Earth and Body Friendly

Buying second hand clothing is a great way to help the environment. I wrote about it here, so I won’t repeat myself. Clothes swap parties are a brilliant way to get yourself some second hand clothing and be ‘green’ at the same time. When I heard that my new friend, Tash, was having a clothes swap party, I asked if she would do a guest post for me, and she kindly agreed.

Tash normally blogs over at Zombietronics. Make sure you visit her blog!

I recently hosted a clothes swap party, with a turn-out of about 15 people in total and mountains of clothes traded. In the lead-up to the party I was amazed at how many people I spoke to who told me that they were part of regular clothes swaps – I guess considering I’d only ever been to one, I thought it wasn’t a very popular thing to do.

But it seems with the recession in the back of everyone’s minds, buying second-hand, sewing your own clothes and holding clothes swap parties is the way for money-conscious fashionistas to stay trendy.

I first went to a clothes swap party hosted by my friend, Natalie, who runs the blog Axis of Fat. She was promoting the idea of holding a clothes swap as a step towards body positivity and fat acceptance - which you can read more about in the great book, Screw Inner Beauty, or on the blog of the author Kate Harding. The party was a judgement-free zone with absolutely no diet-talk, no ‘I’m too fat to fit that’ or ‘You’re so skinny!’ The idea was also to bring along and get rid of those clothes that sit in the back of your wardrobe waiting for the day when you’ll fit them again.

Why bother keeping clothes that don’t fit you now? Why keep clothes that you don’t love to pieces, that don’t fit you properly, and that you don’t wear as often as possible? Why keep clothes that don’t make you feel as though you look awesome?

I cut loose a huge pile of garments—most of which I’d never even worn—and set them free to good homes. In turning out my wardrobe, I also found some things I absolutely love but have never had the confidence to wear, or have never been bothered to wear, and I now strive to incorporate them into my every day wear. I’m finally getting value for money on the expensive pieces in my wardrobe. For example, if I buy a $50 dress and wear it ten times, I’ve effectively paid $5 to wear it each time. If I buy a $20 dress just because it was on sale and I only wear it once because it doesn’t fit properly, I’ve paid $20 to wear it once!

Another awesome perk to holding the clothes swap party was that it came about just as I have started getting into sewing. Instead of not taking clothes because they didn’t fit me, I took everything I could get my hands on, and anything that had awesome fabric. I’ve already turned a couple of the shirts into something new: something that fits nicely and is completely original. If you’re into craft or sewing, check out Crafster and browse their community for reconstructions. It’s an awesome way to still be able to wear your favourite clothes, just as something new.

Basically, there are so many benefits to holding a clothes swap. Here are a few tips for holding your own.

• Invite twice as many people as you’d like to come, because probably only half of them will show up! You want as wide a range of body sizes and ages as possible, so that there will be something for everyone.
• Make it a weekend afternoon thing. Have lots of nibblies!
• Some regular clothes swappers charge everyone a gold coin entry, to raise funds to cover the cost of food, or to donate to charity.
• Decide if you want to have rules at your party. Will people go up one-by-one and choose one item of clothing? Is there a maximum amount of garments they are allowed to bring? Are they allowed to take only as much as they donate? I had a free-for-all party, and on a small scale I really liked it, but I can see that regular clothes swaps may benefit from having rules.
• Find a charity to whom you will donate the leftover clothes afterwards, and make sure you take them there! Look around for women’s or immigrant’s shelters in your area, as they are always in need of clothing donations.
• During the month of September, you can hold an Exchange for Change clothes swap and register your party to raise funds for Oxfam. Visit Exchange for Change for details.
• Have fun!

I’ve not used traditional deodorant from the shops for years. In fact, for quite a while, I didn’t use any kind of deodorant at all. But I didn’t smell terrible.

Avoid chemicals and aluminium

I avoid traditional deodorants because of the all the chemicals contained in them. Antiperspirants often contain aluminium, which may or may not (depending on who you ask and who’s paying for the study) cause all sorts of health issues. I like to play safe and avoid it. As far as antiperspirants go, I wonder at the wisdom of stopping your body from doing something it’s designed to do. Your body sweats for a reason. Unless you have a real sweating issue, I think that sweating is preferable.

For many years, I used a blend of essential oils as deodorant. For a while, I used nothing at all. I found that when I had reason to use a chemical deodorant, my underarms would smell really quite bad the following day. In fact, if I used soap under my arms (I usually use a microfibre body cloth to clean myself), I found I would smell absolutely terrible the next day. I think that mucking around with the ph balance and the natural mantle of your skin can cause problems.

