Stuff the car - watch out for the cow!!

Ha ha!! I knew it! I've got rid of the car and now I've evolved overnight into the most self-righteous pedestrian in existence!! When I find the middle ground I might be a nicer, more tolerant individual but until then......car drivers..watch out!!!

DID YOU KNOW.....?? (and of course we, I mean YOU, car drivers do know all this we're just too lazy and selfish to care!?)

Driving a car is the most polluting act an average citizen commits.
That's way above eating those environmentally un-friendly methane-passing cows and buying vegetables that have been flown across the planet to our local shops.
Pollution from cars has increased to levels greater than they have ever been:
The two main reasons are:
1. vehicle use has increased;
2. cars are getting bigger and pick-up trucks, vans and sports vehicles are often replacing smaller, lighter passenger cars. The average new vehicle in 2003 consumed more fuel that its counterpart in 1988.
I now walk to school every morning, it takes us a good half an hour, but me and my little girl have amazing conversations about all sorts of stuff... and we laugh at the fact that we walk faster than the traffic most of the time!!
It's all quite ironic in a way, we are constantly barraged with car adverts selling a fantasy of wilderness, fresh air and escape.
Is the consumer completely deluded? These vehicles are mostly found in suburban driveways and in the traffic jams of polluted cities....
and for the ridiculous article I recently read on the times online: Walking to the shops ‘damages planet more than going by car’ (because apparently the amount of beef (those poor victimised creatures) I would need to eat to produce the extra calories I would need to walk has a worse effect on the environment!?! whatever next!!??) - I have not increased my food consumption one bit, and I expect that most of us wouldn't need to increase our calories at all if we were walking because we could all do with the health benefits of losing a bit of weight - aren't we all told we're obese in this country anyway??
Leave the car at home and leave the cow alone!!

Out and About in Boscombe!

So if you want a virtual tour of Boscombe go to www.boscalicious.co.uk, but if you want the real thing, you've got to go out and get it! And that's just what me and Lisa did today! Today is Thursday and market day and really it's the best day to go to Boscombe (in my opinion). First we bumped into our friendly PCSO's who do a remarkable job of catching robbers...when they're not doing their usual job of telling cyclists off for cycling in the precinct. Mike the man who sells Echo's had lots of news as usual...and Dean was selling Fruit and Veg and has an amazing ability of being able to shock, insult and compliment all in one breath, and who said men couldn't multi-task!! Yummy fish and pretty flowers and then on to the Wholefood Co-op for some more dinner ingredients. We'd run out of money by then but not to worry because our last stops, at the Butchers for chicken and of course Cafe Booglaoo for chai, both accept plastic!! What a beautiful day, hey hey??

What's it all about?

I've just realised this is my second chicken blog! It's not that I'm crazy about chickens but....I just saw this and wanted to write about it.
There's something quite wrong about battery chickens.... yes there's the obvious; crammed into a cage too small, standing day and night on wire mesh floor, the artificial lighting, ammonia filled environment, pumped with antibiotics and ending up starving to death because they become too weak to reach their food or water...(they must dream of becoming soup.)
Yes, this is sick, but what shocks me more is we, 'educated' human beings, stewards of this planet, take ourselves down to the 'civilised' supermarket and buy eggs laid by these poor creatures. How strange we are....!?
I order my organic free range eggs with my vegetable box and the local butcher in Boscombe also sells free range eggs. I expect if I was really desperate I could go to the supermarket, but then I would be given the choice to 'cash in' for the cheaper caged hen eggs because, to be fair, when you're in a big sparkly supermarket you're far removed from the reality of the battery chicken!

to 'E' or not to 'E'!?

Yes I'm talking drugs here...I'm talking serious E-number drugs!!

The type that unethical companies like Nestle try and slip into kid's food and drink when you're not looking!
My little girl seems to be sensitive to things like E numbers and excessive amounts of sugar so we try and avoid these things at all costs. I'm often on the look out for things that might be a better alternative.
I saw this milk shake mix from Clipper and I thought I'd compare the ingredients with the equivalent Nesquik product.
So what do we find in the Clipper Milkshake:
Sugar, Skimmed Milk Powder and Natural Flavourings... sounds ok!?
And Nesquik?
Sugar, Maltodexrin, Artificial Flavours, Citric Acid, Red 40, Salt, Blue 1.
Right...both have sugar as top ingredient, but what's this... maltodexrin (more sugary stuff) Artificial Flavours which they don't even list (hmm!?!) Salt?! why?? and the 2 that really got me thinking Red 40 and Blue 1. Here's what I found on the internet about them... you decide if they sound a suitable cocktail for a kid's drink!
Red 40 - Reactions include temper tantrums, hyperactivity, aggressive behavior, uncontrollable crying and screaming, kicking, nervousness, dizziness, inability to concentrate and sit still among other findings. Physically you may get frequent headaches or migraines, upset stomach and feel ill after ingesting this additive. Often when Red 40 is eliminated from the child's diet a remarkable change is noticed immediately.
Blue 1 - is a synthetic dye derived from coal tar. It has previously been banned in Austria, Belgium, Denmark, France, Germany, Greece, Italy, Norway, Spain, Sweden, and Switzerland among others but has been certified as a safe food additive in the EU and is today unbanned in most of the countries. It is one of the colorants that the Hyperactive Children's Support Group and the Feingold Association recommends to be eliminated from the diet of children.
Right, I've decided...a thumbs up for Clipper Organic Milkshake Mix and a big 'NO' to Nesquik!!

