Monday, February 28, 2011

My March Nutrition Challenge

For the month of March, I'm joining my training mates at my Crossfit Gym on a month long nutrition challenge. Because of this I thought I'd focus my posts in March on - you guessed it: FOOD!

I firmly believe that each of our bodies have different nutritional needs because we are each unique.  I know my body well and know that I cannot be a vegetarian. It just doesn't work for me. I was vegetarian for several years so it's a well earned conclusion.  Since I'm a sustainability advisor, I understand well that meat has a huge impact on greenhouse gas emissions, water use and land uses. I also know that our consumption of seafood also impacts these areas too (as well as contributing to the overall decline of certain seafood species).

To put it simply, all of the food we eat in developed nations impacts water use, land use, and has issues associated with its growth, transport and disposal which include toxins, pesticides, agricultural practices that diminish soil quailty, top soil erosion, mono-cropping, genetically modified foods, and finally the social side: corporations vs. farmers.  There is no escaping the impacts - they are a reality.

The key is to inform and empower yourself to make better choices that reduce the impacts. Voting with your wallet is one of the most powerful things you can do!!! Informing and empowering is what I hope to help you with this month!

I haven't watched this yet but it's on the top of my list for this weekend and suggest it's a good place for all of us to start.
To your health and your green family success!
Tracy xo





Wake up, Freak Out


Wake Up, Freak Out - then Get a Grip from Leo Murray on Vimeo.

I like this video - it's a good reminder it's not just about polar bears!

Tuesday, February 22, 2011

New Sustainable Living Book for Families with a “how to” twist Reaches #1 on Amazon.com

Tracy Lydiatt, The Green Families Guru is excited to announce the recent success of her official book launch for her book, Your Green Family Blueprint on Amazon.com.

Ms. Lydiatt says, “On the morning of the first day of the book launch, I’m very excited to announce that my book Your Green Family Blueprint, went to #1 position in the category of Sustainable Living books on Amazon.com” 


Participating in the launch were important partners that helped rocket the book to the #1 position in the Sustainable Living books category.   Book launch partners included businesses, organizations and individuals from Ireland, Switzerland, New Zealand, Australia, the USA and Canada. All partners were selected because they contribute through different but complimentary facets, working towards the creation of a sustainable society and added value to families and individuals interested in greening their families.

Many of the eco-friendly, green books available currently focus on the ‘what’ to do to green your family.  They are an important part of the equation although many families are time-poor and become easily overwhelmed by so much information on going green.  Often, they tend to give up because they do not have the time to read, digest, synthesize and apply the information to their family in an easy, practical way.  Ms. Lydiatt’s book adds a new twist to the going green movement by taking the ‘what’ to do and empowering families on ‘how’ to make it work for them with easy, breezy practicality.

Your Green Family Blueprint is published by Vervante Inc. and distributed through Amazon.com
Retail Price: $21.99 USD
ISBN-10: 1450742033
ISBN-13: 978-1450742030


For more information about Your Green Family Blueprint, please visit: http://www.thegreenfamiliesguru.com/book/

To your green family success!


Monday, February 21, 2011

LAST DAY of book launch event - don't miss out on $1400 in extra goodies!

Today is the last day of the launch event for the #1 Amazon Bestseller, Your Green Family Blueprint

When you purchase the book using the link below and register your purchase by the end of day Feb 21st– you will have access to over $1400 in gifts and prizes contributed by Tracy’s book launch partners!

http://www.thegreenfamiliesguru.com/book-launch-regular/

To help alleviate ‘eco-guilt’ and provide useful strategies to guide families to easily and practically incorporate eco-friendly aspects into their lives, Tracy Lydiatt, The Green Families Guru, has created an easy to understand and fun to use guide on how to green your family.

Don’t miss out on all of the extra goodies - buy now!

Big News! Your Green Family Blueprint is a #1 Amazon bestseller in Sustainable Living Books!

I'm very excited to share the news that my book, Your Green Family Blueprint reached #1 in Sustainable Living Books category on the first day of the book launch! Thank you to everyone for your support!

If you haven't picked up your copy yet - get it by the end of the day today and collect an extra $1400 in goodies! http://www.thegreenfamiliesguru.com/book-launch-regular/

To your green family success!

Wednesday, February 16, 2011

Don't Miss Out on This!


Easily combat eco-guilt and cut through mountains of information on going green

Today, sustainability is becoming more and more mainstream but does the general public really understand what it means? Recently even Oprah and HARPO studios committed to ‘Meatless Mondays’, a global campaign to reduce the environmental footprint of eating meat.   

While climate change is just one aspect of the sustainability picture, the challenge for many families is to see the whole sustainability picture and the role they play within it. 

Many families feel overwhelmed by the amount of information available about ‘going green’ and are deeply concerned about creating a healthy, prosperous lifestyle for their children but can often become lost in the details: is it eco-friendly, non-toxic, does it contribute to climate change, how much money will it cost, what are the trade offs etc.  It is difficult to know where to start, how to get started and to truly integrate eco-friendly choices into their lives without going broke or a bit crazy in the process! 

