An Easy Way You Can Help Change the World
I'm a "Crunchy Mama" surrounded by like-minded Mamas and we all have one very important mission in common: We are trying to save the world for our children. We all see that the current food system, particularly in America, is broken. Our seeds have been genetically-modified. 75% of our food is sprayed with a chemical called glyphosate that is toxic to pretty much anything that isn't genetically-modified (including our gut bacteria.) We see that the so-called "health" care system is truly a "sick" care system. We are seeing companies selling health solutions that range from (let's face it) poison, to synthetic garbage that makes for expensive urine, to products filled with binders and fillers and other non-food components. We've become jaded, cynical, frustrated, and even scared.
As a Mama Bear on a MISSION, I have made it my priority to search out the people and the companies who can provide us with answers and solutions. I have learned to read labels, understand the different types of third-party certifications, and build a community around me where collectively we know how to find ANSWERS. I have taken steps to minimize my carbon footprint, minimize my plastic use, grow my own food, and most importantly, VOTE WITH MY DOLLARS.
So the title of this blog post is about changing the world in an easy way, and that's where the vote-with-my-dollars part comes in. In a nutshell, you vote with your dollars by supporting the people and the companies that are doing it right. They are truly aware of being eco-friendly (versus just giving lip-service to it). They are careful to control their carbon footprint whenever they can. They source their ingredients from truly natural sources. They are nearly fanatical about avoiding toxins in their products. They engage in third-party certification so the consumer knows that someone is watching out for them. And they never, ever greenwash.
Examples of conscientious buying and voting with your dollars include:
Buying organic certified chocolate or coffee that is fair-trade certified so you know the farmers are being treated fairly.
Buying from companies who use re-usable energy sources.
Shopping at grocery stores that support organic and non-GMO verified companies.
Refusing to buy from companies that support GMO-farming even if the product is clean. There are many examples of once privately-owned organic food or personal care companies being bought out by large conglomerates. For example, Annie's is now owned by General Mills. Tom's of Maine by Colgate, and Burt's Bees by Clorox. All of those large conglomerates fight against GMO-labeling.
Refusing to eat genetically-modified foods or food sprayed with glyphosate. That includes pretty much all grains, lentils, and canola that is not certified organic.
Refusing a plastic straw in your drink at a restaurant, or supporting restaurants that use paper straws.
Bringing your own re-usable shopping bags and refusing plastic bags.
Supporting restaurants that are farm-to-table, and use organic food whenever possible.
Buying organic cotton clothing, or even children's pajamas that don't have flame retardants on them.
In a perfect world where time wasn't limited I would be that Mom that is making my own deodorant and lotion and growing all my own food and brewing my own natural medicines. But frankly, I don't have that kind of time. I have made it easier on myself by finding companies who do it the way I would and using my dollars to vote for their success. In this way I protect my family and I change the world by supporting truly eco-friendly companies. I believe wholeheartedly that this lifestyle is part of a Higher Living Journey.
If you look under "Products" on this website, you will see the companies I have decided to partner with and help them to further their mission. While those companies aren't the only ones out there that are truly conscientious of making a difference in the world, I want to highlight a few reasons that I think make these companies stand out over the masses.
Purium Health Products is the passion and mission of co-founders David Sandovol and Amy Venner-Hamdhi. Started in a 1200 sq foot warehouse nearly 25 years ago, Purium has made it their mission to end human suffering. The vehicle they are using to reach this goal is whole, superfood nutrition. David Sandovol realized years ago that there was a food crisis beginning and he decided that he could not beat the companies doing it wrong, so they would be a company that did it right! After a great deal of growth, they now operate out of a 40,000 square foot facility in Southern California. They choose to work with farmers who are far away from polluting industry and use only organic practices. They use a patented process using very low heat to maintain the freshness and purity of their foods, turning the foods into powders, capsules, and tablets. Purium products are LIVE food once the water is added back into them; think of it as putting the food into suspended animation until you are ready to eat them. This also means that Purium is truly healthy, FAST food (which is awesome as a mother of three!) Because of this unique system of distributing food, it greatly reduces the carbon impact by utilizing the whole plant, decreasing the amount of space needed to transport the food (therefore fewer trucks), and because Purium is the manufacturer with no middle man, the food goes straight from farm-to-family. After taking a personal tour of the manufacturing facility, I could write 6 pages alone on the extreme attention to detail paid to insuring the purity and safety of each product. They test for everything from pathogenic bacteria to mold to yeast to heavy metals to gluten. They are certified organic, certified Non-GMO, Certified Kosher, and follow Good Manufacturing Practices as out-lined by the FDA. The warehouse uses "just-in-time" inventory to keep their carbon footprint as small as possible.
