by Tao Oliveto, Carrboro, NC

A friend shared a story the other day about her experience of a would-be city mugging several years back. Though a truly frightening moment, it had a happy ending with the mugger running off. The punch line, only amusing in retrospect, was that for unusual reasons, my friend happened to have $2,000 cash with her at the time.

It got me to thinking about how some decisions are darn simple - based on an innate instinct of survival - one that could not be ignored. If the mugger holds a gun to your head and says, “Your money or your life?” It’s a no-brainer. You’re either James Bond, or you give up the money.

So, why, in contrast, do our sustainable “life and death” choices seem so difficult to make? For me, it goes back to my early work in nutrition. I could easily convince people to by supplements and exercise, but hit a road block when, with the organic food movement still young, I struggled to convince people that paying more to eat organically was truly a choice between their money or their life (and the life of the planet.) It took not just facts, figures and threats over pesticides in our bodies, water and soil, but the willingness of my clients  to see the larger, long-term picture that shed light way beyond their wallets.

I started to take small groups through the natural food store (newly owned by Whole Foods) stopping in each department to talk about the truth regarding conventional and organic choices. I knew my stuff and was nothing if not passionate about the topic. I even shopped on a tight budget myself and managed it while committing to eating close to 100% organic food. Surprisingly, my conversion rate was a mere 40%, leaving me feeling not just disappointed, but baffled. Wasn’t the choice obvious? Wasn’t this something that could make us healthier right now and protect our future? Wasn’t it simply a matter of money  - and not all that much of it?

I’m an idealist, if not an optimist, so the wake-up call was difficult - though I did (not surprisingly) get offered a position at that store, where I continued to share my excitement about the whole foods/organic food business for several years. Local eating came along later and the transition by consumers has been similar in many ways - slow in coming, wrapped up in the long, arduous process of getting enough information out to enough people and the commitment of small groups of dedicated farmers and consumers.

Now our money and life choices have extended to living sustainably in many other ways and perhaps the questions change slightly when it comes to our cars, our homes, our use of resources, our wasteful habits. Your life or your luxuries? Your life or your conveniences? Your life or your ego?

The answers still feel knee-jerk certain to me - more no-brainers. What’ll it be? Your money or your life?

(Due to living off-grid, Jeannie is posting on Monday this week - enjoy! Tao)

by Jeannie Newell, Crested Butte, CO

This is what I know this week:

Riding your bike everyday can make you feel great!  I have recently joined the ranks of the carless, and it definitely has its challenges, but is absolutely not without rewards. Living outside of Crested Butte, I ride my bike 6 miles into town most days.  I do share a car with a friend, so three days a week I have transportation.  The days that I ride in, I feel so good!  My mood is better, my outlook is better and life is grand. The first time I rode my bike home at dusk, I was leery of bear and mountain lions and all the scary things people told me I might run into.  The second time I rode my bike home late, I felt the most amazing connection to the forest where I live.  Always a chicken, sissy, afraid of everything person, I felt safer than ever.

Changing the subject briefly - I’ve met some people here who don’t work.  They are an attractive, fun, well-spoken couple who don’t have jobs (that’s right - they don’t have jobs.)  They sold their home and their cars and their ’stuff’ after 10 years of working for Intel and being professionals. Fed up with office life, they invested their money and now live on less than $20,000/yr.  They volunteer and do all sorts of creative things to make ends meet. They’ve hiked the Appalachian Trail, the Pacific Crest Trail and have biked all over the country. In a couple of weeks they are biking to a bluegrass festival that’s at least a 5 hour car ride from here. Last year they spent some time biking around France. I personally crave the structure that a job provides, but they are finding creative ways to have the life they want.

