School Lunches: What’s Your Bag?
September 27th, 2007
Now that kids are back to school, it may be time to reconsider what you’re sending in their lunch bags. With an estimated 17 percent of kids overweight, according to the Centers for Disease Control, teaching good eating habits must begin at a very early age.
According to the Seattle Post Intelligencer,
Water and fruit may be important, but the building blocks of a healthful lunch are carbohydrates, not the white kind, but the complex ones, according to Berkeley’s Cooper.
Then parents can load those grain breads and pitas with healthy peanut butter, other nut butters, turkey and other protein sources. Of course, nutritionists suggest tossing in fruits, vegetables and dips.
What goes between the bread is critical, says the UW Medical Center’s Simon. She encourages people to focus on buying quality meats and chicken, then using it in sandwiches, rather than slapping in lunchmeats.
Fat isn’t always the enemy, Simon says, noting that there is good fat in nuts and hummus.
And next time you head to the grocery store, don’t forget to take along the EWR’s free guide to Pesticides in Produce! It turns out that conventional apples — a lunchtime staple for my mom’s brown bag lunches — have the second highest pesticide load of any fruit or vegetable except peaches.
Leaving an apple for the teacher suddenly got a lot more complicated…
My Commitment 101
September 27th, 2007
You may have seen President Clinton making the rounds recently to promote his new book, GIVING: How Each of Us Can Change the World.
As an adjunct to the book and part of the Clinton Foundation’s Global Initiative, they recently launched MyCommitment.org, which is dedicated to helping ordinary citizens find a way to make a difference.
There’s almost too much information on here, with literally hundreds of ways for you to make a difference, but it’s all excellent stuff. I could probably post on just one of these things every day for a year!
From their website,
No act of giving is too big or too small. Whether it’s hosting a potluck to raise money for your favorite cause or volunteering with your church group once a month to clean a local park—everyone can give something. Inside this My Commitment 101 Kit you’ll find everything you need to get started on your commitment, including a database of volunteer opportunities available in communities worldwide, downloadable charity badges to post on your blog or website, 50 tips for improving the world, lists of organizations and groups you might want to join or buy from, and more!
Being a former president seems a bit like becoming a grandfather — without the constant pressure of making sure you raise the kids right, you can become a softer, gentler version of yourself. I liked the old President Clinton, but I think I like the new one even better!
Check out all the options and pledge to make a difference — one action at a time!
A Dishonorable Affair: Syrian Honor Killings
September 24th, 2007
The NY Times Magazine recently ran a very disturbing story on “honor killings” entitled “A Dishonorable Affair.”
The story recounts the death of a 16-year-old Syrian girl named Zahra al-Azzo who was raped at the age of 15, imprisoned to protect her from the revenge of her family, and finally married to a sympathetic cousin at age 16. Just a month after her wedding, Zahra al-Azzo’s 25-year-old brother stabbed her as she slept in an attempt to purge the disgrace brought upon the family by her rape.
Though the theology behind honor killings is slowly coming under criticism from prominent Islamic scholars, apparently the ancient practice continues, taking the lives of an estimated 5,000 women annually around the world.
The NY Times explains:
Some advocates claim that Syria has an especially high number of honor killings per capita, saying that the country is second or third in the world. In fact, reliable statistics on honor killing are nearly impossible to come by. The United Nations Population Fund says that about 5,000 honor killings take place each year around the world, but since they often occur in rural areas where births and deaths go unreported, it is very difficult to count them by country. Some killings have been recorded in European cultures, including Italy, and in Christian or Druse communities in predominantly Muslim countries. But it is widely agreed that honor killings are found disproportionately in Muslim communities, from Bangladesh to Egypt to Great Britain.
Yet there are signs of change. In Lebanon last month, Grand Ayatollah Mohammed Hussein Fadlallah, the top Shiite cleric and spiritual leader of Hezbollah, issued a fatwa banning honor killing and describing it as “a repulsive act, condemned and prohibited by religion.” And earlier this year, Egypt’s grand mufti upheld a fatwa stating that Islam permits a woman to have her virginity “refurbished” through hymen surgery, which would allow her to marry and would eliminate the need to cleanse the so-called stain on her family’s honor. He even appeared on national television to advise Egyptian women considering the procedure. Although the ruling has been assailed by conservative scholars, it has been welcomed by those who hope it will prevent future honor killings.
The Iranian and Kurdish Women’s Rights Organization is calling for a repeal of the Syrian laws that permit these types of “honor killings.”
To support the campaign (which has over 10,000 signatories already from within Syria) please send an email with your name, address and organisation to nesasy@gmail.com with the subject line “Stop honor crimes!” You may also contact the Syrian Embassy to ask for this vital change in the law.
It may be too late for Zahra, but perhaps her story can save another woman’s life.
Warriors in Pink
September 24th, 2007
If pink vacuums didn’t quite do it for you, what about pink t-shirts? (Sorry, guys, this just isn’t your week!)
Not to be outdone by their corporate friends over at Dyson, Ford Motors is partnering with Kelly Clarkson to sponsor Warriors in Pink — Ford’s custom fashion line dedicated to the cause of breast cancer awareness.
From the Ford website,
Ford is proud of its 13-year National Sponsorship of the Komen Race for the Cure. To date, Ford has dedicated more than $90 million to the cause. Our commitment runs well beyond raising funds. We know that awareness leads to early detection and early detection saves lives, so we are also working to increase breast cancer awareness–last year creating over one billion media impressions. We also encourage our employees to participate. More than 50,000 Ford employees have participated in The Race and thousands of our dealers support the race in their area.
So even if Fords aren’t necessarily your cup of tea, the cause is a good one and the fashions are fun. Kelly can even show you how to “Rock Your V-Neck” to make it customizable! (Okay, the whole Kelly Clarkson tie-in is a bit silly, but you can’t argue with the fact that 100% of the net proceeds are donated to the Susan G. Komen Race for the Cure.)
Here are a couple of my favorites –
Heather Brown Jersey Bella Mustang Tee for $20:
White Baby Doll T-Shirt With Contrasting Pink Cap Sleeves for $20:
For information on how to sign up for the Komen Race for the Cure in your area, visit their website or call 1-888-603-RACE.
Now go rock your baby-doll T!
Dyson: The Power of Pink
September 17th, 2007
It’s a good day when your impulse to do good can be simultaneously satisfied by your impulse for a new appliance!
Last weekend I picked up this beautiful pink Dyson vacuum cleaner.
Target is selling the legendary vacuum cleaner for $399, and $40 from the sale of each DC07 Pink will be donated to the Breast Cancer Research Foundation which currently funds over 100 researchers throughout the world working to prevent and cure breast cancer.
And yes, in case you’re wondering, that photo is exactly the way I look when I vacuum my house…?!