‘Tis the (cold and flu) season, and it’s time to stock up on immune boosting foods like oranges, garlic and Kellogg’s Cocoa Krispies.

Yes, that’s right. Kellogg’s is claiming that all the vitamins they’ve sprinkled onto their sweetened, processed puffs will help your child’s immune system. It’s boldly emblazoned across the box, so it must be true!

Vitamins aside for a moment, has anyone forgotten the negative immune impact of sugar? I haven’t, but one wonders if Kellogg’s is exercising some selective memory techniques. The second ingredient on the Cocoa Krispies label (quickly followed by high fructose corn syrup), sugar raises the body’s general acidity, making you more prone to illnesses of all kinds.

As for vitamins: the best ones come from whole foods sources like…well, like oranges and garlic. In order to get the necessary nutrients your body needs, you can eat actual, whole foods or take vitamins from brands such, as New Chapter, ,that derive their supplements from actual food extracts (with a small dose of probiotics to help you digest them better). The vitamins you’ll find in Cocoa Krispies, on the other hand, tend to have the bad habit of washing away in the milk.

Conclusion? Cereal is not medicine, particularly the cracklin’ candy sort. Opt for serving your tots a hot, yummy bowl of real, organic whole-grain oatmeal with fresh, organic fruit for a true immunity boost this season.

Starbucks: people either love ‘em or loathe ‘em. My husband likes their coffee and admires their business brains. I, on the other hand, can’t stand them for their homogenized, yuppie style. Having grown up in grunge-era Seattle, once a land of artsy coffee shops crammed with kitschy sofas and local color, cookie-cutter Starbucks look to me like a department store: void of soul and chock-full of useless merchandise.

But how bad is Starbucks, really? I decided to find out.

1. Clean water is such a precious commodity in the world these days, but Starbucks didn’t seem to care. Their “leave the tap running all day” policy created an eco-scandal to the tune of 23 million litres wasted every day. Less than a year later, they’re installing water-saving faucets which purport to reduce water wastage by 150 gallons per day, per store. Note, they only changed their wasteful ways after they got caught.

2. Although some people claim that having a Starbucks in the neighborhood is actually good for local mom & pop cafes, the long-running belief is that Starbucks turns the uniquely local neighborhood vibe into cookie-cutter corporate…well, crap. Perhaps it’s really just a matter of taste, but most of your dollars spent at a Starbucks location will end up in the pockets of distant executives – and not circulate in your local economy.

3. Ever keen to new marketing strategies, Starbucks has decided to co-opt the unique neighborhood vibe. What you think is your local indie cafe might actually be a Starbucks in disguise. To try and get the business of economic locavores, Starbucks has sent out scouts to cop the look and feel of various neighborhoods, then create a “unique” coffeeshop under a different name. Some might call this a brilliant business strategy, but I think it’s pretty underhanded.

4. Then there was the Ethiopian coffee debacle. In 2006, the Ethiopian government attempted to trademark regional coffees such as Sidamo and Harar because these specialty brews sell for up to $26 a pound, with only about $1 getting back to the Ethiopian coffee farmers. Starbucks, working through the National Coffee Association, blocked Ethiopia’s trademark bid, helping ensure the continuation of poverty in an already impoverished region.

5. Did you hear about the tip scandal? A former (and clearly disgruntled) Starbucks barista successfully sued the corporation on behalf of all California baristas in a class action law suit. Starbucks was ordered to pay $100 million to baristas to make up for tips that had been given to shift supervisors. It sounds like the ultimate low blow, but there is a grey area here: although California law prohibits managers and supervisors from receiving tips, Starbucks’ shift supervisors do help customers and make coffee. They’re paid much more than the baristas; do they also deserve a cut of the tips?

6. After years of customers haggling them for recycling bins, or at least recyclable cups, Starbucks has finally launched a recycling pilot program. Puh-lease…coffee shops the world over have already had recycling and composting systems in place for years. Starbucks should have been able to do better, and faster – why has it taken them so long to jump on the greenwagon?

7. Starbucks has decided to increase their purchases of Fair Trade coffee – but that’s only after years of pressure from Fair Trade groups. Considering that the worldwide coffee trade is a huge source of oppression and poverty in third world countries, buying Fair Trade goes far to support better wages and working conditions for coffee farmers. So far, only a small percentage of Starbucks coffee will actually be Fair Trade Certified, but they’ve still created a marketing campaign around it. I’d expect better from a large corporation; since Starbucks is large enough for the world to pay attention to its products, they could push some powerful change by using their influence for the greater good.

