The Third Annual Valentine Romance Sneak Peek Oscar Suite at Café La Boheme in West Hollywood gave celebrities a chance to pick up some Valentine’s Day and award season freebies from a wide variety of vendors — including some with green elements, like Aquamantra water, sold in 100 percent biodegradable and recyclable bottles; Gold Canyon candles; which has an Essentially Soy line; and Twisted Silver jewelry, made from reclaimed metals, old spoons and recycled glass. “I love everything here,” said Marilu Henner before snapping up earrings and a ring.

A longtime vegan, Henner (pictured right) pointed out that one can save body, health, animals, the planet and pocketbook by following suit. She also buys natural and organic products for her dog, and just started a garden. She has a big weekend ahead: she’s doing hair and makeup for her son’s school play, a production of “The Servant of Two Masters,” and her Hallmark Channel movie, “Accidentally in Love,” premieres Feb. 12. She plays the mother of Jennie Garth’s widow and single mom in a story written by Garth’s husband, Peter Facinelli.

Henner also has the comedy “Vamps” coming up, which she likened to “‘Clueless’ meets ‘Twilight.’” She plays a dying cancer patient who reverts to her hot former self after a vampire bite. She’ll also be performing live in a one-woman show this spring; so far, dates are set for April 15 and 16 in San Francisco and April 23 in Nashville. But of late, Henner is becoming known for something besides her acting career (“Taxi” et al.) and self-help books: her brain. She’s one of six people confirmed to have super autobiographical memory — which means she can remember everything that ever happened to her, dates and all. Naturally, she’s writing a book about it — and how mere mortals can improve their own memories — that will be published in September.

~ reported on Mother Nature Network

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Did you know that plain water is just as effective at removing germs and pesticides from your produce as those special sprays and washes?

Yes, plain water.

To get ride of bacteria and viruses, use a solution of one part vinegar to three parts water, and scrub or soak the produce, as appropriate. Then rinse under running water for about 30 seconds. That’s it.

Use the cheap distilled white vinegar for this – very budget-friendly!

The next time you go to the health food store, pick up extras of the products you really like that someone on your gift list would like, too. You can even make a gift basket with ingredients for a healthy pantry meal, or for some of your favorite staples. Friends who are not very adventurous might enjoy a first-cold pressed extra virgin olive oil and some balsamic vinegar – and the recipe for a really quick and easy vinaigrette. Adventurous cooks might enjoy something like nori and a sushi mat. Exotic gifts like truffle oil or saffron might be appreciated.

Don’t forget the health and beauty aisle – there are all kinds of fun and pampering natural products there. We’ve given some awesome Fair Trade lotions made in Africa, and a skin brush (with instructions) is a great gift.

Look around the next time you’re shopping – what do you wish you’d known about earlier? It probably makes a great gift!

Green living bonus * Buy reuseable grocery bags or dish towels to use as gift wrap.

Do not flush old medications down the toilet. Our water treatment facilities aren’t equipped to handle the volume or variety of drugs that need to be disposed of.

Your community may have a prescription drug collection – if so, take advantage of it. Clean out your medicine cabinet, and drop off the old drugs. You’ll want to remove your name and the prescription number from the container (remove the label or use a permanent black marker to mark it out).

If you need to dispose of old medications at home:

1. Keep the medication in its original container. Again, remove the label, or black out the patient name and prescription number.
2. Modify the medication to discourage consumption. For pills or capsules, add some water to partially dissolve them. For liquids, add something like salt, flour, charcoal, turmeric, or dried mustard to make a pungent unsightly mixture that discourages anyone from eating it. For blister packs, wrap in several layers of duct tape.
3. Seal the container with duct tape, then place it in an opaque bag or empty margarine tub (or other opaque container) so the contents cannot be seen.
4. Discard the container in the trash. Do not recycle it.

It’s time to talk about Bringing Your Own Bag again.

