Alicia Silverstone's Blog, page 153
October 20, 2011
sign up for project green challenge!
This October high school and college students across the country are participating in Project Green Challenge. Each day in October participants will be challenged to do something green. Each challenge will feature green actions resources facts tips a glossary videos and more. Throughout the month participants will share their progress via Facebook Twitter and Youtube.
At the end of the month finalists will be chosen to attend Green University a two-day eco summit taking place December 3-4 in San Francisco. At Green University finalists will learn from esteemed eco leaders present experiences from the 30-day Challenge and work together to create social action ideas for Teens Turning Green in 2012. A green champion will be chosen from among the finalists and given an awesome prize package including a 5000 college scholarship.
So if you're in high school or college sign up for Project Green Challenge! Tell everyone you know to do the same and if you have kids or relatives who are in high school or college encourage them to participate. Even if you're not competing to be a finalist you can do the challenges!
Are you excited about Project Green Challenge?
October 19, 2011
kind events: farm sanctuarys first ever national conference to end factory farming
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Farm Sanctuary has been around since 1986 rescuing animals lobbying for animal friendly policies and promoting an animal-friendly lifestyle. This year Farm Sanctuary is hosting its first ever conference to end factory farming. With factory farming in the news more than ever it's a perfect time for Farm Sanctuary to shine a spotlight on this issue on a national stage.
The National Conference to End Factory Farming: For Health Environment and Farm Animals is taking place October 27-29 in the Washington D.C. area. The event will feature speakers such as Congressman James P. Moran Whole Foods Market Co-CEO John Mackey Food and Water Watch Executive Director Wenonah Hauter China Study Author Dr. T. Colin Campbell and many more.
This conference is open to anyone from professionals to concerned individuals. If you'd like to attend registration is 150 and you must register by October 21. You can get details and register here.
If you can't attend you can still do your part at home by maintaining your kind lifestyle and sharing it with your friends and loved ones. How do you combat factory farming in your daily life?
Share your daily acts of kindness in the comments below.
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A Primer on Protein
The Healthiest Way to Lose Weight
Are French People Really Healthier?
Vegan Bodybuilders
dog meat festival canceled in eastern china
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writer & director of Clueless and the upcoming Vamps among many other films sent me this story.
The New York Times reports that officials in eastern China have canceled a 600-year-old tradition: an autumn festival featuring and glorifying dog meat. Online activists fueled outrage among citizens by circulating gruesome photos from past festivals on popular Chinese blogs - ultimately shaming officials into canceling the festival. When the announcement was made people across China cheered.
Why this turn of events? According to the Times pet ownership among the Chinese has grown in recent years along with a greater consciousness of animal rights. One expert quoted by the Times says this is evidence of a growing animal liberation movement in China. Amazing news! This is a perfect example of online activism winning the day. We all have a voice when we come together to share what we know with others. What we say online can spark real change!
How do you feel about this turn of events? Do you see any parallels with animal rights issues in the U.S.?
More Animal Stories
Sweet Pit Bulls Need Homes
Canine Heroes of 9/11
Pooch Head Butts Bed
My Thoughts on Fur
October 18, 2011
action alert: sweet pit bulls need homes
A shelter in Camarillo Calif. is holding several pit bulls off its euthanasia list to give them a last chance at rescue or adoption. They are all very friendly and look like adorable loving pets…the one that really pulls at my heartstrings is Rocko a male pit bull terrier and Labrador retriever mix described as young sweet mellow and a social butterfly with a tail wagging low. Look at his puppy eyes!
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Rocko
If you live in Southern California and are looking to adopt a dog Rocko and these other sweeties are in urgent need. To inquire about adoption call 805.388.4341 and ask for Jane or a supervisor. You can also email vcar.rescueventura.org or if you don't hear back Maripatdavismac.com.
Even if you can't adopt please Facebook and tweet this info or a link to this post! You can also pledge a donation to help a rescue organization save these dogs by emailing kellystonerjuno.com.
Let's do our best to help these pit bulls find homes.
selma blairs kind diet
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Selma Blair had a little boy in July and she's following The Kind Diet to get back to her pre-pregnancy body. Here's what she says:
"I've been following Alicia Silverstone's The Kind Diet. It helps with my clarity and endurance. In a few weeks I think I'll start getting into the gym when things slow down a bit -- it'll be Pilates in L.A.!"
Yay Selma! Have any of you kind lifers followed the superhero diet post baby? How did it make you feel?
