This post is contributed by guest blogger, Ana Nunez on behalf of Metabolife, who believes as we do, that “Less is More.”

‘Tis almost the season for over indulgence, but with the current state of the economy, calories won’t be the only thing we’re all counting this holiday season…

Celebrate “Less is More” this holiday season with a few easy tips that cover all the bases from food to gift wrapping that will stretch your dollar without sacrificing your holiday fun:

• Give Green: Americans spend $2.7 billion every year on gift wrapping.  Using clever holiday gift wrapping can save bundles around the holidays.  Try wrapping a gift inside of a gift, such as a reusable shopping bag.
• Go on an Energy Diet:  Changing small habits can save you money. This winter, try to keep your blinds open on sunny days in order to let in the sun and heat. Did you know that according to the U.S. Department of Energy, you can save over $40 per year just by turning your thermostat down by 1 degree?  This will give everyone in the family a great reason to wear that holiday sweater instead of turning up the heat.
• Decorate Green:  Homemade is back.  Get creative and save money by making your own decorations from earth friendly materials instead of buying artificial ones that cost money and won’t biodegrade. For example, make a homemade wreath with branches in your yard or nearby park.
• Give Homemade:  Something thoughtful like a decorated jar with homemade cookies or an album of old pictures so often means more than store bought.  Save money and get into the holiday spirit.
• Treat Leftovers as Lunch:  Big meals around holiday time make for great lunches the next day. Skip eating out and save money by packing leftovers in reusable containers.

These are just a few great ways to celebrate “Less is More” this holiday season.

Metabolife knows that is it is often the accumulation of small changes that delivers lasting results. Weight loss is just one area of life where this is true. We created “Less is More” to bring this all to life, to help people realize the real impact that comes from taking even the smallest action in the right direction in any area of life that matters to them.  Check out the site: www.joinlessismore.com to share your ideas about “Less is More.”

(editorial note:  The Alternative Consumer has not tried Metabolife, but supports the concept of “less is more.”)

You know bottled water is bad, but are you doing enough to stop it?

Bottled water isn’t a new gripe of the environmental movement.  Most of you probably don’t buy bottled water (and if you do, stop!) but what do you do when your kid’s school or soccer team is handing out bottled water?  What about at charity walks when pallets and pallets of water are distributed?  How do you deal with that parent who won’t let her kid drink tap water, or that friend of yours who seems to think tap water is dirty?

Let’s take it from micro to macro.  When someone you know insists on buying bottled water remind them of a few facts:

• There is, statistically, less than one person at the FDA regulating the content of bottled water.  There is a whole department in your city regulating the contents of your tap water.  A recent study found rocket fuel in several brands of bottled water.
• Plastics are bad!  Unlike glass, which can be recycled an infinite number of times, plastics are rarely recycled efficiently and almost never 100% recycled.  There is a mass twice the size of Texas made up of plastics, much of which comes from water bottles.
• Water is heavy.  Transporting bottled water uses millions of gallons of fossil fuels each year.
• Bottled water costs you approximately 10,000 times more money than tap water.

Perhaps most importantly (because if you can afford to buy bottled water you might not care how much of a rip off it is) is the fact that bottled water supports the privatization of water.  Water is essential to life, it’s not something humans can do without.  By supporting companies like Coca-Cola (Dasani), Evian, or Fiji you are supporting a privatized industry that moves into developing countries under the guise of “aid” and takes control of their water system.  They then turn around and charge locals more than they can pay for the water they need. The two movies linked above are amazing and informative and will change the way anyone looks at bottled water.  They’re both available on Netflix or at your local Blockbuster.

But what about the school, or the event that you’re attending where you know there will be bottled water available?  What can a charity walk or soccer team do to avoid bottled water?  Many people think that bottled water is simply an evil that teams and events must live with, but that’s not the case.  Talk with the event organizers about creative solutions like the following:

• Rather than giving out t-shirts, give out reusable water bottles (many are now available even with built-in water filters) and provide water stations where people can fill them up.
• Hold events in places where there are already water fountains at which participants can fill their bottles.
• Advertise in advance the fact that this event will be bottled water-free; make sure everyone can plan ahead.
• Utilize the resources available and the example of past bottle-free events.
• If you’re in Canada, use the HTOtogo truck!

