Viridescence - be green!

Everyone gets it and most of us consider it junk. I’m talking about direct mailings commonly known as junk mail. All direct mailings or junk mail end up as waste whether thrown in the garbage or recycled with about 44% thrown away unopened 1 . It’s easy to stop receiving direct mailings and there good reasons to do so. Stopping the flow of junk mail is good for the environment because it reduces the amount of extracted natural resources, it reduces energy use during production, distribution and recycling and it reduces the amount of waste in landfills. While you’re at it, you can also stop unwanted emails and telephone calls. Paper waste amounts to 69 million tons / year in the United States 2 .   1.5 trees / year / household 3 is used in the production of junk mail. That’s about 848 pieces of junk mail / year / household 4 . The production of junk mail as it relates to deforestation equals the same greenhouse gas emissions as 3.7 million cars 5 or 17,390,000 metric ton

Tis the season to plant garlic. Garlic is both a culinary and medicinal herb. The garlic bulbs sprout in the autumn, over-winter until they begin growing vigorously in the spring and is harvested in the summer. There are two types of garlic: hard-neck and soft-neck. Hard-neck garlic has a hard stem  with uniform bulbs that are typically small. Soft-neck garlic, the most common variety found in grocery stores, has a soft center stem with larger irregular bulbs. Although elephant garlic is not a true garlic rather a member of the onion family, this is still the time of year to plant. Maximum Flavor the First Year It is best to purchase the mother bulbs or sets from a local nursery or farm for maximum flavor the first year. Grocery store bought garlic will result in flavorless garlic the first year of planting. However, if you plant the bulbs you harvest, the second years’ crop will have increased in flavor and should be maximized by the third year. Again, this is preventable

Fish is an excellent source of protein and omega oils. According to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Association (NOAA), 20% of animal protein in the human diet comes the oceans 1 . Unfortunately, the fish in our oceans are being over-harvested and are contaminated with mercury. NPS.gov  In order to help consumers make better decisions about the fish they eat, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) sorted the most popular types of fish into three categories: Best Choices, Good Choices, and Fish to Avoid 2 . Good news : 90% of fish eaten in the USA fall under the Best Choices category 3 . Best Choice - Commonly eaten fish include: canned light tuna, tilapia, shrimp, salmon, cod, catfish, and Pollock 4 . Fish to Avoid – King mackerel, Marlin, Orange roughy, Shark, Swordfish, Tilefish (Gulf of Mexico), and Bigeye Tuna 5 . The complete list of fish is found here . For women of child-bearing age (16-49), pregnant women, and children, the FDA recommends eating 2-3 serving