recycle those bottle caps! spread the word!

There's finally a way to recycle bottle tops! If you've been following the proper recycling protocol, you've been removing the plastic bottle caps (from pop bottles, milk cartons, ketchup bottles, shampoo bottles, mayo jars, etc., etc., etc.) and throwing them away.

Aveda Salons have announced a new program in which materials from bottle caps are recycled into new caps and containers.

The program accepts caps that are rigid polypropylene plastic, sometimes noted with a 5 in the chasing arrows recycling symbol. This includes caps that twist on with a threaded neck such as caps on shampoo, water, soda, milk and other beverage bottles, flip top caps on tubes and food product bottles (such as ketchup and mayonnaise), laundry detergents and some jar lids such as peanut butter.

Excluded from collection are pharmaceutical lids and non rigid lids such as yogurt lids, tub lids (margarine, cottage cheese), and screw on lids that are not rigid. If you can bend or break the lid with your bare hands, then it does not meet the rigid plastic definition.

I think this is an exciting program and hope to spread the word about this initiative!

I called around in my area and found that the closest participating salon is in Somerset Collection. IF YOU BRING ME YOUR CAPS AND LIDS...I WILL TAKE THEM TO SOMERSET FOR YOU! Instead of throwing those caps away, just toss them in a box off to the side and when you've collected enough, get in touch with me and I'll take them off your hands.

Also, watch this short video for a concise "how to" on recycling. Some of the points have already been mentioned in my blog, but it's nice to have it all repeated in one place.

Buy Michigan Now!

If every Michigan household spent just $10 more of their weekly food budget on Michigan products, we would put $37 million per week into our local economy. Many of these products on your regular grocery store's shelves! Also, buying local reduces your carbon footprint!

The following list of brand names will help you to identify local buying opportunities when you see them on the shelf. If you can't find the brands you're looking for, don't forget to ask your local store to start carrying it in the future.

Baked Goods & Breads

Awrey Bakeries
Bizzy Lizzy Bakery
Cole's Quality Foods
Achatz Handmade Pie Company
Burghardts
Creme Curls Bakery
Crooked Tree Breadworks
Grand Traverse Pies
Superior Bread Company
Zingerman's

Baking Ingredients
Drake's Batter Mix
Big Chief Sugar
Cherry Growers
Jiffy
Michigan Sugar Company
Pioneer Sugar

Barbeque & Hot Sauce
Detroit Spice Co.
Litehouse
B.A.D. Sauce
Billy Bones BBQ
Bobbie Que's BBQ
Clancy's Fancy
Freshwater Foods
Sansonetti
Tassier's Maple Brew

Beer
Arbor Brewing Company
Atwater Block Brewery
Founders Brewing Company
Keweenaw Brewing Company
Michigan Brewing Company
Arcadia Ales
Bells Brewery
Dark Horse Brewing Company
New Holland Brewing Company

Candy & Fudge
Morley Candy Makers
Kilwin's
Mackinaw Fudge Shops
Ryba's Fudge Shops
Sanders

Cereal & Granola
Michaelene's
Crooked Tree Breadworks
Kelloggs

Cheese & Other Dairy
Baremans
Black Kase
Country Fresh
Dairy Fresh Foods
Guernsey
Hamilton Eggs
Pinconning Cheese Co
Williams Cheese Co
Win Schuelers
Zingerman's Creamery

Coffee & Tea
Coffee Beanery
Audine's Southern Sweet Tea
Bearclaw's Coffee Co
Chartreuse Organic Tea
Fireside Coffee Co
Jackson Coffee Co
Premier Coffee Roasters
Leelanau Coffee Roasting Co
Light of Day Organics
Zingerman's

Condiments & Spices
Country Home Creations
Detroit Spice Company
DeYoung's Fore Seasons
Lesley Elizabeth Inc
Wildspice
Mucky Duck
Sleeping Bear Farms

Crackers
Keebler
Win Schulers

Dips & Salsa
Garden Fresh Gourmet
Global Warming Salsa Company
Litehouse
Cherry Republic
Chuck & Dave's
Freshwater Foods
Little Diablo Salsa
Steve's Backroom

Dried Fruits
American Spoon
Cherry Republic
Shoreline Fruit
Smeltzer Orchard Co
Traverse Bay Fruit Company

Honey & Syrups
Harwood Heritage Maple Syrup
Good-Rich Honey
Groeb Farms
Cherry Republic
Jaspers Sugar Bush
Sleeping Bear Farms
Stakich
Tassier's Maple Syrup

Ice Cream & Sorbet
Hudsonville
Guernsey
Savino Italian Sorbet
Stucchi's

Jellies, Jams & Butters
Food for Thought
Marmar Gourmet
American Spoon
Brownwood Farms
Cherry Growers
Cherry Republic
Fresh Water Foods

Juice & Water
Brown Acres
Absopure
Cherry Growers
Eden Organic
Indian Summer
Old Orchard

