Gift giving can be so much more meaningful when your offerings to friends and family improve their health and support our local economy.
Do you have a family member who suffers from allergies or just deals with constant sniffles because of dust bunnies, dog dander and cat hair? Consider giving them a quiet, but incredibly effective, room air filter. After going o-line and checking out the best filters for the best money, I chose an Austin. But recently I found that Green Living on Main Street carries the same brand and model at the same price, minus the shipping and handling, with free personalized customer service as well!
This holiday season, safe body care products and safe cosmetics are very easy to find.
Allen's Pharmacy and Crosby's MarketPlace in Manchester have both added a number of toxin-free products to their offerings.
Research shows that creams, conditioners, hair straighteners, makeup and lipstick that contain antibacterial paraben preservatives, hormone-like phthalates and unknown ingredients that the cosmetic industry is allowed to clump under the heading "fragrance" are sold by all of the largest cosmetic companies in the United States.
Many of these ingredients are banned in Europe, where governments pay everyone's health care bills and, thus wanting to curb national health care costs, the European Union protects the health of its citizens with safe cosmetic laws. What a great New Year's resolution for the United States.
In the meantime, we can at least check out the safety of our favorite body care products by going to www.safecosmetics.org and going into the Skin Deep database, where we can look up the exact products now sitting in our bathroom and cosmetic case and see how dangerous they are to our health.
The best place to find a wide variety of safe body care products without going over the Cut, is Gloucester's very own Common Crow on Elm Street.
When it comes to giving gift certificates at nearby restaurants, choose the few places that offer sumptuous low glycemic fare.
This means grilled or roasted organic meats and wild fish, hummus with your bread basket instead of butter, fresh, often organic, dark green al dente vegetables and salads to die for.
My three favorites, which I hope Santa remembers when he fills my stocking this year, are Franklin CafĂ© and Passports in Gloucester and Ithaki in Ipswich with the freshest authentic Greek salad this side of Mykonos — real Greek Salad does not include lettuce — not to mention the grilled octopus appetizer and every entree on the menu.
Happy Holidays!
Susan Wadia-Ells, a longtime wellness advocate with graduate degrees in politics, energy economics and women studies, is founder and director of the national nonprofit organization, Know Breast Cancer, www.knowbreastcancer.net. She also writes the blog www.thetruthaboutbreastcancer.com and lives in Manchester by the Sea.
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