Tree Hugge's Anon

1 Tree Huggers anonymous December 2008 Next

Tree Huggers anonymous

Save the Planet!Being green has never been so easy

The 100 Mile Diet Is it realistic?

Green is the New Black

Eco-friendly stores for shop-a-holics

Natural Beauty

How many chemicals are in

your morning routine?

GreenScopesLook to the stars!

3 Tree Huggers anonymous December 2008 back Next


A collection of shimmering rouges, jewel-toned lip glosses and velvety powders lie

jumbled on women’s bathroom counters across the world. Yet too few women can actually name, let alone pronounce, the ingredients in their favourite beauty products.

As it turns out, beauty really is more than skin-deep. Contrary to popular belief, our skin acts more like a sponge than a barrier when we slather on various ‘beautifying’ lotions and potions.

“Up to 60 per cent of the products we use on our skin are absorbed and deposited into the circulatory system,” said Tamey McIntosh, the co-creater of PureKnowHow, a website designed to spread the word about the growing number of dangerous household and cosmetic products.

“PureKnowHow was created basically to answer many ‘did you knows’,” explained McIntosh. “Both myself and co-owner Patti Murphy wanted to know more about what the ingredients in our everyday products were, and how those ingredients affected our health. We are not experts but rather consumers who want to know what we are putting on our bodies.”

In addition to product reviews, McIntosh and Murphy include e-bulletins to educate families on healthy living, and a natural health blog on their website.

The duo’s interest in holistic living began when Murphy was diagnosed with breast cancer. To aid her recovery Murphy enlisted the help of a naturopathic doctor.

“Her naturopath asked her if she was using products that contained parabens,” said McIntosh. “It turns out that parabens are estrogen mimickers, which is the last thing you want when you have breast cancer. Parabens were in virtually every cosmetic and personal care product that she owned.”

From that point on, both Murphy and McIntosh were committed to educating themselves on the potential dangers of chemicals, and promoting

natural products.“I believe that chemicals in general are unsafe for

both us and the environment,” continued McIntosh. “I don’t think enough thought has been given to the fact that today’s women uses, on average, 12 personal care products every day. So even if the amount of chemical is small, it’s the number of products plus the years and years that we are using them [that add up]. And this does not include the chemicals we are exposed to from cleaning products, pollution and chemicals in food.”

There’s a widely held thought, said Murphy, “that if it’s being sold, it must be safe.” But that isn’t always the case, as the dangers represented by some chemicals in cosmetic products range from skin irritation to hormone disruption. Some products even contain small doses of known carcinogencs. Hence natural cosmetics, Murphy explained, are a safer choice. “However, it must be mentioned that some ‘natural’ cosmetics can also have undesirable ingredients, so always check the labels,” she added.

If you’re unsure about the safety of your cosmetics, McIntosh recommends doing some research on SkinDeep.com, a searchable database of personal care brands. Each brand and product is ranked by the safety rating of each ingredient to arm consumers with the knowledge of how to make safe choices in the cosmetic aisle.

While some may believe that natural cosmetics are unaffordable, McIntosh insists that revamping your make-up bag is a “really an easy, manageable change.”

Natural and organic beauty products are becoming more mainstream as people become aware of the health risks presented by chemical products.

“The goal of PureKnowHow is twofold - to educate consumers and to let them know that there are great alternatives to conventional products available to them,” said McIntosh. “And even in the 18 months that we have had the site, the availability of these products has increased dramatically.”

By Sarah Witzel


N ormally, I’d consider myself to be a pretty environmentally conscious person. I walk

everywhere I can, use cloth grocery bags, recycle, and buy organic whenever possible. But examining my shopping list, it’s easy to see that although my diet is filled with greens, it isn’t the greenest for the planet.

Papaya, pineapple, pomegranate, figs, avocado and imported grapes top my grocery list. Since these foods aren’t commercially grown in Canada, they’re flown here from all over the world – the pomegranates in my local grocery store are from Spain!

Imported foods may taste good, but they have a huge environmental cost. The goods’ long transport consumes a vast amount of fossil fuels and releases more carbon into the atmosphere. The greenest way to live, according to Alicia Smith and James MacKinnon, authors of the 100 Mile Diet, is to eat locally and organically.