Photo Credit: Zap2it
October 17, 2011
alleviate back pain with acupuncture
Dr. Steve Bae medical director of YB Clinic Los Angeles Acupuncture is proud to be back sponsoring The Kind Life! He's brought even more wonderful health tips and remedies as well as information about holistic healing. Look forward to a new post every month offering up advice on how to live a healthier life.
OCTOBER TIP FROM DR. BAE: "The tip this month is something that you Kind Lifers may already be very familiar with: eating locally. Eat locally whenever you can. How long a food takes to get from the farm to the table is extremely important. Vital nutrients are lost during a veggie's journey. More time on the road means less nutrients once it reaches your plate. Eating local organic foods in conjunction with the holistic healing of acupuncture will increase your energy levels lower your stress and make you feel terrific overall."
Acupuncture can help you lose weight and relieve stress but it's also especially helpful for problems associated with back pain a condition that plagues so many of us on daily basis. If you suffer from chronic back pain you may have wondered if acupuncture for back pain is a genuine form of therapy. For people just like you Beverly Hills back pain acupuncture and holistic healing provider YB Clinic aims to educate the public about the connection between acupuncture and pain management.
Following your series of treatments at their Beverly Hills back pain acupuncture clinic your arthritic pain should be significantly reduced. Imagine going about your daily routine without back pain weighing you down from the things you love to do.
Check out this testimonial from one of Dr. Bae's patients:
The YB Clinic also accepts many forms of insurance so the cost to you could be minimal.
And now Kind Life readers from Los Angeles who "Like" the YB Clinic on Facebook and comment on this post will be entered to win one free acupuncture treatment with cupping therapy.
The YB Clinic is located in Beverly Hills and Downtown Los Angeles. If you don't live in Los Angeles you can "Like" the YB Clinic on Facebook for access to tips and information. Ask Dr. Bae direct questions about Chinese medicine or any issues you are having!
To learn more about the YB Clinic visit their website. Los Angeles residents be sure to become a fan on Facebook and comment on the post below for your chance to win one free acupuncture treatment!
Contest ends October 23 2011 at 11:59PM PST.
Today's post is proudly sponsored by
October 14, 2011
hawaiian pumpkin bread
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My husband and I discovered this wonderful place called Laulima Farms while on vacation in Maui for our dear friends Woody and Laura. They made the best pumpkin bread! Here's the recipe from page 202 of The Kind Diet. Enjoy!
Pumpkin Bread
Ingredients
5 cups cooked pumpkin fresh is best but canned will do; see Note
2 cups maple sugar
2 "eggs": either 2 tablespoons flaxseeds pureed with 6 tablespoons water or 2 eggs worth of egg replacer
1 cup almond milk or other nut milk
¾ cup safflower oil
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
4 cups spelt flour
3 teaspoons baking soda
3 teaspoons baking powder
1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon ground nutmeg
¾ cup grain-sweetened nondairy chocolate or carob chips
1 cup whole macadamia nuts save a little bit of chocolate and nuts to sprinkle on top at end if you want
Instructions
Preheat oven to 350 F.
Oil two 9"x5" glass loaf pans
Combine the pumpkin puree sugar "eggs" milk oil and vanilla extract in a mixing bowl
In a separate bowl combine the flour baking soda baking powder cinnamon nutmeg and most of the chocolate chips and nuts if reserving some to sprinkle on top
Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients until just combined
Fill the prepared pans with the batter
Top with the reserved chocolate chips and nuts
Bake for 45 minutes to 1 hour or until the top springs back when pressed with a finger
Let the loaves cool in the pans for a few minutes then turn out onto a baking rack to cool completely
Note: To use fresh pumpkin cut the pumkin in half and scoop out the seeds. Place the pumkin cut sides down in a baking dish with ¼" water inside. Bake at 400 F for 45-60 minutes or until very soft. Cool cut and puree the pumpkin until smooth. You might need to add a little bit of water if the pumpkin is on the dry side and has a hard time moving in the blender.
What's your favorite pumpkin recipe for fall?
More Kind Recipes:
Dreamy Pear Trifle
Vegan Pumpkin Bread from the PPK
Sweet Carrot Salad
Best Oatmeal Ever
October 13, 2011
have a corn broom!
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We've all seen the icky plastic brooms sold nowadays at big box stores like Target and Walmart. Some of those stores actually still sell old-fashioned corn brooms but even their corn brooms have plastic handles.
You can however get a truly old-fashioned eco-friendly corn broom at your local hardware store. The broom part is 100 biodegradable and many hardware stores sell them with recycled handles. And of course your hardware store-bought broom can double as a Halloween prop in a couple of months!
What's your favorite eco-house cleaning tip?