Reduce, Reuse, Recycle.....and Refill!!

Don't worry Ben! This one is about Ecover....
Did you know that you could refill your empty bottles of Ecover? This saves you money as well as plastic resources - your old bottle can be re-filled up to 50 times before you need to replace it! (Not forgetting to recycle your old bottle!)

If you decide to refill your empty bottle just wash it out and take it along to your nearest health food store. On the Ecover website they list your closest shops that refill. www.ecover.com

Juicy January!!

This is the newest addition to the White family!! It's a Philips wide chute juicer and it's FAB!!!
I bought it just before Christmas and it was a bit of a New Years Resolution to make sure I used it! My Dad, Steve Millar, runs a Riverford Organic Vegetable Box scheme in Dorset and he gave me a massive box of fruit over the Christmas period, so that got us started!! We (me and my 2 kiddies) haven't looked back since, we have had a fresh yummy juice every morning!
Our favourite is one out of the Jason Vale Juicemaster Book... it has pineapple, apple, lime, spinach, cucumber and celery!! It doesn't touch the sides.
We've had to increase our own organic vegetable box size from Urban Evolution because we keep running out! Check out www.urban-evolution.co.uk for a great range of fruit and veg boxes.

mmmm.....fancy a bit of blue green algae?

Do I want to add a new tablet to my already slightly neurotic amount of tablets I take every morning, I ask myself??
Well, I guess it depends what this one does I suppose!
Spirulina. Sounds a bit like a nasty disease but this blue green algae contains the most remarkable concentration of functional nutrients ever known in any food, plant, grain or herb, apparently!
So....here are some of the acclaimed benefits:
* World's highest beta carotene food reduces long term health risks.
Spirulina beta carotene is ten times more concentrated than carrots. So even if you don't eat the recommended 4 to 9 servings of fruits and vegetables every day (most people eat only 1-2, including french fries), get your natural beta carotene insurance from spirulina to help support your body's defenses.
* 60% easy-to-digest vegetable protein without the fat and cholesterol of meat.
People are eating less meat and dairy protein because they want to lower fat, cholesterol, and chemicals in their diet. Spirulina is the highest protein food with all the essential amino acids and has only a few calories to keep your waistline where you want it.
* A rare essential fatty acid is a key to health.
Gamma-linolenic acid (GLA) in mother's milk helps develop healthy babies. Studies show nutritional deficiencies can block GLA production in your body, so a good dietary source of GLA can be important. Spirulina is the only other whole food with GLA.
* Iron for women and children's health.
Iron is essential to build a strong system, yet is the most common mineral deficiency. Spirulina is rich in iron, magnesium and trace minerals, and is easier to absorb than iron supplements.
* High in Vitamin B-12 and B Complex.
Spirulina is the highest source of B-12, essential for healthy nerves and tissue, especially for vegetarians.
* Unusual phytonutrients for health and cleansing.
Scientists are discovering the benefits of polysaccharides, sulfolipids & glycolipids, and the rainbow of natural pigments that give spirulina a deep green color. Green (chlorophyll), blue (phycocyanin) and orange (carotenoids) colors collect the sun's energy and power growth. Chlorophyll is a natural cleanser and is often referred to as nature's green magic.

Well, sounds like a super duper food eh? So, I'm giving it a go.... at £6.50 for 100 Tablets (500mg) from www.ecovenient.co.uk

Have you ethiscored yet this year??

I'm always really interested in hearing about the ethical (or not so) behaviour of companies, especially ones that I buy products from, and so this year I have invested a mere £19.50 in subscribing to ethiscore.org so I can support companies who are making an effort and boycott companies that are obviously taking the mick!!
so here's how it works....
The score is a calculation based on a company's rating in each of Ethical Consumer's 23 main ethical categories, you can find them here: http://www.ethicalconsumer.org/ratings/categoriesA4.pdf
generally they are based on: The Environment, People, Animals, Politics, Product Sustainability.
So what shall we start with..... anyone for coffee?
Well, if it's Clipper Organic Fairtrade it gets a whacking 16.5 out of 20 ethical rating...... and if it's Nescafe Instant its a hideous 0.5 out of 20!! (not suprising really when you read what Nestle are up to http://www.babymilkaction.org/resources/boycott/nestlefree.html
Mine's white, half a sugar and a clear conscience then! What's yours?