A Review: The Four Seasons Biltmore in Santa Barbara is in a class all...
By Nancy Chuda founder and Editor-in-Chief of LuxEcoLiving and co-founder of Healthy Child Healthy World
To B or not to B at the Four Seasons...
A Healthy Pet is a Happy Pet
By Allison Mowatt
Courtesy of Live Healthy Live Green
It's hard not to be aware of the numerous health benefits eating organically has on the...
PETA’s Sexiest Vegetarian Next Door 2010
It's no surprise! Country music starlet Kellie Pickler and Heroes' star Milo Ventimiglia are pretty sexy. Both were named Sexiest Vegetarians ...
Seasonal Eating: The Best Nature Has to Offer
By Kerin Van Hoosear, LuxEco Editorial Assistant and author of Seasonal Cooking with Kerin
Before the advent of refrigeration, seasonal living wasn’t an aspiration,...
Sycamore Mineral Springs Resort is a Liquid Gold LuxEcoLiving4U Destination
By Nancy Chuda founder and Editor-in-Chief of LuxEcoLiving and co-founder of Healthy Child Healthy World
Travels without Journey...well sort of...
We traveled to this beautiful haven...
The Best Cheese and Wine in the World: Bridlewood Winery hosts Mons Fromager- Affineur...
By Nancy and James Chuda founders LuxEcoLiving and Healthy Child Healthy World
Santa Ynez California, twilight time
It's a marriage of two of the most celebrated...
Le Meurice Paris is # 1:LuxEcoLiving’s Best Hotels in the World Series
By James and Nancy Chuda founders of LuxEcoLiving and Healthy Child Healthy World
What a dream! We spent our Midnight in Paris and every waking...
Green Business Networking: Fifth Annual Event!
Green Business Networking Proudly Celebrates Fifth Year, With... You?
It's hard to believe, but tomorrow's mixer will also be our FIFTH anniversary! Time flies...
Antibiotics and Food Production: Are we Feeding a Health Crisis and Squandering the Cure?
Author of Family Dinner and Producer of Inconvenient Truth, Laurie David shares her concern about antibiotics in food production and what that means for the overall health concerns.
By Laurie David, Author, Producer and LuxEco Advocate
Originally posted on Huffington Post
I worry. A lot. My worry gene works overtime. A doctor once told me it's called an "overactive checker" (or as I like to think of it, my OC). As far as afflictions go, it's not terrible. OC's are good to have around. They see danger from miles away. They pay close attention.
Motherhood can be particularly tough on OC's. We know too well that there's no such thing as "out of sight out of mind." But over the years I have come to terms with my checker, and now consider it a trusted friend. It was my checker that helped me raise my kids with a minimum of cuts and scratches, rear three dogs from eight-week-old puppies, and eventually opened my eyes to the looming dangers of global warming. It's the same trusted checker that is screaming, "Wake up! Wake up!" on the issue of antibiotic resistance.
Nutritional Facts: Pulling Nutrients from Breakfast Cereal
Nutritional Facts can easily help shape your Figure: How to get vegetables in that breakfast Cereal.
By Brooke Rewa, LuxEco Editorial Assistant
Pulfoods is bringing us a healthy breakfast that both parents and kids can get behind; Crunchfuls cereal. Made from beans and lentils this cereal is the perfect way to sneak in a full serving of vegetables first thing in the morning. With 4 grams of protein and only 3 grams of sugar this gluten-free, natural product is a great alternative to processed, sugary breakfast cereals.
In the Spice Cabinet: Marjoram, How Sweet It Is
By F.R.E.E. Will LuxEco Editorial Assistant & Author of In The Spice Cabinet series
Although marjoram carries a botanical name that denotes its grouping in the same genus as oregano (Origanum majorana), it does in fact have an alias of sorts to better distinguish between the two, Majorana hortensis. It is also, in culinary circles, distinguished from other less palatable
varieties of the herb by the more common name ‘sweet’ or ‘knotted’ marjoram . From a purely physical standpoint oregano tends to be the hardier of two when discussing ideal growing condition with marjoram requiring much drier conditions, and more in the way of full sunlight in order to reap the best quality. The two related herbs are also distinguished between their flowering tops, oregano flowers typically being a pink/purple while marjoram flowers tend to be white.
WATCH: Food, Glorious Real Food
By Nancy Chuda, co-founder of LuxEcoLiving.com and Healthy Child Healthy World
A divine inspiration. A remarkable event. An outstanding evening. Jim and I were treated to one of the most memorable moments in our lives—at Coleman Farm’s annual dinner. Their mission is to re-connect diners to the land and the origins of their food, and to honor the local farmers and food artisans who cultivate it.