“The most powerful thing about eating locally is just the degree of awareness that you have about the food that you’re eating,” said MacKinnon. “If you look through most of human history, buying your food off of the land base around you has been the primary way that we’ve eaten. If we go back even one generation, you find that the people who were canning, doing home cooking, and growing kitchen gardens was normal,” he continued. “I think we should find the idea very odd that the way the average person in society should eat is buying products with a laundry list of chemicals attached to them that are coming from halfway around the world.”

The 100 Mile Diet is not a weight-loss fad, but an eco-friendly lifestyle. It encourages its followers, dubbed “locavores,” to only consume foods grown within a 100-mile radius. The lifestyle not only

supports local farmers, but can also drastically cut how long goods travel from the farm to your kitchen. The result is fresher, more nutritious food for you, and fewer gas emissions to pollute Mother Earth.

But the concept of only consuming foods grown within a 100-mile radius can be daunting. To test the practicality of the ‘100 Mile Diet’, I adopted the lifestyle for a week, and documented my experience.

To prepare for the locavore way of life, I began researching what was available for me to buy locally. According to the Foodland Ontario website, there’s plenty of late-September produce still available. The website even includes some recipe ideas made from local produce. I’m a bit nervous about the 100-mile restriction though, since being vegan and gluten-intolerant already makes my diet difficult to accommodate.

The Week Before:While searching online for local sources of

seeds, grains and pulses, I eventually discover a little Toronto store, called Culinarium, which carries only local foods. When I visit the store later in the week, I stock up on pulses, wild rice, vinegar, and cold-pressed flax oil. Not all of the goods were produced within an exact 100-mile radius of my home, but it’s close enough. The store’s prices were a bit higher than I’m used to paying, however, and the gluten-free fare was minimal.

I later hit up the farmer’s market and find an abundance of fruit: local apples, blueberries and blackberries, coronation grapes, pears, some peaches and nectarines, and plums. Vegetables are even more plentiful, and I pick up some squash, root vegetables, tomatoes, green beans, garlic and onions, fresh herbs, broccoli, cauliflower, potatoes, and lettuce greens.

By Sarah Witzel


Unfortunately, none of the produce is certified organic, but at least it’s local.

Day One: Breakfast is a yummy fruit salad. For lunch

I crave a garden salad and top it with homemade flax oil dressing. The result isn’t too bad! Dinner is lots wild rice, cooked kidney beans, and steamed vegetables. In between meals I snack on fruits.

Day Two:Using my juicer, I juice some apples, carrots and

beets together to make a delicious fresh juice. For lunch, I bake half of a huge butternut squash. Dinner is the leftover squash and homemade split pea soup, made with potatoes, carrots and onions from the market. I snack on pumpkin seeds and fruit.

Day Three:Although I awoke with a craving for pineapple,

instead I throw some blackberries, a pear, a couple of peaches, and a little water into the blender and whip up a morning smoothie. Lunch is some fruit. By dinner I’m starving, so I decide to get creative and make some homemade soup from squash, onions, garlic, herbs, and carrots. I also throw some beans and lots of rice into the soup for protein. A salad with flax oil serves as a side dish. Later on, I snack on a few apples.

Day Four:I make another smoothie from coronation

grapes, pears and a couple peaches. It tastes a lot better than it looks. I’m not home for lunch, so I pre-packed another bag of washed fruit. Yesterday’s soup was a success, so I decide to make it again for dinner, but I sprinkle some pumpkin seeds on top for some healthy fats. I steam up some vegetables and slice up some apples to make a hodge-podge salad. Apple slices dipped in honey make a delicious evening snack.

Day Five:I’m starting to miss my usual gluten-free cereals

that are most definitely not local. I make some fresh apple juice for breakfast and surf online for some new recipe ideas. After a quick salad lunch topped with rice and homemade dressing, I decide to try a mashed rutabaga with garlic recipe I found for dinner. I also grate some carrots, beets and an apple

and toss them together with pumpkin seeds and a bit of honey. It’s pretty good. I’m still hungry later on though, so I make some more rice and grab a few apples.

