in a big bowl.  Add the wet/zucchini mixture to the dry ingredients. Stir gently to combine. Place in a bread loaf pan, greased well or lined with parchment paper. Place in the oven at 200*F for 30 minutes to rise, then increase the heat to 350*F for another 30 minutes. Poke with a toothpick to test doneness (might not come out completely clean, however, especially if you poke into a strand of zucchinin!). Let cool completely on a wire rack, then slice using a sharp knife. Makes one loaf of zucchini bread or 14 thick slices. Store in the fridge to preserve the zucchini. Unfortunately, this bread doesn't freeze the best; the zucchini bits freeze and then thaw, leaving the bread soggy.

*Tossed with 1/2 teaspoon of salt, and placed in a colander overnight to drain; pat dry before using
**If making gluten-free: add 3 tablespoons arrowroot powder and 1/2 teaspoon xanthan gum (only if using gluten-free flour).

It rose quite high! Quite the feat for a gluten-free bread.

Urban Gardens.

Urban gardening: apparently it can be done, and done very well. While I haven't really succeeded (I have yet to develop a true green thumb, despite my efforts), I love to admire the fruits of [those who] labor over their own urban gardens. Here are some urban gardens I have spotted in Toronto this Summer:

This garden is situated in the middle of a neighborhood, with neighbors sharing the garden tending-tasks and harvest.

Carrot Love!

A true URBAN garden: plants planted in a car.

University of Toronto student garden, located in the heart of the campus.

Smoked.

When it comes to our health, I think we can all agree that cigarette smoking is bad for it. There has been lots of research to prove that cigarettes are carcinogens (i.e. cancer causing agents).

But now other, newer research is showing is that other smokes can also harm our health. Examples include:

Campfires

Candles

Smoked meats 

Smoked salmon

Smoked paprika

BBQs (inhaling the fumes) 

Sad, but most likely true, that our beloved birthday candles, campfires, and smokey meats, are all harmful.  Believe me: I am quite depressed by the above list as well. I absolutely love smoked paprika (a key ingredient in my fakin' bacon recipe) and since I only started eating fish last year, I've only had smoked salmon a handful of times in my life---and let me tell you---I definitely miss this savory treat.

But, with everything in life, moderation is what is key.  We only have one birthday a year, so have fun blowing out the darn carcinogenic candles!  Hanging around one or two campfires this Summer should be a-O.K. too. 

However, I would really like to encourage regular BBQ-ers to be careful and to avoid breathing in the fumes.  And as for my meat-loving readers, please be a little more wary of the smoked varieties.

How to Dry Your Hands.

I lieu of one official Earth Day post, I've opted to post a couple of environmentally-focused blog entries (one here and one here). You can add today's post to that Earth-loving mix. 

I saw this TED Talk last month and was thoroughly impressed by the hand drying technique! I've been drying my hands (in public settings only; I use a towel to dry my hands at home) using this method ever since I saw the talk. I must say that it really does work; hands are dry with only one measly piece of paper towel.  Might I add that it seems that most public bathrooms that I've visited have replaced paper towel with electronic hand dryers. Not sure which is better from an energy stand point... looks like I need to do some research!

Recap and Challenge.

Recap: Did you enjoy the Health Scenes? It's been a week and thus time to stop. I have many more scenes to show you, so I will likely repeat the week sometime in the future.

Aww nature, how I love thee. Image source here.

Challenge: I would like to invite you all to participate in this exciting new challenge. The David Suzuki Foundation is challenging everyone to commit to spending 30 minutes with nature for the next 30 days. The challenge starts June 1st, giving you a couple of days to plan out your upcoming month in the great outdoors! The website features all kinds of ways to enjoy nature and discusses the importance of finding time for nature (Naturopathic Doctors definitely encourage it for good health!). I am committing to the challenge and plan on spending my days:

- reading in sun

- gardening

- walking in the woods

- exploring parks

- picnics outdoors

- dance in the rain

- play frisbee, soccer, jump rope, and other outdoor activities

- and finding new ways to enjoy nature!

I will post recaps in the month of June detailing my time with nature.  Maybe even throw in a picture or two! Sign up for the challenge here. I'll end today with this inspiration instruction found on the website: Be sure to breathe deeply, feel the sun on your face, take comfort; absorb the wonders of nature bit by bit.

Health Scenes 7.

The Caption: Found this box of organic poptarts at Costco. I ate lots of regular Pop-Tarts when I was a child, especially the Cherry ones. Well the Nature's Path brand offers a Cherry Pomegranate flavor. Ooo la la.