Don’t leave the house without your reusable shopping bags. If you always put them on the doorknob of the door you leave from, you’ll always remember to take them along. We drive to the grocery store, so our bags hang on the door leading to the garage. And then they’re on the front seat of the car – because if we toss them in the back seat, we seem to forget them there.

If you have a bunch of extra plastic or paper shopping bags, fold them up – it only takes a few seconds – and donate them to your favorite vendor at the farmer’s market. There’s no reason for someone to be buying bags when we all have them to spare.

Keep your reusable bags clean. Seriously. Who wants groceries from a gunky, sticky, moldy bag? No one. In fact, the cashiers and baggers don’t want to touch dirty bags either. Member Summer reminded us once to clean our bags, and it made so much sense we want to repeat the message for you here.

• If you have wet or leaky grocery items, put them in plastic (hey, that’s one way to get an extra use from the plastic bag you took last week…if you were smart enough to stash it with your other bags after unloading it).
• If your canvas bags are stained, toss them in the wash with a load of kitchen towels.
• If you use plastic-coated tote bags, wipe them with a damp dishcloth and let them air dry.
• If you use a basket, scrub it out with an old toothbrush (dry) and then wipe it with a damp cloth.

While you’re out shopping for school supplies, pick up a few things to make packing lunches easier. We’re big fans of reducing waste, so our recommendations are mostly reusable – that means your kids will have to bring them home, so you can wash them out for the next day. Bonus? You get to see what they didn’t eat, and make adjustments to ensure they’re getting enough good, healthy food for their day.

• Lunch bag * We like reusable lunch bags, especially the insulated kind. You can get a “squishy” insulated lunch bag for a reasonable price. An old-fashioned lunchbox can be fun, too, with favorite characters on the side. Or go upscale, and look for a bento-style lunch box. We had a friend who re-used dog food bags for lunch bags (he washed them out, don’t worry) until they kind of fell apart, which took months. Perhaps you have an old purse that would make a great lunch bag?
• Cold pack * Our favorite cold packs are the blue ice blocks, a bit larger than a deck of cards. One of those in an insulated (squishy) lunch bag will keep cold food cold for 4-5 hours. They’re made in other sizes and shapes, too, and they’re all pretty reasonably priced. Of course, a frozen water bottle (be sure to pour off the first inch before freezing!) also works well – and your child can drink the water, too.
• Thermos * Because there are days that we like warm food, we like to have a small, wide-mouth thermos – something that holds about 1-1/2 cups (12 ounces) works pretty well.
• Silverware * We reuse plasticware (the heavier stuff goes through the dishwasher just fine), but you may want to look for something more sturdy. Purchase an inexpensive set of silverware at a discount store, or if your kids like adventure, get camping silverware.
• Containers * The inexpensive plastic containers can work really well for brown bag lunches – they can be reused for a long time, and they come in a variety of shapes and sizes. If they don’t come home some day, you’re not out a lot of money. There are some other containers with built in cooling packs that we like, too. We’re not big fans of the plastic bag; there’s so much waste with that method. Think creatively to avoid the waste.
• Napkins * Our favorite napkins are colorful bandanas from the dollar store. We like that they wash well, and they’re easy to replace.

Are you interested in learning more about being vegan?
Do you want to know more about the health benefits of a plant-based diet?
Do you need examples of what you would eat as a vegan?

We just completed a really great Viva la Vegan online class here at Marilu.com, and we’re fired up about plant-based diets. These books are recommended by our members – people like you – who aren’t interested in hype or “the next big thing.” We’re committed to health. We like good research. And we want food that tastes really good, that we can feed our families and friends, without having to special order a bunch of weird-o ingredients.

These books are about living well on a plant-based diet (vegan). Check them out from your library, or click on the titles to get them at Amazon.