A friend of mine told me she recently read an article in a literary journal that specifically discussed Crested Butte and the reasons that people here report higher levels of happiness than many Americans do. It’s a hard town to make money in, and is expensive to live here. Lots of people work 3-4 jobs to make ends meet. It’s freezing in the winter - one of the coldest places in the lower 48.  So why so happy? The trade-off is, there is a connection to the community here.  We know each others names, we chat in the grocery store and other spots around town.  We see people we know at every gathering. People know each other and support each other. People smile. Many people create work trade opportunities for themselves and find ways to volunteer, work and be creative about living cheaply. Also, people here have a much greater connection to nature. Most camp, ski, hike, walk, kayak, and get all kinds of exercise. People are riding their bikes. I’ve been outdoors so much more since I got here. I’ve lost over 5 pounds and I’m happier and friendlier. I’m camping for the summer and I’m far from alone. Lots of locals camp out for the summer just because they like it.

Some people say that getting lots of exercise balances your Chi.  Some say it releases endorphins.  The experts say we should get in an hour every day…that it’s more effective than antidepressants and it lowers cholesterol, blood pressure and all those other benefits we know we can glean from getting outdoors and playing hard.

What I’m taking from this is that whatever happens in my life, I always want to ride my bike and talk to strangers.  And find ways to live on my terms, because other people are doing it and I know it can be done.  I’m living in a town of role models, and camping in the woods nearby…

by Tao Oliveto

By now, we’ve all heard about the many benefits of a consistent yoga practice - calmer mind, healthier organs, detoxification, better digestion and sleep, balanced nervous and hormonal system, muscle flexibility and strength, stronger core, back and joints. And I can tell you from both my practice and teaching experience, that all this can be realized through regular practice of a reputable system of yoga.

But, can yoga really make life easier? Well, yes and no. Obviously, all of the above things can make you fell a heckuva lot better than the average, non-yoga person. Still, yoga cannot make the outside problems and harsh realities of life vanish. So, while yoga does not make life easier, it does make you easier with life. “Through a regular yoga practice, we become less hindered by our past and less invested in our fantasies”, says Donna Farhi, one of America’s most respected yoga teachers and author. Practice gives you direct access to an inner place of grounding and presence which can allow us to stop feeling overwhelmed by thoughts and emotions stirred up by daily events and relationships. In this space of stillness, we can find more acceptance and listen to the messages and wisdom that come from the mind and heart working together.

Now that we have our sh** together, what about the world “out there”? It is difficult not to experience periods of hopelessness in the midst of the world’s suffering and uncertainty. Yet, be hopeful we must, as well as find the things that we can do to be part of world change in both small and large ways. Ultimately, more people finding hope and peace will have an effect on the world. So, just how do we get there? Here’s some ideas:

1. Have hope about the future even while accepting uncertainty. Share that hope in some way each day. Discover valid reasons why we can expect good things to happen and tell others.

2. Develop your awareness. Live with continually increasing openness and sensitivity towards others, the earth, animals and yourself.

3. Do a lifestyle check. What are the consequences of the way you live and consume natural resources? What could you, your workplace, your business, be doing differently?

4. Contribute to a cause outside yourself. We have a big job ahead of us and it will take everyone to get it done. Resist the temptation to sit back and wait. Become pro-active in your life and community.

5. Stay informed (but not always from television news). Turn to less sensational news sources, read and talk to others.

5. Send out positive, life-changing energy. Choose a mantra or a prayer of your own and repeat it to yourself several times a day.

6. Smile and breathe.It’s o.k. to find a happy, peaceful place inside yourself. Go there to heal and restore when you need to. Laugh, entertain each other and have some fun. The people around you will benefit and you will be able to accomplish more.

7. Keep practicing yoga daily. It makes all the above possible.

by Tao Oliveto, Carrboro, NC

We’ve long known, but as long forgotten, that raw and/or fermented foods are important factors in the holistic picture of diet and health. Fermentation was first used as a way to preserve perishables before refrigeration existed and the ancient philosophy of Macrobiotics includes fermented foods for their enhanced and abundant nutrients. I’ve included fermented/cultured foods like miso, tempe, apple cider vinegar and kefir in my diet for years. Why are these foods so important? Bacteria, baby!

Our culture has become exceedingly germ-phobic and obsessed with cleanliness. And in the midst of trying to eliminate disease-causing bacterias, we’ve created a overzealous fear of all things microbial. Industry enthusiastically fed this fear and soon the marketplace was swarming with anti-bacterial soaps and other cleaners. Are we less sick due to our efforts? Actually, no and then some.

