Good to Know

GREENING CITIES   My fondest memories of cities of the world  are t he ones where towering trees and majestic building appear to be valued equally.   I have walked down the main artery of some cities where I could barely hear or see cars! Luckily, the original urban planners had created wide streets.    The streets were amply wide for benches to relax, towering shade trees, flowering shrubs, and attractive planters cascading with a riot of brightly coloured blossoms. Wandering in the heart of a tree dominated city created the illusion of being in a park.   I strongly urge every city in the world should create the feeling of a cool and relaxing park -like setting wherever you shop, work, play, and relax. Planting millions trees, if necessary, will pay for themselves over the years. Compelling and credible research has already shown us that the health benefits of trees will save us billions of dollars in health care costs as tree leaves trap dust, dirt, and nasty polluta

  PASS IT ON FOR THE PLANET -PLEASE! Over a 50-year lifespan, one tree provides the equivalent of $160,000 of environmental services by creating oxygen, cleaning water and air, and preventing soil erosion! (" Expanding tree canopy benefits us all "

GOOD TO KNOW-GOOD TO EAT FOODS  C .S. Lewis pointed out many years ago- “You are never too old to set a new goal or dream a new dream.” That being said, what can we do to reach an old age where we can   still   appreciate and enjoy our new dreams. Here are some useful tips – Anti -Aging Foods ·         Cereal – more than 3 grams of fiber per serving ·         Bread with fiber ·         Watermelon – protects skin from sun ·         Apples with skin ·         Pure pumpkin (canned) ·         Blueberries (brain food) ·         Green/ black tea ·         Tomato paste/ sauce Super Foods ·         Beans – control blood sugar and appetite ·         Broccoli – cuts cancer risk, broccoli sprouts even better than broccoli ·         Oats – lower cholesterol level ·         Oranges – vitamin C ·         Wild Salmon – lower rate of cardiac arrest and death (3 oz four times per week) may be canned ·         Soya – complete protein ·         Spinach/ leafy g

  GREENING YOUR WALLET-TIME TO TRASH YOUR SHAVING CREAM  A good shaving cream should help stand your hair on end for a closer shave, reduce friction, and help protect your skin. But your shaving cream should not be harmful to you or your environment. Shaving cream contains a list of over 40 eco-unfriendly chemicals. Some of these chemicals include triethanolamine used in nitrogen mustard gas, isobutene, isopentane, sorbitol and stearic acid.  The production of petrochemicals used in shaving cream products pollutes the environment by releasing hazardous chemicals into the air and water. It supports an industry that releases 71 million pounds of toxins into the air and water during refinement.  Some contain parabens, a known hormone disruptor that is detrimental to human and animal health. BHA bioaccumulates in the tissues of organs and has a negative impact on aquatic ecosystems.  Triclosan has been found in 55% of streams and rivers in 2002 at high enough levels

EASY BREEZY ECO-FRIENDLY ACTIONS IN THE GARDEN  v Improve the ecological health of all lakes and their watershed by saying no to chemical pesticide poisons and quick-release fertilizers.  v   Provide food, shelter, and   protection for wildlife by planting native plant species in green spaces wherever possible! v Do not use pesticide poisons on your lawn. They kill everything that flies, slithers, and crawls. v Use organic lawn care!  Since the advent of synthetic pesticide poisons in the 1940’s our air, water, food, blood, mother’s milk and adipose tissue contain significant residues of a variety of harmful pesticide poisons. v Use organic products for all your landscape needs. After waging an ever increasing war on pests, using enough poisons to literally contaminate the entire world we have not managed to control or eliminate, even one pest species! v Use free water for your garden by installing a rain barrel. v Trees absorb a store of CO2 and filte

THUMBS WAY UP TO  URBAN CANOPY  Boreal Forest Agreement:   A big win, and now a great big job. “We think Canada’s Boreal Forest is our greatest gift to the world. It contains seven of the ten largest intact forest landscapes left on earth. Urban Canopy helped secure the unprecedented agreement to protect more than half of it. Now we’re working hard to make those commitments real.”

 GREENING YOUR WALLET  Here’s a helpful hint that will green your wallet, protect your health from toxic, disease- triggering household cleaners, and make your house sparkling clean. Buy spray bottles from the Dollar store-not the cylinder kind as they break too easily, but the smaller ones. Label one spray bottle “Vinegar.” Add ¾ water and the rest regular or extra strength vinegar. Use on stove, fridge, oven, glass, mirrors, and wooden floors. Label a second bottle “Green Cleaner.” Add ¾ water, green soap (y ou choose how much), and lemon juice.  (you choose the amount you like). Use it to clean the rest of your house. If you have youngster who likes to help,   label a third spray bottle “Water” and your little one can happily contribute to the cleaning   process without any worry of breathing   in or being exposed to anything detrimental to one's health and well-being.

QUOTABLE QUOTE  Life is not measured by the number of breaths you take, but by the moments that take your breath away!

GREEN YOUR WALLET Ø   * Save 4% on your heating bill by turning down your thermostat by 2 degrees Celsius. Ø   *Save 25% on your heating cost and reduce green house gases by installing an energy-efficient furnace. Ø   *Wash and rinse your clothes in cold water and use up to 50% less energy. Ø   *Replace all your traditional light bulbs with LED bulbs. By replacing just 5 bulbs you can save up to $30.00 per year and reduce GHG’s. Imagine how much you will save by replacing all your light bulbs! Ø   *Install an energy efficient furnace and reduce greenhouse gases and save up to 25% on heating bills per year! Ø   *Reduce your home heating needs by up to 20% by caulking and weather stripping to seal air leaks around windows, doors, baseboards, electric outlets, and switches on outside walls. Ø   *Replace old doors with insulated core doors. Ø   *Change the filter in your furnace every couple of months to avoid damaging the heat exchanger. Ø   *Use aluminum duct tape

IT'S GOOD TO BE A FAT HEAD!  Latest research shoes Alzheimer’s patients had high blood sugar levels and our brain needs good fats to function better! Here are some foods that will improve the brain power of the young, the old, and in between.   Remember high sugar in the blood actually shrinks the brain creating memory problems-think carefully about what your children eat every day. Try sticking to veggies that grow above the ground. Reduce your intake of high carb food such as pasta and all baked goods. Since your brain is 60% fat support a healthy brain by eating good fats found in olive oil, coconut oil, eggs, avocados,   nuts, and salmon. Cinnamon will balance sugar levels in your blood. Eating oatmeal can help keep blood sugar under control. Because it is high in soluble fiber, oatmeal takes a long time to digest, according to the experts at WebMD. This means sugars are slowly released into the bloodstream over time, which is key in maintaining healthy