Hey ladies, check out EcoSalon’s collection of cool gadgets that will simplify your life.

Here in the Information Age, we’ve got a lot of advanced technology at our disposal. Tasks that used to require a computer the size of a small house can now be done by a mobile phone.

Cool gadgets are everywhere–the office, the kitchen, even the garden! But how many of these devices do you really need? More importantly, how many of them will actually help you get through the day with less stress, instead of just adding another cord to your life?

At EcoSalon, we couldn’t care less about impressing the geeks at the coffee shop. We want cool gadgets that make our lives easier. That’s why we’ve rounded up seven technologies designed with busy women in mind. Enjoy!

7 Cool Gadgets Every Woman Wants (and Probably Needs)

1. thingCharger – Going somewhere? Don’t forget all the power cords. There’s one for your phone, one for your tablet, one for your laptop. Now multiply that by the number of family members traveling with you. Oy vey. With thingCharger, you only have to remember one thing. Just plug it into any outlet and you’ll have a neat charging station — free of ugly wires. And yes, it really does work for ALL your cool gadgets.

2. Bag2Go –  The only thing worse than realizing you’ve forgotten something, is realizing the airline lost the bag in which you packed it. That’s why Airbus teamed up with the T-Systems global IT services company and luggage manufacturer Rimowa to create Bag2Go. This specially-designed luggage integrates electronic tagging for paperless check-in, along with a scale to weigh contents.  Additionally, it is equipped for real-time tracking so you can check the location of your suitcase at any time, regardless of where in the world it happens to be (except when it is in flight). Bag2Go also looks after the contents: you’ll get an immediate notification whenever the  suitcase is opened.

3. MyDx – Want to know the truth about chemicals in your food, water, air, and even marijuana? MyDx (My Diagnostic) is the worlds first portable analyzer for everyone. It’s a simple and affordable device that can detect the chemicals we cannot see.  Test samples of solids, liquids and gases, and get an in-depth analysis of your sample within a matter of seconds.

4. SticknFind – Constantly losing your keys? Kids always forgetting where they left their favorite toy? Save time (and your sanity) by tagging valuable items with StickNFind. This quarter-sized sticker is a homing beacon for your every day life. Can’t find something? Just fire up the app and the Radar Screen will display all marked devices within range. Start walking, and see if you’re getting closer or further from the blue dot on your Radar Screen. StickNFind Stickers also have a buzzer and light, so you can even find your tagged items in the dark.

5. Cobra Tag – This device is very similar to StickNFind but slightly more sophisticated. And unlike the previous entry in our list of cool gadgets, it works both ways. “Sync the Cobra Electronics Tag to your smartphone (there’s an app for that) and attach it to your keys. Next time you’re on the hunt, use the app to make the tag ring. It works the other way too: Press the tag to call your misplaced phone,” explains Women’s Health Mag.

6. BioLite Stove – Like to venture into the back country but feel more comfortable knowing civilization is only a phone call away? Just be sure to bring along the BioLite Stove. Heat from the camp fire generates electricity via a thermoelectric generator to power a fan creating airflow for improved combustion. Surplus electricity is sent to the USB port for charging devices.

7. Everpurse – This stylish clutch has a special charging pocket into which you place your smartphone. The patent-pending docking system guides your phone smoothly onto a dock connector at the bottom — so you don’t have to fish for a cord! To charge your phone itself, simply place Everpurse on its charging mat. Easy peasy.

Related on EcoSalon

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top image: anniepancake

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Social networks create relationships at the touch of a button. So why are we still feeling lonely?

I’ve been Netflix-ing episodes of this quirky show called ‘The Guild” (originally a YouTube series, it ran from 2007 – 2013). It’s a pretty funny story about a young violinist who’s addicted to an online video game she plays with a group of people she’s never met.

To me, the most interesting part of the show is the video diary kept by the main character. In these brief moments, she talks about feeling lonely, and how playing the game both helps and exacerbates the issue. Feeling lonely despite hanging out with the same six people online for eight hours a day is an intriguing paradox. Most of us have at least a few hundred “friends” on Facebook or followers on Twitter. We interact with these people multiple times a day, sharing details and photos from our private lives. Yet many of us still find ourselves feeling lonely. Why?

