(http://www.facebook.com/pages/Solid-Green-Club/140409292670863?ref=ts&sk=wall)

Shanthini Naidoo | 04 December, 2011 02:06

Hippie-ism started to fade like a bad tie-dye at the tail end of last century. Then we focused on making money quickly. It was cool to own stocks and bonds, to build empires in grey suits and to have stress-related heart attacks. Now hipsters, ancestors of the hippie, are everywhere. The Bohemian has woken up from a 30-year slumber. But this time, dreadlocks and mind-evolving drugs are not a prerequisite.

From the soccer mom to the socialite, we all carry a bit of the inner hippie and the world is a better place for it.

Find your inner hippie! Are you a food hippie, an activist, a benevolent boho, a nomad, or (our personal favorite) a shopper hippie? Read full article: http://www.timeslive.co.za/lifestyle/2011/12/04/peace-love-ipod

Like the t-shirt above? It’s made of recycled X-ray film & recycled cotton – Check out Earthspun Apparel on Facebook!

Last day to enjoy our week-long extension of Cyber Monday! Buy some sustainable scrubs for the green nurse in your life! These make great Christmas presents!

CYBER MONDAY IS ALL WEEK LONG on MantraMeds Market!

FOR EVERY $75 YOU SPEND GET $25 OFF 

Go to: http://www.mantramedsmarket.com/

Written by Whitney Lauritsen

This time of year is an immune system’s nightmare – coughing, sneezing, fever, chills, exhaustion – yep, it’s flu season. If you feel the onset of these dreaded symptoms, take a look at what’s in your kitchen before getting shot up with a vaccine. If you find lots of salty chips and sugary cookies, your sick coworker’s germs may not be the blame; the saying is true: You are what you eat. Processed foods stripped of sustenance will leave you run down and defenseless, while fresh, nutritious fare results in an energized, resilient body.

Save the tissue for wrapping presents – here are the top 5 foods you should be eating for a healthy holiday season.

Read 5 foods here: http://www.stumbleupon.com/su/7ReYPa/www.organicauthority.com/health/5-foods-that-fight-the-flu.html

Manage to emerge unscathed from — or completely avoid — last week’s frenzied display of retail ickiness? Shop responsibly and less aggressively for eco-prezzies with the help of this year’s Green Monday gift guide.

View the gift guide at: http://www.mnn.com/your-home/at-home/blogs/green-monday-2011-gift-guide

“You’ll find an assortment of items… that are durable, handmade, ethically manufactured, and/or made from recycled/recyclable/sustainable materials. There’s something for everyone on the list, from space-strapped urban gardeners to energy usage-obsessers to design-savvy cat owners.”

 (http://www.westender.com.au/news/1238)

Finally, all non-organic cotton isloaded with pesticides, and those pesticide chemicals can promote Parkinson’s disease, dementia and other brain disorders (http://www.naturalnews.com/027098_p…). The only cotton that’s free of pesticides is100% organic cotton, which is available from a few specialty stores and online retailers.

Read more at: http://www.naturalnews.com/034253_Christmas_gifts_toxic_chemicals.html#ixzz1ewIdaJYk

By Tiffany Hsu, Los Angeles Times

November 23, 2011

By long-standing tradition, the centerpiece of Thanksgiving dinner has been purchased rock-hard, frozen and cheap.

That’s starting to change. Turkeys are going Godiva.

The same passion for eating that brought us gourmet food trucks and swelled ratings for TV cooking shows has boosted demand for top-drawer turkeys with fancy names and even fancier price tags — up to $150 for a prized Bourbon Red heritage variety.

“People want a bird that has a name, a provenance, a pedigree — a bird you can brag about,” said Kathy Gori, a 60-year-old screenwriter who splits her time between Sonoma and Santa Monica.

Lindsay Calev of Redondo Beach usually steers away from pricier items at the store, but was willing to pay extra for a Diestel brand organic turkey at Whole Foods.

“I don’t eat organic every day of the year — wish I could afford to,” said Calev, 28, who helps create graphics for advertising. “But Thanksgiving is a time where we’re really valuing the food we’re making. I was willing to spend a few extra dollars for that.”

If you haven’t bought a premium bird by now, it’s probably too late. Many purveyors say they are sold out.

