In Pennsylvania, autumn usually brings crisp days and clear nights, but so far we’ve had nothing but rain. My 3-year-old said it best when she said: “I think the rain is stuck.”

As far as the garden goes, the best thing to do now is start the fall clean up.

My fall clean up is essentially clearing the garden of all plant debris from the summer, pulling any weeds, and picking up any fruit that has fallen from the plants. I add these to the compost pile, excluding any diseased plants or weeds with seeds.

Once my garden beds are cleared, it’s time for some heavy mulch. I cover up any bare earth with a thick mix of straw and fallen leaves. This keeps my soil thriving throughout the winter. In spring, the soil will be moist, relatively loose, and teeming with earthworms. A few turns with a soil fork and I’m ready to plant again.

Once my garden is put to bed for the fall, I can kick back and revel in the fact that I’ve done something important for myself and my family. There is a sense of accomplishment that comes from having grown my own food. It connects me to the nature of things almost more than anything else you can do in this world.

So when I bite into one of those pickles I made with cucumbers from the garden, I know—with absolute certainty—where that cucumber came from. It’s important to know where my food comes from. And it’s important for me as parent to teach my children where our food comes from, and how much work goes into it.

As the food philosopher and poet Wendell Berry writes, “Eating is an agricultural act. Eating ends the annual drama of the food economy that begins with planting and birth.” I want my kids to know that food doesn’t just magically appear at the grocery store.

By tending a garden with my daughter, I feel that I become a better parent, that I am equipping her with knowledge that will stay with her throughout her entire life. And hopefully she’ll grow up to be a part of the change our world needs.

I know our gardening is having an effect. Last week she named all the members of our immediate family: “Mommy, Daddy, me, my baby sister, our dog, our two cats, and our lovely garden.”

-Eric Hurlock is the online editor at Organic Gardening magazine. He lives and gardens in Chester County, PA, with his wife and 2 daughters. Follow his blog, This Imperfect Plot, at http://organicgardening.com/blogs/thisimperfectplot.

For most people, the late summer months usually bring about the anticipation of the change in seasons, with trees’ leaves turning colors, and crisper air starting to creep in. In the world of publishing, this time of year conjures up thoughts of a slightly different event: The Holiday Gift Guide. For us, the holiday season doesn’t start with Black Friday, or even when Christmas decorations start popping up in October (I’m looking at you, Macy’s)—I started attending Holiday Gift Guide media events on KIWI’s behalf back in June, and companies seem to send items for gift guide consideration what feels like 10 months out of the year.

With this pre-holiday holiday season comes samples—lots and lots of them, usually of the edible variety. And while being the taste-tester for all of these (free!) treats can be a dirty job (seriously, you’d be surprised some of stuff we get: Cheddar cheese flavored kale chips—good in theory, doesn’t carry out so well in practice), somebody’s gotta do it. Plus, I’m always looking for scrumptious snacks that satisfy and make me feel good, especially so I can share them with you guys! So here, a few snack items that not only taste good, they have the kinds of wholesome ingredients to keep you fueled both pre- and post-holiday holiday season.

KIND Healthy Snacks I recently had the pleasure of attending an event for KIND Healthy Snacks to sample some of their latest granola-y products and let me tell you—delish! KIND’s tagline is “Ingredients you can see and pronounce” and it’s true! My personal favorite was the Oats & Honey Clusters with Toasted Coconut, granola-like clusters that include all sorts of good-for-you whole grains like amaranth, quinoa, and millet. Bonus: The whole clusters make for a filling snack when dipped in a spreadable soft cheese, or, when broken up as a cereal or sprinkled on top of low-fat yogurt for breakfast. ($6 for 11 ounces, kindsnacks.com)

Food Should Taste Good chips I’ve never been a huge fan of chips, but after trying Food Should Taste Good’s all-natural, gluten-free variety, I might start singing a different tune. Try the White Cheddar with a simple tomato salsa, or dunk the Jalapeno chips with a homemade coconut and green chili salsa—it’s got a little kick, giving it just the right amount of zing. (Around $3 for 5.5 ounces, foodshouldtastegood.com)

18 Rabbits granola bars OK, truth be told, I actually discovered these amazing granola bars at LaGuardia International Airport, not through KIWI, however, they are still so good—I wish they would have landed on my desk! The Haute Diggity Date bar with almonds, coconut, and dates made for the perfect pre-flight breakfast, with enough protein to hold me over for most of my morning traveling. Best of all, 18 Rabbits ingredients are all certified organic and many of them are sourced from local farms and producers near their headquarters in San Francisco. ($2.50 for one bar, 18rabbits.com)

-Dana, KIWI Staffer

No matter how old I get, September always feels like the beginning of the year to me. Maybe it’s all those years in school that have my senses trained to gear up once Labor Day ends, or maybe it’s the impact of the Jewish year cycle starting over again with Rosh Hashanah each fall. And being a pediatrician and a father, I’m reminded daily about back-to-school rituals.

I’ve noticed, more and more over time, that the focus of back-to-school has a real “back-to-work” feel. Every year in late August and early September, we start to get lots of calls about headaches, stomach aches, trouble sleeping – symptoms of anxiety.  Sometimes the worries are social – starting middle school or high school – but most of the time, it’s nervousness about academics and a busy fall activities calendar that prompts phone calls from parents.

A recent New York Times Well column, “School Curriculum Falls Short on Bigger Lessons,” posed a provocative question, “Now that children are back in the classroom, are they really learning the lessons that will help them succeed?”

That’s really the crux of the issue.  What is the purpose of school?  Child health and development specialists across the country are worried we’ve gone off track.

“What are we really trying to do when we think about raising kids?” asked Dr. Kenneth R. Ginsburg, an expert in adolescent medicine at Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia. “We’re trying to put in place the ingredients so the child is going to be a successful 35-year-old. It’s not really about getting an A in algebra.” (The New York Times, “School Curriculum Falls Short on Bigger Lessons”; September 5, 2011).

What is success? In typical American fashion, we’ve lost sight of the long-term goal. We as a society tend to take the “what-have-you-done-for-me-lately?” approach. It’s true in sports, in politics, in economics and alas, now, in childhood. Starting early in preschool puts us ahead for elementary school, where more and more kids are tutored even if they are on grade-level.  Middle school grades determine high school placements, and college prep begins in 9^th grade, not 11^th as it used to be. And so on.

We are so focused on THIS TEST that we lose sight of the whole child. What about non-academic strengths?  Shouldn’t we be emphasizing “well-roundedness?” The parallels with health care are notable. “Why prevent tomorrow what you can fix today?” is our mantra. We should be concentrating on creating wellness through healthy lifestyles, promoting good nutrition, fitness and sleep/relaxation instead of a pill for each ill.  It is the same for our children as students. The teachers who had the greatest impact on my life were not the ones who gave me the best grades.  They were the ones who connected me with the wider world and challenged me to grow as a person.    Our children will not always remember their standardized test scores—but they will remember those moments when they were challenged, and struggled, and learned, and grew. Success can be defined not by the grade given but by the lessons learned.  We should create a system that values those achievements.

Dominic Randolph, Headmaster at Riverdale Country School, echoes these sentiments in an interview for the New York Times Magazine (“What if the Secret to Success is Failure?”; September 18, 2011;).

“Whether it’s the pioneer in the Conestoga wagon or someone coming here in the 1920s from southern Italy, there was this idea in America that if you worked hard and you showed real grit, that you could be successful,” he said. “Strangely, we’ve now forgotten that. People who have an easy time of things, who get 800s on their SAT’s, I worry that those people get feedback that everything they’re doing is great. And I think as a result, we are actually setting them up for long-term failure. When that person suddenly has to face up to a difficult moment, then I think they’re screwed, to be honest. I don’t think they’ve grown the capacities to be able to handle that.”

Couldn’t have said it better myself.

—Dr. Lawrence Rosen, KIWI columnist

I’ll be honest—I love my smart phone. In fact, I’ve become so dependent on its many uses and functions that I barely remember a time when I couldn’t just click on my Google Maps app to get from point A to point B—and now I can’t imagine trying to do so without it! Of course, being only a text or an e-mail away does have its drawbacks: I’m not so fond of this immediate accessibility when I’m alerted to an e-mail at 5 a.m., for example. On top of that, most smart phones (and cell phones in general) aren’t exactly made from eco-friendly materials, however, these superphones aren’t going anywhere anytime soon. In fact, according to recently released data from Nielsen, 40 percent of U.S. mobile users own smart phones, and that number is expected to jump to more than 50 percent by the end of this year alone.

Fortunately, phone companies are moving towards greener alternatives in feature mobile and smart phones (for example, the Motorola Citrus and the Samsung Replenish Android smart phones are made out of recycled and recyclable material). And for those of us who haven’t yet upgraded to an eco-friendlier option? Next time you go to check out the latest apps available, see what green apps you can make use of. Whether you’re looking for the nearest location to recycle your current phone once it’s time for an upgrade, or an easy-to-use green shopping guide, if you’re looking to make planet-friendlier and smarter choices, there’s likely an app for it. Here are a few to get you started:

• GoodGuide Available for both Android and iPhone systems, this app makes shopping for green products a breeze. Simply scan the barcode of any product from any store, and GoodGuide will pull up its health and environmental ratings, its effect on ecosystems and local economies, and the environmental and social responsibility of the company. Understanding confusing product claims and ingredients lists doesn’t get much easier than this! (Free, goodguide.com)
• GreenTips Tip-of-the-day apps are a dime a dozen in the world of smart phones, but this one just may become your family’s favorite. Parents receive their daily tip, while your child is entertained with green quizzes and games–making this app a win-win situation for the whole family. ($0.99, itunes.apple.com)
• iRecycle From car batteries to computer monitors, this handy app (available on both iPhone and Android systems) uses your location to search its database of 800,000 recycling programs and centers, covering more than 240 types of items, to find a recycling resource near you. (Free, earth911.com/irecycle)

-Dana, KIWI Staffer

Image: Flickr user GetHiroshima

It’s not quite Halloween yet (school’s barely gotten started!), but National Costume Swap Day is right around the corner. On October 8^th, families across the country will be getting together to exchange gently used Halloween costumes at events sponsored by KIWI magazine, Green Halloween, and Swap.com. And there are plenty of good reasons to take part: In addition to saving the money you would’ve spent on new costumes for your kids, you’ll also be doing something to help the environment. In fact, swapping half the costumes kids wear at Halloween would reduce annual landfill waste by 6,250 tons—about the weight of 2,500 midsize cars!

Many neighborhoods and towns have already begun planning their swaps, but you can start one from scratch in your area, too. Either way, consider these tips for making your community swap an eek-o fabulous success:

Collect costumes It’s best to have a small variety of costumes available so that people who arrive at the beginning of the swap have choices. Put out a call at your school, church, or neighborhood association, or see what’s available at local thrift stores. No matter where the costumes come from, make sure they’re in good condition with no significant tears, holes, or stains.

Make it an event In addition to swapping costumes, bring in more fun with games, face painting, or a craft station where kids can decorate their own reusable Halloween bags. You can even hold a bake sale with (healthy) Halloween-themed treats and donate the proceeds to a local charity.

Stay organized When parents and kids bring their old costumes, hang them on a rack or lay them on tables organized by size so that people won’t have to sift through messy boxes.

Stage a changing area or remind kids to come in swimsuits or long underwear so they’re able to try on costumes before taking them home.

Ready to get started? Find existing swaps—plus information to help you start your own at CostumeSwapDay.com.

-Marygrace, staff writer

Last night, President Obama made a monumental announcement – his proposed American Jobs Act will provide $25 billion for school construction and modernize over 35,000 school buildings. If this bill is passed, it would not only put thousands of teachers back to work, it would allow us to make desperately needed improvements in schools across the country, including energy-efficiency upgrades and comprehensive, green retrofits. This is a huge step forward toward enhancing school conditions for students across America and reaching the Center for Green Schools’ goal of providing green schools for everyone within this generation.

“The American Jobs Act will repair and modernize at least 35,000 schools. It will put people to work right now fixing roofs and windows, installing science labs and high-speed Internet in classrooms all across this country,” said President Obama. “Pass this jobs bill, and thousands of teachers in every state will go back to work. These are the men and women charged with preparing our children for a world where the competition has never been tougher. But while they’re adding teachers in places like South Korea, we’re laying them off in droves. It’s unfair to our kids. It undermines their future and ours. And it has to stop. Pass this bill, and put our teachers back in the classroom where they belong.”

In addition to this excellent news, the Department of Education announced earlier this week that the Green Ribbon Schools award criteria is now open for public comment. This program celebrates K-12 schools that best exemplify America’s transition to a sustainable economy and demonstrate environmental literacy.

When it comes to our children’s future, education is a key factor in their ability to succeed in our ever-changing world. Yet millions of students are forced to attend school in buildings laden with problems. Leaky roofs, asbestos, poor air quality and limited access to daylight are just some of the subpar conditions students struggle to learn in spite of. School districts across the country are awaiting funding to tackle billions of dollars in deferred maintenance for critical upgrades to their facilities. Passing this bill would create an unprecedented opportunity to improve the educational experience and demonstrate the impact that high-performing schools have on the health and well-being of our children. We cannot educate 21st century leaders in 19th century classrooms.

Our schools should enhance a student’s ability to learn, not compromise it. Between President Obama’s announcement, and the Department of Education’s Green Ribbon Schools award, I truly believe that we have reached a tipping point in the green schools movement.

-Rachel Gutter, director of the Center for Green Schools at the U.S. Green Building Council

Last week, I had one of my proudest moments as a gardener and a dad. I was in the kitchen preparing a tomato salad when I realized I had forgotten to pick some fresh basil. I called out to my 2-almost-3-year-old daughter who was outside playing on the deck.

I said, “Could you please go down to the garden and pick me some basil leaves?”

It looked like she was about to say no (the terrible twos will often produce this response), but I could see her gears turning. She thought about it and realized that, yes, she could do it. She replied with a simple, “Sure,” and then disappeared from the deck and went out to the garden. I could have easily gone myself, but I was also cooking pasta and vegetables and didn’t want to leave the stove unattended. A few minutes later, she was at the door with a fistful of basil leaves, perfect and green.

I’m not sure I can fully articulate why I am so proud of her, but let me try: She didn’t need any other instruction beyond “please go get some basil.” I know plenty of adults who would need very specific instructions to perform this simple task. My daughter, on the other hand, knows what basil is, knows where it is growing in the garden, and knows about how much I need for tomato salad.

She loves to help. And by giving her simple but somewhat challenging tasks, I’m able to help strengthen her confidence and develop her problem-solving skills. The space between the kitchen and the garden may just be the perfect classroom.

