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Healthy Living, Less Judgment

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  • Home
  • Book
  • Categories
    • Healthy Living
    • Mommy Greenest Approved
    • Eco Beauty & Fashion
    • Natural Parenting
    • Latest Buzz
    • Green News & Events
  • Mommy Greenest Guides
    • Guide to Going Green
    • Guide to Eco-Friendly Fashion
    • Guide to Healthy Eating
    • Guide to Natural Parenting & Pregnancy
    • Guide to Green Beauty
    • Guide to Healthy Cleaning
  • About
    • Standards & Disclosure
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  • pink himalayan table salt in a bowl helps you cook better
    Healthy Living

    One Simple Tip to Cook Better Forever

    December 17, 2014 /

    Do you assess your seasoning by how well it pours? Stop! So-called “table salt” is rock or ocean salt that’s mined, heat blasted, chemically treated and fortified with iodine until it’s devoid of all essential minerals and nutrients. Use this simple tip to cook better, forever!

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    Rachel Sarnoff 4 Comments

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    Mommy Greenest Guide to Going Green

    September 10, 2015
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    Boycott Hershey Update

    March 4, 2014
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    What You Need to Know to Avoid VOCs

    March 16, 2016
  • heritage turkey raises wings against white background
    Healthy Living

    Is Heritage Turkey Worth It?

    November 6, 2014 /

    So you’re gearing up for Thanksgiving, the time when supermarkets practically—and sometimes, literally—give away turkeys in order to get you to shop in their stores. And unless you’re preparing for a vegan holiday meal, you’ll need to get your poultry order in stat. But then you look at the prices: This time of year, conventional turkeys can be purchased for as little as $.39 per pound, while at Williams Sonoma, a heritage turkey can ring up at nearly $200. Is it worth the price?

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    Rachel Sarnoff 13 Comments

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    How To Break Packaged Snacks Addiction

    December 14, 2015
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    Goodbye BPA, Hello BPS

    September 2, 2013
    Mommy Greenest Fair Trade Valentine's Day Gift Guide

    Fair Trade Valentine’s Day Gift Guide

    February 11, 2015
  • vegetable stew with salad greens and pomegranate seeds
    Healthy Living

    Jumpstart to Sustainable Food Habits

    November 15, 2013 /

    For years, I’ve been a total fan of Pamela Salzman, a certified holistic health counselor and a cooking instructor who shares healthful recipes and nutrition advice on her blog PamelaSalzman.com. A mother of three, Pamela lives in Manhattan Beach, but teaches all over Southern California. She has inspired me to create more sustainable food habits with my family. Want to join in the fun? Follow the advice that Pamela shared exclusively with Mommy Greenest in this post, or better yet sign up for one of her amazing classes! Much of the food we consume these days is a product of a broken and unsustainable food system. This food is dependent on…

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    Rachel Sarnoff 0 Comments

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    Today’s InspirApril Daily Affirmation: Peace

    April 20, 2015
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    4 Steps To A Sustainable Mother’s Day

    April 29, 2015
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    Today’s InspirApril Daily Affirmation: Commitment

    April 22, 2015
  • hamburger on white background with lettuce and tomato
    Healthy Living

    Go Semi-Vegetarian! 2 Ways to Ditch Dioxins

    September 27, 2013 /

    My family is not vegan. We’re not even completely vegetarian. I serve the occasional organic, grass-fed hamburger, and I let them order conventional burgers in restaurants, if they want to. But I let my kids know that we eat very little meat—living a semi-vegetarian life—for one important reason: Dioxins. Now you may not have heard much about this group of roughly 75 related chemicals—unless you were an early adopter of alternative feminine hygiene products that touted their avoidance of the stuff. But I digress. As a parent, these are a few facts you need to know.

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    Rachel Sarnoff 30 Comments

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    Today’s InspirApril Daily Affirmation: Imagine

    April 17, 2015
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    Is There Triclosan in Your Toothpaste?

    September 8, 2014
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    Easy Organic Vegan Chia Pudding Recipe Hack

    June 29, 2015
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    Healthy Living

    More Reasons to Eat Less Fish

    May 14, 2013 /

    Stories about radioactive tuna from the 2011 Fukushima meltdown that showed up 6,000 miles away on California’s shores sounded too crazy to be true. The FDA said the radiation was nothing to worry about in the United States, since you’d have to eat pounds of the stuff before being affected. But according to a 2011 Government Accountability Study, the FDA only inspects .1% of the fish we import for consumption.

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    Rachel Sarnoff 2 Comments

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    Today’s InspirApril Daily Affirmation: Yes

    April 12, 2015
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    Recipe Hack: Vegan Sushi

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    One Simple Tip to Cook Better Forever

    December 17, 2014
  • Healthy Living

    Sulfites and Wine: The Headache Connection

    May 13, 2013 /

    I love wine. Unfortunately, wine no longer loves me—the long headache isn’t worth the short buzz. But according to wine expert Olivier Magny, it’s not the wine itself that’s the problem, it’s the type of wine I’m drinking. Cheap wine. American wine. Sulfites in wine. Olivier, who has taught the art of sommelier-ing to more than 100,000 students at his Paris-based O Chateau, has a problem with sulfites and wine. “Wine should never give you a headache,” he told me. “Good wine—which in my book doesn’t mean expensive but does mean well made—is guaranteed headache-free.”

