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- Green Living (72)
- Health Concerns (247)
- Nutritional Supplements (151)
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- Stress Management & Lifestyle (56)
- Village Green News (112)
Paula Gallagher
Paula is a highly qualified and experienced nutritionist on the staff at Village Green Apothecary.
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Margo Gladding
Margo's impressive knowledge base is the result of a unique blend of educational
and professional experience. read more..
Ellen Kittredge
Ellen’s knowledge base has given her the tools to be an effective
nutrition and health counselor.
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Naz Amini
Naz is a nutrition counselor and lifestyle educator for Village Green Apothecary. read more..
Carmen Ugas
Carmen is a therapeutic lifestyle educator for Village Green Apothecary. read more..
Debi Silber
Debi is a registered dietitian with a master’s degree in nutrition, a personal trainer, and whole health coach.
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Steve Stillwater
Steve is committed to greener living and offers to easy-to-implement green living tips and ideas.
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Farzin Farid, Pharm.D
Farzin is a licensed pharmacist with a strong background in herbal, mineral, and vitamin therapy.
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Joe Ailts
Joe, Director of Medical Education at NeuroScience, Inc., provides scientific and clinical education on neuro-endo-immunology.
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Other Conrtributors
Scott O’Dell >>>James Brodsky, MD >>>
Christine M. Gonzales >>>
Beth Ritchie >>>
Jim Fox >>>
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Green Living
Whole Foods Backs Down to GMO Giant Monsanto
by Paula Gallagher | February 6, 2012
After 12 years of fighting this biotech giant, Whole Foods has backed down from trying to stop Monsanto genetically engineered (GE, or GMO) crops from contaminating the nation’s 25,000 organic farms and ranches, saying that GMOs and organic plants have to coexist in this world. Biotechnology is big business. The mother of agricultural technology, Monsanto reported sales of approximately 10.5 billion dollars in 2010. They make Roundup, the name given to the herbicide glyphosate, the most used herbicide on the planet. They also make genetically modified seeds that can tolerate very high doses of Roundup.
Genetically modified seeds or foods are made from genetically modified organisms, commonly known as GMOs. These GMOs have had changes made to their DNA by genetic engineering. The FDA does not regulate GMOs and Monsanto will try to convince you that GMOs are safe and that they are helping stop hunger by providing the capability to grow foods that are hardier and stronger.
However, here are eight reasons according to organicauthority.com why genetically modified organisms are bad: (more…)
Beautiful New Reusable Shopping Bags at Village Green
by Village Green Admin | January 11, 2012
Motivated by the new 5-cent bag tax in Montgomery County (Maryland), as well as our desire to take an environmentally friendly step toward helping our world become a healthier, more sustainable place, Village Green now has two sizes of reusable shopping bags our customers can purchase in the store. Our bags are made of 80% recycled cotton and 20% recycled bottles. The fabric feels great to the touch, and these are comfortable bags that you’ll love to carry. We are proud to say that hey were made in the U.S. by Enviro-Tote, a family-owned “company with a conscience.” Our medium-size bag is selling for $4.95 and the large, over-the-shoulder bag is $5.95.
If you’re curious about the fabric content (we were!), Enviro-Tote has this to say about their recycled cotton bag: “This bag is made from 80% Ecotec™ – a blended cotton yarn produced from the excess fabric of newly made clothing – and 20% Bottle Bag™ material – material made from 100% recycled soda bottles. This unique manufacturing process saves land, energy and water. For the best performance available, 20% of this bag contains 100% recycled soda bottle material.”
We hope our customers like these bags as much as we do!
Houseplants: Nature’s Air Purifiers
by Paula Gallagher | December 19, 2011
A friend gave me a potted English ivy plant years ago as a gift, and it has been the gift that keeps on giving. A houseplant is a perfect gift for someone who has everything, and it can even help improve health.
Plenty of studies have shown that everyday houseplants act as air purifiers. In the 1980′s, NASA studied the air cleaning properties of plants and found that certain plants were incredibly effective at reducing airborne toxins like benzene, TCE (trichloroethylene) and formaldehyde. Since then, many more studies have shown that plants are also great at neutralizing carbon dioxide and carbon monoxide, as well toluene, octane and terpene (all toxic to humans).
Plants have also been shown to reduce stress and blood pressure. So if you sit at a desk all day, you may want to have a little greenery in sight.
Since many Americans, especially during the winter months, spend most time indoors, a pretty plant that cleanses the air and offers stress reduction, is a perfect gift. My favorite is the peace lily, pictured above. It is hardy and beautiful and is especially effective for benzene, formaldehyde and TCE. If you are looking for an effective, easy-to-maintain plant, the common ivy takes care of benzene, formaldehyde and TCE, as well as toluene, octane and terpene. Spider plants can neutralize carbon dioxide and carbon monoxide.
New 5-Cent Bag Ordinance Starts January 1 – Montgomery County, MD
by Paula Gallagher | December 14, 2011
Just a reminder that starting January 1, Montgomery County’s 5-cent bag ordinance begins. The tax will apply to paper and plastic bags at most retail stores. One exception is pharmacy bags holding prescription drugs. The goal is to reduce waste and encourage recycling!
We encourage you to bring your reusable shopping bags when you visit the store!
Christmas Trees: Real vs. Fake
by Paula Gallagher | December 7, 2011
Every year my husband and I debate whether we should break down and buy an artificial tree or continue to make the trek to a tree farm to cut down a living tree. Real tree has won out so far. But even though the smell of pine is lovely, part of me is filled with guilt about the waste of all those living trees. Wouldn’t it better to get an artificial one that lasts for years?
Well according to a Ellipsos, a company dedicated to sustainable development, natural is the better option with respect to the impacts on climate change and resource depletion. Most fake trees are made with polyvinyl chloride (or PVC, otherwise known as vinyl), one of the most environmentally offensive forms of non-renewable, petroleum-derived plastic. Several known carcinogens, including dioxin, ethylene dichloride and vinyl chloride, are generated during the production of PVC, polluting neighborhoods located near factory sites (mostly in China).
Natural trees can be a big problem for towns and cities that aren’t prepared for the amount of trees being discarded. However, many cities and towns collect trees and recycle them into mulch. (more…)