…of water, that is.

Trade in carbonated beverages for water, and see your weight change and your health improve. It’s not instant, but it’s a small change that will add up fast.

Sodas made with sugar or corn syrup add calories without nutrition, and lead to tooth decay (just ask your dentist).

Even diet sodas cause problems. The chemical sweeteners can lead to cravings for more sweet foods, or for salty foods (to balance the sweetness of the soda). Either way, you don’t need those extra foods. And we really don’t know what all those chemicals are doing in our bodies over time.

Drinking a carbonated beverage means drinking in gas… and then you have to get rid of the gas. No matter which end it comes out, it’s not the image you want to project. At least we don’t think so.

Stick with water. Do your body good.

Photo: Zsuzsanna Kilián

Seafood is part of the Total Health Makeover® for those who choose to eat animal protein. But not all seafood is good for you. How do you know what’s good for you, and what’s really not so healthy? (Don’t trust the person trying to make the sale…)

Monterey Bay Aquarium keeps this information updated and available for everyone. We love that they’ve dedicated themselves to gathering this information and publishing it.

Download pocket guides here – they’re available by region of the US.

Or get a mobile application – iPhone users can download this application, or if you have another phone with internet service, just go to mobile.seafoodwatch.org.

We love the scents of fall – especially cinnamon, apple, and pumpkin.

They can be dangerous smells, though, if we only smell them because we’ve been baking – all those treats we don’t need in the house! They can also be dangerous smells if they come from air fresheners – those are usually made from chemicals, or put chemicals into the air.

Get some candles in fall scents that you love. We like soy candles because they seem to burn cleaner. Essential oils and essential oil mists, and reed diffusers are other good options.

They’ll add to your decor, and make the house smell like … home.

Every three minutes, another woman learns she has breast cancer.

There are several strategies that can help reduce your risk of breast cancer. And there’s no good reason to NOT do these things.

• Get moving. Regular physical activity (at least 30 minutes on most days) has been shown to be protective against breast cancer.
• Get the girls checked regularly by a professional. Do your own monthly self examinations, too. Women between ages 20 and 39 should have a clinical breast exam performed by a health care professional at least every three years; women 40 years of age or older should have annual breast exams and talk with their doctor about mammograms.
• Talk to your doctor. If you have a family history of breast cancer, your doctor may want you to start mammograms (or other screenings) earlier.
• Supplement wisely. Folic acid, vitamin D, and antioxidants all may help decrease risk. Stay informed about supplements, and always tell your doctor everything you’re taking.
• Reduce exposure to xenoestrogens. These chemicals with estrogen-like activity are found in common pesticides and industrial pollutants, and as hormone residues in meat, poultry, and dairy products. Meat-free and dairy-free menus are best. If you eat animal protein, be sure to get hormone-free varieties.
• Avoid exposure to radiation, especially chest x-rays. Yes, sometimes they’re necessary. Ask if there are alternatives, especially for children and young adults.

Hey! Good timing. We’ve been doing some posts on the labels we see on food and what they mean for us. And then we got yesterday’s request to support Farm Sanctuary’s Truth in Labeling campaign by telling the USDA that factory farming practices should not be labeled “natural.” (Read it here)

Here’s another label you might see regarding animal care. We’ve also added a link to Farm Sanctuary’s report summary on labeling at the end of this post – be sure to read that for more detailed info.

The Certified Humane Raised and Handled label comes from Humane Farm Animal Care, a nonprofit organization that uses the American Meat Institute Standards for certification

You can expect:

• Meat or animal products come from facilities that use responsible farm-animal practices, including providing animals with ample space and shelter, clean water, and hormone-free feed.
• Animals aren’t given antibiotics.
• Cages and crates are prohibited.
• The organization’s scientific committee writes the standards and inspectors conduct annual on-site inspections, including interviews, record reviews, observation and evaluation of operating procedures, and handling and slaughter inspections.
• The USDA’s Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS) Livestock and Seed Program verifies inspections.