Try an alternative product

There are alternatives available. Try oils or a crystal stick. Try nothing at all but keeping your armpits clean. I’ve had success with all three ways of keeping my underarms smelling clean. I currently use a combination of all three, depending on the state of my body, if I’m working or staying at home, etc. I’ll discuss them here.

DEONAT

I’ve had a lot of success with a product called DEONAT, a mineral salt crystal deodorant. I’ve heard that for some people it takes a little while for their body to get used to it, and therefore not smell, but now that I think about it, I wonder if it’s because their body is taking a few days to get back into balance after fighting against using products that throw out the ph balance of their skin.

For me, it worked straight away. It’s a bit of a different way to use deodorant, though, because you have to wet it to apply it. Also, it must be used on clean underarms. I use mine after I’ve got out of the shower (and therefore clean) and before I dry my underarms.

I’m impressed with the quality of the product, not only because it works well and I don’t smell when I use it, but I once dropped it on the floor and while the lid sustained a crack, it didn’t shatter into pieces. The crystal salt didn’t shatter either.

Nana May’s Nourishing Body Oil

This is one of the products which I sell at my stall on the weekends. It’s made by Nana May’s and is actually a body oil that can be used as a deodorant. The combination of the oils makes for a lovely fresh smell. Some of the essential oils it contains have antibacterial properties, so it’s perfect for under your arms because it stops the growth of bacteria, which is often what causes the smell.

I squirt a couple of sprays under my arms and spread it around, then rub the rest into my hands.

I’ve found this to be good for cases when I need to leave the house quickly, but don’t have time for a shower and I’m worried that I might not smell the freshest. The fragrance of the oils covers up any possible current smell or smell which may occur from doing something physical while I’m out and about.

You can always make your own special blend of oils to use under your arms by finding a shop such as Perfect Potion, where you can purchase base oils and essential oils and they’ll mix it for you.

Having a quick wash

Perhaps it seems pointless to say it, but one of the easiest ways to not smell under your arms is to stay clean. This isn’t so easy in hot weather, or if you’re doing physical labour. If you’re in a situation where you can do so, duck into a bathroom and simply wipe under your arm pits with a wet cloth or paper towel.

If I’m having a day where I know I don’t need to leave the house, I don’t use anything at all. It’s just my son and I, and my natural human smell (assuming I’m healthy and eating relatively well) isn’t offensive. If I do smell strongly, then I simply have a quick scrub under my armpits with some water.

Use a natural soap

I mentioned that I almost never use soap on my body. On the rare occasions I find that I do need to use soap, I use an all natural soap that’s made from plant ingredients. You can find it here distributed by a company called Rad Pads. It’s mentioned there as a laundry soap, but it’s also suitable for the skin. I use it on my hands and body when needed and it’s lovely.

Your natural smell is pleasant

Most people’s clean bodies, assuming good health and a decent diet, don’t actually smell terrible. I don’t understand the need to cover up our natural smell. Messing with your skin means messing with the natural ph balance and pheromones and the like. Ever snuggle up to your partner while they’re asleep and taken a long sniff, or enjoy the smell of your child while you’re having a cuddle? It’s nice, right? If you’re clean, I’ll bet you smell nice, too.

Have you found a natural alternative that works for you? Share it in the comments!

I know this site is usually more about being friendly to the Earth and to your own body, but today I’m going to write about being friendly and kind to other people’s bodies.

Be kind. Give Blood

Today I gave blood. It was the first time in ages. I’ve given bloody only three or other four times in my life. Previous times that I’ve tried, I’ve not been allowed to for one reason or another. On the first time I tried, I didn’t weigh enough. You have to be 50 kg (110.23 pounds) or over to give blood. I’m pretty short and petite. Until I was in my mid twenties, I weighed about 45 kg. I’m now just over that lower limit at 51 kg. According to the scales in the Red Cross van, anyway. Another time I tried, I had a bit of a cold. They won’t allow it if you’re not in good health.

I understand that in the USA, you’re paid to give blood. Is that right? Here you’re not paid. You get a cold drink and a biscuit or a treat, but no money. It’s completely voluntary.

So I stopped in at the shops on the way home from being at a friend’s house and I saw the blood van right near where I parked. I’d been seeing them around for ages and had always wanted to give blood, but hadn’t had the time, or hadn’t eaten a decent meal, or whatever. Today, though, I went up to the van and put my name down.