“My phone is ringing nonstop,” said Mary Pitman, whose family raises heritage turkeys, the priciest of the elite varieties,on a farm near Fresno. “Everyone’s on a mad hunt for heritage turkeys and there’s almost not enough left for my own family. It’s the most sought-out bird in the U.S.”

Despite the growing appetite for premium varieties, most of the 46 million turkeys that the National Turkey Federation says Americans will gobble down this Thanksgiving will be acquired for as little as 50 cents a pound at local supermarkets.

The trade group doesn’t break down sales of the fancy fowl, but retailers, farmers and customers all say that demand is soaring.

Heritage Foods USA, which sells turkeys online and ships viaFedEx, said it sold out of all 6,000 of its heritage birds, despite a $150 price tag for a 22-pounder. Sales of the bird are up 82% since last year, the company said.

Whole Foods, which operates about 300 upscale markets nationwide, said sales of organic turkeys have tripled in the last three years and now account for about 40% of the chain’s turkey sales.

“Customers are much more into food now than they were a few years ago because of food magazines and TV shows,” said Theo Weening, global meat coordinator for Whole Foods. “People want to know where the bird comes from, what breed it is, how it’s been raised.”

Standard frozen turkeys, which are sometimes kept in cold storage for six months or more, generally cost less than $2 a pound. Some supermarkets have even given them away as part of a buying incentive for customers.

Beyond that, there are four major upscale varieties.

Free-range fowl, which have access to the outdoors, start at about $3 a pound. Next up the ladder are organic gobblers, which usually sell for at least $4 a pound and are certified by the USDA for their chemical-free feed and processing.

Heirloom turkeys are the next rung up, and are a type that date back more than a century to the earliest domesticated breeds.

Heritage turkeys cost the most, at about $6 to $12 a pound. They are comparable to the wild breeds used for the original Thanksgivings and are allowed to live months longer than most turkeys, helping them develop more flavor and dark meat as a result of heavy outdoor running and flying.

According to the Heritage Turkey Foundation, there are a limited pool of breeds — including Bourbon Red, Jersey Buff and Black Spanish — that are considered to be heritage birds.

Read more at: http://www.latimes.com/business/la-fi-upscale-turkey-20111123,0,7474573.story

Written by Abbie Stutzer

Thanksgiving is not about stuffing your face and unbuttoning your pants to allow your stomach that extra inch of space. Nor is it about wasting oodles of food, paper products and energy. Shocking, I know. The renowned holiday is really about being thankful for what you have, family and good food prepared with care — and consciousness.

It’s easy to overlook that last part. We’re all hurried and rushed, and spend most of our holiday prep time thinking about meal presentation rather than preparation and clean up. The following tips, ideas and general advice can help you stay conscious this Thanksgiving. Enjoy the day and take pleasure in knowing you did everything in your power to produce a sustainable meal!

Thanksgiving Day Preparation

Get it Done in One Trip

Make your list, check it twice, and have your mom look over it so she can remind you of that one item you will inevitably forget. Getting all of your holiday shopping done in one trip will save gas, wear and tear on your car and time.

Break Out the Good Dishes

Don’t use plastic utensils or paper plates, and cook with reusable containers and pans. Sure, dish washing is a chore, but these  “convenient” dishes create a ton of waste. Use cloth napkins, too. Also, post meal clean up can be done with a homemade, green cleaner and an old towel.

Recycling Garbage

Recycle every last plastic container, cardboard box and wine bottle.

Compost!

Put plant waste, coffee grounds and tea bags in your compost pile.

Decorate with Nature

Fill clear vases with pinecones, acorns and colorful leaves and use as an earthy centerpiece. Popped open your organic wine bottles already? Take the corks, carve a small slit in the cork, and place a piece of paper with a guest’s name to create unique, upcycled place settings.

The Meal

Use the Whole Turkey

That expensive free-range, organic turkey gave its life to feed you and your family and friends — you better use the whole thing. Kathy Bechtel of Italian Food, Wine, Health and Fitness has a great post dedicated to how to use the entire bird.

Use Organic and Local Veggies

A no-brainer, but easy to forget if you’re in a rush at the store. Try to buy fresh rather than canned. Use traditional Thanksgiving food (cranberries, yams) and make unconventional side dishes.