Where you’ll see the Certified Humane Raised and Handled label: meat, poultry, eggs, and dairy products

Read Farm Sanctuary’s position on the Humane Raised and Handled Certification, along with other certifications and labels used for animal welfare standards and labels.

We bet you’ve seen this label on some of your groceries. Do you know what it means? Here’s a quick summary to help you understand just what to expect when you see this certification.

The Fair Trade Certified stamp comes from TransFair USA, a nonprofit organization that certifies fair-trade products using the standards established and enforced by Fairtrade Labelling Organizations International (FLO)—a global network of 20 labeling initiatives.

If you see this certification, you can expect:

• Community investment to build better lives * farmers and farm workers from 58 developing countries across Africa, Asia, and Latin America receive community-development premiums to be invested in projects such as health care, education, and organic certification.
• Better work conditions * farmers and workers work in fair and safe labor conditions, use environmentally sustainable methods, and partake in direct trade.
• Accountability * TransFair USA is the leading third-party fair-trade certifier of food goods in the United States.

Where you’ll see the Fair Trade Certified stamp: coffee, tea, herbs, cocoa and chocolate, fresh fruit, sugar, rice, flowers, honey, spices, and wine

We bet you’ve seen this label on some of your groceries. Do you know what it means? Here’s a quick summary to help you understand just what to expect when you see this certification.

USDA Certified Organic comes from the USDA’s National Organic Program (NOP).

If you see this certification, you can expect:

• No GMOs * the use of GMOs, most conventional pesticides and herbicides, sewage sludge, antibiotics, growth hormones, and irradiation are all prohibited.
• A 3-year process to crop certification * organic producers record procedures and maintain cropland free of prohibited substances for three years before earning the seal, which varies in price based on the certifier.
• Percentages * the seal is permitted on commodities that are 100 percent organic or made with at least 95 percent organic ingredients. The USDA’s National List of Allowed and Prohibited Substances identifies synthetic substances that may be used and nonsynthetic substances that cannot be used in organic production and handling operations.
• Organic feed for livestock * For meat, poultry, dairy, and eggs to be USDA Certified Organic, animals must have been fed 100 percent organic feed; never given growth hormones or antibiotics; and not have been routinely confined. However, the NOP does not police animal treatment. Cloned animals or their offspring also cannot qualify for the seal.

Where you’ll see USDA Organic: produce, dairy, eggs, beef, poultry, organic body care products comprised of plant ingredients, wine, and processed or packaged foods

Want your kids to choose fruit juice or water over soda? The best way to make it happen may be to model that behavior. Researchers have found that the more soda parents drink, the more their kids reach for the sugary drinks, too! While soda isn’t completely responsible for the skyrocketing rates of childhood obesity, it does play a role.

Help your kids kick the pop habit by not keeping soda in the house. Instead, keep healthy thirst-quenching alternatives such as cold water, cool herbal tea, and 100 percent fruit juice on hand.

Keep a few slices of citrus fruit, cucumber, or berries ready to drop in a glass of water or tea.

Talk with your children about why soda is bad for their health and their teeth, and get involved to make sure school vending machines offer your kids healthy options.

Diet sodas are not the answer – while they lack the sugar and calories, they are filled with chemicals that neither you nor your kids need. Choose water, herbal tea, or 100 percent fruit juice. The whole family will be healthier!

Photo by Martin Walls

Sodium is probably best known as table salt, but salt and sodium are hidden in all kinds of products, including packaged foods, fast foods, frozen foods, canned foods, restaurant meals, and condiments, to name a few. (Yep, it’s one more reason to buy your food the way it grows – plain and simple whole food!)

When you eat excess sodium, the excess is deposited just beneath the skin where it attracts water, which is retained in your cells. This makes you look and feel rather like the Michelin tire man… puffy and bloated. Plus, your jeans won’t fit!