Be truthful

Once I was inside, I had to register again, because it had been more than 2 years since I last gave blood. I ticked ‘yes’ or ‘no’ on the boxes on the form so they knew whether I’d been exposed to any possible diseases and she asked me about the questions to which I’d answered ‘yes’. They took my details from the form and I’ll be getting a card in the mail soon, they tell me.

On this day, it seems I had a repeat of one of the previous times I gave blood, and after they took the needle out, I felt really woozy. I even had to use the spew bag. Gross. They were lovely, though, and stood there fanning me, putting a cool cloth on my forehead and making sure I wasn’t going to actually faint. They even gave me oxygen to make me feel better quicker. The previous time I felt nauseous like that, I’d already left the van. I didn’t feel as bad that time, though.

Tips for a joyful giving of blood

So here are my tips for giving blood. Your mileage may vary:

• Plan for it. Rocking up on the day is good, but maybe be more prepared than I was.
• Eat a decent meal beforehand. Toast for me, plus most of a bag of licorice bullets (chocolate coated licorice) obviously wasn’t enough.
• Drink lots of water. When she asked me if I’d had at least a litre of water to drink, I said ‘no’, but I didn’t mention that I probably don’t drink that much water in a week, let alone one morning. I’ll drink more next time.
• Be truthful on the forms. People are depending on your blood, so don’t lie about stuff. They don’t care if you’ve been sleeping around. They only care if your blood is clean.
• Don’t look at the needle going in. I never do. It would freak me out.
• Don’t watch the blood going into the bag.
• Try not to think too hard about the needle hurting as it goes in. It’ll only sting for a moment, so just lie back and enjoy your short rest while they take your blood.
• If you feel nauseous or as though you’re going to faint, make sure you let them know. Then enjoy the attention.
• Drink lots of water afterwards and make sure you eat properly later, too.

See more tips about what to do before and after giving blood on the Australian Red Cross site.

Incidentally, and embarrassingly, it took me until today to figure out why the letters A, B, and O, in the most recent Australian Red Cross’s Give Blood campaign (which has been going for months and months) are all in red. Some days I do believe that I’m intelligent. Today? Not so much. Heh.

Even though today’s experience didn’t make me glow on the outside, it made me feel good on the inside that I’ve provided someone with some much needed blood. If my own son, or any of my family or friends, need blood, I’ll feel happy knowing that I’ve helped to contribute to that blood bank. I’ll do it again in three months, too. Even if I have to use the spew bag again.

Please share some of your experiences with giving blood. Got some other tips for making the experience pleasant? Have you even been the recipient of donated blood?

Here’s part 2 of the interview with Marcus from XOCOCO, where we talk about organic food and discuss in more detail how fair trade works.

If you’re in the area, make sure you go and sample Marcus’s amazing organic and fair trade coffees and hot chocolates.  If not, then visit the XOCOCO website (and make sure to read the blog) to find out more about what he does.

Part 1 is here, if you missed it.

I had the pleasure of interviewing Marcus, proprietor of XOCOCO (pronounced sho-co-co, or kiss-hug-co-co) and maker of the best hot chocolate I’ve ever tasted. He makes his awesome organic coffees and hot chocolates from fair trade coffee and cocoa beans.

He runs his stall at the markets on Blamey Street at Kelvin Grove, an inner city suburb of Brisbane, Australia, every Saturday from 6 am to 1 pm.

The interview is split into two parts. In part 1, we discuss how he runs his business in an environmentally friendly way. In part 2, we touch on organic food and get into more detail about how fair trade works.

Please excuse my editing skills. I used fairly simple editing software, but mostly I can blame my inexperience.

See part 2 of the interview here.

I had an interesting conversation with someone the other day which has, hopefully, set my mind in motion toward finding a more balanced view of how ‘well’ I do each day with being friendly to myself and to the environment.

Most days I do well

You see, I think that I do pretty well with making as little impact on the Earth as I can: I often catch public transport and use the car only a few times a week; I use microfibre for cleaning through my whole house; soap nuts in the laundry; I rarely use soap or chemicals on my body for cleaning or personal maintenance; I use washable and/or reusable mentrual products.

Some days I don’t do so well

There are places where I fall down, though, and at these times, I actually feel guilty for not doing better: I use the clothes dryer much more often than I should; I seem to go through way too much toilet paper; I get my hair coloured (although I’m working on getting more body friendly products for that); I eat McDonald’s at least once a week and usually drink Coca Cola at the same time; I eat far more lollies than I should. I don’t feel guilty so much for putting unhealthy food into my body, since it’s mostly only me that is being affected, but when I consume food from giant conglomerates who are known for raping the planet, I feel guilty for supporting those companies.