To help alleviate ‘eco-guilt’ and provide useful strategies to guide families to easily and practically incorporate eco-friendly aspects into their lives, Tracy Lydiatt, The Green Families Guru, has created an easy to understand and fun to use guide on how to green your family and is excited to announce the launch of her new book in a massive global-cyber event: 

 “Your Green Family Blueprint” Book Launch
Wednesday, February 16, 2011

Ms. Lydiatt, The Green Families Guru, who is an expert in sustainability for families says, “Families tend to fall into several common traps when it comes to greening their lifestyle.  They are time-poor and become easily overwhelmed by so much information on going green.  Often, they tend to give up because they do not have the time to read, digest, synthesize and apply the information to their family in an easy, practical way.  Additionally, families tend to compare themselves with other families and become paralyzed from ‘eco-guilt’.  We want to avoid the ‘all-or-nothing’ energy because we really need positive energy and momentum to create a sustainable society.  It doesn’t need to be this way so one of my key messages is drop the comparison: every family is unique so do what works for you!”

On February 2, I was lucky enough to get a sneak peak of the book when my sustainability class examined transportation, toxins, food, and lifestyle through the lens of a green family with Tracy. I’ve seen a lot of people tackle “green” in myriad ways; making an environmental impact within the family is so powerfully simple and I hope that people reading this take a minute to examine their family’s environmental blueprint. Tracy is a powerful public speaker with unrelenting passion. Her book launch is timely.”  John Horn – The Daily Gumboot (http://www.thedailygumboot.ca)

The launch event ends on Sunday, February 20, 2011.  
Published by Vervante Inc. and distributed through Amazon.com
Retail Price: $21.99 USD
ISBN-10: 1450742033
ISBN-13: 978-1450742030

About Tracy Lydiatt
Tracy Lydiatt is an international expert and TEDx speaker on sustainability. In 2005, Tracy had a profound moment while working in the Arctic as a geologist that changed her career trajectory forever.  Because of this, she is among the first graduates of the award-winning Masters of Strategic Leadership towards Sustainability program at Blekinge Institute of Technology in Sweden.  She has lived and/or worked in Canada, USA, Mexico, Argentina, Sweden, Singapore and Australia, giving her insider knowledge into what sustainability looks like for different people. She is a green families guru, sustainability advisor, author and educator passionate about empowering families while on their journey to “go green”.

For more information about YOUR GREEN FAMILY BLUEPRINT, please visit http://www.thegreenfamiliesguru.com/book-launch-regular/ or contact:

Tracy Lydiatt – B.Sc, M.Sc
The Green Families Guru

Ph: +1 (778) 931- 0483

Monday, February 14, 2011

Featured on Vancouver's Daily Gumboot!

Shout out to Vancouver's Daily Gumboot - sending you some Valentine's Day Love!



What is The Daily Gumboot?


The Daily Gumboot is a collaborative online experience designed for people who want to learn more about building community. Or who really, really like pirates. This blog is about fresh perspectives on people, community, nature, pirates, gumboots, and gumboot-clad pirate communities in nature. We’ve got cool ideas from everywhere. And we use them to build community.

This is what they had to say about me:

My Three Favourite Things About Tracy Are…

1. Her Book Launch! This is a timely GTKYC, folks. Tracy’s book – Your Green Family Blueprint - hits the bookshelves this week. On February 2, I was lucky enough to get a sneak peak of the book when my sustainability class eaxmined transportation, toxins, food, and lifestyle through the lens of a green family. I’ve seen a lot of people tackle “green” in myriad ways; making an environmental impact within the family is so powerfully simple and I hope that people reading this take a minute to examine their family’s environmental blueprint.

2. Powerful Public Speaker. Tracy started her presentation with the way every good presentation starts: with a story about a cariboo in the arctic. The engaging narrative set the stage for a dynamic presentation that Tracy masterfully facilitated, weaving humour, ideas, facts, data, and a passionate sense of urgency into the talk.

3. Unrelenting Passion. Tracy really, really, really, really cares about what she does. From greening families to gluten-free pancakes you can feel her energy. And it makes the people she talks to care about Environmentally Friendly Families, too. She is an uncontainable force of intelligent positivity that I feel lucky to have connected with. And you will too when you see her speak and/or read her words.

As told by John Horn…

Friday, February 11, 2011

Easy Ways to Green Your Traditional Valentine's Day


When we think of Valentine’s Day, a romantic dinner with flowers, wine, a beautifully cooked meal and chocolates comes to mind as the typical Valentine’s Day date.  Our actions are made with good intentions although many of us do not know the full implications of how our Valentine’s Day choices impact the environment and societies– including us!

No one wants to think about the potential pesticides sprayed on their food, the green house gas emissions from transporting flowers, or the child or slave labor used to harvest cocoa beans for chocolate.  When viewing these impacts, Valentine’s Day is actually quite depressing!

