Our son Ben is a young and very talented chef in NYC. Unfortunately, I don't have his culinary genius. When I'm on the hunt for something new and exciting to cook, I usually resort to tearing recipes out of magazines, drooling over something I've found on a food blog, or using google when searching for a specific recipe. Truth be told I very rarely make the recipes I find in magazines.
A couple of months ago I was in the check-out line at a local grocery store. The women in line behind me was buying 15 boxes of Borax and several bars of Fels Naptha soap. Mildly curious, I asked about her purchase. She said her daughter-in-law made a laundry soap that worked better than any commercial stuff, was pure, and didn’t have all the nasty chemicals found in the cleaning aisle at the grocery store. I must admit it never even dawned on me to google “how to make your own laundry soap!” Our clothes have always came out of the wash clean. End of story, or is it?
Soon after meeting the laundry soap woman I received an update from the Environmental Working Group’s blog the Enviroblog, featuring the not-so-green laundry additive Borax. Among other things Borax is a pesticide used to poison bugs, fungus and weeds. It is an irritant to the skin and eyes and may cause hormone disruption in men. The EPA has declined to do risk assessments on Borax and it’s cousin boric acid. These are assessments that would include low-level exposures from cleaning supplies, cosmetics and consumer pest-control products. I’m crossing laundry soap making off my to-do list!
Hello Tide! Well, not so fast. Just when I thought it was safe to use America’s favorite laundry detergent I received an online petition from change.org. This petition “Tide: Get Cancer-Causing Chemicals Out of Laundry Detergent,” was sent to several people at Proctor and Gamble. A report confirmed high levels of 1,4-dioxane a known cancer-causing chemical, that has been linked in animal studies to an increased risk of breast cancer has been found in P&G’s Tide Free & Gentle®. What’s most alarming is they market this particular brand of Tide as a gentle alternative for children and infants.
If that isn’t enough to make you scratch your head and wonder. Check out Theo Colborn’s letter (TEDx video) to President Obama on Endocrine Disruption. The problem here is, while the EPA restricts or bans certain chemicals that cause immediate health issues, they have not looked at the impact of the long-term use of everyday household chemicals at low exposure. Dr. Colborn maintains there is no safe level for many of the chemicals we use and expose our families to every day. Please take the time to watch this TEDx video. If you can get past the first 5 minutes, I guarantee you will watch this sobering video a second time.
Lest you think 90 plus year old Dr. Theo Colborn is a total greeny out to destroy capitalism, check out her bio on Wikipedia.
The question is, where do we go from here? What do we do with this information? For me, it couldn’t be any more clear. I must work to cut my family and friends exposure to toxic chemicals.
Where is the best place to start? Under my kitchen sink and in the laundry room!
Now, it was somewhere between the laundry soap woman, the Tide petition and Theo Colburn, that I discovered H2O at Home. I fell hard and fast for their environmentally friendly products and philosophy. Most of their household cleaning products carry the European ‘Nature et Progres’ certification. This unique certification demands the strictest compliance to standards that are respectful of the environment.
“Nature et Progres” guarantees that products are:
• Exclusively issued from natural ingredients
• Not animal tested
• Rapidly and entirely biodegradable
• Free from dye, GMO, synthetic fragrances or petrochemical derivatives
• Packed in recyclable packaging
That’s something I CAN get behind!
What am I using in my washer today? The H2O at Home Laundry Ball, Oxypur and H2O Liquid Laundry Soap. These products are found in our catalog on pages 26-27. To learn more about these and other environmentally safe products vist H2O at Home.com
Cleans your clothes using 75% less laundry soap!
In health, fitness and fun ~
Paige
Today I am trying out Patricia Wells' Green Lentin Salad recipe. This recipe was highlighted on the food52 blog; and if they're right, this recipe is "nothing short of genious."I'm always on the hunt for new go-to recipes that are delicious, healthy and quick to prepare. Perfect for RV Living Fit or a condo kitchen in Tacoma WA - whatever the case might be.
Mt Rainier at sunrise on New Years Eve
“Sunshine is delicious, rain is refreshing, wind braces up, snow is exhilarating; there is no such thing as bad weather, only different kinds of good weather.” ~ John Ruskin
Tacoma Outdoor Fitness Fusion
January Series ~4 workout $40.00
Saturday 8:30-9:45
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Jan. 5 Puget Park
Jan. 12 Wright Park
Jan. 19 Dock ST at the 21st Bridge Park
Jan. 26 Wright Park
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Please be prompt.
Call or Text Paige at 253-677-2119 for directions or if you’re running late!
~ Remember to dress for the weather ~ Dress in layers you will warm up
Remember you raingear Dry socks/shoes for post workout are always welcome!
Outdoor Fitness Fusion ~ Rain or Shine The Weather Is Fine!
We’re off and walking for fitness and fun!
April 4, 2012 Walk Tacoma at Wright Park with the AHA & Downtown ON The Go!
What began as a vision I couldn’t shake in April of 2011; finally came together last Tuesday with a group of women at the Peace Community Center in Tacoma, WA. I wish I could say that it took over a year of hard work to make happen, but that’s not the case. What it did take was timing (isn’t that always the case), stumbling upon the ideal location, and meeting the right people along the way!
When my husband and I moved back to my hometown a year ago, I knew that I wanted to bring my Outdoor Fitness Fusion class to the women living in our Hilltop community free of charge. The group I envisioned was warm, friendly, diverse, and vibrant, and ready to embrace a healthier tomorrow. We would take to the streets and local parks in the name of health and fitness, walking or jogging, chatting it up and having good time along the way!
Today, I’m thrilled to say it’s official, Hilltop Women’s Walking Fitness meets at Peace Community Center on South 21st and Cushman every Tuesday & Thursday from 10:15-11:15. I arrive at 10:00am to meet with first time fitness walkers.