Day Six:As much as I like apples, eating them all the time

is becoming a bit unbearable. The grocery store was stocked up on imported figs today, which made my bag of Ontario apples an even more bitter purchase. I skip breakfast, and for lunch have some rice and steamed vegetables. I decide to adapt a recipe for borscht from the Foodland Ontario website to make it vegan-friendly, but the result is kind of disgusting. I throw the rest away. I make another salad with homemade pumpkin seed dressing and eat some peaches and plums.

Day Seven:Score! I find some late strawberries at the

farmer’s market stock up. I try making applesauce with blackberries for breakfast, which is quite tasty. A fresh salad topped with pumpkin seeds and homemade dressing makes a satisfying lunch. Dinner is a kidney bean soup with tomatoes, carrots, onion, herbs, and chopped veggies, and a side of rice. I snack on strawberries throughout the day, and dream of waking up to my usual vegan, gluten-free cereal the following morning.

The Verdict:During my ‘100 Mile Diet’ trial, I really came

to appreciate the value of the farmer’s market. I was shocked to discover that most grocery stores stocked American vegetables, even though the same produce was available locally grown from the market. But being vegetarian or vegan on the ‘100 Mile Diet’ is difficult, since some of the most abundant local foods are animal-based. To live the ‘100 Mile’ way takes a lot of preparation, and even more effort is needed to be a vegetarian locavore.

Although I’m used to a “bland” diet because of my vegan diet and food allergies, most people following the diet would likely be bored quickly, especially during the winter months when local food is scarcer. It might be a more realistic compromise to buy Canadian and make as many purchases as possible from the farmer’s market, instead of strictly within a 100-mile radius of where you live. Then you can enjoy more variety, while still reducing carbon emissions.


After a few years of extreme weather, a growing number of endangered species,

and news reports of melting icecaps, Mother Earth is crying out for some well-deserved respect.

So if you haven’t already, dump your car, toss your light bulbs and consume only produce from your year-round backyard garden. You do have an organic garden, right?

Truth be told, you don’t have to become a hemp-wearing, chakra-balancing hippie to be eco-conscious. There are plenty of simple ways to protect our planet from the threat of global warming, pollution and overtaxed natural resources. You can be earth-friendly without drastically changing your lifestyle:

Ban the plastic bags – Bring your own cloth grocery bags to the store to pack your goods in. Cloth bags can be bought for a dollar at most grocery stores, and since they are reusable, don’t add waste to our landfills. Plastic bags don’t biodegrade, and make up 18 percent of all landfill waste. Keep cloth bags in the trunk of your family car so you don’t forget to bring them to the store.

Support local farmers – Most cities have a farmer’s market where local growers sell homegrown produce. Not only is local produce fresher because it’s usually picked that day or the day before, but many local farmers grow organic, pesticide-free produce. And because you’re buying straight from the grower,

local produce is often cheaper because there are no shipping and handling costs tacked onto the price by a grocery store.

Change Your Light Bulbs – Compact fluorescent light bulbs (those funny-looking bulbs with the swivel top) cost a bit more that regular incandescent bulbs, but they last 10 times longer and use up less energy. “CFL bulbs put out as much light as regular bulbs while using one quarter of the energy,” according to the David Suzuki Foundation. When used inside, fluorescent bulbs can cause headaches for some people, but they’re perfect for outdoor lighting and as Christmas lights.

Recycle More – It’s common knowledge to recycle plastic bottles and old newspapers, but what do you do with the old junk around the house you don’t want anymore? Consignment stores embody the old adage: “Another person’s trash is another person’s treasure!” Even if you don’t want those old holiday decorations or ‘80s boyfriend sweaters, most consignment stores have donation bins in or outside the store waiting to be crammed with your used items. Even better, if you have any old baby clothes or toys round, donate them to a local women’s or homeless shelter for someone less fortunate to enjoy.

Go Natural – Experiment with the wide selection of organic and chemical-free products entering the market. Upscale health food stores sell chemical-free

By Sarah Witzel


makeup that is less likely to irritate your skin. The same health food stores and some grocery stores also sell biodegradable natural household cleaners, which create less household pollution and are more environmentally friendly. They’re also great for people who suffer from allergies, rashes and itchy skin because they contain no irritating ingredients, said Tamey McIntosh of PureKnowHow.com.

