The Future of Medicine

Ahhh…it’s been a while. This feels good. Getting the words out. I’m afraid I’m not the type to write just for the fun of it or just to hear myself talk in my head or see words on the screen. No, I only blog when I truly have some information to share that I’m passionate about that pertains to health or the planet. Good news! Found something that ROCKS! It’s called Gematria. It’s a supplement line that’s been around for a while, but is still only known by the few privileged out there who look into things like DNA healing and metaphysical medicine. You know, the nuts and berries like myself. Now, that being said, I think I’m a bit more berry than nut when I say that Gematria is going to change health forever.
Let’s start with the man behind the curtain. His name is Dr. Todd Ovokaitys, or Dr. Todd for those of us who are verbally challenged. Bottom line is the man is brilliant - “Beautiful Mind” brilliant without the mental delusions. His bio alone is impressive - “first in his class of 1800 with a 4.0 GPA at Northwestern University, followed by acceptance into John Hopkins University on a combined, accelerated undergraduate/medical school program. Following this training he completed an Internship, Residency, and Chief Medical Residency in the Georgetown University Hospital System. This was followed by a two year Fellowship in Pulmonary and Intensive Care Medicine, also at Georgetown University Hospital.” Anyway, you get the idea. Definitely in the game. He went on to ultimately commission “a colleague with the expertise to design and build a fundamentally new laser electromagnetic resonance technology.” I won’t bore you with the other details of why he decided to do this other than to say it has to do with T cells, HIV and finding a way to ”selectively target and eliminate infected parts of cells leaving uninfected normal cells unharmed.” Did I mention he was brilliant? You can read more about him on the website itself.
So now, you might be saying, okay big deal? The deal is this - he’s taken this special laser technology and enhanced supplements (aka vitamins) to work not only more efficiently, but more effectively. You can take less and still get the same results, plus the vitamins actually work better, faster and ultimately do what they are supposed to do. There’s a reason you don’t feel a difference when you take your Centrum multiple or any other store bought vitamin, it’s because most vitamins are crap. They have fillers or use ingredients that aren’t regulated or self-regulated in any way. First off, upgrade to pharmaceutical grade vitamins if you’re going to bother taking any at all. At least give your body something to work with that’s decent. Look for organic herbs in herbal supplements, look at the ingredients and see how well they meet the RDA - Recommended Daily Allowance - they should be at 100% or more as a rule. Some supplements are dangerous in large amounts like Vitamin A, so these should be lower as a rule.
My biggest recommendation is seeking out a professional alternative nutritionist who can specifically suggest what to take for what you need. Self medicating is never a good thing since most people don’t realize they can do more damage than good my combining the wrong supplements together or not realize what their body truly needs. Vitamins should be treated like any medicine, and individuals should be treated as individuals. So, not everyone needs the same vitamins or the same amounts.
We are all unique and Dr. Todd sees the future of medicine recognizing that more and more. Still, there are some supplements that are pretty universal, and Gematria has focused on those the most. Recharge revitalizes every cell in your body and gives you amazing energy. Immune Boost is laser enhanced enzymes and trace elements that oxygenate the blood. HeartGems lowers homocysteine levels, which lowers risk for heart disease among countless other life threatening illnesses. GemAminos helps detoxify the brain and is an incredible anti-aging product. FlexJC is for joints and cartiladge support, but as a fabulous side effect it also happens to reduce age lines and wrinkles. Hey, I admit it, I was happy to get some for my back, but happier even more so for my face. Again, all these products are laser enhanced.
For those looking for a little something extra in the libido department, they have an amazing product called Nitroxx that contains Arginine, which they describe as ”one of the most potent amino acids for stimulating the release of human growth hormone, a rejuvenator of virtually every cell and tissue in the body. This formula is beneficial for enhanced immune function, a healthy cardiac program, long-term memory support, and also helpful for safe support of sexual health and vigor.” Not bad for one bottle. What I like the most is that they have a nutritionist who can consult with your doctor for free, even though they have developed universal products that are good for just about anyone.
Now you might be asking “why are you so passionate about these vitamins?” Because I’ve tried them, they work and they are saving lives. Dr. Todd has done studies on several patients with severe conditions such as lupus, Chrohn’s disease, even HIV and has tremendous results in lowering the viral loads of these and other conditions. Currently his research is focused on finding a cure for HIV with initial clinical trials showing huge promise. All without harmful chemicals and painful side effects. A not-so-simple laser technology is doing this. Light is battling the darkness of disease on a cellular level. He’s looking at our DNA and finding ways to communicate with it through what we put in our bodies. To me the future of health and medicine looks much more promising when you realize maybe prevention through enhanced supplements will go a lot further to curing dis-ease in the human body than just placing a prescription drug band-aid over the problem and waiting for the side effects.