There’s no sign that fewer people are succumbing to viruses and other illness, but there’s plenty of evidence that our immune systems are continually becoming weaker and that new and antibiotic-resistant bacterias are gaining ground in our environment and bodies. Microorganisms cover our bodies and the surfaces of our home in the form of friendly bacterias that protect us and help develop the immune system. “The cleaner we live…the more likely we’ll get asthma and allergies” states Dr. David Rosenstreich, director of Allergy and Immunology at the Albert Einstein School of Medicine. In other words, Mr. Clean was wrong.

There are many facets to a whole and healthy life and discovering ways to work with the body’s diverse system, rather than against it, can be a worthwhile and fascinating journey. How to begin?

Step One: Don’t believe everything you’re told on television or radio - research, read and talk to others.

Step Two: Ditch the antibacterial soap and consider washing your hands, and other stuff at home less often. (Continue to wash hands when using public restrooms.)

Step Three: Play in the dirt.

Step Four: Eat fermented/raw/cultured foods. The process of fermentation makes food more digestible and nutritious, while live, unpasteurized fermented foods provide good bacteria in the gut. Fermentation creates new nutrients, removes toxins from foods and have been shown to function as antioxidants in the body. Think sauerkraut, cheese, miso, tempeh, kefir and yogurt. Home “brewing” isn’t as hard as you may think - Learn more from this book by Sandor Ellix Katz, Wild Fermentation, The Flavor, Nutrition, and Craft of Live-Culture Foods.

by Tao Oliveto

The environmental question lurking behind that time of the month. Throw away or wash/reuse? Traditional tampons and pads are made with bleach and other toxic chemicals. Friendlier feminine products are now available and although better for your health, they don’t solve the problem of using resources and creating waste.

All of you green goddesses will be thrilled to hear there is another option, good for both you and the planet. The Diva Cup http://and The Keeper http:// are reusable menstrual cups made from silicone or latex rubber, respectively. They are convenient to use,waste-free and super-economical since they will last up to 10 years. I love my Keeper! In fact, these woman-friendly products are so freeing and comfy, that I really hope the word gets out in a big way, so pass it on!

While we’re at it, why don’t we embrace whole experience with awe instead of dread? As it turns out, in pagan times, when nature was revered and honored, the menstrual cycle was celebrated and acknowledged as a woman’s link to the cycles of the earth and the planets. Wow. It turns out that not only can I use this altered state to contact my inner goddess, but I can now buy and waste less in the process!

by Tao Oliveto, Carrboro, NC

Our pets face huge challenges in a toxic world. While we try to drink filtered water and eat organic food, our pets are most often subjected to large amounts of toxins on a daily basis, stressing their immune systems, organs and overall health. Recently reported on Grist, blood and urine samples of cats and dogs showed higher contamination than humans, with evidence of at least 48 chemicals, including pesticides, mercury, fire retardant and those from plastics.

Many toys made with chemicals pose a surprising threat to your pets health, especially to dogs, who chew vigorously and extensively on plastics toys that release toxins into their systems. Although playing fetch with tennis balls and frisbee is fun exercise for your faithful companion, don’t allow prolonged chewing on these items. Better yet, skip the plastics all together and supply your pet with natural or naturally-made toys. Check out GreatGreenPet.com.

While your at it, stay clear of bedding made with petroleum-based or other toxic materials - splurge on the good stuff made from organic fabrics. You’ll be protecting fido and you while supporting a shift to a safer textile industry.

My herding dogs run a lot and end up drinking from creeks and puddles to rehydrate when we’re hiking. Bringing water along on hot days is helpful, but here’s a tip that really works. Before we go out, I offer a big bowl of “baited” water - with organic raw milk or broth in it. My dogs get pre-hydrated this way and are not as likely to indulge in street puddles or creeks.

Organic and higher quality foods are becoming more readily available and hopefully will become less expensive as demands increase.There’s a lot of information available online since the recent recall of contaminated pet foods that caused the death of many pets. Find the food that fits your needs as well as your dogs. I urge a diet of as much human-grade raw food as manageable - I also use high quality products from Halo, Innova and Solid Gold.