But here are the stories that really make Purium stand out from all others. 2 years ago they realized they needed to secure enough farmers to do organic rice farming because they were outgrowing their sources. David Sandovol traveled to Thailand, where he met with 30 independent farmers who were about to sign on the bottom line with Monsanto. (If you don't already know, Monsanto is the food giant that is pushing GMO foods and is the maker of glyphosate). He was able to convince all 30 farmers to sign to work with Purium instead, and to do all their farming according to organic certification rules. He then donated a portion of the profits to an orphanage in that area of Thailand that saves young girls from the sex-trade. Another story: 2 years ago Purium launched a facial skincare line. They went through 4 revisions of the ingredients they felt comfortable using until all the ingredients were as safe as possible. But the manufacturing facility that they contracted to make the formulations produced the third iteration rather than the fourth one. The owners were frustrated that the products were not up to their standards of purity. They sold that first shipment of facial care products to consumers so as not to waste, but they donated 100% of their profits to The Smile Train. The formulations were then fixed with the next shipment. Another story: In the winter of 2017, Purium contracted with a company in India that was producing a 100% whole food vitamin powder to be included in the Kids MVP chocolate drink. With every shipment they received, Purium tested the powder to be sure that it was actually living up to it's claims of vitamins and minerals. Every time the product was tested it came back with varying results of vitamin and mineral levels, or showed possible contamination with synthetics. Purium first attempted to work with the company, but quickly figured out that the company was not being ethical. They immediately changed all the labels and the formulation of their MVP Kids and fired the unethical supplier. They knew that the sudden change would hurt the bottom line financially, but they maintained their standards of integrity anyway. And finally, just recently co-founder David Sandovol won the Best of Hollywood: International Community Inspiration Award. He shares the award with past winners like President Jimmy Carter and actress and activist Olivia Newton-John. For more on that award, click HERE.
To learn more about Purium, please click on the Purium logo above.
Poofy Organics was started when the owner/formulator, Kristina Gagliardi-Wilson, was looking for safe personal care products for her Mother, who had breast cancer at the time. Feeling that if you couldn't safely ingest it, it's also not safe to be absorbed into the bloodstream through the skin, she set out to make her own line of truly toxin-free products (not the same as non-toxic.) Although a small company, she took the time to get her products certified organic so consumers would know that there was truth in labeling. With over 500+ products, the only ones that are NOT made by hand are the nail polishes. Poofy buys ingredients from certified organic farmers, makes sure their packaging is as minimal as possible and the products as concentrated as possible to cut down on waste, uses renewable energy sources for it's factory, and keeps the mark-up as low as possible to make the products as accessible as they can for everyone. One way they keep the mark-up down is by using the talents of all of it's direct sellers to create marketing campaigns that we then share with each other. Poofy Organics is a family-owned business, and the "guides" who represent the company have created an extended family atmosphere. As a Mom with sensitive children, I have to vet everything I use before putting it on my children. When I first started with the company, Kristina Gagliardi-Wilson took time out of her busy day to answer every question I had. She, too, has a sensitive child, so she is as careful as I am about what she uses with her family. She is so committed to 100% transparency that she is willing to share the dilution ratios of her essential oil blends (typically proprietary company information) and the heavy metal testing for our mineral make-up products. When you buy Poofy Organics products that are hand-made with love and intent you are supporting a company that is doing it right. To learn more about Poofy Organics, click on the logo above.