Eat Your Veggies – Becoming a vegetarian or a flexitarian (meaning you avoid meat products but still eat them from time to time) helps the environment because growing produce uses less energy than raising farmed animals for meat. An added bonus: according to a 2003 study by the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, vegetarians live an average of four years longer than meat eaters. Food for thought!

Avoid the Drive-Through – When craving fast food, park your car and go inside the restaurant to pickup your order, instead of idling it in the drive-through line. Doing so creates less pollution from the car exhaust and burns less gas (which also saves you money!).

Use A Laptop – Laptop computers use less power than desktop computers, because they don’t need to be plugged in 24/7. It’s just another reason to

upgrade your blocky PC to a shiny laptop.

Reuse Your Extra Printing Pages – When printing off e-mails or website pages, turn the pages around and re-use them in your printer. Not only is it a thrifty way to save money, but it helps reduce the number of trees being chopped down for paper production.

Change Your Thermostat – By simply raising the temperature by two degrees in the summer and lowering it two degrees in the winter, you can save up to one ton of greenhouse gases from being emitted into our atmosphere, according to the World Wildlife Fund.

Beware of Energy Vampires – Did you know that televisions and small appliances use up energy even when they’re not turned on? Unplugging electrical devices when they’re not in use saves electricity and trims your electrical bill.

Don’t Drive as Often – It’s no secret that carpooling, walking or biking saves energy and reduces pollution. Arrange a carpool to school with friends or neighbours whenever possible, and bike or walk on those sunny days. You’ll not only save money on gas, but you’ll get some great exercise and fresh air, too. Being energy efficient not only helps the earth, but also can benefit you!

http://www.foodland.gov.on.ca


By Sarah Witzel

A new trend is emerging in the fashion world, and it promises to be longer lasting than

ponchos and mukluks. Sustainable, eco-friendly cloth-ing is growing in popularity as more people become aware of the dark side of the clothing manufacturing process (such as sweatshops and gas-guzzling shipping methods, to name a few).

“Because of my personal philosophy, I used to boycott all new clothes and buy secondhand,” said Kerry MacMullin, owner of the Toronto eco-clothing store Green is Black. “But there were some pieces I couldn’t find in secondhand stores. There was no where to shop for conscious people.”

MacMullin decided to do something about it. Armedwith a degree in sociology and philosophy, she enrolled in an entrepreneurial program to learn how to manage a business. When she first launched her cloth-ing store as an online business, she noticed most of her customers were from the Toronto area. “It’s a large, more progressive population,” she said. In early 2008, she opened her retail store on Yonge St.

The grand opening of her Toronto store was “pretty fantastic,” said MacMullin. “The first day after I opened I got a call from the Toronto Star to write an article [about the store]. To have that happen on your first day of business, it’s like, ‘Well, you must be doing something right!’ ”

Although business “was a bit slow initially, when the article came out…things got busy,” she continued. “People came into the store to say thank-you for opening up an ethical store.”

Green is Black stocks “women’s and men’s clothing, jeans, shoes, accessories, mitts in the winter… and odds and ends like gifts, skincare, paper, sustainable furniture and artwork by local artists,” said MacMullin. “I try to make it so, in theory, someone could buy their entire wardrobe here.”

The sustainability component is always taken into consideration when finding items to sell in her store, said MacMullin. She makes sure that at least 80 per

cent of what’s in the store is made in Canada to preserve fossil fuels and support Canadian talent. But of course, there’s always the important fashion component to keep in mind. “I’ve been a granola for a long time, but I’ve always loved fashion,” said MacMullin. “I didn’t want to frump myself out…. I have to love the [clothes] too.”

MacMullin also ensures that the items in her store are made from at least 90 per cent sustainable fabric. “For instance, it can be 10 per cent spandex, but the rest should be organic cotton or bamboo,” she said. Designers must also provide her with the labour practices involved in making the garment to guarantee it’s fair. “I want to collaborate with people who have a large and professional stake in their claim in ethical fashion,” said MacMullin.

“One criticism of eco-fashion is the cost,” said MacMullin. “But what people don’t understand is that’s literally the cost.” By the time the designers and manufacturers are paid fairly, the cost rises when compared to items made in sweatshops, she said.

The customers who shop at Green is Black are “a pretty eclectic mix,” said MacMullin. “Being on Yonge St. we get a lot of walk-by people who come in because they see a coat in the window that they love…. But they have no idea what eco-fashion is.”