The impact of social media on our quality of life is the focus of a four minute film that recently (and somewhat ironically) went viral. Called “The Innovation of Loneliness,” the piece provides a simple yet profound answer to a question you may have asked yourself: What is the connection between social networks and feeling lonely?

Although our interactions on social networks seem to mirrors the way relationships work in the real world, there are some important yet subtle differences.

The visual attractiveness and ease of use associated with Facebook and other social media platforms scratches two of our favorite itches: a lack of time and a fear of intimacy. We love these sites because they make it so effortless to “connect” and “stay in touch” yet never require us to experience the gritty, dirty, messy, inconvenient parts of relationships. So, despite the ability to interact with thousands of people at the touch of a button, we still find ourselves feeling lonely.

Social media also plays into our inherent selfishness, allowing us to obsess over whatever topic or person we want, making us believe we always have an audience, and as such, tricking us into thinking we’re never alone. Another detriment of social media is the ability to hide behind the edit button. “Since the dawn of our species, relationships have been based on face-to-face interaction, which is by definition unfiltered and spontaneous. Online interaction, however, can be tailored, tweaked, and photoshopped until it looks just how we want it to. This has lead to a situation in which social networks serve as platforms to present finely manicured façades, not the authentic, messy reality of our identities,” writes Jordan Bates for Refine The Mind.

When combined with other psychological factors mentioned in the short film, these aspects of social media become dangerous because they warp our expectations for real relationships. When people in the real world don’t respond like our online friends, or when we’re forced to face realities about ourselves that are easily hidden on Facebook, it bothers us. Even though we’re still feeling lonely, we become addicted to the illusion of social media, and can eventually prefer it to the more difficult challenges of being a real human.

This isn’t to say that interactions on social networks are all worthless, or that your Facebook friends are solely to blame for your feelings of loneliness. But it should be a wake up call. It’s time to “[r]educe, moderate, and disconnect,” advises Bates. Take the time to consider the impact of social media on your real world relationships, realize you’re more than a profile pic and a pile of likes, and limit yourself to those “friends” and pages that stimulate the person you are offline.

Related on Ecosalon

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Images: colalife and smannion

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EcoSalon reviews a new documentary about urban farming.

Do you feel overwhelmed by all the negative stuff happening in the world? Want to create sustainable change but aren’t sure how to tackle massive issues like social inequality, insufficient education, food deserts, consumption, waste, and unemployment? Yeah, me too. But those feelings fell away when I watched “Growing Cities,” a new documentary about urban farming by young filmmakers Dan Susman and Andrew Monbouquette.

The movie opens with short introductions by Susman and Monbouquette. Like many of us, they used college as an excuse to flee their hometown. Natives to Omaha, Nebraska, the pair fled to the coasts to find themselves, and others who wanted to change the world. After discovering their passion for sustainability, food, and film making, they decided to return home, but only long enough to gather supplies for their next adventure: a nationwide a road trip to meet the men and women who are challenging the way America grows and distributes its food.

Urban farming may seem like a cliche term batted about by people who can afford to shop at Whole Foods, but Susman and Monbouquette’s adventure proves that the reemergence of city-based farms is much more than a yuppie past-time. The film follows their journey to San Francisco, Seattle, Chicago, Detroit Milwaukee, Boston, New York, Atlanta and back again. At each stop, they meet hardworking community members who’ve chosen to dig in (literally) rather than surrender their neighborhoods to blight, violence, or poverty.

Watching “Growing Cities” exposes the viewer to many different styles of urban farming. You’ll see folks growing food in vacant lots, front yards, on rooftops, and in abandoned buildings. Some of these urban farming operations are brand new while others are decades old, remnants of the Victory Garden era–a time when growing food was endorsed by the government and considered the most patriotic act one could perform, aside from enlisting.

As hungry as it will make you to see all the fresh fruits, veggies, herbs, and even eggs and fish growing on these urban farms, the food isn’t even the most inspiring part.