Meat-Free Meal Options

These awesome holiday recipes are vegetarian-friendly. Serve as this year’s Thanksgiving entree (the butternut squash gnocchi looks amazing — and it can be made vegan) if you and your family don’t eat meat, or serve as unique side dishes to complete your turkey.

image: nappent

Read more at: http://www.stumbleupon.com/su/1ps4Je/www.organicauthority.com/sanctuary/waste-not-8-ways-to-reduce-holiday-waste-on-thanksgiving-day.html

Enjoy A Real Green Christmas!

Read more at http://www.buffalorising.com/2011/11/enjoy-a-real-green-christmas.html

By Cameron Chai

It takes plastic bottles and other industrial wastes to make the recycled polyester fibre Repreve, which in turn is used as the fabric for car seats in the all new Ford Focus Electric car. Repreve is manufactured by Unifi, one of the world’s leading environmentally sustainable fabric manufacturers.

ford uses recycled plastic bottles for the seats in the new ford Focus Electric

The Ford Focus Electric is made of sustainable materials intended to cut down on waste. Thus using the Repreve was a natural choice of recycled material. According to Unifi, a single Ford Focus Electric car uses 22 plastic water bottles of 16 Oz capacity for its car seats. The car is electrically powered and has zero carbon emissions, which is very much in line with the environmentally green concept.

As part of its 2009 mandate to its fabric suppliers to use 25% recycled content in their products, 37 fabrics, which have met Ford’s requirements have been incorporated. This is part of Ford’s “Reduce, reuse and recycle” environmentally sustainable global strategy. Repreve reduces the energy consumed in refining virgin material from crude oil. The company recently announced that it uses plastic bottles weighing 20-25 Oz for the carpeting in its new Ford Escape utility vehicle. This is the first time the company has used such carpeting for an SUV. Ford has previously used various non-metal materials that have been recycled for specific applications. Some examples of such usage are seat covers made of recycled yarn, wheat straw-filled plastics, head restraints and seat cushions made of soy foam, instrument panels consisting of castor oil foam and underbody systems made of recycled resins.

Source: http://www.ford.com

Read more at http://www.azom.com/news.aspx?newsID=31228

To the right are miniature hay bales. The two brown ones are Texas Organic Cotton, which accounts for 50% of our poly/cotton blend. The orange hay bale with tiger paws is one of Jack Miller’s favorite souvenirs. He bought it at a fundraiser for the agriculture department at his alma matter – Clemson University. To learn more about Texas organic cotton, go to http://www.texasorganic.com/

The plastic pyramid in the center of the table is made of display canisters from Repreve Recycled Polyester, which makes up 50% of Mantrameds fabric. These canisters show the 3 stages of the recycled polyester process. The plastic is melted down and chopped into small beads. These are melted down into flakes, which are then extracted into polyester yarn. To read more about Repreve Recycled Polyester, go to http://www.repreve.com/

The left side of the table displays Mantrameds’ newest literature. As of last week, we have an updated catalog, story-teller hangtags, discount cards, and star-shaped badge pulls. To request a new catalog or inquire about Mantrameds scrubs, email us at info@mantrameds.com 

Remember, Mantrameds scrubs are made in the USA using sustainable practices. Buy a pair for the green nurse in your family this Christmas!

A new line of party dresses at H&M puts sustainability and recycled fabrics first!

Ever wonder what makes Mantrameds scrubs stand out from the rest? The difference is in the quality ingredients we use. Check out this youtube video to learn the recipe!

HANNOVER, Germany

Wear Milk? Anke Domaske says why not.

The 28-year-old German is the designer of an award-winning new textile made entirely from milk that’s environmentally friendly as well as soothing to people with skin allergies. Called “Qmilch,” it drapes and folds like silk, but can be washed and dried like cotton.

The biochemist and fashion designer has so far only used the fabric to make dresses for her own MCC fashion line.

But next year Domaske has plans to begin mass producing — and several companies have already expressed interest in using the fabric.

Qmilch — a combination of quality and the German word for milk — won the innovation award of Germany’s Textile Research Association, which recognized it as a new, sustainable fiber that could revolutionize the clothing industry.

