9 Ways to a Greener Christmas

This year, we put extra effort in having a greener Christmas by being more conscious of what we buy for ourselves and what we give as gifts. It’s amazing how much easier it is to accomplish this wish this year as compared to previous years.

Here is our personal must-have green list:

1. Electric Juice Extractor

Goal for 2010 is to increase our intake of living and raw foods such as wheatgrass, carrots and berries. A diet high in fruits and vegetables will prevent or cure a wide range of ailments.

Fresh juices are a tremendous source of enzymes. In fact, the freshness of juice is one of their key features, because enzymes are destroyed by heat. When you cook food at temperatures above 114 degrees, the heat destroys the enzymes. Since fruits and vegetables are juiced raw, the enzymes are still present when you drink the juice.

Fruits and vegetables provide one more substance that is absolutely essential for good health – water. More than 65% of most of the cells in the human body are made of water, and in some tissues, the cells can be made up of as much as 80% water. Water is essential for good health, yet most people don’t consume enough water each day. Dr. Nigel Chen of Life Force enlightened us about the importance of the quantity of our water intake. He said that the suggested 8 glasses a day are for children, not adults. Adults must drink about 12-15 glasses of water every day.

There are two juicers recommended by juicers in Pinoy Organics community. One is Lexen Electric Juicer (Php12,900), The most hi-tech and up-to-date juicer that’s perfect for serious wheatgrass fanatics. It is a US-made juicer and is good with wheatgrass, fruits and vegetables. Lexen Electric Juicer is distributed locally by Chlorophyll Manila. Another member recently bought a similar slow RPM juicer at Good Hands Security Products (Php5,480) and so far, it has served her daily needs. If you are not particular about the brand and you just want to get into the juicing groove, then this is a good way to jumpstart the good habit.

2. Mountain Rice

According to our recent interview with Mara Pardo de Tavera, the mountain rice variety was touted by a German researcher as one of the most nutritious rice grain in the world.

Manny Onalan sells the best organic rice we have ever tasted. His rice, when cooked, was yummier than all the other brands or sources that we have tried. What was our ultimate taste test? It was the preferred unpolished rice variety of kids aged 5-13 years old during our recent informal rice-tasting survey. Manny’s products from Benguet, including rice in different colors, are available every Sunday at the Legaspi Flea Market.

3. Coconut Sugar

When we made the switch from muscovado to coco sugar, we had a hard time telling the difference. Color and texture were almost the same. Until we found a light amber shade of coco sugar that is so versatile, you can even use it for cooking and baking!

If you have a special dietary need or if you want a low GI (glycemic index) substitute to white sugar or artificial/chemical-laden sweetener, then this is the answer to your prayers.

4. Extra Virgin Coconut Oil

Filipinos love frying and one of the best cooking oil to use is extra virgin coconut oil (EVCO) because it can take high heat type of cooking. You can also use this as a supplement, massage oil or as oil in your liver cleanse.

EVCO can also help increase your metabolism, thus make you lose weight. This is the perfect time to start taking it. Make sure that you buy ‘cold pressed’ EVCO. Our country is abundant in coconuts. Take advantage of this affordable and healthy oil.

5. Bayabas Soap

We noticed a new skin smoothness after using Wild Organics’ Bayabas soap for a week. This is an excellent 2-in-1 bathing buddy for women as it is good for the skin and for hygienic purposes.

If you also have skin problems like eczema, try this soap. It helped us when no commercially available special soaps and ointments worked on our skin irritations.

6. Clean and Present Shampoo

Hands down, this bestselling product by Leyende won our vote when we searched for the best locally produced organic hair & scalp shampoo. Cooler weather not only brings in colds & flu but dry scalps as well. We tried almost everything and stopped looking around when our flaky heads found love at third use of Clean and Present shampoo.

7. Oasis Soothing Butter Cream

We were so happy when we discovered a local counterpart of an expensive US-made organic skin lotion. Oasis Soothing Butter Cream is power-packed with shea butter, colloidal oatmeal, aloe vera and calendula. It is recommended for dry, sensitive skin. Use this with bayabas soap, your skin problem should clear out in 3 to 7 days.

Bonus treat: this special formulation by Planet Noah was made with babies in mind! It is so gentle yet effective for skin asthma, eczema, prickly heat and other skin irritations.

Here’s a video of green Mompreneur behind Planet Noah, Mommy Judith:

8. Dog Shampoo Bar

Make sure you keep this pet shampoo bar by GIGA Ventures in a separate container and away from your own bathing soaps. This shampoo bar smells so good that it will be easy to make the mistake of using it on yourself!

We were happy to find a bathing soap for the furry members of our family. Dog shampoo bar is made from oils of coconut and olive, coconut milk, rosemary extract and essential oils of tea tree, citronella and orange. When used with a little water and a rubber scrubber (you can buy this in most pet shops), your pets will smell so good and look oh-so clean in time for parties!

9. Eucalyptus All Purpose Scrub

WARNING: Proceed with caution.

This disclaimer should have been printed on the container of Messy Bessy’s Eucalyptus All Around Scrub. When we opened our jar, “grabe, ang bango-bango!” You would want to volunteer with the housecleaning everyday!

Eucalyptus All Purpose Scrub is a creamy germ-busting concentrate for tough surfaces and wide open spaces.  It is best for sinks, toilets and tubs. Now, is it as effective as its commercially available counterparts? We tried and tested this heaven-scent product and can proudly say, “It’s a winner!” For tough, industrial type of cleaning jobs, you combine the scrub with vinegar and water instead of using chemical-laden household cleaning products.

Messy Bessy has a full line of natural and eco-friendly household products available in supermarkets and other resellers.

Now that you have greened your Christmas, it is time to chillax and just enjoy the people around you. Merry Green Christmas!