With planning and drive, a bottled-water-free event is most often cheaper than purchasing hundreds of bottles – not just monetarily but environmentally and socially as well.  Water will most likely become the next oil, and we are running out faster than most people know.  Many experts believe that water will be what the next wars are fought over, and we should all do our part to keep both plastics out of the environment, and water in the hands of people who need it most.  Reject the privatization of an essential resource like water and spread the word: bottled water sucks!

Related:  previously on altCon
(4.17.08) garbage island:  a sea of floating toxicity

Here’s a another great alternative to buying bottled water.   This Restore Clean Water System consists of an 8-cup pitcher and an ultraviolet adapter.  Restore has a unique dual-filter process for eliminating solid particulate material as well as bacteria and viruses from your tap water.  The pitcher has both a carbon filter and an ultraviolet germ-killing system.  Unlike pitcher filters from Pur, Brita, and Zero Water, the Restore pitcher has a two-step water purification process.  In step one – a carbon filter reduces any heavy metals, chlorine and industrial pollutants in your water – in step two, the unit’s UV purification system removes 99.99% of viruses, bacteria and microbial cysts.

As our latest Tried and True Green Products Review, HoMedics was kind enough to provide us a free unit for testing.  We found that it took 4 pitchers of water to get the subtle carbon flavor of the particulate filter out of the water, but after that, the filtered water tasted fine.  The two-step process takes a couple of minutes, (the UV process takes 1 minute), and involves plugging the pitcher into the UV adapter, which has a retractable cord.  The unit has a smallish carbon filter (for filtering solid materials) that’s estimated to last 2 to 4 months, under typical home use. (more…)

With Halloween behind us, it’s nearly time to pack away the festive fall décor to make space for the merrier holiday gear. What to do with the pumpkin that sat on your porch stoop? While the thrifty bakers among us will likely turn it into a Thanksgiving pie, the beauty hounds can do one better and whip up an easy mask that will keep your pre-winter dry skin glowing.

After all, pumpkins are chock-full of vitamins A and C, as well as zinc, to hydrate the skin and leave skin supple, soft and most importantly, chemical-free. (No formaldehyde or petroleum derivatives in my skin care, thank you.)

Mix up a mask of your own by combining:

• Two tablespoons cooked (or canned) pumpkin
• One-half teaspoon organic honey
• A dash of organic milk or soy milk
• Optional: one-half teaspoon of brown sugar for extra exfoliation

Slather it on and allow to dry completely before rinsing off. Clean, open pores will put a smile on your face and allow you to follow up with your favorite natural moisturizer, promising ultra hydration that’s perfect for fall’s blustery winds.

The body wash and shampoo aisle is overwhelming. There are literally thousands of different soaps and shampoos “specially formulated” for your hair by people who have never seen your hair. Here are a few things to watch out for when buying soaps:

• soap companies can put “natural” on just about anything
• “fragrance” means a conglomeration of chemicals
• avoid anything that has palm oil, as it is extremely unsustainably harvested

A great resource when purchasing health & beauty products is the good guide. They have a rating system that helps you tease out the good from the bad throughout the grocery store. Here’s what they say about soaps. You can also look for local soap producers, and see if you can support their business and get clean, chemical free soap.

If you’re interested in making your own soap from scratch, it’s a pretty complicated process. Especially bar soaps, which easily turn into messy, slimy little balls. You’ll also need several ingredients you probably don’t have lying around the house, such as lye and tallow. If you have the time, and the patience however, home made soaps leave your skin feeling really soft, and they also make great green gifts.

