Several years ago, my husband and I switched from regular margarine to Smart Balance (although we do occasionally use butter in some things). We like Smart Balance because it has a nice buttery taste, but is free from hydrogenated oils (i.e. trans fats) and you can purchase a light version, one with extra Omega-3s, one with flax, etc. Smart Balance also makes more than just butter substiutes. According to the website, they also produce sprays and cooking oil (which I use), popcorn, cheese, mayonnaise, peanut butter, and cream cheese.
All of this is great, but for me, a vegetarian with vegan leanings (I’m trying to give up dairy, but I love cheese), I was thrilled to discover a Smart Balance offshoot called Earth Balance. Earth Balance makes a variety of butter and shortening substitutes that are kosher* and vegan! What a fantastic find. The next time I’m at Whole Foods, I’m definitely going to look for these products!
*Since I’m not Jewish, the Kosher aspect doesn’t really apply to me, but it’s nice to know that the option is out there for people who want it.
My friend Mia just introduced me to a fascinating website: Cosmetics Database. The Environmental Working Group’s cosmetic safety database, the site allows you to search for beauty products, and then gives you the lowdown: what diseases and conditions are linked to ingredients in the product, does it test on animals, and overall how well it ranks in both safety and greenness.
I was a little concerned, because I had suspicions that my facial care products were going to rate poorly. I like to use Olay Daily Facials on a regular basis, since they are gentle and really get your skin clean, and I occasionally supplement that with Neutrogena’s Oil Free Acne Wash, when I’m fighting a breakout. Unfortunately, my fears were valid:
Not only do the products rank higher than I’d like on the danger scale, they both conduct animal testing. No matter how well they work, I don’t want to support cruel practices and pollute my skin. Fortunately, I was also able to use the site to find a cleanser with a healthy rating that’s also totally animal-free: Kiss My Face Start Up Exfoliating Face Wash!
Avoid the whole issue by drinking soy, rice, or almond milk instead!
In his book Integrative Nutrition, Joshua Rosenthal discusses at length the connection between the U.S. government and the farming industry. Essentially, it is the government’s job (primarily the USDA) to support healthy eating by regulating the food supply and creating the food pyramid, which is supposed to help us consume a healthy, balanced diet. Unfortunately, because the meat, dairy and sugar industries are so powerful and wealthy, and can therefore donate to politicians’ campaigns, the issue is a little sticky. On one hand, members of Congress should be voting in the best interests of their constituents. On the other, the senators and representatives can’t afford to alienate the powerful supporters (and financial contributors) in these food industries. Which brings me to the latest outrage in the fight between health vs. politics/big industry.
Pennsylvania’s Secretary of Agriculture, Dennis Wolff, has just led a successful ban on the labeling of hormone free milk. According to an article in the New York Times:
Late last month, Mr. Wolff announced a crackdown on “absence labeling” on milk, meaning labels that tell consumers what isn’t in a product rather than what is.
He argues that “hormone free” labels are misleading because cows produce hormones naturally. Even labels that are more carefully worded, such as “contains no artificial hormones” will soon be verboten in Pennsylvania because Mr. Wolff said that there were no scientific tests to prove the truth of such a claim.
His ban also extends to phrases like “pesticide free” and “antibiotic free,” which he maintains are confusing for consumers because they suggest that milk without those labels contains pesticides or antibiotics. In fact, he said, processed milk is tested repeatedly in Pennsylvania to make sure that it doesn’t contain those substances.
“It confuses them,” he said. “It seems to imply there is a safe, nonsafe dimension.”
A former dairy farmer, Mr. Wolff said he decided to look into the issue after he received calls from farmers complaining that they were being forced to stop using bovine growth hormone if they wanted to continue selling their milk to certain dairies. He also said his office had received many calls from confused consumers.
Mr. Wolff’s office could not provide surveys or research showing that consumers were confused by the issue, and was unable to come up with even one name of a consumer who had complained.
This is outrageous. Rather than letting consumers make informed decisions based on additives in food, the government has opted to remove the labels so that consumers must guess as to whether their milk has added hormones. What’s next? Removing the sugar content from candy bars so as not to offend the precious sugar industry?
For more info on the article, the effects of these hormones (both on people and the poor cattle upon which the drugs are inflicted), whether your state may be next in line to adopt these measures, and what you can do, click here.
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I’ve decided to redecorate my bathroom, but I’m having trouble deciding on a scheme. Currently, my bathroom has white walls and baseboards, a warm-toned (oak, maybe?) wood cabinet under the sink, and a maroon floor. I also have a birch veneer cabinet and magazine rack that have to stay, because I need the storage.
Right now, I have this pretty, numbered print of a mermaid hanging on the wall, and she has purple in her tail. So I thought about painting the room a very pale lavender, with white baseboards. I would paint the sink cabinet white and install this purple shower curtain. I think this would be very pretty, but maybe a little unsophisticated, plus it would be a lot of work if I changed my mind.
So, my other idea is to paint the walls with a fresh coat of white paint and do the baseboards in glossy black. I would still paint the sink cabinet white, and install this black and white damask shower curtain. I would use mirrored accessories, such as these votive holders for makeup brushes and this wall-mounted vase for hair brushes. In this scenario, the mermaid print would be relocated to another room, and I would either hang a large mirror with a black frame, or have one of my husband’s black and white photographs printed at 16X20 and hang that.
I think the black and white would be very sophisticated, easy to change, and matches my current waste basket and bath mat. Although I would probably change the mat; I like this Harlequin one, but it is hella expensive for a bath mat. My only concern is how the black and white scheme would match the birch pieces? Would they look weird, or would the cabinet and magazine rack inject a little warmth and modernity into an otherwise stark and classic pattern?
Since this scheme calls to mind Old Hollywood (at least to me) I would also update the lighting. Maybe starlet dressing-room style bulbs around the mirror and this little chandelier on the ceiling?
Thoughts? Suggestions?