The Thief Oslo Norway: LuxEcoLiving’s Best Hotels in the World 2016
By Nancy and James Chuda founders of LuxEcoLiving and Healthy Child Healthy World
Oslo Norway, The Chuda's for LuxEcoLiving
What could be better. Two nights at...
Travels with Journey: The Carmel Country Inn by the Sea is Pet Perfect
By Nancy and James Chuda founders of LuxEcoLiving and Healthy Child Healthy World
Carmel by the Sea at The Carmel Country Inn
Like the candy, Carmel...
In The Spice Cabinet: Healing Through Home Remedies
By F.R.E.E. Will, LuxEco Editorial Assistant, Author of In The Spice Cabinet series
The purpose of this article and the series as a whole is to examine the ingredients that go into some of your favorite dishes, particularly the benefits some of the more familiar (and some not so familiar) herbs and spices contain.
Want to Eat Tasty Vegan Food? Start with Cupcakes
By Jason Wachob, Founder of MindBodyGreen.com and LuxEco Advocate
Many foodies don't equate the word vegan with delicious, as a lot of recipes don't translate well without butter, eggs, and other animal products. But not when we're talking cupcakes... One of the most popular stories at the NY Times focuses on vegan chef, Chloe Coscarelli, whose vegan cupcakes beat out traditional cupcakes on the Food Network show, "Cupcake Wars."
Eating Well & Healing Yourself With Your Very Own Indoor Herb Garden
By Kerin Van Hoosear, LuxEco Editorial Assistant and author of Seasonal Cooking with Kerin
When I jumped on the gardening bandwagon, the first things I started to grow were herbs. I had really started getting into adventurous cooking, and it only made sense to grow my own herbs. If you go to the grocery store, you’re going to wind up spending a few bucks on a couple leaves of basil. Well, I don’t have a few bucks; but I do have a minute to snip off as much basil as I want from my garden, for free. And that’s really what it’s all about: saving time and money while bringing your food to a whole fresh, new level.
In the Spice Cabinet: Healing Through Home Remedies
The story of sage is truly one that has come full circle. From being a prized herb for its healing and cosmetic qualities, to a useful culinary seasoning, to being relegated to holiday cuisine, then fading into obscurity only to be brought back to the forefront of alternative medicine. Find out more about this robust herb in the latest installment of "In the Spice Cabinet"
Retaking our Green Wedding Vows at the Hotel Bel-Air
By Nancy Chuda founder and Editor-in-Chief of LuxEcoLiving and co-founder of Healthy Child Healthy World
In a historic setting which rekindles Hollywoods Golden but now...
In The Spice Cabinet: Healing Through Home Remedies
By F.R.E.E. Will, LuxEco Editorial Assistant, Author of In The Spice Cabinet series
A member of the same family as the more known ginger plant, the rhizome, or root, of the tumeric plant has quite the storied history. Native to the Indian subcontinent tropical regions of Southeast Asia, tumeric has been used in both ancient Chinese and Ayurvedic medicine for its anti-inflammatory properties and has been used for ailments ranging from jaundice to various forms of arthritis. Also well documented are the antiseptic properties of the volatile oils contained in tumeric making it quite effective in dealing with skin afflictions from minor cuts to more severe conditions like eczema and psoriasis; not to mention undeniably cheaper than the vast amounts of antiseptic sprays and creams on the market that serve the same function.
Chef Pinks Bacon and Brine is Mighty Fine: One of the Best Tastes in...
By Nancy Chuda founder and Editor of LuxEcoLiving and co-founder of Healthy Child Healthy World
Solvang California, Bacon and Brine
Chef Pink and Courtney Rae are...
Michelle Obama and Childhood Obesity
By Bethany Colson, Managing Editor of LuxEcoLiving.com
According to the US government, One third of all children born in 2000 or later will suffer from diabetes at some point in their lives; many others will face chronic obesity-related health problems like heart disease, high blood pressure, cancer, and asthma. A recent study put the health care costs of obesity-related diseases at $147 billion per year. With rates having tripled over the last three decades and with millions effected and the percentage of obese or overweight children at or above 30% in 30 states, the childhood obesity epidemic shows no slowing in site... YET.
Enter First Lady Michelle Obama.
The Goal: Through nutrition education, healthy food alternatives, physical fitness and a coordinated effort between public, private and non-private sector, the challenge of childhood obesity will be solved within a generation so that children born today will reach adulthood at a healthy weight.
In The Spice Cabinet: Benefits of Cinnamon
It's a safe bet to say that there aren't too many people in the world who haven't experienced the warm soothing smell of cinnamon as it slowly bakes into your grandmother's extra syrupy sweet potatoes, or as it blends with the apples and buttery crust from your mom's apple pie. What most of us, particularly in the Western World, fail to realize is that we are victims of a very cruel irony.