• T. Colin Campbell, The China Study: The Most Comprehensive Study of Nutrition Ever Conducted and the Startling Implications for Diet, Weight Loss and Long-term Health – some of the best research about the benefits of a plant-based diet
• Jane Goodall, Harvest for Hope: A Guide to Mindful Eating – connecting our health with the health of the planet
• Rory Freedman & Kim Barnouin, Skinny Bitch – several books; use a lot of processed plant foods (and some language), but good info and good for transitioning to veganism
• Jessica Porter, The Hip Chick’s Guide to Macrobiotics: A Philosophy for Achieving a Radiant Mind and a Fabulous Body – makes macrobiotics understandable and do-able
• Mishio Kushi, One Peaceful World: Mishio Kushi’s Approach to Creating a Healthy and Harmonious Mind, Home, and World Community – a classic
• Christina Pirello, This Crazy Vegan Life: A Prescription for an Endangered Species – approachable; author used diet to fight disease
• John McDougall, MD, The Mcdougall Program: 12 Days to Dynamic Health (Plume) – a classic
• John Robbins, Diet for a New America – a classic
• Eric Schlosser, Fast Food Nation – how fast food changed our culture and our health
• Kris Carr, Crazy Sexy Cancer Tips (Crazy Sexy) – author uses diet and attitude to fight cancer
• Brenda Davis, R.D. and Vesanto Melina, M.S. R.D., Becoming Vegan: The Complete Guide to Adopting a Healthy Plant-Based Diet – good basic info
• Patrick Holford, The New Optimum Nutrition Bible – a good resource
• Neal Barnard, MD, Dr. Neal Barnard’s Program for Reversing Diabetes: The Scientifically Proven System for Reversing Diabetes without Drugs – fighting disease with diet
• Rip Esselstyn, The Engine 2 Diet: The Texas Firefighter’s 28-Day Save-Your-Life Plan that Lowers Cholesterol and Burns Away the Pounds – includes exercises and man-friendly vegan recipes
• Alicia Silverstone, The Kind Diet: A Simple Guide to Feeling Great, Losing Weight, and Saving the Planet – making connections between you and the planet
• Sophie Uliano, Gorgeously Green – green living is good for everyone
• Renee Loux, Easy Green Living: The Ultimate Guide to Simple, Eco-Friendly Choices for You and Your Home – more green living

The water cost associated with the livestock industry is staggering.

According to a 2002 study by David and Marcia Pimentel of Cornell University, Western agricultural irrigation accounts for 85 percent of the fresh water we consume (the other 15 percent is for drinking, washing, food prep, etc). They also found that it takes 100 times more water to produce an ounce of animal protein than it takes to produce an ounce of plant protein.

Did you know that 64 percent of the world’s population is expected to live in a water-stressed environment by 2025? That’s 5 billion people who won’t have enough water if we don’t manage our resources better. (source: United Nations’ Food and Agriculture Organization report, “Livestock’s Long Shadow,” 2006) Eating more plant protein makes more fresh water available for drinking.

Eat plants! Go plant protein!

According to a 2002 study by David and Marcia Pimentel, researchers at Cornell University, it takes 20 times more energy to produce the protein in beef than it takes to produce a similar amount of protein from plants. In other words, we consume 95 percent less energy every time we choose to get our protein from plants instead of beef.

Go green! Eat plant protein!

When you’re at the farmer’s market, take the time to find the best.

• Walk the whole market, noting which vendors are selling what you’re interested in.
• Ask for a taste of anything you’re interested in – and offer to pay for it. Buying one tomato or one apple or one strawberry or one cucumber to taste may save you from a lot of tasteless ones. “Fresh and local” doesn’t always mean delicious.
• Know when it was harvested. Foods like corn and peas are much better the day they’re picked because the sweetness from their natural sugars dissipates quickly.
• Look at what you’re buying. Skip anything bruised, wilted, or yellowed. It doesn’t have to look perfect, but it should look fresh.
• Size isn’t everything. Often the smaller ear of corn, zucchini, or green bean is sweeter. Try eating the smaller pickling cucumbers instead of the larger salad cucumbers.
• Compare. Compare prices. Compare flavors. Compare growing practices. Compare the cleanliness of the stall, the friendliness of the vendor, or anything else that’s important to you.