Here’s our family’s recipe for a simple tomato salad:

You’ll need:

• 3 or 4 good-sized tomatoes
• 1 small onion
• 2 cloves of garlic
• 6 basil leaves
• ½ cup of a good extra-virgin olive oil
• Salt

Chop everything up and mix it together, adding the olive oil and salt last. Obviously, the amount of ingredients can be scaled up or down, depending on your taste. I like to use a variety of tomatoes—different colors, shapes, flavors, etc.

Serve with good crusty bread. It’s perfect for dipping. Be sure to refrigerate the leftovers; this salad seems to taste even better once all the flavors mix together overnight. Just let it return to room temp before serving.

Enjoy!

-Eric Hurlock is the online editor at Organic Gardening magazine. He lives and gardens in Chester County, PA, with his wife, daughter, and new baby. Follow his Real World Gardener blog at http://organicgardening.com/blogs/realworldgardener.

It’s back-to-school time, which means not only thinking about what’s going in your kid’s lunchbox, but what they’ll be snacking on before and after lunch as well. The foods your child munches on throughout the day are not only a major source of the essential vitamins and minerals she needs to grow and develop, they also offer the energy her body needs to power through the day. And with recent research showing that snacks make up more than 27 percent of kids’ daily calories, it’s important that kids are getting the right nutrients between meals as well. However, ask any parent and I’m sure they’ll tell you:  talking about kids eating healthier is one thing, making it happen is another thing entirely. Fortunately for parents, Kashi has plenty of snacks that are not only healthy, they taste great too—guaranteeing your kid a perfect mid-day snack she’ll love. Go to kashi.com/kidfriendlyfoods for more info, including tips on helping your child eat better, and a list of some kid-friendly favorites!

-Dana, KIWI Staffer

Two years ago my mother read a book on the dangers of eating red meat and poultry and decided to change her diet to mainly fish and vegetables. But she wanted to make sure that her new way of eating wouldn’t hurt her either. So she researched the potential effects of consuming high amounts of fish—and found some disturbing information: Although fish is high in protein and omega-3 fatty acids, some are also high in mercury and PCBs (polychlorinated biphenyls, a pollutant associated with endocrine disruption and neurotoxicity), which can be dangerous in high quantities. Fortunately, my mom learned that she can still eat fish, but that it’s important to pay attention to what types you consume and how often. Here are some guidelines for eating fish safely.

Lower on the food chain = lower in dangerous contaminants: Smaller fish and shellfish such as shrimp, oysters, squid, and sardines are not only more plentiful than larger fish, but also contain less mercury. They’re also less likely to have been vastly overfished. So eating kinds that are more abundant is good for both your health and marine life. Bigger fish on the other hand, like shark, swordfish, king mackerel and tilefish, tend to contain higher levels of mercury.

Know where it’s from and how it’s caught: Large commercial fishing nets used to catch certain types of fish tend to also catch other marine life, most of which end up dying and being thrown out once found by the fishermen. When buying fish, ask your supplier where it is from. Although not all fish are native to American waters, it may be better to buy American-caught fish, since the U.S. has stricter fishing standards than most other countries.

Make sure your fish is cooked properly: If undercooked, some fish can lead to a parasite infection, so it’s essential to make sure the fish is cooked thoroughly. To see if the fish is finished, press on it with the back of a spoon. If it flakes or cracks apart, it’s finished! Some shellfish can house harmful bacteria from the water they had lived in, but if cooked completely, these bacteria can be eliminated. Because of this, some raw seafood, like oysters, should not be given to the elderly, women who are pregnant, or young children whose immune systems may not be strong enough to fight these bacteria.

Buy fish from somewhere you trust: Some seafood suppliers, like some of your local fish markets, have higher standards than others when it comes to the quality of the seafood sold at their storehouse. A little research into the retailer’s history and methods of fishing could be very beneficial. You can see how well your local supermarket measures up with their sustainability on Greenpeace.org.

Angela, KIWI Intern

Properly sanitizing your fruits and veggies may not be enough anymore. While bacteria is usually found on the surface of produce, researchers found certain strands that can live deep within the tissue of it, where washing won’t do any good. According to a Purdue University study, both e. coli and salmonella were found in the tissue of certain plants. Washing your produce may get it clean on the outside – but what about the inside?

Amanda Deering, a post-doctoral researcher in food science, found that these harmful bacteria were present in every major tissue in the plants, as well as the corresponding cells. Researchers studied mung bean sprouts and peanut seedlings in which they found e.coli and salmonella respectively. Apparently the seeds were contaminated with the pathogens prior to planting. They could have also been contaminated through polluted soil or water the seeds were planted in.

Because the process used to find the pathogens in the plants before this study involves slicing off pieces of the plant, researchers could never be completely sure where the bacteria originated from. To avoid this, Deering used colored antibodies to track the movement of the pathogens, a process known as immunocytochemisty.

According to researchers, cleaning the produce properly would eliminate the Salmonella and E. coli on the surface, but wouldn’t affect the flesh. However, cooking the produce at temperatures that kill pathogens (270 degrees Fahrenheit) would remove them for the inner tissues of the food.

Angela, KIWI Intern

School food has come a long way from the pale-colored goop and mystery meat some parents might remember—so why not taste for yourself? KIWI and the School Nutrition Association proudly announce National Take Your Parents to Lunch Day on Wednesday, October 12th—and we want YOU to take part.

National Take Your Parents to Lunch Day is about communication—talking to your school and to your child to learn about what’s going well, and how you can work together to make school food even better. It’s your chance to line up with a lunch tray, eat with your child, and talk to the people who serve up the food day in and day out. The event is part of National School Lunch Week (October 10th-14th), which the School Nutrition Association is supporting with the theme “School Lunch: Let’s Grow Healthy.” Learn more about how lunch can help kids grow strong and healthy through the School Nutrition Association’s special site for parents, Tray Talk.

The first day of school is almost here! So now’s the time to get ready for the big day by making a plan with your child’s school. They’ll need to be on board to host parents—and make sure there’s enough grub to go around! Get all the details and learn how to get started with our Parent Toolkit at myhealthyschool.com.

-Marygrace, staff writer

Before moving to New York, I was somewhat of a gym rat. And if the term gym rat conjures up images of a super-thin blonde, decked out in head-to-toe spandex with a full face of make-up well, you’re not alone—I used to attach the same stigma. Until I became an actual gym rat, then I came to understand it’s true meaning—that is, I was simply someone who frequented the gym. Working out—whether it be a 15-mile bike ride or 30 minutes of strength-training before heading to work—was a part of my daily routine and I loved it. I’d never had more energy or felt healthier in my life.

Fast forward a year: I’m living in a crazy city, trying to manage an even crazier schedule, and, surprise surprise—my exercise routine has suffered severely. And while I do miss all of that energy, and feeling light as a feather and strong as a horse—at the same time—these days, just the thought of dragging myself out of bed an hour earlier to get on a treadmill (?!) makes me want to crawl right into bed.

Then comes news of a recent study in Taiwan that’s found that even 15 minutes of moderate exercise a day may add three years to your life, with 30 minutes a day adding about four. While I don’t think 15 minutes of exercise should be looked at as a rule to live by per se, or an excuse to squeeze by on the bare minimum, I do think taking this approach could be a great way to start working a fitness routine back into my schedule gradually. Because, unfortunately, exercise is not one of those less-is-more kind of activities (it’s usually the opposite), but getting started is the hardest part. So here, three easy ways to fit 15 minutes of exercise into your day—whether you’re just starting a workout regimen (again), or looking to spice up your daily routine.

• Try a time-saver workout Circuit workouts are typically fast-paced, so they’re a great way to burn calories quickly, making them perfect for people who are short on time. This 15-minute strength training circuit requires minimal equipment and not a lot of space, so it’s easy to do at home. Do one minute each of jumping rope, walking lunges, push ups, jump squats, and crunches. Repeat this three times. Beginners: If one minute seems slightly daunting, shorten the workout and do each exercise for 30 seconds, then work your way up to the full minute.
• Play with your kids! Next time you take your child to the playground, get up and move with her! Try doing a few pull-ups on the monkey bars, tricep dips on a park bench, or having a “frog jump” race with your child. Kids have a seemingly endless amount of energy, and the playground can offer tons of fun ways for both of you to get a workout in.
• Dance, dance, dance 15 minutes of energetic dancing can burn nearly 100 calories, and best of all, it’s fun! Turn on the tunes and jump, skip, twist, and turn until you get your heart rate up. Want to involve the kids? Try working together to create choreographed dances to two or three of their favorite songs, and then videotaping them; or have a dance-a-thon—whoever stays moving the longest wins. You’ll work up a sweat and they’ll no doubt love seeing your moves!

What about you? How do you find time to squeeze in exercise with a jam-packed schedule?

-Dana, KIWI staffer

My summer is coming to an unavoidable end as I start my last week as a KIWI summer intern and get ready to head back to college. This year I will have my last first day of school, making me look back nostalgically on how exciting going back to school can be. I used to love going back-to-school shopping, picking out my first day outfit, seeing all my friends and classmates, and signing up for school activities. For all kids, many parts of going back to school are fun and exciting–but there can also be some hidden hazards. From transportation to lunches and recess there are health risks students may be exposed to–but there are things parents can do to help.

About 90 percent of school buses run on diesel fuel, resulting in diesel exhaust emissions that kids are exposed to while riding on the bus. A study featured in Environmental Science and Technology showed that harmful levels of exhaust can concentrate inside buses regardless of whether or not the windows are open. Kids can then be exposed to the exhaust in loading and unloading areas because idling causes concentrated areas of air pollution. These concentrated areas of air pollution inside and around the buses can trigger asthma attacks and cause respiratory disease. Easy ways to limit your child’s exposure to diesel exhaust are to drive them to school yourself, start a carpool group, or have them walk or bike to school if you live close enough. If taking the bus is the easiest option for your kids you can help limit the pollution by starting an anti-idle campaign or fundraise for new clean replacement engines. Visit epa.gov/otaq for information about the Clean School Bus USA Program and other ways to get involved.

Another potentially hazardous period? Lunchtime. There is growing controversy over the food being served in schools, but there could also be safety concerns with lunches that are brought from home. According to a new study by the University of Texas, 99 percent of preschoolers’ lunches that were brought from home contained foods that had reached unsafe temperatures (above 40 degrees Fahrenheit). These foods could end up developing bacterial contamination leading to food poisoning and bacterial infections. The study also found that even when lunches are packed with an ice pack they are not entirely safe from temperature contamination. The best way to avoid this health hazard is to pack only non-perishable foods or foods that can be kept at room temperature safely for up to 6 hours (unpeeled fruits and veggies). For healthy snacks try mixed nuts or dried fruit and for main meals try classic PB&J sandwiches or crackers with hard or wax wrapped cheese. Foods that have a high risk of contamination and should be avoided are lunchmeats, dairy, peeled fruits and veggies, and especially mayonnaise. The study also suggests doubling up on ice packs and using insulated lunch boxes to ensure safe temperatures. If you have a hard time fitting multiple icepacks try freezing your kids juice boxes or water bottles – they’ll keep the meal cool and melt by lunchtime.

Recess is a time for kids to run around with friends and play make believe but it is also a time that they can be exposed to pesticides. It is common for schools to use potentially harmful pesticides to keep their grounds nice and green but some pesticides are linked to many health problems like asthma, child leukemia, liver damage, and kidney damage. Kids are at an increased risk during recess when they can easily come into direct contact with pesticides on the playground. To reduce these recess risk start a pesticide-free school campaign and talk to you school administration about using an integrated pest management system instead of regularly scheduled spraying. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency recommends using integrated pest management as a safer way to reduce pesticide risk and exposure to children. Check out epa.gov/pesticides for more information on how integrated pest management works and its benefits.

Violet, KIWI intern

Photo: Flickr user howzey

Too often, it seems the news we hear regarding diet and obesity isn’t very good: Reports continue to come in about how Americans as a whole are heavier than ever, and about how the majority of eaters are getting too much junk food and not enough fruits, vegetables, and whole grains. I’m always disappointed when I hear this information—but not exactly surprised, since most of it is stuff that’s repeated all the time. So I was pretty excited when, for the first time in a while, I read about a positive development in Americans’ eating habits.

Believe it or not, added sugar consumption has fallen in the United States by about 4 percent since 1999, according to a new study of 40,000 U.S. adults and kids over age 2. And since added sugars—that’s the extra stuff used to sweeten food, not the sugar found naturally in things like fruit or milk—have been linked to obesity, diabetes, and heart disease, this is a very good thing. Researchers attribute the drop largely to a decrease in soda drinking, thanks in part to government and private organization efforts to educate eaters about the problems with taking in too much of the sweet stuff. The limits placed on sugary beverages in many schools across the country also played a role. Awesome!

But even though we’re eating less sugar than before (and there’s always a but, right?) experts say we’re still eating too much of it—and need to cut back even more. Currently, we’re averaging about 77 grams of sugar per day, but most kids should get no more than 16 grams, while most adults should stick with less than 32 grams. (The recommendations are based on total calories consumed—find your family’s sugar limits at heart.org.)

Clearly, we’ve got out work cut out for us. But what’s the best way to go about taking in (much) fewer added sugars? Unfortunately, the answer isn’t as easy as swapping high fructose corn syrup or refined white sugar for natural sweeteners like honey or agave nectar. While the latter options may contain trace amounts of nutrients and offer some health benefits (honey’s a known antibacterial, and agave won’t cause your blood sugar to spike), foods with any type of sweetener contain added sugar.

I know, it’s sort of a bummer, but it also means that how you go about eating less added sugar is very simple: You just eat less of it. Here are a few ideas to get you started:

BREAKFAST

• Choose plain yogurt instead of flavored, and sweeten it with unsweetened applesauce or mashed banana instead of honey (remember, the sugar that occurs naturally in foods like fruit or milk is naturally-occurring, not added).
• Instead of flavoring your oatmeal with brown sugar, try a savory variety with butter and a pinch of salt or soy sauce.
• Skip store-bought granola and granola bars in favor of homemade, and sweeten them with all-natural apple juice and dried fruit.

LUNCH

• Make your own salad dressing instead of relying on store-bought, since packaged varieties tend to be loaded with sugar.
• Compare loaves of whole grain sandwich bread to find which brand has the least amount of added sugar. Some, like Food for Life 7 Sprouted Grains Bread [link: foodforlife.com], contain almost none.

DINNER

• Sugar (and lots of it) is almost always added to jarred pasta sauce. Skip it, and make your own super quick by simmering crushed tomatoes with garlic, olive oil, and basil.
• Keep an eye out for sugar-heavy dipping sauces, like ketchup or honey mustard. Instead, offer your kids less-sweet options like plain yogurt with dill, unsweetened applesauce, or homemade salad dressing.