Former McDonald’s Execs Building Healthy Fast Food Chain
By Jessica Borges, LuxEco Editorial Assistant
Imagine walking into a fast-food restaurant with a menu sans greasy cheeseburgers, replaced by roasted chicken wraps and pork-and-sweet potato...
WATCH: West Hollywood’s O!Burger Sets the Trend for Organic Fast Food
Text By: Kammie Daniels; Video By: Marcus Inglizian, Basil Vernon and Kammie Daniels
Sitting in the lively O!Burger, looking out over the bright space filled with, among others, neighborhood hipsters, middle-aged men direct from the gym, and couples in close conversation-all customers greeted by a genuinely friendly staff- Basil and I said to one another, “I like this place already.”
The food, we’re happy to report, is equally appealing.
From the french fries and condiments to the burgers and fresh buns, everything is organic at O!Burger, the first burger joint in Los Angeles serving exclusively 100% certified organic food.
Farm to Family: A New Take on Fresh Produce
By: Molly Rovero, LuxEco Editorial Assistant
Farm to Family is a new take on the idea of farmers markets and bringing fresh produce into inner...
Strawberry Crumble Fresh From The Farmer’s Market
Hit your nearest farmer's market for some farm fresh strawberries and get baking!
By Brooke Rewa, LuxEco Editorial Assistant
It's strawberry season here in Southern California and were baking our way into spring. This homemade crumble filled with locally grown strawberries will have you sprinting to your local farmer's market for supplies.
The Twelve Apostles Hotel and Spa Cape Town South Africa: LuxEcoLiving’s Best Luxury Hotel...
If you had to choose a favorite company in which to use your bucket wish list ...this would be the one! Travel and Leisure has voted Red Carnation Hotel properties into thirteen different categories, including three No. 1 placements. And I can share why.
Fast Food Gone Green?
As victims of busy schedules, we are easily seduced by the drive-thru lines of fast food traps that promise quick service for low cost and oftentimes, low-quality food. We’ve seen their brightly colored signs along freeways, tempting our growling stomachs, but why should we have to sacrifice quality and health in the interest of saving time and money? Many fast food chains have caught on and are modifying their business initiatives to promote healthier and more eco-friendly practices.
Michelle Obama Urges Restaurant Industry To Change For Kids
By Kerin Van Hoosear, LuxEco Editorial Assistant and author of Seasonal Cooking with Kerin
Did you know that most kids’ meals in restaurants have twice as many calories as the meal you’d serve them at home? Not only are the majority of these meals laden with saturated fat and salt, but some even reach a whopping 1,000 calories! Such a meal is high in calories for an adult, and for a child that’s just ridiculous.
The Bear and Star in Los Olivos Celebrates The Culinary Magic of Chef John...
I have traveled the world. Met chefs in Paris, Provence, London, Milan, Venice, Gstaad, to mention only a few destinations and compared to some of those masters I found a brilliant culinary sympatico with John Cox.
In Defense of Agave
Agave nectar was originally given a lot of positive hype because it has a low glycemic index. For those of you who aren’t familiar with the term, this is a good thing! Think of it like time-released energy; instead of flooding your bloodstream with sugar that will eventually lead to a crash, foods with a low glycemic index keep you energized for longer.
The Hotel Plaza Athenee in New York is one of the Best Hotels in...
"New York is the quintessential city for every imaginable pleasure "
Step inside the chic Hotel Plaza Athenee and your first impression is a perfunctory,...
What to Eat for Spring: My Top 3 Quinoa Recipes
Are you wondering what to eat this spring so you can be bikini ready by summer? Try these light quinoa recipes to stay healthy and trim down.
By: Lauren O'Neill, LuxEco Editorial Assistant
With summer quickly approaching, the thought of baring it all and playing beach volleyball in a bikini can quickly become daunting. However, by learning what to eat this spring to shed the pounds and get fit, there will be no reason to feel mortified in your bathing suit. Quinoa is my absolute favorite ingredient to cook with and a staple in my daily diet. It is versatile, delicious, and loaded with nutrients that will keep you healthy, happy, and slim. Not only is it a complete protein, containing all nine essential amino acids, but it is also gluten-free and easy to digest. From improving cardiovascular health to reducing migraines, quinoa has a number of health benefits. It's incredibly easy to incorporate into your diet. When cooked, its light and fluffy texture makes it the perfect healthy substitute for rice or couscous. Below, I have shared my top three personal quinoa recipes that will make you feel great.
Olio & Limone Santa Barbara’s Best Italian Restaurant is LuxEcoLiving’s Best In The World
Olio & Limone is now my favorite Italian restaurant in the world.... and what a pleasure not to experience the burden of airplane pasta and worse, long lines for US Customs.... when all you have to do is find West Victoria Street in Santa Barbara and indulge.


















