News from South Korea is that scientists have succeeded in creating plastic without the use of fossil fuels.

The scientists created sustainable polymers used in common plastics that could replace traditional polymers that use chemicals from fossil fuels. The bioengineered polymers may be what is needed to create truly green-friendly plastic products.

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Who doesn’t love the spicy scents of the season, right?  But you have to admit, summery scents are always welcome.  Enter the newest creations from Jurlique:  Body Wash and Lotion in the gorgeous scents of Rose, Lavender, Citrus and (here it is!) Jasmine.

I have been lucky enough to sample the latter and, let me tell you, it is delicious.  The Shower Gel is thick and rich and foamy.  And the Body Lotion – which on first impression seems a little thin – is actually very hydrating and leaves skin incredible smooth.  Really!  But my favorite part of the whole experience is the luscious scent.  Subtly, fresh Jasmine that actually smells like the real deal and not a plastic imitation because it is made from natural essential oils rather than synthetic fragrance.  Leaves you smelling yummy all day.

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Conventional drag racing is pretty much the furthest thing from a green sport, but that doesn’t stop me from enjoying the hell out of it. Yet even this tire-melting, gas-wasting sport is diving into the realm of alternative fuels for a variety of reasons.

Roush, a leading builder of aftermarket Mustangs, is developing two Mustangs for the drag strip powered not by gasoline, but clean-burning propane.

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Summer may be gone for now, but certain bits of it last on:  memories, vacation photos……new sun spots. 

Several visitors have written to me asking for help reducing the appearance of sun spots and freckles.  Though nothing short of completely avoiding the sun will totally keep spots at bay, being liberal with the sunscreen and choosing a few targeted products will definitely help.

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It seems the moment cooler weather arrives our skin and hair feel the affects; dry, rough hands, tight skin and fly-aways.  Not to worry, there are remedies for these problems.  By adding a few products or ingredients to your existing regimen, you will be flake and fly-away free in no time.

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Can you imagine anything worse than being somewhere in public and realizing your breath is loaded with a smell so pungent that it’s offending everyone in a one mile radius from you?

It may be fair to say that garlic tops the list there.

Yikes. I’ve nightmares about this and think having a constant supply of a combination of mouthwash and chewing gum in my bag would be a great idea, but the fact remains that licking some grrr-lick can work nothing short of wonders for you, despite its grrrr factor.

Plus with a reputation for preventing everything from the common cold to aging, garlic is as much known for its versatility as for its effectiveness.

Hey, it can even be effective as a repellent - and not just for mosquitoes.

The word garlic comes from  garleac, meaning “spear leek” in Old English. It is reported to be native to Central Asia, and dates back over 6000 years.

But it was the Egyptians historically that took garlic to the next level. They worshipped it and placed clay garlic bulb models  in the tomb of none else than Tutankhamen. Can you believe, they even used it as currency? Who would’ve thought that money could stink so bad?

Egyptian folklore holds that garlic repelled vampires and ghosts, protected against the “Evil Eye”, and warded off nymphs said to terrorize pregnant women and engaged maidens. Garlic was also considered an aphrodisiac in Egypt. Nature decided to enshrine this super-substance in stink.

Researchers have known that the distinct aroma, flavor and healing properties of garlic come from an organic compound in garlic called allicin, which is also a powerful antioxidant or something that stop the damaging effects of radicals that can accelerate certain diseases.

Like a lot of other herbal medicines though, garlic was not subjected to a vigorous scientific study until earlier this year.

In a Science News report,Queen’s University Chemistry professor Derek Pratt, who led a study on how garlic does it said “We didn’t understand how garlic could contain such an efficient antioxidant, since it didn’t have a substantial amount of the types of compounds usually responsible for high antioxidant activity in plants, such as the flavanoids found in green tea or grapes.”

The  team experimented with synthetically-produced allicin, they found that an acid produced when allicin decomposes rapidly reacts with radicals, more than the allicin itself, explaining its effects better.