Don’t despair!  There are many choices available that don’t have such a huge impact on the environment and humans. It’s easy to impress your loved ones even more this year and show them the extra care you took in putting a new ‘eco-friendly twist’ on your Valentine’s Day celebrations by passing your efforts and gifts through a sustainability ‘lens’.  Your mission is to look for choices that:
1.     Reduce the use of petroleum and its by-products
2.     Are non-toxic
3.     Support the health of natural systems
4.     Support fair wages and international labor standards

Here are some suggestions for you:

Romantic Dinner – whether it’s a night out or a home cooked meal, one of the best ways to incorporate sustainability into your meal planning is to find a restaurant that offers organic options or uses locally grown produce in their meals.  Check out www.localharvest.org/restaurants to search for one near you.  If you’d rather stay at home and exercise your culinary skills, focus on organic and/or locally grown foods. The benefit is you reduce your carbon footprint, are in support of local agriculture and agriculture initiatives that protect the planet and your long-term health.  If you choose to splash out on seafood, look for fish varieties that are certified by sustainable seafood initiatives like Marine Stewardship Council.   Finally, when choosing a bottle of wine, the perfect pairing for any meal is choosing a wine that is made as locally as possible to reduce the use of petroleum in its transport from the vineyard to your table.

Candle Lit Romance – Candles are perfect for setting the mood – at the dinner table, to lead up to a surprise or to relax in the bath! While the US Food and Drug Administration deem paraffin wax non-toxic, it is made from hydrocarbons (a byproduct of petroleum), a substance we need to shift away from.  As well, some candles contain chemical based fragrances and wicks with lead wires – both a big no-no from a toxicity point of view.  Your best alternatives are to look for candles made from 100% beeswax or vegetable based-wax, use cotton wicks and natural aromatherapy oils for fragrance.

Chocolates – Hmmm – many of us cannot get enough of this dark, sweet, white and dipped stuff, especially on holidays!  The sad reality of the chocolate industry is that it has a reputation as dark as the sweet treat. Slave and child labor, unfair wages to farmers and pesticides used in the growth of cocoa beans for chocolate are issues that continue to plague the chocolate industry. Recently Purdy’s Chocolates committed to sustainable cocoa farming initiatives and companies such as Divine Chocolate USA, which is 45% owned by the farmers, are great options for your chocolate gifts from a sustainability perspective.

Flowers – The classic and much loved way to express your sentiments on so many occasions are to send flowers. Although beautiful, the ugly truth is hidden from view: almost 90% of the roses sold for Valentine's Day have a huge carbon-footprint and are pesticide intense in their cultivation.  According to Justmeans.com, “In Colombia, flower-plantation workers are exposed to 127 types of pesticides and flower farms have polluted and depleted Bogota's streams and groundwater. 20% of these pesticides are illegal in Europe and America.”  If you give flowers to your loved one this year, choose an organic bouquet if possible from one of these retailers: www.organicbouquet.com, www.californiaorganicflowers.com, or flowers sold at Whole Foods, Trader Joes or on www.flowerbud.com that are “Veriflora Certified Flowers”.

Typically these ‘alternative’ choices do not cost more than traditional ones and the added benefit is to know your choices are contributing to maintaining your health and the health of the environment. I couldn’t think of a better gift to receive on Valentine’s Day!
  
To your green family success!
Tracy

Tuesday, February 8, 2011

Latest Green Pet Peeve

One of my biggest pet peeves is to find really great, healthy, organic, non-toxic products that come in non-recyclable wrapping!  I would hope that these companies would take a broader systems view instead of making an awesome product and then put it in packaging that cannot be recycled!  ARGH!

Lately, my biggest beef has been with toothpaste.


One of my favorite toothpaste brands comes in a metal toothpaste tube but I have no idea how/if it can be recycled!? So I went on a recon trip to the local health food store and took a closer look at the tooth paste tubes.  I would say less than 40% of the tubes I found were recyclable...actually, that's being generous!  Why? We need a mind-shift in packaging!

Now that I'm back in Canada, I cannot get my favorite one from Australia which came in a recyclable container: 

I will be on the prowl for natural toothpaste that comes in a recyclable container as soon as mine runs out! Any suggestions are welcome!

Monday, February 7, 2011

Official "Global-Cyber" Book Launch: FEB 16th!

We are gearing up for the official global-cyber book launch of “Your Green Family Blueprint” on FEB 16th, 2011!!!

What does “global-cyber launch” mean? It’s certainly not your traditional book launch!

I am excited to have joyfully partnered with over 20 individuals, organisations and businesses for the book launch.  They are doing incredible work in their areas in Ireland, The Netherlands, Switzerland, New Zealand, Australia, USA and Canada – work she believes is of high value to families interested in sustainable living.

On the day of the launch, they will all work together to share the news about the launch – literally across the globe. That means people just like you will learn about my book, have a collection of amazing “go-to” resources all on one page and upon purchasing the book, have access to gifts and prizes totaling over $1,400!

On the day of the launch – a new page will open on this website, displaying the partners, the prizes and gifts they have contributed to the launch (all value for you!) as well as the many amazing promotional partners.  Mark it on your calendar to make sure to come back on the 16th!

Sign up to the right for the book free preview and receive a reminder of the event all for free! Or check http://www.thegreenfamiliesguru.com on Feb 16th!

See you soon!  To your green family success!