What I loved most about “Growing Cities” was the way that it demonstrates how urban farming can be the simple, sustainable answer to many of the problems plaguing our society. Cities that grow their own food are also growing economic security, healthier citizens, a stable job market, an educated and multi-skilled workforce, and perhaps more importantly, a sense of pride and accountability for the environment around us.

The film was released last fall at film festivals, and is beginning community screenings this spring. The creative team invites you to host-a-screening for Earth Day or to kickoff the gardening season. Doing so will share the “Growing Cities” journey with an America that believes in a more sustainable, just, and healthy future for all!

I highly encourage you to watch, but be warned: a side-effect of this movie is that you’ll immediately want to get your hands in the dirt.

Related on EcoSalon

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Images via Growing Cities

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The consequences of climate change aren’t always ugly. In the Rocky Mountains, it means an extra 35 days to find and photograph gorgeous wildflowers.

Every day, I thank the universe for transplanting me to the Front Range of Colorado. All I have to do is step out on my porch, and I’m blessed with a picture perfect view of the majestic Rocky Mountains. Living here also means I get the chance to see some consequences of climate change up close and personal, like drought, out-of-control wildfires, and more recently extra flowers.

Hikers and wildflower enthusiasts flock to the Rocky Mountains from mid-May to early September, which is the best time for catching the most blooms. However, recent research shows that, thanks to climate change, an increasing number of wildflower species have altered their flowering patterns.

The study, which analyzed 39 years of data at the Rocky Mountain Biological Laboratory near Crested Butte, Colo., found that climate change has altered the blooming season of more than two-thirds of the 60 species of native wildflowers commonly found in mountain meadows. They say wildflower season in the Rocky Mountains now lasts 35 days longer, stretching from April to mid-September.

“Previous studies largely have focused on the first appearance of flowers in the spring, but that probably underestimates the true extent of the changes they are going through,” reports the LA Times. “To go beyond that, researchers analyzed wildflower species throughout the season. They found that half of them flowered earlier, more than a third reached their peak blooms sooner and 30% flowered later into the year due to a warming climate.”

At first glance, it’s hard to think of this development as a negative thing. Who doesn’t love an extra month and five days to experience the beauty of high alpine meadows full of colorful flowers? Unfortunately, changes for one species almost always affects everything else in the ecosystem.

“We don’t know if it’s good or bad for these plant species at this point,” Amy Iler, postdoctoral biology researcher at University of Maryland and co-author of the study, told the LA Times. Impacts on already-endangered pollinator species, like bees and butterflies, has yet to be investigated.

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Image: OakleyOriginals

The post The Rocky Mountains Get A Longer Wildflower Season Thanks To Climate Change appeared first on EcoSalon.

Earth Hour 2014 happens Saturday, March 29th. Here’s how the world will celebrate.

This March 29th marks the eighth annual celebration of Earth Hour, an international event started by the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF). The event asks people (and increasingly, companies and local governments) to extinguish their lights for one hour at 8:30 pm local time as a symbolic gesture of concern about the environment.

No, turning off our lights for an hour won’t save the planet or stop climate change–not even if millions of us do it. However, the event is about more than 60 minutes in the dark. It’s a time when concerned and creative citizens pledge to take action for our world.

Interested in learning how people like you are celebrating Earth Hour this year? Check out the 12 impressive events below.

1. 17 million trees in Kazakhstan – This year, the Sustainable Development Earth Fund, the Forestry Committee of the Ministry of Environment and Water Resources of the Kazakh Republic partnered with 50,000 volunteers to plant a whopping 17 million saplings across 14 regions of the country.

2. Earth Hour in Antarctica –  Headed by Robert Swan, the Antarctic Youth Ambassador Programme is specifically focused on transforming young people into a new generation of climate leaders. Young people are selected from applications submitted from around the world to participate program which takes place in one of the most remote and threatened areas on the planet.