The Comment: This, my friends, is a prime example of Health Washing. Companies trick you into thinking that their product is actually good for you because it organic, fat-free, packaged in an sustainable way, etc. Nature's Path is a brand people often associate with healthy products so consumers will likely assume that this product is good for them. But don't let the organic label, reputable company name, and inclusion of a superfood (they are not just cherry, they are cherry pomegranate... how fancy).  Organic sugar is still sugar, organic white flour is still white flour, and these are still junk food/a treat.

However, if you are a die-hard tart fan who loves a good tart for breakfast, then this product is a much better option. The ingredients are simplier (fewer chemicals) and more sustainable. Health Washing only applies if you never ate chips but then started because the particular chip product claimed to be good for you. It doesn't apply if you already eat chips everyday and then switched to the organic, low sodium ones.

One more story before I sign off for the day: I was in a health food store looking to buy some sunscreen (note: healthy suncreen tends to be very expensive). I came across a cheap one that also claimed to be organic. Score! Yet, upon further investigation of the ingredients, I saw that the sunscreen contained all kinds of junk. And as for the organic labeling, only one ingredient amongst the thirty or so in the product was certified organic... and guess what this one ingredient was: the fragrence! Needless to say, I did not buy this product.

Moral of the story: Companies can be sneaky, sneaky!  Read labels carefully.

Health Scenes 3.

Life is burritoful.

The Caption: I finally made it to Chipotle! The picture doesn't show it clearly, but I ordered the vegetarian tacos. It consists of three made-in-house corn shells stuffed with brown rice(!!), black beans, sauteed peppers and onions, made-in-house salsa, guacamole, and mounds of lettuce (cheese and sour cream were options too). On the side, I also ordered a bag of their tortilla chips and salsas (one mild, one medium) that only cost $2. Instead of tacos, you can get burritos (white or whole wheat(!!) wraps) or burrito-bowls (all the toppings pilled high on rice in a bowl, this may be the best deal; portion-wise it was big).

 The Comment: I was very impressed with the restaurant. They have: flavorful food (even the chips tasted better than store bought ones), large portions, almost everything was made in house, healthy ingredients (brown rice? amazing!), ethical meat sourcing, and of course a strong environmental focus. Their take-out bags are funny too (pictured on the right); they advertise an apparent pig uprising/revolution. Last but not least, the Chipotle napkins feature waste-not pleas and their receipts are printed with the life is burritoful slogan.

Yep, I'd say in terms of fast food joints, Chipotle definitely rules!

Health Scenes 1.

The caption: Thanks to Tony for snapping this first Health Scenes' snapshot. This picture features a unique water fountain that has a water bottle stand, allowing for easy re-filling. It also has a little tracker (in the top right hand corner in green) that counts the number of plastic water bottles saved by re-filling reusable water bottles. Neato!

The comment: Aside from the environmental concerns, plastic water bottles can be a health concern, especially in hotter months. The warmer temperatures can heat up the plastic and leach toxic fumes into the water. Be cautious when leaving plastic water bottles in the sun or in hot cars this Summer. 

The Gluten-Free Bread Guide: Part Two.

 Part two of my new gluten-free bread guide. Today I'll talk about sourcing gluten-free bread locally.

Part One: Store-bought

Two: Local is best

Three: Outside the loaf

Four: Do it yourself

Five: Let's go alternative

Like many areas of life, choosing the local/close-to-home option is best for your taste buds, your health, your finances, and your planet. Note: today I won't go into too much detail on the overall importance of localness (I'm saving that for an Environmental Medicine blog post in the future).

In my experience, the best store-bought gluten free breads (other than those commercial brands I mentioned in part one of this series) are the ones made by Ma-and-Pa bakeries. You know, the independent one that's just around the corner? I strongly encourage those looking for gluten free bread to ask around their community to see if anyone local can bake it. The reason why local is important is because freshness is important.  One of the reasons why many commercial gluten free breads have awful texture is because they are frozen.  The fresher you can get gf bread, the better!

One of the exciting things about moving to Toronto was that I got to try out new, local gf bakeries!  And like the local bakeries that I loved in my old hometown, the fresh gluten free breads I've tasted here have been good too. 

E-Day Video?

I thought of this adorable video soon after publishing my boring Earth Day blog post on Sunday... perhaps it is Earth-friendly enough to share as part of a belated Earth Day Celebration?

This video was shown to my class by Dr. Phil in my Clinical Nutrition class.  He showed the video during our environmental medicine lecture (I wonder why :P).  Chipotle is a burrito fast-food chain.  There are two locations in Toronto.  I will be visiting one of the locations this Summer that's for sure!

Please watch the video and let me know what you think!  

  It actually makes me a bit teary-eyed, especially when I see those sweet pink piggies are on the screen!