DESSERT

• Sweeten baked goods naturally with pureed fruit such as bananas, unsweetened applesauce, or dates that have been soaked and pureed.
• Swap cookies or graham crackers for roasted seasonal fruit or dried fruit.
• Eat it less often! You don’t have to avoid added sugar treats completely—just enjoy them on special occasions instead of every day.

-Marygrace, staff writer

Yes, it may be August and yes, for those of you lucky enough to live near a gorgeous white sand beach, the thought of a resort vacation may not do a whole lot for you. However, if you’re like me and already dreading the winter months (or your only option for a “beach getaway” is Long Beach… New York), then enter to win a luxury included, 4 day/3 night family vacation for two adults and two kids to any Beaches Resort in Turks & Caicos or Jamaica.

Here at KIWI, we love Beaches Resorts. Not only do they offer the best in family-friendly beach vacations, their parent company, Sandals Resorts International, is partnered with EarthCheck—the largest certifier of sustainable travel—in an effort to reduce their carbon footprint. From water conservation programs, to on-site recycling—Beaches has it all when it comes to a greener getaway. Plus, each of the four Beaches Resorts offers plenty to do in the way of land and water sports, camps for kids, and teen-only hang outs—guaranteeing something fun for everyone.

Sounds pretty good even in August, right? Then head over to our website and enter—the contest ends January 31^st (and just imagine how much you’ll be itching for those white sandy beaches then!).

-Dana, KIWI Staffer

As a lactose-intolerant child my mom brought juice to school for me to drink at snack time when all the other kindergarteners were drinking milk. I was the odd one out and hated it, but maybe my mom was really on to something. We all grow up hearing about how drinking milk gives us strong bones, but is it really as healthy as many experts claim? “Got the Facts on Milk?” is an upcoming documentary made by Shira Lane that examines Americans’ beliefs about milk and the truth about milk’s healthfulness. Her own dairy allergy prompted her to examine any and all scientific research on the subject and after being startled by the lack on consensus she takes off on a road trip to uncover the truth. This clever, educational, and entertaining documentary follows Lane and her crew across the country as they interview ordinary people, dairy farmers, doctors, scientists, researchers, and school children to uncover the truth about milk. Their goal was to reach Washington D.C. and pose their questions about the health benefits of milk to anyone in the USDA who had the knowledge. Lane was curious about what information she would get from the government body that makes our country’s dietary guidelines.

While viewing this documentary it became clear that Americans primarily believe that milk is good for you and the calcium in it helps build strong bones, but for the most part have never heard any scientific reasoning behind the claim. This belief is passed down through generations of Americans–and comes from the long history of advertisements that the dairy industry has presented about the benefits of milk since World War I, when dairies found themselves with an excess that needed to be sold. But are these benefits validated? Or are we being presented with false information about the health benefits of milk?

The truth that this documentary uncovers is startling. Between 1988 and 1993 over 2,700 articles about milk were added into medical archives, but not a single one referred to milk as an excellent food. Instead, they focused on the medical problems related to milk, including intestinal bleeding, asthma, childhood diabetes, heart disease, anemia, arthritis, allergic reactions, cancer, and even Bovine Leukemia (an AIDS-like virus that affects cows). A surprisingly high number of people across the globe are lactose intolerant, meaning they are unable to digest milk sugar. Many experts believe that these high rates are most likely because our bodies are not made to digest lactose. 75 percent of the world’s population is lactose intolerant, since most humans lose the enzyme used to digest lactose after the age of two. The dairy consumption being pushed in the U.S. has created a genetic mutation where the enzyme used to digest milk is kept for an individual’s entire life span. It only takes having a few generations of milk drinking Americas in your family for this mutation to take place. It can now be seen in 85 percent of Caucasian Americans – explains why I felt like the odd one out as a kid! If the human body isn’t made to digest milk after the age of two, how could it be good for us?

The most common and widely accepted beneficial attributed to milk is it’s rich in calcium, a mineral essential for bone health. However, in the documentary, nutritional scientist Amy Joy Lanou, Ph.D. and nutritional biochemist T. Colin Campbell, Ph.D. both agree that milk isn’t actually a good source of calcium. It does contain some calcium, but some vegetables like collard greens and spinach can contain just as much of the nutrient and have higher absorption rates (without the fat and cholesterol that comes in milk). One study found that countries with higher milk and calcium consumption actually had a higher rate of hip fractures. This is believed to be because the calcium found in milk has a 32 percent absorption rate whereas the calcium found in some vegetables can have over a 50 percent absorption rate. Not only do many scientists believe that the staple benefit of milk has been disproved, but the high amounts of saturated fat and cholesterol found in milk have been found to have negative health effects.

Every day children under the age of 10 need about 1,000 mg of calcium, teenagers need about 1,300 mg, and adults need around 1,000 mg. There are many healthy non-dairy ways to get the calcium you need: One half cup serving of tofu can give you 253 mg of calcium. You can get 178 mg of calcium in one half cup serving of collard greens and 146 mg of calcium from just a half cup serving of spinach.  Although I wouldn’t recommend cutting milk completely out of your diet (a big glass is often needed with cookies) it’s important to know some of the myths about the benefits of milk and choose what you eat wisely. So next time you want milk to build strong bones grab the greens instead. And for more information check out “Got the Facts on Milk?” coming out on DVD on August 30^th. (dairydocumentary.com)

Violet, KIWI intern

It’s been another busy week here at KIWI. So busy, in fact, that I’m left with one thing and one thing only on my mind: sleep. Ahh. The fact that I’m still in the middle of a workday doesn’t stop me from dreaming about sleep, planning about sleep, or writing about sleep. So in anticipation of going horizontal, here are three soothing sleep strategies that I’m daydreaming about. Let’s hear it for sleep (but—shh!—not too loud; we’re getting ready to rest here)!

Step one: Relax already!

You know that feeling. You have your comfy pjs on, drank your warm mug of soy milk, have your favorite blankie clutched under your arm—the stage is set to drift off to dreamland stat. But then your mind takes over: “Ah, these sheets are as soft as my cat Sniffles’ fur. Fur…uh-oh, did I feed Sniffles? Sniffles…I wonder if Sniffles would like a dog friend? Friend…nuts, I never returned my best friend’s call. Call…the PR rep never called me back at work. Work…the draft’s not finished and it was due today and now it’s officially late and…”

Yep, when racing thoughts close in, sleeping is about as likely as Sniffles getting up to cheerfully feed herself. But not in this dream fantasy—no claustrophobic thoughts are allowed. Instead, I’ll be pulling out calmspace a portable scent stick formulated with 100 percent natural pure essential oils to help manage anxiety (who, me—anxious?!). About the size of a lipstick, calmspace is a blend of lavendar, melissa, clary sage, chamomile, and bergamot essential oils. Simply take off the cap, hold it under your sniffer or dab it on your skin, and voila! Off to dreamland—stat.

Step two: Once upon a time

No bedtime routine would be complete without a story. Hmm, what to read, what to read…War and Peace? Another time. The Financial Times? Very funny. The World Champion of Staying Awake? Perfect! I’d be hard-pressed to come up with a book about sleep that’s cuter than this one. Published last month by Candlewick Press, this children’s book follows a young girl’s quest to go to sleep. Sounds like a simple task, but not with her rebellious crew of stuffed animal friends who claim to not be sleepy (My favorite: Beanbag Frog. “Is he asleep? No. He’s not. He’s going hoppety-hop again!”). The little girl has to get creative to coax her fuzzy friends to bed so she can get some shuteye. A sweet read for kids of all ages (ahem), with smart sleeping lessons I can use on Sniffles if need be. ($16, Candlewick Press)

Step three: Rock-a-bye Amy

Sure, a nice firm bed has its place, but not in this fantasy dream session. Nope, turns out if you want the most soothing sleep possible (yes, please) a hammock is the way to go. The swinging motion of a rocking hammock reinforces our brain’s natural sleep rhythms in a way that sleeping on a stationary bed does not, according to new research from the University of Geneva in Switzerland. Researchers set out to test whether rocking does indeed soothe sleep (something anyone who’s ever rocked a baby to sleep could tell you), and to understand how this might work at the brain level. After monitoring napping adult volunteers (those lucky nappers), the study authors found that those who snoozed while swinging fell asleep more quickly, and their brain wave activity was more synchronized—leading to a deeper and more refreshing sleep—than volunteers on stationary beds. Bottom line, there’s a hammock out there with my name on it.

Sweet dreams.

–Amy, articles editor

You’ve likely made it your priority to know what’s entering your baby’s body—both natural and unnatural. From the food you feed her, to the soap you use to bathe her, you no doubt read labels and familiarize yourself with ingredients before introducing any sort of new product to her. But what about something used as commonly as your baby’s car seat—what could your child could be exposed to there? One consumer research group is aiming to make sure parents are aware of the chemicals that may be contained in the seat material.

HealthyStuff.org, a project of the Michigan-based Ecology Center, looked at more than 150 car seats released this year and analyzed them for the presence of chemicals including bromine, chlorine, lead and other heavy metals that have been linked to allergies, birth defects, and other developmental problems. Using an X-ray fluorescent device, what researchers found was startling: While some seats were found to be virtually free of the most dangerous chemicals, 60 percent contained at least one of the chemicals tested for, though they were not tested to see if the chemicals were being exposed to kids. Interestingly, chemical levels varied between different models of the same make or car seat, usually due to the amount of flame retardant used on different fabrics.

The top ranked chair was the Graco Turbo Booster in the color Anders, which was the only seat tested that was not found to contain any chlorine, bromine or any other potentially harmful metals, according to the study. The next-best ranked were the infant seats the Graco SnugRide 35 in Laguna Bay, the Chicco Keyfit 30 in Limonata and the Combi Shuttle 33 in Cranberry Noche.

The lowest ranked car seats were the Recaro Pro Booster in Blue Opal, because of high levels of bromine and chlorine found in the seat cushion, and the Britax Marathon 70 in Jet Set, due to high bromine levels in the seat and clip, the study said. Even so, the center found a 64 percent improvement between this year’s seats and previous tests done in 2008.

So how exactly do these chemicals end up harming your child? According to a statement released on the organization’s website, heat and UV-ray exposure in cars can accelerate the breakdown of these chemicals and possibly increase their toxicity. Because babies systems are still developing, and they spend so much time in car seats, researchers believe them to be more vulnerable than adults in terms of exposure. Though the results raise some concerns, researchers are quick to remind parents that the car seats’ primary purpose is what’s truly important.

“Car seats save lives,” said Jeff Gearhart, research director of the Ecology Center, in the statement. “It’s absolutely essential that parents put their children in them while driving, regardless of the rating a particular seat received at HealthyStuff.org.”

So, while you may not be able to control what substances are in your child’s car seat, the ratings at HealthyStuff.org can help you decide on one that ranks safest for your baby. Furthermore, here are a few extra precautions you can take to help limit exposure:

• Avoid exposure to direct sunlight Because heat and direct sunlight can speed up the effects of off-gassing, it’s important to try to keep the car as cool as possible. Buy a window shade for the backseats, or, bring the car seat into the house with you when you leave the car, especially during the summer. You may also want to consider airing out your baby’s car seat outside several weeks before using it—just keep in mind that if it sits in sunlight, off-gassing will occur regardless and the chemicals will be released into the environment.

• Keep it clean Clean the car seat’s washable components—clip, base, buckles— with soap and warm water at least once a week. This will help to remove some surface chemicals, as well as clear the seat of some of the germs your baby’s likely to encounter.

• Cover it up Another option is to cover the car seat with a barrier cloth. Barrier cloth is a dense cotton cloth usually found in dust mite covers. It’s specifically designed to keep out dust, germs, and chemical odors, and the organic variety can be purchased for about $30 per yard in fabric stores and online, making it easy to create a sort of slipcover for your baby’s car seat. Just be sure that it’s not at all loose so your baby is unable to chew on it or pull it over her face. Feeling really crafty? Try making your own seat cover with a fun pattern to add a personal touch (you can find instructions on how to do this here).

-Dana, KIWI Staffer

Image via flickr user Bedtime Champ

American Family Day isn’t exactly a major holiday—or even, it seems, much of a minor one. Though it’s been observed on the first Sunday in August since 1978, you never see those store displays overflowing with decorations and treats like you do for most other holidays. In fact, I’m not sure Hallmark even acknowledges the day, which is funny, considering they churn out cards for other Really? holidays like Citizenship Day (September 17^th) or National Doctors’ Day (March 30^th).

On second thought, I should check. I mean, Hallmark usually has every holiday in existence covered.

I was right. American Family Day is not featured on Hallmark’s list of holidays and occasions!

Still, with camp, play dates, lessons, sports practice, work, and more, dedicating an entire day to spending time as a family probably happens (much) less often than we’d like. So even if the idea of a holiday to celebrate family feels a little cheesy, setting aside one day where parents and kids hang out and appreciate each other is definitely a good thing.

And you don’t just have to play board games, either. (Though you can if you want to! I’d play Scrabble with my family all day if they were willing to indulge me.) Some ideas for fantastic family fun:

Get to know the outdoors If the weather isn’t unbearably hot, why not take on an educational adventure like bird-watching or stargazing?

Cook! Let each family member plan one meal course, then get in the kitchen and whip up an old-fashioned Sunday supper. Cheesy Zucchini Fingers make a tasty appetizer!

Preserve your memories You know once you crack open one photo album you’ll end up spending the whole afternoon going through all the rest of them anyway, so why not make an event of it? Go through your old pictures and make a family scrapbook—you’re guaranteed spend hours laughing at silly baby pictures and embarrassing fashion choices.

