Beauty’s Big Secret: Hidden Toxins in Fragrance
By Alanna Brown, LuxEco Editorial Assistant
According to the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette article entitled “Fragrance Chemicals and the Scent of Suspicion,” the fragrance industry has been keeping vital chemical information from the public. The article says two recent reports, one by the EWG and one by Women’s Voices for the Earth, have caused a stir amongst researchers, environmental groups, consumers, and industry legislation. These reports reveal that on the label of any given personal care product, bottle of perfume, or cleaning agent the word “fragrance” is loaded with unknown meaning. Manufacturers have used this one word, a nondescript listing among the other ingredients, as a catch-all to legally mask the dozen-or-more chemicals not actually listed.
The Fabergé egg of Green Design: James Chuda’s Architecture
By Nancy Chuda founder and Editor-in-Chief LuxEcoLiving and co-founder Healthy Child Healthy World
"Architect James Chuda's Green Home has been called the "Fabergé egg" of...
If I Could
Hands by Guido Daniele
Hands by Guido Daniele
By Florence "Flip" Ross, LuxEcoLiving Advocate and Contributor
If I could bring the planet Earth, back to its natural beauty
If I could sing its praise, and make the world assume its duty
If I could make the industries clean up their foul pollution
Our air, our water, would be clean, and would be the solution
If I could force our corporations to help clean up our planet
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 Yoga Break
By: Joanna Bateman, Luxeco Editorial Assistant
I’m a mid-west girl who recently moved west to California to spread my wings and fly. And if it weren’t for this past August, I’d be one stressed-out-Sally in the big sea of crazy known as Los Angeles. I needed to ground myself so that I didn’t float away in La La land. I needed Yoga camp!
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.
Graco Commits to Banning Toxic Flame Retardants from Children’s Products
Introduction by Nancy Chuda founder and Editor-in-Chief of LuxEcoLiving and co-founder of Healthy Child Healthy World
Step back in time. Over twenty years ago when...
Toxic Chemicals: Where You Find Them and What They Do
By Molly Rovero, LuxEco Editorial Assistant
Common items in your home that you interact with on a daily basis could be exposing you to chemicals...
Vegan Presidents and Action Heroes?
By Sahar Ghaffari, LuxEco Living Editorial Assistant
In a recent interview with Wolf Blitzer on CNN, former president Bill Clinton announced that his recent 24 pound weight loss was thanks to a vegan diet. The 64 year old Clinton went on an “essentially plant-based diet” living primarily on vegetables, legumes, fruit, and protein supplements mixed in with almond milk in the mornings.
PART 1: Laura Turner Seydel Visits the Green Home Under the H
Nancy Chuda, co-founder of LuxEcoLiving.com and Healthy Child Healthy World, proudly introduces LuxEco Living TV! Our first guest is Laura Turner Seydel, a wonderful mother, eco-advocate and the daughter of CNN's Ted Turner. Check out the interview to hear Laura share her insight and passion for an eco-conscious world, free from chemicals and toxins.
Petrochemicals: A Groundbreaking Report From The Medical Mainstream
By Bethany Colson, Managing Editor of LuxEcoLiving.com
I have often heard from environmentalists and natural health experts that you can chart the introduction of chemicals (particularly petrochemicals) to our society and see the graph begin to sharply incline after WWII and reach epic proportions from the 1980's. Likewise, you could chart the increase in cancers, diabetes, obesity, autism, heart disease and asthma and see the same stratospheric rise. In fact, you could put the two charts on top of each and see the obvious correlation.
A Time for Prevention: Safer Chemicals for Healthier Children
By Nancy Chuda founder and Editor-in-Chief of LuxEcoLiving and co-founder of Healthy Child Healthy World and contributing author Philip J. Landrigan, MD, MSc Dean...
Safety In The Summer Sun
By Alanna Brown, LuxEco Editorial Assistant
The hot sand between your toes, the refreshing cool water splashing against your legs, the high sun warm on your face. Summer is approaching fast and the beaches beckon us in all their golden glory. But before you rush off in your swimsuit, take the necessary precautions to make sure you have a safe celebration of this season.
Travels with Journey: The San Ysidro Ranch is a 5 paw resort
By Nancy and James Chuda founders of LuxEcoLiving and co-founders of Healthy Child Healthy World
Santa Barbara's San Ysidro Ranch is a posh, plush puppy...
New Advances in Microbiology Look Promising; Microbiologists Embark On a Microbe Mission
Scientists with the National Institutes of Health are on a mission—being called the Human Microbiome Project—to find out what these microbes do exactly. Which ones are fighting for or against us, and how might they have the potential to counteract disease?
For Hillary: Roar Like A Lion And Never Give Up
I was hoping to wear a white dress and walk into town to share my heartfelt joy with my friends. I wanted to roar like a white lion with pride and share the passion of OUR WIN TOGETHER.
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.