Turn Off The Toxic Lightbulb in Your Mind

Being a Reiki practitioner you learn that all dis-ease is influenced by energy that exists in your body, mind and the environment around you. I've learned that all living things have energy within them, including plants and even rocks. Now, this energy can become toxic just like anything else, and can be influenced by anything from thought patterns to electromagnetic frequencies. So, be careful what you say like "you're such a pain in my neck" or "I can't stand it anymore" because sure enough before long your neck aches or your knee buckles. Might sound silly, but affirmations of any kind, even slightly negative ones you say unconsciously have an effect on you. Now this is just a small example of energy toxification. If you dwell in negative thoughts about other people, your job, yourself or just your life in general than that negativity has to eventually show up somewhere.

Let me make it clearer. If you aren't dealing emotionally or mentally with personal problems about a major stress in your life, than those problems have no choice but to eventually show up physically in your body. If you worry incessantly about world events for example or stress about a divorce, then that worry could show up as a kidney stone or that stress could create something more serious like an ulcer or even tumor. All toxic thoughts have to go somewhere, and usually they settle into organs and eventually wreak havoc. It doesn't mean this happens to everyone. There will always be the Ms. Suzy Sunshines of the world who develop cancer and the Mr. Glooms who don't. I'm just saying that according to most wellness philosophies the healthier and cleaner your energy and thoughts are, the better your overall health. This is why so many people say "I'm not going to hold onto the anger." They intuitively know it's hurting them more than the person or thing it's directed at.

My suggestion is work on forgiveness and meditate on joy no matter what is occurring around you. You have no control of what is outside of you, so control the thoughts that occur inside your mind. Once that starts happening, you'll find your energy attracts more of the same thoughts to you through like-minded people and situations, and then the environment you find yourself in becomes less toxic. You'll also find that people you once gravitated to no longer feel right to you, and it may cause you to make some difficult choices about friends who might now feel somehow toxic. That's okay. Change is okay. Life is not meant to be static, it's a constant flow of change and sometimes this applies to people. Sometimes it even applies to our closest family members. Just remember that your health comes first and is your responsibility. Without it we're good no one, including our big blue planet that revolves under our feet and depends on us to tread lightly...even with the energy we share.

The Economics of Organics

Why is it that the word organic immediately adds a 30% or more premium to anything you're buying? Whether it's food, clothing, cosmetics or even dog toys, the word organic still just translates to expensive. The answer is demand. Organic farming as a rule is more expensive from dirt to market simply because the lack of pesticides means alternative methods that cost more to use. Plus, you have government subsidizing that just doesn't support the small organic farmer at this time because the volume isn't large enough for them to take notice. It just comes down to money and until there is more volume driven by higher market demand, the costs will remain high. So, in actuality, when you buy organic you are driving up demand and driving down the cost. What worries me is that the providers of organic products won't lower their prices to coincide with the eventual lowering costs because the organic label will translate to permanent luxury status. Hopefully that won't happen, and I encourage manufacturers and suppliers to keep that in mind.

What's sad is that you have countries outside the U.S., like South Africa, that don't have issues with salmonella or e-coli or any of the germs we have and most if not all of their farming is organic by nature. Pesticides are rarely if ever used and the food tastes amazing simply because the soils aren't polluted or depleted. We consider our country advanced and modern, but at what cost to our health and our environment? It's no accident that our cancer rates and other diseases directly related to toxicity are skyrocketing alongside the amount of electromagnetic waves we absorb through cell phones, microwaves, even our cars. Then you have the toxins we're breathing, eating and even bathing in inundating our immune systems. The least you can do is lessen your toxic load by eating healthy, organic foods and increasing demand so that it won't cost you $50 for 5 items at Whole "Paycheck" Foods for the rest of your life.