They are worth it.

by Tao Oliveto, Carrboro, NC

As a student and teacher of yoga, I always tell my students that half of what we learn and do in a yoga practice is a result of our efforts. The other half just happens.

I’m compelled to share this story involving my dog, River, because it demonstrates our human potential on all levels. Just like in yoga practice, sometimes we need to tap into something bigger to complete what we do on a conscious level.

Bonnie Illies is an animal medical intuitive and healer. Rather than try to explain that, I’ll tell you River’s story.

River, my Cattle Dog, loves to run - hard and fast. One day, at full speed, she became tangled in a vine and the result was a torn ligament in her back leg - not a hopeful diagnosis for a herding dog. After 4 months of orthopedics visits, supplemental and physical therapy, her condition continued to worsen. Facing a dire prognosis of increased, long-term pain and/or extensive surgery, confinement and rehabilitation, I turned to Bonnie for help.

Bonnie lives 1,000 miles away. On the phone, rather than asking me to explain the problem, Bonnie told me to wait while she “checked in” with River. She came back to the phone and told me that River had pain in a back leg. Surprised but impressed, I didn’t need to hear much more. Bonnie scheduled a healing “session” with River for the next day, asking for a time when she would be quiet and at rest.

I came home that evening filled with curiosity. Although my dog was slightly favoring her bad side, for the first time in 3 months, she was not limping. I called Bonnie, excited and hopeful. She recommended a second session for the next day.

The next night, I returned home to a dog that ran to the door to see me without any visible sign of discomfort. I immediately took her outside and she raced around the yard. I watched nervously. Nothing - just a happy, healthy dog. I called Bonnie, thrilled but hesitant about letting her run too much too soon. But Bonnie said all was well - she was healed. The next day, River and I ran 4 miles through the woods - and has been doing so every day since then.

If your animal is sick, distressed or injured, Bonnie can help. She has been specializing in medical intuitive/healing work since 1998. Visit her website and read other testimonials from across the country at BonnieIllies.com.

My own experience has not only helped my dog but helped me have faith in our abilities as human beings to heal each other and the planet.

The Changers are spending the weekend at our local music festival and since Spring has sprung here it has triggered a discussion on sunscreen safety. In other words, should we subject our skin to sunscreen chemicals or risk sun exposure/burn? Fortunately, there’s a third choice - non-chemical sunscreen. This is an important information for all of us, whether you like to hit the beach or just scoot around town by bike or bus. In fact, please don’t even consider waiting for your current tube of sunscreen to run out before making the switch. Read on. It’s big.

Studies show that popular chemical sunscreens may actually increase cancers by virtue of their free-radical generating properties. Commonly used sunscreen chemicals also have strong estrogenic actions that may cause serious hormone disruption in men and women, and may further increase cancer risks. Benzophenone is one of the most powerful free-radical generators known and when it interacts with UV light, it becomes even more powerful. Other common chemicals in sunscreens are estrogen mimickers and can cause feminization of tissues. Frighteningly, studies show that melanoma (and cancers like breast, uterine and prostate) has increased in areas where physicians have heavily promoted the use of sunscreen, such as parts of Australia.

Chemical-free sunscreens hit the market last year, the active ingredient going back to lifeguard basics - titanium dioxide, a naturally-occuring mineral that is an “opacifier” (white pigment) that reflects light and creates a barrier on the skin. Yes, the mineral does leave the skin with a white “glow”, to varying degrees, depending on the spf. I’ve found Dr. Hauschka’s and Aubrey’s brands to be effective without looking mask-like. Burt’s Bees and California Baby have also introduced similar products, the latter said to contain a “micronized” titanium dioxide which is non-whitening.

At least 35% of sunscreens (or anything?) applied to skin is absorbed into the bloodstream. The rest is rinsed off directly into lakes, oceans and our shower drains. Grist reports that up to 6,000 tons of sunscreen wash off in the oceans every year, threatening coral reefs and aquatic plant life and could encourage dormant algae viruses to proliferate.