8. No matter what they do to be a little more green, if Starbucks won’t pour coffee into a reusable mug, they’ll never win my heart. My husband informed me of his own infuriating Starbucks experience where they refused to fill his travel mug, instead handing him his latte in a disposable paper cup and telling him he could fill his travel mug himself. He’s not the only one who’s had eco efforts thwarted like this at Starbucks.

9. And besides, McDonald’s beat Starbucks in a coffee taste test. Ouch!

So what do you think? Personally, I think Starbucks can do better and set a positive example for the coffee business in general, but they won’t do that unless they feel the heat from customers.

Image: D3 San Francisco

NASA is about to commit an eco-sin on a galactic scale.

On October 8th, in search of water, NASA is going to bomb the Moon.

Water on the Moon, you ask? Yes, scientists think there might be evidence of moisture found in the debris plume (which will, by the way, be visible from Earth). I admit, this irks me; I find it strikingly arrogant. Exploration is one thing, but the Moon doesn’t belong to the United States for benefit and exploitation.

Even if water is found, shuttling it back to Earth is an inconceivably ridiculous prospect, and colonizing the place seems just plain silly. Let’s fix Earth’s problems first – including conserving our own water sources – before setting forth on destructive (and expensive) forays into the Solar System.

Dare this blogger wax sentimental, but the Moon is a celestial body revered by Earthlings of all cultures, inspiring poets, shamans and lovers across the globe. Disrespectfully viewing the natural world as naught more than raw materials has already taken us too far.

Does science rule all? Or are there some ecological lines we should never cross?

Image: Flowery Luza

Osteoporosis is a big deal for women. But there’s more involved in keeping your bones strong and healthy than just eating plenty of calcium. Weight-bearing activity (exercise on your feet that works your bones and muscles against gravity) is crucial to building and maintaining optimal bone mass. Here’s why:

Bone density refers to your reserve of stored calcium. This is what determines the strength and health of your bones.
Bones are living tissue and need to be used to be strengthened.
The best time to start doing weight-bearing activities is during the teen and early adult years when bones are still growing. But it’s never too late to start!
The more bone density you have, the less negative impact there will be after menopause, when bone density begins to thin out with the loss of estrogen.
Higher bone density means stronger bones that are less susceptible to fracture or breakage.

So ladies, listen up: here are some activities you can incorporate into your lives to build up bone mass and stay strong.

For starters, lift things! No need to go overboard, but carry your groceries to the car and don’t be shy about picking up boxes. Just make sure you protect your back and do it safely.
Jogging is good for building bone, and so is walking uphill, but a regular walk around the block won’t do much for you.
Vigorous gardening and housecleaning – move a lot, stretch and lift heavy things!
Skip the elevator and climb stairs instead.
On your walks and hikes, wear a backpack. Fill it with water bottles and other things to add some weight, as this helps build bone.
Weightlifting is very good for your bones. There are weightlifting techniques that help build lean muscle mass, and plenty of bone while you’re at it. Here are tips to lift weights without bulking up.
For more active types, try jumping rope, team sports (basketball, hockey, soccer), and high impact aerobics.

Image: glitter feet

Oh, this is way too cute. The “Help, I Need Help” folks are at it again.

First they charmed us with clever little (eco-friendly!) packages labeled “Help, I have a headache,” and “Help, I’ve cut myself,” containing acetaminophen and bandages.

Now they’ve expanded their product line – or rather their packaging line. After all, they’re really just selling ibuprofen, but in a Zen little package labeled “Help, I have an aching body,” just to make sure you don’t forget what ibuprofen is for.

Fully compostable corn-based packages, did I forget to mention?

And even though I avoid OTC medications and prefer natural remedies for my aches and pains, I can’t help but be delighted by their wide-eyed faux-naivete. Take yourself on a visit to their Help, I’m Bored page for some McSweeney’s kind of fun.

It’s hard to imagine in our highly-scheduled age, but there once was a time without ticking clocks and calendars. Rather, we counted the passing of days via simple observation – watching the Sun and the Moon.

Instead, our wacky Gregorian calendar marks time such that we rely on mnemonic devices (30 days hath September…). On the other hand, marking time by the moon is undeniable. Either it’s new or full, waxing or waning. We only have to look up at night to see it.

And each moon has its own season, depending on where you live. Place-dependent and based on personal observation, renaming the Moons is a fantastic way to forge a deeper connection with the particularities of nature in the place that you live.

Call it natural time. And make it playful.

