Environmentally Friendly Gift Baskets

We all benefit by taking a few moments to learn of the eco friendly options available as we go about our daily lives. Whether choosing a gift, planning a vacation, or reducing energy waste within our homes, our choices make a difference. The retailers we feature lead by example in terms of sustainable and socially conscious business practices.

Seasoning Spice - Cooking Spices & Gourmet

As more of us shop for green products and make wiser energy choices -- and increasingly have to watch our budgets -- buying in bulk is becoming a popular option. Bulk products reduce the amount of waste going into landfills and take less energy and other resources to produce while offering shoppers lower prices. The Simply Organic herbs and spice selection of bulk spice, baking flavors, seasoning mixes (cajun spice, indian spice, latin spice, eastern flavor Mediterranean spice) and natural and organic food products help you fit the goodness of organics into your busy lifestyle in minutes. Simply delicious. Simply healthy. Simply Organic. EdibleNature is your online source to buy bulk spice, herbs and seasonings.

Check out our selection of premium organic and kosher seasonings and spices. You won't be disappointed!

Detoxification and Weight Loss - A Win-Win!

With the increase of toxins within the environment and foods we eat, it is not surprising that the majority of people are at a level of toxicity that is past the point that the bodies own natural detoxification system can cope with.

Read More on detox, detoxification, weight loss, liver detoxing, cleansing, and diet cleanses

Going Green With Your Laundry

"I’d like to use more eco-friendly
laundry products to wash my clothes. Any recommendations?"



An excellent decision. Conventional
detergents are made from synthetic petrochemicals that are hard
on the environment. They can leave residue on clothing, so
their toxic ingredients constantly brush against our skin,
causing rashes. You can safely keep your clothes looking smart
by washing them with green soaps and detergents.



If you choose soaps, look for an all-natural liquid soap made
without artificial dyes or fragrances, such as Dr. Bronner’s
Magic Soaps (www.drbronner.com). Use the same amount of soap as you would
detergent.

Ediblenature carries Dr. Bronner at really good prices.



Soaps can react with chemicals in hard water, leaving a
dulling film on clothes. To combat this, Annie Berthold-Bond,
author of Better Basics for the Home (Three Rivers
Press, 1999), recommends adding baking soda. “Start out with ¼
cup of baking soda, and increase to ½ cup if you have very hard
water,” she advises. Leave the soda in the water for ten
minutes, then add the soap and clothes.



To prepare clothes for the switch from detergent to soap,
wash them initially with ½ cup of white distilled vinegar for a
full load to prevent yellowing (a result of detergent residues
reacting with soap), says Berthold-Bond.



The best eco-friendly detergents are made without
nonrenewable, petroleum-based chemicals. They are biodegradable
and contain no optical brighteners, dyes, or artificial
fragrances.



Some excellent green laundry detergents to try include:

• Ecover
  - Offers
  nontoxic powder and liquid detergents, as well as a
  detergent for delicates.
  


• 
  
  Dr. Bronner's - They are made with olive, hemp and palm
  oils.


• 
  
  Toni Natural Cleaners - An EXCLUSIVE line available at
  Ediblenature.com.
  They sell naturally biodegradable and environmentally safe
  products.


• 
  Seventh Generation
  - Sells nontoxic liquid and
  powder laundry detergent, as well as Free and Clear
  fragrance-free laundry detergent and a detergent for baby
  clothes.

Conventional bleaches and fabric softeners have their
problems, too. Conventional bleaches are made from chlorine, a
known carcinogen according to the US Environmental Protection
Agency. Fabric softeners contain chemicals that can cause
allergic reactions. What’s a concerned consumer to do? Try these
nontoxic alternatives:

For whitening:

• Use a non-chlorine bleach, such as oxygen bleaches like
  Oxyboost, available from Natural Choices Home Safe Products.
  Also, Ecover offers two natural, chlorine-free bleaches, one
  made with hydrogen peroxide, and one with percarbonate.
  


• Soak clothes overnight in a solution of one part
  hydrogen peroxide to eight parts cold water. Wash as normal.
  

For softening fabric:

Add ½ cup baking soda to the rinse cycle of your wash. You
can also try a commercial green fabric softener like Natural
Choices Home Safe Products’s Safe ‘N Soft, Ecover’s Natural
Fabric Softener, or Sun & Earth’s Ultra Fabric Softener.