With a public launch planned for the National Mall in Washington, D.C., and articles in numerous national magazines due throughout the spring, the SafeLawns.org campaign is fulfilling its promise to engage millions of Americans in the dialogue about natural lawn care.

Scientists link food pyramid changes to declining nutrients in fresh produce.

Since the birth of agriculture, farmers have typically measured their farming success by the size of their crops. Many methods can increase crop yields like irrigation, fertilization, chemical weed and pest control and cultivated breeding. Significantly increasing yields of wheat, rice and maize, resulted in the “Green Revolution” of the sixties and seventies. Unfortunately, we have learned that increased yields may reduce concentrations of some nutrients. There can be trade-offs between yield and nutrient concentration. This is known as the “dilution effect.” In the dilution effect, yield-enhanc­ing methods like fertilization and irrigation may decrease nutrient concentrations as a result of environmental dilution. In plain English, when plants are made to grow bigger and faster, they are not able to draw as many nutrients from the sun or soil. Essentially, crops that grow larger and faster are not able to absorb nutrients at that same rate from the soil or by photosynthesis.

Santa Monica hair stylist takes us back to our roots. 

Santa Monica hairstylist Frederic States embraced the organic movement years ahead of the curve. States incorporated the organic movement into his work as part of an overall organic philosophy which extols the many benefits of a whole health and beauty philosophy. This philosophy is all about keeping everything that comes into contact with you and your body as pure and natural as possible, not only in terms of what one puts into one’s body but also what products one puts on one’s body and the hair.

States has advised his clients to go with naturally organic products for their hair his entire career and in fact he uses only non-toxic plant based products on his clientele.  States’ respect for natural products translates into his philosophy of a woman’s beauty. “When a client comes to me with a Pamela Anderson photo and says this is how they want me to do their hair, I talk to them about them. I show them their eye color, I show them their skin color, I put color swatches up against their skin.” States said, “I sort of talk them out of that and into what I think will be a much better result for them.”

Once in a while a success story pops up that reads more like a fairy tale. Particularly when the story unfolds in a environmentally responsible way as is the case with Modmix organic cocktails. Gretchen Nix, the creator of Modmix sees the evolution of her idea as a natural progression of events. “The martini craze was happening around me and many of my health-oriented, athletic friends were drinking cocktails. I noticed that most cocktails were made using high fructose, corn syrup mixers or artificially flavored liqueurs. I also saw people order expensive vodkas and tequilas served with low-quality mixers. It just didn't make sense to me. If you're going to spend the money on an exquisitely made spirit, shouldn't it be paired with an equally high quality mixer?” Nix said.  “I knew there had to be a healthier way to make cocktails. After all, the best cocktails are made with fresh fruit juice not a chemically flavored knock-off. Organic ingredients offered the highest quality while providing an environmentally responsible choice. From these observations, I decided to take classic cocktails recipes and give them a modern makeover. Simple, pure and organic. That’s how I came up with the idea for Modmix.”

The American Cancer Society estimated that more than 211,000 women would develop  invasive breast cancer last year (the latest available statistics). Even a small percentage of men, while genetically at low risk for the disease, develop it. Science, however, has yet to identify a clear and distinct cause.

Dr. Philippa Darbre, a senior lecturer in oncology at the University of Reading’s School of Biological Sciences in England, published a report titled “Environmental Oestrogens, Cosmetics and Breast Cancer” in the March issue of Best Practice & Research: Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism (Vol. 20, No. 1, 2006). Her article explored a possible connection between breast cancer and the daily application of cosmetics that contain estrogenic chemicals. Other factors considered were environmental estrogens that enter the body through food, water and air.

Illustration courtesy of the CDC

“We don’t know exactly why prostatic enlargement happens as men get older,” Dr. Misop Han explained at the American Medical Association’s 24th Annual Science Reporters Conference, held last November. “It is our assumption that it is part of the aging process because of changes in hormones and growth factors,” adds the assistant professor of urology at Northwestern University and a physician at Northwestern Memorial Hospital in Chicago. “But what throws us off is that not all men have BPH. If it was a normal aging function, all men would have it.”

Braised Organic Lamb Shanks on Roasted Garlic Mashed Potatoes with Wild Mushrooms

Cabernet Franc 2001 - Yorkville Cellars

The holidays pose an interesting paradox: Our wallets shrink as our waistlines expand. But is it really possible to survive the decadent buffet lines at all of the season's parties and celebrations?

According to experts, you can indulge without acquiring a bulge. Just follow these basic guidelines, which should easily fit into your organic living lifestyle.

Ask Alamelu Vairavan about Indian cuisine, and she’s quick to point out the differences between the average American diet and the more natural, healthful foods that are indigenous to her native country.

Author of Healthy South Indian Cooking, Vairavan learned to prepare traditional dishes more than 25 years ago, after moving to New York City and studying how her aunt’s chef could whip up the most delicious Indian fare. She has been perfecting her techniques since then, recognizing that South Indian recipes feature “minimal cooking oil, reduced salt, use of lean meats and short cooking times [that] round out the means to maintain good health through diet.”

According to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, indoor air pollution poses significant health risks. We inhale mold spores and other fungi, dust mites, animal dander and volatile organic compounds (VOCs) in cleaning solutions, solvents and home furnishings (another reason to opt for organic living). The list of nasty symptoms includes:

• Eye irritation
• Nose and throat discomfort
• Headache
• Allergic skin reaction
• Breathing trouble
• Nausea and vomiting
• Fatigue
• Dizziness
• Development of cancer