So when I had this conversation the other day, this lady was saying to me that if we’re doing our best in most places in our lives, then we shouldn’t feel guilty for those places where we could do better, or where we know we’re doing something that isn’t so good for us or for the planet. Perhaps, though, guilt isn’t such a destructive emotion as long as I use it to spur myself into action to do even better.

Is good enough good enough?

I still do feel bad for those things I do which seem to be rather environmentally hostile, but then I try to convince myself that it’s okay to do those things, since there are people around who don’t seem to make any effort at all. But does that excuse me from making every change possible? Does that make me as bad as a company that chops down millions of acres of old growth forest, but thinks it’s okay because they then sponsor a clean up effort at a local beach, or they donate some money to a charity?

What do you think? Do you ever feel guilty for not making more changes in and around your home to be as environmentally friendly as possible? Perhaps you have ideas for how I can improve in the areas I fall down. Please share your thoughts in the comments.

Have you ever heard of ‘food miles’? It’s about how far food travels to get from where its grown to our tables. Much, if not all, of the food available in big chain supermarkets is grown a long, long way away from where we buy it. It travels across the country and across the world for our ‘convenience’.

Food miles are important to consider

Even much of the organic food available is also sourced from much further away than is ideal. Organic food is fantastic, but the fuel needed to ship it from far away eclipses the benefits of growing it organically.

Not only is there a cost involved with the fuel used in the shipping of these goods, but we pay a cost with the nutrition in that food. The longer a food sits around between being picked and being eaten, the less nutrition there is in that food. Food is an organic substance: it begins to break down the moment it’s picked or removed from the ground. Would you prefer to eat food that’s been picked only a day or so before you get it, or food that’s been sitting around in storage for as long as a year? (I’m not kidding you. Recent media has brought to light practices of food being stored for as long as that; apples referred to as ‘birthday apples’ because they’ve been in storage for full year.)

You’d think you’re damned if you do and damned if you don’t, but there are other solutions.

Community Shared Agriculture

One solution I’ve found that works well for me is to engage in Community Shared Agriculture (CSA). CSA is a system whereby food products are sourced from local farmers and producers. I found a company called Food Connect, who enlists the help of ‘City Cousins’ to take delivery of the food. Customers then have to travel only to their local City Cousin to pick up their weekly delivery of groceries.  The produce is bought from farmers no further than a five hour drive away. This means the food is fresher and the amount of fuel used is far less.

Food Connect sources food that is predominantly organic, chemical free and/or “conversional” (meaning the farm is working towards certification). Supporting these local farms keeps them in business and means that they can afford to grow a variety of seasonal foods, rather than being forced into the environmentally unstable practice of growing one or two mass crops of just the one type of food, in season and out.

I can source almost every fresh food that I need via Food Connect, from a nice variety of fruit and vegetables, to milk and cheese. Pantry staples such as eggs, honey, and peanut butter are available as well as more interesting  foods like olives and avocado oil.

Local farmers’ markets

If you don’t have a group like this available where you are, another option is to shop for your produce locally by attending farmers’ markets. Most farmers travel no more than two hours to get to these markets, so the food mileage is very small. You may even be buying direct from the farmer! The food is cheaper than at the supermarket, fresher, and the farmer gets a far better deal by selling direct to the public.

Eating local food, picked fresh and produced in season is not only good for your body and the environment, but it helps your extended community by supporting the people within that community. It’s a win/win situation.

How far does your food travel?

Where do you shop for your fresh groceries? Are there markets near you? Do you have favourite farmers’ market nearby? Leave a comment to tell me of your experiences shopping for fresh, local food.

Another video blog entry. Do you use toilet paper made from virgin trees or do you buy toilet paper made from recycled paper? Let me know in the comments which one and why. (If your sound is turned right up you might hear my boy in the background, laughing at me.)

This is a product only for women, but men, don’t discount it completely. You may know of a woman who could do with making her periods easier and more environmentally friendly.

Many years ago, when I first heard of menstrual cups via a link from a friend online, I’ll admit that I was actually kind of grossed out. The thought of ‘collecting’ my menstrual blood in a reusable cup, instead of keeping as much distance from it as possible, was quite horrible to me. But this was a long time ago, before I thought as much about my body and the Earth as I do now.

Having a period is not dirty or gross

The concept of menstrual cups have actually been around for about 75 years, but I’d never heard of such a thing. It’s a device used to replace a tampon. Instead of soaking up the menstrual blood, a menstrual cup acts as a small vessel to hold the blood, ready for it to be emptied out and the cup put back in. At the time I first came across it, I really did think this was rather a horrible idea. I was brought up by the large disposable menstrual product companies to think that menstrual blood is dirty and gross, something to be hidden, and something of which to be ashamed. Their attitude is that we shouldn’t have to have any contact with it at all and I’d bought into that.