More House Tips:
Unplug Your TV!
Easy Ways to Conserve Water
Cute Dishes I Bought in Detroit
Mary Cordaro: Healthy Home Guru
kind classics: how clean is clean enough for the recycle bin?
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Have any of you wondered about this too? Whenever I recycle used food containers like from my rice milk or maple syrup I always stop for a minute and have the same thought: Yes these things are recyclable but what about the food residue that I can't get off? I mean have you ever tried getting every last bit of maple syrup cleaned out of a container? It can be an all-morning activity if you let it! Obviously I want to recycle everything I can but I've always feared that leaving any leftover residue on containers would make them un-recyclable. Plus cleaning your empties just seems like the polite thing to do right?
What's worse I heard a rumor somewhere that if you put any containers with residue in a recycling bin it can compromise the entire bin to the point where nothing from that bin can be recycled. Even just the thought that this might be true has made me scrub every recyclable container until it was purged from any trace of food that might have ever touched it. But this can become a lot of work so I finally decided to do a little research and get to the bottom of this question once and for all.
The good news is that I wasn't able to find any information out there to support the "contaminated bin" myth. That said every area has its own procedures and regulations for what it recycles and how so it's always best to learn the dos and don'ts of your specific recycling program. One easy way to do this is visit Earth911.com and enter your zip code to get a full list of recycling programs and centers in your area – with links to their websites and contact info. Then you can research your programs individually and find out what they can and can't work with. I print a list of all the stuff that's recyclable in our area and post it near my bins at home so that everyone in my household is aware. Earth911.com also has a lot of other great general info and tips for recyclers.
This aside I did learn a few general guidelines about recycling that helped put things in perspective. First there are a lot of steps your recyclable waste goes through between when your bin at home gets picked up and the end result. It is sorted transported resorted and processed often multiple times. Usually most if not all of these steps involve various cleaning processes. Most "single stream" recycling programs where donors put all types of recyclables in a single bin have accounted for the fact that not every can or bottle they receive is going to be as squeaky clean as I make mine and have implemented appropriate steps into their process.
So great we're all off the hook right? Not exactly. The fact is at many points along the recycling chain the materials will sit around for days weeks or even months at a time which means that your residual tomato sauce on the inside of that jar is getting grosser stinkier and more bacterial by the day. Now multiply that by hundreds of tons. This not only makes things more disgusting for the recycling facility workers it's pretty tough low-paying work even on a good day it can attract all kinds of rats and other critters. So while it's not absolutely necessary to scrub away every last piece of residue a nice considerate effort to make your items somewhat presentable before you toss them in the bin is appreciated.
But… yes there's one more but… Keep in mind that the more thoroughly you wash these recyclables the more water you're using and potentially wasting so don't go overboard and try to scrub them til their sterile. Recycling centers are not hospitals so just give your recyclables a quick courtesy rinse and get rid of as much food as you can before you toss it in the bin. As always it's about balancing cleanliness and conservation with a little bit of kindness.
What kind of recycling program do you have in your area?
More House Stories:
October 12, 2011
the kind life turns two
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It's our two-year anniversary!
Two years ago I posted this video inviting everyone to join the community. Since then we've grown to almost 40000 kind lifers! I'm amazed and overwhelmed with gratitude - I can't even believe this community didn't exist before! You've all become such an important part of my life and I want to thank you from the bottom of my heart for your contributions to this site and to the larger goal of helping everyone to live a kinder life.
From your success stories to your unflagging support of our animal friends and contributions to important eco-causes as well as your support for each otheryou've inspired me time and time again. I can't wait to see what the next two years hold! I can share with you that there will be some very exciting changes happening to the site in the near future – we'll be adding more features and refreshing the design so it's even easier to interact and find all the features and info you need to know. As we move forward with the redesign I'd love to hear your input! What do you love and what suggestions do you have for improving the site?
Win a Gift Basket Of Some Kind Treats
To celebrate our two-year anniversary I'm giving away a gift basket containing the following items:
10-pack of lip balm from Hurraw! Balm
3-day test cleanse from Kaeng Raeng
An eco-friendly bamboo cutting board and coupons for a year's supply of Earth Balance products
Sprout Watch
Paperwink journal
Zoya nail polish
Onion goggles from Delight.com
Etsy vegan mug
Jurlique tube ringer
Maddison Avenue Soy candle
Etsy luggage tags
Michelle's naturally cookies
Sunspire vegan carob chips
Love This Planet Bag
To enter for a chance to win tell me what new features you'd like to see on The Kind Life in the comments below. Good luck!
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Alicia
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