3. Building a massive Earth Hour logo in Iran – In the city of Isfahan an Earth Hour celebration will be held in front of Khaju Bridge to raise awareness about the plight of the famous Zayanderud River that has had no continuous water flow for the past few years due to climate change and inadequate water management. In the dried out river bed, the people of Isfahan have made the biggest Earth Hour logo to date, measuring around 2,800 square meters. 

4. 3,404 kilometre ‘Walk to Mali’ – In January 2014, 12 Earth Hour Champions from Nigeria embarked on a 3,404km road trip from Nigeria to Mali. They arrived at their destination nearly two months later. The walk was meant to promote the culture of peace and create awareness on environmental sustainability across West Africa. Activities during the walk will included advocacy visits, community vulnerability mapping, community outreach, and capacity building. On March 29th, the Walk To Mali documentary will be screened at various locations in the country.

5. Trashy tickets in Tahiti – Earth Hour 2014’s closing ceremonies will be in Tahiti, French Polynesia. The focus on this year’s beyond-the-hour activities is waste management. So instead of tickets, attendees to this year’s ceremony are required to bring recyclable waste in order to gain access to the acoustic concert. Upon entering, audience members will go through the red carpet to be photographed sorting the waste materials they brought along.

6. “40 Bands – 40 Living Rooms” in Belgium – Launched by WWF-Belgium, this is a unique competition that makes it possible for those hosting Earth Hour parties in their home to potentially get a visit (and private concert!) from their favorite band on March 29th.

7. Pro-Earth App in India – WWF-India has launched an android application for Earth Hour. Called PRO-EARTH, the application will teach citizens how to become more energy-efficient, and also explore healthier and greener ways of living. WWF-India also has a crowdfunding project on Earth Hour Blue: Donations help to install solar lights in the forest fringe in Sundarbans, the largest single block of tidal halophytic mangrove forest in the world and home of the famous Bengali tiger. These big cats love to prowl at night, but not a single tiger incident has been reported where solar lights have been installed.

8. ‘I Heart the Reef’ in Australia – Although it’s one of the most beautiful and ecologically important places on Earth, the Great Barrier Reef is under attack from pollution, overfishing, and the coal industry. Earth Hour Australia has circulated a report, “Lights Out for the Reef,” that highlights the latest scientific findings about climate change impacts on the Great Barrier Reef. During this year’s Earth Hour, a new documentary “Lights Out for the Reef” will be shown all over the country. Other activities include a 10,000 candle installation on the lawns of Parliament House in Canberra spelling out “Lights Out for the Reef” and a candle activation at Manly Beach with 2,000 people.

9. Plastic-free in the Galapagos – Litter can be found in just about every corner of the ocean, including the Galapagos, long considered one of the natural wonders of the world. This year, the Galapagos Government Council, the Directorate of the Galapagos National Park and WWF-Galapagos have joined forces to reduce and eventually ban plastic shopping bags, along with disposable cups and straws. The crowdsourcing campaign calls on participants from all over the world to sign a petition that will ban these plastics as a way to protect the variety of wildlife both on land and in the waters of the Galapagos.

10. Moments of darkness in Canada – Canada’s campaign enlisted the help of some well-known celebrities to encourage the public to reflect and discuss what they will be thinking about while the lights are out during Earth Hour. A series of videos gives Canadian celebrities like Jason Priestly, William Shatner, Chris Hadfield, and Amy Jo Johnson a chance to tell the world what they’ll be thinking about during 60 minutes of darkness.

11. LightsOFF, AmazON in Colombia – Often referred to as the “world’s lungs,” the Amazon is under attack from mining and ranching activities that kill wildlife and create pollution. This year when the whole world switches its lights off for Earth Hour, WWF-Colombia will switch the AmazON! The crowdfunding project allows the public to invest in the largest ecosystem and air, water and life producer on the planet, protecting it for future generations.

12. Spider-Man in Singapore – This country is the original home of Earth Hour, so it’s only fitting that it gets a visit from a web-slinging superhero. Andrew Garfield, Emma Stone, Jamie Foxx and director Marc Webb will be on hand to flip the switch that extinguishes the lights across Singapore’s signature Marina Bay skyline. The event sends the message that anyone can be a superhero for the planet. WWF-Singapore also joined Earth Hour Blue with their crowdfunding campaign, “Stop The Killing,” which aims to expose and end the illegal sale of target wildlife species within Singapore.