According to Dr. Pratt, who is Canada Research Chair in Free Radical Chemistry, no one has ever seen compounds, natural or synthetic, react this quickly as antioxidants.

“The reaction between the sulfenic acid and radicals is as fast as it can get, limited only by the time it takes for the two molecules to come into contact,” he told Science News.

That’s all for the science part. From the personal angle, I wonder why Nature wraps extremely good things in extremely bad packages. Maybe the rock band, The Verve, got it right when they sang that life is a bittersweet symphony. And sometimes it’s easier to appreciate the sweet, when you’ve had a taste of the bitter.

(Images courtesy of www.braquiplan.com & www.britannica.com)

Revered in India as “holy” this golden-yellow colored powder is worth its weight in gold, that too nutritionally, but not monetarily.

Any guesses what I’m talking about?

This ingredient has been hailed for centuries for its ability to treat wounds, infections and other health problems. But until recently, the science of the healing remained a mystery.

We’re talking, of course, about turmeric. None else can fill its yellow shoes.        The Turmeric Plant

The use of turmeric as a coloring and healing agent for food  dates back to as far as 600 B.C. Amongst the other oldest recorded references to turmeric is an account by Marco Polo in his travels to China in 1280. Repeated historical references to turmeric across communities ensured it crossed over from folklore into everyday use.

Curios researchers that flocked to test the powder in the last few decades, identified curcumin as the chief active ingredient in turmeric. This said little though, apart from changing the alphabets that carried the mystery from turmeric to curcumin. But it added specificity to the “magical” effect of turmeric, by labeling curcumin an antioxidant, anti-cancer, antibiotic, antiviral and other properties has been revealed.

It wasn’t until March this year that University of Michigan researchers led by Ayyalusamy Ramamoorthy discovered the scientific basis of curcumin’s activities in human cells.

It turns out that cucurcmin is somewhat of a Nazi. The molecule inserting itself into the cell membranes, somehow making them more orderly. And somehow being lined up straight makes cells more resistant to infection and malignancy.

If you ask me, while the curcurmin is doing everything it’s supposed to in cells, the scientists need to do some more explaining.

Ramamoorthy, the lead Professor of chemistry and biophysics behind this work told Science News that the cell membrane goes from being crazy and floppy to being more disciplined and ordered, so that information flow through it can be controlled.

Wow.

With no science education to her credit, my grandmother just knew that  giving me turmeric in milk when I had a cold as a child growing up in India, would work wonders for me. It did.

Natural antibiotics like turmeric exemplify what I think should be a larger trend. It is this larger trend that Michel Pollan is advocating throughout the country in his talks. His book, aptly titled “In Defense of Food” argues, that nature has everything we ever needed for healthy living and that it is time society took a step towards a more natural form of living. His argument that there are cultures all over the world today that are closer o nature and healthier than the more affluent, but more artificial societies of the west also points us in the same direction.

In fact, if anything, it is unnaturalness that is the primary cause of  unhealthy lifestyles today. The sheer change in levels of human activity in the last few decades are probably nothing less than an evolutionary shock to the human body, which was programmed for far higher levels of activity. From forging for our own food, to moving less than a few feet to reach into the fridge, is a spectacular change and one that definitely comes with implications.

It may be useful for us to realize that biggest experiments with food were for earlier times, and those times solved the major questions. Ours may be to stick to that and interestingly, this makes me think that progress can sometimes mean regressing, but intelligently.

According to Science News, Ramamoorthy too was given turmeric laced milk to drink when he had a cold as a child, (not by my grandmother though.)

In celebration of their newly obtained organic certification, Bubble & Bee Organic is giving away a of couple fabulous (and brand new) products.  Get a free Rude Raspberry Lip Balm with any purchase.  Purchase over $35 worth of goodies and get a Lotion Stick as well.  Buy over $65 and they will even throw in free shipping.

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If there is one thing everyone can agree on it is that water is all important to our health and good looks.  Sure, sometimes you feel like something a little more exciting than a glass of straight up h20.  But it can be difficult to avoid sugar and sugar-substitutes in flavored waters, ingredients you definitely do not need to add to your health plan.  Fortunately, there are two great (and healthy) alternatives for flavored water lovers. 