Half way recipes (in which you take a pure form of soap and spruce it up) can be fun and easy to do at home (more…)

We were recently afforded the opportunity to test several soaps, a lotion and a lip balm made from goat’s milk; compliments of Marsha Louk of Laurel Fork Farm.  Laurel Fork Farm is located in West Virginia and is family owned and operated.  They use all natural ingredients, no dyes, chemicals or preservatives.  Their products are made from real goat’s milk and the goats are pasture raised without the use of hormones and minimal use of store bought grain.

Now, don’t let the thought of washing with milk unsettle you if you are new to the use of goat’s milk in personal hygiene products.  It really is delightful to use.  The Blueberry Goat Milk Lotion smells like blueberry and alerts your senses to a pretty fruit scent.  It leaves my hands feeling so soft.  As an example, I put the lotion on generously last night before I went to bed.  Since waking, I have washed my hands numerous times and my hands still feel soft.  I’ve never experienced anything quite like that before in any hand lotions I have used.  (more…)

We live in world filled with chemicals, toxins and unknown substances.  Emerging science increasingly connects exposure to toxic chemicals with serious health problems.  From Bisphenol-A in baby bottles to phthalates in children’s toys and flame retardants in nursery furnishings, the modern home is filled with synthetic compounds that research now shows likely cause neurological and behavioral disorders, reproductive and developmental disruption, cancer and other troubles.

There are hundreds of untested chemicals in the products families use every day.  The business-friendly law that directs the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to conduct safety reviews of chemicals, the Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA), was passed by Congress over thirty years ago.  Since then, the EPA has investigated a paltry 200 of the more than 80,000 chemical compounds available to manufacturers today.  Critics of the law say it doesn’t give the EPA enough authority to demand that companies supply the information needed to evaluate a chemical’s risk.

Now, Safer Chemicals Healthy Families, a coalition of nearly 30 leading, health-conscious, non-governmental organizations, is working with Congress to overhaul the nation’s chemical regulations.  Supporters of the coalition include the Environmental Defense Fund, Healthy Child Healthy World and Seventh Generation, the maker of all-natural cleaning products and diapers.  The group supports new legislation (more…)

I recently had the privilege of trying out some products provided by OnlyGreen Organics, a new direct sales company offering certified organic products.  Susie Schiering, an Independent OnlyGreen EcoAdvisor, was generous enough to send me samples of their new shampoo and conditioner, an orange creamsicle lip balm and compostable plastic ware.

The VADA brand shampoo and conditioner are manufactured by OnlyGreen and they work very well.  However, as with most organic toiletries when the sodium lauryl sulfate or sodium laureth sulfate is missing the lather is just not as abundant as it is with mainstream brands.  I will say that in the (more…)

It’s impressive that way back in 1921 Weleda’s founders met with Rudolf Steiner, a pioneer in biodynamic farming, and together, essentially planted the seeds for what they are today — an organic, holistic-based, international skin care company.  Over the years, Weleda has an established tradition of working in harmony with nature to create some of the most pure and natural personal care products available anywhere.

A few weeks ago, Weleda asked if I’d like to try their new Pomegranate Regenerating Body Care; I was all for it.
As you may already know, pomegranate is an antioxidant, dermatologically tested and proven to increase skin smoothness, moisture levels and accelerate skin renewal.  I’ve enjoyed using this exciting new line for the past couple of weeks.  The products pack a lot of punch, penetrating and energizing the skin without (more…)

What today falls into the niche of “DIY” (do it yourself), is in fact the longest human tradition there is.  It’s funny that today we need people to teach us how to do it ourselves, that we can’t fathom making things we find essential.  Do it yourself-ism is a quiet, but effective way of protesting the consumerism that has gripped us.  By taking the few extra minutes to make your own shampoo, deodorant, shirt or whatever it is, you’re turning your back on big companies and bringing your health and well-being back into your own hands.  It may not seem like a big deal when you do, because it isn’t, it’s what we’re made to do.

Take, for example, deodorant.  Many people consider it a daily necessity (and perhaps more people should).  Rather than going to the store, look for a few things in your cabinets: (more…)