How will you celebrate Earth Hour 2014? Tell us in the comments!

Related on EcoSalon:

How Do We Achieve Clean Energy Access for All?

5 Bright Ideas To Save Energy

Is Climate Change Causing the Epic California Drought?

Images via WWF/EarthHour.org

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Hydrogen fuel cell cars that run on human waste? This you’ve got to see.

Electric cars are all the rage right now, and with good reason. While they’re not entirely emission-free (most are still powered by electricity from fossil fuels) they’re a long-overdue step in the right direction when it comes to personal transportation.

Still, there are those who think we can do better. As EcoSalon reported previously, hydrogen fuel cell cars could make EVs obsolete before they even have a chance to go mainstream. Hydrogen is the simplest and most abundant element in the universe. Instead of a big dirty engine, or heavy battery, hydrogen-powered vehicles have a fuel cell, which converts hydrogen to electricity, giving off only heat and water as byproducts.

Now, designers of fuel cell cars are looking to close the loop even tighter. California’s Orange County Sanitation District is testing out new technology that they claim will be able to power the forthcoming Hyundai Tucson–a fuel cell car–with nothing but the unmentionables human beings flush down the toilet every day. That’s right, we’re talking about poop.

The technology “can make hydrogen cheaply by processing solid waste and feeding it to microbes that turn it into methane. The fuel will be pumped to local stations, making it possible for Hyundai to put its car on the streets,” reports Fast Company. And if the initial stages of the project are successful, we could soon see poo-powered fuel cell cars popping up around the nation.

According to Hyundai, more than 90,000 people have expressed interest in the fuel cell cars, but for now, the poop-powered vehicles will only be available in a limited area around Los Angeles.

“We want to make sure with this car that customers have pretty easy access to hydrogen,”Jim Trainor, a spokesperson for Hyundai, told Fast Company. “If there were more hydrogen stations, we could have more customers. We’ll plan more when the infrastructure’s in place.”

For those lucky enough to live within driving distance of said infrastructure, buying or leasing one of Hyundai’s fuel cell cars will come with an extra perk: free poop. Well, you know, fuel made from poop.

“We want them to have a good experience. We don’t want them waiting for fuel, we don’t want them driving all over for fuel,” Trainor told Fast Company. “We’ll handle paying for the fuel, because there are also issues with what it costs–a lot of the hydrogen fuel cell stations right now just aren’t capable of charging what you’d pay for gas.”

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Image via Hyundai

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Looking for home decorating ideas? You might not think to rummage through the trash. But that’s where Berlin-based WesternTrash finds 100 percent of the materials for designer glassware and light fixtures.

Spring is on the way, and before we know it, summer will be hanging around. If you’re looking for some eco-friendly furnishings to spruce up your kitchen or outdoor entertaining areas, a new start-up out of Berlin, Germany might be worth a peek.

WesternTrash is a designer lighting and glassware company operating under the motto “Something out of nothing.” Although the gorgeous glasses, carafes, vases, and pendant light fixtures they produce rival the wares of any boutique studio, there’s something that makes WesternTrash unique: the raw materials for their products come directly from the streets outside their door.

“Every WesternTrash item is handcrafted with care and precision, explain the designers. “We source recycled bottles from some best Berlin restaurants, carefully selecting our glass by size, color and quality.”

First, the discarded bottles are soaked to remove any labels, then cut to size with a diamond saw. The cut edge is ground until smooth and consistent. Each product is then triple-polished for a brilliant shine, then sandblasted with the company’s logo, the WesternTrash Star (symbolizing a broken window from one of Kreuzberg’s frequent riots). Finally the glass pieces are put through an industrial-grade dishwasher, so they’re ready to face the world–and your kitchen. The finished product is packaged by hand in unbranded, reusable boxes.