Meats & Fish
Koegel Meats
Michigan Turkey Producers
Alexander & Hornung
Big O' Smoke House
Dearborn Sausage & Hams
Grobbel's
J&M Farm
Kowalski
Peacock's Poultry Farm
Reinhold & Timko

Pasta & Pasta Sauces
Al Dente Pasta
Romano's Pasta Sauces
Andiamo
Eden Organic
Fresh Water Foods
Sansonetti

Pickled & Canned Vegetables
Carson City Pickle Company
Eden Organic
Freestone Pickle Company
Safie's
Swanson Pickle Company
Topor's

Salad Dressins & Oils
Hot Rod Bob's
Litehouse
Uncle Bob's
Aunt Mid's
American Spoon
Cherry Republic
Kenzoil
Leelanau Country Inn
Niki's Food Company
Sansonetti

Snacks & Nuts
Detroit Popcorn Company
Kalamazoo Kettlecorn
Kar's
B'Drizzled Gourmet Foods
Better Made
Cheeze Kurlz Inc
Festida Foods
Germack Pistachios
Great American Pretzel Company
Keebler
Koeze Company
Michaelene's Gourmet Granola
Pic-A-Nut
Rocky Peanut Company
Ultimate Pretzel Company
Uncle Ray's

Sodas & Lemonade
Faygo
Town Club

Specialty Foods
Dudek Foods
La Jalisciense
Sahtein - Jerusalem Foods

Wine
Black Star Farms
Bowers Harbor Vineyards
Brys Estate Vineyard and Winery
Burgdorf's Winery
Chateau Chantal
Ciccone Vineyard & Winery
Domaine Berrien Cellars
Fenn Valley Vineyards
L Mawby Vineyards
Peninsula Cellars
Pentamere Winery
Pleasantview Vineyards
Robinette's
Sandhill Crane Vineyards
St Julian Wine Company
Tabor Hill Winery
Bel Lago Winery
Boskydel Vineyards
Chateau de Leelanau
Chateau Grand Traverse
Free Run Cellars
Gill's Pier Vineyard and Winery
Good Harbor Vineyards
Karma Vista Vineyards
Left foot Charley
Lemon Creek Winery
Lone Oak Vineyard Estate
Raftshol Vineyards
Round Barn Winery
Shady Lane Cellars
Stoney Acres Winery

Agriculture

Agriculture us the 3rd largest industry in Michigan (trailing only manufacturing [oy vey] and tourism, respectively). Buying from local farmers and markets fuels our economy, while reducing out collective carbon footprint. Here is a list of the state's major commodities, which are commercially available:

apples, asparagus, beans, beef, bison, blueberries, carrots, celery, cherries, corn, cranberries, dairy, eggs, grapes, ginseng, green onions, honey, lamb, maple syrup, mint, onions, peaches, plums, pork, potatoes, poultry, rhubarb, soybeans, sugar, wine.

Many communities also hold farmer's markets seasonally, which are a great way to support local growers. Such markets often include a wider variety of fruits & vegetables than those listed above. For information regarding Farmer's Markets in your area, click here.

our crazy bodies I

I'm learning some fascinating stuff in my Anatomy/Physiology class. I thought I'd share some of my favorite tidbits along the way...everyone have time for useless trivia!

Arrector Pilli Muscles

tiny muscle fibers attached to each hair follicle which contract to make hairs stand on end, causing goose bumps. Next time you get cold, think about the several million teeny muscles at work!

finding time for it all

I'm taking one (accelerated) class this semester and it is taking up a lot more time than I expected. The gym, along with long walks, yoga classes, and even yard work have taken a back seat to studying. I'm entering into at least 3 years of school being a constant part of my schedule (along w/a full time job), so I can't let exercise slide out of my list of priorities. I hadn't worked out in about a week and already I noticed more fatigue, headaches, irritability, and the desire for more "comfort foods." (Plus my butt feels bigger!) I'm sure some of these negative responses have to do with studying or sitting in class 3 hours a day (book hangover), but I also know from experience that sitting around and not getting your blood pumping for a few days can have the same exact effect.

For months and months I stuck with a particular routine at the gym. I changed up the strength training portion, but the workout was always structured the same way. Run on the treadmill for 20-30 minutes, then work through one of my several strength training routines. I'd be at the gym for usually around 2 hours. There's nothing wrong with this, but as expected...I eventually got bored...and now I flat out don't have that kind of time. I'll be honest...I got less motivated to try to fit in an effective workout, and the frequency of my gym visits have diminished.

So I'm trying to get remotivated and figure out how to effectively workout in less time. One thing I'm doing is trying some new things, just to keep things interesting. It helps that I currently visit three different gyms. Snap Fitness in Ferndale and Chesterfield, as well as Fitness 19 near OCC Highland Lakes where I'm taking a class twice a week this Spring. Each gym offers different equipment, and it's been fun trying out the new stuff.

The Chesterfield Snap, for example has a Woodway...a treadmill with a segmented belt, almost like a boardwalk. I wanted to compare it with the traditional treadmill, so I split my run between the two. I found that the Woodway was almost a little bit more challenging at first, however a bit more comfortable. There seemed to be a little more cushion in my stride, as well as more traction. I'm not exactly sure if the effectiveness of my workout is at all altered by using both machines, but it makes it more interesting!