It’s healthier for your body

But when I looked into it and thought more about it, I realised that it made perfect sense. Tampons absorb not only the blood, but also the lubricating and self-cleaning fluids naturally present in the vagina. This is not ideal. The DivaCup menstrual cup is made from healthcare grade silicone and does not absorb anything at all. The blood simply flows into the container inside you and you remove it to empty it out.

They come in two sizes, one slightly smaller than the other. The smaller one, size 1, is designed for women under 30 years old who have never delivered vaginally or by caesarean section. The larger size 2 is for women over 30 years old and/or for women who have delivered vaginally or by c-section.

It does take some getting used to, but as long as you have the right size and the knack of getting it fitted inside, you can’t feel a thing.

Change it less often, even for active woman

You can wear it longer than a tampon with no worry of Toxic Shock Syndrome. Leaks are rare, as long as it’s fitted well. You can wear it while taking part in active sports or swimming. Nothing is left outside the body, so there’s not even any worry of strings slipping out of your underwear or of fluid wicking out. 12 hours is the longest recommended wear time for the DivaCup, so you can wear it overnight and through a whole day and only need to change it twice in that time.

Get in touch with your body

I’ve found that since I’ve been using it, I’ve been so much more in touch with my body and its workings. I can tell if there are any changes in my cycle, and exactly how much change. In fact, it came in very handy for me as recently as this past week. I had some strangeness going on and a vastly different cycle than usual and so I knew exactly how much heavier my flow was and what was different about it in comparison to what’s normal for me. If it came down to it, I would also easily be able to collect a sample of my flow for a doctor, if it was required. Measuring your blood loss or taking samples can’t be done as simply (or at all, perhaps) with pads or tampons.

I no longer feel as though my cycle is something that I shouldn’t ever mention. I feel proud to know all about my cycle, even exactly what the flow looks like at various stages through my cycle. From my reading about it online over the years that I’ve been using it, I’ve found testimonials from many women feeling better about themselves, about being a woman, and about not polluting the environment with dozens of disposable tampons or pads every month. Some even report less physical discomfort once they stopped putting the chemicals that are inherent in tampons right inside the most sensitive part of their bodies.

Give yourself time to get used to it

There is a learning curve with using the DivaCup. It’s different to using tampons in that you have to fold it to insert it. It can be a little bit frustrating at first, but it’s much easier if you allow yourself some space and time to relax and practise. Likewise, taking it out is somewhat different, but again, relaxing and practising is the key. With each cycle that you use it, you’ll find it becomes easier for you.

Find what works for you

Initially, I had trouble getting the right fit for my DivaCup. I come under the category of being over 30 years old and having had a child by caesarean, so I bought the larger size, but I found it was uncomfortable for me. I replaced it with the smaller size and I haven’t had any issues since. Perhaps it’s because I’m quite petite, but it’s hard to know, as I’ve read of some larger women also requiring the smaller size. It does seem, though, that the guidelines are mostly in line with what woman need.

As much as I love the DivaCup, it’s not going to be for everyone. Depending on your body shape and the condition of your insides, it might not work for you to have something that requires insertion. There are other options for being friendly to your body and the Earth, such as washable pads, and I will be doing a review of those very soon. If you are squeamish, or if you have genuine issues having such close contact with your vagina, then this may not be for you. But do keep in mind that it’s a mental adjustment, similar (but far more positive) to the mental adjustment made for us by the big ’sanitary’ pads and tampon companies over the years.

A good time to try it

If you’re reading this around the time of writing the review (check the date on the post), it’s a perfect time to try it. Lunapads happen to be having a sale on the DivaCup. They’re offering 25% off the DivaCup and DivaCup kits (two different kits available on that page).

The DivaCup is available in other places, but I’m using links to Lunapads because that’s where I got mine. The other reason I’m linking to them is because they are a wonderful company totally committed to their customers, which is rare these days. When I find a company with such great customer support, I like to recommend them.

Visit: Lunapads
RRP: USD $39.50

I announced in the newsletter the three winners of the competition to win an Environmental Toothbrush each, but I forgot to post it here. So, congratulations to J.J. of Brisbane, A.B. of Sydney, and K.M. in the USA.

Remember that newsletter subscribers are usually automatically entered into competitions, so make sure you’re subscribed and ready for the next competition! Just enter your details into the form near the top right to subscribe.