Organic should be the rule, not the exception and not a luxury. It is a god-given right to have our planet the way it was created, not the way we've desecrated it. But, it takes work and it takes every person to get involved to make the change happen. It reminds me of an old movie called "Soylent Green" with Charleton Heston. It's a place we could be headed if we're not careful, where they have tree museums and food shortages and it costs unreal amounts of money for the most basic items that we take for granted today. Track it down to rent and maybe it will help you make that decision a little easier when you're shopping in Trader Joe's and have a choice between the $0.19 banana or the $0.29 organic banana...how much is that ten cents worth to you?

My Rage Against the Machines

EMFs...my new found nemesis. Now, you may be wondering why Electro Magnetic Frequencies which surround us on so many levels - cell phones, TV's, computers, microwave ovens, cordless phones, etc. - should suddenly become a concern. Turns out my new condo is two blocks from the valley's largest cell phone tower station - three tall towers in fact. What is an ecocurean to do? So, basically what they're telling me is that my blood is going to cluster, I'm going to fry my DNA on a daily basis and I could possibly end up with brain, eye or mouth cancer in several years...yes, I'm serious. Would have been nice to know before we signed the lease, but there you have it. I can take some comfort in knowing I'm not alone...there are billions of victims worldwide who are at risk simply from using their cell phones, including innocent children who are the biggest casualty.




Now I'm sitting in this minor depression going over how our government waits for enough of us to die from something before they move to erradicate it or at least deem it harmful - think ephedra, cigarettes, lead paint, etc. Trust me, I know there is not a chance in you know where that cell phones, cordless phones or the countless electronics we use are ever going to be deemed unsafe by anyone - except Dr. George Carlo, the former chief scientist of the $28 million research into cell phone safety, who found alarming findings that essentially went ignored. If you click on his name, you'll find his organization that interestingly has no US chapter. However, it appears as usual, that the UK, Australia, New Zealand and even our neighbor Canada are ahead of us in issuing EMF warnings and studying what these frequencies do to the human body. Why does it always take us ten years longer to get with the program?

So, here we are...us lucky Americans...swimming in a giant ocean of denial, surrounded by environmental pollution that includes electrical pollution; participating in an experiment of how quickly our capitalist society can exterminate the human race with different methods of biological, chemical and electrical warfare. Things such as hydrogenated oils, corn syrup solids, Equal, Splenda, preservatives, pesticides, herbicides and hormones used to fabricate artificial food that lowers our immune systems comes to mind...but hey, it feeds more people...now newly diseased people. The new breed of people that need, guess what? You guessed it...pharmaceuticals...chemicals that might help a migraine, but have more side effects that might affect your kidneys, heart or liver function. Then if you mix them together you might find yourself dead at 26, but no one will care unless you're Heath Ledger or equally famous.

Still, if you manage to escape those two phases of the experiment unscathed, you find yourself awash in frequencies that penetrate into your cells and deem them useless. Fascinating stuff. Just check out Dr. Carlo's lectures on You Tube and you might find yourself needing to "stay in touch" a little less. Especially since companies like Disney (through Sprint) are now targeting your children, the largest victims of EMF damage, to bring them cell phones at earlier ages when their brains are still developing. Not to mention all the cell phone providers and manufacturers who have been given proof that their phones may as well be loaded guns to our heads, who ignore the facts to make a few billion bucks a year. And don't think Bluetooth or regular headsets are safer, in fact they're worse. Let's get down to the reality of what we can do before I sound more and more like Michael Moore.

You have chemicals and toxins surrounding you daily that create toxic overload in your body and ultimately disease. Eliminate them, and you increase your chances of not only survival but a better quality of life. But, good luck eliminating all of them. You would basically have to never leave your house and your house would have to be completely remodeled for organic, non-toxic living. Not a cheap endeavor by the way. As my friend Patricia likes to say, "Wellness is a rich man's sport." But, it shouldnt' be. It should be a god given right to everyone. You can check out her website Happy Bodies, that does its best to detoxify from the inside out.

My sponsored site Peaceful Detox features several videos on the subject of toxins in general and one controversial product (called NCD) that is healing people daily from diseases (such as cancer) caused by these toxins, much to the disappointment of the medical industry. Why controversial if it's non-toxic, natural and more effective than anything else on the market at removing heavy metals, toxins and viruses from the body? Well, because it has no side effects and heals people without costing them millions, silly. Millions that should be going to medical research, right? Face it, unless you're in a catastrophic state, our medical system can sometimes do more to hurt us than heal us when it comes to treating symptoms instead of preventing their cause. But, that's another article.