I happen to live in a fairly lush canyon in northern Arizona, so here are my Moons.

January: Icy Moon
February: Flooding Creek Moon
March: Cherry Blossom Moon
April: Iris Moon
May: Planting Moon
June: Scorching Moon
July: Monsoon Moon
August: Blackberry Moon
September: Harvest Moon
October: Moon of the Colored Maples
November: The Moon of Woolly Sweaters
December: Long-Nights Moon

Tell us where you live and how you name your Moons!

Image: Envios

Like a water fight in an online school cafeteria, Fiji Water and Mother Jones Magazine have begun a volley of facts and fascinating accusations back and forth at each.

What’s the deal with these water wars, you ask? As Mother Jones’ muckraking Anna Lenzer debunks Fiji Water’s self-proclaimed “green” status, Fiji Water continues to toot its carbon-footprint-minimizing horn.

If you can get around the idea that shipping water halfway around the world in plastic bottles is somehow green, then you might be interested in Fiji Water’s carbon offset program and their path towards “carbon negativity” in the near future.

But Lenzer’s article points out the truly disturbing fact that Fiji’s pristine aquifer has been tapped and rather expensively sold to upscale American clientele while the Fijian people themselves have little access to clean water and must buy it bottled, at nearly the same price Paris Hilton pays for it.

Will all this mudslinging sully Fiji Water’s image, or is their for-profit cause worthy enough – via positive social investments – to prove that they’re actually doing the country of Fiji some good, and that they’re even a truly green company? The claims of both sides are being blogged for all the world to see.

I understand the desire to drink pure and pristine water – what with the hazards of prescription drugs coming through the tap and all – but buying it in bottles is not the cleanest way to go. Our resources may be better spent ensuring our own local water supplies are kept flowing and pollution-free.

Image: lashopaholic

I like life’s special little surprises: a dozen roses mysteriously appearing at the doorstep, some birds nesting right outside the living room window or a phone call from an old friend I’ve been thinking about all week.

But there’s one thing I don’t like to be surprised by: my period. This is something I want to have planned out with the right, comfortable clothes and all my supplies at hand in the secret pocket of my purse. A camping trip, the third date, that beach vacation – not exactly welcome times for that time.

Thanks to My Monthly Cycles, I’ve been keeping track using an online calendar that averages out the lengths of my previous cycles and gives me approximate dates for both my next period and my next ovulation.

And best of all for busy gals like us, you can adjust your account settings to send you email alerts a few days before your next period or ovulation is about to start. It’s like the Google Alert of periods! Now if they just had an iPhone app…

Image: ePublicist

Triple Certified coffee – the gourmet, deluxe, connoisseur’s brew. Coffee that’s organic, fair trade and shade grown. Coffee that’s good for the people, the forest and the birds.

Here’s a guide to the cream of the cup. These sites are worth browsing for the grower’s stories and photos of the people and the farms.

Café Altura
Café Canopy
Café Fair
Caffe Ibis
Café Mam
Coffee-Tea-Etc
Dean’s Beans
The Groovy Mind
Grounds for Change
Heine Brothers Coffee
Higher Ground Roasters
Higher Grounds Trading Company
Nectar of Life
Peace Coffee
PT’s Coffee
Pura Vida
Sabino’s Coffee
Tree Frog Coffees

Drop us a comment below if you know of any other Triple Certified coffees.

Image: Jeff Kubina

I hope you’re not one of those people who squirms when a mother breastfeeds her baby in public, because I’m one of those publicly breastfeeding mothers. If that makes you uncomfortable, well, talk to the breast!

There is no better food for babies than breast milk, of course, so it’s a great decision for mothers who are able to do it. And when it comes to social graces, I’m just not sorry to say that I won’t run off to nurse in a bathroom or tote bottles around to preserve a faux Victorian modesty (ahem, Facebook). We see more breast online and at Fox news than I could possibly compete with.

Besides, the breast is the ultimate eco-friendly feeding option. Formula is made from either cow’s milk or soy, and both come with problematic environmental implications. Then there are the bottles, usually made of plastic, which even when BPA-free, still need petroleum to be made.

What’s with our shyness? I say it’s high time to get rational and respect the breast. There’s no need to look away in embarrassment or frown disapprovingly if you see my baby noshing on my nipple. After all, what could be more sane, healthy and normal than using breasts the way nature intended? Sure, the world might be sex-crazed over boobies, but for my baby, it’s what’s for dinner. Nomnomnomnom.

Image: Raphael Goetter