chococlate - dark - organic - fair trade

 
the only chocolate really worth buying is
a) dark - with a high % of cacao,
b) organic - made without ridiculous chemicals, processed or gmo ingredients,
c) fair trade - coming from fair labor in developing countries.

there're a few brands that fit the criteria.
then came the question, what are they wrapped in?

plastic made from drilled petroleum, that is questionably recyclable?
aluminum mined out of the ground, that leaches into chocolate, but degrades back to nature?

i'd find myself in the store peeling back the outer paper wrapper trying to find out,
and decided it was time to just call the makers.

the top 2 choices are: 
endangered species and theo.
similarities:
their inner wrappers are aluminum foil on the outside, but paper on the side that touches the chocolate.
they're both made in the US, closer than switzerland, where the others are made.
both are organic, fair trade, vegan, and gluten free.

differences:

enganderged species	theo
made in indianapolis	made in seattle (a bit further if you're on the east coast)
main ingredient is chocolate liquor	main ingredient is cocoa beans
has soy lecithin	soy free
highest cocoa content is 70%	highest cacao content is 85% (the difference between cacao vs. cocoa is debatable)
slightly more sugar rainforest alliance certified	slightly less sugar
they donate 10% of profits to non profit organizations that support species, habitat, and humanity.

equal exchange and alter eco chocolates both have plastic inner wrappers, and are made in switzerland. equal exchange was at least aware of the issues with their wrapper, and continues to look into options. they told me it has to be air tight since it comes from so far, and the plastic is not made from recycled plastic, because plastic touching food has to be virgin plastic, although i'm pretty sure i've seen packaged salad greens boxes that are made from recycled plastic.

rapunzel chocolate didn't have a phone number to ask,
and seemed to be made in germany or switzerland.

this is only a review of the 5 organic fair trade dark chocolate bars sold at whole foods bowery,
that i consider affordable, $4 or less per 3oz or so size chocolate bar.

organic virgin coconut oil

UPDATE - july 22, 2011
according to www.coconutresearchcenter.org ,
for sunscreen reapply generously, repeatedly, it won't hurt.
it works best if you build it up, seasoning your skin, gradually increasing the amount of time you're in the sun.
it's not a total sunblock, it blocks 20% of UV rays, which is good because the sun + the oil give you vitamin D, which further nourishes your skin and body.
ingesting some helps too.
it's also a miracle oil, with various health benefits, including but not limited to anti bacterial, fungal, and viral properties, ingested and topically applied, including STDs, parasites, and other infections.
check the link for full research and info.

UPDATE - may 27, 2011
dr. bronner's now offers a fair trade organic virgin coconut oil.
http://drbronner.com/coconut_oils.html

for summer sunscreen, and winter moisturizer lotion,
the natural frugal decision is organic virgin coconut oil.

artisana is my preferred brand, since the jar lid is bpa free.
if not artisana, make sure it's labeled as virgin and/or unrefined,
otherwise it won't have the same health benefits.
it's readily available in grocery stores everywhere,
it's cheaper than any all natural lotions that aren't as natural.
it's around $16 for around 16oz
it comes in a glass container and metal lid,
no plastic packaging is a bonus.


for the summer:
i tried to find an all natural chemical free sunscreen, to not get burned.
nearly every natural sunscreen had some chemical concoctions,
a lot of which are carcinogenic, and worse than the sun.
zinc oxide or another mineral powder might work,
but it's harder to find and probably pricey.

i googled and found virgin coconut oil activates melanin,
achieving a darker tan in a shorter time,
but also prevents sunburns by

• providing fatty acids that nourish skin,
  which are also anti microbial and anti fungal,
  preventing and fighting infections
• providing saturated fats that form a protective layer from UV radiation,
  as well as help retains skin moisture,
• aids the formation of vitamin D.

it also has a long shelf life.

i also read it's best for preventing sun burns when applying in advance,
so that the oil soaks into your skin for a matte finish,
if it's still a glossy glisten, it hasn't been absorbed by your skin yet and won't be as effective.


for the winter:
every all natural lotion also has various chemicals.
dr. bronner's organic lotion was the best i could find in a pump bottle.
it's ingredients are all organic natural oils,
but then it has an organic alcohol as a preservative.
alcohol is a drying agent.

the lotion is ok, but it's $10 for an 8oz bottle,
i've only ever seen it at one store,
and it doesn't last nearly as long.

the virgin coconut oil is keeping my hands and lips from cracking in the freezing winter.

electronics recycling

http://www.macsupportstore.com/
this store will take your electronics for electronics recycling any time they're open,

weekdays 9am - 6pm
saturdays 10am - 4pm

that's pretty impressive. the only other way i know how to recycle electronics is to wait until new york city has electronics recycling collection events, once every few months, and it's not even that easy to find info on it on their website.