MacMullin also sees regular customers who are eager to shop sustainably. “I would say we have about six people who have single-handedly prevented us from going out of business,” she laughed.

Eco-friendly clothing and the green revolu-tion are gaining popularity, said MacMullin. “The information is a lot more accessible now. There’s been a couple of mainstream documentaries that have come out, mainly Al Gore’s [An Inconvenient Truth]…. It opened people’s eyes.”

“In the different fashion programs [the students] are now being taught about sustainable clothing,” she continued. “It inspires new artists. Just because something is eco-friendly doesn’t mean it has to be beige and boxy.”


Where in the past eco-conscious fashionistas have been relegated to rainbow-hued

bohemian wares, chic eco-fashion is fast becoming a hot trend among young designers. Fabrics are made out of sustainable hemp, bamboo, organic cotton, and many of the shoes are made of a vegan, leather-free material. Some stores also sell jewelry made from sustainable, fair-trade materials, along with other goodies like chemical-free skincare, fragrances, and home cleaning products. This handy list of a notable eco-friendly Toronto stores can help buyers find unique wardrobe pieces and unusual gifts:

Grass Roots – This little store sells everything from green cleaning products to hemp clothing to organic cotton bedding. Grass Roots has two Toronto locations: 372 Danforth Avenue and 408 Bloor Street West. Web-savvy buyers can also visit the Grass Roots online store.

The Big Carrot – The Big Carrot is a huge health food store that sells that supplements, organic skincare and cosmetics, and hemp clothing. The Big Carrot is known for its vegetarian deli and juice bar. It also carries organic foods, including meat, dairy, eggs, grains and produce. It’s located on 348 Danforth Avenue, and curious customers can visit their website to find out about classes, seminars and sales.

Downbound.ca – Downbound is an online store that specializes in apparel and accessories made from hemp. It also sells a hodgepodge of shoes, cosmetics, packaged food, and supplements. Customers can buy from their website.

TruthBelts.com – TruthBelts is a vegan-friendly accessory company that sells belts, shirts, bracelets, necklaces and bags made from hemp. It’s products can be bought online from their online store.

Mooshoes.com – This famous vegetarian shoe company is based in New York. It sells various styles of stylish leather-free footwear and bags for men and women. Its products can be bought from its website.

Heart On Your Sleeve – Newly opened, Heart On Your Sleeve is a vegan and cruelty-free women’s clothing store. Everything is made from organic, sustainable, vintage, locally-sourced or fair-trade fabrics. The little boutique is located on 61 Bellevue Ave in Toronto. Visit its website to find out about upcoming fashion shows at the store.

Organic Lifestyle – Organic Lifestyle deals with a wealth of organic clothing, linens and toys. Their store is located on 87 Avenue Road, suite 260 in Toronto. It’s also worth taking a peek at the huge array of products on their website.

League of Lovers & Thieves – This store specializes in sustainable clothing from hemp, bamboo and other natural fibres or both men and women. It’s located on 1156 Queen St. West. Clothing can also be bought from their online store.

Green is Black – Green is Black is a small by growing boutique located at 624 Yonge St. in Toronto. The store aims to prove that ethical fashion goes beyond the ubiquitous hippie burlap sack. Check out its online shop to buy online.

Avani Creations – Avani Creations specializes in organic cotton and hemp products, and even sells hand-made paper and journals. Its wares can be bought online as well.

Left Feet – Specializing in vegan shoes, Left Feet sells stylish shoes for men and women. The store also sells a quirky array of vegan guitar straps, belts and cloth bags. It’s located at 88 Nassau Street in Kensington Market, and online.

By Sarah Witzel

http://www.grassrootsstore.com

http://www.thebigcarrot.ca

http://www.downbound.ca

http://www.mooshoes.com

http://www.heartonyoursleeve.ca

http://www.organiclifestyle.ca

http://www.leagueofloversandthieves.ca

http://www.greenisblack.ca

http://www.truthbelts.com

http://www.avanicreations.com

http://www.leftfeet.ca


http://www.treecanada.ca


By Sarah Witzel

17 Tree Huggers anonymous December 2008 back front

Tree Hugge's Anon

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