-Marygrace, staff writer

After being invited to the Home Depot Light Bulb Product Showcase I was wondering how much there was to possibly learn about light bulbs–turns out, a lot! The Energy Independence and Security Act was signed into law in 2007 with the goals of reducing energy usage and greenhouse gas emissions, and implement new energy efficiency standards for buildings, vehicles, and products like light bulbs. The new efficiency standards for light bulbs will be phased in between 2012 and 2014, and during this time we will see the familiar, less efficient incandescent light bulbs be replaced with high efficiency incandescent bulbs, as well as other high efficiency lighting options. These different energy efficient bulbs are currently available in some stores and by 2014 they will be the only available options. Here, a quick rundown of the energy efficient alternatives:

High Efficiency Incandescent Bulbs These light bulbs are the most similar to the standard incandescent bulbs we are all familiar with but are at least 28 percent more efficient and last three times as long, allowing a 72-watt high efficiency incandescent bulb to provide the same amount of light as a traditional 100-watt incandescent bulb. If you are looking for a light bulb that has a familiar size, shape, color, and price these are the bulbs for you. ($2.99/2-pack, homedepot.com)

Compact Fluorescent Lamp (CFLs) These bulbs use 75 percent less energy while emitting the same amount of light as traditional bulbs. A single CFL can last for up to nine years–that’s ten times longer than a standard incandescent bulb! CFLs are traditionally seen in a spiral shape but we are starting to see them with silicone coated covers that provide a more familiar look and prevent breakage. They also now come in a variety of lighting colors so that you can find the one that best fits in the different rooms of your home. If you’re willing to branch out to the unfamiliar and pay a little more up front to get increased energy efficiency, light bulb life span, and savings, try out CFLs in your home. ($9.47/2-pack, homedepot.com)

Light Emitting Diode (LED) Bulbs Lasting up to 46 years, you can’t get more energy efficient than these bulbs. LEDs provide the same amount of light as traditional bulbs but use 85 percent less energy. They are long-lasting, reliable, safe, durable, and will provide you with immediate savings on your electricity bill. LEDs come in unfamiliar shapes and sizes but provide the quality lighting you’re used to. If you’re willing to adapt to new and different light bulb styles and pay more now (to save tons later –up to $300 in one bulb’s lifetime!) then you have to get LED bulbs for your home. ($9.97/each, homedepot.com)

*Note that all links provided are for light bulbs fitting in standard household lamps but each energy efficient option also comes different styles for different fixtures.

-Violet, KIWI intern

Life-threatening food allergies weren’t something I came across much growing up—yes, I might have known a classmate or two who couldn’t enjoy the same PB&J I did everyday (to which I sympathized)—but back then, it wasn’t a totally common occurrence. Now, some 20 years later (ahem), food allergies appear to be developing in kids more than ever: A new study has found that as many as one in every 12 kids in the United States may have a food allergy, suggesting that prevalence of food allergies might be twice as high as past research indicates.

In 2008, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) estimated that approximately 3.9 percent of American children, or around 3 million kids, had food or digestive allergies. But a recent study, led by allergy specialist Ruchi Gupta, M.D., of Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine in Chicago, found that as many as 8 percent (or nearly 6 million) of American children have been diagnosed with a food allergy. What’s more, nearly 40 percent of those kids had suffered a severe reaction to certain foods, like airway restriction or a drop in blood pressure. The most common allergy was to peanuts, followed by milk, then shellfish.

The study’s authors surveyed nearly 40,000 U.S. adults who lived with a child under 18 through an online questionnaire. Parents reported whether or not their child showed any signs or symptoms of a food allergy, had ever been diagnosed with an allergy by a doctor, and/or had ever had a severe allergic reaction to food.

The research found that Asian and black children are more likely to have food allergies than white children, yet white children are more likely to get a confirmed diagnosis than Asian, black, or Hispanic children. Also, the incidences of food allergies in kids whose household income was less than $50,000 were lower than those kids whose families earned between $50,000 and $100,000 a year. Researchers suspect this might be because minority or low-income kids have less access to medical care, or because their parents might not be familiar with food allergies.

According to the CDC, the number of kids with a food allergy went up 18 percent from 1997 to 2007—but the reasons for this are still unclear. Some experts suspect that the average Western diet of sugars, animal fats, and processed foods has lowered the number of healthy bacteria in our guts, making our immune systems more susceptible to developing allergies; others suspect that the novel proteins in GMOs may trigger food allergies, especially in kids. Still others feel that it’s simply a matter of parents and doctors being more aware of food allergies and their warning signs than they were 15 years ago.

Regardless, these latest findings confirm what many parents of children with food allergies already know—the health impact of food allergies is real and troubling. If you suspect your child may suffer from a food allergy, no matter how mild, take her to a certified specialist for testing. If the allergist finds she should avoid certain foods, double check the labels of everything she eats, ask about ingredients at restaurants, and work with your doctor to develop a food allergy action plan. Early detection is key, and might even save your child’s life.

-Dana, KIWI Intern

Happy Birthday, KIWI!  You’re almost 5-years-old, ready to start grade school. As a pediatrician, I’m so used to thinking about age this way… what is five years actually in magazine years? I think it’s a very significant milestone, especially in this age of digital media. KIWI is relevant in 2011 because it speaks to the growing number of families interested in natural, healthy, “green” living. You’ve come a long way, KIWI, and I am proud to work with you. In many ways, my pediatric practice and family life have grown in parallel with you.

Five years ago, in 2006, I was approaching my tenth year as a pediatrician out of academic training. My children were 5 and 8 at the time. As a parent and as a doctor, I was in the midst of a transformation that felt like that freight train inevitably barreling down the track. I had no idea at the time that it would eventually lead to leaving my group practice to start my own fully integrative, green practice. I was starting to feel comfortable integrating holistic practices into every day encounters in the office. Families were coming to me because they valued the “greener” approach I was taking. I was also developing one of the country’s first academic pediatric integrative programs at Hackensack University Medical Center and working closely with the Deirdre Imus Environmental Health Center in New Jersey. I was just starting to fully appreciate not only the impact that the environment was having on our health, but also the major impact that the practice of healthcare was having on our environment. Furthermore, working with families in my practice to live healthier lives inspired me to make similar changes at home. Each week, we re-examined some aspect of our daily lives—from the foods in our fridge to the cleaning products in our pantry—replacing what we could with healthier, greener options. It was an exciting and somewhat overwhelming time, but looking back, it was a really important time for me both as a pediatrician and as a parent.

Today, in 2011, it’s easy to look back and trace the routes that brought me to where I am today. Writing for KIWI, heading the Section on Integrative Medicine at the AAP, starting the fourth year of practice at the Whole Child Center, I am fully engaged in green, integrative practice. Professionally, I am so encouraged by the number of families who are joining the crusade to improve our children’s and our planet’s health. Green living is a mainstream way-of-life. Every encounter, from prenatal group sessions to chats with teenagers, focuses on creating wellness and incorporating natural, ecologically sustainable practices in our daily lives. And my children—now 13 and 10—are actively working with their peers to green our community by educating friends about organic produce and chemical-free products. We still work to keep living healthy lives, but it feels less overwhelming and just the way we do things.

What does the future hold? Where will we be in 2016, five years from now? I am looking forward to continuing my work with KIWI, and with families in my community and practitioners throughout the world to make integrative, ecologically sustainable healthcare the mainstream way of living that it needs to be. We face tremendous challenges in the years ahead to make healthcare as accessible and affordable as possible. I am convinced that integrative and ecologically sustainable practices are the best solutions to creating a true HEALTH-care system that both reduces costs and improves health outcomes. If we continue this work together, I believe we can address the health care and environmental challenges we face in the years to come.

–Dr. Lawrence Rosen, KIWI columnist

One night last week after dinner, I was fixing my daughter a dessert of yogurt and applesauce, and I said, “Hey, kiddo, I’m making you a special treat!” And she said, with the enthusiasm only a toddler can muster, “Is it broccoli?” She was so excited by the possibility of having broccoli for dessert that I was a little sad to disappoint her with mere yogurt and applesauce.

I don’t think my daughter would be as excited about the prospect of broccoli for dessert if she weren’t so involved in our garden from seed to harvest. Every night, my family gets to eat the most delicious, freshest, most local, most organic produce in the world! Our garden just keeps giving and giving.

For the past few weeks, our little fenced-in oasis of raised beds has been pushing beans and zucchini, onions and potatoes, basil, parsley, and garlic. Three days ago, we picked the first of our cucumbers. Our corn is a few days from being ready, and we are just teetering on the edge of tomato inundation. Picking ripe vegetables is part of our daily routine these days, and every day we learn something new about how to do it right.

Knowing when things are ready to pick can get a little confusing for new gardeners. Even for seasoned gardeners, knowing just when to pick vegetables takes patience and skill. Picking at the peak of ripeness isn’t rocket science, but there is a fine art to knowing that if you pick a zucchini today, you’ll have a tender, sweet treat, but if you wait till tomorrow, you’ll find a baseball-bat-sized fruit that’s pretty much good only for baking (or composting). The Organic Gardening test gardeners have spent years learning from trial and error so that I can present you with these 10 tips for harvesting vegetables at their peak ripeness.

Capturing Your Garden at the Peak of Freshness

Pick Beans That Snap Beans actually snap in half when they’re ready to be harvested, and the inner seeds bulge the sides of the pod just slightly. Make sure you pick your beans at least every other day once they start coming in; otherwise they’ll get too big, the shells will get tough, and they won’t be nearly as enjoyable as if you pick them sooner.

Get Your Broccoli Before It Bolts Harvest your broccoli when the central head is fully formed but before any sign of yellowing appears and before buds open and flower. Cut 6 to 7 inches below the head. Some varieties produce side shoots once the main head is removed. You can continue harvesting as long as shoots are produced.

Harvest Sweet Corn Every Time The silk should be dried and brown and the cob should be plump. Pull back the husk a little to expose the kernels. Puncture a kernel with your fingernail. If a milky fluid flows out, the corn is ready. If the liquid is clear, the corn is immature, and if it’s pasty, you’ve waited too long to pick it.

Pluck Cucumbers Before They’re Bitter Don’t let your cukes get too long or too big. The bigger they get, the more bitter they become. Shoot for around 6 to 8 inches. The skin should be dark green. Pick ’em a little smaller for pickling.

Select Slim and Slender Zucchini In my book, zucchini is best when it’s picked on the small side—8 to 10 inches max. But inevitably you just won’t see some of the fruit until it’s gigantic. Pick them when your thumbnail can easily puncture the rind. I actually use a pocketknife to cut through the thick stem.

Give Cantaloupe the Slip When the skin looks completely netted and the color between the net turns from green to yellow, lean in and take a whiff. It should smell somewhat musky. If you don’t smell anything, you should wait. If your melon is ripe, it will separate easily or “slip” from the vine. Some people also knock on the melon, listening for a dull thud, but there is an art to cantaloupe knocking that takes years to refine.

Pick Eggplants Before They Get Dense Harvest your eggplants when the skin is shiny and firm, and purple to black in color. If fruit is overripe, seeds are hard and flesh separates into stringy channels.

Gather Up the Tastiest Spuds Harvest spuds after most of the vines have died, when skin is firm. If you like new potatoes, you can start harvesting when the plants begin to flower. I planted my taters in deep straw mulch, which makes it easy to just reach in and grab a few when you want them without disturbing the whole plant. You can leave the potatoes in the ground for a while if you want, but make sure you lift them before the ground temperature goes below 40˚F—cool temperatures will turn the starch into sugar and ruin the taste of your taters.

Pick the Juiciest Tomatoes Depending on variety, harvest at full color and when they are firm. An overripe tomato quickly loses its firmness. And can also split and crack on the vine. But an underripe tomato will usually ripen up in a day or two. So it’s better to err on the side of not ripe enough.

Pull Watermelons with Tone There are a few telltale signs for ripe watermelons: The tendril closest to the fruit’s stem withers and browns; the belly turns cream to yellowish in color; and when you tap the fruit, you hear a dull, hollow sound.

For more harvesting help, check out OrganicGardening.com.

-Eric Hurlock is the online editor at Organic Gardening magazine. He lives and gardens in Chester County, PA, with his wife, daughter, and new baby. Follow his Real World Gardener blog at http://organicgardening.com/blogs/realworldgardener.

Flickr user snehroy under CCL

I never thought of myself as an emotional eater. That is, until last spring, when for one afternoon it seemed like the various pressures of being a grownup just might throw me over the edge of sanity and into the land of nervous breakdowns. Looking back, I can’t even remember the events the nearly pushed me to the brink, but I do remember the intense feeling of wanting to eat a brownie. Never before being the type of person who’d been driven to indulge in those feel-good foods from stress or anxiety, I marveled at this new type of craving. And that night after dinner, I ate the brownie, and it was intensely pleasurable. For a brief while, I forgot about all of the day’s problems and concentrated instead on the rich chocolate flavors and dense, chewy textures. Even after finishing, I was able simply to sit back and pat my belly contentedly.

But even though I’d really enjoyed the brownie, all the while as I ate it there was a tiny voice in my head saying, It’s fine to do this once, but you can’t make it a habit. In other words, I could not start eating brownies every time life felt a little overwhelming—for the sake of my health and my waistline. I knew this because stress eating is something we hear about all the time. My harried-woman-craving-chocolate scenario was pretty classic, but it’s certainly not the only one: What about the woman who downs a pint of Ben & Jerry’s in an attempt to console herself over a bad breakup? The guy who just wants to unwind after a grueling day at work by vegging out in front of the TV beer and a pizza? Even kids turn to unhealthy foods when they want to take their minds off something unpleasant—why else would doctors offices hand out post-shot lollipops?

And now, new Belgian research confirms what most of us already know to be true, at least anecdotally: Rich, fatty foods cheer us up. More specifically, the chemicals found in the foods actually alter our bodies’ hormone and nerve cell responses in the gut and brain, making us feel happier. To some, high fat foods can actually act as a sort of drug to help us—albeit temporarily—forget our troubles.

Which really just leads to more trouble, since as I came to realize, reaching for a brownie whenever times got tough is a great way to gain weight. While I think enjoying treats in moderation during special times—say, ice cream cones to celebrate your child’s winning jump shot—is probably healthiest, it’s also important to acknowledge reality: Even during the most mundane, un-special days, adults and kids sometimes need a little boost. A few minutes of yoga or meditative breathing might be ideal, but eating a mood-enhancing, portion-controlled snack is far less offensive than some of the other ways people might choose to relieve tension.

Still, even a portion-controlled brownie is still a brownie, so it might be a good idea to acknowledge your cravings with slightly healthier higher fat foods when life gets crazy (at least, most of the time). Some better-for-you swaps:

-Marygrace, staff writer

Junk mail is a major annoyance and all too often just thrown in the trash without a second thought—but at the expense of the planet. Every year over a million trees are used for junk mail we will never read and 44 percent of it is sent to a landfill unopened, according to the Forest Ethics Campaign.  Here, some practical—and safe–ways for you to reuse your junk mail today!

Packing material You don’t have to add extra waste when shipping fragile items, just use shredded or crumbled sheets of junk mail. Sending boxes with junk mail as the packing material not only gets rid of the junk itself, but also reduces the need for environmentally harmful Styrofoam packing peanuts!