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    Rachel Sarnoff 16 Comments

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    Today’s InspirApril Daily Affirmation: Impossible

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    June 29, 2015
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    Natural Parenting

    5 Rules to a Healthy Eating Habit

    May 7, 2013 /

    My kids are sick of healthy eating. They don’t want organic soybean butter and Farmer’s Market fig jam sandwiches, they want Lunchables: crackers, processed cheese, salty disks that pass for lunch meat and a whole lot of chemicals wrapped up in a plastic box. My younger daughter confessed she dumps the organic carrot sticks the trash (and I thought the ranch dip was decadent). My oldest has been trading her edamame for candy. Forget the veggie chips I carefully stowed in wax paper bags—heaven for these children would be to open up their lunch boxes and spy a bright-orange bag of Flamin’ Hot Cheetos.

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    Rachel Sarnoff 11 Comments

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    Green Cleaning in 3 Easy Steps

    April 14, 2013
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    2 Tricks to Ditch Dangerous Pesticides

    April 14, 2013
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    Dangerous Chemical in Dry Erase Markers

    March 23, 2015
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    Natural Parenting

    What is BPA? 6 Ways to Ditch It for Good

    April 17, 2013 /

    In 2012, the FDA announced a nation-wide ban on BPA in bottles and sippy cups. The following year, California placed the chemical on its Proposition 65 list, officially recognizing it as a reproductive hazard. So what is BPA? Simply put, it’s a chemical used to harden plastics, especially polycarbonate plastics and epoxy resins. Despite federal and statewide action, our kids are still being exposed to BPA on a daily basis. The substance is still found in hard plastics, food-can linings and cash register receipts. In that year alone, studies linked BPA to: 1. Obesity: White children with the highest levels of BPA in their urine were six times more likely to…

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    Rachel Sarnoff 26 Comments

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    Obesity is one of the biggest challenges we parents face. Here are three easy ways to make sure your kids have the advantage against childhood obesity.

    3 Tips to Avoid Obesogens—And Obesity

    July 25, 2013
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    3 Steps to Safe Baby Decor

    July 8, 2013
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    3 Steps to Avoid Flame Retardants

    May 1, 2013

Welcome! I created this blog in 2008 as a resource for healthier living with less judgment. I'm a mother of three, former journalist, and co-founder of the (shuttered, sniff) sustainable beauty and fashion site EcoStiletto. I was Executive Director of the nonprofits The 5 Gyres Institute and Healthy Child Healthy World and appeared as a sustainable lifestyle expert on "The "TODAY Show" and "CNN Headline News," among others. Oh, and have you checked out my TEDx talks: Trash is Ruining Recycling and Can One Straw Change The World? Today, you can find me here. Let's keep in touch! xoRachel

