Heart Healthy Benefits of Wine with Paraducci

My lovely RD friend Lauren with the Sustainable Red...as she said "The best red I have ever tasted!"

 Happy New Year!  Many of you have started the New Year with lots of beautiful resolutions.  One of the best resolutions you can make if you are a fan of great wine, is to make your wine choice sustainable!  Paraducci Wine Cellars has some sustainable wine that is absolutely delicious!  I had the opportunity to taste the 2009 Paraducci Sustainable Red & White wines this holiday season and fell in love instantly.  The online retail price is $10.99 per bottle, which is a wonderful price for these wines.  They are perfect for gifts and to have on hand for hosting any gathering.  Paraducci is a "Family Farmed", locally owned and operated winery in California's Mendocino County.  This is their sustainable checklist for their wines:

• Locally Owned & Operated
• Grapes from Local Family Farms
• 1st U.S. Carbon Neutral Winery
• Sustainable Farming Practices
• Earth-Friendly Packaging
• 100% Green Power
• Water Conservation & Recycling

I fully support drinking wine in moderation because there are so many health benefits associated with wine, particularly red wine.  The antioxidants in red wine may help prevent heart disease.  There is an antioxidant in red wine that is called the polyphenol reservatrol.  Reservatrol has been a hot topic in nutrition regarding it's potential to prevent damage to blood vessels and reducing the "bad" cholesterol in your system.  Other potential benefits include increasing your longevity, lowering your risk of stroke, reducing your risk of developing type 2 diabetes, and reducing your risk of colon cancer.  But remember, this is in moderation, which equals one 5 ounce glass of wine for women and two 5 ounce glasses for men.  Of course, if you do not drink, check with your physician before starting a wine regimen!  And if you are a wine drinker, make your wine sustainable and CHEERS to a new year!  Thanks to Paraducci for letting me sample your incredible wines!  They were a HUGE hit at my holiday party (the only two completely empty bottles of wine at the end of the evening)!  Follow Paraducci on Twitter and Facebook.

Maggie's Functional Organics Clothing

Feel Great on the Inside and Outside!!

Maggie's Functional Organics makes incredible apparel that is durable & affordable with environmentally sustainable materials.  I loved the items that they sent me for review so much that I had to share them with my wonderful friends!  
 

"After only one wear, I am a huge fan of Maggie's functional organic clothing -- specifically this black 3 quarter length tee! The shirt is soft, stretchy and form fitting. As a teacher I am always looking for clothes that can be both professional and casual and I think that this shirt fits both functions beautifully. Wearing it through an 8 hour day I noticed that it never seemed to lose its form while still staying comfortable, airy and light. I wish all shirts could be this multipurpose!"~Mollie

There are so many items that would be a perfect gift for the holidays!  One of the gift sets that I had the pleasure to review was the Scarf and Sock Gift Set which retails for $19.99.  As you can see below, my beautiful friend Annalisa is wearing the Olive Peace Extra-Long Scarf, which comes with the most comfortable tie-dye socks ever.  In fact, Maggie's socks ARE the most comfortable socks I have ever worn and they are made in the lovely state of North Carolina!

There are gift sets for youth and adults that include nightgowns and socks, as well as other fine items such as hoodies and wrap-tops to consider for either yourselves or a loved one.  Thank you so much to Maggie's Functional Organics for allowing me to review your fine apparel at no-cost.  All opinions are 100% my own.