Firewood is a great way to heat your home in the cold months while reducing heating costs. Use junk mail as an easy fire starter or replace firewood completely by making paper bricks using something like the Lehmans Newspaper Brick Maker that compresses wet paper into bricks that can be dried and then burned like wood in your stove or fireplace ($29.95, lehmans.com). An important note: Junk mail with colored ink or glossy papers can emit dangerous chemicals when burned, so stick to matte pages with black and white text (learn more at nontoxicprint.com)

Funnels can be handy for re-stocking all sorts of things in your kitchen. Make one out of your unwanted junk mail and re-fill those salt and pepper shakers today or use it to get rid of those pesky summer fruit flies by placing the funnel at the top of a closed jar with a piece of rotten fruit inside (the bugs can get in but not back out!). Get directions for making a funnel at junkmailgems.com.

Animal bedding is needed for your bunnies, guinea pigs, hamsters, and other small pets. Shredded junk mail can be used as an easy cheap replacement for store bought bedding. Again, steer clear of junk mail that’s printed with colored ink or on glossy paper.

Garden mulch Use your junk mail to help your garden by shredding it and using it as mulch. Helpful hint: Use your garden hose to dampen the junk mail mulch so it doesn’t get blown around your yard or cover with a thin layer of purchased mulch to keep in place and improve the unsightly look of the paper. This is one more instance to steer clear of glossy or colored junk mail.

Homemade recycled paper can be a fun (but slightly messy) craft to make with your kids that can help you reduce, reuse, and recycle. Homemade paper can be used for family notes, wrapping paper, or even as a fun unique background for a school project! Find out how to use your junk mail to make paper at childrenoftheearth.org.

Collages and mosaics can inspire creativity and be fun for the whole family to make. Use your junk mail (especially old magazines) to cut out different images to make collages with your kids. Need some inspiration? Check out these beautiful mosaic junk mail portraits made by artist Sandhi Schimmel at schimmelart.com.

Paper hats Junk mail can be used to make fun paper crafts with your kids like hats that they can add to costumes. Find directions to make hats and other fun crafts with your junk mail at craftbits.com.

Violet, Kiwi intern

Any parent who shops for groceries has seen the labels: “Fortified with vitamin D!” “Now with added DHA!” And any parent trying to raise a healthy child knows how important vitamins and nutrients are. But what does it mean to add vitamins to foods—is that natural?

As part of public health policy, manufacturers often add vitamins and trace minerals the human body can’t make on its own to dairy, soy, cereal, juice, flour, salt, and nut butters. Folic acid, for example, is added to flour, cereal, and bread products, because a deficiency of this vitamin is linked to neural tube defects. When it comes

to organic food, though, some other issues arise. For instance, if an organic food isn’t fortified, will people choose conventional to get the vitamins? Will consumers turn away from the benefits of organic in order to get the benefits of vitamin D?

Then there’s the issue of the additive itself: If it isn’t grown organically, can the product still be called organic? The answer is often yes: Organic food is allowed to be fortified, and in most instances, up to five percent of a product can include nonorganic ingredients (including synthetic additives) and still earn the USDA’s organic label. This fall, the National Organic Standards Board (which oversees organic labeling standards) is holding a discussion about additives in organic products. In particular, they’ll look at DHA and ARA, fatty acids that aid brain and vision development that have recently been added to formula and milk products. That particular use of them isn’t covered by the FDA’s current fortification policy, which has raised concern among some activists.

A Wisconsin-based farm policy group called The Cornucopia Institute has filed two complaints with the USDA: one regarding DHA and ARA (both fatty acids that aid brain and eye development) in various brands of baby formula, and one regarding DHA in one of Horizon Organics’ milk products. Though both additives are Generally Recognized As Safe (an official designation, called GRAS) by the FDA, the rules governing the use of them in organic foods doesn’t apply to formula and milk. So, this fall, the NOP will be holding a discussion and a possible decision about this particular issue, as well as about additives in other organic products.

Horizon Organics put their point of view this way, in a statement to KIWI: “We believe people shouldn’t have to choose between the organic foods they want and fortified foods providing the health benefits they need. Organic milk and dairy products are commonly fortified with added vitamins and nutrients such as vitamins A, D, and DHA omega-3. Consumer demand for these organic products is strong and growing, because a large body of scientific evidence shows these products are safe and offer various health benefits.”

Meanwhile, Charlotte Vallaeys, Cornucopia’s director of farm and food policy Cornucopia says the group’s position is this: “Cornucopia believes organic food should be fortified if it’s part of the FDA’s official fortification policy. Calcium and vitamins A and D are all essential nutrients under FDA guidelines. But we do not consider synthetic DHA to be an essential ingredient, so the FDA needs to clarify the rule.”

KIWI and the Organic Trade Association surveyed readers and found:

• 73% either fully support or don’t mind organic fortification
• 47% said if an organic food were fortified, they’d be more likely to buy it. 42% said it wouldn’t affect their decision.
• The added nutrients that make readers more likely to buy an organic product are: healthy fats, calcium, antioxidants, probiotics, and vitamin D.

Do you agree? Share your opinion below!

Sure, the toasty temperatures help make summer undeniable. But what really makes it absolutely-100-percent-officially summer is the carefree feeling of freedom that school kids feel—a feeling that can’t help but rub off on adults. Summer is that wonderful sense of days lasting just a little bit longer, of afternoon walks becoming afternoon strolls, when the question on an ordinary weekday evening isn’t “Do you want to do something tonight?” but rather, “What will we do tonight!” In this spirit of the warmer months, here are four new children’s books that capture the optimistic bliss of the sweetest season.

Farley and the Lost Bone (Ages 2 to 7)

Poor Farley. This sweet but forgetful sheepdog can’t remember where he buried his bone. He put it in a safe spot last fall, but then it snowed, and snowed, and months passed… Now that the ground’s soft again, Farley can reunite with his bone—but where in the world did he bury it? Little readers will follow along on Farley’s backyard quest to find his beloved bone. ($14.99, Andrews McMeel Publishing)

Pig Kahuna (Ages 3 to 6)

Fergus and his little brother love collecting treasures that wash up on the beach, especially if Fergus doesn’t actually have to go in the water. One day, the two little pigs find an abandoned surfboard and name it “Dave.” See what happens when Dave ends up in the ocean—will Fergus muster the courage to take the plunge and rescue Dave? ($14.99, Bloomsbury Children’s Books)

The Summer Visitors (Ages 4 and up)

Summertime means it’s time to pack up the family and settle into a cottage on the lake—even if it means there’s a human family there! This follow-up to The Winter Visitors traces the adorable antics of a bumbling bear family as they enjoy the comforts of cottage life, all the while trying to avoid detection by their human “hosts.” ($16.95, Down East)

Going to the Beach with Lily and Milo (Ages 0 to 3)

Preparing for a trip to the beach for best friends Lily and Milo isn’t exactly simple. There are swimsuits to choose, towels to select, sunscreen to pack, umbrellas to locate, and flip-flops to wear. Not to mention toys, snacks, and beverages that need to be gathered, too! But how will everything fit in their little cart? Bright colors, repetition of objects, and rounded corners and heavy pages make this book perfect for babies and toddlers. ($12.95, Clavis Publishing Books)

–Amy, articles editor

Image via Flickr user Atvance under a Creative Commons license

Here we are, in the dog days of summer. If the novelty of hitting the pool is starting to wear off, shake up your family’s summer vacation routine with these fun, inexpensive ideas.

• Visit a local stable to learn how horses are cared for. Find out if you can bring carrot sticks or rolled oats to feed them.
• Have a green birthday party for everyone in your family—call it Everybody’s Birthday Day.
• Hang an old sheet on a clotheslines, then fill spray bottles with a mixture of nontoxic paint and water. Spray away for a unique, colorful masterpiece!
• Make ice pops with 100% fruit juice.
• Become citizen scientists by collecting data for environmental researchers—right in your backyard!
• Turn your garage into a neighborhood theater and put on a play.
• Throw a tea party.
• Blow homemade bubbles: Add ½ cup natural dish liquid and 2 teaspoons sugar to 1 ½ cups water and mix well. For colored bubbles, add a few drops of natural food coloring!
• Make dreamcatchers.
• Give your child a set budget (say, $10), then head over to a local thrift store and have her pick out the wackiest items he can. Come home, dress up, and have a photo shoot.
• Pick fruit at a local farm, then bring it home to make pie or jam.
• Attend a parents and kids yoga class.
• Set up a movie theater in your own backyard and watch your family’s favorite flick after the sun goes down.
• Take a bird watching walk with an expert. Contact your local Audobon Society chapter to find bird watching events near you.
• Make rainbow cake—but don’ forget to use natural food coloring!
• Decorate tote bags with buttons, rick rack, and natural paint. Then head to the library and check out as many books as will fit in your bags. Try to read them all before they have to be returned!
• Help furry friends in need by volunteering at a local animal shelter.
• Make pizza from scratch. See if you can toss the dough over your head without making (too much) mess!
• Learn how to make balloon animals, then set up a free sidewalk stand to give the creatures away.
• Set up a fort in your backyard and camp out under the stars. If possible, roast marshmallows.

What are your favorite frugal summertime activities?

-Marygrace, staff writer

Summer can mean busy schedules filled with work, carpooling, camp, swimming lessons, and often not a lot of me time. It can be hard to convince yourself that running outside in the hot sun or being cooped up in a gym is a great way to spend the free time you do have, making it easy to drop your workout plan so that you can spend more time with your family. This doesn’t mean you have to fall out of shape. You can turn family time into some intense workouts for you that will be great fun for your kids. Just try some of these fun summer activities!

Flashlight Tag is a fun after dinner game you can play with your kids. It’s a mix of hide and seek and tag, one person is “it” and searches for the others with their flashlight as the rest of the family tries to get back to a designated base without getting caught. Playing in the dark is not only adventurous but also much cooler than running around in the hot sun. Play this exciting game with your thrill-seeking youngsters and burn 220 calories in an hour!

Swimming Who doesn’t love hitting the pool? Swimming can cool you off on a hot summer day. Try a game of Marco Polo with your kids where one person is it and tries to find the others with their eyes closed by yelling “Marco” and following the “Polo” responses. During this fun game you can burn 300 calories in just 30 minutes!

Volleyball is a fun and competitive family activity that’s great for older kids. Add this in to a relaxing day at the beach for a good workout. In just an hour you can burn up to 560 calories! Or try it at home or at a local park and burn 230 calories in an hour. You’ll burn more calories on a sand court because you expend more energy running through sand than on hard surfaces.

Rollerblading and biking are fun ways to explore your neighborhood and connect with the outdoors. Ditch the car and bike or blade to a nearby restaurant for dinner to have fun as a family while helping the environment. You can burn 500 calories per hour on your bike or blades.

Frisbee can be played right in your backyard. Invite friends and family over to build teams for an ultimate Frisbee game, where players try to score goals on either sides of a field by passing the Frisbee to their teammates and working their way down to the end zone – but whoever’s holding the Frisbee isn’t allowed to run! Or just play toss with your kids. This fun variation on catch can help you burn 200 calories per hour.

Miniature golf was and still is one of my favorite family outings; I used to get so excited about a special trip to the mini golf course when I was little. Share this fun with your kids and burn 215 calories in an hour of playing!

*Calories burned during these activities have been calculated for an adult weighing 150 lbs.

 
Violet, Kiwi intern

Image via Flickr user Fredthechicken under a Creative Commons license

This past weekend, I had the pleasure of enduring one of life’s most stressful events: moving. While I was thrilled to be relocating to an apartment that was newer, more spacious, and in closer walking distance to some of my favorite shops and outdoor spaces, there were other aspects of the move—like living in cluttered chaos for the week prior, spending every night packing after a long day at work, and trying to organize my cable service transfer—that were less than pleasant. Another not-so-great thing about moving that I realized while surrounded by trash, boxes, and packing materials? How inherently un-green the entire process is.

Now, my husband and I (and our dog) lived in a tiny, one-bedroom apartment. So we’d always worked hard at restricting our purchases to the essentials in an effort to avoid accumulating too much stuff. Who knew the “essentials” would end up filling over twenty cardboard boxes? As someone who prides herself on living simply and without (too much) extra froufrou, I was sort of appalled at the amount of stuff I actually owned (a whole box full just for my shoes? Really?), and the amount of resources it required to move everything to our new place—that was literally only a mile away! But as frustrating as the whole thing was, I’m happy to say that we did employ a few small—but still significant—tricks that helped make the moving and packing process a little bit greener:

Go through your stuff before packing Even though we ended up with twenty boxes of stuff to transport, that number would’ve been even higher had I not gone through our belongings ahead of time to find the items we no longer used. Instead of packing clothes I don’t wear, books I’ve already read, and papers I don’t need, I could donate or recycle them.

Rent boxes We really did want to do the move ourselves—but the thought of carrying several pieces of furniture up three steep flights of stairs on a 100+ degree day seemed near impossible, so we reluctantly hired a moving company. It cost some money, but hiring movers did help us with another thing: boxes. With a deposit, our moving company let us take as many as we needed. Instead of throwing them out afterwards, we can bring all the empty boxes right back.

Use packing material you already have Since we seriously underestimated how much stuff we had to pack, we only took one small roll of paper to use for wrapping our breakable items, like glasses and dishes. So it wasn’t long before the paper ran out, but we didn’t go back to get more. Instead, we started wrapping items in towels, kitchen rags, t-shirts, and even oven mitts. It worked like a charm, and actually helped us pack a few less boxes overall, since those cloth items didn’t need to be packed on their own.

Buy used We moved into this new place so I could set up a home office in the spare bedroom. When it came time to buy a desk, I headed to my favorite local vintage store and found a fantastic midcentury modern one made of dark wood—for $113! For a fraction of what it would’ve cost to buy new, I got a super cool looking desk that used zero new resources to build or pack. The moral of the story: If you need to furnish the new space, go secondhand when possible.

What about you? What are some of the ways your family has or will green a move?

-Marygrace, staff writer

Let’s admit it. A farmers’ market can be an overwhelming place. Don’t get me wrong. I love them and won’t soon forgo my weekly visits. But there is something rather dizzying about them, especially during the height of the season when tent after tent is populated by dozens of different shapes and varieties of fruits and vegetables. Who hasn’t overbought at one time or another during summer’s zenith?

A CSA share, on the other hand, can be so comforting. For those unfamiliar with sustainable food jargon, CSA stands for Community Supported Agriculture. Many family-owned farms sell shares at the beginning of the growing season. The farm earns money during the planting season when they most need it. In exchange, CSA members pick up a box full of seasonal produce on a regular, usually weekly basis. I love my CSA not only because I get a manageable amount of certified organic produce, but also because I know that I’m cooking exactly what I should when I should. Before signing up for a CSA, I would agonize over meal planning. It could take me take me hours to create a weekly plan, one that I would change almost the instant I stepped into the circle of market tents. After signing up for our CSA, my menu plan was circumscribed by the contents of my produce box. In spring, we eat lots of greens, such as kale, chard, and spinach. In summer, I cull my cookbook collection for delicious and unusual recipes to use up the seemingly endless supply of cucumbers and summer squash. As the growing season slows, my family enjoys slow roasted squash and more cool weather greens. I may forgo the endless selection at the market, but my CSA better connects my family to the season and to the vicissitudes of Mother Nature by tying the fortune of our dinner table with those of our farmer’s.