Chemical Creepers: A New Light Shed On Sunscreen
By Alanna Brown, LuxEco Editorial Assistant
Imagine if the very thing you used and depended on to protect you from skin cancer was capable of exacerbating the growth of epidermal lesions and tumors. Well that’s what the Environmental Working Group claims may be the case. A recent study shows that retinyl palmitate, a synthetic form of vitamin A, is carcinogenic on skin exposed to the sun.
President Obama’s Plea for Hope: To Protect our Children from Unthinkable Acts of Violence
By Nancy Chuda founder and Editor-in-Chief of LuxEcoLiving and co-founder of Healthy Child Healthy World
An Essay
Like you, I am stupefied. It is unconscionable to...
Hay! Get a Handle
By Nancy Chuda founder and Editor-in Chief of LuxEcoLiving and co-founder of Healthy Child Healthy World
Here's a LuxEcoLiving4U time saver. It's called Hay Handle.
Time...
3 Yoga Poses to Help You Relax
By Jason Wachob, Founder of MindBodyGreen.com and LuxEco Advocate
A little yoga after a day at the office might be just what you need to...
Anna Getty’s Tips For Eating Healthy With Organic Food
By Anna Getty, Author and LuxEco Adovcate
I have been addicted to organic food for almost 10 years. I know it is better for me, my kids and better for the planet. Studies have shown organic produce to be higher in anti-oxidants; vitamins and minerals (thank you to The Organic Center for your vigilant scientific research) and organic dairy, meat and eggs have fewer hormones, antibiotics and pesticide residues (yes, pesticides are found in meat because cattle are eating feed laden with them). It’s also true that organic farming is more sustainable; it uses fewer resources and encourages community. But above all else it tastes better. Try this experiment. Blindfold your kid and have him taste both a conventional and organic apple. You will see, he will pick the organic apple.
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.
How Can I Get My Child’s School To Be Greener & Safer?
By Janelle Sorensen, Chief Communications Officer, Healthy Child Healthy World
Expert Opinion courtesy of Healthy Child Healthy World
When my husband and I toured schools to...
In Memoriam:Please don’t despair my name is Claire
By Nancy Chuda founder and Editor-in-Chief of LuxEcoLiving and co-founder of Healthy Child Healthy World
I lost a very close friend. She was and remains...
14 Reasons to Never Doubt Yourself
By Alanna Rosette Brown, a writer/filmmaker, LuxEcoLiving Advocate, and author of Moonpennies. Follow her blog at alannarosette.com
Self-doubt is one of our biggest gremlins, as...
A Parent’s Right to Know
By Wendy Ross Kaplan a LuxEcoLiving Advocate and contributor
You pack your 12-year old a lunch, go through the last minute parent-love/instruction exercise, hug, wave,...
Dr. Harvey Karp’s healthy and natural technique to calm crying babies saves lives
Did you know that Shaken Baby Syndrome (SBS) can lead to early death?
A tribute to Nora Ephron: Why I don’t feel bad about my neck
By Nancy Chuda founder and Editor-in-Chief of LuxEcoLiving and co-founder of Healthy Child Health World
Getting older. It's not easy.
Nora always found a way to...
Kabang Creates Hope for Dogs throughout the World: Meet Karen Kenngott the Nurse Who...
By Nancy and James Chuda founders of LuxEcoLiving and Healthy Child Healthy World
Travels with Journey, The Hallmark Inn Davis, California
"The capacity for hope is...
Breathing Easy With Bhakti Ware
By Alanna Brown, LuxEco Editorial Assistant
Yoga mat. Check. Pony-tail. Check. Comfy and easily removed flip-flops. Check. Bhakti Ware…Check? “Wait, what is Bhakti Ware?” You...
Write a Novel, Lose Weight, Win at Work, and Prevent Disease…With A Lifespan Treadmill...
By Alanna Rosette Brown, a writer/filmmaker, LuxEcoLiving Advocate, and author of Moonpennies. Follow her blog at alannarosette.com
Make a New Years Resolution: Stand-Up and Walk...
Did you say Jellyfish?
Picture of the week
A Lions Mane Jellyfish, the largest jellyfish in the world! They have been swimming in arctic waters since before...
Fighting Pesticides and Toxins for Family Health
By Rachel Sarnoff, Interim Executive Director, Healthy Child Healthy World, Founder of EcoStiletto and LuxEco Living Advocate
Steep yourself in information about rates spiking to epidemic proportions in childhood autism, asthma, cancer and more, and you’re bound to become a maternal hypochondriac.....At this point, I must sound like a broken record. But believe me when I tell you that the more I learn about the connection between a child’s environment and his or her health, the more I understand how incredibly high the stakes have come to be.
This is about our children. It’s about their right to breathe. It’s about their right to live. It’s about doing everything that we can to prevent the nightmares that Nancy, Jim and Christine endured.
If this is what we’re fighting for, I’m all in.
How Fit Are You?
The holidays are coming. You just spent a fortune on that special cream that is meant to reduce stretch marks but did you ever...