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Worrywart

Editing The Green Guide is the perfect job for me because I worry so. The simplest daily event is rife with potential perils. Walking down the street, I'm exposed to diesel particulates from an idling truck that can lead to cancer; vapor drifting from a construction site could disrupt my hormones. Catching my reflection in a glass, I ask: Am I heart-attack fat? At a dinner party, I break into a sweat: Will I get mad cow disease from this saute de boeuf?

I have learned that the best antidote to worrying is finding out the facts, which is our mission at The Green Guide. This blog is dedicated to worrywarts everywhere. Let me know what's worrying you!

–Mindy Pennybacker

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Chocolate or Bust

3:43 pm - February 13, 2007

To quell the midwinter blues, I stopped in at my favorite French bodycare shop and, along with my tin of fairly traded shea butter, was given some samples of a new bust-firming gel. How very French! It can't hurt, I thought--and I could use a little pick-me-up. Then I checked the ingredients list.

Alas, along with the certified-organic essential oils of lavender, the extract of nettle, came those troublesome paraben preservatives that cause the proliferation of breast cancer cells in lab tests. One researcher advised that women not use deodorants containing parabens because of the absorptive nature of the skin and the proximity of the underarm to the breast.

Paraben-free alternatives abound in all personal care products, such as Dr. Bronner's & Sun Dog's Magic Lavender Coconut Lotion ($9.99, drbronner.com) and Terressentials Fragrance-Free Moisture Cream ($16/4 oz., terressentials.com), both of which contain certified organic plant extracts. For more, see our Moisturizers and Deodorants Product Reports.

The fairly traded shea butter whetted my appetite for more feel-good wares, and what better than a bite of virtuous chocolate? Newly available in the U.S., Divine Chocolate made from cocoa grown in the Kuapa Kokoo farmers' cooperative in Ghana, is certified as fairly traded by Transfair USA. The farmers are founders and part owners of the company and are paid a fairer price, which enables them to invest in community projects such as schools and health care. And, the chocolate deserves its name. One of my favorites: hazelnut milk chocolate ($15/variety gift set of 6 bars, divinechocolateusa.com).

Which brings us to Worrywart's latest gripe: Boutique luxury-sector chocolate that, while neither organic nor fairly traded, trades on the feel-good notion of being locally produced (note: no cocoa is grown in the U.S.), charging a premium of $39 for less than an ounce, which adds up to $2,000 per pound. See Dallasfood.org for the story. Better to know what you're paying for. See our Chocolate Product Report.

© The Green Guide, 2008

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Chocolate
posted by tinarose on 2007-02-28 22:14:00  

Hey there: I write a free e-newsletter called Yoga Bean. In February's issue you can find a great article on the best tasting & most unique organic chocolates. Go to www.yogabean.net and click on newsletter archives, then Feb. to read the article. Happy trails. Tina yogabean.net