These days, we’re enjoying garlic scapes, the curly cue tops of the garlic plant, a early summer delight. I use them like chives, finely chopping them and using them in marinades, dressings, and as garnish.

Buttermilk-Scape Marinated Pork Chops

3 garlic scapes

1/2 cup loosely packed mint leaves

1 cup buttermilk 1 teaspoon coarse salt

4 bone-in pork chops

Rip the scapes into large pieces and put into the bowl of a food processor with the mint leaves. Pour the buttermilk through the feed tube and process until finely chopped. Mix in salt. Place the pork chops into a large shallow dish. Pour over the marinade and turn to coat. Marinate for at least 2 hours or overnight. Grill on a charcoal or gas grill until the interior temperature reaches 150° F. Serve warm.

Serves 4

—Guest blogger Melissa Graham is the founder and executive director of the nonprofit Purple Asparagus.

Looking for something to do this weekend? You could take the kids to the movies or a water park—again. Or you could get them fired up about the outdoors with a cool nature treasure hunt—for free!

The Nature Conservancy, the world’s leading conservation organization, is focused on getting kids outside this summer to experience the natural world at its best. With a belief that kids will be more motivated to protect nature as adults if they experience its wonder as children, The Nature Conservancy has created an outdoor adventure just for kids. Click here for their nature treasure hunt (one version is for ages 4 to 7, another is for ages 8 to 10) that works in cities, suburbs, or rural areas all over the country. With fun things to look for (Animal tracks! Bugs!), and do (Build a fairy house! Hop like a frog!), kids will be enjoying—and appreciating—the natural wonders of their worlds. And if you want to join them for some frog hopping yourself, it’ll be our little secret.

For more cool ways to encourage a love of nature in kids, check out our article, We Love Science.

Have fun out there!

–Amy, articles editor

Image via Flickr user andrevanb under a Creative Commons license

Summer’s my favorite season, so it’s pretty easy for me to come up with about a million reasons why this time of year is great (sunshine! the beach! ice cream cones! running through sprinklers!). But it’s also easy for me to come up with one reason why this time of year is not-so-great: bugs. When the warm weather rolls around, the creepy critters are everywhere to be found—and here in Texas, we’re not just talking ants and fruit flies.

Free pest control services are frequently offered in my building, but since that means pumping my apartment full of nasty chemical spray, I always say no. Fortunately, my dog does a pretty good job nixing bugs naturally—whenever she sees one, she hunts it down in a jiffy. Still, I feel bad making her do all the work, so I asked some of our readers to share their favorite earth-friendly methods for getting rid of summer pests on Facebook. Some of their top tips:

Sugar ants: Tea Tree Oil. Also, simply weeding around the house helps immensely. As for mosquitos: California Baby 30+SPF is a natural bug repellent! -Anna R.

Neem oil eucalyptus and rosemary with some water in a spray bottle. -Janine V.

We just had a flea problem…sprinkled salt and baking soda all over the house, vacuumed up the next day. -Dayna L.

Peppermint oil! Ants, spiders, ect hate the stuff! I mix it into my normal cleaning spray (vinegar, water and a squirt of 7th gen dish soap) and critters stay out of the house all summer! And vitamin b-1 patches for when we’re camping .. they last 2-3 days and keep the bugs off! safe for the kids too! -Rebekah M.

I use coffee grounds around the house. It keeps the ants at bay and is great for plants that thrive in acidic soil. For mosquitoes, I use Tom’s of Maine Lemongrass deodorant, eat lots of garlic and wear oils like sandalwood, patchouli, ylang ylang, etc… For the kids, I use Burt’s Bees bug repellent. -Laura M.

Crushed cinnamon sticks keep the ants away, and makes the house smell nice! -Maria C.

Considering that conventional pest treatments usually smell pretty gross, I especially love the fact that most of these remedies will actually make your living space (and you) smell better. What about you—have you tried any of these? Got any bug zapping tricks of your own?

-Marygrace, staff writer

Yogurt’s good-for-you status rivals that of superfood heavyweights like blueberries, salmon, and walnuts—and for good reason. It’s an excellent source of bone-strengthening calcium as well as minerals like magnesium, phosphorous, and potassium. It’s an inexpensive source of protein, which helps keep stabilize blood sugar and keep you fuller for longer. And it’s positively loaded with probiotics, those friendly bacteria that improve our digestive health, boost our immunity, and may even prevent and treat skin conditions like eczema.

I happily eat a bowl of the plain stuff almost every morning (coincidentally, with blueberries and walnuts. If I live to be 100, this will probably be why!). And on the rare occasions (usually, travel) when I miss my yogurt fix, I find other breakfast foods don’t satisfy me in quite the same way and my stomach sometimes feels a little off. It could be my imagination, of course, but I prefer to think that yogurt is just really, really good for me.

If your family is lactose-sensitive or –intolerant, though, you probably aren’t eating a lot of yogurt—or maybe none at all. Of course, there are dairy-free varieties that contain the same beneficial probiotics and are fortified with calcium, but to me, they just don’t cut it. Yogurts made from soymilk can have a sort of funny taste and texture, and too often contain a fair amount of added sugar. Coconut milk yogurt’s another option, but again, the texture is way off. And since it hardly has any protein, it isn’t filling the way dairy yogurts are.

So given my enthusiasm for dairy yogurt and the fact that I think everyone should be eating more of it, you’d think I would be thrilled to receive samples of Green Valley Organics Lactose Free Yogurt—the seemingly perfect solution for families who have problems tolerating milk. The yogurt is made from organic dairy milk, but employs a special filtering technique that strains out most of the large lactose molecules. Afterwards, the enzyme lactase is added, which helps break down the remaining lactose, making it easy for sensitive tummies to digest. The process is entirely natural, but I just thought it was going to make the yogurt taste funny.

Fortunately, I was wrong. I tried a carton of plain Green Valley Organics Lactose Free Yogurt for breakfast recently, and am happy to report that it tastes just like any other natural yogurt. And the texture might even be better: slightly thicker than the usual local brand I buy (which happens to be full fat, but GVO is low fat!), with a consistency closer to Greek yogurt than most standard varieties. I loved it, and despite the fact that my body has no problem digesting lactose, I’d buy it again—and recommend it to you!

Just as good, Green Valley Organics also makes lactose free kefir (a thinner, drinkable version of yogurt) and sour cream (I tried both and loved them, too!). If your family is looking for an easier-to-digest line of dairy products that’s nutritious and delicious, I’d say you’ve met your match.

Learn more at greenvalleylactosefree.com.

-Marygrace, staff writer

Summer is the time for green, plush lawns and impressive home gardens. Kids play outside in the grass and dirt and pets enjoy the outside sun. A pristine lawn is often achieved through the use of synthetic lawn chemicals, but is the use of these products worth the problems these chemicals cause the environment, your pets, and your family?

One of the most well-known problems lawn chemicals create is the environmental damage caused by synthetic pesticide and fertilizer runoff into our water systems. The fertilizers cause algae to grow faster while the pesticides cause it to die and decompose at increased rates, consuming too-large amounts of the water’s oxygen supply. The result: Fish and other aquatic life have a hard time surviving in the oxygen-deprived water.

As if this environmental damage alone isn’t enough to stop the use of synthetic lawn boosters, these chemicals can also harm pets and people. Synthetic lawn chemicals can easily get into a dog or cat’s system by direct contact when playing in the yard or by breathing them in, potentially increasing the risk for developing lymphoma and bladder cancer. Even scarier? Synthetic lawn chemicals are linked to increased risk of behavioral disorders, asthma, child leukemia, birth defects, liver and kidney damage, and lowered immunity—especially in kids, since they have more skin surface compared to their weight and take more breaths per minute than adults. Their developing organs are also less able to detoxify toxins that enter their bodies.

Organic lawn products do not contain the harmful chemicals that cause the increased rate of growth, death, and decomposition of algae so using them instead of synthetic chemicals could be one step of many to help our aquatic life. They also lack the harmful chemicals that cause the health problems in both people and pets. It is important to know that changing your lawn care techniques will not completely eliminate the risk of these harmful effects from your life as these synthetic chemicals can be carried into your home from other yards, so spread the word! As you’re watching your little ones enjoy the summer weather playing in your lawn or garden consider using organic lawn products like from Arbico Organics, my personal favorite, or hiring an organic lawn care provider, which you can find at safelawns.org. Whether it’s for the environment, your pets, your family or yourself remember to go green on your lawn this summer!

- Violet, Kiwi intern

At around 3 o’clock I normally get the afternoon yawns and run to grab a coffee to help me get through the rest of my day. Of course my afternoon fatigue is worse on days when I haven’t gotten a good nights sleep—but a lack of sleep can cause much more serious problems than yawning at work. Ideally children should be receiving ten to twelve hours of sleep each night and adults should be receiving at least seven to eight. A lack of adequate sleep can lead to health problems such as lowered immunity, depression, and obesity, as well as heart disease and diabetes. Adequate sleep is of even more importance for children who are still developing. Here are some natural remedies from The Herbal Resource, an online guide to herbal remedies, and their uses that can help improve your sleep and lead to a healthier life:

Valerian The plant’s root has long been used as a sleep aid by people in ancient Greece and Rome. It is one of the most popular herbs used to help insomnia by relieving nerve and muscle tension and anxiety, but is more effective if used over extended periods of time because the active compounds require consistent use to be most effective. Safe in small doses, too-large amounts can cause nausea, headaches and dizziness—so be sure to check with your doctor to determine the right dose for you or your child. Valerian root can be taken in a capsule, tea, tablet, or a liquid extract.

Chamomile is a flowering plant that can be taken as a tea or liquid to reduce restlessness and improve digestion. It is a mild herb that has no chance of dependency, but may cause reactions in people who are allergic to ragweed or daisies because it is in the same family of plants. When taken in a tea form it has a mild and pleasant taste, making it a great remedy for kids!

Kava The root of this herb helps relax the body and calm the mind, in turn helping people fall asleep faster. It is most often taken in a liquid extract form. Kava should not be used for extended periods of time because it has the potential to cause liver damage, and so isn’t recommended for kids.

Lemon Balm is a plant in the mint family that’s leaves can be dried and used as a tea for a sleep aid. The essential oils found in lemon balm helps protect against ulcers making, it very useful for those having trouble sleeping because of a nervous stomach. It would be a great sleep remedy for children the night before a big game or test!

Passion Flower The dried leaves can be taken in a tea form or a liquid extract to relieve body tension and relax the mind. The only side effect? Drowsiness–exactly what you want in a sleep aid!

All of these remedies can be purchased in most drug stores or online at MotherNature.com. Remember to talk with your doctor before starting any sleep aid regimen.
- Violet, Kiwi intern

Summer has always been my favorite time of the year, particularly July—we get to celebrate the (official) birth of our country with friends, family, and barbeques on July 4^th, and, I also get to celebrate my own birthday—today in fact. But now that I’ve found out it’s also National Ice Cream Month, I think it’s safe to say that July is officially my favorite month of the year.

So in honor of all this fabulousness, I’ve decided to share with you the recipe for one of my all-time favorite ice cream flavors, from one of my all-time favorite ice cream shops, Jeni’s Splendid Ice Creams in my hometown of Columbus, Ohio. Owner Jeni Britton Bauer’s newly-released book, Jeni’s Splendid Ice Creams At Home ($24, Artisan Books), is chock-full of scrumptious and easy-to-make artisanal dessert recipes just like the creations she’s celebrated for in Columbus. Plus, all of her desserts are made with seasonal ingredients direct from local farmers (including organic milk from grass-fed cows).

Bauer’s recipes call for light corn syrup (a natural alternative to high-fructose corn syrup), but you can substitute it for tapioca syrup if you prefer; and while she recommends using nonhomogenized, grass-pastured dairy products, any organic ingredients will do. This recipe for her Backyard Mint flavor takes a little longer to prepare than other ice cream recipes, as you have to allow the fresh mint leaves to steep in the ice cream before freezing it. But the outcome is super-refreshing, perfect for those lazy days of summer, and one of the best mint ice creams I’ve ever had (and I’m kind of an expert). Enjoy!

Backyard Mint Ice Cream

Active Time: 20 minutes

Total Time: 1 hour 20 minutes, plus 4 hours to freeze

2 cups whole milk

1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon cornstarch

3 tablespoons cream cheese, softened

1/8 teaspoon fine sea salt

1¼ cups heavy cream

2/3 cup sugar

2 tablespoons light corn syrup

A large handful of fresh mint leaves (from your backyard or your local farmers’ market if possible!) roughly torn into small pieces

1. Fill a large bowl with ice water. In a small bowl, mix 2 tablespoons of the milk with the cornstarch. Whisk the cream cheese and salt in a medium bowl until smooth.
2. In a large saucepan, combine the remaining milk with the heavy cream, sugar, and corn syrup. Bring the milk mixture to a boil over medium-high heat and boil for about 4 minutes. Remove from the heat, and gradually whisk in the cornstarch mixture. Return to a boil and cook over medium-high heat, stirring with a heat-proof spatula, until the mixture is slightly thickened, about 1 minute.
3. Gradually whisk the hot milk mixture into the cream cheese until smooth. Add the mint. Pour the mixture into a 1-gallon freezer bag and submerge the sealed bag in the ice bath. Let stand, adding more ice as necessary, until cold, about 30 minutes. Refrigerate to steep for 4 to 12 hours.
4. Strain out the mint. Pour the ice cream base into your ice cream maker and freeze as directed. When the mixture is thick and creamy, pack the ice cream into a storage container.
5. Press a sheet of parchment paper directly onto the surface of the ice cream and close with an airtight lid. Freeze the mint ice cream until firm, about 4 hours.

Makes about 1 quart, or  8 ½-cup servings

Per serving: Calories 264, fat 18 g, protein 3 g, carbohydrates 25 g, dietary fiber 0 g

-Dana, KIWI Intern

Two months from now, I’ll be getting married. The process of getting engaged and planning a wedding has proven to be one that’s joyous (I get to officially throw my lot in life in with the best person I know), occasionally bewildering (bridesmaid dresses are supposed to match the tablecloths?), and always filled with a bit of guilt. Why guilt? Because not everyone gets to legally do what I’m doing. And that is an ugly thing.