Now we get to worry about electricity. Everywhere. Giving off a frequency that you may or may not hear. Cordless phones are the worst, followed by cell phones, then microwave ovens, computers, televisions, clock radios, vacuums and hair dryers. And that's just inside your home. Go outside and you get more dosing of EMF when you drive your conveniently computerized car to your high tech job, while driving by cell tower stations...unless of course you're lucky enough to live by one like I soon will.

Enough with the doom and gloom. Let's look at solutions. Start with your microwave oven - get rid of it. I just decided to toss ours finally since it's a deathtrap I've been in denial over. You can learn why you should really re-heat using a conventional oven or stovetop by reviewing the health risks of microwaves and microwaved food, beyond just the EMF reasons.

But, besides the microwave, what can you do? Get lower EMF hair dryers and other appliances. Obviously most of us can't get rid of a computer or phone, but we can protect ourselves from the frequencies they emit. One solution is called the QLink featuring Sympathetic Resonance Technology - "The theory goes that all of these components combine to work like a tuning fork for your body and align your cells and energy systems into balance." So, what it does is neutralize the effects of EMFs on your body and can be worn as jewelry. It's a bit "out there" for some, but given what I've researched on it, I'm happy to try anything at this point under the shadow of three cell towers. There are several designs, most a bit pricey starting at $49 up to $999. This one to the right runs about $450 because it's a special designer series.

Personally, I might have to look on eBay to see what I can find cheaper. Plus, I'll probably combine it with some special clay baths to detox monthly just in case and maybe a few stickers from Biopro or Aulterra as extra added protection when I'm not wearing my Qlink. All I can say is something is better than nothing, and cutting back on cell phone and cordless phone use will probably not only help my mind on a cellular level, but also on a mental one. Who knows, maybe this is just the excuse I needed to liberate me from my cell phone and the voices on the other end who always want me to be in touch.

Organic Wine: A Series - Part One

This should be short and sweet since I'm still in the research phase of finding the perfect organic wine, and invite those of you who have found your favorites to list some of them in the comments. Now, I decided to go on a mission to taste several organic wineries before my upcoming nuptials, since I'd like to have some featured at my reception for those who prefer non-pesticide and non-sulfite vino. I started with Trader Joe's as a fluke, where I bought two whites and two reds, but the problem is they're not truly organic, they're simply made from organic grapes. Which got me thinking. What constitutes a true organic wine then if it isn't for the grapes. I suppose it's all the other ingredients that are added to ferment wine that need to be organic as well, such as the yeast, tannin, pectic enzyme, acid blend and campden, which ensures the wine won't spoil. Who knew you were getting so much out of one glass, right?

Now, true organic wines always mean sulfite-free according to the USDA's new definition of what constitutes organic wine: "a wine made from organically grown grapes and without any added sulfites." However, it should be noted that sulfite-free wines don't necessarily mean they are organic, since you can make a sulfite-free wine from non-organic ingredients. The sad fact is that according to the USDA's new definition, organic wine is restricted to being a "fortified grape juice" according to the Organic Wine Company, one of the originators of organic wine in France. It limits the winemakers and makes it a challenge to come up with some true organic wines that don't assault the delicate taste buds of true connoisseurs. However OWC has been making wine this way since the seventies, and consistently their wines are rated some of the best along with other French wineries. The reason is that the grapes are hand-picked and they use the natural yeasts that exist in nature versus adding them in to ferment their wine. In addition, they are well under the 100ppm (parts per million) in sulfur dioxide (sulfites) limit set by the USDA, where conventional wines are two or three times that amount as a rule.

So, the first four bottles of wine on my list are thus not truly organic, since they are not sulfite free. However, I feel that at least they don't have pesticides and the farming is more ecological since it is organic. If figure, it's a start and does contribute to eco-living to some degree. If you are someone who is allergic to sulfites like some of my friends, then you can find comfort in an array of true organic wines at your local Whole Foods. Be aware that normally organic wines shouldn't cost more because they are one of the few organic products that don't come at a premium, however when you shop at Whole Foods as a rule everything comes at a premium.