Currently, apparel depends heavily on byproducts from oil, or natural resources such as water — used in the thousands of liters (gallons) to produce just a bolt of cotton.

“We know that everything that is based on oil has a limit, that materials like cotton that take up a lot of land, water and chemicals are limited, so we need to think about how we in produce fabrics and textiles in the future,” said Klaus Jansen, who heads the Textile Research Association.

“She has showed us how this can work.”

Tatjana Berthold, a seamstress for Domaske’s MCC fashion line has been cutting and sewing the fabric into dresses for the past year.

“At first I did not believe that it was made from milk, but when you work with it, you notice that it feels different from normal fabrics,” said Berthold. She cast Domaske a sly sideways glance, then confessed to have privately made a pair of pajamas from a scrap she had been given.

“When you look it, you can’t see such a big difference, but when you wear it, you feel the difference,” Berthold said.

Domaske laughed, confessing that she, too, had sewn herself sleepwear from a sample of jersey fabric spun over the past year.

The quest for a natural, non-irritating fabric began after watching her stepfather suffer through terrible skin irritations while being treated for cancer. “There are so many people who really suffer just by wearing normal clothing. I wanted to find a way to help them.”

She focused her research on milk protein, or casein. Although textiles made with milk fibers have been around since the 1930s, she said most of them relied heavily on acrylics.

“I thought it must be possible to make a fabric that is completely organic,” said Domaske.

After two years of trial and error, working with a research lab, Domaske and her team of six finally landed on a process of reducing milk to a protein powder that is then boiled and pressed into strands that can be woven into a fabric.

The strands, she says, can be spun rougher for a heavier texture, or shiny smooth, to create a soft jersey that drapes and feels like silk.

She uses only organic milk that cannot be consumed because it has failed Germany’s strict quality standards.

Domaske concedes that at euro20 ($28) per kilogram (1/2 pound), her fabric costs more to produce than even organic cotton, which goes for about 40 percent less. But she hopes local production will keep down transport costs and reduce the overall price.

She also notes that only 2 liters (a half gallon) of water is needed to produce 1 kilogram (2 pounds) of fabric, or enough to make several standard dresses. By comparison, the same amount of cotton requires more than 10,000 liters of water.

Lynda Grose, a consultant and associate professor at the California College of the Arts in Oakland, California, who specializes in ecologically responsible design, notes that the fashion industry is dependent on the idea of disposal, of people always wanting new designs.

“There is a tremendous amount of waste in the fashion world,” Grose said in a telephone interview. She noted that by rethinking how such waste can be used will help make the fashion and textile industry more ecologically friendly.

German industry has been impressed by Domaske’s innovation.

The designer, who works from a loft beside the railway in the central German city of Hannover, has already received queries from automobile makers that see a potential for seat covers, and members of the medical and hospitality industries interested in a hypoallergenic material for hospitals and hotel beds.

“The German textile industry can only survive against the competition if it comes up with innovative, new products,” Jansen said. “Ms. Domaske has done this in taking a raw material and processing it to create a new thread that can be sold to other companies to create other products. That is very unique.”

Read More: http://www.taiwannews.com.tw/etn/news_content.php?id=1764684

Our undergarments can provide support in more ways than one. Take PACT’s new charitable line of organic-cotton skivvies, for example. A partnership with Architecture for Humanity, the “PACT for Japan” collection features original graphics by industrial designerYves Béhar, with a humanitarian objective, to boot. To wit, for every pair you buy, PACT will donate 10 percent of sales to reconstruction efforts in the fishing town of Shizugawa in Miyagi, where 70 percent of the buildings were flattened by the devastating tsunami and earthquake in March.

UNDERWEAR THAT CARES

Unlike making a donation to large charity, PACT earmarks your contribution for one specific purpose. Architecture for Humanity will use the funds to design and rebuild a workhouse and oyster bar for a cooperative of 15 fishermen in the town. “The economy of Shizugawa rests on its fishing industry, so getting fishermen back to work is a crucial first step in revitalizing the town,” explains PACT. “After the 15 fishermen can begin working again, so can the people who support them: the local lunch lady, the delivery men, the ice suppliers, and on and on, thus breathing life back into a town that was nearly destroyed by the tsunami.”