In fact, I never thought I’d get married. The idea of being married always seemed too uncomfortably close to being a member of an exclusive club that bars those who happen to love someone of the same gender. A club I didn’t feel okay about joining. But then somehow, after meeting the right person, I can’t imagine doing anything other than vowing to spend my life with him. And yet, who’s to say I deserve the legal rights of marriage more than anyone else? I’m happy to say that as of last week, in New York at least, no one gets to make that call after the state’s historic vote to legalize same-sex marriage.

*****************************************************************

Last weekend, I made myself go shoe shopping, a process I loathe. Wide feet (it’s why I’m such a good swimmer—they’re like paddles), a strict budget, and little patience for crowds makes the process less than enjoyable, but one that’s unavoidable. When I was paying for some sneakers (selected and tried on in four minutes flat, thank you), the store’s owner chatted about the weekend’s gay pride festivities (he was decked out in a dazzling array of rainbow colors and headed to the parade later), and then he noticed my engagement ring.

“When’s the big day, sweetie?” he asked. “Gone crazy with planning yet?”

When I muttered something about dresses and tables matching, he snorted sympathetically and said he knew what I was talking about. I asked if he’d been through the process himself.

“Who, me, married?” he laughed. “Nope, 100 percent single.” But then he pointed to his rainbow-colored shirt and smiled. “But now I can be.”

And that is a beautiful thing.

–Amy, articles editor

Now that summer is officially here, it’s a good time to talk about watering the garden. If you’re a new gardener, you may have no idea what kind of watering routine is necessary. While it’s not totally rocket science, you still have to walk a fine line between too much water and not enough.

Best Time of Day to Water

The best time to water is in the morning before the sun gets too high in the sky so that plants are able to soak up the water as they need it during the heat of the day. The next-best time to water is in the early evening, but be sure to water the base of the plants—not the leaves. If the leaves stay wet during the night, you’re creating a welcoming environment for disease and fungus. The worst time to water is in the middle of the day. It’s wasteful because the water will evaporate before it does your garden any good.

How Often to Give Your Plants a Drink

The best way to tell if your garden needs watering is to stick your finger in the soil. Get down about 3 inches or more. If the soil is dry, it’s time to water. It’s like putting a toothpick in a cake to see if it’s done. Gardeners will often give their garden a good soaking once a week, leaving the water on for a few hours. This lets the water soak deep into the soil and encourages healthy root growth. A superficial sprinkling every day will encourage surface growth, and your plants won’t be as robust as they could be. If you wait until your plants look dry and thirsty, you may have waited too long. On the other side of the coin, if you water too much and too frequently, the soil will get soggy, which can cause the roots of your plants to rot.

The general rule is that your garden needs about an inch of water per week. The easiest way to figure out what this actually means for your garden is to get a sprinkler and a rain gauge. Leave the sprinkler on until your gauge fills up an inch. Make a note of how long it takes to get an inch, and there you go: You know how long to leave the sprinkler on.

How I Water My Garden

In my garden, I use a combination of drip hoses, sprinklers, and hand watering. But the most important tool for me is a mechanical water timer that shuts the water off automatically after a certain period of time. I had to learn this lesson the hard way. More times than I’d like to admit, I flooded my garden by forgetting to turn off the water. One year, I flooded so many times that I had moss growing between the plants. So now I always use a timer. Gardening is always a learning process.

Why Mulch Is Magic

I cannot stress enough the importance of mulch, especially when it comes to water conservation. A nice thick layer of straw, shredded leaves, or organic compost is a great way to retain moisture in the soil, so you won’t have to water as often. BONUS: A thick layer of mulch will almost eliminate the need to weed your garden.

How to Get Your Kids Involved

Kids love water—at least my daughter does. She wants to play with the hose every chance she gets. She calls it “water games.” But of course water is our most precious resource and should not be wasted. My wife and I try to use these water games to teach her about water, water usage, and water conservation. We tell her how lucky we are to have access to clean water the way we do, and how we can’t take it for granted. She’s a smart kid, so on some level she gets it, but a lot of the time it just turns into fun with a hose.

I mentioned in an earlier blog post that she has her own raised bed in our garden, so she has a keen interest in making sure her plants have water, although she has a tendency to give them a little too much.  She also seems to think that earthworms love swimming, so there have been many times that I’ve rescued these poor creatures from a watery fate. I love when she helps me water the garden, but inevitably she will catch me off guard and get me with a cold blast of water.

For more tips on smart watering practices, visit Organic Gardening.

-Eric Hurlock is the online editor at Organic Gardening magazine. He lives and gardens in Chester County, PA, with his wife, daughter, and new baby. Follow his Real World Gardener blog at http://organicgardening.com/blogs/realworldgardener.

Summertime in New York City is no joke—it’s hot, humid, and there is virtually no breeze. Top all that off with roughly 8 million people jammed onto one very small island and you’ve got a recipe for one sticky, sweaty summer. These days, most buildings come with central air, but what if you don’t have air conditioning or simply don’t want to run it as often? Here, a few eco-friendly (and economic) ways to keep the whole family cool—without cranking up the A/C.

Get outside early The morning can be a great time to get out and get some exercise—and the earlier the better. Have your child help you pack a picnic of breakfast foods to take to the park, or take your bikes out and ride around the neighborhood—getting kids outside before the temperatures start to rise will keep them active during the summer months and help avoid the inevitable crankiness and discomfort that the late-afternoon hot weather can dredge up.

Keep your house as cool as possible It may seem counterintuitive, but keep shades drawn and windows closed during the day, since sunlight streaming through your windows can create a mini greenhouse effect in your home, and leaving windows open lets warm air in and cool air out. At night, keep your windows wide open—as long as the nighttime air is cooler than the air inside your home—this will allow cool air to circulate and help keep your house cool during the day. Another tip? Plant a tree—or place a big potted plant—along the side of the house or in front of the windows to absorb some of the sun’s rays.

Eat cold snacks Just like drinking cold beverages, eating cold foods can help cool your body from the inside out on a hot day. Frozen grapes are still one of my favorite summertime snacks, or have your child help make lemonade pops or a cold soup. If you do cook, try to avoid using the stove or oven, as they’ll only heat your home up more. In fact, try to keep most electronics and appliances off and unplugged (even when in standby mode, they tend to stay hot).

Keep plenty of water on hand It may seem like a no-brainer, but it’s definitely worth repeating—water is the easiest way to stay cool. Whether taking the kids for a dip at the pool or downing an icy beverage, you’ll feel immediate relief. Not up for swimming, but still want to get your child outside? Soak his t-shirt in water before going outdoors—just make sure it’s lukewarm, as cold water can sometimes be too chilly. At night, give kids a cool bath before putting them in cotton or linen jammies—these natural fabrics tend to be more lightweight and breathable than fabrics made from synthetic fibers like nylon or polyester.

What about you? How do you keep your family cool in the summer?

-Dana, KIWI Intern

Coleslaw’s a summertime cookout staple, but as far as I’m concerned, most traditional recipes don’t have much going for them. Thanks to gobs of mayonnaise, conventional coleslaw is usually loaded with saturated fat, plus you have to watch it like a hawk on your picnic table for potential spoilage. Not my idea of an ideal side dish! This tofu-based coleslaw is virtually free of saturated fat, and since it’s free of eggs and dairy, fares a little better when sitting outdoors (though I still wouldn’t leave it out for too long). Try it alongside some of the vegetarian barbecue recipes in our June/July issue for a seasonal, planet-friendly feast!

Creamy vegan coleslaw

Total time: 10 minutes
Active time: 10 minutes

1 medium head green cabbage, cored and shredded
2 medium carrots, peeled and shredded
12 ounces soft silken tofu, drained
¼ cup water
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 tablespoons white vinegar
1 tablespoon raw cane sugar
½ teaspoon Dijon mustard
½ teaspoon celery salt
½ teaspoon salt

1. Place the shredded cabbage and carrots in a large bowl. Toss to combine and set  aside.
3. In a blender, add the tofu, water, olive oil, vinegar, sugar, mustard, celery salt, and salt. Blend until completely smooth.
4. Add the tofu dressing to the cabbage and carrots. Toss well to combine and refrigerate until ready to serve.

Serves 8 to 10
Per serving: Calories 76, fat 4 g, protein 3 g, carbohydrates 9 g, dietary fiber 3 g

-Marygrace, staff writer

One of my favorite tips from last week’s KIWI College webinar with Paige Wolf (author of Spit That Out!) was when she said that while she’d love to buy only wooden toys, that’s just not practical for her. So instead, she tries to avoid colorful plastic toys  when it comes to things that kids will put in their mouths. That’s a great goal, not only to limit kids’ exposure to plastic, but to avoid artificial colors! We think about them in food, but not always in the other things kids put in their mouths.

It reminded me of a product we learned about recently here at KIWI: Hevea bath toys. These rubber bath toys have a cool translucent color, because they’re totally dye-free. So, wood is not your only source of dye-free baby products. (Another great option? The water-based dyes used by Plan Toys on their cute wooden toys.)

What are your favorite eco toys?

—Sarah, editorial director

I can admit it: I’m no Betty Crocker in the kitchen. Add my lack of culinary prowess to my vegetarianism, and I’m pretty much a walking recipe for disaster. Many, many years ago when I decided to become a vegetarian at the age of 10, my protein options were limited. Sure, I could have cooked lentils or grilled tofu, but I was a 10-year-old with a 10-year-old’s taste buds and 10-year-old’s kitchen skills. As a result, I ate a lot of peanut butter. Fast-forward to today, and while my palate it a bit more refined (marginally), my cooking skills remain amateurish on my best day. Fortunately, there are tons of vegetarian frozen options out there, like Quorn, that make eating well, well, easier.

If you’re unfamiliar with Quorn, you’re in for a treat. Their all-natural veggie burgers are super-tasty (the new meatless, soy-free Cheese Burgers are ridiculously good—bring them to any BBQ and I guarantee no one will miss the meat), their chicken-free Chik’n Nuggets are a hit with kids and adults alike, and don’t even get me started on the Naked Chik’n Cutlets that look like chicken breasts—you can sub then in for the meat version in practically any recipe—only tastes better and is, of course, way more chicken-friendly .

It’s it the spirit of my love of all things easy in the kitchen, being a vegetarian, and craving kid-friendly fare on a daily basis, that I’m sharing this recipe from Quorn. They call it their “Quorn Mac & Cheese,” but really, it might as well be “Hamburger-Helper-Meets-Animal-Happy-Ingredients-In-A-Recipe-So-Easy-Even-Amy-Can-Make-It.”  Okay, perhaps that’s a little wordy for a name, but this recipe couldn’t be simpler or tastier. Enjoy!

Quorn Mac & Cheese

Makes 6 servings

Prep time: 15 minutes

Cook time: 15 minutes

2      teaspoons vegetable oil

½    small onion, finely chopped

1       cup Quorn Grounds

⅛      teaspoon garlic powder

½     cup broccoli florets (or any favorite veggie), chopped

½     cup water

1        box (6 ounces) macaroni & cheese mix (one good option: Annie’s Homegrown Totally Natural Shells & Real Aged Cheddar Macaroni & Cheese)

6       small wafer, flat-bottomed ice cream cones (for all-natural, gluten-free cones, try: Let’s Do…Gluten Free Ice Cream Cones)

Toppings:

Shredded Parmesan cheese

Shredded carrots

Chopped black olives

1. Heat oil in medium skillet over medium-high heat. Add onions and cook, while stirring, for 3 to 4 minutes or until softened. Stir in Quorn Grounds, garlic, broccoli, and water. Simmer, stirring occasionally, until liquid has evaporated and broccoli is just tender-crisp. Cover to keep warm. Set aside.

2. Meanwhile, cook macaroni & cheese as per package directions. Stir in Quorn mixture.

3. To serve, spoon about 1/3 cup of the macaroni & Quorn mixture into each cone. Top with some Parmesan cheese “sprinkles,” shredded carrot “confetti,” or chopped black olive “chocolate chips.” Serve immediately.

–Amy, articles editor

I’ve been an allergy-sufferer for almost my entire life. Dogs, dust mites, grass—you name it, I’m probably allergic to it. (As my allergist put it to me at the tender age of five: “You probably shouldn’t have any animals in the house… But you can still hug the trees!” I was devastated.) So I can relate to parents who may be hesitant to introduce a pet to their young child—especially if they themselves have ever suffered from being around animals (itchy eyes, itchy nose, itchy throat—so much itching.)

However, you may want to think twice before deciding against that four-legged companion completely. A recent study suggests that not only is it unlikely that being around a dog or a cat for most of the childhood years will increase a child’s chances of developing allergies as some studies have shown, but early exposure could actually lower the risk.

Researchers at Henry Ford Hospital in Detroit studied 565 18-year-olds who had been followed from birth. They found that teens who had cats during their first year of life had 50 percent less chance of developing pet allergies later, compared to babies born into cat-free homes. Boys who lived with a dog during the first year of life had about half the risk of developing allergies as compared to those without a dog in the house, though, oddly, this wasn’t true for girls—a fact that researchers were unable to explain.

In fact, being exposed to pets anytime after the first year of life seemed to have no effect on allergy risk at all, which, researchers feel indicates that a baby’s first year is a critical time when it comes to the possibility of a child developing pet allergies. The reason for this? Researchers believe it may lie in the “hygiene theory”—the idea that early exposure to certain environmental factors, like dust or animal dander, might trigger the immune system to develop a tolerance for common allergens, therefore reducing the likelihood of a child developing sensitivities.

Still, researchers are quick to point out that even though the study indicates that having pets early in life could help protect kids from allergies, this doesn’t prove a cause-and-effect relationship—meaning you probably shouldn’t rush out to get a pet in the hopes that it’ll make your child immune to pet allergies. However, if you’re planning on getting a pet, it might be better to get one sooner rather than later.

Fortunately for me, my allergies have never been life threatening, and my mom agreed to keeping pets in the house, so long as my symptoms didn’t get out of hand. To this day, I live quite happily with a cat of my own, and though I still take a pill everyday to help relieve some of that awful itching, I’m an animal lover and a pet owner, and I wouldn’t have grown up any other way.

What about you? Did you grow up with animals and allergies? Do you think exposing your child early in life to common allergens could prevent them from developing allergy symptoms later in life?

-Dana, KIWI Intern

Today’s KIWI College webinar featured Paige Wolf, author of Spit That Out: The Overly Informed Parent’s Guide to Raising Children in the Age of Environmental Guilt. We had a great discussion with the audience about good ways to deal with friends and relatives who aren’t so into being green, how to make cloth diapering work for you, finding deals on organic foods, and more. Paige suggested a number of deal and coupon sites, so in case you missed them:

Mighty Nest (eco-friendly dishware, toys, and more)

Rosie Hippo (green toys and products for kids)

Pure Citizen (“flash sales with a heart”)

GreenBabyBargains.com (daily deals on green goods)

Eco Baby Buys (daily deals for baby items)

YourGreenHelper.com (coupons and deals for green moms)

Organic Deals (organic coupons and deals)

Visit Paige’s site and Facebook page for more, and share your own favorites there or on KIWI’s Facebook page!