If you want to learn more about organic wines before you buy, go to http://www.organicwinejournal.com/ to do some much needed research first. I find that even scouring other blogs like this one you can find reviews from people who are already well on their way to becoming organic wine experts. I myself will have an upcoming entry reviewing some of the wines I'll be trying in the next several months.

To save on cost of your own personal tasting research I suggest checking out some online organic wine distributors instead of just your local markets if you are serious about converting, since you'll get a better price for a better wine. Some to try are: http://www.ecovinewine.com/; http://www.winemiles.com/; http://www.theorganicwinecompany.com/; http://www.ecowine.com/; http://www.mendocinowineco.com/; http://www.freywine.com/; http://www.organicwinepress.com/; http://www.ecoexpress.com/; and finally one of the better wines rated among ecocureans is Robert Sinskey or http://www.robertsinskey.com/.

Then finally there's the latest rage, biodynamic organic wine, which I believe originated at Cooper Mountain Winery - http://www.coopermountainwine.com/. More to come on biodynamics in Part II of Organic Wine: A Series.

The bottom line is do the best you can with limiting your toxic intake, which means organic grapes are at least a step in the right direction. If you can't quite do sulfite-free, then at least you know you're supporting organic farming of grapes, and that's a great start.

Eco-Furniture

So, as newlyweds, my husband and I have decided to move, but in baby steps. What I mean is that instead of jumping into a purchase, we're still renting, but instead of your standard issue apartment we're going to give a condo a go for a while. Now, given the move, we're purging old furniture and buying new pieces here and there so that by the time we get to our actual house, there won't be so much to get...especially with L.A. mortgage payments.

As I've been purging, I realize now is a good time to swap out old furniture with some new eco-furniture. Tough one. Unless you like the standard glass and metal modern designs or enjoy interesting pieces made out of cardboard or newspaper. For me, I prefer your more traditional or contemporary pieces and after scouring the web could only find a few places that fit the bill. Now, I'm sure there are pieces here and there scattered across various websites, or maybe handmade furniture from recycled logs and farm houses...but I want cute and normal, not shabby chic lumberjack. What to do, what to do? Here are some of my favorites as of today with a few highlights:

Urban Home - limited choices, but designer and contemporary.

Zola Furnishings - feature SafeCoat Durastain.

Furnature - simple, non-toxic, organic furniture, not necessarily eco.

Green Culture - not 100% environmental, but pretty close and better variety. Uses no leather or silk. Very conscious of sustainable forestry.

Greener Lifestyles - only sofas and chaises.

Pristine Planet - eco-friendly comparison shopping, including furniture.

Dax Stores - largest online eco-friendly department store.

Eco Mall - a resource list of various sites that contain furniture and household items.

So, what is eco-furniture exactly. For my purposes, as an ecocurean, I would say I want furniture that's healthier for me and the planet. What do you look for? Non-toxic stains, recycled or reclaimed wood, sustainable foresting, organic cotton, no dyes, chemicals or chemical waste in manufacturing. Fair working environments comes to mind, as does animal friendly, meaning no leather or silk. It's all up to you to decide how far you want to go for the right piece at the right price for you and the planet.

EMF Defense Made Fashionable

So yesterday the hubby and I took a stroll over at the Grove in Los Angeles and meandered into Nordstrom where he made a B-line for the designer watches. His favorite things. One of them, featured on Oprah's favorite things, was the Philip Stein Watch. So, the salesman wanders over and opens the case so that my husband can try on the $1,400 plus watch, which has a strap with a separate price altogether of $180 or so. I guess you could buy the watch without a band, but where's the functionality in that, right? The idea is you can design your custom watch with the interchangeable bands in various colors. Nothing novel about that. But, what was novel was the underlying "gimmick" if you will - TESLAR technology. Right up my Ecocurean alley.

It supposedly "emits a unique signal that strengthens the wearer's natural energy field, making it able to better resist the potential negative effects of EMF fields given off by cell-phones and other electronic devices. Due to the 'TESLAR Effect', wearers have experienced deeper sleep, less tension, increased energy and improved concentration." Hmmm. Could be interesting. Regardless, the large round chronograph with Galuchat (aka sting ray) strap was a stunner though not exactly eco, but if it can improve the energy field you can always opt for a satin band instead.