https://youtu.be/sOol1MIgois

rachellincolnsarnoff

This week, I received a beautiful card from a frie This week, I received a beautiful card from a friend whom I’ve only known through a zoom screen. Her words of encouragement could not have been better timed, as I’m wrestling a massive, sticky octopus of a new plot and had been wondering if I should just let it swim back into its inky, anonymous cloud. Getting this card was the push I needed to hold on. So today, I’m sending words of encouragement to another writer whom I know primarily through screens, and hoping she’ll pass it on, too. There’s something about the surprise of a message facilitated by ink and paper and a stamp that resonates more strongly than an email. Do you agree? #AmWriting #Writing #WritingCommunity #PacificMFA
What if you could wash your hair just once a month What if you could wash your hair just once a month? New MG story up — link in bio! #hair #hairstyle #ecohair #ecostyle
This has always been a challenging day for me, as This has always been a challenging day for me, as it is for so many of us who grew up without or have challenging relationships with their mothers. From kindergarten on, the week before was filled with questions and activities designed to honor a person who was not present in my life, and that reminder was a special kind of pain, like a shard of glass in your sole that shifts every so often into something sharp. The feeling softened as I became a mother, and is changing again as my children leave the nest — today, it’s just my youngest and me. But there is also sweetness in annually honoring all the amazing and generous women and men who have mothered me and taught me how to mother — some are mothers, and some love with a mother’s heart. I believe that we choose our own families — sometimes they’re connected by blood, but not always. If this day is difficult, please remember to honor and nurture yourself through it. For me, this means writing about these feelings, until I’ve worked out the glass and it can no longer make me bleed. #amwriting #writer #writersofinstagram
Happy trails to you… #lakearrowhead #arrowhead # Happy trails to you… #lakearrowhead #arrowhead #mountains #mountainlife #treehugger
Honored and inspired by last night’s conversatio Honored and inspired by last night’s conversation with Shannon Perry about her incredible vision and execution on @cityofsantamonica #sustainability and Daniel Thurmond about the amazing work of the student-led Team Marine @vikingssamohi! What’s the best way to ensure progress on #environmental goals? Take daily action and #VOTE! This fall, legislators could pass the #BreakFreeFromPlastic Act, and in my home state of California, voters will decide the #PlasticPollution Reduction and #Recycling Act. Let’s do this!
When is someone too old to wear band shirts? Askin When is someone too old to wear band shirts? Asking for a friend. #music #livemusic #bands #bandaid #wetleg #whatareyoudoingsittingdown
Flashback to last month, when my essay was feature Flashback to last month, when my essay was featured on the front page of the #WashingtonPost. Did I get trolled? Yes, until my editor shut off comments. Am I more thoughtful about consumption? Hell, yes. Link in bio. Would love your thoughts. xo
#AmWriting #Fiction #WomensFiction #WritersOfInstagram #Writer #Writing #WritingCommunity
Isn’t she magnificent? Please don’t kill #shar Isn’t she magnificent? Please don’t kill #sharks for #beauty! New MG post explains how to stop — link in bio. #naturalbeauty #naturalbeautyproducts #cleanbeauty #cleanbeautyrevolution #cleanbeautyproducts
Lula has new skills. #dog #dogsofinstagram #dogsdo Lula has new skills. #dog #dogsofinstagram #dogsdoingthings #dogsdodrive
Game changer! Who else is oil cleansing? This dail Game changer! Who else is oil cleansing? This daily practice has totally rejuvenated my skin. New story up on MommyGreenest - link in bio! #beauty #naturalbeauty #naturalbeautytips #oilcleansing #oil
My husband bought this wetsuit from @patagonia a d My husband bought this wetsuit from @patagonia a decade ago and the zipper was shredded. He sent it back, they fixed it, and now it’s good as new.  This is not a sponsored post — I’m just perpetually impressed with the company’s commitment to circularity, especially when it hits home like this. #Patagonia #Surf #LovedThingsLast
The bodacious and delicious Dolly Parton rose, ins The bodacious and delicious Dolly Parton rose, inside Octavia Butler’s mind-blowing world-building, the tree that has everything (leaves, flowers, scent), and how does my mother have less wrinkles than I do?!?
My essay about drinking was published in the Washi My essay about drinking was published in the Washington Post today (linktree in bio). Here’s context: During the pandemic, the number of women who have five or more drinks each day increased by 41% — today, this is the daily habit of 30% of American women. I’m feeling all the feels — especially about how my story will be received by family and friends — but it seems to be resonating with a lot of people. It’s scary to be this honest, but I think it’s an important conversation to begin. I’m slowly working my way through every one, avoiding trolls along the way. #amwriting #writing #writer #alcohol #alcoholism
When you can’t refuse a gift that comes in a pla When you can’t refuse a gift that comes in a plastic bag, make it reusable! #motivation #health #wellness #healthylifestyle #breakfreefromplastic
Sometimes you don’t even need a key to get thoug Sometimes you don’t even need a key to get though the lock. #amwriting #amediting #writersofinstagram
Going makeup-free to demo slugging, the beauty cra Going makeup-free to demo slugging, the beauty craze that’s taken over TikTok. But do you really need petrochemicals or animal products to nail this super-hydrating technique? No! For my latest MG post, I discovered an all-natural, vegan solution — and it’s just $15. Link in bio! #beauty #beautytips #natural #naturalbeauty #skincare #skincaretips #naturalskincare #vegan #veganbeauty #veganbeautyproducts #slugging #sluglife
Enchanted, as always. Enchanted, as always.
Party like it’s your birthday. #lula #lovepuppy Party like it’s your birthday. #lula #lovepuppy #dogsofinstagram
Yes, Fashion Revolution. #Design #ShopDropChallen Yes, Fashion Revolution.
#Design #ShopDropChallenge #WearYourValues #Fashion #SustainableFashion #EcoFashion #EthicalFashion #SlowFashion #FashionRevolution #LovedClothesLast #LovePreloved #Preloved #PrelovedStyle #PrelovedFashion #PrelovedClothes #Thrift #ThriftedFashion #PreOwned #Vintage #VintageStyle #SwapDontShop #Secondhand #SecondhandStyle #Repair #Reuse #Sustainability #MommyGreenest #Activist
I knew that pursuing an MFA through Pacific Univer I knew that pursuing an MFA through Pacific University would help me as a writer. But I underestimated the joy that being part of its community would bring. This week, I had the privilege of reading an ARC of The World of Pondside by Mary Helen Stefaniak, who was my advisor and is now one of my favorite writers. The book comes out in April and is available to pre-order now. It is fantastic! As with every world that Mary Helen creates, this one is deep and vivid and the characters are alive and real. The plot is complicated in the best possible way and at every turn I can’t wait to find out what happens next. Pondside, yes! #fiction #books #author #bookstagram #writing
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