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Admittedly, I did start with professional waxing (eyebrows are as far as I go) but after a few sketchy results, decided to take on this grooming ritual myself.  And I do not mind a bit.  It is easy to get the hang of, you can get the look you want without having to explain it to someone else, and can deal with the temporary redness while sleeping rather than walking around that way for a day.

That said, I was uncomfortable with the ingredients in the product I was using.  And then, along came MOOM.  Made with USDA certified 100% Organic and beneficial food-grade ingredients: Cane sugar, Lemon Juice, Chamomile Tea, and essential oils.  This hair remover has the consistency of honey and smells like something you could spread on toast.

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Made from distilled flower hydrosols and pure spring water from the slopes of Hawaii’s Haleakala volcano, this refreshing tonic encourages cell growth and collagen production. Healing jasmine (often used as a mood elevator) and rose (a natural anti-inflammatory that helps to soothe and calm dry, sensitive skin) provide gentle moisture and balance to tired, irritated skin. 

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Since having a child I’ve made breakfast important. I mostly make meals from scratch and make the best attempt to stay away from anything packaged. The chickens have been such a blessing. We’re able to cook eggs most days any which way you can think of and have them for breakfast or “breakie” (what we call it here).

Pancakes are the biggest hit for breakie…just ask my son, he’ll tell you he wants *pancakes*! Before I knew about this recipe I’m going to share; I’d always thought I was making pancakes from scratch.

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Ecolana is a 60% Alpaca 40% Merino Wool blend yarn that is produced with environmentally friendly production methods.

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The perfect little candle recently made its way across my desk (and on to my vanity) and is the lovely and luxurious scent of fresh island plumeria.    And who is the creator of such a deliciously scented room enhancer?  None other than (straight from the tropics) Malie Organics.  Made from clean-burning soy and kukui oils, it is petroleum-free and burns by way of cotton wick for a nice long 60 hours.  Comes in a simple glass container with nothing but the tasteful, gold Malie symbol on the front.  Chic and elegant.

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And so the Green Line was born.

The yarn, offered in a DK and Worsted wieght, is spun from 100% organic merino wool and was hand-painted with all natural dyes. The wool is raised and certified as organic on a ranch in Argentina. Then is taken to an organically certified (IMO certification) mill in Europe for combing and carding. Then it goes on to the spinning mill where it’s conventionally processed.

So, it’s not perfect, but it’s a step in the right direction and we thought it was important to start taking those steps as soon as we could.

says Lorna’s Laces.

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If you haven’t tried the BPA-free baby bottles from Dr. Weil yet, you might be able to score some free samples. Apply for the Weil Baby Healthy Inspirations House Party. If you haven’t heard about House Party yet, it’s the newest way to get sneak previews and free stuff by hosting parties with your friends at home.

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Wool is the most hydrophilic of all fibers and wicks away excess moisture, drying quickly. It’s a natural fire retardant that can resist flame without chemical treatment and wool is a renewable resource that regrows on the sheep after shearing. It is biodegradable and kinder to the environment than oil-based synthetics that contribute to global pollution. Wool is durable, remarkably elastic for growing children, and is free of dust mites.

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If you go to the Organic Consumers Association website you will see that they are upset about the way that stores like Whole Foods market products as “natural.”  They believe (and they are probably right) that consumers will confuse this with “Organic.”  In fact there are no real rules about what can be called “natural” and savvy marketers have realized that almost everyone likes the concept of “natural” and they have tapped into that for selling power.

The problem for the Organic community is that their own, highly regulated farming system is also built on the concept of “natural.”  I have a good friend who was on the board of CCOF (California’s organic certification leader) back in the days when the definition of “USDA Organic” was being hammered out (1990-2002).  He explained that one reason it took so long was that there was a philosophical struggle between the Organic stalwarts who wanted it to be driven by what was “natural” and by the USDA that wanted to bring some science into what was safest and best for the environment.  The “natural” voices prevailed.

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