The sad thing is that I just got a Balmain watch, the last one being sold of its kind in the LA area in fact since US distribution recently came to a halt. Which means I can't very well expect to get another watch anytime super soon. Maybe a birthday present from the hubby, and then I can get him one too since we're both November babies. My natural energy field feels better already. Though I don't know how well either of us will sleep with that typical Ecocurean price tag.

I'll take the Greenest Wedding I Can Get for $20,000, Bob!

Okay, so it's been a while. I've been remiss at writing my blog because, hey, I got married and have been planning my wedding myself and it got the best of me. So, sue me. Can I just say how hard it is to plan your own wedding while staying green and on budget? Torture, even for me...the supposed expert. It's a lot harder when it's your own, this is true, and when you don't have parents paying for all of it because you're 36 and you "should have gotten married in your twenties when we could have taken pity" staring at you in the face...well, you get the idea. So, there I was, Miss Zencierge soon to be Mrs. Ecocurean looking at my wedding date and thinking, this is going to be interesting.

It started with the dress...it should always start with the dress ladies. Get it out of the way so you don't have to worry about it. Now, short of doing the Angelina Jolie thing of considering Goodwill as a possibility and possibly looking like Madonna from "Like a Virgin" I thought, "maybe I'll rent." That's about as green as you can get unless you're doing the corn-bamboo-organic cotton deal, which by the way is not cheap. Can I just say how annoying it is to want to have the dream green wedding, but have a $20K budget that just doesn't understand eco prices.

So, there I had it...my St. Pucci gown with the whole leaf motif going on and boy, was it stunning - and only $1,000 to rent from a place here in LA that shall go unmentioned since they totally messed up my alterations and delayed the walk down the aisle by 30 minutes because it took my maid of honor that long to CUT, yes I said CUT, these ponytail type wraps that were holding the train up off the ground...breathe...it was ridiculous. You know who you are One Night Aff.., oops, did I slip. Anyway, just make sure if you rent that you do a final fitting where they explain the bussle to you - I unfortunately didn't have the time and figured how hard can it be. Yeah, my mistake.

Okay, so the dress was down. What about the food? Flowers? Location? Lucky for me we have some great friends with a huge estate with an amazing view of twinkly lights and a deck for miles. At the top of Mulholland, it was perfect...central to the valley and the city and no parking issues for valet. Green note: If you can keep your ceremony and reception at the same location you're saving carbon emissions, time, energy and therefore the planet. So, needless to say, we had both at the house and it was magical.

Food was mostly pasta, veggies, some chicken and fish, but no meat. Did the free-range thing and wild salmon and avoided meat for obvious green reasons. But, whether or not the veggies and fruit were organic, I can't say because to be honest my caterer was a huge disappointment in terms of attitude and I doubt he went that extra mile in the end. Too long a story to go into, but basically two days before my wedding I was dealing with rental issues because he told me they were taken care of and weren't...not good. Note to brides...never trust a vendor who says "I have a great guy who will give you a great price" - go with your gut and your own contact and make them work together. If you can do organic wines, coffees, teas...all the better. If you want a great alcohol - try Square One vodka...but all in all just do the best you can and don't drive yourself battty on every little thing if you can't make it work. You're a bride-to-be, you have enough to worry about.

So, let me just give you a run down of some things as a nutshell, otherwise this will go on forever. Throw lavendar instead of bird seed, use soy candles, organic flowers if available (Organic Bouquet is probably the easiest/costliest, but you can always try a local grower and hire a florist to arrange them for you). I happened to use these mini-hurricane hanging centerpieces that I was able to give to special guests who helped out, cutting back on the number of flowers I needed overall and the cost. They were about $13 each at Michael's and that's about what you pay for a bowl to put your flowers in nowadays. More importantly, the reception was in the evening, and they provided much needed light as well.

Everything we used we pretty much rented, which is obviously the best eco way to go. Reusable is sustainable. My invitations were handmade with Tibetan paper by my uncle's company Closerie Publishing...I liked the fact that it supported the people of Tibet more than that it was 100% green. But, if you're looking for green, go with someone like Bella Figura for elegant, or Seal and Send for the "no envelope" route. Also, you can request that guests bring their invitations for recycling and collect them when they come in if you really want to go that extra mile. For a gift, I gave a piece of amethyst from South Africa (in honor of my husband who's from there) and a small box of French macarons were left at each place setting.

