Joanna Falcone

The Green Movement has undoubtedly taken the world by storm. As one who considers herself environmentally conscious, I strive to seek out options. I opt for reusable over disposable, fair trade over conventional, local over imported, and when it comes to restaurants, I choose green. A new criterion has been added to restaurant rankings. In the past, being a four-star restaurant meant your food, service, and atmosphere were exceptional. Now, possessing the coveted four stars can also mean that you are the greenest restaurant around!

In the U.S., the Green Restaurant Association has established a system that ranks restaurants depending on how green their practices are. There is a wide range of standards that must be met in order to apply for certification. It is based upon how committed the restaurant is to water efficiency, waste reduction and recycling, sustainable furnishings and building materials, sustainable food, energy usage, chemical and pollution reduction, and use of disposables. Points are awarded depending on how dedicated the restaurant is to the green standards. Take energy usage. A restaurant receives 3.75 points if it utilizes an Energy Star furnace, while it gets 10 points for not having an air conditioner. In terms of waste, to even be considered, a restaurant must recycle all plastics, glass, paper, cardboard, and aluminum; dispose of its grease to be used for biodiesel or some form of energy; and compost all pre-consumer waste (food scraps etc.). They receive more points if they compost post-consumer waste (food and packaging), utilize compact fluorescent light bulbs, paperless billing, a reusable bag/mug program, or have no bottled water on site.

Basically, as restaurants are assessed based on these standards, they rack up points and are given a two, three, or four star rating. Two-star certified green restaurants have to acquire a minimum of 100 points, while four-star certified must have at least 300 points. Another aspect of the program encourages continual progress on the green front. For a restaurant to maintain its certification, it has to show some form of addition to its green program year after year.  

Personally, I would be more inclined to dine at a restaurant with the green certification. To me, it means the establishment values the environment from which our food is grown, which translates into a love for wholesome ingredients. Wholesome ingredients mean delicious food that makes you feel good- a key in any dining experience. 

Now for most of us, going out to eat is a special occasion. But that does not mean you cannot take a doggy bag from the certification standards. Bring some tidbits from a green restaurant home with you. Your kitchen can be greener if you use locally grown or organic produce (grown under 100 miles away). While a vegetarian or vegan diet contributes the least to your kitchen’s carbon footprint, if meat is prepared it should be grass fed beef, cage free chicken, or free range beef/pork. These livestock raising methods have less impact on the environment than commercial factory farms. After the meal is over, it’s time for the clean up. Cleaning products should be non-toxic and disposable plates/cups/cutlery are a definite no no. A green kitchen will be sure to keep your family and the environment happy and healthy.

To find a certified green restaurant in your area, visit Dinegreen.com

Making granola in your own home ensures freshness while also reducing costs. Buy your ingredients with mothering Mother bags at a store that offers good quality ingredients. Measure, stir, bake and enjoy!

4 cups rolled oats

1 cup almonds, chopped

¼  cup pumpkin seeds

1 cup sunflower seeds 

¼  cup safflower oil

¼  cup maple syrup

1 rounded t vanilla

1 rounded t cinnamon

½ t salt

Dried fruit (raisins, dates, apricots)

t = teaspoon

                        

Warm the oil and syrup over low heat.  Remove and add vanilla.  

In a large glass dish, such as a Pyrex® dish, combine remaining ingredients, except the dried fruit.  Pour the liquid mixture over the dry ingredients and stir well to coat all grains.  Bake in a 300F oven, stirring every 20 minutes, for 45min to 1 hour.  

                      

Let cool completely. Add dried fruit, if desired, and mix to combine. Store in airtight containers. To avoid rancidity, eat within 3 weeks.

Sydney MacInnis
Founder mothering Mother
Holistic Nutritionist and Yoga Instructor

It is the time of year for new beginnings. Nature is telling us that with the bulbs that have pushed up out of the ground and the buds that are on the trees. “Spring cleaning” is an old expression that is based on this connection to Nature.  Spring cleaning in the home gives us a feeling of lightness, a shedding of winter’s clutter and the newness of spring.

Can we “spring clean” our bodies? Although it is a new and radical concept in the west, fasting can offer similar effects for our body and hence our health.

Right now I am in the midst of a spring cleansing. Initially it is a scary concept to consent to not eating for several days. Fresh vegetable juices provide the sustenance to maintain an energy level, and minerals, vitamin and enzymes to provide nutrients that support the systems of detoxification that are now in high gear. During a fast, the digestive system gets to take a break, a much needed holiday, and we all know what that feels like! Now the attention has gone from digesting to detoxifying. 

So what happens during this process? The toxins are unwanted leftovers from digestion. They exist throughout our system, and during a fast they begin to retreat from the extremities and make their way to the organs of detoxification through the blood stream. Some toxins are dumped into the digestive tract and carried out through the bowels. As well, the lungs provide a location for detoxification and this is when yoga breathing practices help to expel toxins. The kidneys filter out toxins and expel them through  the urinary tract. Drinking copious amounts of  liquid, water in particular, aids this process. And then the largest organ in the body, the skin, detoxifies as well. Dry brushing of the skin activates this center.

Beyond the physical aspects that require attention and care, what happens on the mental and emotional level? Fasting offers an opportunity to retract from the high energy needs of living, and gives us a chance to become quiet, to be stiller, to be more of an observer than a contributor in the activities of day. Stepping back gives us a chance to explore the quieter part within us, a chance to experience our emotions unmasked by food and drink, and an experience with the world around us that is unique. 

Fasting is a temporary activity. To live our lives without contributing to the world around us is out of balance. But living our lives without pausing, without opening the door to that inner world, is out of balance. Bring balance to your body, your mind, and your spirit through the fasting adventure. I invite all of you into this space that we share.

Namaste,

Sydney