—Sarah, editorial director

With Memorial Day festivities behind us, summer has officially, unofficially begun—temperatures are nearing the unbearably hot mark, schools are letting out, and swimming pools will soon be packed to the brim. Which means it’s time to slather the family in sun-protecting lotion and head outside. But even the most mindful and health-conscious parents can easily be confused by all the controversy and terminology surrounding sunscreen: “What’s the difference between sunscreen and sunblock?” “What should I be looking for in a sunscreen? What should I avoid?” Here, what to look for on your sunscreen or sunblock’s list of ingredients, what you need to know about chemical versus natural, and a few of our own favorite brands.

Natural and chemical brands alike may use the terms “sunscreen” and “sunblock” interchangeably, but officially, they’re two different things. Sunblocks are always mineral-based and sit on the surface of the skin—making them notoriously difficult to rub in (think the cliché lifeguard sunscreens that turn your skin white). The active ingredients in these sunblocks are zinc oxide and titanium dioxide, both naturally-occurring minerals. Zinc oxide is thought to be the best natural sunscreen ingredient available because it blocks both cancer-causing UVA and skin-burning UVB rays, while titanium dioxide protects well against UVB rays and short UVA rays, but not longer UVA rays. It’s best to look for a sunblock that contains both minerals, but if you find that your child can’t tolerate zinc oxide, a sunblock with just titanium dioxide may be a good second choice.

Traditional sunscreens are generally chemical-based and work by absorbing the energy of UV rays before they penetrate your skin. Oxybenzone, a common ingredient most often used to absorb UVB rays, can be a hormone disruptor and may result in lower baby birth weights when used by pregnant women, according to the Centers for Disease Control. In EWG’s 2011 Sunscreen Guide, they recommend going with either a mineral-based sunblock, or, non-mineral sunscreens containing avobenzone—a chemical UVA absorber which EWG has deemed safe as it has not been shown to penetrate the skin—not oxybenzone. Parents in search of a natural option should opt for mineral-based sun protection.

No matter what type of sun protection you pick, keep these things in mind before heading out: Opt for a sunscreen with an SPF of 30 or higher and apply it 15 to 30 minutes before going outside. Remember, there’s no such thing as too much sunscreen, so apply it liberally—the American Academy of Dermatology recommends that people use enough to fill a shot glass. You should reapply every two hours, more often if you or your child has been swimming, as waterproof sunscreen wears off about 80 minutes after being wet. The Skin Cancer Foundation recommends avoiding too much time in the sun from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. (when rays are strongest) but make sure to remain extra vigilant about reapplying sunscreen if you are outside.

Here, a few safe, natural brands the whole family can benefit from:

Badger All Natural Sunscreen This family-owned company provides sun protection in a variety of forms including a zinc oxide baby lotion and a face stick. Plus, their products contain organic olive oil, shea butter, and cocoa butter to keep everyone’s skin extra soft. ($3.50 to $16, badgerbalm.com)

Loving Naturals Sunscreen This self-proclaimed safest sunscreen on Earth may be just that—not only do they use 100 percent organic ingredients, it’s also one of the few natural sunscreens that’s gluten-free. ($22 for 4.3 ounces, lovingnaturals.com)

MyChelle Dermaceuticals Sun Shield SPF 28 This everyday sunscreen is great for all-over protection, but it’s also superlight, making it perfect to wear under makeup. And it’s hard to beat the coconut-scented version, reminiscent of childhood days spent at the beach. ($19 for 2.3 ounces, mychelle.com)

Soléo Organics All Natural Sunscreen This 100 percent organic sunscreen not only provides great, water-resistant protection–its packaging and container are made from 100 percent recycled materials, making it one of the eco-friendlier options available. ($25 for 2.8 ounces, soleoorganics.com)

-Dana, KIWI Intern

Bug bites, cuts and bruises, sunburns—sounds like summer! What’s a parent to do that’s safe and natural for these common childhood ailments?

“An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.” If only our children paid heed to Ben Franklin’s famous adage. Parents and pediatricians spend a lot of time counseling young ones to be careful, and we slather them with sunscreen and insect repellent to try and limit the effects of outdoor exposure during the summer months. Short of covering our kids from head to toe in SPF-70 bubble-wrap, there’s not much more we can do. From time to time, children get hurt. Summer is the peak time for bites and stings, cuts and bruises, and sunburns. Conventional options include over-the-counter (OTC) lotions, creams and ointments for pain relief, but it turns out that some of these products can cause unpleasant adverse effects.

For example, a recent FDA warning about benzocaine, a common additive to topical medications for pain relief, urged us not to use these products in young children due to a rare but serious adverse effect called “methemoglobinemia.” Essentially, benzocaine toxicity can result in decreased oxygen capacity in red blood cells, causing respiratory and cardiovascular problems. No sunburn relief is worth that, believe me. Even more alarming, many conventional OTC teething gels for babies contain benzocaine. What alternatives do parents have?

When the FDA warned us about the use of OTC cough-and-cold medications in young children, many parents turned to homeopathic medicines. The same approach is warranted in place of benzocaine products, given the safety record of homeopathics for all of the conditions mentioned above. For example, for teething, parents have several options of homeopathic teething solutions or tablets that include dilutions of chamomile and other soothing herbs. It’s important to remember a basic principle of homeopathic medicine, the Law of Similars or “like cures like.” Simply put but poorly understood, a substance that causes symptoms at “full strength” (i.e. onions cause red and watery eyes and nose secretions) can be used to treat that condition in homeopathic dilutions (highly diluted Allium cepa – a.k.a. onion – is used to treat seasonal allergy symptoms). Typically, in classical homeopathy, specific remedies are matched to individuals for specific constitutions, but in this case, we are discussing homeopathy in a more “user-friendly” symptom-based clinical manner that allows families to develop a home toolbox of remedies for common conditions. There is much debate about the efficacy and mechanism of action of homeopathic medicines, but there is really no argument about safety, even in conventional medical circles.

Here are some specific tips for common summer ailments:

For insect bites and stings, I recommend Apis mellifica, from the honeybee. Remember, like cures like. For acute use, the 30c strength is optimal, and you can give 3 to 5 pellets as frequently as needed for symptom relief. Often for very acute use, remedies are given every 15 minutes for the first hour, then hourly for the next few hours, and gradually reduced as needed over the next day or so. You cannot overdose on homeopathic medicines.

For bruises, try Arnica montana, derived from the daisy family and also known as “wound herb.” Arnica can be applied topically in ointment form or can be taken orally (under the tongue) for more severe injuries. For children who cannot or will not put the tablets under their tongues, you can dissolve the pellets in water and let them sip gradually over a few hours. In general, you can continue to administer the remedy three times a day until healed.

For sunburns and minor skin abrasions, go with Calendula officinalis, which comes from the marigold. I’ve recommended it for many skin rashes and irritations, including baby diaper dermatitis. Published studies support the potent wound healing capabilities of Calendula. You can apply topically as needed, and it comes in ointment, cream and gel formulations.

In the end, remember that prevention is still preferable to treatment, even if we have safe natural options. For sunscreen, I encourage you to check out the Environmental Working Group’s 2011 Sunscreen Guide, looking for products with zinc oxide or titanium dioxide active ingredients and avoiding endocrine-disrupting chemicals like oxybenzone. As for insect repellents, those made from natural essential oils are preferable to those containing DEET, a neurotoxin. The Environmental Working Group’s Skin Deep Cosmetics Database provides helpful information on safer bug sprays. Now go outside and play!

–Dr. Lawrence Rosen, KIWI columnist

If you’re trying to raise kids the KIWI way, TV and movies can feel like a problem: How do they fit into a wholesome, holistic life? There are so many programs that claim to be educational, or appropriate for kids under 13, but are they? That’s why I’m thrilled to announce that KIWI is partnering with Common Sense Media to bring you a few of their age-specific, super-helpful reviews in each issue of the magazine, starting this fall. You can incorporate screen time into a healthy life if you want–and if you know where to find the best stuff. Can’t wait till fall? Their site will keep you updated on all the “must-see” summer movies, and much more.

While you’re figuring out what to see in a theater, I have two DVDs for preschoolers that stand out among the pack vying for your child’s attention. A lot of videos cross my desk, but these are special–you’ll have no guilt popping one of these in the DVD player this summer:

Ruby’s Studio: The Feelings Show. I’m pretty confident that you and your kids will fall in love with Ruby, the host of this Mr.-Rogers-for-a-new-generation show (produced by moms!). She’s upbeat and engaging without being annoying, and the show has a wonderful leisurely pace that perfectly matches what kids need as they grow and learn. There’s still a lot for kids to see and do, just minus the frantic pace of too many shows. The Feelings Show episode is all about helping kids understand social and emotional lessons, and there’s a neat “pop-up parenting” feature you can turn on to get little tips to help you reinforce the show’s message once it’s over.

Juno Jr: The Day the Music Stopped. The Juno Baby and Juno Jr. series do an excellent job bringing real (ie, not cheesy) music to little kids. There’s a whole series of videos and CDs, so if you’re as charmed by Juno her little brother Rai Rai as I am, there’s lots more fun out there. In this episode, the beautifully animated world of Harmonia Springs goes silent (little mix-up with a Shush Machine), so Juno and friends have to make their own music. Plus, there’s an app for The Day the Music Stopped, so you can go all multimedia and still know your kids are having fun and learning.

—Sarah, editorial director

As a kid, there was nothing more exciting than getting the mail. “Anything for me, anything for me, anything for me?” I’d ask my dad at least 12 times during the short ride home from the post office. Usually not. And yet that fact never seemed to diminish my enthusiasm. As an adult, you’d think the reality of bills arriving would make getting the mail less exciting, but, well, I’m the same adult who lights up at the simple thought of frosting—the pinker the better. So it’s really no surprise that one of the things I enjoy most at the office is getting the mail. Each day here brings all kinds of new packages, new bulky envelopes just waiting to be discovered. You’d think that the reality of having to then figure out what to do with the hundreds of opened boxes full of books, snacks, cleaning products, toothbrushes, lotions, girdles (don’t ask), and toys we’re sent would diminish my enthusiasm, but, well, frosting. Enough said. Any yet while still exciting, the mail at KIWI does present a new challenge. Until now.

A few months ago I blogged about The Giving Effect, a website created to bring people and the stuff they don’t need together with nonprofits who need stuff. And recently, after eyeing the mountain of books we’d accumulated in the office, I gave the The Giving Effect a whirl. I typed in our zip code, narrowed the search to organizations who could pick up, and poof—there was a post by the South Bronx United Soccer Club, a nonprofit that uses soccer as a way to help kids build character, life skills, and leadership abilities. And they needed books for their very first Literacy Day. After a couple of emails with the soccer club’s Executive Director Andrew So, arrangements were made for Andrew to come to KIWI with an SUV and haul off 10 boxes of books. As simple as that. During Literacy Day on May 21^st, hundreds of South Bronx kids took part in a day of reading, playing, and getting to take home free books. Andrew says of Literacy Day:

“South Bronx United distributed over 500 free books to children and parents…I was amazed at how fast the books were gone. It just shows that parents and children are starving for good reading materials.”

A truly successful venture in every way:

(1) Some deserving kids got to take new books home.

(2) KIWI’s staff members no longer have to trip over stacks of books on the way to the bathroom (for now, anyway).

(3) I got to try out The Giving Effect and now feel confident about being able to place all the items we don’t need, except for maybe the girdles (don’t ask).

(4) Having met the challenge of the opened packages, I’m now free to once again fully enjoy the excitement of getting the mail.

A win-win all around.

–Amy, articles editor

Finished bean teepee

In my last post here at Kiwi, I wrote about gardening with my daughter; I mentioned that we were going to build a teepee for our beans to climb up. And by design, it’ll be a fort for my daughter to play in—a shady secret hideaway for the hot summer days that are right around the corner.

So much has happened since my last Kiwi blog—most importantly, the birth of our second child. The company I work for has a very generous paternity leave policy and I was able to be home with my family for two weeks, during which time my toddler and I finally built the teepee that we’d been dreaming about all winter.

Materials you’ll need:

• 10 bamboo poles, roughly 8 to 10 feet in length.
• A ball of twine
• 4 wooden stakes
• Pole bean seeds
• Organic compost
• Mulch

Tools you’ll need:

• Hammer
• Knife
• Ladder
• Shovel

Bamboo is usually pretty easy to find. Most people who have bamboo growing on their property are more than happy to let you cut some. You might also be able to buy sticks of bamboo at a garden store.

Take four of the bamboo poles and tie them together in a bundle at one end using the twine (I used the twine from bales of straw, but you could probably use an old clothes line or some other kind of smallish rope.) Tie them together while they’re horizontal on the ground and then set the bundle vertical, spreading the four poles 4 to 5 feet from each other. This will form the basic support structure of the teepee—the four corners of the teepee, if you will.

I decided to stake these into the ground to prevent the teepee from blowing away once it’s covered with bean vines. I cut four 20-inch stakes out of a maple branch that fell in my yard over the winter, but you could use any kind of wood as long as it’s strong enough and long enough that it won’t pull out of the ground. Simply hammer a stake into the ground next to each bamboo pole and tie them off with twine.

Space the six remaining pieces of bamboo evenly around three sides of the structure, leaving one side open for a door. Push the ends of the poles into the ground about 6 inches. Tie them all together at the top. You may need a ladder.

Wrap the teepee with twine in a spiral fashion to give the vines more support as they climb their way to the top.

After I built the teepee, I ripped out the grass around the base and dug a trench. I loosened up the soil and added compost from my compost pile. A few days later, my daughter and I planted bean seeds in the fresh soil, spacing them every 6 inches. We kept the seeds moist over the next few days (which was easy because it has rained an awful lot in southeastern Pennsylvania this spring). In about a week, the beans sprouted. When they get a little bigger, I’ll mulch around them to keep the weeds down and to retain moisture in the soil.

Make sure you plant pole beans rather than bush beans. We planted three different varieties: ‘Blue Lake’, ‘Turkey Craw’, and ‘Kentucky Wonder’.

There is a chance that I’m a little more excited about the teepee than my daughter is, but in a few months when it looks more like a secret hideout, I think she’ll come around.

-Eric Hurlock is the online editor at Organic Gardening magazine. He lives and gardens in Chester County, PA, with his wife, daughter, and new baby. Follow his Real World Gardener blog at http://organicgardening.com/blogs/realworldgardener.