I haven't run intervals in over a year. I started out that way because I was never a runner, but then worked up to running 2-3 miles at a time (I know this doesn't seem like much to a seasoned runner, but it was definitely an accomplishment for me!) I don't have much time at the gym before class, so when I'm at Fitness 19 in Waterford, I just tried to pound out a 15 minute run (1.5 miles) before I had to get cleaned up and dressed for class. Almost didn't seem worth it. I wanted an effective workout...not just a reason to go to class all clammy and red faced, and since running intervals burns more fat (and gives your heart a better workout) that's what I started doing. Plus, without having an attached TV to distract me from the tediousness of a jog like I do at Ferndale Snap, I find that the constant change in speed and intensity takes some concentration, and is thus more entertaining. There's nothing worse than staring out into a boring parking lot.

So this is Step One in restructuring my healthy lifestyle. I'll tell ya...it was definitely easier pre-school & pre-boyfriend...nothing and no one to focus on other than myself! It was great! But it got old...and boring...and lonely. Now my mind, heart and soul are getting a workout instead of just my body. I'm learning how to equally distribute my efforts to all parts of my life and I'm pretty sure I'll figure it out. (I hope.)

how big is your footprint? (your ecological one)

Hmm...and here I thought I was doing a pretty good job of living green. Looks like there's always room for improvement. Obviously I won't be installing solar panels on my roof, or a wind turbine in my backyard, but I can open some windows instead of running my AC all summer. I don't live in an area that offers public transportation so a car is my only option in getting around, but I'll turn my engine off when I'm waiting in line at the bank drive-through instead of idling for 10 minutes. I won't be able to grow an entire garden in my little yard that will sustain my diet (remember...I love cheeseburgers) but I will make an effort to buy local produce and I am trying my hand at "container gardening." Hopefully my little bell pepper, cucumber, tomato and leaf lettuce pots will be fruitful and abundant this summer.

Want to test your own footprint? Take this fun little quiz and see what improvements you can make! You might not be able to get off the grid and live off your land but maybe one little thing will pop out and you can make one change that you can feel good about!

http://earthday.net/footprint/flash.html

do you glisten, or do you sweat?

I've never been a big fan of sweating. I definitely hate it when I'm sitting in a hot car or in a stuffy office, and taking my clothes off and laying on the ground with arms and legs splayed isn't an option. Until recently, for me even sweating too much at the gym meant that I was working too hard and I'd slow down from a jog to a walk.

Now when I break a sweat at the gym I feel a certain sense of pride. I like passing by a mirror and seeing myself all red faced with my hair stuck to my forehead. Pretty picture? Not really. Actually, not even a little bit...but I still strive for it. I still hate those humid days that cause me to drip with sweat after just a few minutes into my run, but I take it for what it's worth...sweating that is...and it's actually worth quite a bit.

• It helps the body cool down. One of the greatest health benefits about this process is while it is trying to cool down, your heart actually starts to pump and work harder to increase circulation. This improves your cardiovascular system.
  
• It helps the body remove toxic materials by sweating them out through the pores. Sodium, alcohol, nicotine (but we don't smoke, do we?), cholesterol, etc.
  
• It boosts your immune system! When your body temperature starts to increase and is raised, it mimics a fever and your body starts to actually fight it, thus making your immune system stronger. Sweating through exercise helps to make you better! (There are times you should just get under the covers and rest...that topic coming soon to a blog near you.)
  
• It can actually help us control our weight. When you are sweating, you are working hard. This means you have increased your caloric demand...hence burning more calories. This causes the body to also decrease and remove cellulite.
  
• It deeply cleanses your skin and makes it glow. It improves the tone and texture of your skin and will actually add a healthy glow and color to your face.

(bullet points pilfered and slightly altered from a blog called Moses Fitness)

"health is earned"

I came across that statement recently and I love it, love it, love it. It barely requires elaboration, but what's the point of a blog if I can't blab to anyone or no one that cares.

There are a thousand things that can go wrong with our bodies that we have no control over. Besides the freak accidents that can end our lives abruptly, spontaneous human combustion for example, our bodies can and often times do turn on us. And there's nothing we can do about it.

Why don't we take responsibility and control what we can?? Why do we smoke, drink, eat crap, ignore exercise, fail to protect ourselves from the sun, when we ALL know how bad all those things are for us? I'm not going to list the harmful effects of all of the above because they're common knowledge (at least to anyone who can access the Internet to read this blog.) So how can we willingly expose ourselves to the dangers of those "luxuries" and then complain about shortness of breath, weight gain, lack of energy, heart burn, headaches, and wrinkles? And what's worse...we teach these habits to our kids.

I'm by no means perfect. (mmmm, cheeeeeseburger). However, I have learned that being in good health is a privilege and by no means a guarantee. Luck plays a huge roll...and the rest is up to us.