After speaking with Eric Schnell, the co-founder of Steaz, one of the most well-known organic beverage brands, it is no surprise that he and his company have just launched a really fantastic program that seeks to help women.

And, I am not just saying this because he is a fellow Bostonian.

Giving back and creating a better world is something that he has been taught his entire life.

During his childhood in the 1970s, he grew up in a house that had solar panels, spent a few years living with his family in an ashram and was fed organic food from the very beginning.

Each year since the founding of Steaz, Eric and his team have tried to do something new and different to promote these same ideals and values.

Previous endeavors include: becoming the first sparkling beverage company to have the USDA Organic seal, switching to all Fair Trade ingredients and operating a carbon-neutral business.  The goal this year was to create something very their own and long-lasting.

Hence, the idea for the SEED Initiative.

The program, which stands for Social, Environmental and Economic Discovery, uses a three-dimensional model of giving.  Steaz makes grants in the form of cash, products and mentoring to women who have done outstanding work in the community.

Six women, all of whom now form the committee to select future winners, have received the award this year and can direct the grant to the charity of their choosing. Read more »

I just knew that the hundreds and hundreds of hours I have spent roaming the aisles of supermarkets and studying menus at organic restaurants would come in handy one day.

But, I had no idea that it would lead to me writing this post.  So, here it goes….

1) More and More Coconuts

Coconuts have taken on much more prominence as of late.  A bunch of ice creams, including Luna and Larry’s Organic Coconut Bliss and Purely Decadent, have coconuts as their central ingredient.  Energy bars, such as those from Raw Revolution, have used them in their products for a while.

In terms of organic coconuts, this is what I foresee.

Organic coconut water: Coconut water is a hot trend in the beverage world right now.  Some people consider coconut water to be the ultimate post-workout drink because it contains electrolytes.

However, nearly all of those boxes of coconut water that are flying off the shelves in the supermarkets are not organic.  It is only a matter of time before we see a shift to organic. Read more »

For many people, organic milk is the first organic food product that they will buy.

This is largely because milk serves as an important source of nutrition for kids.  It, therefore, begs the question “what exactly is my child drinking?”

Not all milk is created equal

Hormonal milk contains a genetically engineered hormone called Recombinant Bovine Somatotropin (rBST), which is produced by companies such as Monsanto and Elanco.

rBST is injected into approximately 20% of all U.S. dairy cows in order to increase milk production, and industry studies by consultants report that this hormone is safe for both the cows and consumers.

Yet, Dr. Samuel Epstein, Chairman of the Cancer Prevention Coalition and an international leading authority on the causes and prevention of cancer, says these studies were not only paid for by Monsanto and others but that that these claims are “blatantly false.”

Dr. Epstein, an author of several books including “What’s In Your Milk”, warns that:

– rBST makes cows sick. Monsanto has been forced to admit to about 20 toxic effects, including mastitis, on the label of Posilac, the rBST product that when administered to cows makes them produce more milk.  Monsanto’s Posilac product was acquired by Eli Lilly in 2008. Read more »

A girl I used to know in New York City was so fanatical about recycling that she would literally take empty bottles home from bars because she feared that they would be tossed in the garbage.

I’ll never forget the time when we were out one night and she started filling up her designer handbag with empty beer bottles, which weren’t even hers!  She was that committed to the environment.

Yet, when she drank her coffee each morning, organic coffee was never even a consideration.

Although I didn’t realize it at the time, this didn’t make much sense.  Why?

Because conventionally-grown coffee is incredibly unhealthy for people and the planet. Read more »

If you are looking to mix things up in your morning coffee routine, you’ll want to try the Mayan Mocha flavor.  The first time I had it I couldn’t believe how good it tasted, and it was nearly impossibly not to finish it in seconds.

Just the perfect amount of vanilla, cocoa and spices.  I can describe this product in one word — phenomenal.

Sold nationwide, click HERE to find a location near you.

Fantastic aqua-botanical harvested from Lake Klamath in Oregon.  Considered by some renowned health authorities to be one of nature’s most beneficial superfoods.

People magazine called it the “new” wheatgrass.  I drink it almost daily.

The company offers a 1-year, money-back guarantee if you don’t feel a difference.

To learn more about the great benefits and for information about purchasing E3 Live, click HERE.