“Our handmade glasses pay homage to the defiant spirit of Berlin’s most vibrant district. Think differently and follow your own path – that’s the WesternTrash philosophy,” the designers said.

There’s something especially beguiling about the sleek simplicity of WesternTrash products. They’re unique, yet classic enough to fit in with many different home decorating ideas.

Here are some of our favorites. Use them to inspire your own upcycled home decorating ideas!

The Festi Carafe (pictured with glass) – Easy to hold and easy to pour, this is the ideal jug for casual parties or communal meals on a warm summer day.

Dahme Vase –  With a deep green tint to complement any flower or plant, this vase will impress your guests and add some serious wow-factor to your floral arrangements.

Burgundi Pendant Lamp – Burgundi lives in design studios, coworking offices and the homes of inspired people. Edgy and expressive, it’s the kind of lamp that illuminates creative spaces.

Bordo Pendant Lamp – Bordo’s neutral shape and soft curves will make friends with any interior design. Crafted from a reclaimed bottle, it’s equally at home in a city apartment, bohemian cafe, or rustic old house in the countryside.

Related on Ecosalon

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Images via WesternTrash

The post Berlin’s WesternTrash Finds Home Decorating Ideas In The Garbage Can appeared first on EcoSalon.

Thinking about starting a garden but want to keep it simple? It doesn’t get much easier than the Sprout plantable pencil from Democratech.

Starting a garden can be a daunting task if you’ve never tried it before. That’s why I’m in love with any gardening gadgets and tools that can simplify the process. Normally I don’t go for the “set it and forget it” lifestyle, but when it comes to gardening, I’m all ears.

I’ve always loved a good writing implement. Even though I spent most of my time pounding away on a laptop keyboard, I still brainstorm and make to-do lists on paper, so pens and pencils are necessities. Now I’ve discovered that my favorite pencil can also be a strategic tool for starting a garden (and I don’t just mean in the planning stages)!

The Sprout from Democratech is a plantable pencil. Made out of sustainably grown cedar, the pencil conceals a hollow chamber that contains a water-activated seed capsule. As the pencil is used and sharpened and used again, the stub slowly transforms into a ready-to-plant seed pod. When it comes time for starting a garden, just shove it base-down into some soil. When the base is submerged in soil and watered, its capsule will break down, freeing the seeds!

Sprout comes in many different varieties: basil, calendula, cherry tomato, cilantro, dill, marigold, mint, parsley, sage, rosemary, and thyme. Sprout multipacks of herbs and flowers are also available. If you’ve got a house (or perhaps a classroom) full of kids who use pencils all the time, these plantable pencils are the perfect way to demonstrate the concepts of sustainable design, recycling/upcycling, and of course, the joys of starting a garden!

And don’t worry about eating foods that sprout out of a used pencil: the Sprout is 100 percent non-toxic and made right here in America.

Find Sprout around the world at these retailers, or purchase Sprout Pencil Herb Packs for $19.95 on Amazon.

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Images via Democratech

The post Now Starting A Garden is as Easy as Sharpening a Pencil! appeared first on EcoSalon.

There’s nothing more frustrating than a weight loss plateau. Learn how adopting the Paleo diet can help you shed those final pounds.

You did it. You stopped eating crap and started exercising more. You made a plan and stuck with it. And it paid off! You started losing weight. You made a giant leap towards your healthy weight goal. You felt better, looked better, and became even more motivated. And then you arrived…not at your target weight, but at the dreaded weight loss plateau.

Maybe it’s been a week, a month, or even several months. You’re still doing all the healthy things that helped you shed the weight so effortlessly in the beginning, but nothing changes. Hitting a weight loss plateau is extremely common, so if you’ve been beating yourself up about it, STOP.

Rather than feeling bad, the key to overcoming a weight loss plateau is to reevaluate your strategy, and committing to a few months on the Paleo diet could be just what you need to kickstart the journey to your healthiest weight.