While you don’t have to make yourself crazy over this (unless hypertension is a problem), it’s a good idea to be aware of the sodium you’re eating. Sodium levels can be too high or too low – so you don’t want to get rid of all sodium – but you do need to be careful, especially if you’re eating prepared foods.

The government recommends that adults limit their daily intake of sodium to 2,300 milligrams, and that seniors and children consume no more than 1,500 milligrams a day.

• Read labels to check the sodium content of what you’re eating.
• Replace processed foods with fresh.
• Avoid prepackaged and canned foods. Note that prepared, packaged, and canned foods labeled low-sodium may compensate by adding sugar, fat, or chemicals. Read the whole label.
• Be wary of salt-laden condiments and use very little soy sauce, mustard, and table salt. Try low-sodium tamari instead of soy sauce.
• Avoid dairy and processed meats (hot dogs, jerky, bologna, corned beef).
• Use only small amounts of anything pickled (pickles, capers, sauerkraut), relish, ketchup, and margarine.

Try these sodium-free substitutes instead: garlic, lemon, olive oil, vinegar, pepper, basil, cayenne, chili powder, cilantro, cumin, curry, dill, garlic powder, ginger, lemon, lime, mint, onion powder, oregano, paprika, parsley, rosemary, sage, tarragon, and thyme.

Photo by Sanja Gjenero

Warm weather means more bugs. And more bugs often means more chemicals. We found a great article at SeventhGeneration.com with some tips for getting rid of bugs while keeping your home healthy, and protecting the beneficial insects like bees.

Prevention strategies:

• Keep living areas free of food waste. To make your home less inviting to hungry insects, clean up crumbs and spills, do the dishes right after mealtime, store food in tightly sealed containers, and take the trash out before it accumulates.
• Bugs are also thirsty, so remove water sources by fixing dripping faucets, clearing clogged drains, and repairing leaky pipes.
• Keep your house clear of clutter. Insects seek hiding places, and if your home doesn’t have any, they’ll go elsewhere.
• Don’t make it easy to get in. Repair broken screens, holes and cracks in foundations and eaves, and poorly sealed doors and windows.

Safe, natural solutions:

• For ants, sprinkle boric acid or ground cloves along baseboards, in the back of cabinets, and other “edge” areas. Or spray a solution of two teaspoons of peppermint oil in two cups of water in the same areas.
• Cockroaches can be kept away by a powder of one part natural pyrethrins (made from chrysanthemums) and two parts diatomaceous earth, which is algae. (Note: keep pyrethrins away from cats.)
• Flies will avoid areas scented with basil, tansy, pine oil, or cloves. You can also make fly strips of kraft paper coated with a gooey mix of corn syrup and sugar. Fruit flies will avoid areas sprayed with a solution of basil oil and water.
• Fight moths with oils of lavender, cloves, rosemary, camphor, or cedar. Make scented sachets with whole herbs or spray solutions of two teaspoons of oil in two cups of water in problem areas.
• Termites can be chased away with boric acid, diatomaceous earth, and/or pyrethrin powder sprinkled in problem areas.
• Ticks are repelled by essential oils of rose geranium or palmerosa. Make a solution of two teaspoons oil in two cups of water and spray. A half-and-half mix of rosemary and myrrh oils can also be used.
• Fleas are repelled by herbs like lavender, rosemary, catmint, eucalyptus, and camphor. Citrus oils will also help. (Don’t use citrus oils and products around cats.) For dog and cat infestations combine one to two drops each of eucalyptus, citronella, tea tree and pennyroyal oils in 2 cups of witch hazel extract (omit citronella for cat use). Test on the animal first. If it’s tolerated, rub a teaspoon on the collar and a half teaspoon or so into the fur. Store the remainder.
• Use traps for bees and wasps. Buy commercial traps and bait them with a protein (dog food, ham, fish and meat scraps, etc.) in the spring and sugars (corn syrup, spoiled fruit, jelly, etc.) in the summer and fall. Get rid of ground nests by covering their entrance with an upside down bowl.

Read more at SeventhGeneration.com.