A heartfelt thank to everyone who has helped along the way, including Wenché Wahl from Dock Street Walking, Pastor John Stroeh and Nancy Burris of Peace Lutheran Church, Julia Falvey, Charlene Gilmore and Connie Hara with the South Sound American Heart Assn and Robin Garcia.
I’m excited to watch the group evolve and grow!
In health, fitness & fun ~
Paige
Tacoma Living Fit
Ready to get fit or want additional information? Email paige@tacomalivingfit.com, or take a moment and fill out the inquiry form.
Sometimes all it takes is a little motivation to live a healthier, more fit lifestyle!
The President’s Challenge and The American Heart Association’s Better U Program are two of my favorite fitness website’s. Both sites are intuitive, fun and free!
Presidents Challenge!
The President’s Challenge isn’t just for kids anymore. Choose a path, depending on your goals and current fitness level. Want to increase your activity level and eat healthier? Choose PALA+. Are you already active and ready to aim for new heights? Choose the Presidential Champion series! There is a lot to explore and there’s something for every body! Get a team together or go solo. Either way, pick a goal and log your activity. It’s Living Fit your way!
Go Red For Women:Better U
Are you ready to start down the path towards a Better U! The Go Red For Women: Better U Program is a 12 week online fitness and nutrition course. Better U is an awesome tool for women who want to improve their overall health! Once you sign-up you’ll receive a weekly email prompting you to click and log into the site, update your goals, celebrate your successes, and learn. A virtual health coach! The American Heart Association has teamed up with ACE, American Council on Exercise (my certifying body) to create a comprehensive Activity Tracker. Log your activities and nutrition, find a walking buddy or a local walking route, startwalkingnow.org has it all!
The best time to plant a tree was 20 years ago. The next best time is now.
~Chinese Proverb
In health, fitness and fun,
Paige
Tacoma Living Fit
Do you know someone between the ages of 16-28 that loves the outdoors? Take a minute and check this group out. They had me at hello, if I were 30 years younger!!! It’s about giving passionate youth the opportunity to have their voices heard and make change happen.
There are several Youth Summits taking place across the nation in 2012. 
A couple of videos will give you a taste of this organization!
Outdoor Nation Unveils 2012 Summit!
Pass this on to someone you love.
In health, fitness and fun ~
Paige
Tacoma Living Fit
A few days ago, Project For Public Spaces tweeted an article from the Atlantic Cities Place Matters newsline. This article speaks to the obesity epidemic and it’s link to our built environment. Primarily, how a poorly designed infrastructure inhibits us getting from point A to point B on foot or by bicycle. The author’s conclusion is, if you build it, they will come. Followed by, if we build it, people will use it and healthier and more fit. While I can agree with the author that most American cities and suburbs are car-centric, and the designs at times are hostile to walkers and bikers. I take issue with their premise that a change in design could really motivated people to get out of the cars and hit the streets for a healthier tomorrow. 
Illustrated in the map is the rise in obesity in the 14 years between 1994 and 2008. You don’t have to look too hard to notice, as a nation we are heading down a dangerous path. The Atlantic Cities article also included graphs that showed the increase in diabetes. I asked where is the graph for Metabolic Syndrome? A term coined in the 1950′s that included diabetes, heart disease and gout; in the 70′s obesity and aging was added to the definition. What is Metabolic Syndrome? It is a group of risk factors or abnormalities that put an individual at high risk for heart attack, stroke and diabetes. Those risk factors include: elevated waist circumference: men greater than 40 inches/women greater than 35, triglycerides greater than 150 mg/dL, blood pressure equal to or over 130/85 mm, HDL lower than 40mg/dl or lower in men and 50mg/dl or lower in women, fasting blood glucose equal to or greater than 100 mg/dL (5.6 mmol/L). Have three or more of the risk factors and the diagnoses is metabolic syndrome.
While the term is not without controversy, some studies indicate over 25 percent of our population or 50-75 million people living in America have metabolic syndrome. Gain 5 or more pounds a year and you’ll raise your risk of developing metabolic syndrome by up to 45%. Today it impacts 22% of those who are overweight and 60% of those considered obese.
Is it the Standard American Diet (SAD) or equally as sad, the Standard American Lifestyle. A graph from the National Geographic puts the US dead last when in come to “living fit.” What’s your take on this?
What are your top ten reasons our country is in such a rapid decline?
Here are my top 12 and counting:
What can we do in our own homes, neighborhoods and cities to stop the tide, and reverse the trend?
In health and fitness,
Paige
Over the past month, this outdoor fitness – funshine loving gal (me) has slowed her roll and started to explore her inner yoga.
Freshman Downward Dog
Throughout the years I’ve taken a yoga class or two, but I couldn’t understand being in a cramped room, limited by the confines of a yoga mat (duck & cover). The classes always seemed a bit claustrophobic. At times the sequences a bit repetitive. Clearly I wasn’t in majority.
In my defense, for fitness and fun I play in the woods, on trails, with resistance tubes. In these open spaces I exhale completely, and marvel at the rhythm and flow of our natural environment.
Today, I have a new appreciation for yoga. I am beginning to grasp the restorative ability in the practice, and the physical strength and power in the poses. Thank you Ana ~ Namaste
Who says you can’t teach an old dog new tricks.
In health, fitness, and fun,
Paige
Tacoma Living Fit
One of my favorite things about using the world as your gym, is how a change in the environment can change a workout. Such was the case yesterday. No Puget Sound drizzle, no puddle jumping, and no rain gear needed. Nature surprised us with a snowy Wright Park workout!
34 degrees and picture perfect for our Outdoor Fitness Fusion class.
In health, fitness & fun,
Paige
Tacoma Living Fit
