Lifestyle

When you think of the Midwest you may not immediately think "hip vegan cafes." I certainly didn't. The truth is some of my Midwest dining experiences have been challenging as someone who doesn't eat any meat or poultry. When I found out I would be spending a significant amount of time in Cleveland, Ohio I wondered what a veggie loving lady was to do... Cleveland offers an impressive restaurant scene with big-time restaurateurs like Michael Symon of The Chew and Rocco Whalen each providing several four star restaurants. But, during my time in this city I've noticed that they loooove their pig - and put it on everything from greens to fish.

Did you know that just 16% of Americans know what is going on in science,while 60% know what's happening in sports news. These statistics aren't exactly shocking, but they do demonstrate what the American population is tuned into... and what's slipping through the cracks. With this knowledge in mind national sports organizations and the NRDC (National Resources Defense Council) have joined forces to shed light on the importance of ecological stewardship.

At this risk of sounding like an annoying daytime television commercial, "Yes I suffer from terrible seasonal allergies." For me and other allergy sufferers fall can mean tissues, eye drops and lots of cursing your bad fortune. I've learned a few tricks over the years to help clean household air and reduce allergy symptoms:

Back to school... Back to school... (Those were the days...) Make your students'  journey back to school a sustainable one. This year, practice the 3 R's:

You're enjoying your fresh produce & CSA veggies now, but what are you going to do once the temps drop and fresh, local veggies aren't available? Hint: Preserve them! You can (Find out more, after the jump!)

After learning more about plastics (and especially how heating plastics can lead to nasty chemicals leaking), I've made a pledge to replace plastics with alternatives wherever I can... starting with my kitchen. Wean Green is a Canadian company "dedicated to providing parents with safe and environmental baby products that (find out more about Wean Green & kicking plastic from your kitchen, after the jump!)

40% of the food in the US is never eaten and thrown away, according to the Natural Resources Defense Council in a report released this week. This breaks down to 20+ lbs per person per month, 25% of the groceries purchased & wasting an estimated $1300-$2300 for a family of 4 annually. How can you waste less food?

When I first read a pitch for a feminine, 'natural' cleaner, I was slightly apprehensive about greenwashing. However, talking with healthy hoohoo founder Stacy Lyon was informative, enlightening and straight-up fun. And I totally understand why her products are essential in the market. A self described "outdoor, wildlife & mountain woman", Stacy Lyon grew up a simple lady and was living with the closest grocery store 21 miles away. Then, one of her friends was diagnosed with Breast Cancer and she heard the word "paraben' for the first time.  Compiled with 2 other convos in 1 week with her OBGYN and another friend, she realized that women are in the perfect storm for their lady parts with popular products: polyester thongs, processed food & cheap toiletries. And then there was this statistic, which shocked me: (Find out the shocking statistic AND essential tips to keep your VJ healthy, after the jump:)

Shark week continues... OK, what the heck is squalene? Shark squalene is an organic compound found in a sharks liver. So, what's the problem? Shark squalene is heavily used in cosmetics, contributing to unsustainable fishing and damage to marine life. One reason the population of sharks is declining is due to overfishing for the purpose of obtaining the squalene. Click through to read on!