Larry's Beans Coffee Review & Giveaway

Larry’s Beans wants you to love your coffee & truth be told…after opening the bag of Larry’s Dr. Mojo blend, I was lovin’ every little bean in my sight!  Here is another feel-good coffee:  

• 100% Fair Trade
• Shade Grown
• Organic
•   Facilities that utilize composting & rainwater harvesting
• Green facilities including solar heated flooring, natural lighting, sustainable packing to name just a few!
• Larry’s local deliveries are made in his bus that runs on vegetable oil collected from local businesses
• Larry houses Raleigh’s only B100 Biodiesel refueling system
• Biodegradable bags

Although I was born & raised in Michigan, I am a forever North-Carolinian, where Larry’s Beans reside.  Also, being a healthcare professional, I learned that UNC Hospital runs on Larry’s Dr. Mojo beans and no wonder you get top-notch care there!  Larry’s beans has coffee, teas, mugs that make you happy to drink out of, coffee gadgets, gift certificates, and soon they will have a coffee club!  There are so many unique blends, including the Dr. Mojo which is a new favorite, Bean Martin Blend, Cowboy Blend, & soooo many more including decaf blends & raw coffee beans!  Larry’s Beans is so cool that I am going to find a way to get my future dietitians there for a tour (and based on the website, I now need to know why you can’t touch ‘Ryan from packaging’s’ beard…)  There are too many amazing things to say about Larry’s Beans that you really need to visit his site: Larry's Beans

Thank you Larry’s Beans for sending me your unbelievably good Dr. Mojo blend and my new “happy” coffee mug at no cost for my review.  Thank you also for allowing my readers the opportunity to win a bag of your Dr. Mojo blend and a “happy” coffee mug of their own.  You guys simply rock!

Tiny Footprint Coffee Review & Giveaway

Picture this: It is a beautiful, crisp morning and you are drinking a hot, delicious cup of coffee that is full of good karma. Doesn't that sound like a good way to wake up? I thought so :) I have been looking for sustainable products to share because they are the true Trifecta of my message...to feed your mind, body, and soul at the same time. As mentioned in my earlier posts, I tend to be a coffee snob. I asked Tiny Footprint Coffee to send me their coffee to review and they graciously said yes & are willing to let y'all try some as well through my giveaway.

Tiny Footprint Coffee tastes incredible. I like light, medium, and dark roasts but decided to try the medium roast. The taste was full and rich, and probably could easily beat Starbucks in a blind taste-test. Just reading the bag of coffee made me feel good: It takes them 4 pounds of carbon to make a pound of coffee, so they plant 54 pounds of carbon sucking trees...creating 50 pounds of good karma in every bag. I could kiss the bag of coffee. Tiny Footprint Coffee is a collaborative effort between Minneapolis Ad Agency, Pocket Hercules and artisan coffee roasters, Roastery 7, & Mindo Cloudforest Foundation.  So listen, coffee is good for you.  I will make it a point to tell you why in a later post.  In the meantime, give an awesome gift and feel good about it, either to yourself or others who love a good cup of coffee with the added bonus of good karma.  Thank you Tiny Footprint Coffee for letting me review your coffee for free & providing an amazing giveaway to my readers.  It is taking every ounce of self-control not keep it all for myself ;)

Sustainability: Not just a trend

Have you ever met someone who thinks “green” and “sustainability” are terms that are just the current-trend of the times?  Unfortunately, I have.  I have heard people say “organic” is just a trend.  Maybe these people do not understand that sustainability refers to taking care of and being responsible for the resources and maintenance of the world that is raising us.  We must protect ourselves and our future by creating environments of sustainable economic, environmental, and social atmospheres. 

There are so many things you can do to encourage a sustainable planet & many of these things you have been taught since childhood:

1. Turn off the water faucet when brushing your teeth.

2. Make sure to do full loads of laundry & only run the dishwasher when it is full.

3. Use natural lighting in your house & turn lights off when you are not in the room.

4. Reduce. Reuse. Recycle.  I don’t even think this should be optional anymore.

5. Plant a garden!  This will serve many purposes, including producing healthy foods & providing the opportunity for fresh air and light exercise.

6. Turn off your electronics and take your kids outside.  Take your dog outside.  Take your   significant other or best friend outside.  Go for a walk, kick the soccer ball around, and throw a Frisbee.  It’s free, it feels good, and you’re making memories.