3 Ways Eating Paleo Can Help You Overcome a Weight Loss Plateau

1. It cuts out empty “diet” foods  – Sure, you can eat carbs, sugar, dairy and all sorts of crap and still lose weight. You’ll have to count every calorie and spend long hours at gym, but you can do it. Or you could cut your body some slack by eliminating the things that just create fat, bloat, and zap your energy. “Research shows that a Paleo diet is more satiating per calorie than both a Mediterranean diet and a low-fat diet,” writes Chris Kresser. “That means it’s more filling for the same number of calories compared to other popular diet methods. This is crucial for weight loss, since it helps you eat less without fighting hunger or counting calories.”

2. It eliminates inflammatory foods – Food sensitivities and allergies, especially to stuff like gluten and dairy, are on the rise around the world. Some experts estimate that as much as 80 percent of the U.S. population might be sensitive to gluten, and you could be one of them without even knowing it. “Often when people stop eating the foods they’re sensitive to, they lose weight,” writes Neely from Paleo Plan. “It happens partly because your body will hold onto water weight (blasted water again!) when it’s trying to protect itself from something; the water acts as sort of a buffer. So when you take out the offensive food from your diet, the water goes with it. Food sensitivities can also mess with your hormones and your thyroid function, and we know that both of those systems have much to do with body weight.”

3. It encourages the right kind of exercise – Exercise is a tricky thing. When it comes to escaping a weight loss plateau, we assume that more is better, but that’s not necessarily so. Instead of more trips to the gym, be smarter about what you’re doing while you’re there. Just as the Paleo diet mimics the eating habits of ancient humans, so should our exercise mimic the lifestyle of an ancient human. (Hint, they were not hitting the elliptical machine). Paleo workouts include slow but deliberate movements, like walking and hiking, body weight exercises, like push-ups, pull-ups, squats and sit-ups, lifting heavy things, and occasional bursts of cardio activity (like running or cycling sprints) are ideal when eating Paleo.

Combined these actions can build muscle, teach your body to feed off your fat (instead of empty carbs) when it needs energy, and hopefully, pull you off that weight loss plateau.

Related on EcoSalon

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Image: PublicDomainPictures

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With air pollution on the rise around the world, just breathing could put pregnant women at risk.

Most women realize that certain behaviors are bad for fetal health, so those who use cigarettes or drink regularly often stop during pregnancy. One thing pregnant women can’t stop doing though, is breathing, and according to a recent study about air pollution, that could increase their risk of developing deadly complications such as preeclampsia.

Researchers from the University of Florida found that pregnant women who endure constant exposure to air pollution are significantly more likely to develop a high blood pressure disorder during pregnancy, which causes big problems for mother and fetus.

There are very few places on Earth where air pollution isn’t an issue…even inside our homes. For many years, coal-fired power plants and fossil-fuel powered cars have been chugging air pollution into the atmosphere. This is bad news for any creature that breathes, but researchers found that heavy exposure to four of these air pollutants is especially bad for pregnant women.

“The pollutants include two specific types of fine and coarse particulate matter, carbon monoxide and sulfur dioxide. These inhalable particles are released from industries and forest fires and can form when gases react with each other in the air. Sulfur dioxide is emitted from power plants and industries. Most carbon monoxide is produced by car exhaust,” explains a University of Florida press release.

During the study, the researchers examined data from more than 22,000 women who gave birth in Jacksonville, Florida, between 2004 and 2005, along with environmental data from their communities. More than four percent of these women developed a hypertensive disorder during pregnancy, and even after controlling for factors like socioeconomic status, exposure to co-pollutants and smoking during pregnancy, exposure to air pollutants throughout the first two trimesters of pregnancy was found to increase risk of developing hypertensive disorders such as gestational hypertension, preeclampsia and the deadly condition it leads to, eclampsia.

On the basis of these findings, the researchers say more air pollution control is necessary to prevent dangerous complications in pregnant women and babies. Which makes it even more disheartening to learn that the U.S. Senate Committee on Natural Resources, Agriculture, and Environment recently killed a bill that would have allowed the Division of Air Quality to adopt rules that are more stringent than federal regulations.

Apparently when it comes to air pollution, our government thinks the status quo is good enough.

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