Architecture for Humanity will be using the funds to design and rebuild a workhouse and oyster bar for a cooperative of 15 fishermen in the town.

To make your purchase even more of a no-brainer, the undies also boast easy-on-the-eye designs in brief, boxer brief, and trunk styles for men and bikini, boy short, and thong styles for women. Resembling traditional woodblock prints, the designs evoke three major post-disaster needs—water, shelter, and light—all of which remain ongoing concerns for recovering communities in Japan.

“In the wake of humanitarian disasters of this proportion, new ways emerge to get people activated around a support mission,” says Cameron Sinclair, Architecture for Humanity’s executive director and CEO (that’s “chief eternal optimist”). “PACT offers the kind of support we need. With simple products, such as socks and underwear, they can catalyze a global movement from a new generation of consumers who want even their shopping habits to have a positive effect on their world.”

Affordable stocking stuffers, anyone?

+ PACT for Japan $18-$24

+ Architecture for Humanity

Choose the style you like and find the fit type description. (This is listed in the product description)
View the size chart below to see what size you should be in a Mantrameds scrub.  Make sure you are looking at a women’s specific or unisex style. (This is listed in each product description)
Now refer to the fit guide drawings and descriptions to make sure you will like the garments fit.  You can customize the fit to your personal preference easily by sizing up or down.

Examples:

Jenny is a Small but likes her garments roomy.  Jenny is in love with the Olivia top but wants to move freely and is more concerned with her comfort than her appearance.  Jenny would most likely want to order a Medium to meet her needs.

On the other hand Kate is a Medium and is on the Sleek looking Becky top but really likes a form-fitting garment.  To have this regular fit garment fit closer Kate will want to size down to a Small.

*If you should have any questions along the way, just e-mail us at Mantrameds or call 855 -289-8337 Ext #3 and we will help you choose the right size.  Every Mantrameds product also comes with our Healthy Guarantee to make exchanging garments easy at anytime.  Enjoy shopping and thanks for choosing Mantrameds

Size Chart – Women’s minimum body measurements

Measurements refer to body size, not garment dimensions, and are in inches, unless otherwise noted.

Size Chart – Men’s / Unisex minimum body measurements

Measurements refer to body size, not garment dimensions, and are in inches, unless otherwise noted.

Mantrameds Fit Guide

Mantrameds Rise Guide

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If you are in one of the states below in Red, we need you!!!!  Tell your friends, pass this along.

Remember, the first one in each state gets a free pair of  scrubs and will be invited to our special online design workshop team to create the new 50/50 scrub line styles for 2013.

South Carolina is in the lead with NC second and VA and MD tied for 3rd!  Go Mantrameds Insiders!

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Sarah Johnson – Mantrameds Insider, OT Student at MUSC

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Remember it is free to join.  You get a bunch of free swag and free scrubs.  Just click www.mantrameds.com/insider to sign up.

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We believe apparel should embody a sustainable and active lifestyle that focuses on healthy choices in everyday life.  Consumers are demanding that companies provide green alternatives to the apparel they wear everyday, and we’ve answered this challenge by creating our own line of eco-friendly scrubs and apparel for the conscious and committed healthcare professional.  Our scrubs outperform, fit better, are softer and more comfortable than all other scrubs, hands down.

To highlight our competitive nature, we’ve decided to create a challenge.  

It’s a 50 state / 50 day challege.  The competition is easy.  Just be the first to become a Mantrameds Insider (see below) in your state, then bring on as many additional Insiders as you can.  It’s free, easy and you get a lot of swag in the process.

The first Insider in each state will receive a pair of free scrubs, as well a be invited to our special online design workshop team to create the new 50/50 scrub line styles for 2013.  After 50 days, the state with the most insiders* will also be invited to the online design workshop team.

Great, How Do I Sign Up?

Apply here now http://www.mantrameds.com/insider-signup

*50/50 Program Guidelines
Insiders are limited to a percentage of population for each state. (So you better sign up quick!)  Total 50/50 promotion program is limited to 1000 Insiders.  If you miss this opportunity, we’ll be doing more, so don’t worry, you’ll get your chance.

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