What can I say, my wedding was an amazing day, even if my husband decided to jump off a two-story roof into the pool with his groomsmen at the end of the day...and some of the details were not exactly to my liking (which always happens)...and it went by faster than it should...the end result was that my husband and I spent the day with the people we love the most who never saw the imperfections and most said it was one of the most beautiful weddings they'd ever been to...which is saying a lot considering this is L.A.

One final note, I did get the post-wedding blues a bit since it was practically a full time job for months and then suddenly I was married and had no need for wedding magazines anymore with cute little ideas staring at me from colorful pages. To be honest, I felt a bit robbed. It went by so quickly and even though "that's what every bride says," it didn't seem to help. So, here I am, over the drama and the let down and sharing the "as green as it gets." I didn't manage to pull off hemp tablecloths, but given my budget, I saved a few continents at least, if not the whole planet.

The Greener Paper Conundrum

So here I am planning my own green wedding and I have to say, they don't make it easy, even for me. There's a balance between economical and eco-comical. What I mean is that where do you draw the line between saving the planet and saving your 401K? I'll give you just one example of the latest task at hand. I'm having my uncle do my wedding invitations at about $4.00 an invite, huge savings. Most of the paper he has on hand because he happens to have his own stationary company with all types of papers, such as hand made gorgeous pulp paper from Tibet. You can check his stuff out at http://www.closerie.com/. Anyway, it's my uncle and the paper helps people from Tibet, so I feel good about it, even if it's not recycled or has embedded seeds that I can plant in my backyard. Let's talk about that for a minute, shall we?

What is the likelihood that your friend Michelle or Tom is going to take your invitation and plant it in their backyard? Most people think it's adorable, but few actually take action and execute by digging up a hole and throwing in the paper. Simple task, but more likely than not they open up a lid to a trashcan and toss it in, or maybe if they're truly heartless they take it and shred it to itsy bitsy bits, seeds and all. But, if it makes you feel better for the 4% of guests who might actually follow through, then great. Then you can check out http://www.greenfieldpaper.com/ or http://www.plantablepaper.com/ for paper that blooms.

Now, back to basic eco-nomics of going green. Check out this invite at Green Field Paper Company, it's an all-in-one invitation and reply card, where the reply tears off and you mail it back in as a postcard. There's no envelopes, so less paper used and overall a great idea. Unless of course you mind spending about $1,000 on 100 invitations without the frills or elegance of presentation. I understand the average invite for a wedding is roughly $10 a piece, however usually that includes envelopes, the invite itself, the reply card, a reply envelope and sometimes even ribbons or other accouterments. People usually don't mind paying more for invitations that deliver a punch of style and set the tone for the event, making it clear you show up in a tie versus a t-shirt. Here we have a single piece of paper folded and perforated in a few key spots and the next thing you know you're spending the same amount. But why? There's less paper, less punch, but because it's "trendy" or "helping the planet" you have to pay more? I don't get it. To me it's a bit backwards.

My friend Patricia likes to tell me time and again that beauty and health are a rich person's sport. You want to be beautiful and botoxed, pay hundreds. You want a clean colon, flush your money away too. What I find sad is that it appears the same thing is happening to green living. How do green organizations or companies expect more people to go green and ultimately help all of us survive when only a small percentage of the population can afford new greener products? Just like organics, anything with "eco" or "green" in front of it manages to hike up the price. It becomes the rich person's burden to save all of us I guess. Part of the reason I created this website was to get that message across to the epicurean types who spend money anyway on life luxuries to understand how important it is for them as consumers to spend their money wisely on green life luxuries instead. I guess I have little faith that the prices for green organic living are going to come down anytime soon. So, I've made it one of my many missions to convert epicureans into ecocureans one person at a time.

So, here's my suggestion on the whole invitation thing. Just do the best you can. If you can afford the works and blooming paper, go for it. If you can't, try recycled paper or natural papers that are unbleached. Also, look for vegetable based oil in your ink or eco-printers such as http://www.greenprinter.com/. At the bare minimum, if you get your invites out of a box from Office Depot, you can always ask your guests to bring them to the event or wedding as a means of entry, and ask from them to put them in a basket or box for recycling when they check in. This way you take responsibility for recycling and don't have to depend on them to do it. It all depends on how green you are willing to go, and keeping in mind that the little things count too because they all add up in the end.