The Mac Support Store
168 7th Street, @ 3rd ave, 2nd Floor
Gowanus, Brooklyn, NY 11215
map
718-312-8341
support@macsupportstore.com

if not disposed of properly, all our disposed electronics, ipods, ipads, phones, laptops, which are made of heavy metals and toxic plastics, designed for obsolescence and disposal every year or two, end up in the ocean, landfills, leaking various carcinogenic toxins, or in 3rd world countries where they're piled up endlessly in villages, being stripped apart for copper, also leaking toxins. actual printed paper isn't quite so bad.

this is definitely not the only media coverage of this type of stuff, but this photo slide show on nytimes.com is amazing.
http://www.nytimes.com/slideshow/2010/08/04/magazine/20100815-dump.html

the image above is from the series, there more photos are on the website of the photographer, pieter hugo.
http://www.pieterhugo.com/

there are various youtube videos covering the issue.

wendy's natural cut fries with sea salt

happened to see this while passing by the wendy's at south street seaport.
corporate fast food and sea salt.
baby steps.
click for a free coupon.

whole cane sugar

the natural frugal decision on cane sugar is
Wholesome Sweeteners Fair Trade Organic Sucanat®

 

http://www.wholesomesweeteners.com/brands/Wholesome_Sweeteners/Fair_Trade_Certified_Organic_Sucanat.html

click the link for more detailed information.

Sucuanat is a brand name for whole cane sugar, they are not they only brand that makes it. 

whole cane sugar is the most natural, minimally processed cane sugar available.

it hasn't had its molasses washed away, retaining iron, calcium, vitamin B6, potassium and chromium, which helps balance blood sugar. though some might say the amount of nutrients, in the amount of sugar you're usually eating, is negligible.

this Sucanat brand is organic and fair trade from Costa Rica, meaning farmers are paid directly, so they can compete with factory farms, practice sustainable farming, and support the development of local communities.

some mills use the leftover fibers from the crushed sugar cane stalk to burn as a sustainable, fossil fuel free, source of electricity.

i've also seen paper napkins made from sugar cane stalks, instead of trees.

other sweeteners:

typical white sugar is made from genetically modified (gmo) sugar beets.

other brown sugars have had molasses added back in after removing it.

the other varieties cane sugar are pretty good and natural, but have had a fair amount of their molasses and nutrient content washed, steamed, or rinsed out.

"raw," demerara style, or turbinado cane sugar, isn't raw in terms of not being heated or cooked.

all cane sugar available has been heated to evaporate the water out of the cane juice.

turbinado sugar has been spun in a turbine to dry the juice into solid sugar crystals.

local honey is a great natural sweetener, but sometimes a solid sweetener is less of a mess.

more on local honey in it's own post coming soon.

local organic grade b maple syrup seems good, haven't felt the need to research it, but in glass please.

i hear apple juice/cider is a great way to sweeten things, i haven't personally tried it, i usually just drink it.

agave syrup is natural, but high in fructose, which is almost entirely metabolized in the liver, while glucose can be metabolized in every cell in your body.

local grass fed cow milk

there are various local milk providers in the new york state area.

these are two that natural frugal prefer:

http://www.ronnybrook.com/

http://www.milkthistlefarm.com/

they are both:
- local
- grass fed cow milk - much higher in nutrition
- sold in sustainable reusable clean glass, which can be returned directly to them, instead of plastic.
- non homogenized - for a naturally wholesome milk full of fat soluble nutrients in tact.
- pasteurized, raw milk would be more natural and nutritious, but is illegal in ny state.
- available at whole foods markets

ronnybrook has also been spotted at the key foods on grand st. and lorimer st. in williamsburg, brooklyn.
ronnybrook is definitely available at various nyc greenmarket farmers markets, and milk thistle supposedly is at some as well.

milk thistle every so slightly prcier because it is certified organic.
ronnybrook isn't, but also practices very humane and natural methods of animal care.

see their websites for more info.
see grass fed beef link for info on how much more natural and healthy it is for cows to eat grass instead of grain feed.

simply grazin' organic grass fed beef

100% grass fed organic beef from a whole foods market in the northeast US comes from this farm.

http://www.simplygrazin.com/

it's a better price per pound than any local farmers market grass fed beef i've seen, and when you buy it, it's wrapped mostly in paper instead of packaged in plastic.

they are about 60 miles from new york city.
buying local meat reduces shipping time, and fuel use on refrigerated trucks.
large producers of grass fed beef in south america have had rainforest land clear cut to make room for pastures.